>> PRIMARY ELECTION IS JUST NINE DAYS AWAY BUT VOTERS ARE ALREADY CASTING THEIR BALLOTS BY MAIL
AND AT EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS
ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA.
IN MIAMI DADE.
ONE OF THE MOST CLOSELY WATCHED
LOCAL RACES IS FOR THE MIAMI
DADE COUNTY COMMISSION AND
DISTRICT 6.
THIS IS WHAT DISTRICT 6 LOOKS
LIKE.
TAKES IN WEST MIAMI, SUBURBAN
AREAS DOWN TO SOUTH MIAMI AS
WELL AS MIAMI INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
AND THAT GOLF COURSE AREA WHERE
THE CITY OF MIAMI WANTS TO BUILD
A BIG SOCCER STADIUM AND OFFICE
COMPLEX.
THIS DISTRICT HAS BEEN
REPRESENTED FOR MORE THAN 20
YEARS BY REBEKAH SOSA BUT SHE
HAS BEEN TERM LIMITED OUT AND
FOUR CANDIDATES HAVE STEPPED
FORWARD TO TRY TO CLAIM THE
SEAT.
THE CANDIDATES ARE JORGE FORCE A
CORAL GABLE CITY COMMISSIONER,
DANIEL FERNANDEZ, A SOFTWARE
COMPANY OWNER OWNER OF THE MIAMI
DADE REPUBLICAN EXECUTIVE COME,
VICTOR VASQUEZ A MEMBER OF THE
PEOPLEE SPRING CITY COUNCIL,
LONG TIME EDUCATOR AND KEVIN
MARINO CABRERA OF CORAL GABLES
MARKETING EXECUTIVE WHO WAS THE
FLORIDA CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR FOR
DONALD TRUMP TWO YEARS AGO.
WE HAVE TWO OF THE FOUR
CANDIDATES WITH US LIVE THIS
MORNING.
DANIEL FERNANDEZ JUST DROPPED
OUT BUT WE ARE HAPPY TO WELCOME
THE GENTLEMEN YOU SEE HERE, HOR
SHAY-- JORGE FORCE THE CORAL
GABLES COMMISSIONER, GOOD
MORNING, GLAD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING, MICHAEL, HOW
ARE YOU, THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME.
>> I’M VERY GLAD.
YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER, YOU HAVE
BEEN ENDORSED BY REBEKAH SOSA,
ROUGHLY PERSON, SERVED WELL FOR
OVER 20 YEARS, BUT OF COURSE
IT’S GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN HER
BLESSING TO GET ELECTED HERE.
WHAT IS YOUR MAIN ISSUE?
WHY DO YOU THINK ARE YOU THE
BEST CANDIDATE HERE?
>> WELL, I THINK MICHAEL I AM
THE ONE THAT HAS EXPERIENCE,
TRULY, IN GOVERNING ON A LOCAL
LEVEL, WITH ME YOU DON’T HAVE TO
WONDER HOW I’M GOING TO GOVERN
OR LEGISLATE.
I HAVE BEEN DOING IT ALREADY NOW
FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS, I
HAVE SHOWN MYSELF TO BE A VOICE
OF REASON, SOMEBODY CONCERNED
WITH THE ISSUES THAT TRULY
MATTER IN DISTRICT SIX IN OUR
IMMEDIATE VICINITY.
I ALSO HAVE NO SPECIAL CONFLICTS
OR CONFLICTS OF INTEREST,
MICHAEL.
I NOTICED YOU MENTIONED MY MAIN
OPPONENT REPRESENTS THAT HE IS A
MARKETING EXECUTIVE WHEN IN FACT
HE IS A LOBBYIST, CAREER
LOBBYIST, FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
SHOWS THAT ACTIVITY HAS COME
FROM THAT ACTIVITY AND AS
RECENTLY REGISTERED LOBBYIST ON
BEHALF OF NUMEROUS COMPANIES
TRYING TO OBTAIN MULTIMILLION
DOLLAR CONTRACTS FROM MIAMI DADE
COUNTY.
I THINK MY ABILITY AS A PRIVATE
ATTORNEY DURING MY PRIVATE LIFE
TO COME INTO THE COUNTY
COMMISSIONS AS I HAVE ON THE
CITY COMMISSION OF CORAL GABLES,
ALLOWS ME TO KEEP MY CAREER
PRIVATELY AND MY PUBLIC SERVICE
IN TWO SILLOS AND NOT-- BE ABLE
TO I SHOULD SAY PLACE THE
INTERESTS OF THE RESIDENTS
FIRST.
>> HAVE I TO POINT OUT THAT WE
INVITED MR. CABRERA, TRIED
REPEATEDLY TO GET HIM TO TAKE
PART SO HE WAS NOT REACHABLE,
NEVER CALLED US BACK.
SO HE IS NOT HERE TO DEFEND
HIMSELF.
AS LONG AS HE REGISTERED AS A
LOBBYIST, THAT IS A LEGAL
PROFESSION.
MAY NOT ALWAYS BRING GLORY BUT I
NEED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE URBAN
DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY.
ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES IN MIAMI
DADE COUNTY, AS ONE OF 13
COMMISSIONERS YOU WOULD HAVE A
VOTE TO EITHER MAINTAIN THE
BOUNDARY OR ALLOW DEVELOP.
BEYOND IT.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, ARE YOU IN
FAVOR OF MAINTAINING THE UDB OR
MOVING BEYOND IT.
>> WELL, IT IS DIFFICULT TO
SPEAK ABOUT THE UDB GENERALLY
SKINS THE UDB SPANS ACROSS THE
ENTIRE COUNTY.
NOW EVERY APPLICATION TO EXPAND
THE UDB AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY
IN THE PAST AND THERE WAS ONE
RECENTLY AND THERE WILL BE MORE
IN THE FUTURE, WILL PROBABLY
DEAL WITH A DIFFERENT AREA,
EXPANDING IN A DIFFERENT
DIRECTION AND MUCH MUST BE
CONSIDERED BASED ON THE
STANDARDS SET FORTH BY COUNTY
LAW WHICH IS WHETHER IT IS TRULY
NECESSARY.
>> WHAT ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT
THAT THE, HAS BEEN PROPOSED IN
DEEP SOUTH DADE RIGHT OFF THE
TURN BIKE EXTENSION, 800 ACRES
FOR WAREHOUSES.
IT IS STILL SORT OF IN THE MIX,
IT’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE RIGHT
NOW BUT YOU MAY HAVE TO VOTE ON
IT IF YOU BECOME A MEMBER OF THE
COMMISSION.
WHAT DO YOU THINK, HOW WOULD YOU
VOTE.
>> IT IS STILL IN THE MIX
MICHAEL.
AND THIS MY OPINION THAT
PARTICULAR APPLICATION IS NOT AS
FAR ALONG AS IT REALLY NEEDS TO
BE IN TERMS OF BEING FULLY
BAKED.
THERE ARE VARIOUS QUESTIONS OF
INFRASTRUCTURE AND NECESSITY
WHICH ARE FOR ME AT LEAST, AND
I’M SPEAKING FROM THE OUTSIDE
LOOKING IN, NOT YET BEING THERE
ON THE DICE, BUT HAS A
COUPLE,-- NOT A COUPLE BUT
SEVERAL QUESTIONS STILL
UNANSWERED FOR ME.
I THINK THAT I CAN SEE NECESSITY
RISING TO THE LEVEL THAT IT
NEEDS TO BE FOR PERHAPS
EXPANSIONS OF THE UDB, NOT THE
ENTIRE UDB BUT SMALL SECTIONS OF
IT.
WHAT I ALWAYS TELL FOLKS IS MY
PLATFORM SPEAKS TO A FAMILY
FIRST PLATFORM.
THE WAY TO REALLY MY HEART ON
THAT IN THE FUTURE, AND AGAIN
EVERY APPLICATION TO BE
CONSIDERED ON AN AMOUNT KAITION
BY APPLICATION BASE IS IS
EVENTUALLY WE’LL FIND OURSELVES
IN A SITUATION WHERE WE MAY NEED
TO FILL IN CERTAIN ENCLAVES OF
THAT UDB FOR SINGLE FAMILY
RESIDENCES, WITH RESPECT TO THE
NECESSITY OF CENTRAL AND 800
ACRES OF IT, IN THAT PARTICULAR
AREA, I HAVE NOT BEEN AT LEAST
AT THIS TIME, AND I DON’T HAVE
THE BENEFIT OF BEING BRIEFED TO
THE LEVEL THAT THE CITY
COMMISSIONERS DO, FOUND MYSELF
TO BE IN A PLACE WHERE I WOULD
BE WILLING TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER
THAT AT THIS TIME.
NOW TESS NECESSITY IS SOMETHING
THAT CHANGES EVERY DAY,
SOMETHING THAT IS NOT QUITE
NECESSARY ENOUGH TODAY, MAY
BECOME NECESSARY A YEAR FROM
NOW.
>> THAT’S WHY WE HAVE TO TAKE A
VERY CLOSE LOOK AT IT.
EXPANDING THE UDB BY ALL MEANS
IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE TAKEN
LIGHTLY.
>> WE HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT
BUT I NEED TO ASK YOU, YOU HAVE
BEEN BRIEFED, A WHOLE ISSUE OF
INCREASING DENSITY ALONG RAIL
LINES, ALONG METRO RAIL AND THE
CITY OF CORAL GABLES OBVIOUSLY
HAS METRO RAIL RUNNING THROUGH
IT AND COUNTY PLANNERS SAY ONE
WAY TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE
WORKFORCE HOUSING IS TO BUILD IT
ALONG THOSE PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION LINES WHERE DO
YOU FALL ON THAT ISSUE?
>> SO THE CONCEPT MAKES PERFECT
SENSE THAT YOU INCREASE DENSITY
ALONG OUR RAIL LINES TO PROMOTE
TRANSPORTATION, REDUCE TRAFFIC,
HOWEVER I WAS VERY INVOLVED IN
WHAT THE PLAN ARE YOU REFERRING
TO AS RAPID TRANSIT ZONE
CONCEPT, VERY INVOLVED WITH IT
ON THE CITY SIDE.
AND MY BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH IT
WAS THAT IT SORT OF TRIED TO
APPLY ONE SIETSZ FITS ALL
APPROACH TOIN CREASING DENSITY
AND TYPES OF HOUSING ALONG THE
RAIL, THAT PLAN I THINK WORKS
GREAT IN CERTAIN AREAS, DOESN’T
WORK GREAT IN OTHERS, THE CITY
OF CORAL GABLES AND THE
COMMISSIONER GILBERT THE SPONSOR
TO THAT PIECE OF LEGISLATION TO
HIS CREDIT ELISE INNED AND TOOK
A GOOD LOOK AT IT AND MET WITH
US ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, IN
CORAL GABLES WE WERE ABLE TO
SHOW THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE
IN DENSITY ALONG THE RAIL OVER
THE LAST FEW YEARS.
>> ANYBODY DRIVING ON US1 SEES
THE INCREASE IN DENSITY.
>> GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK
WITH YOU,nd WE ARE GLAD TO
TAKE A LOOK AT AN IMPORTANT
MIAMI DADE COUNTY COMMISSION
RACE AND GOOD LUCK.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> ALL RIGHT, UP NEXT, ANOTHER
CANDIDATE IN THE SAME RACE FOR
MIAMI DADE COMMISSION IN
DISTRICT 6, VICTOR VASQUEZ.
>> WE HAVE ONE MORE CANDIDATE TO SPEAK TO
SPEAK TO IN THIS DISTRICT SIX MIAMI DADE COUNTY COMMISSION RACE AND IT IS VICTOR VASQUEZ,
LONG TIME EDUCATOR, WE REFER TO
HIM AS DR. VASQUEZ, HE EARNED A
Ph.D AND IS HE ALSO A MEMBER
OF THE MIAMI SPRING CITY
COUNCIL.
DR. VASQUEZ, WELCOME, GREAT TO
SEE YOU.
>> NICE TO SIGH TOO, MICHAEL.
>> ALL RIGHT, LET’S BEGIN WITH
WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR ISSUE, WHY
ARE YOU RUNNING IN THIS RACE?
WHAT DO YOU BRIPG TO IT THAT THE
OTHER CANDIDATES DO NOT?
>> WELL, A BRING OF COMBINATION,
A FORMAL HOUSING-- ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT-- AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
AND RAIL TRANSPORTATION, MY PAST
HISTORY IN HIGHER EDUCATION HAS
BEEN WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORKING IN
PRIVATE GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS
IN DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES AND
BUILDING HOUSING AND GETTING ALL
THE STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER AND
HAVE I DONE THAT AS WELL WITH MY
POSITION AS CITY COUNCILMAN IN
MIAMI SPRING.
>> YEAH, DR. VASQUEZ, MAYOR
DANIELLA LAVIGNE CAVA HAS PUT
FORTH A REALLY AMBITIOUS PROGRAM
WITH ROUGHLY I THINK 14,000
AFFORDABLE HOMES, ARE SUPPOSED
TO COME ONLINE IN THE NEXT YEAR
IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY, CLEARLY
THAT IS SOMETHING THEN THAT YOU
SUPPORT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND I THINK IT IS A GOOD
BEGINNING, MICHAEL.
I LIKE TO LOOK AT THINGS MORE
COMPREHENSIVELY.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT
AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING COUNTY
WIDE, I THINK THE MAYOR HAS MADE
AN IMPORTANT STEP, THE IDEA OF
BRINGING TOGETHER THE USAGE OF
THIS LAND AND BRINGING TOGETHER
EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYEES TO LIVE IN
THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS I THINK IS A
GOOD START.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A
MORE ROBUST AND LARGER PLANNING
EFFORT THAT BRINGS ALL THE
STAKEHOLDERS TO LOOK AT ALL OF
THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUES THAT WE
HAVE IN THE COUNTY.
>> RIGHT.
WHAT ABOUT HIGHER DENSITY ALONG
TRANSPORTATION LINES LIKE ALONG
METRO, YOU JUST HEARD ME
SPEAKING TO JORGE FORCE, THE
CITY OF CORAL GABLES HAS BEEN A
LITTLE RELUCTANT TO EMBRACE THAT
IDEA.
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON IT?
>> WELL, I THINK FIRST OF ALL, I
LIKE THE IDEA.
I’M A TRANSPORTATION GUY, I GREW
UP RIDING SUBWAYS IN NEW YORK
CITY TO WORK AND TO SCHOOL.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE
OF IT.
AND I UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT
IT WAS FOR ME TO GET TO MIAMI
DADE COLLEGE IN THE MORNING
WITHOUT GOOD TRANSPORTATION.
I HAD TO USE MY CAR WHICH I
REALLY DIDN’T WANT TO DO.
BUT I THINK THAT THE IDEA OF
DENSITY IS THE CORRECT IDEA.
BUT IT HAS TO BE LOCALLY
APPLIED.
I THINK THERE ARE MORE PLACES
DOWN IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE
DISTRICT, IN THE SOUTHERN PART
OF THE COUNTY WHERE THIS IS MORE
SEASONABLE BUT I THINK HAVING
THAT KIND OF DENSITY MAKES A LOT
OF SENSE AND I SUPPORT IT IT
DOESN’T WORK FOR MIAMI SPRINGS
BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE THE ROOM
FOR THAT.
AND THAT WAS OUR CONVERSATION
WHEN COMMISSIONER GILBERT
PROPOSED ONE CORNER OF MIAMI
SPRINGS, THAT SAUL SINGLE
PROPERTY AREA, AND HE UNDERSTOOD
THAT WE WERE NOT, IT WAS NOT
GOING TO WORK FOR US.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING I’M IN
FAVOR OF IT.
>> YEAH.
>> AND THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
BOUNDARY LINE GENERALLY SPEAKING
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD
RESPECT UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE?
OR WOULD YOU MAINTAIN IT THE WAY
IT IS?
>> I WANT TO KEEP IT THE WAY ST.
I’M A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT
PUSHING THOSE BOUNDARY, I’M
CONCERNED ABOUT OUR CLIMATE.
I’M CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OTHER
ISSUES.
I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THERE ARE
ARGUMENTS FOR WELL, WHAT ABOUT
THIS PROJECT OR THAT PROJECT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE A
SLIPPERY SLOPE.
I THINK THAT IS WHEN IT WAS
ESTABLISHED, THERE WERE A LOT OF
THINKING WENT INTO THAT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO HOLD TO
THAT.
NOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE I
THINK WE NEED TO PROTECT THE
EVERGLADES AND CONSULT, I’M
REALLY HESITANT TO CONSIDER
EXPANDING IT, EVEN ON A CASE BY
CASE BASIS.
>> ONE OF THE CRITICISMS OF THAT
PROPOSED WAREHOUSE DISTRICT IN
DEEP SOUTH DADE IS THAT IT WOULD
INTERFERE WITH EFFORTS TO CLEAN
UP BISCAYNE BAY AND BISCAYNE BAY
HAS BEEN A TOP PRIORITY FOR SO
MANY OF US, MY COLLEAGUE REPORTS
ON TESTIFY REE WEEK ABOUT THE
BAY AND YOU KNOW, TO HER CREDIT,
MAYOR LAVINE CAVA HAS PUT A ZAR
FOR BISCAYNE BAY RENEWAL.
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THAT?
>> PRECISELY.
I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, THE
DEVELOPMENT, THAT INTERFERES
WITH CLEANING UP ITS BAY, IT IS
AN ABSOLUTELY NO-BRAINER FOR ME.
AND I AGREE WITH THEM.
THOSE ARE THE CONCERNS THAT I
HAVE.
BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE DO THINGS
HERE TO TRY TO RESOLVE ONE
SITUATION AND WE DON’T LOOK AT
THE IMPACT ACROSS-THE-BOARD.
>> RIGHT.
>> THAT’S THE PROBLEM THAT WE
HAVE HERE WITH THIS PARTICULAR
PROJECT.
>> DR. VASQUEZ, ONE LAST
QUESTION HERE AS YOU KNOW,
VOTERS ACROSS THE STATE VOTED I
GUESS TWO YEARS AGO TO SAY THAT
MIAMI DADE COUNTY HAS TO HAVE A
SHERIFF IN 2024 AS A MEMBER OF
THE COMMISSION, IF YOU ARE
ELECTED, YOU ARE GOING TO GET A
CHANCE TO SORT OF NARROW THE
SHERIFF’S RESPONSIBILITIES
BECAUSE CURRENTLY THE SHERIFF IS
THE MIAMI DADE POLICE DEPARTMENT
DIRECTOR, REPORTS DIRECTLY TO
THE MAYOR.
AND THE SYSTEM SEEMS TO WORK
PRETTY WELL, DOESN’T IT?
>> YES, IT DOES.
YOU KNOW WE’RE IN A VERY
INTERESTING TRANSFORMATIVE TIME
HERE IN THE COUNTY, SINCE 2020
TO 2024.
THE COMMISSION IS GOING TO
CHANGE ITS EXOTION BUT IN THE
MEANTIME WE ELECTED A WOMAN
MAYOR SO A SHERIFF COMING ON IN
TWO YEARS IS GOING TO BE QUITE A
CHALLENGE AND QUITE AN
INTERESTING THING TO DO.
I’M GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR IS
HOW THE PAST PRACTICE HAS BEEN.
WHAT DOES THE STATE ACTUALLY
REQUIRE THAT THE SHERIFF DO, AND
THERE ARE SOME-- AND HOW DOES
THAT APPLY AND HOW DO WE BALANCE
THE POLICING AND THE BUDGETARY
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COUNTY.
>> DR. VICTOR VASQUEZ, GREAT TO
SPEAK WITH YOU, GOOD LUCK WITH