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.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Election starts today with ABs
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?
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?
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Abuse of power & police in Hialeah
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.
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.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
El alcaldito's AB play with fire
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Robaina raises $$$ for incumbents
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?
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).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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?
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Candidates comingle cordially
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.
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.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Gavelgirl files false police report
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.
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.
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