Our first ever "Tip O' the Kangol" award goes to Miami City Commissioner Tomas Regalado. He's one of the few stand-up guys in local politics. In early 2005 he took on the city's pugnacious loudmouth city manager Joe Arriola (now gone) when he lobbied his fellow commissioners for a vote of no confidence. He stood alone then and he stands alone again in 2007 with his audacious statement that if the commission votes January 11th to approve an ordinance that will be used to roust the homeless from their shantytown-- christened Umoja Village and built on a city owned empty lot-- he will walk off the dais and go to the camp and wait to be arrested.
We LOVE this guy! It's like watching Jimmy Stewart in a Frank Capra movie. With an accent. Except we're in it with him-- especially if we decide to join him. Let's hope the commission gets it right this time so Mr. Regalado doesn't have to take that long walk down to shantytown.
UpDate (1/11): The commission backs down. Our hero won't have to take that long, lonely walk down to shantytown.
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