Ralph Cabrera to the rescue in Coral Gables

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Who’s going to run against Ralph Cabrera for mayor of Coral Gables?

Nobody knows yet. It’s like they’re drawing straws.

We’re pretty sure it ain’t gonna be incumbent Mayor Jim Cason. For months, folks have been hearing of his switcheroo plan, the one by which he steps down to let Commissioner William “Billy” Kerdyk, who is termed out of office, run for mayor, clearing the way for him to run for Kerdyk’s seat.

It’s a strange arrangement that stinks to high heaven of an insider deal and not what the spirit of term limits is about.

But now enter Frank “The Cuban Kerdyk” Quesada. Ladra is not sure if Kerdyk — who is not one for confrontation — doesn’t think he can beat Cabrera or if he just doesn’t want to try. Because it looks like what is happening now is that the three of them, in cahoots with the same campaign consultants, are trying to figure out who to run against Cabrera, a former commissioner who served for 12 years. I even heard there was a poll.

Read related story: In the Gables: Hoping for a new checks and balances

You’d think it would be an easy choice. After all, Cabrera lost to Cason in his first mayoral run in 2013 by 50 points. He was slam dunked in defeat.

But look again.

That year, Cabrera was not just campaigning against Cason. He was also campaigning against a corrupt city manager who used city resources to ensure that his puppet mayor stayed in office. He was campaigning on the issue of what he saw as a small increase in crime, which was characterized as scare tactics when the puppet mayor and his corrupt city manager presented false figures. He was campaigning against a Cuban exile icon who does not really deserve the adoration of mi gente because, as the U.S. Interest Section chief in Cuba, he just did as Washington told him to do.

Ralph was right about Pat Salerno, the city manager who abruptly resigned in April rather than answer to the lies he had told commissioners about the spike in traffic accidents on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, which were due to big palm trees he had planted on the corners there.

Ralph was right about the crime wave, which led to a march on City Hall in September, the ultimate resignation — again, under pressure — of the police chief and an audit of statistics that Interim Chief Ed Hudak said is underway.

Ralph was right about the trolley and the parking situation downtown and the traffic mitigation and the business development.

Ralph was right for 2013. And he’s right today.

“I won’t be seen around town cutting ribbons and getting photo ops with visiting dignitaries,” he told me with a chuckle. “In fact, I hope that the commissioners agree that we should all take turns with those kinds of PR duties. Because, as far as I’m concerned, ‘been there, done that.’

“I want to focus on fixing the problems we have now, ensuring that there is transparency and accountability at City Hall and developing a full-picture vision that maintains our quality of life for the future. That’s the real job of a mayor. Not wielding giant, golden scissors,” Cabrera said.

He also told me that he plans to start walking right away and talk to residents so that they can help shape that vision. “I don’t want to tell residents what I want. That’s not the role of an elected mayor. I want the residents to tell me what they want from the city. And then I want to work toward that.”

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  Coral Gables, Frank Quesada, Ralph Cabrera, William Kerdyk