Yes, we all know the name of the game, getting an economic stimulus plan on the table, approved by Congress, and the money put out there aiding the economy. The entire discussion has confused me somewhat, just because I live in one of the most corrupt counties in the entire USA.
One might suppose I live in Chicago, but I don't. I live in Palm Beach County Florida. You might remember us, the trouble makers in the year 2000, where the battle between Gore and Bush or was it Bush and Gore finally hit the mainstream minds of national politics, and cable television.
I wasn't a fan of the "bailout" last year, I sent a lot of letters and made a lot of phone calls saying "just say no". I almost felt like a drug commercial. I even sent a "letter to the editor" that didn't get published, about why I opposed the bailout, and I mentioned something like crowning Hank Paulson King of the USA with the rubber stamp of George W. Bush.
Now one might wonder why I consider my home county one of the most corrupt in the USA, but here is a snippet from an article featured this month in "Time":
Florida's Palm Beach County turns 100 this year, and one can forgive residents for feeling particularly nostalgic. Their once exclusive slice of South Florida used to be known primarily as the Kennedys' winter playground and a retiree haven for wealthy Northeasterners. But ever since the chad-infused chaos of the 2000 presidential recount, the largest county (by land mass) east of the Mississippi River has begun to rival Miami as the Sunshine State's capital of corruption and political mischief. It had to endure the sexual scandals of two consecutive congressman, first disgraced Representative Mark Foley and then his successor, Tim Mahoney, who lost his re-election bid in November after admitting to having multiple extramarital affairs and paying hush money to one of his former mistresses. And Palm Beach was the winter home of alleged Ponzi scheme leader Bernard Madoff, who found many of his allegedly bilked investors in the area.
So when U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta held a press conference in West Palm Beach on Friday to announce corruption charges against 18-year county commissioner Mary McCarty, he couldn't have summed up the collective feelings of the county's scandal-weary citizens any better. "Today I have a sense of déjà vu," Acosta remarked. (See TIME's top 10 scandals of 2008.)
In just the past two years, four city and county commissioners have been convicted of federal corruption charges, and McCarty could well join her former colleagues in serving time.
http://www.time.com/...
You will note, if you read, that Hector Florin was the main author of that piece, and if anyone would or could know, Hector Florin is one who would. He first worked for the "Sun Sentinel" out of Fort Lauderdale, and then the "Palm Beach Post". He was one of those hard-working reporters when our first real corruption scandals broke long after the 2000 election.
Palm Beach County and all of its special taxing districts (I believe there are some 60 plus or minus of them) as well as all of its municipalities, are jumping on the bandwagon of the thought of "shovel ready" projects. Why would I complain as a taxpayer of some of those entities? Let me tell you why...
It represents theft, pure theft, crimes being committed right under our nose. It is non-partisan, but there is this air of "business" rather than "people" connected to it, which brings you back to greed. Anyone in Florida reading the news today realizes that Florida actually represents one of the largest unemployment states in the nation. So many unemployment claims have hit the books that unemployed workers waiting for benefits being "reviewed" are being told they should seek social services elsewhere while their claims are being examined.
Florida also appears to be the foreclosure capital of the country, and most especially my own county. Why, one would wonder, are corruption scandals and foreclosures and scandalous elections and unemployment so centered in just one county, mine? Palm Beach County seemingly represents the most wealthy and the most poor, all at the same time. It is a study in contrast, and surely if any sociologist studied our makeup, they would realize the most wealthy have been living off of the most impoverished for years.
Corrupt politicians of municipalities, special taxing districts, and counties, have further been abusing the system for taxpayer gimmees for many years. Take a look at this article, featured in a "weekly" local media outlet...
Wellington Asks Feds For $106 Million Stimulus
Mark Lioi 30.JAN.09
Looking forward to the possibility of large amounts of economic stimulus funding flowing its way, the Village of Wellington has presented its wish list of projects to the federal government totaling more than $106 million.
The list of projects, many of which are either anticipated for eventual undertaking by the village as part of its capital improvement plan or have been deferred in the past year due to revenue shortfalls, would create an additional 2,230 local jobs, according to the request.
The number of jobs created is simply bogus. I can say this because I know. Take a look at this assertion:
Although Wellington’s list is available via U.S. Mayors web site, Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen said the village submitted the list directly to the federal government.
"We submitted all our projects that were shovel-ready back when we first had the opportunity, probably two or three weeks ago now," he told the Town-Crier Thursday.
Among the biggest-ticket items are components of the village’s ambitious redevelopment plan. These include $15 million for the construction of a new municipal complex "to centralize village offices and provide significant time and operating savings" (250 jobs), $25 million for redevelopment of core business areas "including land assembly, development incentives and infrastructure expansion to facilitate redevelopment" (500 jobs) and $20 million to revitalize "aging residential and commercial areas, particularly transitional neighborhoods experiencing high crime and deteriorating infrastructure" (500 jobs).
http://www.thecrier.com/...
So "Wellington" has $106 MILLION DOLLARS on the line in "shovel ready projects" all set for approval by the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress. Do you know where Prince Charles of England plays "polo" when he visits the USA and specifically Florida or "Palm Beach". He actually visits "Wellington", seeking $106 million dollars in shovel read projects. Their Board has a Republican majority, and here is what the "Repubican Mayor Bowen" offered in comments:
Bowen, himself a Republican, said he opposes the package on principle. "But if they’re going to do it, then I might as well get in line," he said. "I think the whole thing is out of whack, although I think the Republicans would have supported it if the thing had been solely for capital projects, because capital projects will put people to work.