Search Cuba in O/T and you will see some of my posts about my buddy and his firsthand look at life in Cuba. He fled in the boatlift but his older brother stayed behind believing Castro was going to be good for Cuba.

My buddy wells up with tears in his eyes when he tells of the conditions his brother is FORCED to live in.


Thanks for your input as well.

sorry but NO
Miami in the 60-70's was a good place to live and work
BUT the effects of the invasion of a million cubans PLUS the illegals from other countrys that hide among them has been a disaster
for those of us who were here BC
unions were killed , and building craft standards took a chit
remember ANDREW , it was easy to date the homes by the amounts of damage
older union built homes were intact
later nonunion cuban built junk flew apart
crime went out of control
real wages DROPPED
and most of the people I grew up with moved [RAN AWAY}
and almost NO Americans move here now

and I have never heard of a single older cuban not collecting their UNEARNED
SS payments
while many cubans have used SBA loans and other Gov programs
to start a biz very very few will ever employ an American in it

MEDICARE FRAUD is a many industry here , guess who runs it
in fact we now lead the nation in all kinds of medical FRAUDS
with fake DOCTORS another major industry

we are now the POOREST major American city as a direct result of unrestricted immigration both legal and illegal

Cool Jim. Glad you understand.

As you probably know, Cuban Americans love this country intensely!

We work hard, believe in education, support tough US policies to countries that challenge our freedoms and dream of a free Cuba!

It is funny, the passion for Cuba never dies. It is like paradise lost.
Maybe it wasn't perfect when I left, but the memory will always recall a lovely happy world to all who left it...for most, it was not a choice to leave, it was a sacrifice for a life in a free country.:cool:

I just want to know what engine that is.

Split valve cover? diesel? 4cyl?

I have grown to old to try to convince anyone that any migration was good to America. Remember, the US was kind to us, and they have our loyalty as I am sure you do not question.

Sorry you such hate for Cuban Americans. Although it might have felt like a big group, the Cuban migration is tiny compared to almost any country that has come to America.
For example:
Irish, Italian, Persian, Armenian, Chinese, etc, etc.. Did I forget to mention Mexicans. Now in CA, where we have over 40M Mexican illegals, I would understand if that was an issue (just from the shear number), but for hard working people that you say got business loans to provide for themselves and create and build Miami.

I use to go to Miami a lot in the 70s and it was nothing to brag about. Downtown, South Beach, North Miami, etc.. Maybe you like it better, but as an economy it had nothing to offer anyone but some retires from the Northeast.

Just compare a few hispanic populations:
Cubans to Miami
Puerto Ricans to Manhattan
Mexicans to CA.
I think America got a good return for its investment in Miami.

I will never convince you, because you obviously feel screwed.

The examples you brought up are typical in our society and not unique to Cuban Americans. I once lived in an Israeli neighborhood and >60% of their wifes received welfare, even though they lived pretty well in lovely homes and drove Land Rovers or Benzes...

If the Cuban Americans built crappy homes, how do they build such awesome rafts! Just kidding, but you have got to be crazy to blame poor construction on them. Do you blame the effect of Katrina on poor Black quality in home and levy construction and do we blame houses that fall during earthquakes in CA on the Mexicans. This is just insane. Bad construction is bad construction. Period.

Best of luck, and I hope you can recover from the damage they have done to that wonderful state...

That's the same thing I'm wondering. Looks like a 4cyl. I count 4 spark plug wires so it can't be diesel. It looks old; I keep thinking there's somebody out there that could use it for whatever they're restoring.

Not sure those are spark plugs - maybe injectors? Diesel?

Guessing that it's from a Russian tractor.

Has that feel of flawless fit and finish.

Luis "Wickd89":

The entire population of CA is est. at less than 40 Million, so I think you're off a bit there.

As for the Cuban Americans I've known - I would welcome 10 for every one I've met. Hard working, intelligent and a deep respect for the freedoms found here.

As for Cuba and our policy towards their emigrants, I have but one story. I have a friend who came here in his early 20's in 1960 or 61. He was from a wealthy family, and he was apprenticed in the financial field. He mouthed off at his buddies wedding about the "new" government, and found himself in jail the next day. He was freed by his friend the groom, who happened to work for the new communist regime.

He fled Cuba by boat with his pregnant wife and his one year old daughter. He went from wealthy apprentice to working as a union butcher for 30 years, and he has the deepest patriotism of anyone I've ever met. His wife went to work for Disney and had a long carear there as well.

Today he sends medicine and every day essentials to his old buddy back in Cuba, who although being a 30 year bureaucrat lives in utter poverty. The other day he told me he was sending forks. Of course I know they have hardships there, partially related to our embargo. But I had to ask "Why just forks? Why not knives and spoons?" Well, I guess even after all these years their centrally planned economy still cannot work out its bugs.

Fred, on the other hand, lives in a *****in house in Pasadena. You'll never have any trouble spotting it - it's the one with all the flags.