I don’t have a soft spot in my heart for Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve Chief, who cultivated an aura of sage calm while the most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression percolated.
Mr. Greenspan tells Bloomberg, this morning, that the economy has slipped into an “awfully pale recession.” The manifestation, here, in Florida takes many shapes. Consider, for instance, how land speculators who push levers of power like the arms of a Vegas slot machine are now pressing for zoning changes on land they expected to build suburban sprawl to now become rock mines: the Fanjuls, Ron Bergeron, and here in Miami-Dade, Rodney Barreto and Krome Gold.
The rush to build more mines for more cement, more roads, and more condo buildings is not based on any economic necessity, notwithstanding the boo-hooing of industry that Sierra Club and others sued in federal court, to make permitting agencies follow federal law.
That doesn't stop the land speculators, though, who want to excavate environmentally sensitive lands for limestone. They haven't yet found a way to foist the exorbitant carrying costs on taxpayers. But they will, if the past is any indication. The Growth Machine tried—and failed—to get a new law passed in Tallahassee that would preempt county commissions from establishing their own rules governing new rock mines.
It is, of course, a cynical charade when local county commissioners—on behalf of their industry supporters—whine like stuck pigs when the State of Florida sues the county over its land use decisions, like it will when the State sues the county over its decision to move the UDB, in violation of state planning law.
Their main argument: local control! Except, of course, when it doesn’t serve their constituents’ interest; like rock miners, in which case pre-emption is the rule
The Strategic Aggregates Task Force, appointed by Governor Crist, recommended that the state undertake an economic needs study for limerock and aggregate—that would be the basis for some orderly consideration of rock mining permits.
But that’s not what the land speculators want. They want their zoning changes, and they want them now.
The people didn’t ask for this national economic crisis, anymore than people want rock mines in the Everglades.
2 comments:
The bastards bought all this land for speculation, now they can't use it for buildings so they want rock mines. Gotta use it for something! Wish Baretto and company did not sit at the right hand of Crist and the county commissioners. We might stand a chance if our government was not so beholden to the power boys.
"Most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression"? Please. While its definitely uncomfortable, its STILL not officially a recession, and its not worse than the Clinton-era recession of 2000-01 or the Carter stagflation of the late 70s.
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