Tag Archives: florida

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? U.S. Home foreclosures on their way back up, Idaho makes top ten list (again)

After several months of what looked like a downward trend in home foreclosures, October had a 7% increase from the month before.

The reason for what looked like a downward trend was because the big banks and mortgage companies had been holding back, mainly due to red tape and just too many cases to go after: “The October foreclosure numbers continue to show strong signs that foreclosure activity is coming out of the rain delay we’ve been in for the past year as lenders corrected foreclosure paperwork and processing problems.”-James Saccacio, RealtyTrac

Nevada is still the number one state for foreclosures, although Las Vegas dropped to 5th place for cities.  Stockton, California, is now the number city in the U.S. for foreclosures.

Nevada, California, Arizona, Florida and Michigan are the top five losing states, making up 53% of the country’s home foreclosures.

The next five most losing states are Georgia, Illinois, Idaho, Oregon and Colorado.

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

United Police States of America: FBI investigates Florida prison deal involving GEO and the Republican Party

August 24, the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized a Santa Rosa County commissioner’s computer. It’s in connection with an investigation involving former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom, and GEO Group.

Sansom is being investigated for improper use of the Republican Party of Florida credit card, in which thousands of dollars in charges where made, that do not appear related to Republican Party of Florida business.

The FBI now suspects that GEO Group, and Sansom made improper deals in order to guarantee that GEO Group would get the contract to run the Blackwater River Correctional Facility, in Santa Rosa County.

Back in July the FBI issued three subpoenas to the Florida legislature. One for all travel vouchers relating to Sansom, and his aides: Melanie Phister, Eric Edwards, Dort Baltes and Samantha Sullivan.

The second subpoena was specifically for Samantha Sullivan, and related to campaign finance.  The third subpoena related to GEO Group, and Sansom’s role is getting GEO the prison contract.  GEO Group is one of the biggest supporters of the Republican Party of Florida.

GEO run prisons have histories of violence and sexual assaults.

 

 

 

 

U.S.

Dumb Americans: U.S. residents blackmailed out of $40 million by fortune tellers

The U.S. Federal court says a Florida family used fortune telling to intimidate people out of $40 million.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurence Bardfeld said the victims forked over cash, gold coins and jewelry.  The fortune tellers said bad things would happen if they didn’t pay up.

The Sun Sentinel reports that one victim, a bestselling author, gave an estimated $20 million.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

No Economic Recovery for U.S.: Property owners put U.S. land up for auction in China, offers immigrant applications to high bidders

According to the Chinese media, 73 Chinese have won internet auctions for land in Florida.

United Solutions of America auctioned off land belonging to a bankrupt company in Florida.  The auction specifically targeted Chinese buyers, as it was a Chinese auction host, Zhuang Nuo, who ran the auction.

1,000 square kilometers of land was split into 100 sections.  Bidders were also enticed with 30 immigration applications if the total bids went over $200,000.

All 100 sections sold on July 22.  73 Chinese won the auctions, with one of them snatching up 20 of the 100 sections.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Florida cutting unemployment benefits, to benefit corporations. Idaho’s high unemployment rate holds steady

Starting in 2012, Florida will cut back the maximum number of weeks that unemployed people can collect benefits.

This is not to save the state money, but the corporations.  Like Idaho, companies in Florida are the ones who pay into the unemployment system.  Florida lawmakers said by reducing the number of weeks a person can collect benefits, it will reduce the cost to the companies paying into the unemployment plan.

In Idaho, companies actually get a refund at the end of the year, if they don’t have over a specific number of unemployment claims filed against them.  The idea is to encourage companies not to let workers go, but it hasn’t helped reduce Idaho’s high unemployment, which is holding steady at 9.7%.

International, U.S.

Florida Church leader lied, Burned Quran anyway

Last year a christian leader in Florida backed off the burning of a Quran.  Even General Petraeus was against it.

Last week the same Florida christian leader, and his followers, burned the Quran anyway.  He feels justified in that they held a 15 minute trial, and found the Quran “guilty”.

The christian leader lied about the burning, because, according to a 2010 Voice of America report, he said the Quran would “never” be burned at his church.