Suburban Sprawl In South Florida: a game of musical chairs ... by gimleteye

"Every time we get close to the 24 hour mark, they move the goal post," Girard said.

An interesting story from the Florida Keys about real estate development, where the collision of economic imperative and the need to protect fragile natural resources is like a test tube for the rest of the state.

For decades, Florida environmentalists have waged mostly fruitless battles to get at the core problem: too many people, inefficient regulations, and not enough protection for the environment. Meanwhile, growth has overwhelmed the culture and characteristics of the place that made it attractive in the first place.

The single brake on Keys development has nothing to do with the environment -- or, only in a tortured way. Decision makers decided in the 1980's that the threshold limit on growth should be pegged to the time it would take the last resident of the Keys who wanted to evacuate in the case of a hurricane bearing down. 24 hours is the legal limit.

Developers, of course, have done everything in their power to show ways and make tax dollar investments to get more people out of the Keys, within that 24 hour limit. Including, as the environmentalist said, above, "Moving the goal posts."

Moving the goal posts is exactly the tried and true technique of legislators throughout the state in order to foment more growth and more people.

Gov. Rick Scott accomplished the ultimate "move the goal posts" on arrival to the Governor's Mansion. He simply allowed the legislature to kill off growth management, under the banner of "jobs, jobs, jobs".

The anti-regulation jihad, though, waged by the radical right wrecked Florida. Places like Homestead and Florida City stand out as examples where local kingpins and big farmers couldn't wait to sell their properties for zero lot line housing, turning the potential of a gateway community to important national parks into trash.

The unions and building trades were also complicit; using their membership fees to support corrupt politicians while, at the same time, forcing their members into so-called affordable housing far from places of work, in soul-less communities bearing names of extinct animals or lost habitats. Sprawl literally took the heart out of Florida.

Miami-Dade's version of suburbia, tattered through the housing market crash, is no different in any other Florida county where land was inexpensive and the thresholds to growth knocked down by insiders: wetlands, open space, and property edging the Everglades, or the Caloosahatchee, or St. Lucie. Name your special place in Florida: it's been combed over and picked for sprawl.

Nothing could alter the formula, famously depicted by Bush cheerleader Al Hoffman. "It's an unstoppable force!", Hoffman told the Washington Post a decade ago. Not the worst real estate collapse since the Great Depression, changed the fact. Right now, plans are afoot to move the Urban Development Boundary in west Miami Dade to accommodate more growth.

Weary environmentalists are heading to the battle lines, again.

There is no 24 hour clock in Miami-Dade as there is in the Keys. But there is one goal post that no county commissioner or governor will be able to move in our not-so-distant future. Implacable seas are rising, and in Miami-Dade County they will come in from the west, first.

Well before that time, the insurance industry will step in and blow its referee whistle. ... I can hear the bitter howling even now, when suburban sprawl stops in South Florida, leaving the last man without a musical chair, standing. (read the Keys article, below)

BEST thing about Windsurfing. By Geniusofdespair

When the wind is howling over 15 MPH, you ain't going to lift that sail by standing on the board and pulling it up. The wind pushes against it and you just don't have the strength. Watch this 30 second video and then I will write in read more what happened because even though you are watching and there is no cut, you can't figure out how the hell this guy got out of the water.

Frank Nero Gone. By Geniusofdespair

Robin Reiter-Faragalli

Robin Reiter Faragalli is the interim President of the Beacon Council. The county commission and the Mayor must be happy. Happiest of all should be Lynda Bell who was gunning for Nero. Now the Commissioners can divide up the funds that go to the Beacon Council for their loser Mom and Pop grants in their districts, that curry them favor.

How many of the those Mom and Pop businesses that we give grants to are still in business? We will know that soon enough. More important are they creating jobs?

I don't think Kulture Klothes by Isis, Freedom Wings, or Kemistry Hair Gallery will be doing any hiring soon. Kulture Klothes has been an inactive corporation since 9/22/2000, Freedom Wings, has been inactive since 9/24/2010 and Kemistry Hair Gallery has been an inactive corporation since 9/26/2008 according to Sunbiz. All 3 were recipients of a 2009-2010 Mom and Pop Grant. As I warned a reader, be careful what you wish for.

The Rick Scott Failure On Ethics Reform ... by gimleteye

Governor Rick Scott is garnering headlines for flip-flopping on positions like health care, generating quoteables from outraged Tea Party supporters. The problem with this angle is that it skips past the story how Scott's inexperience as a politician lead him to mistakes and omissions. These serious leadership deficits were the result of indifference or lack of understanding of public policy. Scott, after all, was a political newcomer who understood public policy through the filter of business success, having earned a fortune through a sharp understanding of health care reimbursement rules and regulations.

One of the best examples of Governor Scott's weakness as a political figure is the failure to support meaningful ethics reform; the result is coming clear in this session of the legislature.

To track back briefly: the worst outcome of the financial crisis, triggered in the late 2000's after an housing boom that landed in a devastating crate -- taking the fortunes of the state with it -- was the failure to hold any public officials accountable for the culture of speculation.

Because the federal executive branch held none to account, the speculators at the heart of the Growth Machine breathed sighs of relief, waited a while, and continued on their ways. Governor Scott was elected in a general atmosphere of "let's get on with it", "don't look backward", and the Tea Party confidence that the best leadership goal was to embrace the literal destruction of public policy and all the bureaucrats on the tax payer payroll. As a result, the speculators are largely still in control of the governing apparatus, both at the local and state legislative levels.

This is where ethics reform -- or lack, thereof -- comes into play. Or should.

As Scott ascended to the Governor's Mansion in early 2011, a special grand jury report on corruption and ethics was released in Tallahassee. Eye On Miami actually read the report.

Today, the Miami Herald reports, "Any discussion of changes to state ethics laws in 2011 likely would have included Phil Claypool, who was then executive director of the Commission on Ethics.

“I do not remember any communications with the governor’s office about the grand jury report and its recommendations for changes in the ethics laws,” Claypool said. “That doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen, just that I don’t recall anything like that.”

Scott in effect missed an opportunity to own the anti-corruption issue — and now the Florida Senate largely owns it. Scott may sign an ethics bill that ethics watchdogs consider too weak because it opens gaping new loopholes in laws they say are already too weak."



In January 2011 we wrote about the, "19th State Grand Jury Report on Public Corruption. The Herald might have tracked back for readers, as we will do here:

"The report illustrates how the rush to privatize government services lead to corruption in Florida. The Grand Jury then urges action. "In order for government to function, the people must have faith in their elected officials. Unfortunately, one only needs to read the newspaper headlines across the State of Florida realize that public corruption is pervasive at all levels of government."

The Florida Independent reported, "Miami Beach Democrat and former state Sen. Dan Gelber, who lost the attorney general’s race to Bondi last month and is a well-known advocate for tougher ethics rules, acknowledges that the grand jury recommendations may be well intentioned, but ultimately lie at the mercy of a legislature weary of reform. “The problem has not been the ideas. It’s been the unwillingness of the Legislature to really reform itself and public offices around the state,” [Gelber] said. “The Legislature refuses to seriously address public corruption."

According to the St. Pete Times, "The grand jury used the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to underscore the depth of the problem. In that agency, supervisors flagrantly circumvented purchasing rules, a practice that become common knowledge and prompted other employees to act unethically, the panel says. "We were told employees would steal items such as flat screen televisions from the office. Depending upon the position of the employee, the supervisor often took no action," the report says. "Due to the unethical conduct at the supervisory level, a systemic acceptance of corruption was born." The report does not identify the leadership of the FWC, Rodney Barreto, who is a close confidante of Jeb!

In a 2004 report by AFCME, "Shady Deals in the Sunshine State: the Florida Model of Privatization sounded an alarm. In 2005 the Florida legislature passed SB 1146. Although the bill prohibited lobbyists from becoming members of the state's ethics commission and clamped down on former state employees who want to lobby state government, it was vetoed by then Governor Jeb Bush in June 2005. Jeb! claimed, "This legislation could have a Draconian impact on the ability of the state to recruit employees who eventually aspire to return to the private sector."

State attorney general Pam Bondi did not include public corruption among her top priorities. Bondi "Ideologically and philosophically ... stands with Florida's business community" according to Associated Industries' jackass-in-chief, Barney Bishop. One of Bondi's first hires was Chief of Staff Carlos Muniz, a protege of Senator Marco Rubio. Muniz was a deputy general counsel for former Governor Jeb Bush and later a partner for GrayRobinson. As to GrayRobinson, according to a St. Pete Times report, in 2006 GrayRobinson received a lucrative contract for legal services from the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority. Bondi was a county prosecutor in Hillsborough. The Authority's board ignored a selection committee recommendation to re-hire the authority's legal counsel. The contract was awarded to Gray Robinson, with all four of Bush's appointees voting to over-ride the selection committee's recommendation. "Gray Robinson ... has links to Bush. Karen Unger, who is married to Gray Robinson partner Jason Unger, served as Bush's campaign manager in 2004." ("Road Agency Under Fire Again", Sept. 2, 2006, St. Pete Times)

Florida led the nation in the number of public officials convicted in federal corruption cases from 1998 to 2007. Counting from 2000 forward, Florida still had more federal corruption convictions than any other state. "We're number 1", St. Pete Times columnist Howard Troxler crows.

If actions speak louder than words, the Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida legislature will quickly move to embrace the recommendations of the Florida Grand Jury Report on Public Corruption, including criminalizing offenses by public officials and eliminating loopholes."

Of course, that did not happen. Instead, what is happening now is that an ethics reform bill has emerged from the Florida Senate that actually creates bigger loopholes for the Great Destroyers to walk through.

Governor Scott's failed leadership on ethics reform is just one example why he must be a one-term -- a regrettable one-term governor. But who will the Democrats set out, to defeat him?

County Commissioner Lynda Bell Being Annoying March 5th. By Geniusofdespair

Lynda Bell Being Annoying watch it on YouTube

My second best video yet. Not really, just another in a look line of videos.

Read this post from 2012, because this is what I consider the most sneaky thing Bell has done thus far.

Why is she always trying to get back at people? It is like she is on a one-woman crusade. Going after some of the people she does is not entirely off the mark. I also agree with her on some of the waste she focuses on. But it is the way she does it that irks me. It is hard to explain. The Audubon tirade a few years back is a perfect example of her style of attack: Bellow now, think later. The Audubon video and response to it from Audubon does tell me a lot, but I don't think I will ever understand the T Party mentality.

Natacha Seijas vs. Lynda Bell: My Best Video Ever...I Think. By Geniusofdespair

Direct to YouTube


What do you think...it actually has a plot.

Everyone should understand that what looks like nice behavior on TV really isn't. Lynda Bell is seen complimenting Natacha Seijas's appearance and is all cheery and bubbly to her, as she lectures Natacha and stabs her in the back on Natacha's own legislation. What betrayal.

 If you know the whole story, you can see when manipulative commissioners are on attack. This video gives you the back-story of what is going on. It is a short tutorial. For Bell to sit there and say to Seijas I am giving my money to this OTHER charity when she knows Seijas is there for the good of her own charity/job, is downright rude. Not that Seijas hasn't earned it. But Bell is supposed to be her friend.  She didn't have to vote for Seijas's proposal, that was bad enough, but the OTHER charity reference was a low blow by Lynda -- to the woman who is responsible for her election.

And, just a side note, having commissioners work for charities that the commission funds is a bad idea.

Focus On Climate Change Will Help Democrats In 2014 ... by gimleteye

In recent weeks -- and through his picks for key cabinet posts on energy and the environment -- President Obama signaled his intent to follow through and prioritize climate change in his second term.

Why would Obama stick to climate change, when the issue was such a muddled mess in his first term? Although global warming has been on the political radar for nearly forty years, neither Democratic nor Republican administrations have made much headway.

There are political reasons for President Obama to ratchet up climate change that have to do with 2014. Clearly, Congress will do nothing on climate change until control of the House reverts to Democrats.

While it is a spectacle to watch the GOP spin itself into broken parts over global warming, it is not a pleasing spectacle to many voters who may be inclined to vote Republican.

The evidence of climate change is all around us. Moreover, a majority of Americans are uninfluenced, in their views on climate change, by the right wing, radical destruction machine like Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.

Climate change will leverage American voters to return control of the House to Democrats in 2014. If the GOP were wise, it would launch a thorough and disciplined economic review of the best strategies to reform energy production and consumption. But that would put the radical right cross-ways to its main funders: polluting industries and the fossil fuel lobby.

There is an existential threat in climate change. But the existential threat will materialize, first, through the morbid rigidity of the GOP on environmental protection measures. Whether the Democrats will prove more resilient depends, because the Democrats are prone to herd behavior, favoring sustainable energy "insiders" instead of a rational analysis of strategies and tactics. Time will tell ...

Open Letter From County Commissioner Xavier Suarez. By Geniusofdespair

Commissioner Suarez voted NOT to reject the bid of the company recommended by the Mayor and staff for the baggage wrap contract. It was 9 to 2. Commissioner Suarez and Commissioner Monestime were the only two to vote no. I wrote about this yesterday and earlier in the week. Both companies had a gaggle of lobbyists trying to influence the County Commissioners. I predicted the outcome based on the lobbyists hired.

...........

Your readers should know that from day one I have fought to eliminate the influence of lobbyists in our public bidding process. This is in line with my long-standing position that public contracts should be price-competitive and should comply with the time-tested system of sealed bidding, which guarantees impartiality and transparency.

In the case of the Miami International Airport baggage wrapping contract bid, I proposed two alternatives to the administration:

1) To allow free competition at MIA to all qualified bidders, which would reduce the price to the consumer; or, in the alternative,
2) To pre-qualify all bidders and submit sealed bids to the Clerk, to be opened and awarded in open Commission session based simply on the bottom line.

I will continue to push for these reforms, whose indirect effect is to negate the influence and role of lobbyists. I did this, for eight years as Mayor of Miami, and went so far as to include bond counsel awards, resulting in the lowest price ever ($125/hour for the winning bidder).

I will continue to push for these reforms.

Xavier L. Suarez
Commissioner District 7

Pepe Diaz Well Rehearsed? By Geniusofdespair

We all know that lobbyists supply talking points/speeches to County Commissioners. Hell, lobbyist are so blatant they even talk for politicians (I saw that done at a State Meeting when the legislation was too complicated to explain by the simpleton politician). No one can deny this goes on. We all can admit, Lobbyists are smart guys and gals, crafting quite effective arguments, well, effective enough so politicians look smart on TV. Well, smarter.

Anyway, it looks like Pepe Diaz tried to ad lib on the lines supplied to him yesterday with amusing results.

Baggage Wrap Contract Award. I am watching it. By Geniusofdespair

I have been watching it for hours. I reported on this earlier this week. Too long. Hours.

From the discussion, I think they are going to throw out the winning bid (recommended by the airport and Mayor) from True Star/Sinapsis (there were a lot of Italian jokes that I thought were uncalled for, we know the company is Italian, the constant reminders were annoying). Xavier Suarez had the best idea, let both of the companies operate at the airport. Let's have some good old competition. Okay now they are going to throw out the winning bid and take the second bidder at the same terms as the winning bidder. Seems a bit unfair. But Safe Wrap is going to get it. What is it a 20 year contract? I guess this is finally over. Millions upon millions of dollars are at stake. Mr. Ramos how about we meet for a steak? You won big. Your investment in lobbyists paid off. I heard their words coming out of the mouths of their puppet commissioners, especially Diaz. They just voted to not award the contract to True Star, Monestime and Suarez voted no, 9 voted yes. A second vote to award the contract to the second bidder on the first bidder's terms, the vote 2 was 11 to 0.

So who was behind the allegations against Senator Bob Menendez? ... by gimleteye

Forget about a "pathway to citizenship." Every day the GOP seem to give voters a better reason to give Democrats a pathway to control of Congress in 2014.

The latest smear campaign by the GOP -- a la Swiftboating -- is against Senator Bob Menendez, D-NJ, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Menendez is the most powerful Cuban American politician in Congress. (Allegations skirted by the report that Menendez was entertained at the Dominican Republic resort, Casa de Campo, owned by the Big Sugar's billionaire Fanjuls. We'd like to see the flight manifests of all members of Congress who have been wined and dined by Big Sugar.)

Now, allegations made by a Dominican woman -- through a conservative website and widely broadcast -- have been withdrawn. "A Dominican woman who said in a video that she had had sex with Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey for money is acknowledging that the story is false, according to her sworn statement released by a lawyer enmeshed in the scandal."

Lynda Bell at it again with the 8 1/2 square mile folks...How did this pass the legal department? By Geniusofdespair

Lynda Bell - Fan of Selective Enforcement,Chain Link Fences
and Pink Slime in Meat Products.

 

The problem with Lynda Bell's latest resolution coming March 14th is that resolutions are NOT suppose to address INDIVIDUALS. Laws and resolutions are for everyone. You don't pick and choose who is exempt. If Joe Blow or Carlos Gimenez is not allowed to dump dirty fill on wetlands, why should Pepe Diaz be exempt and be allowed to dump it? We all follow the same rules...Don't we? Well not if you are a friend of Lynda Bell. Then you get a law fashioned just for you because you made a lot of noise and sucked up to her. I bet she wishes she could do this to John Dubois to make all his wetland violations go away. Maybe she will.

 The people who already paid the fine are going to go berserk when they find out. This whole issue is a fundamentally UNFAIR. The County code defines what makes up clean fill and how you can use it. Vegetative debris mixed with garbage is not clean fill and does not belong in wetlands. Fill DOES NOT include garbage and it DOES require a permit.

Lynda's resolution  is specifically tailored for people who 1) did not get/follow a permit and 2) used garbage to fill wetlands. Many property owners accepted the garbage tainted mulch and dumped it on their property. Once discovered, DERM required corrective action. Many property owners and contractors complied. Of the nine listed in the resolution, a few are resisting (not all). If this resolution passes it will legalize illegal fill on those parcels. It will also make application of county code arbitrary - what about the people who already paid to correct the problem. I bet they don't even know this is happening. I bet some of the owners of the parcels listed in the resolution don't even know. So 9 people will be exempt. Stupid is as stupid does. Here is what Lynda Bell's law dujour, for COMMITTEE ON MARCH 14th, says (only important part is bold - hit read more to see it):

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE MAYOR OR MAYOR’S DESIGNEE TO REFRAIN FROM FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT IN THE FEW REMAINING CASES AGAINST PROPERTY OWNERS FOR MULCHED HURRICANE DEBRIS DEPOSITED DURING THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE WILMA

Good Theatre: The County Airport Shrink Wrap War. By Geniusofdespair

The award of the luggage shrink-wrap contract is on the agenda Tuesday (8 on the agenda). If you watch one thing this should be it. The award of the shrink wrap contract is a symptom of everything that is wrong with Miami Dade County. I looked up the lobbyists of the two companies. Someone told me two they knew of were Felix Lasarte for Safe Wrap and Pablo Acosta, for True Star/Sinapsis. How important is this contract? Besides Felix, Safe Wrap has hired Roosevelt Bradley, Armando Gutierrez, Sylvester Lukis, Jorge Navarro, Enrique Ramos, Daniel Valdespino, Jose Villalobos, Radames Villalon, Gregory Hannah and Jose Castillo (that one is for Lynda Bell). Roosevelt Bradley and Armano Gutierrez used to lobby for Sinapsis. In a previous article I wrote in Feb. 2012, I note that Lobbyist Miguel De Grandy has quite a history with the shrink wrap war:

De Grandy, in particular, was cited for a conflict of interest: As a private lawyer, De Grandy had represented a baggage wrapping company, and then their competitor, for the same contract with Miami International Airport.

There is a good article in the Miami Herald on the issue:

"The latest chapter involves two competitors with such over-the-top dislike for each other that one accuses the other of hiding his finances and compares him to the Miami Marlins. The second likens his firm to John Wayne and counters that his rival has business ties to Cuba.

'It just seems like a movie,' MIA Director José Abreu said. 'I don’t know anything else that is more controversial than baggage wrap.'"

Based on Lobbyists, I think Safe Wrap/Secure Wrap has a clear advantage. Chairman of the Board Henry Ramos told me in January 2012:

"We have never cheated the County, never under reported & as a matter of fact our payments to the County have always been 50% or more of our gross sales; that's a fact.

Ms. Gittens never gave us anything, everything done had always been done through commission & following the rule of law; also a fact. It is very sad that the rule of law & the truth has little, if anything, to do with what's done nowadays in our society, especially our country.

I'll defend my position & that of my Company telling the truth with tangible documented evidence, that's all I/we can do."

The Key West Channel Dredging Project: Fighting the same battles, all over again ... by gimleteye

Royal Caribbean wants taxpayers to help dredge Key West Harbor (again) so that its largest ships can disgorge thousands more passengers in the Southermost city. Fishing in the Florida Keys brought me to the fight. In my lifetime, beginning in the early 1970s, I witnessed the last of the Everglades ecosystem firing on all cylinders in Florida Bay. Every battle to protect wetlands from development, shoreline from condos, every battle to enforce water quality laws, is a repetition of an outcome that has already been contested. Should Key West channels be dredged to advance the profit motive of a few corporations? No. No. No.

Forbes List of Richest People: Aren't You Glad We Gave Corporate Welfare to the Richest in South Florida? By Geniusofdespair

Micky Arison: Laughing all the way to the bank.

The Miami Heat Stadium deal was another stinker for Miami Dade County taxpayers. More corporate welfare for a billionaire. In the recently released Forbes List of the richest billionaires, Heat owner and Carnival Cruise Chairman Micky Arison was the highest ranking South Floridian on the list, tying for the 211 slot with $5.7 billion.

No more corporate welfare for billionaires. Tell the Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to go fly a kite. He should use his $4.4 billion to buy one. He is number 286 on Forbes list. Norman Braman is a light weight at $1.6 billion.  

Another Big Mistake is Poised to Happen in Miami Dade County. By Geniusofdespair

Dividing up Beacon Council Funds by 13 is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Today in the Miami Herald, Frank Nero, the CEO of the Beacon Council, said:

"Efforts to divert the Beacon Council’s resources to be divided equally between the 13 commission districts to other programs is clearly in violation of the law that created funding for the council. It will have a net effect, if approved, to severely restrict the organization’s ability to carry out its work."

The Beacon Council's funds are for a "comprehensive countywide strategic plan" to attract businesses to the County. Don't really care about the violation (read the article people) Frank Nero, but I do care that dividing up the funds by 13 is a SUPER BAD IDEA. Whenever you see the number 13 and funds in the same sentence, it is SUPER BAD. It puts the Commissioner in power of where the funds go. Even if they only get to 'recommend' it is bad. They have to keep their greedy hands off of money.

To elaborate (must I?), to divide up the funds between the 13 County Commission Districts would be a disaster. We have enough cronyism going on in each County Commission District. We don't need County Commissioners to take charge of one penny more to give to their campaign supporters, favorite charity and their BFF (they have plenty of those). Having a semi-independent group like the Beacon Council is far and away a better thing for the County. Maybe the Beacon Council needs a new leader, if Nero is getting on people's nerves, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Change the use of the money if you want but do a BIG FAT NO to 13.

Mayor Gimenez, I implore you, don't let any of the 13 be in charge of doling out any more funds. That is how we get stuck with Commissioners for life. They use public funds to curry favor in their district for their reelection campaigns. Most of the the County Commissioners -- I am sorry to say -- have reelection as their number 1 goal, not the good of the people of the County. You can't build businesses one district at a time. I only took one economics course in college and even I know that (Remember Stackhouse's $1,000,000 Liberty City fraud as just one example). As Frank Nero said:

"We promote the entire county. We do not direct companies to locate in specific areas, although we do advocate for areas in need of investment. Companies make their final location or expansion decision based on where the facilities, infrastructure, access to market, labor force and their clients are located."

Mainstream press avoids real cause of man-swallowing Florida sinkholes ... by gimleteye

One may pray that Florida voters will eventually make the connection between water managers, beholden to special interests, and district board members, appointed by the governor they elect, and sinkholes like the one that recently claimed the life of a Tampa area man named Jeff Bush.

The AP reported one woman's observations: "You never know underneath the ground what's happening." That's not true.

Actually, we DO know what is happening underneath the ground in Florida. Too much water is being sucked out, to accommodate the rampant growth of suburbs and to placate the needs of Big Ag.

District ordered "consumptive use permits" for water withdrawals are wrecking Florida's aquifers, streams, and natural resources -- tied to the economy's prosperity -- like the Everglades.

There is evidence everywhere that too much water is being sucked from Florida ground water. The most extreme result is the sinkhole that claimed Mr. Bush's life.

The story appears to have died with the demolition of the Bush family home. It would be too bad if that were the case: ordinary homeowners need to rise up and protest the jeopardy created under their very feet by politicians and special interests they serve.

The high cost of sinkholes is only inevitable if people ignore what their elected officials do, in the name of "progress".

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/02/3262717/fla-sinkhole-that-swallowed-man.html#storylink=cpy