Miami-Dade Commissioner Chairman Esteban “Stevie” Bovo may not be so bobo after all.
Bovo acted quickly after he recognized the same mantra coming up in the pro Kendall Parkway speakers on Thursday, after questions were raised about paying for testimony, and moved to stop it before others noticed.
After the first few people stood up and provided what seemed like a scripted speech — name, address, in so-and-so’s district and I support this — he suddenly offered them the option to wave in support.
Just wave in support? Shouldn’t they have to provide testimony as to why?
Read related: Kendall Parkway to nowhere is an intentional slippery slope for UDB
This is important because on Thursday morning, the Miami Herald reported that an FIU student had been recruiting pro Parkway speakers on Instagram.
“Are you or any of your friends available tomorrow 9/27 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in County Hall,” read the text message invitation posted on Instagram by FIU student Leo Cosio, according to a story by Doug Hanks. “Will get paid $75 to attend and speak in favor of the Kendall Parkway.”
Cosio, president of the student government association on FIU’s Biscayne Campus, posted a screen grab of a text message, with bold-faced lettering offering more details. “If you’re interested DM me,” the headline of the post said. “Script provided.”
That’s what the pro Parkway people, some of whom didn’t live in the affected area either, started sounding like. Like they were scripted. Ladra noticed it. But then Bovo noticed it, too.
Law enforcement should get the names of those people who “testified” at Thursday’s meeting and talk to them about why they went there. I am sure they will find paid speakers on behalf of the MDX, which had already spent at least $400,000 on a slick PR campaign for the Parkway, or any number of other people, including builders and developers who stand to make millions in contracts. It behooves the state attorney’s office to nip this in the bud.
Read related: MDX spent $400K on PR, including $60K for mayor’s daughter in law
They should also talk to Cosio, who took the post down after the Herald inquired about it and has since said he is against the Parkway. If he is so against it, why did he refuse to say where he found it originally or who offered to pay. “Not at liberty to share,” he told a reporter in a direct message on Twitter. Not at liberty to share? Someone subpoena that guy.
And then they should talk to Bovo about what he knew and why he waved them off. Sketchy.
Does Bovo think that the approval of the Kendall Parkway is going to help his 2020 mayoral bid? Or is he just helping his buddy, Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who sneaked his way into chairman of the MDX board and whose lobbyist son works for MDX contractors?

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The long-debated and controversial 836 extension known as the Kendall Parkway was given final approval 9-4 by the Miami-Dade Commission on Thursday, despite so many warnings, questions and concerns.
That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal, however, and not because it still needs state and federal approval that is hopefully not as purchased as county nods. Lawsuits are threatened and Sen. Marco Rubio, of all people, vows to fight the project because the MDX doesn’t want to buy more land for the Everglades restoration project than it needs to build a 13-mile, six-lane expressway through protected wetlands.
There are so many reasons why this should not happen.
Commissioners were warned that studies show new highways like the Kendall Parkway do not alleviate traffic but only cause more congestion long term. There were unanswered questions about the plan, incomplete information about even the precise route, of which there were at least four. And there are myriad concerns about how this will impact the environment, the Everglades restoration plan and promote future development and sprawl.
It didn’t matter. One could tell it didn’t matter as people pleaded for them to take a step back and wait. Transit advocates even presented options that were less costly and wouldn’t endanger our environment and our water table. In the end, our commissioners voted with the builders and the contractors that pad their campaign accounts and with the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, which would manage the $650-million to $1 billion project (read: award bids and dole out the funds).
Of course there were some West Kendall residents for it. They are desperate for any relief that they can see on the horizon from a county government that not only forgets about them but also breaks its promises and steals their half-penny tax dollars to fund mediocre bus service and limited MetroRail.
But nobody explained to these people that if that money were invested in the SMART plan transit solutions, in light rail and rapid bus throughout Miami-Dade in the right places then there would be no need for the Kendall Parkway because there would be fewer cars on the road. Nobody explained to them that there are less costly and better alternatives within the UDB that would not promote future development west over what was once protected wetlands.
They think they have no choice. And they do. Or they did.
Because now that the Kendall Parkway is approved, Gimenez and his pocket commissioners, principally Chairman Esteban Bovo, will fall on this “laurel” and do absolutely nothing else for transit. They don’t have to. They did this.
And while most of the commissioners who voted in favor of this were just re-elected — too bad this highway vote didn’t come before the August election — people should remember that.
They did this.

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Part of the outrage with the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority ‘s plan to extend the 836 with the Kendall Parkway along the western edge of the county — and the eastern edge of Everglades wetlands — is the amount of money that went to the slick PR campaign for the yes vote.
MDX reportedly spent at least $150,000 just on a mailer that went out to voters or homeowners in the West Kendall area that has been promised alleviated traffic. The gripe is that they used toll dollars to provide only an option to support the parkway, and not one to oppose it, not that it’s an incredibly inflated amount that looks bogus to lots of legitimate mail vendors.
But what if Ladra told you that what MDX spent on the total “educational campaign” was more than twice that much? And what would you think if you knew part of that money went to Barby Rodriguez, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez‘s daughter-in-law.
Barby Rodriguez-G, as she calls herself works for one of the companies who got part of the MDX pie. EV Services was paid $60,000 of the 836 extension project funding, which from the requested public documents that Ladra has gotten so far — and it doesn’t look like I’ve gotten everything — is close to $390,000.
Read related: Barby Gimenez shows up to no-show job on county dime
And that’s just through May! How much you want to bet it goes over half a million already?
Those are toll dollars spent on PR to convince the public that they need the Kendall Parkway.
EV Services, where Barby Rodriguez is a “public information officer,” is one of three companies that have been paid since at least March to push the Parkway with an “educational campaign.” Bermello, Ajamil & Partners (billed $69,950) and HNTB (billed $258,568.40) are the other two. Both of those are architecture, civil engineering consulting and construction management firms that expect to make hundreds of millions more building the six lane, 13-mile highway estimated at a $1 billion cost.
So the companies who stand to make millions are the ones “educating” us on the project?
That’s for, according to the invoices provided by MDX, various presentations, a briefing with Sen. Annette Taddeo and with Congressman Carlos Curbelo‘s staff, attending weekly meetings, receiving and responding to emails and calls about the Kendall Parkway, drafting radio messages, “printed and cut” 100 more support Kendall Parkway cards, “researched area of 167th avenue for database,” worked on final Spanish translation for a flyer the website, reviewing the script and elements of an educational video, outreach to community leaders and homeowner associations, coordination with content producers and distributors, and multiple mailers, among other tasks.
So if they are handling the “educational campaign” and outreach what is EV Services, which does nothing but public relations (read: propaganda), doing? Or are they just on there for a flat $60K because of the ties to the mayor?
According to one of the March invoices, EV Services did:

Preparation of Leadership Track Educational Campaign and outreach to community leaders, businesses, HOAs and special groups
Attendance in weekly strategy meetings related to Kendall Parkway
Assistance in preparation of collateral materials for Kendall Parkway educational materials
Assist in preparation of digital content for educational campaign
Attendance at coordination meetings with content producers and distributors

So, pretty much they all did the same stuff.
And how much more does EV Services stand to make? And how much of that goes directly to Barby? And did she have to do anything or is she just there so they get the contract?
Ladra is still getting more public records and will report further on this.

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In the governor’s race, Republican Ron Desantis might have the Cuban running mate, but Democrat gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum is not giving up on the Hispanic vote.
Nor is he taking it for granted, launching an #UnidosPorGillum campaign and recruiting Hispanic supporters and surrogates.
After having first only one Hispanic listed on his campaign leadership announcement Sept. 17 — Deputy Campaign Manager Cesar Fernandez, from Governor Charlie Crist‘s 2014 bid — Gillum expanded his Hispanic outreach team two days later. He added none other than Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair Juan Cuba as Hispanic Outreach Director and state activist Millie Raphael — who works with Women’s March, MomsDemand and RiseUp Florida — as Statewide Hispanic Outreach consultant.
Then LGBT activist Jorge Mursuli was called in as Senior Advisor for Hispanic Affairs and Maryin Vargas , who just lost a barely challenge to Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, as deputy Hispanic outreach.
He’s also had a number of Hispanic surrogates do the Spanish-language local TV and radio rounds for him. Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez did Ahora con Oscar Haza and Sen. Annette Taddeo spoke for him on Actualidad radio. Ivette Gonzalez Pekovich, a Democrat activist who ran for state rep once, and Simon Ferro represented Gillum on Al Fondo con Pedro Sevsec. And former State Rep. Daisy Baez — who is still beloved by Dems even though she was forced to resign after she was found living outside her district — started a Facebook page Dominicans for Andrew Gillum.
Gillum himself was interviewed by Marilyn Llanos of Telemundo and attended a Puerto Rican policy roundtable at the Borinquen Medical Center in Miami. Then he invited Gov. Rosello to come to Kissimmee to speak about the future of Puerto Ricans in Florida and on the island. He made a Facebook Live video on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Maria passing through Puerto Rico and tweeted responses to President Trump’s petty tweets challenging the death toll.
He also tweeted in support of U.S. sanctions on the wife of Venezuelan President Maduro.
On Saturday, he is the featured guest at the Miami-Dade Democrats Blue Gala main fundraiser. But on Friday, you don’t have to pay $300 for an event at Little Havana’s Ball and Chain restaurant — just in time for Viernes Culturales. The event, which starts at 7 p.m., also features Kendrick Sampson, the actor from the HBO series Insecure, who is also a national advocate for Dem candidates and causes.
If you go and post any pics on social media, you are asked to use the hashtag #GillumPresente and #UnidosPorGillum.
It’s not like Gillum needs to court the Latino Vote. A Quinnipac poll released Wednesday shows him with a comfortable lead among Hispanics, 59 percent to 41 for Desantis, who has picked our local State Rep. Jeanette Nuñez as his lieutenant (its the only exciting thing about him). An NBC/Marist poll of 600 likely voters surveyed between Sept. 16 and 20 showed Gillum leading among Hispanics by 14 points.
Gillum also got a $200,000 donation to his PAC from former GOP megadonor Mike Fernandez, a Cuban-American businessman who fled the Republican fold over immigration and who could easily raise more money for the former Tallahassee mayor.
So, in Spanish: Esta acabando!

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If anyone thinks this extension of the 836 known as the Kendall Parkway is about transit and alleviating the gridlock in the western edge of Miami-Dade County, ask yourself this question: Why would we build a bus stop to nowhere?
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Mr. Giveaway”  Gimenez, who has made this the crowning jewel of his final term — and, perhaps, his administration — didn’t wake up the other day suddenly concerned with transit solutions. If that were true, he wouldn’t be stealing millions in People’s Transportation Plan monies to pay for the operation and maintenance of a mediocre at best bus service and limited MetroRail. He would not be pushing so heavily for this Parkway band-aid that will only end up putting more cars on the street.
No, ladies and gentlemen. This is about money. This is about all the campaign contributions that Gimenez took over the years from the property owners who own tracts west of the Urban Development Boundary.
Gimenez is not building a bus stop to nowhere. He is building a bus stop to future development.
Read related: Rumors persist of a new recall effort to oust Carlos Gimenez
If the commission gives final approval to this Dolphin Expressway extension over protected wetlands on Thursday — a plan criticized for its lack of detail because it doesn’t even have a precise route or locations for bus depots, a rendering of which is photographed here — it will prove only one thing: that the UDB can be moved. And once we’ve opened Pandora’s Box, da lo mismo chicha que limonada. The next logical step is to move it again to build something.
Ladra’s money is housing, which is an issue like transit. Glade Villas or something like that. Then come the shopping centers and schools to serve the new neighborhoods.
It’s called a slippery slope. And we are on the tippy top of it looking down.
Because after we move the UDB under the guise of facilitating transit, they will bring it back. Especially if people don’t show up Thursday with pitchforks and demand a stop to this nonsense that is being rushed and railroaded through. There is a lot of private property west of the UDB and those property owners, you can picture them salivating right now, will say “There was no push back! You already moved it once and nothing happened!”
The second time it will be under the guise of affordable housing choices. Just wait.
After all, developers already tried to build a 60-acre warehouse and office complex just west of the line three years ago — citing the planned extension as a plus. They were denied then. But how much you wanna bet the group of developers is salivating, waiting to come back?
Read related: Carlos Gimenez is raising funds for his PAC again — but for who or what?
Are we so desperate for transit solutions that we will accept a temporary halfway fix that puts in jeopardy our long term environmental resiliency? Is transit so horrible that we are willing to take a bite out of our future health?
Let’s forget, for a second, that this is environmentally unsound, that this does not expose sensitive lands to potential development. Let’s forget, momentarily, that it undermines the so-called SMART plan that has real transit solutions. Let’s forget, for a second, that there could very well be alternative sites for routes and bus depots within the UDB and that this has not been explored enough.
This is not a long term solution because building more roads and widening the existing ones does not solve congestion. It only brings more. The Kendall Parkway, which MDX spent at least $150,000 in ads promoting (more on that later), will become The Kendall Parking Lot in five fat minutes. Even Sen. Marco Rubio is against the idea because it puts the Everglades restoration plan at risk. And some lofty promises about MDX buying 1,000 acres of wetlands elsewhere to make up for it doesn’t really help us here, does it?
Nobody except developers will tell you it’s a good idea to move the UDB. Actually, some scientists might. Since the UDB was drawn, and it’s really an artificial line in the sand, we’ve learned more about sea level rise and water flow in the Everglades. There is a theory that the line should be redrawn around actual flood zones, which would call for a more jagged boundary and, very possibly, include areas already developed. It’s probably the right thing to do, but it won’t happen because even the scientists don’t want to touch the UDB.
Once you move it, you show it can be moved.
Laura Reynolds, a consultant with Friends of the Everglades, was quote in the Miami Herald saying what everybody is thinking, which is that nothing the commission promises Thursday about holding the UDB line matters. “The reality is a six-lane highway will force future commissions to move it,” Reynolds said.
So, no, this is not about Gimenez getting religion and seeing the light on transit for the people in West Kendall, an area he never, ever goes to, by the way. This is more likely about developers telling him, “Oye, you’re coming to the end of your last term, bro, and you said you’d move the UDB. Get creative.”
It is up to the 13 commissioners to stop this.  If they don’t, we can really never trust them again. Restrictive covenant will mean nada. Conditions on development agreements will mean nada. Any language they add to “guarantee” there is no future development beyond the UDB or that developers won’t use the Parkway as a motivator will mean nada.
Their word will mean nada.
Tell the mayor and MDX: We are really not building a bus stop to nowhere. Look east.

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A new radio and TV ad in the highly contested race for congressional district 26 attacks Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by tying her husband to a Ukranian oligarch accused of bribery, embezzlement and even contract murders.
But the ad, which started airing last week, really only proves two things: One is that Carlos Curbelo and those who support him — like the Paul Ryan super PAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund, that paid for the attack ads — are very worried about losing this seat in one of the most closely-watched and turnable contests in the nation.
The second is that Curbelo et al are hypocrites.
Read related: Primary elections bring few local surprises, leaving general on the hook
The ad bashes Debbie because her husband did legal work for Igor Kolomoisky, a billionaire banking magnate once called the Ukraine’s “secret weapon” because of a privately-funded army to fight off separatist forces.
“Mucarsel-Powell’s family got rich working off Kolomoisky’s businesses, and Mucarsel-Powell’s campaign has received thousands of contributions from Kolomoisky’s associates,” the narrator warns us in the 30-second spot. “Shady money from a shady foreign syndicate.”
But the ad doesn’t tell you how they know this. It’s because Mucarsel-Powell put it on her financial disclosure that her hubby got paid $700,000 in 2016 and 2017 from a Miami metals business whose parent company is partly owned by Kolomoisky. Her campaign has since said that any implication there was any actual connection or contact with Kolomoisky is an “enormous stretch” and Powell said in a statement that he never “worked for, represented, answered to, or received any payment from Mr. Kolomoisky at any time.”
But the point here is she disclosed it. Carlitos Curbelo could actually learn a lesson from that.
Read related: Carlos Curbelo hides lobbying client list under wife’s skirt
If you all will remember, Curbelo intentionally put his federal lobbying firm in his wife’s name before running for office precisely so he wouldn’t have to tell us who his clients were. He purposefully and very meticulously went through a process to hide his client list from us. Even after it was brought to his attention, he continued to hide his list of clients.
He had to admit to Jim DeFede that he represented Roberto Isaias, a convicted embezzler in Ecuador who is living as a fugitive in South Florida. And las malas lenguas say he also represented at some point Juan Carlos Tovar, the son of a Venezuelan government insider.
And that’s who we know about. What don’t we know?
Curbelo’s tendency to hide under his wife’s skirt and his reluctance to tell us who his “wife’s firm” represented was far more alarming and dangerous than Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s husband’s six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon separation to the Russian mafia.
In fact, her transparency is a breath of fresh air.
 
 

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