Carlos Gimenez opens second warchest for re-election

Carlos Gimenez opens second warchest for re-election
  • Sumo

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez filed to run for re-election Thursdaygimenezcandidate and it was treated like news.

Didn’t everybody know this was coming? He’s been running for mayor practically since he was elected mayor in 2011 after the recall of Carlos Alvarez. For at least two months, the campaign has stepped it up with ads paid by some non-profit Business Advisory Council, which is a secret group that nobody really knows and whose funding is not publicly disclosed. Ladra has heard at least two different radio ads talking about what a great mayor Gimenez is.

He’s polled several times through his two PACs and even had a street canvassing team hit Little Havana homes in July, a full 13-months before the election.

Read related story: Carlos Gimenez starts early street campaign — in Miami

What he really did Thursday was open another campaign account. Qualifying isn’t for another nine months anyway. This is really all about a bundle of joy. A big bundle of green joy.

The mayor’s PAC, Miami Dade Residents First, has already amassed moneyman$1.4 million. And we have no idea how many millions are behind the Business Council group. But a brand new account allows the mayor’s rainmaker, Brian Goldmeier, to call every single one of the 454 contributors to the PAC and hit them up for another $1,000 check. Oh, and one from your wife/husband/sister. Oh, and one from your business entity.

Oh, and before anybody else does.

Ladra fully expects Gimenez to report at least $300,000 by his first report in November. Goldmeier needs more spending money for the holidays. And it has to blow Miami-Dade School Board Member Raquel Regalado‘s carlosraquel$205,000 in the past three months out of the water.

Not like he needs it. It’s not like the PAC is slowing down. August, the last month reported, was the best month since March, with $160,000 collected. Yeah, during budget season.

The mayor said he chose the first day of the new miracle budget to reapply for his job because it was the least contentious budget passed in his tenure and maybe ever. Well, that says more about the past three years than it says about this year, don’t it? Again, it’s that classic tactic used by underachievers everywhere: Set the bar real low. Or mess things up so you can clean them up and become the hero.

Read related story: Carlos Gimenez saves us — from himself

Anyway, everybody knew the mayor was going to file for re-election eventually. He has openly said he will be mayor through 2020. He can’t give up a job that feeds so many in his friends and family plan.

The real news here is that some guy named Robert Ingram Burke also filed. In June. Where were the stories about that?

Ladra doesn ‘t think its the former mayor of Opa-Locka Robert Ingram. That would have been news. But there was a Robert Ingram Burke who had filed to run for mayor of Miami in 2013 and then withdrew.

We know that Commission Mayor Sir Xavier Suarez is expectedxavier suarez to make his decision known after his big Oct. 10 shindig and people close to him say former Chairman Joe Martinez won’t rule out a rematch (if someone promises to raise him lots of money).

Democrats were also trying to get Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine to run, seeing as how it’s expected to be a heavy D year. But that may have been before he tied his political future to Commissioner Jonah Wolfson and that shady PAC, which will haunt him forever.

Maybe they’ll go back to former Congressman Joe Garcia and beg harder this time.

Now that would be news.

8 Responses to "Carlos Gimenez opens second warchest for re-election"

  1. Quote: “I do not want to pay for others irresponsibility for the way they treat their pets”

    That’s the point. We are already. We are paying and millions (I’m not exaggerating the number) of the dogs and cats do the suffering. The previous owner dumps the animal on the street and the animal breeds.

    You would be surprised how quickly two cats can become that 80 million. If you let two cats breed at will — and then allow their offspring to breed at will, these two cats will have 80 million progeny within a decade! This assumes two litters per year and 2.8 surviving kittens per litter. Here are the numbers:

    First year: 12

    Second year: 66

    Third year: 382

    Fourth year: 2,201

    Fifth year: 12,680

    Sixth year: 73,041

    Seventh year: 420,715

    Eighth year: 2,423,316

    Ninth year: 13,968,290

    Tenth Year: 80,399,780

    The key to Pet’s Trust was to neuter and spay every animal in this county. Instead, the task is piecemeal and anemic. There sad truth is the overpopulation street problem.

    Contact the cat network if you want to help.

  2. Problem with funding pet’s trust is that it puts the burden on taxpayers and adds yet another special taxing burden. Look at the Children’s Trust. It’s funding has consistently been raised but I’ve seen no reduction in the number of additional non-profits begging for money downtown. There is no end in sight.
    I do not want to pay for others irresponsibility for the way they treat their “pets.” But I WOULD support a program that required EVERY animal be “chipped” when they are treated for their first set of shots at the vets. It makes no sense to handle the current rabies tag program as it is done now. The time and money the County currently spends on monitoring this program could be reconfigured easily enough and could get rid of the metal tags as well. All info could be put on the chip and updated and would be permanent so, when an owner decides to abandon their animal, the correct party can be held responsible for the neglect.

  3. Lee Ann,

    I to am a supporter of the animals in our community that need our help. Hoever, I also know the County budget process and Ms. Regalado would not have the authority to fully fund the program in her first 100 days. That’s a lie she tells you to make you feel good. 100% of the power to allocate funds lies with the County Commission. They are the sole decision makers in what gets funded and what doesn’t. The Mayor only makes a recommendation to the Commission, and they usually rubber stamp 98% of what the Mayor “recommends” and then they fight over the other 2%. If you want to put the onus on someone to fund the Pets Trust, then call your commissioner. If they tell you it’s not their decision, then they are lying to you just to pass the buck.

    • All the more reason to throw ALL the culpable bums out, as they come up for election.

      Even though we recently voted term limits on these commissioners, look at the stunning length of time too many of them have already served:

      BARBARA JORDAN – 11 years
      AUDREY EDMONSON – 10 years
      SALLY HEYMAN – 13 years
      BRUNO BARREIRO – 17 years
      REBECA SOSA – 14 years
      DENNIS MOSS – 22 years
      JAVIER SOTO – 22 years
      PEPE DIAZ – 13 years

  4. He turned ME off when he funded then DE-funded The Pet’s Trust and to this day refuses to honor 65% of the voting public that told him to DO it. He’s a selfish, arrogant, lying, non-promise keeper. The Pet’s Trust folks and the 500,000 voters who passed the Pet’s Trust WILL vote this miscreant OUT. Raquel Regalado has promised to fund the Trust within 100 days of taking office. And Commissioner Suarez proposed funding NOW which sitting commissioners wouldn’t let go to the commission for a full vote. ANY commissioner up for re-election along with Liar Giminez WILL BE OUT in 2016. COUNT ON IT!

  5. Gimenez can open 5 accounts for Little Mister Barry to shake down county contractors. What does it matter? Is money the only way? The job of Mayor should not be for sale. Since he is challenged by a woman, it is no longer a game of “my pencil is bigger than your pencil.” This could be a different campaign. The charges of sexual harassment against his partner Mr. Biesley at the Workforce office may be the start of a new conversation. The way Gimenez treated his female Chief of Staff was awful. She left in a hurry after he was so rude to her. Support for Gimenez across the county is as shallow as his intellect. Money will not make him smarter. And, maybe, just maybe, it is time for a woman to lead this county.

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