DAY 324 - TOMMY THE COMMIE?

"Madam Consul, what is the difference between a Chinese and Cuban political prisoner?"

"Oh Mr. Mayor, Chinese government have lots of money, Cuban government not so much."

"Senor Alcalde, Communists put me in prison, they are all bad!" "Ariel, Cuban Communists are bad, Chinese Communists made that flag you're waving, the suit I'm wearing, and that wheelchair you're sitting in ."

"Mr. Regalado expressed his gratitude to Consul General Gao and said his team highly values the relationship between Miami and China. China is the most important trading partner of Miami. 

"He will try his best to join hands with the Chinese Consulate General in Houston to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in order to bring more benefit for the people of China and Miami."

And "join hands" he has.

We reported back in December 09 of this highly unusual meeting between the "Anti-Communist" Mayor and the Communist General Consul, being struck by the Mayor's hypocrisy in making a living and reputation by slamming communist Cuba in one breath, while embracing communist China with another.

So in today's Herald we read that plans for Watson Island are back on track, and once again, Chuck Rabin does the bare minimum reporting on the outright hypocrisy of Mayor Regalado's stance on this project.

"It was a bizarre scene even by Miami standards: A well-heeled lobbyist standing in front of Miami commissioners holding a $200,000 cashier's check. The mayor wanting it -- yet worrying it was being used as a lure to string the city along."

 

"When Regalado was elected mayor in November, he made Watson Island a priority. He met with Bayraktar and his advisors and came up with an agreement in March in which Bayraktar would pay the city $200,000 and the plan would live yet again."

 

"Other issues surfaced: It turned out Shangri-La Hotel & Resorts, China's largest luxury hotel operator and the company that was to build on Watson Island, had connections to Cuba. In a city filled with thousands of exiles from the communist nation, the news rubbed some raw."

Is that all Chuck?  

You forgot to mention exactly who was "rubbed raw" and led the effort against the "Chinese" hotel.

From Miami Today, November 2005:

"The Herald's headlines on its story will turn stomachs in Miami after years of ethnic harmonies: "Hotel plan bashed for communist ties" and, in massive type on the story's continuation, "China link angers Cubans."

"The Herald story quotes three persons who are upset that a company based in China could be allowed on a city site, saying it is a slap in the face to Cuban Americans, who are anti-communist.

"Note up front that nobody can link Fidel Castro to a company that operates 48 luxury hotels very capitalistically on multiple continents - except in the minds or on the tongues of professionally virulent name-callers."

 
"Of the three quoted hotel foes, two are radio commentators who make a living by trying to link disliked individuals and organizations to Fidel Castro. They do it well enough to persuade the Herald that when three persons speak, a newspaper should respond with "China link angers Cubans" - a vastly broader group than the three represent."

And who are these two "professionally virulent name-callers" radio commentators?

Ninoska Perez Castellon, whose niece works as a City Attorney, and our esteemed Mayor Tomas Regalado.

But now the plan is ok.

Chuck Rabin forgets about it, and we're still waiting for the Miami Today follow up story.

A $200,000 check, and countless in campaign contributions to him and his daughter, the Mayor forgets about the Cuba connection because some Commies are better than others.

Next time you suck up to your "base" and make a press event out of greeting a former Cuban political prisoner, explain to him the differences between Chinese and Cuban communists.