Ken Russell
speaker
139 appearances
2 recordings
1 series
first heard Mar 2025
last heard 26 Sep
Ken Russell’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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Appearances
That will be what remains to be seen at the ballot box, because I don't believe that, and that's not what I'm hearing from constituents. And you pick these few things that make you a single-issue voter that you really care about that you disagree with me on.
Absolutely not.
Because Vicki Bendis gave the city administration a separate set of lawyers to represent them and work against the commission. We got sandbagged. I actually got the commission together, and we voted unanimously to knock out that Watson Island developer because they were in violation.
But then when all of the administration, who was worried about their own jobs, they would realize they'd have to admit that they were complicit in allowing these permits to go beyond. They all got their own lawyers. This was another Tricky Vicky.
What you keep saying over and over again is, wow, you were right on that thing that you did. But then they undid it. Or then they violate it.
What would you rather have me do? Just not come in? Because what do you expect someone to do if you're working with an untrustworthy bunch of people? You try to be on the right side of your votes. You push to get the votes you need. And then you try to hold them accountable. But there's only so much you can do as a commissioner. I'm not the state attorney.
And if the state attorney is not willing to enforce the law, there's nothing I can do. But I did my job as a commissioner. I voted my conscience on everything. I created new laws that improved the city. But you're on these issues. I'm glad I brought that lawsuit against Watson Island because they should have been kicked out.
And we've got to be able to stand up to developers when they're breaking the law. If they're not following the words of the referendum, 15 years have gone and they hadn't put a shovel in the ground. They needed to lose that lease. And so, you know, there's only so much you can do.
But if you're on the side of right and for the right reasons, and you can learn the lessons of the past, I know what's needed now, which is a total disruption. It's not about coming in and I'll do more of what I did back then, just being a good guy trying to pass good legislation. I'm here to actually break the system. And if that can't be done, I'm not here to do it. I wouldn't do it.
This really has to happen to where we get more commissioners and more engagement from the public, more accountability, and better candidates. The ones that are in there have to go. And if I'm successful in what I'm working on doing, every single one of them will be out by 2026. So, Billy, your endorsement. Are you giving it away?
He's got to run. He's got to pay his legal bills, and the city's doing it. We, as taxpayers, have paid tens of millions of dollars already in Joe's legal fees and his settlements. Yes, and he's got to stay there. Otherwise, he's going to have to start paying.
Got it. So we haven't had a non-Hispanic mayor since I was in high school in the 90s. But I don't believe it's because... Do you speak Spanish? Yes. Okay. I would say not fluently.
Perhaps. But no, I was the president of my Spanish club in high school. That doesn't qualify you. What high school? Martin County High School. And I sold yo-yos in Venezuela.
In the 90s?
No, it's not true. But no, I didn't vote for myself for president of the Spanish club. All right.
but but no yes i do speak spanish i speak portuguese i speak japanese i am half japanese uh... but i don't believe that we've only had hispanic mayors by choice of the electorate they haven't had choices we haven't had a competitive race here in decades and this one is going to be a competitive race with or without me in it because you will have several people running who will have the means and name recognition but it's going to be a whole list
of the dynasties of Miami. The legacy names who are either brothers, fathers, sons, or themselves, been in office before. And everyone's going to decide whether they want someone there that's for tomorrow or from yesterday.
It's on and on and on. Right. And so, you know, I was on Radio Actualidad for 30 minutes in Spanish. And literally when I left the studio, workers were coming out from their coffee break talking about, yes, this is our fault for voting for the people over and over again. And they stay and we need something different. They haven't been presented with something different.
It's a reference to Game of Thrones, everything except the last season.
That's one way to look at it. I mean, if you think that's a bad thing, that's one way to look at it. I look at it as someone who's looking to break the wheel of the families that keep rolling over their citizens. It's a metaphor. Whether it's the Targaryens or whether it's the Suarez's, we need to break the wheel. There's no working with the system.
Showing 101–120 of 139 · page 6 of 7
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