A World without Europe

November 28, 2010 Leave a comment

Expressing concern for the future of a world with a weakened Europe and in which Germany has given up on the Euro, the following signals that Europe is the last defendeer of a social system based on a strong preference for greater equality, as opposed to the US, China, Russia that increasingly tolerate great and rising inequality.  Certainly something to contemplate.

Mientras en Estados Unidos se tolera la más injusta redistribución de la riqueza en un siglo y en Rusia y China se celebra a los nuevos ricos que acumulan fortunas inimaginables, Europa sigue teniendo una enorme alergia a la desigualdad. ¿Qué prefiere usted, un mundo en el que el 1% de la población acumula el 95% de la riqueza, y el resto se lo pelea una masa pobre y excluida, o un mundo dominado por una vasta, creciente y políticamente poderosa clase media? Europa representa el segundo escenario.

via Un mundo sin Europa · ELPAÍS.com.

Filed under Economy, International, Poverty

Miami-Dade Police Chief Might Better Supervise His PR Department

November 27, 2010 Leave a comment

A day after prosecutors dropped their case against the suspect in a series of cat killings, Miami-Dade’s top cop said he supports the decision.  It is my understanding that the decision on prosecuting a crime does not reside with the police department, but clearly its opinion is of some interest.  However, citizens should take no interest whatsoever in that opinion.  That is why we have legal departments.

The story heading should read:  “The Police Chief Disagrees with his PR Department.”  That is the only story here.

“Regardless of the circumstantial evidence in this case, the scientific evidence does not provide a sufficient platform for a rigorous, good-faith prosecution,” Miami-Dade police director James Loftus said in statement issued on Thanksgiving Day morning.

Loftus’ comments differ in tone from an earlier statement issued by the Miami-Dade media relations office on Wednesday after the decision to drop the case against Tyler Weinman, 19, was publicly announced. Weinman had been charged a year ago with allegedly killing 19 cats in South Miami-Dade.

via Miami-Dade police director Loftus supports decision to drop cat killer case – Miami-Dade – MiamiHerald.com.

Filed under Miami-Dade County

Working in a Security Bubble: No X-rays Please

November 25, 2010 Leave a comment

Wouldn’t it have been better if the Obama administration had implemented the identity systems proposed by the Bush administration years ago.  We are still working on last year’s threat and we are still buying equipment for that.  Imagine when a bomber carries a device in a body cavity: will we have a colonoscopy before each flight.

Also, an experienced radiologist at Colombia University recently explained that the actual x-ray exposure, while small, is more than 10 times that claimed by TSA. This is bad news for the population of 750 million fliers in the US and people who go through screening 100’s of time a year and years from now will suffer cancer.   The numbers are small but real.

While passengers have no choice but to submit to either the detector or what some complain is an intrusive pat-down, some senior government officials can opt out if they fly accompanied by government security guards approved by the TSA.

“Government officials traveling with federal law enforcement security details are screened at airports under a specialized screening protocol, which includes identity verification,” Kimball said. This allows the officials to skip the airport security checkpoints.

via TSA: Some gov’t officials to skip airport security – National Business – MiamiHerald.com.

Filed under National

Recommended: “Transit Miami” on the FDOT

November 25, 2010 Leave a comment

Any “idiot” (I guess, including FDOT designers) could have driven along Brickell Avenue downtown and have known that this is the most pedestrian and bicycle unfriendly area in the county (I personally think it is also auto-unfriendly).  Fortunately, we have people like the writer of Transit Miami who have take the effort to mobilize the community.

Herein lies the problem with FDOT. Why does it take an entire community to beg for overdue improvements?  Shouldn’t FDOT have been proactive and taken the initiative to introduce improvements from the beginning? Why didn’t FDOT reach out to the community to get their input?

Together we will make a difference on Brickell Avenue, but only because so many people are directly affected by this poorly designed road.

via FDOT is Broken. How Do We Fix It? | Transit Miami.

This same culture of having to beg the government for change (without many results) applies to the city government of Coral Gables.

Filed under Miami

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