Our Crystal Ball Sees Miami’s Dark Future

​Banana Republican is not buying into the notion that a big Mayan-predicted asteroid will pulverize sunny South Florida in 2012, but we’re willing to make some other pretty bold predictions:Real estate developer Jorge M. Perez will realize he’s a lot less rich than he thought, so he’ll rescind his $35…

Gambling Industry Fueling Next Year’s Election Season

In the past year, parimutuel and casino companies have contributed over a million dollars to state legislators and Republican political action committees as the gambling industry gears up for a combative legislative session in 2012. The stakes are high. State Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff and Rep. Erik Fresen have drafted two…

Marc Sarnoff Uses Taxpayer-Funded Lawyer For Personal Battle

On Dec. 14, Miami Police officers hauled off Reid Welch to jail because he sent his nemesis, Miami city Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, an email. According to his arrest report, Welch violated a temporary restraining order prohibiting him from contacting Sarnoff and his wife.Welch’s arrest is the latest skirmish involving the…

Blowfeezy for Sheezy

Long before Luther Campbell and 2 Live Crew spewed their raunchy, explicit lyrics on America, there was Blowfly. Born Clarence Reid in 1939 in Cochran, Georgia, he credits his grandmother for his alter ego’s moniker. “According to her, when the comet struck the Earth, killing all the dinosaurs, all that…

Carlos Gimenez and Akerman Senterfitt Are Looking Out for Each Other

​A local law firm that raised at least $30,000 in campaign funds for Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez is seeing its investment pay off. On Monday, the county commission approved Gimenez’s request to split Miami-Dade’s state lobbying contract among four companies, including Orlando-based Akerman Senterfitt & Eidson, which has an extensive…

Deede Weithorn Denounces FP&L’s Monopoly On Miami Beach

​After having a conversation about Florida Power & Light with Commissioner Deede Weithorn, Banana Republican is convinced it’s time for an Occupy Turkey Point rally. It’s bad enough the Florida Public Service Commission approved a rate increase for FP&L so the utility giant can cover $20 million in nuclear costs…

Lincoln Diaz-Balart Lies While Shilling for Genting In Herald Op-Ed Piece

In Saturday’s edition of the Miami Herald, former U.S. Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart penned an opinion letter shilling for his client, Genting, the Malaysian-based gaming conglomerate that wants to transform the last prime piece of downtown Miami’s waterfront land into a gargantuan casino.Diaz-Balart cautions Herald readers “to see through the scare…