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Bush and the Texas Land Grab Bush and the Texas Land Grab July 16, 2002 By Nicholas D. Kristof Editorial Op-Ed To submit a Letter to the Editor: letters@nytimes.com Democrats and media hounds are baying under the wrong tree. The point in President Bush's business career where he took outrageous shortcuts was not at Harken Energy, but rather when he was grabbing land for a new baseball stadium in Arlington for his Texas Rangers baseball team. Mr. Bush broke no laws. Neither do the overwhelming majority of corporate executives. The cloud over the business world comes not so much from lawbreaking as from avaricious bruising of the public interest. The challenge is not catching criminals but injecting public scrutiny into a culture of cronyism in which executives, accountants, regulators and "independent" board members all ooze empathy for each other. When Asia had its economic crisis in 1997-98, Americans properly trashed its "crony capitalism." But we suffer from the same affliction ourselves, and President Bush will not address the issue seriously because cronyism has been his way of life -- the Bushes call it loyalty. I have a stack of court documents from Arlington that portray the "sordid and shocking tale" of the Rangers stadium, as one lawsuit puts it. Essentially, Mr. Bush and the owners' group he led bullied and misled the city into raising taxes to build a $200 million stadium that in effect would be handed over to the Rangers. As part of the deal, the city would even confiscate land from private owners so that the Rangers owners could engage in real estate speculation. "It was a $200 million transfer to Bush and Rangers owners," complains Jim Runzheimer, an anti-tax campaigner in Arlington. William Eastland, a leading Republican in Arlington, is also outraged, and puts it this way: "You're using public money for a private purpose." Mr. Eastland was a Bush delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2000 but still believes that the Bush group behaved shadily and against the public interest. Local voters overwhelmingly approved the deal, so maybe we shouldn't get so exercised by star-struck local officials giving $200 million to rich baseball owners. But the most unseemly part of the deal was that Mr. Bush and the Rangers' owners conspired with city officials to seize private property that would be handed over to the Bush group. "A group of wealthy and influential people threatened and traded their way into an unprecedented takeover of government power and private property in an awesome display of greed and avarice," charges a lawsuit by the landowners, in what strikes me as a fair recitation of events. Another suit charges that the deal "can only be described as astounding, unprecedented and blatantly illegal." A copy of the secret agreement among Mr. Bush and the other Rangers owners shows that they intended to make money not just by running a baseball club but also by land speculation. For example, one owner found a nice chunk of land and sent a memo suggesting that it "sounds like another condemnation candidate if you want to work the site into your master plan," according to the court documents. Another of the owners' internal memos casts a proprietary gaze on a property and declares: "We plan to condemn this land." For a group of financiers to go around town admiring properties and deciding which to seize through the government power of condemnation so that they can acquire free land and speculate on it is appalling. Even Kazakhstan would blush at such practices. Horace Kelton, for example, owned land that the Rangers wanted. The owners got Arlington to seize it, with the city paying less than $1.50 per square foot even though it had previously paid $10 a square foot for other land nearby. "It was an extremely low price, and that's why we had a court case that lasted seven years," Mr. Kelton recalled. Eventually, his family got $11 a square foot. In fairness, Mr. Bush was simply being a hard-nosed businessman. He did a great job leading the owners' group, and it's hard to take seriously the caricature of him as unintelligent when he led the Rangers so lucratively. Indeed, his $14 million profit on the Rangers financed his entry into politics. But it's also a sordid tale of cronyism, of misuse of power, of cozy backroom money-grubbing -- a more pressing threat to American business than outright criminality. LINK to source

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Explore the properties for sale in Cyprus and contact us when you're ready for more information. You may have been on holiday in Cyprus and now want to take the next step in buying a place in the sun. We have information on villas, houses and apartments for sale near beaches and in the major towns of Cyprus...NEW DEVELOPMENTS BEING RELEASED IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS - WATCH THIS SPACE! Meanwhile have a happy Christmas and a brilliant new year! Why buy properties for sale in Cyprus? We believe that Cyprus offers advantages that other destinations cannot offer, making it one of the best areas in the world to buy a villa, apartment or investment property. 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We can arrange inspection visits, and if you buy a property from us we will refund flight costs for two people - see inspection visits If you are coming to Cyprus on holiday let us know and we can integrate property viewings with your busy beach schedule. We can provide you with information ona range of mortgage options. As Cyprus is nowa member of the EC, the major banks on Cyprus and now able to provide mortgages to ex pats. We will provide advice on a case by case basis. When you purchase a property we can organise management and cleaning services, so you have peace of mind when you are not staying there yourself. In short, there are few problems you will come across that we haven't encountered before and can't provide you with a solution for! How can I buy properties for sale in Cyprus? The process of buying a property for sale in Cyprus is similar to the stages in buying a home in the UK. The pitfalls are also similar. It is important not to over-stretch yourself financially, and to ensure that you can afford the deposit and subsequent mortgage. Having said that, we have been amazed at how efficient the builders are at making it all happen in a short space of time. In our experience, most are keen to help. Consider the properties we have on offer in different parts of Cyprus and contact us for more information on your selected developments. We can help to plan your inspection visit to select property and can help make it happen for you. CYPRUS in BRIEF History The strategic position of the country, at the crossroads of three continents has probably been the main reason for its turbulent history throughout the ages. Many different races, the main ones being the Egyptians, Romans, Byzantines, Francs, Venetians, Turks and British, have occupied the island. Although each one of these conquerors left their mark on the island, the Greek identity has been preserved throughout the ages. 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Freehold All the properties for sale in Cyprus are freehold. Currency The currency is the Pound, which is sub-divided into 100 cents. As from June 1992, the exchange rate of the currency has been pegged to the ECU. The margin within which the currency is allowed to fluctuate has been fixed at 2.25% above or below the central value, 1.7068 ECU. Cyprus property is available to suit a wide range of investment budgets. If you are seriously looking at properties for sale in Cyprus then contact us and we will help you find the property to meet your needs. We advertise properties for sale in Cyprus for investors, buy to let clients, and people who want to live in Cyprus in a secure new home. Villas and apartments are for sale in Paphos, Apolis, Pafos, Kalamyes, Paralimni, Famagusta, Nicosia, Protaras, Lythrodontas and Latsi. Buy Cyprus property. Rented out your villa in Cyprus? Travel to Orlando Florida and visit www.southern-palms.com to live in comfort while you explore! With four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a heated pool, this luxury villa at Orange Tree is the perfect Orlando rental. Cyprus Property Resources | Property 2 | Property 3 | Cyprus Property Finance | Property and Holiday | Property and Home | Property Travel | Property Utilities - - - - - - - - © System Alchemy Ltd | Design by www.systemalchemy.com - - - - - - - -

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Florida Real Estate | Emerald Coast| Beachfront Real Estate | Beach Condos Get Weekly Hotsheet Receive price decreases and new listings by email Name Email . Welcome Home Buyer's Agents Emerald Coast Real Estate Contact Debbie Site Map For Buyers Search the Destin area MLS Destin Area Real Estate Walton County - 30A Real Estate Niceville Real Estate Panama City Beach Real Estate Virtual Tours Listings Beachfront Homes Gulfview Homes Gulfront Lots Gulfview Lots Beach Condos Waterfront Homes Bayfront Lots Bayfront Condos Golf Communities Preconstruction Homes/Cottages Preconstruction Developments Development Land | Acreage Other Resources Real Estate Investing Debbie's Newsletter Real Estate Links Finance Center/ Calculators Maps of Florida - North If you'd like to take advantage of our knowledge and expertise to find your property please use our Emerald Coast Home Finder Investors !!! Monthly Sales Tracker Follow the data you need to make the best investment Know which areas are appreciating the fastest. Follow sq ft prices for your favorite area Project the Return on your Investment over time Decide the best month to sell with average days on market Name Email Licensed Real Estate Brokerage Debbie's Cell 727-487-3532 debbie@uniquepanhandleproperties.com Fax: 1-866-876-3969 PO Box 611668, Rosemary Beach, FL 32461 Your Florida real estate expert For emerald coast real estate including beachfront real estate, beach condos, waterfront homes, golf community homes, luxury estates and vacant land for primary, vacation and investment use. Feel free to search the Florida MLS on your own or use our extensive knowledge of emerald coast real estate to help you find the right real estate investment for you. Using our predefined searches to browse: To assist you, we have set up various search criteria in many of the links contained within this site that will take you to today's active listings for our favorite emerald coast real estate communities, location features and price ranges. To find listings by price range, click on the links for a specific area: Walton County-30A, Panama city Beach, Destin, Niceville or beach condos. To load virtual tours , you will need to click on the photo which will produce numerous photos, enlarge the photo window which pops up and click on the Serving the entire Emerald Coast. Featured Communities: Wild Heron Sandestin Homes Regatta Bay Real Estate Destiny-by-the-Sea Real Estate Destiny Real Estate Kelly Plantation Real Estate Bluewater Bay Real Estate Emerald Bay Real Estate Holiday Isle Homes Santa Rosa Beach Homes Rosemary Beach Real Estate Seaside Real Estate Grayton Beach Real Estate Seacrest Beach Real Estate Seagrove Homes Blue Mountain Beach Homes Watercolor Real Estate Watersound Real Estate If you would like information on any of our properties, please email us or feel free to give us call: Debbie's Cell 727-487-3532 debbie@uniquepanhandleproperties.com Emerald Coast Property Finder This is not processed by email . You must input your email address to receive a response! The internet is a wonderful resource for taking an active part in your real estate search and we encourage you to use our resources. If you are unfamiliar with Emerald Coast real estate, you may prefer to use our assistance in finding a property that meets your needs. We can also send you an email update of new listings that come onto the market or have price changes based on information which you specify For those who'd like to search regularly - Bookmark this page For those who'd like to take advantage of our knowledge and expertise of emerald coast real estate, please fill out the form below and we'll respond promptly. Property Type Detached Home Condo Residential Land Commercial Land Location Ft Walton Beach Destin Niceville Valparaiso S. Walton Beaches N. Santa Rosa Beach Freeport Point Washington Panama City Beach Year Built Any Year After 1970 After 1980 After 1990 After 1995 After 2000 After 2002 After 2004 Not yet Built Beds Baths Limit to this Subdivision Price Range <$300K <$450K <$600K <$800K <$1 million <$1.5 million <$2 million <$3 million >$3 million Sq. Ft Any Sq. Ft > 500 Sq Ft > 1,000 Sq Ft > 1,300 Sq Ft > 1,500 Sq Ft > 1,800 Sq Ft > 2,000 Sq Ft > 5,000 Sq Ft > 7,000 Sq Ft >10,000 Sq Ft Lot Features No requirements Gulf View Gulf Front Near Beach Bay View Bay Front Bayou Canal Any water access Name ** Email Address Phone Additional Requirements and Comments Destin Weather Today's Mortgage Rates Destin 30-A Panama City Niceville Florida Real Estate Real Estate Agents & Realtors This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit Here .