Miami-Dade budget: Mayor has money for his priorities, not ours

Miami-Dade budget: Mayor has money for his priorities, not ours

Last year, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez scolded county commissioners for plans to protect the environment, reduce crime in South Dade, create programs for children and fund fare-free circulators, like the trolleys in many cities, in unincorporated parts of Miami-Dade. We ain’t got the money, honey, the mayor told them. He complained of a five-year budget shortfall […]

Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s dual role on MDX board hasn’t panned out

Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s dual role on MDX board hasn’t panned out

When Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Commissioner Audrey Edmonson made themselves members of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority early last year — convincing colleagues to appoint them rather than citizens, as they had traditionally done — there was talk about making MDX toll funds available to build rail for the SMART plan. That was the whole idea, […]

Mayor Carlos Gimenez lies about Miami-Dade to get Amazon HQ2

Mayor Carlos Gimenez lies about Miami-Dade to get Amazon HQ2

As Amazon continues to look at Miami-Dade as a possible home for its second headquarters, our region got a B+ ranking last month among the 20 cities being considered and county Mayor Carlos Gimenez went on Bloomberg TV Wednesday to make our case. Unfortunately, he had to lie. “Well, I really think Miami-Dade is the city of […]

Carlos Gimenez taps commissioner to block return of 1/2 penny funds?

Carlos Gimenez taps commissioner to block return of 1/2 penny funds?

Is a Miami-Dade county commissioner intentionally delaying the removal of the half-penny People Transportation Plan sales tax from the general operational budget? And is he, or she, doing it on behalf of Mayor Carlos Gimenez? That’s what it looks like. It’s been more than a month since the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust, a 15-member body created […]

Carlos Gimenez finds hidden millions — yet again — at budget crunch time

Carlos Gimenez finds hidden millions — yet again — at budget crunch time

Well, what do you know? Pushed into a corner by a majority of Miami-Dade County commissioners and an army of activists and angry residents to restore the funding cuts he proposed for transit services (bus routes and Metrorail hours), Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez suddenly found at least $16.2 million we didn’t have before. More found […]

The Cortadito Calendar for President’s Day week

The Cortadito Calendar for President’s Day week

February is the short month. And it is almost over already. Key word: Almost. Because first, there are a few more poltical events for the Cortadito Calendar: A town hall without an elected, a film screening, a fundraiser, a party to open a shiny new police station, another moratorium on medical marijuana, more talk about […]