It was painful to watch. But worth noting. And Ladra may watch last week’s Miami-Dade Comprehensive Development Master Plan meeting again.

Several Miami-Dade County Commissioners went out of their way and made excruciatingly strange arguments Thursday to defend and promote a land use change that would replace 800 acres of farmland with an industrial park and commercial uses just south of the Florida Turnpike and north of Moody Drive.

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West Miami’s new mayor is the youngest municipal mayor in the state of Florida, a chubby-cheeked, blue-eyed baby-face who looks more like a high school student than a politician.

Eric Diaz-Padron, 27, could also be the next Marco Rubio, the U.S. senator and 2016 presidential hopeful who started his career as commissioner in this same tiny town of less than 8,000 people.

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But nada to connect ships to power and cut pollution

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Is a Miami-Dade county commissioner intentionally delaying the removal of the half-penny People Transportation Plan sales tax from the general operational budget? And is he, or she, doing it on behalf of Mayor Carlos Gimenez?
That’s what it looks like.
It’s been more than a month since the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust, a 15-member body created to oversee the People’s Transportation Plan funded with the half-penny sales tax, voted to rescind an agreement that gave the county permission to use the funds — which voters approved in 2002 to expand rail and bus service — for operations and maintenance.
Their intention was for Gimenez — who campaigned two years ago on adding rail lines (this photo is a screen grab from a TV ad) — to stop balancing the budget with PTP monies starting this year. The resolution, passed Aug. 23, basically recommends the commission “end the greater flexibility in the use of county transit surtax funds for the operation and maintenance of the existing transit system to be effective commencing with fiscal year 2019-2020.”
Read related: No brainer Miami-Dade Commission approves Kendall Parkway despite so much
It rescinds a 2009 board decision that gave the county the ability to use the funds for maintenance and operations after the county said it needed the reallocation because of budget shortfalls after the 2008 recession.
“The resolution was put forward to make the law reflect the desires of the CITT and citizens to expand transportation versus operate the current system,” said CITT member Evan Fancher, who proposed it. “If we make the law reflect our desire to return money to its intended use, next year’s budget will be presented with the money put back toward expansion instead of operations.”
That was wishful thinking.
Last week, before the final budget hearing, Commissioner Xavier Suarez tried to put something on the agenda to approve the CITT’s recommendation, but he was blocked. Another commissioner asked to sponsor legislation first, County Attorney Abigail Price-Williams told him, without telling him who it was but suggesting he schedule a Sunshine meeting.
Without knowing who it was? How is he supposed to do that?
Suarez says that’s either disingenuous or “complicit” in what appears to be an intentional effort to delay the “unwinding unification” of the PTP and general budget funds.
“Prior to the receipt of your legislative request another Commissioner requested to be the Prime Sponsor of legislation that conflicts and/or overlaps with your request,” Miami-Dade County Price-Williams wrote to Suarez on Thursday. “Once the first legislative request is finalized, we will send you that item for your consideration in case you wish to be listed as a Co-Sponsor.  Alternatively, upon our receipt of written confirmation that the first legislative request is released, we will work with your office to complete your legislative request.
“You may also wish to discuss this matter with the first requesting Commissioner at a sunshine meeting called for this purpose or at a publicly noticed meeting,” the attorney ended, signing her email “Take Care, Abi.”
Read related: Rumors persist of a new recall effort to oust Carlos Gimenez
But who is the first commissioner? The one who can hold this up indefinitely? Ah, “Abi” wouldn’t say.
Las malas lenguas say it’s Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who has long been known to support Gimenez in everything he does. “Sosa is holding up the process. Doing the mayor’s work,” said one source.
We’ll find out.
Attorney Paul Schwiep, a member and former chairman of the CITT, has asked for all written communications regarding the agency’s resolution to end the subsidies.
The next day, Commissioner Suarez joined that public records request “which hopefully will elicit any and all communications, including telephone messages, emails, and texts between your office and other county officials,” he wrote in an email to Williams, where he basically accused the county attorney and/or her staff of playing politics.
“You have stated that there is another commissioner who is interested in this matter moving forward.  However, you did not identify the commissioner – yet suggested that I have a Sunshine meeting with this unidentified commissioner. In light of the above, putting my request on hold is at best disingenuous and at worst complicit,” Suarez wrote.

“It is your obligation as well as ours, and the mayor’s, to comply with this action by the CITT, which effectively dissolves a contractual agreement,” Suarez wrote, adding that it was more important to comply with the will of a citizen board than pander to commissioners.
“You have indicated that it’s your policy to only prepare legislative requests that may ‘overlap or conflict’ consecutively rather than concurrently, and only if the first legislative request is ‘released.’  I do not believe this policy supersedes the legal obligation to respond to the CITT’s resolution in a timely manner in accordance with Ordinance 02-177. The Board’s failure to do that is a matter of considerable concern.”
Suarez ended the email promising to find out exactly who is behind the hold up.
“I am intent on getting to the bottom of what appears to be an effort to ignore, delay or permanently frustrate the CITT’s clear mandate that rescinds the county’s right to continue diverting surcharge funds to balance the budget.”

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I know its late. I know Ladra has been quiet lately. We have been distracted with other work and getting her puppy bien instalada at college. Forgive me.
This midterm election is much more important than we’ve treated it and for that, Ladra is sorry.
But better late than never.
So without any further excuses, and in time for election day, here are Ladra’s endorsements for the Aug. 28, 2018 primary.
For Governor: Andrew Gillum on the Dem side and Ron DeSantis on the GOP side simply because I can’t wait to see Gillum kick his ass.
The Republican Senate primary is easy: Roque “Rocky” de la Fuente wins this nod simply because he is not Rick Scott. Case closed.
And the only real cabinet position we have a dog in the race in is the Commissioner of Agriculture bid, where Ladra likes Homestead Mayor Jeff Porter. I may not like everybody around him, but I still think Porter, photographed right, is a good guy,
In the congressional races, everyone knows Ladra is #TeamKristen all the way. Kristen Rosen Gonzalez will be an excellent congresswoman and represent us the best because she knows us the best.
On the GOP side, there is nobody really worthy of a nod. I am not convinced that Maria Elvira Salazar wasn’t flirting with Fidel Castro in that interview, which can’t be forgiven, and she doesn’t know what she’s doing anyway. This feels more like a desperate attempt to stay relevant now that her job security is jello than it does a call to public service. And former Commissioner Bruno Barreiro doesn’t deserve it, the way he basically threw his campaign in the trash for his wife’s weak bid for his county seat. If I were a GOP voter, I would go with Angie Chirino, because I am a fan of her dad’s and amiga de la luna.
But I have choices in the other congressional races as well:
District 26: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for the Dems, now that she’s in the right place.
District 24: Federica Wilson deserves it. She’s been honest. She didn’t back down from Trump during that phone call debacle. And she represents her constituency, which is what this is all about. Besides, who the heck is that other guy?
State races offer some easy choices, too:
Senate District 36: It’s firefighter David Perez all the way. He has the best chance of beating good for nothing puppet boy Manny Diaz, Jr., in the general.
Senate District 38: Jason Pizzo is new and Ladra doesn’t know much about him. But incumbent Daphne Campbell is quite possibly the worst example of a sitting elected we have. So anybody but her.
House District 103: Cindy Polo, photographed right, is the only real Democrat here. Rick Tapia is a plant. Please show him we won’t be fooled by those kind of shenanigans anymore.
House District 105: Ross Hancock is, indeed, a perennial candidate. But he knows what he’s talking about and what he’s doing and he is the best choice this year, even if that is not his original district. Who is the other guy? Who knows? Not me.
House District 108: Dotie Joseph is a young Haitian lawyer and we need more Haitians and more women in Tallahassee. That and she is running against an incumbent named Hardemon. Case closed.
House District 109: Cedric McMinn because James Bush III has already had his chance and Cedric deserves his.
House District 113: Former Commissioner Michael Grieco is Ladra’s choice and the choice of most voters because, like I said before, nobody likes Deede Weithorn and nobody knows Kubs Lalchandani.
House District 115: Ladra is going to vote for Jefferey Solomon, photographed left, in this race. But I urge my Republican friends to vote for Jose Fernandez, because Vince Aloupis has run a very negative campaign. Not that it matters. Solomon will win in November, too.
House District 116: Republican Danny Perez just won this in a special election earlier this year. Let’s give him a chance.
House District 119: Ladra likes Bibi Potestad in this one, mostly because she doesn’t want to see the daughter of a county commissioner win the race, but also because former State Rep. Juan Zapata likes her (she worked with him at both the state and the county).
In the county commission races, Ladra just wants to see upset. The only incumbent who gets my nod is Jean Monestime and that is only because the other choice is Dorrin Rolle.
Yes that does mean that I want Maryin Vargas over Rebeca Sosa. I like our tia comsionada just fine, but it’s time, okay. The perks at the airport, all the kumbaya talk while she stood complicit to the raiding of our half penny. It’s time she leave gracefully.
And I know I am going to attract the wrath of every Democrat that reads this poll but I would vote Daniella Levine Cava out. She is not what she says she is. She has not delivered on anything. We need to start holding our electeds accountable. Just because she talks nice doesn’t mean she is nice and all she’s done for the Pets’ Trust, which had to reconfirm their ridiculous support of her, is take photo opps with the mayor at pet adoption events. Ludicrous. She just wants to be mayor one day — she thinks she can be — so she doesn’t rock the boat while she says all the right “progressive” crap. Talk about all talk and no action. My problem is that I am not so sure Gus Barreiro, who campaigned for a different seat in a different part of town, lives in the district. It doesn’t matter anyway because Levine Cava will win. She just won’t do it with my support.
Ladra hopes that Jose Garrido gets some benefit from being the first on the ballot in the District 10 race against Javier Souto, who should have retired years ago but is being forced to hold on for Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Chairman Esteban Bovo and the others who this puppet is always good for. Garrido worked in Souto’s office and knows where the bones are buried. We need him to throw the doors and windows open over there.
And, last but not least, let’s show electeds that we mean business by denying Jose “Pepe” Diaz his last term. There are two other guys in that race that you can vote for, but my nod goes to either Rafael Pineyro or Patricio Moreno, whoever is Xavier Suarez‘s boy.
Ladra doesn’t know enough about the school board or judicial races to give endorsements. So go with your gut. It’s always good to empower minorities. Women, black and Hispanic candidates get my attention when I know nothing else about anybody in the race. Sorry not sorry. You can have your own criteria.
The most important thing is that you go out and vote. They don’t expect long lines at most of the polling places and it will take about 10 minutes to fill out all the bubbles. But it is the only way we have of letting these people who control so much of our lives know that we are on to them and we are watching them and we will fire them when we have to.

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Ladra hopes everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend and got lots of love and nurturing comfort from our mamas… because it’s another doozy of a week in the 305 political world.

We’ve got soccer and activism 101 and a group of preservationists’ last stand and the mother of all fundraisers — this last one for Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez, who still doesn’t even have any real opposition yet in his bid to become the second in his family to be Miami mayor (more on that later). Oh, and the county still wants to give Vizcaya away to be run by a private, non-profit board. You know, because that went so well for the Frost Museum.

If we don’t list your event, sorry. It is probably your own fault. Get me the info on your government and club meetings, campaign fundraisers and political powwows and it will be included. Trust me. Nobody gets a no. The easy way is to send an email to edevalle@gmail.com.

And now, with no further ado, I bring you the Cortadito calendar for the current week.

TUESDAY — May 16

8:30 a.m. — The Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club could rename itself the Miami Beach Candidate Speaker’s Bureau since every single one of its speakers has been a candidate for commission (Group 2) or the mayoral seat. Bless their little collective activists soul. Someone had to do it! This week’s guest speaker is Adrian Gonzalez, the owner of David’s Cafe, who is running for commission in Group 3. Former Mayor Matti Bower, who is still so far not running for anything, serves as moderator at the morning meetings, which are at Puerto Sagua Restaurant, 700 Collins Ave. Questions can be submitted in advance via Facebook.

9:30 a.m. — The privatization of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens continues as Miami-Dade Commissioners meet again Tuesday to discuss transitioning the powers and responsibilities of the historic and county-owned facility from the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust to the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Inc, which will allow them to grant contracts and manage the considerable budget of county tax dollars with less public oversight. The Carrie Meek Foundation’s lease agreement at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport will also be discussed. Commissioners could also approve an $8 million budget for the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency and $1.6 million for the South Miami Community Redevelopment Agency. They will also consider increasing an agreement with Nova Consulting from a total of $8 million in value to a total of $25 million in value for management of our water and sewer pump system. Oh, and Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who lost her beloved husband last week, wants to increase the number of local people a company must have in its employ to qualify for local preference in procurement. They will also spend a lot of money, again. This includes $22.5 million for the lease or purchase of vehicles, $118.7 million for contract employees for different departments ($30 mil just for Elections) and $3.6 million for enterprise construction project management software. Does that mean the county won’t need individual construction project managers at $200 an hour like Mayor Carlos Gimenez‘s BFF Ralph Garcia Toledo? Or is this to make his job easier? If you want to speak on any item on the agenda, the meeting is in commission chambers on the second floor at County Hall, 111 NW First Street.

WEDNESDAY — May 17

6 p.m. — Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez wanted to put the sale of the last parcel needed by David Beckham for his soccer stadium to the commission Tuesday. But Commissioner Audrey Edmonson wanted to have a town hall with the residents who live adjacent to the properties first. That will take place Wednesday evening at the YWCA, 351 NW 5th St., where residents of Overtown and Spring Gardens are invited to have a conversation with representatives from Miami Beckham United about the potential sale of the property and the future of the site. Its the same place where residents voiced their concern at the first soccer stadium town hall meeting in 2015. MBU already has six acres of property in Overtown acquired. The county parcel is the last piece needed.

6:30-9 p.m. — SAVE, formerly SAVE Dade, wants more people engaged in local and national politics. To that end, they are hosting a townhall Wednesday evening titled Effective Activism for Social Change. And they should know. SAVE has been instrumental in passing several municipal ordinances that give same-sex partners the same benefits of any spouse and was also instrumental in the county’s passage of protection for transgender individuals (fighting ugly bathroom police laws at the state simultaneously). The group has had some notable successes, even if they sometimes support the wrong candidates. This townhall is moderated/hosted by WPLG Local 10’s political reporter, Michael Putney. It is at SAVE headquarters, 1951 NW 7th Avenue, sixth floor.

7 p.m. — The Palmetto Bay Council Committee as a Whole will meet Wednesday to discuss a number of issues important to the village community — from an analysis of traffic in the urban downtown district to regulations for special events to evaluation forms for the manager and assistant manager to the noise coming from Thelatta Estate to speed limits around village parks to the upcoming budget process. Mayor Eugene Flinn wants to talk about the FPL property and parking lot regulations. And as if that wasn’t enough, they are also going to discuss the procurement process, light rail “issues,” the launch of the village website and new mobility fees for developers. This looks like a catch all meeting to Ladra. So many important things going on in Palmetto Bay, we may just have to start paying attention. The meeting should last a few hours, at Village Hall, 9705 E. Hibiscus St.

THURSDAY — May 18

2 p.m. — The Transportation Planning Organization (the old MPO) will meet to discuss four proposed amendments to the Long Range Transportation Plan that affect the 112 Expressway, the Gratigny Expressway and the new two-lane road along NW 7th Street under State Roade 826 and the widening of 97th Avenue. Commissioner Dennis Moss wants the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority to put accent lighting on the State Roade 874 ramp connector bridge to SW 128th Street. Commissioner Javier Souto wants to ask the Florida Turnpike to “refrain from proceeding” with the widening project at Coral Way, which would affect the brdige spanning from Southwest 115th to 118th avenues until there is a public meeting with area residents and a traffic study. The meeting is in Miami-Dade Commission Chambers at County Hall, 111 NW First St.

6-8 p.m. — That big todo in oh-so-hipster Wynwood for Miami City Commissioner Francis Suarez is going to be the social gathering of the month for young politicos. Perhaps the season. It’s got the largest host committee in formation I have ever seen, and Ladra has seen a lot of host committees in formation. Even if you were not invited, we are quite certain that you can get in. Just bring a check. The festivities begin at Goldman Global Arts Gallery, 260 NW 26th St., inside Wynwood Walls. Enter through the gallery entrance between Second and Third avenues.

7-9 p.m. — Billed as the “last chance meeting,” the activists who make up the Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition will meet to discuss final efforts to save a swath of protected land that is the only known home to an endangered and indiginous beetle. This last piece of pine rockland — less than 2% of which exists today — is slated to become a Walmart parking lot. Believe it. Or help stop it. The tree huggers meet at 7 p.m. at the Tropical Audobon Society, 5530 Sunset Drive.

FRIDAY — May 19

6:30-8:30 p.m. — Brad Bonessi and J. R. Bult will host a fundraiser for Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, who is runnning for the congressional seat vacated by a retiring Ileana Ros Lehtinen, at the St. Tropez Condominium Friday evening, 7330 Ocean Drive. This is that same block in North Beach that was going to have some huge enormouse highrise until Rosen Gonzalez and other preservationists opposed the developer-financed voter referendum to increase zoning density and height. Ladra expects the campaign to strike it rich.

SATURDAY — May 20

6:30 -8 a.m. — Rise early if you want to run in the Village of El Portal’s 9th annual Armed Forces Day 5K Walk/Run Saturday. Same day registration is from 6:30 to 7:15 a.m. and the program starts at 8. The race/walk starts in front of Village Hall, 500 NE 87th St., and winds through the small municipality.