Miami-Dade's stadium OK is final hurdle for Marlins
Sun Sentinel, March 24, 2009
The Florida Marlins won the political equivalent of Game 7
Monday and should be able to begin construction of a new
ballpark this summer.
Miami-Dade County commissioners voted 9-4 to finance a
$515 million ballpark and $94 million in parking lots at the
former site of the Orange Bowl in Little Havana.
Approval was just about assured when commission
chairman Dennis Moss, a stadium supporter, told his
colleagues only "friendly" changes that didn't substantially
alter the deal would be accepted and commissioners voted
9-4 to go along with Moss' requirement. Commissioner
Bruno Barreiro, who pushed for the ballpark deal, rejected several proposed changes.
The county meeting began just after 1 p.m. Monday. Earlier, union carpenters, who support the stadium for
the jobs they expect it to bring, held a lively rally in front of the Miami-Dade County government center,
holding signs reading "We are here, we are ready, we'll work," and "Unemployed Voter." Inside, stadium
opponents wearing signs that read "No Marlins Bailout" stood in a line snaking around the lobby waiting to fill
the commission chambers.
Florida Rebuilds to Train Workers
Miami Herald, December 14, 2005
TALLAHASSEE - Reeling from two years of hurricanes, Florida has a critical shortage of roofers, carpenters and other construction workers needed to help rebuild homes and businesses, state officials said Tuesday.
To try to fill the gap, Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings announced the state will spend $6 million in the next few months to provide training to up to 4,000 people so they can enter the construction industry. The money will also be used to provide additional training to 1,000 workers already in the field. The program, called Florida reBuilds, will be limited to U.S. citizens.
A state survey of job needs taken this summer from 50,000 Florida employers showed nearly 14,000 vacancies statewide in the construction business -- long considered one of the mainstays of the state's economy -- with the highest number of vacancies in the Orlando area. Florida's housing industry had been riding a boom even before two years' worth of storms damaged thousands of homes across the state.
''We had a huge shortage before any of the hurricanes came through and that just amplified the whole problem,'' Jennings said.
When broken down by region, the survey, which was completed before Hurricane Wilma savaged South Florida, showed that Miami-Dade and Monroe counties did not have the same chronic need for construction help. At the time the survey was done, the largest single occupation needed in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties was elementary school teachers. There was also huge demand for nurses, office and administrative support as well as cooks, waiters and waitresses.
But survey results for Broward County did show that it has a need for roofers and construction workers, as well as nurses, office and administrative help, cashiers and financial services.
Florida will use $5 million in federal emergency grants to help pay for the training initiative and Gov. Jeb Bush will ask state legislators this spring to include an additional $12 million for the program in order to keep it going until 2007. Jennings said most of the programs will last from two to eight weeks.