Is Miami a "Third World country"?

[Guest saintjohn]

Dumbass.

Congressman calls Miami a "Third World country"

BY LESLEY CLARK

lclark@MiamiHerald.com

WASHINGTON - Rep. Tom Tancredo, the leader of the anti-illegal immigration faction in the U.S. House, spent a recent weekend at The Breakers in Palm Beach.

Ninety miles to the south, he found a symbol to bolster his belief that unfettered immigration is endangering the United States: Miami, he told a conservative online news site, ``has become a Third World country.''

In South Florida to attend Restoration Weekend, a gathering of conservative activists, the Colorado Republican, whose district includes suburbs of Denver, pointed to Miami as an example of how ''the nature of America can be changed by uncontrolled immigration,'' the story says.

''Look at what has happened to Miami,'' the WorldNetDaily quotes Tancredo as saying in an interview. "It has become a Third World country. You just pick it up and take it and move it someplace. You would never know you're in the United States of America. You would certainly say you're in a Third World country.''

The remarks drew an instant rebuke from Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who called Tancredo ''flat out wrong'' and extended an invitation for him to come and judge the city for himself.

''I invite my friend, Tom, to visit beautiful Miami, my hometown, and experience firsthand our hospitality,'' Ros-Lehtinen said. "Come on down, Tom, the water's fine!''

Miami, Ros-Lehtinen said, is a "world class city where diversity is celebrated. Here people have the opportunity to meet folks from across the globe and honor different cultures. Miami-Dade County is home to many outstanding universities, is headquarters to international businesses and has a vibrant economy.''

Tancredo, who chairs the bipartisan House Immigration Reform Caucus and championed a fence along the border with Mexico, said Monday in an e-mail sent by his office that his comparison was based on crime statistics he believes "are deeply rooted in the immigration debate.

''While a recent documentary comparison of Miami-Dade County to Baghdad was a bit of an overstatement,'' he wrote, referring to an Australian documentary that compares Miami to Baghdad, "no one can argue that it is not one of America's most dangerous areas.''

He noted in the e-mail that the number of homicides in the county recently reached 200 for the year. The number is actually a decrease from the 1980s.

Read more here.

[Guest pod]

It's really due to the publicizing of the more destitute areas of the county. If it bleeds it leads. Miami might be the poorest big city in the country, but our median income is still at a First World level.

[Guest coach]

It's really due to the publicizing of the more destitute areas of the county. If it bleeds it leads. Miami might be the poorest big city in the country, but our median income is still at a First World level.

Remember, it's not anymore. Someone posted that study a while back that said we are like sixth or something. Man, I'd hate to live in 1-5.

[Guest trancepriest]

Don't let the chickens roaming on the streets, the low income, the spanish speakers, the crackheads and dilapidated housing fool you... Miami is First World. ;D

[V. Barbarino]

He's right, the problem is the people north of Miami all say the same thing we just don't want to insult the latins who clearly have ruined that city. This is why we want to keep them out of Broward, we don't want the crime associated with hispanics and if you think that is racist check the numbers, they overwhelmingly support that claim.

Pod, you are way way way off in your median income assesment, The median income for a household in the city was $29,778, and the median income for a family was $31,760.

Fort Lauderdale: The median income for a household in the city was $37,887, and the median income for a family was $46,175.

[V. Barbarino]

Boca

The median income for a household in the city was $60,248, and the median income for a family was $77,861

The median income for a household in the city was $53,746, and the median income for a family was $65,029.

My point is, the further you go north of miami you have less crime and more income and surprise surprise, less immigrants.

[Guest pod]

$30K a year is still First World. Considering a Third World median income is $3000 or even $300.

[Guest trancepriest]

Barbarino,

Are Italians like latinos? Does that explain why you can't afford a mac mini? ;D I mean if miami was filled up with people just like yourself... how different would it be? You still would have people with cheap cars... that can't afford a proper computer. Much like it is today.

[Guest trancepriest]

$30K a year is still First World. Considering a Third World median income is $3000 or even $300.

Income doesn't matter its all inflated crap... just look at the Chinese how much income do they average? Yet still the fuckers can pop a 100k cash down for a condo and another 50k cash on interior decorating. I guess what I'm saying is that we are living in hyperflation with only a few things governed at a deflated price... food and sometimes gas... meanwhile services and housing is way out of control.

On further research you have to look at PPP... purchasing power parity and the cost of living.

[Guest xmuzik]

New Orleans Is

[240turbo]

Ros-Letinen says:

"Come experience our hospitality"

"world class city where diversity is celebrated"

Rick says:

Bullshit. There is no hospitality to speak of in Miami. People are amongst the rudest in the nation. Try holding the door for somebody, chances are you will not hear a "thank you". Try putting your turn signal to enter a lane, they'll never let you pass.

Diversity? My ass. That's a load of crap. Miami is Hispanically diverse but is by no means a melting pot. NYC for instance is a true melting pot yet everybody speaks english. Miami is the only city in this country where a qualified person with all necessary credentials can lose a job to a spanish speaking person who barely has any qualifications. Many of my non-spanish speaking friends have moved to other cities because of this. So is Miami a third world country? Technically yes.

[Guest JMT]

excellent points.

[Guest pod]

Yeah we suck at hospitality, but in all honesty, I haven't been treated much better in New York. New Yorkers suffer from "Not Invented Here/Not From Here" syndrome, among other things. I know the city well and know how to operate there, but tourists get the bum rap up there, too.

Conversely, the guests that come down to Miami could afford to show a little respect as well. Everyone comes down here swinging a set of brass ones like they own the place. I treat tourists with respect, but that ends when they stop respecting me. I see this during conference, and the worst offenders are from the Northeast.

Take a gander at our forums for New York here and on our sister sites, they come down here with a bad attitude and a battle plan.

[Guest coach]

Tourists are assholes. My trip to New York taught me that not that many people up there speak English and everybody is always in a bad mood. People in Miami are pleasant, smiling, and polite. If you find it is not so, look in the mirror for the problem.

[Guest pod]

Totally a two way street. I mean, not all is perfect, and yes, service generally does not measure up to other cities, but think of the root causes? If you know you're gonna get treated like ass working to make sure a bunch of no-tipping drunken buffoons are comfortable, are you gonna bust your ass? Probably not. You'll go through the motions just to get through the day and get a paycheck.

[240turbo]

Tourists are assholes. My trip to New York taught me that not that many people up there speak English and everybody is always in a bad mood. People in Miami are pleasant, smiling, and polite. If you find it is not so, look in the mirror for the problem.

Once again. Bullshit. Both of you are wrong. People in NYC are perceived as being rude, because they are always in a rush and don't have time for bullshit. If they don't know you they have no reason to smile at you and it makes sense. And at least they are real about it. You call it rude, I call it straightfoward. People in Miami are just in your face rude. The ones that are always smiling are the ones you should worry about the most because they are the biggest hypocrites. A very common trait in this city, especially in this scene. Smile in your face and talk behind your back. I don't care if people get offended, at least you know where I stand. I've always been known to speak my mind and nothing's changed.

[all4tribal1414779019]

Tourists are assholes. My trip to New York taught me that not that many people up there speak English and everybody is always in a bad mood. People in Miami are pleasant' date=' smiling, and polite. If you find it is not so, look in the mirror for the problem.

[/quote']

Once again. Bullshit. Both of you are wrong. People in NYC are perceived as being rude, because they are always in a rush and don't have time for bullshit. If they don't know you they have no reason to smile at you and it makes sense. And at least they are real about it. You call it rude, I call it straightfoward. People in Miami are just in your face rude. The ones that are always smiling are the ones you should worry about the most because they are the biggest hypocrites. A very common trait in this city, especially in this scene. Smile in your face and talk behind your back. I don't care if people get offended, at least you know where I stand. I've always been known to speak my mind and nothing's changed.

+10...

i was in miami last night oh man i wanted to kill someone...try to be in traffic anywhere near the airport aka doral past 4 till around 7, worse times...the only smiles i got was from people being total asswipes cuz they couldnt drive for shit.

ive lived in many diff places in miami as well as sobe, its not the cities it's the people as a whole, yes u have one person nice here n there but overall its a nightmare, especially if you do alot of driving.

is miami a third world country in that aspect? fuck yea!

[Guest pod]

I'm in a rush too, but you know what, I can take twenty seconds out of my day to be nice to someone. If I bump into someone, I'll apologise.

Nothing, let me repeat that, nothing is so urgent that you can't extend someone common courtesy. OK well I'll allow if you're being shot at or if there's a medical emergency, but in the course of everyday life, there's no reason to "be in a rush" like I would normally encounter in New York. I'm not saying stop for every monkey on the street, but barging down someone because it's the "New York Way" is a poor excuse. I can be straightforward and still respect my fellow man if need be.

It all comes down to the "center of the universe" phenomenon that pervades up there. Miami people are stuck up? Hah, try New Yorkers, they'll give Miamians a run for their money. South Beach notwithstanding. I've crashed out at people's homes here in Miami whom I hardly even knew, and was fed like a member of the family hours later. Stuck up doesn't necessarily coincide with money. Again, this isn't all-pervasive, but if you're a tourist, you'll be treated like shit equal or worse in New York. Thank god I know the city, otherwise I'd be fucked every time I go up there.

I think the negative attitude of service unfortunately stems from the way people on the Beach tend to conduct themselves. Go to Brickell, Kendall, etc...things are much better. I got a pan con lechón last Friday near the hospital with nary a complaint. For better or for worse, people base their opinions of Miami-Dade County on the behavior of 89,000 people on a relatively small sandbar just off the mainland of where the other 1.9 million live.

Oddly enough, in cultures known for their hospitality, there's a significant obligation on the guest to conduct themselves accordingly. I only wish tourists would observe that when they came down here. Letting loose is all fine and dandy, but not at the expense of the residents, some of whom work their asses off to make it possible for people to enjoy themselves down here.

Again, I see this a lot during conference time. Read some other forums (I won't mention names, but they all tend to be very music-centric...you know the ones), and the attitude a lot of these guys cop is one of going on the offensive immediately...i.e. they warm themselves up to "take on that jackass at Mansion", or "that dude at Space who refused to honor DJ Box-of-Rock's list at 7 AM", like it's some sort of sin. A buddy of mine in the industry likes to say "Seriously, I do not care!". These people have rules to follow as set down by their employers, and if that conflicts with Box-of-Rock's bimbo not getting in, oh well. Box-of-Rocks doesn't cut their checks every week. Fortunately this seems to be confined to Stateside people, most of the European and South American people in town for conference are immune to this sort of thing.

But I'm digressing. Being a tourist or a traveler is a two-way street. Respect, and be respected. Learn the local customs, whether it be Miami, New York, Tokyo, or Karachi. When you're traveling, you may not like or agree with the local customs and attitudes, but there's one of you, and whole lot of them. Even if there's a gang of you, there's a bigger gang of them. No time to start a fight.

[Guest swank]

fight...? did someone say fight?

[Guest pod]

Some of these out of town stunads probably want to and have started fights over shit.

[Guest slamminshaun]

Rick's position hasn't changed and neither has mine. I've been alot of places. Miami has the WORST hospitality I've ever experienced. It's the only place I've been where I could pay $200 for a meal to have a waiter roll their eyes at me when I ask for a clean fork.

[Guest coach]

You're both still wrong. Miami is a great place and so are the people.

[Guest trancepriest]

DeFede: Is Miami A Third World Country?

Jim DeFede Is A Commentator For CBS4 News

(CBS4) MIAMI When I first heard that Representative Tom Tancredo called Miami a Third World Country, my first reaction was to laugh and say, ‘Well yeah, tell me something I don't know.’

I mean, driving in some neighborhoods, you're just as likely to accidentally hit a chicken with your car as a dog.

But the more I thought about Tancredo's comments, the angrier I got. It's okay when we refer to ourselves as a Third World Country, but I don't like the idea of some xenophobic Congressman from Colorado calling us a Third World country.

It's like with family. You can make fun of your brothers and sisters all you want, but woe be the outsider that says anything unkind about your siblings.

And let's not kid ourselves, when Tancredo called Miami a third world country, that was code for brown skinned people. His point is that illegal immigration has ruined Miami. He argues that if you come to Miami it won't feel like you are in America anymore.

Well here's an update: Miami looks a heck of a lot more like America than the affluent suburbs of Denver that Tancredo represents.

Miami is a city of dreams. People risk their lives to come here because they want to be a part of America, they want the freedom, the opportunity this country offers.

Tancredo derides Miami as a town in which immigrants refuse to assimilate and won't speak English. I know this is a popular view, even locally among bitter old-timers, but it is simply not true.

Every parent who comes to this country wants their child to learn English, because they want them to succeed. And if you have doubts about the parents themselves, all you have to do is attend any English as a second language class and see the waiting lists of people trying to get in.

Are there parts of town where you are more likely to hear Spanish spoken? Absolutely. Just like there used to be parts of New York where you would only hear Italian, or parts of Chicago where you would likely hear Polish, or parts of San Francisco where even today you are more likely to hear Chinese.

A caller to my morning radio show this morning told me he moved to Miami recently and he's afraid to stay.

Politicians like Tancredo play to those fears. Stoke them. Exploit them.

It's easier to blame "those people" for our problems that look for the real causes.

And to me that's truly scary.

[Guest saintjohn]

I usually don't enjoy DeFede's columns or commentary, but that was entertaining. Thanks for posting it.

[Guest pod]

And DeFede is a fat white guy who's been vilified by the minority community a time or two.