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Chapter 1: What experiences shaped Phil Ehr's perspective on duty and service?
On a Navy aircraft carrier, hundreds of miles at sea, everyone remains calm. 26 years in the Navy, reconnaissance missions in the danger zone. The Cold War, Balkans, Desert Storm. But my first mission was rescuing Cubans in the Florida Straits. When Putin invaded Ukraine, I knew what I had to do. You answer when duty calls.
Got a van and completed dozens of humanitarian aid delivery missions across Ukraine. Driving in a war zone isn't easy. Bombs dropping in the distance, fields laced with landmines, destroyed homes, and many Ukrainian casualties. Inspired by their courage, I looked home. For eight years, politicians have stood by Trump's war on the truth.
They're the axis of lies, spreading disinformation at all costs. They want to keep us confused, to hold on to power. So once again, duty calls.
Oh boy, if this lasts longer than four hours, I'm gonna have to call my doctor.
Chapter 2: How does Phil Ehr's military background influence his political campaign?
That was damn exciting stuff there. Holy cow, my nipples are hard. Well, this is the Because Miami program. Later on in the show, we'll be returning to Miami City Hall for all the corruption, dysfunction, and nonstop construction. But first, Phil Eyre, that is E-H-R-F-O-R-Congress.us, is running for Congress again. Third time's the charm? Fourth time. Fourth time's the charm.
Sorry, I lost count there. This guy runs for Congress again. He gets a free smoothie, I think.
It's called persistence and resilience. We're getting the damn job done.
You are a retired Navy commander. You are running against Republican Carlos Jimenez in, is that still District 28?
Chapter 3: What issues does Phil Ehr identify in Miami's political landscape?
It's still District 28, running for the people. And guess what, Billy? I had to show up looking like Rick Scott. Yeah, we were a little scared. I'm told.
Yeah, we thought you were Jared Leto from the Masters of the Universe movie.
I'm told that's the only way to get detention around this town. But I'll tell you what, I'm done with it. Off with that, because I'm authentic Navy, and I'm going to put on something that makes me comfortable here in this cold studio. That's why I like my civilian flight jacket.
Top Gov over here. Top Gov? Yeah, I don't know. That was a thing. What was that?
Chapter 4: How does Phil Ehr plan to address corruption in local government?
Oh, that was that ridiculous commercial that Ron DeSantis did. Do you honestly believe that's credible? So, there you go. Looking good. Wait, was Rick Scott in the Navy? Why does he always wear that hat?
He was in the Navy for one tour of duty on a ship that was dry docked for a while. Big difference, dry dock meaning import, not operational as I did. My whole career has been operational enlisted service and commissioned officer service in the air, at sea, and on command posts in wartime. So you're saying it was in the Navy and never got wet? Is that what you're saying? Never got his feet wet.
You could say that, and he tells a story about selling Coca-Cola for profit and thinking, wow, this is great stuff because I'm bringing something to the sailors. Well, what he did was he made a lot of profit off of the thirsty sailors who were doing a lot of work on the ship, as I used to do. And, you know, there's a big difference between his brand of service and mine.
Chapter 5: What are the challenges facing Phil Ehr in his congressional run?
He knew how to start bilking the system then.
Exploiting the taxpayers early and making off like a bandit. He's a weird dude, Phil. Let's talk a little bit about you. You are running against Carlos Jimenez again. Yes. You previously ran against Matt Gaetz all the way up in the panhandle in District Numero Uno.
Yes, Matt Gaetz.
So what brings you down here for this race again?
Well, what brings me down here to start with was because South Florida is a place where I've served. My first mission in the Navy was the Mario Boatlift because I love the diversity here. 1980. 1980. That's a long time. I was a 19-year-old sailor on what people call a mothership these days.
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Chapter 6: What impact did the Mariel Boatlift have on South Florida's demographics?
The survivors have called a mothership. And it was just an inspiring, a really inspiring mission because we actually saved people's lives at sea. We repudiated that cruel regime of Fidel Castro. And it was a bipartisan event, meaning Carter ordered it controversially. Open hearts, open arms. Yeah. And the Republicans didn't like it at the time.
But later on, the Republicans, with Ronald Reagan, embraced the Cuban-American community as the rest of us have. And it's been a wonderful addition to our society.
So for people who are unfamiliar with the Mariel Boatlift, you need only watch the opening of Scarface. That is the Mariel Boatlift. Over the span of, what, about six months, it brought about 125,000 people.
New Cuban exiles to South Florida nearly bankrupted the four southernmost counties of South Florida, Monroe, Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, and really changed kind of the face of South Florida forever. But what was happening is you can call it bankrupt.
You can call it an investment in the future.
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Chapter 7: How does James Torres view the current political dynamics in Miami?
And we benefit. We're benefiting from that investment.
Well, when you get 125,000, an influx of 125,000 new arrivals and people who don't necessarily have resources or they need food, they need education, they need water and clothing and shelter. And it's a drain on resources, but also, like I said, changed Miami in ways that I think are sort of unforgettable in culture and politics. And it made quite an impact, I think, nationally.
I always say the Miami of today is the America of today. But you also were literally pulling people out of the water. You were boats that were probably overfilled with people because the Castro regime was forcing everybody who brought a boat over to take more people than they probably than was probably their ship was seaworthy for. So so you literally saved a lot of lives.
Well, I was part of the teamwork that did that. Yes, I was stationed on the mothership. So my personal role was receiving these folks on the ship. And there's this one scene that stuck in my mind. It's this family, a mom and a dad and two teenagers, like one 13-year-old child and mother, maybe seven or eight.
And the woman in this family was just looking around the big cavernous ship and thinking, oh, my gosh, I could see in her face the gratitude.
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Chapter 8: What controversies surround the recent elections in Miami?
And the relief for having been saved from capsizing and horrible deaths under the sea for herself and her family and her future.
The Florida Straits are known as one of the world's largest cemeteries because of the people, not just from Cuba, but from Haiti, from all over the Caribbean or Latin America who have fled. in some cases on ramshackle vessels for a better life, for freedom, for democracy, for capitalism here in the U.S. Opportunity.
For opportunity to make a better life for them and their families and to enjoy the rights that many people, that we all have enjoyed, that have given us the opportunities that this country has given us. And to that end, you have a predominantly, is it a predominantly still Hispanic or Spanish-speaking or Cuban-American district in 2018?
It's 70% Hispanic, about half of them Cuban Americans and half from other ethnicities. And yes, indeed. And so we are connecting with folks on the basis of shared values of integrity and service.
I have to wonder, though, because we started this conversation talking about immigration and the opportunity of America and people fleeing places like Cuba for freedom and democracy and opportunity here economically, politically and otherwise. But we are living in a different United States now than 1980.
So when you had Ronald Reagan embrace the Cuban-Americans, when you had the president of the United States, I was going to say Gerald Ford. No, Jimmy Carter. That's been well there, too. Jimmy Carter. All the one-termers. But you're in a different 28. You're in a district that really votes against... and against really, I mean, almost in a way to deport themselves.
I'm a little confused politically what's going on here, but you are traversing, you're out there. You're one of the most out there candidates. I don't mean out there like, like, like, you are who you talk to. It really depends. But I mean, you are ever present, omnipresent in the district at events, you know, challenging the status quo.
What are you learning out there from people, from this immigrant community that you are trying to represent and how they feel about immigration?
Well, I'm learning that people are motivated by many of the same things. We are all motivated across the demographics on the idea of freedom, on the idea of opportunity. And so those things are transcending. People are tired of being told what to do from central authorities, as happens in county government.
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