New PAC forms for Miami D4 election and, likely, vs. lifetime term limits

Proposed change of election year is part of the ruse
There’s a new political action committee in town. It was formed late last month, just in time to get involved at the last minute in the special election in Miami’s District 4 to replace the late Commissioner Manolo Reyes, which was won Tuesday by the PAC’s chosen candidate, Ralph Rosado.
But that might just be the beginning.
Floridians for Good Government filed paperwork with the Florida Division of Elections last month, naming Raul Diaz as its chairman and Jose “Pepe” Riesco as the treasurer. Diaz and Riesco also play the same roles at Miamians for Sensible Government, another PAC that has worked with Jesse Manzano , Rosado’s campaign manager, and gotten $35,000 from Miami For Everyone, which is the PAC for Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
So it’s safe to say that Floridians for Good Government is another Baby X PAC.

And it’s also likely that it will be used not just for the D4 campaign, but to fight against the referendum question that may be put on the ballot for the lifetime term limits, which would strengthen current term limits by prohibit electeds from skipping one term and coming right back.
Because Rosado’s support of the term limits and the ultimatum from Suarez to change the election date first are all part of the ruse.
Here’s how it goes:
Las malas lenguas say that Suarez threatened, through proxies, to veto the lifetime term limits unless the sponsor, Commissioner Damian Pardo — who looks like he is being fooled, maybe again — agrees to move the elections to even numbered years, which would extend everybody’s terms by a year and has already been threatened by legal action by at least two of the 2025 candidates (more on that later). Lo and behold, Pardo announced Wednesday morning — the day after newly-elected commissioner Rosado won his special election in District 4 — that he was going to put it on the agenda for the next meeting, June 12, at the same time as the term limits. He had said earlier they would be discussed at different meetings because they are not connected.
Bullshit.
Read related: Ralph Rosado and Joe Carollo beat Jose Regalado in Miami D4 special election
The mayor wants another year to campaign for Florida governor or whatever is next, because he has no place to go right now. The anxiously expected ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia is seemingly not a thing, so he’ll hang out as a postalita, no-show mayor and benefit from his public role and documented side gigs as much as possible..
Carollo could get 12 more months of taxpayer paid legal representation on his multiple lawsuits and can always run for mayor next year — even though, this year, he could very well be the frontrunner with the current clown car of candidates.
Because, here’s the thing, they have no intention of letting lifetime term limits become reality. The change in the election can be done by ordinance, in the next month or so before qualifying in September. Rosado has already said he is in favor of it. He’s also said he is open to the idea of the lifetime term limits, but wants to hear from his new colleagues, which means he likes Chairwoman Christine King‘s idea of making former electeds wait two terms before they can run for the same office again.
Either way, any enhanced or expanded term limits — watered down or not — have to be approved by voters. And that is something that can be fought in the court of public opinion. The campaign consultants that work for Carollo — and Carollo himself, who makes money off every campaign — is banking on it.
The stated purpose or scope of Floridians For Good Government is “to support or oppose candidate and ballot.” It looks like the word “question” was left off at the end of that sentence.
Ladra is 99% certain that this PAC is going to be used to push a no vote on the lifetime term limits. Sources have said that Suarez and Carollo are both making calls to raise money for it. With enough dollars, they can define the charter change as an unnecessary communist move to limit voters’ choices — or something like that. And an obvious sure thing gets completely muddied and instantly becomes a wedge issue.
The PAC is also affiliating itself with President Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” slogan. The D4 special election mail had the slogan matched with Rosado’s name and “Make District 4 Great Again.” This works with a lot of Miami voters and is likely to be the tone of several campaigns this year — or next.
Read related: Miami commissioners could extend terms, gain a year for themselves, mayor
Once the lifetime term limits are rejected by voters, it’s too late to change the election back. That boat will have sailed. So Pardo’s concept of sacrifice — that it’s worth another year of Carollo to get rid of him for good — might not really be worth the risk. Because it may not work out that way.
Floridians For Good Government will have to file two campaign finance reports between now and the November election, where the lifetime term limits could be on the ballot. One is in July and the other is in October, for the second and third quarter of the year.
Ladra will be on top of that to shine a light on who is backing, and who could benefit, from extending the current electeds’ terms by a year.
It is more important than ever to be all over the Miami city commission like black on beans. Like green on grass. Like bees on sweet. Like government money on a bad idea. Help Ladra stay on top of the commission’s moves and antics with a donation today to Political Cortadito. Thank you for your support!
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