Scarlet Letters
Pulp fiction: Regarding the cover story about the South Dade pimp and his brothel, "Gilded Cage" (Natalie O'Neill, November 19): Wow, is this real? What kind of journalist writes as if she is writing a best-selling book? Amazing story. The only problem — if indeed it is a problem — is that the writer succeeds in humanizing Hugo, making the reader fall in love with him!
Harrison
Miami
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Page-turner: This is one of the best articles I have ever read. Fantastic job.
Kat
Miami Beach
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Cliffhanger: This is a very interesting article. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It really captivated me.
Lourdes
Miami
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Another helping: Great story! Please do a followup in a few months.
Nikki Ramirez
Via web commentary
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Pay to play: This article is very well written and humanizes the characters. It's unfortunate that women and girls have to resort to this kind of lifestyle and that children such as Pebbles are abused. It's the oldest profession and should be legal so that it can be monitored and regulated. Sex is not going anywhere, and if prostitution were legal, maybe the economy wouldn't be so bad.
Dee
Richmond, Virginia
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Girls next door: Great, well-written story. In regards to "the brothel across the street," these things happen in every big city. It depends on how hard you look. Maybe it took a nice guy/businessman to be successful — if you think successful is profiting from the manipulation of women.
Jstar
Miami Beach
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Card Game
Green card: Regarding "Race Bait" (Francisco Alvarado, November 19):
Pulling out the race card is a time-tested way to avoid the truth. This case does not involve black versus white; it's all about green — the color of money.
Getting Michelle Spence-Jones's supporters to handle the truth is not going to happen. If she runs again, she will be re-elected. It has worked before: Henry Milander wasn't a minority, and former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez and former Miami Commissioner Humberto Hernandez proved voters don't care about arrests. Hell, most of the voters in Miami are questionable. How many of them participated in "liar loans" during the runaway mortgage years?
There is a solution. We need stronger police investigations, with lots of stings, and more investigative reports from New Times and the Miami Herald.
Food for thought: Most politicians should serve two terms — one in office and one in jail.
Jerry
Miami
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Loaded deck: I'm tired of the race card being played all the time. The bottom line is that Michelle Spence-Jones committed a crime, as outlined in the report tendered by the State Attorney's Office to obtain a probable cause warrant. If she does not want to do the time, she should not have committed the crime. Nobody is above the law regardless of your stature in society.
So, Mrs. Spence-Jones, you will have your day in court to prove otherwise. Until then, please shut up and spare the citizens the drama of your running for office again.
Mayor Banana Republic
Miami