Friday, July 29, 2011

Candidate spending too early?

One of the people with eyes on the dais at Hialeah City Hall is a former veteran water department employee who has been campaigning and had a pretty big, volunteer t-shirted team and a banner at the city's Fourth of July celebration earlier this month.

But how did Daisy Castellanos pay for those yellow shirts and full-color banner shown in her facebook photo here? Because Ladra will bet her kibble that she had not yet opened a campaign bank account before the Independence Day celebration at Milander Park.

"Why would you want to know? It's public record. You can get it from the city clerk," she told me tonight on the telephone in a short and terse interview.

So it's going to be like that, eh? Apparently, Castellanos went to the Julio Robaina/Carlos Hernandez School of Public Misadminstration. Oh, goody. Ladra was a little bored.

What Castellanos didn't know was that City Clerk David Concepcion and his friendly, dog-loving staff, too, are bored -- of seeing Ladra every day for several days over a three week period throughout the month. I had asked for the documents filed by all candidates several times since July 4 and hers was not among them. Not one single time. I was last there only once this past week and still there were no documents given to me from her campaign. In fact, Concepcion gave me a sheet with all the candidates's group choices and, next to her name in Group 6, the position now held by Hernandez replacement Pablito Hernandez, he has N/A for campaign account documents filed. (Castellanos, who submitted her resume for the position, was reportedly upset that she was passed up for the kid, by the way). And, most importantly, Concepcion confirmed last week, much after the July 4 celebration, that Castellanos still had not sought the required city-stamped forms to take to the bank in order to open a campaign account. That would have turned up in the documents I had requested over and over again.

"So she can't be spending money?"

"She can't be spending campaign money," Concepcion said, because he knows state campaign law (or maybe Alex Morales told him).

Castellanos, a longtime city activist who worked for 20+ years in customer service at the Hialeah Water Department and served on the city's planning and zoning board, told Ladra Friday that she opened her account after the June 30 cut-off date for the last reporting period and did not have to report it in campaign reports due the first week of July. But she would not tell Ladra what date she opened the account and she would not say where, despite that the information would be a public record available Monday at the city clerk's office, which, remember, is where she told me to go. And, as I said, I have been to the city clerk's office and back Even after Castellanos was explained that she can easily show she complied with the law and prove Concepcion mistaken or had another memory lapse (it's happened before) by showing the campaign account form that Ladra will get Monday anyway. She wouldn't. Okay, then, just tell me. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. When did you open the account? She wouldn't give a ballpark date, which is always a bad sign. And, again, Ladra will bet it's because it was after July 4.

In fact, based on her facebook fundraising event invitations, the kick-off being July 21, and paypal account set up that same week, let's put $100 on Wednesday, July 20. Anybody in?

Oh, wait. I should first, in all fairness, disclose that shortly after our quick and terse chat, someone deleted the 4th of July photograph I had asked her about from the Daisy Castellanos for Hialeah City Council page -- which she better not be paying to administer because I bet it was created before she opened her bank account. That's another bad sign. Good thing I had already downloaded it.

Castellanos would not return follow up phone calls and an email. But Ladra will try to get up early enough to ask her in person tomorrow at the Hialeah Pan American Lions Club's back-to-school drive at Wal-Mart, 5851 N.W. 177 St., in Miami Lakes. Oh, who am I kidding? Someone ask her for me. She posted on facebook that she would be at the event, which is 7 to 11 a.m. and that they could use volunteers. Ironic that she wouldn't volunteer the public information about her run for public office that I am going to get on Monday anyway. Double goody.

"Was it July 3rd? Was it July 20th? Was it yesterday?" I should have knocked on her damn door.

"No, it wasn't yesterday," she said. More training from the JRCH academy and another telltale sign of something's up.

Ladra explained a third or fourth time that it had to be prior to the 4th to even smell legal.

"What difference does it make to you? I don't have to answer your questions," she said, making me really wish I had knocked on her door instead of called. "You can think whatever you want. I'll give you a call tomorrow when I check my calendar. I don't know who you are. After I verify who you are, I will call you tomorrow."

Of course, she wasn't staying on the phone after that to answer who she was gonna check me out with. So that's now the first question the next time Ex-Candidate Castellanos and I chat.

'Cause Ladra already checked her calendar.

15 comments:

  1. Too bad she took that road, does it matter who is asking? It would have been nice if she had been forthcomming with the information, does not seem very good on her part to have to check who you are first and then tell you, whats the big deal? If she made a mistake I guess she would have to pay a fine. The question I have to ask voters in Hialeah after repeating this story, is " Do we really want someone who does not know the answer to a financial matter as simple as what is the banks name, or when did you open the account?" Considering the money issues the City has I really do not think the citizens needs more of the same. Strike 1 Mrs. Castellanos. The citizens will be told and the story will be repeated over and over again.

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  2. Driving Miss Daisy crazy! Good. I am up to here with pompous, self-absorbed egotists who can't obey rules but love to inflict them on others. Daisy, fall back, learn how to do it correctly, and run next time. If you are just going to be Robaina in drag, please, Hialeah deserves better than that.

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  3. Every time you come in city we laugh. You are a fool!!!

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  4. Write on morales not living in Hialeah , that is a story not this bull shit.
    You are kissing Morales ass , always to one side, never neutral .
    That is why you were fired!!
    Cuba 7 times? You are a communist!!! Every citizen in Hialeah will know this. You will not be liked in Hialeah . So go play somewhere else.

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  5. Oh will.. You stupid, ignorant, moronic, bafoon. It is certainly your right to comment, but why do you not start your own blog and comment on that. I am sure you will have, eh lets see, maybe one or two readers.. On a good week. I will tell you this about the big fellow morales. He does live in Hialeah. I was at the council meeting where hair stood up on peoples arms when he announced his address. In fact I will tell you the prior city clerk/HR director even went to his fully furnished place to have lunch and verify. Just to keep you informed as your lack of investigative skills falls very short, reporters have already interviewed Mr. Morales's neighbors. HE LIVES INSIDE HIALEAH. And btw he is running ofr council and will win too. As for you Julio and Hernandez Kiss asses, start packing your bags.. YOUR ALL GONE.. That I promise.

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  6. Lago,Good Job passing this info to Ladra ! What's sad about this is that you know Luis is your friend and honest. What's next are you going to screw him over too! You knew Luis is in the picture "I get it" your playing your cards what's next? Ladra keep it up .Voters could see the real truth of Hialeah politics(GREAT JOB) by the way Ladra you should check out Lago how did he pay Dario Moreno for the poll that he rigged up? "Or maybe Herman paid for it? So he could control the council. Ha!! Lago you should play on one side of the park. Just remember Isis has a big mouth she's not your friend!!She's Herman's PUPPET.

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  7. Okay, Won't. While I have tried to ignore you, this double-feature opportunity to show, yet again, what a propogandist moron (read: campaign operative) with no credibility you are is too good to pass up. First, I was sort of hoping this non-issue about Morales would go away. Ladra loves busting residency violators, as everybody knows. But this hunt was a disappointing bust when the former councilman opened up his small but lived in Hialeah home to me. Residency confirmed. Post coming next.

    And as far as the Cuban travel (dear Ana), I don't need to justify anything to anyone, especially since my work and my adventures -- including my marriage on the island and subsequent battle for my now ex-husband to get out of the Cuban government's hands -- is well documented on 1A pages of the Miami Herald, on CNN archives, Fox News and in congressional hearings since his release or "tarjetica blanca" had to be negotiated through the 1994-1995 Cuban rafter crisis U.S./Cuba immigration talks in DC and Havana that, unfortunately, led to the Gitmo detentions and wet foot/dry foot policy, both of which were non solutions. But I know because I was there. I was one of more than a dozen U.S. citizens with spouses in Cuba that had U.S. Visas in hand, but were being blackmailed or straight out denied salida or "la tarjetica blanca" by the Cuban government. For Pepe, it was because he was an athlete for a national team and had to quit ("pedir la baja") to request the exit to join his wife in the big bad Yuma. Anyway, like I said, this is not for you, this is for my new and maybe curious Hialeah friends who may not have the benefit of the background that I think you know and which I am very proud of.

    I have been frequently published and am regularly on Spanish-language radio to discuss Cuba's human rights abuses, illegal shootdown of civilian planes over international waters (the coverage of which my team won a Green Eyeshade award for), the black market economy during the special period of the early 90s, Cuban music and artists (their ties to political propaganda both in favor and against the regime), anti-Castro dissidents, many of whom I interviewed and smuggled documents back to the U.S. for, and Cuban government espionage in the U.S. (I often speak for my find Ana Margarita Martinez about the multi-million legal judgement won against the Cuban government for the fraudulent marriage they caused her). Go ahead, google me -- like one of my favorite former state senators likes to say. Then you will realize que viniste a bailar a la casa del trompo. Don't try to debate me on Cuba because you already lost all credibility.

    Oh, and I am LOVED in Hialeah. YOU go play somewhere else because yo me quiero quedar un ratico aqui. I ain't going anywhere. Get used to it or get out of the way.

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  8. Wait.. does Won't have his very own rebuttal critic, a new Ladra defender named after him even, on the blog's comment thread? That is sorta cool.

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  9. Will, You heard the lady.... There is a new sherrif in town and it is not your fat, pudgy, moronic ass. Ladra has all the support you dont. All the respect you dont. All thr professionalism you will NEVER have (that hint was for you ladra) Pack it up goober. You came uo short again.. As Hialeah Churns will be the next best Novella in south florida...

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  10. I knew Lago was a traitor to Luis and Isis. They are so incompetant they don't even know how they were set up to support him. Does Lago also know about the other pictures out there?

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  11. We are DADE county boys and don't really care much for Hialeah . dumbass!!!

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  12. Lago. That kid is a nobody, he doesn't stand a chance

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  13. I'm so confused. Where did all these Lago haters come from? The post wasn't even about Lago. And where is everyone getting this whole Lago betrayed anyone crap from? I enjoy reading this blog and I can't see anywhere that Ladra even hinted at that sort of thing. This is ridiculous. At any rate, Daisy seems like a noob here. She seems to be horribly mismanaging her image already.

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  14. Keep up the good work Ladra, don't let a bunch of haters stop or dissuade you. I have been reading your column since my wife and I met you at the first mayoral debate!!!

    El Flaco

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  15. What haters? lol... don't worry, Flaco. Pero, gracias!!

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