Gathering photos of our electeds from social media sites to share with you, dear readers, is time consuming and laborious and not all that personally fulfilling, which is why Ladra stopped doing it months ago.

But this week marks a special ocassion. We had a few South Florida politicos in D.C. for the inauguration festivities surrounding our new President Donald Trump. It’s a historic moment. And these electeds — especially State Rep. Jose Felix “Selfie King” Diaz — made it easy for me. Diaz is so proficient on twitter one has to wonder where he finds the time to legislate.

So here are some of my favorite photos from this week’s mayhem in the capitol. The first five are courtesy of the Selfie King himself, who looks like he had a ball. Or two. Or three. And an actual run-in with the POTUS, who Diaz said was the first person to ever fire him. Did he yell “You’re fired!”? We need more of this story, State rep.

And with our new Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

And with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

And with Congressman Matt Gaetz.

And with State Rep. Carlos Trujillo, who is being considered for an ambassadorship.

That was at the Florida Ball, which was also attended by Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz, who unfortunately did not post photos, and Miami-Dade Commmission Chairman Esteban Bovo and State Sen. Rene Garcia, who did.

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen may not have supported Trump’s campaign at first, but she fell in line and did not boycott the inauguration. I don’t know about Carlos Curbelo because he has me blocked on social media. But IRL tweeted several pictures, including this one “enjoying bipartisan representation” with Congressman Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton/Margate)

Doral Councilwoman Ana Maria Rodriguez enjoyed the nice D.C. weather with Republican superwoman Marili Cancio. Love that tree behind them.

Former Doral Councilwoman Bettina Rodriguez-Aguilera posted several photos of herself and her friends on Facebook. Some during the day getting to and at the actual inauguration. And then later at a reception and at the Freedom Ball. Nice gown, chica!

Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo has named his new committee members, chairs and vice chairs and there are definitely signs that some of his colleagues are buds and some are, well, not.

It’s natural to give chairmanships to those commissioners who voted for you as chairman of the board. That’s a longtime tradition and no surprise here. These are rewards, plain and simple. If you think, gentle reader, that our electeds want to put people in committees that make sense because of their experience or expertise, you would only be half right. Because appointments are also opportunities to help allies and hand out payback to those who aren’t. And this is all real insider baseball, but it can help us understand how things play out in the next two years. 

And it is obvious that Vice Chair Audrey Edmonson is the big winner while newly re-elected Commissioner Joe Martinez is the big loser.

Edmonson is sitting pretty, which lends more strength to the widespread belief that she struck a deal with Bovo and switched her original vote for chairman from Commissioner Xavier Suarez and steered others to do the same. Edmonson is the only commissioner who got two committees instead of three — she gets a little break — and they are two of the good ones. She is chair of the housing and social services, most likely she wanted that because of the Liberty Square Rising project — and vice chair of transportation and public works, which is probably the most imporant committee (read: most coveted) in the next two years. She also chairs her own Building Safer Neighborhoods committee and is vice chair of Bovo’s Policy Council, that means that there is not a single committee that she sits on that she is not chairing or vice chair.

Read related story: Tight race for commission chair — Xavier Suarez vs Stevie Bovo

She’s also got the most and some of the juicier appointments to various boards and councils, like the International Trade Consortium, which was taken away from Jose “Pepe” Diaz, who voted for X in the chair vote (loser). Edmonson also got appointed to the Public Health Trust Nominating Council and the Jackson Health Systesm GOB Advisory Board, which will oversee spending of the $830 million general obligation bond funds that were approved by 65% of the voters in 2013. She was also appointed to the Youth Crime Task Force with Commissioner Barbara Jordan, who also voted for X and was not appointed to any other board or council (loser).

But at least she got one. And Jordan was also named vice chair of the public safety and health committee. And Diaz gets to be vice chair of infrastructure and utilities as well as the appointment to the Military Affairs Board, which is a nice consolation prize for him in exchange for the trade consortium.

Joe Martinez is the big loser because he is the only commissioner who didn’t get named either chair or vice chair of any committee and he got snubbed out of any boards and councils. It’s not like there weren’t enough spots to go around. Edmonson and Commissioners Rebeca Sosa and Javier Souto — both of whom also supported Bovo — have both a chair and vice chair position (winners). Sosa will chair the economic development and tourism committee and serve as vice chair of the government operations. And Souto chairs his beloved Parks and Cultural Affairs committee — arguably the least important of them — and is vice chair of the economic development and tourism committee with Sosa. Say what? Well, the chairman, whose father served in Brigade 2506 with Souto, likes him. And several of the commissioners who voted for Bovo as chair have multiple board appointments.

If Edmonson is the queen of the new court, Martinez is the jester. To add insult to injury, he also gets what everyone considers the “punishment” chair in the seatig arrangement at the county clerk end of the dais, furthest from the door and the coveted county attorney side.

So, it’s more than just about his vote for Suarez. This is probably about Martinez talking smack since he’s come back.

Ladra loves it. Comeback Joe is schooling the other commissioners, asking bothersome questions, making procurement officers squirm. But that means he’s ruffling feathers at County Hall and making some people unhappy. And he must pay Piper Bovo.

Read related story: Carlos Gimenez, er, Stevie Bovo wins commission chair

Also, the chairman admitted that he consulted with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez — who also worked behind the scenes to help Bovo become chairman — before making his appointments and its no secret, despite Martinez claiming a buried hatchet, that the mayor is still peeved at Joe for having the audacity to run against him in 2012. The nerve!

Ladra doesn’t think the chairman considers Martinez a threat to his own rumored interest in the open mayor’s seat in 2020. But we suspect that’s why X was also put in a box. It’s no secret that Suarez is also seriously considering a run for mayor. And there was no other reason for Bovo to rub his victory in Suarez’s face by giving the Children’s Trust appointment to Commissioner Sally Heyman (winner) after X told him it’s all he wanted.  But Suarez did get appointed to housing and social services committee that has organizational jurisdiction over the Children’s Trust. He also got on the government operations, which oversees budget and finance, and infrastructure and utilities committees.

“Sounds like I get to do some work on the budget,” Suarez told Ladra. “I’m happy with all of them.

“Not being on transportation could be seen as negative but I don’t take it like that. I’m not able to move a transportation agenda without outside influences,” Suarez said, adding that he was talking to the CITT  about reclaiming People’s Transportation Plan funds and talking to legislators about tag renewal fee monies.

His son, Miami City Commissioner Francis Suarez, is vice chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Suarez has also been trying to get more MDX dollars for mass transit rather than highways.

“I don’t need to be on the committee to move things forward,” he said.

Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, who also supported Suarez, got put on the Parks and Cultural committee and the Public Safety and Health committees and is vice chair of the Housing and Social Services committee. She did get one appointment to the Public Health Trust Compensation and Evaluation Committee, whatever that is. Obscure. Suarez got it appointed to just that also (losers).

Other winners include Bruno Barreiro, who gets to chair the transportation committee and is the commission appointment to the Beacon Council, former Chairman Jean Monestime, who gets chair of the infrastructure and utilities committee and is the county’s representative at the Miami-Dade League of Cities and Dennis Moss, who got chair of government operations and appointed to the Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens Oversight Board and Neat Streets Miami.

During his re-election campaign last year, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez could not distance himself fast or far enough from then Republican candidate for POTUS Donald J. Trump. Our Republican Cuban-American mayor even urged Trump to drop out of the race and endorsed Hillary Clinton late in the race — in a blatant grab for black and anglo Democrat and last minute undecided votes.

At one point, after he was forced into a runoff, his campaign considered having him change from Republican to Democrat.

Gimenez could have embraced his ties to The Donald, who went on to become president. After all, he once tried to give Trump our public golf course on Key Biscayne and his son, CJ Gimenez, lobbied for Trump in the city of Doral.

An election changes everything for some people and recently those ties have been proudly reclaimed.

Read related story: Carlos Gimenez’s next mancrush giveaway to Donald Trump

The mayor took Thursday and Friday off to travel to D.C. with his wife and son, lobbyist CJ Gimenez, for the inauguration.

For Junior, it’s not just a pleasure trip. It’s business. And it is interesting who his silent partners may be.

CJ announced his branching out into his own lobbying firm earlier this month. Corporate papers for Hemispheric Consulting Group were filed Dec. 22 with the state, listing CJ’s wife, Tania Cruz (who used to be a rabid Democrat, no se ahora) as the registering agent. The company will work on behalf of South and Central American and Caribbean interests who need to lobby the federal government.

Pero por supuesto this was coming. The boy has always used his political ties to his own dad as a business opportunity. You think he wouldn’t use a connection to the leader of the free world? There’s just some doubt as to whether he really branched out on his own.

Ladra didn’t get the press release sent out Jan. 5. Naturally. CJ doesn’t love us. But it was sent to and published by Herald county reporter, Doug Hanks:

“Carlos J. Gimenez, a Miami-based public affairs specialist, announced today that he is part of a team launching Hemispheric Consulting Group LLC, a new entity established to provide guidance, analysis and advocacy before the Federal government.  HCG will focus primarily on foreign policy, international trade, environmental and energy related issues with a strong emphasis on Latin American interests.

Until recently Gimenez served as Vice President and General Counsel of Balsera Communications, a public affairs and media relations firm.  A lawyer by training, he previously worked on land use, government relations and regulatory issues as an attorney.

During the last three years, Gimenez served as lead consultant for The Trump Organization’s activities in South Florida and was directly involved in the redevelopment of The Trump National Doral Miami Resort, the World Golf Championship and the Miss Universe Pageant. He also frequently served as a spokesperson for the Trump Organization with English and Spanish media.

“Having worked closely with the President-Elect over the last three years I can personally attest to his laser like focus on resolving issues in a direct and accountable manner.  His election presents a great opportunity for the entire hemisphere, not just our country.  My objective is for our Hemispheric Consulting Group to be a bridge between North and South as part of that process.”

Gimenez continued, “Latin America will see that the Trump presidency is an opportunity to redefine bilateral relations in a positive and compelling way.”

One of Gimenez’s partners in HGC, Ambassador Julio Ligorria, added, “Our company can bring to Latin America the correct insight into the approach that President-Elect Trump will have.  Carlos, our team and I have worked closely over the years and I appreciate how much he understands the importance of strong bilateral relations.  We are very bullish on what will come under President Trump.”

Gimenez will serve as Managing Director of HCG.”

It certainly presents an opportunity for him, doesn’t it.  And for his Freddy Balsera, too.

See? Some people at first thought CJ’s announcement and the words “until recently” meant he was leaving Balsera Communications, where he “worked” for the past three years as vice president and general counsel. The quotation marks are there because anyone who knows CJ knows that the mayor’s son is not a workhorse. He’s used to coasting because of who his dad has always been — the city of Miami manager, a county commissioner and then mayor. I’m not going to say he’s lazy. But because other people have said that, I know he is not known for a super duper work ethic. Hey, I might coast too, if I had a political sugar daddy.

In fact, las malas lenguas say CJ Gimenez only got that job with Balsera because of his daddy and that Balsera was growing tired of him anyway. Maybe it was his teeny weeny work ethic. Maybe it was his instability. CJ is also known to be un fosforito. This post is likely to make him blow up. Maybe it was the bullying he is known for, which was exposed after school board candidates came forward last year to tell the Miami Herald that they were shaken down by CJ, who wanted them to drop out of the race and let his aunt skate in (she won eventually anyway). But the gist is that CJ had become a liability and Freddy was looking for a soft exit.

Read related story: Beware of Carlos Gimenez Jr. at Gables school board forum

Then Trump won the presidential election.

Because, while CJ has been taken off the firm’s drop down menu list for “our talent,” his bio is still on Balsera’s website, the team picture is still up and nothing in that press release states that CJ is not still working with Balsera. “Until recently” he served as general counsel and partner. Maybe now he’s got a different title. Several sources, in fact, told Ladra that he still works at Balsera’s Ponce de Leon Boulevard office and that Freddy — who traveled with him to meet with Trump Jan. 12 — is a silent partner and investor in HCG.

Look at this EFE agency picture from El Pais, where Balsera joins CJ and HCG parnter Ligorria, the ambassador to Guatemala, as well as David Duckenfield, president and partner at Balsera, which by the way was — at least at one point in 2015, when Ladra worked with Freddy on a campaign — representing some coffee interests in, where else?, Guatemala. Ladra wouldn’t be surprised if their first project is some coffee bean tax credit legislation o algo asi.

It certainly looks like they’re still part of the same team and working together. This can’t be a happy coincidence.

The Spanish newspaper reported that the men talked about U.S. policy toward Venezuela, Argentina, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. CJ told the Miami Herald that the meeting lasted no longer than 20 minutes. “Obviously I have a longstanding relationship with Mr. Trump and the organization,” he was quoted as saying, social climber that he is. “We had a discussion with folks on his team that thought it would be beneficial for us to sit down with him for a few minutes and bring up issues related to Latin America.

“I think we can create opportunities for business and cultural ties with Latin America,” Gimenez told the Herald.

There’s that word again. Opportunitites abound.

The photo even has a covenient caption that helps them drive the message: “Los expertos latinoamericanos reunidos con Trump.”

Ladra suspects that CJ and Freddy are still partners in this new endeavor

It makes sense that Freddy wouldn’t publicize his partnership, or answer any of my phone calls or emails about this new endeavor of his and CJ’s. It would be weird to have Balsera, who advised the Barack Obama campaign in 2008 and 2012 and helped Hillary Clinton with at least one event in Puerto Rico — suddenly touting connections to The Donald now that he’s prez. Balsera is a nationally quoted Democratic supporter and consultant who last year said that Trump, for whom the firm did lobbying and PR during the Miss Universe contest, was no longer a client.

Duckenfield is also blue to the core, having served from 2014 to 2016 as Obama’s Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Public Affairs.

Maybe this is a way that they can have access to and influence on leaders in both parties? Ladra is not the only one who thinks so. “It’s like a DBA of Balsera Communications, but with no real fingerprints or names on paper,” said another lobbyist, referring to a division within a company. “He wants to keep his Democratic business, too.”

But Ladra doesn’t think Trump or his people know about this double-agent hypocrisy. Not yet, anyway. I don’t think they know either that CJ’s dad, Mayor Gimenez, the papa opportunist, publicly urged Trump to drop out of the race because of the groping comments. Or announced, on live TV, that he was endorsing Hillary. Maybe State Rep. Carlos Trujillo, a Trump fundraiser and advisor who may be tapped for an ambassadorship, or other lobbyists should tell him.

Because CJ and Freddy may have some stiff competition. They are certainly not the only South Floridians who can claim connections to the guy who is going to be president about midday tomorrow. Lobbyist Brian Ballard — who represented Trump’s interest at the state and was one of his top fundraisers and who may also be tapped for an ambassadorship — comes to mind. As does Sylvester Lukis, Balsera’s former partner.

And those are true believers, there from the beginning. They were with Trump when it was unpopular in Miami-Dade. If anybody wants an inside track to Trump, Ladra would start with those three.

CJ, Freddy and the other silent partners at HCG, whoever they might be, are Johnny-come-latelys who may exaggerate their influence and are only loyal to one party: The green party.

A change in annexation rules also on the agenda

UPDATED with correction and to add that meeting was cancelled because of a lack of quorum.

 Miami-Dade Commissioner Javier “El Senador” Souto has one last chance to push some of his favorite projects today, at his last meeting as chairman of the Miami-Dade County Unincorporated Municipal Services Area Committee.

The veteran legislator and 23-year commissioner, known as the Father of Horse Country and Mayor of Westchester, has a couple of items on the agenda that look like they’ve been plucked straight from Souto’s wish list. 

County Parks director Jack Kardys, then Sweetwater Mayor Jose Diaz, Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, Miami Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz and Commissioner Javier Souto at the opening of the equestrian center in 2013

One of the items is a resolution directing Mayor Carlos Gimenez to find funding sources for a $3 million community center to be built next to the county’s Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center at Souto’s beloved Tropical Park, which was the site of a kick-off rally last year for Republican Sen. Marco Rubio‘s failed nomination bid. And he’s serious. Because the resolution also asks the mayor to provide a summary of all Building Better Communities GOB funds distributed by district and by municipality. If passed, the resolution also establishes a board policy that no recaptured or surplus funds be spent until such a report is provided.

Apparently Souto thinks there are available funds there. The equestrian center was built with $10 million of the Better Communities GOB funds.

The other Souto item is a resolution directing the mayor to have someone survey and identify sites relating to another beloved entity, Brigade 2506, the CIA-sponsored counter-revolutionary paramilitary group of Cuban exiles who were in the Bay of Pigs invasion. Souto, a former state rep and senator who was in the infiltration, wants recommendations for “appropriate recognition” of these sites, including possible historic designation.

And he wants to educate everyone in the meantime, with a three page resolution that has 19 whereases basically giving a play-by-play history of the Bay of Pigs events. That’s passion.

Bovo, whose father is also a Brigade member, will love that one. Ladra actually thinks it’s a good idea, but why stop there? Why not have other historical sites for other commnities also identified for recognition? Also, maybe this is something that can be done by an organization or even a professor at Florida International University and her or his class. Maybe some local businesses can underwrite any costs of plaques or whatever at these locations. These can have tiny logos of Badia or Goya somewhere in a corner. Or is that too tacky?

Because, frankly, if we leave it to Gimenez’s office or any local government, it might not happen. I mean, where is the Bay of Pigs Museum that was supposed to open in Hialeah Gardens in, like, 2015?

Souto recused himself when the commission voted on the museum in 2008, dedicating $1 million of state grants to moving the library archives and historical artifacts from its longtime home in Little Havana. But the last thing we heard was in 2014 when a Brigade member withdrew an application to make the museum and library on Southwest Ninth Street a historic monument. It was withdrawn because of division among the membership over the impending move to Hialeah Gardens. Google Earth, however, shows that 13851 NW 107 Avenue is still an empty lot. And when Trump visited the museum and the brigadistas last year on his presidential campaign, he stopped at the Little Havana location, not Hialeah Gardens.

What gives? Maybe the Brigade members rethought the idea of leaving and want to stay in their historically relevant, humble home in the heart of Little Havana, which is still the cultural center of Cuban Miami if not the population center, and just happens to be a block or two away from the Bay of Pigs Invasion Monument on Southwest 13th Avenue. And maybe that $1 million in state grant funds can be used someplace else. This committee meeting might be a good time to ask about that.

The only other interesting item on the agenda is an ordinance that Commissioner Barbara Jordan already got passed on first reading by the commission. It would amend the county rules for annexation, requiring municipalities to provide a comparison of county and municipal land use regulations before any annexation.

According to the agenda, municipalities were notified about today’s public hearing in early December. Ladra expects there to be some oppposition to this change, maybe from Hialeah, which has been reportedly discussing efforts to annex the land where the megamall is going to be built. Miami Shores and Doral may also have pending annexation applications. And longtime efforts by residents in Little Gables and High Pines to become part of Coral Gables moved forward only last September.

In addition to Souto and Jordan, the other new members of the UMSA committee are Vice Chair Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioners Esteban Bovo, Sally Heyman and Joe Martinez. It starts at 9:30 a.m. in commissin chambers at County Hall, 111 NW First St. Or you can watch it here.

A group of activists are having a community meeting Wednesay night to try to stop a developerfrom taking over part of a Miami Park so they can take advantage of special zoning regulations that would allow them to build a bigger and taller building than is currently allowed.

Negotiations with the city are reportedly ongoing for a coalition of developers to build a 10- to 17-story (more than twice what’s allowed), 1.2 million square foot mega complex with more than twice the number of residential units as are normally allowed and 1,000+ parking spaces adjacent to bayside Legion Memorial Park. The developer has promised to give space to the American Legion, which owned the post that was demolished to make room for this development. They also promised to make improvements to the park.

These improvements are a bait and switch carrot. They want the city to give them a slice of the public park so they can have the nine acres total to qualify fo the “special area planning exemption” that allows them to upzone, like Brickell City Center did.

So basically they don’t have the nine acres to qualify for the special plan exemption. And they want us and Miami city commissioners to believe that by effectively “borrowing” a couple of acres of park land to “annex” it to their site plan they can qualify for this bonus. Really?

Let’s forget for a minute that any improvements would be offset by the negative impact the development would have on the park and the surrounding neighborhood: The dust at the Farmer’s Market, the noise during morning yoga, the impact to the walkability of the space, the traffic, the pollution in the bay and, most notably, the shadow that a 15 to 17-story building would cast over the park. What kind of precedent would that set? Would that make all lands adjacent to parks suddenly more valuable because they are more buildable?

An early rendition of the planned development for Legion Park

Ladra bets developers are already poring over maps, looking for the next park to hit up.