As much as we would love to hear the fat lady sing tonight, we fear the recall vote will be all for naught-- unless an early Christmas miracle takes place. According to the Miami Herald, Commissioner Seijas and her political machine has amassed over $400,000 to fight the recall vote. $245,680 came in 19 days. She's spent $160,000 on Spanish language radio and TV in the last few weeks alone. In contrast, Citizens For Positive Change and Citizens to Recall County Commissioners have raised $46,000 between them. It's embarrassing. It's moments like this that remind us how useless this blog is at affecting change. Seijas will get all of the old Cubans in Hialeah to vote to keep her in office and there is nothing anybody can do about it. When she wins, emboldened, she will become even more insufferable. Pray for an early Christmas miracle, kids. To help God along, make sure you get out and vote if you live in Hialeah or Miami Lakes today. Polls close at 7pm.UpDate (12/20): As predicted, Seijas won on the backs of old Cubans bussed in to vote early. It's a sad day in Miville when only 11 percent in the district voted. It also shows how money can force the outcome of an election when the electorate is inured to public corruption and is willing to overlook boorish behavior to vote with their hearts instead of their minds. Until its citizens stop voting ethnically and start voting ethically, Miami will always be a contender and never a champion in the world when it continues to elect bullying, obstructionist, self-serving public officials based on party lines and those divisional lines of race, religion, and place of origin.
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Posted on Tue, Dec. 19, 2006
Miami-Dade Commission overrides petitions veto
BY CHARLES RABIN
crabin@MiamiHerald.com
With no discussion, Miami-Dade County commissioners shot down an attempt by the mayor this morning to veto two ordinances that make it considerably more difficult to collect petitions for a recall drive.
The first ordinance passed by the commission late last month sets criminal penalties for people who intentionally lie to induce voters to sign a petition. The second ordinance requires a separate piece of paper for every signature and allows people to remove their names within 15 days.
The latter measure, according to commissioners, provides redress for voters who learn they were misled -- but County Mayor Carlos Alvarez has said it could lead to intimidation tactics.
Still, the commission voted 7-3 today to uphold both new rules. Commissioners Carlos Gimenez, Sally Heyman and Katy Sorenson voted against the new measures. Javier Souto, Rebeca Sosa and Natacha Seijas -- facing a recall election today -- were absent.
''The petition drive is hard enough already -- in fact, it's almost impossible,'' Alvarez told the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce last month. ``Adding those ordinances, you can just forget about it.''
Alvarez used a petition drive to win a Jan. 23 referendum on his strong-mayor proposal, which would increase dramatically his authority over day-to-day management of the county.
A petition drive was also used to force today's recall on Seijas. The validity of the signatures was tied up in the court system for months, but ultimately the drive's organizers prevailed. The state attorney's office has said it's involved in an investigation over alleged misdeeds involving the gathering of signatures that forced theelection.
God bless the three commissioners that voted against it. They are worthy. The rest are an embarrassment. Frank, thanks for the posting.
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