Florida Increases Restrictions on Travel to Cuba

[Mika]

Florida Increases Restrictions on Travel to Cuba

From July 1st, Florida-based travel agencies and freight companies selling flights or shipping goods to Cuba will be subject to even harsher restrictions, under new state regulations.

The new measures will mean inevitable price hikes, further hindering contact between Cuban Florida residents and their relatives on the island, reports Granma on Thursday.

The directive increases controls on trips to Cuba, which are already limited by restrictions President George W. Bush imposed in 2004 to curb family remittances and visits.

Florida governor Charlie Crist signed the controversial bill, which imposes higher operational charges on companies licensed to arrange travel or freight shipments to Cuba by the US Treasury.

The new regulations stipulate that Florida-based firms will now have to post a bond of up to $250 thousand USD and pay a registration fee of $2,500 USD, as well as submit regular reports to the state government on the volume of passengers and freight going to Cuba.

Businesses and NGOs alike condemned the governor's decision to impose what they called an "unconstitutional" proposal that will ultimately affect Florida families who already have trouble visiting loved-ones across the Gulf of Mexico.

The American Civil Liberties Union stated the law ignores the separation between the State's powers and the federal government, and announced it could challenge its implementation before court.

Florida travel agents have also said they will take the matter to court.

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[Judi Lynn]

1. Seeing your headline, automatically assumed state Senator David Rivera had done this.

So the hardliners have ANOTHER governor they can control in place. Amazing.

Sounds as if some people think this can be overturned legally, just like the ILLEGAL laws Miami passed to prohibit Cuban national artists from singing, playing instruments, speaking, or exhibiting their art in Miami.

Where did anyone ever get the idea Crist is a change for the better? He's merely more of the same.

[Mika]

2. Wouldn't want to expose people to too much freedom (that the Catholic church is slamming Cuba about)

After all, visitors might decide to be gay. :sarcasm:

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13064



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[Judi Lynn]

3. You'd think the Catholic Church would have had some issues with the Cuban government

back before the revolution, back when the U.S. used to send its sailors there on R & R, when it was known world-wide as the "Whorehouse of the Caribbean."

But noooooooooooo!

According to current church thought, Cuba will end up as the contemporary Sodom and Gomorrah. Just in case they're right, you might want to consider relocating, Mika. The fallout could be scary!

As you recall, Sodom & Gomorrah were blown to kingdom come. The story has been recorded in multiple myth systems:

Researchers: Asteroid Destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
Posted by Sam on Monday, 31 Mar 2008

~snip~
He said the size and route of the asteroid meant that it was likely to have crashed into the Austrian Alps at Köfels. As it traveled close to the ground it would have left a trail of destruction from supersonic shock waves and then slammed into the Earth with a cataclysmic impact.

Debris consisting of up to two-thirds of the asteroid would have been hurled back along its route and a flash reaching temperatures of 400 Centigrade (752 Fahrenheit) would have been created, killing anyone in its path.

About one million sq kilometers (386,000 sq miles) would have been devastated and the impact would have been equivalent to more than 1,000 tons of TNT exploding.

Dr Hempsall said that at least 20 ancient myths record devastation of the type and on the scale of the asteroid’s impact, including the Old Testament tale of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the ancient Greek myth of how Phaeton, son of Helios, fell into the River Eridanus after losing control of his father’s sun chariot.

More:
http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2008/03/31/researchers-asteroid-destroyed-sodom-and-gomorrah/

~~~~~~~~~~~
Just in case the Old Testament's version is the real one, you just can't afford to be near Cuba when Gawdv busts a move against the Cuban government for its lack of severity with gays.

[struggle4progress]

4. Bet Florida loses in court

[Mika]

5. Not in any Florida court.

ANYTHING Cuba must be demonized (except terra supporting "exiles").


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[struggle4progress]

6. I expect a "Federal pre-emption" challenge would land in Federal court