Rockets in South Dade

Have you ever wondered why there used to be a non-functioning drawbridge in the middle of nowhere on the way to the Keys?

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Interestingly enough, the bridge and the canal it crosses were built in the 1960s so that rockets could be transported by barge to the Aerojet rocket plant located nearby. When Aerojet didn’t secure a contract to build moonbound rockets, the plant closed. The short documentary below has some more detail.

Space Miami – Aerojet-Dade Rocket Site Documentary from Coffee and Celluloid on Vimeo.

More information here: http://www.keysnet.com/2010/06/10/227720/hidden-in-the-glades-a-giant-relic.html

Can Strong Protections of Private Property Rights Play a Role in Florida’s Economic Growth?

I recently wrote this piece for Gunster’s Boardroom Brief. Click here to learn more about my work at Gunster.

On October 26, 2010, Venezuelan soldiers arrived at Owens-Illinois’ Los Guayos factory.  The U.S.-based glassmaker employed over 1,000 people at the facility.  The day before, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had announced that the plant would be expropriated by the Venezuelan government.  “The expropriation is already ready of this glass company,” Chavez said.  “What’s it called?  Owens-Illinois. Expropriate it.”  Chavez described Owens-Illinois as “a company with North American capital that has been exploiting workers.”

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