A Tale of Two Cities: The Death of Detroit, The Rebirth of Miami

Miami's back, thanks to Its mayor and pro-growth policies

by Andrea Billups and John Bachman
Newsmax
September 18, 2013

Less than a decade ago, Miami's inner city was mangy. The tropical city could have become the next Detroit.

When businesses, law firms, and government offices downtown closed, few people remained in its seedy core, fleeing to suburban Miami-Dade and Broward counties for their gated, manicured subdivisions and soccer fields, or to the glamorous nightlife across the causeway in sleek South Beach.

But that's all changed. Miami is booming again. Construction cranes dot the skyline as a new wave of baby boomers, international residents, and businesses converge on the city.

Call it the tale of two cities: Detroit sought to fix its urban blight with high taxes, heavy regulation, and big salaries and pensions for government employees.

Much of the credit for the transformation of Miami falls to the city's mayor, Tomas Regalado, who decided to take his city on the opposite path, one of lower taxes and economic growth.

Regalado, a Republican …