Beba Mann

      Let me take this opportunity to welcome you to my campaign site. Please take a look through my bio and issues, so you have an idea of who I am. But let me add a few thoughts. I've lived in Miami since childhood. It is a place I love and cherish almost as much as my own family. There really is no place like the town we've all found ourselves in, whether political or economic refugees, retirees, or just anyone seeking new opportunities.

 

          Although I was born in Cuba, I grew up here, right at the time when old Miami started to change from a sleepy Southern town to the growing Capital of the Americas. That sounds like Chamber of Commerce speak, I know. It's true, though. We've gone through so much in just a couple of generations.

 

        For me, Miami is not a place, but a family. It's the neighbors I see every day, the restaurants serving the comfort food that keep me coming back, the pulse of life. But it's also a place that you have to fight for, every day. For those of us who've been here, sweating in the trenches, standing shoulder to shoulder in the battles that matter, we know that Miami is only as good as we are willing to make it.

 

        It's not easy. Sometimes we have to get out of bed early on a weekend to attend a rally or work the tables at a charity event. Sometimes we have to stay late to make our voices heard at city hall. But it's worth it to know you made a difference, even just a small one.

 

      So here I am, doing something challenging. I know it's hard to run for office, especially if you're not an insider with tons of money and political connections. But I feel it's important for regular people to make a statement that they are willing to stick their necks out and help their neighbors when it matters.  

 

      In politics, they say that money and power are what counts. What really counts is people and the effort they're willing to make to voice their vote. That's what I'm counting on, that there are enough of us out there in Miami willing to say, "This is our town, and we are taking it back!"  

 

That's it. Tell me what you think.

 

- Beba Sardiña Mann

beba@bebamann.net