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SHIPS AND SOCCER

While this is largely a local issue NAUTICAL LOG was involved with the original development of the site at issue.  We have added a link in our Blog List to the Miami Seaport Alliance, a visit to their website will explain the purposes of their organization.

A retired British soccer/football player has formed a business partnership with local South Florida business people.  The idea is to bring a professional soccer team to Miami-Dade County, FL.  Various sites have been discussed but for some reason unknown to NAUTICAL LOG the site most put forward is one at the south-west corner of the Port of Miami.  It would be hard to find a more unsuitable site in the entire County.  This retired British soccer player is not an American Citizen - at least not yet - he has been critical of our way of life and thinks we should at least in Miami-Dade County leap into the 21st. Century by having a Major League Soccer team with him at the head of it.

As it happens NAUTICAL LOG was part of the formation of Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) - an American Corporation -  which was allowed to acquire the site from the Port of Miami for the development of a spill response company under OPA 90 which in turn resulted from the MS Exxon Valdez disaster.  At that time no dredging was allowed by the State of Florida off the site which made it very difficult to manoeuvre the spill response vessel stationed there to its berth.  The reason given was an environmental petition to protect the manatees which supposedly used this area. 

Now that does not seem to be a consideration when this British subject states that he and his business partners are going to build a soccer stadium with an adjacent mega-yacht marina, hotel and upscale retail facility.

Recently the Mayor of Miami-Dade County suggested an alternative site equally if not even more unsuitable which involves the filling in of a ship berthing area near yet another stadium this one for basketball.  There are also stadiums for baseball and football (real NFL football)   Yes! indeed the former Magic City is now Stadium City it would seem.

To cover the local reaction to all this asinine behavior NAUTICAL LOG has attached the recently published letter from the various City's, Village's and Township's which make-up Miami-Dade County.

The City of Miami and Miami-Dade County politicians seem strangely impressed by non US Citizens who come here, wine, dine and charm them to achieve personal ends and gains most often at considerable cost to the taxpayers often with no referendum beforehand.

 
 
Good Watch.


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