Haridopolos, the history professor, gets lesson learned in running state Senate

When Mike Haridopolos was elected Senate president, he vowed to make the traditionally moderate chamber more conservative — in his own image.

But the University of Florida history instructor miscalculated one thing: The Senate by its very nature moderate. Haridopolos and Senate leaders attempted to push several controversial conservative issues in the past year only to have the Senate hit the ideological reset button and vote them down.

It happened two weeks ago with the vote to privatize 30 South Florida prison facilities. It happened last year with the tea party-driven proposal to require all employers to use E-Verify to check immigration status, with the proposal to ban state worker unions from collecting dues, with a House measure to split the state Supreme Court in two, and with dozens of bills that appeared as part of the budget on the last night of session.

Haridopolos and his leadership team wanted them; the chamber, dominated 28-12 by Republicans, still said no.

“The Senate’s independent streak is what distinguishes it from
the House,’’ said Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich of Weston.
“It’s always there under the surface. You never know when it’s
going to emerge.”

The conflict played out again last week, when Haridopolos’ top deputies attempted to orchestrate a
coup to designate the Senate president for 2014 and 2016. Story here.

Photos by Matt Riva.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/25/v-fullstory/2661220/haridopolos-learns-the-hard-way.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/25/v-fullstory/2661220/haridopolos-learns-the-hard-way.html#storylink=cpy

A fugitive couple and South Florida's Russia-linked mortgage fraud machine

For fugitives Victor and Natalia Wolf, the police poster tells the story: hundreds of victims from land fraud swindles across Florida totaling millions in losses.

But the couple’s lasting legacy may be found in their most prized possession: their home.

In their final desperate days, the Wolfs managed to get a spate of sham mortgages slapped on their North Miami Beach house — creating 21 fake transactions — to squeeze millions from lenders before vanishing.

The wheeling and dealing — phony deeds, forged signatures and a straw buyer — has left investors fighting over who owns the stately waterfront house at the center of the couple’s real-estate empire.

“It is mind boggling,” said Fort Lauderdale attorney Roman Groysman, representing a burned lender in a battle over the home. “They did everything imaginable in the realm of fraud.” Amazing story by Mike Sallah here.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/25/2661489/the-south-florida-house-that-became.html#storylink=cpy