Sergio Robaina’s plea protects Commissioner Steve Bovo

Sergio Robaina’s plea protects Commissioner Steve Bovo

Finally, the third time is the charm. After two reset hearings, accused Hialeah boletero Sergio “Tio” Robaina will be in court Wednesday — but only to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges in exchange for a year’s probation. Oh, and prosecutors will drop the felony charges stemming from his tampering with the ballot of a woman […]

Justice delayed: Suspended kickback mayors postpone hearing

Justice delayed: Suspended kickback mayors postpone hearing

Both Sweetwater Mayor Manny Marono and Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi — busted earlier this month in an FBI bribery sting — have asked to have today’s arraignment reset to Sept. 20. And people who know about this stuff think that means that they are ready to cooperate in order to have charges reduced […]

Who protects the maquinita mafia in Hialeah? Guess

Who protects the maquinita mafia in Hialeah? Guess

Is Hialeah it’s own sovereign nation? Pero, por supuesto! Or at least that is what one would surmise by the way Mayor Carlos “Castro” Hernandez acts with impunity, harassing citizens and using the police force as his own private security squad. Most recently, the city has been thumbing its nose at the state since the […]

Blame commissioners, not just mayor, on budget cut woes

Blame commissioners, not just mayor, on budget cut woes

Remember way back when in June, when Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez wanted to raise taxes just a bit, less than a 4.5 percent, to keep services in tact and libraries open all the hours that we are accustomed to? Well, he didn’t do backwards flip flop to a zero increase because it was his own […]

Young Cubans’ PAC shows generation gap is a myth

Young Cubans’ PAC shows generation gap is a myth

I’m sick of hearing that Generation Ñ doesn’t care about the Cubans on the island, or the embargo or U.S. Cuba policy. Ladra herself had been instructed to write that “changing tide” story at the Miami Herald several times during the last few years she worked at the paper. But it just isn’t true. There […]

Rep. Jose Oliva lends juice for Miami Lakes sprint election

Rep. Jose Oliva lends juice for Miami Lakes sprint election

Qualifying hasn’t even started yet in the spring Miami Lakes election, set for Oct. 1, and already there are candidates with signs and handouts, knocking on doors and sending mailers. Council candidate Frank Mingo — who is seeking to replace the outgoing Councilman Nelson Hernandez, who is seeking to replace the suspended Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi, who […]

Big week: arraingments, budgets and Miami Lakes deadline

Big week: arraingments, budgets and Miami Lakes deadline

Look like it’s going to be a busy week in the 305 for political intrigue, what with a caliente county commission meeting, the arraignments of two allegedly corrupt elected leaders, a hearing for a Hialeah boletero and the qualifying deadlines for the suddenly open seats in Miami Lakes due to the mayor’s arrest. Ladra expects […]

Sunday could be Political Cortadito cartoon day

Sunday could be Political Cortadito cartoon day

Ladra would like to start a new feature on weekends: cartoons. Check out this first one that I got in an email from Mike Burke. He titled it “Let ’em eat cake.” After getting Burke’s somewhat childlike yet perfectly on-point cartoon in an email, and getting his permission to reprint it, I figured I would […]

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