Miami Springs mayor rude
In multiple rants starting about 3:07 p.m. on the video of the March 14 Miami Springs council meeting, Mayor Zavier Garcia used the word “lies” or “liar” at least 11 times — 11 times!
This wasn’t a slip of the tongue. It was a relentless and cowardly attack against a resident who voiced concerns about overdevelopment.
And it’s not the first time he has done this.
It takes considerable courage and civic mindedness for residents to speak about a subject, especially knowing they could be singled out for insults by Mayor Garcia.
They may not be aware of some aspects of an issue, but their concerns are genuine and certainly they have First Amendment and procedural rights to voice them.
They also have the right to be treated with respect, even when the mayor disagrees.
It’s a disgrace to this community and our democratic process to have the mayor repeatedly malign concerned residents and call them liars during official proceedings.
Mayor Garcia has sat on his dais throne too long. Miami Springs is not his fiefdom, and his arrogance and disrespect to residents has gone on long enough. He should do the honorable thing for once and resign.
Jim Llewellyn, Miami Springs
This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Miami Springs mayor rude."