Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Redfern backs Gimenez, at last

Who needs Uncle Luke? Carlos Gimenez has snagged himself the sister!

While it may not come as a surprise, Gabrielle Redfern has become the third of the former candidates in the May 24 mayoral race to endorse the former county commissioner in the June 28 runoff. With endorsements from former State Rep. Marcelo Llorente (REP, Dist.115), who placed third in the special recall replacement race, and county fireman Jeffrey Lampert, who Ladra still thinks might have been a plant (what kind of endorsement is that?), this gives Gimenez a full third of the rest of the first ballot.

Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina has two: One from another suspected plant, former (read: fired) Miami-Dade Transit Director Roosevelt Bradley, who we are sure wants and may have been promised a job in the transit department. If one promises it to one guy, it stands to reason the other would want fair play. And Robaina has been talking a lot more about transit issues lately, blaming Gimenez for problems that others say the former commissioner inherited and had nothing to do with. (More on that later). But Ladra thinks that's not even on the radar now that Luther Campbell's nod was stolen by Robaina with an admitted illegal promise that has since been recanted (more on that later).

But right now it is about the women. Yes, plural. Because not only is Redfern, the only female candidate in a pool of 11, going to endorse Gimenez at a breakfast in downtown South Miami, but the fete is hosted by some other of the 305 Shes with a capital S that support him. Among these "women leaders," as the Gimenez press release calls them, are Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner, Palmetto Bay Mayor Shelley Stancyzk and Councilwoman Joan Lindsay, Cutler Bay Councilwoman Peggy Bell, Coral Gables Commissioner Maria Anderson, State Rep. Ana Rivas-Logan (REP, 114) former community council member Millie Herrera (who lost a bid for State Rep. last year), Democracy for America Miami-Dade activists Barbara Walters and Wendy Sejour, one-time Congressional candidate Annette Tadeo (who lost a bid for county commission last year), and Blanca Galvez, meditation guru Kathy Shea and artist Gisella Llorens.

Ladra is really mostly looking forward to seeing Redfern, a firecracker and truly engaged and focused woman who would be a tremendous asset to this community if she stays publicly involved. I was hoping she would continue her activism, which she has had success with in Miami Beach, to the county level. She sort of disappeared from public eye, for a bit, reportedly licking her wounds since placing 8th in the race, with under 1.3 percent, or 2,446 votes. But she did better than two perennial candidates,Eddie Lewis and Farid Khavari, and the other millionaire, former community councilman Wilbur Bell. And she scored higher in her Miami Beach home turf -- where she has been an activist and built name recognition in a city commission race -- getting almost 7 percent and more than 8 percent in some of those precincts and could help Gimenez win more voters there. She should be proud of herself. I am proud of her and I believe many of these "women leaders" are also.

Of course Gimenez is only "glad to accept" her endorsement, he said in a statement. (Only "glad"?) "Gabrielle has a history of standing up for what she believes in, and I look forward to her ideas in rooting out government waste, fraud and corruption. Gabrielle and I share common sense solutions to reaching a government that we can afford, all while improving the quality of life for all our citizens."

And while I am sure he will listen to her, as he should because this woman has some great insight and ideas, and while Ladra knows that Redfern would just love a job in transit (or did, weeks ago when she confided that she hoped for that since she wasn't going to win), Ladra is also quite sure that Gimenez did not and would not promise a job to her or any of her friends for her endorsement. I mean, if he were the type of guy to do that, which everyone knows he is not, he would have done it with Luke, who was a far more valuable campaign asset (was, I say, before the doublecross for a political favor was admitted on tape). And if Gabrielle were to try a quid pro quo for her nod, the smart cookie would go with the surer bet, who probably needs help with the female bloc vote far more than Gimenez. If Robaina forgave Luke saying he bought the black vote, Ladra is sure he can forgive Redfern calling him a suspected criminal at one forum.

No, Ladra knows Redfern truly believes in Gimenez, who she calls "a dedicated public servant." Unlike Luke -- who took shots at Robaina during the campaign, calling him a slumlord and saying three times in public forums that Robaina had bought two other black candidates in the race to dilute the black vote -- Redfern has been respectful to Gimenez during forums, even when the two disagreed, which wasn't often.

"During the primary season, when we did manage to differ, Carlos was eager to listen to my side," Redfern said in the public statement. "As an activist, I believe Carlos can forge a more open, inclusive government out of the ashes we have been left with and begin to cure ills in transit, economic and urban development and our public health system. Carlos is a man of his righteous word, not just any word, and he is the only candidate I trust to lead Miami-Dade County today."

She did not return a call from Ladra before the press release went out when we heard about the endorsement Tuesday night. Instead, she texted me: "Sorry to have missed your call. I hope to see you in South Miami in the morning."

So glad the feeling is mutual, Ms. Redfern. The first cortadito is on me.

10 comments:

  1. Madame Ladra, Candela in Miami-Dade County. Is a fair and good move from Mrs. Redferm, she is nice and smart and 2,000 plus vote, if she can delivery all will be a good help to Mr.Gimenez.
    13 days to election day, please go to vote.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Orange is the new red and Gabby is the new Katy. Great things are coming from this little power house of intelligence. She has things to offer this county.

    By the way, the word of the day is "Luthenize". I claim it!

    JaneMiami
    (twitter handle)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gabrielle Redfern should have won the Miami Beach Commission Seat (Group 3) she ran for in 2009.

    She was the only candidate that was beyond reproach. It was a filthy election with horrible mailings and commercials but she stayed classy while the other two candidates kept it in the sewer.

    I met Gabrielle when she ran for Commissioner and she impressed me.

    By the way, Julio Robaina will be appearing at the Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club on June 21. http://www.mbtmbc.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. One way that around $2 billion could be saved is by eliminating the Office of Personnel Management in favor of private sector alternatives. Learn more by watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOYrAquR5EI

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  5. Come on, Ladra. You are smart but this blind turn in favor of favor of Gimenez seems out of character.

    We can all agree that Robaina is a crook and a politician in the worst sense of the word. But Gimenez is trying to pull the wool over our eyes and perhaps succeeded in your case. I know your families rubbed elbows at the Vedado tennis club and all BUT, come on.

    In recent months Gimenez voted in favor of purchasing new cranes for the port at a cost of over $20mio which at the earliest would be used in 2014, if at all. This already happened once with previous crane purchases. Mr. Gimenez should have learned from past mistakes. Many experts agree that the parroted bonanza from the expanded Panama Canal is just a dream. There are other ports in the Caribbean and in SE US more capable than Miami of benefiting from the bigger ships.

    Regarding the calls offending Hialeah, Mr. Gimenez denies it but has not denounced or fired the likely culprit or convenient scapegoat - his campaign treasurer. The gentleman has failed to appear after several weeks on vacation. Anyone that believes he went on vacation for so long in the middle of a campaing also believes that Robaina's wife loaned Felipito the money.

    The bottom line is that we have two "tremendos descara'os" to choose from. Instead of voting we should be demanding that they both resign from the campaign. Most of us do not want either one or anyone like them.

    As much as it bothers me, I will end up voting for Robaina. Everyone knows what he is but Gimenez thinks we are fools.

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  6. I should have added that Gimenez's behavior shows a lack of leadership and decision making ability. A "wait for it to blow away attitude" is not what we need in tough times. We need someone who will tackle problems, not lie and hide from them.

    Who will be better? A crook that faces problems head on and makes bad decion or one who hides from the problems and makes bad decisions.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous, if we shut our eyes to reality and accept everything that you say is true...the choice you proffer...who will be better? ..is still an easy one. We don't need yet another special election to replace a truly crooked politician. Perhaps the better question is..... County Hall or County Jail / when Robaina is arrested/ will you post his bail?

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  8. Breaking news: Gimenez campaign scratches latest political mailer: Slumboss Millionaire and, instead, does a media buy for Luther Campbell.

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  9. To the idiot who wrote: Many experts agree that the parroted bonanza from the expanded Panama Canal is just a dream. There are other ports in the Caribbean and in SE US more capable than Miami of benefiting from the bigger ships.

    You're clueless.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ok, county employee Anonymous at 9:10PM

    Why don't you enlighten us clueless taxpayers. We've seen the Field of Dreams film. Tell us about your port of dreams fairy tale. "If you dredge they will come regardless of what everyone else says".

    Maybe you should be looking for another job. Opining in blogs in not going to make them dock.

    ReplyDelete

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