Calm Reflections from an Angry Floridian

Recently, I drove home from Tampa and took the old highway 60 over from 95 and took old 98 down around the lake. Sometimes you gotta do that. It reminds you there are still people living simple lives in Florida. There are still people growing food. There are still kids riding bicycles down dirt roads. There are still large forests even in Palm Beach County and Wetlands where just a turn on the road puts you in the middle of Corbett Wildlife management.

If you are quiet and walk down a swamp road alone. A family of deer will look at you startled and disapeer into a misty swamp. If you look across a swath of trees covered in Moss as the last sunlight ties to squeeze through the trees, a large Blue Heron will lift looking like some sort of prehistoric bird. Wings so big you can hear them move the air. The blue feathers glisten slightly from the light filtering through the moss and leaves and bouncing off the water. A gopher turtle lumbers patiently over a the sand as it moves toward some unseen destination. A turkey boots away as you come upon it and of course the flap of gators rolling into the safety of the swamp as their noses and eyes float looking at once like a log yet fully aware as it cuts through the water without making a ripple.

You go to Merritt wildlife preserve just outside of Cape Canaveral and the national seahore where bald eagles seem to inhabit every post and high point in the trees. Where manatees and dolpihins swim up the river. You might glimpse a Panther or even a bear. A Wildcat only seen by the most patient who sit quiet until the beautiful presence breezes by you like a whisp of wind through the bushes.

It is so easy living in South Florida to block out the fact that just 40 miles east are the Everglades the endless grasses where birds from almost everywhere stop to eat and rest. Where alligators are still king of the swamp. Where parrots land in trees and talk to each other

African American City Commission Votes to Remove 5100 of their own Citizens?

So..............., Lest this get's to confusing. Let's get the chronology down:

1) City of Riviera Beach City Florida wastes twenty one million Bucks and 10-15 years making a plan to improve their city.
2) Developers and corrupt politicians decide that middle class homes near the water constitute blight.
3) Riviera CRA decides that improving the community means getting rich white folks with money into the blighted neighborhood.
4) CRA votes to take 5100 homes of middle class and low-income citizens,tear them down and replace them with luxury condos.
5) CRA votes to sell the last public beach access in town to the Marriott to build 3 twenty seven story time shares and hotel rooms.
6) Citizens organize their homes and beaches.
7) CRA chastises citizens as listening to outsiders and misinformation specialists while they make a deal with a multi-national corporation based in New Jersey to sell their city. (Translated? The city utilizes outsiders and misinformation specialists to cash in on 2 billion dollars in development money)
8) Citizens fight to save their homes.

The story here is much the same all over the state of Florida in Black and minority communities. Keith Oberman of MSNBC nominated the Mayor of Riviera Beach, Michael Brown as "worst person in the world" for his efforts to remove his citizens just under FEMA for their treatment of the poor in New Orleans (can you believe his name is Michael Brown?). The Washington Times and even Laura Ingram (right wing zealot) have called the City's plan absolutely insane.
Meanwhile all the people who voted to do this besides one are?...... Democrats?
Yep.
Tonight plans to pull the Marriott away from the Beach were thrown out to hush citizens up. Nothing about the homes in the black community. Citizens have gotten 100 homes saved from the plan so far. The fight to save the other 1600 homes goes on.
What does all this mean?
It means Democrats who were so used to getting urban redevelopment money can't seem to turn it down no matter what it means to their own constituents. On the Laura Ingram show on the 5th Mayor Brown stated that "because of current CRA guidelines set forward by the government we have to partner for economic development to get redevelopment money".
So that must mean that even if it means ethnic cleansing we must get money. Isn't that what it means?
The biggest proponent of the plan of recent has been African American Republican and City Commission President Liz Wade. Liz is quite a character but at least she is living up to her chosen beliefs in big money over little people. Of course all the players in the foreground overshadow the true men behind the curtain. Catalfumo inc., Viking Marine, and various individuals from New Jersey who have a history in Waste Management (if you know what I mean?) The true outsiders who have "come into the community". They have bought up all the property they could from families at basement prices in the run up to the redevelopment. Foreclosures have made it easier. What is the redevelopment worth? 2 Billion dollars and the largest use of eminent domain in US history.
Amazing huh? Democrats voting to remove Democrats from their communities? African American elite voting to remove the African American underclass from their city. Meanwhile your's truly has been threatened by large men who look really out of place in leather coats in Florida for assisting folks in trying to stand up for themselves. Comes with the territory. Result. Families in South Florida are planning their exodus to paradise? No South Georgia. A palce where cheap property is available. Are their jobs there? Not many. A great educational system? No. Just a place where they won't be renters.
Gee, wonder why Dems keep losing Florida? We may have found the answer. So, now what? Well I have a thought. What happens when a glut of condos are built and the housing market tanks? A whole bunch of poor folks end up renting luxury condos? I doubt it. Lots of empty buildings with teh lights off? probably. Stay tuned.

SHARK ATTACK!!!!!

Shark Attack!!!!!!!

People all over Florida are dying! Dying from heart disease, dying from drive by shootings (the highest violent crime rate in the USA for over a decade), cancer, flying debris on our highways, drug addiction, HIV, and predatory rich people preying on the lives of average citizens. We (16,000,000), of us are not dying from shark attacks or worse, being abducted as the national media repeatedly reports. TO, watch the media you would think we are dying from sharks, hurriccanes, and that the only people who ever disapeer in Florida are white female minors.

Lets get specific on death in Florida:

Heart disease kills 32,000 people

HIV/AIDS kills 6400

homicide kills 350 a year on a good year

Unintentional injury deaths combined:

5400

among those unintentiaonal injuries and a walloping 32 people from sharks

and like three from hurricanes.

That's right, the scary monsters aren't killing us. We are killing ourselves and each other. Car accidents, household mishaps, boating mishaps, and in fact 350 people a year in florida commit suicide. So when it comes to our "fear of sharks" we are really talking anout a fear of a loss of tourists". When it comes to hurricanes we are afraid of our loss of wealth and tourists.

So what are the monsters killing us? Fried Chicken, Fire Arms, bad water, bad health care and poverty. The same things that have killed Floridians for decades.

I am more concerned with what's driving sharks into shallow water. Off shore oil rigs and other environmental pressures. Grow up America. If you don't want to get eaten by a shark don't go in the water or be careful when you do. Sharks are like the Grizzly Bears of the sea. Beautiful and majestic and endangered by man. Caught alone with out a gun or a car the Grizzly is king! Same thing goes for the ocean and sharks. Without a spear gun or a boat in the water the shark is in control. As it should be.

The Truth of it? The Game is rigged YOU CAN'T WIN They just keep changing the rules!

Taxable real estate jumped by 18 billion dollars in Palm beach this year. The truth of it is that how would average working class families ever stand up to these vehemoths of apathetic conspicuous consumption. Much less a turtle.

In Lake Worth Florida the city council is now wanting to roll out a neighborhood plan to steal residents property under the guise of urban improvement. Much the same they have anbd are doing it in every working class section of Palm Beach. They hired a firm to advise them on how to move forward that advised them to save their neighborhood character, put a limit on tall buildings, and preserve affordable housing.

A local official we will call Psuedo Green Nadine was witnessed saying " I want to tear down every wood frame house in this town". When asked why? "To save the rain forests" she said. How would it do that Nadine these homes are already constructed. She said" we need to build more energy efficient buildings in Lake Worth buildings more like Del Ray". Now to those who don't know Del Ray is a town South of Lake Worth where that town has been busy driving black folks out of their homes to replace them with stucco look alike crap. So then Nadine was asked "Can't those wood frame homes be upgraded to be energy efficient?" and she said "why when we can have pretty new houses?" Truth is Nadine More houses means more wood cut down and isn't the truth that your in bed with the developers and they are the ones that want to tear down these homes? Isn't
that the case?

Well we should change the rules. Let's have a poor people's march down A1A (That is where Rush Limbaugh and friends reside. In fact we should start having all our protests there. Maybe we should wake them up evry Saturday on a different section of A1A to make sure we are heard by those who make the rules. Who knows maybe that will work?

CONDO take over!! Great article

Great New Times article liked here on Developers.

Boycott Florida!!

I think a national boycott of this state should be created to force these jack ass developers and Republican shit heels to stop their war on the land and the people. Everyone keeps saying "Florida is the fastest growing state in the country". WHY? !! If you are a progressivc and you aren't coming here to enjoin the campaign against the juggernauts of wealth? PLEASE STAY WHERE YOU ARE?

Young people have no place in Florida anymore. The fabled Democratic retiree has become more and more conservative because of Bush's war against Arabs and many Jewish voters perception that a vote for Bush is a vote against Palestinians. Developers are chewing this state up like the plague spread in Europe. Let's be clear. People come to Florida because of it's shoreline beauty and the sun. The shoreline beuty is being destroyed for marginal purchased views that destroy everything worth coming here for. Florida is not a place where any young person or old person who isn't filthy (and I do mean filthy) rich wil languish like a raisin in the sun.

Florida is a place where nothing is seen worth preserving. Where money for Everglades restoration is used to develop irrigation for the Agricultuure industry. The nicest piece of unbroken beach? The space complex at Cape Canaveral is surrounded by huge area of unbroken undeveloped beach. Replete with panthers, bald eagles, manatees, and beauty. Everywhere you go you look over your shoulder and se the launch pads at the space center. The only reason it is preserved? Homeland security.

Many of you have fond memories of partying till no end in Key West. Free willed and steeped in history. Key West is for sale and wealthy developers plan to turn the keys into the worlds most exclusive condo resort. The famous Gay resort Atlantic Shores? The owners have been offered 200,000,000 for the damn place. I mean what iin the hell is up people? Florida is worth fighting for but very few are doing any fighting.

The only thing that might slow them down? Figuring out where to house the help. Are we going to let them continue this shit. I tell you right now. The answer is a workers boycott of Florida. Tell the tourists and everyone else to stay away until this state decides to treat it's human and animal inhabitants humanely.

Hopeful Turtles in Paradise?

So last night we watched not one but two beautiful loggerhead turtles laying their eggs. We stayed at at a good distance and silently watched while they burrowed in and laid their nests. I won't bother with a cheesy but loose analogy to my previous writing about the disturbed turtle. I will say that those turtles and others who continue trying to save the best part of Florida do inspire the heart to want to keep trying.