Miami Beach mayor touts business success as he enters governor’s race

Philip Levine, who became a multimillionaire in business before turning to politics, pitched his background and outlook as the ideal combination for his next endeavor: running for governor of Florida.

“It’s long past time to say we’ve had enough of the political bickering and posturing, enough of the calculated words of hate — enough of those who would tear us down and tear us apart just to score a political point. They’ve had their turn. Today belongs to us,” Levine said Wednesday, adding that he was “inspired [to run] by the heroism of those who dreamed big and achieved big.”

Levine’s announcement, at a building he owns in Miami’s Wynwood arts district, makes it official. He’s effectively been running for months — touring the state, raising money for a political committee and assembling a team of campaign advisers.

On Wednesday, he offered his vision for Florida, which included a long list of priorities.

Mitigating climate change, something that’s been Levine’s signature issue as mayor of Miami Beach, is a central feature of his new campaign.

“It’s time to address climate change by changing Tallahassee’s climate of denial,” he said. “As governor, I will make Florida an international leader, not just in climate change and sea level rise, but also in solar and renewable energy. After all, we are the Sunshine State, not the partly cloudy state.”

Levine said he’d move decision-making out of Tallahassee — “where politicians live” — and move it back to local communities. He said he’d push for a “living wage” for workers (he didn’t specify an amount). He pledged to improve the state’s universities and help students attend college without “being burdened by crippling debt.” And he vowed to replace bad roads and bridges “with some of America’s best, and most up-to-date infrastructure.”

During the campaign, Lev- ine said, he’d unveil proposals to protect the environment from “pollution and the greed of over-development” and improve disaster response with more shelters and better evacuation routes.

Appearing in a large hall with murals of iconic historical figures painted on the walls for the occasion — President John F. Kennedy, abolitionist Harriet Tubman, migrant labor leader Cesar Chavez and civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — Levine said he drew inspiration from each. His speech, just short of 15 minutes, never mentioned “Democrat” or “Democratic,” the party whose nomination he’s seeking.

He offered up something Democrats love to hear: criticism of President Donald Trump. He criticized Trump’s handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

After the storm, “it was a moment when Puerto Rico needed a lot more Eisenhower, and a lot less Trump. When the President finally showed up, he descended on the people there with rolls of paper towels, and a boatload of criticism. His message to the people of Puerto Rico, who were fighting to put their lives back together, was to take them apart.”

Levine has a knack for aligning himself with issues popular with the public, or at least likely to generate positive attention including his poststorm trip to deliver relief supplies to Puerto Rico.

Levine is reportedly worth $100 million, after building a company that provides media services to the cruise industry. He’s shown he’s willing to spend money on a campaign — $2 million to self-finance his first campaign for mayor — and indicated he’d do so again as a candidate for governor.

More than half of the $4.8 million Levine raised for his All About Florida political committee by the end of September came from himself.

He wouldn’t say how much more he’ll put in, but indicated it would be a lot. “Absolutely millions of millions of dollars…. Put your money where our mouth is. If you have it, put your skin in the game. And what I’ve done already I put some money in. I know I’ll put more in, but I can tell you, we’re getting great support from so many different, incredible, innovative folks from all over the state that want to support our campaign,” he told reporters.

Levine can be a crowdpleasing charmer — and has sometimes publicly shown flashes of anger that most politicians keep well hidden. Talking to reporters, he both downplayed notions that he’s abrasive and sought to spin it as a selling point.

“I’ll tell you this: I like to get things done. And I’m very direct. And I call it like I see ‘em. And that’s what we’re going to continue to do. And I think people appreciate that because I think people are sick of political talk. They’re sick of the political class. We know that based on people who are electing these days. But we’re going to continue to go direct to the people.”

Levine’s new headquarters was Hillary Clinton’s South Florida presidential campaign headquarters in 2016. He was a prominent campaign surrogate for Clinton. And at a time when the progressive, left wing of the Democratic Party has been gaining momentum, Levine has described himself as a “radical centrist.”

The Republican Governors Association, which helps fund its party’s candidates across the county, sought to knock down Levine’s centrism in a statement that also raised all of his potential negatives. “Throughout his time in public office, Philip Levine has demonstrated that he is a thinskinned political neophyte with far-left political views that is prone to embarrassing gaffes. Florida deserves better,” the RGA said in a written statement.

Levine, 55, was first elected in 2013 and serving his second term as Miami Beach mayor. He grew up in Hollywood where he attended Attucks Middle and Hollywood High schools.

Palm Beach County School Board members told the county’s legislative delegation Thursday that legislative measures over the past decade have limited their control over their schools and frustrated efforts to improve them.

School Board members and their staff said tax rollbacks allow Florida schools to spend only about $7,300 per student, about $900 less than the district spent 10 years ago. They said Florida ranks 42nd in the nation in perstudent funding.

Complicating the financial restrictions, they said, is the cost of living in Palm Beach County, one of the highest in the state.

Although the state offers a small amount of money in an effort to make up the higher cost of living, it is insufficient, they said, and makes it next to impossible to offer raises to teachers and other employees.

The Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Division is hosting a neighborhood rabies clinic for dogs and cats from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the West Park City Hall, 1965 S. SR 7, for Broward County residents only.

The agency reminds pet owners that there is a $300 fine for failing to vaccinate pets against rabies. Pet owners can also receive a $300 fine if pets are vaccinated, but do not