Welcome to my World. By Geniusofdespair

Without my glasses,  this is what I see. When I meet you, if I take off my glasses, I am trying to amuse myself, looking at your face with my double vision. The only thing that bothers me is seeing two horizons. Would I text while driving? NEVER EVER, I have enough to contend with...and so do you.

Speaking of nothing important, I am going to switch to something I think that is VERY important to Miami Dade County residents: The County Mayoral Election. I want to emphasize voting in the Mayoral race.

I am not a fan of the current mayor Carlos Gimenez as I think Privatization is really bad (imagine trying to give Donald Trump our Key Biscayne Public Golf course to manage -- yes Mayor Gimenez tried to do that).  He said in a debate that privatization can be done "better, faster, cheaper". But, can you imagine Trump managing our golf course? The golf course would become more private, our costs to use it would sky-rocket, or why else would Trump be interested? The County Commission stopped this boondoggle. Privatization is"Better, faster, cheaper" my ass. And if privately things can be done better, faster, cheaper what does that say about your Management skills of the County Mayor Gimenez?

Mayor Gimenez has Pepe Diaz, the dumbest and most clueless County Commissioner, doing a robocall for him. Really, Pepe? I had high hopes for Gimenez in 2011 but he immediately came into office and gave obscene salaries to his hires and little by little, he has become the lobbyist's dream machine. Gimenez has made his friends rich and given them special favors. He doesn't do competitive hiring, he picks insiders and shuffles them around. Gimenez is arrogant to people at public meetings (like the meeting that were held when he tried to cut funding to libraries). It is unbecoming.  He acts as if he knows it all. He doesn't.

I have voted for Raquel Regalado.  And I stand by my vote. I saw her in person without my glasses and she still looked pretty good!




Not convinced? Try this one.

During the Debate Sunday, Raquel Regalado said she would NOT vote for Donald Trump. By Geniusofdespair

Perhaps the Miami Herald DID NOT make it clear enough in its report yesterday as last night at dinner I was asked about Raquel Regalado voting for Trump.

Raquel Regalado said she would NOT vote for Donald Trump. When pressed further on who she would vote for by Jim DeFede Raquel Regalado said I do not think it is appropriate for the Mayor of Miami Dade County to endorse a candidate as they might be seeking Federal support, she spoke about the Dreamers as an example.

A big chunk of her support is with the older Cubans in Miami Dade County. How much further did anyone expect her to go? The fact that she said she is NOT voting for Trump is good enough to surmise who she will be voting for. After all, there are only 2 candidates. Carlos Gimenez said he would vote for Clinton. He has little support from older Cubans and has nothing to lose and everything to gain with his base.

Better, Faster, Cheaper...but Dumber too. By Geniusofdespair

Carlos Gimenez is a big supporter of privatization. He says we must go private if the private sector can do it better, faster, cheaper. He said this over and over: Better, Faster, Cheaper. Is it it in the Miami Herald article today on the debate? I didn't see it. Is this important to me? Yes, I disagree with privatization. I do think the Miami Herald missed some of the negatives on the mayor. Like his insane explanation to Jim DeFede about why Ralph Garcia Toledo (His BFF) was present at a county meeting. This is exactly what privatization will bring us: cronyism. Then we have privatization gone bizzaro, mayor Gimenez wanted to hand over Management of our public golf course to, of all people, Donald Trump. An angry county Commission wouldn't let him.

Regalado said, when asked what unpopular decision she would support, that she would support a raise of the minimum raise. That was not in the Miami Herald article. I like that position. You won't read a lot of the IMPORTANT points Raquel Regalado made in the Miami Herald. Why are they not finding all the jobs that Gimenez's family holds -- connected to the county -- important? Geez, one of his son is/was an Uber lobbyist and wasn't he also a Trump lobbyist? His wife and sister-in-law work for the school system. His daughter-in-law works works for Water and Sewer and his son works for a company with a lucrative county contract. Yes let us privatize!

Gimenez brags about bringing Uber to the County. The Uber drivers are short-changed as independent contractors. You can't regulate the taxi industry and just let the Uber industry regulate itself. Throw out all the regulation if you are going to operate like that. I have been yelled at by an Uber driver for having too much luggage (carry-on bags). Some drivers are pretty nutty.

WATCH The Debate between the Miami Dade County Mayoral Candidates, don't depend on the Miami Herald article. This first half was far more interesting than the second half. Apparently the Mayor's OTHER son works for a firm that has a juicy county contract and his wife now works for the county...I believe Water and Sewer. You won't find that in the Miami Herald!

Get to Know Raquel Regalado, Candidate for Mayor: On Running the County Government and Zika Problem Solving. By Geniusofdespair

This is how leadership of the County should work (G.o.d.) :

Many employees in the public service are interested in knowing what to expect after I am elected mayor of Miami-Dade County, an office that is responsible "for the management of all administrative departments of the County government.” For the thousands of talented and dedicated employees who choose to work in public service out of a desire to serve the community, I say better days are ahead.

Because we can do better. And, together, we will.

In my administration, there will be opportunities for advancement based on merit and accomplishments. Innovation will be encouraged. Our community has many challenges, and no one person has all the solutions. As an attorney who is accustomed to a collaborative work environment, I will always seek the input of professional staff. Subject matter experts in the departments should be prepared to offer ideas and suggestions, knowing that they will be considered and respected. Front-line employees delivering services to the community will be encouraged to provide feedback on their experiences. It is my contention that every position in county government is created to address a specific need for our citizens. Every position is important, and every position has a purpose.

I am being elected to change the course of the county, so, naturally, there will be changes during the first-year to reorganize county government. The bulk of the work will be reorganizing, streamlining and refocusing departments and procedures so that county government works. During this process, career staff may be reassigned to positions better suited for their talents. That said, the outcome of this election should not be a concern for the professional public administrators and public servants of Miami-Dade County. Administrators with institutional knowledge are very much in demand and will be valued by my administration. Many people have retired or separated from county service for more stable employment in recent years. To counter this personnel challenge, department directors -- as part of their new accountability paradigm -- will be required to submit quarterly succession planning reports.

When I am mayor, we will work together to strengthen the administrative capacity of county government and regain the trust of our citizens. Trust in county government has eroded under the current mayor due to his reckless budgets, his hostility toward citizen initiatives, and his spiteful comments about county workers. To restore respect for county government, every county employee must renew their commitment to serving the citizens openly, honestly, and fairly. Working together, we can not only earn the trust of the public again but also establish a positive working environment for all of our employees.

A reorganization of county government to unstack the vertical, authoritarian nature of the current administration is a must. As a regional government, Miami-Dade has a wide variety of distinct service lines that all require uniquely qualified, skilled leadership. My table of organization will be much more horizontal. Communication and engagement with stakeholders will be key to improving the responsiveness of county government. There will be no deputy mayors in my office. I will be accountable to the voters, and department directors will be accountable to me.

Directors will have wide latitude to manage their operations. To the greatest extent possible, operational authority will be delegated. Department directors are executives, so I expect them to be fully responsible for the management of their departments. Directors will be subjected to annual performance evaluations to ensure the expectations of the citizens are being met. Similarly, there will also be open and honest communication with my office so that necessary changes are made before a crisis arises.

The elected office I seek has been granted broad powers by the citizens, as they truly want an individual who is directly accountable for all the actions of county government. I am prepared to be accountable to the citizens, and will appoint a team of the best and the brightest to deliver quality services to our residents. Fair and open competition for county positions will be a hallmark of my administration. Rebuilding the administrative capacity of the metropolitan government is crucial to our success. I am not interested in yes men and yes women. I am interested in innovative, courageous and skilled individuals that will aid me in charting the course for the future of Miami-Dade.

True success is never achieved in isolation or through brash arrogance masquerading as leadership. Organizational success emerges when every worker contributes his or her skills and talents toward the common goal. Our overall goal will be to provide the best services possible, utilizing the most efficient means, in order to win the confidence and trust of our citizens. I am confident that the workforce of Miami-Dade County is anxious to show they are the best in the business. When I am elected mayor, the employees of the county will be given every opportunity to shine.

Now more than ever, I need the support of the hardworking men and women of Miami-Dade County government, first with your vote on November 8th and then during the transition from November 9th to my swearing in on November 22nd. You have my word that, unlike the current mayor, I believe in and will support you. I will protect the public sector from privatization and forge a working environment that will make you proud to be an employee of Miami-Dade County.

Raquel Regalado ON ZIKA:

In the fight to protect our residents and visitors from the Zika virus, it is important to understand the role of county government. Miami-Dade has countywide responsibility to control the mosquitoes that spread this disease. The focus is on a domestic mosquito known as Aedis Aegypti. Until a vaccine is available, county government clearly needs to focus all its energy on controlling the population of these particular disease-carrying mosquitoes.

In November, as your newly elected Mayor, I will restore Mosquito Control operations to a fully-functional division with scientists, laboratory technicians, mapping specialists, and qualified field inspectors. The control of mosquitoes is not emergency response work to be conducted by short-term hired contractors. With so much at stake, and so much unknown about the consequences of exposure to Zika, our residents and visitors must be assured that qualified public service professionals are fully engaged in proactive, sustained, multi-year efforts to control the spread of Zika by these mosquitoes.

The Mayor's Race: BIG UPSET! Raquel Regalado Forces Carlos Gimenez into a runoff. By Geniusofdespair

Mayor Tomas Regalado with his daughter Raquel.

Not able to garner at least 50% of the Vote, Carlos Gimenez, an incumbent Mayor, is forced into a  runoff with Raquel Regalado in November.

Mayor Tomas Regalado said this was the most important election of his life.

Save Dade, you should have co-endorsed. That was a mistake to just endorse Carlos without giving the other candidate a chance.

By the numbers...

Tomas Regalado and his 3 children

You must get 50% of the vote to win outright. This race will go into a runoff in November.

Vote for Raquel Regalado today. By Geniusofdespair

Here are two recent Eye on Miami columns about Raquel Regalado running for Mayor TODAY:

 

Monday, July 25, 2016

Pretty Woman: Can Raquel Regalado Swipe the Mayoral Slot from Carlos Gimenez? By Geniusofdespair

Raquel Regalado is clever, beautiful and fun to be around. She has young ideas for Miami Dade County. I really like her as a Mayoral Candidate. I will vote for her over Carlos Gimenez. Carlos has an over-flowing pocketful of cash to throw around against Raquel. He is miles ahead of her in the cash department. But he is a throwback to the days when lobbyist ruled. They rule our county now.

Tell your friends to vote for Raquel. She has spirit, she has drive and she is far better than Carlos Gimenez. If you want to see her in action watch this damn video. Also she gives us all a great 2 minute history of Miami Dade County! Pass this blog link to your friends. THE VOTE IS TODAY, not November. Early voting starts soon. Spread the word on your Facebook Page.


Herald Columnist Fabiola Santiago said last week about Current Mayor Carlos Gimenez:

Yet, when it comes to potential conflicts of interest and back-door dealing, the mayor has a blind spot. He delivers done-deals like the megamall-theme park boondoggle in Northwest Miami-Dade to a spineless county commission that rubber stamps instead of properly vetting community-altering projects. His developer friends line up for tax incentives (aka corporate welfare) and get them despite promises to voters that there aren’t any, as in the SkyRise Miami giant steel hairpin.

But nothing quite captures the mayor’s peculiar sense of what’s fair game as well as the richly textured portrait of Gimenez’s relationship with his re-election finance chairman, Ralph Garcia-Toledo, a veteran county contractor, by Miami Herald county hall reporter Douglas Hanks. It’s a classic, required reading on how county government operates behind the scenes.

-----------------

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Why Raquel Regalado Should Be Miami Dade County Mayor - 2016 Election. Guest Blog By Norma Rae

You must vote August 30th or vote today - Early voting

It is time to elect a woman as Mayor of Miami-Dade County. To celebrate Women's Equality Day on August 26th, vote for Raquel Regalado. After allowing men to run the county for the past nine years, it is time for a strong woman to lead us. Since the Office of Strong Mayor was created in 2007, we have only had two Strong Mayors - two men. The first one was recalled from office, and the second one needs to be sent home. We need a woman who will 'clean up' and  especially clear out the Lobbyists getting rich at county hall. Raquel Regalado deserves our vote. Let me tell you why.

Raquel has been elected twice to the countywide governing board for our school system. The school system had to deal with the same Great Recession that brought chaos to County Hall. During the economic downturn, the leaders of the Miami-Dade Public Schools got national attention for improving our schools. Why the difference?

The Chair of the School Board recently said Regalado has been one of the most productive members they have ever had. She has great ideas and gets them implemented. She knows how to work with her colleagues and administrators to make things happen. The parents of children with special needs are extremely grateful for all she has done. Raquel was also instrumental in the upgrade of the school bus transportation services - during the recession. She is smart and capable and knows how make things work, even when circumstances are challenging.

When Raquel sees an injustice, she fights it. When Gimenez tried to give away $9 million to one of his developer friends, Raquel sued and stopped the giveaway of taxpayer dollars. When the "Friends of Gimenez" tried to get the voters to approve a shady bond program, without any specific plans for a new courthouse, Raquel campaigned against it and defeated the proposal. Raquel is an attorney who understands the idea, and the importance, of social justice. Imagine: a County Mayor who fights for the best interest of the people.

As a School Board Member, Raquel fully understands the importance of an education and the value of training, certification and licensing. She has said she will hire her team of Department Directors based on qualifications, not connections. And she will insist on actual competition for all senior positions in every department. She has said she will trust Directors to make their own personnel decisions, as long as the process is open, fair and competitive. Ending the cronyism throughout the system is reason enough to support Raquel.

Some Department Directors are literally banking on the outcome of this election. Gimenez pays the Transit Director $235,000 a year. Talk about unqualified. Instead of getting the buses running on time, the Transit Director just invested $33 million on an App so folks can purchase a bus ticket using a Smartphone. How smart is that? Seeing this Department Director standing on street corners waving signs for Gimenez is just embarrassing. Sign-waving is campaign work for college kids, not a Department Director from Miami-Dade.

Raquel also announced the $250,000-a-year Deputy Mayors will be eliminated. That saves the taxpayers over a million dollars right there. As the Strong Mayor, Raquel wants the Department Directors directly accountable to her. She has said that every year, Department Directors will be evaluated on terms agreed to in their employment contracts. People want transparent management of county government? Regalado will energize the leadership of departments to perform at their best. Executives who are simply running out the clock may find themselves in early retirement.

We are extremely grateful to see a woman who shares our public service values on the ballot. We know Miami-Dade County can be a government that the people are proud to call their own. It really is up to the voters to put an end to the corruption and unethical behavior that is destroying our county government. Let's put a woman in charge and make Miami-Dade a better place to live. She will make a great Strong Mayor. Vote for Raquel Regalado on August 30th.

Getting Robo-Calls? Hang Up on Them. By Geniusofdespair

A stealth PAC or ECO hidden and not registered is attacking Raquel Regalado. Illegal. Hang up. Dirty Politics.

The most recent robo call against Mayoral Candidate Raquel Regalado originated from a Committee called the Committee for Integrity, Inc. out of Tampa. The address is one of those mailbox offices. The incorporator of the company doing the call is Daniel Silverman. The company was formed 5/30/2016. I cannot find any PAC, Committee or ECO records on it to see where they get their money.

They also sent a stupid mailer linking Raquel Regalado to Donald Trump. Hey, she didn't try to let him manage a public golf course on Key Biscayne, that was Mayor Gimenez! Typical for elections.

Typepad also wrote about Committee for Integrity yesterday and the phony Trump connection to Raquel:

Regalado has no known ties to Trump. She has said that, even though she's a Republican, she won't vote for him. It's Gimenez -- who also won't vote for Trump -- who has met Trump, golfed with him and tried to work out a deal for Trump to run a county-owned golf course. Gimenez's son Carlos J. Gimenez also lobbies on behalf of Trump National Doral.

Why Raquel Regalado Should Be Miami Dade County Mayor - 2016 Election. Guest Blog By Norma Rae

You must vote August 30th or vote today - Early voting

It is time to elect a woman as Mayor of Miami-Dade County. To celebrate Women's Equality Day on August 26th, vote for Raquel Regalado. After allowing men to run the county for the past nine years, it is time for a strong woman to lead us. Since the Office of Strong Mayor was created in 2007, we have only had two Strong Mayors - two men. The first one was recalled from office, and the second one needs to be sent home. We need a woman who will 'clean up' and  especially clear out the Lobbyists getting rich at county hall. Raquel Regalado deserves our vote. Let me tell you why.

Raquel has been elected twice to the countywide governing board for our school system. The school system had to deal with the same Great Recession that brought chaos to County Hall. During the economic downturn, the leaders of the Miami-Dade Public Schools got national attention for improving our schools. Why the difference?

The Chair of the School Board recently said Regalado has been one of the most productive members they have ever had. She has great ideas and gets them implemented. She knows how to work with her colleagues and administrators to make things happen. The parents of children with special needs are extremely grateful for all she has done. Raquel was also instrumental in the upgrade of the school bus transportation services - during the recession. She is smart and capable and knows how make things work, even when circumstances are challenging.

When Raquel sees an injustice, she fights it. When Gimenez tried to give away $9 million to one of his developer friends, Raquel sued and stopped the giveaway of taxpayer dollars. When the "Friends of Gimenez" tried to get the voters to approve a shady bond program, without any specific plans for a new courthouse, Raquel campaigned against it and defeated the proposal. Raquel is an attorney who understands the idea, and the importance, of social justice. Imagine: a County Mayor who fights for the best interest of the people.

As a School Board Member, Raquel fully understands the importance of an education and the value of training, certification and licensing. She has said she will hire her team of Department Directors based on qualifications, not connections. And she will insist on actual competition for all senior positions in every department. She has said she will trust Directors to make their own personnel decisions, as long as the process is open, fair and competitive. Ending the cronyism throughout the system is reason enough to support Raquel.

Some Department Directors are literally banking on the outcome of this election. Gimenez pays the Transit Director $235,000 a year. Talk about unqualified. Instead of getting the buses running on time, the Transit Director just invested $33 million on an App so folks can purchase a bus ticket using a Smartphone. How smart is that? Seeing this Department Director standing on street corners waving signs for Gimenez is just embarrassing. Sign-waving is campaign work for college kids, not a Department Director from Miami-Dade.

Raquel also announced the $250,000-a-year Deputy Mayors will be eliminated. That saves the taxpayers over a million dollars right there. As the Strong Mayor, Raquel wants the Department Directors directly accountable to her. She has said that every year, Department Directors will be evaluated on terms agreed to in their employment contracts. People want transparent management of county government? Regalado will energize the leadership of departments to perform at their best. Executives who are simply running out the clock may find themselves in early retirement.

We are extremely grateful to see a woman who shares our public service values on the ballot. We know Miami-Dade County can be a government that the people are proud to call their own. It really is up to the voters to put an end to the corruption and unethical behavior that is destroying our county government. Let's put a woman in charge and make Miami-Dade a better place to live. She will make a great Strong Mayor. Vote for Raquel Regalado on August 30th.

Miami-Dade County Mayoral Campaign. By Geniusofdespair

Fabiola Santiago takes aim at Mayor Gimenez:

The mayor is lavishly funded, thanks to his powerful and deep-pocketed friends in construction, real estate and development, and county vendors and lobbyists. He has collected an unprecedented $4.3 million in cash donations — and he and his campaign committee have spent, according to the last filing of expenditures, almost $3.1 million to avoid a runoff race with Regalado and annihilate the other six candidates running against him.

Gimenez has plenty to worry about in Northwest Miami-Dade, where the voters he’s targeting live in bedrooms communities that will be negatively impacted by the megamall project he helped broker and fast-tracked for commission approval without seeking any input from residents.

The mayor touts the countless jobs the monstrous American Dream Miami complex will generate. But the only thing residents in cities like Hialeah Gardens and Miami Lakes and enclaves like Palm Springs North and Lakes on the Green see the project generating is constantly insufferable traffic in what are already congested zones.

And:

But under this mayor’s watch, that is poised to change dramatically, with the construction next door of what’s being billed as the largest mall in America, larger than Minnesota’s Mall of America, which holds the title. And as if it weren’t enough to erect 194.5-acres of retail, restaurant and entertainment space and 2,000 hotel rooms, another mammoth construction project is under way directly south of it, a mixed use business park by the Graham Companies with retail, office, and residences.

And:

No doubt Gimenez is an accomplished elected official, but the slogans that truly fit are: “Putting developers first” and “Always there for them.”

Vote for Raquel Regalado for Mayor of Miami Dade County.

Game Changing Mailer Against Carlos Gimenez for Mayor. By Geniusofdespair

Miami-Dade Partnership for Prosperity, Inc. (Roland Sanchez Medina, Jr. and Pedro Gonzalez) put out this mailer.  To be fair Carlos Gimenez did return the contribution after the uproar ensued.

I forgot that Carlos Gimenez Jr. was working for Trump. It appears this Mailer went only to Democrats because I didn't get one. Trying to privatize this PUBLIC Golf Course on Key Biscayne was such a mistake. The County even took a $25,000 deposit from Trump on the deal but had to return it when the shit hit the fan. The County Commissioners didn't even know this was going on and some were really angry. So much for transparency. The citizens didn't have a clue. So much for guarding the assets of the people: This PUBLIC course.

Pretty Woman: Can Raquel Regalado Swipe the Mayoral Slot from Carlos Gimenez? By Geniusofdespair

Raquel Regalado is clever, beautiful and fun to be around. She has young ideas for Miami Dade County. I really like her as a Mayoral Candidate. I will vote for her over Carlos Gimenez. Carlos has an over-flowing pocketful of cash to throw around against Raquel. He is miles ahead of her in the cash department. But he is a throwback to the days when lobbyist ruled. They rule our county now.

Tell your friends to vote for Raquel. She has spirit, she has drive and she is far better than Carlos Gimenez. If you want to see her in action watch this damn video. Also she gives us all a great 2 minute history of Miami Dade County! Pass this blog link to your friends. THE VOTE IS IN AUGUST, not November. Early voting starts soon. Spread the word on your Facebook Page.



Herald Columnist Fabiola Santiago said last week about Current Mayor Carlos Gimenez:

Yet, when it comes to potential conflicts of interest and back-door dealing, the mayor has a blind spot. He delivers done-deals like the megamall-theme park boondoggle in Northwest Miami-Dade to a spineless county commission that rubber stamps instead of properly vetting community-altering projects. His developer friends line up for tax incentives (aka corporate welfare) and get them despite promises to voters that there aren’t any, as in the SkyRise Miami giant steel hairpin.

But nothing quite captures the mayor’s peculiar sense of what’s fair game as well as the richly textured portrait of Gimenez’s relationship with his re-election finance chairman, Ralph Garcia-Toledo, a veteran county contractor, by Miami Herald county hall reporter Douglas Hanks. It’s a classic, required reading on how county government operates behind the scenes.

Bad Mayor Gimenez: No bid, just favors for friends. By Geniusofdespair

I remember Carlos Gimenez's first campaign for mayor. He had this heavy guy as his chauffeur and the heavy guy's wife was a longtime lobbyist.  This is the heavy guy I remember, now exposed in the Miami Herald.

Ralph Garcia Toledo, whom, as repoted by the Miami Herald, is "Raising money for the mayor, and making money from his administration".

He helped Carlos Gimenez raise nearly $4 million while billing $200 an hour on a county sewer contract that pays him to meet with administration officials.

Through April, G-T Construction has billed $672,000 for work that began in late 2014. Roughly $430,000 of that was billed as overhead — the added cost Miami-Dade lets contractors tack onto bills for employees’ work to cover both operating expenses and profit.

 Read the article, I am on a cell phone blogging -- too hard. This isn't new behavior on the part of Mayor Gimenez. Here is what I wrote in 2013 about Ralph Garcia Toledo getting favors:

Ralph Garcia Toledo the Mayor's right hand man during his campaign.

There is a big Water and Sewer contract under the Cone of Silence (probably one of the biggest to be awarded this year). Is Ralph Garcia Toledo, your right hand man, getting some sort of paid consultant job on this mega contract with the engineering firm CH2M Hill Mr. Mayor? Tell me someone is giving me bad information PLEASE!!!

These guys/lobbyists are just too close to Gimenez according to the June 6th Miami Herald, also on the Mayor's trip were:

Several Gimenez supporters are traveling as well: lawyer Marcelo Llorente of LSN Partners and his managing partner, Alex Heckler; and Ralph Garcia-Toledo of G-T Construction Group and his wife, Vicky Garcia-Toledo, a partner at the law firm Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod. Gimenez’s daughter-in-law Barbara Rodriguez-Gimenez, director of client relations at the law firm Genovese Joblove & Battista, is also a delegate. All are registered as lobbyists at County Hall. 

Jorge Luis Lopez was also in Spain with the Mayor. 

All three of these guys ARE JUST TOO CLOSE. Llorente, Ralph Garcia-Toledo's wife Vicky are lobbyists for CH2M Hill on this giant contract. Regarding what is going on read these two articles:

The Miami Herald on this contract. 


THIS WHOLE THING SHOULD BE LOOKED AT WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB. TOO MANY FRIENDS INVOLVED. Too much hanky panky. I thought Mayor Gimenez was different but he is just like Alex Penelas always with a bevy of lobbyists at his side. Also read Miami New Times, Francisco Alvarado on Toledo, very good article.

Carlos Gimenez's PAC -- in the Race for Mayor -- Sent Out a Targeted Flyer for all the Hispanic Grandma's. By Geniusofdespair

The flyer I was given was targeted at Raquel Regalado's base: the ABUELA's of the County. It was paid for by Mayor Carlos Gimenez's PAC and is 15" by 12". The PAC has $2.5 million to spend ($5,000 SUGAR money). Gimenez also has $1.5 in his campaign account including  $7,000 of SUGAR money.

You will be happy to note that, according to the flyer, Carlos Gimenez has FINISHED CORRUPTION in the County. I suppose it means he ended corruption. That is big news -- that should be on the front page of the Miami Herald, if it were true.

Anyway, I was surprised to hear that claim, especially when there is a rumor going around that someone from his campaign called a candidate and asked them to withdraw from a school board race that his sister-in-law is in. Were they offered money to withdraw? Favors? Don't know. Just know if you are going to claim you ended corruption you had better be squeaky clean when you lie. And, Grandma's, he didn't end corruption in the County, it is still alive and well and flourishing.

I love that Gimenez lists as his accomplishment reducing County Departments from 42 to 25 to decrease bureaucracy. All he did was reshuffle the damn county in one big mess of Departments, folding former departments into the current 25. Not much of a change, and certainly not one for the better as we have seen over the years. I am not even going to bother to include the claims he made about the police to these senior citizens.  I think it says he created 150,000 new jobs in the private sector. My Spanish is lacking,

Carlos Gimenez, good luck with Raquel Regalado's base, but they just aren't as stupid as you think.

Raquel Regalado For Miami Dade County Mayor. Guest Blog by Norma Rae

Raquel Regalado...Our Next County Mayor?

The working people are ready to get rid of another bad politician. Just like we did when Lynda Bell was making life miserable for people who punch a clock, we are going to send Crooked Carlos Gimenez packing. The unions worked hard to put Daniella Levine Cava in office, and now we are going to do the same thing for Raquel Regalado!

That’s right. The South Florida AFL-CIO, with unions representing electrical workers, plumbers, carpenters, laborers, bus drivers, teachers, sanitation workers, painters, librarians and a whole lot more have decided to support Raquel Regaldo. We are going to dump Mayor Carlos Gimenez.

The scene at the South Florida AFL-CIO headquarters was crazy this week. First of all, Ms. Daisy Black, after giving a great account of herself, and testifying about her commitment to the working people of the County, collapsed. The head of the Fire Union was there and gave her CPR to keep her going until they could take her to the hospital. We are all so sad that she passed. Her family should be proud that she was speaking out about improving the lives of other people until the very end. May God bless her and welcome her home.

After all that commotion, and thinking Ms. Black would be OK at the hospital, the panel interviewed Ms. Raquel Regalado. She is a School Board Member and a very popular Spanish radio host. Well, she seemed to know quite a bit about what our union brothers and sisters are looking for. She never talked about money, but she did say she would change the working conditions for folks. Raquel seems ready to give us what Mr. Gimenez never has: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

She promised to enforce the wage laws that are on the books. The County has laws to make sure people are getting fair pay on construction contracts, but nobody ever checks. Raquel said she would make sure people are looking at those payrolls and stop contractors from cheating. She says Gimenez is afraid to bother those contractors, cause they have all paid him for his campaign.

Raquel also told the panel that she wants open competition for county jobs. Young people need to have an opportunity to work and stay in Miami. She says people will be hired and promoted based on merit, not political connections. She knows what we are looking for. No more lobbyists acting like recruiters. And she is getting rid of those $250,000 a year Do-Nothing Deputy Mayors. Amen!

Now Gimenez came to be interviewed, after his friend Andy Madtes told him Raquel was killing it at her interview. The Mayor showed up and was talking nonsense about how he was one of us. He said he was a union member when he worked at the city. The man just spent five years trashing and kicking the unions and then he has the nerve to be saying that! Well, we want nothing to do with him.

His friend Andy Madtes tried to have all the unions sit on the sidelines during this election. He asked that the interview panel recommend to the members that we do a “no endorse” for the mayor’s race. Well, when everybody showed up at the union hall and heard that line, they said no way. This race is too important to act like it doesn’t matter.

A man from AFSCME made a motion to support Raquel Regalado, and another man  stood up and seconded that motion. Next, the whole place stood up to vote for Raquel! Carlos Gimenez may have a whole bunch of money from those county contractors, but Raquel Regalado has a whole bunch of new friends. And we will all be out there reminding our families, our friends and our neighbors to vote for Raquel Regalado on August 30th. Check your voter registration now and be ready to clean up county hall this summer. It is time for a fresh start and a new leader. Vote for Raquel!

Raquel Regalado Rocks with the Gold Standard of Endorsements for County Mayor! By Geniusofdespair

RAQUEL REGALADO JUST GOT THE GOLDEN, MOST COVETED ENDORSEMENT:

THE AFL-CIO

Make no mistake, she is a contender for the Mayoral spot. Now watch the damn video, send it to all your friends, post it to Facebook because she just got a shot of B12 to her campaign. Don't look for this good news in the paper version of the Miami Herald: it is not there. WHY?

 Raquel Regalado said of the endorsement:

After personally interviewing the candidates, and examining our records of public service, the South Florida AFL-CIO came out in favor of my campaign. I am greatful to the men and women who make up Miami-Dade County's workforce for supporting my vision for a more prosperous Miami-Dade County, free of cronyism and corruption in County government. Together we will win this election and bring respectful, responsible & responsive  government to County Hall

Mayoral Candidate Raquel Regalado's Earth Day Message. By Geniusofdespair

go right to YouTube

A little late, but I missed Raquel Regalado's Valentine Message to Miamians. By Geniusofdespair

What a breath of fresh air Raquel Regalado is. I hope she can beat our current Mayor Gimenez, with all his gobs of money and his unfair push polls, in the Miami Dade County election. She is fun loving and serious, a good combination: Like me!

Link to YouTube - Published February 12th.

Are you able to identify every place she visits in the video?

News around Florida: Mayor Gimenez, U.S. Century Bank, Push Poll... By Geniusofdespair

St. Lucie Lock - Photo Posted By Marjorie Shropshire

The South Florida Water Management District Back-pumped about 15 billions gallons of polluted sugar farm water into Lake Okeechobee that added 1 inch to the lake. Then they opened the flood gates to the East and West to protect the dykes around the lake. These purges pollute the St. Lucie Estuary and Caloosahatchee Rivers -- the water is now a reddish brown according to residents.

U.S. Century Bank, our most favorite bank, lost $5.8 Million last year. It has consistently had a 0 rating from Bauer Financial, a company that rates banks. Marco Rubio was a Board Member of the Latin Builders Association (Most of the Board Members of the U.S. Century Bank at its start, were LBA Members and Board Members) and got a favorable mortgage rate from the bank.

According to a Michael Putney Editorial in the Miami Herald, he thinks it is a plus that Gimenez has had no scandals in his administration and he thinks it should have been part of his State of the County address. First that is never a plus. you shouldn't have any as a matter of course. Second, he has had scandals. Depends on how big you want them to be. Apparently you want them very big for them to register Mr. Putney. And, Michael, really Alice Bravo? Do your research. Putney also takes Raquel Regalado to task for having no managerial experience. That is why you hire Staff. The current Mayor did that and just makes decisions based on staff recommendations.  What do you think Jack Osterholt does over there?  Exactly what Managerial experience does Marco Rubio have or Barack Obama? That is not a necessity. If you are smart, you hire the best staff, you don't just move the same warmed over staff around,  like Lester Sola, Gimenez pal. Even though it is a strong mayor form of Government in the County and they are supposed to also be the County Manager, Gimenez went out and hired a slew of Vice Mayors to actually do the dirty work so I don't know that Putney's assertion rings true. The County employees have never been more unhappy with a Mayor, except the ones making the big bucks. The Department heads are scared. Lester Sola head of Water and Sewer with no engineering background? Mr. Putney, you think that is a good Managerial decision? And, if he was such a good Manager why did Manny Diaz boot him out of the City so fast?

I got chosen for a push poll for Gimenez the other night:

A push poll is an interactive marketing technique, most commonly employed during political campaigning, in which an individual or organization attempts to influence or alter the view of voters under the guise of conducting a poll.

Gimenez took credit for county term limits -- Really? -- and blamed Regalado for the School Bond issue that the voters voted for. No fair. If you don't follow County Government like I do, by the end of the poll you would think Raquel Regalado was a piss poor excuse for a woman, not an intelligent, articulate woman who is a radio commentator and a School Board Member, raising two children, one autistic. Oh, Union people, there was a question about you on the poll. Not in a good way. Oh, Michael Putney, they cited Raquel Regalado for no managerial experience.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez is Afraid of Raquel Regalado, So Afraid He Has Dragged Lynda Bell into this Fray. By Geniusofdespair

FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONER LYNDA BELL

SHE'S BACK!

This story is so complicated you might have to read the damn Miami Herald too.  Here is how I understand it.  

The Mayor's race is getting very dirty. So dirty, they dusted off Lynda Bell for some of the dirty work again.

That school board soccer stadium idea with David Beckham -- sounds like Norman Braman was behind the cost of the polling -- got good numbers in a poll. Soccer, reflects well with Hispanics, who for some unknown reason like this very low scoring sport. I can't watch it for more than 30 seconds. Anyway, that is besides the point.

Nelson Diaz, the local Republican Chairman (a lobbyist for Southern Strategies who has raised boatloads of money for Diaz) is now rocking the boat on the long running Soccer deal.

There wasn't a peep out of him for the years that Gimenez was talking to Beckhams, agreeing to give the stadium the tax deal that other stadiums get. Now that the School Board is involved, instead of the County, he thinks it is a bad idea to get involved with stadiums and is lobbying -- in the name of the Republican Party -- against the School Board Soccer deal. Very convenient. On the heels of his distaste for the deal,  Lynda Bell has surfaced. She wrote a letter to all the school board members trashing the idea. Trash talk is Lynda Bell's forte. Lynda Bell threatened that she might organize a group in opposition to the deal.  You all know that this is all directed at Raquel Regalado, trying to make her look bad.

Raquel Regalado Running for Mayor of Miami Dade County is a School Board Member

Anyway, now the land that Beckham and friends were buying around the old Orange Bowl, has suddenly got more expensive. I wonder who is behind that? This story is far from over.

74% support the Stadium - School Board Partnership. The Stadium is proposed to be built in Regalado's District.

According to the Miami Herald:

Miami-Dade voters are generally split on David Beckham building a stadium next to Marlins Park, but overwhelmingly support the idea once told the school system will be a partner in the project, according to a private poll.

The school system came late to the deal, with Beckham previously on track to have Miami-Dade County be the owner of the stadium for tax purposes. The Beckham team switched in recent weeks to the school system.

The move raised eyebrows since Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado's daughter, Raquel Regalado, is the school board member whose district includes the soccer site and she is challenging Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez in the 2016 mayoral election. People close to the Beckham side said the school board's reputation for acquiescing to county schools chief Alberto Carvalho was more appealing than the fractious 13-member County Commission.

Eye on Miami Saturday Editorial August 15: Raquel Regalado and Carlos Gimenez. By Geniusofdespair

Miami Herald: Your Fall is Our Spring...

COUNTY MAYORAL CANDIDATE RAQUEL REGALADO'S CAMPAIGN REPORT

For a non-incumbent Raquel Regalado is raising a respectable amount: She is up to $182,190. You have to understand, people doing business with the County WILL NOT give her money. They are afraid of the wrath of the sitting Mayor, Carlos Gimenez even though he is not officially running (he has no campaign account). I love the fact that Raquel has dozens of $5 donations but better yet, she has something I have never seen before: $3 donations.

Here is one for the books,  Raquel Regalado interviewing Carlos Gimenez. Interesting, even though I don't understand a word of it. I heard his Spanish sucks. I don't know, it sounds okay to me.




DOES CARLOS GIMENEZ HAVE A FOURTH PAC RAISING MONEY FOR HIM?? Four are you kidding?

Citizens for Effective Leadership was formed by Ernesto Martinez, Jr. recently. This PAC has raised $78,850 already. Ernesto is transferring funds from PACs he controls to other PACs he controls. That does not seem legal, if he were to get money from a PAC he does not control and put it in one he does that's different. How does he know the intent of the donor unless he is coordinating the efforts of the PACs under his control?

 Here is Citizens For Effective Leadership's report of contributions I guess Ron Book made up with Gimenez, and BFF Jorge Luis Lopez is here donating $10,000:

A lot of the same donors that gave to PAC Miami Dade Citizens for Progress.


Most of this PAC's expenses went to Hiprockstar at 15030 Monroe Street, Miami, for support and consulting. They seem to concentrate on the black population if you look at their website section "Our Work" and their Facebook page. They do marketing communications:

Creative focuses on developing and executing advertisement. This visual display conveys a clear message in layout, words, and imagery directly to the heart of your target audience. This effective tactic will embody the creative strategy, appeal, and execution style needed to strategically design an effective marketing message in an effort to persuade the consumer to take the action intended.

Here is their address in Richmond Heights (Hiprockstar looks like a big company):

DONALD TRUMP:

He made sense in his interview Friday night. He talked about PAC's not coordinating with a candidate. He said he did not believe that for a minute. He was convinced that PAC's always coordinate...as I am. I hate these PAC's. Great way to funnel too much money to a candidate.

HOMESTEAD

Control freak. That is a lot of shit for one visor.

Wayne's World: How could I finish without a Homestead (Hudstead) report. Here is a rare photo of Homestead over-lord Wayne Rosen and his visor or control freak items. He is once again trying to convince the community to refurbish the golf course that they were promised when they bought the property. May I remind him that Donald Soffer paid to refurbish his Turnberry golf course and Donald Trump paid for Doral. Wayne had a management agreement. I don't rightly know what is going on with this golf course but I am sure someone from Homestead can give us a report.

While all this golf course nonsense is going on... the election is being manipulated in a shake-up which appears to be trying to keep Rosen friendly people in office, i.e. getting rid of Patricia Fairclough.

I hope we can get the latest details on the golf course from residents. From the News Leader: "Flanked by a row of conceptual drawings, Gleber tried to sell residents, who poured into the golf course's club house by the dozens, a new vision to the troubled golf course, and why they should be okay paying for a recreational lease." Gleber is the only one on the condo board representing the people. He is a friend of Rosen. Rosen will not let go of control until build-out. How many years has he held on to control without letting an Association form?