The American Spectator : Recalling the Good Times

Text Size

Recalling the Good Times

By Jay D. Homnick on 3.16.11 @ 6:08AM

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez suffers humiliating recall from overtaxed and put-upon voters.

The latest wrinkle in Miami politics reminded me of the gag about the woman who likes to practice her opera singing at home. Whenever she starts doing this, her husband leaves the house and sits out on the porch.

"Do you really hate my music that much?" Sadie asks Sam indignantly.

"Nah, I don't mind it too much. But I have to step outside so the neighbors can see I am not beating you."

Now that we who reside in Miami-Dade County have voted by 88-12% to recall Mayor Carlos Alvarez, we need to explain to the world that we are not bullies. This was not arbitrary or random. This was a premeditated effort to show our county, our city, our state and our nation that there are limits to the abuse of power by politicians. They disregard the needs of constituents at their own peril.

Alvarez was originally elected Mayor of Miami-Dade County in 2004. He had previously been Director of the county's police department. The voters respected him a great deal, thought him a man of integrity. He represented to them an image of a tough police officer, with the officer's sense of balancing reality with a commitment to pushing back against antisocial elements.

While money was flowing in the economy, his leadership seemed fairly solid and his popularity grew. In 2007, he had banked so much political capital that he initiated a referendum to increase the power of the mayoralty, shifting more decisions to his office away from the County Manager and the County Commissioners. When the referendum won, local politicians were overawed by this far-ranging achievement.

It looked like Alvarez could do no wrong and he easily won reelection in 2008. He used his clout to push through a deal to build a roofed stadium for the Florida Marlins baseball team. The Marlins were a paradox in the baseball world, having a huge radio and TV following but no attendance at the games. I have been in the stadium when it looked like no more than 200 other fans were in the stands. The obvious conclusion is that the people love the team but hate frying in the sun for four hours. The solution was to build an indoor stadium.

This led to one of those deals where the team puts up some money and the county puts up more, but the team becomes the full owner of the stadium when built. A deal like this in Arlington, Texas, made George W. Bush into a millionaire seventeen times over without much of a capital investment. Here in Miami, billionaire auto dealer Norman Braman fought the stadium deal in court and lost. But some citizens took offense at Alvarez' high-handed mien in this wrangle.

When the recession came and wiped out the local economy, sending the values of homes into a freefall (from an average value of 320 thousand in 2008 to about 220 now), locals were stuck paying property taxes based on the old values. This was a bitter pill to swallow, but it is one of the ironies of life and people endure. But there is a difference between thriving and enduring. When citizens must tighten their belts to squeeze through a cramped passage, a smart leader takes care not to add to that strain.

Alvarez responded to that situation by raising property taxes. In that same budget, he gave all his closest aides nice raises, most of them earning between 140 and 180 thousand. This was a slap in the face of every decent hard-working voter in the county. Braman jumped in with a bunch of money to gather petitions for a recall. Alvarez responded by calling it a personal vendetta, saying Braman was a sore loser over the stadium deal.

Once the vote came in at 88%-12%, it was clear this was not about one tycoon's peccadillo. A vote with a margin like that in this country virtually never happens -- in any jurisdiction, for any office, on any subject. This is a wholesale repudiation of the culture of entitlement in the political class. It is a clarion call that should echo through the land. Braman said voters have shown they are tired of being ignored and overtaxed, especially in these trying economic times. Alvarez said that now begins a time of healing, which I think is code for a grown man crying.

It is a sad comedown for a fellow who is probably a pretty decent guy who learned how to play the game. The happy part is that the people have won a round. Hopefully the lesson will be learned and the next wife gets voice lessons before she tries to sing.

About the Author

Jay D. Homnick, commentator and humorist, is a frequent contributor to The American Spectator. He also writes for Human Events. Here he performs his original composition, "Buy You (Bayou) a Drink".

Letter to the Editor View all comments (34) | Leave a comment

martin j smith| 3.16.11 @ 7:57AM

Great! Now lets apply this to our leaders in Congress--who refuse to block Obamacare.

Vern Crisler| 3.16.11 @ 9:50AM

Agreed. I think Republicans in Congress should take this as an object lesson as to what's going to happen to them if they don't shape up. No more business as usual.

SonOfSam| 3.16.11 @ 11:25AM

Amen to that! I personally don't give a damn whether a politician has a "D" or an "R" after their name: if they're RAISING TAXES DURING A RECESSION, they need to be DUMPED!

LiveFreeOrDie| 3.16.11 @ 4:30PM

In these trying times, this recall should be one of many. Recalls should be rampant across this country right now. It's a glimmer of sanity at least. He got what he deserved, ousted!

Why did it take a billionaire to get things started? That should be a discussion point. The rules for a recall should make it as easy as possible for them to occur. I don't think anybody but a politician would object.

sundesy| 3.19.11 @ 1:45AM

Amen.

Seriously I think America is in the cross roads. Most people do not realize that they are being cooked. Last 10-12 years, the water was just getting warm. In the last two years people are feeling the heat. It is time to shut the heat. Go after libs and rinos. Frankly I don't think they care about the country. They are just like third world politicians, will do anything to buy your vote to stay in power.

missbosslady| 3.16.11 @ 7:58AM

I am one of the Miami-Dade County citizens that voted to oust Mayor Alvarez, so yesterday was a good day.

The stadium deal was a very hard pill to swallow considering that the issue had twice come before the voters and both times was soundly rejected. Naturally, the third time the issue came up it was not put to a vote by the citizens, no need everyone knew the answer, and county government did an end run around the voters.

Mr. Braman is a true citizen that put his money where his mouth is and not only mounted a legal challenge to the stadium deal, but then kicked off the recall.

Mayor Alvarez deserved what he got. He completely betrayed the citizens he was elected to represent.

Miami-Dade County is a great example of government that has grown far to big and is rife with corruption and cronyism. I hope that yesterday's recall will put us on the path to reigning in this monster.

We shall see.

Mitch Angoop| 3.17.11 @ 2:14PM

While I agree completely with the point of the article that the political 'elites' need a serious 'comuppance', I did find one statement unbecoming. I'm not an admirer of George Bush since he handed his backbone over to his mother after his inauguration for his second term in January of 2005; but you mischaracterize his deal with the Arlington Stadium. Bush was a VERY minor player in the whole Texas Rangers ownership group. He may have been the Managing Partner for a while; but, having been in the same situation, I know from experience that it is mostly just a job; certainly not a vehicle to get rich on the taxpayers' backs. You need to do some homework instead of just trying to be cute by throwing an unexploded bomb. Give it a rest and stick to the facts. They are outrageous on their own, without embellishment.

ray bob| 3.16.11 @ 8:29AM

in my old home town; amazing just amazing the route of this leach on the tax payers, i would have never in my lifetime expected this from metro-dade ... more like dade city than dade county...

Ken (Old Texican)| 3.16.11 @ 8:57AM

One down, ten thousand to go.

missbosslady| 3.16.11 @ 9:04AM

Make that two Ken.

In addition to the mayoral recall, a vile county commissioner went down as well. She was similarly ousted in yesterday's vote with the same staggering margins.

Message sent was loud and clear.

Len | 3.16.11 @ 12:10PM

Aren't there also some issues with the Chief of police?

missbosslady| 3.16.11 @ 2:08PM

Len,

Yes, but the Chief of Police for the City of Miami. Alvarez was Mayor for Unincorporated Miami-Dade County, two separate municipalities.

At the end of the day there is no end to the graft, corruption and cronyism that is South Florida. It's a con man's paradise!

maximumrandb| 3.16.11 @ 3:51PM

Sounds like New Jersey

Steve A| 3.16.11 @ 9:57AM

I read this story & I am somehow supposed to also believe that Walker & the GOP in Wisconsin have hung themselves by "overreaching " in the attempt to balance the budget. Not buying it.

The GOP needs to wake up & move to do what we sent them there to do & not be swayed by some bull***t poll.

wauwatosamary| 3.16.11 @ 9:32PM

Ah, I happen to live in Wisconsin. I have endured 8 years of Jim Doyle and the stuff he pulled during his stint as governor. I have seen my property taxes rise, political cronysim run amok, and the stupid idea of a fast train between Milwaukee and Madison. Scot Walker has faced hostility during his years as Milwaukee County Supervisor, and the man stuck to his guns then, and he does so now.

Paul from SA| 3.16.11 @ 10:40AM

Something is very suspicious about this article. There's an important piece of information missing. And it's that one piece that liberal journos intentionally leave out of their headlines and stories to protect their own.

Often, newspapers will label a corrupt Democrat representative as Rep-John Doe, in an attempt to deceive the readers into believing it's a Republican.

Jay D. Homnick, liberals leave the off party label to deceive. Are you a liberal trying to fool us? I think not. Don't do what liberals do! Tell the whole truth!

Is he a Republican or Democrat? Is it important? Yes. Why is it important to deceive the readers? Why copy the liberals?

Fox News reported this morning he is a Democrat. They corrected it later.

I don't want balance. I want the truth.

Steve A| 3.16.11 @ 10:52AM

Personally, the fact that he is a Republican gives me more satisfaction than if he was just another Democrat unmasking himself. Both parties need to understand the jig is up.

Paul from SA| 3.16.11 @ 12:29PM

I agree with that.

When I first heard this reported, I assumed he was a Democrat. Then when I heard he is a Republican, it confirmed why I do not belong to the GOP -- because of mayors like him and prominent Republicans like David Brooks, David Frum, Peggy Noonan, Colin Powell, Mona Charen, Lindsay Graham, Kay Bailey Hutchison, John McCain and Megan McCain. 1) they shouldn't be allowed to be national spokesmen for the entire party, 2) if the GOP got rid of those, millions of Americans like me would sign up and join the party. Might even contribute some money.

daddio| 3.16.11 @ 12:57PM

Agree to the above. All of the elected clowns need to know that none of them are safe. Ever.

Mark Shepler| 3.16.11 @ 10:54AM

The news from my home turf is heartening indeed but there are some misconceptions, one of the most important, Hominick fails to clear up himself, surprisingly. I think it important first to note Miami-Dade is unlike probably any other major urban area. It has pockets of liberalism- Liberty City, Overtown, Coconut Grove, parts of Coral Gables, enclaves along Collins Ave (A1A) and the bay and old sections of North Miami Beach but for the most part is fairly conservative and has always been so. The largest ethnicity is Latino, mostly Cuban Americans, who have always been more conservative than other Latin communities in the US. These are the exiles and their sons and daughters who fled Castro's workers' paradise and have always turned a jaundiced eye towards any pie 'n the sky talk. Most of the other immigrant groups- Haitians, Nicaraguans, El Salvadorans, Venuzuelans, Brasilians, Columbians and others also fled homelands in turmoil or decline due to leftist violence, civil war or mismanagment. By definition these were not the commies of those afflicted places. The only reliable liberal bases are American blacks and liberal white transplants from predominately the NE.

So it is not surprising really to learn that Alvarez is a Republican contrary to what many in the blogosphere seem to think and Hominick doesn't mention. I guess it's natural to assume that if a mayor raised taxes in the teeth of the worst recession in 80 years he must be an ass. And so he is but he is not a Democratic one, he is one of our's and in that lies even better forbodings. The Republicans at all levels seem not to have really gotten the message of the mid-terms, the preceding town halls and more. They seem to think the dissatisfaction was a really a beef with style or something. Quite frankly, watching the House Reps. blow it in slow motion these last few weeks I am at a loss as to what they must be thinking. Perhaps, they are simply lost and confused about which way to go. Like the dazed victims of Japan, they wander around the wreckage and just naturally gravitate to what familiar landmarks remain- like old and arcane House rules about changing spending items in CRs and such. Like a pointless determination to hold to a foolish consistency of process that only cements in place all of the travesties liberty's enemies enacted in violation of those genteel rules they are so determined to uphold. They are fully aware of the changed surface but haven't comprehended that the whole country moved beneath them and now resides quite literally in a different space.

What Alvarez's firing points up is not so much that the Dems need to wise up and get with the new program but that our guys do.

Lois C| 3.16.11 @ 11:57AM

Correction, Alvarez is a RINO meaning Republican in name only. I live in Broward county and carefully watched the progression of the stadium issue and the outrageous pay raises Alvarez gave to his buddies and feel the people made the correct decision.

We must all be aware that now the R or D after a politicians name means absolutely nothing, you must look at what they do not what they say. Alvarez was a big spender of the worst ilk and so was the commissioner who was ousted with him.

The politicians must learn that the taxpayer isn't their personal piggy bank for all their pet projects and personal enrichment. They are all getting rich off us and I am disgusted and fed up with them.

Mark Shepler| 3.16.11 @ 12:20PM

Hey Lois, thanks for that. But I think if you read a little more carefully you'll see I said all that and more.

Pelligrino| 3.17.11 @ 6:17AM

Lois C. got it right. You both did.

And she's right to say that people like this former! (yes!) Miami mayor and, up north, Sen. Scott Brown, R. Mass. are not worthy individuals either.

The country is going down the tubes in a thousand different ways and he has time in his first year of helping run the country to do a book deal? (Dude seem to love publicity and cash. He's my bet for the next big GOP sex in DC scandal.) And in this book has the audacity to reveal his childhood problems? Go whine on Oprah's couch. A leader for the nation?

Trailer trash -- the real sort -- in the halls of the US Senate. Brown votes like a flamin' liberal.

Why are these the people who gravitate to politics, pander to win, and, we elect?

Party affiliations mean...be skeptical and highly critical of ALL of them.

It really is time for another, better, more worthy, true American Political Party.

richard mcenroe| 3.16.11 @ 11:03AM

But... but... There's a union revolution in this country, and Michael Moore said the People are going to win! He PROMISED!

cicero| 3.16.11 @ 11:54AM

A fact in the article that seems to have been overlooked - he gave all of his pals raises, that will not be rolled back just because he was recalled. When you look at the level of pay going to our friendly "civil servants", it is so far our of sync with the private sector that it should call for outrage.

Pelligrino| 3.17.11 @ 6:22AM

Why shouldn't the new major's (interim mayor?) first item of business be: Complete rollback of all pay raises in the last three AND 15% more taken off the pay?

That would be leadership. (Isn't that what the citizens want?)

Hey, man, we're all tightenin' the belt; no end to this economic misery in sight. If politicos can't also, there are hungry sharks out in them waters....

(Shoulda chose another line of work.)

Paul from SA| 3.16.11 @ 12:32PM

This has to be sending shock waves throughout the country. I guarantee, every mayor has heard about this. I hope every Republican hears this too.

Every local official had better stop spending our money or they will be removed.

Tim the Enchanter| 3.16.11 @ 1:33PM

Paul: I have no beef with spending taxpayer money on the legitimate functions of government. But when the taxpaying public sees their will thwarted time and time again, and their hard-earned tax dollars wasted or "diverted", well that where I draw the line.

Paul from SA| 3.16.11 @ 4:24PM

Tim, you are correct. I should have included a qualifier like that.

e track from saq| 3.16.11 @ 6:28PM

Once in Tropical for dim sum I noticed Mr A. and his stunning girlfriend,What a normal healthy and
likable guy.Must be hubris and the managerial sin of overreaching.I say it ended badly but had to happen.The next "dear leader" needs to remember
In these days you tread on us you will pay.

MarlinFan| 3.17.11 @ 6:27AM

"but the team becomes the full owner of the stadium when built."

Jay, get your facts straight. The county owns the stadium. The Marlins have agreed to stay put and pay rent for 35 years. See, for instance:

http://www.miamidade.gov/mayor....._final.pdf

All of the various agreement relating to the stadium are here:

http://www.miamidade.gov/mayor/stadium.asp

Not a penny of any property tax increases was due to the stadium, the bonds will be repaid by the hotel bed tax, paid by tourists.

As for "no attendance at the games," the Marlins drew 1.53 million last year, better than Oakland and Toronto. And that was in the crummy venue that they will now spend their 20th and final year in.

Alvarez's mistakes were many, but the stadium wasn't one of them. Obviously, the perceptions of it are mistaken, as even you got the most basic facts completely wrong.

Scones| 3.17.11 @ 6:36AM

In the last paragraph, Mr. Homnick writes, "It is a sad comedown for a fellow who is probably a pretty decent guy who learned how to play the game."

Alvarez a "pretty decent guy?"

Who are you kidding? (deceiving)

You you pander and suck up just like any weasel.

Thanks for helping destroy what the definition of decent is supposed to be. You set the bar very low, Mr. Homnick.

And you prove your weaknesses as a journalist who is supposed to be a watchdog not a lapdog.

What, are you afraid to speak/write candidly about a corrupt politician? You are.

"A pretty decent guy?" and "game."

shipley130| 3.18.11 @ 7:41PM

It's like we need to have basic laws beyond the US constitution to keep the power hunger pangs at bay with these people. I think we need to severely restrict campaign donations, restrict the time campaigns are allowed to be held and only let an individual donate a small sum.