Political Cortadito

Republican state legislator supports Democratic mayoral candidate

2012-02-12T17:26:00.001-08:00

New post on South Miami candidates in the election this Tuesday.

Go to:

http://www.politicalcortadito.com/

New Hialeah post on new site

2012-02-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

There's a new post on the new website about Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez bullying citizens through Glenn "The Goon" Rice. Read it at http://www.politicalcortadito.com/2012/02/08/hialeah-police-cover-mayors-abuse/

That's where Ladra is posting these days. Please follow me there. Thanks.

Vivi still on the 'outside' in Hialeah

2012-01-31T15:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Ladra's been busy and begs for scraps of forgiveness from the political junkies that need her particularly sarcastic java. But I'm baaack. This is being republished from my new website location, www.politicalcotadito.com. Please bookmark or flag the page so you can go there because, eventually, I will stop repeating myself. Verbatim, anyway.

But this new venue allows me to start tracking a new scent. Or several ominous odors, as it were. Despite the barrage of distractions, both random and deliberate (more on that later), there has still been information trickling in through gaps in the noise. And I've still been listening to the clues that connect the dots. In the coming days, Ladra plans to bark about the county mayoral's race, Miami Lakes, Doral, casino gambling, the school board, redistricting, residency requirements -- she said, as state reps and school board members (you know who you are) collectively choked on their coffee -- campaign ethics and, of course, (though it feels weird to write it in the same breath as campaign ethics) Hialeah. But Ladra does plan to walk different parts of town -- maybe even Coral Gables and North Miami (yes, yes, I am listening to you people).

And what timing, eh? There could not be a better day to come back and play in my new dog park, what with the backdrop of the Republican presidential primary and county reform vote (even though at least 90.000 voters have already cast early and absentee ballots, 24,421 and 69,000+ as of Monday evening).

Ladra is mostly a local political K9, but this primary has 305 written all over it. And while we don't like to make predictions -- especially in races where we are woefully underinformed -- if the vote is any reflection of the number of electeds and local professional pols falling all over themselves for a photo op with Mitt Romney, well, he looks like he's won already. While U.S. Rep. David Rivera's heart reportedly belongs to Newt, Romney's long list of local endorsements includes not only the Diaz-Balart Dynasty and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen --who apparently showed him (que pena!) how to slice lechon caja china at the infamous Casa Marin restaurant (where they also count absentee ballots in the kitchen, I hear) -- but also local notable favorites of Ladra's like Miami Lakes Mayor Michael 'Muscles" Pizzi and the Hialeah City Council.

Oops, I mean the council minus Vivian Casals-Muñoz -- again. Well, her and that other woman. What's her name again? The clueless baglady who rode the AB machine and miraculously beat Professor Alex Morales in the November election? Well, whoever. Her absence doesn't raise eyebrows like the "what the..." that results from the glaring lack of participation from Casals-Muñoz alongside those who she has served with for years -- Mayor (and former Councilman) Carlos Hernandez and Council Members Isis Garcia Martinez, Katherine Cue, Paul Hernandez and Jose Caragol. Casals-Munoz, the only incumbent not on the Hernandez slate this past November, has not been in any of the photos I saw from the Casa Marin event or other Hialeah rallies. She was also not invited (intentionally, it is implied) when Romney visited the nearby Conchita Foods warehouse way back in November and missed those photo ops. There is a definite cooling off between old cohorts at City Hall. Though the councilwoman -- who I keep playing phone tag with -- shrugs her shoulders and makes nothing of it, friends of hers says she is beginning to feel the chill.

Not sure, Vivi, but maybe it has something to do with the whispers that you just might give su alcaldito a run for his money and his seat next year. ust sayin'. That challenge -- however small a consideration in the back of your mind that it may still be -- would not just be so much fun to watch, but political genius. And you're a shoo-in if you keep this new, happy, productive 'tude up and shedding those pounds.

And if you shake that that tiny little bit of stink still left on you by former Mayor Julio Robaina, who I hear will not run for county mayor (more on that later), and your notary public position at the 1st Hialeah Bank of Julito, well, heck, you might be the next Hialeah homegirl to go all the way -- to County Hall.

Speaking of friends and old political allies, Casals-Muñoz had two close ones on the Romney endorsement list: State Reps. Eddy Gonzalez and Jose Oliva, who lent considerable support to her re-election campaign. But another notable no-show on the "Rah rah for Romney" roster is State Senator Rene Garcia, another one of the councilwoman's pals, who is up for re-election and could face a challenge, dicen las malas lenguas, from Robaina, who knows he can only win political office again in Hialeah. Or at least would likely try his rebound from the relative safety of his power base.

Yes, I'm back. Because it is going to be a fun year.

Trying to be impartial despite haters

2011-12-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, Ladra is back. I'm preparing a few posts on things going on in Hialeah, Miami Lakes, the county, Homestead and elsewhere. (More on that later).

Ladra has been absent for a while because, let's say I've been distracted. In addition to having to work on my actual paying job in social media and media consulting, a group of friends and I embarked on a new project, a new avenue to provide information for the people of Hialeah, who sorely need it.

I realized that the blog wasn't getting to everyone. Certainly not to the over 55 residents who vote and read mostly in Spanish, and hardly online. So this newspaper -- which will cover the city council and politics, sure, but also community events, school news, the business community and more -- was born.

And it's been a hard labor. Not just because we are learning as we go along -- and the second issue will look a lot better than the first. But because while Ladra's critics are constantly challenging her to be impartial, they won't let me when I try.

Here is the English version of the first column published in the inaugural Dec. 16 edition.

I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But I didn’t think itwould be this hard.

When a group of friends and I decided that we would publisha newspaper in Spanish to counter the misinformation fed to the residents ofHialeah, we realized there would be some resistance. Mostly from those who donot want information to flow freely.

But we did not realize it would manifest itself incensorship and lack of transparency that is a staple of dictatorial regimesfrom which our families fled.

It is perfectly natural for politicians, elected officialsand high-paid government types to be wary of journalists and bloggers whoexpose them as they buy votes with pancakes and collect absentee ballots fromviejitos who don’t know who is running for what. And while this is my firstcolumn as editor of La Voz de Hialeah, I have grown into this position throughmy blog, Political Cortadito, in which I have written about those thingsalready. I admit I have been critical of the city administration and electedofficials – in my sarcastic, Cuban-American smart ass style. While well-receivedby many residents and city employees, the blog has become a thorn in the sidefor the powers that be.

I understand the discomfort. But I have every right toquestion their methods, intentions and actions. Perhaps even an obligation.After all, my parents left Cuba to make sure I grew up and lived in a countrywhere freedom of expression and freedom of the press was not only guaranteed,but taken for granted. And if I see something wrong, it is my duty to them andto us all to point it out. Sometimes, that can be seen as impartial. Andsometimes it is. The criticism cuts both ways and when Hialeah Mayor CarlosHernandez and the Seguro Que Yes city council call me biased, they are sometimesright. I am proudly biased because my slant is derived through the study of publicdocuments, knowledge of historical reference and luck for inside information. Andbias has its place. Like in these two [editorial/opinion] pages of La Voz de Hialeah. All bias iswelcome here. Not just the bias from one side. And so I invite the mayor andcity officials to write letters or guest columns for these pages.

But impartial information also has a place. Like on theother 14 pages. Like in the story about the opening of LA Fitness. Most peoplewould see that as a positive story for Hialeah. But what is not in the articleis that I was asked to leave the event by someone with the facility, most likelyat the behest of the mayor or one of his lap dogs. On another day, thespokesman for the police department refused to send me a press release that hadgone out to other media about the arrest of some juveniles after a smash andgrab at Palm Springs Mile.

While criticism is important and, even, necessary toguarantee democracy, unbiased news and information can be more vital to acommunity. Especially one that is lacking it. La Voz de Hialeah was created inthe void of such a beacon. And its aim is to cover the city in all its gloryand beauty and cultural richness, not just its dirty little secrets. There isroom for both and we hope that we will be allowed to public events so that wecan take the images and information to the homes of the people.

Perhaps it will only take a little time, and a few editionsof La Voz de Hialeah, for the mayor and other discomforted city officials torealize that we are here to cover both sides of the coin.

And that we are hereto stay.

Political payback: rewards & revenge

2011-12-05T10:06:00.001-08:00

Some have been promoted. Others have been punished. But make no mistake about the changes going on at Hialeah City Hall and in the city police department: The political payback and retaliation has begun with employees who were involved in the city's mayoral and council elections last month.
Those who supported and helped su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez are getting rewarded. Those who supported and helped former mayor Raul Martinez, who lost in a runoff Nov. 15, are the butt of the retribution. In Spanish, this is called un pasado de cuentas. In English, it's a settling of accounts.

Among those who have been spanked are three veteran police officers who have dedicated their lives to this community:

Commander Urbano Dieppa was busted down to sergeant after Hernandez saw he gave $100 to both his campaign and the Martinez campaign. He had been solicited for a contribution by Hernandez but expressed fear of retaliation if Martinez won. So another officer suggested he make the same donation to both candidates. That drew su alcaldito's ire. Rather than take the obvious political demotion in stride, Dieppa chose to take early retirement after Hernandez allegedly told him "You are either with me or you are against me.

Detective Sgt. Barbara Ricano, who is months from retirement and was a regular staple at the Martinez campaign office, was transferred to patrol as soon as the elections were over. Ricano, photographed here as she worked the first round of early voting at JFK Library, has not been on the road for more than a decade and has never been a patrol sergeant, which could be a safety issue to her and to other officers on that shift. And while the city may try to justify the move by saying that they are trying to crack down on patrol overtime, other officers beneath her rank have kept their desk jobs and juicy task force assignments.

Det. Ricky Garcia, whose organized fraud investigations have netted dozens, if not hundreds, of insurance scam artists and made headlines -- as well as secured a bunch of borrowed unmarked cars for the department from insurance companies only too happy with his work -- was transferred to patrol this week. There was no other reason to demote this 2009-2010 Investigator of the Year except that he was vocal about his support of Martinez. Here he is photographed with other Martinez supporters, some of whom may still feel su alcaldito's wrath. Garcia, who is currently working several cases and had gone in on his day off to write some arrest reports because he loves his job, was not given a reason or even a head's up. He simply found the tranfer paperwork in his mailbox. His commanding officers didn't even know about the decision -- which shows it was made from the top.

It is obvious political retaliation against those who dared to be independent and exercise their constitutional rights. And there may be a class action lawsuit here.

But let's take a moment to juxtapose those against the rewards to others for their political choices.

Let's start with the case of Arnie Alonso, the completely unqualified lackey who drives su alcaldito around and does his bidding and served as his spokesman during the campaign (wonder if he was still getting his city paycheck to do that). Even though Alonso (photographed here during the first round of early voting, in white, standing next to his boss, and below on Nov. 1, standing next to his boss guarding him from Ladra) started his career at the city in parks department, where there were issues about some missing money from one of the sports leagues, he has now been promoted to chief of staff. Ladra wonders what kind of salary raise (read: payoff) came with that. I've asked. But who knows when we will learn. Acting City Clerk David Concepcion told me today that he would "submit the request to the appropriate department and provide you with the information once it becomes available." It should be as easy as a phone call.

And then there is Hialeah Police Commander Sergio Velasquez, known inside the city as Hernandez's chief enforcer and Godfather in the santeria religion, who was promoted to deputy chief despite holding the rank of sergeant. Forget about the fact that he is hardly qualified for that position, or that his history at the department has been full of questionable actions that have been investigated or covered up. Forget the fact that he made retaliatory investigations to further his career. Forget about the fact that he registered for college classes last week so he could qualify for the job. Those things don't matter because he is su alcaldito's friend and mentor. Police Chief Abuser Mark Overton, who Ladra heard has already one foot out the door to a position in Miami Beach (more on that later), told a reporter that the promotion was directly ordered by Hernandez.

Read that again: Directly ordered. Now why does the mayor of the city direct the police department's personnel moves? I understand he may have to approve them, but that would only happen if the changes came via the normal, administrative process for these types of transfers. But they don't. They come the other way. Which means they are political payback.

And the ones who will end up paying the ultimate price are the residents and business owners in the City of Retrogress.

Political con artist's AKA unveiled

2011-12-04T05:44:00.001-08:00

You heard it here first. Actually, months ago. Ladra is not just a public watchdog. She's a political psychic.

Back in April, when a Miami Lakes dentist sued Constant Contact about an email he says defamed him to find out who the signed author "Sandra Lopez" really was, Ladra came right out and bet it would turn out to be Vanessa Brito, a political conartistultant who had campaigned for the recalls of former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas.

Dentist-turned-activist David Bennett knew it, too. It was Brito's trademark cowardly, anonymous style, her exaggeratedly derisive and contemptuous language. What we want to know now is who paid for it. Vanessa is perpetually broke and sucks the life out of everyone around her, like a locust, until they're spent dry or realize they're going to bleed to death. And Pizzi had more interest in bashing Bennett, a longtime vocal critic of the mayor's who formed an anti-Pizzi and pals PAC and had started to work on a recall effort. The bouncer-like mayor, who recently got hired as the town attorney in Medley (more on that later) and was involved behind the scenes in the election of Hialeah's alcaldito Carlos Hernandez and his slate, was counsel for Brito's Miami Voice PAC (read: Promotional Assistance Con) during a legal challenge of their dubious recall petition collection. And the two, photographed here during early voting for the recall campaign, became ratherbuddy-buddy during those weeks. Brito announced late last month that she was the campaign manager for his re-election campaign (guess Pizzi isn't worried about her recent track record). Also, the attorney that showed up in court to request that the Constant Contact client remain a Jane Doe was none other than David Reiner, who worked with Pizzi in the recall challenge. Now, in a second lawsuit on the matter (read on), a third recall lawyer, Ben Kuehne, has joined in to defend Brito and the rest named in the suit.

But, wait. Let's go to the beginning of this wonderfully entertaining tale, which began in April when attorney Stephen Cody filed a lawsuit on behalf of Bennett. It demanded that Constant Contact disclose the name of the account holder that sent what they referred to as a defamatory email blast from "Sandra Lopez." The email called Bennett a fraud because he had registered the name Miami Voice, Inc., in the state Division's of Corporate Records (you snooze you lose, Vanessa) and questioned his motives (well, maybe I question them too. But I also applaud them). Despite attempts by Reiner to keep the identity of "Jane Doe" -- apparently, one AKA is not enough for this con artist -- a judge ruled Nov. 7 that the company had to disclose the names associated with the account from which the email, Exhibit A, was sent. Said Cody: "This is not an abuse case or a witness protection case." Fort Lauderdale attorney Ari Glazer, representing Constant Contact, sent Cody an email Nov. 17 that said the company -- whose policy states that you need to use a real name in their emails -- identified the "Sandra Lopez" email as an account associated with Vanessa Brito, Heidy Medina and Myami Marketing, referring to Brito's life partner and corporate firm, respectively. He also disclosed two addresses associated with the account, Brito's parents home west of Sweetwater and her address with Medina in Northwest Miami-Dade near the Broward County line. "Constant Contact does not know which of these 2 individuals is responsible for composing or sending the e-mail," Glazer wrote.

It doesn't matter. They are one and the same. It was a Brito bomb. Gotcha!

Now, Cody filed a new defamation lawsuit against Brito, Medina and Myami Marketing based on the information disclosed and among the things he asks for in his stack of discovery documents is the list of how many people got the email and who they are, who paid for the digital missive and how, and all communication between the client and the company about the creation of the email. "They're going to say 'They're just after the list,'" Cody said, referring to the fact that Bennett has been in a long, heated battle to get the town's email list -- which he is entitled to, even if it is for his own political purposes. "But it's more to gauge the size of the damages," Cody said. "Let's say the thing went out to 10,000 people in Miami Lakes. Having to defend himself against such a large number of people who know him gives a potential for much greater damages than if she sends a random email to someone in Washington State who doesn't care."

Separately, Cody has asked the town of Miami Lakes for copies of the statements of all the credit cards used by the mayor and his office. But he may have to subpeona those, too, since he asked a month ago and he has still not gotten it. "And it should be a fairly simple matter going to the finance department, opening a file, making a copy and giving it to me." Ladra suspects they may be dragging their feet because the payment is there. As established, Brito is broke all the time and Pizzi, who likes to get freebies at town restaurants, did not yet have his big $200,000-a-year job in Medley. I can't see him taking this out of his own pocket if he can pay for it out of the city's general fund. Cody might want to get that in the discovery with Constant Contact instead.

Among the other things he asked for that Ladra will be eager to see is every email sent out from that same account since January, 2011. Who knows what other evil emails could lurk there? Maybe another email from some other false name, like "Blanca Rosa" who says she lives in the city of Miami and urges her neighbors to vote for Kate Callahan in her recently failed race for city of Miami commission. And if that email doesn't have a political advertisement disclaimer, then Brito may face a whole new slew of election law violation complaints and, maybe, lawsuits.

Ladra called Brito when she learned of the ruling, you know, to gloat, er, I mean get her side of the story. Miami Voice Chief of Security Ivette Lisa Taylor answered Brito's new phone, and I guess that it's new because had my name come out on the contacts list, nobody would have answered. I calmly explained the reason for the call and if she could get a message to Brito -- or Medina for that matter, since she was named in the lawsuit individually as well -- and Taylor was cordial and fine. She suggested I call Michael Pizzi. "He's handling that." Oh, really? In hindsight, I suspect she could have been answering Brito's phone to keep at bay all the people las malas lenguas say Vanessa owes money to from Callahan race. Because in less than five minutes, Taylor called back.

"Vanessa told me to tell you that she wouldn't speak to you if you were the last blogger on Earth," she said, and I almost spit out my Starbuck's. "She says you better stop calling her and her family," referring to Medina, who is also named in the court documents as an account holder at Constant Contact and is treasurer of the Miami Voice PAC. I began to explain to Taylor -- who needs to be spoken to slowly lest she's had a few forbidden cocktails already -- that Brito is, indeed, a public figure and that if she tries to fool said public again for her political gain (or her friends' and allies'), I would have to ethically call her, again, to give her an opportunity to set the record straight or provide context. All she has to do is say no comment. But she hung up on me before I could add that she can say no comment with style, ala "not even if you were the last blogger on Earth." Funny stuff.

Coincidentally, she could now face the same kind of reluctant subject as a blogger herself. Last week, the Huffington Post announced that Brito would be a contributor to their new Miami edition. That was a surprise to most people who know her well, many of whom are taking bets on how many weeks the arrangement will last before she blows it completely after exhausting her many patent excuses.

I wonder if those people at Huffington did any kind of vetting -- or even a simple google search -- of their Miami staff line-up, which also includes Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez, City of Miami Beach Commissioner Jerry Libbin, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, University of Florida wildlife ecologist Dr. Frank J. Mazzotti, PR guru and queen of the night Tara Solomon; NBC Miami Nitecap host Peter Bailey, "smart growth" blogger Tony Garcia and Miami Museum of Contemporary Art Director Bonnie Clearwater. Because one of Brito's first pieces is an analysis of the politically-connected gaming industry's interest in our community. Hmmm...

I wonder if she's doing any professional political work with or for the multiple lobbyists and consultants involved (more on that later), which would also raise the question of whether or not the blog entries should come with a paid political advertisement disclaimer.

Maybe Brito should have written her blog or column under the name Sandra Lopez.

Kissing the ring at the swearing-in

2011-11-19T13:15:00.001-08:00

The swearing-in ceremony at Hialeah City Hall Friday was more like a circus or a carnival than a solemn, vow-taking induction for a new (same as the old) government body. From the Mariachis to the teary-eyed thank you from Su Alcaldito Carlos Hernandez when he mentioned his financial backer, Roberto Cayon to the three-part harmony from three female judges who swore in Hernandez -- more like The Cheetah Girls than the Supremes -- to the photo-ops for a cluster of electeds who came out in masse to kiss the ring.

Former State Sen. Rudy Garcia -- the third place finisher in the first mayoral race round who later endorsed the man he had heavily maligned for months -- waved to the crowd as if from a parade in a valiant effort to stay relevant (more on that later). Also in the audience were Miami-Dade Commissioners Jose "Pepe" Diaz and Rebeca Sosa -- whose proposed absentee ballot fraud prevention amendment last month suddenly looks like an opportunistic move for political appearances, since she posed for pics with the guilty parties. She has to know there are concerns about that process in the City of Progress. But, heck, who is she to stand in the way of a good party? Other political hangers on in attendance included Miami Lakes Mayor Michael "Muscles" Pizzi and Councilman Cesar Mestre, Hialeah Gardens Mayor Yosiel de la Cruz and Medley Mayor Ramon Rodriguez, Hialeah Chamber of Commerce Chair Mandy Llanes, Hialeah Housing Authority Director (and AB pirate extraordinaire) Julio Ponce, Miami-Dade Property Appraiser Pedro Garcia, Miami-Dade School Board Member Perla Tabares Hantman (District 4), State Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera (R, District 113) and representatives from the offices of State Reps. Jose Oliva (R, District 110) and Eddy Gonzalez (R, District 102) and State Sen. Rene Garcia (R, District 40), Alina Garcia from the office of U.S. Rep. David Rivera's office, and a letter of congratulations with a pledge of support for Hernandez from U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R, District 21), who had endorsed su alcaldito some days earlier despite Hernandez backing former Mayor Raul Martinez, who he beat last Tuesday, in the 2008 race for the seat against brother Lincoln Diaz-Balart (who resigned shortly after for "personal" reasons).

It should have been a smorgasbord for a political junkie like Ladra. But I was disgusted by what seemed, instead, like a trough of slop for the political piggies.

Speaking of swine, the most exciting cameo appearance for the pro-alcaldito crowd was former mayor Julio Robaina, who came in through the city clerk's office and shook a host of hands before he took a lonely spot on the platform next to the dais. "Julio, Julio, Julio," the crowd chanted, encouraging his run for county mayor in 2012 -- as if he needs encouragement.

But the circus clearly defined su alcaldito as the new ringleader, or king of the Hialeah political hierchy, who just happened to be embracing Robaina as the Mariachis played "El Rey." While Robaina may have caused a bigger stir, su alcaldito was absolutely cast as the new leading man in the telenovela, As Hialeah Churns. Robainastood back against the dais, pretty much alone. Police Chief Abuser Mark Overton stood close by. Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz --who surprisingly cheek-kissed and hugged archrival Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez,despite some deep mutual disrespect -- sat in her regained chair behind Robaina,but wasn't very chatty with her one-time brother-in-law and politicalmentor/master. In fact, the words she had for the audience that also seemeddirected sort of to him and to sualcaldito -- una galleta sin mano,or a slap in the face without using hands -- was, again (like she is trying toconvince herself), about running her own campaign, independent of any mayoralcandidate.

"And I want to thank former Mayor Julio Robaina and MayorCarlos Hernandez for respecting my decision," she said, also thanking thecouncil members for accepting her choice "without thinking my decision wasagainst anyone." But now that she is the odd woman out -- the only candidate noton su alcaldito's Seguro Que Yesslate, and possibly rendered ineffective -- maybe that was more damage control than declaration. "It was a personaldecision. I never made negative comments about anyone here," she said,sort of begging to be let into the cool group. But give that woman an Academy Award for what was perhaps the best performance ofthe afternoon show as she individually congratulated each of the council members whowon, in effusive enthusiasm. "Congratulations first to Carlos Hernandez, forsuch an excellent victory," she said, before going down the list. She alsothanked Council Vice President LuisGonzalez and Councilwoman KatherineCue for their support. Gotta hit them all if you want to start buildingyour faction.

Gavelgirl -- who kept her gavel and her title atthe last council meeting after she was re-elected -- also strutted her stuff,but went in a completely different direction and her act was harder to swallow."Thanks to all who supported me," Gavelgirl said. "It was a verydifficult election and it wouldn't be possible without the friends andsupporters. The best thing about this campaign is that they did it from theheart." Well, we know that some of them got paid up to $100 a day. Shethanked her family and -- after the crowd sang Happy Birthday to her mom -- shedid some ring-kissing of her own. "I have had the opportunity to work withmany leaders in this community," Gavelgirl said, naming former Senators Rudy and Rene Garcia, Commissioner Bovo and State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez."But there is one person who showed me what higher office is, and that isMr. and Mayor Julio Robaina. It's important to recognize his work here. We mustrecognize the pride we have in the work of Julio Robaina," she said takingthe alcaldito's favorite word for herown.

Alas, while the ring is kissed on King Alcaldito's finger,he got busy kissing someone else's you-know-what. Before he thanked Robaina andbefore he thanked Roberto Cayon --a main contributor to his campaign -- and before he thanked Rudy Garcia or Robaina or Mestre, Hernandez made a point of kissing up to AB Fraud Queen Sasha Tirador. She was the very firstperson he thanked. And rightfully so, since he likely owes his re-election to her questionable AB and get-out-the-vote tactics. He introduced her as "a grand partof the reason I am here today," in an uncharacteristic moment of honesty. "I respect and love her so much. My friend, SashaTirador." But he didn't break into tears (that came when he began tomention Cayon and Councilman CesarMestre, a fellow former Hialeah cop). But while she may not get tears, Tirador gotVIP treatment. Ladra hadn't realized until then, when she rose halfway to theaudience applause, that the AB fraud specialist was sitting on the platform,behind the council's dais, as if she owns the place. Well, maybe she does.She's put everyone in office there. Again and again. Back there, alongside Tirador --which can be translated into the "thrower" as in throwing a race -- wereAlex Martinez, Gavelgirl's poorwife, and Felix Lasarte, the city'smain lobbyist and boss to Councilman Paul"Huh?" Hernandez, who has to recuse himself from multipleimportant votes because LaSarte's firm has one or another thing to do with it.

Thethree of them seemed to have supporting roles that are much more important than the other council members who were sworn in at the grande finale of this dramatic electoral farse. But the telenovela plays on -- and Ladra can't wait for the next episode.

Su alcaldito's reign of terror begins

2011-11-16T09:42:00.001-08:00

Hours after he felt the confidence boost of his election -- through fraud, lies and trickery -- to the mayor's seat he has exploited for months, Hialeah's alcaldito Carlos Hernandez again abused his power Tuesday night. From a booth at Flannigan's. And he may abuse his power against employees he will likely now target because they supported former mayor Raul Martinez in the race.

It's not like he hasn't done it before. During this campaign, he fired two part-timers and transferred one full-time civil service employee to a more difficult position -- all because they support Martinez or did not report him when he visited a resident at public housing building at the resident's request.

He has had his thugs, including his chief enforcer Glen "The Goon" Rice take photos and/or video of them during early voting. Some employees told me he even asks them to smile for the camera. They have such total, arrogant confidence that nobody will police them that they think they can get away with anything, including violating people's rights. And roughing up an independent journalist blogger. Rice pushed me around Tuesday night inside Flannigan's on West 84th Street, where the mayor and some unidentified friends (photos here) had a celebratory meal. He stomped on my foot and stayed on it, applying painful pressure in an apparent effort to provoke me and keep me from taking photographs of the mayor enjoying dinner with friends while four officers -- three of them on duty -- were babysitting right outside Flannigan's. That's why Ladra was there, to document the misuse of city resources by an abusive dictator who thinks he owns the city. Rice even started saying that I hit him in the stomach, which is what he wanted but which never happened -- unless he means when he physically and forcefully bumped into me several times to move me physically away from su alcaldito's table.

He then had Sgt. Manny Montalvo, who was officially the only one of the four police officers out in the parking lot who was off-duty, issue me a trespass warning in the parking lot (again) after Rice, a disgraced former cop forced to resign, basically demanded that the manager have me trespassed. After I was already in the parking lot. Because I had left of my own accord after Goon Rice made a scene. Another illegal trespass warning by the disgrace of a police department that the Hialeah PD has become. And I do not mean the rank and file who support what I am doing and tell me so regularly and are ashamed of what they are forced to put up with and put me to at the behest of their command staff, which is acting on the orders of su alcaldito.
This is what makes it a criminal rather than civil matter. An elected official is misusing city resources to harass, intimidate and silence a political blogger. He must be so orgulloso!
And while I have tried to get other authorities involved, I am getting the runaround. The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office has not taken this complaint serioiusly and the Florida Inspector General and Attorney General say they have no jurisdiction. Craig O'Connell at the FDLE in Tallahassee, at the Inspector General's office, said they would have to refer the complaint to Hialeah Police Chief Abuser Mark Overton. Like that is going to go anywhere. He is the one who battered me last week at the Goodlet Adult Center when I went to cover an endorsement circus event. He is the chief of the department that is harassing me and intimidating me and investigating me illegally.

But Ladra is not worried about herself. Not too much, anyway. What can they do? Issue me trespass warnings? Illegal ones at that. Eventually, they will be seen for the thugs they are. So go to it. Any attempt to violate my rights and curtail my freedom temporarily will fail and will be fought hard. The law and my rights are on my side. Ladra worries more about the dozens of employees who may face retaliation as early as today from a vindictive thug mayor who will stop at nothing to retain his power and build his pension and continue to provide his friends and campaign supporters with juicy no-bid contracts (read: kickback opportunities) and botella positions. I personally heard su alcaldito -- who would not answer the phone or return calls to comment on this behavior --ask his Lady in Waiting Arnie Alonso and Goon Rice to take photos "of every single employee out here" supporting his opponent. during the first round of early voting. Even Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez got in on the intimidation. Check out the smirk on her face as she takes photos of employees with Raul Martinz shirts and signs below.

Just ask Roberto Santos, a 15-year fleet management employee who was told by su alcaldito at the Moose Lodge polling place Tuesday "I'll see you very soon!" with two thumbs up in a threatening manner. "Like he was trying to scare me," Santos told me. During the second round of early voting, he said Councilman Jose Caragol, who won in the first round, told him, "I squashed you." Some of the employees told Ladra that they were warned by their supervisors not to go to early voting sites or to the precincts on election day. "They are always taking photos of us. A neighbor even told me that a police officer showed up looking for me at my house," said one parks worker. "Arnie [Alonso] told my supervisor he wanted to see me buried." As he said that, Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez laughed and waved at him. "Look at her. She thinks she's a joker." Another employee said: "It is a way to intimidate and try to put us on the floor. But I know I am not doing anything wrong supporting another candidate." A firefighter told me that Alonso but his hand across his neck and told him "You will be gone in two weeks," referring to the threat to fire 105 firefighters -- 70 of them on Thursday -- for taking a stand against the administration's strong-arm tactics. Or the employees in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj2nxLZfhEg

Barbara Hernandez, the president of the general employees union, said that many of the employees feel they will be retaliated against now that Hernandez has been elected. "He has shown in the past that he is not above firing people or transfering or disciplining them for political retribution," Hernandez said. "We have filed grievances on behalf of employees who have been targetted."

They feel intimidated. They feel threatened. They are scared. And they are right to be. This alcaldito and this administration is abusive and, as I said, will stop at nothing to stay in power.

Will nobody stop them?

Martinez concedes, but it ain't over

2011-11-15T17:21:00.001-08:00

Former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez conceded early Tuesday night as soon as the absentee ballot machinery of su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez showed it had almost a 4,000 vote lead. A suspicious 4,363 vote lead counting ABs and early voting numbers.
"Se acabo," Martinez told supporters as he made his way outside to the TV cameras. "It's over."

He later lost by a total of 6,689 votes, which means that 2,326 people at the polls voted against him on Election Day. That's almost half of those who voted against him absentee. Really? Really? And if it is supposed to be a true reflection of the whole community, why is it that absentee ballots were disproportionately high, at about double the in personal votes? And uncannily equal among the alcaldito's slate. Let's review the early voting and AB counts. There were 10,408 votes for Hernandez (compared to 6,045 for Martinez), 9,943 for council candidate Lourdes "Who?" Lozano, 9,883 for Vivian Casals-Muñoz and 9,352 for Pablito "Huh?" Hernandez. Too close for comfort, just like in the first round. Ladra says. And more circumstantial evidence that the ballot brokers were successful. In comparison, the Back to the Future slates absentee numbers differered much more: 6,045 for Martinez, 5,690 for former councilman Alex "The Professor" Morales, 6,202 for Frank Lago, and 4,537 for former cop turned Hialeah Housing Authority employee Danny Bolaños. Only the Professor's and Martinez's votes are close, which is a natural thing.

Wednesday, Ladra, Martinez, former Miami Mayor Joe Carollo and some other concerned citizens turned fellow volunteer watchdogs will be making formal, written complaints with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office as well as the FDLE and the Miami-Dade Police public corruption unit so they investigate the irregularities you readers have seen here in this blog and in other media outlets. We will take the photos we have of Hernandez campaign workers helping incapacitated ALF residents to vote, video of known boletera picking up ballots at a public housing building and other documentation, like a woman who volunteered for the Hernandez campaign because she was promised housing. We will ask Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Fernandez-Rundle to recuse herself from the investigation and have the state appoint a new prosecutor from a different jurisdiction. I'm hoping for some old gringo from Lee County who would be outraged by these incidents. Fernandez-Rundle was accused Tuesday of having taken campaign contributions from Hernandez and bundles from his support base (read: illegal maquinita industry) and of having invested in the ponzi scheme by Luis Felipe Perez, whose loans from former Mayor Julio Robaina and Hernandez. Former Miami Mayor Joe Carollo -- who might be the only person in South Florida who knows more about absentee ballots than Ladra -- made the allegatoins on MegaTV's Los Implicados Tuesday night to denounce what is obviously a fraudulent absentee ballot operation and then he dropped the bomb about Felipito. We will both be at the State Attorney's tomorrow to make the stink public.

This is not about sour grapes. If su alcaldito would have won the absentees with a proportionate amount of votes, instead of double the amount cast at the polls, if we didn't already have documentation of known boletera, or ballot runner, Emelina Llanes knocking on doors last week in a public housing unit to collect ballots, if his campaign manager weren't Absentee Ballot Fraud Queen Sasha Tirador, if we didn't already have more than eight cases of ALF residents who voted with "assistance" from Hernandez supporters or campaign workers, then su alcaldito would have a mandate and the people would have, indeed, spoken, like Martinez said in his quick, spontaneous, respectful speech to accept defeat.

But while I have supported Martinez -- and only because I do not want to see Hernandez continue to rape this city and its employees, who have been threatened and intimidated (more on that later) for his own personal gain -- I disagree with him (again) when he said "the people have spoken." The people have not spoken. The people were spoken for. Big difference. Votes were stolen. Votes may have been paid for. We know at least one vote was promised public housing to support his candidacy -- and she was arrested at the Hernandez campaign office after the first round victory when she approached the media to complain about the housing situation. Of course they did not want her to do that. Who knows what they were trying to cover up. That is one of the other incidents Ladra will take to the state attorney and the authorities.

Because this is not over people. I want the residents and employees of this city -- and su alcaldito and his Seguro Que Yes rubber-stamping board -- should know also that I am not going away because he won. In fact, I am going to continue even more with my investigations first into the ALF fraud, then into the botella positions, then into the no-bid contracts and, maybe, into his moonlight job as an individual bank for loans to Felipito.

This is not over. Ladra is far from being done here. Someone else might be done. But not me. Not Carollo. Not former Mayor Julio Martinez, who wants to form a watchdog committee and propose changes in the AB process."I went to war to protect democracy and what these people did is a sham," Martinez told me.

This election might be over. But the investigation has just begun.

Election Day turnout low in Hialeah

2011-11-15T09:23:00.001-08:00

The election in Hialeah is today but the results have likely already been decided.

Voters trickled in one and two at a time Tuesday morning at three of the bigger polling places: The Salvation Army, the Moose Lodge and the JFK Library. And that spells doom for former Mayor Raul Martinez, who is in the fight of his life against a scheming alcaldito Carlos Hernandez. Unless those who got outraged and became indignant over the abuse of absentee ballots and AFL residents come out en masse, the election will be decided by the more than 13,000 mailed-in ballots -- and we all know who has more control (read: fraud) over those.

Less than 3,000 voters cast ballots during the shortened 3-day early voting period last week so that will hardly make a dent. If at least 10,000 people do not vote today, the process was circumvented by fraud and trickery and the voters let the machine -- operated by the candidates and their campaign operatives, which includes Absentee Ballot Fraud Queen Sasha Tirador -- decide the fate of their city for them.

It's also a shame that it seems more people are voting against Martinez than necessarily for Hernandez. He may become mayor by default again. One man told me at the Moose Lodge, "I would be dead first before I vote for him," referring to Martinez, who has been cast as a bad guy because of past attacks on him -- all of which he has legally deflected. That's some mandate, alcaldito. You got the default votes.

There is still time, however, and what the people of Hialeah and the Martinez Back to the Future slate of council candidates -- which includes former Councilman Alex Morales, former cop and Hialeah Housing Authority employee Danny Bolaños and Frank Lago, who lost a bid for state rep in May and is the former chief of staff for Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño -- need is for all teachers, municipal workers, and gente con mas de dos dedos de frente to come out this afternoon and vote.

And stop the theft of an election.

Casals-Muñoz hit with loan lawsuit

2011-11-13T19:05:00.001-08:00

While Hialeah Councilwoman Vivian "I'll notarizethat!" Casals-Muñoz has publicly denied any ties to su alcaldito CarlosHernandez in her re-election campaign, she has openly maintained a beneficialrelationship with former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina, her one-timebrother-in-law, freelance banking business partner and political mentor. Robaina has helped her raise funds and has voiced support in robocalls and radio ads.

Now, as of last week, both Roba-y-na' andCasals-Muñoz are named as third party defendants in a lawsuit that claims theyconspired to charge 36 percent interest on a mortgage loan. Florida statute states that anything over 18 percent isusury -- or loansharking -- and, thus, illegal.

Documents obtained by Ladra look like someone kept $7,200. Maybe it was Casals-Muñoz or maybe it was Robaina. Maybe it was a little for both.

The plaintiff is Guillermo "Willy" Zuñiga, aone-time city employee fired by Robaina in 2009, who is supporting and regularly seen standingnext to former Mayor Raul Martinez -- who is in a heated race against Hernandezfor the mayor's seat. The lawsuit was filed in Miami-Dade County Court Nov. 8 by attorney, Richard Gross, who also happens to represent Martinez.

The motion claims that the two politicos -- principals of the 1stHialeah Bank of Julito -- and Robaina's wife Raiza "The Fallgirl" Villacis-Robaina conspired"to charge a criminally usurious interest rate (35.73692%) on the loan to Guillermo Zuñiga by overstating... the amount of funds to be paid to Chase/J.P. Morgan, Zuñiga's first mortgage, as $17,335.4`1 when only $10,037.29, at most, was actually paid... with the balance of $7,298.12 being diverted to the benefit of the schemers: RVR Holdings, Raiza Villacis-Robaina, Julio Robaina, C & M Title, Inc. and Vivian Casals-Muñoz."

Indeed, documents in the court filing obtained by Ladra -- the latest motion to answer a December 2010 lawsuit filed by RVR Holdings after Robaina became a player in a federal investigation -- include a settlement statement that shows $17,335 as "payoff of first mortgage loan" and an Oct. 31 letter from Maria Balignase at JP Morgan that indicates only $9,900 on the mortgage, which brought him current (for monthly payments from Sept. 21, 2006 through Aug. 8, 2007) on his deceased father's house on East 23rd Street, That's not paying it off.

When first questioned about it, Casals-Muñoz -- whose hands trembled as she held the documents Ladra showed her -- said Zuñiga got part of the $17,335 given to him. Later, she had one of her new campaign volunteers -- a driver borrowed from the failed "above the fray" fight by third-place candidate and former Sen. Rudy Garcia -- provideme with a 2007 letter from attorney Marshall Watson, representing Chase, that shows a $17,335 total balance due, including escrow installments, attorney's fees, accumulated late fees and foreclosure closing costs. But still, how come the settlement statement (shown here) shows the whole $17,335 as payoff of the loan? Hmmmm? And what a coincidence (read: not) that it turns out to be a 36 percent interest -- the same magical number reportedly charged to convicted ponzi schemer Luis Felipe Perez by Hernandez and by Robaina for the loans made to him. And she could not provide any checks or other documents that showed how the wire transfer was made.

"The Grand Jury has this file and the pay-off letter," Casals-Muñoz told me as we chatted about it in her campaign office on West 68th Street Sunday morning. She said she gave investigators "boxes" when they asked her, as owner of C & M Title, for "any documents I had in regards to Julio Robaina, RVR Holdings and Recaredo Gutierrez and Luis Feliple Perez." How many boxes? Two boxes? "Boxes," she said. Ten boxes? Because, you know, it makes a difference. "Boxes," she said again. Why is it so hard to get a straight answer?

The councilwoman could not produce the checks or wire transfer copies for the $17,335, saying again, "that file was given to the Grand Jury" and said she had not been served with the lawsui. But Casals-Muñoz -- who has been implicated in the investigation by witnesses I've spoken to who say she came up during their testimony and by a federal investigator who said "her fingerprints are on everything" -- declined when Ladra offered her a chance to make copies of the documents I have and which she evidently had not seen before. "I don't want to deal with Willy Zuñiga. I want my attorney to deal with Willy Zuñiga," she said. When I asked who her attorney was, she said, "I don't know which attorney I'm going to use." What? Does she have a pool of different attorneys or nobody representing her right now at all?

"They need to produce those checks," Gross told Ladra, adding that the the loan was set up by Julio Robaina through his wife's company. "But Raiza had nothing to do with the loan," Gross said, adding that the $4,150 included in the July 2007 letter was paid by them in February when Robaina advanced him $5,000. "Julio told Zuñiga that Vivian had some of his money and he got it from her," Gross said, adding that the conspirators also put both that East Hialeah property and Zuñiga's own Palm Lakes neighborhood house in the mortage deed without his knowledge.

Casals-Muñoz questioned the timing of the motion and said it was politically motivated. But Ladra -- who everyone knows is Danny's dog -- wonders why she didn't get copies of the documents as soon as it was filed. Or why the motion wasn't filed three weeks ago before the first round.

Now that would have been a smart political move. Nah, this is just the latest twist of the ongoing As Hialeah Churns telenovela.

And Ladra predicts it will play on long after next Tuesday -- with or without political persuasions.

ALF voters "assisted" in electing

2011-11-11T11:24:00.001-08:00

One of the most outrageous things seen during the pretty riduculous Hialeah elections came Friday when a group of elderly and confused residents from an assited living facility on West 18th Avenue were driven to the early voting site in a chartered school bus and were "assisted" in voting by people working for or supporting Su Alcaldito Carlos Hernandez.

Many of them, or maybe all of them, voted without any identification. They were allowed to vote using provisional ballots that will later be reviewed and, Ladra believes, deemed invalid. Most of them, or maybe all of them, were assisted in the voting process by people from the home or this woman photographed in a black shirt assisting a man with a walker, who told them not to speak to the media and called police over when Ladra took photos. She was told that there was nothing they could do to stop me (that was refreshing). She is driving a Nissan Versa registered to Carmen Rodriguez Echea with Hernandez campaign material inside and a bumper sticker for su acaldito and also council candidates Pablito "Huh?" Hernandez, who is in a runoff with candidate Frank Lago, and Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez (who won in the first round over former councilwoman Cindy Miel). She would not give me her name but was identified to me by a Martinez supporter as someone who works for AB Fraud Queen Sasha Tirador, su alcaldito's campaign manager, who has been investigated for electoral fraud before. The woman is supposedly her right hand woman. The woman with the white shirt and colorful scarf, who posed for Ladra as she sat on the platform at JFK Friday with Carlos Rodriguez, a paid alcaldito supporter, is the woman in black's daughter. She smiled and preened and pretended to be Rodriguez's girlfriend while her mom basically voted for the six voters from the ALF.

One man's diaper was showing and he complained of having urinated on himself. Others could not tell the reporters -- not just Ladra, but Erika Mayor of MegaTV, Sandra Peebles of Univision 23 and Marili Llano of Telemundo 51 -- who they voted for or what their names were even. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SGLayUBxS4) One man said "We were told we have to vote today." The driver of the bus told The Miami Herald's Christina Veiga that she did not know where she picked them up and did not know where they would be dropped off. All of this to supress the fact that these people's votes downright stolen. Veiga followed the school bus, which went in circles through a residential area before finally coming to a stop at the ALF -- in an apparent effort to lose the tail. Owner (since 20120) Alicia Almeida arrived right after -- likely called by the bus driver or this lady in black or Hernandez people, in a black Lexus, Veiga wrote.

Hernandez denied having anything to do with the half dozen voters. "I don't know about that," he was quoted in El Nuevo Herald as saying. "I think that it is very important that the people who come to vote are people who are capable and can do so." But when Veiga talked to Almeida, owner of Alelise ALF at 6230 West 18th Ave. -- where there is a large "Keep Carlos Hernandez" sign in the front yard -- the woman said Hernandez had sent the yellow school bus. She did not allow Veiga to speak to any of the residents, claiming they had been shaken up by the media that clammored to find out what was going on -- not by the crazy detour taken by the bus driver in an un-airconditioned vehicle. Almeida also toldVeiga that the residents of the home -- which has a license to care for seniors with mentall illness -- were "of sound mind... They make decisions." But that's not what reporters saw when they were at JFK library and in Florida, voters can be barred from excersing their right if they are deemed mentally incapacitated.

Almeida added, as quoted in The Miami Herald. "They know Carlos. They’ve seen him They know I support him. But they can vote for whoever.”

Garcia-Martinez said she saw campaign workers for former Mayor Raul Martinez -- who was voting with his wife, Angela Martinez, when the bus came -- had helped seniors vote. "There have been frail seniors here all day," Gavelgirl told Veiga. "I’ve seen Raul’s people ...actually going in and voting for people. I have no idea how that was allowed.” Martinez called her a liar and said she was just trying to take attention away from what Hernandez had done with the frail and confused voters.

But the truth is Martinez has not chartered any bus for ALF voters to be shuttled to the library. And his campaign reports do not show any ALF contributions. The Hernandez campaign finance reports, however, show more than a dozen ALFs made donations that add up to thousands of dollars to su alcaldito's the campaign. A resident at another such facility, where the office is filled with su alcaldito's campaign, said that they were told that they had to vote for Hernandez because he was "going to improve the situation at the ALFs" and a nurse at a rehabilitation center told a Ladra collaborator that su acaldito himself had been there a couple of weeks ago to talk to residents about making improvements.

This is being added to the documentation that Ladra is compiling about absentee ballot fraud and voter manipulation on behalf of the Hernandez campaign. Let's see if more busloads of elderly and confused voters -- who can't tell us their names of what day of the week it is -- vote Saturday.

AB fraud machine caught on video

2011-11-11T06:21:00.001-08:00

The video doesn't tell the whole story but begins to peel back the onion on the absentee ballot fraud that is going on in Hialeah, perpetrated by the campaign for su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez and his campaign manager, AB Fraud Queen Sasha Tirador.

Taken by Political Cortadito cameraman Raul "El Toro" Torres and posted on the El Nuevo Herald website Thursday night, the video of known boletera (ballot harvester) Emelina Llanes shows how scared she is to be questioned earlier that afternoon about what she is doing at a public housing building entering apartment after apartment and carrying bags of what we can only assume are absentee ballots. But what is not shown in the video also speaks volumes. Shortly after she was caught red-handed, and called the police out of some over-exaggerated show to try to cover up what she was doing (you judge for yourself from the video), Hernandez's security chief Glen "The Goon" Rice showed up and began to question El Nuevo Herald reporter Enrique Flor about what he was doing there. Flor, whose journalism has taken a harsher edge on the current administration as of late (ahem), had gotten a tip about Llanes being there taking ballots and had rushed from the JFK library where early voting had begun Thursday. Rice even suggested Flor was working for Ladra, because they cannot believe that other journalists are beginning to catch on to their crookery. But, while Flor left that part of the story out, it's important because everyone knows Rice was not there out of his own concern or will. He was sent there by Hernandez, to make sure Llanes didn't say the wrong thing -- and maybe secure whatever ballots she had collected. The police report is not public yet y dicen las malas lenguas that police spokesman Carl Zogby is sitting on a bunch of information reports that won't come out until after the election. What a coincidence.

Flor also forgot to mention that she was driving around in a Nissan X-Terra that belongs to su alcaldito's wife, Nancy Hernandez. The cops should have ran the tag on the X-Terra because it belongs on a 2000 Chryler Voyager that Llanes owns. The Chrysler is sporting a tag that is blocked -- likely because it belongs to a law enforcement officer (Hernandez is a former cop) and was flipped with the tag on the X-Terra. Why? Perhaps so they can pick up ballots in the Chrysler and when the tag is run, nobody can know who it is. Perhaps for another reason. But all Ladra knows is that it's fishy and should be investigated. Kathy Fernandez-Rundle, are you reading this? I'll send it to you.

Llanes works for Hernandez. Or, better said, Tirador. She worked for the county mayoral campaign of former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and the campaign finance report reflects a $300 payment for "housecleaning services" at the campaign office. Yeah, riiiiight.

Llanes once misdialed and called the wrong person, not the person she thought she called, and -- on speaker phone -- several people heard her saying that she needed the AB list and how she was going to go and collect absentee ballots. She said that since the mayor had already remodeled her house three times (Ladra is going to need to get the building and zoning history for that address), that this time around, she needed a new car. She had been driven around by Jonathan Martinez, Robaina's aide, during that election cycle. Fernandez-Rundle knows this. Why? Because Ladra and the firefighters -- who have been cooperating and working with the state attorney's office, the FDLE and the Miami-Dade Police public corruption unit (Det. Miriam Gordils can confirm that) -- have given them this information. And keep giving them information. They know also that a dentist named Victor Verejano also helped collect absentee ballots for Robaina. They know also that Daisy Cabrera, another known boletera, offered to collect absentee ballots for council candidates Frank Lago and Cindy Miel, who declined her services but have spoken to investigators. Political Cortadito interviewed them before the Nov. 1 primary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUCRfUn4spU). Cabrera, photographed here (in the green t-shirt) on the second trip to JFK early voting site on Thursday, would not speak to me and ran to su alcaldito to report that I had photographed her.

In the video by Flor for El Nuevo (http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/11/11/1063106/nuevas-acusaciones-en-campana.html, former Police Chief Rolando Bolaños tells the reporter that he and some friends had been watching and following Llanes for a couple of days after getting reports from people inside the housing buildings and the assisted living facilities throughout the city that she was to pick up ballots for the Hernandez camp. Ladra rode with one of the teams and later with El Toro Torres to document their comings and goings. Why? Because the authorities won't do it so we have to document what we know is absentee ballot fraud on a major scale. Su alcaldito decried it and said it was improper. But he's just scared that we might be breaking his machine apart. In the video, he denounces Bolaños, who he says has been driving former Mayor Raul Martinez around (that's another lie) and Hialeah Police Det. Ricky Garcia, an organized fraud investigator with 28 years experience, who took three days off in order to help with the independent surveillance operation that has been coordinated by civilians after a lack of interest by the authorities showed us we have to do everything ourselves. I told the state attorney's office I was going to do this. Ricky does not have a radio or a badge or anything on him. He does not engage. He simply drives. Su alcaldito said in the El Nuevo video that Garcia is a union official but the detective is not even a PBA member (another lie to try to discredit people who are doing good work to uncover the Hernandez fraud machine).

Su alcaldito said on the A Mano Limpia show on Wednesday's debate that he had video of firefighters intimidating seniors at night in a public housing building. He claims that they are stealing absentee ballots. But he is lying again (imagine that) and the video given by police to Enrique Flor simply shows the firefighters and general employees union President Barbara Hernandez, accompanied by Martinez's former secretary and campaign worker Mabel Mizrahi, entering a public housing building where they were invited by a resident. Nothing more. See it for yourself. This alcaldito has to lie at least 10 times a day to feed his addiction to falsehoods.

He has claimed that Martinez is committing AB fraud when all Martinez is doing is trying to stop the theft of ballots from his supporters, which is what happened during the primary. That's why 7,000 of the 21,000 ABs requested were never returned. And there are Martinez supporters who say that someone from the campaign came by to pick up their ballots when nobody from the campaign was sent to do that during the first round. Of course they are doing it now. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Su alcaldito won the primary with a disproportionate number of absentee ballots. His slate also got disproportionate numbers of ABs. Coincidence? Does anyone believe that? The problem here is that su alcaldito's game is up. We know about his machine and we are trying to stop it.

Other people we know collect absentee ballots that Ladra asks all her readers to be on the lookout for include "Papito," otherwise known as Juan Afre, who drives a red Jeep Cherokee and was with Tirador at MegaTV the night that Jose Gonzalez, brother of the Hialeah council's vice president Luis Gonzalez, assaulted El Toro Torres, the cameraman, outside in the parking lot (more on that later). Afre can be spotted at JFK wearing a Carlos Hernandez t-shirt (photographed herewith Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez) during the first round of early voting). And also, maybe, Alejandro Llanes (maybe related to Emelina, Ladra is not sure), who is photographed here shortly before he called the police on Ladra -- after she took a photo of an empty Hernandez campaign office last week -- and had a homicide detective issue a trespass warning over the telephone 18 hours later. The Hernandez campaign has been using the police force for months to intimidate and try to silence Ladra as well as the opposition and critics of his administration.

These are only some of the people getting absentee ballots for su alcaldito. There are more. Next post will be about a group of severly mentally-challenged seniors who were bussed to the JFK on Friday and who were assisted to vote even though none of them or most of them had no identification.

Firefighter guest blogger with truth

2011-11-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

Ladra is lending her space today to Hialeah Fire Union Vice President Eric "Slick" Johnson (aka "Braveheart") who lays out the truth in the firefighters' ongoing battle with the administration and the lies and lack of transparency they have been trying to fight:

I would love to use this forum to explain why we are in this predicament, but It would be hard to sum up three years in a short story. Basically, what is happening is clear cut political retribution. The retribution started with Former Mayor Julio Robaina and has now been passed along to Interim Mayor Carlos Hernandez. Nothing more and nothing less.

In a few years time Hialeah Collected over 93 Million dollars in excess revenue and spent EVERY PENNY carelessly. We as a fire department have asked, for three years, for transparency and honesty as we have prepared all along to make necessary concessions with the clear cut economic crunch facing society today. The same year the Housing Market was crashing the City actually offered us raises. We stated, at the table and on tape, during a negotiations session that we are not blind to what is going on with the economy. We told the city please review your numbers as were ready to do our share. As the belief was the City’s numbers were incorrect.

OOPS we were right it seems.

The then mayor (Julio Robaina) stated there would be no cuts and no raises as the city had spent years preparing for times like this. There would be absolutely NO LAYOFFS. In fact, he traveled department to department spreading this news. Amazingly enough, within two weeks time, we had an imaginary 5 million dollar deficit. That number changed to 13 million then again to 23 million. The numbers were way off on a daily basis and changed as often as we all change our socks.
That same year we asked the City Council to conduct a forensic audit, which the city REFUSED – which means they had something to hide. Instead they forcefully and illegally imposed a contract on the general employees resulting in some employees facing pay cuts of up to 30%. Yes, I said 30%. Please keep in mind Hialeah is the lowest paid municipality in Miami-Dade County. The general employees reacted by pleading their case to the state of Florida and won, but the City refused again to return any money and held a new hearing. The City then re-imposed another contract calling for 17% pay cuts across the board. Again, the employees took the City to court and again the City lost. To date, the City has the case tied up in the appeals process, as to stall the inevitable repayment.

On May 18, 2010 Former Mayor Julio Robaina SWORE UNDER OATH that he did not impose these draconian cuts upon the employees and that the City faced a 5.8 to 6 million dollar shortfall that year. Low and behold, the CAFR (Certified Annual Financial Report) was released just before the Miami-Dade County election and revealed there was a 19 Million Dollar surplus. YES SURPLUS!!!!

Let's face the facts here………… We waged “WAR” against our former Mayor Julio Robaina, who was running for county mayor, as we knew that if elected he’d destroy the Miami-Dade County as he did with the City of Hialeah. Besides the ongoing investigations against him for mortgage fraud, Federal Tax Evasion, high interest loans with a Ponzi Schemers, and his deals with illegal MAQUINITAS (coin machines used to gamble) operators his past would clearly predict his future. Our City Council were merely puppets in his Political show, as they just nodded their heads as bobble head dolls do. No matter what he asked for he received, due to his political power and the obvious fact that with his support he could ensure them to remain in office.

Robaina and the council decided to build an unnecessary 166 Million Dollar Reverse Osmosis Water plant in the height of a depression and among firing over 200 employees. This all the while he was forcefully imposing some of the largest pay cuts in the United States Of America. Funny though that the builders of that water plant were some of his largest campaign contributors. Since, it seems I am at the heart of the investigation from ROBA-I-NADA, Regalado and now Carlos Hernandez the retribution and threats have been more directed to me in the way of threats, intimidation and coercion. Boy did those fools pick the wrong man… So sorry Charlie…. Life is not worth living unless it is under the flag we fly inside a democratic society where we have rights and freedoms guaranteed by the blood of millions of American men and women.

We the employees have been accused of driving up pension costs, as we are grouped with places that have no comparison to us. It is true that our pensions costs have risen, but please allow me to tell you why. For three years in a row Former Mayor Julio Robaina went to our retirement board and asked to draw money by lowering his pension contributions. Not one year, not two years, but THREE YEARS IN A ROW. He was warned that if he did this it would drive his pension contributions up for almost 15 years. He knew full well and now we suffer the consequences of what politicians have done to create this imaginary problem… DID YOU READ THAT???? The MAYOR and the Council caused the pensions to go up.. NOT THE EMPLOYEES…. It seems allot easier to just blame the employees rather than gather the facts.

Now, during the last few months we have gone again from a deficit to a surplus – depending on what day you ask. We have no confidence in the numbers the city presents. We are ready and willing to make necessary concessions as long as it is with a clear view in site.

I almost forgot.. When we asked for the audit we asked the City to join us and we would pay for it to the best of our ability and asked for a contribution from the City so that we may work hand in hand with the independent outsider. What we received was a Nickel taped to a letter from a Council member saying consider this our contribution.

Now we are facing the largest FIREFIGHTER workforce reduction in American history, in a town that does not sleep. Services have already been reduced and due to Imposed Cuts lives will change further as time goes by. We can only help if we are here. And, for the ladies and gentleman that intimated that we asked to raise taxes you definitely have the wrong group of men and women. We have never asked for that as we also are tax payers. We just want to figure out what happened to the 93 million extra dollars we collected and where it went.

Is the truth to much to ask for???

Is transparency so out of reach????

WE HAVE NOW BECOME THE TARGET FOR POLITICIANS IN OUR CITY BECAUSE OF OUR QUEST FOR TRUTH!!!

The only way to change this City is to start changing is politics. WE ASK THAT YOU REACH OUT to everyone and anyone you know inside our City and ask them to Vote for change.

DO NOT VOTE FOR CARLOS HERENANDEZ!!!!

Ladra is battered by police chief

2011-11-09T10:06:00.000-08:00

Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart have officially endorsed su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez at circus event at the Adult Community Center at Goodlet Park Wednesday.

And I guess both are okay with Hialeah Police Chief Abuser Mark Overton shoving me out of the comedor less than 30 seconds after I got there, at the behest of alcaldito's #1 do-boy Arnie Alonso, who su alcaldito repeatedly uses for his abuse of power. It was like I was in Cuba all over again and the state security was questioning me at the airport as I left with photographs of disidents who had denounced that government's abuse of power against them. This is the same thing: An elected official, su alcaldito, using his armed police force to intimidate, harass and silence an independent journalist. I understand that Robaina would allow it, nay, actually revel in the bliss it must be for him to see me harassed. But it is disgraceful that a sitting U.S. representative who says he defends human rights and freedom of the press would allow such abuse of power and censorship and intimidation of a political blogger to occur just steps from him. I guess it's okay if it's politically convenient for his preferred candidate. Huh, Mario?

Ladra couldn't capture what Robaina or Diaz Balart said at the press conference, where many TV news cameras captured their prepared speeches so we'll hear it together, dear readers, when it airs on the news tonight. Political Cortadito cameraman Raul "El Toro" Torres was also ejected -- this time by a police commander at the request, or order, of su alcaldito's chancletera secretary, Lissette Franco -- but, after other members of the media objected and started recording the incident, he was allowed to stay. We will see video of all that very shortly after he uploads it to our YouTube channel. I was able to get off snap one photo (above) before Overton came over to me and grabbed me by my left arm, pushing me out of the room and telling me I had to leave. (Right). In the first of three blurry photos of Overton, his left hand is on my right arm, but it's not in the image. In the third photo, that's Alonso standing in the doorway. He was the one who motioned to Overton as soon as I walked in.

"This is a press conference. I got a press release," I told Overton in the hallway (and if there is no video of me being ejected, it is because I did not want to cause a scene). "You are not media and this is a city property. You have to leave," Overton said, and pushed me again, this time on my right forearm. Ladra tried to get some photos of the assault by the police chief, who should be stripped of his law enforcement badge, but was being manhandled at the time and could not get my digital camera on video or get a shot of the chief's hands on me. I've already contacted some media friends to see if they captured it, but Ladra is sure they were focused on Robaina's chubby cheeks as he yelled into the microphone pep-rally style about whatever it is that makes su alcaldito his candidate (read: he's the only one who won't bring out all the misdeeds and malfeasance Robaina inflicted on the city and its taxpayers).

I did ask two officers outside -- after I left when asked to leave -- to write a report about the chief shoving me and grabbing my arm twice (read: simple battery). They took down my information and went inside to get Overton's version of events. When Officer Nirio Nieves came back outside, he said "The problem is you are being issued a trespass warning." Say what? I left when I was asked to leave and now -- now that I am reporting the battery at the hands of the rogue police chief -- I am being issued a fourth illegal trespass warning outside in the parking lot? "So you can't return," Nieves told me.

This is ludicrous and Ladra will not stop barking about it. If what they want is to silence me, they got another thing coming. Whoever is giving you media advice, alcaldito, fire her or him. Because just like the mess at the IHOP -- when all you had to do was give me 2.5 minute soundbite about the event and how it was being paid for but, instead, imploded your campaign with insults and your arrogant mistreatment of me and balseros everywhere -- this is going to backfire on you. I will amend, again, my complaint with the state attorney's office and have already contacted the FDLE about it. I have also sent the two illegal trespass warnings I have already to the media with a denouncement of this police harassment and abuse of power. And I will now, again, call the ACLU and try to get legal representation. If I can sue you, I will. You cannot get away with this.

Whether you are elected or not on Tuesday through the theft and fraud of absentee ballots, you will not get away with this. I promise you.

Casals, Garcia won't do what's right

2011-11-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

The silence on the Hialeah mayoral race from former Sen. Rudy Garcia and Hialeah Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz is almost criminal -- and a sure sign of why they are not fit to be elected leaders of any community. Leaders lead by example, unafraid of the political consequences of doing what's right. They do not stay in the relative safety of the silent shadows.

What's right in this case is to throw their support behind former Mayor Raul Martinez. Not because he was a great mayor, which is arguable, or a great administrator, which is not. Not because he is squeaky clean, which is impossible to believe, or because he is a nice guy, which depends on the time and day. But because he is the least of two evils 24/7 and 365 days of the year. Because the alternative would be two more years of oppression, corruption, conflicts of interest and fraud under Su Alcaldito Carlos Hernandez. And that is what Casals-Muñoz and Garcia -- or anyone who claims to "I Love Hialeah" -- must try to stop.

Garcia -- who is not returning phone calls and threw me out of his family business, Atlas Carpets and Tile, Friday morning when I went to ask him about his plan to combat absentee ballot fraud (he has none, it was all more hot air) -- has said that he has not decided who to support. That, in and of itself, is disgraceful. Here is a guy who served for more than two decades in Tallahassee and wanted to be the mayor of the city, who wanted to lead the people and represent them. But he needs more time to decide if he should back a man who is raping the city, threatening employees, approving fraudulent budgets that call for a drastic and unnecessary reduction in firefighter paramedics, giving away millions in no-bid contracts to his friends and contributors of his campaigns and lying about everything, from the increase in water connection fees to his role in a loanshark operation where he was getting $5,400 a month in interest paid to him by a convicted ponzi schemer. The Senator kept saying he had to speak more to his wife, so maybe we should ask her who he is going to support since she seems to be the one who wears the pants in the family. At the Garcia campaign office Tuesday night, when I asked if he might cower in to the Republican party pressure to back su alcaldito, Zuly Garcia said, "Hernandez, no way!" So maybe there is hope. But don't expect Garcia to do the right thing and back Martinez. It's too politically inconvenient. And he's not a leader. He's a politician.

Casals-Muñoz, who won the first round Tuesday with more than 49 percent and thanked her opponent, former cop Danny Bolaños for running a clean race, won't do the right thing, either. At least she didn't do the completely wrong thing. Even though Hernandez has sought her for his run-off slate, Casals-Muñoz is staying independent. "I am going to stay by myself. I like who I am with and where I am," she told Ladra in a telephone interview Monday morning.

But it's not because she doesn't think Martinez is the right man for the job. She apparently does.

"I'm not going to support someone who is supporting someone against me," she told me, referring to Bolaños. When reminded that she might easily take the run-off even with Martinez supporting her opponent -- and that it would be an opportunity for her to show how much bigger she was than the political circus around her -- she scoffed. "He has a candidate against me. There's a protocol."

Really? Really? There's a protocol? You can't back Martinez, even though you know he is the best of the two options, because he won't abandon his slate mate and long-time family friend? Casals-Muñoz acknowledged that if Martinez did that, she would not support him anyhow. Of course not. And he won't. He is nothing if not loyal to those who are loyal to him. But why is protocol more important than the people of Hialeah? Ladra just doesn't get it. Shouldn't you represent the people who elected you and who are clammoring to elect you again?

"The people choose the candidate. And if Raul gets his message out loud and clear, he can get their votes," Casals-Muñoz said. "He's done a wonderful job of getting the message across."

Ladra can't help but wonder if it would be inconvenient for Casals-Muñoz to have Martinez, or Anyone But Carlos, in office on the fourth floor at City Hall. Martinez promises to open up all the no-bid contracts and contracts that look like they were quid pro quo for political favors. Who knows how much of that would involve Casals-Muñoz -- who notarized several questionable loans for former Mayor Julio Robaina and also loaned money herself to a condo-conversion king that got loans from Hernandez, Robaina and former Mayor Alex Penelas, in addition to others like Roberto and Mercedes Blanco. That certainly could be the perception among the voters.

But the silence is certainly inconvenient for voters and residents who are not being represented by these two. They are the ones who will lose much more than just an election if the silence is interpreted silence is that Garcia and the councilwoman are okay with Hernandez continuing with his corrupt, repressive and retrograde regime.

Hialeah council losers not ghosts

2011-11-05T01:01:00.000-07:00

While all eyes are on the possible mayoral endorsement in the Hialeah runoff election and who former State Sen. Rudy Garcia -- the third place finisher -- will eventually back (if he backs anyone), council candidate endorsements are already being sought and traded.

And there are a couple of surprises, but let's go with the easy one first. Former planning and zoning board member Ramiro Sicre stopped by the campaign office of former Mayor Raul Martinez Wednesday evening and told Martinez he would support him. Sicre told me Martinez is what the city needs now and that he cannot back the incumbent. He also said he had not decided on what council members to support, but Ladra suspects it will be the Back to the Future slate.

Now for the two shockers.

We heard Daisy "Duh" Castellanos say so many bad things about Councilman Pablito "Huh?" Hernandez that we are giving her back her old nickname so they can be a pair again. Besides, she lost her daring. While Ladra didn't think it would be easy to get her behind Frank Lago, who she has been critical of throughout the race, I certainly did not expect this. And while some people who said she has long worked for the Julio Robaina/Hernandez machinery expected it, this is hypocracy at its worst people. Castellanos ran against Hernandez, in part, because he got appointed to the seat she wanted when it was vacated by su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez. She told El Nuevo Herald reporter Enrique Flor that she still is critical of the process "Besides, I've spoken to him and he seems like a noble person who wants to serve the community," Flor quotes her as saying. Two weeks ago, she was calling him immature and said that he had too many conflicts of interests with city business -- as an employee of lobbyist Felix Lasarte -- and had to recuse himself from many important votes. She and I debated whether his appointment was intentional in order to get a smaller pool for those crucial water plant votes. But, now, that after talking to her supporters, she felt Hernandez would be the best choice. he also said so many bad things about absentee ballot queen Sasha Tirador, who she told Ladra called her on the phone to harass her with obscenities and threats and called the police on her husband to have him trespassed from the Hernandez campaign office (this is becoming a habit with them). I am sure she is now saying bad things about Ladra and former State Sen. Rudy Garcia, the mayoral candidate whose tiny coattails she rode, and anybody else who gets caught in the alcaldito and council's crosshairs. What a sell-out. Duh.

And Ladra doesn't know what former cop and Hialeah Housing Authority Danny Bolaños was thinking when he agreed to meet with gunshop owner and permit shirker Tony "Phony" Vega -- whose fast-tracked gun range permits are being investigated by the Miami-Dade Police Public Corruption unit -- and accepted the liar's support. I know that Danny, my favorite candidate, is facing an uphill battle against Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz, who has the backing of her brother-in-law, former Mayor Julio Robaina and a Republican All Star Legislative team -- State Sen. Rene Garcia and State Reps. Jose Oliva and Eddy Gonzalez, all of whom have reportedly been raising money for her (and there was someone counting checks at her campaign office Friday morning). But Ladra is not sure Tony Phony's endorsement will translate to checks, Danny. He won't bring you more than three votes from his fellow pistoleros photographed here because his votes came from su alcaldito and his ballot broker, Tirador. "Every vote counts," Danny told me later Wednesday night, and he promised there was no deal made for the support. But I still think Phony Vega would only bring him headaches as I suspect that his endorsement was fake, a set-up to hurt him later. Because Vega, like all phonys, cannot be trusted. And you know that, Danny. Tony Phony was squarely with su alcaldito and would do his bidding to get his gun range. He apparently now has the green light to build it -- er, I mean, to make $3,000 worth of "interior alterations." That sounds phony to me (more on that later). I am sure these permits are phony, too

Ladra may have cost Bolaños the nod, however, according to Vega's own snippy text messages. And while Danny may not be too happy with his unpaid number one fan for that, I am fine with it. Sometimes, you have to fall on the sword.

Ladra has been a thorn in Tony Phony's side -- and vice versa -- since she exposed his deal with the devil (read: deal with su alcaldito) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdK4qA3oLNQ). During early voting, he finally admitted to openly supporting Hernandez, who lied (again) in Friday's El Nuevo Herald story when he said he had not supported anyone in the Group 3 race. (And now he is making nice with Casals-Muñoz? Is that part of the deal for the Garcia nod?) But he had. And we have proof of yet another lie. He and his supporters were caught handing out Phony Vega cards, as in the photo here. In the photo below, Tony offers his Phony grin next to Casa Marin owner Diosdado Marin -- who claims to control 651 absentee ballots and supports the incumbent slate (plus former Housing Authority commissioner Lourdes "Who?" Lozano, who came out of nowhere to beat the unbeatable former councilman Alex "The Professor" Morales (who is seeking Group 1 candidate Fernando Alvarez's support through mutual friends but not Jesus Novo's because he is a plantidate likely thrown into the race by su alcaldito). Come to think of it, Vega didn't like that post about the alliance with Hernandez, either. I think Vega lied (again) when he said he was a fan. Here is an exchange of text messages between him and Ladra that began after that post when he and the mayor made their mutual admiration "news":

Vega at 11:13 a.m. Oct. 28: Loved the cortadito today!!! I can tell that my win is going to hurt you so brace for the impact! I'll expect my call on a timely manner to congratulate me!

Me at 9:51 p.m., Nov. 1 (because he doesn't pick up the phone or call back): "So... do you still feel so cocky? I expect a call in a timely manner to accept defeat."

Vega at 10:17 p.m. Nov. 1: "Yes well.. I've learned lots which will help in other races, for a total novice I got alot of bang for my buck. Now whom do I endorse???"

Me at 10:55 p.m. Nov. 1: "You got a lot of ABs from Carlos' support. You might not have that in other races."

Vega at 10:56 p.m. Nov. 1: "Good night."

Me at 10:57 p.m. Nov. 1: "It is for me." (Because at least that tiny part was).

Me at 12:09 p.m. Nov. 2: "You know, after thinking about it, I realized you got Danny into the runoff... thanks!"

Vega at 12:12 p.m. Nov. 2: "Elaine, I just left a meeting with Danny where we discussed me endorsing him. I said yes. Your continued jabbing has caused me to reconsider the swing of my 6,000 votes."

Vega at 12:23 p.m. Nov. 2: "Ok I've considered it enough. I won't be endorsing anybody for group 3. Thanks for helping me with my process. Explain that to Danny."

Me at 1:57 p.m. Nov. 2 (after I got over the shock when Danny confirmed it): "Those are/were Carlos' votes. Not sure your nod is going to help so if I messed that up, yay! I don't want him muddied up by your conflicts & corruption."

Me at 3:46 p.m. Nov. 2: "Which, by the way, I am going to keep covering."

Vega at 9:38 a.m. Nov. 3: "It's over! Raul and his team are back to retirement. Deals are cut."

Me at 10 a.m. Nov. 3: "Huh? What are you talking about? Can you just call me?"

Vega at 10 a.m. Nov. 3: "Have fun!"

Vega at 10:01 a.m. Nov. 3: "Just wait and watch."

Me at 10:08 a.m. Nov. 3: "Yeah, because your predictions are always so on target!"

Me at 10:09 a.m. Nov. 3: "How's your gun range coming along?"

Me at 10:53 a.m. Nov. 3: "Hello?"

That's the last Ladra heard from Tony "Phony" Vega and she can't help but wonder if he knows something about the A Mano Limpia show with Garcia and if there were expectations he would endorse su alcaldito. Then again, he always makes stuff up.

But I promise it is not the last Tony "Phony" Vega has heard from me.

Or the last you have heard of him.

More abuse of power in Hialeah

2011-11-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

People of Hialeah, you need to know you must beware of the powers that be. You live in a police state where harassment of private citizens is not only tolerated, but in fact dictated by su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez.

While I am sure Ladra is not the only one to be harassed, followed, intimidated and insulted, she is the one who is going to amend her formal complaint with the State Attorney's Office with the latest tactics, which include another illegal trespass warning issued Friday, 18 hours after the fact -- over the telephone, no less -- by Hialeah Police homicide Det. Alex Castañeda, who was very nice and probably just following orders. Because, believe it or not, most of the cops in Hialeah are very supportive of my efforts to expose the corruption and ineptitude, the conflicts of interest and malfeasance going on at City Hall. They are being told to "write me up" by someone and it is a concerted and illegal systematic violation of my civil rights and freedom of speech and freedom of the press. And I believe that someone works from the fourth floor at City Hall.

As I said, it is not the first time.

This is the third illegal trespass warning originated by people connected to su alcaldito or Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez, who has filed two false police reports about yours truly and was frustrated when she could not get a restraining order, like she threatened, because she is a big baby and there was never any legitimacy to that. One of the false reports was Sept. 10, when I was issued a trespass warning after I left the campaign office in the parking lot of a shopping strip. Who called the police, Gavelgirl's husband and "campaign manager" Alex Martinez, who had actually invited me to the grand opening event days earlier. Su alcaldito, however, also spoke to police, who wrote a report that clearly shows I never violated the Florida trespass law, which is a misdemeanor. That statute states "whoever, without being authorized, licensed or invited, willfully enters or remains in any structure or conveyance, or, having been authorized, licensed, or invited, is warned by the owner or lessee of the premises, or by a person authorized by the owner or lessee, to depart and refuses to do so, commits the offense of trespass."

Let me point you, dear readers and cops with remedial reading problems, to the key faults here: I did not remain nor refuse to depart. I left the campaign office and returned to the outside parking lot, where I had been for an hour taking pictures in complete view of the mayor and council members/candidates there. It was only after I took photos of paramedics entering the campaign headquarters of the people who want to fire 105 of them -- leaving the department with 40 percent fewer life savers -- that they decided they did not want my camera there. Not trespassing. I left.

This last one, Det. Castañeda said, came about after I took photos of the campaign office on Thursday evening (photographed) when there were three people there. It is a stark difference to the Martinez camp where there were dozens of volunteers signing up for the tasks of the week ahead. I believe that is a newsworthy observation and that the constitution of this country guarantees all of us the right to express it. I did not enter the campaign office. I stood outside. I then walked the promenade and took the phone numbers of several vacant store fronts that were not vacant when su alcaldito moved in. Just for fun. Who knows if there's a story there? It could be coincidence. But it might not be. And Ladra wants to know.

There have been other incidents that show an organized and systemic harassment and abuse of power. Council Vice President Luis Gonzalez's brother assaulted Political Cortadito cameraman Raul "El Toro" Torres and put him in a headlock (more on that later) in the parking lot of a TV station. A police officer in one of those crime supression unit muscle cars stopped me one night at what I suspect is the direction of Police Chief Mark Overton, I am sure at the direction of his boss, Hernandez. Su alcaldito's privagte security thug in residence, Glen "The Goon" Rice, stalked me at the JFK library during early voting taking hours of video and invading my personal space. And Casa Marin owner Diosdado Marin, who is also the proud owner of a list of 651 absentee votes he secures for his candidates (more on that later), followed me with his camera phone and insults and innuendos when I stopped to document the Super Sunday corner rally of the incumbents on West 49th Street and 16th Avenue.

I say all this with confidence because there is evidence. There are documents and there is video and there are photos. And these people will be held accountable. But the one who I want held accountable the most is su alcaldito, who Ladra is sure is giving the orders here. Because my questions and inquiries are making him more and more nervous and irate. Because other journalists have begun to follow the no-bid contracts story and have also uncovered other issues, like the Golden MultiMillion Dollar water pump built and inspected by contributors to su alcaldito's campaigns. He has the most to lose as he heads into an election where he has less time to pick up absentee ballots and fix the vote (more on that later... which is exactly what they want to stop). Because he can't let former Mayor Raul Martinez get into City Hall and open up all the no-bid contracts that su alcaldito has given away to friends and contributors to his campaigns. Because there might even be more hidden there than what we have found so far.

In fact, Ladra can smell it.

I hope su alcaldito and all his bullies can smell the wrath that is going to fall upon them for this official misconduct and abuse of power. Like I said, I had already made a complaint with the State Attorney's Office and they already forwarded it to the Miami-Dade Police public corruption unit. I am not going to go away with my tail between my legs, like some anonymous commenter seems to want. The elected leaders in Hialeah harass and disrespect residents who go to council meetings with concerns. They repeatedly threaten and intimidate employees who dare ask questions or side with any opponent. Su alcaldito had his henchment Rice and Arnie "Botella" Alonso snap photos and video of every employee who wore Martinez t-shirts and supported the opposition at the polls. Their constitutional rights are also being violated as some have reportedly been asked to stay away from polls during the run-off.

But when they harass and intimidate Ladra in an effort to silence political speech, bueno, se las pasaron. And vinieron a bailar a la casa del trompo.

Boy, I hope a good attorney somewhere is reading this.

Garcia stays Ghost in endorsement

2011-11-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

Ladra's was practically panting when she put on A Mano Limpia tonight to see who former State Sen. Rudy "The Ghost" Garcia, who came in third in the Hialeah mayoral primary Tuesday, would endorse in the run-off.

But he put off any endorsement, remaining the "absentee" leader and candidate even after he is no longer a candidate. How anticlimatic. And I thought he was ABC like Ladra.

It wasn't a fun half hour as a firefighter friend and I watched in fear that he would back Su Acaldito Carlos Hernandez. I know, from talking to a number of electeds and professional political operatives, that he is under extreme pressure to do just that from the Republican establishment that basically runs him. I know, from personal experience and talking to others who have called him, that he is not answering his phone. He admitted on the show to getting 200 phone calls (two of them were mine and his voice mail is full). And I know, from being no fool and talking to a number of his friends and associates, that he has further political aspirations. He does not want to sell carpets for his family business. And I know that you could very well see George Castro -- who couldn't even get 100 votes combined through absentee ballots, early voting and on election day (more on that later) -- elected mayor before you see Garcia endorse former Mayor Raul Martinez, a nationally-recognized, card-carrying Democrat who ran against Republican demiGod Lincoln Diaz-Balart in the 2008 Congressional race, and lost.

Maybe he will stay a ghost through the run-off and not endorse anybody. One can dream, can't one? But something tells me that he won't. Something tells me he will either endorse Hernandez to satisfy Republican leaders who may be promising him a fast track to some future post. Or he will back Martinez to keep any credibility, relevance and respect he still has in Hialeah. I mean, really, how can Garcia possibly support Hernandez after he talked so much about transparency and blasted su alcaldito for fiscal mismanagement, abuse of power and the threat to fire 105 firefighters to balance the bogus budget while giving millions in no-bid contracts to his friends and campaign contributors. He even brought those things up again on the show... hey, wait a minute... is that setting the stage for a Martinez endorsement after all? That would be like seeing snow in Hialeah.

Garcia said on the air that both candidates were seeking his support. Host Pedro Sevcec, who stressed the importance of the endorsement, said it was strange to hear both Martinez and Hernandez say nice things. "They were not laughing when they were next to you in the debate. Now they are very nice. They see virtues that they didn't see before," Sevcec said. Actually, I've heard Hernandez be a hipocrit but have not heard Martinez make nice. The Dark Prince told me in a quick telephone interview after the show that he had not spoken with The Ghost since election night, when Garcia congratulated him on getting into the run-off. He said he had not reached out to Garcia. "Other people are coming and telling me 'You need to sit down with Rudy.'" And he would not talk about rumors that Garcia's campaign manager, Al Lorenzo, wants to join the Martinez team.

Garcia noted the change. "In this very venue, they attacked me on many things," Garcia said, referring to a photo with George W. and Jeb Bush which was allegedly photo-shopped but found and shown to be real and an investigation by the State Attorney's Office (eventually closed with no criminal charges) that Hernandez surprised him with on the last debate. Garcia (photographed here one of the multiple times he chatted with Martinez during early voting... come to think of it, Ladra never saw him talking with Hernandez) even suggested that Martinez and Hernandez got together to beat up on him (stranger things have happened). "They united to attack me, attack me, attack me," Garcia said. "Why today am I so good and a week ago I was the worst? That is part of what I wanted to change, part of the political image that we need to change. We have to find a way that those things are not part of the future. Unfortunately, our campaign did not succeed with that message."

Actually, it looked like an opportunity for Garcia to start politicking for a new post -- or maybe a job since he offered himself as a political analyst or commentator on the station or any other media outlet. He also appointed himself the public watchdog of absentee ballots (um, is he trying to take my job? That's okay. We welcome that company and help), which is a welcome thing. He has contacts at the state level, one would think, that he may be able to tap into to start investigating and, better yet, changing the laws so that ABs can't be stolen so easily. He noted the wide disparity in the percentage of absentee ballots cast in Hialeah and said he heard stories where seniors were threatened with losing their housing or offered gifts and vacations.

"That is something that has to be looked at," Garcia said, adding that absentee ballots used to be reserved for people who really needed to vote absentee, not for convenience. "Now we know there are people who control those absentee ballots and that goes against the electoral process... there should be reform at the federal and state level... I am worried about the way the absentee ballot is used... The best thing is that the state government (there he goes again, invoking the state) analyze the subject (okay, this time I agree with him). "I suspect some peole have felt threatened."

"The important thing is to protect the voting privelege," Garcia said. "The most important right in this country is the right to vote." Then he promised "to be a watchdog for seniors and not permit intimidation or scare tactics... to look for a way to protect them so that doesn't happen again."

But the segment of the show was called The Rudy Factor and was teased as "who would he support" -- false advertising if you ask Ladra. He said he might not support anyone at all. "We are listening to comments of our supporters who are saying, 'Please don't support anyone because what would happen to your message if you support someone?'"

That sounds like a smart strategy. But Garcia said he has to talk more to his wife, his family and his supporters to see what is best for the community.

Sooooo glad he wasn't elected. Because if he can't even figure that out, he's slower than Councilman Pablito "Huh?" Hernandez.

Shock in Hialeah election upsets

2011-11-02T00:31:00.000-07:00

The Hialeah election primary ended Tuesday in a thud heard 'round the City of Progress and met with what can only be called shock and/or total disbelief by the hundreds of supporters and volunteers (not to mention the paid political consultants) that waited for results at the campaign offices of both former State Sen. Rudy Garcia and former Mayor Raul Martinez, where many undry eyes watched su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez hang on to a formidable lead.

The shocker wasn't that "The Ghost" Garcia, who only started acting like he was in the race a little while ago and is the best recent living example of you reap what you sow (read: Invisible candidate gets invisible votes). Well, not to anyone but Garcia and some in his camp who thought out loud that he might take the title in the first round. The shocker was not that a run-off would pit Martinez against Hernandez, who would not have done as well if the lies about the interest payments from his loan to the convicted Ponzi schemer and the huge increase in water connection fees had not become public six days after the absentee ballots dropped (read: were mailed to voters) or "The Ghost" Garcia would have started acting like he was in the race a little sooner. It was that Martinez was not in pole position.

A wall of people watched in horror as the TV screen in the shopping strip space Martinez shares with his Back to the Future slate rolled the results over and over and over on a constantly refreshing loop and two of those slatemates were immediately eliminated. Former Councilwoman Cindy Miel thanked supporters as she conceded defeat to Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez, who won with a six-point lead, or 53 to 47 percent. Ladra thinks Miel and former Mayor Julio Martinez -- who lost with a huge 21-point lead, 54 percent of the vote going to Councilman Jose "Pottymouth" Caragol -- put the least sweat equity of the slate mates and could have worked harder. Am I disappointed? Sure. And concerned for anyone in Hialeah who dares walk up to the podium at the council meetings and ask a question Gavelgirl doesn't like. But at the same time, and I hate to admit this, there is some satisfaction at the job security of four more years of exposing Gavelgirl's graft and vulgar griteria tactics. And, I love to admit, it makes Ladra's tail wag like mad to think of her up on the dais with Martinez as mayor. In fact, that image among voters might boost the Dark Prince's numbers in the run-off.

Both Miel and Julio Martinez had seen the writing on the wall as soon as the absentee ballot count showed wide margins (when Ladra was still pretty much in denial). "It doesn't hurt me to win or lose. I've been in sports all my life," said Julio Martinez, who also called the contest "a bad election," but tried to keep the group up-beat about Martinez and the others. "All of you can still help change the destiny of this city... and tomorrow, we continue with the fight," Julio Martinez said. Ladra sure hopes he means that literally and not figuratively, and will stick around as one of the hundreds of bodies the surviving Back to the Future slate needs to turn the numbers around in two weeks. He should stick to getting support, however, from the 8,996 people who voted from him. We don't want him having the wrong effect and turning people against his former slate mates.

Those survivors of the Election Day massacre are former Councilman and fired (by former Mayor Julio Robaina) Hialeah Housing Authority Director Alex "The Professor" Morales, former cop turned HHA employee Danny Bolaños -- who almost lost Tuesday night as Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz got thisclose to a 50 percent plus one showing to his 27 percent (Ladra expects her to request a recount, but more on that later) -- and former State Rep wannabe Frank "Sinatra" Lago, who had the smallest margin of the slate with only a 3-point lag (38 to 35 percent) behind Councilman Pablito "Huh?" Hernandez (who had to be held back by his dad when he wanted to fight Uncle Sam at one of the precincts, but more on that later, too). And Lago would have done a whole lot better if Daring Daisy Castellanos had not taken almost 28 percent of the vote. And Ladra wasn't so much in denial with Lago being able to make up for the absentee ballot count in Election Day votes as naive about anyone being able to make up for the AB machinery owned by su alcaldito's campaign manager, AB Queen Sasha Tirador. How else can anyone explain how relative nobody and former HHA commissioner Lourdes Lozano was able to gain a 6-point lead (53 to 47 percent) over Morales, the globally-accepted front runner? Lourdes who?

Even Raul Martinez mentioned that race as a clear example that AB manipulation (read: fraud) was alive and well and kicking some fondillo in Hialeah. "The absentee ballot system has grave problems and goes against democracy," Martinez said in Spanish as he addressed a crowd of more than 100 people outside his retail-space office. "And until the authorities do something, the AB votes are going to help candidates who are from mediocre to bad."

Al Lorenzo, the campaign manager for Garcia (and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez in his win over former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina) said he expected the ABs to go the way they did and that their camp had only generated between 600 and 700 absentee ballot requests from supporters. But he was absolutely dumbfounded by the early voting -- his specialty -- and Election Day results. "I've never seen anything like it in my life," said Lorenzo, who stopped by the JFK during early voting daily or almost daily. "I was there and I saw it myself. People would come tell Rudy 'I voted for you,' or 'I'm going to vote for you.' I've never experienced anything like this and I can't explain it." He said the campaign had trouble raising funds in the later weeks. "A lot of people who had a stake in Hialeah, didn't support Rudy," Lorenzo said. He said if he could do it all again, he would pay more attention to the ABs. "I would start earlier. I would get people together."

The Martinez camp also realized that their game plan with the ABs had faltered and that they had better start earlier to follow up on all the absentee voters -- with phone calls and visits when required -- and not concentrate on the ones the campaign generated that would vote for them in an effort to stop those from being stolen by another team. Even before the final results were in, they were intelligently reaching out to former State Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla -- who is back in South Florida after an extended vacation, allegedly in Europe -- because, as AB King, he is a proven Tirador antidote and has already said he would help Martinez any way he could. Hey, DLP #1, I promise to behave if you do. And just like in the county mayoral race, Ladra expects (read: hopes and crosses her fingers) the ABs to have much less relevance and less dramatic margins across the board in the runoffs for mayor and three council seats.

Then the sound heard throughout Hialeah on Nov. 15 might be a little clearer and less ominous.

ABs go with Queen Sasha's slate

2011-11-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

The absentee and early voting ballot count for Hialeah is trickling in and it may look like su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez and his incumbent-minus-one-plus-one slate is winning the mayoral race. But looks can be deceiving sometimes.

Hernandez and Co. were expected to take the ABs (all but Tony "Phony" Vega, who is losing even there). They are, after all, paying Absentee Ballot Queen Sasha Tirador thousands of dollars for those votes, principally from public housing units and assisted living facilities. They have to get those. And Ladra hopes the authorities are watching how closely they all came to each other, showing either intense and rather extraordinary Olympic-worthy coordination, or fraud.

But they had to get them with a bigger lead.

At 7:35 p.m., it showed that su alcaldito's lead was only 8 points, with 40 percent of those votes compared to 32 percent for former Mayor Raul Martinez and 27 percent for former State Sen. Rudy "The Ghost" Garcia, who may have started showing up and pulling up too late to make a difference.

In the race between Council President and Chusma in Residence Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez and former Councilwoman Cindy Miel, the AB divide is wider, but not as wide as was expected, with 55 percent for Gavelgirl and 45 percent for the honey.

Councilman Jose "Pottymouth" Caragol's lead over former Mayor Julio Martinez was even more substantial, with a 56 percent to 31 percent showing. Ramiro Sicre only got 13 percent, but he promised Ladra he would run again.

Councilman Pablito "Huh?" Hernandez has a much smaller lead with 39 percent over Frank Lago's 34 percent (something Ladra is sure Lago will overcome on Election Day). Daring Daisy Castellanos, who also promised Ladra she will run again (maybe against Councilwoman Kathy Cue) got a respectable 27 percent.

Even the relatively unknown and incredibly unexperienced Lourdes Lozano, a former Hialeah Housing commissioner, got 45 percent in the seat vacated by Councilman Jose "Pepe" Yedra, while front-running favorite Alex "The Professor" Morales got only 35 percent. That might be because candidates Fernando Alvarez (buoyed by Garcia votes) and Jesus Novo redirected some toward them, with 13 and 6 percent respectively.

And while she may be officially off su alcaldito's slate, Councilwoman Vivian "I'll Notarize That" Casals-Muñoz took the ABs with a wide margin at 48 percent, compared to 27 percent for former cop and HHA employee Danny Bolaños and 25 percent for gunshop owner and permit shirker Tony "Phony" Vega. Maybe Vega and su alcaldito should have made their alliance public sooner.

While this should be no surprise, volunteers and supporters are already freaking out at the Martinez headquarters. But the night is young, people. It's going to be a long one. And if those are the biggest leads su alcaldito and his AB machine can muster, then it's not in the bag. Not at all.

Robaina backing Garcia for mayor

2011-11-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

As everyone had expected and determined, Ladra is going to come out -- on Election Day no less -- for Raul Martinez in the Hialeah mayoral contest. Maybe it's a self-fullfilling prophecy.

But it's not because Martinez is bigger than life or better equipped for the enormous task of going through the city's financial fiasco and finding out where Fido hid the bones. It's because former State Sen. Rudy Garcia seems to have the same aversion to truth and transparency that su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez suffers from.

And, no wonder, they both have the same padrino: former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina .

Ladra got her hands on emails that show a TV commercial that smears Martinez with out-of-context footage of a 1999 scuffle on the Palmetto Expressway by Ana Carbonell, Robaina's campaign manager on his failed bid for the county mayor's seat who was with the Garcia camp early on but made an abrupt break weeks later when she failed to deliver public endorsements from Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart. Dated Sept. 22 and Oct. 14 and 17, the emails's subject line refers to Citizens Action Inc., the PAC that is partially funded by the Truth for our Community PAC headed by Robaina crony Julio Ponce. Carbonell did not return a call and an email sent to her Tuesday. But her consulting firm, The Factor, gave a $500 contribution to Garcia's campaign.
That's one interesting flow chart. And while the Senator denies any ties to this or any PAC (more on that later), the connect-the-dots is proof enough for Ladra that Robaina is secretly supporting Garcia. We think he is secretly supporting su alcaldito also, after hearing from several people that Robaina called them personally to ask them to support his protege Hernandez. So maybe Robaina is just ABR, Anybody But Raul. And that's no surprise. Raul will be the only one to bring out everything that Robaina and Hernandez did wrong. All the money they stole or diverted. All the contracts they gave away. All the positions they created for their friends. All the illegal firing and disciplinary action they have taken. Hernandez would continue to cover up for his mentor/master and Garcia, even if he hadn't made a deal with the devil, might hide some scurilous details to keep the image of Hialeah as clean on the outside as he pretends to be.

The problem with that is that the putrid, decomposition on the inside will kill you -- or, rather, the residents and taxpayers of Hialeah.

"I don't know anything about any PACs," Garcia told Ladra just after noon outside the Hialeah Moose Lodge, the polling site with the 4th largest number of voters in the city. Turnout was unexpectedly low in the morning and early afternoon, especially after such heavy eary voting and absentee ballot voting. But maybe that's why. "A lot of people voted already," Garcia said.

But what does he know? He can't even admit to his own PACs. Because at the same time as Ladra and cameraman extraordinaire Raul "El Toro" Torres were interviewing Garcia at the Moose Lodge, Jose Fuentes, a political consultant who gave $1,000 to the Conservative Leadership Coalition, was sending texts out to friends and contacts to remind them to "vote for Rudy." The Leadership Coalition, chaired by Jose "Pepe" Riesco, has paid for attack ads against Hernandez. So Garcia uses one PAC to attack Martinez and another to attack su alcaldito. That helps him stay even more visibly "above the fray" when he's really in the thick of it with the rest of them.

In fact, Garcia is the only one not to get attacked by a secret PAC. He got hit in a mailer by the Hernandez campaign that smeared both Garcia and Martinez. But not by a PAC.

"I told you so," Martinez told Ladra, somewhat ticked off because it's hard to just take what he says at face value. Maybe I've been impacted by the negative campaigning against him. "What else do I need to do to show that I am not the bad guy?"

Nothing Mr. Mayor. The other guys are doing it for you.

Su Alcaldito accuses me of theft

2011-10-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

As if his alcalditowear has something more than a nostalgic and comic value, Hialeah's alcaldito Carlos Hernandez went bonkers Saturday -- the last day of early voting at the JFK library -- when he saw me walking by with one of his campaign t-shirts.

"She stole my shirt. Call the police," he told his assistant, Arnie Alonso, who had offered (probably as a joke) to give me a shirt. But being the political junkie I am, and a collector of political memorabilia, I said I absolutely wanted a shirt. "Will you wear it," Alonso asked. "Nah. But I want it for my collection. I have a [Miami-Dade Mayor] Carlos Gimenez shirt and a shirt from Katie Edwards failed bid for state rep last year and a couple of others." I also collect signs, I told him, and would love to have one of su alcaldito's -- but with the mirrors on it (supposedly to ward off the evil eye).

Alonso, who has been a good sport during this week of early voting. Maybe he sees the writing on the wall like Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez did when she walked off for a private chat with former State Sen. Rudy Garcia, who is running to unseatsu alcaldito. But Alonso is in trouble anyway right now for giving me that t-shirt. Alcaldito had a cow.

"She stole my shirt," he told Alonso as he rushed over to get someone to confiscate it from me.

"I need that shirt back. Call the police and write a report," su alcaldito instructed Alonso.

"No, I gave it to her," Alonso said, because he doesn't lie, at least not all the time, like his boss.

"Why did you give it to her?"

"It's okay," Alonso said, trying to calm him down. "She can't do anything with your shirt. It's ok."

"I don't want her to have my shirt."

Really? Really? What is he? Six years old?

"I'm not going to do voodoo or anything with your shirt. I'm not santero like you," I told him, referring to the mirrors on his signs and the broom and recogedor in front of his camionsito, which is also a Santeria religion custom.

"No, that's Raul's people," su alcaldito said, in reference to photos posted by council candidate Tony Vega's supporters that infer that Barbara Hernandez, president of the employees union (which this week gave Martinez their endorsement), was providing former Mayor Raul Martinez some spiritual leverage the other day -- as if he needs it.

Gavelgirl & Garcia have private chat

2011-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Looks like Hialeah Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez has read the writing on the wall and is beginning to hedge her bets.

While she has been campaigning with su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez, she took a little walk through the parking lot Saturday at the JFK library, on the last day of early voting, and had a private chat with former State Sen. Rudy Garcia, who is running against Hernandez for the mayor's post.

Neither would say what they talked about, but it seemed very friendly and serious and cordial.

Gavelgirl said it was not about the campaign. Garcia said it was a personal matter. "Something that had happened a while ago between her and I," he told Ladra. "It's more of a personal issue than a political one. I've known her family for a long time.

Still, Ladra bets that Gavelgirl is making nice because she knows that su alcaldito is freefalling (like in a ball of flames). We know she would rather work with Garcia than with former Mayor Raul Martinez, who is also in the race and seen by many as the front runner.

Gaverlgirl's best hits on PAC's ad

2011-10-28T10:51:00.001-07:00

A political commercial that strings together a bunch of the most unfortunate moments in the life of Hialeah Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez is already on YouTube and will be seen on Spanish-language stations tonight and over the weekend.

But it's not her opponent, former Councilwoman Cindy Miel, who is behind the ad. Miel is too soft to try something like that. It's one of her slate mates. Guess which one. C'mon. Ladra bets most of you will get it on the first try. The ad and airtime is paid for by Hialeah Deserves Better, an aptly-named PAC which was registered with the county in August by former councilman and current sure-thing candidate Alex "The Professor" Morales.

The ad starts with the text "Tu conducta es un reflejo de quien eres," or "Your conduct is a reflection of who you are," before a collection of Gavelgirl's most abusive powerplay and insulting moments. She berates a city employee who speaks at a commission meeting about his concern on the privatization of a city park. "Have you called me? Have you called me? Sir, answer my question," she demands, finger in the air. She insults this blogger, calling Ladra ignorant and insinuating problems with my past employer, which are bogus (I left on very good terms). "Altaneria y griteria no es lo que Hialeah necesita," or "Haughtiness and shouting is not whta Hialeah needs," it says in the middle of the clips, in the last of which she is getting booed at a council meeting. "Hialeah deserves something better. Say no to Isis Garcia-Martinez," it ends.

See it at http://www.youtube.com/user/HialeahToday?ob=5.

Morales said he simply could not stand by while Gavelgirl (photographed here first at the IHOP incident, parts of which are used in the commercial, and also Friday at the JFK library for early voting) mistreats the public.

"I was embarassed by her behavior and it needs to stop," he told Ladra Friday, shortly after the ad went public on YouTube. Why would his PAC focus on someone outside his race? "It doesn't matter. Its about Hialeah. It's not about me or Cindy or her. Her behavior has become an embarssment to the city."

Ladra knows that Morales wants an easy primary so he can avoid a runoff and help his slate mates as a sitting councilman. But there won't be a second round for Miel, who is the only opponent against the incumbent council president. So he had to help her now.

That's what Ladra calls being part of a team. And that's why Morales will make a good councilman.

Herald nods are mostly nonsense

2011-10-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

Ladra will always love the Miami Herald and be grateful for the incredible talent and drive there that has made her who she is today. But times have changed. And it's a good thing that the Miami Herald's editorial recommendations in elections are not worth their weight in the paper that prints it anymore.

Perhaps it's no wonder, either, after reading the batch of endorsements the editorial board -- or, rather, two people from the editorial board -- have made. Because these recommends make it very clear that the Herald is completely disconnected from the community and the contest where it pretends to promote candidates. While I may agree with the idea of breaking up the slates in theory, I won't advocate for that if it means backing the wrong wannabes. I mean Lourdes Lozano? Daisy Castellanos? Tony Vega? Tony "Phony" Vega? Really? Ladra has always respected Miriam Marquez and Juan Vazquez, the two editorial board members who screened most of the candidates (not all showed up) and likely made or drove the decision. But they must not be reading Political Cortadito or even their own newspaper and I bet they were throwing a dart at a wall of photos when they made these choices. Let's review the reasons.

Lozano, who has been nothing but negative in her campaign, is a two-faced opportunist who jumped into the race at the behest of su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez despite having bad-mouthed him and the Seguro Que Yes crew earlier this year. Lozano, a reliable rubber-stamper on the Hialeah Housing Authority commission and former DCF employee who is has herself spread rumors about her possible investigation for food stamp fraud, was apparently miffed that the council chose the relatively unknown but politically connected Pablito "Huh?" Hernandez to replace su alcaldito on the dais after the latter's promotion to the fourth floor through the resignation of his master/mentor former Mayor Julio Robaina. The Herald editoral board, who must have interviewed her by phone since she did not attend the screening, writes that she is not tied to any particular mayoral slate, but that only proves they are blinder than Stevie Wonder and maybe as disinterested as disconnected because it's not difficult to determine that she is squarely with Hernandez. They share campaign staff and campaign office. She is on his slate. And as if that weren't reason enough to stay away with a 20-foot pole, the Herald actually admits that Alex "The Professor" Morales, a former councilman and HHA Director (fired by Robaina and Lozano), is the best candidate in that group (and in any, Ladra would add). The dynamic duo over there simply chose to skip over him because of baseless allegations that he doesn't live in the city. The Professor's motives and zeal may be questionable, but the fact that he sleeps at an apartment on West 29th Street is not. Ladra has been there at least a dozen times. At different times of the day and night. He lives there. Neighbors confirm it, too. He may spend a night or two a month at his Miami Lakes home with his wife and kids while they look for a house in the west part of Hialeah where most of the electeds, past and present, live. But to deny him the rightful recommendation based on a possible residency issue that doesn't exist and is contrived by his political nemesis is really kind of dumb. And irresponsible.

Daring Daisy Castellanos pick is much less insulting. Because she is a nice lady with good intentions and a nice family and great friends who believe in her so much that they have spent the past few weeks volunteering in most of their spare time. Her husband is a little intense and I might not feel as comfortable with a recommendation for him, but despite his own delusions at times, Eddy Castellanos is not running for office. Ladra likes Daisy because she has guts and she is her own gal. She showed up at the campaign office openings for both ABC mayoral candidates, former State Sen. Rudy Garcia and former Mayor Raul Martinez. Yeah, she was looking for a slate -- and she may have found one, unofficially, with Garcia's camp, even if only through the process of elimination. She never approached su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez because she is also mad that she was skipped over when they named Councilman Pablito Hernandez. She was waiting at the IHOP when su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez and Council President Isis Garcia-Martinez and her opponent Hernandez showed up on a bus with public housing seniors because she knew it was a campaign event and she was going to take advantage of it. That's smart. And when the manager or waitress asked if her tab should be put on the city's bill, she said no and paid for it herself. That's ethical. She is the more elegant part of Hialeah, having lived in the city forever and worked in customer service at the city's water department for 20 years. Ladra loves the idea of a customer service person in politics. But (and I hope Daisy forgives me), she is ill prepared for the role of councilwoman next to Frank "Sinatra" Lago, the former chief of staff for Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño, who lost a run for the Florida house earlier this year to State Rep. Jose Oliva (R, District 110). While Ladra has issues with Lago (the company he has kept, mainly, which include such snakes as campaign operatives Sasha Tirador and Vanessa Brito and Florida Gov. Rick Scott), he has the skills set needed when the new council inherits the problems and financial fiascos that the current administration will leave behind. And Lago is learning. While he has already tackled issues like budget management and annexation in Sweetwater, he is a political baby. And, despite wanting to come off like a seasoned veteran, he is really a starry-eyed do-gooder waiting to come out after he absorbs everything he can. Sure, Ladra fully expects him to make this a short-term assignment before he aspires to some higher office, again. But so what? Let him cut his teeth in Hialeah.

The most obvious blunder in these recommendations is Tony "Phony" Vega. While the editorial board applauds his call for a forensic audit so the firefighters can get a new contract, they must have skipped the parts where he agreed with su alcaldito's decision to fire 105 of them while rubberstamping millions of dollars in no-bid contracts. Ladra just has to believe that her friends at the Herald did not know Vega had jumped into the Group 3 race (maybe the election) at the behest of Hernandez and in exchange for a fast-tracking of the permits for his gun range. They did not know that his emails to a firefighter are the key to an investigation by the Miami-Dade Police public corruption unit into possible bribery or official misconduct by su alcaldito. Vega, who owns a gun shop cited for building an illegal gun range lst year, told a firefighter in July that Hernandez had offered to help him. "Yo Bud. I met with the Hernandez camp. They are gasping for support and offering sweet deals," Vega wrote to Eric Johnson, an 10-year veteran of the department and vice president of the firefighters union. "My range is getting fast tracked as a result." Lo and behold, after being held up for more than a year and having to demolish the illegal gun range he was cited for, Vega now has his permits (more on that later). Of course, Vega denies having written the emails. Just like he denies writing a post by Tony at MiamiGunRange on the Florida Shooter's Network forum about Hialeah closing down his shop where he urges readers to attend the hearing where they would do that. In fact, Ladra almost nicknamed him "Wasn't Me" because he continues to deny, deny, deny. In that comment, Tony of MiamiGunRange writes, "Folks it's a really bad empty feeling when your elected officials turn their noses at you. I have spent the last 2 days at city hall and the reception has been very mild. Luckily I made a few donations during election season and those guys were more receptive." Did the Herald editorial board google him at all? Because in the same forum thread, he later said "I plan on moving a mile or two up and be free of the political septic pool we call Hialeah." Maybe his residency should be questioned. Ladra supports former cop and HHA employee Danny Bolaños, but a vote for Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz (both pictured above) is still better than a vote for Vega, despite her defense of Robaina.

The nod for former Mayor Julio Martinez also rubs me wrong, but it's not ridiculous. Martinez may very well be the best candidate because of his experience. There's not much time for anyone with a learning curve. Ladra likes Julio Martinez just fine. He's genuinely smart, funny and capable. But I am not so sure he is genuine. Ladra doesn't trust him. He's been known to stab backs and the campaign finance reports to closely reflect those of su alcaldito and Robaina before him. Ladra likes Ramiro Sicre, the longtime city activist and planning board member who brings utility experience and some good ideas. But I'm still on the fence with that one. The only council recommendation I totally agree with, really, is the recommendation of former Councilwoman Cindy Miel over Gavelgirl. Honey over vinegar, as my favorite lickerpoet might say. If only because I believe Miel was robbed of an election once before by Garcia-Martinez, who has become an echo of the Robaina regime and acts like she owns Hialeah.

Contrary to popular belief, Ladra is still on the fence on the mayoral race. Yeah, I know everybody thinks I am with Martinez. But that's only because they have not seen us interact. I have more rapport with Martinez, that's obvious. Almost anybody does because he's a ham. An incredible wealth of historicaly knowledge comes with that ham. But he is a funny, bright, challenging ham nonetheless. And I can be critical and my opinion is sought. Still, I can't seem to write Garcia off once and for all, despite his denial of his PAC, because I like some of his ideas and his overall image and presence and because so many people I respect are behind him. But, Martinez is more fun, more open and might be more capable of finding all the buried bones or holes Robaina left and that Hernandez is trying desperately to keep covered. Still, like I said, I'm waiting on this one. It's not an easy choice.

But if the Herald's endorsements are ever going to be important again, if they are ever going to be taken seriously again, they are going to have to pick more winners.

Su Hialeah Alcaldito's changing hair

2011-10-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

The campaign must be taking a toll on su Alcaldito Carlos Hernandez. While he has been perfectly coifed lately, and is known to use Grecian Formula or L'oreal or some such product to color his hair, Hernandez had some very evident gray roots showing Thursday as he trolled, er, I mean strolled around the parking lot at the JFK libary in Hialeah where early voters have cast more than 2,500 votes.

But by the time he made it to Oscar Haza's A Mano Limpia show on MegaTV, he had apparently -- and messily -- touched up. And, for your pleasure dear readers, Ladra brings you the before and after photos. This is before, with the white shirt and the gray hairline. The after photos have him in a suit with a blue shirt and yellow tie.

Could it be that Hernandez -- who likes to show off his bulging biceps with tight muscle shirts and unnecessary flexing when he hands out his campaign card -- is a little vain and self-conscious?

Ladra mentioned the gray showing at the JFK library, but I was just trying to break the ice. I mean, if Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez can make nice and be civil to me, you would think that the man running for mayor would be, well, less like a 5th grader at the school yard. I guess Gavelgirl is the bigger man of the two. "Get away from me," is all he ever says. To me. He talks big when he talks about me to other people. At the Oscar Haza A Mano Limpia show where the three mayoral candidates (George Castro doesn't couldn't) debated (more on that later), he first tried to have me thrown out of the studio, where I was invited by other journalists to watch the debate live and in person with other journalists (they refused) and then, during a break in the live TV for commercials, quipped to former Mayor Raul Martinez, the front runner in the race who makes a full head of gray look cool, that I was his paid staffer. Martinez shrugs because he knows he doesn't pay me -- and couldn't possibly afford the value I bring to this campaign for both him and former State Sen. Rudy Garcia, the other mayoral candidate -- and so does su alcaldito, he just has nothing else to say.

Instead, Hernandez should have used the break to ask Martinez who does his hair. But maybe it's Felipito's mom.

ABs reach record high in Hialeah

2011-10-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

The voting in the Hialeah elections has reached record levels already -- five days before Election Day. But if you think the big push over the top is happening in early voting at the JFK library, think again. It's by mail -- fueled by absentee ballots.

While there have been 2,232 ballots cast at the library since early voting started Saturday, more than twice that many AB votes, for a total of 4,517, have been delivered to the elections department since Monday alone. That is about 30 percent of the total 12,354 ABs that have been returned already to the Miami-Dade elections department as of Wednesday. This election is poised to beat the 12,657 absentee votes cast in the June 28 primary in which former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina lost to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. And there are more to come. More than 20,100 absentee ballots were requested, compared to around 15,000 for the June 28 race, from Hialeah voters. That means the AB machines for the campaigns are in full force (739 ABs have been requested in this week alone).

People close to the campaign for former Mayor Raul Martinez say they believe that about 2,000 of the ABs requested are from their supporters. People close to the campaign for former State Sen. Rudy Garcia say that about 1,500 AB requests are from their supporters. Ladra is pretty sure both are giving me low figures. So let's say Martinez has 3,000 and Garcia has 2,500. That still amounts to less than half. And while it is unknown how many of those remaining would belong to su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez, his AB machine is operated by AB queen Sasha Tirador, whose crown is being exposed for the cheap Zirconia-studded Halloween prop that it has become.

So, why are the candidates hanging around the library on West 49th Street all day every day? Do they think it will have a real impact. Even if 600 people vote today, Friday and Saturday (the least day of EV), that will be a total of 4,030 votes at the library. What kind of impact can that have on an estimated low-ball of 13,000 to 14,000 ABs cast by mail?

Garcia, in particular, has put a lot of attention (read: money) into the early voting campaign. On day one, when EV opened on Saturday, Garcia had two chartered buses to bring and take back voters and a plane with a trailing message ("I heart Hialeah") overhead at noon. On Sunday, there was a pachanga at a lawyer's home across the street with food and music (which was turned down after police arrived because of a complaint). This week, Garcia unveiled a "Political Cafecito By Rudy" banner on his camp tent (in honor of some crazy blogger lady and her blog with a similar name) and on Thursday, his volunteers were joined by Miss Hialeah Michelle Aguirre, 18, who actually lives in Hialeah Gardens. Ladra is told there are more surprises in store from both Garcia and Martinez and Saturday -- the last day for early voting in this election -- promises to be a blow-out.

"That's me. Everyone knows my game is early voting," said Al Lorenzo, the top campaign advisor for Garcia, who admitted to being concerned about the AB count and possible fraud (more on that later).

Alcaldito is on anti-Vivian attack

2011-10-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

A robocall urging Hialeahns to oust Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz -- because she had the audacity to vote "no" twice in the Seguro Que Yes crew -- was received by some voters Tuesday while the candidate and both her opponents were at the JFK library greeting early voters. But niether former cop and current Hialeah Housing Authority employee Danny Bolaños, who is friendly with the councilwoman and incapable of such hypocracy, nor Tony "Phony" Vega, who might be but isn't saavy enough for this move, are behind the call.

The robocall is paid for by Citizens for a Reality Check, a Hialeah-based PAC formed earlier this year and operated by Sasha Tirador, the campaign manager for su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez and the other incumbents, minus one (Casals-Muñoz) plus one (former HHA commissioner Lourdes Lozano). Funded,m according to Florida public campaign records, mainly by the same contributors -- including maquinita permit holders and Herman Echevarria -- as su alcaldito's campaign, Reality Check is also the PAC that Tirador used to smear State Rep. Jose Oliva (R, District 110) as a Sandinista sympathizer when she worked for council candidate Frank "Sinatra" Lago in that race. Which leads Ladra to the natural question: Why are Tirador and Echeverria, allies of former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and supporters of his failed bid for Miami-Dade mayor, backstabbing him now through his beloved sister-in-law notary public? He is obviously supporting her through a fundraiser and the first robocall he recorded (he has since recorded one for everyone, but Ladra bets its pulled from the air soon). Robaina must be fuming. Ladra would love to hear what he has to say about it.

"If you knew that Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz, in Group 3, had betrayed us voting in favor of the red light cameras and against the legalization of efficiencies, would you vote for her," the call begins. "There are definitely other options in Group 3. Say no to Councilwoman Casals-Muñoz the same way she has said no to us."
Casals-Muñoz knew of the robocall when Ladra asked her about it after Tuesday night's short and historic (last one for the Seguro Que Yes gang) meeting. But she may have been surprised to know it su alcaldito was behind it.

"I don't think I've said no to the citizens. What I said no to was to cancel a contract that we don't know what the cost of that cancellation is going to be," the councilwoman graciously answered evebn though she was caught unaware by Ladra in the hallway. "It's very important when we sign a contract in the city of Hialeah, that we make sure that contract stands and is valid. I don't think that until we know all the facts that we should take anything back. The red lights do save lives but rmore importantly right now, my concentration is not to have a precedent in Hialeah to have a contract and then cancel it because there was a change in the administration.The city stands here before and after any administraiton and that needs to bre the precedent we set."

The councilwoman let Ladra and cameraman Raul "El Toro" Torres interview her http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwMwzwC9NMs and she said she voted against the legalization of the efficiencies because the city had not studied the issue to know more about the possible effects and negative ramifications it could have on the homeowner's taxbill and benefits or traffic or the providing of services to the zone.

But she denied that the two votes against su alcaldito is what led him to cut the ties. "I don't think that there is a break," Casals-Muñoz said, referring to the relationship. "We can have a difference of opinion and I think that's very healthy."

Despite the signs -- literally, signs behind a Garcia volunteer's truck as he goes about town putting them up -- Casals-Muñoz said she is not on the former Senator's slate (although this might be just the thing to push her over that edge). And did Ladra say slate? Sorry, I mean unofficial-allies-by-process-of-elimination slate, because nobody there has a slate even though most Garcia supporters are telling people that they also support council candidates Daisy Castellanos and Fernando Alvarez, in addition to Casals-Muñoz. The photo here has the three of them and Garcia at the far left. And, on Tuesday, Hernandez campaign workers distributed Phony Vega literature and Vega said he and su alcaldito had decided to support each other (read: figured it was useless to keep denying the alliance).

"I have chosen to do this independently and let the people decide who they feel is best for that position," Casals-Muñoz said. "The citizens will decide who the next mayor is going to be and I am willing to work with any."

And here Ladra had hoped she would turn ABC, too.

Tony "Phony" & Alcaldito: Mates

2011-10-25T12:30:00.001-07:00

We had been suspecting it for a while, ever since gunshop owner Tony "Phony" Vega changed groups in the Hialeah Council elections back in the middle of September. But on Tuesday, Ladra Vega and su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez came out of the political closet and showed their love for each other.

"We love Tony Vega," said Carlos Rodriguez, one of the paid campaign workers in a Hernandez for mayor t-shirt handing out Tony Vega for council literature and the alcaldito's slate card -- which is curiously missing a candidate in the Group 3 race. That contest pits Vega against incumbent Councilwoman Vivan Casals-Muñoz (who has been on the outs with Hernandez) and former cop and Hialeah Housing Authority employee (on a leave of absence) Danny Bolaños. Vega told Ladra back then that he moved out of the Group 1 race because it was crowded -- though he admitted that he did not feel confident enough to go against Alex "The Professor" Morales, who has been leading the polls since day one and might be the only one in a race of three or more candidates to win outright on Nov. 1. But we have always felt it was with su alcaldito's blessing -- or at his behest.

Neither Casals-Muñoz nor Bolaños gave it much weight. "This is part of democracy and they have a right to support whoever they want," Casals-Muñoz said of her colleagues, with whom she will have a final council meeting before the election today. Bolaños indicated he was not surprised. "They are both anti-firefighters, anti-union and anti-city employee."

Tuesday, Vega confirmed that he decided to give Hernandez his backing.

"I decided to support him today. We worked out our differences," Vega told Ladra over the telephone, because he had left the early voting site at JFK library already. "We have more things in common than separate us." Vega said he would make it public on Friday and asked Ladra to sit on the news. But Ladra is very bad at keeping a secret. And she doesn't want to anyway. Besides, she saw this alliance plain and clear despite all their disguises.

Early on, Tony Phony put his signs with su alcaldito's signs and also echoed his canned speech statements about the firefighters contract and the legalizing illegal efficiencies move. Then, Ladra got wind of an exchange of emails from July and August that Vega had written back and forth with Fire Union Vice President Eric Johnson in which he said Hernandez et al were "making sweet deals" and had offered to "fast track" his long-delayed permits for his gun range in exchange for... we are not sure what. His candidacy? The switch to Group 3? His support? What we do know is that Johnson took the email to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office and Ladra has since heard that they did forward it to the Miami-Dade Police public corruption unit for investigation.

Vega -- who now, curiously, has all his permits curiously in order and the green light to build a gun range at his shop on West 84th Street -- has said repeatedly that he did not write those emails and that someone must have hacked into his account or made up a new facebook account to write them on his behalf. Ladra doesn't believe him, not because that kind of thing can't happen, but because he has also denied posting a comment on a Florida shooter's online forum about Hialeah closing his shop down last year (which they did after they found he had built an illegal gun range without the proper permits).

So, basically, it makes sense for him and Hernandez to hook up. They are both liars. Bad liars, but liars nonetheless.

Su alcaldito would not answer Ladra's questions about the sudden publicizing of the Vega alliance. But Rodriguez, the paid political parking lot pusher, said Hernandez himself gave him the stack of flyers. "To distribute them," said Rodriguez, who said he did not live in Hialeah and was being paid to stand in the parking lot all day and "distribute" the Vega and Hernandez lit. "Tony Vega is supporting Carlos Hernandez and Carlos Hernandez is supporting Tony Vega."

Yeah, we know. Then why did Papito -- who won't give us his real name -- run over to me and Rodriguez as we chatted and ended the interview. "You can't talk to him," he told me. "Um, yes, I can. Why not?" He said that I should only speak to candidates. Someone please tell Papito that journalists in this country can speak to whoever they want in a public setting. Papito (photographed here with Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez earlier in the week) took Rodriguez away from me and forbade him to speak to me any further, even though I told the poor intimidated guy that he wasn't in Cuba anymore and not to let himself be silenced. Papito also called him a volunteer and said he was not being paid, but we all know that's a lie, too.

Maybe Papito, whatever his real name is, will be running for office next.

Ponzi jeweler's mom votes Raul & Co

2011-10-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hialeah hairdresser Aida Perez, whose introduction is always followed by "she's Felipito's mom," doesn't live in the City of Progress. So she can't vote there. But she drove her sister to early voting at the John F. Kennedy library Tuesday and got to spend a little time with former Mayor Raul Martinez and some of his Back to the Future slate (who her sister apparently bubbled for).

Perez, who also drove friends to the early voting site over the weekend, is not like any other voter's sister. She is mother to Luis Felipe Perez, the Hialeah jeweler and convicted ponzi schemer whose ties to former Mayor Julio Robaina and alcaldito Carlos Hernandez have opened a can of shadow banking worms for federal authorities to fish with. And she knew her presence -- a week after his loans to Felipito were made public in The Miami Herald -- was making Hernandez sweat.

So did Martinez and former Mayor Julio "The Replacement" Martinez and former cop and council candidate Danny Bolaños and Fire Union Vice President Eric Johnson, who enjoyed it thoroughly. So did Ladra, in all honesty. Meeting Aida Perez, having her be so open with me and forthcoming, getting her phone number and photos has been the highlight of the early voting Day 4 so far. I must say it even surpassed the "Political Cafecito" stand that former State Sen. Rudy Garcia, also running for mayor, had set up in my honor. (See, alcaldito? He doesn't think I'm working for the other side. You could embrace me, too.)

"El que metio la pata no se llama ni Felipito ni el joyero. Se llama Roberto Blanco," Perez said about the other man implicated in the shadow banking business with Robaina and Hernandez (and to Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz, who also loaned money and notarized many of the transactions). "The one who stuck his foot in his mouth is not named Felipito nor the jewelery. His name is Roberto Blanco."

Perez said her son was doing well, both physically and mentally, because his conscience was clear. "He says he rests well. His soul is clean. He feels fine and can look himself in the mirror," Aida Perez said. "He didn't hurt anyone. He didn't kill anyone. He didn't cheat anyone. He didn't fool anyone. The one who does all that is, look over there," she added, signaling to where Hernandez was. "He simply made money for himself and for other poeple." Last December, Felipito Perez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for securities fraud in connection with a $40 million Ponzi scheme and (concurrently) five years in prison in connection with a $12 million bank fraud scheme. But he also seems to be cooperating with the authorities about su alcaldito's role in the shadow banking business, having provided the Miami Herald with copies of 37 checks written out to Hernandez and his company for $3,000 or $2,400 -- the exact amount of the interest that he was to be charged. Hernandez has flip-flopped on that also, telling journalists at first that all he got was interest and that he was not paid his principal and -- after realizing he was amitting to tax evasion -- switched it and said that he had only got paid part of his principal and no interest. Yeah, riiiiight.

Anyway, Aida Perez has no love for Hernandez. She did not say hi to him. And while he and part of his Seguro Que Yes gang -- Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez and Pablito "Huh?" Hernandez -- watched and whispered in a tight huddle, Perez laughed at the sight of their nervous peeping. Shortly after, su acaldito left with his security bodyguard, Glen "The Goon" Rice. (Could he have been headed to a public housing building in West Hialeah where lines for section 8 had grown super long? We hope nobody was promised housing for votes).

But the star of the day so far is Aida Perez, a funny, up-front and forthcoming lady. And Ladra really needs to have her hair done, so an appointment -- and more friendly chat -- is in the future.

Gavelgirl makes nice with Ladra

2011-10-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Among the deferential, diplomatic decencies displayed during early voting liftoff over the weekend at the JFK library in Hialeah, was Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez making nice with Ladra. No, really.

First, she said "Good morning," as she walked by, totally taking me by surprise because she had been completely ignoring me -- just like el alcaldito Carlos Hernandez still does -- since the IHOP incident. Gotta admit, that kind of put Ladra into a lull. Later, she offered to pose for a photo with council candidate Julio Martinez or someone else and did agree to pose with some guy named "Papito" wearing a Hernandez t-shirt who Ladra wanted a photo of since he is the same guy who was with Jose Gonzalez, council vice president Luis Gonzalez's brother, when the brother assaulted Political Cortadito cameraman Raul Torres outside a TV station (more on that later). Then, after I suggested to a TV reporter that what she had said was incomplete and less than truthful about the new water connection fees and the anonymous donor for the IHOP party, she suggested I run for office.

Thanks, Gavelgirl, but no thanks.

She also thought it was kind of funny that I thought she had a gavel in her back pocket -- either that or a gun, since everybody in Hialeah seems to be carrying. But no, it was her keys. "That's a good sense of humor, though," she told me, proving she has some, too. Now, can you put in a good word for me with su alcaldito, since he listens to you?

But she still lies.

When asked what ever happened to that restraining order she was going to get against me, she said, very seriously, that they had decided against it. "We decided not to proceed because you have been behaving yourself," she said. Yeah, you could hear my pen screech to a halt on my notebook. Say what? Behaving myself? Really? When? Don't you mean you decided not to proceed because you couldn't proceed, because you had no real base for it?

"No," Gavelgirl said, entirely seriously. "There's a line you can't cross."

We can't help but wonder if she means that illegally drawn white line -- an attempt to curb someone's rights -- that appeared mysteriously at the JFK parking lot the morning that early voting began.

Lines drawn, crossed at early voting

2011-10-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

A thick, bright, white stripe line that appeared out of nowhere and meantnothing became the most exciting part of the first day of early voting inHialeah Saturday.

When candidates and campaign volunteers arrived at the JFKlibrary on West 49th Street, they found a freshly painted stripe boundary thatseemed further from the polling place than the 100-foot requirement -- becauseit was -- and police placing barricades along the last parking aisle "forpublic safety." Hialeah Police Commander Oscar Amago told Ladra police were going to try tokeep the three camps separated. "We're going to create areas so everyonehas the equal amount of space and make sure nobody gets hit by a car,"Amago said. "But, during the county mayoral campaign, there was a normalflow and people got to walk around freely -- behind their boundary -- andnobody got hit by a car," Ladra said. Long silence. Steely stare. "Well, I just want tomake sure that nobody's rights are violated," I added. "Thank you foryour concern," Amago said and walked away.

Police Chief Marc Overton tried to tell former Mayor RaulMartinez to call City Clerk David Concepcion about the matter when Martinezcomplained. But the boss would have none of it. "The city clerk doesn'tknow what he's doing. This is a matter of law," said Martinez, who hadspoken to former Miami-Dade Election Supervisor Lester Sola earlier in themorning to establish that the 100-foot rule still applied. "The law hasn't changed," Martinez toldOverton.

Soon after, a second line --much closer, at the 100-foot mark -- was drawn. And, for the most part, it wasrespected. Su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez crossed it to walk a little old ladyto the polls, but Ladra was later told that was his grandmother so that has to be okay.And former State Sen. Rudy Garcia -- who put on a big, intimidating show bybringing a busload and a half of voters from his campaign headquarters and flying a planebanner overhead at noon with his I heart Hialeah slogan and "I want tosave Hialeah" -- helped some voters get off the bus but was told he couldn't do it there because it was within the 100-foot boundary. The driver had to move the vehicle a few feet.

The rest of the day was even more uneventful. In fact, thecandidates -- and everybody showed up except for George "Who?" Castro-- were cordial and humorous with each other, even if sarcastic at that. Hernandeztold Martinez he could call him "interim mayor" -- as Martinez, whowas elected mayor eight separate times likes to remind the appointed alcaldito. "Until Nov.16. Then you have to call me mayor," Hernandez said, wide smile on hisface, chest bulging from his tight, orange muscle shirt. "In yourdreams," Martinez said, and chuckled.

It was a very good day for him as a good number of votersgave him the thumbs up or came up to embrace him or rolled down their carwindow to tell him that he was their candidate. Martinez moved around theparking lot quite a bit while Garcia stayed on the platform on the east side ofthe library entrance and Hernandez paced on the east side of the parking lotand platform.

"I love this. You know? My back doesn't even hurt," said Martinez, who had back surgery last month and had complained after being forced to stand for more than two hours during the taping for a televised TV debate. "I can't stay away from this. Who cares about making money?" He seemed like a new man walking around and greeting voters and volunteers -- as well as other candidates -- fetching Raul Martinez-for-mayor caps for the kids who came by and generally holding court. There was certainly more fanfare around him than around Garcia -- and poor Hernandez was by himself most of the time unless he had his security guard Glen "The Goon" Rice next to him.

"Glen, come here," he would shout, feathers obviously ruffled whenver Rice would be seen talking to Ladra -- who he took several front and backside photographs of -- or Professor Alex Morales or one of Garcia's drivers. Su alcaldito doesn't like the blurring of the lines. But other candidates certainly did not mind crossing political lines to pass the day. Martinez joked with Garcia and Hernandez and greeted every candidate except Vega (more on that later). Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz -- who takes credit for the cordiality after setting the example at the business dinner earlier this month -- spent some time talking with both of the opponents in her race, Danny Bolaños and Tony "Phony" Vega. Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez said good morning to everyone (including Ladra) and was seen whispering sweet nothings into former Police Chief Rolando Bolaños ear. She also chatted with his son Danny and former Mayor Julio Martinez. Hernandez greeted Garcia's biker dude baby brother Chris Garcia. Former Hialeah Housing Authority commissioner Lourdes Lozano, the alcaldito's pick against Morales, greeted and chatted with Lizzie Lago, wife of council candidate Frank Lago.
Maximo "Rambo" Iglesias, Lizzie's dad, almost had some angry words for Casa Marin restaurant owner Diosdado Marin, because of Marin's statements on the radio about Lizzie's unsuccessful council run in 2007 (she beat Lozano, who came in fourth, not like Marin said) and Lago's unsuccessful state rep run earlier this year (he came in second, not third).

On Sunday, the police were called to the law office of Miriam Hernandez across the street from the library after the pachanga that the Garcia camp apparently got too loud. An officer told Ladra that there was a complaint against the noise and that they were there to enforce the county ordinance.

Campaign volunteers turned the music down.

A total of 386 peole voted on Saturday and 315 voted on Sunday. Early voting resumes from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week. More to come later.

Robaina returns in robocalls for notary

2011-10-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

He's baaaaaaack. Again.

Hialeah voters got a blast from the past on the phone Saturday when former Mayor Julio Robaina -- a relative recluse after his ruinous run for county mayor -- reached out with a recorded robocall for his former sister-in-law Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz on Saturday, the day that early voting started at the JFK library.

And only for Casals-Muñoz, official notary for the 1st Hialeah Bank of Julito (read: Robaina's shadow banking business). Further confirming the split between her and the other incumbents, Robaina's robocall didn't promote his other protoges, su acaldito Carlos Hernandez and Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez. Will there be more to come or will they stay jealous?

A very friendly Casals-Muñoz, who greeted everybody amicabally in the library parking lot-turned-campaign-central, said Robaina had told him he would do a robocall for her. "But I didn't know it would come out so soon," she said, and thanked Ladra for being the messenger (now ain't that a switch). While some people (read: candidate Danny Bolaños) may think it's a "tainted" recommendation, Robaina still had 75 percent of the votes in Hialeah in that June election, buoyed mostly by the absentee ballot machinery. Casals-Muñoz, who said she would pay for the robocall from her campaign account and not her Tallahassee-based PAC, may not have the benefit of that machinery in this race, but his seal of approval may still be a good sell. It can certainly help raise money. Robaina also had a fundraiser earlier this month for Casals-Muñoz and the other incumbents plus one (candidate and former Hialeah Housing Authority commissioner Lourdes Lozano). Casals-Muñoz raised $6,600 more in the last reporting period, which ended Oct. 11. She raised a total of $27,150 and has only spent about $2,800 of it so far.
While not "officially" on the slate with former State Sen. Rudy Garcia, another mayoral candidate, Casals-Muñoz -- who has tried to brush off a questionably $25,000 loan she made to Recaredo Gutierrez -- kept camp with his team of volunteers and hung out more with former Mayor Raul Martinez, who wants his old job back, and his Back to the Future crew than any incumbent. Does her cocky confidence mean she knows something we don't?

Are we going to hear robocall recommendations for Casals-Muñoz from her other supporters: State Sen. Rene Garcia (R, District 40) and State Reps. Eddy Gonzalez (R, District 102) and Jose Oliva (R, District 110)?

Alcaldito, J Martinez share $ sources

2011-10-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

While the Back to the Future crew, under the leadership of former Mayor Raul Martinez, have shunned funds from the maquinita industry, there is one slate mate who has jumped ship: former Mayor Julio Martinez, once a foe now a friend, has taken at least $1,500 from companies with maquinita permits who have also donated to the campaigns of the current and past administration.

But those are not the only contributions Julio "The Replacement" Martinez shares with el alcaldito Carlos Hernandez and former mayor Julio Robaina, who funded a $3.5 million+ bid for the county mayor's job that he lost at the 11th hour. There are contributions from Sergio Pino's companies as well and some of the same construction and management or real estate interests with bundled contributions: $2,000 in 10 $200 checks from Evelio Garcia and family and companies and $2,000 from developer Domingo Pando and his, for example. Benajamin Leon of Leon Medical Centers and his companies and relatives gave at least $1,500 in $500 maximum gifts. There is also $3,000 in six $500 contributions from firefighter locals across the county and their PACs, likely encouraged by the increasingly influential Hialeah fire union, which gave Julio Martinez their endorsement and collected funds for the other Back to the Future friends (but were unpleasantly surprised to hear of his monetary support base).

Julio Martinez's campaign reports are interesting reading. He has a $250 contribution from former Miami City Manager Jose Garcia-Pedrosa and $1,000 from Alex "No Pagues Ese Ticket" Hanna. Most intriguing, however, is a $250 contribution from Re Gu Records, owned by Recaredo Gutierrez, who borrowed money at high interest from former Mayor Alex Penelas, and soon-to-be former alcaldito Carlos Hernandez and Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz in a shadow banking industry that has been exposed by the media and a self-proclaimed music producer from Las Vegas (read: maquinitas). Gutierrez did not want to talk to Ladra about the loans -- which he is reportedly still making payments on, payments that may not be reported -- and was unhappy I called Wednesday morning. "Frankly, I don't have anything to say about any of this," said Gutierrez, who noted a $50,000 debt to el alcaldito when he claimed bankruptcy (which came out in the Miami Herald's shadow banking story before the mayoral primary). "I am a businessman with a low profile and I don't need to be involved in this. I am not a public person. And I would ask you not to call me again." (But there will be more later anyway.)

Julio Martinez told me, basically, the same thing he told the Miami Herald's editorial board: that maquinita money is as good as any other money."As long as they are legal, I am in favor," Martinez said in a telephone interview Wednesday morning, completely aware that the boss frowns upon the industry. "I don't want Hialeah people to get picked up on buses and taken to the Indians who don't give anything back to Hialeah. When they become illegal, I'll be against them."

As for Gutierrez, Martinez said he knew him only as a maquinita interest (told ya) and didn't know about the West Dade man's loans with Hernandez and Casals-Muñoz. "I didn't know they were in business." He seemed to put little weight on the fact that Gutierrez is also supporting Hernandez's campaign.

While surprised about the contributions from what would seem like tainted sources, the other Martinez shrugged off the seeming conflict of interest. "They know each other from before," he said about Gutierrez. "And Julio is wrong on the maquinitas, but I can't tell him not to accept checks."

Yes, you can. That's why you are the boss. Try it like this: "Hey, blockhead! Stop taking tainted money from the crooks who want to keep el alcaldito in power so they can keep the status quo. You don't need that extra baggage."

Because, Raul, you don't need that extra baggage.

Hialeah's AB machine whirs again

2011-10-19T01:33:00.000-07:00

The numbers are simply staggering.

Ladra took a stroll down the Miami-Dade election department's website and the absentee ballot report as of Tuesday's totals show that a whopping 17,780 absentee ballots have been mailed in Hialeah. That's 20 percent of the 88,565 or so voters registered.

There are more than twice as many ABs already mailed out to Hialeah voters than to voters in Miami, where 7,680 absentee ballots were sent out among the 74,430 registered voters in the two contested seats, for 10 percent so far. Miami Beach has a barely respectable 3,862 ABs mailed out among it's roughly 43,000 registered voters (just under nine percent). Homestead gets no respect: 980 ABs have been mailed out so far to less than 5 percent of the 20,000 registered voters.

But that's not the end of the story because there could be thousands more ABs requested and mailed in the City of Retrogress, which is famous for its history with AB voter fraud. Because while the number of absentee ballot requests taper off in the other three cities, it practically explodes exponentially in Hialeah. After the initial 16,093 were sent Oct. 8 to voters who are already on the county's AB list, the elections department has been sending boxes of ballots to Hialeahns who have also requested them for this election -- 80 went out between Oct. 11 and 12, another 115 were sent on Oct. 13 and more than double, 262, went out on Oct. 14. After the weekend, another 425 ballots were mailed to Hialeah voters on Monday and 805 went out on Tuesday.

In comparison, 15 ABs were mailed to voters in Miami and seven to voters in Miami Beach Tuesday. The same day, 805 were mailed to voters in Hialeah.

How much you want to bet more than 2,000 additional absentee ballots are mailed out by the end of this week?

But Hialeah also has a higher rate of return, caballero. You get out of it what you put into it, right? No wonder it is the AB capital of the world. As of the close of day on Tuesday, there were 5,354 absentee ballots returned from Hialeah voters. Again, proportionally larger and more than twice as many as the 2,107 returned so far in the city of Miami elections, the 1,005 returned in Miami Beach and the 342 that came back to the elections department from Homestead.

These staggering, mushrooming numbers can only mean that the AB requests have been intentionally seeded in Hialeah -- and that the absentee ballot brokers are now in the harvest. Several voters have already reported having campaign workers or employees from the alcaldito's office at City Hall come by to collect their ballots. Two of the council candidates have told Ladra they were approached by a known broker (more on that later) and the Miami-Dade Police Department's public corruption unit is, yet again, investigating allegations of a well-oiled, fine-tuned absentee ballot machine run by AB Queen Sasha Tirador, who has sub-soldiers that work the assisted living facilities and public housing buildings for hundreds of questionable votes.

Let's hope something sticks this time -- before the next election finds more than 50 percent of voters casting their ballots by mail (read: risk having their votes stolen).

Ack! The PAC attacks are back!

2011-10-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

While everyone is watching the candidates and their campaigns, PACs have proliferated at an alarming rate as four cities known for raunchy races -- Hialeah, Homestead, Miami and Miami Beach -- get within the two week mark of Election Day.

We will get to the other cities later (really, we will... there is just too much PACing going on), but Ladra's favorite election grounds have to go first. Hialeah has been dry for too long and the City of Retrogress has at least seven PACs so far, split between the three mayoral candidates alone (and, yes, Ladra has written George "Who?" Castro off). The two ABC front running candidates, former Mayor Raul Martinez and former State Sen. Rudy Garcia (R, District 40) are apparently appeased for now with one PAC a piece, although the Dark Prince's PAC is outraising the Ghost's PAC by a 4 to 1 margin. The other five found so far are apparently going to bat for su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez, who has learned this divide and conquer mentality from master/mentor former Mayor Julio Robaina, with 11 or 12 PACs (who could keep count?) that spent more than $3.5 million on his failed bid for the county mayoral post (including millions in contributions from companies and their principals who are now doing business with the city through juicy no-bid contracts that are rubber-stamped by the dozens. In fact, several of the Hernandez PACs are hand-me-downs. One of those is (1) Citizens for Clarity, which had spent close to $130,000 on the Robaina campaign (including $92,000 for his absentee ballot broker Sasha Tirador, who is currently campaign manager for Hernandez and has been the only payee so far since July 1 for a total of $37,200 ($19,000 for consulting, nearly $10,000 for printing and another $8,000+ for tracking) by the Clarity PAC. (about $130,000 so far just from that one PAC so Tirador is having a very good year, despite her unfortunate TV appearances). That PAC reported collecting an additional $67,500 in contributions since the run-off, of which almost half are from gaming interests, including $20,000 from maquinita kingpin Jesus Navarro and his companies. There are also donations of $4,000 from Ignacio Zulueta, of Academica Charter schools, $5,000 from Gus Machado, and $3,500 from Masoud Shojaee, the owner of Shoma Homes. Another one of the post Robaina PACs is the (2) [Un]Truth for Our Community PAC chaired by Hialeah Housing Authority Director Julio Ponce out of the same Miami Lakes building where Robaina has his offices. Of the $48,000 spent so far since the county race, $16,000 went to McLaughlin & Associates for a survey, another $16,000 to the Americans for a Better Tomorrow PAC (more on that later? who knows?) in West Palm Beach and $12,000 to (3) The Democracy Project. Sound familiar? Yes, it's the new and improved version of the [Non]Accountability Project that spent more than $1 million on the failed Robaina race. Run by veteran PACman extraordinaire Keith Donner, the Democracy Project also got another $10,000 from the Roberto Cayon family that bundled tens of thousands of dollars into the Robaina campaign. Donner funneled the $12K from Ponce's group to the new (4) Citizen Action, Inc., which is responsible for the nasty and completely out of context TV commercials with the 1999 video of Martinez whaling on some poor "innocent" drug dealing convict who had been terrorizing the crowd, according to multiple sources. And, while some people think the TV ad came from the Garcia camp, Ladra believes that one is all alcaldito. Donner could be working with either side, of course. He has no loyalty other than to his fee. And he has friends in the Hernandez camp in Tirador and Tiradorita-in-training Vanessa Brito as well as on the Garcia campaign, in campaign operatives Al Lorenzo and Ana Carbonell. But the money trail leads back to Hernandez through the Ponce PAC contribution. Still... Citizen Action Inc. also got $37,000 from (5) Protect Florida's Economic Freedom, a Tampa PAC with contributions from developer Tibor Hollo ($15,000), Continental Citrus in Broward ($10,000) and Coastal Construction ($10,000). Hey, isn't Coastal Construction doing something at the water plant?

Garcia, whose whole public demeanor and rhetoric has focused on keeping his campaign clean, has his own attack PAC to do the dirty work. The Conservative Leadership Coalition is one of at least four PACs recently formed by treasurer extraordinaire Jose "Pepe" Riesco, the favorite fundraiser for Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart. Riesco also tried, but failed, to stop the recall of former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and tried, and succeeded, to elect a relatively unknown cigar dealer named Jose Oliva in the contested race for state rep in District 110. Of the $24,000 the PAC collected from July 6 to Sept. 30, the largest donation ($6,000) came from Aneli Artwork, a company owned by Shojaee, the owner of Shoma Homes and all its conglomerates (who is hedging his bets Ladra bets). Another $5,000 came from a company tied to developer Armando Codina and another $5,000 came from a company owned by Luis Machado, who has several charter school businesses with Joaquin Aviño and other businesses with lobbyist Felix Lasarte, boss of Hialeah Councilman Pablito "Huh" Hernandez, who has to recuse himself every time the reverse osmosis hypermilliondollar water plant comes before the council. Miami-Dade School Board Member Carlos Curbelo gave $2,000 through his public affairs consulting firm, Capitol Gains. The Coalition PAC has spent $2,125 as of its Sept. 30 reporting deadline -- which does not include this mailer it sent attacking Hernandez.

Garcia, who never knows anything about any backroom dealings or who paid for what survey or where who stands because he doesn't pay any attention to that gossipy part of politics (yadda yadda), denies any connection to the PAC, as if that is going to be all it takes to keep his arm's length. Ladra doesn't like it when someone lies to her face and she knows that he knows about the PAC because, c'mon Senator, we know a lot of the same people. Didn't you think it'd get back to me? When I first asked Garcia about it, he said "I'm not involved." When I explained that of course he was not involved because that was the whole point, but that it was his supporters, he said, "I don't know about it," and "I can't help it if people want to do this." Ladra hardly believes that Riesco is the kind of wreckless freelancer that would just go out on his own and "do this," as Garcia seems to want us to believe. And that's not very transparent, is it?

Martinez may not be forthcoming about everything. But he doesn't lie to my face when he doesn't want to tell me something. When I asked if he had a PAC, he didn't hesitate. "Of course, I have a PAC. Do you think I'm going to let them have a PAC and not have one myself?" Then, when I asked him to tell me the name of the PAC and how much he had raised or who the chairperson was, he laughed. Or scoffed. I can't always tell. "You find out," he barked at me while he walked off to his car. "You're the journalist. I'm not going to do your work for you." But this is honest. And I did find it. Because it wasn't hidden where he could claim no ties to it. It's quite obvious. Mabel Mizrahi, the Dark Prince's longtime assistant, is listed as the chairperson and treasurer of Fiscal Responsibility Now, formed Sept. 20. Yes, it sounds like the Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez PAC, Common Sense Now. And maybe it will be as effective. So far, it has outraised Garcia's PAC 4 to 1 with $108,500, almost half of which ($50,000) comes from John, Steve, and John Jr. Brunetti, $12,000 from Hollywood developer Mercedes Thomas and $10,000 from developer Armando Codina (who I guess is also hedging his bets, though he bet twice as much on Garcia) and Florida National College. He also has $5,000 from Telecuba Communications, a Hialeah company owned by Luis Coello which last year was granted licenses by the U.S. Government, Department of Treasury to install a first of its kind direct fiber optic subsea cable between Key West and Havana -- which will likely fuel the communist campaign crud that is sure to come. Fiscal Responsibility Now has spent $6,000 of its funds -- on advertising on America Teve.

Are we dizzy yet? Do you see why PACs make Ladra growl?

Checks, lies & videotape in Hialeah

2011-10-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

Not everyone was so surprised to hear about Hialeah alcaldito Carlos Hernandez's loansharking business. What surprised some people was that it took so long to come out again. But we can probably thank el alcaldito himself for that -- and the campaign. And TV news host Oscar Haza, perhaps. And former Mayor and front-running candidate Raul Martinez, maybe.

It was during Haza's mayoral debate last month that Hernandez was first publicly asked about his role in the "shadow banking" business dealings of former Mayor Julio Robaina, who lost his bid for the county mayoral seat, which were exposed when a Ponzi schemer spilled the beans. Martinez had supplied Haza (and, later, other reporters) with checks made out to Hernandez y Perez. What las malas lenguas tell Ladra is that apparently, Luis Felipe Perez or his mother (more likely, since he is already in the pen) saw the debate where Hernandez calls himself a victim of Felipito's fraud and says he was robbed and that Perez still owes him money. "That's what that mal agradecido says about you after everything you did or didn't do for him, mi gordito," I can imagine her saying. "I told you he's no Julio." So after holding back some, Felipito apparently sang like a pajaro lindo zunzun. We don't know if anyone is investigating su alcaldito for, among other things, usury after charging 36 percent interest, but surely this story should get the state attorney a head start. Because even though Hernandez says he is not under investigation, that doesn't mean he's not. Remember, he is a liar.

Hernandez has gone back and forth on so many issues so many times one might get dizzy trying to keep up. First there's a $19 million surplus in the city accounts. Then there's an $8 million deficit. Then there is no deficit. Then there is a $13 million shortfall. All of it recorded in one way or another. First, he says he has no knowledge of a fundraiser for his campaign by illegal gaming interests. Then -- after he is confronted with the invitation that has his paid political ad disclaimer on it and told that if someone used it without his consent it could be a problem -- he admits that his friend, maquinita kingpin Jesus Navarro, threw the fundraising event. First, he says the bus ride for seniors and the now-famous IHOP brunch to "maximize the exposure" for his campaign was paid for by an anonymous donor from the community who did not want to be identified. On video. Then, it was paid out of the city's general fund. First, he says the checks paid to Felipito Perez were never cashed. On a TV debate. Then, he says they were payment for interest on two loans totaling $180,000 and that he was still owed the principal. On tape. Then, he says it was for the principal, which was paid first, contrary to all common lending business practices. On video. Then he says there was no written agreement. Yeah, riiiiight. I bet notary to the sharks Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz can tell us. According to people who know, "she has her fingerprints on everything," meaning she notarized the paperwork for all the First Hialeah Bank of Julito preferred customers, including Perez. Casals-Muñoz, who has distanced herself from su alcaldito, told Ladra last month that she had spoken to investigators in the grand jury case and had provided them with copies of her documents.

Hernandez lies about everything. He lies about the bogus budget filled with discrepancies and errors and, perhaps, intentional nooks an crannies. He lies about city employees. He lies about the negotiations with the fire union. He lies about his abuse of the police department. He lies about not knowing Tony "Phony" Vega. He lies about the people who supposedly called and asked him for the backwards efficiency law. He lies about his critics. So of course he's going to lie about his own, shady business dealings. And that's why people, finally, don't believe him anymore. And we don't mean just the press -- although Ladra and the Miami Herald (denounced after its story on su alcaldito's freelance loan consulting business) may soon be joined by other reporters from TV and radio. Journalists like Pedro Sevcec, who guest hosted A Mano Limpia last week in what is one of the most breathtakingly wonderful pieces of TV magazine journalism I have ever seen. " Oh, look! What a coincidence," Sevcec exaggeratedly and sarcastically exclaims about the 37 checks made out to Hernandez from Perez, all for exactly $3,000 or $2,400 -- the exact amount if it were for interest, not principal as he claims. Sevcec did all but wink, wink at the audience. Even more importantly, though, voters are starting to see through their alcaldito's lies.

According to tracking reported by one of the other campaigns, Hernandez's numbers have gone down dramatically from about a 28 on Monday to a 20 or 21 Friday, after the story came out. I guess voters are finally getting the idea that their alcaldito is not all he says he is (read: he is lying). The wildest thing about that is that Hernandez himself hurried the story, which was reportedly scheduled to go into the big, highly distributed Sunday paper -- giving him two or three more days of absentee voting before the negative headlines. But by scheduling a press conference for Thursday and announcing it Wednesday, Hernandez played the Herald's hand and pushed the story up to Thursday. Who's giving this guy media advice? Is it that other liar, absentee ballot queen Sasha Tirador? No wonder.

Ladra would be very surprised if one of them or both, more likely, don't lie about something again today.

City paid for campaign pancakes

2011-10-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

Two weeks after that infamous lunch with senior residents from public housing at IHOP -- you know, where Alcaldito Carlos Hernandez insulted balseros and divorced women and Council President Isis "Gavergirl" Garcia-Martinez had a hissy fit when we caught her in a blatant lie -- we still don't know what the real cost was and who paid for the city-promoted event, which was really a campaign stop for su alcaldito and his incumbent slate. Was it an "anonymous donor" who footed the bill, as was first claimed, or it was it on the taxpayers' tab? We still don't know. When we ask the actual alcaldito and the council members live and in person, their lips are sealed (unlike at IHOP). But the official story from their mouthpieces and go-betweens keeps changing, too.

So, who paid for lunch?

At first, the mayor's campaign director and absentee ballot queen Sasha Tirador said repeatedly that the lunch was paid for by an "anonymous" donation to the special events department for such events and that the donor did not want to be known for fear of retribution (an inadvertent admission that even their camp believes former Mayor Raul Martinez will return). I believe Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez may have said so also. On the radio. An invoice from the restaurant is addressed to the city, but it does not indicate where the funds came from. The bill was $500 for 50 pancake combos including drinks at $10 per person (though I don't think there were 50 senior residents there. Let's count them in our popular video -- destined to be a greatest hits -- by my new best friend, cameraman Raul "El Toro" Torres: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1-A38ekCUk.). The bill from IHOP was sent to the city's communications and special events department and the check request is from Education and Community Services (the new umbrella for the special events department, which is code for political PR department). The event is called an "adult center program" and there is no reference to the alleged "anonymous" donor that supposedly did not want to be named. Ladra wants to know -- no, scratch that -- needs to know who the "anonymous donor" is (or, conversely, why anyone felt the need to lie about that). It could be relevant if it turns out to be one of the alcaldito's big financial supporters on his campaign like Robertico Blanco or Herman Echevarria or, even, Julio Robaina. Wouldn't that be relevant? The source of funding could further show -- not that there really needs to be any more nails in that coffin -- that the city-promoted, staff-supported event was a campaign stop in disguise. That's why I pressed Hernandez and the others about it. Now that the story has changed and it looks like the check came out of the general fund, then it is a taxpayer-funded, city-paid event for campaign purposes and su alcaldito and his incumbent-slate-minus-one used city resources to woo voters. City funds, city staff, city vehicles.

The event was supposed to be an unveiling of eight new circulator buses from the county. But two weeks later, those buses are not on Hialeah streets. They're parked in a fleet maintenance yard, out of service. Why would you unveil buses that won't be in use for five or six weeks? That's how long it will take, said City Attorney Bill "Go-Between" Grodnick, in a clumsy stab at an explanation about titles from the county and whether or not they were going to get the title or leave it with the county. Or something. I am not making this up. Look at the video by Raul Torres: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajMsx0InXt4

So, this hasn't been decided yet and you unveil the buses? Really? Really? It isn't because there wouldn't be a campaign opportunity when they are ready three or four weeks from now, is it? Because if he waited until the buses were actually ready, su alcaldito wouldn't be able to "maximize the exposure," (read: milk the spin) as Grodnick said -- finally, some truth -- when he answered for the mute mayorette for the I-don't-know-whath-time at Tuesday's council meeting (more on that later). But nobody, not even Grodnick, could answer the basic question that we still have after 14 days: Who paid for lunch?

Gavelgirl said everybody knew that and suggested I be more specific with my questions of the city clerk's office. (Read: "Next"). Okay, next it is. Because now I'm not satisfied with this one alleged anonymous pancake party patron, if indeed there ever was one. Now Ladra wants a list of all, anonymous or not anonymous, donations, gifts, grants or contributions of any kind to any department, division, office or officer or any part thereof in the city or any quasi-independent agency, such as Hialeah Housing by or from or through any person, group of persons, any corporation, any non-profit, or any entity of any kind since January 1 of this year. And where those monies were applied. I want to get information, which could be verbal if someone is allowed to speak with me, about the process by which donors contribute to these events and whether or not there is criteria. I also want to know what the city paid in gas, salary for the five or six or more employees that were there woofing down their own pancake combos at IHOP two weeks ago and any other costs associated with that particular roadtrip event. I'm making a public records request for the photographs and video that the city recorded of the event and will ask for those. To see if they match up with any campaign ads. Because the event was definitely a political campaign stop on what I now call (thanks, Bill) the "maximize the exposure" tour (more on that later).

My man 'El Toro' even has, on video, some campaign literature on a table that would have been taken out if we had not been there. A man entered the IHOP with a Hernandez for mayor t-shirt and was told to remove it. Then he became very aggressive with us both at IHOP and the next day at the Gus Machado Ford on West 49th Street when I went to speak on a live radio broadcast to counter su alcaldito's lies. This guy with the t-shirt incident said, and it was recorded by Telemundo 51, that "it was a political meeting."

Bingo. Told ya.

And if it is a political meeting being paid for with city funds and/or it is being attended by city staff on city time, it is not only a political meeting, but an illegal political meeting. Maybe Internal Affairs should investigate that.

Maybe then they can tell us who really paid for lunch: The taxpayers.

More no-bid $$ in Hialeah handouts

2011-10-12T01:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday's episode of As Hialeah Churns was [almost] a real sleeper.

There was (of course) no restraining order awaiting Ladra at City Hall when she went -- without incident -- to the city council meeting. There was no verbal sparring between the Dark Prince and the man who thinks he's king. There was no sea of red shirts and far fewer TV cameras than in recent days, too, so there was less self-promotional grandstanding.

There was, however, still lots of disrespect and disdain for the public and critical employees like supervisor Jose "Pepper" Azze, who refuses to back down when su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez won't answer a simple question. And they stuck to using City Attorney Bill Go-Between Grodnick to answer for them in his desperate "because I say so" tone. But more on that later.

And there were still, of course, a bunch of no-bid contracts -- nine for a little more than $500,000. Though some of the requests to waive the competitive process were for sole source vendors (their italics, not mine) -- and it's always "advantageous for the city" -- there were some expenditures on that consent agenda that may be questionable in these hard economic times. This includes $30,000 worth of Papa John's Pizza, the exclusive pizza provider for city events. Ladra can't help but wonder how many city events one has to have with pizza to go through $2,500 a month in Papa John's. That's a lot of pepperoncinis in these austere economic times. There were other requests to increase purchase orders and/or "amend the contract" and Ladra can't help but wonder what the cumulative impact of all this willy-nilly spending is. Oh, wait, I know. It's cutting employees' pay by 30 percent and firing 40 percent of your fire rescue personnel so you can keep handing out juicy deals and contracts to your friends and political backers. More than half of that half-million in handouts went to extend the contract, without going to bid, for janitorial services by Silva Management of Miami -- who contributed at least $750 to the failed county mayoral campaign by former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina, who Ladra smells behind the strings on su alcaldito at City Hall. The same amount was donated to the Robaina campaign by MacMillan Oil Company, which had a huge night at the dais. First, the council waived going to bid and use a previous 2008 bid to pay for $42,000 in diesel for generators at the future Reverse Osmosis water treatment plant. Then, the company owned by Amancio and Daniel Alonso got a $465,000 increase in another purchase order for diesel fuel. But that wasn't enough. MacMillan also got a $1.4 purchase order tacked onto their 3-year old bid. More water treatment plant business also went to SRS Engineering, which got a $30,000 purchase order to design some wells and piping. They had invested $1,700 in Robaina's campaign.

We will know later this week if any of these companies have given to any of the current incumbents campaign accounts.

Election starts today with ABs

2011-10-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Forget Nov. 1. The election in Hialeah starts today.

That's when absentee voters will begin to get their ballots in their mail. Then, they'll each probably get a phone call from one campaign or the other to ask if they received their absentee ballot and if they know what to do with it -- or maybe want help to fill it out, wink wink. They will likely have someone offer a free postage stamp or -- and here's the clincher -- volunteer to take it for them to the the next mailbox or post office. Seniors who live in public housing might have already been "prepped" for the ballot drop. There could be a collection by a "coordinator" in the comedor. Or one of the resident neighbors who -- for pay or for passion -- "helps" fill in the bubbles and then bundles them for one or the other campaign. Or one of the office secretaries, who has the power to make a resident's life miserable all year long, might collect them door to door. We've heard all the stories. Some people have even reported having their ballots stolen out of their very mailboxes.

Because it's an easily maniputable process -- and even lends itself to downright destruction of and tampering with ballots (read: theft of votes) -- ABs have become increasingly popular and easier to abuse in Florida over the years as lawmakers (who stand much to gain or lose) make changes that weaken the checks and balances. It has created a cottage industry of "ballot brokers" who charge thousands or tens of thousands to, first, drive absentee ballot requests and, then, make sure they are reaped when its time to harvest -- before the other farmers come around. The queen broker is Sasha Tirador, who I've seen and heard from way too much lately but who cannot be ignored as the ABs hit the street in Hialeah. Tirador has been the queen for quite a while on the ABs, especially in the City of Retrogress. She has long been suspected of using unscrupulous and even illicit methods and was investigated by the State Attorney's Office for absentee voter fraud after the 2008 congressional race where former Mayor Raul Martinez lost to former U.S. Respresenatative Lincoln Diaz-Balart. Tirador, who is now working for alcaldito Carlos Hernandez and his slate of incumbents-minus-one-plus-one, worked for Diaz-Balart, who, las malas lenguas say, is silently supporting former State Sen. Rudy Garcia in the mayoral race (he certainly can't support Hernandez after the former council president publicly backed Martinez in the congressional race). Despite telling me once a few weeks ago that she would show me the AB ropes, Ladra highly doubts now that Tirador was sincere. She's dishonest about everything (more on that later). But not about the voter fraud inquiry -- since she declined to give a voluntary statement. And no wonder. Prosecutors found widespread evidence that absentee ballot fraud had ocurred, but chickened out, er, I mean decided not to press charges against anybody because it would be difficult to prove. Tirador's rotten reign may be ending, however, as shown in the last couple of elections where she has run her machine. After handing handy victories in 2009 -- where former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina got 9,147 of the 9,756 absentee votes, practically tripling his his 3,280 AB votes in 2005 -- she worked for the failed state rep bid by former Farm Bureau chief Katie Edwards, who is now running for a state house seat in Broward. Then stumped for current Hialeah council candidate Frank Lago when he ran for state rep, but many say she wasn't really trying since her main boss, Robaina, was apparently supporting Jose Oliva, who did win (Rep. District 110). She lost Robaina's bid for county mayor, but while he won in ABs, he only got a little more than 1,000 over Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. But there is no denying that the ABs have become crucial. In the June 28 race, more people voted absentee (81,355) than on Election Day (79,802). The difference came in the early voting numbers (39,595) where Gimenez had a wider lead. One could argue that Hernandez and his henchmen, including Tirador, count on most of Hialeah's 9,000+ AB votes marked for their master/mentor Robaina in June.

While they may deny it -- or disguise it with words like "get out the vote" -- the other two mayoral campaigns, and their respective slates or lack thereof, have some kind of absentee ballot strategy (Ladra does not count George Castro because there is enough she can't get to already). The AB plan could be intricately detailed and complicated -- as in city employee drivers who shuttle little old ladies to a series of assisted living facilities where residents can't tell you what day of the week it is but will "sign" absentee ballots -- or as simple as just calling AB voters to remind them of their committment or a candidate's platform or position. Armies of volunteers (and, in some cases, perhaps paid ballot brokers) will fan out across the city to ensure that the ABs they have counted as their supporters are safely delivered first -- before they get snatched up by another campaign.

"This is vital, because nowadays, you can win or lose an election by absentee votes," Martinez said as he spoke to about 100 supporters and volunteers Monday night, careful to stress the importance of getting the ABs that they believe are for his team without touching or carrying any ballots. "Under no circumstances are you to mark the ballot," he said slowly. "'If you want me to do it, the answer is no. But I can tell you who I support and why.'" On the other hand, the absentee ballots are not counted if filled out improperly. "That's the kind of help we can offer," Martinez told them. "Don't take that ballot. The voter has to go and put it in the mail." The city's firefighters, who spearheaded a voter fraud prevention campaign during the mayoral election (maybe that's why Gimenez's lead was a scant 1,000 instead of 3,000+) and have already been going around promoting the union-endorsed Martinez, will carry stamps and wheelchairs to make it easier for people to vote by mail, but have been instructed not to take any ballots and to only offer their choices if asked. And absolutely no ballots are to be brought back to the campaign headquarters. "I don't want any ballots here. They will say you are a ballot broker," Martinez said, because in Hialeah you kinda have to make it clear to any over-zealous supporters. "We have to remind them not to give the ballot over to anyone."

Martinez told Ladra he had never done an AB campaign before and while I want to believe him, he would either have to be (a) very new at this or (b) very bad at it -- and he is (c) something else. What I do believe is that the Dark Prince won't try anything now. "The eyes are always going to be on me," he said. "They are going to be watching to see what we do, to see what Raul Martinez does." He's right. We already know that he is being watched by internal affairs. At least sometimes. Ladra is sure she is in some of the pictures. After all, if he lets me in to hear his AB team rah speech, I'm staying. (More on that later). But what he means is that they are always going to be watching, waiting for him to make a wrong move. He has to be more careful than most. And so does anyone around him.

"None of us want to win if any of you get in trouble," Martinez told an adoring crowd that listened, mostly standing, for half an hour. "It would not be pleasant to be sitting up there and have one of you behind bars."

Ladra's not sure he has much to worry about. The state attorney's office has known about voter fraud for years and, it seems to this dog, it would be easy to stop if they got people on the inside or simply put some surveillance on the usual suspects -- names that always come up no matter who Ladra talks to about AB harvesting -- and make a real dent in this detriment to democracy. What are they waiting for?

Abuse of power & police in Hialeah

2011-10-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

When we in South Florida read about a place where government officials use the armed forces to investigate and intimidate opposition leaders and independent journalists because they threaten their iron-fisted rule, we are usually reading about Havana or Caracas. Not Hialeah, U.S.A.

But Ladra's suspicions that the mayor and perhaps one or more council members are abusing their power seemed to gain traction Thursday night when former Mayor Raul Martinez whipped out a police report about himself -- the subject of surveillance by Internal Affiars -- on the Los Implicados magazine-type show on MegaTV. The story will likely travel at the speed of light now that it was confirmed by Enrique Flor of El Nuevo Herald, who talked to the chief and the mayor and posted the story Friday. http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/10/07/1039948/martinez-denuncia-uso-de-policia.html (Hard copy is likely on Saturday and Ladra is going to buy 10. They make lovely gifts).

Alcaldito Carlos Hernandez himself, according to the police chief, called in the complaint after getting an "anonymous" tip that Martinez would be at a public housing building at 1360 Westr 26th Place (with 300 unites) at 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 22. Martinez was tailed by Internal Affairs Det. Hilda Reyes -- who made a detailed report of what she could see. "Former Mayor Raul Martinez was observed entering apartment 207C at the Affordable Housing facility... a neighbor on apartment 207C was seen getting chairs and placing them inside the apartment. Other neighbors were also seen brining in white boxes of what appeared to be pastries." That's right, ladies and gentlemen: smoking pastelitos. "The meeting was very private it lasted about an hour and there were approximate 10 neighbors inside the apartment. Once the meeting concluded, Mr. Martinez exited the apartment very quietly and waved at some neighbors that were outside of their apartments. Mr. Martinez was not observed giving any political speeches in public to the elderly community while he was there. He did not do any door-to-door solicitation of any kind and nor did he conduct any presentations in public. There were no political signs or advertisement posted or displayed at the elderly community complex while Mr. Martinez was present," reads the intricately-detailed report by Reyes, who also included parts of the policy on third party solicitation in city-owned residential properties (housing centers, aka voting hubs), since the complaint was about a violation of that policy which the mayor, a former police lieutenant, had coincidentally distributed a reminder of in the city five days earlier. "I did not find any evidence that Mr. Martinez was giving political speeches in residential properties for the elderly. I did not find any evidence that Mr. Martinez violated the listed policy," Reyes wrote.

Martinez told Ladra that it was a "meet and greet" by one of the residents, whose rights to invite political candidates into her home are not only protected by the constitution but also by the city policy on public housing, as stated in the internal email reminder of the policy on August 17. "This policy is not intended to curtail political speech. Political speech shall be permitted in City of Hialeah-owned residential properties for the elderly," the report says. After a second meet-and-greet, two employees who had never had a disciplinary issue were fired allegedly for not reporting that Martinez was there. A third "coffee chat" in a different housing building was cancelled after Martinez said he feared residents were being harassed. "This is an abuse," he said.

Reyes' official "inquiry" was written and turned in at 11 a.m. Aug. 23. But it wasn't approved by her supervisors until Sept. 20 and by Police Chief Mark Overton on Sept. 21. The paperwork says the preliminary complaint was made by Overton's office. But Overton told Flor he did it at the mayor's request after Hernandez got an anonymous call to the mayor's office by someone who wanted to alert the mayor to the actions of Martinez and "his group." Okay. Let's ask for a record of calls to the mayor's office on the day of that anonymous tip. Not because I don't want to let the person remain anonymous. Just because I don't believe him. Just like the "anonymous donor" who supposedly paid for the IHOP lunch does not appear to exist (more on that later).

So there you have it, folks. It can't get simpler than that. Su alcaldito is telling the police chief to follow his main challenger in the November election and report back with details on the where, what and who? Really? REALLY? Is anybody else getting chills. Su alcaldito told Flor that the days of having poice follow political candidates was from the Martinez era and Overton told Flor his officers do not follow anyone for political reasons. But that's a lie. Because I know for a fact that an officer followed me, likely at the chief's behest, likely at the request of the mayor, who I suspect likely used city police resources to have me investigated. And I'm not the only one. Other candidates, fire union President Mario Pico and even family members of employees that are critical have reported being followed. Well, that's when police are not too busy driving by the homes of the mayor and the council members at least twice on each shift after they asked for a watch order. I think that some of the other non-incumbent candidates and some of the leaders in the firefighters union should also ask for a watch order. They are the ones who really need one.

Ladra is going to have to add this Martinez surveillance report to the two false police reports that Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez filed on me -- fully realizing she was making a false report each time (this photo is right before she filed a trespass on me -- illegally, since I left the campaign office and was in the parking lot when I was trespassed). I filed an complaint at the police department and should be able to pick up an information report by Monday. And I will follow up with the Assistant State Attorney in the public corruption unit with whom I spoke last week about what is obviously abuse of power.

Can we all say o f f i c i a l m i s c o n d u c t??.

Instead of tailing Martinez and investigating me, the Hialeah Police should do something about real crime. Like the vulgar, obscene phone threats received repeatedly at the Martinez campaign headquarters from Carlos A. Fernandez, who lives on West 22nd Street. Fernandez had left his caller ID on so that Angela Martinez knew who to call. Officers apparently took him to the station and had a talk with him and told the Martinez camp the guy was so scared he wouldn't try that again. "There is no probable cause for an arrest at this time," says a be-on-the-lookout that police did provide the Martinez camp with so they could recognize the guy if he suddenly came by. But Ladra wants to know who gets that kind of treatment. Can anyone who breaks the law go through the police station's "scared straight" program and avoid charges?

This is outrageous and the situation demands for an independent law enforcement authority to do its own inquiry ASAP. Today. Not tomorrow. Not after the election. Because abuse of power can get especially dangerous during election campaigns.

And because the police are supposed to be there to protect and serve the public, the people of Hialeah -- not the mayor of Hialeah.

El alcaldito's AB play with fire

2011-10-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

At the 11th hour -- and on the eve of the all-important absentee ballot mailing in Hialeah -- el alcaldito Carlos Hernandez stood for a photo op on the back of a fire rescue truck with the president of the firefighters' union, a man he has maligned for weeks, and basically thumped his chest.

He's going to make it look like he saved the day, like he got the firefighter paramedics in the city -- who have only asked for transparency before they give up everything they have earned -- to let go of some of their "juicy" pay and benefits. But he didn't. The union leadership bent over, er, I mean gave up two days of holiday pay in order to keep paying the 23 fired firefighters (14 working and nine in the academy) until Nov. 30 -- and then they might get fired anyway with the other 35 Dec. 1.That's right, the firefighters are paying their salaries. For this sacrifice out of their own pockets, the city will withdraw it's illegally-imposed impasse -- declared less than two hours into the last bargaining session -- and withdraw the third appeal of a PERC ruling against Hialeah for unfair labor practices (which they would have lost anyway). Oh, and they will "open" their books (which they had to do anyway).

Really? REALLY? The city is going to open books that are public records by Florida law and have to be opened to anybody who asks? I'll believe it when I see it. Or ,maybe they're cooked to look like they're good books, but they won't be. I don't believe that they will show the firefighters everything because there is money hidden there. People have found some already, just in the proposed budget. And the agreement hammered out Thursday after hours of hand-wringing negotiations -- the first time su alcaldito is involved himself -- says the city "agrees to expeditiously provide all financial data requested by the union not otherwise shielded by law from public disclosure." Which sounds like a loophole to Ladra. What's expeditiously? They won't say tomorrow that they are in election time and too busy to look for the records, will they? What financial data is shielded from public disclosure or exempted from public disclosure as per the Florida Government in the Sunshine statute?

What even a dog like Ladra knows is that this was a political strategy thought out weeks ago. If the city had made the offer to the firefighters of giving up the holidays on July 20, when they declared impasse less than two hours into the meeting, there wouldn't have been hundreds of firefighters from the county, Miami, Miami Beach, Broward, Pembroke Pines and other departments there Thursday to show solidarity and basically force su alcaldito into action. But, then again, if the offer had been made then, there likely wouldn't be so many TV cameras to capture the moment a day or two before the absentee ballots -- which have more importance in Hialeah, where AB fraud is rampant and regular. That's why this press release was sent out at 5:40 p.m. (obviously in the works before the agreement was announced at Station One, a block from City Hall):

Under the title, "Hialeah Fire Union Has Made Concessions," the mayor made a self-serving statement that is total spin: "Today, the Hialeah Fire Union has made the necessary concessions, as they have agreed to give up holiday pay for two days in the calendar year. These concessions will allow the City to reinstate the 14 fire fighters who were separated from their jobs on October 1st, 2011, as well as the 9 presently in the Fire Academy."

What he doesn't say is that the savings the city makes of $230,000 on the holiday pay is what they will use to pay those firefighters. In other words, these concessions allow the firefighters to reinstate the 14 firefighters who were fired illegally to pass a bogus budget and the nine who the city has already invested around $100,000 in training and educating (which would have been money down the drain). But let's let him go on.

"Today's actions demonstrate that when two parties negotiate in good faith, a compromise can be achieved for the betterment of our community. I trust this is the beginning of fair and honest negotiations on behalf of the Hialeah Fire Union. As Elected Officials, we recognize that residents and business owners of this community are enduring tough economic times. As leaders, we should tighten our belts during such tough times and not further burden the community by granting concessions on salaries and benefits to unions. If the residents who we work for are making difficult financial choices in their personal lives, then we as public servants must do the same in government. I understand that taking this position is not a popular one amongst unions and employees, but I firmly believe it to be the right one for our community and its residents."

What he means is that today's actions demonstrate the lengths to which the Hialeah firefighters and the fire union leadership -- whose president Mario Pico has worked for 23 years in this community -- will go to protect Hialeahns. That they are better at being public servants than he is. "This allows us to keep serving the residents," Pico said on the fire truck next to his new best friend. "'Cause at the end of the day, it's all about them."

That is why the firefighters have been holding out for so long. It was not to protect their salaries and benefits. The city even offered them a raise three years ago that they declined because it made no sense. They were saving the citizens of Hialeah in a different way. They were treating a different disease -- the tumor and bloodletting at City Hall. And many were not happy about the deal they struck with the devil Thursday.

Hernandez said he, too, did it for the residents "and the future of this city." But if that were true, he would have faced the firefighters himself before. He would have made this offer on July 20. No, this was all about him and the spin and getting a nice photo and statement out before the absentee ballots "drop" (are mailed out) -- which is tomorrow. Friday. They could be in mailboxes as early as Saturday or by Tuesday for sure. Watch for a robocall on the issue to come in the next few days.

On the truck, next to Pico, a man he has lied about and made the focus of his wrath for no good reason, Hernandez stumbled and fumbled -- which usually means they are lying or have something to hide -- when he said the accord showed "we're a family in Hialeah. And sometimes things have to get a certain point. But you know what, I've always said that we might not always be on the same page, but we are a famly in Hialeah... from the top to the bottom, from the residents to the employees. And again, a new day for everybody, the residents, for all the employees, this union -- which again, we have been in sometimes stuck in argument. But you guys know, we know, that at the end of the day we are a family." See the whole video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbIi80As_9Q

Well, if that's true, su alcaldito is the abusive deadbeat dad that pretends to stroke your face while he slaps you with tough love.

And Fire Chief Marcos de la Rosa is some kind of uncle (you know, the one who's always tapping the scotch). "It's a proud day for the city of Hialeah," said de la Rosa, who told Ladra he didn't know the details of the deal . "Our family is back together... and at the end of the day that's what's important. My focus, Elaine, is that I can maintain and keep providing the services and keep my fire department whole. And that's my important part to me." See the video interview, courtesy of Raul Torres, on our youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT5wawc3W-E

But, wait a minute, Chief. Didn't you and el alcaldito say over and over again, at the budget hearing and all over the place, that there would be no impact to the services from the loss of 40 percent of the fire rescue personnel? Or was that another lie? Political justification?

"Like I said, today is a good day," de la Rosa said.

Not for him, Ladra hopes. The union membership is expected give the chief a vote of no confidence when they meet tonight. He had an opportunity at the budget hearing to couch his words and be a little more compromising instead of handing his guys up. But after the last 24 hours' events, Ladra is not sure of anything. Well, anything except that come Columbus Day and Veteran's Day, the 23 firefighters who were fired will be paid with money taken out of the pockets of the other 248.

And that if Hernandez takes this "victory" -- as he and his lackies have already claimed this deal is -- to the polls, the firefighters who would be fired will likely be paid from giving up Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well. And who knows what else.

Maybe a little respect, too.

Robaina raises $$$ for incumbents

2011-10-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

He's baaaaaaaack.

Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina has been lying low since he lost the county mayoral race against Carlos Gimenez in June. Save for one radio interview -- where he declined to say who he was going to support (but, c'mon! We know it's el alcaldito!) -- he's been kind of MIA on the upcoming elections.

Well, missing no more. Robaina is host of a fundraiser tomorrow evening in Miami Lakes, at the Prestige Builders Capital office building, for the four council incumbents and former Hialeah Housing Authority board member Lourdes Lozano, the candidate planted by the incumbents against former councilman Alex "The Professor" Morales (once Frank Lago refused their begging to switch into that seat). How come el alcaldito Carlos Hernandez isn't on the bill? Is Robaina going to have a separate one for his main protege.

Maybe Hernandez is not part of this one because it includes Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz, who is not supporting el alcaldito and is not on el alcaldito's slate. Apparently, Robaina -- who is related to Casals-Muñoz through his first marriage -- is not happy about that. Ladra can't help but wonder if this means Robaina is making them kiss and make up.

The party at 16400 SW 59th Avenue is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and the RSVP is to Andreina Figueroa, one of the consultants Robaina used on his failed campaign. It is at the office of Martin Caparros, his first business partner and a huge contributor to his failed mayoral campaign -- and the one who, dicen las malas lenguas, paid for the push poll that el alcaldito released weeks ago and said was done by an "anonymous group of business owners." Bet a bunch of them will be there.

Ladra wants to be there also. Let's see if she doesn't get thrown out (again).

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This is the photo referred to in one of the comments. The firefighters like to make graphics with their frustrations. This is about el alcaldito's violation of people's rights and the way he feels he owns Hialeah and uses the police department to harass people, like bloggers. Context, people, is a beautiful thing, ain't it?

Candidates comingle cordially

2011-10-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

What? It can happen! Ladra saw it with her own very eyes.

Eight council candidates were at the Hialeah Association of Commerce and Neighbors for the group's 30th anniversary dinner Saturday night -- including the four Back to the Future slate mates who mugged for the camera with incumbent Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz. And Ladra really, really wishes that the Dark Prince had been there to see if he would smile for me next to the official Notary Public for the First Hialeah Bank of Julito. And then I would want to be in the room when Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez sees it and spontaneously combusts (she may anyway when she hears about the wonderful things her colleague said about her opponent). But it would be difficult for former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, who wants his old job back, to show up at an event organized by Modesto Perez, who keeps in his back pocket a folded newspaper clipping and court document about his lawsuit against the city after he was, he says, wrongfully arrested following a fight at an Eckerd Drugs with someone who supposedly said something about his wife. Perez said Hialeah police violated his constitutional rights -- but lost and the city, under Martinez, filed $87,000 in liens against his properties for their legal costs. Perez is backing former State Sen. Rudy "The Ghost" Garcia, who was there. But even if Martinez had come, Ladra is sure that Casals-Muñoz who still have stolen the show. The crowd was pretty much anti-incumbent so it took gumption for her to be there. And she was -- once again -- friendly and confident and chatty and chistosa even, at one point agreeing with the man introducing her by saying "Seguro Que Yes." Ladra almost peed in her pants. What a sense of humor! She should give the other members of the council some media training and etiquette lessons. She was funny, answered questions courteously, joked that she would not call the police if I followed her around, or that she would call Chief Rolando Bolaños, who was there with his son Danny Bolaños, who is running against her. They were very eerily nice to each other. Ladra was a little leary, of course. I am maybe too jaded, as someone much more important than I told me recently. But it was a breath of fresh air -- especially after the last few days I've had -- to be treated fairly and professionally by someone who knows that I have already backed an opponent and been critical of her past alliances and actions. Nobody can tell me she hasn't changed because it has happened before my very eyes. She was the only incumbent to go to the firefighters' union's screening and was the only council member to ask any questions at all -- even if they were insufficient and seemed like superficial solicitations made to look like a real challenge. And, more imortantly, to be given answers to legitimate questions in these As Hialeah Churns races. So I told her so. Thumbs up, Viv.

"We are all residents of the city and the day after the election, we still have to live together in this city," said Casals-Muñoz, who was not offended and did not feel harassed when I went up and very obviously started to eavesdrop on a conversation she was having with Bolaños. "This is a democratic process. I've known Danny for many years." Man, she sounds good! In fact, she sounds like the cat that ate the canary -- and is purring and licking her fur in satisfaction. Not like the mouse that is trapped and made to squeal to squirm her way out. Ladra can't help but think she knows something the rest of us do not, but overall me cae bien. And that feels weird. I hate to say this but Casals-Muñoz might not be so bad. Or maybe she freed herself from under a spell or something. Ladra first saw her talking to Garcia, the only mayoral candidate there -- finally, somewhere in the public eye, after getting some slack for staying away from the fray at City Hall (more on that down further). But both say they are not running together. "She was just saying hello," Garcia said. Casals-Muñoz told us on camera last month that she was not with anyone and concentrating on her own campaign. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Od0vBRkEA) Then she went and greeted each of the Back to the Future four and had some kind words for former Councilwoman Cindy Miel. She joked around with former Councilman Alex "The Professor" Morales, who was in some of his advanced classes at Hialeah High School. When the professor called a certain councilman "special ed" again, Ladra told him maybe that is what people thought of him. "I could say a lot of things about Alex but I wouldn't say that," Casals-Muñoz quipped. "It's a two-way street, baby," Morales shot back. Ooooh, did they just admit they have a lot of dirt on each other? I don't want to be disrespectful but Ladra was happier than a dog in a pile of bones to watch these two laugh it up.

There were a couple of glaring exceptions to the happy fest. "Daring" Daisy Castellanos did not even acknowledge, again, to Frank Lago, the former chief of staff to Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño who jumped after she did into the race to unseat Pablito "special ed" Hernandez and kinda pissed on her parade. She did say in her little speech that she was running for the families and the small businesses and not for special interests. That's a jab at Lago's ties to attorneys Miguel Diaz de la Portilla and Carlos Gimenez, the son, who hosted a fundraiser for him and represent the red light camera contractor that is likely going to file suit against the city for breaking the agreement. But Mr. Castellanos, however, did get ruffled. "I love my wife more than he loves his wife. Are we going to get into a debate about that," he told me in a mock manner after Lago first thanked his wife, maybe too effusively, for supporting him and his dreams (well, I would too if I had just left a $70,000 job for a shot at a $44,000 one). And, no, Mr. Castellanos, you are not going to get into a debate about that because you are not the candidate. Even though sometimes you might think so.

The other lemon was Lourdes Lozano -- who everyone thinks was thrown in against Morales by alcaldito Carlos Hernandez. She was the only member of his slate to go to the party and arrived late, rushing from a CAMACOL event, she said, after she ran to join the line of candidates next to the podium so she could speak. Garcia stopped his speech -- which was going to be longer than anyone's (and more on that later) -- to give her the mic. And Lozano, who was appointed to the Hialeah Housing Authority and fired Morales at former Mayor Julio Robaina's behest, ran with it and opened a can of worms on herself, tossing a few of them on Morales. She came off as aggressive and unapologetic about it. "I was never investigated at the Department of Children and Families," where she works (Hmmmm. Ladra is going to have to take a walk over there.). She said that when she arrived at housing there were more than 900 food stamp vouchers that had not been given to residents and she was proud to have gotten them into the hands of needy families. Aha. That walk over to DCF is definitely in order, especially since she kept referring to allegations against herself. And wait a minute? She works at DCF, around food stamps, and is on the housing board. Hmmmm again. "I have never used fraud to get a vote for anyone nor a vote for me... I do not rent myself out to be in favor of anyone... I will work with whatever mayor is there." Lozano later told Ladra that she was on the slate with Hernandez, who is apparently helping her with campaign resources, but she reiterated that she would work with any one of the three hopefuls. When asked who she was referring to about fraud and unused vouchers, she wouldn't directly say Morales, but she shrugged her shoulders and jutted her chin in his direction. "You're a journalist. Look it up," Lozano said, not too nastily. "Everybody knows who I was talking about." Lozano also said she loved Danny (what's not to love?), but she wouldn't tell me if he had her vote. "El voto es una cosa sagrada," she said. (Well, not in Hialeah so much, especiallyin your housing units, but Ladra's working on that.)

Anyone could tell there was no love lost between Morales and Lozano. She was the only other candidate Morales would not mug with -- no matter how much Ladra begged. Morales was even friendly with Garcia, who beat him in the 2000 state senate race, and arrived at the Parisian Ballroom in East Hialeah with an entourage and big tent-like sign on a truck. That was a difficult race for Morales for personal reasons, but he says he has no regrets. "What happened was that wasn't where the Lord wanted me to end up, which was in a job that I loved and where I could do a lot of good," Morales said, referring to his stint as head of the Hialeah Housing Authority until he was fired by Robaina in 2009. "Rudy won the people's support and it's over." Staying his "solo" self, Garcia stood on the other side of the dancefloor as the candidates stood in one line opposite him waiting to speak. When his turn came, he spoke again about a different kind of Hialeah, and named former elected leaders like Andy Mejides, whose wife was sitting at his table, and Ruby Sweezy and Jack Weaver (who did not have anyone sitting at his table). "What we have now is a lack of leadership, these shows they are making hurt and dishonor our city," Garcia said. "People ask me why I don't go to the council meetings and I'll tell you why. Because what is happening in our council chambers is an embarassment."

But there are plenty of people who do go, Sen. Ghost Garcia, and try to ask questions and fight against the embarrassment and the corruption and disrespect. You could lend these people some support, some credibility, some strength in numbers.

And guess what? They vote.

Gavelgirl files false police report

2011-10-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Wanted: Surrogate reporter to attend the next Hialeah Council meeting or two since Ladra may be ordered to stay 500 feet away. Duties include listening to the back-patting council rubber stamp everything before them. Pay is in shots of Cuban coffee.

It was not enough for Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez to have me ejected by police from the council chambers -- and the public City Hall building -- not once, but twice, she has now filed a false police report to have me technically ejected until after Election Day. No, dear readers, you have not read this wrong. There has been a police report written up on me for allegedly harassing Gavelgirl Thursday outside a political lunch that was paid for with city funds and announced in a press release. The sole purpose of this police report is so that Gavelgirl can get a restraining order on Ladra to keep her away for about a month or so, until a judge throws it out because it has no merits. But by then, the election will likely be over. And she will have accomplished what she wants -- to neutralize my coverage of her race until after Nov. 1. Pity that Hialeah Police Chief Mark Overton signed off on the information report written by Officer Madelyn Webb, who las malas lenguas say was transferred to the chief's office as an additional PIO from the midnight shift for some questionable reason (more on that later) without even consulting me. Because I could have provided him with a copy of the video recording where she threatens an intimidates me. Or tries to anyway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSSNJPT4nxo

The report reads: "On the above date and time, Council President Isis Garcia-Martinez was participating in a City of Hialeah organized event. The event included treansporting several elderly Hialeah residents to IHOP restaurant for lunch in newly unveiled Hialeah Transit buses. Complainant Isis Garcia-Martinez states that while at the IHOP restaurant, Mrs. De Valle harassed her and several of the elderly guests. Mrs. Garcia-Martinez explained that she felt harassed because Mrs. De Valle was invading her personal space by placing a microphone and camera in her face and persistenly asking Mrs. Garcia-Martinez seeral questions. Mrs. Garcia-Martinez says she repeated asked Mrs. De Valle to stop questioing her and to leave her alone. Mrs. Garcia-Martinez further stated that she felt several elderly guests were also being harassed because of Mrs. De Valle's aggressive questioning and filming tactics. Mrs. Garcia-Martinez states taht this is an ongoing problem whereas Mrs. De Valle has harassed her in similar ways on other occasions."

Um, I don't think so.

It's all on video, folks. I did not invade her personal space. She invaded mine. I was always a respectable distance, even as she got up in my personal space and wagged her finger to me and called me ignorant (on the El Nuevo video: http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/09/30/1035461/concejal-de-hialeah-pide-orden.html). Sure, I followed her and continued to ask her the same questions. Why did she skirt out of the Herald screening/debate? It was the third debate with Miel that she cancels or is a no-show to, by the way, so it is further relevant. And who paid for lunch? I won't stop asking that. Because it's what I do. I did not harass the guests, as anyone can plainly see on the video where they are happy to be on camera. I do agressively question the council president. It's what I do.

And it's Ms., by the way. Not "Mrs." Even the mayor knows that, as he so sarcastically told me when he was evading answering the question about who paid for the lunchy. "You were married to some balsero right? A dancer? And he dumped you?" (More on that later). Yeah, some police work.

For those of you who have not watched Spanish-language news or read the newspaper (and why isn't this English-language news? I am going to have to talk to some people), Ladra was trashed and disparaged by both Garcia-Martinez and Hernandez at a city-event to unveil eight new transit buses and promote the Incumbent Minus One ticket for the Nov. 1 election. The event at the IHOP at Westfield/Westland Mall on 49th Street was announced in an email to me from Lisa Setrini-Espinosa in the Communications and Special Events department. I get all the press releases because, despite what Garcia-Martinez and Hernandez say, bloggers are members of the press.

"Mayor Carlos Hernandez, the esteemed city council and the city of Hialeah invite our friends from the media to join us for a press conference announcing the addition of 8 new uses to the Hialeah Transit System Fleet," it said, adding that the press conference would be in the garden at the 300 unit housing complex on West 26th Place, the public housing facility (read: voter hub). "Following the press conference, a very special group of seniors will have the chance to ride one of the new buses with Mayor Hernandez to the IHOP in Hialeah, where the seniors will be treated to lunch."

Ladra's ears went up. This sounds like it could be a campaigning event with city resources. I called my new best friend and documentary cameraman Raul Torres, who is going to keep me vindicated, to see if he could meet me there. And he could. Our presence as they arrived seemed to surprise Hernandez and his Seguro Que Yes crew minus two. Absent: Councilwomen Katherine Cue-Fuentes and Vivian Casals-Muñoz, no big surprise since her split with Hernandez et al has been pretty obvious. If there is any doubt left, see this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NM7zX5cg7U. I do not think he was happy to see us and there will be more footage to post over the weekend of the 30-minutes that were recorded for dear readers to judge for themselves. In the meantime, there is this short piece that starts when Gavelgirl lied to me about the meeting for the editorial board at the Miami Herald, which is where she could have been instead of riding around the bus with potential voters. But Gavelgirl had called in sick the day before, the day she presided over a budget hearing that cut 105 firefighters while it hid money all over the place. While I do not know she was not sick, I do know that she was supposed to go on Thursday. And maybe she attacked me and swore to get a restraining order against me because I embarrassed her with the gotcha after she said "I wasn't scheduled for today." But Gavelgirl was scheduled for Group IV on the Hialeah Council around 11:30 or noon Thursday with Myriam Marques and Juan Vasquez.
That is why I said she was a liar. Not because I didn't believe she was sick. But I don't believe she was sick. Not in the "call-in sick" way. She didn't seem sick Wednesday night when she presided over the budget hearing and had several people escorted out of council chambers after they objected to the firing of the 105 firefighters in a bogus budget where funds were tucked into unnecessary crevices. She didn't seem sick when she scarfed down her lunch at IHOP Thursday and put up her fists in fighting stance, inciting a busload of viejitos to shout "fuera, fuera, fuera," to me and Raul as he stood just inside the bus to take footage of the new taxpayer-paid transit vehicles. We offered to pay the fare of the public bus so we could ride along. We were not allowed. "This is a private event," one city employe said. Um, no, I don't think so. The El Nuevo arrived in one of the buses with the mayor, which parked in the fire lane for more than an hour in front of the restaurant while the viejitos ate. The next day, Gavelgirl went on WQBA 1140 AM and cried on Bernadette Pardo's show telling listeners that I offended her as a cancer survivor and that she was going to get a restraining order against me. You know, because most people who get restraining orders for legitimate reasons announce it on the radio. But I did not know she was a cancer survivor and would never ridicule that. My aunt died of cancer after it was misdiagnosed. That was something I did not know -- but that really did not have anything to do with why she didn't go to the debate with Miel at the Herald. She told Enrique Flor of El Nuevo Herald that she had to give a urine sample that morning and swung by the event only by chance and "hopped" on the bus. But, if you watch Raul's video, she doesn't looked like she's dressed to drop off a cup of pee. She looks like she is dressed for a publicity event 31 days before what promises to be a contentious election. Ladra went, in part, to find out who paid for the event -- el alcaldito or the city. Turns out it's neither. It's an "anonymous" sponsor that provided the funds to the city's special events department. But the identity of the "sponsor" is a public record and, yes, it is important to know. What if it is Jesus Navarro, Hialeah's maquinita king? Or Roberto Blanco, his loan operation partner? Both are raising money for his campaign and either would be a further sign that this event was a political event for the alcaldito's race. The supposed "sponsor" wants to stay anonymous for fear that there will be repercussions when former Mayor Raul Martinez, who wants his old job back, comes back to his throne. That's what Hernandez and Gavelgirl's campaign chief Sasha Tirador, the absentee ballot queen of Hialeah, said on A Mano Limpia when she was on with me Friday night to try to do some damage control. See? Even she thinks the Dark Prince has got the race sewn up. Tirador -- who stood in for Hernandez and Garcia-Martinez after they declined (read: ran like mad) to sit and debate me on what really happened -- admitted that, now that I asked, "unfortunately" the city would have to provide that name or those names. As of Friday afternoon, they still had not (read: they were still looking for a sponsor to take credit for it after the fact. Helllooo??)
This is exactly why Ladra exists. Because what if the event was paid for out of the general fund with taxpayer monies the day after el alcaldito and his Seguro Que Yeses pass a bogus budget that calls for the firing of 105 firefighters? Because what if it was paid by one or more sponsors who are also backing Hernandez with campaign contributions? Isn't that a relevant fact that voters (and maybe authorities) ought to know. Because it was a political event, as someone named El Gallego -- who went with a t-shirt for the Hernandez campaign but took it off after lo regañaron -- said on Channel 51. Jose Caragol and Pablito "Huh" Hernandez came in on their own (no bus ride for them) to campaign and "Daring" Daisy Castellanos was already waiting inside with her husband to take advantage of the campaign event. There were even campaign fans and literature in a folder on one table. How much do you want to bet they would not be in a folder if Ladra wasn't there with her trusted cameraman? How much do you want to bet that the mayor would not have paid the bill himself for the politicians and employees there if Ladra had not decided to drop by?

It is one thing to have me thrown out of chambers because I interject out of turn when one of the disrespectful electeds violates someone's rights or one of el alcaldito's yesmen (read: Councilman Luis Gonzalez) on the council is about to throw el alcaldito a juicy, free TV soundbite and I stop him. It is entirely another to make up charges against me simply to silence me and keep me from reporting the truths I've uncovered so far and asking the questions I am asking.

Boy, is this gonna backfire on both Gavelgirl and the alcaldito. Ladra, like most dogs, does not get embarrassed. Really. And now I have decided to start writing the blog posts in Spanish -- starting with this one -- and printing them to distribute wherever I can and reach the real voters of Hialeah that I am likely not reaching. The ones you corralled into a bus and bought lunch for Thursday.

You turn it up a notch. Ladra turns it up a notch.

But that is not harassment either. It's my job.

Candidate permits fast-tracked?

2011-09-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

One of the candidates in the Hialeah elections may be in the race or may have switched his group at the last minute to get favorable treatment for his business from the city and alcaldito Carlos Hernandez.

Tony "Phony" Vega, the owner of a gun shop cited for building an illegal gun range last year, told a firefighter in July through a facebook message that Hernandez had offered to help him get his permits. "Yo Bud. I met with the Hernandez camp. They are gasping for support and offering sweet deals," Vega wrote to Eric Johnson, an 10-year veteran of the department and vice president of the firefighters union. "My range is getting fast tracked as a result."

Let Ladra say that again: "My range is getting fast tracked as a result."

This week, Vega said it was a dirty trick.

"With the ease in which you can do that with a network that is so open like facebook, it must have been someone hijacking my account," Phony Tony tells Ladra in this video by my news partner, freelance cameraman Raul Torres. "It's not unlike Hialeah politics. It's a dirty trick," Vega said. "I'm telling you whole heartedly right now it is not me, they are not my messages...it doesn't come from me... Here's what you got here. You got fabricated messages with a picture that is publicly available on facebook."

Well, I told him, when the State Attorney investigates, they can do a forensic audit of Eric's hard drive and establish the legitimacy of these messages. "I will cooperate with any investigation."
See the interview yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdK4qA3oLNQ

Ladra's heart is warmed by that. Because the message thread is already in the hands of Assistant State Attorney Johnnie Hardimon, who met with Johnson and Ladra Thursday to go over the apparent bribe and the permit history on Miami Guns, which had every inspection denied on August 24 and started getting approvals the second week in September after he was allegedly walked through the process by one of the mayor's lackies. Hardimon took the allegation seriously -- and a full page of notes.

We went to the state attorney's public corruption unit because this sounds a lot like the promise that former mayor Julio Robaina, the alcaldito's mentor/master, made to Luther Campbell when he vowed to hire a campaign aide for Campbell's endorsement. What would the deal be this time? Support for the mayor's candidacy? Or was it to switch from Group 1, where Hernandez already had a slate mate in Lourdes Lozano, to Group 3, where he had nobody to run against incumbent Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz and former cop Danny Bolaños?

Both Vega, who told Ladra he switched because Group 1 was a and Hernandez deny being on the same slate, though their platforms sound exactly alike and Vega's signs were posted on Hernandez's poles all over town the first week he had them. He has since taken them off, after this blogger noted it in an earlier post, and el alcaldito has supposedly complained to City Clerk David Concepcion about it. But in the facebook message thread, on August 29, he said that Robert Blanco, who was implicated in shadow banking loans and a ponzi scheme with Robaina and Hernandez, would be supporting him as well.

"Ok, Eric. Here is the deal with me. I went to school with Robert Blanco, it just so happens that he is in the heart of the storm in Hialeah," wrote Tony Phony. "He is a big fundraiser for the political machine here. He's raising money for Carlos and soon for me as well. I am keeping an arm's length from everybody for obvious reasons but I need the political machine to get elected."

On Sept. 8, he wrote: "Carlos people were feeling me out but I have no deal with them. I think seat 1 would be the easy choice." Later the same day, which was one day before the qualifying deadline, he said he was switching. "Yo Big Dog, I'm going to try to unseat Vivian group 3. I can do this. Don't get ruffled by my alliances. Tony Vega is still the same. I gotta get in there to be able to help."

But Johnson says he is not the same and he and other firefighters are appalled at the apparent about-face. Vega had told Johnson in the private message thread that he would help them get transparency and a fair contract because he understood their anger and frustration. "I told him [Hernandez] he should take the offer of the forensic auditor you guys extended and lay the cards on the table. I'm allergic to bullshit and double dealing. I told him that lack of action with regards to the fire deal showed him as incapable of solving city problems." But he apparently abandoned that attitude when he qualified. He told Ladra on the day he qualified the union leaders were being unreasonable. "There's a big push to satisfy the unions who don't want to take any steps down," Vega said right after he qualified. "They want what's best for their members, but not what the city needs."

He has also lauded the alcaldito's efficiency law, making illegal rooms legal for a fee.

For his part, Hernandez denied any connection to Vega. "I don't know Tony Vega," he said when Ladra asked him about it on Thursday at the IHOP lunch campaign event where both he and Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez had a meltdown. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0ogy70eAnw

Vega's nickname was almost "Wasn't Me" because he continues to deny, deny, deny. He also denied writing a post by MiamiGunRange on a forum in the Florida Shooter's Network website under the title line "Help Hialeah Closing me Down and banning gun shops" in April of last year. "It wasn't me," he said. Even though his Miami Guns shop was cited with a violation for building without a permit. "It wasn't me," he said, even though the post asks his "fellow shooters" to support him at his hearing April 27.

Later, the MiamiGunRange writer posts a comment on his own post: "Folks it's a really bad empty feeling when your elected officials turn their noses at you. I have spent the last 2 days at city hall and the reception has been very mild. Luckily I made a few donations during election season and those guys were more receptive." Really? Do we have to worry about him being "receptive" to campaign contributors to his campaign.

And why is he even running for office after he wrote on that forum "I plan on moving a mile or two up and be free of the political septic pool we call Hialeah."

Oh, that's right. It wasn't him.

Ladra y Raul, slated on flyer

2011-09-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Guerilla campaign tactics in Hialeah elections are not always very sophisticated. But they are almost always kind of unique to the flavor of Hialeah. And sometimes that makes them silly.

Ladra went from the surreal to the completely ridiculous when she stepped outside City Hall during Wednesday's budget hearing after she was trespassed from the building by police on orders of the chief. As she took a short walk to a group of fellow bogus budget objectors talking outside, a gentleman came up to her and asked if she was Elaine de Valle. "Yes," I said a little hesitantly, thinking he could be another Sergio Gonzalez. But the man only wanted to thank me for my work and hand me a flyer he found on his car in the parking lot at City Hall when he left the council chambers (apparently on his own accord). On the plain letter-sized, white paper, in all capital letters, a very rudimentary flyer with zero creative flair says that former Hialeah Mayor and current candidate Raul Martinez and I are communists.

"It's on all the windshields on all the cars in the parking lot," the gentleman said.

What surprised me was not that someone in Hialeah might call us communists, erroneously of course, since communists don't really exists. Except inside City Hall where they try to conceal information and intimidate their enemies, firing employees for political payback and hiring cronies and campaign contributors. More and more Ladra has heard people compare the current climate at City Hall like Cuba or Venezuela, where individual freedoms and constitutional rights do not exist. Martinez knew this would come as a Democrat who did the most unCuban thing you can do in exile and ran against fomer U.S. Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R., District 25). Eh, I've been called a communist before, too, and it really doesn't bother me because there is no such thing. The people who call themselves communist are almost without exception opportunists in disguise. And the people who call other people communist really mean to say Democrat.

No, what surprised me -- and perhaps even gave me a little lift in my step -- was that I got top billing. How do you like them apples, Mr. Mayor? "ELAINE DEL VALLE Y RAUL MARTINEZ" Not "RAUL MARTINEZ Y ELAINE DEL VALLE." Oh, just wait one cockamaney minute. That's why I got the first line: the Y is awkward and the writer didn't know if it was proper to use an E instead. Aw, man. Well, still... it's absolutely a dubious yet somewhat thrilling honor to be on a double-header billing with the Raul Martinez no matter where that is. Although we should shoot for a marquee or a headline next, don't you think Mr. Mayor?

While the flyer is an obvious, albeit tiny, attempt at a smear campaign, it is so insignificant and misdirected that it is infinitely more amusing than troubling. I mean, I am not even a candidate. But since I have felt like people are campaigning against me, perhaps someone got confused and thought so, too. I also find the flyer a little fulfilling. In fact, I'm going to have it framed. And I practically had to fight Martinez for it. He wanted to keep it but gave it back when I promised to make him a copy.

Martinez was similarly tickled by the lackluster leaflet -- you know, even though his name was second. At least it's spelled right. Those who know Ladra are nodding their heads because that little annoying and unwanted l in the middle de has been the bane of my existence since grade school. But even with that extra needless letter, the flyer was totally worth having been ejected from the building by order of Police Chief Mark Overton, who should have maybe been outside watching for these political vandals rather than inside harassing council critics and protecting su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez from I don't even know what.

Well, Overton can make it up to me for all the times he's tried to mess it up for me by investigating now. I wonder if there are any video cameras outside City Hall, the courthouse across the street or any of the nearby shops on Palm Avenue that we can peruse for the hours of the meeting.

Now that could be even more amusing than the flyer. I want my own copy on DVD. And I would definitely post it on youtube for everyone's amusement.

Hialeah council's criminal cuts

2011-09-29T01:36:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought the election season in Hialeah could not get more surreal, the Seguro Que Yes council passed su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez's bogus 2011-2012 city budget Wednesday night calling for the illogical and unnecessary termination of 105 of 271 firefighter paramedic positions despite a packed house of protestors and a barrage of honest, researched, logical and impassioned pleas from residents, employees, firefighters, police officers and children -- and without asking a single real, legitimate question. That practiced-in-front-of-the-mirror peppering by Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz does not count. All she did when she asked smirky questions she knew the answers to already was present a premeditated and written justification of her eventual Oui nod-and-bob to help her at the ballot. Watch for some of that dramatic "challenging" to come out in her literature or campaign speeches.

The rest of the council was as criminally negligent to their community as she was when they sat silent and did not give anyone in the audience the courtesy of answering one question. How would this affect response times? Silence. How would this affect services? Silence. Has this 40 percent cut in fire rescue personnel been analyzed to predict or forecast potential ramifications? Silence. How many firefighters are needed, mimimum, to keep the city safe? Silence. Where are the operational plan and the reorganizational chart that go with these cuts, both public records that were requested Monday? Silence. In fact, Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garica-Martinez spoke more when she was ejecting four or five of the objectors (including yours truly) from the council chambers or from the building as she and her colleagues ignored laws, constitutional rights, Robert's Rules of Order and legal processes to make strategic campaign platform speeches about a month from Election Day. And alcaldito Hernandez left the dais again in the middle of a public budget hearing, in the middle of someone's comments, snubbing residents and employees he shows no respect for, so he could give TV interviews (read: campaign for votes). Really? Ladra has a question (well, another one): Is this the way elected officials should act?

Just another day in the Hialeah races.

Wednesday's bogus budget hearing has been called a circus, a joke, a train wreck, a show. But Ladra's favorite was a crime. Because what this council did when they rubberstamped the budget they know is false and full of holes just has to be criminal. It's fraud. It's robbery. It's abuse of power. It's all of that and it's blackmail and extortion, too. Because the firefighters who went armed with truth and the support of the community were told they could make the layoffs, at least the immediate ones, go away. Disappear. Just like that. If, of course, they agreed to an offer from the city that was made in writing on Monday, more than two months after the administration prematurely declared another impasse during a bargaining session, which is the appropriate setting for a new contract offer, and at which this offer was never made.
It's not that the firefighters would not consider giving up holiday pay. Union President Mario Pico -- speaking to reporters outside the chambers after he, too, was thrown out when he challenged the criminal lies at the hearing -- has repeatedly said that the firefighters -- many of whom have been serving Hialeah longer than some council members -- are willing to make sacrifices to help the residents preserve their quality of life. They simply want transparency and the comfort of knowing they didn't sell everything they had to earn to keep giving funds away to questionable quid pro quos and that they won't have to do it again next year because there is a solid recovery plan. Hernandez and his herd should applaud them for that. Everyone who has watched this 2 1/2 year process -- in which the city has been found guilty twice of unfair labor practices, declared impasse three times and illegally fired 17 firefighters to try to affect the contract vote (a decision that cost the taxpayers $800,000 in overtime plus the backpay they are now ordered to provide for the 16 firefighters they were ordered to hire back) -- knows it wouldn't be that easy, though, and that the city only made that phony offer because they know it can't be accepted without going back to the table, where they intend to add a few more demands, of course, but don't want to have to show nada to justify it. All that offer is, in truth, is an illegal and improper 11th hour Hail Mary pass made publicly to save el alcaldito and the incumbent candidates from the critical backlash and career-ending fallout their dubious and dumfounding decision has already had. This phony profer, which would have saved only $1.3 million when the city last week was demanding cuts to "balance the budget" that totaled more than $7 million, is a bait and switch con job and Ladra would not be surprised if it was not planned all along. It is not the only thing the council will need, but if the firefighters had conceded, they would have claimed victory and use the contrived "compromise" to promote their questionable candidacies.

Councilman Luis Gonzalez -- who probably drew the short straw because he is not on the Nov. 1 ballot -- actually took the opportunistic liberty to ask about the offer (read: campaign stunt) in a question to the mayor that was obviously staged for the benefit of the TV cameras. It was such a set-up for su alcaldito to start proliferating on how he was willing to negotiate and trying to protect the residents with this offer, that Ladra could not control her bark and was tossed from the council chambers -- and the building -- again for speaking out of turn. I take whole responsibility. Something the Seguro Que Yes mess could learn to do. I know I wasn't supposed to object, but I found the scene ridiculously abusive. And someone had to stop that charade. "Excuse me, the councilman can't make an offer here at a budget hearing. Or in that letter you sent," I interjected. "That is why there is a bargaining process." Council President Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez warned me to stop talking. But Gonzalez -- after regañando me with a whiny "I don't even know who has the floor" -- went on with his pre-scripted, made-for-TV effort to give el alcaldito his two-cent soundbite. There was no way this watchdog was going to let that happen. "I'm sorry but he simply cannot make an offer like that from the dais," I said again, asking deputy city attorney Lorena Bravo, who sat in for William "Go-Between" Grodnick on his paid Jewish holiday, to advise them that a contract offer in this venue (read: political campaign stunt) would be illegitimate. She did, actually, eventually. And I applauded -- as I was led out of the chambers by a police officer on order by Police Chief Mark Overton, who later trespassed me from the building -- even before I received the public records I requested about Ladra's first-ever trespass warning at the Hernandez et al campaign office opening Sept. 10. This time, they didn't give me a case number but maybe it was because Overton (who las malas lenguas say is looking to get a job in Broward county) realized he stepped in it and sent a sergeant to tell me once I was outside the building -- yes, escorted outside the building by three police officers -- that I could return to the lobby only and only if I behaved. Yeah, this is the thanks I get for basically helping them out by pointing out a mistake they were about to make.

But while it is fun to watch former Mayor and current mayoral candidate Raul Martinez consistently show all the council members up on budget issues with trick questions they fail every time and it's entertaining to watch former councilman and current candidate Alex Morales teach them a lesson or two at every meeting, you don't have to be a professor or a successful administrator for a quarter of a century to know more about the council membrane's jobs and roles than they do. Even a watchdog and one pissed off, redneck firefighter and a whistleblower cop and a single mom and a pre-teen child -- who got a standing ovation when he told them that if they were in school, "you would get an F in budget" -- know more than these bobble heads.

Pathetic. Sad. Unacceptable (read: rejectable come November). And it has to be criminal. It just has to be abuse of power when the city administration suddenly finds $3.5 million in cost reductions from one budget hearing to the next in order to make this hollow campaign season offer. That just has to be a crime. They are holding the citizens and the people who work in Hialeah hostage for their personal and political gain. That just has to be a crime. They make up positions and programs to pad the budget in other areas so they can dip into these funds later on down the year. That just has to be a crime. They give away fist over fist of taxpayer funds by awarding millions of dollars in no-bid contracts and change order increases for campaign contributors. That just has to be a crime. They hide monies and change the story every other day from surplus to deficit to surplus to shortfall. That just has to be a crime. They intentionally turn their heads to the poor math skills, gaping holes and padded pillows all over the budget presented as a "budget in stages" -- a new term nobody has ever heard of that was invented for convenience. Let's call it a pretend budget instead. That just has to be a crime. And they commit all these crimes against the residents and their own employees while risking the lives and property of the taxpayers who pay their $44,000-a-year salaries and the salaries of their assistants and their multiple lackies and botella friends. That just has to be a crime.

Ladra felt uncomfortably and uncharacteristically numb for several hours after she left the scene of the crime Wednesday night and took a walk for a cortadito, dark, like the night. It is almost time to get ready for the next day and I still can't believe sometimes that it wasn't all a nightmare. Because how could anyone get away with so much? Where's the cavalry? And just where were our other electeds that should be representing Hialeah's people against the criminals? Miami-Dade District 13 Commissioner Esteban Bovo, State Sen. Rene Garcia (R, District 40) and State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez (R, District 102) did not return my calls and were absent at both the first and second readings (read: accessories before, during and after the fact). So was former State Sen. Rudy Garcia (R, District 40), who is running for the mayor's seat also but has been criticized for not having attended one meeting or voiced one concern over the aforementioned crimes. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has been a busy bureaucrat with his own budget, but has anyone at the county given a thought to or looked at how Miami-Dade taxpayers could be impacted when the Hialeah council starts stealing their service providers to cover for a fire rescue department that was decimated for political retribution motives. That just has to be a crime.

After all, somebody -- or some body -- has to be held responsible if even one person dies as a result of longer response times or decreased services caused by these unnecessary cuts. Because that really has to be a crime.

Ladra calls it political homicide.

Gimenez in Hialeah again, but Jr.

2011-09-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

While Papi has been mum on the threat to fire firefighters in Hialeah -- and potential impact to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue when the county starts taking up the slack on the city's 911 calls -- Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez's namesake son and spitting image has been spotted in Hialeah in recent days.

Attorney Carlos "Junior" Gimenez was seen in the city clerk's office at City Hall, at the Hialeah Housing Authority and, twice, at Maruch restaurant, the unofficial meeting place (conveniently behind the fire union office) for the Back to the Future slate that Gimenez is supporting.
"I was meeting with candidates whom I believe have the capacity to lead, and, equally as important, have the best interests of the city at heart," Gimenez told Ladra. He said he is not working for any of the candidates officially, but was "reviewing several legal issues" and advising them pro-bono. "Let's just say that rule breaking, and circumventing Florida Public Records Law and city financial disclosure rules seems to be an all too consistent pastime in the City of Progress. That practice needs to end, immediately, and that may require private citizen action if the City cannot govern itself accordingly," Gimenez said and immediately stole Ladra's heart. Hey Junior, if it goes to court and you want to make it a class-action headliner, I know a wiseass watchdog and one pissed-off firefighter who will sign on as plaintiffs.

Friday, he met with former councilman Alex "The Professor" Morales, who was also the director of Hialeah Housing until former mayor Julio Robaina fired him, at Maruch. On Monday, he met with Morales again, Cindy Miel, and veteran campaign consultant, freelance fundraiser and Hialeah homegirl Irene Secada, who is working with or for both candidates as well as former councilman and mayor Julio Martinez. On Friday, Junior was with Secada again in City Clerk David Concepcion's office requesting public records (and I bet he has a quicker response than Ladra gets). He wants the contacts on all the council members blackberries and cellphones (Hey! Ladra wants a copy of that!) a list of all employees with addresses, date of births and phone numbers (me too!) and a list of every resident in Hialeah Housing (ditto!), according to Concepcion. (Public records requests are public records, too! Ain't Florida law grand?)

Gimenez told Ladra he will likely be hosting a fundraiser for the four council candidates (including former cop and HHA employee Danny Bolaños) in mid-October. He and his boss, State Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R, District 36) already had a fundraiser for Frank Lago, who is not yet officially on the slate but is not running against a slate mate (despite pressure from the back-stabbing council incumbents that urged him to go against the professor). Lago, former chief of staff to Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño -- who is supporting former State Sen. Rudy Garcia (R, District 40) for mayor -- has walked door-to-door with Miel, who is definitely on the Back to the Future slate, and has been hanging around the Back pack. Gimenez Junior's involvement might be as close as dad gets to this heated race and the candidates that helped him in Hialeah. After all, it could get ugly and his allies have baggage that could hurt him come time for his turn in less than 12 months (for the primary). Junior and fellow Gimenez allies the DLPs will likely collect checks for slate boss, former Mayor Raul Martinez, but no fundraisers.

The Dark Prince told Ladra himself he doesn't favor the fund-stumping fetes. "If someone wants to make a donation, send me a check. You don't have to get dressed up for an event," Martinez said.

He'd rather debate anyway.

Alcaldito plays with fire, again

2011-09-26T23:57:00.000-07:00

We saw this coming. We told everyone that this alarmist threat to fire 105 of 271 firefighter paramedics in Hialeah was blackmail, or extortion (you pick your term), and that the very politicians who proposed it would come in at the 11th hour with a salvation plan or last-minute Holy Mary pass.

But I didn't imagine the scare tactic would be so obviously revealed. Or is it me? You be the judge, dear readers.

On Monday, a day after El Nuevo Herald reporter Enrique Flor published a story based on a source's [conveniently-placed] tip about the city's offer to renew negotiations with the firefighters union, union representatives actually got a letter expressing this offer from City Attorney Bill "Go-Between" Grodnick, who as a legal representative of the city knows that neither the letter nor the deal uttered at a public budget hearing are legitimate or proper offers in the labor bargaining process that has been halted by a declaration of impasse on the city's behalf. Nah. This is obvious campaign strategy. So the city attorney is playing politics now at the behest of su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez while accusing others of doing it (Can he be disbarred for any of this? Where do we complain?). The letter comes two days before the final public hearing where the Seguro Que Yes council is poised to pass a bogus budget that cuts 40 percent of the fire rescue staff and -- again, this is odd for a city official -- whines about not getting calls returned. It's even odder from the city official who prematurely declared impasse less than two hours into the last negotiation session in July. This is becoming a broken record. Union President Mario Pico told Hernandez at the budget hearing that he would meet with him at his earliest convenience. "We can go get a cafecito right now after the meeting," Pico said. "I don't want coffee, Mr. Pico," the mayor said, adding that he preferred to meet the next day. But he never made good on that because by then the TV cameras were gone. So, on Saturday, someone in the administration leaks the story to El Nuevo. On Monday, Grodnick sends the letter with the new offer, which is basically that in exchange for giving up holiday pay for 11 days, they can keep not only the 14 firefighters who would have been fired Oct. 1 but also the nine recruits at the academy that the city has already invested in.

But is it legitimate? Or is it a bait-and-switch hat trick (read: campaign stunt)? Because how can this be a possible solution if the holiday paycut will only save about $1.3 million and the budget, to be balanced, calls for more than $7 million cut from the fire department. Where did the city all of a sudden find another $5.5 million? "I can't give you the details because I was not involved in it. But significant operational and costs savings were made," Grodnick told me on the telephone, in a very proud tone. "We made substantial inroads in savings. Of the $7.5 million, half was saved through cost reductions in other changes." Really? Someone found $5 million worth of "cost reductions" that were not apparent two weeks ago, when su alcaldito threatened to fire 105 firefighters. Or is this offer just for that first phase of the "budget in stages"? Are there still going to be 35 layoffs Dec. 1 and 35 more next year? That was the original plan and it would also serve to delay the overwhelming negative reaction su alcaldito has been getting, even from his supporters, until after Election Day? It would also delay the mandatory return of $1.8 million in federal homeland security grants for minimum staffing until after Election Day. Yes, Grodnick said. Those terminations are still on the table. "We hope to cut the other $3.5 million during the year through concessions in the fire department or further workforce reductions. But we hope and sincerely expect to come to an agreement once we get through the political season," Grodnick told me. Really? I thought this was going on for two and a half years?

This is the longest shell game Ladra has ever watched and this dog is getting dizzy

After I asked for details on these "significant operational savings" (one would think Grodnick could recite one or two if they were so significant), Grodnick told me to call Fire Chief Marco de la Rosa. "I can't talk to you about that. That was done through the fire chief and the OMB [Office of Management and Budget] Director." But the fire chief didn't seem to know about his own amazing "significant cost reductions" that saved his department's positions (at least for now). "I have to see what operational plan he is speaking to," de la Rosa said, buying some time and seemingly satisfied with the city offer (Ladra can't help but wonder if he was the tipster). "It's the same offer made at the council meeting, which was stated publicly." And when asked why savings of $1.3 million are suddenly enough, de la Rosa said "at least the partial costs are deferred through the holidays." He then said he had to get permission from su alcaldito before he could speak with me anymore about the "significant costs savings" in his department's operational plan and the re-organizational structure plan. But he is not, apparently, go-between material like Grodnick: When I called him back about a half an hour later, he told me he had been told not to provide me with any information. "As per direction of the mayor, all budgetary questions are referred to his office," de la Rosa said. I had already left two messages with someone at the mayor's office Monday, as I have done nearly every day in the last two weeks. But I likely will not get a call back. And I may ask him in person when I see him at City Hall, but he will likely ignore me again. So Hernandez won't answer questions and won't allow de la Rosa, Budget Director Alex Vega, Finance Director Vivian Parks or Water and Sewer Director Armando Vidal to clarify questions about the budget. That means that nobody gets to know what we are dealing with. And that's exactly what the fire union is facing and has been facing for two and a half years. No answers to real questions of substance. No checks or balances. (We have filed a public records request, but history has shown us not to hold our breath).

Hernandez does have the time and werewithal, however, to record misleading robocalls paid for by his mayoral campaign account and leave messages for residents sullying Pico's good Winnie-the-Pooh name. He has time to make up outright lies, saying the firefighters want to raise taxes "to protect their juicy benefits." His emphasis, not Ladra's. But the strong mayor (yeah, I did a double-take, too) won't negotiate with them himself. He won't meet cara a cara, at the table with rolled sleeves, ready to do what is necessary. The firefighters, many of whom live in the city and others who have served residents for decades, do not want anyone to raise taxes. In fact, they believe the city does not have to. They just want to stop frivolous spending and corruption. And they know that if the city loses its Class 1 rating, insurance rates could go up and Hernandez can claim no accountability yet again. Su alcaldito is desperate, meanwhile, to keep his $190,000-a-year job ($244,000 if you count his pension, since he is making a campaign issue of it) and has resorted to campaigning against the firefighters because its trendy and he has to rail against someone. He's lost both the TV and radio debates with co-candidates: former State Sen. Rudy Garcia, (R, District 40) and former Mayor Raul Martinez. And he likely fears the planned live radio debate with Pico Wednesday morning on Actualidad Radio (1020 AM) because Pico (who is not a candidate but will still beat su actor alcaldito) brings documents and asks specific questions Hernandez won't or can't answer. Truth is on Mario Pico's side.

But while Hernandez will pontificate perfidiously in public, el alcaldito sends the go-betweens to negotiate his will so he can later claim ignorance when they botch things up -- as they have so many times. Shall we count the ways? The most recent finding of sufficient cause from state regulators came last week and the fire union can file a complaint about what is clearly a premature impasse (the third in this process, which has clearly been prolonged by the city). How can you say it wasn't premature when even you are still willing to negotiate, Bill? Or was that also blackmail and extortion to get the firefighters at the table in a disadvantaged position? Was it extortion when former mayor Julio Robaina tells the union reps (who have it on video) that if they just shut up and bend over, the city will rehire the 16 firefighters that were illegally fired to influence a union vote (the same firefighters that have not been made whole yet even though the city was legally ordered to backpay them for those five months they sat at home and were covered with other staff on overtime)? Because every time su alcaldito and Go-Between Grodnick say it's been two and a half years of negotiations, they forget to say the part about how the city is the one that has thwarted any real dialogue with hostility and heavy-handed tactics. They also forget to add that during that time, they have been found to violate fair labor practices not once, but twice. It's been two and a half years because of them, not because of the firefighters who simply asked to see the books that show the city needs them to sacrifice so that political pals can keep getting juicy no-bid contracts (that emphasis is mine) and cronies who crank it out for their campaigns keep getting "salary adjustments." It's been two and a half years because there is no transparency about the numbers and the figures that are presented change from day to day. It's been two and a half years because city administrators have dug in their heels and won't show their real financials or even present a recovery plan so the community is not faced with this again in 12 and 24 and 36 months.

Thank goodness we have the firefighters answering a different kind of emergency in the city. They are performing a different kind of triage. The victim is the community at large and the sickness is the corruption, lack of transparency and conflicts of interest that spread like cancer at City Hall. Rather than take their medicine to cover up the symptoms, the firefighters want to treat the disease -- perhaps even remove the tumor -- so that the patient can live and thrive again for many more years. They have sacrificed their own time to educate the public and the union leaders have sacrificed their personal lives to defend not just their own, but the entire city, and fight for what's right.

And for this, they are heroes once more.

They are certainly not the politicians that bargain-rate politico pretenders try pathetically to paint them as.

Botellas should go before firefighters

2011-09-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Some city employees get fired or transferred for real or perceived political alliances that aren't in line with the current administration. Others get a 17 percent paycut forced on them or threatened with a 40 percent downsizing for retaliatory reasons.

But not everybody who works in Hialeah has it so bad.

There are created and choice jobs and "salary adjustments" for those who are connected to the Carlos Hernandez (read: Julio Robaina) administration and/or help pave their political aspirations.
Enrique Flor's story about what is clearly a conveniently created $75,000-a-year position for a one-time (or current, who knows?) hottie of Budget Director Alex Vega in Sunday's paper might be the most salacious example so far, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. (http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2010/07/27/772494/escandalo-amoroso-sacude-al-ayuntamiento.html) Ladra already wrote about the multiple program coordinator positions that could easily be combined for easier coordination and other seeming botella or needless positions -- in this economy I'd rather lose a literacy program director than a firefighter -- and later heard about this woman, who serves now administrating "workforce capacity" grants from the state. I wonder how much the city got for that. This is her second transfer. She was an internal auditor during her 2009 affair with her boss, Vega. Five months after his wife (they are now divorced) found them necking in the parking lot and tore apart his office (that is according to a police report), then mayor Julio Robaina -- who lost his heated bid for the county mayor's seat in June -- transferred the little homewrecker. In the Herald, he said it was his decision. But he did not explain why it took him five months after Flor asked repeatedly. I don't know anything about this woman or what she does, but I do think it's worth looking into before the city fires one single firefighter paramedic. (Ladra is thrilled that other reporters are calling his non-answers and Enrique had another great story about political retribution last week. http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/09/23/1031008/segundo-ex-empleado-de-hialeah.html).

Another position to look at is another suspected botella: Jonathan Martinez, who has worked for both Robaina, as an aide, and now alcaldito Hernandez as a "mayor's liaison" (read: spy) in four different departments: Building, planning and zoning, code enforcement and occupational licenses. His $37,500 annual salary comes in 25% allotments from each department. That way each department expense looks like it has gone down. (That comes from the cheater, Vega, we are sure). A little trip to the Human Resources department this week -- made possible by a public records request for personnel records made last week -- confirmed that Martinez had gotten the same 17 percent cut that the rest of the employees got last year. His salary went from $2,140 a month to $1,776 a month. But then he helped boss Robaina with the doomed Miami-Dade mayoral race. And his salary went back up to $2,884 a month. If Ladra's math is right, that's a 60% raise. That's hard to justify in these tough economic times that su alcaldito keeps claiming as the reason for the threates against the fire firefighters (because it's really political retribution, as these botella positions show). Martinez refused to answer questions about his position and his duties when asked at a recent council meeting. He also did not return voice mail messages left for him at City Hall.

Hernandez has another staffer whose duties and position may be questionable. Arnaldo Alonso, who took a leave of absence during the mayoral race to help Robaina, is officially the Social Service Family Assistance Supervisor. The job description says that individual coordinates referral services to individuals and families requiring assistance of social service agencies... "conducts comprehensive client assessments to collect functional, environmental, psychosocial, financial, employment, housing, educational, and health information as appropriate to develop and create a cost effective care plan; develops support systems to meet client needs by identifying and coordinating a variety of available services; evaluates client risks and assess need for immediate intervention; prepares written reports for funding agency, city, and cooperating agencies; assists in the recruitment, training, supervision and support of volunteers; interprets and explain laws, regulations and service programs to clients; determines need for and conducts inter-agency and/or family conferences; provides supportive counseling and advocacy for clients... interviews clients with problems such as personal and family adjustments, school attendance, finances, employment, food, clothing, housing and physical needs to determine nature and degree of problem; refers clients to community resources and other organizations; performs job search activities and provides job referral opportunities; coordinates and organizes community outreach workshops for clients; complies records and prepares reports; reviews service plans and performs follow-up to determine quantity and quality of service provided to client and status of client's case; accesses and records client and community resource information; secures supplementary information such as employment, medical records or school reports; responsible for case management involving individual counseling, monitoring and motivating clients; assists with the progress of clients in the fulfillment of their individual employment and training program service strategies..." among other things. Whew. But does he really do that? Alonso did not return calls from Ladra to let us know what he did and give us a peek at some of those client case reports, etc. Because from our vantage point, it looks like his duties for $3,760 a month are to drive su alcaldito around at times, answer calls for his mayoral campaign and schedule his debates as a campaign contact for the media. That does not seem like something that he should be doing on taxpayer dime and time. Maybe Hernandez's political consultant and absentee ballot broker, Sasha Tirador -- who took the time to call Ladra while I was perusing Alonso's file at the city's Human Resources department to ask if I had found anything interesting in Arnie's file (I'm actually flattered people are spying and reporting my whereabouts at City Hall) -- should be representing the candidate instead of letting a city employee do it while she calls to harass a political blogger. At least she gets paid out of campaign funds.

Interestingly enough, I couldn't find Alonso's position in the new 2011-2012 budget. But I wonder if that's because he'll be transferred or because it's divided into four or five or six different departments.

2 candidates expelled by PAC man

2011-09-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Police arrived Wednesday to one of the monthly senior parties thrown for the residents of Hialeah Housing Authority facilities after someone called in a "disturbance". But it wasn't a fistfight between two viejitos over the Marlins MVP or a hair-pulling meleé de abuelas over the last piece of cake.

No, the police were called to eject two candidates in the upcoming election: former councilman and former HHA director Alex Morales -- who was fired by fomer mayor Julio Robaina after he refused to break the rules for him -- and former Hialeah cop turned HHA intake specialist (he processes new applications) Danny Bolaños, son of the former longtime police chief. Two other candidates on the November ballot -- incumbent councilmen Jose Caragol and Pablito "Huh" Hernandez, who are being backed by HHA Director Julio Ponce -- were left to chat with the housing residents (read: absentee voters) in the dining room Villa Aida, 20 West 6th St., and even allowed to walk around and roam the hallways freely, as photographed here.

Neither Bolaños nor Morales had any campaign materials to hand out. They were just saying hello. While Ladra knows that they were there for votes, so were Caragol and Hernandez, and the rules don't say they couldn't attend the party, only that they cannot campaign there. In addition, there were another 10 or so HHA employee colleagues of Bolaños there that were not made to leave.

"I went there to say hello to friends who have seen me grow up since 2003 when I came to housing," Bolaños told me Thursday. "I did not tell anyone that I was a political candidate. The policy says you can't solicit. I wasn't soliciting. I was saying hello." Bolaños has been to dozens of other parties -- until 2009 when he first ran for office (lost to Councilwoman Katherine Cue and Robaina's absentee ballot machinery). "That's when Julio Ponce forbid me from going."

On Wednesday, they were told they were not allowed to be there, per HHA policy. But Morales said they intentionally bent the rules in order to violate his and Bolaños rights.

"I wrote the policy and it says you can't campaign door-to-door or solicit door-to-door for funeral packages, for HMOs, for anything," Morales said. "But at those parties, everyone went. We just don't allow the distribution of literature." The Professor reminded Ladra about a 2008 visit to one of the housing buildings by former Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart when he was campaigning for re-election against Morales friend and ally Raul Martinez, the former Hialeah mayor now running to get his old job back. "Lincoln showed up unannounced with mariachis and I adjusted the program," Morales said. "I stood next to him. I smiled. I introduced him. I gave him the microphone. I asked him not to distribute cards, 'But you are welcome to go table to table and say hi to everybody.'"

The most interesting thing about the whole incident, to Ladra anyway, were the photographs shown to me by one of the viejitas who snapped away as Morales said hi to people he has known for decades: Hovering over him the entire time, like a giant intimidating shadow, was HHA adult activities director Adriel Sanchez, who was physically pushing him and trying to block him from greeting residents.

"I was assaulted and battered," Morales said. "He was pushing me, he was grabbing me by the arm. I repeatedly told him stop touching me. You are battering me and I am going call the police." He didn't have to. Someone, and we suspect it may be HHA Director Ponce, called police and had him and Bolaños escorted out. He is not going to press charges for battery, though, he may pursue a violation of his constitional rights. Both Morales and Bolaños -- and this could show they are still solidly on the same slate supporting each other -- have consulted an attorney. "We may take action that way," Morales said. "You cannot allow free speech for one group of individuals and not to another group of individuals."

But Adriel Sanchez sounded like a familiar name to Ladra. And it is. We wrote about him in June. Adriel Miguel Sanchez, chairman of the Citizens to Reclaim Miami-Dade Government PAC, which is curiously out of Tampa, and Ladra wrote about him in June when she was tabulating the millions [badly] spent on Robaina's failed bid for county mayor. That PAC raised and spent more than $1.12 million, mostly funneled to other PACs for Robaina, including The [Non]Accountability Project, Citizens First and Citizens for Clarity -- which used some of those funds for attack radio ads against then-candidate Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez -- according to campaign finance reports. Curiously, no funds from Citizens to Reclaim Miami-Dade Govenment went to Truth for Our Community PAC, which is chaired by his boss, Ponce (another quid pro quo botella as director with a $125,000 salary and a $900-a month car allowance, despite having only a high school diploma and zero experience in the field). But the final report from the Reclaim PAC, "disbanded" on Sept. 8, is not due until Oct. 11.

Ladra can't help but wonder if Sanchez's $31,500-a-year HHA job is another one of those botella positions (read: political quid pro quo) given to people who help the powers that be with their political aspirations and campaigns? Or was his name simply used by Ponce and Robaina to front another of more than eight or nine PACs that were working for the former mayor and real estate mogul. The Citizens to Reclaim Miami-Dade Government PAC was formed on December 20, two months after Sanchez was hired Oct. 4, 2010

I called Sanchez to find out if he was the chicken or the egg, and he put me on hold. "Hang on a second," after I introduced myself and he told me his title and confirmed he was hired in October. After a few minutes, a woman came on the phone. "Can I help you?" I said I was speaking with Mr. Sanchez and he had put me on hold but said he would be right back. I was then connected to his voice mail.

Sanchez, curiously, also has addresses in Las Vegas and Orange County, California, and Ladra can't help but wonder if he has any casino or gambling ties. Jesus Navarro, the maquinita king of Hialeah, gave the Citizens to Reclaim PAC at least $5,000 and the Brunetti family, who own Hialeah Park racetrack, gave more than $50,000 to the PAC.

Ladra likes to play with chance a little as much as the next dog and, in fact, has a little wager to propose: How much does anyone want to bet that Robaina is still involved in Hialeah politics?

Police lives in danger with layoffs

2011-09-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ladra has provided this space to republish a blog post by Hialeah Police Officer Antonio "Sergeant" Luis about alcaldito Carlos Hernandez's proposal to fire 105 of 271 firefighters -- which puts patrol officers at risk.

The whole thing can be found at http://forums.leoaffairs.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=121125, but here are a couple of the best graphs:

"Afternoon shift two major traffic accidents occur 15 minutes apart, one in sector 5, the other in sector 1. Just about that time a small kitchen fire happens in sector 3. While all that is going on, an officer gets into a shooting. How long will it take a fire department with 40% less manpower take to get to that officer? Wait a second all the fire units in the city are tied up.

"Do not be fooled for one second OUR LIVES are in danger if the city goes through with this. This cannot be allowed to occur."

The date and time of the final budget hearing at the end has been changed from Sept. 26 to Sept. 28, but the rest of the post from this 13-year veteran -- who has been put through hell for denouncing political favoritism and is fighting injustice in his own department -- is right on target.

Mayor's lies must be challenged

2011-09-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Let's add another tall tale to the long list of lies Hialeah's alcaldito Carlos Hernandez wants to feed his constituents: The firefighters threatened with mass firings want to raise taxes and won't make a deal.

What a crock from the man they call "the Rock." But get used to it. He is truth challenged. The firefighters fight this emergency with the truth and have been handing out flyers telling residents and business leaders about the mayor's dangerous plan of political retaliation. Alcaldito only has lies to give the hundreds of citizens who have called to demand that he keep the firefighter staff as is.

The mayor's office is actually telling these hundreds of callers to call the fire union instead. "Call Mario Pico," one woman told me when I called, "and ask him why the union does not want to come to an agreement with the city." Other callers are told to call the fire union president, and the mayor's staff provides the phone number, because the firefighters want to raise taxes to preserve their benefits.

Let's be clear: The firefighters, like Ladra, know that there does not have to be any tax increase because the council is squandering funds elsewhere. Like with no-bid contracts (about $1 million in the last meeting alone), some of which go to companies or people who make campaign contributions. Like the created positions for cronies and lackies, some of which just got "salary adjustments" -- including one mayor's aide that went from $1,776 a month to $2,884 a month. Would the mayor need to raise taxes for these things? The firefighters, like Ladra, know that there do not have to be any new taxes in order to maintain staffing levels where they are, which are already insufficient to cover a city of 220,000 residents that swells to a population of 500,000 during the weekday. This "tax increase" argument is a scare tactic used to bully and smear the firefighters even more.

But su alcaldito has to say that. He has no defense, no excuse for his threat to cut 40 percent of the firefighter paramedic personnel. It is threat and it is extortion because both he and the council president, Isis "Guttermouth Girl" Garcia-Martinez have publicly said that if the union were to make concessions -- not negotiate, but just take the concessions the city wants to force on them -- there would not be anybody fired. Really? Is that even legal? Let's rewind to July 20, when it was the city that declared impasse on the union not even two hours into negotiations. And they had planned it. The impasse document was prepared beforehand and brought into the meeting -- which shows a total lack of good faith. The city went into those negotiations clearly intending to declare impasse (and they will lose again when this is legally brought to the state board that oversees public employee relations).

This is just political payback because the union backed his opponent, former mayor Raul Martinez, in this November election and his mentor/master Julio Robaina's opponent, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. Otherwise why would Hernandez distribute an old newspaper article about past hostilities between the firefighters and Martinez at his press conference about the budget? What does that have to do with the 2011-2012 allocation of funds?

By the way, Mayor Gimenez, why are you so silent on this? Won't this affect county services, too? Aren't you representing Hialeah citizens also, Mr. "Mayor for All"? Wasn't this a group that backed you and helped you get elected?

For that matter, where are the other elected leaders that represent and speak for this community? I contacted Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo, State Sen. Rene Garcia (R, District 40) and State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez (R, District 102) -- all of them former Hialeah council members who are quite easy to find in the City of Progress during election season -- before the first budget hearing last week and asked if they were going to go. I have yet to hear back from any of them. I guess election season for them is too far off.

So let's call their offices, too, to see what they think.

Gimenez can be reached at 305-375-5071 or mayor@miamidade.gov
Garcia can be reached at 305-824-5058 or at 305-364-3100 and his district office is at 3814 W. 12th Ave, just above the campaign office for su alcaldito and the incumbents minus one
Gonzalez can be reached in Tallahassee at 850-488-1683 or his district office in Hialeah Gardens, 10001 NW 87th Ave., 305-364-3066.

Ladra wonders if they will redirect calls to the firefighters or the Hialeah mayor's office, where the blame really lies.