Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s Trumpian run for U.S. Congress seat
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez is the ultimate hypocrite. The 66-year-old Republican has spent his entire professional life profiting off the public sector, drawing hefty paychecks from the payrolls of the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County, traveling the world on the public’s dime.
Firefighter. Fire chief. City manager. County commissioner. County mayor.
Now, his congressional bid for U.S. House District 26 against incumbent Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is more of the same public-benefit hunting.
Yet, Gimenez tells the Miami Herald in an interview about issues in the race: “I don’t believe the public sector is the place to seek employment.”
He made this stunningly clueless claim in the context of the tax cuts he says he’s going to seek in Washington for what was the already well-subsidized private sector in this country before COVID, during COVID, and most likely, post-COVID, too.
“We need sensible tax policy that incentivizes investment by the private sector,” Gimenez said.
In other words, Gimenez wants to be in a position to do more of what he’s done in Miami-Dade: Work on behalf of the interests of his politically connected business friends, campaign donors and family by funneling tax dollars to the private sector.
You would think voters would know better by now, but this is the tightest race in Miami for a U.S. House seat.
NO OBAMACARE FOR YOU
Corporate welfare is OK with Gimenez, but not Obamacare for the 665,000 enrolled in the federally subsidized healthcare program in Miami-Dade alone.
Gimenez said he would vote to repeal the lifesaving program, despite the fact that it’s Hispanics — in Hialeah, for example
— who largely benefit from it.
The Havana-born, private-school educated Cuban American also would vote to fund Trump’s border wall — and you get to pony up for that, too, taxpayer.
He also says that he visited the hideous Homestead-area facility in which the Trump administration kept thousands of unaccompanied Central American children in prison-like conditions — and he didn’t see anything wrong with it.
“There was nothing going on there that would make me feel ashamed to be an American,” Gimenez said, providing malarkey excuses for why Trump cruelly separated children from their parents.
He missed the chapter where children at the center reported being sexually abused, and the federal government tried to sweep the complaints under the rug.
Because not only do Gimenez’s ethics stink, but his privileged life blinds him — and he’s positioning himself for more perks.
How many pensions could Gimenez possibly collect in one lifetime?
All Gimenez needs is to be elected to Congress for one term to retire from that post, too, with pension and benefits. Oh, yes, he also gets to continue to enjoy in this post the type of Cadillac-grade health insurance Gimenez has always had working in the public sector in South Florida.
And he can indulge in more of his trips abroad, too, claiming he’s doing public service. Maybe he can sell the Paris Air Show as a must-see to Congress, too.
A FIT FOR TRUMP’S WASHINGTON
It all probably makes Gimenez a perfect fit for a Washington ruled by nepotism-friendly Donald Trump, who has endorsed him.
Trump has Ivanka,
Eric, Donald Jr., and the in-law Jared Kushner.
Gimenez has his lobbyist son duo, C.J. and Julio Gimenez, who are constantly trying to make a buck representing clients with county business before their father.
They’re not, however, as masterful as Gimenez, who could hold workshops on the art of going from one government post to another, on the art of bringing your family along for the ride.
He also could conduct spin-off lessons on how to facilitate the flow of public wealth into your descendants’ bank accounts, too — and not get caught doing anything illegal. (Lesson No. 1: Ensure the Ethics Commission in charge of investigating you is as weak as they come.)
You know, he could share the tricks of the trade and the dough, to serve his constituents.
But you heard him, don’t hold your breath.
Those ambitions are reserved for the clan.
It’s OK for him and his family to make a living on public dollars, but not you, little guy.