Local Motors

Of all the places, it chose the University of Miami.

It had seemed to ordinary back home, but here it had stood out like a sore thumb. It exalted itself, trying to symbolically rise above its surroundings but inadvertently becoming a part of the community it was trying to escape. It escaped to this parking lot in the University of Miami. But still it could not escape the effects of his community, and he became an even more evident sign of the Calle Ocho community once he left and fled to Coral Gables.

It brought images of old glory days and car shows in the minds of passers-by. But those walking minds clearly knew of the current economic downturn, how most people in Florida, even in Calle Ocho, were enduring hard times and troubles. That glamour would have to wait. The Genting project functions in much the same way, reminding us of the flashy glamour of Las Vegas casinos, of how one lucky chap could strike it rich with the pull of a lever. But we also caution ourselves to the inherent problems of gambling, notably how it can become an unhealthy and extremely financially depriving addiction.

Even though the proposed project, including the Genting project, will create jobs in the short-term, we can only speculate the damage in the long-term. Gambling is known to tear families apart, to drive people money mad and neglect all else, and to essentially wreak havoc on the status quo. Considering that families are the backbone of any good community and workforce, this project will only serve to keep the poor of Miami from moving forward, and perhaps even plunge the lower middle-class into poverty.

For more information on the casino projects in Miami, read here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/01/2482689/go-slowly-on-casinos.html