Mayor uses salary hike to smear commissioners, critics
Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is a liar.
Last week, on his damage control PR tour, Lago went on the radio and said that Ladra had extorted him for money. He actually said that he had texts to prove I said I would write negative things about him unless he ponied up. Strangely enough, “journalist” Nelson Rubio didn’t ask Lying Lago to show him those messages. He should have. Because they don’t exist.
Lago also has said that he was completely surprised by the significant pay raise that three Coral Gables commissioners gave themselves last month. But he met with the manager about it before the budget hearing. City Manager Peter Iglesias told Ladra he met with all five commissioners, or the other four after Commissioner Kirk Menendez suggested raising the electeds’ salaries. Iglesias also said that Lago and Anderson did not want the raise, but that he could count to three.
Frankly, this was not the best time for commissioners to propose a raise, giving Lago ammunition to (1) beat up on the new commissioner who were diminishing his power and (2) distract from his own significant problems, which include increased scrutiny into his side gigs, such as the dealings with a developer who is under an FBI investigation.
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Lago is milking this raise issue as long as he can. He’s been on every Spanish language radio and TV station there is. But he’s beating that drum practically alone. Sure, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson followed his lead, like always. But the only “outside” critics have been former assistant city manager Ed Santamaria and Nick Cabrera, son of former Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, who spoke at a public meeting, likely egged on by Lago, who called and texted people to go. But they work for developer Venny Torre, a Lago ally.
And he has former Commissioner Wayne “Chip” Withers calling people to tell them that newly-elected commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez, who agreed to the raise, are driving around in a Maserati and a new SUV and that even Fernandez’ wife had a new car. Well, both commissioners changed their vehicle months ago and may even be paying less than they were before. And Fernandez’ wife is a successful attorney who can pay for her own car, Chip. Don’t be misogynist.
More people have actually spoken in favor of the raises. Those residents said it’s about time.
Ladra will admit: I don’t love it. Public service is supposed to be just that, public service. It is not paid service. This is not a full time job. That is what staff is for. The electeds are there to provide guidance and policy and priorities, or rather reflect those of their constituents. If they spend more time than necessary, that’s their choice. But it’s not supposed to be a career.
The supporting commissioners say its so that anyone, regular working class people, can run and it is not just left to the affluent residents to run. But we don’t want people to run for office because it’s lucrative — even though that is what we get sometimes anyway. And there aren’t too many working class people out there driving Maseratis.
Still, these salary hikes are not something that should be so polemic. But the mayor needs it to be.
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While Lying Lago loves to emphasize that it’s a 104% raise when you include the new and improved benefits, 100% hike of $5 is $10.
The mayor’s salary would jump from $44,905 a year to $69,000 a year, although he said more than once that he would not take it. His annual expense account would jump from $6,000 to $9,600 and he would get a brand new car allowance — there isn’t one now — of $8,446 ($704 monthly).
The vice mayor’s salary goes from $39,285 to $67,000. Commissioners’ salaries would go from $36,488 to $65,000 a year. Commissioners also doubled their expense accounts to $800 and gave themselves a brand new $704 monthly car allowance. Withers hates that this helps Castro pay for her fancy car.
Lago said he won’t who take a salary hike and he has an item for next week’s meeting that would set his and the vice mayor’s salary at the same rate as this year, with just the typical CPI increase. But he just wants to talk about it some more, do a little more grandstanding. Because he could easily decline the raise quietly, or donate it back to some city department. After all, he won’t always be the mayor. Maybe the next mayor — who won’t be Anderson, even though it’s what he wants — won’t have as many side gigs making him or her rich.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has business with accused money launderer
No, the item on Tuesday is absolutely about milking this issue more and distracting everyone from all the conflict of interests and abuse of power that Lago is involved in. Maybe it’s also payback because he has lost the majority on the dais, being on the losing end of three of his big issues: a tax rate cut, an election in November of next year and a contract with the fire union.
Of course, expect more lies. Lago, whose huffing and puffing about legal action sounds more like wheezing, should realize that he could be the one sued for defamation. First, he said Ladra was fired from the Miami Herald, while the publication has been on the record about my taking a buy-out during a forced reduction even though they discouraged me. Then, he said he had the smoking text messages.
He also attacked Roberto Rodriguez Tejera from Actualidad Radio and Billy Corben from the platform Ladra still calls Twitter. So Ladra is in good company.
So all his critics are paid? Or working for the Democratic Party? Another lie he said about Rodriguez that he could be sued for.
Lago knows what he’s saying about his critics isn’t true. But it’s another way to distract from his own shenanigans.
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