Miami Seashore mailers comprise suspicious confirmations of the two a.m. alcohol ban
In the weeks leading up to the November 2 local elections in Miami Beach, residents’ mailboxes were crammed with political propaganda. Three seats on the commission are available and the incumbent Mayor Dan Gelber is seeking re-election. But at the center of the Mailer Blitz is a controversial voting initiative to change the citywide alcohol curfew from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m.
On one side of the initiative is Gelber, who supports the 2 a.m. bar ban and was recently inducted with former Mayor Philip Levine, who sought help from developers and wealthy executives in redesigning South Beach’s entertainment district. Gelber’s argument is that the alcohol ban will curb crime after a string of high profile murders over the past year.
On the flip side, there are Gelber’s four opponents, all against the 2 a.m. ban, and a noisy group of hotel workers who argue that not only does a three-hour alcohol ban per night not deter crime, it also leads to wage cuts and layoffs .
A series of campaign flyers paid for by Yes for a Safer Miami Beach, a political action committee (PAC) whose main contribution is Gelber’s political advisor Christian Ulvert in support of the ban, show headshots by Gelber and former mayors Matti Bower and Philip Levine . The mail said, “Miami Beach Mayors agree we need one last call at 2am. Join our local guides. Support one last call at 2am.” The lower left corner of the mailer shows the words “VOTE YES! # 282”.
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There’s just one catch: Despite the smiling headshot from former Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower in the middle of the mailer, Bower doesn’t support the 2 a.m. ban.
A Safer Miami Beach Campaign paid by Yes suggests Matti Bower supports the 2 a.m. alcohol ban. Bower recently claimed the opposite.
Courtesy of a Miami Beach resident
In a Facebook video posted on October 7th by Citizens for a Safe Miami Beach, a group demonstrating against the 2 a.m. curfew, Bower says they are against the 2 a.m. ban because they felt that the problems in the entertainment district should be resolved in other ways.
“I support the no-vote,” says Bower in the video, “because I think [the 2 a.m. alcohol ban] alone will not help the problems we have. ”
Bower did not respond to the New Times’ request for comment. But Bower wasn’t the only one to conspicuously revise his position on the 2 a.m. ban after Yes for a Safer Miami Beach announced its support.
In a digital campaign flyer sent to voters via text message, Yes for a Safer Miami Beach included a photo of Paul Ozaeta, President of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) of Miami Beach, as well as a quote showing the support of the FOP seemed to expressly underline for the rollback.
“We support the 2am rollback because it’s the right approach for our community,” Ozaeta is quoted as saying, using a first-person plural pronoun (we). “The increased crime in the area is forcing tough decisions and diverting resources away from other urban needs, so rolling back at 2 a.m. makes sense.”
But on October 22nd, Ozaeta sent out a press release saying the union did not yet have an official position on the ballot issue.
In a recent digital mailer sent by Yes for a Safer Miami Beach, Miami Beach Police Union President Paul Ozaeta was cited as a supporter of the referendum.
Courtesy of a Miami Beach resident
On October 22nd, Ozaeta sent out a press release to correct the record, stating that the union has not yet taken an official position on the ballot issue.
“No statements have been made or approved by the governing body of our organization to support either side of this matter,” Ozaeta said in the press release. “We believe this matter should be decided at the ballot box by the citizens of Miami Beach.” [Editor’s note: A correction ran concerning Ozaeta’s endorsement and subsequent letter; see end of article.]
Ozaeta did not respond to the New Times’ email request for comment.
In an October 23 Facebook post, Yes for a Safer Miami Beach shared apparent support from the Ocean Drive Association.
However, a screenshot posted in the comments is intended to share a testimony from board member and Mango owner David Wallack – a vocal opponent of the ban – that offers a “true perspective” on the genesis of the endorsement.
“It was voted on without a motion or a second motion,” says the contribution. “Designed by Gelber supporter and chairman of ODA, Jonathan Plutzik, and voted on via email response without the General Members ever having a chance to discuss.”
In a forward-facing video posted on Facebook, Wallack says the Ocean Drive Association’s consent was limited to about seven members and that 25 other board members were not interviewed about the decision.
“So take the Ocean Drive Association’s recommendation with a real grain of salt,” Wallack says in the video. “Choose No. Because it’s not about crime. It’s really about development.”
Gelber did not respond to the New Times’ request to comment on the canceled memos.
Reached by phone, Ulvert said Bower approved the mailer and spoke to Gelber before it was released. He said Bower also asked Gelber to make changes to the flyer and that those changes were made.
Herald reporter Martin Vassolo tweeted that Bower told him she hadn’t seen the page of the mailer that featured her photo.
Ulvert declined to say if both sides of the flyer were shown to Bower, reiterating that the former mayor had been in touch with Mayor Gelber.
Ulvert sent the New Times a screenshot of a text exchange between him and Ozaeta in which he sent Ozaeta the quote from the digital flyer and the union leader replied, “Love it!”
[Correction published 10/31/21: This story has been updated to more clearly characterize Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) president Paul Ozaeta’s seemingly conflicting statements about the FOP’s stance on the 2 a.m. ban.]
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