Poll pits Tomas Regalado against Miami Mayor Francis Suarez in this year’s race

And it floats a new half-penny tax to save Biscayne Bay

The rumor has been out there for months, but on Saturday, some Miami residents got a mobile poll that pits Mayor Francis Suarez against the former Mayor Tomas Regalado in this year’s election.

It also asks if Miami voters would support a new half-penny sales tax to fund water and sewer improvements — in a way that seems to be looking for a yes.

“Would you vote yes or no for a one half cent increase in the City of Miami’s sale tax to generate money necessary to fix broken sewage pipes and replace aging waste water systems to stop the pollution of Biscayne Bay waters that is killing fish, threatening wildlife and making recreational use of the water dangerous?”

Who’s going to say no to that?

It’s hard to figure out if this poll comes from Suarez — who recently got almost half a million in his political action committee, $350,000 of it from tech executives flirting with coming to Miami — or if it comes from Regalado, who likes to let us think he might run again.

In a series of statements, asking voters to rate them as very positive to negative, the poll says that Suarez has worked with Miami Fire Rescue on the rapid rollout of COVID19 tests and vaccines, that he is “leading the fight on clean water by attacking and shutting down sources of pollution for Biscayne Bay and our beaches,” that he has provided “direct financial assistance” with rent and food because of the economic crisis, that he “has held the line on tax increases and even cut taxes,” that he has “modernized police operations” and parks and “made Miami safer from crime.”

But that’s not all. The poll gives Suarez credit for 700 new low-cost housing units and “formatting a master plan on affordable housing,” taking on Gov. Ron DeSantis on the COVID19 pandemic response, and having “launched a major initiative to recruit high-tech companies to Miami to create new high-paying jobs an more opportunities for our young, diverse workforce.”

So, it sounds like Baby X commissioned the poll, right? Except it also asks voters their opinion on the Melreese Golf Course giveaway “now being criticized because it eliminates a city park, is a giveaway to political connected special interest developers and may cost taxpayers millions of dollars to clean up hazardous waste dumped on the site.

“Hearing this, do you support or oppose the soccer stadium deal?

And then there was this:

“Supporters of Tomas Regalado say he deserves to be rehired as mayor because, as mayor, he did a good job keeping taxes low, fighting crime, growing the economy and improv ing neighborhoods, parks and streets. Further, Regalado’s supporters say that Francis Suarez has not shown strong leadership during the pandemic, sold out the city’s taxpayers to the developers in the soccer stadium deal and now wants to sell out our city to California liberals. Reading this, how would you vote for mayor between Francis Suarez and Tomas Regalado if you had to vote today.”

If that’s not pushing toward Tomas, nothing is. So confusing.

A third option is that a well-heeled donor commissioned the poll to see what horse to bet on. There are few people who come immediately to mind: auto mogul Norman Braman, healthcare mogul Mike Fernandez, former Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff. Any one of them might be trying to take the pulse of the city.

There could also be a special interest behind the poll. Why else would you include the question about the half-penny sales tax? Who stands to make some green from that? Unless it’s a way to fundraise.

Ladra doesn’t know when the poll started, but it comes around the same time as some radio chatter on this hypothetical race. Disgraced former Miami Commissioner Humberto Hernandez — who is suddenly la voz de Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla — said last week on Actualidad Radio that Regalado would not run because it was a deal his daughter Raquel Regalado made when she ran for Miami-Dade Commissioner, which sounds laughable.

The deal, Hernandez breathlessly reported, was brokered by Coral Gables Vice Mayor Vince Lago. But anybody who knows Raquelita knows she would have laughed hysterically, told Lago that her dad is his own man, and also that Baby X should just put on his big boy pants and call her directly if he was that scared.

Which is exactly what everyone thinks Suarez is. Scared to death that Regalado might run.

And maybe Diaz de la Portilla is scared, too. With Suarez in office, The Dean can continue to run the city. Regalado is not going to lie down as easily.

The former mayor said he heard about the survey and he and others he know think it’s a push poll for Suarez. But Regalado also didn’t say he was not running for mayor in November.

“At this time, I haven’t made a decision,” Regalado told Ladra, confirming that he is still being pressured by friends and supporters.

He has two radio shows, a Sunday TV show and is busy hanging out with the grandchildren. His daughter is a Miami-Dade commissioner now. Papi Regalado doesn’t need this.

But friends say he is increasingly frustrated with the direction of the city and Suarez’s leadership, or lack thereof, and Regalado himself reminded Ladra that it’s been done before.

“It would not be the first time a former mayor returns to office,” he said, citing Steve Clark, Maurice Ferre, Xavier Suarez and even Joe Carollo, who have each had comebacks. That means Regalado has thought about it.

Speaking of other politicians, the poll also aims to measure the favorability and unfavorability of Papi Suarez, ADLP and Carollo as well as Commissioners Ken Russell and Manolo Reyes, Congressman Carlos Gimenez, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

This is a serious poll that is looking to shape messaging and find surrogates. It’s being done by Kevin Montero‘s Querous with Nors Surveys of Southwest Miami-Dade.

Suarez, who was at the White House last week with a group of mayors that met with President Biden COVID relief, did not return several texts asking him about the poll. He did return texts after the commission meeting Thursday, so he’s choosing to not talk about the poll.

The mayor was facing a tough reelection until COVID19 saved his life. He had lost the strong mayor campaign, badly. He was beat up, called a “lobbyist” for Jorge Mas when he pushed for the Melresse Golf Course stadium deal, his dad lost the county election, he backed Renier Diaz de la Portilla for county commissioner and lost again, he let corrupt commissioners run rampant with the city and berate him publicly.

But he’s proven to be a good chameleon, reinventing himself as needed.

Getting the virus catapulted him into the national spotlight and made him an instant news celebrity with a growing social media following. Then he used that social media to push Big Tech to come to Miami and flirt with Elon Musk in the wee hours with talk about tunnels in the downtown.

That’s all about campaign contributions — it’s already gotten him $435,000 just counting January — and pushing the strong mayor failure into distant memory territory for a race in November.

A race that Baby X is basically just starting.

Can’t wait for the poll results.

Francis Suarez, Tomas Regalado

Poll pits Tomas Regalado against Miami Mayor Francis Suarez in this year’s race added by Ladra on February 13, 2021
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