Press release: Redland community leader Pamela Gray will suspend her campaign for Miami-Dade Commission in District 8 and support the election of Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn who is also running for the District 8 seat.“Replacing Commissioner Katy Sorenson will be a big job. It’s very important to me that our next commissioner reflect our values and be committed to our community. It’s also important, in our current economic climate, to have an incoming Commissioner not have a huge learning curve of County Hall,” Gray said. “Mayor Gene Flinn and I share so many priorities and have such similar visions; it didn’t make much sense to run competing campaigns. Gene Flinn also shares the knowledge of so many of my policy priorities.”
Gray was appointed by retiring Commissioner Sorenson to the Miami-Dade Planning Advisory Board, within less than two years, the Board elected her as their Chair. She currently serves as President of the Redlands Citizens Association and has been a leader in historic and environmental preservation and community planning. She also owns a small business with her husband in District 8, providing many jobs and training to our local residents.
“The important thing is to get it right – the issues at County Hall are to important to leave to chance,” Gray said. “Gene Flinn has proven his commitment to the community and I’m ready to work for his election and help him be a strong, community-focused Commissioner.”
29 comments:
I like Pam very much and I am sorry to see her leave the race.
Pam, your contributions to the community are immeasurable. The slate was too marginalized. You are appreciated for your good works. Keep active. We need people like you in the community.
Now if only the other 2 candidates from Homestead would see the light and get out of the race.
Pam will continue to be a great asset to our community! I am proud to be her friend! :)
Pam is a nice person but as I stated on another thread, this is a two person race. Piedra vs. Taddeo. Everyone else doesn't have a chance.
No offense to Flinn but he needs to understand that going around telling people that he is a "career politican" and that we can not afford a person with on the job training (no experience) is not a great strategy. Residents of Miami Dade want the crap out! Especially in the County Commission. The bottomline is that we need more people like Katy who have a fresh mind with fresh ideas. The same old crap needs to go.
Just ask our neighbors in District 8 and they will tell you that they are tired of the entire commission.
Pam is one of the best public servants Miami-Dade County, and District 8 has ever seen.
Also, Mayor Flinn clearlt reflects the needs, values and desires of the District.
I personally know the other candidates, and whether it be to try and buy the election behind the scenes, or pay off people to support them, the other candidates should spend more time with their families and spare all of the residents of District 8 the annoyance of an embarrasing and corrupt special interest campaign.
Good luck to Gene Flinn.
He will surely represent all of us!
I don't know who Tom is, but Flinn's only career is making life better for all of us. He has brought more fresh ideas than anyone I know. I don't even know who one of them is & the other one ran & lost against a south Florida icon, putting judgement into question. Flinn brings fresh ideas & skills no one else in the race even approaches.
We live in Palmetto Bay district 1 and since before incorporation.
Flinn is a good family man. Yes, He has political experience, BUT, he has represented the area well and I am not about to punish him for doing good.
Because he has political experience he will be a target of some unhappy folks, because a person will not always be happy with political outcomes. He did not hit all my issues the way I wanted, but you know what? I am mature enough to appreciate that he cares and absolutely does his best.
I don't know the other folks agendas and to be frank, they make me nervous because they are popping up making promises.
I don't know when the sign-up period is over, but there are already too many people running who are running for personal agendas.
Gene Flinn is going to win the race so from one Tom to another: you're wrong Tom.
Personal Agendas? What are you talking about? Your statement doesn't make any sense. Everyone runs for some form of a "personal agenda!" If one's personal agenda is in line with what is best for the community that he/she represents is a different matter.
I am not saying that Flinn is a bad person. I just think his strategy is flawed.
I don't even think Taddeo is a bad person. Just not the right person for the job.
Obdulio Piedra is the right person. He has 30+ years of Community Serice on top of a professional career. Not a single candidate even comes close. With a business sense that we need and a true compasion on helping the less fortunate, Piedra represents every face that resides in District 8.
Lastly, yes he has up to 100 VOLUNTEERS walking WITH him. My son and I walked with him 3 weekends ago. We were proud to represent and communicate on what we believe is needed in our community. Additionally, the number of VOLUNTEERS truly shows how many people he has touched/helped/extended over the last 30+ years.
We can go back and forth, but in the end...you can't match any candidate up with Obdulio Piedra.
Tom (Parent, Resident of Palmetto Bay)
Piedra is the last candidate I would vote for in this race.
Tom too:
ok? Why?
There are 7 Hispanic Commissioners. 4 Black Commissioners. With Piedra we would have 8 Hispanic Commissioners. We have 1 white Commissioner if Piedra wins. Where is the fair representation, the districts are drawn for all the groups in the county. There are more whites than blacks in the county and they will have 1 commissioner to 4? I don't think we need yet another Hispanic on the County Comish if we are to be fair to all.
Culler has supended his campaign and is now backing Flinn.
Pam was a great candidate. She was the victim of money. Developers would not donate, she did not have megabucks of her own, lobbyists did not give a dime. She is the perfect candidate but as long as we do not support good candiates with money, we are the ones to blame.
Sorry Pam, you could not fight the apathetic public and the monied candidates.
Many people do community service in their lifetime. I can't believe that is a justification for running office. I started my community work when I was 12 as a volunteer at the Zoo. I have worked since I was 15. Does that make me a candidate? No.
It makes me a nice community person doing what I do best: helping people.
However, I want a commissioner who can keep our butts out of the gator pit. And being someone who hangs out in the community doing things doesn't necessarily give them the skills to face down county hall.
still laughing on Tom Too's explanation. Hahahaha.
Wow, so now its White vs. Hispanic vs. Black. This is exactly what our county government should resort too. hahahahah......
Forget the fact that we have a massive Budget shortfall, increased foreclosre and property value declines, FPL Powerlines, Development Line, Decreased funding for Comunity Based Organizations, Public School shortfalls, etc, etc....Flinn is White so he is better. hahahahahaha!
I could see Flinn's new campaign slogan:
I have experience and I am white! hahahahahahaha
Genius, you know your laughing!
No I am not laughing. I don't laugh at my African American friends when they want representation. Tom too has a point of view. I respect it, he presented it well. I personally think his point will figure into the campaign in a larger way then we all estimate.
Albert visited Homestead Rotary today and touted his connection to the Redland and hisroots in the area. Flinn better venture south sometime soon.
Taddeo will move on. Then we will have to do this all over again in a few years. We are vulnerable. It's got to be between Albert and Flinn, and we need to get behind one of them and stop splitting up the vote or the builders' candidate is going to get in and we will be screwed.
Between Albert and Flinn, I lean towards Flinn because of schooling and experience. I am just saying....we need to pick somebody and then hit the streets. This is an important one. Time to unite and get down to business.
Beware of Bell, never underestimate the power of the Palin factor except in this case there is no trace of the hotness.
Wow, that's all we need... I shudder when I think how this race could be reduced to things that have nothing to do with sitting on a commission. Flinn is the guy for the job. Hopefully he's got campaign game.
^^^Yeah, like using the commission as a convenient springboard for a rematch at a congressional seat.
I'd shudder too.
I just love it when candidates end their campaigns and EVERYBODY jumps in to praise the loser for their inmesuarable contributions to the community.
Stop praising so much and start supporting and maybe all the candidates would have a fair shot!
Flinn is a chicken, he was going to get trounced in the 117th as everyone was for his opponent. Now he is promising jobs for support as they are dropping like flies.
If Sorenson backs him she gave up her seat to him as a favor, stay tuned. Yes and she did back his opponent in the 117 race so did Lerner and everyone else, this Flinn is looking at sloppy thirds or fourths. Yucky.
Sorry can't print accusations stated as facts. If you are guessing say so or else I have to delete it.
http://www.eyeonpalmettobay.com/sealing-the-deal-magazine-editor-accuses-mayor-flinn-of-charter-violation/
It is true that Flinn backed out of 117. Culler wants LaPradds position and Pam Gray who knows, she might be a great staffer.
Culler in LaPradds job, what a joke. I guess because his grandmother was the bookkeeper/secretary for a big time farmer 40 years ago, that makes him (Culler) qualified on ag issues. His mentor whose initials are SS and that is NOT Steve Shiver, has been outted and discredited.
Mr. Culler has never shown intresest in Charles LaPradd's job. He has a passion for the agriculture community and wishes to see it prosper. His family and friend are a large part of agriculture. He (Culler ) has not be outted or descredited, it is just not falling in line with misinformation. Who knows who suggested the take over of Mr. LaPradd's position but that is far from truthful.
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