Yes that is Mayor Carlos Gimenez at Mark Bell's fundraiser at the Redland Hotel. Lynda Bell's husband Mark is running for Mayor of Homestead. What the hell happened to Carlos? Did he get a lobotomy? He is in all the wrong places maybe he has lost his way. Having a ally on the BCC, doesn't mean you have to give up all your principles Carlos.
44 comments:
it's a political machine in process of being made. Doesn't care about outcome. Cares about power.
The fact that I'm not remotely surprised is absurd. Yep, we need something higher then a barf meter. Perhaps local Pol's go completely insane! Gimenez has continued to completely ignore the voters and the community along with Lynda Bell at his side to do his bidding on the BCC. Anyone else tired of being a Serf to these fools with too much power over our tax dollars and tinkering with legislative issue to make us basically slaves to special interest while they get their "special interest" campaign donors funded and the people continually lose power at the hands of the BCC by striping away our rights, taking our money to make sure we never get ahead, stripping away at the middle class, and making absolutely sure the poor live in ultimate poverty. All those high end buyers along Brickell don't vote because they're foreigners or they're second homes. It's perfect. Those are the most heavily taxed areas with no voice,and the voice of the people who live here get muted because we don't have lobbyists!
Gimenez needs to go, hopefully recalled sooner rather then later. Lynda Bell needs to be shown the door in 2014! These Tea Party freaks have long lost sight of the constitution for their own self interest.
As to Mark Bell, he is the least qualifified, hen pecked hillbilly husband of Lynda Bell who was shown the door as Homestead Mayor for good reason. Let Mark Bell lose, badly. Sometimes money doesn't win elections down here. Lynda Bell when she ran for re elections as Mayor is proof of that. May Mark Bell be shown the door at election time. And, I'd like our $20K of tax payer funded CRA money back and a full accounting of those mortgage payments to Reddin (sp) the company who funded the 10% down mortgage on a run down, probably termite infested, hooker hotel!
Last anon, the Bateman stuff is campaign rhetoric with Lynda Bell mis using (my opinion) her position with the BCC to create controversy using KFR to make sure she doesn't look at her own husband, Mark Bell! She also has help from a very willing Miami Herald smear sheet partner. As to Burgess, have you ever seen him at a council meeting? I would not consider him the best person for the job. The odd man out is Porter. With all this nonsense, the voters should be very careful because there is a third option to both of them and he would be like putting Nick Sincore back in charge. Talking about going back to the 50's!
First and foremost, never,ever underestimate Lynda Bell. Should she have been Mayor ? No. Should she have been Commissioner. No. Should she be Vice Chair of the BCC ? No. Did she accomplish all of the above ? Yes! Her personal background causes her to perceive herself as the victim and when you couple that with her gut level extreme right wing hatred of any person who expresses an opinion contrary to hers, it is a recipe for a grit and determination to win that not even the most grizzled male politician could ever imagine. Her position enables her to hurt those who donate to the campaigns of others and makes it easy to raise tens of thousands at the snap of her manicured cleaning lady nails.
You cannot separate her from her husband. This is the ultimate grudge match; the final revenge of Lynda Bell against the aging and impotent movers and shakers of Homestead. The good old boy network will allow it to happen through their myopic support of Bateman as the incumbent and Porter as the last bastion of a bygone and predominately Anglo Homestead. They are not interested in either the qualification of honesty of the elected officials. Mark Bell will win and Lynda's grasp on every facet of Homestead will be complete. Wake up Homestead ! Demand he reignation or removal of Steve Bateman and go find someone other than Jeff Porter who has a shot at defeating Lynda Bell.
The only plausible explanation for Gimenez' appearance at Mark Bell's event is Early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Not Alzheimers. Lack of balls. Somehow Lynda obtained his manhood and put them in a jar with Marks.
Gimenez should have stayed out of the Homestead race. It is a snakepit and it will gobble him up. He ran as a moderate but he is acting like a tea party politician through and through. Julio Robaina doesn't look so bad anymore.
Whatever happened with that lawsuit against the county by Lynda's former BFF Lois Jones who was fired from the Bell staff ?
This unholy alliance with Lynda Bell will take down Gimenez. Is he too blind to see that?
Lois Jones won her lawsuit against Lynda Bell.
Genius, that is great news! Of course, the Herald wouldn't print it....As to Bateman resigning, I don't agree. I read the South Dade Newsleader a week or two ago online. He has given a reasonable response to the "allegations". I could be wrong, I don't vote in Homestead and have no "dog" in this fight, but he does sound reasonable. Mark Bell? How the heck did he get convinced to run for Lynda Bell as Mayor? That is so sickening, words cannot describe it. Let Bateman run and I hope the Herald does as much investigating in to Mark Bell, Lynda Bell & Porter as well. Those three are the worst, not Bateman from what I can read. As to Gimenez, he's making the Marlin's deal look sweet compared to his tax dollar give a ways to special interest, "vice" mayors & the like and of course those County contracts. Yes, let's close the Library's in the poor areas because heck, who needs education when the idiots keep voting the bad people in because they cannot read! He's turned out to be a real piece of work and that's in the Lynda Bell psychosis of things!
Bateman is comparable to a cat with nine lives, but at least eight of those are now gone. In short order he will be just a bad memory.
Carlos is making a prudent decision on knowledge of the situation regarding Bateman.
Carlos should have stayed out of the race.
Carlos should not be involved in individual commissioner races nor local mayoral races. It's sickening he's lowered himself and the office of Strong Mayor to these individual Bell's! It's nice to know the Bell campaign (I say the singularly because figuratively they are on in the same) is busy reading on typing on this blog. They must think the rest of the county/city is as dump as they are. I didn't say they weren't sneaky & vindictive, they are both and have enough money to buy good campaign people laughing all the way to the bank whether they win or lose!
Again Gimenez has been ill-advised. He does not understand the nature of power. Under no circumstances should he be involved in ANY municipal election. He is the one legally resonsible for counting the votes and announcing the winnners. He should avoid at all costs any perception of involvement in any candidate's election except his own. Appearing at someone's fundraisers, receptions, events, taking photos with them, and any public display of support sends a signal to the voters, and it is a negative one that substantially diminishes his power among all groups. Even among the people he supports. Instead he needs to stand above the fray, and make it clear that we will work well with whomever the people elect. He has got to get some people around him who have a better handle on things.
Is it true that Mark Bell has some connection to the Confederate group that was at that parade in Homestead? It is a rumor flying around Homestead right now...the rumor is worse but I am not going to spread it.
Outside of the fact that he is married to Lynda Bell, Mark Bell is a complete unknown. To my knowledge, he has never served on a City of Homestead board or committee.
Who is Mark Bell? What is his background? Bell's campaign website states: "Mark Bell is a local business leader and family man who owns and operates the Historic Hotel Redland in Homestead."
Everyone in Homestead knows that Mark Bell is not, by any stretch, "a local business leader" and Bell's acquisition of the Hotel Redland has been a recent and controversial one. Then, Bell's self-proclaimed qualifications for Homestead Mayor are dubious and minimal at best.
My experience with candidates of such inadequate preparation such as Bell demonstrates that they are strongly influenced to run for public office for reasons other than their own. And, typically, they have not been adequately scrutinized before "throwing their hat into the ring."
This lack of scrutiny may yet prove to be very awkward. My bet is that something major and embarrassing will surface once the other campaigns get up to speed.
Gimenez is so self righteous, he doesn't listen to anyone with common sense and he can't see the forest from the trees. His tax hike being one example of a major misstep.
Bell is a plumber who was recently on disability. Businessman ? I think not. He assisted another plumber that actually owned the business. He was a laborer, a working stiff not a business man.
Pathetic. The current Mayor has conflicts on top of conflicts and indicia of being bought and the best Homestead can come up with is Lynda Bell's sock puppet and a charter memeber of the so called Fab Five who never saw a varinace for more over building that he could vote against...
Regardless of who you want for Mayor, The Miami-Dade County Mayor should not be diddling in other people's municipal politics, so let's make sure we don't just focus specifically on Homestead. Remember City of Miami and watch for future power plays.
Gimenez held that fund raiser for Miami-Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suarez' son, who is running against incumbent Mayor Regalado. If you give him a half pass for being a City of Miami resident, you are giving him too much of a pass. I view it as unethical. It's a power grab on two levels.
Now he is meddling in Homestead, but Carlos isn't a resident there. He is just doing what ever the hell he wants.
In both cases, it constitutes a pattern and it deserves its very own blog post. I hope Regalado and Bateman hit him hard on this and then go to the League of Cities to ask for more ammunition. Perhaps there should also be ethics investigations. Who knows. In this town you get roasted just for someone asking the questions ... and no, I am not a Bateman or Regalado fan here ... I am just viewing this through the lense of municipal politics.
Carlos Gimenez was the Fire Chief and then the City Manager in the City of Miami. By 2007-2008 the City of Miami firemen had the highest pay and the best benefits of any firemen in the world. Of the highest paid 50 employees in Miami, 47 were firemen. Think 30 firemen making over $300,000 per year. Carlos has conflicts...
What was DumBell's disability?
Is Mr. Mama June gonna use a wheelchair in his campaign material a la Larry Hawkins?
It's too bad Gimenez isn't trying to figure out a way to keep Library's open, especially in the poorest areas of our County which we pay for on a separate line item on our property tax bill. And, these "brown outs" with the Fire Department, which I think really can be re evaluated & adjusted down ward from the top brass down to keep them open. It takes a bit of math and cooperation from the Fire Union but it can be done.
How about we get rid of the slush funds each commissioner receives starting with the Mom & Pop grants.
Also, those "third party funded" vacations are our tax dollars just under a different organization like the Beacon Council.
I'm sure seeing the Pope was important to Gimenez. He paid for that one portion of his vacation, but as to the rest, knowing of these budget problems he does what?
Go on Holiday & campaign for two people running for mayor in our local municipal elections running against two sitting Mayors running for re election. And, he campaigns for a sitting county commissioner sending what kind of message to anyone who chooses to run against her? At minimal, he needs to somehow be stripped of his power to over see these three elections and anyone else he's campaigning for. As the person literally in charge of counting the votes, as someone else has brought to our attention, this cannot happen. These three, if not more, elections are tainted before people even vote.
KFR, where's your investigation of the integrity of our elections department? Is it in the same pile of the AB fraud "investigation"?
Gimenez is acting insane or must think he's so invincible either no one is watching or they'll continue to support him!
He needs to be recalled, and Lynda Bell needs to be voted out, if we can actually get a clean election. If not, let the lawyersw line up now!!!!
Gimenez' bizarre behavior is not the result of a frontal lobotomy.
Upon close visual inspection of the photograph, I have concluded that this is a case of extra-terrestrial possession. All the signs are there.
Genius, contact Fox Mulder of the X-Files and arrange an exorcism.
Given the fact that he is legally responsible for conducting the elections, counting the votes, and announcing the winners, the anon above is correct, he needs to step aside, release that power and just become another politico on the circuit. He is not operating as a strong mayor and seems to have limited understanding of his powers and his roles. If he does not step aside, perhaps these election powers should be striped from him and given to maybe the Clerk.
That is nothing. Giminez just reclassified Port Deputy Director Juan Kuryla as Director Designate and gave him a 70% pay raise to $300,000, hoping B. Johnson bows out soon. That is worse than Alvarez giving his top aid a hefty payraise while all other employees got cuts. The Port budget includes a $5million line item for payment in a legal judgment against the County for a judges ruling that the Port of Miami has a way of doling certain business permits illegally protecting incumbents -- ``creating a handful of entrenched privileged companies". The judge said evidence showed other ``established, qualified, competent and trustworthy,'' companies were denied permits even as some incumbents who didn't use their permits received automatic renewals. This is a rare surfacing of the hidden backchannel network that exists in the County for every major expenditure where privileged insiders are awarded business while those who are not tied into the system of lobbyists, commissioner aides and certain County staff are denied. Kuryla is person most responsible for this lawsuit. The formal selection process and commission public process is mostly a charade. His background also includes reassignment from his first Public Works post to a remote field location because of improprieties, personal bankruptcy, coworker love affair leading to divorce, shady dealings with potential port clients resulting in Inspector General investigation, etc etc. He is favored by this administration and commission because of his ability to cater to their needs, including numerous junkets to foreign locations using another Port Budget loophole.
Gimenez is as usual, pandering to special interests. How about us private sector working stiffs?
Gimenez should not be over seeing elections if he's campaigning for candidates in Miami Dade County. He appears to have long lost the people who pay the bills - the taxpayers. We don't contribute to campaigns so I guess we don't count. That attitude is so third world, by the dictionary definition. Living high off the people while we slave to pay our bills. Let's clean house of him and his friends and the County level in 2014. I think among people who support our library's & pet's (at minimum) would garner enough voters for the opposition candidates at the County level. I'm not including the fire fighters because there's too much fat at the top which can go. Additionally, the County mandated newly incorporated areas to use the County Fire services instead of creating their own municipal Fire services. This is another problem.
In Miami & Homestead, it's a huge power grab of Gimenez to be getting involved. One would have to check his motives. Both City Mayors aren't letting Gimenez bully them, which I believe Gimenez is trying to do, literally "rule" everything in Miami Dade, including municipality's. It's no surprise he would campaign for the opposition, which is why voters should take note of what Gimenez is doing & why.
Let elections go under the purview of the Clerk of the Courts at this point. These elections are totally tainted before the votes are cast, paraphrasing a previous poster.
Carlos Gimenez acts like a tool of "the usual suspects".
Even if he steps aside for these races, he still should not be engaged in any municipal elections as his residual powers as Mayor are substantial and should not be used to influence an election one way or the other. The strong Mayor should not be engaged in every mud fight in town.
The President endorses candidates.
But he does not have direct legal and administrative control of the election machinery and election process. He is an arms length supporter.
The President isn't in charge of State/County elections departments.
The difference is Gimenez is in charge of our election Chief -- it is his Department. he can make policy in the Election Department including hiring and firing and choosing to limit days and voting hours and locations to help or hurt a candidate of his choice.
The Lynda Bell Campaign to be Mayor of Homestead is back to its old tricks. No, the reference to Lynda was not typo, we all know the identity of the real candidate. It's about do as I say, not as I do. The homestead campaign sign rules provide for one sign per race per property, even if on a corner. The Hotel Redland has THREE large signs posted on the porch railing. Campaign signs for a municipal race are not permitted in the unincorporated areas. There is a Bell sign on the Adam Bass property on Krome Ave just outside the city limits. (BTW, Adam Bass is the property owner next to Camp Owaissa Bauer where that gawdawful house is being built after he allegedly over excavated a lake to sell fill to pay for the house.). Woe be unto the county code officer who issues a citation on that one... as if the county would ever come down this far...
This is just the start, folks. If you cannot follow the campaign sign rules, what else is there ??
Recall Gimenez!!!
Ever hear of the IRS scandal libtards?
Maybe the Mayor does not understand this either. It could be that we assume too much. Someone he trusts needs to sit down and explain it to him. A high school civics teacher, a lawyer, a staffer, anyone with common sense, knowledge of how a democracy works, and a sense of fair-play will do. He seems to want to do right, but he simply does not have the operational information and advisors to help him to so. The result is he keeps making big mistakes. We give him enough money to hire the talent he needs so there is no reason for these kinds of mistakes.
Barf indeed! God awful fashion on parade!
The sign reads:
Burn the Books
Kill the Pets
Close down the fire stations
"Welcome to Miami-Dade County"
Gimenez thinks he was appointed King. He really needs to listen to real residents and real people. Gimenez proposes to close 22 libraries and put children out on the street. Does Gimenez know what kind of trouble awaits kids on the street? Does Gimenez think that is a good idea?
I bet the kids that will not have libraries at least know the meaning of "RECALL"
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