Mayoral candidates discuss issues at forum
Mayoral candidates Tomás Regalado (left) and Joe Sanchez, both sitting City Commissioners, gave their vision for the city at a forum on Saturday, at a Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce luncheon.Both commissioners gave their take on why they would be a good mayor. Regalado, says he would like to see Miami go back to basics. Sanchez felt that we need to look to the future.
While Sanchez says the days of Miami being called a "Banana Republic" are over, many disagree. Many feel the city is overdeveloped and actually run by builders and developers.
Regalado said he is not in favor of any more taxes. And while he has been seen as the anti-development commissioner (and Sanchez has been seen as pro-development, especially with his votes approving the 300 Bay Residences and the Marlins Stadium), Regalado says he has voted 90 percent of the time in favor of development and has seen that the developers work with neighbors.
A local Grove group is putting together a debate between the two candidates for the fall and there will probably be many more before November's election.
posted by Tom Falco at 4:00 PM
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45 Comments:
Would I have loved to be there for that one.
I read the report on the herald and it was lacking a lot of info.
The forum was pretty good. Both Sanchez and Regaldo are used to public speaking.
It was obvious Joe Sanchez would be Manny Diaz-lite as he advocated for development. Sanchez was proud of his votes to use the taxpayers money to help insiders. For example, Joe Sanchez thinks the taxpayers spending over $500 mil to pave Bicentennial Park and construct two 10 story museums is great. Sanchez did not appear to know that neither museum have endowments. In addition, Joe Sanchez was very proud of his vote to spend over $2 bil taxpayer dollars for a privately owned baseball team. Sanchez was not bothered the privately owned company would keep 100% of all the revenues for itself.
Regalado promised to safe guard the taxpayers money. Regaldo stated he would oppose overdevelopment and badly planned development. Regaldo promised a sure and steady fiscal approach.
Let’s recall which Miami City Commissioner sided with which issue.
Home Depot Entering Coconut Grove
Joe Sanchez voted YES
Tomas Regalado voted NO
Fire Fee Settlement
Joe Sanchez voted YES
Tomas Regalado NO
Court voted NO
Miami River Is Dead To Marine Industry
Joe Sanchez voted YES
Tomas Regalado voted NO
Court voted NO
Mercy Hospital Changing Zoning For Related Group 3-Luxury Condos
Joe Sanchez voted YES
Tomas Regalado voted NO
Court voted NO
Marlins Stadium Deal ¾ Paid By Taxes ¼ Paid By Marlines
Joe Sanchez voted YES
Tomas Regalado voted NO
Marlins Stadium No Bid Contract For Buildings Contractor
Joe Sanchez voted YES
Tomas Regalado voted NO
We as citizens should support the candidate that fights for the issues, quality of life and future of our community that we believe in. The courts and many citizens of Miami agree with Tomas Regalado.
Harry Emilio Gottlieb
I came into the forum, paying my hundred dollar ticket kinda siding with Regalado. However after Sanchez's response to the question Williams asked (and everyone knows which one) I stood wide eyed and jaw dropped and yes even a bit astonished that he had such lack of class.
And Regalado's response was classic. The more debates the better, you can tell Sanchez had his stuff written for him as he was reading off the books while Regalado just free spoke, he would glance at papers but never sit and read right off of it.
Needless to say I am voting Regalado.
To BlueJay,
I remember that question and I remember Joe Sanchez's answer. I agree. I was astounded Joe Sanchez could be so rude in front of so many important people. Sanchez was handed a softball question that he could have used to show class and integrity. Instead he showed the opposite.
Joe Sanchez. Would someone explain what he has done and now does for a living. As I recall, when he was elected to the Miami Commission, he was an unemployed former state trooper! That is bothersome. What does he do now? How did that employment come about? I smell the bananas.
I would vote for any of the two if they declare on the record that they support speedy and swift capital punishment for elected or appointed officials who are convicted of corruption. Otherwise neither is getting my vote.
He was not elected, he was appointed. Once he was there, for the remaining of Hernandez's term, he was then elected. The second term he won with the majority of the votes coming from absentee ballots.
I'm surprised that someone from his staff wasn't sending messages of what he needed to say from via blackberry! Joe Sanchez could have been a good commissioner, he is a personable guy, the kind you can have a couple of beers with and some laughs. He made the mistake to serve the $$ and not the people. After all, how else could he afford to double the size of his home (major addition) and send all his kids to private schools?
Rumors has it that he has a job with the Marlins if he doesn't win. Has anyone else heard this?
I do know that after the marlins he has invited "as his guest" over a thousand people from senior centers to Marlins games.
How do I know this? I was at the game when he proclaimed it. Happened a few weeks ago.
It seems that Joe is not his own vote but the vote "against Regalado"
That's where hes getting his money, and anyone who is voting for him either
1. Does not know about Miami Politics
2. Hates Regalado
3. Or has a horse in this race.
He works for the micosukee indians a a consultant for security
Before I decided who to support I looked at what Commissioners Sanchez and Regalado actually have accomplished in their districts during their 10+ years in office. Joe Sanchez was involved in the economic turnaround of SW 8th Street through the institution of Viernes Culturales (Cultural Fridays) and other efforts in conjunction with Little Havana residents and businesses, has used Code Enforcement to clean up derelict properties that blighted neighborhoods in his district, has added parks and recreation facilities for residents, has added tree canopy and greenways for walking and biking, has improved pedestrian and traffic safety in the Roads through the installation of traffic circles, and has built thousands of units of affordable and elder housing. He believes in smart growth and early in his tenure hosted the development summit which resulted in the downtown development plan. He requested audits of the Bayfront Park Trust (leading to arrests for corruption) and the DDA and turned those organizations around. He has ideas for the future, for job development and sustainability and smart future growth.
Commissioner Regalado has done a decent job of asking public works to fix cracks in the sidewalks in his district. Although he sells himself as the champion of the people against the developers, the high rises on 27th Avenue backed up on single family homes are in his district. He didn't vote against all of them. He is great at being against things, but rarely seems to have a proactive, positive idea.
Here's what this election is really about: Do you want to live in Mayberry, USA, circa 1950, or do you want to live in a vibrant, international center of culture and commerce where you can have a good, well paid job and enjoy the amenities of living in a real city? Commissioner Regalado's vision is a Mayberry vision. If I wanted Mayberry I'd move to rural Georgia and save on property taxes and windstorm insurance. Maybe Natchez, Missisippi. Pretty place. Sidewalks roll up at 5:00. That's 5:00 p.m. Some people like that, some don't.
Mayberry please.
I bet with the economic crisis you could get a nice Victorian on Main Street in Mayberry for about $100K with low property taxes and insurance. There are a bunch of beautiful lakefront towns in Michigan calling your name. Me, I'll take a thriving city with its ups and its downs, but I really don't want to pay big city prices to live in Mayberry.
Michelle, just like Sanchez there are faults in your logic. First I would like to say I live in Regalado's district.
Commissioner Regalado was the very first commissioner to inquire put up for the agenda for traffic circles. The reason Joe has more is his streets are wider.
Here is something not too many people know. I invite you to walk into Regalado's office. Notice something, the furniture is not new and modern. Regalado inherited all the furniture in his office from the previous Commissioner (almost a decade and a half ago)
He would regularly donate his office account money to fund the lifeguards for an extra few months in Shenandoah pool.
Regalado was known as the "pot hole Commissioner" That was seen as an insult by many however he loved it. In his first years in office he has replaced more sidewalk then any Commissioner ever.
Ah yes, Joe Sanchez and his great low income housing. To build low income housing there has to be certain parameters set by the United States Federal System, Regalado's district does not comply with the requirements allowing him to put NO low income housing. However he has helped and was integral with the low income housing by the River.
What has the DDA done since Sanchez came in? Seriously I used to work in Downtown, go to school in Downtown. What have they done? Aside from being the largest sponsor to the Miami Chamber of Commerce.
Michelle, I heard you were in full support of the Grove Master Plan and wanted Burn Notice OUT last year. All of a sudden Joe runs for Mayor and supports and you were a great supporter for it at the last village council.
Michelle, I am calling you out. You want Joe Sanchez to win because you want to run for Commissioner Sarnoff's seat.
How can anybody talk about more jobs jobs jobs jobs when we see all of these condos. We need good growth, not controversial growth.
Regalado may have voted no on a lot of things but ALL of the things that were controversial has been proved by the United States Government (note: not banana republic) to be illegal.
I want everyone to know, because a friend told me that Regalado stated this at the chamber meeting.
When asked what are some of the things that he will do to lower the burden of the City.
Regalado said he must lead by example, REMOVING the raise given by the commission and not approved by the voters. A raise of over $50,000. He also stated that he will remove the battalion of consultants and that it would be difficult to the directors of diferent departments to be making more then the mayor.
Sanchez rolled his eyes and said he would hire a team of "experts"
I can go on, and on.
Does Michelle Niemeyer realize she is on the Coconut Grove Village Council and not in a large city and her comments here are all anti-Grove and very insulting to most Grovites? Perhaps she should move to Miami Beach or Brickell or midtown or other overdeveloped areas where she could be surrounded by buildings. Looks like she doesn't like village life and neither does Joe Sanchez.
MICHELLE AND JOE ARE SELL OUTS!
REGALADO FOR MAYOR! He is on the Grove's side, Sanchez and Niemeyer ARE NOT!
Joe Sanchez
A condo in ever pot
After reading Michelle Neimeyer's response, I am not surprised.
I am only going to make an observation Michelle is talking about progress and living in a vibrant city. For the most part they both align themselves, she is after all the squak box for Sanchez in the grove.
She also showed dissatisfaction with living in a small neighborhood type of town.
Isn't Joe Sanchez mantra Neighborhoods first?
Kinda of shows the true colors dont you think?
I suggest that Michelle takes a walk down 8th Street and see what has really happened. Ink on paper tells a different story. And where are these parks located that she is writing about?
Oh, yes, The Roads circle. He spent well over $2Million for them, so what happened to the rest of his district that are in desperate need of the same? Guess he didn't have a real estate investment to justify them!
REGALADO for MAYOR!
Anon @ 11:47 - while I disagree with Michelle and Sanchez, your statement that the Grove is not a large city is incorrect. Coconut Grove is a part of the City of Miami. Sure, it is part of Miami's urban sprawl but its still part of the city. You cant have Mayberry in the Grove. You can have a slice of Mayberry but not the whole thing. I dont see Mayberry being a "techie hub". The Grove needs to become more business friendly in order to attract more people to come spend their hard-earned money too. There are hardly any companies who have offices in the Grove, mainly because there arent many spots available. We lose out on the lunch crowds and happy hour crowds to places like Coral Gables and Downtown/Brickell. Retail space is abundant in the Grove but the costs of leasing retail space are a barrier to entry for a lot of "Mayberry-like" businesses.
I like the passion for the old days of the Grove shown by Tom and many other people who comment on this blog and Im not saying there is anything wrong with being nostalgic. I just think that there comes a time where you have to let go a little and embrace some of the positive things that can come about from looking forward rather than back. You'd get into a lot of accidents if you spent your time driving while looking in the rearview mirror at the cars behind you, doncha think?
All that having been said, I like Regalado and his willingness to work with the people to grow our communities at the pace in which suits them best. Others have overwatered them with grandiose plans that have failed miserably. So far, Regalado will get my vote but there is still a lot of research to be done.
I am so disappointed in nearly every commentor on this board. First to the anon who said "Regalado may have voted no on a lot of things but ALL of the things that were controversial has been proved by the United States Government (note: not banana republic) to be illegal." Please explain IN COMPREHENSIBLE ENGLISH WTF you are trying to say. That statement is so vague and patently impossible as to clearly make you sound stupid.
Speaking of stupid, Regalado is simply not bright enough to understand the issues before this city, let alone run it. He's admittedly been so confused on votes as a commissioner that he didn't know how he had voted until after the results were in. He's admitted that publicly.
At least Joe understands and takes a position. He's smart, proactive and tries to engage.
Also Harry Emilio Gottlieb - your post is false at best, but more likely intentionally misleading. You either don't understand what the votes were actually on, or are trying to trick people. I hope it's the former.
Oh, and nobody living in the grove wants to live in mayberry. Otherwise they could and would easily have moved by now. Or they want the benefit of city income, but aren't willing to deal with being part of a city's society.
Guess we better change our strategy for the 4th of July then because we are marketing "Come to Mayberry" and this includes the Chamber, the BID, the Merchants Group and most of the Grove who have agreed to this premise. So please don't say NOBODY wants Mayberry, since we are assuming all on the committee do and the thousands who plan to come here on 4th of July are looking for that.
Anon, 11:45: You are "calling me out" but don't have the guts to put your name on your post. I find that sad and cowardly. You have said a lot of interesting things so I will respond.
First, thank you for providing excuses for why Regalado has not accomplished some of the things I pointed out Joe has accomplished in his District. I don't know whether your excuses for Regalado are valid or true, but appreciate that you given him excuses for his lack of accomplishment.
Second, do you leave the Grove and Shenendoah? Have you been downtown lately? There are planters, the streets are cleaner, and there aren't so many panhandlers harassing you on the street. I used to work downtown, too, and it was a pit. I still go there to go to court, and lately it has been nicer than it used to be. There are more restaurants, people living downtown, a real life there. It's become a real neighborhood where you can live and walk to work.
Third, I don't want to run for Sarnoff's seat. I don't know why you think that.
Fourth, I have not stopped being strongly in favor of the waterfront master plan. I spent four years of my life fighting for meaningful public input on that plan and we got it, and it resulted in a great plan that will be a beautiful enhancement to our community. Last year, if you paid attention, I was in support of the waterfront plan AND Burn Notice staying TEMPORARILY. I still feel that way. The Expo Center is not an appropriate location for a permanent film studio, for all the reasons I said in the e-mail Marc read at the last Commission meeting, but I do believe we should keep Burn Notice in Miami until there is another site for them to film. My position on that has not changed one bit.
Fifth, how can you fault someone for wanting to sustain and bring good jobs to our City? The City of Miami has an abysmally low per capita income. Do you want to keep it that way so your own expenses stay low while a high percentage of the people in your community live in poverty? If you want to live in a retirement community, move to one.
Thank you, Blind Mind, for recognizing that the Grove is not Mayberry. Grape, if it was, there would be no Fourth of July celebration with City money funding fireworks and activities. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's ridiculous for people to think we can divorce ourselves from the rest of the City. The Mayoral election, for those who have not figured this out, is to decide who will be the Mayor for the entire City of Miami, not just the Grove.
Grape - nobody actually wants to live in a town like mayberry. If you did, it's easy enough to do, and you wouldn't be anywhere near SoFla if that was the case.
In re the 4th of July - it's called a theme. It's like a costume.
Ya know what you don't have in Mayberry - variety. You want more variety in stores and restaurants than we have, which is a lot. In mayberry - you'd have but one place to eat - and they don't make asian or indian, or mexican, or any of the other things you want.
Don't get carried away.
Let's move forward. Is any of the two going to answer this humble constituent. Is the future mayor going to support capital punishment for corrupt elected officials in the Miami of tomorrow? I demand an answer.
Michelle, can you provide me with the excuses as Joe voted yes on the fire fee which was found to be illegal by the state of florida supreme court?
Or the Mercy hospital project also found illegal by the court system? Or the rezoning of the Miami River to a residential even though they took them again to court and won again?
Oh and this was appealed many times by our good ol city of miami legal team. All costing us more money then it would have been just to listen to the people.
And for the record Regalado was quoted on ALL of these votes for being unconstitutional which were later proven by the United States Legal system to be true.
Joe Sanchez threw a hissy fit during the Marlins bailout hearing. Marc Sarnoff suggested several ways to make the deal better for the taxpayers and Joe Sanchez started whinning. "You are slowing progress." Joe loved the deal as presented. Joe was quite happy with the taxpayers getting screwed. Maybe Joe will live long enough to see his grandchildren still paying the debt service to bailout the 2009 Marlins.
Regalado voted No.
Anon, 5:35, I'm not sure I could respond to you if I wanted to since what you say makes so little sense. Still don't have the guts to identify yourself, eh? Are you talking Florida law, the U.S. or Florida Constitution? I don't need to make excuses for Joe. He voted what he thought was right at the time based on the information he had and the advice he and the other Commissioners were given, often by the City Attorney. Joe demanded the Related Group significantly lessen the height of the Mercy project before voting in favor. There has been a great deal of discussion about the Mercy vote and the other issues you bring up. Look it up. The River was not "rezoned residential," part of the river's zoning was changed to allow for residential if someone wanted to build residential there. At the same time, Joe lobbied for the passage of a state referendum that protects marine industry businesses from having "highest and best use" assessments for property taxes, the economic factor that forced a lot of marine businesses out of existence on the river in the past. Perhaps before you start buying into sound bites you should learn more about the facts. I don't know much about the fire fee ... it pre-dates my involvement in things, but Joe obviously was not the only one who voted in favor of it.
And your defense is valid because other Commissioner's voted for the Fire fee?
So if other Commissioners voted for the Mercy project it would be ok?
Oh wait according to you it is.
Yes, gutless nameless one, I voted in favor of the Mercy project when it was before the Village Council. The majority of the Council did. Marc gushed its praises at the time, by the way, but did not vote because at the time our Chair only voted if there was a tie.
One day, when there is a high rise building there full of doctor's offices and nursing home and nurses housing, or some such other high-intensity "government institutional use,"(which Mercy could build as of right with no variances), and you are stuck in the traffic from hell on South Bayshore caused by that building, perhaps you will understand why. I hope for all our sake that never happens.
As for the fire fee, obviously the Court did not agree that the vote was right in the end. Oh, well. Joe hasn't always made the right decision but at least he has made decisions, which he thought were right when he made them. People make mistakes.
Joe Sanchez threw a 'hissy-fit'? Please...No one throws a 'hissy-fit' like Commissioner Sarnoff. He even squeals when he doesn't get his way. Watch the last Commission meeting where Spence-Jones 'bitch-whips' him.
Can someone please limit Michelle Niemeyer's rants to one paragraph. She sure does have a horse in the race. She either wants a Commissioner's seat or a place in the City Attorney's office. Why else would she support Sanchez? Let's not forget she also thinks an office bldg on the waterfront is a good idea.
So if this is Mayberry, where is Aunt Bea?
Hello am I the only person on this blog that thinks we need new blood. Neither Sanchez nor Regalado is what The city of Miami needs. Also Commissioners terms should be limited. If they aren't political at the beginning it's only a short time before they turn.
And some of the department heads on City staff need cleaning out also. As well as personnel who have more days off and large pensions coming at the expense of services for us the taxpayers.
There are some amazing City directors and staff that deserve all the credit, they do most of the work as the slackers are allowed to slide by. You know who you are as you're reading this, SLACKERS RESIGN! Others at City Hall if you're not in it to help people (besides yourself and your friends) and you cannot make unbiased decisions regarding situations in your neighborhood then you should also resign.
We know who you are! And so do you RESIGN!
Just to set the record straight about the hi-rises along 27th Avenue--none of the ones built (Catalonia, Luxor and others) came before the City Commission for a vote. They were built by right, so there was no way Regalado could vote for or against them. The residents informed the City that the proper set-backs next to residential properties were not being followed but as usual, the City administration ignored us.
If the proper set-backs had been followed, these hi-rises would have only been approximately 8 stories high instead of the 14 to 16 stories.
Also there is a term limits. 2 terms I believe both Regalado and Sanchez both voted for them to be in use.
So, I'm thinking real hard and I can't recall a single black, latino or gay in Mayberry, and I doubt very strongly they would have been accepted in such a society. Yep, that sure sounds like Miami. YOu still sure about Mayberry, Grape?
Michelle how is Regalado district not meeting federal regulation for getting grants to make low income housing an excuse?
Coconut Grove is one of the very few neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County. What I mean by this is that people actually know a lot of people here it has a small town charm. Luckily there are many other parts of the city of Miami that have what people are looking for. I think you are purposely skewing Tom's view.
Anon, 9:46. Actually, if you want to be petty, which I knowingly chose not to do to avoid making the gutless, nameless one look any more clueless than she made herself look, my post said "affordable housing," not "low income housing." The standards are very different. The Grove qualifies for affordable housing. I bet Regalado's district would, too.
I'd like to come to Michelle's defense here. Almost all of you who have been criticizing Michelle or Sanchez have been doing so under the cloak of anonymity. It is my impression, from talking to a lot of people in the Grove (especially the West Grove), that many people actually do like Joe Sanchez as a potential mayor for many of the reasons Michelle stated earlier. The usual follow-up to that is people don't like to publicly say that, especially amongst circles in the Grove, because of the 'ugh' response they usually get.
The same thing happened a lot during the Obama/Clinton primary battle. Many people supported Clinton but kept quiet among Obama people for fear of being called out on it.
Michelle actually has the guts to stand up and support the person she believes and should be commended, rather than berated by the lot of you.
I like Joe...here's the major difference between the two...Regalado hides behind the cloak of a people's Commissioner, and votes against items like the Marlins stadium, without even trying to get a better deal from the Marlins...like Sarnoff did, like Michelle Spence Jones did for her district, like Sanchez did for Little Havana's workforce. Regalado just said 'no' from the very beginning. Hey, DO SOMETHING for your district! The funniest part is, he goes on Spanish radio, where he knows his vote is unpopular and says he wasn't against the Marlins stadium...GIVE ME A BREAK!!! Should they bring back the 'flip-flop' campaign?! If Regalado wins, get your bananas ready!
We'll be baking banana bread soon.
Although I would love for this thread to be over and November to be long gone. Regalado voted seven (7) times for the Marlins stadium. And was the first person to say and propose to the city commission to put the Marlins stadium in little havana.
All Regalado wanted was the whole thing to go to referendum. Thats it. He believed that since were fronting the bill (taxpayer) that it needed to go to a vote.
Saying ol' Tomas Regalado has voted for the stadium 7 times is like Bill Clinton saying he smoked but didn't inhale. He doesn't say he voted against the stadium when he's pandering to Cubans, then, when he comes to the Grove he changes his tune. At least Joe is consistent. Using his logic, I could then say that Joe was against the Mercy Hospital project because he made the developer reduce the scale of the project by 25 %.
" Anonymous said...
Hello am I the only person on this blog that thinks we need new blood. Neither Sanchez nor Regalado is what The city of Miami needs. Also Commissioners terms should be limited. If they aren't political at the beginning it's only a short time before they turn."
There are term limits. In fact, Joe Sanchez was the one who proposed term limits.
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