Watching Closely (Guest Post)

Keeping a weather eye on our elected officials

Note from Aesop: As you can see, we have ourselves another guest post, this time from none other than Nicolas Cabrera, the self-described “Prince of Coral Gables.”

A real-identity guest! How about that?

Like many of you, I’ve seen Nicolas around quite a bit. In addition to being former commissioner Ralph Cabrera’s son, he has an impressive track record of civic engagement and grassroots participation. He’s someone my mother would call “parsley”— he’s in everything. So when I received his recent submission, I didn’t think twice about publishing. As you’ll see, he has a sharp mind and a strong voice.

Assuming this guest post generates as much interest as the first (thanks again, CoralFables), I’ll likely begin publishing guest posts more frequently. That means each and everyone of you, my dear readers, should feel free to send me your submissions. As I mentioned before, I cannot promise to publish them all—diatribes, screeds, and comments section-esque rants will not be entertained, nor will anything that comes within 100 lightyears of someone’s family or personal life.

Adequately reasoned and competently written posts, however, will always have a good chance of making it through, regardless of perspective. I may have a creed as a political observer, but as a host, I’m viewpoint agnostic. Differing opinions are welcome here.

I’ll be back sometime next week with a look at last Tuesday’s commission meeting, featuring The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.

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The divisions in our community are evidently stronger than they have ever been. Or so, this is how some may want it to seem. Perhaps a vocal minority have finally gotten a foothold on the narrative and convinced some of us that they are the majority, preaching to be “for all residents” and “our commissioners,” when the reality is our two newest commissioners are serving more in their own self-interests than any sitting commissioner has in the past 24 years.

In the first year of their terms, Commissioners Ariel Fernandez and Melissa Castro, along with Kirk Menendez, have single-handedly enacted legislation that benefited themselves, not the majority of Coral Gables residents. For those who listened closely to the last commission meeting of 2023 and the comments by Vice Mayor Anderson in response to the trio’s visit to Tallahassee, the actions these three have taken in increasing their salaries, dipping into city reserves, raising the mileage rate, and refusing to move the municipal elections to November have resonated like shockwaves throughout both the city electorate and the state legislature. They have not been fiscally responsible with our city funds, they refuse to create a more inclusive democratic process, and they utilize tools like Gables Insider and Political Cortadito to spread their narratives. But what really concerns me is that I’m not sure enough residents are watching closely.

Let’s take the recent issue of Fritz & Franz as an example. The first Gables Insider post relating to this issue used Bay 13 Brewery & Kitchen as a pawn. No one called Javier Baños out publicly for throwing a small business under the bus, simply because it supported his narrative. Some readers challenged his authority on the subject, and rightfully so. The comments section was riddled with input from both sides. But there were a great many details left out of this initial post, as made evident by both the city response and Mr. Neuweg’s response. I, for one, am not taking a stance on the matter. Instead, I am challenging the authority of those who felt there was nothing wrong with furthering the narrative by defaming a local Coral Gables business such as Bay 13. This is what I mean by residents not watching closely.

To go a step further, while attempting to diagnose what is occurring within the commission, I came to a harsh realization…Commissioners Fernandez, Castro, and Menendez are slowly but surely transforming the commission into a bureaucracy. None of them can make democratic decisions on their own or without the need for public input. Public input is good, but I place my faith in my elected officials to make decisions on behalf of all residents, in which case public input is not necessary for every single issue. But when the three seek public input, it is always to advance their own agendas. As a result, when public input is not aligned with their own interests, they become disinterested. Without the CGNA, Gables Insider, Political Cortadito, or especially the elaborate performances of Billy Corben, these three commissioners don’t have as much support as they make it seem. I’m watching closely and this is becoming more and more evident.

As the son of a former commissioner and someone who has been extensively involved in a multitude of institutional organizations in the Gables, I’m used to working closely with my commissioners. I’m used to candidates reaching out and seeking to create a relationship, and I’m used to those candidates maintaining that relationship after they have been elected. However, this has not been the case with Commissioners Fernandez and Castro. I met with each of them at the onset of their campaigns and we discussed their platforms (don’t get me started on how many city issues I had to educate Castro on). However, once I shared my opposition to the salary increases and to the election debacle, I became the antagonist. Once I expressed my opposition publicly, it was essential for them to find a way to delegitimize my arguments. I get it, once you put yourself in the public spotlight, you are subject to criticisms. Even I have been mentioned in Political Cortadito because my previous employment somehow determines the legitimacy of my comments. However, the reality is I am simply maintaining my status as a private resident challenging the direction in which these three commissioners are driving the city.

Many who know me well like to poke fun at me for always being everywhere all the time. It’s all in good humor because there is rarely a city event I miss. On any given Friday night, I will choose Giralda Plaza as my go-to destination for dining and entertainment. I live and breathe Coral Gables. By being involved and participating in my community, I have heard the murmurs firsthand. The truth is out…Coral Gables institutions, non-profits, organizations, businesses, and residents feel neglected. There is a great sense of disappointment flowing through our community and I hear it every single day. Lots of big promises have been made and few have been kept. I’m hearing a chorus of individuals expressing the same thing…We’re being ignored. I, like many residents, have a direct line to Mayor Lago and Vice Mayor Anderson, I know I can contact them anytime regarding any issue, and I know I will be heard. I have wonderful relationships with city staff and employees, all of which I do my utmost best to support. But when it comes to Fernandez or Castro, I do not feel like they are as approachable as they make it seem. They fail to take all residents into account, just their supporters among the CGNA. There are a lot more of us out there and we’re not happy with how things are playing out.

There are a handful of us who are making a concerted effort to ensure the three commissioners know they are not serving in our best interests. But we need more. This isn’t a challenge; it’s an invitation. Join our conversations and engage with each other. We need more voices heard that are representative of the majority. We need more people to watch closely and to tell it like it is. For those who may not be aware, there is a highly engaging WhatsApp group chat made up of almost 100 Coral Gables residents. It’s the perfect platform for having these conversations and discussing these issues with each other. If you’re not in it, now is the time to join. This is an open invite to take part in our growing community, regardless of which side you’re on. In addition, I encourage more residents to attend more sunshine meetings and town halls. Tune in to the commission meetings via Zoom or YouTube. Ask the difficult questions. Hold ALL commissioners accountable, not just two. This is just the start and I know I’ll be watching closely.