Democracy. Miami Batistano style. No elections needed.

[Billy Burnett]

Yes, from that bastion of democratic principles, center of exile pro democracy advocacy for Cuba, comes this ...

Miami Commission seat goes vacant -- for a few hours
http://www.miamiherald.com/1374/story/1217776.html

For the first time in 13 years, the city of Miami's most western district, the Flagami area, was not represented by Tomás Regalado.

But that only lasted for a little more than 10 hours.

That's because in order to qualify to run for Miami mayor in November, Regalado, whose commission post doesn't expire until 2011, had to proffer a letter of resignation by midnight, Sept. 4.

By early Friday morning, though, Regalado was back in his familiar seat on the end of the dais. Commissioners passed a motion appointing the 13-year commissioner to his former seat for the next two months.

Then, in a bizarre scene even by Miami's standards, Regalado was sworn back into office by City Clerk Priscilla Thompson.

``I feel great. I get to be commissioner again without an election,'' Regalado said.

But only for two months.

That's because the legal maneuver required to allow Regalado to regain his seat also allows him to run for the city's mayoral slot against Commission Chairman Joe Sanchez in November.

The moves also paved the way for the city to announce the race for Regalado's commission seat, also on Nov. 3.

At least six candidates are expected to qualify for that race. They are: Francis Suarez, Manolo Reyes, Oscar Rodriguez-Fonts, Denis Rod, Andres ``Andy'' Carlos Vallina and Franklin ``Pancho'' Monjarrez.

The six are currently signed up to run for the District 4 seat in 2011. They now must submit a letter to the city clerk telling of their intention to run in November.

[Judi Lynn]

1. Following in the grand tradition the fine examples set by other hardline "exiles."

This is the group, of course, which established an official "Orlando Bosch Day," to commemorate the life contributions of one of the architects of the Cubana airliner bombing midflight which killed 73 people, including children, and the Cuban fencing team, and Guyanese medical students studying in Havana on October 10, 1976.

Also the commissioners arranged Miami's laws to prohibit any appearance by Cuban national musicians, dancers, etc. in Miami, or any art showing in local art galleries, etc., and, when that law was found to be unconstitutional when challenged by the ACLU, legislated the obligation of any business owner, needing security to protect the Cuban artists during concerts from crowds of angry "exiles," to pay the city to make policemen available.

This means when crowds show up to rage against the musicians and singers of popular Cuban groups, to riot outside the building, screaming obscenities and threats at the artists as they attempt to get into the auditoriums, throwing D-cell batteries, cans and bottles, baggies filled with human excrement, and spitting on them when possible, the person responsible for the concert is obligated to reimburse the city for any police needed to control the mob.

Someone really needs to write a book someday detailing the story of what happened to local government after the original wave of Batista "exiles" seized contol of Miami. It would probably be condsidered a horror story.