What is going on in the County Commission District 11 race? By Geniusofdespair

Juan Zapata, the incumbent, did not raise any money in May. I never saw that before. Another guy enters the race and you stop fundraising?

His opponent Joe Martinez meanwhile, is getting money from PAC's. Very bad sign. This is certainly the race to watch. Greater Florida Leadership PAC has Ron Book and Heritage Insurance ($20,000) as major contributors. The PAC Veterans for Conservation Principles is once again Heritage Insurance. They gave to Frank Artiles as well as Joe Martinez. They also got $25,000 from the Florida Roundtable.  The Committee for Justice Transportation... is again Heritage Insurance of Clearwater,  also Florida Leadership Committee and Florida Blue (Blue Cross). A lawyer in Tallahassee is giving a lot: Timothy Meenan. His lawfirm focuses on Insurance Regulation. This PAC is also giving to Miguel Diaz de la Portilla in his State Senate Campaign.  Strong Communities of SW FL is also Heritage Insurance. This PAC is also giving to Joe Martinez and Miguel Diaz de la Portilla.  Citizens for Principles Leader...can you guess who gave to them. If you guessed Heritage Insurance you would be right. They have also given to Miguel Diaz de la Portilla.

What does this Insurance company  want so desperately in Miami Dade County?

Are they both depending on PAC money? Joe Matinez also has an ECO and the ECO Together for a Brighter future has raised $67,000 mostly from bad pennies, Edward Easton and Wayne Rosen. I have written plenty on these two:

Warmed Over Candidate Joe Martinez is Back -- Running Against Juan Zapata for the County Commission. By Geniuofdespair

Joe Martinez please we had enough.

 

May 18th Joe Martinez threw his hat in the ring to run in District 11 against Juan Zapata.

This is very bad news. He is such a bad guy, we were so lucky to get rid of him when he had to resign. Joe Martinez had visions of grandeur and left the County Commission to run for Mayor of Miami Dade County. Joe has a PAC "Together for a Brighter Future", in which I am sure Gimenez will be raising funds for him. Joe the bully we can surely do without. Juan Zapata is so much better. Juan has $135,305 in his campaign account. He needs to ratchet up the fundraising. Zapata got money from Erik Fresen's Pac.

Politicians can't make it in the private sector so they come back to torture us AGAIN.

Juan Zapata, the guy to vote for without a doubt.

Campaign Reports as of March 31st: Juan Zapata and Barbara Jordan. By Geniusofdespair

Did you give to Juan Zapata's campaign? He holds the least of any County Commissioners in his account: $130,355 except for Bruno Barreiro (who has no one running against him).

Zapata did get contributions from the Dolphins and the Wet Dream Mall people: Ghermezians.

Dreaded lawyer and lobbyists were also on there, Rodney Baretto, Ron Book, Tracey Slavens. Lasarte law firm and Miguel DeGrandy.

Dreaded developers were also there Century, Kendall Investors 172 and Limonar Development - Alfonso Cordoba). Cordoba is the GREEN CITY developer that wanted to move the UDB for his development. Apparently he still does giving handsomely (at least $5,000 in the campaign account) to Zapata, who did not support the development at the commission last time it surfaced.

Before you judge Juan, know that Barbara Jordan has collected $244,051 with 354 contributions.  Juan has 176 contributions, about half and he has the threat of Joe Martinez running and the threat of the Mayor helping Joe. Dennis Moss has a whopping $318,200, with 416 contributions and no one with any money running against him. Moss also was given an in-kind donation from the Biltmore Hotel of $1,000 (food and beverages) for a fundraising event.

From Barbara Jordan's campaign report.

We, the public, never dreamed that donors would be giving multiple donations from more than one of their companies and also giving to PAC's and ECO's to help a candidate get elected. How do you compete with someone like Barbara Jordan who already has a quarter of a million dollars in her account? Daisy Black is a credible candidate but can't raise that kind of money. She has $4,235 to run against Audrey Edmonson who has about a third of a million.

How do you compete with Mayor Carlos Gimenez who has $1,103,306 in his account? Everyone will say to you "Run for office" but no one will give you money to run against an incumbent. Ask Raquel Regalado how hard it is to raise funds against an incumbent. She has $265,100 -- a very respectable sum -- but next to Carlos Gimeneez's $1,103,306 it is just peanuts.

Barf Report: Joe Martinez wants back in the picture in District 11. By Geniusofdespair

One of the worst County Commissioners we ever had -- Joe Martinez -- is threatening to run again even though he has not opened a campaign account for the District 11 seat.

I think that Carlos Gimenez hates the current Commissioner Juan Zapata so much that he would help Joe raise funds even thhough Joe ran against him for Mayor. The Mayor has spoken to Joe and Jorge Lopez is rumored to be behind the move to get Joe to run. Heaven help us if Joe Martinez gets back in office again. He was so toxic to the County Commission.

I like Juan Zapata. Maybe the moratorium he is requesting for his district has the developers up in arms against him. This is such bad news...I hope it does not pan out. Joe Martinez, the little power hungry thug tried for Mayor and for Congress, nothing worked so he is resurfacing for the County Commission. Ugh. Really, a barfable strong rumor till it is official. But, it would be like having Lynda Bell all over again, someone that the Mayor can count on to do his bidding: another puppet.

Amen on the Horrific Traffic in Your District Commissioner Zapata. By Geniusofdespair

County Commissioner Juan Zapata is right that traffic is worst in his district. It is a nightmare. Here is what Commissioner Zapata is proposing:

Excessive traffic congestion negatively impacts the lives of residents countywide, but residents of the West End suffer substantially more than the average Miami-Dade County resident.

With the issuing of this memorandum, I am respectfully urging the Administration and my colleagues on the Board of County Commissioners to support a building moratorium on new residential and commercial development in District 11 until we can develop a comprehensive plan that significantly alters the current path of the District.

No more development in the West End until traffic issues are addressed.

I hope the rest of the County Commission can support him on this. Way to go Juan! But remember, building more/wider roads in like loosening your belt to lose weight. It doesn't address the issue.

Who has the Cojones in the County to Call a Bail Out of the Frost Museum A Bad Move? By Geniusofdespair

Apparently the only two people with Cojones are Mary Cagel and Juan Zapata when it comes to calling out VERY BAD DEALS for County Residents.

I had many reservations about Mary Cagle our Inspector General, one of them being her close ties to Katherine Fenandez Rundle and our Ethics Commissioner. They are all out of the same office but Cagle surprised me in a good way with her recent report on bailing out the Science Museum. You must remember, the Science Museum has a good home near Vizcaya and if they needed more room, there was available space at the former MAM museum across from the history museum. Why did we spend millions of dollars to design and build the museum complex by the library only to leave it vacant? The Science Museum didn't have to build in Bicentennial Park. The Science Museum insisted on the move to the Park saying they would raise the funds. Apparently the Frost Couple came through with funds but not many others. Now we have to take care of the damn building.

From the Inspector General report:

OIG DUE DILIGENCE OF THE PROPOSED RESCUE PLAN

As it directly relates to the proposed agenda items, the County has been placed in an untenable position. After having approved the investment of $165 million, the County is now faced with the possible cessation of construction—and the degradation of its investment—due to the Museum’s fundraising shortfalls. The County’s initial investment represented 61% of the $270 million project. With the proposed increase of funding, the County’s investment will increase to $210 million or 69% of the revised $304.4 million project.

County Commissioner Juan Zapata has Cojones

 The vote was 11 to 1 at the County Commission to bail out the Science Museum, County Commissioner Juan Zapata was the only no vote, from the Miami Herald:

Commissioner Juan C. Zapata cast the lone no vote against the proposal. He said he wanted the administration scrutinized over the crisis, which saw Miami-Dade pay roughly $160 million to a construction project only to see Frost unable to provide the private dollars needed to finish it. “We didn’t get here by accident,” Zapata said.

To the rest of you commissioners: It is all Bullshit, we don't need your words we need you to protect our money with your vote. We get that you are all intimidated by Rich People like the Frosts but you are not on the Commission to make them happy and suck up to them. Instead you should have all been hopping angry like Juan especially in light of the OIG report:

This week, the county’s Inspector General office issued a report criticizing the Gimenez administration for allowing almost all of the county’s $165 million contribution to the museum to be spent while the Frost was allowed to save its private dollars until the end of the construction time line.

“What are we telling our kids if people do wrong acts and what we do is just bail them out?” school board member Raquel Regalado, who is challenging Gimenez in the 2016 mayoral race.

The Meeting Julie Dick Did her Op Ed on is going on right now (UDB Line movement request). By Geniusofdespair

Pepe Diaz the puppet. You always know what he will say...what ever the developer said. He is arguing about the size of our wellfield protection zone that it should have been made smaller to not to interfere with this property.

Juan Zapata (the commissioner of the district) made a motion to transmit and deny. He doesn't believe the covenant means anything that the developer offered to put on. Only Barbara Jordan believed the covenant and SHE was one of the Commissioners that lifted it on the Brown application. What a creepy thing to do...to act like it has meaning when Barbara Jordan knows she helped make it meaningless by lifting the covenant against residential on the last application that moved the line. At least Juan Zapata wasn't fooled by the covenants.

He made the same motion for Green City that failed. Zapata had Souto, Jordan, Bovo, Barreiro (will someone run against him),  and of course Pepe Diaz. The developer begged that someone locate Monestime.

It is a 6 to 5 vote in favor to transmit and deny. Monestime not there. It needed 7.  Absent  Districts 4 and 2 districts.  No: Districts 3, 6, 7, 8, 9.

Zapata made a motion to deny, that passed.

A woman from Catalyst Miami with Miguel DeGrandy in the background.

Drew Martin from the Sierra Club Everglades Committee with that Dick Rep. Erik Fresen sitting behind Martin. (This "DICK" reference is not to be confused with Julie Dick). Erik is working for the developer