Mike Suarez: Self-proclaimed anti-development candidate

By Angie Hargot

The bulk of District 1 candidate Michel “Mike” Suarez’s contributions this time around came from the amorphous “businessman” occupation listing — around 42 percent to be exact. According to one election official, those designations don’t really come under scrutiny unless the contribution is more than $100. Unfortunately for Suarez’s bottom line, most of his contributions were not over that amount.

A proclaimed candidate since December 2006 (the official candidate qualifying period is between Sept. 7 and 22, 2007), Suarez has so far amassed $58,798, a sum that pales in comparison to opponent Angel Gonzalez’s campaign treasure chest of $347,205 (to date). Both numbers will likely grow by Oct. 5, when the next set of candidates’ campaign reports is due. As SunPost spoke to Suarez by phone, he was bustling about town, picking up contribution checks.

Suarez has a few theories for the disparity in contributions — for one, he isn’t in anyone’s pocket, he says.

And “it’s my first time entering politics,” Suarez said. He added that he did serve on Miami’s Code Enforcement Board as a volunteer.

“I’m basically a businessman.” To clarify, Suarez explained he is a bail bondsman with Ace Bonding in Miami. He’s not a partner or a shareholder — but “an entrepreneur” with the company, he said.

Suarez, 31, graduated in 2002 from St. Thomas University with a degree in management.

He characterizes his platform as “anti-development” and said he doesn’t want to see the “up-zone of the Miami area.” He does not favor Miami 21, which he also criticized for having a failed communication system. Suarez said that at a recent Miami 21 community meeting he attended “there were seven people there. A lot of people had not been notified.”

He described himself as “grassroots organization on the side of residential property owners. There’s an imbalance in the housing market.”

Suarez’s parents arrived in Miami from Cuba when he was just four years old.

“They were hard-working people and they saved money. I went through college and was able to afford a one-bedroom apartment in a building built in 1972. It drove me to run for public office. If we don’t participate we won’t change anything.”

County records show the 756-square-foot apartment Suarez and his wife own was purchased in late 2006 for $160,000.

Suarez said of opponent Angel Gonzalez: “His financial statements show his contributions come from lobbyists, developers and contractors — he’s supported by special interests.” Referring to contributions listed in Gonzalez’s campaign treasurers’ reports from California, New York and elsewhere outside of Florida, he noted, “Many of them are not even from Florida.”

Suarez said he recently went up against Gonzalez in a local radio debate. “I asked him how he could possibly represent the neighborhoods when he’s basically in the pockets of special interests. He doesn’t represent hard-working people. Some people want to convert Miami into a 24-hour New York City.”

As for the stated vagueness of Suarez’s contributors, Dwight Danie, the city of Miami’s elections coordinator, said listing undefined professions in campaign reports is nothing new, nor is it against the rules — per se — though it sometimes sends up a red flag.

“The occupations say ‘executive’ or ‘businessman,’” Danie said. “The term is vague. I look at those.” But there haven’t been any complaints about this election pertaining to fraud that he can see from the files, aside from minor discrepancies in how contributions are coded. In fact, Suarez had one such discrepancy, Danie said. An item that was reported as a “check” should have been coded otherwise. Danie sent out a letter to the campaign that the item was coded incorrectly.

“I eyeball the reports. I return the check or they can amend it in some way. But I don’t have the ability to go into bank accounts.”

That’s a job for the Florida Elections Commission, Danie said, if that flag gets raised via a complaint.

He added that some new regulations pertaining to campaign finance are expected in January. “It will make it harder for anyone to file a complaint,” he said. Danie said once the new rules take effect, “someone would have to have firsthand knowledge to file a complaint” about campaign finance discrepancies, adding that discrepancies, like coding errors, are not uncommon.

Suarez listed among his biggest not-necessarily-financial supporters his wife, Christina Suarez, a mental health counselor; retired Broward Fire Chief Charles V. “Chuck” Lanza (one of Suarez’s college professors); and a handful of residents’ organizations like Miami Neighborhoods United, which he said support his grassroots ideals.

Then there are a few big names in local politics that appear in this quarter’s $4,579 in contributions. Frank Rollason, the former director of the Community Redevelopment Agency who ran for District 2 commissioner in 2006, gave Suarez’s campaign $250. (Rollason also identified himself as a “businessman.”) Self-proclaimed (on Suarez’s list of contributors) “Community activist” and Planning Advisory Board member Nina West also chipped in $250. Xavier Suarez (no relation), who used the more specific “attorney/former mayor” identification, gave Suarez $100.

Anti-development Morningside activist Elvis Cruz gave Suarez $500, listing “firefighter” as his occupation. Cruz scored a win for the anti-development platform last month, when the 3rd District Court of Appeals denied an appeal by developers that would have paved the way for two towering condos to be built in his neighborhood.

Other names of note on this quarter’s report:  Luis Fernandez, attorney for the Vizcaya/Roads Homeowners Association, which went before the Miami City Commission just last month to battle the proposed 11-story Lumiere development that threatens to cast the high-rise shadow on their Shenandoah neighborhood. Fernandez pitched in $350 to Suarez’s campaign.

Richard Bunnell, as in oldest-name-in-marine-construction Bunnell, who has been in the news over the years for efforts to clean up the polluted Miami River, gave Suarez’s campaign $100.

The second quarter treasurer’s report also sheds light on Suarez’s campaign practices — in the three quarters he has been collecting contributions, this is the first time he’s reported any expenditures: $14,597 for ads, a media consultant, some voter lists and a few other expenses.

“This election is going to be the young person against the old establishment,” Suarez promised. “People say they want new faces in local government — we’re going to question if democracy really works. The guy I’m running against was arrested for voter fraud. On the one hand government wants to talk about ethics.…

“I’m going to stand up for what I believe in. A lot of people want change. They say, ‘it’s terrible what’s going on in local government,’ but [they say that they] do business with Angel Gonzalez,” he added. “I love talking to people. [Policy] is not about what I want or what you want. It’s what the residents want. That’s why they call it public service.”

Comments? E-mail angie@miamisunpost.com.