The newest candidate to throw his hat in the ring for the Mayor's race is Manuel "Manny" Luis who registered in early December. He is also his own treasurer and lives in County Commissioner Dennis Moss's district. From his facebook page I know he has 130 friends - none that I know - and he likes Baby Bree (aka Chewy) and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. He looks like a happy guy from his photo, he appears to be about 40-45 (guess) and he likes to fish (he is holding up a big fish).
We also have Marcelo Llorente with $246,969, Larazo R. Gonzalez with $5,191 (he tried to recall the Mayor but failed), and Darrin Ellis who has raised $365 (he has been in since 10/2009 and has spent $320 of his $365). I have speculated on others running but they haven't joined the race. Rebeca Sosa has been getting a lot of feel good press so I still think she is running although others have assured me she is not going to throw her hat in the race. See her letter to the editor about Jackson Memorial Hospital System in the Miami Herald today. In it she says: "Moreover, the integrity of Chief Executive Officer Eneida Roldan was called into question, which resulted in her deciding to step down in May 2011." I don't think that is how it happened. I think she stepped down because she was tired of being harassed by the County Commissioners. Who is right readers, me or Rebeca?
20 comments:
Proof that Facebook hurts. Before running, people should edit their page.
My theory: Roldan knows her contract is not going to be renewed, so she says "I'm leaving when my contract is up", and blames commissioners for questioning her integrity. She's hoping they'll terminate her early and have to pay her out a year's salary for getting rid of her before her contract is up.
She is one of the highest paid public employees in the country. She should have a little thicker skin. She tried to "play dumb" in front of the commission, and she got caught.
Either she knew about the contract in question, and was less than candid, or she didn't know about it, despite sitting on all the Boards that reviewed it. Neither is good.
The way Sosa worded that is disturbing. It says more and is accusatory: Sly sideswipe. She didn't write that, too dumb.
Sosa wants to run but would not appeal to non-hispanics - also, she is a Republican but is a pet for the union controlled school district.
Martinez seems very likely but this depends on whether he's happy being Chair.
Gimenez is definitely in.
JC Bermudez looks like he will run but this seems dependent on timing - he has indicated he won't run in a special election.
Julio Robaina (Hialeah, not the former legislator) is in.
You already mentioned Llorente who is stronger than you may think.
Long shot: Alberto Carvalho.
Keep an eye on what Rubio does related this race. He has been vocal about this race, which is unusual for federal elected officials.
I heard Roosevelt Bradlee is running? He's the former transportation head and would be the only african-american in the race. I hear he would be formidable.
Only a Hispanic can win this race, Bradley would be wasting him time... 2000 census: Miami Dade only has 69.7% White (20.7% Non-Hispanic White), 20.3% African American
You hear he would be formidable? How so? With his large fundraising base? With his eloquence? With the historically large turnouts in the african-american community for off cycle elections?
Is that you Roosevelt?
Sosa wants a task force to fix Jackson? Is she the same Sosa that created a blue ribbon task force to fund the arts and then voted against the county budget that provided funding for the arts? That woman needs to get a grip.
Bradley knows absolutely nothing about running for office. Probably never even registered anyone to vote or even participated in a campaign. Some people run to cater to their egos. And still others do not run to win, but run as losers and are compensated well for losing. As we have seen, a few thousand votes here and there, is more than enough to guarantee certain people will win. If you are thinking about who is going to run, others have already begun thinking about the "set-up" for the Mayor's race based on historical voting behavior.
Kathy Fernandez Rundell is the only potential candinate with county wide voter appeal. She outpaced everyone in a recent poll.
She would make a great Mayor!
Jimmy Morales name has been tossed around lately, not that I'd vote for him.
Also MDLP enboldened by his recent victory is looking into it. Wouldn't vote for him either
In the "special" election would there be a runoff or would plurality do?
Why would Rundell do it?
She's the Queen of her own castle, with NO Term Limits, and no commissioners to costantly battle. Why would she want to be responsible for balancing a $7 billion budget in a time of further revenue declines.
Nope. She's got a lifetime gig as State Attorney, with an FRS Pension (probably with a High Risk multiplier), a salary comensurate with the Mayoral Salary, and never faces any real opponents come election time.
I can't see why she'd run.
M
If there is a recall election, after that one there would be a Mayoral election, with a guaranteed runoff election (as no one would get 50+1). This means 3 elections in 2011 @ $5 million a pop. NICE!!!
2012 is right around the corner and we would have to do it all over again---how much fun, Sola's crew is on the verge of getting a Zumbalection workout-- with a primary + runoff, then the general + runoff. 4 more elections in 2012.
7 elections in approximately 18 months.
Get the picture...
Jimmy Morales would have been a good choice except lately he has been doing lobbying work for shady clients.
Jimmy has the same problem he had 6years ago... "He's Jimmy". Not quite Cuban enough and entirely too liberal.
M
It truly amazes me to think that Eneida Roldan was placed in charge of managing Jackson Memorial Hospital. What is Mrs. Roldan's management experience? This answer is still very fresh in our memory; she was CEO of Pan American Hospital during the time that the Hospital was up for sale. When Mrs. Roldan commenced managing Pan American, the Hospital had millions in the bank and when the hospital was finally sold to outside investors the Hospital was tens of millions of dollars in the RED. Are you actually telling me that in the search of a leader to run JMH their was not ONE competent worthy candidate in the entire United States that was interested in assuming the role of CEO?
So I ask you, why would anyone place an individual in charge of a multi billion dollar governmental agency when they destroyed a TINY private institution that was serving this community for decades? Mrs. Roldan clearly is paying back favors to the people that helped her attain her current position and massive $800,000 a year salary. Hopefully a full investigation will occur and Mrs. Roldan's actions and mismanagement will come to light. As a community we punish the good and reward the incompetent, we have everything backwards.
How about idiot George Burgess? He takes $400,000 from the taxpayers and he demanded the taxpayers divert over $3.5 Billion to a privately owned foreign based company. $3.5 Billion.
Do not assume there will be a special election to replace the recalled Mayor. With Martinez as Chair of the BCC, he can negotiate a deal to appoint a friendly care-taker to the vacancy (friendly to him, of course, with no ambition to run for it in 2012). Then Martinez has time to build his political and financial base for 2012 against Gimenez, Hialeah Robaina, Llorente and whomever else is in.
But if Martinez thinks he can win a quickie special election, then that will be the plan.
Martinez voted to divert tax money to the Marlins. Is Martinez in favor of giving over $1 Bil to two broke museums?
The only real "Bloomberg" candidate for Mayor is Philip Levine from Miami Beach. He almost ran last time. I have met him before and the guy is the American Dream success story....smart, telegenic and self made wealthy who can easily out spend anyone from his own pocket for the campaign....someone should push him into the race...the guy is a total winner....
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