New Times' full Best of Miami 2017 issue is now online. Here's a rundown of the grand political successes and epic failures that earned out recognition this year:
In Everglades National Park, Stoddard takes a moment to tell President Obama how Turkey Point is endangering the area.
Courtesy of Michelle McGovern
As mayor of a place most South Floridians could barely place on the map, Stoddard has taken on one of the state's most powerful institutions — Florida Power & Light — and, in his free time, become one of Florida's loudest voices on climate change.Best Political Miscalculation: Florida Power & Light's anti-solar Amendment 1
FPL sank $8 million into trying to trick voters, but a think tank's president working with the monopoly was caught on tape boasting about their transparent plan to fool Floridians. The amendment was quashed at the ballot box, falling far short of the 60 percent it needed to pass. Sad!Best Quote: "The mayor... was not serious about invading Cuba." — Christian Ulvert, adviser to Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine
"Why aren't we discussing the invasion of the island?" Levine asked the crowd, to what some in attendance said were audible gasps. He then said a platoon of U.S. troops could likely take over within 24 hours.Best Chutzpah: Miami-Dade County School Board's attempted WLRN power grab
Apropos of nothing, the school board randomly decided it ought to have the power to hire and fire WLRN reporters and wanted to immediately force the station's 19 journalists to "reapply" for their jobs.Best Local Boy Gone Bad: Reince Priebus
He's not the kind of kid you'd have expected to help usher fascism into America. Yet there he is today, ever-present in the shadow of Donald Trump. As White House chief of staff, he has overseen the xenophobic Muslim ban, stood behind the Russian-aided election hacking, and silently cheered the catastrophic Trumpcare plan.Best Twitter Feed: Ana Navarro
The Nicaraguan-American grew up idolizing Ronald Reagan and worked for Jeb Bush and John McCain. But horrified by the rise of the Donald, she became an early queen of the #NeverTrump handle. Now she spends hours every day striking out at the party hypocrites still backing the Cheeto Jesus, and she never pulls punches
