Well, that didn’t take long, did it?
On the eve of the inauguration last week, Florida State Rep. Mike Hill (R-Pensacola) filed a bill Monday that would roll back the gun restrictions passed by last year’s state legislature in the wake of the student shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland.
“The law that was passed last year was a direct infringement upon our Second Amendment, so I was duty bound by my oath to file this legislation to protect and defend our Second Amendment rights,” Hill said, referring to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which, among other things, banned bump stocks, raised the minimum age to buy a firearm from 18 to 21 years old, extended the waiting period to buy a gun to three days and created the “red-flag” provision that allows law enforcement to temporarily confiscate guns from anyone who threatens to hurt themselves or anyone else.
Hill’s bill would repeal those restrictions, which he said would do “absolutely nothing to stop what it intended to and that was mass shootings at our schools.”
The legislation, and a companion bill to be filed by Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala), first have to go through committee before getting to the House and Senate floors.
So this means that we could see a repeat of last year’s emotional testimony and fierce advocacy on both sides of the issue as the NRA again focuses on Florida.
Already, newly-elected Democratic State Rep. Cindy Polo — a Miami Lakes mom who decided to run after the shooting — vowed to fight the bill every step of the way.
“After one of the most devastating mass shootings in our state’s history, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle came together to pass a new set of gun safety laws. This legislation was not perfect, but it was a start,” Polo said in a statement.
“We must continue to move forward with bipartisan consensus on these issues and not backwards. This NRA-sponsored legislation is not the way to honor all of those we lost almost a year ago.
“We have a responsibility to the Parkland families and to all communities in Florida. It’s time our loyalty be with the people and not the NRA. I encourage all of my colleagues to do the same.”
Ladra can’t help but wonder how the survivors and the family of the victims feel about this.
Hill’s loyalties seem to be warped and he’s headed to a pretty big year, ensuring headlines. The other bills he’s introducing pre-session include one to ban the removal of confederate symbols — street names, statutes, whatever — which is already in committee and a controversial “fetal heartbeat” anti-abortion bill, which has been tried state by state to make Roe Vs. Wade moot.
And we haven’t even really gotten started.
 

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It started good at the top of the ticket. Then, ouch.
Was former Sen. Bill Nelson and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum actually winning with absentee ballots? Because early results had them just over 50.
Even Jeffrey “Doc” Solomon had 525 votes over newly-elected State Rep. Vance Aloupis, right, who ended up winning by 591 votes.
But that feeling of rising hope quickly turned to disbelief and dread when the blue wave turned into a wipeout after Gov. Elect Ron DeSantis and former Gov. and Senator elect Rick Scott turned it around.
We had a few bright spots where the wave did crash nicely.
Democrats gained two seats in Congress, with the election of Donna Shalala over Republican Maria Elvira Salazar (though not as solid as she should have) and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell‘s stunning victory over Carlos Curbelo. That’s a bright silver lining for Ladra that we will come back to.
And Ladra’s favorite new elected, mom gone mad Cindy Polo beat back former Miami Lakes Councilman Frank Mingo in District 103. That was a tremendous upset as Polo, right, was underfunded and losing in Miami-Dade, 56 to 44 percent. The voters in Broward — because the district also includes Miramar — saved us flipping those numbers so she won 53 to 47 percent.
But locally, Polo was it. Democrats failed everywhere else.
While Miami-Dade was overwhelmingly pro Gillum and pro Nelson — they won the 305 each with about 60% of the vote — and Democrats were able to defend Sen. Annette Taddeo from a challenge by Republican superwoman Marili Cancio (next time, Marili, don’t attack with lies about Taddeo and the NRA and talk about your own achievements), they let another Senate bid die and lost several opportunities to gain Florida House seats — even letting one flip red in District 118.
Former State Rep. Robert Asencio became a one-term legislator probably because he was too busy trying to help everybody else and didn’t campaign enough to keep his own seat. Granted, it was definitely an upset surprise for Anthony Rodriguez, who lost the primary two years ago to King David “Nine Lives” Rivera, to beat him ever so slightly, 51% to 49%.
The same narrow win gave Doral Councilwoman Ana Maria Rodriguez a seat in the House, replacing Ambassador Carlos Trujillo in District 105, beating Javier Estevez by a scant 560 votes. Democrats are used to voting for Ana Maria, right, that gap was expected to be even wider, but only because the party invested zero time and money in this flippable district.
The real pain comes with what happened up north, where special interest favorite State Rep. Manny Diaz Jr. beat firefighter hero David Perez for the Senate seat in 36 vacated by Rene Garcia (who will run for county commissioner in two years).
Now we heal and rest until next year when it’s time to gear up for 2020. Maybe Democrats will figure something out between now and then.

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The race in House District 103 may prove once and for all that money alone doesn’t win campaigns.
Cindy Polo, the Democrat mom and anti-blasting activist who decided to run for office after the Parkland shooting, may have less campaign spending power than that of former Miami Lakes Councilman Frank Mingo: About $54,000, mostly in small donations from mom and pop sources, compared to Mingo’s $254,000, including a lot of maximum $1,000 contributions from mostly Tallahassee special interests.
But she seems to have more momentum.
“We planned on being at a financial disadvantage so we’ve been very strategic,” Polo said on Sunday, the eve before early voting begins.
An internal Democratic Party poll reportedly has her winning by single digits just beyond the margin of error. Ladra believes the source because it would explain why Mingo and his supporters — who include the powerful next Speaker of the House, State Rep. Jose Oliva — are acting so desperately.
There have been negative attacks either diminishing her inexperience or blaming her for the toll increases at MDX because she once worked at the agency (without any voting power). So it’s a very mixed message. One day she’s “just a mom” and the next, she single-handedly hiked tolls. Sounds like they’re really worried.
Read related: Possible plantidate forces Democrat primary in House 103 for the GOP
Well, they have been since the beginning, probably because Hillary Clinton won the district by 20 points two years ago — its really one of the most flippable seats in the state — which is why they planted that fake Democrat, Rick Tapia, against her in the primary. She handily beat him, 58-42.
Days later, the desperate Mingo camp came up with another strategy and issued a press release last month, seemingly picked up only by the Miami Laker, declaring war on the quarries and announcing — oh so timely — that if elected, Manny Diaz Jr. and Mingo would make anti-blasting legislation their first priority.
Pfffffft. Yeah, right. Nobody believes that. Like Mingo is the missing piece? They couldn’t get anything done when it was just Diaz and Oliva and Rene Garcia in the Senate? Rene, te estan despreciando.
Mingo is more like a second pocket vote for Oliva, who also happens to be his boss at Oliva Cigars. In fact, Oliva put him in office in Miami Lakes, to groom him exactly for this position. Just more of the same of what we’ve had for too long. Judging by his campaign contributions, he will make the expansion and facilitation of more charter schools his priority.
The announcement smells more like sweet desperation.
Read related: Rep. Jose Oliva lends juice for Miami Lakes sprint election
And Ladra predicts it will backfire. People in Miami Lakes, Palm Springs North and Miramar know that while Polo has been pressing the blasting issue for years — indeed it is how she became politically active — these blokes in office have been deaf and even taken money from the quarries, like the one in the photo above.
“The community is tired of the same old accusations and stories year after year. They are on to them,” said Polo, who has concentrated on the issues of blasting, gun control and education. “I’ve lived in this area my whole life. I grew up here. So it’s not something I need cliff notes on.”
She also has the endorsements from the Miami Herald and United Teachers of Dade, as well as the enthusiasm brought on by gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum.
All of which means that Mingo could still very well lose with all that money.

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Sorry Ladra has had to take a week to recover from the primaries and, yes, I am talking mostly about congressional district 27, where I was part of the campaign. My candidate came in third and, even though she was always the underdog and most expected her to do worse, it still hurts a bit.
But not as much as the dread of November, where I have to choose between Republican Fidel fawner Maria Elvira Salazar and former UM queen bitch Donna Shalala.
I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.
The rest of the primary was oh so blah — Andrew Gillum‘s upset win being the only real bright light — that there was just no urgency to report or analyze the results or local impact or winners and losers. Even though former Miami Beach mayor Phillip Levine sure lost — even in hometown Miami-Dade — but I’ll get to gloat another day.
To be fair, on election night I was also watching two House races in real time: District 115, where I live and where Republican nominee Vance Aloupis rode his attack ads and establishment money to a short-lived victory — Jeffrey Solomon is poised to take this seat blue in November — and District 103, where Cindy Polo beat the plantidate and is well on her way to becoming a state rep. Former Miami Lakes Councilman Frank “Fat Chance” Mingo just got a new nickname.
Read related: Possible plantidate forces Democrat primary in House 103 for the GOP
True, there was that empty gut feeling after every county commission incumbent — even former Sen. Javier Souto, who is really going to embarrass himself now — won re-election. The problem is that nobody is getting serious about putting up real candidates and then giving them the support they need to win.
Ladra was surprised as anyone that Analeen “Annie” Martinez, the commissioner’s daughter, was unable to win the Republican primary, even though she was better financed than anyone by far — and than Juan Fernandez-Barquin by at least $100,000 not counting any PACs — and, one would think, have the more experienced campaign team. But Martinez came in 23 points behind Fernandez-Barquin, who got 44% of the vote.
There were some happy results, including David Perez for the Democratic nominee in the Senate race against Manny Diaz Jr. (more on that later), Jason Pizzo and Dotie Joseph over incumbents Daphne Campbell and Roy Hardemon, respectively, and former Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco over the other two duds in that race. Grieco (photographed right) becomes the defacto state rep because that district is just bluer than the sky and will go Dem in Novem. I like Mike. I hope he is basking in this, which is a double whammy for Levine.
Now we move on to the general, which has to live up to all the 2018 election hype all by itself because he primary fizzled. Which races become important to Ladra now?
Read related: Michael Grieco best choice in House 113 race
Well, the governor’s race. I am Team Andrew and want to start looking into that election and those issues. Because almost anyone is better than Ron De Santis anyway. And, while I have to watch FL27 as a reluctant voter, I am more interested now in FL26 as a blogger and political junkie. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has a real chance to take this seat away from incumbent Republican Carlos Curbelo, if she does it right. Part of that will be to expose him for the sniveling, lying opportunist that he is. Call me, Debbie.
We are also looking forward to the contest between Sen. Annette Taddeo and Republican superwoman Marili Cancio. Ladra sure hopes Annette is not taking her for granted. People tend to like Marili. Lots of people. Purple people, too. Even I like Marili.
Read related: GOP’s Marili Cancio vs Dem Sen. Annette Taddeo in ‘year of the woman’
But at the state level, Ladra is, as promised months ago, a single issue voter. Parkland is still fresh in my mind. Maybe it’s because my daughter was at a very similar high school in South Florida that day. Maybe its from the way I saw young people get woke. Maybe it was from watching Republican after Republican deny legitimate and worthy amendments and turn what could have been a national model for gun reform into a way to put guns in schools.
The real test of the impact the school shooting will have on elections is not in the primary, after all. It is in November. And it will be difficult for many of us to support any Republican this year because of their behavior after Parkland.
But it will be fun to watch them try.

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Among the House races in South Florida this November, one of the most important, despite the little media attention, is the race to replace State Rep. Manny Diaz, Jr. in House District 103.
Why is it important? Because Diaz, the GOP mafia’s pick to run for the Senate seat vacated by Rene Garcia, is one of would be State Rep. Jose Oliva‘s yes men and speaker vote. That seat needs to stay firmly an Oliva vote if he is to have the mighty power next session. How loyal does that person have to be? So much so that Oliva handpicked his very own employee, Miami Lakes Councilman Frank Mingo, an Oliva Cigars supply chain manager, to run for the seat.
He is literally a lackey.
Democrat Cindy Polo, a mom on a mission, could have a real chance against Mingo in the year of the woman on a supposed blue wave. So of course they threw a challenger against her in the primary. This way they can attack her and force her to burn her money in an August contest.
Enter Richard Tapia, the possible plantidate who came out of nowhere. Well, actually, he came out of Kendall, allegedly moving into a Hialeah apartment in the district one day before qualifying on June 20.  Hmmmm. It certainly could look like he moved in just for the race. Or maybe “moved in” is better.
At least he didn’t just become a Democrat. He did that two years ago.
Tapia was a Republican two years ago when he announced a run for a Miami-Dade School Board seat in the Little Havana district. Actually, he’s bounced back and forth a few times but he’s been a Republican more than he’s been a Democrat by at least 12 years.
He seems to have a hard time making up his mind. Tapia was even registered as everything for some time in 2016. He last switched from Republican to Democrat in December of 2016, four months after he dropped out of the school board race. But he went from Democrat to Republican in February that same year and from No Party Affiliation to Democrat in January, only 12 days before that. Talk about indecision. Tapia had switched to NPA from Republican in 2014. But he had been Republican since 2002, when he switched from Democrat in August of that year.
Whew. Yeah, I’m dizzy, too.
Tapia’s bio on Bloomberg says he has provided political strategies to the insurance industry as well as to “candidates seeking public office, achieving the elections of various state representatives, a U.S. Congressman, and a U.S. Senator.” Ladra wonders who those are. Bet they’re Republican. Someone should ask him, because he wouldn’t talk to me. And is that the kind of public servant Miami Lakes wants?
He was also Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo‘s appointment to the planning advisory board. Bovo, a died-in-the-wool Republican, is pretty tight with Oliva and would not likely appoint someone who would go against Oliva’s handpicked Diaz successor.
What seems far more likely is that Tapia is a plant, put there solely to smear Cindy and make her spend her money so she is at a disadvantage when it comes to the general. And if Tapia actually wins the primary, which is unlikely but possible, he will not try very hard to win the general. In fact, he may drop out. It wouldn’t be his first time.
This is the same guy who withdrew from the School Board race in 2016 after getting nudged by lobbyist and mayoral son CJ Gimenez, who met with him in a restaurant to talk him out of it. That’s because CJ’s aunt and the mayor’s sister in law, Maria Teresa Rojas, was running for the same seat. How much you wanna bet that Tapia was talked into this race?
Read related: Beware of Carlos Gimenez Jr. at Gables school board forum
Tapia wouldn’t talk about it. Reached over the weekend, he referred all questions to his campaign manager, Absentee Ballot Queen Sasha Tirador, who is known to work principally for Republican candidates. In fact, Ladra cannot remember a single Democrat candidate Sasha has worked with.
Of course, Tirador could just be into it to go against her old partner, David Custin, who works for Mingo and all of Oliva’s flying monkeys. It’s not like she hasn’t been driven by a grudge before.
It didn’t help Tapia’s case that he hung up on Ladra and answered a texted question about his P&Z appointment with “have a great day.” Tapia doesn’t even have to drop out if he wins the primary. He could throw it. He could just suspend his campaign or do something really stupid on purpose to hand Mingo the election. Or he could let it be known that he doesn’t really live in Hialeah.
Meanwhile, Polo seems like the real deal, another mom who got woke by the Parkland school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High in February. She filed her first paperwork for the seat in March.
“I’m not running because it was part of a career plan,” she told Ladra. “It was a necessity.”
Polo, who used to do communications for the MDX Authority, helped found the Northwest Dade Democratic Club almost two years ago and hoped to find someone else to step up. After Parkland, she saw Mingo’s name all by itself and decided that the someone was staring at her in the mirror. She was encourage by many, including former Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, who gave $500 to her campaign in May, according to state campaign finance reports.
Tapia, she said, called her and asked her to move her race to District 105. Polo said nana nina.
“He might not know what Hialeah girls are made of.”
Polo — who is involved in the area residents’ anti-blasting movement — wants to represent a community she says has been ignored for too long. “No one’s ever knocked on our doors, no one’s ever talked to us. I’ve lived here all my life so I know,” she said. “I want to give a voice to the area.”
See? Not a plant.
 

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