Taxpayer watchdogs in Florida call them “turkeys.” Elsewhere these expensive and questionable projects tucked into budgets are called “pork.” The state legislators here who don’t kill these pet projects should be called “chickens,” and we the taxpayers, of course, are the “pigeons.” The menagerie approach is laughable, but the wasted…

South Florida media-watchers puzzled over this question last week: Why would a large, prosperous daily newspaper crave attention so badly as to shame itself with blatant self-promotion, especially when that promotion was about something the paper didn’t actually win? Despite its best efforts, the Sun-Sentinel can’t seem to bring home…

“Hello, Fort Lauderdale police department, I’d like to report a theft…. Yeah, someone stole some property of ours valued at $175…. ” “It was stolen from 1300 W. Broward, you know, the police department…. ” “No I’m not kidding. It’s a news rack, the kind that holds free newspapers. It…

Because the words consumer protection are virtually unknown in South Florida, Undercurrents finds it necessary to call attention to a particularly heinous example of legal usury. In this month of taxing bill problems, it becomes imperative. Because we get turned away from car dealerships that advertise “bad credit OK,” our…

When the pressure of family life, and by family we mean the Mafia, gets too heavy, where is a harried Mob boss to go? Well if that person is in the Soprano crime family, it would be… Fort Lauderdale. The best program on TV right now is HBO’s The Sopranos,…

Teens who like punk rock have a power base of about nothing. Therefore, when their interests go up against strip mall landlords and insurance companies, their chances of coming out on top are nil. This could lead to a nihilistic approach to life or a punk philosophy of “Hey, who…

“It’s a party,” the invitation from the Broward County Human Services Department read. “Please come to celebrate the closing of Tent City and honor those who made it happen! Two free drinks and buffet!” How charitable! About 25 county employees, including a representative of Broward County Commission chairwoman Ilene Lieberman,…

Here’s a little something that local officials “forgot” to tell homeless people and their advocates when they recently closed Fort Lauderdale’s Tent City and prodded the residents to move into the new Homeless Assistance Center on Sunrise. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department last week told us they expected to get…

He’s brokering peace between ancient enemies in northern Ireland. He’s investigating Olympic scandal in Salt Lake City. But no matter how illustrious he is, a guy has to take a break and make some money. So former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell found himself in Fort Lauderdale last week…