Mortgage Company Folds, but not before Claudia got credit. by Geniusofdespair

I was thinking about my post of August 17th, Claudia how the hell did you get so much credit? I decided to look up Flick, the Mortgage Company that gave her the second set of mortgages and here is what I found (Hit on it to make it larger):
Why am I not surprised? They were a Hud approved lender.

No, to expansion of nuclear reactor at Turkey Point by Gimleteye

Over the weekend AP reported the shut down of a nuclear reactor at Browns Ferry, in north Alabama. The vulnerability of nuclear power to an extended heat wave “could be a sign of trouble for nuclear energy in a warming climate.”

South Florida has a problem even more intractable than too hot cooling water: sea level rise.

With glacial ice melting at an even faster rate than computer models have predicted, it is not a question of “if” sea levels will start to rise: only a question of “when” and how rapidly.

Are we going to wait until the tide floods South Dade before questioning why a nuclear power plant was permitted at the edge of Biscayne Bay?

Scientists believe that rapid climate response to global warming is a significant risk.

Does FPL have a rapid response plan for Turkey Point, in the case of sea level rise as a significant event, over a period of a few years?

Even if the facility at Turkey Point could be hardened against sea-level rise, how will workers get to the plant if roadways are flooded? What are logistic issues need to be addressed, if sea level rise turns Turkey Point into an island at the mercy of an indifferent sea?

These questions are difficult to answer, because there is no precedent for this order of climate emergency. Common sense would dictate that in the face of climate change, the permit request for two new nuclear reactors should be denied.

The Etiquette War: Does Exasperation lead to Rudeness? by Geniusofdespair

I remember when City of Miami Commissioner Arthur Teele went to a Virginia Key Trust meeting way back when. He brought along the City Attorney, Alejandro Villarello. Teele was exasperated because the staff was not properly staffing the Trust meetings. In other words, they were not taking the group seriously.

At this particular meeting there was no one from the Clerk’s Office to take the minutes. Teele was furious and took it out on the City’s Head Attorney (the only one there from staff): Teele made Villarello take the minutes. And he did for about 2 hours: and they were pretty accurate.

Rude, you bet. However, the meetings were staffed after that incident.

Why bring this up? I think Gimenez lashes out because of exasperation with "business as usual" at the County, and yes you could look at it as rude behavior. But you can sort of side with him with all the boondoggles we have in county government lately. I must differentiate, Gimenez's rudeness is not gratuitous rudeness like Natacha’s.

Readers: Are expressions of exasperation on the part of County Commissioners a bad thing in light of all the corruption and ineptitude? Is the Mayor expecting too much of the Commissioners? Or is this just one big pissing match?

Maybe we should Boycott Publix? By Geniusofdespair

When citizens were gathering signatures for the Natacha Seijas Recall, Publix called the police on them. Publix recently had Joyce Tarnow, of the Hometown Democracy Petition drive arrested in Pomano. She was peacefully trying to gather signatures in front of their store according to an article in the St. Pete Times: Publix uses law to boot gadfly.

Here is the problem. The public places of the present day are our malls and strip malls which are privately owned. Does private property rights trump free speech rights?

According to the article:

"Several years ago in Bay County, a gadfly named Kevin Wood, was gathering signatures to run for public office at the Panama City Mall when he was arrested for trespassing.

A Bay County Circuit Judge ruled that a shopping mall is a "quasi-public" place, where petition signatures can be collected. Marshall (of the ACLU) wants to use that judge's opinion to go after the new law."

Randall Marshall does not want to challenge the current law in the Tarnow case because she was at a stand-alone store not a strip mall.

But hey, if you have a choice between Whole Foods, Winne Dixie and Publix, maybe you should give it a second thought.

Democrats: Don’t Let Karl Rove Fool You by Geniusofdespair

If you think for a minute Rove is attacking Hillary Clinton because he thinks she is the strongest candidate, think again Democrats.

He is attacking her because she is the Democrat he wants Republicans to be able to run against. He thinks she is a loser and he is trying to manipulate Democrats. His attacks are a ruse to make you think she is “It.”

He is clever. Don’t let him out-fox you yet again Democrats. It appears I am not alone in this belief:

Karl Rove keeps heat on Hillary Clinton:

"Rove might be revisiting his 2004 play book. Bush's re-election team aimed its harshest comments at Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, the eventual nominee, because it wanted Bush to take on Kerry rather than Edwards, then a senator from North Carolina.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Bush's former pollster and strategist Matthew Dowd said at a 2004 Harvard University conference that Bush's re-election team went after Kerry because they were more afraid of Edwards."

The Etiquette Stand-Off in Miami Dade County by Geniusofdespair

As many of you already know, the Mayor pulled his staff from County budget hearings because the staff members were being treated disrespectfully by the County Commission's Budget Committee.

The County is in a standoff of historic proportions: We are in the midst of what will be known as the protracted "Etiquette War"! You might ask, what exactly is Etiquette. Wikipedia defines Etiquette as:

...one aspect of decorum, is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior, according to the conventional norm within a society, social class, or group. Usually unwritten, it may be codified in written form. Etiquette usually reflects formulas of conduct in which society or tradition have invested.

Forget about ethics, forget about corruption, it is politeness that counts in Miami Dade County. That is the new hot topic for the Charter Review Board.

So here on the one side we have some Commissioners who routinely insult the public and staff. What are they going to do? Start being polite? Not going to happen.

We will remain in this standoff for a few weeks with blame peppering each side while the budget doesn't get done. The State of Florida might have to step in.

Is it good for County Government? I don’t think it matters one iota. The Commissioners -- even if the Mayor's staff returned -- aren’t going to cut the non profit programs that guarantee them votes: The social agencies where the Mayor made $30 million in cuts. Those lunch programs are votes and everyone knows it. So the crux of the matter is in today's Miami Herald: Dade officials can't agree on budget cuts.

This Miami Dade Etiquette Standoff is just a diversion. But it is entertaining. Also see: Do County Commissioners Need Etiquette rules? and Bruno's strikes back with a letter.

Aren’t there any Chandler Bing’s out there? by Geniusofdespair

To all the 20ish people: In the sitcom “Friends” only Chandler had a nest egg put away for his future. I know this because Monica wanted to spend it on the wedding.

Everyone else on that show spent their money on expensive coffee and clothes.

When people out of college say to me, I can’t find affordable housing, instead of just nodding, I feel like saying to them: “Have you ever watched “Friends”? People out of college with entry level jobs should start out sharing rents with roommates. During this time they are suppose to be saving money for a down payment on a home. If they are spending all their money there is something wrong with their budgets. Either their housing is too expensive (they need to add another roommate or they should move back with the parents) or they are spending too much money on crap. Tough love, tighten your belt.

When I started out in Manhattan I had two roommates. I saved money. That is how it is done. And, if you have a crappy credit score, fix it before you look for a loan. You might have to build it up for a couple of years. Life isn’t instant gratification.

A house doesn’t magically appear. You have to save for one. If you don’t have a down payment you have no business buying a house. You will just go into foreclosure.

This should have been the message in the newspaper to consumers years ago. I never saw it, did you?

Well, lenders are tightening the criteria for mortgage loans, finally, so you had better get the message: Save money like Chandler!

Read: Restrictions have new mortgage applicants feeling the squeeze by Kenneth Harney in the Home and Design Section of the Miami Herald:
"For example, a traditional cut-off point between prime and subprime loans -- 620 FICO scores -- has migrated upward in recent weeks. Some mortgage companies are posting 680 FICOs as the new demarcation line; others have set the break point slightly below. Webster Bank, a wholesale lender based in Connecticut, told its broker network on Aug. 7 that its ''minimum credit score has been increased to 680,'' and that's with full documentation of applicants' income and assets."

The Big News in the Miami Herald Today by Geniusofdespair

Two weather girls (women) wore the same outfit on the same day.

Charter Review Board - send them your comments by Geniusofdespair

Public comment can be sent to the Task Force by email at: charter@miamidade.gov

These are the subjects they will be covering:

Study of the Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections being elected
Study of Compensation - Mayor and Board of County Commissioners
Study of Term Limits – Board of County Commissioners or other elected officials
Study of the Board of County Commissioners Composition (some at large instead of all district)
Study of Initiative, Referendum, Petition & Recalls
Study of Balance of Power - Mayor & Board of County Commissioners
Review Functions of Mayor vs. County Manager
Review Powers of Commission Auditor
Study of Procurement Reform
Study of Lobbying Reform
Study of Ethics Regulations
Study of Municipalities and Unincorporated Municipal Services Area (UMSA)
Creating/Abolishing Municipalities
Separation of Powers or Responsibilities between the County and municipalities
Annexation/Incorporation in effort to eliminate UMSA
Study of Public Records
Study of Zoning and Urban Development Boundary (UDB) reform

Here is a quick rundown of what I think is important.

We definitely need term limits -8 is enough. They should ease the public burden to do initiatives, referendums, petitions and recalls. It is impossible the way it exists now.
We need lobbying reform and to tighten our ethics regulations. Public Records requests are getting too expensive. They charge for people compiling the records. They should not. The voters should vote on UDB changes. I think we need at large Commissioners: at least two.

My mind is open, anyone have any better ideas?

Who is giving to the Miami-Dade Republican Party in 2007 by Geniusofdespair

These are the big donors to the local Republican Party.

An entity named “Post Office Box 2007” gave them $1,250. They list their occupation as “Casino.”

Bob Levy gave them $250 and another check for $1,500. Stanley Tate (builder) gave them $5,000. Cliff Walters Construction gave them $1,500. Law firm Akerman Senterfitt (Orlando) gave them $1,250 and a second contribution for $500. Attorney Gray Robinson of Orlando gave them $2,500. Ilena Ros Lehtinen gave them $2,500. All American Container gave them $2,500. The State of Florida Republican Party gave them $1,000.

Wayne Rosen, Inc. (I have been writing about him since I started this blog because he always turns up) gave $1,250. FRF Political Action Committee gave them $1,250. Corzo Castella, Engineers, $1,250. Dosal Tobacco Corp gave $2,500. Albert Maury, medical center, gave $5,000. PM Strategies (development) gave $2,500. Tew Cardenas gave $1,250. Louis Wolfson III gave $1,500. Florida Crystals gave $1,500 and law firm Becker & Poliakoff gave $1,250. The Association of Public Safety Comm. Officials, Inc. of Gainesville gave $1,500. They say they are communication officers??

Since the first of the year the local Pubs collected $84,213 dollars.

Bruno Barreiro strikes back to boycott for politeness. By Geniusofdespar

(Hit on letter to read it).

Not bad, he said that Alvarez's staff members should ask to be respected when treated with disrespect. What about us Bruno? Can the public do that too! Letter looks like an olive branch with thorns....