¡Que sorpresa! Looks like Miami-Dade voters more divided than a Cuban sandwich debate between Little Havana and Tampa (Little Havana, hands down).
A new Bendixen & Amandi International poll released this week shows just how divided, disillusioned, and downright dizzy our county’s electorate has become — with voters taking opposite sides on everything from fluoride to freedom, from ticket cameras to TPS for Venezuelans.
The 600-voter survey, conducted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3, found Miami-Dade residents deeply engaged but sharply divided on a long list of hot-button issues — including some that hit very close to home. There’s no client. Bendixen & Amandi did it, well, because it had to be done.
“We thought it was an important service for the community to see how other voters felt on several important issues in the community,” Fernand Bendixen told Political Cortadito. “If we don’t do it, no one else will.”
He’s not wrong.
And if you think people are just tired of the politics, think again: more than half — 56% — said they’ve actively considered leaving Miami-Dade because of the high cost of living. That’s not just frustration. That’s flight risk.
Here are the results from this poll, with Ladra’s analysis:
No love for fluoride (or for big government in your tap)
In one of the more surprising results, 47% of respondents supported the county’s decision to stop adding fluoride to the water, despite decades of public health backing for the practice. That’s a strong nod to the anti-mandate, “don’t tell me what to do” streak that’s taken hold in Florida and national politics lately.
Read related: Survey of Kendall residents shows they agree on Calusa, split on fluoride
Republicans overwhelmingly backed the move (63%), Democrats opposed it (57%), and independents split right down the middle — which, come to think of it, is a pretty good metaphor for this whole poll.
Still, Miami-Dade Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, who led the charge at the local level in lockstep with Gov. Ron DeSantis, will challenge these results. He will likely say the support is higher.
College over cult of personality
But even Trump’s diehards weren’t buying Tallahassee’s latest land grab. When asked whether the state should take land from Miami Dade College to build the Donald Trump Presidential Library, voters said absolutely not — by a stunning 74% to 14% margin. That’s how bad an idea it is.
Even Republicans in the poll — 59% — said to leave the land with the college. Apparently, not everything with the former president’s name on it deserves a gold-plated plaque in downtown Miami.
Divided on Venezuela, TPS, and deportations
The Trump administration’s approach to Venezuela still splits Miami voters right down party lines. About 35% support using military force to remove Nicolás Maduro, while 42% oppose it. Republicans back it (59%), while Democrats and independents don’t (57% and 51%, respectively). Same song, different verse.
And when it comes to ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans already here, half of Miami-Dade says no — but again, that split ends at a partisan level, where it’s Republicans for (68%), Democrats against (69%), and independents somewhere in between. You can practically hear the echo of 8th Street dominoes slamming over it.
On deporting undocumented immigrants without criminal records, voters went even more clearly blue: 60% oppose it, with strong opposition among Hispanics and independents. But a majority of Republicans (62%) support deportations of non-criminals, while a bigger majority of Democrats (84%), does not.
No goal for World Cup spending
If you thought Miami was giddy about hosting the World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium, think again. Two out of three voters — 66% — disagree with using $46 million in public money to help fund it. Apparently, residents have had enough of paying for billionaires’ parties, no matter how much Messi magic is promised.
Read related: Buyer’s remorse: Kionne McGhee wants refund on $46M to FIFA World Cup
It won’t matter to Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, the main champion of the county’s million dollar subsidy for the FIFA hosting team and their expenses, including $25 million worth in unpaid, “in-kind” police and fire rescue services.
Oh, and ICE is probably going to be out there vetting the fans. For free!
Affordability crunch bites hard
The most sobering number? The one Ladra mentioned earlier: 56% of county voters have thought about moving away because of affordability.
That’s major. That’s a slow-motion evacuation. It’s a county quietly voting with its feet.
Vaccines, mandates, and medical freedom
Predictably, the partisan divide over vaccines remains just as deep with 55% of the total respondents against and 40% in favor of the ban on mandates. Republicans overwhelmingly back the decision by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Lapado to end vaccine mandates (72%), while Democrats (82%) and independents (62%) reject it.
Read related: Ron DeSantis wants to make Florida the first state to scrap vaccine mandates
This is less a policy issue than a cultural one now — and the culture war lines here are as solid as the Turnpike.
Seaquarium site should stay ‘touristy’
More than half — 54% of the respondents — say the Miami Seaquarium, the management of which has been under fire for years, should remain a tourist attraction. Only 36% said it’s time to repurpose the property.
That’s some hesitation. And the question didn’t even mention that the redevelopment is going to be led by Terra’s David Martin or all the bells and whistles (more on that later).
Smile for the camera (or don’t)
Even the school zone speed cameras, a relatively new issue making headlines for conflicts of interests (more on that later), sparked debate: 54% want to keep them, 42% want them gone. Maybe that’s because Miami drivers are allergic to limits. Or maybe people just don’t trust government to ticket fairly.
Ladra would have expected it to tilt the other way. But it’s another split decision.
The big picture here is that Miami-Dade voters don’t agree on very much. They don’t trust each other. Half say they can’t even speak freely online without fear of retaliation. They’re divided on Trump, divided on DeSantis, divided on fluoride, freedom, and fines.
They do agree on three key things: (1) Miami Dade College should not give away the Biscayne Boulevard land for a Trump library, (2) There should be no public funds given to FIFA World Cup actives and (3) Nobody can afford to live here anymore.
“I see a community that seems to be tolerant of Donald Trump and Republican policies, but intolerant on particular issues,” Fernand Amandi said.
“We’re living in strange times. I lot of the people who support Donald Trump and think he’s doing a good job, are also significantly against some of his key policies, and it’s and no impact on his popularity.”
In conclusion, it looks like Miami-Dade voters are paying attention. They’re just not on the same page.
And maybe that’s what democracy looks like — Miami style: loud, conflicted, caffeinated, and ready to argue about it.

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County commission could intercede this week
It would seem they are talking about oil instead of water.
A long-running battle between the cities of Miami Gardens and North Mami Beach over who controls the flow of agua to a lot of Northwest and Northeast Miami-Dade residents — and the surcharges that come with that control — has come to a boil in recent weeks with allegations of lying and greed.
On one side, we have Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, the former mayor of Miami Gardens, who seems to be on a holy war with neighboring North Miami Beach over a 25% surcharge NMB charges for providing water to customers in the Gardens. He has introduced a county ordinance that would regulate the city’s utility. Gilbert says he is doing it for the people, the little viejitas who live on a fixed income. But he sounds more like a power-hungry bully on an ego trip. He really misses being the commission chairman, or the city mayor.
And Ladra can’t help but wonder if he’s really doing this for the biggest property owner in the area — the Miami Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross, who also owns the Hard Rock Stadium, which must have a scary water bill, and has given tens of thousands in contributions to Gilbert and his political action committee, Common Voices. Because the savings for residents would probably be small. But for the stadium?
On the other side, we have North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph, who has presented a plan to give people outside the city some relief – giving back people “their own money,” as Gilbert says — but insists the surcharge is there to pay for years of infrastructure expenses, debt and maintenance that can’t be just on the backs of his residents. Even though the dollars admittedly go into the general fund to help the city of 45,655 people (2024 figure) balance its budget.
Joseph is a scrappy guy with political potential to watch. He was ousted as commissioner by his colleagues in 2023 — because he missed three meetings in a row — but reinstated by the courts. Before that, he led a commission boycott of meetings because the former Mayor Joseph Defillipo, was accused of living outside the city and Joseph did not recognize him as mayor.
Read related: Miami-Dade: Oliver Gilbert spanks Rob Gonzalez on ‘my airport’ comment
These two cities have been suing, legislating, and lobbying over the Norwood Water Plant for years. Miami Gardens even won a $9 million settlement from North Miami Beach last year. Lawmakers tried to settle the fight in Tallahassee this spring, with a new law, which would require municipalities using a water or sewer plant located within the boundaries of another municipality, to charge the consumers in the municipality where the plant is located at the same rate as the consumers within its own municipal boundaries. So, basically, the NMB wouldn’t be able to charge a surcharge outside their city if they didn’t charge it inside.
It was obviously written for Miami Gardens. House Bill 11 was introduced by State Rep. Felicia Robinson, with Senate Bill 202 introduced by Sen. Shevrin Jones — both of whom represent Miami Gardens. Gilbert celebrated. “This is more than just a legislative victory, it’s a moral one” he said. And he often sounds like a preacher from the 1950s.
Then Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed it, saying it was a local matter. In other words: It ain’t the state’s job to referee a municipal water fight.
But the legislative activity seems to have gotten the water roiling again. There’s been a flurry of new back and forth op-ed pieces by Gilbert and Joseph trying to garner support for their respective positions.
The two sides couldn’t be further apart as evidenced at a recent Miami Gardens Council meeting where Joseph showed up with his version of “an olive branch” — in this case, “olive trees” — to sell his city’s new water discounts. Seniors, disabled vets, deployed service members, and widows of first responders could get 10% off their bills, up to $100 a year. Plus a little $50 kickback if you sign up for autopay. He also plugged his We Care to Share program, which helps people behind on their bills.
Miami Gardens Mayor Rodney Harris politely thanked him, saying they could sit down later to talk partnership. Joseph, ever the diplomat, replied, “One thousand percent.”
But the warm fuzzies dried up quick when Gilbert just strolled up to the podium like he owns the place. He wasn’t called on, like Joseph was. In fact, he interrupted a council member when he just took the mic and mocked Joseph for leaving right after his speech. “Oh, that’s just tragic,” Gilbert said sarcastically.
Read related: Miami-Dade passes final $12.9 million budget — sans transit fare increases
Then the former county commission chairman ripped Joseph’s plan to shreds. A $100 discount? A $50 credit? “Basically giving you back your own money,” Gilbert scoffed, pointing out that North Miami Beach has been skimming millions every year from Gardens residents through surcharges. “We’ve been fighting now for the better part of two decades to bring water fairness to Miami Gardens.”
Gilbert urged the city council members and residents to show up at County Hall Thursday, when his new ordinance gets a final vote. The measure could force municipal utilities to prove their surcharges actually go back into the water system — not into the general fund to pay for other goodies — or face fines and maybe even county takeover. Gilbert calls the current system “taxation without representation.”
Joseph calls the county ordinance government overreach with “guns blazing.”
“It’s a solution looking for a problem,” that “unfairly targets” North Miami Beach, Joseph said. No other municipal water utility — not Hialeah, not Homestead — would be regulated. “This ordinance not only threatens our ability to deliver critical services, it also raises serious operational and governance.”
Joseph, other council members and the city’s attorneys say that only the state has jurisdiction over the North Miami Beach water utility, which is regulated and has won awards. And somehow the county wants to put it under the same jurisdiction that was issued a federal decree in 2013 because the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department had violated the Clean Water Act? The decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection required the county to spend $1.6 billion over 15 years to upgrade its collection process and wastewater treatment plants and eliminate sanitary sewer overflows.
Ew.
The argument apparently hinges on a state law that Gilbert says the municipal utility is violating. “Follow the law,” Gilbert thundered at the at the Miami Gardens meeting last month. “In order to provide water service outside city limits, they have to have an agreement withy the city. You’d be an absolute fool to negotiate against something that’s the law right now, that they’ve been breaking for two decades.”
But he must be reading the law wrong. Because there is no “shall” in Florida Statute 180.19. It says “a municipality which constructs any works as are authorized by this chapter, may permit any other municipality and the owners or association of owners of lots or lands outside of its corporate limits or within the limits of any other municipality, to connect with or use the utilities mentioned in this chapter upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed between such municipalities, and the owners or association of owners of such outside lots or lands.”
The italics are Ladra’s. Because the key word is “may.” This gives the city some leeway, no?
The ordinance already passed at the county’s infrastructure committee Sept. 8, with a 4-1 vote. Only Commissioner Micky Steinberg, who represents other cities that are serviced by NMB water who are not complaining, voted no. Could that be because the other cities — including Miami Gardens, by the way — also tack on their own, additional 10% surcharge on top? So they, too, are using the NMB water bill as a revenue source for their own general fund.
Funny Gilbert, who is also the biggest champion of giving $46 million of our dollars to FIFA for World Cup activities, didn’t mention that.
Read related: Miami-Dade could cut back services, give millions to FIFA for World Cup
That committee meeting was even more heated than the Miami Gardens one, with the county commissioner accusing the city electeds of being less than honest. He said that they had told state legislators that North Miami Beach needed the surcharge to pay for upgrades and just the water system.
“I’m glad that wasn’t repeated by the elected officials before this body because I would have filed an ethics complaint,” Gilbert bellowed from his tower. “You can’t stand in public as an elected official and just lie.”
And Ladra has a feeling that one is going to come back and bite him in the, um, bowtie.
“Everyone who says this is going to affect their ability to maintain the water system, that’s an absolute lie,” Gilbert said.
At one point, Gilbert even tried to give legal lessons to attorney Kendall Coffey, representing North Miami Beach. Yes, the same Kendall Coffey who as U.S. Attorney headed the largest federal prosecutor’s office in the country. Gilbert tried to insinuate that Coffey wasn’t being completely honest in his presentation. “There’s this thing called candor to the court. You can’t tell the court about some of the cases and ignore the cases against you.
“When you’re a litigator, that’s important. Because you get disbarred if you don’t have candor with the court.”
That’s especially rich since Gilbert has let his own legal license lapse. Ladra doesn’t know why. He did not answer phone calls or respond to questions on an email sent to his staff. But Gilbert is not eligible to practice law in Florida, according to the Florida Bar. Is that why he’s reading the law wrong?
So here we are. The Governor punted. North Miami Beach is dangling discounts. Miami Gardens and Gilbert want county enforcement. And the people paying the bills? They’re still stuck in the middle, praying somebody — anybody — will finally turn off the political spigot.
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is supposed to protect endangered species, manage and regulate wildlife resources and habitats for the long-term well-being of both the species and the public. It is not supposed to go after one of their own biologists for reposting a whale joke in the wake of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk‘s public and disgusting execution.
But that’s exactly what happened to Brittney Brown, a seabird specialist stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, who was fired last month after she shared a snarky Instagram post about the irony of Kirk’s stance on the Second Amendment.
And now Brown is fighting back — with the ACLU of Florida and First Amendment lawyer Gary Edinger on her side — in federal court.
The offending post? A screenshot from another account about whales: “The whales are deeply saddened to learn of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, haha just kidding, they care exactly as much as Charlie Kirk cared about children being shot in their classrooms, which is to say, not at all.”
Not exactly subtle. But also, not a threat. Kirk openly opposed gun control.
Still, the post went viral thanks to Libs of TikTok, which whipped up its followers to demand Brown’s firing. And — surprise, surprise — FWC leadership caved faster than Gov. Ron DeSantis can pick a fight with Disney. Brown was terminated the very next day, Sept. 15, after seven years with the commission.
In a statement, FWC declared it had “zero tolerance” for promoting “violence and hate” and claimed Brown’s post “made light of the assassination” of Kirk, who led Turning Point USA and was a frequent speaker on college campuses.
Read related: Marc Sarnoff rears his ugly head again in WSJ op-ed against academic freedom
But Brown and her lawyers say the opposite is true. She wasn’t celebrating violence; she was criticizing Kirk’s politics on gun control. That’s political speech, which the First Amendment protects — even if it offends.
The lawsuit points out that Brown posted while on vacation on a private Instagram account, not representing her employer. It names FWC Executive Director Roger Young and division director Melissa Tucker as defendants, accusing them of making her a political example instead of standing up for free speech.
And here’s the part that really smells fishy: this isn’t happening in a vacuum. DeSantis’ anti-woke regime, every state agency has gotten the message — play to the conservative base or risk being next on the chopping block. Universities have been purged, libraries sanitized, even Disney punished. Now, apparently, it’s biologists who study seabirds getting caught in the dragnet.
And it’s happening across the country, where dozens of teachers and staff at K-12 schools and universities who posted in the wake of Kirk’s death have been fired.
In South Carolina, former teacher aide Lauren Vaughn filed a federal lawsuit against the Spartanburg County School District, the board and the superintendent after she was allegedly fired over a post in which she shared Kirk’s own words at a Turning Point USA event. Those now-famous words that were also shared by Palmetto Bay Councilman Steve Cody, who refused to resign after the mayor, council members and the public chastised him. Kirk’s own words in 2023: “I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.”
Cody is hanging on. But Vaughn and Brown were fired.
Read related: Palmetto Bay councilman is asked to resign after ‘vile’ Charlie Kirk post
In Iowa, teacher Matthew Kargol is suing Oskaloosa Schools and its superintendent after he was allegedly fired for posting “1 Nazi down” in reference to Kirk’s fatal shooting, the lawsuit says. Granted, that’s far worse than what the bird lady posted. But it’s still free speech.
“Mr. Kargol’s comment was rhetorical hyperbole about a widely reported public event. It did not threaten any person, did not incite imminent unlawful action, and was not directed at any member of the school community,” the lawsuit says.
Michelle Bravo, a neurologist at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, said she resigned after her Charlie Kirk post. But she was definitely forced to after the school got barraged with complaints.
Charlie Kirk, Ron DeSantis at the 2021 Student Action Summit hosted by Turning Point USA in Tampa.
Florida Republicans love to rail against “cancel culture,” but here’s a state employee literally canceled for making fun of a conservative figure. This is a master class in double standard.
Which is why this FWC lawsuit feels like more than just one woman’s fight to get her job back. Brown could be the test case for how far Florida’s culture war politics will reach into the rank and file of state government. Will every scientist, librarian, teacher, or clerk have to look over their shoulder before posting anything on their personal social media?
Ladra can’t help but notice the irony: The same administration that loves to call this “the free state of Florida,” is all too happy to muzzle its own employees when they post something that doesn’t fit the script — and about a man who claimed to defend and stand for free speech.
And that could end up costing taxpayers a whole lot more than one salty Instagram repost.

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Here comes another candidate forum in the crowded Miami mayor’s race. But this time, only the Democrats need apply.
That means nine of the 13 candidates are excluded from the “Democratic Candidate Mayoral Forum,” hosted by The Coconut Grove Democratic Club and the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. The moderator will be Don Finefrock, of the Coconut Grove Spotlight and formerly of the Miami Herald.
The four Democrats confirmed for this powwow are Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, Elijah John Bowdre and perennial candidate Michael Hepburn.
It will be probably be more civilized than the debate this past week put on by the Downtown Neighbors Alliance and CBS Miami, which turned into a mudslinging festival, although it had lots of entertainment value. That’s because the main clowns in the circus, Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, weren’t invited to Sunday’s shindig.
Read related: One-liners and other memorable moments from Miami mayoral debate
And while the invite thanks the Coral Gables Dems, the Key Biscayne Dems, and the Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus for co-sponsoring, Ladra can’t help but point out the obvious: the mayor’s race is supposed to be nonpartisan. Candidates don’t run with a party label on the ballot. But here we are with the local Democratic clubs lining up behind their own showcase anyway.
“From our perspective, we are here to introduce the Democrat candidates to our community,” said Greg Frankel, president of the Coconut Grove Democratic Club (no relation to Congresswoman Lois Frankel). The club had a planning committee to come up with a list of questions and issues to discuss.
“They are free to challenge each other within the format, but we want them to focus on the larger citywide issues,” Frankel told Political Cortadito.
Not that the other side hasn’t blurred the lines, too. Truth is, these races have become partisan.
Both the Florida Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Florida started taking partisan shots before qualifying even ended, with the Dems calling the Republican frontrunner, former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, the “MAGA mayor,” and the GOP comparing Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins to Democratic New York mayoral candidate Zohar Mamdani, who has been a darling of the Socialist Workers Party.
This is Miami, after all. Nobody really believes in nonpartisan anything.
Still, the forum might matter to some undecided voters one month before Election Day.
Read related: Daniella Levine Cava gives Higgins the expected abrazo in Miami mayor’s race
But let’s be honest, the Dems are really going to choose between Higgins and Russell. Ladra’s money is on Higgins, even before but especially now that she just got Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s official endorsement. Levine Cava is arguably the most influential and powerful Democrat in the state.
So, you can bet this forum will feel less like a public debate and more like an in-house audition.
The forum begins at 5 p.m. Sunday at St. James Baptist Church, 3500 Charles Ave.

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With the Miami mayoral elections just weeks away, thoughts are turning to who would replace Miami-Dade Eileen Higgins, who resigned her District 5 seat to run in the city. The resignation takes effect after the Nov. 4 election, whether she wins or not.
And everybody is betting that the commission is going to appoint someone.
Why wouldn’t they? They just had a brutal budget season and a special election will cost, well, something. And they’ve been on an appointing spree, with both Danielle Cohen Higgins and, more recently, Natalie Milian Orbis filling in for vacancies. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Roberto Gonzalez to the District 11 seat, but that was only because former Commissioner Joe Martinez was suspended after his arrest on public corruption charges.
So the likelihood of an appointment is high, especially since it wouldn’t have to be for the full three years left on the term. The district can be included in next year’s commission races, so it’s just a year. Even though that year gives the appointee a huge advantage when he or she runs.
And there are already wannabes chomping at the chance.
Read related: Anthony Rodriguez, Florida lawmakers discuss elimination of property taxes
State Rep. Vicky Lopez, who was just appointed to the governor’s new property tax reform committee, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro — who left the District 5 seat in 2018 to run for Congress, but lost — and former Miami Commissioner Joe Sanchez, who lost last year’s race for county sheriff, have been floated as possible fill-ins. Former Miami Beach Commissioner and onetime State Rep. David Richardson, who filed to run for the D5 seat in 2028, has also talked to several commissioners as early as April, when he filed to run for the seat in an election.
Even though the county board of commissioners is nonpartisan, party politics often play into decisions. Especially when appointing someone. The commission is currently 7-6 for the blue team. When they appointed Milian earlier this year, all the Democrats but Higgins — who wanted an election — joined all the Republicans but Raquel Regalado, who also wanted an election. Maybe that’s because Milian was replacing a Republican. Or maybe that’s because Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins does whatever Chairman Anthony Rodriguez wants.
So, it stands to reason that they would choose a Democrat to replace a Democrat, no?
“Having represented Miami Beach and Little Havana both on the Miami Beach Commission and as a state representative, I would be honored to be considered for an appointment,” Richardson told Political Cortadito Friday. “I made phone calls months ago to express my interest, and then I filed to further express my interest.
“I have a deep understanding of the issues constituents face day in and day out, and believe voters would be best served by someone with my education and experience,” Richardson said, although neither of those things helped him in the Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s race last year, which he lost to Dariel Fernandez.
Read related: David Richardson seeks to replace Eileen Higgins on county commission
Sanchez, who did not return calls and texts from Ladra, is openly and publicly lobbying for the position.

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