Let's get ready to vote!

Today, a judge ruled against Miami-Dade mayor Carlos Alvarez, who was seeking to have his name removed from the March 15 recall ballot.

Yesterday Miami-Dade commissioner Natacha Seijas dropped her lawsuit to block the recall election against her.

(Seijas will have a chance to make her case against the recall this Sunday when she's scheduled to appear on Michael Putney's This Week in South Florida program at 11:30am on WPLG Channel 10.)

Early voting starts this Monday.

There's a list of hours and polling locations on the website of the Elections Department. Click here for the list.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past two years, you've already heard all the arguments for and against recalling the mayor.

Alvarez, now in his second term, was elected on a promise to reform county government.

Yet, like other politicians before him, he filled county hall ofices with his cronies and paid them fat salaries for doing nothing.

For instance, Alvarez hired his police department pal Denis Morales as his chief of staff and paid him a salary more than the governor of Florida makes.



Last November, Random Pixels obtained and posted a list of 3300 Miami-Dade county employees - more than 10% of the county workforce - who make more than $100,000 a year.


I've written plenty about Alvarez. You can read past posts here.

Miami New Times also builds a case against the mayor in this story from last October.

Also on the March 15 ballot with Alvarez will be commissioner Natacha Seijas.

Only voters in her Hialeah-Miami Lakes district can cast a vote on the recall question involving Seijas.

The case for recalling Seijas is just as strong as the one for recalling the mayor.

After 18 years in office, Seijas has become an arrogant, overbearing bully who apparently believes that she no longer has to answer to anyone, let alone her constituents.

She is a strong contender for the Most Repulsive and Odious Politician ever to hold office in Miami-Dade County.

One need only look at her on camera behavior over the past few weeks to see why term limits for county commissioners are needed now, more than ever.

Still not decided about Seijas?

Look at the argument CBS4 commentator Jim DeFede made back in Dec. 2006 when Seijas was also facing a recall. A recall that was unfortunately, voted down.



For something a little more recent, check out Seijas in this video from earlier this week.