Miami Beach

No-Show Alvarez

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez backed out of a scheduled appearance after learning that Norman Braman would be there

By Ben Torter

If this were really the Wild West, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez would have been run out of town after chickening out of a good old-fashioned duel with car magnate and activist Norman Braman.

Braman is the guy who’s taking on the county and city of Miami’s $3 billion megadeal to build a baseball stadium, port tunnel and museum park using taxpayer money earmarked for job creation and affordable housing in the blighted Overtown and Omni districts.

Alvarez was scheduled to discuss the deal, which he supports, at the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club, a weekly political breakfast at David’s Café in Miami Beach. But after finding out Braman would be there and wanted to debate Alvarez, the mayor used the worn out “pending litigation” card to back out.

“As you know, our office learned earlier today that Norman Braman has requested to appear at tomorrow’s Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club meeting where Mayor Alvarez is scheduled to speak,” Alvarez’s communications director, Vicki Mallette, stated in an e-mail Monday afternoon. “Unfortunately, because of pending litigation, sharing the platform with Mr. Braman (as has been suggested) is unadvisable.”

So, instead of debating Alvarez on the merits of the deal, Braman was given free rein to take shots at Alvarez and voice his opposition to the deal he referred to as a “shell game.”

“I’m sorry Mayor Alvarez isn’t here,” the 75-year-old Braman told an attentive audience. “This is the third time I’ve tried to debate Mayor Alvarez,” and this is the third time he didn’t show up, Braman noted.

Back in the 1980s, Braman said, the Omni Redevelopment District was established to revitalize the blighted area. While much of the area is still extremely poor, certain areas have seen a lot of development, and thus have a higher tax base. Rather than use that money for affordable housing and small business incentives in poor neighborhoods, Braman explained that “our good friends,” Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and County Manager George Burgess, “want to put it into trolley tracks, Bicentennial Park, a baseball stadium and the port tunnel.”

Braman said both Burgess and Diaz had approached him and asked what it would take for him to drop his lawsuit.

“I told Burgess and Diaz I’d drop the suit if [the deal] goes to the voters,” Braman said. “They said no.” The trial is scheduled to take place July 1-3.

The sentiment of the Breakfast Club crowd was behind Braman. No one spoke against him, but many asked how they could help. Braman refused to accept money for the legal fees incurred in fighting the government, but urged people to send letters and call county and city representatives and ask them to stop the deal.

Miami Beach resident Roger Abramson suggested organizing “a large outdoor rally” against the megadeal, which Braman agreed would be a good idea.

Braman said, “We’ve got to let our public officials know that we’re not going to stand for this anymore.”

Comments? E-mail ben@miamisunpost.com