Norman Braman fires the Mayor of Miami-Dade

[Caliga]

First Buddy Ryan, and now this?

Voters Recall Florida Official
By TIMOTHY W. MARTIN

Miami-Dade County voters recalled their top elected official Tuesday, culminating an effort financed by a billionaire car dealer and fueled by frustrations over a poor economy and unpopular policy decisions.

Some 88% of 200,347 voters elected to oust Republican Carlos Alvarez, with 707 of 829 precincts reporting, along with early and absentee ballots

Mr. Alvarez easily won re-election in 2008 as mayor of Miami-Dade, the county of 2.5 million residents that includes the city of Miami. But a recall effort gained momentum last fall when he agreed to a budget that raised the county's property taxes while increasing pay to unionized public employees.

"The voters have spoken and a time of healing and reconciliation must now begin," Mr. Alvarez said in a statement Tuesday night.

In an interview last week, Mr. Alvarez had said he would consider campaigning for his old job in a special election. But in the statement he sounded content. "I wish the next Mayor of Miami-Dade County much success."

Miami-Dade county voters such as Miguel Sanchez, a 33-year-old computer programmer from Doral, Fla., decided they had endured enough of Mr. Alvarez. "I'm fed up with my taxes being raised—we're all suffering," said Mr. Sanchez, who estimated his property taxes would increase $800 this year to $4,800.

Mr. Alvarez's critics said he was politically tone deaf during troubled economic times for the county's 2.5 million residents: The jobless rate stands at 12%.

Last fall, Mr. Alvarez agreed to increase pay and unfreeze some benefits for unionized public employees. At the same time, he raised property taxes for two-fifths of the county's homeowners, by an average of 13%.

Those moves drew the ire of Norman Braman, a wealthy car mogul who previously had clashed with Mr. Alvarez over the use of public dollars to build a baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins. Mr. Braman spent $1 million of his own money to help pay for the recall efforts.

Mr. Alvarez had said he believed his wealthy critic had an "ax to grind with me," which Mr. Braman denied.

Mr. Alvarez will have to step down as soon as the elections are certified, which is expected to happen in the next few days.

An interim mayor, who would finish out Mr. Alvarez's term ending November 2012, will be elected this summer in a special election, or the next scheduled county-wide vote early next year, said Joe Martinez, the county commissioner chairman. in an interview Tuesday night. In the latter option, the county commissioners would appoint an acting mayor to serve until January 2012.

Until those elections, the commission does have the power to appoint someone to fill-in for certain, individual tasks, such as budget proposals. But that person would not be acting mayor, or have the power to veto, said a spokeswoman for Mr. Martinez.

Mr. Martinez said he knew of at least eight people who will run for Miami-Dade mayor if a special election is called. Among those: Julio Robaina, the mayor of Hialeah, a northwest Miami suburb, who is campaigning on lowering taxes and curbing the power of county commissioners.

[Grey Fox]

Raising Taxes, raising pay of state employees? A republican? Doesn't compute.
Are you sure the guy wasn't a Democrat spy?

[Caliga]

No, he's a Cuban.  Cuban = Republican.

[KRonn]

Raising Taxes, raising pay of state employees? A republican? Doesn't compute.
Are you sure the guy wasn't a Democrat spy?

Just a bad policy combination right now, whether Repub or Dem. 

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Raising Taxes, raising pay of state employees? A republican? Doesn't compute.
Are you sure the guy wasn't a Democrat spy?

County employees.  Such things are fairly common down there, especially since local politics are nominally non-partisan.  Its all about the cronyism.

[Razgovory]

No, he's a Cuban.  Cuban = Republican.

I've always suspected.  Castro you magnificent bastard!

[Rasputin]

this is a very interesting development for plj indeed

[Caliga]

this is a very interesting development for plj indeed

Take Norm to the cleaners brah.

[Rasputin]

nope; im glad alvarez got fired.

[Eddie Teach]

I thought you were in Jacksonville?

[MadImmortalMan]

his property taxes would increase $800 this year to $4,800.

Ouch.

[DontSayBanana]

Ouch.

I love the smell of 20% tax hikes in the morning.  About as much as I love the smell of a 100-acre field fertilized with chicken manure.

[katmai]

this is a very interesting development for plj indeed

How the fuck would you know!?

[CountDeMoney]

Florida taxes are so incredibly low, they needed to get jacked the fuck up, just to catch up to the 1970s.

[Rasputin]

I thought you were in Jacksonville?

I am; i cannot say more at this time.