Overview of #BecauseMiami: Making of a Miami Mafioso
This episode of Because Miami is a two-part dive into South Florida politics framed through corruption, patronage, and the way elected officials change once they get into office. The first interview features retired Navy commander and congressional candidate Phil Ehr, who is running again in Florida’s 28th District and making a case based on military service, anti-corruption politics, and his firsthand connection to Miami’s Cuban exile history. The second half centers on Miami city politics, with James Torres discussing why he turned on Commissioner Damian Pardo, how political operatives use text blasts and smear campaigns, and why he believes Miami’s local government is driven more by developers and consultants than by voters.
Phil Ehr’s congressional campaign
Why he says he belongs in South Florida
- Ehr argues that his first Navy mission was tied to the Mariel boatlift, which shaped his connection to Miami’s Cuban-American community.
- He presents himself as a candidate rooted in:
- service
- integrity
- anti-corruption politics
- defending immigrants and opportunity
Core message of his campaign
- He says Florida’s 28th District is dominated by a pay-to-play culture involving developers, county officials, and Tallahassee/Washington insiders.
- His argument is that voters are tired of:
- unwanted development
- corruption
- lack of infrastructure
- state and county overreach
- He positions himself as an outsider with the credibility to challenge entrenched interests.
Attacks on Carlos Jimenez
- Ehr repeatedly targets incumbent Carlos Jimenez, calling out:
- multiple public pensions
- alleged ties to family businesses receiving contracts
- the broader culture of county corruption
- He specifically references the FIU bridge collapse, saying the contracting network around MCM deserves more scrutiny.
The primary challenge
- He also addresses a new Democratic primary opponent, Hector Mujica, and suggests the challenge is being driven by party operatives and consultants who are more interested in controlling the political process than winning principled elections.
- Ehr’s pitch: he is the only candidate in the race who actually lives in and understands the district.
Miami city politics, retaliation, and “The Making of a Miami Mafioso”
James Torres on Damian Pardo
- James Torres says he regrets helping elect Damian Pardo, whom he now sees as a thin-skinned, self-interested commissioner rather than a reformer.
- Torres says Pardo and his allies are trying to silence critics rather than answer them.
The text-blast controversy
- Torres says a Pardo-linked PAC text-blasted voters with attacks on him, highlighting a past legal issue from 2000.
- Torres responds that the matter was tied to a divorce dispute and a court proceeding, not a criminal conviction in the way the text implied.
- He says the attacks are meant to intimidate public dissent and discourage future political opposition.
Why Torres turned on Pardo
Torres says the break began when Pardo:
- failed to respond to neighborhood concerns
- mishandled key votes related to Bayfront Park and gym equipment
- supported efforts that hurt transparency and accountability
- backed attempts to delay elections, which cost taxpayers legal fees
- ignored issues like the tree canopy, the Downtown Development Authority, and overtaxation in downtown/Brickell
Bigger picture of city hall
- The discussion paints Miami governance as a system where:
- developers have outsized influence
- consultants and operatives shape outcomes
- dissent gets punished
- public accountability is selectively enforced
- The hosts argue that a policy banning the use of commissioners’ names at public meetings is unconstitutional and used selectively against critics.
Key takeaways
- Miami politics is presented as a machine: the episode’s recurring theme is that the real division is not red vs. blue, but developers vs. everyone else.
- Service is not enough without follow-through: both guests frame legitimacy as showing up consistently and answering to constituents.
- Elected officials can change fast: Torres’s “making of a Miami mafioso” idea is basically that power corrupts even candidates who campaign as reformers.
- Accountability is the central issue: whether talking about Congress, county government, or city hall, the episode argues that corruption persists because too many insiders are protected.
Notable themes and topics
- Mariel boatlift and Miami’s Cuban-American political identity
- Military service as political credibility
- Corruption in Miami-Dade and city government
- Developer influence and pay-to-play politics
- Election manipulation and taxpayer-funded legal fights
- Political retaliation against critics and activists
- Tree canopy loss, development, and neighborhood battles
- Public trust, transparency, and local reform
Bottom line
This episode is a sharp, insider-heavy critique of Miami politics. Phil Ehr uses his campaign to argue that South Florida needs a tougher anti-corruption representative in Congress, while James Torres describes Miami city hall as a place where reformers become insiders and critics get punished. The recurring message: in Miami, power is entrenched, the political consultant class is toxic, and real change requires voters who are willing to challenge the machine.