We knew the housing situation in Miami was a joke, but is a hiring comedian really the fix?
Well county officials have bought the act of Gregg Fortner and hired the part-time comedian as the county's public housing director. Fortner, who was figuratively booed off the stage in San Francisco in the same role as housing director, takes over a program that is known more for its bungling ways than its building ones.
The feds took over Miami-Dade's housing program after investigations revealed public money would often find its way into the pockets of developers, who laughed all the way to the bank without ever building an affordable house.
But if anyone can correct a farce, it's a jokester right? At least county commission meetings won't be the bore-fests they are now if Fortner is around for a little comic relief.
Fortner held his post in California for a decade before rats and roach-infested public housing complexes sealed his doom.
And for those who were wondering, Fortner, 50, can still be seen on stages on the West Coast, cracking jokes, pulling pranks and making people spill their drinks. He's got a gig next month at a Los Angeles nightclub the Miami Herald reports.
Maybe Fortner came to Miami-Dade in search of some new material. This hire proves there is plenty of it.
