Hopeful Penelas fights on

[Scurrilous]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8910036.htm?1c

<snip>

Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas is defending his Democratic bona fides as he runs the first partisan race of his career.

"When Florida's Democratic leaders declare their support for presidential candidate John Kerry at the national convention in July, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas will be watching from the sidelines.

That's because the mayor didn't muster enough votes from activists around the state to serve as a delegate. The top Democrat in Florida's largest county got only enough support to go as an alternate who can't vote on the main floor."

<snip>

"What kind of Democrat is Alex Penelas, anyway?

He's a lifelong Democrat, yet his political base is the heavily Republican Cuban-American community. He's a leading party rainmaker, yet he has raised money for Miami Republicans such as U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart. He's an eloquent spokesman for the party platform but defied a Democratic administration during the standoff over Elián González and disappeared during the closest presidential election in U.S. history."

<snip>

"Though he has been in politics for 17 years, Penelas has never run as a Democrat. All of the offices he has sought and won -- for Hialeah City Council, Miami-Dade County Commission and Miami-Dade mayor -- are nonpartisan."

[Mika]

1. The real story behind Alex Penelas's secret dealings with Republicans

Less than 24 hours before the Miami-Dade County Canvassing Board met to halt the manual recount of ballots in the presidential race -- a decision that all but doomed Al Gore's chances of winning the White House -- Alex Penelas was dining with a Republican state legislator at the Governor's Club in Tallahassee. This fact was reported last week in a front-page New York Times story that, citing unnamed Democratic sources, suggested our sexy little mayor had deliberately double-crossed the Democratic Party by remaining on the sidelines during the recount controversy in order to curry favor with Republicans in Tallahassee. The Times story noted that Republican lawmakers "are significant to Mr. Penelas because Florida's legislature will draw new congressional districts in 2002 and Mr. Penelas, political observers say, has hopes of running for Congress."

The Times story was the latest in a series of articles and television reports since the election portraying Penelas as a political traitor. There was only one problem: The Times got it wrong. I don't know who these unnamed observers are, but they misread Penelas. He has absolutely no interest in being a congressman. (Late last week he issued a statement to that effect.) And unless he moves to Central Florida, where the new congressional district is likely to be created, he'd have no hope of winning a House seat in Miami-Dade County as long as Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen are still drawing breath.

Although the Times didn't identify the individual with whom Penelas met at the Governor's Club, that particular assignation truly was significant. Penelas's dining companion was Republican state Rep. Carlos Lacasa of Miami. They didn't get together to discuss new congressional seats, but rather Lacasa's plan for reorganizing Miami-Dade County government.

Six months ago Lacasa outlined some of his ideas for creating a strong-mayor form of government for the county.

More at.. http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2000-12-07/defede.html


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I posted a thread on DU a few weeks ago about Penelas' buddy Carlos Lacasa becoming the very first "Super Pioneer" for the Bush campaign.

[Scurrilous]

2. More on Alex:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2004-06-18/pols_hightower.html

THE ROYAL TREATMENT IN MIAMI

<snip>

"No doubt this story will make you cry about the way Homeland Security agents treat airline passengers these days. I'm not talking about the way us commoners are subjected to long and slow-moving lines, forced to strip down and take our shoes off, and treated gruffly by overworked screeners – I'm talking about the alarming fact that a member of the royalty has been subjected to passenger screening! Gasp! – what is this world coming to?

This outrage occurred at Miami International Airport, when Crown Prince Felipe of Spain arrived in a chartered jet. He, his fiancée, and four bodyguards were connecting onto a commercial flight when – I know you won't believe this – they were told that they would have to submit their bags and themselves to electronic screening. Well, you can just imagine the diplomatic flurry this caused!"

<snip>

"Well, you'll be relieved to know that the mayor of Miami-Dade County, Alex Penelas, has kissed the Crown Prince's royal ego and made it all better. On the very day of the "incident," the mayor sent the entire royal family a letter of apology, calling Felipe's treatment a "lamentable situation."

By the way, this is the same mayor who helped to orchestrate last year's Miami police assault on us U.S. citizens (including thousands of retirees) who were there for a peaceful protest against yet another corporate free-trade scam. Now that was truly a lamentable situation. Where's our apology?"

[Bombtrack]

3. Yeah what a horrible executive looking out for the economic interest of

his city. You know, that kind of person could never oversee a county that lead his state in job growth and economic growth during his tenure in an already high job growth state, oh wait he did.

Sorry he had to swallow the fake pride you people have.

[Mika]

5. Sure. Like Alex's 180 on AA Arena?

A Penelas ran for reelection on the platform that he would not give away prime public land valued in the hundreds of millions (Bayfront Park) - to millionaire sports franchises, especially when the county is broke and Miami is the poorest city in the USA. He won the election on that platform.

THREE DAYS LATER he signed the deal he promised he would never sign with the Heat and American Airlines that leased the park for $99 for 99 years. The Latin Builders Association (his primary political contributor)got the construction contract. The county pays for all maintenance, road work, etc,. The citizens of Miami-Dade got screwed BIG time. Based on Alex Penelas' lie (and there are plenty more).




If Alex Penelas really had the economic interests of Miami-Dade at heart then he should be working on ending the embargo on Cuba. That would do more for Miami-Dade's economy that any other thing. Plus, he wouldn't have to pander to the exile oligarchy because such a move would receive the support of a large majority of Cuban-Americans as well as the majority of Americans. But he won't do that, to hell with the taxpayer electorate, because he is fully embedded with the intransigent anti Castro extremist minority that funnel plenty of money and power to Alex P.. Just look at his pandering to the most cretinous elements during the Elian hostage situation - purely for political gain. This is much to the detriment of Miami-Dade and Florida residents.

[JohnLocke]

4. Kick