Mitt Romney Takes Slumlord Money While Newt Gingrinch Is Propped Up By Casino Under Federal Probe

[highplainsdem]

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/01/mitt_romney_takes_slumlord_mon.php

In the race for the White House, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich don't seem to have a problem taking money from corporate pirates accused of breaking the law to maximize their profits. Romney has collected at least $100,000 from a Miami-based investment fund that owns run down apartment buildings in New York City that were hit with more than 200 code violations and where tenants went on a rent strike.

Meanwhile, a political action committee backing Gingrinch recently got a $5 million infusion from a Las Vegas casino operator under investigation by federal authorities.

According to Romney's campaign reports, he's collected $50,000 from executives at H.I.G. Capital, a Brickell Avenue global private investment firm with more than $8.5 billion of capital under its management. H.I.G. was founded by Anthony Tamer, a former Bain & Co. employee and close friend of Romney who co-chairs the ex-Massachusetts governor's Florida finance committee. Tamer also donated $50,000 to a political action committee supporting Romney.

In 2010, our sister paper, the Village Voice, ranked the worst slum lords in New York City. Taking the number two spot was Steven Cramer, principal of Cronus Capital, H.I.G.'s real estate affiliate. According to the paper, Cronus purchased buildings in Bronx and Washington Heights with the intent of "turning around the underpeforming properties." But sixteen months later, New York officials slapped 216 code violations on one of the buildings. Residents relayed horror stories such as a woman who complained that Cronus's property management arm refused to fix a leaky hole in her ceiling for two years. Another tenant claimed her bathroom ceiling collapsed from an unrepaired leak.

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[Scuba]

1. If either of these guys win it's proof that Diebold rules....

... or else the opposition is completely inept, which I sometimes think they're aspiring to be.

[Generic Other]

2. I was wondering what the casino money was all about

People need to raise a stink about that one. Seems like a form of bribery to me.