Coral Gables Mayor Vince “Sore Loser” Lago is still upset about having both his commission candidates trounced in the April elections. So he keeps cutting newly-elected Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez — who was once a Lago ally — out of photographs he posts on social media. And he keeps ignoring them at public events, like ribbon cuttings, pretending they aren’t there.
“I have a business. I am a single mom. So when I take time out to go to an event, to a function and you don’t acknowledge it, it’s disrespectful,” Castro said at the meeting, calling the mayor out publicly.
The open hostility has gotten so bad that, after Lago refused to recognize them Tuesday at an event for The Underline, other local leaders involved in the project presented Castro and Fernandez to the public and then later apologized for the mayor.
“They apologized for your behavior to us,” Fernandez said. “People in the community are noticing the disrespect you are showing not to us, but to the people who elected us.”
Said Castro: “It’s embarrassing.”
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Castro said she had tried to privately tell Lago to knock it off. She told him at an event that he should let bygones be bygones and was not doing himself any service by being a bully.
“Your response to me was ‘That’s another one you can go tell Political Cortadito,’” she told him.
For the record, Vinnie, Castro is not savvy enough (yet) to go tell Political Cortadito, like you used to do. But she didn’t have to. Ladra has noticed this pathetic behavior all on her own. Actually, everyone has.
Lago denied, denied, denied. Then, he lied.
“In every opportunity we have, I always take the time to name my colleagues,” he said.
“You don’t mention the commission. You cut us out of the pictures,” Castro said. “It’s embarrassing… That’s why I’m doing it now, because you left me no choice.”
“Again,” the mayor said, waving her off, “we have a lot of items on the agenda today. I only want the best for you and the entire commission.”
Said Castro: “I would love that, so start acting a little more courteous and responsible.”
Fernandez told Lago he had dealt with “insults, innuendo, threats and even bullying from you. And, quite frankly, it’s unacceptable. You need to find a path forward into accepting that there was an election that had these results.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago shows his petty side with new commissioners
“We agree on probably 90 percent of the things that come to this commission,” Fernandez added. “But mistreating people in public… People in the community are noticing the disrespect you are showing, not to us but to the people who elected us.
“Let’s move forward for the people of Coral Gables.”
Said Castro: “You can’t agree to that?”
“I’ve been clear on that,” said Lago, who at least can look Castro in the eye now. “Every time we are out, I mention my colleagues.
“Moving forward to item F-11.”
Said Castro: “Ladies and gentlemen, that means no.”
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