Mariel Boatlift Expanded Demand

by J John Swanko

11/23/10 (People Port) The Mariel Boatlift was studied, used as a lessons learned plan. In the days, weeks following the Mariel Boatlift out of Cuba, Dade County's (now called Miami-Dade) economy began to slow. The increase in violent crime was blamed at that time. It was our unemployment rate.

Our workforce grew seven percent overnight. Families made room. Many had no family. As the Federal Government sorted threw, it became clogged. The normal tools (see Notes) no longer worked all that well.

With Mariel, these newest arrivals lacked professional skills. Time ground on, more came. Lots of unrest in the non-Latin white community as we were referred to in the press. I found the need to speak Spanish to purchase a Slurpee, or sandwich. Every firm that could, was hiring an extra worker or two.

In my firm, my partner, distracted by the new family was put to work seeing possible new customers. I worked the phones -presto- we had two new employees.

As room was created, demand eventually swelled. The lag time was stretched by those seeking shelter, food, clothing. The transformation was complete about the time I had a new customer explain, "I would be rich in Cuba, with this kind of money." I thought he wanted a discount. He interrupted me saying, "America is a great country but it costs money to live here."

That increase is officially remembered as, Communities can absorb large increases in population. True, so long as the community makes room. The government does its job.

Notes:
Dade had members of Congress with teams dedicated to refugees during the previous influx of Cuban refugees, Including, Claude Pepper and Dante Fascell. Both had teams that were put to work making sure those needing SBA loans to start over here, could. At that time a newly arrived refugee could count on food stamps and the like to help them. I need to point out Pepper, Fascell were Democrats, the vast majority of Cuban refugees would become Republican.

As fleeing Cubans settled in, Miami, they took the work they could get. Not unusual to see doctors building walls. 7-11 hired many accounts, business people into their stores. Lawyers hired lawyers as interpreters, paralegals...

Once settled, they found Claude Pepper (Yes, they found Dante Fascell, maybe others, Even in the wake of Andrew, they referred to Pepper, he had passed away by then). Pepper's team all worked to guarantee that that refugee's business-plan would get the funding he needed. Much like bail bonds, those refugees saw the fees paid to get released from jail, in this case to SBA and the like as a bribe to get the loan. Later, as they learned English well it became an inside joke.