Miami-Dade County’s new mayor has become quite the rain maker. According to his most recently filed campaign finance report, Carlos Gimenez raised $419,985 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 of last year for his reelection run. His political action committee, Common Sense Now, raked in another $89,750. County Commission Chairman…
Miami Heat’s Micky Arison keeps American Airlines Arena profits
With a slew of national musical acts filling seats, and LeBron James and Chris Bosh propelling the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals, the American Airlines Arena brought in a record-breaking $60 million in revenue in 2011. Yet for the 13th straight year, the Heat won’t be sharing any of…
Yesterday, Miami’s largest business organization put its support behind destination casino resorts, which should please its new landlord. The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution to back the proposed state casino bill that might allow Malaysian-based Genting to turn the site of the Miami Herald and the Omni…
Even the simple act of hiring a company to lay down asphalt can turn political.Today, Miami-Dade County commissioners are supposed to vote on giving a $1 million contract to General Asphalt Inc., to resurface roads. The company won the deal after its competitor, H & J Paving, was disqualified by…
Miami New Times’ predictions for 2012
We’ve never really bought into Xavier Suarez’s hokey, at times egomaniacal, approach to governing. And it’s difficult to get past the fact he is forever linked to the 1997 Miami mayoral voter fraud scandal that had dead people casting ballots. That said, the X-Man has devised a bold plan to…
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…
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…
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has vetoed a controversial lobbying contract that included a law firm that has generously supported his political campaign for the county’s top elected position. Citing the county commission’s failure to cut the cost of Miami-Dade’s lobbying services, Gimenez killed the deal yesterday. He told the Miami…
Miami locals’ New Year’s resolutions
2011 sucked for the average Miami sports fan. The Big 3 and the Miami Heat were bitched-slapped by the most annoying guest star on Entourage, a German white walker, a Puerto Rican hobbit, and the most overrated sixth man in the NBA. The Ex-Florida-Now-Miami Marlins continued to suck on the…
Let’s face it. For most of us, keeping a New Year’s resolution is as likely as the Miami Dolphins finally finding Dan Marino’s successor in the draft.And some locals should look back on the past year with shameful regret.They could use a fresh start, so Banana Republican came up with…
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…
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…
Miami Lakes councilmen allegedly broke Sunshine Law
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…
This past December 13 around 10:30 p.m., three Miami Lakes councilmen — Tim Daubert, Nelson Hernandez, and Richard Pulido — huddled inside the Miami Lakes Ale House, a sports bar a couple of blocks from town hall. Moments later, a local activist named David Bennett pulled up a stool. Then,…
Last year, we reported on the epic battle Fahmie was waging against Burns as the two men jockeyed for customers across the street from one another. This year, Burns and Fahmie have set up shop blocks away from each other, but they remain on frosty terms. The latest skirmish began with…
Miami food truck disappears, a 25-year-old is killed
Rolling Stove Yamil Rosaly Jr. Nagib Castillo Miami
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…
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…
