Coral Gables Environment, Politics and Government
May 16, 2011 Leave a comment
In low-lying Florida, where 95 percent of the population lives within 35 miles of its 1,200 miles of coastline, a swelling of the tides could cause serious problems. So what is Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection doing about dealing with climate change?
“DEP is not pursuing any programs or projects regarding climate change,” an agency spokeswoman said in an e-mail to the St. Petersburg Times last week.
May 16, 2011 Leave a comment
Local and regional authorities have decided that climate change and global warming are not relevant for public policy. Even Miami and Coral Gables leaders should start thinking about the evident impact on our town.
NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies has released its monthly global temperature data. It reveals that there is no April in the temperature record before 2005 that was warmer than April 2010.
And that’s in spite of the fact that we are still in the tail end of a major La Niña and just coming out of “the deepest solar minimum in nearly a century.” April 2011 is surpassed in warmth only by 2005, 2007, and 2010. It tied with 2002 and just beat 1998.
via NASA: April tied for 4th hottest on record globally « Climate Progress.
May 11, 2011 Leave a comment
Even the Chavez model seems neoliberal compared to the CubanMilitary-Based Economy. The Cuba’s will not find much solace in these so-called “reforms.” Sad but true for those who might have had some hope that there would be changes–I guess not in our lifetime
Raúl Castro’s consolidation of his position as successor to his brother Fidel confirms that his Cuba will give the military domestic hegemony, which makes any serious political or economic opening in the near future seemingly impossible. The Cuban Communist Party’s recent Sixth Congress reflected this, offering little new and rehashing a lot of the old.
via Has Cuba Lost its Last Chance? by Carlos Perez Llana – Project Syndicate.
May 10, 2011 Leave a comment
Both the city manager and the city commissioner have bought into the silly idea that the new “Renaissance Debt” is free. The taxpayers will surely pay for the new debt because that $2 million will have to be paid for by someone, the money has to come from somewhere and the money could be used for other purposes, including reduce taxes. Taxpayers will be losing a tax cut with by this debt.
Property tax appraisals are surely going down so it is likely that we will get another Kerdyk Tax (the rollback rate that keeps the property tax revenues the same–the millage rate that Mr. Kerdyk loves to approve).
In other words property tax revenues will probably have to be maintained, the Biltmore lease problem solved (unlikely), or salaries and benefits reduced (also not likely).
Taxpayers will be paying nearly $2 million for twenty years for the debt.
Why not use the “free” $2 million to cut taxes?
Coral Gables Watch 