Major League Baseball is heading into the second of half of its season as political campaigns are gearing up for the stretch run.
For sure, much of America is focused on the President Barack Obama’s bid for re-election against Mitt Romney, who has all but secured the GOP Presidential nomination.
But for one fleeting moment in time, consider the race for Miami Dade County Commission District 1. Incumbent Barbara Jordan is facing what some call a “Puppet Challenger” in term limited Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson.
You see, Gibson is one of at least three County Commission candidates endorsed by business mogul Norman Braman. Remember now. Braman engineered the recall effort that saw former Miami Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and District 13 Commissioner Natacha Seijas ousted by the voters.
Now, Braman is reportedly kicking out hundreds of thousands of dollars to Political Action Committees that are targeting Jordan, District 3 Commissioner Audrey Edmonson and District 9 Commissioner Dennis Moss.
Jordan, who repeatedly praised and lauded the efforts of Gibson on many occasions, now finds herself being attacked. The two appeared on CBS 4 – WFOR’s “Facing the Issues” with Host Jim DeFede.
Gibson faded when she could not substantiate her accusations of Jordan being a liar and doing nothing to help the city of Miami Gardens secure $21-million in CITT (Citizens Independent Transit Tax) funding from Miami Dade County.
Turns out Miami Gardens received $10-million of that funding. Jordan told Gibson to sue the county for the remainder.
Gibson refuted Jordan’s assertion – albeit a weak one – that Braman would control her if she is elected. Gibson could only point to Braman’s other charitable contributions to the Black American community.
However, Gibson said nothing of how Braman pirated funds from the OMNI – CRA to renovate his Braman Cadillac facilities. Nor did Gibson answer why Braman did not use his own money, rather than dollars from the OMNI-CRA, for such a purpose.
For sure, other needy businesses in the Omni Area could have benefited from the funds that Braman received. Now, Braman is thumbing his nose at the taxpayers by putting up hundreds of thousands of dollars to help elect his chosen candidates.
One simple question is why and at what price?
Several years ago when Gibson challenged Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson, Gibson’s one time campaign treasurer, Attorney Reginald Clyne, repeatedly blasted her in a series of OP-ED pieces in the Miami Times.
I wondered why. Now, it is fairly obvious.
After being the first and only Mayor of the city of Miami Gardens, Gibson may now be able to explain to the voters’ satisfaction, why she did not appoint a Black American as city manager and why Black Americans make up less than 40-percent of the city’s police department.
Such answers, in addition to the real truth about who created the idea of “Jazz in the Gardens” and what really happened to the role of Circle of One Public Relations firm and their reported suspect funding arrangements, might even shed more light that DeFede.
Without a doubt, the voters should take a very scrutinizing look at Gibson and the city of Miami Gardens.
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