New York Times Makes it Official: Miami is Once Again Bat-Sh*t Crazy

Michael E. Miller

Making national headlines, for the wrong reason.

​Sometimes Riptide feels as if it's talking to itself. Like Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys, we yell at people about all the crazy crap going on around us but to little avail.

So imagine our surprise when we flipped open this morning's New York Times to find the Gray Lady opining on our favorite subject: the bizarre ongoing feud between Miami city mayor Tomas Regalado and police chief Miguel Exposito.

It's official! Miami is now back to being bat-shit crazy.

And although the article largely echoes our reporting on the pre-teen squabble, it does contain some juicy quotes.

Former police chief John Timoney says in the article that he has been flooded with emails and calls about the dysfunction currently afoot in Miami. "Nobody that I know, and I know lots of people, has ever seen or experienced anything like this," he told the Times.

But the national newspaper also makes some missteps, writing:

Many current and former city officials say they are concerned that Miami is backsliding into political dysfunction. After decades of tumult, the city has enjoyed a period of relative stability of late, with balanced budgets, a relatively low crime rate and a somewhat civil political tone.

"It feels like the hand of the past is grabbing us and trying to drag us back," said Marc Sarnoff, a commissioner whose district encompasses much of Miami's waterfront.

First, we don't remember this recent era of rainbows, unicorns, and "civil political tone." Miami has been straight-up crazy for about... forever.

Second, if you're going to cover this city, you might not want to quote Marc Sarnoff as the voice of reason. Just a word of advice.

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