Conexion Miami / Paying for the Menéndez lifestyle – with AMEX Rewards points

The room in the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome cost nearly $1,540 per night, totaling $4,930 for the three-night stay, and [Robert] Menendez described it in an email to Melgen as having a “king bed, work area with Internet, limestone bath with soaking tub and enclosed rain shower, [and] views of courtyard or streets.” “You call American Express Rewards and they will book it for you. It would need to be in my name,” he [Menendez] told Melgen in an email.

Replacing Marco Rubio

If as expected Sen. Marco Rubio decides to run for president, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach Counties, has stated he will run for the empty Senate seat. Problem is not all Democrats agree. In reference to Murphy, this what is being circulated: “Florida Democrats deserve a real choice in 2016 and we won’t let Wall Street Democrats pick our nominee to replace Marco Rubio,” said Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida President Susan Smith.

Money talking in Tallahassee

There’s an old saying that goes, “Money talks and bullshit walks…” It’s being applied in Tallahassee during the 60-day legislative session. According to the Miami Herald, “the lineup of legislation with traction looks like a Who’s Who of fundraising and lobbying heft.” Just to give you an idea, the sugar growers (yes, we’re talking the Fanjul brothers and others) gave $6 million to both parties in 2014 and have managed to stop the purchase of Everglades land they’ve polluted; and the HMO industry contributed $5.6 million and is now competing for state contracts to provide mental health services – something that in the past was only done by state institutions.

To fund or not to fund Medicaid

Florida lawmakers have a $4 billion difference of opinion. The difference, of course is over health care funding. The Senate’s $80.4 billion budget has a $2.2 billion hospital funding program and a $2.8 billion Medicaid expansion plan. The House’s $76.2 billion budget has neither. And it all deals with the House’s ideological problem with Obamacare – at the expense of almost a million Floridians who would be left out because of it.

SOUTHCOM housing coming to Doral

The Pentagon’s subsidiary in South Florida is quietly exploring whether to expand its office-style headquarters to function more like a traditional U.S. military base with a gated housing development across the street in a cow pasture in Doral, according to the Miami Herald. The commander of Southern Command, Marine Gen. John F. Kelly, briefly hinted at the housing ambitions in testimony last month at the Senate.

Condo or nightclub – both

Looking for a condo or a nightclub in South Beach? Or maybe you want both all in one place. Then you’ve got to check out the foyer (dubbed the “Digital Cave”) to one of the penthouses at the Bentley Bay South tower in South Beach. If you have $18.9 million lying around it could be your own private nightclub-slash-residence, and if the foyer turns you on, you should see the rest of the place, says Miami New Times.

Taddeo will challenge Curbelo

Rep. Carlos Curbelo has an opponent. Curbelo is the lobbyist turned U.S. representative whose lobbying business is now run by his wife. His client list has included Roberto and William Isaias, the Ecuadorean brothers who embezzled millions and now live in South Florida. Curbelo will be challenged next year by Democrat Annette Taddeo. They will be vying for the congressional district 26 seat Curbelo wrested from Joe Garcia in a pretty dirty 2014 election. Taddeo was the lieutenant governor nominee who ran with Charlie Crist last year.

Art Plus One

The Deering Estate at Cutler in the southern end of Miami presents the Festival of the Arts Plus One Exhibition. Leading curators, gallerists and working artists in the South Florida Community will collaborate to create site-specific works and performances at the Estate. Events include an indoor and outdoor exhibit, a Curator’s and Artists’ Tour, a Literary Lounge, a Fire Circle Forum, and interactive activities for all ages. The Deering Estate is located at 16701 SW 72 Avenue. Come and enjoy on April 11. For more info, click here.

Latino vote kicks off in Orlando

Latino vote advocates kicked off voter registration and training programs at Mi Familia Vota Education Fund’s Orlando office last week. Voter registration drive partners include the League of Women Voters, SEIU, and State Voices.

Fight for $15

On April 13 Florida New Majority and a host of partners will host a community event and resource fair in support of the Fight for $15 wage campaign. Find out how fast food, home care and domestic workers are organizing to change conditions and how you can be involved in April 15’s National Day of Action. Location of the event, which starts at 6 p.m., is 8331 Biscayne Boulevard. For more information or to register, click here.

Pay 21 million for a Cuban Missile Crisis relic

More than 120 acres in Boca Chica Key in the Florida Keys, once a Naval Air Station during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and with a vast set of submarine pits, is being sold for $21.2 million. Although there isn’t anything left standing from the old base, the seven sub slips still remain.

Businesses will benefit

“We have to recognize this is going to take time,” Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker told The Tampa Tribune last week after her keynote speech at a Cuba forum titled “Tampa at the Forefront of Historic Change.” She said she’s confident U.S. businesses will benefit from new travel and trade opportunities opened with the Cuba policies announced Dec. 17 by President Barack Obama. Miami are you listening…

‘Witch hunt’

Accused of lying to the public about his high-interest loans, Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez told Miami-Dade County ethics officials in a recent deposition that their case against him was a “political witch hunt,” reported the Miami Herald. In January, the ethics commission charged Hernandez with lying – first in Spanish, then in English – at a 2011 news conference about his 36-percent-interest loans to jewelry dealer Luis Felipe Perez. Perez recently completed a nearly five-year prison sentence for running a $40 million swindle that fleeced Hernandez and dozens of other investors between 2007 and 2009.

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