Saturday, October 3, 2009
THE SPOILED UNDER-30 CROWD!!!
If you are 30 or older you will think this is hilarious!!!!
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking Twenty-five miles to school every morning....
Uphill... barefoot...
BOTH ways
Yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!
But now that... I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalogue!!
There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen!
Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take, like, a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!
There were no MP3' s or Napsters! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the damn record store and shoplift it yourself!
Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished and the tape would come undone. Cause - that's how we rolled, dig?
We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!
And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either!
When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... forever!
And you could never win.. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel! NO REMOTES!!!
There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little brats!
And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or before!
Regards,
The Over 30 Crowd
(Send this to someone you'd like to make smile, Whether they are under 30 or not.)
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking Twenty-five miles to school every morning....
Uphill... barefoot...
BOTH ways
Yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!
But now that... I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalogue!!
There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen!
Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take, like, a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!
There were no MP3' s or Napsters! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the damn record store and shoplift it yourself!
Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished and the tape would come undone. Cause - that's how we rolled, dig?
We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!
And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either!
When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... forever!
And you could never win.. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel! NO REMOTES!!!
There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little brats!
And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or before!
Regards,
The Over 30 Crowd
(Send this to someone you'd like to make smile, Whether they are under 30 or not.)
Thursday, October 1, 2009
pay to see a movie at Lake Ashton?
I was told by a resident that Joe Hunter is thinking about charging to go to the movies at Lake Ashton. I guess he is looking for a pay raise. I wouldn't put this pass him. He did get a fee for the ballroom for Lake Ashton residents $375.00 in addition to your maintenance fees. He is always thinking of ways for you to come up for more money. He wants more money for doing nothing. This guy has got to go.
Joe Hunter the overpaid "do nothing" politician
Doesn't it get you upset knowing that the politician's are getting Social Security equal to their pay and they can still work and double dip. Its like Joe Hunter receiving a triple figure salary paid for by the residents of Lake Ashton and he does nothing. Yet some of the residents think this is OK. Where are they coming from? Joe Hunter is like a politician, all talk and he does nothing. If you call him for a problem he will ask you to go see the HOA or the CDD. He does nothing but accuse you of things you did not do. My question is why is he loved by so many people and he does nothing to help anyone. Call him with a problem and see how far you will get. I wish he would hang a sign on his office saying go see the CDD or the HOA if you have a problem.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Joe Hunter is missing
At the Monday morning Sep 28 Coffee Meeting, Tricia said that Joe Hunter(Do nothing) was not there because he was working on a "Time Sensitive Project" Can we assumed he is working on his resume? There will not be too much on it except he has experience with cleaning pools and at Mattie's restaurant he ordered the food. What a education! Plus he is very good at excusing people of wrong doing when in fact they were many miles away at the time. He loves to bark at the residents of Lake Ashton and he knows he can get away with it with Maxwell behind him. I hope he gets his walking papers soon. Good by Joe We won't miss you.
Social Security 2009
EVEN -IF- YOU- DON'T -DEPEND- ON -THIS -NOW, - YOU WILL- WHEN -YOU -GET- OLDER.
2010 is an election year for 1/3 of the senate and 1/2 of the house of representatives. It would be nice if congress got the message; the voting taxpayers are in charge now.
LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON "PEOPLE POWER" AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET. PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT!
KEEP IT GOING!!!!
Propose this in 2009:
START A BILL TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL SECURITY:
(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)
Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.
Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.
You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan.
In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.
For all practical purposes their plan works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.
Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments. ......
For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.
This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.
Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.
Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. ZIP!! NADA!!! ZILCH!!!
This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;
"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"!
From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer ), We can expect to get an average of
$1,000 per month after retirement.
Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!
Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.
That change would be to
Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. .. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us
Then sit back.....
And see how fast they would fix it!
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.
How many people can YOU send this to?
Better yet......
How many people WILL you send this to ?
P.S. The same goes for their healthplan
2010 is an election year for 1/3 of the senate and 1/2 of the house of representatives. It would be nice if congress got the message; the voting taxpayers are in charge now.
LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON "PEOPLE POWER" AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET. PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT!
KEEP IT GOING!!!!
Propose this in 2009:
START A BILL TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL SECURITY:
(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)
Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.
Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.
You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan.
In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.
For all practical purposes their plan works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.
Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments. ......
For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.
This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.
Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.
Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. ZIP!! NADA!!! ZILCH!!!
This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;
"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"!
From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer ), We can expect to get an average of
$1,000 per month after retirement.
Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!
Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.
That change would be to
Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. .. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us
Then sit back.....
And see how fast they would fix it!
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.
How many people can YOU send this to?
Better yet......
How many people WILL you send this to ?
P.S. The same goes for their healthplan
The Fairy
The Fairy
A Fairy told a married couple: "For being such an exemplary married couple for 35 years, I will give you each a wish."
"I want to travel around the world with my dearest husband," said the wife.
The fairy moved her magic stick and, abracadabra! two tickets appeared in the wife's hands.
Now it was the husband's turn. He thought for a moment and said: "Well, this moment is very romantic, but an opportunity like this only occurs once in a lifetime. So ... I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me."
The wife was deeply disappointed but, a wish was a wish.
The Fairy made a circle with her magic stick and, abracadabra! suddenly the husband was 90 years old.
MORAL: Men might be bastards, but Fairies are female.
A Fairy told a married couple: "For being such an exemplary married couple for 35 years, I will give you each a wish."
"I want to travel around the world with my dearest husband," said the wife.
The fairy moved her magic stick and, abracadabra! two tickets appeared in the wife's hands.
Now it was the husband's turn. He thought for a moment and said: "Well, this moment is very romantic, but an opportunity like this only occurs once in a lifetime. So ... I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me."
The wife was deeply disappointed but, a wish was a wish.
The Fairy made a circle with her magic stick and, abracadabra! suddenly the husband was 90 years old.
MORAL: Men might be bastards, but Fairies are female.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
MX Comunications poll
I don't think the people are happy even if the poll says 11 YES and 10 NO. What happens is that some people think without Maxwell and Joe Hunter(do nothing) Lake Ashton won't survive. This person who has mail me says he has had conversations with residents of Lake Ashton and they think this way. They don't know if Maxwell has a chance in hell to sell Lake Ashton business, and if he did he will do it in a second.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Ballroom was rented on 9-10-2009 for "Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce"
I guess the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce can tell anyone where to go. Even if you are watching a movie in the cinema.
Barry Soetoro our president of the US. was born in Indonesia.
Obama's legitimacy and qualification to serve as president is now being question.
This registration document, made available on Jan. 24, 2007, by the Fransiskus Assisi school in Jakarta, Indonesia, shows the registration of Barack Obama under the name Barry Soetoro made by his step-father, Lolo Soetoro.
Name: Barry Soetoro
Religion: ..... Islam
Nationality: ..... Indonesian
How did little INDONESIAN, Barry Soetoro, (A.K.A. Barack Obama) get around the issue of nationality to become president?
Someone who tells lies is a L __ __ R!
In a move certain to fuel the debate over Obama's qualifications for
the presidency, the group "Americans for Freedom of Information" has released copies of President Obama's college transcripts from Occidental College.
Released today, the transcript indicates that Obama, under the name Barry Soetoro, received financial aid as a foreign student from Indonesia as an undergraduate at the school.
The transcript was released by Occidental College in compliance with a court order in a suit brought
by the group in the Superior Court of California. The transcript shows that Obama (Soetoro) applied for financial aid and was awarded a fellowship for foreign students from the Fulbright Foundation Scholarship program. To qualify, for the scholarship, a student must claim foreign citizenship.
This document would seem to provide the smoking gun that many of Obama's detractors have been seeking. Along with the evidence that he was first born in Kenya and there is no record of him ever applying for US citizenship. This is looking pretty grim. The news has created a firestorm at the White House as the release casts increasing doubt about
Obama's legitimacy and qualification to serve as president. When reached for comment in London, where he has been in meetings with British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown, Obama smiled but refused comment on the issue.
Britain's Daily Mail has also carried the story in a front-page article titled, "Obama Eligibility Questioned," leading some to speculate that the story may overshadow economic issues on Obama's first official visit to the U.K.
In a related matter, under growing pressure from several groups, Justice Antonin Scalia announced that the Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to hear arguments concerning Obama's legal eligibility to serve as President in a case brought by Leo Donofrio of New Jersey.
This lawsuit claims Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. Donofrio's case is just one of 18 suits brought by citizens demanding proof of Obama's citizenship or qualifications to serve as president.
Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation has released the results of their investigation of Obama's campaign spending. This study estimates that Obama has spent upwards of $950,000 in campaign funds in the past year with eleven law firms in 12 states for legal resources to block disclosure of any of his personal records.
Mr. Kreep indicated that the investigation is still on-going but that the final report will be provided to the U.S. attorney general, Eric Holder. Mr. Holder has refused to comment on the matter.
LET OTHER FOLKS KNOW THIS NEWS THE MEDIA WON'T EMBRACE! NEITHER ONE OF THE OBAMA PAIR HAD TIME TO GET A REAL JOB AND WORK FOR A PAY CHECK. WE PAID THE BALANCE ON THEIR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL
For a copy of Obama registation please E-mail me at lakeashtontalk@yahoo.com
This registration document, made available on Jan. 24, 2007, by the Fransiskus Assisi school in Jakarta, Indonesia, shows the registration of Barack Obama under the name Barry Soetoro made by his step-father, Lolo Soetoro.
Name: Barry Soetoro
Religion: ..... Islam
Nationality: ..... Indonesian
How did little INDONESIAN, Barry Soetoro, (A.K.A. Barack Obama) get around the issue of nationality to become president?
Someone who tells lies is a L __ __ R!
In a move certain to fuel the debate over Obama's qualifications for
the presidency, the group "Americans for Freedom of Information" has released copies of President Obama's college transcripts from Occidental College.
Released today, the transcript indicates that Obama, under the name Barry Soetoro, received financial aid as a foreign student from Indonesia as an undergraduate at the school.
The transcript was released by Occidental College in compliance with a court order in a suit brought
by the group in the Superior Court of California. The transcript shows that Obama (Soetoro) applied for financial aid and was awarded a fellowship for foreign students from the Fulbright Foundation Scholarship program. To qualify, for the scholarship, a student must claim foreign citizenship.
This document would seem to provide the smoking gun that many of Obama's detractors have been seeking. Along with the evidence that he was first born in Kenya and there is no record of him ever applying for US citizenship. This is looking pretty grim. The news has created a firestorm at the White House as the release casts increasing doubt about
Obama's legitimacy and qualification to serve as president. When reached for comment in London, where he has been in meetings with British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown, Obama smiled but refused comment on the issue.
Britain's Daily Mail has also carried the story in a front-page article titled, "Obama Eligibility Questioned," leading some to speculate that the story may overshadow economic issues on Obama's first official visit to the U.K.
In a related matter, under growing pressure from several groups, Justice Antonin Scalia announced that the Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to hear arguments concerning Obama's legal eligibility to serve as President in a case brought by Leo Donofrio of New Jersey.
This lawsuit claims Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. Donofrio's case is just one of 18 suits brought by citizens demanding proof of Obama's citizenship or qualifications to serve as president.
Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation has released the results of their investigation of Obama's campaign spending. This study estimates that Obama has spent upwards of $950,000 in campaign funds in the past year with eleven law firms in 12 states for legal resources to block disclosure of any of his personal records.
Mr. Kreep indicated that the investigation is still on-going but that the final report will be provided to the U.S. attorney general, Eric Holder. Mr. Holder has refused to comment on the matter.
LET OTHER FOLKS KNOW THIS NEWS THE MEDIA WON'T EMBRACE! NEITHER ONE OF THE OBAMA PAIR HAD TIME TO GET A REAL JOB AND WORK FOR A PAY CHECK. WE PAID THE BALANCE ON THEIR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL
For a copy of Obama registation please E-mail me at lakeashtontalk@yahoo.com
Over Price Boat Docks
Lake Ashton charges $75.00/mo to keep your boat tied to the dock plus another $50.00 a month to store your boat trailer plus tax. Boat docks at one time was $100.00/mo. Total cost $125.00 per month plus tax. Looking at the boat docks, I only see pontoon boats, no fishing boats. Would you pay $132.50 to store your boat in a small lake? You would have to be crazy. Same price or less at other marine boat Co's. and you get to see the chain of Lakes. Makes no sense at all. One would think the boat dock would be free to all residents of Lake Ashton. Money is the name of the game here at Lake Ashton. Money, Money, Money If you wish to rent the Ballroom its $375 for the resident of Lake Ashton. Why do we pay a maintainance fee when we have to pay again????
Sunday, September 27, 2009
This is a must read article.
Article Courtesy of The Miami Herald
By JOE CARDONA
Published September 27, 2009
Everyday we ride, drive, walk and jog by them without a word. They stand as a pathetic reminder of a recent past where avarice prompted delusions of early retirement, ownership of multiple beachfront homes and a perpetually bulging stock market portfolio.
How did our city become a museum of sleek, modern and predominantly empty condos?
Political apathy, a history of rampant corruption and little corporate oversight of market forces opened the floodgates to the mess we're in today.
Developers from far and wide eagerly descended upon South Florida a decade ago with new visions of what our city should look like. Miami has a notorious history -- for better and worse -- of falling in love with everything foreign. These ``carpetbaggers'' joined forces with greedy, shortsighted locals and commenced their master plan to revamp the skyline with little care for urban planning, the local economy or the city's history.
At one point, a developer planned to dwarf the Freedom Tower by erecting a condo onto its annex claiming that that part of the building had no historical significance. We are a city that is easily hoodwinked into thinking that conditions are always better somewhere else. The irony is that Miami is one of the most unique, diverse and exciting places in America. Yet the city is constantly looking to reinvent itself as something it is not.
At the height of the construction frenzy, the Magic City was wowed with swank, South Beach-themed parties chock-full of beautiful models and lined with lavish ice sculptures. Conversations at these well-attended affairs highlighted what the city should, could and would be. Because of our transient, ever-changing population we are sometimes void of institutional memory, and thus yesterday's zany, ill-fated plans seem plausibly wonderful today.
Local politicians prematurely drooled over future tax revenues and basked in the uptick in employment stats. Banks seemed strong. A new branch appeared in every strip mall. I assumed the business plans for these new projects that were changing the facade and culture of my city must have been legit if they were scrutinized by the same lenders who had gone through my business proposals with a fine-tooth comb.
To keep pace with the mad real-estate orgy, folks in the 'burbs decided to join in, buying and selling property quicker than it took for the ink to dry on the property deed. ``Flipping'' homes became a South Florida pastime. Encouraged by cable reality shows and persuaded by unscrupulous brokers, many middle-class, coupon cutters were now property speculators.
Conditions were ripe for the perfect storm. The rise and fall happened in a decade yet unfortunately the effects will be longer lasting than Hurricane Andrew.
Property values have plummeted, the sale of new homes is puttering along after a screeching halt and construction workers are begging for jobs. Meanwhile, in the throes of this economic tempest, taxpayers were saddled with a performing-arts center that they don't attend and a yet-to-be built baseball stadium that likely will be infrequently visited and significant salary hikes for downtown bureaucrats.
I often wonder if our politicians live in the same city as we do? If they do, shouldn't they have considered the laws of supply and demand?
So as we live amid these hollow, cement behemoths in ``Empty Condo Land,'' and people wonder who should be held accountable? Certainly there must be someone to blame.
South Floridians live a quaint form of civic escapism. Spurned on by decades of corruption scandals involving elected officials, police chiefs, members of the School Board, union heads and politically appointed administrators at the airport and port of Miami -- to name a few -- Miamians have forfeited their stake in local affairs.
Sadly enough, the fault rests on us.
By JOE CARDONA
Published September 27, 2009
Everyday we ride, drive, walk and jog by them without a word. They stand as a pathetic reminder of a recent past where avarice prompted delusions of early retirement, ownership of multiple beachfront homes and a perpetually bulging stock market portfolio.
How did our city become a museum of sleek, modern and predominantly empty condos?
Political apathy, a history of rampant corruption and little corporate oversight of market forces opened the floodgates to the mess we're in today.
Developers from far and wide eagerly descended upon South Florida a decade ago with new visions of what our city should look like. Miami has a notorious history -- for better and worse -- of falling in love with everything foreign. These ``carpetbaggers'' joined forces with greedy, shortsighted locals and commenced their master plan to revamp the skyline with little care for urban planning, the local economy or the city's history.
At one point, a developer planned to dwarf the Freedom Tower by erecting a condo onto its annex claiming that that part of the building had no historical significance. We are a city that is easily hoodwinked into thinking that conditions are always better somewhere else. The irony is that Miami is one of the most unique, diverse and exciting places in America. Yet the city is constantly looking to reinvent itself as something it is not.
At the height of the construction frenzy, the Magic City was wowed with swank, South Beach-themed parties chock-full of beautiful models and lined with lavish ice sculptures. Conversations at these well-attended affairs highlighted what the city should, could and would be. Because of our transient, ever-changing population we are sometimes void of institutional memory, and thus yesterday's zany, ill-fated plans seem plausibly wonderful today.
Local politicians prematurely drooled over future tax revenues and basked in the uptick in employment stats. Banks seemed strong. A new branch appeared in every strip mall. I assumed the business plans for these new projects that were changing the facade and culture of my city must have been legit if they were scrutinized by the same lenders who had gone through my business proposals with a fine-tooth comb.
To keep pace with the mad real-estate orgy, folks in the 'burbs decided to join in, buying and selling property quicker than it took for the ink to dry on the property deed. ``Flipping'' homes became a South Florida pastime. Encouraged by cable reality shows and persuaded by unscrupulous brokers, many middle-class, coupon cutters were now property speculators.
Conditions were ripe for the perfect storm. The rise and fall happened in a decade yet unfortunately the effects will be longer lasting than Hurricane Andrew.
Property values have plummeted, the sale of new homes is puttering along after a screeching halt and construction workers are begging for jobs. Meanwhile, in the throes of this economic tempest, taxpayers were saddled with a performing-arts center that they don't attend and a yet-to-be built baseball stadium that likely will be infrequently visited and significant salary hikes for downtown bureaucrats.
I often wonder if our politicians live in the same city as we do? If they do, shouldn't they have considered the laws of supply and demand?
So as we live amid these hollow, cement behemoths in ``Empty Condo Land,'' and people wonder who should be held accountable? Certainly there must be someone to blame.
South Floridians live a quaint form of civic escapism. Spurned on by decades of corruption scandals involving elected officials, police chiefs, members of the School Board, union heads and politically appointed administrators at the airport and port of Miami -- to name a few -- Miamians have forfeited their stake in local affairs.
Sadly enough, the fault rests on us.
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