3 Miami Area Mayors Arrested for Corruption in 1 Month

Miami's suburban mayors are doing little to help shake Florida's image as the corruption capital of America, reports the New York Times. Last week, Steve Bateman, the mayor of Homestead, was arrested for allegedly receiving payments from a health care chain looking to build a clinic in the town. He joins Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi and Sweetwater Mayor Manuel Marono, who were both arrested in early August for allegedly taking part in separate kickback and bribery schemes connected with federal grants.

It's "embarrassing," the Miami Herald writes in an editorial, which argues that the city needs tougher ethics laws, should ban mayors from doing any outside consulting work, and must pull voters out of their apathy. At least the mayors aren't apathetic: Two days after his arrest, and while still suspended from office, Bateman filed to run for mayor again in the upcoming November election, reports the Herald. (More Florida stories.)