Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay & Cutler Bay: Election Season Report
by SDM
SDM decided to take a look from 30,000 feet at the political races for local municipal offices in Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay. Never fear, SDM will get picky, too.
SDM macro observations:
- Pinecrest differs from Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay on the cycle for campaign reports. Pinecrest candidates followed what SDM thinks is the correct procedure, essentially reporting 4 times since April 1st. Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay candidates reported only twice during the same period. Campaign reporting should not be so complicated that adults in three cities come to different conclusions as to when to report.
- Palmetto Bay elected offices are far more expensive to seek. Compare: Palmetto Bay’s Cunningham had almost $16,000 on hand while Cutler Bay’s Wolmers reported having only enough to buy a pizza, and maybe some wings.
- Palmetto Bay candidates have raised more than twice the amount raised by all the candidates in Pinecrest and Cutler Bay combined.
SDM Wonders: What is making Palmetto Bay so expensive? Maybe the chaos caused by the Three Amigos?
| City | Race | Total Raised | Total Spent | Cash on Hand |
| Pinecrest | Seat 1 | |||
| Butler, Germaine | $1,600 | $769 | $831 | |
| Ross, Robert C. | $4,945 | $3,603 | $1,342 | |
| Wollmann, Jennifer | $950 | $341 | $609 | |
| $7,495 | ||||
| Pinecrest | Seat 3 | |||
| Hingston, Robert A. | $7,847 | $1,969 | $5,878 | |
| McDonald, James E. | $11,901 | $2,157 | $9,744 | |
| $19,748 | ||||
| Palmetto Bay | Vice Mayor | |||
| Cunningham, Karyn | $18,036 | $2184 | $15,852 | |
| Dubois, John | $26,555 | $17,352 | $9,203 | |
| Pariser, Brian W. | $11,480 | $7,721 | $3,759 | |
| $56,071 | ||||
| Palmetto Bay | District 2 | |||
| Araiza, James | $9,360 | $8,184 | $1,176 | |
| Schaffer, Tim | $6,825 | $2,229 | $4,596 | |
| Tendrich, Howard | $5,250 | $3,108 | $2,142 | |
| $21,435 | ||||
| Cutler Bay | Vice Mayor | |||
| Sochin, Ernie | $7,825 | $1,719 | $6,106 | |
| Wollmers, Ed | $200 | $171 | $29 | |
| $8,025 |
SDM’s race by race comments:
Pinecrest Seat 1
Incumbent Bob Ross holds a narrow lead in fundraising but his sign presence in the area stands out to SDM’s eye. Former School Board Member Betsy Kaplan and former Pinecrest Council Member Cindy Blanck contributed to Ross’s campaign.
Not counting the candidate, Challenger Germaine Butler only has 2 campaign contributions. Not a sign of much depth of support…
Wollman is a late arrival, only joining the fray in mid-August.
+++
Pinecrest Seat 3
McDonald ended the last reporting period with twice the money reported by former Council Member Hingston. McDonald’s signs are all over South Pinecrest. He received financial support from local notables Charles Intriago, Ed Williamson, Ed Ludovici and John Pistorino.
Hingston is supported by Nancy Harter, who is vacating the seat; by Blanck, former Mayor Evelyn Greer, former Council Member Leslie Bowe along with other Pinecrest luminaries.
+++
Palmetto Bay Vice Mayor
Incumbent Vice Mayor Brian Pariser is facing a stiff challenge from newcomers Karyn Cunningham and John Dubois. Pariser boasts support from Palmetto Bay’s old guard.
Cunningham is a surprise. Her campaign enters the home stretch sitting on more money than any candidate in the tri-city area. Former Mayor Eugene Flinn headlines her supporters.
Dubois is on the ballot for the second time having lost to current Councilwoman Joan Lindsay two years ago. Dubois is supported by Michael Miller, publisher of the Palmetto Bay News, local activist Stanley Kowlessar, Cutler Bay Vice Mayor Ernie Sochin and many others. Dubois is rumored to have the full support of Commissioner Lynda Bell, too.
Dubois also has one of the weirdest campaign reports. He filed an amendment to the September 14 report that is literally incomprehensible. Perhaps someone uploaded a draft document or something. In any case, SDM chose to publish Dubois’s numbers as typed into the original report.
+++
Palmetto Bay District 2
Incumbent Howard Tendrich is an SDM favorite, but his fundraising is lackluster. He raised less than either of his opponents, although he enters October with more cash on hand than the big-spending Jim Araiza. Tendrich is supported by local famous person Don Noe, Flinn, former Councilman Ed Feller’s wife and better half Arlene, and former Councilman Paul Neidhart.
Jim Araiza once again has posted excellent fundraising numbers. He also has spent much of what he raised, leaving him short on cash – at least as of mid-September. Araiza is running again after failing to make a runoff in 2010 against Palmetto Bay’s sitting mayor. His supporters include legal and business representatives from both Palmer Trinity and Shores at Palmetto Bay, both of which are deeply embroiled in litigation against the village. Araiza is also supported by village activists David Zisman and Bob Orban.
The mysteriousTim Schaffer enters the critical September-October period with the most cash on hand. He also boasts contributions from village gadfly and chief NIMBY Marsha Matson and alleged sign purloiner Libby Williams. Schaffer is clearly a SOP (Palmetto Bay’s tiny reactionary minority group) candidate based on the cast of characters supporting him; SDM calls him the Fourth Amigo.
+++
Cutler Bay Vice Mayor
Incumbent Vice Mayor Ernie Sochin was surprised when Cutler Bay activist Ed Wollmers jumped into this race at the last minute. Today, Sochin has a huge lead in cash on hand, but Cutler Bay races are not customarily decided by money alone. In fact, a Ridge Rat might start asking questions if a candidate has a bunch of money.
While Sochin has carefully cultivated an image of everyone’s favorite uncle, his campaign reports are peppered with lobbyist contributions including $500 from a firm called Educational Management Services owned by Fausto Gomez – the town’s lobbyist.
Wollmers ended the last reporting period with just $29 in the bank. He better hope SDM is right about Cutler Bay’s electoral propensities.
Taking money from the town’s lobbyist for your campaign seems highly inappropriate. Mr. Sochin gets to vote on the hiring and firing of the Lobbyist. He should have turned down the campaign contribution. SDM, you reported it was “peppered with lobbyist contributions” who else or what else did you find? I looked at the town’s website but couldn’t find the reports.
Go to http://www.cutlerbay.net/elections-2012.html for campaign reports.
Cash is obviously very important to any campaign. So if you are handicapping the race, that’s a great indicator. Also the number of individual donators to a campaign says a lot. SDM how putting together how many individual donators of any amount of money each candidate has to date?
On another note, so far not a peep out of your boy Tendrich on the challenge for a debate. Tim has sent me an email wanting me to tell him who is asking for the debate. Tim, just reads the top line of the email where it says Sent From:
Azaiza is ready for a knockdown drag out fight of words. How bout you two?
On yet another note, I have sent a request into Ron Williams to use City Hall for the venue if we can get a Real Debate going. So far. No answer. So no matter what side you’re on in this election season, please ask our Village Manager to let the games begin at City Hall. Last Time I checked, us Taxpayers are over $10,000,000 in on this building, lets get our money’s worth.
If you want to help get the use of City Hall for a debate you can Contact Ron at rwilliams@palmettobay-fl.gov and Village Hall Phone # 305-259-1234
If anyone’s interested in the campaign between Erik Fresen and Ross Hancock for District 114, they will both be at the Concerned Citizens of Cutler Bay meeting Tuesday at 7pm. to answer questions from the audience. Also on the agenda is Commissioner Lynda Bell, Cutler Bay Council member Ernie Sochin and challenger Ed Wolmers. The meeting takes place at Cutler Ridge United Methodist Church on Old Cutler Road and Marlin Drive in Cutler Bay.
No offense to the above author for the invite to Cutler Bay. Palmetto Bay meetings are much more entertaining.
The meeting tonight in Cutler Bay includes 2 candidates for State Representative 114 which includes Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest and Coral Gables. You will be voting on November 6th who you want representing our communities in the State Legislature.
Erik Fresen, who is running to represent us, has a $29,000 debt to the IRS, his $600,000 house is in foreclosure (he hasn’t paid either the morgage or property taxes owed), he owes over $100,000 in student loans, and never paid the fines for having broken campaign laws the last time he ran. He advocates and votes in the legislature to divert taxpayer money for charter schools. Mr. Fresen’s paying job is for a company that builds charter schools and his sister runs charter schools. The November ballot includes a bond issue to raise money locally to fix up our schools because funds from Tallahassee for capital improvements has dried up – thanks in part to Mr. Fresen.
Sounds like it could be entertaining. You can read more at:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/04/2932223/lawmaker-seeking-reelection-faces.html#storylink=misearch
Ok You got me. Sounds like the sames clowns we have here in Palmetto Bay.
I finally found the time to read your comments about me from the past summer. Interestingly, you note my campaign loan to myself in 2010, a common practice, was “buying the election”, but you are silent on the same personal loan in Mr. Sochin’s race. What’s up?
Also, do you think this race is a straw race? It doesn’t appear as if Mr. Wolmers is really running.
There is a candidate forum to meet the Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay candidates for the Florida legislature at 6:30 Thursday (10/11) at Pinecrest Gardens.