5/14/2008
Church and state, flag and threats
A DeLand Baptist minister who removed a U.S. flag from the church sanctuary promptly received harassing and threatening notes.
He's taking a leave of absence amid calls for his resignation. It's not easy keeping church and state separate, even on the church end of things.
He's taking a leave of absence amid calls for his resignation. It's not easy keeping church and state separate, even on the church end of things.
Labels: Theocrats
5/11/2008
Witchhunt!
Wizardry! It may look like the ol' disappearing toothpick trick, but you can't be too careful about witchcraft , so a substitute teacher is essentially suspended for for unauthorized use of magic ... and worse, deviating from the lesson plan.
+ San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll (of whom I'm a huge fan) picks up the story.
+ San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll (of whom I'm a huge fan) picks up the story.
5/08/2008
Fla. secession fever
The Fla/condo/Jewish vote
The estimable S.V. Date writes in the New Republic that Barack Obama's Jewish problem in Florida is repairable. And Rep. Robert Wexler is there to help work the condos.
Labels: Presidential race
Not just marriage
Opponents of Florida's anti-gay marriage amendment argued the measure shouldn't be allowed on the ballot because it bans both gay marriage and civic unions and, oh yeah, maybe even partner benefits.
The Florida Supreme Court, in 2006, ruled that, taken in context, this seems to be just talking about gay marriage. Oh maybe. But over in Michigan they passed something like this and, sure enough, a court has now ruled that it bans governments from offering same-sex benefits. Could the same thing could happen here?
The Florida Supreme Court, in 2006, ruled that, taken in context, this seems to be just talking about gay marriage. Oh maybe. But over in Michigan they passed something like this and, sure enough, a court has now ruled that it bans governments from offering same-sex benefits. Could the same thing could happen here?
Labels: Constitutional Amendments, Theocrats
5/04/2008
Book link is up!
The moment has come at last! Amazon has put up a pre-order link for my upcoming book, Sandspurs: Notes from a Coastal Columnist. (Don't ask me why there's no cover picture yet.)Sadly, the book will not be available from the fine folks at Univ. Press of Fla. until Sept. 7. But if you pre-order it, you get an extra 5 percent off and enjoy a smug feeling of inner coolness by joining the tiny band of cognoscente who own a copy before hardly anybody has heard of it. And don't go lending it out, either. Those people never return your books. Make them buy their own damn copy.
Right now, it's selling on Amazon for the absurdly low price of $16.47, hardback.
Labels: flablog, floridalia, Media, World's Most Famous Beach
Editorial round-up
The reviews are coming in and everybody found something not to like in the just-ended session.
+ Bradenton Herald -- Brutal. That bleak assessment of the state Legislature's knotty session comes courtesy of our own Mike Bennett. Bradenton's Republican state senator went even further to hammer home the point. Absolutely brutal.
+ DB News-Journal -- Deep, painful cuts to the state's $66 billion budget dominated this year's session of the Florida Legislature. But rancor ran high over other issues, ranging from abortion to guns to property insurance.
+ St. Pete Times -- Here is one snapshot that illustrates the difference between Tallahassee and the real world. After state lawmakers wrapped up negotiations over a meager state budget this week, Gov. Charlie Crist proclaimed himself "so grateful to this Legislature for what they have done.'' Hours later, Pinellas school officials proposed cutting salaries for teachers and other employees by 2 percent and closing up to 10 schools.
+ Tampa Tribune -- Session was no great success, but kept bad bills off the books.
+ Tallahassee Dem -- Session time in the capital city ended Friday, and by nearly all accounts, it was one of the most unpleasant, unsatisfying and difficult ever for all players.
Plus
+ Parker Cartoon
+ Wayne Garcia's list of "incredibly stupid bills" and their fates.
+ Lane column
+ Bradenton Herald -- Brutal. That bleak assessment of the state Legislature's knotty session comes courtesy of our own Mike Bennett. Bradenton's Republican state senator went even further to hammer home the point. Absolutely brutal.
+ DB News-Journal -- Deep, painful cuts to the state's $66 billion budget dominated this year's session of the Florida Legislature. But rancor ran high over other issues, ranging from abortion to guns to property insurance.
+ St. Pete Times -- Here is one snapshot that illustrates the difference between Tallahassee and the real world. After state lawmakers wrapped up negotiations over a meager state budget this week, Gov. Charlie Crist proclaimed himself "so grateful to this Legislature for what they have done.'' Hours later, Pinellas school officials proposed cutting salaries for teachers and other employees by 2 percent and closing up to 10 schools.
+ Tampa Tribune -- Session was no great success, but kept bad bills off the books.
+ Tallahassee Dem -- Session time in the capital city ended Friday, and by nearly all accounts, it was one of the most unpleasant, unsatisfying and difficult ever for all players.
Plus
+ Parker Cartoon
+ Wayne Garcia's list of "incredibly stupid bills" and their fates.
+ Lane column
Labels: Legislature
5/01/2008
FL-18
The Discourse.net guy goes to a party ... and likes what he sees -- Report From the Annette Taddeo Campaign Office Opening Party.
(Yup, this is one of the congressional candidates that Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz isn't supporting.)
(Yup, this is one of the congressional candidates that Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz isn't supporting.)
Labels: FL-18
S. Republic
Taking off from Gary's Fineout's eye-opening piece about SE Florida's role as donor to the rest of the state (something no doubt made worse in the next year's education budget), the Herald's Fred Grimm calls for succession.
I'm OK with that, but only if Central Florida gets to come to come along, too. You'd have a gun-totin', creationism-teaching (assuming they'd still have public schools) North Florida and a mellow Peninsular Republic. And it sure would cut driving time during the legislative session.
I'm OK with that, but only if Central Florida gets to come to come along, too. You'd have a gun-totin', creationism-teaching (assuming they'd still have public schools) North Florida and a mellow Peninsular Republic. And it sure would cut driving time during the legislative session.
Labels: Legislature
4/29/2008
Down days in print
It's bad news all over in newspaper land. New circulation figures are out and almost everyone's down. Florida is no exception. The Herald, long the largest paper in Florida, is, after years of circulation hemorrhage, now ranked third in readership. My own beloved News-Journal, which has had more of a slow-leak circulation drop lately, is down 5 percent. The Lakeland Ledger has a good report on the situation at other mid-sized and small papers. Their handy chart is below:
Labels: Media
4/28/2008
House won't evolve
Take that, you pointy-heads who think you get to set state education standards! The Florida House says kids can so be taught creationism in Florida schools -- creationism bill passes 71-43 in a party-line vote with "critical analysis" language intact.
+ Citizens for Science summarizes the leadup to the vote and a roundup of breaking-news coverage of the vote.
+ Citizens for Science summarizes the leadup to the vote and a roundup of breaking-news coverage of the vote.
4/26/2008
Guns, God 'n' guttin' education
Barring a Tallahassee miracle, when the Legislature adjourns Friday it will have failed in every respect to responsibly address the state's most pressing issues.
-- St. Pete Times
In the next two weeks, expect to see a lot of editorials along this line. (And, yes, I'm OK with the split infinitive.)
Labels: Legislature, Marco Rubio
