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I just received an email from Sarah Palin. Seriously, I did. She urged me to vote early. Insisted that Florida was a state they needed to win. Now I understand:

Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning yesterday announced that in the first three days of early voting in Florida almost half a million people had voted. Exact number was 482,027. And here’s why Governor Palin insisted that I run to the polls and vote for them. (I guess they think I’m a republican — aren’t all Cuban American republicans? they’ve probably asked their advisors the Diaz-Balart brothers.) Statewide subtotals were as follow: 263,269 Democrats, 146,290 Republicans and 72,468 from other parties (which include the Independents).

Let’s say that independent voters decided to all go crazy at the same time — which they haven’t — and all had voted for McCain, there are still more than 50,000 votes cast by Democrats.

No wonder McCain-Palin are worried…

Alvaro F. Fernandez

Everybody is knee deep in elections. Will it be Obama? Or will McCain continue republican dominance over Florida? Right

here in South Florida we have the 3 amigos in Congress (Lincoln, Ileana and Mario) running for their political life. All three are worried — especially since the country is turning their back on all things republican. Will it bite them (the members of Congress) in the butt — too? We shall soon see.

I voted today. So I am thinking just a bit ahead. With the economy faltering, and that’s putting it lightly, will we proceed with our 3 point something billion dollar spending spree in the area around downtown Miami by Bicentennial Park? Remember there are plans to build a tunnel and also spend hundreds of millions of OUR tax dollars to build a brand spanking new baseball stadium for the billionaire owner of the Florida Marlins.

Miami is cutting back on money spent for our children’s education. The elderly are now daily deciding whether to take a much needed pill — or eat! Gasoline see-saws in price, but even at three dollars, who can afford it? People are losing homes. Some because they grew greedy thinking the subprime rates would never come up for air, but even they deserve to live somewhere… Still, we’re building a rich guy a baseball stadium so he can make millions on a  team we can hardly afford to go watch in what may end up being a baseball stadium built by us. Hmmm… just doesn’t sound right.

Seriously, with the economy in the tank, are our politicians still thinking of turning over the keys to the bank to these guys? It may be something to watch closely over the coming months.

And speaking of coming months… where’d the money we are being taxed on for transportation going anyway?

Alvaro F. Fernandez

October 22, 2008

I watched the debates last night. The one that interested me most was one between Raul Martinez, the former mayor of Hialeah, who is running to unseat U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida’s 21st Congressional District. Diaz-Balart has been a member of Congress since 1992 accomplishing, in my opinion, little since being elected. His only true claim is that he has been the pit bull guarding the gates of U.S.-Cuba policy.

Raul on the other hand served as mayor of Hialeah, Florida’s fifth largest city, for more than two decades taking a small, industrial cow pasture town into the 21st century and making it into one of the most important industrial areas in the state. Along the way, the tall mayor managed to fix streets (which used to constantly flood), expanded the city westward beyond the Palmetto Expressway, fixed parks and added programs for children and built much needed housing for the city’s elderly. He also took a city on the edge of bankruptcy and made it vibrant and important.

Throughout this campaign, though, Diaz-Balart has attempted to paint the former mayor as corrupt. He describes himself as the one with the “temperament” for Congress. Diaz-Balart continually uses code words trying to convince you that with Martinez you have to watch what he may do that is illegal…

The fact is that the one we must really watch is Lincoln Diaz-Balart. The man comes from a long line of, well, let us call them shady characters. You’ve seen some of his (Diaz-Balart’s) indiscretion reported in The Miami Herald, but little importance has been given to it. Here is a list so you won’t forget:
•    Recently, members of the Puerto Rican Congress openly discussed delivering a brief-case full of cash to Lincoln Diaz-Balart. I ask: was the money legal, illegal and why is it not being investigated more thoroughly?
•    About 10 days ago we read of Lincoln earmarking millions in tax dollars for a technology subcontractor with headquarters in Medley, Florida, a very small town immediately south of Hialeah. It turns out the owners of the technology companies miraculously contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the Diaz-Balart campaigns (both Lincoln’s and brother Mario who is the rep from CD District 25) right after receiving the windfall in tax dollars.
•    I recently told the story of Lincoln and Mario demanding $100,000 in “good faith money” from a Colombian client I had when involved in the real estate business. This goes back to when the brothers were in the Florida legislature.
•    Before his death, Rafael Diaz-Balart became embroiled in a type of mutual funds scheme in Spain where investors were swindled of millions. Rafael was investigated. Lincoln’s wife’s name also turned up in the investigation.
•    In the year 2000, the Lincoln Diaz-Balart campaign was found guilty of accepting tens of thousands of dollars of illegal campaign contributions. Lincoln, as he has been known to do, hid behind a female campaign assistant who took the brunt of the blame.

I can go on, but just these aforementioned incidents demonstrate how untrustworthy Lincoln Diaz-Balart is.

If you live in District 21, would you want to keep being represented by a one issue member of congress whose one issue has cost the district dearly in the past?

It is something to consider along with the Lincoln character and demeanor.

Alvaro F. Fernandez
October 16, 2008

The 2nd debate is history and Obama did better than the first. It was a clear victory for “that one” as McCain referred to his democratic party opponent.

Obama looks very comfortable in his own skin. He wears a suit very well. And as all the pundits will tell you, “he looks presidential.” Tha’t’s half the battle. On the other hand, you have McCain who looks uncomfortable not only inside his own skin, but in his suit and anywhere and everywhere he stands.

Some expected personal attacks from McCain towards Obama. Did not happen. The feeling here is that there are several McCain campaigns are going on. My feeling: there is dissension within the McCain camp. That happens when you are desperate and start to see the writing on the wall.

Finally, expect to see VP candidate Sarah Palin to play a bigger role. She seems to connect better with the people McCain must get to vote for him. And she seems to have no problem in blaming Obama for everything from consorting with terrorists to raising taxes on the middle class.

The negative… the word in some circles is that McCain is leaving the dirty work to his second. And that second is a woman. In a chauvinistic republican party, that doesn’t play well.

Alvaro F. Fernandez

A big brouhaha has surfaced about a political “debate” scheduled by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce for next week. From what The Miami Herald writes (not always reliable), popular political television commentator Michael Putney was to moderate this debate. The problem developed, though, when Putney caught wind that the politicians would be given the questions before they ever debated. He called the charade a “farce” and backed out of the moderating deal with the Chamber. He will be replaced by another TV personality who has called the political exchange (how can we call this a debate?) “imperfect.”

The whole affair is typical Miami fare. I would hope to shed some light at another part of the problem also. Yes, the politicians are wrong: Who the hell do they think they are? Next they’ll also want the answers and order of the questions… And, by the way, sources from within the Chamber have stated that the persons “demanding” the questions beforehand were the three members of Congress who may lose their jobs come November. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart, together with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, told the Chamber, “No questions beforehand, no way we will show up to the debate.”

That’s where the “Miami fare” comes in. Like South Beach, we are a city who wants to show the world all our good sides, and then try to hide the negatives. “Hell no!” I say. The Chamber needs to have come out loud and clear and told the politicians, “We set the standards here, not you.” Adding, “And if you think you can threaten us with not showing up, we will up the ante on you.”

The Chamber should have embarrassed the three members of Congress (who are an embarrassment anyway) and told the world what was happening. They should have also called them what they are: COWARDS! Finally, if they weren’t going to show up, the loss is theirs, not the Chamber’s.

As for debates, I’ve been told that the debate scheduled between Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Raul Martinez before members of the Latin Builders Association is also about to NOT happen. The moderator was to be Michael Putney. Lincoln has told organizers that he won’t debate if Putney is the moderator.

Seriously folks, Lincoln Diaz-Balart’s campaign colors should be changed to yellow. And he should wear a great big streak of that color down his back everywhere he goes…

Alvaro F. Fernandez