Carlos Gimenez: ‘I’d break The Fair’s lease if FIU pays’

Carlos Gimenez: ‘I’d break The Fair’s lease if FIU pays’
  • Sumo

As expected and reported in Political Cortadito previously, we are still fairnowhere near a deal for FIU to expand onto the grounds currently occupied by the Dade County Youth Fair and Expo.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez finally admitted Wednesday that talks have led nowhere and that The Fair doesn’t have to budge because it has an upper hand, using a poker analogy with the Miami Herald editorial board: The Fair is holding a royal flush; the county has a card short of a low straight.

Lost in the ensuing laughter, the follow up questions that were never asked is why is the mayor playing poker with The Fair to begin with? Has there been bluffing involved? What are the stakes? And shouldn’t the county already have folded? Is this really the best use of our mayor’s time and energies? What would breaking the lease, as he also suggested he might do, say to other entities looking to do business with the county?

Read related story: FIU’s bully battle vs Youth Fair keeps costing us plenty

Because at the same time as Gimenez admitted a deadlock, he also admitted two other things that should be sorta outrageous. Gimenez PeriscopeThe first is that he is going to continue to waste our county time and resources to work on a solution that he says can’t be had that would work for both FIU and The Fair, which would need to get an equal or better location able to accommodate 24,000 cars.

“I am actively trying to find a location, an alternative, uh, you know, half way, acres, you can co-mlocate, all that,” Gimenez said in an often rambling half hour interview broadcast on Periscope that ran the gamut from CRAs and the Frost Museum bailout to regulations for Uber and the Liberty Square redevelopment.

The second thing is that he is willing and ready, mind you, to break the lease and evict the Fair even though they have “an incredibly sweet deal” of a rock solid contract that is legally binding through 2085 and they are, well, holding all the cards. He just doesn’t want to have to pay the financial consequences.

Isn’t that like saying you’re willing to steal something as long as you aren’t caught and charged?

Read related story: Mayor to meet with FIU and Youth Fair over standoff

Gimenez has said FIU would have to provide a legal guarantee that they would pay any costs fiuexpandassociated with a lawsuit.

“What I’m saying is that if you want us to do that, then somebody is going to have to pay if there is a relocation cost, someone is going to have to pay if there is a judgement against Miami Dade,” Gimenez said, flanked by his entourage of county staffers — Budget Director Jennifer Moon, Communications Director and spin doctor Michael Hernandez and Chief of Staff Alex Ferro, as well as whoever was Periscoping.

The university president has already said that they can’t do that.

They have $50 million committed — which would come out of state funds, by the way (read: our tax dollars) — to move the Fair and for the construction of

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20 Responses to "Carlos Gimenez: ‘I’d break The Fair’s lease if FIU pays’"

  1. John Smith,

    Don’t divert the attention from the real issue. By the way, Ladra takes money from the Regalados who have a history of shaking down contractors via their lobbyists Armando Gutierrez. So she is no better.

    John Smith please come out of the curtain because my software analytics indicate that you are Ladra. Oye Woofie don’t hide.

  2. I was curious and checked the link at Crespogram. I like to read all commentary and noticed a flaw in Crespo’s claim. He calls Ladra a shill and unethical for refusing to admit she is on a payroll or working for a politicians opponent. But didn’t Ladra post on her blog that she was going to work for Raquel Regalado? So Mr. Crespo’s claim is meritless. I admire his intent to inform readers but even he has an “unethical” past. He should be careful not to hit himself when throwing stones.

  3. Fake name? It is not like your using real name “If you don’t like it leave”. Obviously, you have missed my point. Then again it is hard to make you understand since it seems like you are one of those who can’t have a discourse with any type of disagreement. If there is a disagreement, it seems you want to censor my message. Who are you? Bernie Sanders? I can already see that the wave of socialism heading into a communist state is spreading rapidly.

  4. So since Ladra is rightfully ignoring you got-a-point…I will throw in my two cents. First of all she fully told all readers she is working for RR. Second she does not charge readers to view her content so either all bloggers must be rich or have lots of free time in your mind since you do not want them to earn an income!? As far as Carlos is concerned in this particular article not one thing she wrote seems to be biased or not true. So when the facts get in the way you attack the messenger! How do I know your last name is not Trump because you sure sound like him he/you wants no fact checking and he/you sure is rich enough to write a time consuming blog for free! My parting words are my own as Ladra welcomes all point of views since there is no such thing in the country her parents came from….If you don’t like it leave! And never come back under point of view or any other fake name…trolling a free blog and insulting the Pulitzer Prize winning writer with your nonsense is unwelcome here Trump or whatever your name is!!!!

  5. From this point forward nothing but negative Carlos Gimenez, because you are getting PAID BY RAQUELITA REGALADO. UNETHICAL AND A CONFLICT OF INTEREST!

  6. It seems he sees it the same I do.

    Any comment? You see I am not the only one who dislike the Regalado Criminal Enterprise.

  7. Its going nowhere simply because Gimenez and his family members haven’t yet figured out how to cleanly steal money for themselves. That simple!

  8. That stadium was already there (it was upgraded), shared with local high schools for their games and its footprint is nowhere big enough to meet the needs of the school you nitwit.

  9. FIU should’ve thought about their space needs before building an unnecessary football stadium for an unnecessary football program.

  10. The lease that The Youth Fair signed is ironclad. They can’t be evicted unless they fail to abide by the contract. (Like paying the rent.) They can’t be evicted because the County now thinks they have a better way to use the land. A suit like that would be laughed out of court, with the County paying a ton of legal fees to the Fair. Plus, consider whether the County Attorney, who is hired by the Board of County Commissioners, would actually file suit against the Fair and risk putting its attorneys in danger of facing sanctions. Then there is the cost of the move. The County’s own estimate is that it might cost a hundreds of millions of dollars to move the Fair to an equivalent site, assuming that one could be found. And the one mandate from the referendum was that County tax dollars not be used to move the Fair. If FIU wants the land, it will have to pony up the cash. Try getting our Republican governor and a Legislature filled with graduates from FSU, UF, UCF, and other state colleges to cut FIU a check for a half billion to move a county fair and not for the cost of classrooms and buildings. For all of the Mayor’s bluster, The Fair isn’t going anywhere.

  11. The Miami Herald Editorial Board! Yes, the same group of propaganda masters who pushed Gimenez into office in the first place by giving him a free pass on every issue! And why are we asking Gimenez anyway? Why not ask his former campaign manager Al Lorenzo, (yes, the same individual who paid boleteras for absentee ballots that helped elect Gimenez), after all, not long after the occurrence of that crime Lorenzo became an FIU regent and manipulated that process!
    Citizens of this county you are being screwed in every corner of this county by two dollar hookers in Armani suits and you are either too lazy, to ill advised or too passive to point a finger and call out corrupt officials such as Gimenez. In fact, your level of apathy is such that come August when that same Herald Editorial Board endorses Gimenez you will probably vote for him again! So there, let’s all pay through the nose on tolls, let’s let every park and open space be signed over to private industry and let all of Gimenez’s lobbyist and consultant friends get rich on county contracts paid on your dime! You deserve it.

  12. When is he doing the negotiations between golf and picking up his grandchildren from school. There are women who are denied positions because they have children and someone is afraid she will take to much time in helping them out,kind of ironic? He does not want to follow through on the pet issue,because it was a straw ballot ( and everything they said was true) but the Youth Fair even thou it was a straw ballot (and was not truth full in its message) he wants to solve the problem, his way which is always with the tax payers money. He can donate his county salary and expenses to them and he will still have more than $20,000 a month to live with.OR STAY OUT OF IT AND LET THE YOUTH FAIR AND FIU FIGURE IT OUT. TIME TO TAKE YOUR PANTYHOSE OFF AND PUT YOUR BIG BOY PANTS ON, AND TAKE CARE OF THE REST OF THIS COUNTY, THAT IS HURTING BECAUSE WE ARE SHORT IN EVERY THING THAT IMPROVES OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. IF YOU CAN’T DO IT, THEN PLEASE GO AWAY!!!

  13. The Mayor is playing Cards , He has A Bluff and Wants to see The Players NEXT Move . Same as He Has done With The Transportation UBER He has instructed The CAO attorney to Give Uber a 59% Break on their Tickets (according To Public Records) All the Time Talking HE May Do Just That. The County Attorney’s ,doing This are Sanchez and Sherman and The Breaks are not per Code and Done Prior To The Hearings.
    #OURCOUNTY is Corrupt !

  14. If politicians truly value the higher Ed diploma, then the Youth Fair could acquire this requisite and partner with FAU or Nova Southeastern, or another reputable college and establish a satellite campus right next to their bully of a neighbor.

  15. The problem started when the county lobbyists (Gimenez’ advisors) pushed through that ballot question. Why ask the voters to approve a deal that wasn’t ready? The referendum was to allow FIU and the County to bully the Youth Fair. Gimenez has a vision problem. Anyone could see this effort would fail. Anyone but Carlos.

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