The explosive growth of the EB-5 regional center program: from 23 to 125 in less than three years

Don't think that only Forest City Ratner has figured that the federal government's EB-5 program is a good way to raise low-cost capital.

So have many, many others. Consider the explosion in the number of regional centers, federally authorized investment pools that market green cards in exchange for purportedly job-creating investments. (Click on graphics to enlarge.)

July 2008: 23

July 2009: 60

November 2009: 75

October 2010: 114

March 2011: 125