Michael Pizzi Gets $500 an Hour?

Strike that.

I meant to say Michael Pizzi gets $500 an hour!

Well, except when he's trying to seal a deal:

The tipping point came when Pizzi offered to undercut Wolfe’s fee. Though Wolfe’s firm billed the city $85 per hour, Pizzi said he would beat this price.

“My typical rate is $500 per hour, but I will accept the reduced rate of $80 per hour in order to assist your city,” said Pizzi, who insisted that any agreement be made not with him but rather with his law firm, Michael A. Pizzi LLC. The council did not immediately decide how many hours per week they planned to pay for Pizzi’s services.

Eighty bucks an hour?

Wow, I've got a landscaper that bills at a higher rate.

This is truly a magnanimous gesture (unless, perhaps, for Mel Wolfe).

Bumper Stickers Are Fun, They're Just Good Clean Fun!

Oh boy, when I become an elected official I plan to toilet paper the house of my political rival, offer him some fake gum that snaps his finger, and of course paste a nice big bumper sticker on his car (and get caught on video tape doing it!):

When Miami Lakes Councilman Richard Pulido found two large bumper stickers plastered on his car outside Town Hall, he thought his car had been vandalized.

Turns out it was a joke.

The prankster: Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi.

The political punch line: The red, white and blue decals supported the reelection campaign of Councilman George Lopez, a Pizzi ally whom Pulido has publicly criticized for running despite a pledge not to.
``I've taken the mayor at his word that this was a joke,'' Pulido said.

Pizzi said his prank was meant to ease tension.

``No harm, no foul. Heaven forbid we lose our sense of humor,'' Pizzi said.

I agree with Mike and -- this may surprise no one -- I'm a strong believer the world would be a better place if everyone just eased each other's tension at least once a day.

Parsing the Perdomo "Hot Nicaraguan" Lawsuit.

I like a good cigar every once in a while.

Not in a pretentious, ostentatious "full Rothstein" manner, but I do appreciate the heft, body, and aroma of a well-made stogie.

Speaking of well-made stogies, did anyone see this report about a suit filed by Miami Lakes vice mayor Nick Perdomo against a local town critic:

Miami Lakes Vice Mayor Nick Perdomo is suing a Miami-Dade resident after she said public comments he made were in poor taste.
In a legal filing in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, Perdomo alleges Angela Garrison has hurt his cigar company and business reputation through libel and slander.
A hearing is set for September before Judge Gisela Cardonne Ely.
Perdomo, 45, says he is suing Garrison, 42, because she criticized public statements he made at a September budget meeting. He filed the suit in November.
At the hearing, Perdomo was urging then Town Manager Frank Bocanegra -- a former Miami-Dade police officer who worked in Liberty City -- to forgo an office assistant.
``I mean, you were in Liberty City fighting the animals over there when you were younger, OK? You're going to be fine and we're going to save the town's folks $50,000 a year,'' Perdomo said.
Perdomo also told Bocanegra if more help was needed, he would send the town manager one of his ``hot Nicaraguan'' assistants from his cigar company.
Bocanegra has since left the Northwest Miami-Dade suburb and the office position was eventually approved in the budget.
After the meeting, Garrison criticized Perdomo's comments. Garrison, who works in property management, helped campaign to incorporate Miami Lakes and has been an outspoken critic of Miami Lakes town government.
`MORE CLASS'
``I think we need to show a little more class than that,'' Garrison told a reporter for WPLG-ABC 10. ``Perdomo's remarks were made in poor taste and unbecoming of a public official.''
A few months later, Garrison received notice she was being sued by Perdomo.

So the libel and slander consists of Garrison's view that "more class" is needed and that the remarks were in "bad taste" and "unbecoming of a public official"?

Last I checked, that sounds awfully like opinion.

Also, Perdomo's a public figure, no?

Perdomo claims he lost millions as a direct result of these comments.  If I were Garrison's lawyer Raul Lopez, I would certainly ask for financial documents supporting this claim.

The best part for me is Perdomo's assertion that the Nicaraguan assistants truly are as hot as he says:

He said the mention of ``hot'' assistants was not disrespectful, but simply described some employees at his cigar company who are attractive.

Nothing misogynistic there, I mean these girls are smokin'!

Michael Pizzi's Law Office Ablaze!

That blue-eyed Mayor and talk show host, Michael Pizzi, found out late last night that his Miami Lakes law office was mysteriously ablaze.

According to a spokesman from Miami Lakes interviewed by CBS4, the police suspect possible arson.

Michael claims he "will not be deterred."

Sheesh, first Barton G., now Michael's office -- why all the fires all of a sudden?