Foreclosure Home Buyer Gets Corpse in the Deal

A Florida newspaper recently reported that the buyer of a foreclosed home bought something more he bargained for. The surprise was none other than a corpse, and apparently not a fresh one. The story, which includes more details on the episode, was reposted in today's zerohedge.com.

The story noted the house had been in foreclosure for three years. The holding bank, unwilling to sell at a loss, let the structure sit there. No one bothered to knock on the door, mow the lawn, or wonder why debt notices went unanswered. Interestingly, neighbors (at least those willing to be interviewed by journalists) seemed to be at a loss over what happened during those thirty-six months of the holding bank's indifference to the home's condition. What were they thinking? Was anyone even a teensy, weensy bit curious?

Frankly, though, Florida strikes me as a Petri dish for weirdness. The Sunshine State features a long list of unpleasant oddballs, from corrupt politicians to real estate sharks, from unscrupulous medical practitioners to protected college football rapists, from wacky right-wing rednecks to wacked-out liberal milquetoasts.

Well, at least the housing is relatively inexpensive. And the dead body -- well, that's on the house.

Is Florida The Wackiest State in the Union?

Florida governor Rick Scott

Two generations ago, the prevailing wisdom maintained that California was filled with strange people, odd beliefs, and weird activities. One really doesn't hear that about the Golden State these days. Perhaps that's due to Florida supplanting California for sheer goofiness.

Ah, yes, the Sunshine State. It's a cozy home for drug lords, Medicare cheats, communities filled with the nearly dead, and wacky politicians. I took a glance at the Miami Herald (a relatively sane, South Florida oasis of journalism), and here's a sampler of today's stories:

• Republican governor Rick Scott cancelled a $25,000/head fund raiser, which featured a live alligator hunt. Keep in mind that 'gators are a federally protected species.
• Polk County sheriff's deputies arrested Pastor Terry Jones today. He intended to burn thousands of Qurans as a protest to the events of September 11, 2001.
• The former CEO of a South Florida psychiatric hospital was sentenced to 25 years for milking the Medicare system out of $67 million. The now-convicted felon is 60 years old.

These are not particularly unusual stories to emerge from the Sunshine State. Trust me: California has nothing on Florida when it comes to wackiness.

Washington Budget Deal to Impact State Revenues

During the recent debt ceiling negotiations, the impact of federal government funding to states wasn't really discussed very much. Yet Washington provides states with considerable money for key social net programs. The federal budget haircut will compel states to swallow some bitter fiscal medicine.

An article in today's Miami Herald noted that federal funds "accounted for 34.7 percent of state budgets." In Florida, the story noted, Uncle Sam provides the Sunshine State government with its single largest source of money. This situation puts its Republican governor, Rick Scott (photo), on the spot. Florida has many issues connected to the funding agita, such as the state's AAA bond rating and a large elderly population that's vitally interested in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

These issues are mirrored in nearly every other state in the Union. There are no easy answers, and absolutely no one knows where the money will come from. The notion that the country, or individual states, can economically grow their way out of this fiscal disaster seems more of a hope than a plan.

Koch Donation to Florida State University Comes With Controversial Strings

Earlier this year, the conservative Koch brothers made headlines during the imbroglio over Wisconsin public union employees. The Kansas siblings have returned to the news. The new venue is Florida, where the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation offered Florida State University (FSU) a lucrative donation. In exchange for the money, FSU would establish an economics department initiative "for the study of 'political economy and free enterprise,'" according to a story in today's Miami Herald that originally appeared in the St. Petersburg Times.

Of course, the Koch handout came with strings. Most significantly, the foundation could cease funding the program if "faculty hired with its money were not complying with (Koch's) goals." Academic freedom, which universities have solemnly sworn to uphold, would be at risk in this arrangement.

While it's hard to sympathize with a money-first university, it's nearly impossible to feel simpatico with right-wing funders such as Mr. Koch (see photo). Brother K's idea of free enterprise is to keep things as free as possible for him, and let others provide the sweat equity. In that sense, his willingness to corrupt has found a match in morally (and often financially) bankrupt academia.

Proposed Overhaul of Florida Supreme Court

The Republican majority in the Florida House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would ask the state's voters to approve splitting the state's Supreme Court. According to today's Miami Herald, the Florida court would split into two entities. One would hear civil cases; the other would consider criminal cases. In this scenario, a Democratic Party majority of justices would sit on the criminal side, while a Republican majority of black robes would sit on the civil side.

If you're a Republican, this arrangement is a bonanza, as legislative issues would be decided in this area. For redistricting and for legislative issues, this is where the action is and will be. It's important because the Sunshine State will be key in upcoming federal elections. A political party would want control of the judicial process, as Bush v. Gore aptly underlined.

It is unusual for a state Supreme Court to be a legislative or electoral issue. California is a notable exception to this assertion. However, Florida, with its considerable political peccadillos, seems to be joining the club.

Yes, there are some big stakes in play for both sides. Stay tuned, and expect more action from this political maneuvering.

David Byrne Settles Lawsuit Against Former Florida Governor

Former Talking Heads musician David Byrne (extreme left photo) reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement in his lawsuit against former Florida governor Charlie Crist (not so extreme right photo). Byrne had alleged copyright infringement by Crist when the politician used a Byrne song in an attack ad during Crist's recent, unsuccessful US Senate campaign. The story appears in today's Miami Herald.

Politicians, particularly Republican ones, have co-opted music to deliver some sort of electoral message. For unknown, unstated reasons, some songs just seem to get the pols to shake, rattle, and roll. Since music has now become a matter of some significance among ambitious politicians, I have a few suggestions for them:

1. It's a Man's World/James Brown. Just the tune for GOP men running against Palin or Bachmann.

2. Born Under a Bad Sign/Albert King. When a candidate wants to put the whammy on an opponent.

3. My Way/Frank Sinatra. When a candidate runs unopposed.

4. Gold In My Pocket/DJ Food. When the campaign needs some extra coin.

5. Anything Is Possible/Blue Six. Especially true in politics.