New Florida law prohibits government hiring of companies with Cuba ties

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Miami Herald

New Florida law prohibits government hiring of companies with Cuba ties
Patricia Mazzei and Martha Brannigan | The Miami Herald • Published March 14, 2012

Delving into Miami-Dade’s tricky exile politics, Florida lawmakers passed sweeping but little-noticed legislation this session prohibiting local governments from hiring companies that do business with Cuba.

The law appears to target one of the county’s largest contractors: Odebrecht USA, the Coral Gables-based subsidiary of the giant Brazilian conglomerate. The parent company’s Cuban affiliate is participating in a major expansion at the Port of Mariel.

Miami-Dade legislators, with near-unanimous support of the Florida House of Representatives and Senate, pushed the bill as a way to keep taxpayer dollars out of the hands of repressive regimes. The law also applies to companies that work in Syria, which, like Cuba, is on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

~snip~

Yet a major portion of the legislation, which applies to contracts worth at least $1 million, seems likely to face a court challenge for interfering with the federal government’s power to set foreign policy, experts said.

Read more: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/03/14/2029302/new-florida-law-prohibits-government.html#storylink=cpy

[alp227]

1. meanwhile American co's still sell weapons to violent foreign regimes

such as Alabama-based Drummond selling guns to Colombia

and the US, Germany, and UK sold weapons to Iraq during the 1980s!

despite 9/11, the US still sells weapons to Saudi Arabia (in Dec. 2011, the US sold F-15 fighter jets to the Saudi Air Force!)

not to mention the mass importation of cheap children's toys and general electronics made in (Communist) China;

but Florida is all up in arms about CUBA? Puh-leez.

[murielm99]

2. Too many wealthy Cuban exiles live there.

They have the power to do this. They are nearly all repubs, too.

[nanabugg]

10. Really need to check out their immigration status to prevent voter fraud! nt

[BigDemVoter]

3. Good God. . .

It's so amazing that this tiresome shit is still going on, 50 years & going strong. . .

If we're going to talk about repressive regimes, shouldn't we include Kuwait & Saudi Arabia as well?

[Sancho]

4. Limbaugh is gone now!!! Damn those cigars from Cuba!

[fasttense]

5. So, where's the law that prevents us from doing business with Communist China?

Communist Cuba is a NO, but Communist China is a go.

This is merely a bone to rich conservative Cuban exiles.

When Castro threw them out along with most of their criminal activity, the uber rich Cuban exiles all moved to Florida to throw stones at Castro and Cuba. They are still mad about it. I guess they never heard about going Galt.

[DFW]

6. I'll go them one better

Prohibit any elected officials from having Cuban background.

Senator Rubio--YOU'RE RECALLED !!

[dipsydoodle]

7. The Miami crowd

should just stick to playing with themselves.

[Turbineguy]

8. Whenever it's about principles

it's about money. Somebody is going to take Odebrecht's place and make a fortune.

[Bradical79]

9. Since they're targeting oppressive regimes...

I assume Saudi Arabia is next, right?