"The political origins of this national economic catastrophe began in Miami."

[ensho]

http://counterpunch.com/farago08082008.html


The Politics of the Housing Crisis
When Miami Goes Bust


-snip-

For its part, Wall Street would be perfectly happy to keep the nation's attention on gasoline prices, but the real affliction of the United States economy is debt and insolvency. Both have their roots in a housing bust draining the wealth of the nation. ("Florida's real estate bust cost: $153 billion", Miami Herald, August 5, 2008).

The political origins of this national economic catastrophe began in Miami. Hard to believe but true: using the deflection of Castro to animate block voters in Hispanic districts distorted public policy in service of private real estate speculators; from Section 8 housing to subdivisions in farmland, and served as a model to bring down the whole economy.

Parochial, ward politics have been practiced to perfection throughout America. But the defining feature of ward politics in most cases is leveraged in political patronage and union contracts. The Miami model had both with the addition of a new element: the manipulation of US foreign policy in service of domestic real estate speculators.

-snip-

The ascendancy of two-term former governor Jeb Bush, a Miami developer before his political career materialized, and then President Bush depended on campaign contributions aggregated through builders, exemplified by Miami's Latin Builders Association, and the supply chain maximizing profits based on platted subdivisions in farmland.

In Miami-Dade, all farmland was once Everglades wetlands.

-snip-
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politics in Miami is vicious

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Counterpunch blaming, in part unions?

Geez, how off the rails.

[ensho]

2. some Fl. unions have been invaded by the neo cons

that's what neo cons do - invade, occupy, then start sucking up money

[ToeBot]

3. The guy may have something important to convey, unfortunately, he's a dreadful writer. nt