#BecauseMiami: MAGA Tov

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: #BecauseMiami: MAGA Tov

Date: December 5, 2025
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz
Main Guests: Emilio Gonzalez (Miami mayoral candidate), Christian Ulvert (representing Eileen Higgins)

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Overview

Recorded in the lead-up to Miami's much-discussed mayoral runoff, this episode is a classic "#BecauseMiami" deep dive into South Florida politics, corruption, governance, and the unique culture of Miami civic life. At the heart of the conversation is the mayoral runoff between Emilio Gonzalez (recently endorsed by Donald Trump) and Eileen Higgins. The hosts, joined by Gonzalez and Ulvert, dissect endorsements, campaign narratives, city governance issues, and the perennial struggle between reform and the status quo in Miami politics. The episode also touches on the legacy of outgoing mayor Francis Suarez and the backdrop of numerous Miami political scandals.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scandal, Legacy, and Accountability in Local Politics

• Monique Pardo Pope Bar Complaint ([02:38]–[07:04])
  • Billy opens with a report on a bar complaint against Monique Pardo Pope, a Miami Beach commission candidate with a notorious family history and a pattern of public lies.
  • Explores Miami’s tolerance for candidates with checkered pasts, and the implications of transparency and accountability.
  • Quote: "Her father was a serial killer, but Monique Pardo Pope may be a serial liar, and she is now just one ballot away from being a Miami Beach City commissioner." – Billy [06:46]

2. Endorsements: Trump, Identity Politics, and the Mayoral Race

• Trump Endorses Gonzalez ([07:04]–[11:43])

  • Billy and Emilio discuss Trump's endorsement, how it has shifted the narrative, and whether the race is a referendum on Trump.
  • Gonzalez positions himself as pragmatic, willing to accept help from any sitting president, while downplaying the national politics infiltrating municipal concerns.
  • Quote: "I would never, ever tell a sitting president, no, I don’t want your endorsement." – Emilio Gonzalez [10:35]

• Partisan Tension in a 'Non-Partisan' Race ([11:43]–[14:17])

  • Billy questions the impact of the "MAGA mayor" label and whether Gonzalez has changed since the summer, when he was previously championed by pro-democracy groups.
  • Gonzalez argues partisan toxicity misses the point of local service: “Nice parks. There aren’t Republican parks and Democratic parks.” – Emilio Gonzalez [14:45]

3. Infrastructure, Corruption, and Governance

• Flooding, Climate Change, and Infrastructure ([16:04]–[18:47])

  • Discusses Miami’s flooding issues, necessity of working with state and federal governments, regardless of climate change politics.
  • Emphasizes having relationships with politicians on both sides, using them for the city’s benefit: "Call it what you want...I need money for this." – Emilio Gonzalez [17:20]

• Weaponization of City Government ([18:47]–[19:54])

  • Billy points out the hypocrisy of complaining about weaponized government at city level while accepting national figures accused of the same.
  • Emilio focuses on local governance, avoiding “declaring war” on higher authorities (e.g., ICE, DOJ) and prioritizing residents' needs.

4. Ambitious Proposals for Miami

• Tax Reform: Elimination of Homestead Property Taxes

  • Gonzalez proposes phasing out property taxes for homestead-exempt residents ([23:27]–[25:42]):
    • Claims it's less than 7% of city revenue, savings could be found via efficiency.
    • Quote: "You mean to tell me you can't find $7 million in efficiencies in a $3 billion budget?"

• The Death Tax and Housing Affordability ([30:22]–[31:37])

  • Raises issue of families unable to inherit homes due to surging valuations and taxes.
  • Describes it as another front in keeping Miami accessible to life-long locals.

• Health Insurance for City Residents ([31:37]–[32:58])

  • Suggests city residents should have access to the same health insurance offered to city officials.

• Childcare, Elder Care & Societal Support ([33:13]–[34:45])

  • Miami should expand child and elder care programs, with the city as both provider and facilitator.
  • Quote: "Let's not so much concentrate on the guy that pays $30 million for a penthouse." – Emilio Gonzalez [33:50]

5. Transparency & Accountability in City Management

• Day-One Pledges for Reform ([44:46]–[46:12])

  • Forensic audit, new city manager, permitting and procurement task forces, a citizens’ bill of rights, and open commission meetings.
  • Will not tolerate unethical behavior, even if not criminal.
  • Quote: “I look forward to firing that first person because…you’ve got to be able to—people have to be able to say, wow, this guy fired Billy, shit, he’s serious.” – Emilio Gonzalez [46:12]

• Restoring Civic Trust & Democracy ([47:09]–[47:53])

  • Residents’ top concern is corruption and lack of choice—animosity towards politicians who attempted to cancel or manipulate elections.

6. Immigration and Community Fear

• ICE Collusion & Resident Fears ([39:08]–[44:10])
  • Billy recounts emotional public testimony from Miami’s immigrant community, questioning Gonzalez on the ICE partnership (287g).
  • Gonzalez, former federal immigration director, pledges to support the immigrant community, plans for a new immigration services coordinator.
  • Draws a line: would not shield serious criminals but would offer resources and advocacy to law-abiding immigrants.
  • Quote: “I am the immigration director who is going to be the mayor of the city of Miami. Immigration director who will be mayor of the city with the largest immigrant population.” – Emilio Gonzalez [42:39]

7. Developer Influence & Candidate Distinctions

• GOP Hugger vs. Developer’s Darling ([49:36]–[52:59])

  • Gonzalez responds to criticism of being labeled “MAGA” and positions himself as more substantive than Higgins ("developer’s darling").
  • Critiques Higgins’ strong developer ties and fundraising, describes his own agenda as family-focused and anti-corruption.

• Memorable Miami Moments & Local Political Color ([54:13]–[55:36])

  • Ends with a tongue-in-cheek reflection on past Miami political chaos, corruption, and outlandish commission meetings.
  • Quote: “You know why? #BecauseMiami.” – Billy [55:36]

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Selected Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• "Her father was a serial killer, but Monique Pardo Pope may be a serial liar, and she is now just one ballot away from being a Miami Beach City commissioner."
  – Billy [06:46]

• "I would never, ever tell a sitting president, no, I don’t want your endorsement. I welcome it."
  – Emilio Gonzalez [10:35]

• "Nice parks. There aren’t Republican parks and Democratic parks. Nice parks."
  – Emilio Gonzalez [14:45]

• "Call it what you want...I need money for this. I can go to Washington and say, you know what? I need your help with this."
  – Emilio Gonzalez [17:20]

• "I want a Miami that works for everybody. I want to be the mayor that does the heavy lifting."
  – Emilio Gonzalez [15:10]

• "The city’s corrupt, the city’s broken, the city’s this. I don’t trust my commissioners. They’re in it for everybody up there."
  – Emilio Gonzalez [46:58]

• "I am the immigration director who is going to be the mayor of the city of Miami."
  – Emilio Gonzalez [42:39]

• "Let's not so much concentrate on the guy that pays $30 million for a penthouse."
  – Emilio Gonzalez [33:50]

• "There's nothing wrong, quite frankly, with being, as they call me, a Republican that actually cares as opposed to being a Democrat that doesn't care."
  – Emilio Gonzalez [52:37]

• "You know why? #BecauseMiami."
  – Billy [55:36]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Monique Pardo Pope Scandal: [02:38]–[07:04]
• Trump Endorsement/Partisanship: [07:04]–[14:45]
• Flooding & Climate Issues: [16:04]–[18:47]
• Weaponization of Government: [18:47]–[19:54]
• Day-One Reform Commitments: [44:46]–[46:12]
• Immigration & ICE Concerns: [39:08]–[44:10]
• Debate on Developer Influence: [49:36]–[52:59]
• Classic Miami Corruption Stories: [54:13]–[55:36]

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Tone and Style

The tone is sharp, irreverent, and detail-oriented, with hosts unafraid to call out hypocrisy, absurdity, or corruption. Gonzalez matches this candor, offering wonky details and bold proposals, often laced with humor and local flavor. Miami’s messy charm and unique political dysfunction are front and center, making for a gripping, quintessentially 'Because Miami' listen.

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For Further Listening

Listeners interested in South Florida politics, urban governance, and the wild world of Miami’s city culture will find this episode a must-listen—especially for the direct, policy-specific discourse often missing from national political coverage.

Transcript

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[Billy]

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[Host]

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[Billy]

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[Host]

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[Billy]

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[Host]

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[Billy]

Smirnoff.

[Host]

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[Billy]

Smirnoff.

[Host]

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[Billy]

Smirnoff.

[Host]

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[Billy]

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[Host]

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[Billy]

Smirnoff.

[Host]

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[Emilio Gonzalez]

Me?

[Billy]

No.

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[Emilio Gonzalez]

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What are you doing here?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Cuervo. Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.

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Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out, especially.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

For one of our great partners, sweet, delicious Cuervo.

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[Emilio Gonzalez]

Cuervo.

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[Emilio Gonzalez]

Cuervo.

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The tequila that invented tequila.

[Billy]

Proximo.

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[Emilio Gonzalez]

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[Billy]

Chevrolet Together let's drive.

I just filed a bar complaint against attorney Monique Pardo Pope, the Miami Beach Commission candidate whose father was a notorious coke dealing, corrupt cop, neo Nazi serial killer executed by the state of Florida in 2012 after Governor R. Scott signed his death warrant. This is not about the sins of the father. This is about the lies of the daughter. And now the Florida Bar is announcing this week that they launched an official inquiry and opened a disciplinary file on her. Only 25% of complaints progressed to this stage. All because Monique Pardo Pope is still trying to hide her secret past from voters. Her father, Manuel Pardo, who believed Hitler was a great man, murdered nine people in cold blood, shooting, beating and stabbing them. His only regret, he said, is that he didn't murder 99 people.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

The only regret that I have is.

[Billy]

That instead of nine, I wish I.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Could have been up here for 99.

[Billy]

He spoke extensively of his hatred for Jews, blacks, gays and lesbians. His apartment was filled with Hitler books, a Nazi flag on the wall and a pet Doberman he reportedly tattooed with a swastika. Why did she hide this from voters? And why does she refuse to answer direct questions about it? Should someone so intensely against transparency and accountability be an elected official? While she was very young, 1986, when he committed these heinous crimes, from 2013 to 2018, well into adulthood and after she'd become an attorney and member of the Florida bar, Monique Pardo Pope repeatedly celebrated her Hitler loving father on social media. My hero, my Guardian Angel. In September 2015, when she was 34, she called him my guiding light in the sky, my eternal best friend. In 2018, at age 37, she wrote, there's no one better suited to have been my daddy. And I will forever be proud to have been your little girl.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

For you to understand my motive, what I did, because I want my daughter.

[Billy]

To be proud of her father and.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

My family to be part of my.

[Billy]

Father, she wrote, I would travel those thousands of miles each weekend once more if it meant just one more day with you. She's apparently referring to trips to visit her father on death row. He was there from 1986 until he was put to death in 2012 when she was 32 years old, what did they talk about? How did it shape her? What made her so proud of him, and what was so heroic about him? Setting aside his horrific crimes, what we know about Manuel Pardo's beliefs are not inconsistent with Monique Pardo Pope's current views. For example, as a child, we used to have to say the pledge of the be just in the morning and.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Pray in the classroom. Nowadays that's illegal, unconstitutional. But it is illegal to allow homosexuals to teach their children and allow communists.

[Billy]

To teach our children.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

So what does that tell you?

[Billy]

We're being destroyed internally. I sent a message and I just.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Hope some other people carry on my work.

[Billy]

Monique Pardo Pope is not only proud of him, she seems to be carrying on some of his work. A few months ago, she appeared at an event of the Christian Family Coalition, an ultra conservative organization at the forefront of Florida's most discriminatory anti LGBTQ plus policies, extremist anti abortion legislation, and ending the separation of church and state. As a lawyer, Monique Pardo Pope has an obligation to the truth. Yet she's equivocated on the facts of her father's case, misrepresenting the court's findings on his mental state, and as my bar complaint details, she even outright lied about the outcome of litigation involving me in order to smear the messenger, inventing a defamatory lie that I lost a lawsuit that I actually won. Best case scenario, she's incompetent and doesn't know how to do the most basic legal research. Worst case, she's a malicious deceiver willing to spread lies without compunction. Either way, she's grossly unqualified for the position she's running for and perhaps even the profession she's in. Her father was a serial killer, but Monique Pardo Pope may be a serial liar, and she is now just one ballot away from being a Miami Beach City commissioner and President Trump weighing in on the Miami mayor's race. He endorsed Emilio Gonzalez for Miami mayor on social media Yesterday, in a post on Truth Social, the President released a statement saying in part that Emilio strongly supports our incredible law enforcement, military and veterans and knows the wisdom and courage it takes to ensure law and order. Gonzalez came in second place after Miami Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who is endorsed by Miami Dade Mayor Danielle Levine Cava. That runoff election is scheduled for December 9. It is the end of an era. On Tuesday, December 9, we will have a new mayor in the city of Miami. Francis Suarez.

Will not only be gone, he'll be I guess sort of retired from politics for now and is term limited for life. He served eight years as a city commissioner, eight years as a city mayor. And now, according to 79% of the voters of the city of Miami, cannot run for office in the city of Miami ever again. Whatever will he do now? If you put garbage in, you're going to get garbage out. So one of the two people who will be mayor next week, Emilio Gonzalez, is here joining us. Mogatov, to you on your, your endorsement from, from the president. I also also invited his opponent, former county Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who has been on the program before. I did not hear back from her or her campaign friend. Have a surrogate surrogate here. Friend, former friend of the show, friend without benefits of the show. And we have Eileen Higgins, surrogate over here. Christian Ulvert is joining us on the program. Christian, thank you so much for, for being here. That's sort of an inside Miami politics, inside baseball joke. Nonetheless, we will be volleying some questions to him during the program to see what he has. Chances are you may have better answers than, than Eileen Higgins would. It's a little disappointing that she's not here, but it says, oh, so much.

Confidence level. I would actually say, Emilio, so let's start there. There's been a lot of before we get into the endorsement and the politics behind this race, there is a sense of confidence. Some may call it overconfidence on the part of Eileen Higgins and her campaign. Some may call it hubris. They sort of feel like she is already won or been anointed. What's your take?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

All of the above. Overconfidence, confidence and hubris. She was competing against one person in this primary that we had. She was competing against Ken Russell. I was competing against 12 other people. She did very well. I did well. But now everything's changing and everybody's coalescing and the voters are finally figuring out who can do the best job, who stands for what. And we're working it and we're working it hard. And I'm not leaving any stone unturned. I go to every single event pretty much that I'm invited to. I'm not afraid to go into uncharted territory, if you will, because I think the voters need to know who we are and what we stand for.

[Billy]

Christian, over your thoughts.

Very good. I want to get into that a little bit more about the differences between the two candidates, which are, which are numerous. But before we do, in the cold open, we had that clip which definitely changed the race. Some would argue Defined the race. Miami Herald headline from that week before Thanksgiving, Trump just turned Miami's mayoral race into a referendum on himself. This is dicey territory politically. You've got a president who did not win the city of Miami last year. He's arguably less popular now, judging by his record low polls. Is this a referendum on Donald Trump this election?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

You know, I don't really think so, Billy. I think more than anything else, the president is now a resident of the state of Florida. Clearly, Miami is a city where potentially his library will be. So he follows events in Florida, and particularly South Florida. It was an opportunity for him to endorse me. I would never, ever tell a sitting president, no, I don't want your endorsement. I welcome it. The governor endorsed me. Both our senators endorsed me. By the way, Eileen has been endorsed by the county mayor, by the Florida Democratic Party, by numerous members of Congress. So this did eventually turn into a very partisan race. I will tell you that long before I even filed, she was campaigning as the trusted Democrat. That is to say, she put that label on herself and I did not. You know, I wanted to respect the NPA aspect and no party affiliation aspect of the race. The president got on board. The governor got on board. Everybody understands that. There's concern about what would happen to Miami if somebody with her qualifications, or for that matter, lack of qualifications, were to take over the city again. Does it move the needle? I hope so. But I'm still out there. I'm not hiding from anybody. I'm not hiding from this very subject.

[Billy]

Well, what choice you have? I mean, it's right out. I mean, it's out there, way out there, you know?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

And again, you know, listen, if President Biden had wanted to say, hey, you know what? Emilio's a great guy, fine, thanks.

[Billy]

Really, really. Is that true? I would some outside chance that Joe Biden was still president and he endorsed you for Miami Mayor.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

What's true is that I would take the. I would accept it. He's a sitting president. You know, he is a sitting president, and that's something that you cannot in good conscience say. You know what? Nah, I'm not interested in your endorsement. Take it back.

[Billy]

But let me ask you this, though. If you could talk now. Talk. You are talking now, too. As a proud npa, Donald Trump was a Democrat a lot longer than I was a Democrat. But as a proud npa, for the vast majority of my voting life, since I turned 18 in 1996 and voted for Ross Perot, by the way, I've been in NPA and I. I love nonpartisan municipal elections. I'm not a big fan of these constitutional offices that we've created. I'm even less of a fan that they're partisan. I really do like a partisan race. I don't like the toxicity that. And tribalism that seeps in to races when they get partisan. Because it's really about what's best for this community from the government that serves you on a minute by minute basis, which is what local government does. But here's my question. Speaking to Democrats and NPAs who last summer saw you as a different brand. They saw you as a savior of democracy and the election. You were the, as we've talked about ad nauseam on this show, the only candidate, the only person who sued the city of Miami to restore the election that the mayor and the city commission had canceled in order to gift themselves an extra year in office. It was an act of insanity. You were the only person who stood up to it. I had Eileen Higgins sitting in that very chair some. Some time ago, asking her why, A, she didn't join the fight and B, why she then fundraised on it the day. The day that you took credit for that you lost and was privately telling people, oh, this one year delay in the election actually benefits me. While she was telling me a totally different story. Maybe that's not why. Maybe that's why she's not here again today. Chris, what are your thoughts on this?

Sorry. In the interest of equal time here, I just wanted to. Anyway, so talk to MPAs and Democrats who may have felt like you were their guy over the summer, but now you have this MAGA mayor thing that may be a turnoff to some of them.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

I would tell them that nothing has changed. Okay? And people were attacking me. Members of the Democratic Executive Committee were attacking me before I even filed. Billy. They were calling me the MAGA mayor. They were saying, and these are all flyers that I got at home, that I'm doing away with public education, that I'm doing away with health care for seniors. And then when I actually, I don't.

[Billy]

Know what the mayor of Miami has to do with any of those things, but this is why partisan politics is so stupid in these races.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Absolutely. Listen, I agree. In municipal elections, I vote for the person, okay? Because you know what? You want somebody who's competent. Okay, you know what I want? Make sure that my streets are safe. I want to make sure that the elderly are taken care of. I want to make sure that we don't flood. That's not a partisan Issue. Nice parks. There aren't Republican parks and Democratic parks. Nice parks. But my point is right out of the chute, they started with the, you know, innuendo and, you know, defamation. And you're going to do this. Folks, I haven't even filed yet, and they were already piling on. And what that tells you is that they were afraid I was going to get in the race and that I was going to be a force to reckon with. And they're right, because nothing has changed. You know what? The president has endorsed me. Nothing has changed my policy state. I have not adjusted any of my policy positions after the endorsement or before the. It's the same person. I want a Miami that works for everybody. I want a Miami. Listen, and this sounds a little trite, but I tell people this all the time. I don't want to just be the next mayor, because if I wanted to be the next mayor, let somebody else be the next mayor. I wanted to be the mayor that does the heavy lifting. I want to be the mayor that takes big, bold projects and delivers. That's the guy I want to be. I don't want to be the next guy.

[Billy]

I want to get into that heavy lifting. In just a moment. I do want to say, nor do I believe that you have to answer for all of the policies and comments for this president having accepted his endorsement. But there are issues that overlap these municipal, local issues. You specifically mentioned flooding, which for those of us who have lived in this community as long as you have. As long as I have. It doesn't require a culture war or an argument about science. We can just trust our eyes and see how things have gotten worse over time. Which neighborhoods are being disproportionately impacted by. You want to call it climate change. Sea level rise. It's flooding is what's happening. We on sunny days. So. But do you see when. When you have endorsements from a governor or from a president who says that we're going to ban the word climate change. There's such thing as global. There's no that people get concerned because they live in Miami and they're building arcs because, like, it feels like it's time.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Forget climate change. We get a. We get a brief shower and Brickell floods. Okay, but I'll turn that on. I'll turn that argument on its head, okay? Because nothing that the city does that is consequential with regards to infrastructure, we're going to do by ourselves. We don't have the money for that. You know, 75% of our budget is salaries, benefits, and pensions. So that leaves very little money with which to address key issues. But because of what you just said, I have the wherewithal to go to Tallahassee to talk to the governor and say, you know what, call it what you want. I need money for this. I can go to Washington and say, you know what? I need your help with this. That is something that I can leverage, not the other way around. We have a situation in Miami where the residents don't take the government serious. The residents fear. We talk about weaponization of government a lot, by the way. I am a victim of that weaponization of government. But the bottom line is that a lot of folks aren't really involved because of retribution. So now you have weaponization. I've got folks that tell me, hey, I want to support you, but I'm trying to figure out a way how to do it and have nobody find out. Well, why? Why? Because I'm afraid the city will shut my business down. And I mean, these are serious people. These are not, you know, insignificant, small bodega owners. These are heavy, heavy hitters in Miami that are afraid that their projects are going to be shut down. So, again, nothing has changed. And I have an endorsement from the governor. I have an endorsement from both our senators. Fine. I will go to Washington and I will sit with everybody and I'll say, look, you know what? I need your help. Call it what you want. Miami needs your help, and I expect you to deliver.

[Billy]

I don't want to belabor the point, but you brought something up. The weaponization of government, which has been a key topic in the city of Miami. We watched it happen transparently, in broad daylight, right from the dais. We've heard testimony from countless people who have witnessed it, experienced it, it, been victims of it, memorialized it. We have a 63 and a half million dollar civil federal judgment against Joe Carollo for doing just that. Is there not some incongruity, though? We're sitting here talking about the weaponization of government, and we have a president who is now famously and openly and transparently weaponizing government against his enemies and weaponizing the DOJ and even the Department of War, whatever it's called now. Meaning is there not some concern that. But like I said, there's an incongruity, if not a hypocrisy there.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

The concerns are valid. But I will tell you that I would be committing mayoral malpractice, if you will, for lack of a better term, if I want to make that the beach. I'm Going to die on and not worry about my residents.

You can only be against stuff so many times. I want to be for things. I want to be the best mayor the city has. If, if our federal government, if our state government is conducting itself in a way that a lot of people disagree with, fine. That's why we live in a democracy. But I don't want to be the one like other mayoral cities. I'll mention one. You've got, you know, Michelle Wu in Boston, who's basically declared war against the federal government you've got in Seattle, where, you know, ICE is more under attack than the delinquentes. That's not me. That's not me. I want to serve our public and by the way. And I want to use. And I want to use these connections. Listen, one of the beautiful things about being old is that, you know, you've been around for so long, you know everybody, right? So I want to use that to our advantage. Why would I want to start as mayor declaring war on a federal department? It makes absolutely no sense for the people that live here.

[Amin]

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[Billy]

Big projects. You talked about undertaking big projects. Before we get into one of my favorite subjects, I want you to be able to elaborate on that. What do you mean by that when you say that?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Listen, I want to do away with property taxes for homestead exemption residents. It can be done. The math will allow us to do it.

I want to talk to the state about doing away with the death tax if you want. I can go through these if you like. We have calculated that the city of Miami's budget, which by the way, has grown exponentially in the last five years, probably doubled. But our standard of living has not doubled. Our quality of life has not doubled. So we figure that homestead exemption properties produce about $102 million a year for the city budget.

[Billy]

102 sounds low.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Very. It's less than 7% of the total budget.

[Billy]

Where's the rest of it come from?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

It comes from fees from all the commercial buildings, all the high rises and so forth. Remember, we're talking about single family residents that have a three bedroom house somewhere in Shenandoah.

[Billy]

103 million, roughly.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Okay. We also just had the state CFO come and say, you know what, Miami residents, you guys have been taxed over, taxed to the tune of $95 million. And that includes all sorts of waste and fraud. So you're looking at a delta of $7 million. You mean to tell me you can't find $7 million in efficiencies in a 3 billion dollar budget. You almost have to try not to be able to do that. So again, it isn't. By the way, I don't know, not too many people know this. When I was a city mayor, I was a city manager for two years. My second year budget was actually $100 million less than my first year budget. We didn't miss a beat. We just looked for efficiencies. That's one area that I think we could be incredibly innovative and putting more money in our residents pockets. Housing is expensive here. Okay?

[Billy]

Living here is expensive, I've noticed.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Yeah, I think we all have. But you know what? The city of Miami is not going to build you a house. We don't have a housing authority. We can't have. The federal government won't allow any more housing authorities. So the idea is to put more money in people's pockets. And you start, by the way, this isn't an end all. You start there and then you start look for other opportunities.

[Billy]

The state of Florida may usurp all of this anyway by putting some sort of state constitutional amendment on the ballot. And if it makes it to the ballot, obviously people are going to vote. It will eliminate it.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Will pass.

[Billy]

It will pass, yes. People are going to vote to eliminate it. I don't know that they fully understand that. I don't necessarily know that it's the best idea, but I do want to get into the specifics on it with the city of Miami. You mentioned the $94 million that the CFO of the state, Blazing Golia came in and announced. But that was not exactly a forensic accountant. He was. They were talking about the increase in budget over a period of time based on inflation, based on certain formulas and calculations and rather than actually looking at line items. I mean, if you ask me, where's waste? I can, I could off the top of my head, I could name several, you know, five or you know, one.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Of the things that blaze eight figure. One of the things that Blaze did is essentially at the macro level. Right. And a very interesting statistic. Miami's population has grown by only 23,000 people. It costs something like $15,000 per person in services.

[Billy]

Seems like a lot per person.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

A family of four moves to Miami, it's going to cost $60,000 worth of service. Those are at the macro levels. But you're absolutely right. Look, they won day one. I said I am going to conduct a forensic audit of the city budget. I want to know where the money is. Why? Because anybody can promise anything but you know what? You got to pay for it. I told you, 75% of our budget is salaries, pensions, and benefits. That leaves 25% to actually do stuff.

[Billy]

You've just brought up a very important point. Most of the budget, most of the money that these cities spend, that taxpayers are paying for is to pay people who no longer work at the city. Yes, that bottom line, am I wrong? They're paying them to not work at the city anymore. I'm not saying that they didn't earn it. I'm not saying nobody has. I mean, there's. I don't think any private industry offers, like, real pensions in that form anymore. But my question is this. You're never going to solve that problem. It's an imbroglia, no pun intended. But like, but, but what I'm saying is that if you start cutting from the budget, it's not gonna be from that 75% per se of pensions that you're obligated to pay out. It's gonna wind up being from services that the current residents and homeowners and business owners need in the city. Right. I'm not saying there's not waste there. I'm just saying, like, how do you.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Just to give you an idea, when I was a city manager, somebody handed me a piece of paper when we were looking at the budget. It had like eight names on them, and they were eight City of Miami employees who in retirement made over $50,250,000 a year.

[Billy]

I'm in the wrong line of work. I get it.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

2, 5, 0. There's eight of them at least. Okay, but what I'm saying is, is that through efficiencies, we won't know. Listen, think of all the garbage that the city.

[Billy]

But you can't. There's. That's zero savings there. All of those people. There's zero savings on those pensions.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Absolutely, absolutely. But once you do a forensic audit on everything to include, by the way, the, the contracts for police and fire. Let's take a look at those. I'm not saying that we're going to destroy anything. But what I'm saying is that we have not been faithful stewards of the taxpayer.

[Billy]

Well, that's a fact.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

And we need to just at least put a marker down and say, you know what? Why are we buying this? Who let this contract out? Who won the contract? Those are questions that. I don't find those to be unique, unreasonable questions because nobody has been able to come up with the right answer. Remember the famous $400 million bond for resiliency and affordable housing.

[Billy]

I remember.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Where is it? I asked that rhetorically, you know, I'm sure they're spending it somewhere. I know that they have plans to spend it. A lot of it has been unspent six, seven years later. Why so again? And I think that my going in there day one, I know what to look for. And I'm going to ask all those questions and I'm going to say, hey, you know what? Let's talk about this line item and that line item. And who let this RFP out and what were the requirements? And oh, by the way, who won? You know, businesses don't want to compete here anymore. Why? Guess what? They think this is a corrupt city and they know who already is going to win before they even let the RFP out.

[Billy]

I think, by the way, not a good parody song for the show. Roy, who let the RFP out? I don't. I don't. I don't think. I don't think the street. I don't know what that. No, I don't know. So I appreciate the specificity of day one forensic audit. I don't know that I've heard those kinds of specifics from your opponent. Hang on. Should we ask any, any specifics on day one? We're. Okay, never mind.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

So the other one that I feel very strongly about is what I call the death tax. Okay. I have a really nice house that I paid a very modest amount for because of the valuations in Miami Dade County. My house is worth like 15 times what I paid for it.

[Billy]

People in Miami cannot afford to live in the homes they built.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Correct.

[Billy]

With their own hands.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

So the day I pass, my daughter won't be able to inherit my house. Why? Because the valuation on that house will be so high that the real estate taxes will go from about the 6,000 that I paid.

[Billy]

You would have been grandfathered in. And she will not be.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

So. So in. My point is she'll be forced to sell and move. And you know, my house will.

[Billy]

Because even with all that money, she won't be able to afford to live in Miami.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

She'll have to move to Arkansas, you know, so. Not that there's anything wrong with Arkansas. So, you know, that's a, that's a.

[Ad Read Announcer]

State issue about that.

[Billy]

I don't know about that. Would you accept, would you accept the endorsement of the governor of Arkansas?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

I don't know the governor of Arkansas.

[Billy]

I bet you would, actually. But, hey, it's Sarah Huckabee now that you mentioned Sanders.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

She got married.

[Billy]

Sarah Huckabee Huckabee Sanders. She married the Colonel Holland.

Who let the RFP out. Roy?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

No.

[Billy]

All right.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

So again, by the way, this is a state issue. There's gotta be a formula. There's gotta be a way where there's a portability, if you will, so that I can leave my house to my daughter, you can leave your house to your kids and not have them forced to sell because the real estate taxes went from $6,000 to $90,000, which, by the way, nobody in this city makes $90,000. Basically, you can't find a house here for less than half a million dollars. And if you do, buy it quickly, because it won't be on the market long. So, again, these are the big issues. Another one. And tell me when you want me to stop. Listen, as mayor, I'm entitled to health insurance, which, by the way, I never accepted when I was a manager because I didn't need it. But why couldn't the rest of the city of Miami residents be eligible for the same health insurance that their mayor and commissioners are entitled to? We're not going to pay for it. We'll make them eligible. They can then negotiate with whatever provider. I think it's only fair. You know, these are the things that I think, by the way, I think the number of uninsured residents of the city of Miami is about 6. 16% of our residents are completely uninsured.

[Billy]

It sounds terrible. Is that unusually high for a major city?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

I think it's high. It's not unusually high, but it's high. And by the way, if you have a great insurance, keep it. I kept mine. So these are things that we want to do.

[Billy]

Is that just, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Was that what. No, just Obama. No, no, no, no, no, no.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

By the way, President Obama will not be in charge of this program. Program. Let's just put it that way.

[Billy]

Will President Trump.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

But again, listen, another issue. Childcare and elder care. You have working families that have to decide whether to stay home and take care of the kids or work, because it costs like, 14, $15,000 a child.

[Billy]

Just don't leave the children in the car. It's too hot.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Yeah, in the summer. That's why we have.

[Billy]

We're like, by the pool. No gate, by the way.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

That's why we have a county heat officer to tell us these things.

[Billy]

Thank God.

Christian, what do you think? Christian? Overt. All right.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

So you've got child care, elder care. I mean, all of these things are things that we should consider as.

[Billy]

And the city could help provide or subsidize or.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

That's why I use the tagline families first. Let's help our residents first. Let's not so much concentrate on the guy that pays $30 million for a penthouse.

[Billy]

I don't want to say it's socialism, Emilio.

It sounds like socialism. Now listen, you. And I could say, like, the measure of a. Of a functioning society, particularly a wealthy society, is how you take care of your. You have the people who are less fortunate or are in sick or in. From your children. You're elderly. And certainly it's helpful for the economy, I would argue, to have childcare and elder care opportunities because it gets people out, as you said, out into the workforce and involved in the economy.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

By the way, the city of Miami.

[Billy]

Riding the Metro Rail with Eileen Higgins.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Just to give you an example, the first week or so I became the city manager, I was informed that the city operates three childcare centers. I had no clue. Did you know that?

[Billy]

No.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

The city operates three. They're city employees. I went to visit all three of them and I'm like, wow, these people are doing wonderful work. Now, mind you, seems like a great idea, but coming from a guy that I'm thinking, you know, there are some things that the city should do and some that they don't, but. But, you know, childcare is probably not one of them. Completely convinced otherwise. Not only did I agree with it, I went back and asked the directors, I said, what do you need? What do you need from me? And they said, I need 1, 2, 3, I need money. I need this. I gotta hire more. Done. Okay, so we're already doing that.

We already do that. So why can't we expand that fan a little bit, Especially if it helps our working people.

[Billy]

It gets the city moving. It does. It's a heartbeat in the city, like you said. I mean, like when you have to take care of an elderly family member, you have to take care of children. Everything stops. Productivity stops. Your life stops everything.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Here's another one, Permitting, which we all hate.

[Billy]

It seems fine.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Yeah. Affects everything, right? So why can't we. By the way, I've already said day one, I'm going to put together a permitting task force that will report back in 30 days best practices or probably.

[Billy]

Just a Molotov cocktail. No, no, I told mix me a Molotov.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

I'm convinced. And I've said publicly, I said, you know, if we blow up the permitting department and take a step back, let's see what works best. No permitting or what we have now. But let me give you an example. You've got a single family home in Shenandoah and all of a sudden I wish I did and wish you did. And you need to take care of Abuela, right? Because she's getting old and infirm. You want to put an addition on your house. If you've got a contractor, if you've got an architect, if you've got an engineer, and they're all licensed and bonded in the state of Florida, why does the city of Miami have to show up at your house and inspect it 47 times? At that point, the city should just be the repository of the plans. Build Abuela's house, take care of Abuela. Let's get small businesses moving. If you don't get a permit and say 120 days, consider it approved. These are the bold things that are going to make people take notice that we live in a 20, 25 city that's organized as a 1975 city. And that's got to stop.

[Billy]

Hey, Amin here. And the NBA on Prime is back tonight with another great doubleheader. The action starts with one of the best rivalries in sports as Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers face Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics. Then Cooper Flag and the Dallas Mavericks.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Meet SGA and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

[Billy]

And if you're not a Prime member, that's not a problem. Sign up for a 30 day free trial to get started today. The Lakers and Celtics, the Mavericks and Thunder coverage starts tonight at 6:30pm Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details.

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[Billy]

Checkout.

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[Billy]

I gotta ask this question because call it a federal policy that does dramatically impact people in particularly a city like Miami, a city of immigrants, a city where, what is it, 60%?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

What is the percentage, 60, 70% were born outside this, outside the country.

[Billy]

And I'm going to ask it in the context of the 287 Agreement, which is a partnership program of ICE and local law enforcement agencies of which city of Miami and city Miami Police Department has one. I was at that meeting. It was one of the most attended meetings, if not the highest attended meeting at public comment that I've ever seen, let alone attended. And it was, it was really, really powerful because this was not a bunch of latte drinking, liberal, east coast elitist white activists. This was an immigrant community coming forward, despondent, broken in many ways, sharing the most powerful and distressing stories of sacrificing everything, separating from their families, traversing shark infested waters, risking their lives, people who had lost family and in, in the journey and the risk to experience freedom and the American dream here in Miami. They were begging, they were pleading. It was really powerful and, and it really affected me in ways that I didn't realize that it would. Sitting there and hearing these people. I don't know if you've watched any of it, but it's really well worth a watch just to see how people feel about this and how it experiences their lives. What do you say to those people who would be your constituents who are scared in their own homes, in their own country, in their own community because they feel that their police department is colluding with ICE to send them away maybe to a country that they weren't born in, that they've never seen that, that maybe they were born into, but don't even remember because they were single digits when their parents put them on an airplane with a Catholic priest in Pedro Pond and sent them to this strange country which became the only home they. It was powerful shit, dude. And it was hard not to be really moved by it and to really put a face and a name and stories onto these things that we sometimes think of as being very archaic. What do you say to those people to reassure them?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Billy, I. I spent two years as a federal immigration director and it is probably the best job I ever had. And I got to tell you, for me personally as an immigrant, to be able to establish immigration policy, carry it out, be able to help people, that was powerfully moving in itself. I used to get mail, you know, I don't like people reading my mail. So whenever somebody would write a letter to Director De la Migra, the letter would make its way to my desk in stubby little pencil, and I would read every single one. And every one of them was a heartbreak. I had to call parents whose kids were killed in combat, but they weren't citizens yet. I naturalized over 150 soldiers that died in battle, but that were not US citizens. By the way, the immigration director has the power to posthumously naturalize those people. So the idea that you would have a mayor that is uncaring, I think is a fallacy. I. I am the immigration director who is going to be the mayor of the city of Miami. Immigration director who will be mayor of the city with the largest immigrant population. I will flip the argument on its head. I know where to go, I know who to talk to. I've already said publicly that one of the first hires that I'm going to make is I'm going to create an immigration services coordinator for the city of Miami. All big cities do. New York City has an immigration commissioner. We should have this same. And we should have a clearinghouse for people who are distressed, who have a problem, who may be their attorneys have turned on them.

[Billy]

People might be scared to reach out to that office or come to that.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Office, but that's because me, as the immigration former immigration director is the mayor. I'm going to be there to tell them, you know what? I'm here for you. I know who to call, I know who to go see in Washington if somebody crosses the line. The 287 program is very controversial. I believe the city of Miami is limited to three officers and they're kind of on call. To my knowledge, they're not always assigned to dhs. And again, I will always, always advocate for my community, for my imminent immigrant community, but I'm never going to ever advocate what other mayors in large cities do, which is, you got a, you got a thief, a thug, a rapist, a murderer. Oh, no, let's put them back on the street because I don't want to give this person to ice. No, that's never going to happen.

And it happens now, by the way. And it happens now.

[Billy]

So before we go, you've already said that, Day one, you're going to Do a forensic audit. I imagine you're going to. You said it on CBS that you're going to be replacing the city matter. You're going to be hiring a new city manager, obviously, with the, the consultation, I suppose, of the, of the commission. What other? Day one. When I say day one, that could be week one, it could be month one. What are some of the initial, you know, top line things that you are, that would make things different, that would let people know that's a new era in Miami.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

I want a forensic audit. I'm going to pick a new city manager within the week. I want to create an immediate task force on permitting, an immediate task force on procurement. I want to publish a citizens Bill of Rights, which does exist in every city agency, so that residents, when they go in, they know what their rights are. They know that their rights can't be trampled. I've already said that I'm going to chair the commission. And not only am I going to chair the commission, I'm going to let anybody speak about anything they want not. Hey, if it's not on the agenda, be quiet and go home. No, you want a minute to talk about something that's not on gm, knock yourself out. That's what a representative democracy stands for. And that's not what we've had in the past, by the way. I want to have Saturday meetings. In fact, I'm thinking my first meeting will be on a Saturday, just to break the mold. People can show up right now. They have to juggle. Do I go to the meeting? Do I go to work? Am I going to get fired? Sometimes you show up at a meeting and then they cancel the meeting or they don't want to hear your item or that's deferred when you. Any number of things. So again, I want to do things differently. And the other thing is, as you've heard me say in Spanish.

The idea that you can get away with just about anything and you're okay, you still have a job. No. Just because it's not criminal doesn't mean I won't fire you. Okay?

If you are behaving in a way that is unprofessional, if you are abusing a resident, if you are taking advantage of your position, even if it's not criminal, you're gone. Period. And I think you have to put a marker down. And I look forward to firing that first person because I'm serious, you've got to be able to. People have to be able to say, wow, this guy fired Billy. Shit, he's serious. And that's the only way you can get people's attention to all of this stuff. Stuff. And, and then, and then we just start chopping away at everything that ails our residents. But I'm. I've got to tell you, walking the streets of the city, they all tell me the same thing. The city's corrupt, the city's broken, the city's this. I don't trust my commissioners. They're in it for everybody up there.

[Billy]

Is that top three? What. What's top three of like when you're knocking on doors, you're talking to a million people, right? Or thousands anyway. What do they. What a top three things that by.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Far, by far corruption and governability. Listen, Miami residents will tolerate everything, just about. But they won't tolerate the fact that.

[Billy]

They'Ve had no choice. They have to.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

But somebody tried to steal their election that they won't tolerate and that they remember. So when I talk to people, they're like, no, the delinquentes. They all gotta go. They all gotta go. No, no, you gotta lock em all up. I'm talking old ladies to young couples. Uh, this is unacceptable. And then after that, you get the cost of living, the issue with taxes, the issue with housing, all of those things will fall in. I've had several people tell me, you know what, just put them all in jail. And then when you do that, come back and talk to me about the homestead exemption tax.

[Billy]

I know I've said before we go a whole bunch of times, but I did want to mention this because you've been consistent on this issue of elections and restoring democracy. And I saw your statement on the appointment of. Of Vicky Lopez, which we haven't talked about on this show yet, but I intend to talk about it. It was a similar heist. It was a hijacking of democracy. And I appreciated that you posted about this because it was a nonpartisan position on a nonpartisan seat. But Vicki Lopez is very prominently, in addition to being a convicted felon whose sentence was commuted by Bill Clinton, is a Republican. I'm sure those things are unrelated. But you said. And that's not how this should go. And if I'm not mistaken, Eileen Higgins was a party to whatever scheme, whatever backdoor deal they did to anoint this woman.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Well, let's back up one. If Ms. Higgins had resigned her office the day she announced for mayor, we would have had an election this past.

[Billy]

November on the same ballot that she was on that she qualified for, and.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

We would have had a new commissioner.

[Billy]

It seems like, that should be the.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Law, dude, you would think. And then you have people that were going up before the commission and saying, hey, you know, let's have an election, I want to run. And they didn't. I tried to be consistent. You know, if I'm going to take the city of Court for not having an election, I can't in good conscience say, hey, you know what? It's okay if you don't have an election over here. You've got to be consistent. And they did what they did find that I'm sure there'll be an election. What? Probably in the next six months or so. Again, a special election brought on because one of the commissioners decided to hang on tooth and nail until the very last day so that we couldn't have an election in November.

[Billy]

I want to show you this headline, Political Cortadito. It says a GOP hugger. That's you, by the way.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Okay.

[Billy]

Versus a developer's darling. Miami's mayoral race just got defined. We talked about your MAGA credentials and your esteemed list of endorsements, but this was incredibly compelling about Eileen Higgins, because we could talk about your donors, but that list was a lit. And that fundraiser that they talk about there kind of made my stomach turn because I was like, oh, it's just the usual suspect. It's like business as usual in the city of New York.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

You know, I read that article and listen, I.

I am who I am. And I'm also, you know, you may say I'm a. You know, everybody wants to put the MAGA labor on me, right? This guy's a MAGA mayor. I don't even own a MAGA hat, let's put it that way. But I'm also a candidate regardless of the party. I'm also a candidate that has an environmental policy, that has a governability policy, that has a family for elders and children, that has a property tax policy, that has an open government policy, that has a no tolerance for crookedness policy. That's who I am. And that's something that escaped her article, by the way. And I also hear that people, by the way, in my backyard, you know, nimby, there is a humongous building going up in my backyard. I've actually named the Crane who wakes me up at 8 o' clock every morning. The crane's name is Henry. And from one day to another, this monstrosity of a building is not only going up, but it's going down. They're digging down just as much as they are building up. So it's not that I'm against development, but let's do it in a smart way. Let's think about it. Well, how is this going to affect traffic? How is it going to affect flooding? How is it going to affect the school system? That's something people don't, you know, you build all these skyscrapers. Thank God, Billy, that these are all, all part timers because if they all moved in with their three kids, one, we wouldn't be able to walk down the street, you wouldn't be able to flush the toilet again, and the kids can't go anywhere to school.

[Billy]

But what about Eileen Higgins list of sponsors concerns you or should concern residents?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

It should concern everybody because you know this whole business of her facilitating permitting, you know, you can facilitate a permit to build a 12 story building, but. But a small shop owner can't open it up. We're going to concrete the city. We're going to concrete the city. Everybody knows she's the developer's diva.

If you're a developer and you got an issue, you know who to go to. And whatever the amount is, you know who to go to. If that's what she's wanting to be famous for, fine. She should own it. My issue is let's talk about the families, let's talk about corruption, let's talk about, let's talk about flooding, let's talk about the environment, let's talk about the tree canopy. Those are things that aren't partisan. Okay? And oh, by the way, there's no money in tree canopies. You do it because it's our city. And I want my daughters and my grandson to grow up in a nice city. You know, my family lives here. They're going to live here forever. So there's nothing wrong, quite frankly, with being, as they call me, a Republican that actually cares as opposed to being a Democrat that doesn't care. Admittedly, I'm still waiting to see what it is she stands for.

[Billy]

Well, I want to give her Christian overt representing Eileen Higgins. The last word.

And that about wraps it up. So. Emilio Gonzalez, thank you for responding. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for being here and answering the questions. Still waiting to hear back from, from your girl Eileen.

[Ad Read Announcer]

My girl.

[Billy]

What's up with that?

[Ad Read Announcer]

You burn bridges, Billy. Like there's no way she's gonna contact you because there's a burnt bridge.

[Billy]

Sorry, I don't know about that. We could build a new bridge. It could be a billion dollar black widow spider bridge.

[Ad Read Announcer]

Do you realize the infrastructure in the city?

[Billy]

Well, are you Gonna, are you going to let Donald Trump build a casino across the street here? That's what I want to know. Are you gonna give that permit out?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Do you want a casino?

[Billy]

I do, actually. I really do. Don't tell anybody that. But I really do want a casino. Well, I really do.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

I'll tell you what, if we had one, I wouldn't have to fly to Vegas or.

[Billy]

Listen, I've been telling everybody, you know, they couldn't do it at the fountain. Blue genting couldn't even do it. I'm like, if anybody can get a casino in Miami, it's going to be Donald Trump. And I'm here for. I'll be first online at a blackjack tables. I can't wait. Emilio Gonzalez, thanks for being here.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Good luck to you. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it.

[Billy]

You know, Roy, as we wind down the year and the mayor's race happens next week, and these last couple of episodes, we're gonna be saying goodbye to a whole cast of characters. It really feels like a grand finale. Obviously, as you know, there'll be no more Joe Carollo.

We'll have a more formal goodbye to him next week. But as I sort of go through the memories of the years, I'm reminded of this Miami moment from a Miami City commission meeting almost two years ago now in which Frank Pichel, who is a former Miami cop from way back in the day who later became a mayoral candidate and also been arrested a handful of times as well. You know why? Hashtag because Miami Frank, Michelle showed up to a to public comment at a commission meeting a couple of years ago and just went ahead and threw out that Miami Mayor Francis Suarez had allegedly been institutionalized in a mental hospital because he's wacko. That is a direct quote. And then nobody ever said anything about it or talked about it ever again or followed up about it. You know why?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Hashtag.

[Billy]

Cocaine'S between you and Francisci has.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Spent over $25 million of our taxpayers money embezzlement to protect Joe from all the lawsuits. And Francisci, so he can travel the world to make himself presidential to run for president. That idiot that I've known since he was 8 years old. I know that he was institutionalized in a mental hospital because he was white hole. Still is. Why do we have to pay for this? Now I'm suing everybody.

[Ad Read Announcer]

Now's a good time to remember where Tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila. Cuervo, what are you doing here?

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo I show up.

[Ad Read Announcer]

Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think you could lay out especially for one of our great partners.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Ad Read Announcer]

Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Cuervo.

[Ad Read Announcer]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all. Cuervo, Cuervo, the tequila that invented tequila. Proximo, Cuervo.com, please drink responsibly.

[Emilio Gonzalez]

Cuervo.