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.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...


"In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” Gimenez was in the right place at the right time to reach this office, for sure. Remember, he filled this vacancy because his original opponent was under threat of indictment. At the City of Miami, when he reached the top of the heap he was fired for having no vision. In all the mail we have received, there is no indication he has a plan to lead this community. Time for this incompetent to go home. Unlike Fabiola, we have received mail from Raquel, and all five votes in our house are going with her.

Anonymous said...

I'm voting for Raquel Regalado because she has IDEAS and wants to implement them in the public interest. She has the energy and interest in public service that Gimenez lacks. Mayor Gimenez is a sore loser and cannot handle any criticism or opposite points of view. That indicates he won't and can't learn anything a new and therefore can't implement anything new in his administration. Vote for Regalado now and let's get this campaign into a runoff in November when most people will go to the polls. Don't let Gimenez millions in campaign contributions buy himself an election without a true contest in the fall.

Anonymous said...

The current mayor promised a more streamlined government, but instead we got a more costly and less efficient administration. Important issues like sea level rise were only superficially talked about until the community forced the mayor to allocate a small amount of funding to a very large problem.
Behind the scenes deals; Trump and Crandon golf course, the megamall, sweetheart developer deals and contracts are the tip of the iceberg.
Raquel would be a much better choice.

Anonymous said...

How many buses could be put into service with $33 million that app cost? Who got the app contract? Instead of standing on street corners with Gimenez signs the transit director should be seen riding buses so she can see what that experience is like. She should be seen sweating at bus stops where there are no shelters and no place to sit. She should be seem talking to bus riders to find out what the experience is like. Gimenez should join her!

Anonymous said...

The Strong Mayor job is not a position that calls for macho dictatorship behavior. Having a smart woman who knows how to build consensus by working with others would allow the Office of Strong Mayor to actually be important and meaningful. We have had two dolts in this office who have been tone deaf to the needs of the community and failed to provide real leadership. Raquel is the right woman for this job. Everyone needs to vote and make sure there is a run-off. The incumbent has spent millions of dollars to put this away when less than 20% of the voters are making the decision. Be one of those voters and ensure we have a run-off in November!

Anonymous said...

I'm with HER!

Juan said...

What's the old saying ?.. "You can fool some of the people some of the time but can't fool all of the people all of the time. Giminez and his supporters are betting their $4m that is exactly what they plan to do on Election Day .. Fool all of the people into voting to re-elect him

Raquel is young .. Smart ..energetic .. Independent .. Full of great ideas to serve the public .. Not lobbyists .. Family and friends ! Visit her web page see her detailed plans !

It's time to send a message to the power brokers who have controlled Miami Dade County Government for decades .This Election Day the public interests can be served rather than the lobbyists, family and friends by voting for Raquel Regaldo.
Let's keep his arrogance under 50% and then beat him in November
It would be the start of a good government era in Miami Dade County Government .. This time why not the best ??.. Vote for Raquel Regaldo !

Anonymous said...

To the above alaon who quoted the peter principle.
The problem of unqualified managers is maganified by the 1200 senior employees who all left in July 2016 due to a aberration in the retirement system dating back to 2011.
So now you have the perfect storm of unqualifed employees being promoted in mass on the friends and family plan. And not just the mayor's office, it's at all levels down to the people that mow the grass. all departments take their cues from the top so all the way down the chain of command promotions are being based on who you know and not what. The end result is a county more about protecting the images of "we're in charge" but in reality on the edge of imploding.
You think the way they are handling ziki is a clusterphuck? ? Just wait, in the coming years as these legions of the barely qualified will prove my point again and again.


Anonymous said...

I'm a registered Democrat. Have been for over 20 years. Yesterday, I received the stupidest Gimenez flier of all (and I've received about 9.)
This one equated Regalado with Trump. Said she speaks like him. At the top it has the Miami Herald banner as if they are sponsoring this trash talk.

Such BS.

Anonymous said...

Ditto to all of that!!! She will bring a new vision, and a lot of new attention and energy to Miami- Dade County. We will get many opportunities and looks that we would only get if is she mayor. We are getting ready to elect our first woman President. Having a woman mayor might make a difference in interfacing with the federal government which will also be run by a woman. Many large companies have already promoted women to top leadership positions in preparation for being in position to maximize their visibility in hopes of increasing their bottom lines. In a tourist-dependent place like Miami-Dade, she could provide new fresh leadership for old problems, and in the process provide a new way of thinking about our future.

Anonymous said...

The more television exposure that she has, the more impressive she gets. She doesn't let the questions about her finances derail her poise. She also keeps coming up with answers to serious issues NOT addressed in the last five years.

Anonymous said...

If you think having Alice Bravo as Transit Director is bad try dealing with Miami Dade Police Director Juan Perez. Here is an unqualified individual who rose to prominence by exchanging favors with the Gimenez camp. Our police department these days acts more like Gimenez's private security than a true police department. Enough with Gimenez's antics. Our votes at home went to Raquel.

Anonymous said...

Alice Bravo? She hardly comes into work. Surveillance cameras will substantiate this statement. Ms. Bravo is absent most of the time. She was a political appointment with no experience in the position she is filling.

If someone actually would look into this, they will find that she is never at work.

Dean said...

Many people worked very hard to ensure that the Pets' Trust got on the ballot and was passed with 65% of the vote three years ago. Mayor Carlos Giménez disregarded the will of the voters.

We have never felt so disenfranchised as we did then. We have waited for this day for three years and now it is time to give our support to Raquel Regalado for the office of Miami-Dade County Mayor.

She has pledged to implement the will of the voters concerning the Pets' Trust in her first 100 days as Mayor. I just got back from early voting and I will sleep better tonight!

Anonymous said...

Alice Bravo did everything that was unethical and illegal for Commissioner Sarnoff, Commissioner Suarez, and Mayor Regalado when she was with the City of Miami. She is the worst public administrator imaginable. She knows how to bullshit herself around into securing high paying jobs as she drives businesses to politically connected firms, which included her husband's.

Anonymous said...

Alice Bravo makes $250,000? She made $150,000 at the city didn't she? And, most people will agree she wasn't worth much of that.

Anonymous said...

I don't know why everyone's picking on Alice Bravo's. After all she has great hair! Under this administration, a salient quality as any.

Anonymous said...

Alice Bravo is a piece of work. She was brought in by Mr. Clean, I mean, Carlos Migoya who is also a lifeless piece of shit. Wouldn't you all I agree. Eye on Miami wouldn't you agree?

Anonymous said...

Alice's hair is fried because she tries to keep it straight all the time. My poodle has better hair.

Geniusofdespair said...

Now really, do you think I can keep track of every piece of shit in this town? Do you think I have them all identified yet?