4/30/2003
Fired DCF worker won't go back without the others
Jessica Frenes, 27, earns $18,353 a year as a receptionist at DCF. She has three kids. Her husband is a service technician for a propane gas company. She said they are struggling on one income to meet their bills after she was fired from DCF to appease a powerful state senator. Yet she turned down an offer to get her job back because she couldn't in good conscience go back when five of her co-workers are still jobless.
Plus, although she had the good grace not to say so, the terms were insulting and forced her to accept a reprimand when her real offense was not giving special treatment to Sen. Rudy Garcia's grandma.
The Herald says rehire them all.
Plus, although she had the good grace not to say so, the terms were insulting and forced her to accept a reprimand when her real offense was not giving special treatment to Sen. Rudy Garcia's grandma.
The Herald says rehire them all.
Congressmen on 'glades bill: Don't go there
The Herald says four but everyone else says six Congressmen warn the Legislature not to wreck past Everglades agreements. (See Post story, too.) Jeb! says these objections -- and those of two US senators and a federal judge -- "don't relate to reality."
Our governor is in an alternate reality again.
Our governor is in an alternate reality again.
What to call this?
Oh, how do you describe this?
+ The biggest legislative meltdown in a decade says the St. Pete Times.
+ Impasse on Alzheimer's says the Herald more politely. (And no, it did not make the front of their Web page, showing again the Herald's deemphasis of state news.)
+ Florida's legislative session collapsed says the Orlando Sentinel.
+ Budget train wreck - Palm Beach Post.
+ A dramatic, abrupt move in a contentious session - Tallahassee Democrat.
+ Jim King called it quits - Daytona Beach News-Journal.
+ Jim King pulled the plug - Florida Today.
+ The 2003 session of the Florida Legislature collapsed - Lakeland Ledger.
+ All-out budget breakdown - Times-Union.
+ The biggest legislative meltdown in a decade says the St. Pete Times.
+ Impasse on Alzheimer's says the Herald more politely. (And no, it did not make the front of their Web page, showing again the Herald's deemphasis of state news.)
+ Florida's legislative session collapsed says the Orlando Sentinel.
+ Budget train wreck - Palm Beach Post.
+ A dramatic, abrupt move in a contentious session - Tallahassee Democrat.
+ Jim King called it quits - Daytona Beach News-Journal.
+ Jim King pulled the plug - Florida Today.
+ The 2003 session of the Florida Legislature collapsed - Lakeland Ledger.
+ All-out budget breakdown - Times-Union.
4/29/2003
Accept no substitutes
Last chaper of the Scarlet Letter Law
It looks like a measure to fix Florida's outrageous Scarlet Letter will become law now that it's passed the Senate. (See below.)
Blogophobia
The Online Journalism Review (yes, it's still tickin'!) has a good piece on Establishment Media's fear and loathing of bloggers. The news hook is the Hartford Courtant's demand that former columnist Denis Horgan shut down his blog. (Mentioned below.) Personally, this is all mildly alarming despite my very excellent disclaimer.
Senate votes to weaken Everglades cleanup
The moderate Senate passes a bill to more moderately weaken Everglades cleanup and grant more moderate favors to Big Sugar. This is certain to pass in some form and it endangers more than a decade of Everglades cleanup efforts.
+Miami Herald -- Senate OKs softer bill on Glades
+St. Pete Times -- Even opponents oppose changes to Glades bill notes how the Senate compromise makes nobody happy. Environmentalists see it as a cynical fig-leaf. Big Sugar doesn't like it because it might cause them to maybe be held up to some kind of clean water standard sometime in the distant future.
+Palm Beach Post -- Fla. Senate votes to delay Everglades cleanup.
+Gainesville Sun -- The Florida Senate gambled with the future of the Everglades Monday, approving a bill that influential members of Congress have warned could jeopardize billions of dollars in federal funding.
+Tampa Trib -- Strenuous efforts by Gov. Jeb Bush and the Legislature to give a much-maligned Everglades bill the stamp of federal approval broke down Monday in a morass of mixed signals and false assertions.
+Sun Sentinel -- State Senate delays 'Glades cleanup; Congressman assails 'lousy' bill
+Miami Herald -- Senate OKs softer bill on Glades
+St. Pete Times -- Even opponents oppose changes to Glades bill notes how the Senate compromise makes nobody happy. Environmentalists see it as a cynical fig-leaf. Big Sugar doesn't like it because it might cause them to maybe be held up to some kind of clean water standard sometime in the distant future.
+Palm Beach Post -- Fla. Senate votes to delay Everglades cleanup.
+Gainesville Sun -- The Florida Senate gambled with the future of the Everglades Monday, approving a bill that influential members of Congress have warned could jeopardize billions of dollars in federal funding.
+Tampa Trib -- Strenuous efforts by Gov. Jeb Bush and the Legislature to give a much-maligned Everglades bill the stamp of federal approval broke down Monday in a morass of mixed signals and false assertions.
+Sun Sentinel -- State Senate delays 'Glades cleanup; Congressman assails 'lousy' bill
Rudy "this way to the front of the line" Garcia (cont.)
The Herald continues its coverage of the firing of six DCF workers essentially for failing to give special VIP this-way-to-the-front-of-the-line service to Sen. Rudy Garcia's grandmother when she was checking on her food stamps. DCF now is offering to take back one (just one, the most junior) of the workers.
Another Herald story notes that Sen. Garcia was a sponsor of Service First, a Jeb! Initiative that makes it easier to fire state workers. Critics said Service First would put state workers under all kinds of political pressure. These firings show those critics had it exactly right.
Meanwhile the Tallahassee Democrat asks: How much are employees valued at DCF? And the obvious answer is not very much at all.
Another Herald story notes that Sen. Garcia was a sponsor of Service First, a Jeb! Initiative that makes it easier to fire state workers. Critics said Service First would put state workers under all kinds of political pressure. These firings show those critics had it exactly right.
Meanwhile the Tallahassee Democrat asks: How much are employees valued at DCF? And the obvious answer is not very much at all.
Scrimping on justice
The Tallahassee Democrat finally reports on a widely known but virtually unreported exchange between Chief Justice Harry Lee Anstead and House Speaker Johnnie "It's a Great Day in the State of Florida" Byrd.
Florida ex-pat Maud Newton posted the exchange in her blog almost a week ago. Read the whole thing there and note Byrd's Uriah Heeplike tone of wounded innocence. This would be bad comedy if it weren't so damaging to basic adminstration of justice.
Florida ex-pat Maud Newton posted the exchange in her blog almost a week ago. Read the whole thing there and note Byrd's Uriah Heeplike tone of wounded innocence. This would be bad comedy if it weren't so damaging to basic adminstration of justice.
4/28/2003
Hiaasen on 'glades sell-out
I was hoping Carl Hiaasen would get back from vacation in time to write about the Everglades sell-out. Well, he did. "How sweet is Big Sugar's Everglades deal?" ran Sunday and I just happened upon it today. (A pox upon Knight Ridder Web-sites design! )
Two years later, prodded by then-Gov. Lawton Chiles, Florida lawmakers passed the Everglades Forever Act -- but not before the sugar tycoons convinced the Legislature that they couldn't meet clean-water standards until 2006.
Now they want even more time. Call it the Everglades Whenever Act, and it's been sailing unchallenged through both state houses.
One reason is that Big Sugar has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the election coffers of lawmakers. For added insurance, no less than 46 lobbyists were hired to patrol the halls of the capitol.
It's no surprise that the sugar growers so easily purchased the Legislature, which has devolved into an annual festival of whores. What's both stunning and disappointing is the acquiescence of Gov. Jeb Bush, who has an enormous political stake in seeing the Everglades revived without delay.
Two years later, prodded by then-Gov. Lawton Chiles, Florida lawmakers passed the Everglades Forever Act -- but not before the sugar tycoons convinced the Legislature that they couldn't meet clean-water standards until 2006.
Now they want even more time. Call it the Everglades Whenever Act, and it's been sailing unchallenged through both state houses.
One reason is that Big Sugar has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the election coffers of lawmakers. For added insurance, no less than 46 lobbyists were hired to patrol the halls of the capitol.
It's no surprise that the sugar growers so easily purchased the Legislature, which has devolved into an annual festival of whores. What's both stunning and disappointing is the acquiescence of Gov. Jeb Bush, who has an enormous political stake in seeing the Everglades revived without delay.
Tax hikes no! Rate hikes yes!
Troxler punctures the phone-rate cover story. Bottom line: Phone rates will rise, thanks to brute force and gutless lawmakers.
4/27/2003
The sayings of Jeb
"The sound of our guns is the sound of freedom,"
- Jeb Bush to NRA Convention
Except when they're the sound of us killing each other.
- Jeb Bush to NRA Convention
Except when they're the sound of us killing each other.
Crikey!
FCAT accountability again
FCAT supporters answer every question about the program's worth by praising something they call "accountability."
Well, accountability is a one-street here. The kids and teachers are accountable but nobody else is. The Dept. of Ed. refuses to be accountable for its failures in administering the test. The Legislature refuses to be accountable for fine-tuning the law before it takes effect. And now it turns out that nobody is accountable for the weird way bonuses in Florida School Recognition Program are being spent.
Dozens of schools around the state either misunderstood or ignored the spending restrictions placed on the $306 million that has been handed out since 1999.
Instead of computers, they bought lawn mowers. Instead of new teachers, they hired BoJo the Clown to host a "fun day."
Throughout its existence, the program that was designed to hold schools accountable for student performance has had little accountability of its own.
Well, accountability is a one-street here. The kids and teachers are accountable but nobody else is. The Dept. of Ed. refuses to be accountable for its failures in administering the test. The Legislature refuses to be accountable for fine-tuning the law before it takes effect. And now it turns out that nobody is accountable for the weird way bonuses in Florida School Recognition Program are being spent.
Dozens of schools around the state either misunderstood or ignored the spending restrictions placed on the $306 million that has been handed out since 1999.
Instead of computers, they bought lawn mowers. Instead of new teachers, they hired BoJo the Clown to host a "fun day."
Throughout its existence, the program that was designed to hold schools accountable for student performance has had little accountability of its own.
Everglades sell-out (cont.)
The Herald editorial page finally gets around to criticizing Big Sugar's bill to weaken the Everglades' cleanup. It comes a couple a of weeks after everyone other paper in the state made the same complaint (except the Times-Union which likes the bill just fine) but late is better than never. Unlike most of the editorials, which focus strictly on Tallahassee, this one also singles out Bush appointees on the South Florida Water Management District Board.
They are willing to risk making state taxpayers and the agriculture industry foot the entire $8.4 billion cost of the 30-year cleanup plan -- based on the advice of Big Sugar.
The Orlando Sentinel also gets around to to decrying "An Everglades fiasco." (Perishible link)
The bill -- authored halfway through the legislative session by the very sugar industry that destroyed the Everglades' delicate ecosystem -- is a top-shelf example of how loaded special interests rule Tallahassee.
They are willing to risk making state taxpayers and the agriculture industry foot the entire $8.4 billion cost of the 30-year cleanup plan -- based on the advice of Big Sugar.
The Orlando Sentinel also gets around to to decrying "An Everglades fiasco." (Perishible link)
The bill -- authored halfway through the legislative session by the very sugar industry that destroyed the Everglades' delicate ecosystem -- is a top-shelf example of how loaded special interests rule Tallahassee.
4/26/2003
More comment on DCF's priorities
Two more editorials contrasting the lightning action DCF was able to take when a state senator's grandmother was not shown to the front of the line and its inability to take action on matters like making sure the kids under its charge are alive.
Palm Beach Post -- DCF's skewed priorities. Gov. Bush has treated DCF as a political problem. Under Mr. Regier, it is clear that politics remains the priority.
St. Pete Times -- Unfair punishment at DCF. Whatever favors Department of Children and Families Secretary Jerry Regier thought he was performing for a state senator, he did his agency - and his own reputation - no good by firing six employees who supposedly mistreated the senator's grandmother.
Palm Beach Post -- DCF's skewed priorities. Gov. Bush has treated DCF as a political problem. Under Mr. Regier, it is clear that politics remains the priority.
St. Pete Times -- Unfair punishment at DCF. Whatever favors Department of Children and Families Secretary Jerry Regier thought he was performing for a state senator, he did his agency - and his own reputation - no good by firing six employees who supposedly mistreated the senator's grandmother.
A beautiful day in the state of Florida!
Lucy Morgan, a St Pete Times columnist who can be very forgiving of the ways of politicians because she's been embedded in the Florida Legislature for as long as I can remember, finds that words fail her in describing how bad this session is.
Our version of Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf is House Speaker Johnnie Byrd.
"It's a beautiful day in the state of Florida," Byrd insists as the state's health care, arts and education programs lie in shambles all around him.
Our version of Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf is House Speaker Johnnie Byrd.
"It's a beautiful day in the state of Florida," Byrd insists as the state's health care, arts and education programs lie in shambles all around him.
4/25/2003
Local autonomy? What local autonomy?
A little noted attempt in the Legislature to void gay rights ordinances around the state.
Funny how quickly conservatives abandon the idea of local autonomy when cities do things that don't suit them. Like pass living wage ordinances.
Funny how quickly conservatives abandon the idea of local autonomy when cities do things that don't suit them. Like pass living wage ordinances.
Scarlet Letter dead letter
Florida's Scarlet Letter Law has been reversed by a state appellate court and the good folks at FindLaw have posted the text. And at the 4th DCA site
Key graph: The state has failed to demonstrate, however,
how any compelling interest of either the putative
father or the state outweighs the privacy rights of
the mother and child in not being identified in such
a personal, intimate, and intrusive manner.
What you have to remember, however, is that although this is a very good decision, it's only binding within this appellate district, meaning Palm Beach, Broward, St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River, and Okeechobee counties. Other appellate courts are likely to recognize it but are free to add their own nuances and touches.
Fortunately, Legislation to fix this for real today passed the House. Likely to pass the Senate.
It's even made Metafilter
(Sun-Sentinel editorial.)
Key graph: The state has failed to demonstrate, however,
how any compelling interest of either the putative
father or the state outweighs the privacy rights of
the mother and child in not being identified in such
a personal, intimate, and intrusive manner.
What you have to remember, however, is that although this is a very good decision, it's only binding within this appellate district, meaning Palm Beach, Broward, St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River, and Okeechobee counties. Other appellate courts are likely to recognize it but are free to add their own nuances and touches.
Fortunately, Legislation to fix this for real today passed the House. Likely to pass the Senate.
It's even made Metafilter
(Sun-Sentinel editorial.)
Fired DCF workers might get hearing after all
DCF Chief Jerry Regier has changed his mind and will have DCF re-examine firing of six workers who were essentially fired for not giving preferential, this-way-to-the-front-of-the-line treatment to Sen. Rudy Garcia's grandmother when she showed up at the food stamps office.
Sun-Sentinel also has a story about the Regier's flip-flop.
Sun-Sentinel also has a story about the Regier's flip-flop.
Astro-turf in the Everglades
Today we'll see whether the the Senate can head off Big Sugar's Everglades pollution bill.
Meanwhile a group called Florida Forever Partnership is generating an astroturf campaign and running ads lashing out at "liberal environmentalists".
"Yeah, we had something to do with that" -- U.S. Sugar vice president Robert Coker.
Meanwhile, enivronmentalists are taking the case national. Given this congress and president, not a promising strategy.
Meanwhile a group called Florida Forever Partnership is generating an astroturf campaign and running ads lashing out at "liberal environmentalists".
"Yeah, we had something to do with that" -- U.S. Sugar vice president Robert Coker.
Meanwhile, enivronmentalists are taking the case national. Given this congress and president, not a promising strategy.
She won't leave us alone!
I thought it was just a mean-spirited joke when The Grapefruit floated this a couple of weeks ago, but now The Herald runs this headline -- Katherine Harris not closing door on run for Senate next year.
Aiiiiih-aghhhh!
Aiiiiih-aghhhh!
4/24/2003
Hartford Paper kills off a blog
I feel blessed for being able to work at a locally owned newspaper. A rare thing these days. It makes for a less corporate environment where a premium is put on solving problems informally. At the big places, corporate management feels all threatened by blogs. Mainly, it's a control issue.
At The Hartford (Conn.) Courant they ordered an employee not to blog on his own time. He dutifully announced it today. They already took away this guy's column. Sheesh, what are they going to do to him next? Take away bathroom privileges?
The editor added that allowing an employee to set up his own opinion blog was a bad precedent. "There are 325 other people here who could create similar [Web sites] for themselves," Toolan said.
And why would that be such a terrible, terrible thing? I think it would be whole lot of free promotion for the paper.
Dan Gillmor comments.
This blog is basically a rough draft and notebook for the things I might write about later. I do run a disclaimer just to make things clear, though.
(Timatollah points me to Ken Layne's astringent comments on this.)
At The Hartford (Conn.) Courant they ordered an employee not to blog on his own time. He dutifully announced it today. They already took away this guy's column. Sheesh, what are they going to do to him next? Take away bathroom privileges?
The editor added that allowing an employee to set up his own opinion blog was a bad precedent. "There are 325 other people here who could create similar [Web sites] for themselves," Toolan said.
And why would that be such a terrible, terrible thing? I think it would be whole lot of free promotion for the paper.
Dan Gillmor comments.
This blog is basically a rough draft and notebook for the things I might write about later. I do run a disclaimer just to make things clear, though.
(Timatollah points me to Ken Layne's astringent comments on this.)
Spammers go to court
PC World reports that spammers are suing in Florida (I'm assuming the 15th Judicial Circuit) in what appears to a SLAPP suit against anti-spammers. (Insert penis-enlargement joke here.)
The "education governor" cont.
+ 1,500 jobs at risk in Broward schools
+ Superintendents publicly bemoan the possible horrors of the House plan for schools.
+Broward weighs major cuts in school programs
+Schools face program cuts, budget crunch (Key West)
+ Superintendents publicly bemoan the possible horrors of the House plan for schools.
+Broward weighs major cuts in school programs
+Schools face program cuts, budget crunch (Key West)
Legislature going deeper into the swamp
It's seldom an elected official talks this bluntly about actions taken by his own party. The Sun-Sentinel and Orlando Sentinel quote Clay Shaw as follows on the Everglades bill before the Legislature.
This is going to cost Florida billions of dollars, no question about it," said U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale, a key leader in getting Congress to ante up its share of funding for the unprecedented state-federal cleanup project.
[U.S. Sen.] Bob Graham and I worked like hell to get this legislation through, and the Florida Legislature is blowing it up. You can't enter into a partnership and then each partner goes where they darn well please.
To be fair, Big Sugar has a number of Democrats in its pocket, too. Scroll down deep in this story and read what Sen. Al Lawson says. He blames the whole problem on environmentalists who are just stirring up this controversy just so they can "make money." Unlike the disinterested good citizens of the sugar industry.
Meanwhile, a federal judge takes the unusual step of warning the Legislature ahead of time about messing with the Everglades settlement and orders the state to appear in court May 2 and explain just what they think they're doing. Here's his order, courtesy of the Herald (It's short.)
This is going to cost Florida billions of dollars, no question about it," said U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale, a key leader in getting Congress to ante up its share of funding for the unprecedented state-federal cleanup project.
[U.S. Sen.] Bob Graham and I worked like hell to get this legislation through, and the Florida Legislature is blowing it up. You can't enter into a partnership and then each partner goes where they darn well please.
To be fair, Big Sugar has a number of Democrats in its pocket, too. Scroll down deep in this story and read what Sen. Al Lawson says. He blames the whole problem on environmentalists who are just stirring up this controversy just so they can "make money." Unlike the disinterested good citizens of the sugar industry.
Meanwhile, a federal judge takes the unusual step of warning the Legislature ahead of time about messing with the Everglades settlement and orders the state to appear in court May 2 and explain just what they think they're doing. Here's his order, courtesy of the Herald (It's short.)
4/23/2003
Regulations are for people who don't contribute
The Big Sugar Forever Act
More on the 'glades mess:
A Howard Troxler column -- We continue to suffer," David B. Struhs told me Tuesday, which was Earth Day, "from a bad first impression." Hard to argue.
A good Herald story notes:
Despite massive opposition from environmentalists and Congressional warnings that an unprecedented effort to restore the Everglades could be at risk, a sugar-industry-backed measure to ease pollution restrictions shows no signs of slowing in the Legislature.
A Howard Troxler column -- We continue to suffer," David B. Struhs told me Tuesday, which was Earth Day, "from a bad first impression." Hard to argue.
A good Herald story notes:
Despite massive opposition from environmentalists and Congressional warnings that an unprecedented effort to restore the Everglades could be at risk, a sugar-industry-backed measure to ease pollution restrictions shows no signs of slowing in the Legislature.
Lines are for little people (cont.)
A Herald editorial ran today about Sen. Rudy "front of the line" Garcia and six fired DCF workers. (See below.) It's a little late in coming, but at least they wrote about DCF'S skewed priorities.
DCF says it will "review" the firings and a Jeb! spokesman says the governor stands by the head of DCF.
Meanwhile, the fired workers ask for hearings to clear their names and have retained counsel.
DCF says it will "review" the firings and a Jeb! spokesman says the governor stands by the head of DCF.
Meanwhile, the fired workers ask for hearings to clear their names and have retained counsel.
Mystery money
I would have missed this entirely were it not for the Florida Politics site: an excellent S.V. Date story about how Florida is shelling out $50 million in vouchers without any idea how many kids are using them or for what kind of schooling.
An interesting fact: about 40 percent of the kids who got the money where in private school anyway. This contradicts claims that the program takes pressure off public schools. And it's not for low income kids, either. You can make almost $40,000 and have the state subsidize sending your kid to church school.
(SV Date, by the way, is not only among the best reporters now covering the legislature, he alsos write Hiaasenesque novels like Black Sunshine and Deep Water.)
An interesting fact: about 40 percent of the kids who got the money where in private school anyway. This contradicts claims that the program takes pressure off public schools. And it's not for low income kids, either. You can make almost $40,000 and have the state subsidize sending your kid to church school.
(SV Date, by the way, is not only among the best reporters now covering the legislature, he alsos write Hiaasenesque novels like Black Sunshine and Deep Water.)
The "Education Governor"
According to a Miami Herald article, "the state Legislature is poised to give public schools the smallest funding increase in seven years, with the exception of the budget cuts taken after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks."
Meanwhile, local school boards see the writing on the wall and start cutting hard. As in Pinellas County.
Meanwhile, local school boards see the writing on the wall and start cutting hard. As in Pinellas County.
4/22/2003
Legislating a phone-bill hike
Last year telephone companies tried to get the Legislature to raise local phone rates. It was an outrageous gouging of the public at the behest of a special interest that gave a lot in campaign donations, but it flew in under the radar. Eventually, a number of people cried fowl. Among them Howard Troxler of the St. Pete Times who wrote columns like this and this. Jeb Bush supported it at first but then reversed himself and vetoed the thing.
Well that legislation and the usual suspects are back again. Fortunately,
so is Troxler.
Editorials on the topic appeared recently in the News-Journal and the Tallahassee Democrat and even the Miami Herald which has been unusually quiet about Legislative doings this year.
A group I never heard of before called Florida Utility Watch is mobilizing opposition.
Well that legislation and the usual suspects are back again. Fortunately,
so is Troxler.
Editorials on the topic appeared recently in the News-Journal and the Tallahassee Democrat and even the Miami Herald which has been unusually quiet about Legislative doings this year.
A group I never heard of before called Florida Utility Watch is mobilizing opposition.
Jeb wades into the Everglades
Both Jeb and George W. Bush discovered early on that a way to get instant street cred on environmentalism was to latch on work that has already been done on Everglades restoration. All you had to do was to sign on to existing agreements and you'd look good and could run very pretty National Geographic looking campaign ads with herons and swaying water-grasses.
Well, that was then; this is now. When an industry antes up $800,000 in a state election cycle there's only one question you ask when they want you to do something: "how soon you need that done by."
"It's as greased as anything I've ever seen," said Eric Draper of Audubon of Florida.
And it looks like this could be a national issue, with a New York Times editorial attacking this proposal.
A sure sign Jeb is feeling the pressure is when he gets all snippy.
There's an old saying: when you can't dazzle them with logic, bury them in bullshit. David Struhs attempts this technique.
All in all, this is a bad session for the environment.
Columnists -
Mike Thomas, The Sentinel -- Sugar growers' sticky fingers spoil cleanup.
Fred Grimm, Miami Herald -- Big Sugar gives foes some lumps.
Editorials --
Florida Today -- Special interest threats to Everglades continue
St. Pete Times --Bush's sugar-coated bill.
Tampa Tribune -- Breaking An Everglades Promise
Palm Beach Post -- Washington sees clearly; Everglades change risky
Lakeland Ledger -- Big Sugar Wants A Sweet Deal.
Sun-Sentinel -- Bush's Move Muddies Waters.
News-Journal -- Lawmakers push bill that could cripple Everglades restoration.
Only one newspaper stands up for the poor, benighted sugar industry. Guess which one! That's right, Florida Times-Union which characterizes Big Sugar as "the farmers" and refers to environmentalists as "that special interest" -- Fighting phosphorous
Fla. Audubon has a write-your-rep page.
Well, that was then; this is now. When an industry antes up $800,000 in a state election cycle there's only one question you ask when they want you to do something: "how soon you need that done by."
"It's as greased as anything I've ever seen," said Eric Draper of Audubon of Florida.
And it looks like this could be a national issue, with a New York Times editorial attacking this proposal.
A sure sign Jeb is feeling the pressure is when he gets all snippy.
There's an old saying: when you can't dazzle them with logic, bury them in bullshit. David Struhs attempts this technique.
All in all, this is a bad session for the environment.
Columnists -
Mike Thomas, The Sentinel -- Sugar growers' sticky fingers spoil cleanup.
Fred Grimm, Miami Herald -- Big Sugar gives foes some lumps.
Editorials --
Florida Today -- Special interest threats to Everglades continue
St. Pete Times --Bush's sugar-coated bill.
Tampa Tribune -- Breaking An Everglades Promise
Palm Beach Post -- Washington sees clearly; Everglades change risky
Lakeland Ledger -- Big Sugar Wants A Sweet Deal.
Sun-Sentinel -- Bush's Move Muddies Waters.
News-Journal -- Lawmakers push bill that could cripple Everglades restoration.
Only one newspaper stands up for the poor, benighted sugar industry. Guess which one! That's right, Florida Times-Union which characterizes Big Sugar as "the farmers" and refers to environmentalists as "that special interest" -- Fighting phosphorous
Fla. Audubon has a write-your-rep page.
No comment
For someone who recently expanded his communications staff at no small cost to taxpayers Speaker Byrd doesn't do a lot of communicating.
Lines are for the little people
When State Sen. Rudy Garcia's 94-year-old grandmother came to the DCF office to clear up problems with her food stamp debit card, it seems she expected and her grandson and her grandson's aide expected VIP treatment. None of this standing in line nonsense that little people endure.
According to this Miami Herald story, after the Hialeah Republican talked to the head of DCF, Jerry "Biblical spanking" Regier, Regier '' 'told me to fire everybody in the chain of command,' Chelly Schembera said. Schembera is a 30-year DCF veteran who was brought out of retirement to run the troubled Miami district while the agency looked for a permanent replacement."
Six DCF workers were fired immediately, including one who had worked there for 32 years. A 20-year employee asks "why?" And columnist Jim DeFede asks how can an agency shrug off the deaths of foster kids but act with decisive urgency when a Republican senator's granny whines about her food stamps.
According to this Miami Herald story, after the Hialeah Republican talked to the head of DCF, Jerry "Biblical spanking" Regier, Regier '' 'told me to fire everybody in the chain of command,' Chelly Schembera said. Schembera is a 30-year DCF veteran who was brought out of retirement to run the troubled Miami district while the agency looked for a permanent replacement."
Six DCF workers were fired immediately, including one who had worked there for 32 years. A 20-year employee asks "why?" And columnist Jim DeFede asks how can an agency shrug off the deaths of foster kids but act with decisive urgency when a Republican senator's granny whines about her food stamps.
4/18/2003
What fiscal crisis?
Legislators and Disney lobbyists seek tax breaks for golf carts. Program cuts for the sick. Tax cuts for golfers.
4/17/2003
Flori-duh
DIY auto tags
FCAT update
Despite the governor's mixed signals, the Legislature has passed a bill waiving the FCAT for some disabled students. Here' s the News-Journal version. (Full text of bill here.)
One hates to sound churlish when the Legislature does the right thing, but why couldn't this had happened --oh, I don't know -- last year, instead of only a month before graduation? It has been grossly unfair to learning-disabled kids to leave them hanging like this. And, of course, it's still unclear whether the governor will sign it. He had earlier said he would but Tuesday he said he's against FCAT waivers.
Surprisingly, Myriam Marquez (who for reasons unclear to me is sometimes marketed as the Sentinel's liberal balance to the Republican uniformity of their opinion page) is among the few people in the room to note that Jeb! is doing warm and fuzzy classroom photo-ops talking up summer school programs but isn't proposing more funding for summer school. A sham of a remarkably transparent nature, but folks seem to be buying the bullshit.
One hates to sound churlish when the Legislature does the right thing, but why couldn't this had happened --oh, I don't know -- last year, instead of only a month before graduation? It has been grossly unfair to learning-disabled kids to leave them hanging like this. And, of course, it's still unclear whether the governor will sign it. He had earlier said he would but Tuesday he said he's against FCAT waivers.
Surprisingly, Myriam Marquez (who for reasons unclear to me is sometimes marketed as the Sentinel's liberal balance to the Republican uniformity of their opinion page) is among the few people in the room to note that Jeb! is doing warm and fuzzy classroom photo-ops talking up summer school programs but isn't proposing more funding for summer school. A sham of a remarkably transparent nature, but folks seem to be buying the bullshit.
4/16/2003
FCAT backlash building?
The FCAT showdown has been simmering for more than a year and still few people seem to think it's a real problem. At least few in the state Dept. of Education.
Here's the problem. A lot of kids aren't going to graduate this year. A lot of kids are going to be held back from third grade because of low test scores. How many? Well, 27 percent of third graders would have been held back last year if this requirement were in effect then. So far, more than 12,000 high school kids have flunked either the math or English sections of the FCAT. It's still not known how many made it through in the last round of tests or will pass in June retesting.
And nobody is talking about is what this will do to the drop-out rate.
Jeb Bush, meanwhile, says he's against FCAT exemptions even though he appeared to have second thoughts last week. He's trying to sell flunking third graders and withholding diplomas as a good thing.
Meanwhile, the potential for a real backlash is building. (See this column, too.)
The Legislature is only addressing two small parts of the problem -- foreign language speakers and learning disabled students. One House bill would waive the FCAT for kids in English English for Speakers of Other Languages and allow other tests, like the SAT, as a substitute. The Senate has a more limited version that would allow ESOL kids to take the FCAT in the second language just one.
Although a couple Republican senators were quick to denounce this as a "watering down of standards" it would only provide only small help for a comparatively small number of students.
Another Senate bill would allow substitutes, but hasn't been voted upon.
As a fallback, school districts are getting ready to shove kids who don't pass into GED programs which has the excellent advantage of making them the community colleges' problem, not the the high schools'.
All in all, wouldn't this have been a good debate to have had last year when there was still time to do something for kids who won't get diplomas next month?
Here's the problem. A lot of kids aren't going to graduate this year. A lot of kids are going to be held back from third grade because of low test scores. How many? Well, 27 percent of third graders would have been held back last year if this requirement were in effect then. So far, more than 12,000 high school kids have flunked either the math or English sections of the FCAT. It's still not known how many made it through in the last round of tests or will pass in June retesting.
And nobody is talking about is what this will do to the drop-out rate.
Jeb Bush, meanwhile, says he's against FCAT exemptions even though he appeared to have second thoughts last week. He's trying to sell flunking third graders and withholding diplomas as a good thing.
Meanwhile, the potential for a real backlash is building. (See this column, too.)
The Legislature is only addressing two small parts of the problem -- foreign language speakers and learning disabled students. One House bill would waive the FCAT for kids in English English for Speakers of Other Languages and allow other tests, like the SAT, as a substitute. The Senate has a more limited version that would allow ESOL kids to take the FCAT in the second language just one.
Although a couple Republican senators were quick to denounce this as a "watering down of standards" it would only provide only small help for a comparatively small number of students.
Another Senate bill would allow substitutes, but hasn't been voted upon.
As a fallback, school districts are getting ready to shove kids who don't pass into GED programs which has the excellent advantage of making them the community colleges' problem, not the the high schools'.
All in all, wouldn't this have been a good debate to have had last year when there was still time to do something for kids who won't get diplomas next month?
A new serving of The Grapefruit
The mysterious state political tip-sheet known as The Grapefruit is back. It was on hiatus when its editor was called to active duty. A substitute has been found.
4/15/2003
Peace ... with caution
New Smyna Beach Artist Charon Luebbers created what she described as "a temporary art installation for peace" last weekend on Canal Street, New Smyrna Beach. She wrapped the Bernar Venet steel sculpture with yellow caution tape. (Photo: C. Luebbers)
North of the border
The Georgia Reporter is a Ga. political site. And Lord knows, Georgia politics do sometimes spill across the river. Fun stuff, mostly directed against the state's played-the-race-card-and-got-caught governor. Today's issue asks why a Mike Luckovich cartoon was spiked.
(via Poynter Media News.)
4/14/2003
New plan for breaking up library
Stuart News Editorial -- Give Florida's new Secretary of State Glenda Hood high marks for bullheadedness. Faced with clear evidence that a proposal to dismantle the state library won't wash, Hood now says she'll consider seeking private donations to give away public property.
And you thought the library was safe just because the Legislature said so.
And you thought the library was safe just because the Legislature said so.
4/11/2003
No-o-o-o-o
Cypress Gardens is closing (Sentinel version) (Herald version.) Say it ain't so.
Oh well. Weeki Wachee still lives.
(From Fla. Photographic Collection which is somehow still in business.)
Oh well. Weeki Wachee still lives.
(From Fla. Photographic Collection which is somehow still in business.)
Long live democracy, free speech and the '69 Mets
I have written before about War Doofuses and their stooopid freedom fries, Dixie Chicks CD bonfires, and attempts to shut up and shout down everyone around them. But for some reason the Baseball Hall of Fame's recent exercise in partisanship really pisses me off more all than the predictable "Bomb Hollywood" bullshit and rallies paid for by Clear Channel Radio. This is baseball, dammit. You can be a Democrat, an atheist, believe in evolution and still love baseball. Really, really. But, no, some right-wing Reagan adminstration flack now decided that baseball needs a political litmus test. If you're not Bush leaguer, you're a bad American and don't come to the game. Sheesh.
Not every screwball in the Hall of Fame is a baseball.One of them just happens to be its president. - Jim Litke, AP
In other words, free speech is only free if Petroskey happens to agree with it. -- Miami Herald sports columnist Dan Le Batard.
Not every screwball in the Hall of Fame is a baseball.One of them just happens to be its president. - Jim Litke, AP
In other words, free speech is only free if Petroskey happens to agree with it. -- Miami Herald sports columnist Dan Le Batard.
Dancin' her troubles away
Are Carl Hiaassen's novels based on life in Florida or is life in Florida based on Carl Haissen's novels?
(Thanks to Dragonleg)
(Thanks to Dragonleg)
Let it rot
Steve Otto of the Tampa Trib wrote an outraged column about the House's plan elimination of Farm Share. Yesterday, his column had a follow-up showing just how soon this good work will end. (Ignore the miscoded subheds.)
See earlier entry for more
See earlier entry for more
Jim King -- OAR (Only Adult in the Room)
Is Ruth of the Tampa Trib just a little heavy handed once in a awhile? Well, sure-yup. Such carping sadly misses the point. It's heavy hand handed but never mean or undeserved heavy handed. Today he asks Is Jim King The Only Adult In The Room? And considering the room, we know the answer.
The Senate does have a prayer
4/10/2003
Big distributors bring home war on wineries
You may remember that embarrassing incident last January after the last Super Bowl when the governor couldn't collect his bet with Gov. Davis of California because of Florida restrictive and goofy wine laws.
Well, the state's current wine-shipping laws just don't restrict competition enough. Alcohol distributors are concerned because they can only bar out-of-state vineyards from shipping directly to you. They want to be able to suppress Florida's few and pitifully small in-state winemakers, too. The House is all for it. The governor has nagging doubts.
Peter Wallsten describes yourlobbyists Legislature at work:
Southern won an easy victory Wednesday morning after a House committee agreed to the company's position, passing a bill by state Rep. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah.
Garcia, conferring throughout Wednesday's debate with Southern's lobbyists seated on the front row of a House committee room, argued that limiting the role of wine distributors would prohibit the state from collecting at least $400 million in excise taxes each year.
Well, the state's current wine-shipping laws just don't restrict competition enough. Alcohol distributors are concerned because they can only bar out-of-state vineyards from shipping directly to you. They want to be able to suppress Florida's few and pitifully small in-state winemakers, too. The House is all for it. The governor has nagging doubts.
Peter Wallsten describes your
Southern won an easy victory Wednesday morning after a House committee agreed to the company's position, passing a bill by state Rep. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah.
Garcia, conferring throughout Wednesday's debate with Southern's lobbyists seated on the front row of a House committee room, argued that limiting the role of wine distributors would prohibit the state from collecting at least $400 million in excise taxes each year.
Program giving surplus food for the hungry to be eliminated
A program that for only $400,000 distributes $23 million worth of surplus and damaged food -- food that would otherwise be thrown out -- to the hungry is targeted for elimination by the Legislature. Jim DeFede writes a scathing column.
In the midst of the cruelest legislative session in memory, Patricia Robbins walks the halls of the state Capitol, hearing sympathetic words and shortsighted excuses.
(The good folks at Florida Politics read Miami.com so you and I don't have to.)
In the midst of the cruelest legislative session in memory, Patricia Robbins walks the halls of the state Capitol, hearing sympathetic words and shortsighted excuses.
(The good folks at Florida Politics read Miami.com so you and I don't have to.)
4/08/2003
Jebbites don't forget those who cross them
State Library staff positions and materials may not be out of danger after all. (Perishable link.)
4/07/2003
A great day in the state of Florida
A good editorial in The St. Pete Times about Florida's Happy ideologues. Plays off of Speaker Byrd's inane and endlessly repeated catch phrase: It's a great day in the state of Florida! The catch phrase has already gotten on Lucy Morgan's nerves. I suspect the speaker thinks it sounds Reaganesque and morning-in-Americalike. To anyone half aware of the state budget situation it sounds like a man eerily out of touch with reality.
4/05/2003
Cubs are back
The Daytona Cubs had their opener Thursday. The park was lovely, the outfield had a fancy mowing job, they even hired an organist instead of using canned fanfares. The play, however, was another story.
"Put a tent over this circus!" shouted a guy sitting behind me.
It felt good to be back. I'm a sucker for baseball lyricism, even baseball mysticism. The next game is Monday but I'll probably wait until Tuesday. That's Twizzler Night and they'll be giving out magnets with the schedule on it.
House Site or Byrd Fan Club site?
Infomaniac notes that old Florida Legislature Web site, "Online Sunshine" at http://www.leg.state.fl.us/ redirects you to myfloridahouse.com, which turned the previously useful House page into a creepy Johnnie Byrd propaganda site. (His name appears eight times on the front page and his photo dominates.) [Update: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/ is back up again, this time with just a link to MyFloridahouse.]
The old site, which gave the sense that the House has more than one member, is down as I type this. [Update: now up again.] So is the Senate site. [Update: now up again.] (Another creepy touch, if you click on the Senate link, you get an intermediate page asking if you really, really want to go there -- click yes or no. Then another. You get no such speed bumps if you click on any any link to the speaker's page.)
Once more, when it comes to self-promotion, this speaker is sin verguenza.
The old site, which gave the sense that the House has more than one member, is down as I type this. [Update: now up again.] So is the Senate site. [Update: now up again.] (Another creepy touch, if you click on the Senate link, you get an intermediate page asking if you really, really want to go there -- click yes or no. Then another. You get no such speed bumps if you click on any any link to the speaker's page.)
Once more, when it comes to self-promotion, this speaker is sin verguenza.
Library breakup blocked
The governor's plan to break up the state library and pay a private university to take the circulating collection off state hands was blocked in the House. (The Miami Herald's account is accurate, but treats it as a simple South Florida vs. North Florida pork and patronage issue, which is no doubt the spin the Nova Univ. lobbyists were promoting. Contrast this with the Tallahassee Democrat story which gives more credit to an unprecedented statewide protest against the library breakup.)
This is an important victory since the House is more likely to give the governor what he wants. The more independent and moderate Senate never liked the governor's library plan.
Of course, it's always possible that this could resurface in the last days of the session when bills often slip through unnoted by the press, public or even the people voting on them.
This is an important victory since the House is more likely to give the governor what he wants. The more independent and moderate Senate never liked the governor's library plan.
Of course, it's always possible that this could resurface in the last days of the session when bills often slip through unnoted by the press, public or even the people voting on them.
Return this!
This is Florida. We do things differently. For one thing we don't take shit from customers.
No word as to whether the victim was a tourist. I have my suspicions, but I'll keep them to myself.
(Via Dragonleg)
No word as to whether the victim was a tourist. I have my suspicions, but I'll keep them to myself.
(Via Dragonleg)
4/03/2003
Another new Floridian
Fembot rightwing provocateur Ann Coulter realizes she belongs in Florida (Second item.) Her big reason: New York's antismoking ordinance. Haw-Haw! Welcome to Florida, Miss Coulter. You may be able to carry a handgun here, but starting soon you won't be able to smoke in a restuarant. If you want to go to place where you can light up anywhere, you'll have to travel even farther. Maybe France.
The woman just never checks her facts.
The woman just never checks her facts.
4/02/2003
Sham hearing
When Jerry Regier was nominated as head of the Division of Children and Families, many were discomforted by his statements about the efficacy of beating children lightly ("Biblical spankings") and that immorality of women entering the workplace. ("Scripture is clear in stating that women are to be `helpmates' to their husbands, that they are to bear and nurture children, that they are to be 'workers at home.") Senate President Jim King promised "tough questioning."
Instead, Regier's nomination was rammed through committee yeserday without debate. (Here's the Tallahassee Democrat's version and the AP verion.) The sham hearing presided over
Instead, Regier's nomination was rammed through committee yeserday without debate. (Here's the Tallahassee Democrat's version and the AP verion.) The sham hearing presided over