We wholeheartedly agree with Commissioner Fernandez’s latest op-ed, “The Politics of Intimidation Have No Place in Coral Gables.” Intimidation has no place in our metropolis, and we should all work collectively to foster a political atmosphere constructed on integrity, transparency, and respect. Nonetheless, in addressing this situation, we should not flip a blind eye to essentially the most egregious instance of political intimidation in latest historical past—the dark-money-fueled assaults towards our metropolis’s present Mayor Vince Lago.
Over the previous 4 years, we’ve got witnessed a disturbing rise in intimidation ways aimed toward undermining our metropolis’s management. Simply final yr, an effort to recall Mayor Lago was launched, not as a reputable train in democracy, however as a blatant try to intimidate him, Vice Mayor Anderson, and the residents of Coral Gables who refused to help such underhanded ways.
The funding for this recall stays shrouded in secrecy. As reported by the Miami Herald, the political committee behind this effort admitted to receiving darkish cash. To at the present time, we have no idea who financed this marketing campaign. What we do know is that residents had been harassed at their houses by aggressive canvassers determined to gather signatures—so determined, the truth is, that they resorted to forging signatures.
This fraudulent effort not solely focused Mayor Lago but additionally threatened the very cloth of our democratic course of. The Florida Division of Regulation Enforcement (FDLE) has since launched an investigation into these cast signatures, interviewing dozens of outraged residents — together with buddies, neighbors and relations of ours — who felt their privateness was violated by unscrupulous political actors prepared to trample over the values we maintain pricey in pursuit of their very own agenda.
Commissioner Fernandez’s op-ed fails to acknowledge this deeply troubling episode, but it stands because the clearest and most harmful instance of political intimidation in Coral Gables’ latest historical past. If we’re to really put an finish to intimidation in our metropolis’s politics, we should demand full transparency. Who financed this effort? Who directed it? And who allowed such blatant abuses to happen underneath the guise of civic engagement?
If we’re critical about stopping the politics of intimidation, we can not selectively name out habits that’s handy to our personal narratives whereas ignoring the obvious injustices which have already shaken our group. We urge all our fellow residents, elected officers, and group leaders to face towards all types of political intimidation—no matter who the goal could also be.
Coral Gables deserves higher.
By:
Raul Valdes-Fauli, Mayor of Coral Gables (1993-2001, 2017-2021)
Jim Cason, Mayor of Coral Gables (2011-2017)
Rafael “Ralph” Cabrera Jr., Commissioner, (2001- 2013)
Wayne “Chip” Withers, Commissioner, (1991 – 2011)
