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More on "No money ever changed hands"
Bloomberg's coverage of the Bush attempt to overcompensate o GOoPer contributor: "Bush Administration Overvalued Florida Land Rights, Report Says" ("the Collier family contributed more than $121,000 to Republican candidates in the last election cycle"). See also "'Jeb!': 'No money ever changed hands'".
The Best He Could Do
Really now ... is this the best our Mel can do?U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez said Friday that the Bush administration should consider Sen. Joseph Biden's suggestion to shut down the U.S. military's prison camp on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
He also criticized the administration and Congress for paying little attention to growing Latin American problems and lamented the slow progress in Iraq. "Martinez joins call for examination of Gitmo". Considering his audience - the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors/Florida Press Association - Cellophane Man is obviously attempting to portray himself as something other than a Bush family retainer.
Mel's exceedingly timid concession, that the administration actually go so far as to "consider" Biden's "suggestion" about Gitmo, was no doubt very difficult for Mel, but hardly demonsrates that Mel has changed the perception (which in this case is reality) that he is little more than a shill for the Bush family. The same is true for his tepid remarks about Latin America and Iraq.
Funding Lawsuit Tossed
"Rejecting arguments from Volusia County and other districts that stand to lose millions of dollars, a circuit judge Friday threw out a lawsuit aimed at blocking a major change in the way the state funds public schools." "School funding lawsuit dismissed".
"Yeah ... there's a lot of hypocrisy there"
Business as usual:Just weeks after Senate President Tom Lee unsuccessfully led a drive for tough new lobbyist regulations, Florida lawmakers are turning to many of the same lobbyists they earlier blistered for help in financing next year's election campaigns.
"We kept pointing our fingers out into the hall and saying, 'This is what's wrong with the system,' " said Rep. Jack Seiler, D-Wilton Manors, who tried to add campaign-finance limits to the lobbyist reforms. "But here we are now turning to these same lobbyists with our hands out."
Some lobbyists conceded they see the irony of the situation.
"Yeah, it seems like there's a lot of hypocrisy there," said Bob Levy, a Miami lobbyist who plans to attend this weekend's event for Diaz de la Portilla. "We took a lot of heat this session, but now we're ready to help." "Lobbyists, lawmakers form odd alliance".
Florida's Shame
"Other than pangs of conscience, Florida farmers have little reason to care about how they use pesticides. ... Farmworkers certainly will get no help from Tallahassee, where agriculture lobbyists continue to dictate self-serving policy and stifle reform. Undocumented workers have no chance against trade groups and their influence over key legislators." "New trap in the fields".
Something is Broken ...
with KidCare:Almost $35 million was returned to the State Treasury on Friday and another $88 million in federal money went unspent this year because of problems enrolling children in KidCare, a health-insurance program for working-class families.
Enrollment continues to decline even though the state's population is growing rapidly. Children's health advocates blame the 38-percent drop over the past year on a bureaucracy that creates barriers to keep enrollment low and costs down. "KidCare enrollees falling steadily".
Ouch
Palm Beach Post Columnist Frank Cerabino gives us a "A look into the future..." in his "Commentary: With a little fortification, Harris could campaign here just fine".
Party Hacks Heart Gallagher
This ought to revitalize Gallagher's moribund campaign:Three former state Republican Party chairmen said Thursday they are supporting Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher's bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2006. ...
The former GOP chairs who lined up behind Gallagher's candidacy are Al Cardenas of Miami, Tom Slade of Jacksonville and Van Poole of Tallahassee, who served with Gallagher in the Legislature during the 1970s when Republicans were in the minority. ...
Cardenas, Slade and Poole — now all prominent lobbyists at the Capitol — led the GOP in Florida from 1989 to 2003 as Republicans took control of state government.
"Former GOP bosses back chief financial officer".
Privatization Follies
"A former Convergys employee accused of dipping into state workers' bank accounts and stealing personal data has pleaded guilty to identity-theft charges and received a four-year prison sentence." "Convergys employee pleads guilty to theft".
Civil Rights Warrior?
That's our Chain Gang Charlie, a grizzled civil rights warrior. How often does a GOoPer candidate get the opportunity to suck up to a GOoPer company like Diebold and get to pretend to be a civil rights activist to boot:The state Attorney General's Office confirmed Thursday that it is looking into Volusia County's rejection of controversial touch-screen voting machines -- devices aimed at allowing disabled voters to cast ballots independently.
The interest from the office of Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist, a Republican gubernatorial candidate who has touted his commitment to protecting civil rights, marks the latest fallout from the County Council's vote this week against a contract with Diebold Elections Systems for 210 touch-screens. "Touch-screen 'no' on state's radar". The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board puts it in perspective:After full and fair hearings, the Volusia County Council voted 4-3 on Monday to reject a contract for nearly $800,000 to buy the voting machines from Diebold Election Systems. That put the council at odds with Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall, who recommended the purchase. At first, she threatened to sue the council but now says that's unlikely. But she contends that the council is trying to run her department.
The council majority, however, was within its rights not to authorize what it considered a questionable contract. McFall as elections supervisor should be as conscientious.
On several levels, the Diebold deal raised questions. The most critical is that the Diebold machines offered no foolproof mechanism for "voters to verify their votes on the ballot before the ballot is cast" -- as required by the 2002 federal voting rights act. Diebold does not offer paper verification, which is the only way now possible to ensure ballots are accurately cast. There have been too many instances nationwide over the past year in which touch-screen machines, including those manufactured by Diebold, have malfunctioned or misrecorded votes. Voters deserve a paper assurance of accuracy.
Further, Florida's elections division, under Secretary of State Glenda Hood, maintains that counties can only purchase state-certified voting machines. It also contends that counties must buy voting machines designed for the disabled by July 1 -- six months earlier than the federal voting act requires. Yet Hood's office has certified only the Diebold touch-screen voting machine for disabled use -- despite the machine's critical missing element. Why the rush? Hood would have better served the public by asking the Legislature to require any voting machine to have a paper-verified record. She should also have asked for clarification of the July 1 deadline, which is a footnote to the election law. "Council wise to reject Diebold bid, look for options".
Katherine Harris
Florida News, the blog, has some questions.
When GOP Talking Points ...
and reality don't jibe, as is the case with Florida's education numbers this week, that's no problem. No problem at all. Simply "cut a unique deal with the federal government to prevent nearly two-thirds of the state's public schools from being labeled as failures." "Some schools granted reprieve". See also "State's new grading category may save failing schools, but raises questions".
Demonstrating the silliness of these grading "standards", no one seems to know precisely what Florida special deal with the feds (that prevents "nearly two-thirds of the state's public schools from being labeled as failures") means:How Florida came up with a new "provisional" mark for its federal school report card is no mystery, state Education Commissioner John Winn said Thursday. ...
But what the mark means? Still a mystery.
Winn was trying for a second day to answer reporters' questions about how the new mark popped up and what it means. "Education Secretary's Speech Spawned `Provisional' Grade"
On the FCAT's genesis, see today's "FCAT's cradle" from the Tallahassee Democrat's editorial board..
Just Trust 'Em
"Standards different at state, national levels". "Grades leave several puzzled".
Harris Gets a "Lukewarm reception" ...
from her own party; and she may actually have a primary challenge:Florida's Republican Party leader says with Katherine Harris in the U.S. Senate race, the state's other Republicans are unlikely to jump in, but national party officials and even Gov. Jeb Bush don't believe that's an absolute. ...
Days earlier, the influential National Republican Senatorial Committee responded to Harris' candidacy by releasing a statement saying the race will "continue to attract the attention of a lot of candidates." ...
Such statements and the lukewarm reception from the National Republican Committee have some pundits wondering whether Harris, a Longboat Key Republican, will get an automatic bye in the 2006 race against Nelson. ...
The doubt may be a signal that U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Jupiter, is still in the mix. Foley, a Congressman since 1994, verified on Wednesday that he is still considering a run. "GOP split on primary with Harris".
Black Box in Tallahassee and Hood Ain't happy
Ion Sancho, Leon County's stellar Supervisor of Elections has angered both Diebold and Glenda Hood; he's obviously doing something right:An attorney for the company that makes Leon County's [optical scan] voting equipment [Diebold Election Systems Inc.] told state and county officials Thursday it was "very foolish and irresponsible" for Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho to let an outside group [Black Box Voting in Renton, Wash] try poking holes in vote-tabulation security systems. Here's why they are upset - Sancho invited Black Box to game the Diebold security system, and they succeeded:[Bev Harris, founder of Black Box Voting] said Black Box evaded security systems and changed votes without setting off any alarms in its tests.
"It took us less than a minute to replace the Diebold system with something we wrote and to hijack the whole system," she said. In response to the outrage expressed by Diebold (and Hood's office),Sancho said "the level of rhetoric" shows that Diebold and the state are defensive about security and that groups like Black Box Voting are ready to believe the worst. Florida voting methods have been a touchy topic since the 2000 presidential election, which was decided for President Bush by 537 votes after 36 days of court fights, street demonstrations and on-again, off-again recounts in some counties. Moreover, Sanchosaid he would do it again. He said it is important "to maintain public confidence in the integrity of elections" by allowing people with doubts to come in and test the systems under tightly controlled conditions. "Equipment test under fire". The Black Box Voting report on what they did in Tallahassee is available here.
Florida's Shame
"[F]armworkers continue to be exploited. And growers who profit from their labor are least likely to be prosecuted. A stronger state law and consistent, sustained enforcement of farmworker protections by state and federal agencies would go a long way toward deterring systemic abuses." "End systemic abuse of farmworkers".
Playing to our Strength - A Panhandle Perspective
In Tuesday's post, "Playing to our Strength", Derek Newton generated some controversy in challenging the notion that "to win statewide in Florida a Democrat has to win the smaller, mostly rural counties in the central and northern part of the state. Okay, maybe not win but at least not lose too badly. You know, minimize the damage." There were quite a number of subsantive responses to this, one which we reposted on the main page yesterday. Today, the commentary of Redneck Democrat on Derek's post:
My $.02 as a Panhandle Redneck Democrat boils down to a few things:
1) It's not just the base.
For the past three cycles that I've seen up here, State Party efforts have been directed at urban (African-American) precincts. These precincts and communities continue to perform well and turn out an average of 5 points better than the rest of the electorate, but we still get killed overall. High-growth areas (mentioned in a previous post) and swing precincts are totally neglected, because of an assumption that these are "Republican" counties. For statewide elections, however, targeting a few thousand moderate Yankee Republican retirees from up north (or whatever demographic the polling dictates) who don't necessarily agree with the Florida Repub far-right could make a difference. Until then we'll continue to limp along at 48%.
Worse, expecting the base to carry us leads to policies that pander to the base, which reinforces the "liberal" label that kills us in swing/moderate areas.
2. It's all about the candidate.
I can't tell you how many times I've been told that "I vote for the person" rather than "I'm a Republican" - and this is from my experience with campaigns, phone banks, door knocking, etc in several "Conservative" areas. Election results don't bear this sentiment out, but I wonder if it's not because our candidates either are or allow themselves to be portrayed as typical liberal Democrats (big spenders, anti-gun, blah blah blah)... and those values simply do not resonate with voters up here - Republican or Democrat. Don't forget that in several Panhandle counties, party registration is predominantly Democrat, or at least a closer split than the Democratic performance. So it's the type of Democrat, not just the label, that matters.
3. Farm team.
I know, I know - same old same old. But there has been NO effort to recruit, train or support local Democratic candidates in the Panhandle. Not sure about the rest of the state, but we get no help here at all. NW Florida voters will support folks like Bill Nelson because they know his values, they know his name, and they respect him. Dragging candidates out of nowhere to run for Governor or putting up the lastest "Liberal Establishment" figure doesn't help win elections or build the Party up here. The Repubs will have at least three or four candidates that have been on statewide ballots before or had statewide exposure. Besides Nelson, we will have one (?), and he'll be easily tied to the Dean machine - again, not exactly the "everyman" persona.
4. Karl Rove has it right.
I know, it's heresy. But the simple fact is that tactically, Republicans have been more successful at going on offense, driving home wedge issues, and staying on message than Democrats have. In our desire to be "inclusive" and "tolerant," many Democratic candidates refuse to take strong stands on important issues, for fear of alienating this or that interest group. Voters see through that, and (W being a prime example) prefer someone they know won't BS them, even if they disagree sometimes. Dem candidates must resist the "good government" temptation to run on an all-inclusive litany of policies, and instead aggressively portray elections as a choice between better or worse - and stay on that message. Up here, we saw no response from McBride on the "Class Size Too Expensive" Attack, none from Castor on the "Supporting Terrorists" attack, and Kerry waited a full week to respond to the Swiftboat Veterans attack... and we know how that turned out.
Remember Max Cleland? What they did to him was terrible. What the Cleland campaign did by not responding ... was worse.
Until we go on offense, and start pummelling these right-wing wackos (Schiavo, anyone?) we will continue to struggle. Rove has it right - swing first, swing hard and keep swinging.
To which he adds (slightly edited here):
Despite my earlier tirade, I agree that Dems must spend where the votes are - and most of those are not in the Panhandle. ...
The last major Dem to win Florida, excepting Nelsion, was Gore (we think). Gore did very well in South Florida - better than others, but he also split the I-4 corridor, and did better than Kerry in the Panhandle. Which still justifies the "top 20" argument, but not necessarily the "base" argument. Additionally, while McBride did run a broad-based campaign, at the end the Jeb Machine was able to portray him as a big-spending liberal a'la the Class Size amendment (which ironically passed overwhelmingly). So, I'm not sure McBride wasn't a "base" candidate - running on education, big-ticket items like the Class Size Amendment, etc.
What it does tell me is that message and tactics matter. When we're looking at topping off across the board at 48%, we're talking about late-deciding swing voters - which to me is a nuance involving field and/or message. Since GOTV/base county turnout seems to be pretty consistent for the non-Gore races, the variables are two: I-4 and Panhandle.
And for these places, you can't allow yourself to be portrayed as a typical, "liberal" Democrat. The "top 20" strategy is not the same as the "base" argument. There is some overlap, but there is also a very distinct nuance that is more about message and tactics... and I think that's where we're losing that crucial 3-4%.
Derek's response.
It's Gotta Be ...
a GOoPer plot.
Swim in the ...
"Purple Ocean"
Update: corrected link.
"Blood is in the water"
U.S. Rep. Ric Keller may have some credible opponents this time around, including a possible GOoPer primary challenge. But "The odds of unseating any incumbent in the 8th District, where Republicans outnumber Democrats, would be long, but the increased interest in taking on Keller suggests blood is in the water."
In any event, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Col. Bob Hering, who lost to Keller by 5 points in the 2000 primary is contemplating a run. On the Dem side,Orange County Commissioner Homer Hartage and consultant Charlie Stuart, ... also are contemplating runs. ... [Stuart] has opened a campaign account. And several plugged-in Democrats were murmuring excitedly about his candidacy at a gathering of Dems at the Citrus Club on Monday night. Stuart is the brother of Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce leader Jacob Stuart [a prominent Republican], former State Sen. George Stuart [a prominent Democrat] and Robert Stuart, who runs the Christian Service Center for Central Florida in Orlando. "Battle brewing on Keller election front".
"Jeb!": "No money ever changed hands"
Another "Jeb!" scandal that will go nowhere fast:The ranking Democrat, Montana Sen. Max Baucus, said the Interior Department seemed to be trying to deliver a public relations coup to the Bush brothers. Gov. Bush was running for re-election at the time. "I think their strong political influence biased this transaction against the public interest," he said. "Report questions offer to protect Everglades".The inspector general of the Department of the Interior said Wednesday that a wealthy Florida family bluffed and pressured the government into paying an inflated $120 million for mineral rights in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
A memo to Secretary Gale Norton accompanying a report by department investigators said federal officials justified the price through an "illicit process" that "cries out for accountability."
When an anonymous tipster sparked the inquiry in 2003, the deal to prevent oil and gas drilling near the Everglades was scrapped. The agreement for the sale had been announced at the White House in May 2002 with Gov. Jeb Bush in attendance and much hoopla.
The deal with Naples-based Collier Resources Co., unveiled at the same time as a buyback of offshore oil leases near the Panhandle, was credited with helping burnish the governor's and the president's environmental credentials. "Collier deal blasted by Interior official". And "Jeb!"'s response:And Gov. Bush called any suggestion that any deal with the Colliers was political or politically timed "ridiculous." He refused to comment on the report and emphasized that no money ever changed hands. "I'm not going to report on an IG report that I haven't read from a level of government that I don't control or be involved in," he said. "I can't tell you what the value is. I do make a point of making sure the taxpayers get their fair share when we buy land. That's my job, and I'm cantankerous about it." "U.S. mineral-rights offer called ripoff". The report is available here.
Voucher Twist
"The Florida Supreme Court appears ready to declare all private school vouchers unconstitutional - not just those going to religious schools." "A twist in voucher case". See also., Abstract Appeal: "Bush v. Holmes: The Voucher Case". FlaBlog has more. Spitfire ruminates on the voucher issue here.
Spinning Out of Control
On one hand:For the third straight year, a majority of Florida schools did not meet the bar set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, according to data released by the state Wednesday. On the other hand, "Jeb!" spins out of control:Moms and Dads should be proud of the results we're seeing," Gov. Jeb Bush said in Tallahassee as he announced the state and federal report cards. "'A' schools leave children behind". And our less than skeptical media falls in line: see, e.g., "Bush: 'Great work being done in Florida's classrooms'".
More balanced headlines include the following: "High-rated schools rise; so do F schools", "Grades for Broward County schools disappointing", "Achievement gap grows wider in county schools" and "County schools' grades decline".
Election Allegations
"The Florida Elections Commission has charged three Miami-Dade County elected officials and two former candidates with campaign violations stemming from alleged improprieties in their campaign disclosure reports from the last election season." "5 accused of campaign violations".
She's a Money Machine ...
our Katherine:U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, Florida's former Secretary of State and Republican party icon, is described as a formidable fundraiser. Now Democrats are hoping to put that reputation to work -- for them.
Just 24 hours after Harris declared her intention to challenge Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson for reelection, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee plastered Harris' picture on an e-mail sent to several hundred thousand contributors and activists, asking for contributions to ``help the DSCC beat Katherine Harris and her ideological allies.''
The e-mail is the strongest signal to date that Democrats hope Harris' appearance on the ballot will benefit them -- in the Senate race, governor's race and in campaign coffers, by stirring Democratic anger over the 2000 presidential election which Democratic nominee Al Gore lost -- by 537 votes in Florida.
The e-mail recounts Harris' dual roles as Florida Secretary of State and co-chair of President Bush's Florida campaign, along with her decision to declare Bush the winner of Florida's 27 electoral votes -- despite Democratic opposition and widespread voting irregularities. "Democrats e-mail rival's record to boost support".
On a side note, Harris apparently rushed her announcement when "the influential National Republican Senatorial Committee and several inside-the-Beltway publications began touting Longboat Key Republican Vern Buchanan as a strong possibility to enter the race. Such speculation may have motivated Harris to announce three weeks earlier than she had planned.". "'Word got out' about Harris' bid"
Interstate4Jamming has this on the race, together with an interesting piece on the perils of losing one's cell phone.
Where's Mel?
"The Interior Department is considering whether to allow oil and gas drilling in a vast swath of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, coming within 160 miles of Tampa Bay, according to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson." "Nelson: Map shows drilling moving closer".
Playing to our Strength - A Dissent
In Tuesday's post, "Playing to our Strength", Derek Newton generated some controversy in challenging the notion that "to win statewide in Florida a Democrat has to win the smaller, mostly rural counties in the central and northern part of the state. Okay, maybe not win but at least not lose too badly. You know, minimize the damage." There were quite a number of substantive responses to this, several of which we will repost on the main page today and tomorrow for your consideration. Today, the thoughts of BlueDawgDem.
First, Florida's urban counties are quickly losing their total share of the total electorate. Based on current population and voting trends, the urban counties will fall to 45 percent of the electorate by the end of the decade (down from over 50% in the 90's). This is a fact that Democrats must consider when looking at the statewide map.
I would argue this trend played itself out in 2004. For example, both Kerry and Castor had much larger vote margins in our base counties (the six florida counties we always win---alachua, broward, gadsden, jefferson, leon, and palm beach) than did Bill Clinton, when he won the state in 1996.
However, unlike Clinton, both Kerry and Castor were creamed in the 24 counties always carried by the Republican. Whereas Clinton lost these counties by a combined 200,000, Castor lost them by more than 490,000---and Kerry by well over 600,000. Since Kerry only lost the "swing" counties by some 12,000 votes total, he can pretty well chalk up his lost to a failure to reach across the voting aisle and persuade some right-leaning independents and moderate republicans to join him. (Even if Kerry had done as well as Clinton in these swing counties--places like Hillsborough, Orange, Pinellas, Pasco, Dade, and Osceola counties, he still would have lost the state by 200,000 votes).
Secondly, within those 47 smallest counties are many of Florida's fastest growing. For example, places like St. Johns, Clay, Santa Rosa, Bay, and Okaloosa Counties all have substantially faster growth in their electorate than do Palm, Broward, or Dade. This trend is worse in off-year elections, when voter turnout is lower in the counties where we need the votes. With their astronomical growth, these counties will change the face of the statewide electorate in coming years.
Finally, the four candidates mentioned in the original post all lost (granted, Gore really won---but not by much). The one candidate that was left out---Bill Nelson, carried Florida by some 300,000 votes---and won 37 counties, despite the fact that his numbers in our base counties were idenitical to Gore's, nor were they substantially different in the swing counties (at least not enough to make up the difference in vote margins). However, unlike the Gore camp (and McBride, and Kerry, and etc., etc.), he did invest resources in Florida's growing counties. By losing less in places like Escambia (loss of 20,000 votes compared to 33,000) and Okaloosa (Nelson had a 6,000 vote better margin than Gore), Nelson was able to pick off enough voters to provide him with an electoral majority.
It is also noteworthy that no Democrat has one statewide (at least since 1990) without carrying at least twenty counties.
There simply are not enough votes in the base Democratic counties (anymore) to simply write-off the rest of the state---and I believe unless the Democrats begin articulating a message that will appeal to mainstream Floridians (and thus rural and suburban voters), we are destined to a land of infrequent wins.
To which BlueDawgDem adds this:
[I]f you look at the seven fastest growing counties in terms of total statewide vote share, Orange, Hillsborough, St. Johns, Duval, Seminole, Collier, and Marion counties, we have lost every significant statewide election since 1996 in all but two of them (Hillsborough and Orange).
It is also important to note that two of the four slowest growing counties, as a percent of the total electorate, are Palm Beach and Broward.
And this:
[I]f you stop ignoring Duval, you are destined to do better in the incredibly fast growing outlying counties of Clay, St. Johns, and Nassau. This area is growing as fast--if not faster than the rest of the state. Between the 1994 and 2002 Gubernatorial elections, Duval increased its voter turnout by well over 60,000 voters---and those voters broke Republican by a margin greater than 4 to 1. Many of the outlying counties saw their voter turnout increase by 50-75 percent over the same period, with those new voters breaking Republican by a margin of 10:1 and greater.
[Stop assuming that Miami-Dade is a "base" county. It should be treated as a swing county which means you need to get up on TV there as much as the GOP does.] If anything, the county is lean Republican in Gubernatorial elections. The last off-year Dem to carry Miami-Dade was Chiles in 1994, and that was by a mere 16,000 votes.
Lastly, I will reiterate my belief that we must dump the same tired tactic of turning out the same voters. Every year, we talk about turning out the base, and every year, we lose---worse than the election before. Sadly, the fact is that our base has stagnated---while their base is growing.
All you have to do is look at the performance in base counties. Despite phenominal statewide growth...and a huge amount of effort poured into base tunrout, McBride's numbers in Broward, Palm and Miami-Dade were strikingly similar to Chiles in 1994---just as Kerry's were strikingly similar to Gore's---and just like Gore, Kerry's plan appeared to focus almost exclusively on a handful of counties. In fact, if you go all the way back to Clinton, you will see that Dem Presidentical campaigns have actually made pretty strong gains in the base counties between the 96 and 00 elections---yet saw their margin of victory dwindle statewide from roughly 250,000 to just a handful of chads.
At the same time, Republicans were investing huge dollars elsewhere in Florida. When you consider than 1 milliom more voters came to vote in 2002 than did in 1994...and those voters broke 8:1 Republican...and that the Republicans have yet to make the kind of gains in rural Florida in Gubernatorial elections that they have made in Presidential elections, you come to one and only one conclusion---we must expand our base to survive.
Derek's response.
Choice Politics
I missed this weekend column by the Palm Beach Post's Randy Schultz:So the Women's Health and Safety Act, which Gov. Bush signed on May 31, is only about medical care, not anti-abortion politics?
Right. That explains why the Christian Coalition of Florida, the Florida Catholic Conference, the Florida Baptist Convention and Florida Right to Life — all of which oppose abortion — were at the signing ceremony for the bill that allows the state to set new rules for clinics that provide second-trimester abortions.
And the law is "not related," in the governor's words, to his opposition to abortion. The law "is related to an inequity that we are now beginning the process to right."
Sure. That's why this law, billed as a way to improve safety, may have the effect of making abortions harder to get by imposing unfair regulations. "'Culture of life,' but which 'life'?"
Please, Go Directly To ...
the SEIU's Purple Ocean site and sign the banner to be carried by workers marching on June 15th, International Justice Day. There is a march in Miami and they hope to get as many people involved as possible:June 15 is the 15th Anniversary of the first justice for janitors strike in los Angeles. The strike began a 15 year campaign to lift hundreds of thousands of building service workers around the country out of poverty and to transform poorly paid low-income jobs into good jobs that provide living wages and health insurance.
The march will start at 5:00 p.m. on 21st. Street and Collins Ave [in Miami Beach]. More on the Miami march here and here. Please spread the word.
Note To Readers
Yesterday's "Playing to our Strength" by Derek Newton has generated some good discussion. If you didn't have a chance to read it yesterday, please check out both the post and the comments.
Update: The comments on yesterday's "the post and the comments" keep coming. Why not join in the fray?
New Links
"The Spitfire's Grill": "Regular Rants from a Pragmatic Liberal".
See also "Florida Blues" ("liberal/progressive site aggregates some of the top stories each day from a variety of independent media sources"), "Peer Review" and "IndependentReport.org".
Harris v. Nelson
Florida yet again in the national spotlightFlorida's famed former secretary of state, Katherine Harris, said she'll look to oust Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in a high-stakes race that will be watched nationally. "Harris to challenge Nelson for Senate". "Famed"? Try "infamous".
Mainstream Media Coverage:
- Updated AP Story (via Naples Daily News): "Harris to challenge Nelson for Senate seat".
- Palm Beach Post: "Rep. Harris to run for U.S. Senate".
- St Pete Times: "Harris announces run for U.S. Senate".
- New York Times: "Florida's Harris Says She'll Run for Senate".
- Sun Sentinel: "Former Fla. elections chief Katherine Harris enters U.S. Senate race".
- Chicago Tribune (original AP Story): "Count her in for Senate run, says Florida's Harris".
- (yesterday's coverage here)
The blogs:
- A vigorous discussion at dKos.
- Blogwood has this.
- More on Harris jumping in at FloridaPolitix.
Update: The title of Nelson's press release says it all: "Nelson Draws Radical Right Opponent"
Voucher Litigation
"Rather than concentrating on an amendment to the state constitution that prohibits public money going to religious institutions, as trial and appellate courts had done in ruling the state's Opportunity vouchers unconstitutional, the justices' questions mostly were about an article of the constitution that requires lawmakers to pay for a "uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools."" "Justices question legislators' authority".
If there is any doubt about how extreme the Florida GOP is, consider this exchange between Chief Justice Barbara Pariente and Barry Richard, the state's lead attorney (presumably retained by Crist):"So wait," said Chief Justice Barbara Pariente. If the Legislature spent 90 percent of the state education budget on private schools, that would be okay?
"Yes your honor," Richard said. "State high court has tough questions about vouchers".
This nuttiness - which is on video - whould make a great television ad. Moreover, Gallagher, Crist and Harris ought to be asked whether they agree with the attorney for the State of Florida's contention that it would be OK if the Legislature spent 90 percent of the state education budget on private schools.
See also "Justices Hear Voucher Case", "Court hears challenge to statewide school vouchers" and "Justices take on voucher argument".
An overview of the issue: "For voucher program, a historic time".
"A Tough, Brave Stance"
"A majority of the Volusia County Council took a tough, brave stance Monday on behalf of disabled voters who deserve a self-verified paper record of their ballot, just as other voters now have." "Voter verification".
In the meantime, the Orlando Sentinel urges Glenda Hood to "Quit Stalling" and lead the "push for a paper trail of computer ballots"
Injured Workers to wait
The Sun Sentinel editorial board, "Too few worker's compensation judges mean big delays for tons of cases":Too few worker's compensation judges mean big delays for tons of cases. ...
But in a year that saw the governor take a fairly light touch with the veto, Bush struck the new compensation judge money from the budget. The governor's staff said it was because the request didn't come from the claims system itself.
A convenient, though unpersuasive, excuse that does little to solve the problem at hand. "Worker's Comp".
Voucher Madness
The New York Times' other right winger regurgitates the Florida GOoPer voucher talking points in "A Chance to Escape". (via Spitfire)
"Republican star of the 2000 recount" to Run
"U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, the Republican star of the 2000 recount, said Tuesday she plans to challenge Democrat U.S. Senator Bill Nelson for re-election." "Harris says she'll challenge Nelson in U.S. Senate race". See also "Harris to challenge Nelson for Senate seat".
See dKos for more on this.
Playing to our Strength
by Derek Newton
In order to win statewide in Florida a Democrat has to win the smaller, mostly rural counties in the central and northern part of the state. Okay, maybe not win but at least not lose too badly. You know, minimize the damage.
The problem is that it’s just not true.
Like it or not, Floridians don’t live in the smaller, rural, more conservative nooks and crannies. They are overwhelmingly in the cities and large suburban counties.
In fact, just Florida’s largest three counties deliver more than a quarter of all Florida’s votes. The top five counties together are almost 40% of the state total. And more than 80% of all of Florida’s votes were cast in the top 20 counties.
Put another way, Floridians in the smallest 47 counties (the more conservative and rural ones) cast just one of every five ballots.
I know some people are already saying, “But Democrats can’t ignore those 47 counties. We’ll get killed.”
Yes we can. And no we won’t.
Even if Republicans win those 47 counties by a lopsided 70% to 30% margin, Democrats only need to win 55% of the vote in the remaining 20 counties to carry Florida. If we lose those 47 by an astonishing 80% to 20% margin, Democrats only need to win the remaining 20 Counties with 58% to win the state.
Keep that ratio in mind. Democrats have to pick-up a full 4% of the vote in Florida’s smaller 47 counties to get the same number of votes we get from a 1% increase in the top 20.
The last four statewide Democratic candidates finished in the following order: Gore (48.8%), Kerry (47.1%), MacKay (44.7%) and McBride (43.2%). McBride was the lowest scorer and Kerry was second. But comparisons between McBride and Kerry are not far off. Both were unknown to Florida voters before they ran and both sought to dethrone incumbent Bushs.
So where did McBride fail to cash-in when compared to Kerry?
You guessed it: Florida’s largest counties. McBride’s top vote loss counties were Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach. And those losses weren’t nearly offset by McBride gains in smaller counties. All tolled, McBride didn’t get 270,000 votes in Florida’s largest three counties that Kerry did. To offset the losses in just those three counties, McBride would have had to win 27% more of the vote in the smallest 47 Counties. That’s probably impossible.
And where did Kerry stumble compared to Gore?
Different question. Same answer. As I wrote previously, in just six of the state’s 20 largest counties Kerry suffered a full two-thirds of his statewide loss total.
The case can be made that neither Kerry nor McBride lost their campaigns in Florida by failing to win the smaller, rural more counties. Even if the war hero and native lawyer had done better there, they’d have lost because they didn’t do enough in Florida’s large counties.
So if you’re a Democratic strategist or advising the Democratic candidates seeking statewide office, what would you suggest?
It makes sense to me that Florida Democrats should campaign where the votes are. Small things in large communities can make a big difference.
And since the top 20 Counties have more cultural diversity and more problems with their schools and health care systems, Democratic messages and candidates will work better there anyway. Perhaps it’s time for statewide Democrats to play to our strengths and make Republicans answer for their failures in our cities and suburbs.
Doing that may just give African-Americans and Hispanics and suburban soccer moms and retirees reasons to vote for Democrats. If we do that, I am sure we can win in Florida again.
"How's that again, Governor?"
Bill Cotterell takes "Jeb!" to task for contending that MarkFelt should have taken his information to the proper authorities instead of skulking around parking decks with Bob Woodward. That's a haughty attitude toward the public's right to know, one that's sadly prevalent in his and his brother's administrations. "Jeb!" apparently doesn't read much history, and perhaps he was too young to understand that the "proper authorities" were up to their necks in the conspiracy; as to the latter, Cotterell notes that["Jeb!"] was only 19 to 22 years old back then, but we can assume that, in the Republican National Committee chairman's family, the political discussion was pretty sophisticated. Young Jeb and George probably learned early the importance of message control.
We see it in an ironclad order in state government: Don't talk to the press. That's what our public information office is for. "Accountability" means we type up the FCAT or Convergys or school-voucher numbers and decide what data to release. ...
Gov. Bush probably really thinks the public would have been better served if Felt dutifully took what he knew to his bosses - that is, the co-conspirators. He and the president have probably convinced themselves that the Post should have received its Watergate information from the Justice Department press office and the White House press secretary, Ron ("third-rate burglary") Zeigler, who coined the term "inoperative" for alibis that kept turning into lies.
Maybe in revising the Patriot Act, they [the Bushes] can punish reporters who won't stick to rewriting handouts. Before the Bush era is over, they should create a special penitentiary for those who get illegal tips from men like Mark Felt. "Governor's views on Felt are troubling".
I can't resist Cotterell's line that, "Maybe in revising the Patriot Act, they [the Bushes] can punish reporters who won't stick to rewriting handouts." Hmmm, "reporters who won't stick to rewriting handouts" ... well, that wouldn't be too many in the local (state) media who, by and large have given "Jeb!" a free ride since he appeared on the political scene.
Note: Perhaps I am being unfair to the reporters with this last comment; our ink stained wrettches no doubt have felt pressure either directly (Fox News style) or indirectly with respect to coverage of "Jeb!". And, to be sure, there are certain reporters, columnists, editors and newspapers who have been even-handed.
"Attorneys for ChoicePoint [(you remember them)] have argued to a state public records committee that keeping personal information out of public records will make consumers even more vulnerable to identity theft." "ChoicePoint: Omitting personal info from public records could hurt consumers".
Touchscreens ...
take another hit:In a surprise vote Monday, Volusia County Council members rebelled against a state mandate by narrowly rejecting a contract to buy controversial touch-screen voting machines -- devices needed to comply with disability-accessible regulations for elections after July 1.
A slim majority of council members said, in effect, that they do not like the only equipment option they have to allow disabled people to vote independently -- touch-screen machines that don't produce paper ballots -- because they are uncomfortable with the idea of paperless voting. This on the heels of a report from Miami-Dade's elections supervisor that recommended replacing the Dade County's touchscreens machines with optical-scan machines.By voting against a contract their legal advisers said should be approved, [Volusia County] council members made Volusia what is thought to be first county in Florida to fight new rules that essentially require counties to have at least one touch-screen machine at each voting location. "Volusia tosses plan for touch-screens". So, why did they reject touchscreens:One of the council's concerns was [SOE] McFall's possible plan to use the touch screens for early voting -- not just as alternative for disabled voters. The early voting site must accommodate voters from anywhere in the county, meaning each site would have to have hundreds of different paper ballot styles -- probably more than one early voting site can even store, McFall said.
The idea played into some critics' fear that the touch screens ultimately would replace the paper ballots.
[Council member] Giles said he became increasingly concerned after reading about various problems with electronic voting, including one that led to a recent proposal in Miami-Dade County to replace the county's touch screens with optical scan systems. The county would keep some touch screens for voters with disabilities. "Council kills ballot machines".
Left Behind
Under the silly "No Child Left Behind" legislation, Florida had "horrific numbers of schools failing". Now, with "Jeb!" getting his brother's permission to change the formula, Floridians are about todiscover that thousands of their children have been left behind. That's now the law.
Florida eased [No Child Left Behind] standards because too many schools were failing to meet the federal law President Bush designed to make sure no students get left behind. ...
[That's because now] the students who need the most attention, the students the federal law was designed to help, might get overlooked because their scores won't count. ...
It's Florida's answer to avoiding the onerous effects of the No Child Left Behind law and projecting a better image of its schools, one more harmonious with its own grading system. "Test formula change could hurt those law aimed to help". Don't those recalibrated numbers make us all feel better about "Jeb!"'s "stunning" education "reforms"?
I can't wait to see the press releases - transposed into news stories (with the info on the changed NCLB formula buried below the fold) - about how dramatically "Jeb!" has improved Florida's NCLB numbers over last year, with headlines trumpeting "Dramatic Improvement in Florida's Education System". These headlines will be followed shortly thereafter with editorials and punditry to the following effect:when you follow the trend line on this year's No Child Left Behind scores, Jeb! has done more to boost education than any governor in Florida's history. The accountability debate is over. It works. (Paraphrased from this.) Or this:Let's not dispute the obvious. Jeb!'s recent No Child Left Behind numbers have proved that his education reform has produced stunning results. (Paraphrased from this.)
Over the Weekend ...
there was media coverage about functional slavery in Florida's farm labor camps (e.g., "EPA, Labor agents, Putnam deputies raid East Palatka labor camp") - and "Jeb!"'s inaction on the issue over the years - led to this post (and firestorm of commentary by readers):Slavery in Florida on Jeb's Watch: Ignoring Published Reports, He Permits it to Continue Update: Political Bloviation has more.
Also, check out our post and discussion: "Did "Jeb!" Lie About Shiavo Abuse?"
This Could Kill Touchscreens
"With jurisdictions in other parts of the U.S. still considering new systems to replace punch cards and lever machines, Rodriguez-Taseff [of the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition] said the Miami-Dade example could loom large." "Miami-Dade's elections chief wants to boot touch-screen system".
"Jeb!"'s Says He's Tough on Law Enforcement ...
yet screws the law enforcement officers:Some officers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were indulgent over Memorial Day weekend. Oh, they did their duties - no drunken boaters got away with BUI, no manatees got prop-scarred with impunity, poachers got pinched and people in peril were plucked from pending perdition.
But to send the top brass a message that they were unhappy with being left out of law-enforcement pay raises, some FWC officers gave warnings instead of writing tickets, as much as possible. I spoke with six or eight last week who said they will "use discretion" again on the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends.
[Law Enforcement Officers in] the Departments of Transportation [state troopers (who got length-of-service raises of $600 to $1,200 a year)] and Environmental Protection used some leftover salary money to combat "salary compression" - the factor that has 10-year veterans sometimes making the same as a rookie, or barely more. But [head of the FWC, Col. Julie] Jones said the FWC didn't have the money to do that. "FWC officers give warnings over pay issue".
You Won't Believe This ...
But The Tampa Trib editorial board has its head in the sand on the new abortion legislation.
Yeah, it was just coincidental that it was "abortion opponents who surrounded Gov. Jeb Bush as he signed the [so-called] 'Women's Health and Safety Act'". And hey, let's close our eyes to the fact that Florida is now "among 34 states that now have what critics call 'TRAP' laws, 'targeted regulation of abortion providers.'"
You Won't Believe This Either ...
The Orlando Sentinel editorial board hearts "Jeb!"'s medicaid fraud "reform".
Disclosing Tax Revenues
The DB News-Journal goes substantive in "Public deserves to know about extra tax revenue".: The housing boom is a story of windfalls for developers, real estate brokers, home-sellers -- and governments whose tax bases are fueled principally by property taxes. As property values rise, so do tax assessments. Government revenue usually follows. ...
Governments have a choice. They can use the windfall to catch up with long-standing needs on their wish lists. Or they can cut or roll back their tax rate so that revenue next year doesn't exceed this year's. It's not a given that more tax revenue should result in tax cuts. ...
What should be a given is that local governments level with taxpayers honestly about how much money is coming in and how much money is needed to meet next year's budget. State law requires that honesty. Local governments don't always comply. ...
One reason governments don't feel compelled to level with the public, when they get more money than their budget calls for, is that the whole budget process revolves around tax rates instead of actual dollars. But it should be simple enough for governments to lay out their bottom line at every step of the process. If Government A prepares a budget based on $50 million in revenue in July, it should stick to that budget come September even if revenue clocks in at $52 million -- and adjust the tax rate accordingly. Alternately, that government should tell the public, clearly, why it's holding on to the money and keeping its tax rate unchanged. Good reasons may abound. This year, for example, governments will be looking to pad their reserves with as much revenue as they can in light of hurricane scares. But they should tell their constituents that they're doing so (and give constituents a chance to speak on the matter) rather than, essentially, take the money and run. "More.
Imagine That ...
"Low-income people being left out as housing prices soar". And you can be sure those "low-income" folks won't be participating in the "world's longest golf-cart parade" with these (nearly) intangibles tax free "staunchly Republican" folks.
Argument in Voucher Case this Week
"The Florida Supreme Court will hear Bush vs. Holmes this week, with many educational and religious issues in the balance."More cynical observers have suggested that provoucher groups are using minorities to leverage universal vouchers. Others say vouchers are a diversion from more expensive initiatives they believe are more likely to help, including better teachers and smaller class sizes.
"There are those of us who believe there is - I won't call it a plot, but a plan - to destroy public schools," says Gerald Bracey, a fellow at the Educational Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University who has written extensively about vouchers. "Vouchers are part of that plan." "Voucher battle heads to court". See also "Florida voucher program faces its biggest challenge", "Voucher Fight Hits High Court" and "Voucher suit reaches top court".
Migrant Workers
"The small but influential Coalition of Immokalee Workers took on fast-food giant Taco Bell and won higher pay for tomato harvesters." "Group champions migrants".
Whoopee
"Bush used a high-profile meeting of Western Hemisphere diplomats Sunday to plug Florida's trade and cultural ties to the region." "Bush promotes Florida at OAS meeting in Fort Lauderdale".
Randy Johnson
The man from "Celebration" who is running for CFO:
As Randy Johnson forked a morsel of sugar-cane lobster tail into his mouth Friday afternoon, he enjoyed the taste explosion -- which was good. Because not everything that he's going to be force-fed in his upcoming statewide campaign for chief financial officer will taste quite as swell.
An opponent, after all, will most certainly remind voters that the state rep from Celebration once used campaign money to reimburse himself for 30,000 miles he claimed he logged. That's enough miles to circumnavigate the Earth.
An opponent might also look at his past expense reports and raise questions about receipts Johnson turned in from such places as Brooks Brothers and Brookstone. ...
Johnson has reason to feel confident now. So far, the term-limited Republican isn't facing much in the way of big-name competition for the post that serves as consumer, insurance and financial guru for the state. "Candidate may get taste of scrutiny".
Orlando Sentinel's ...
house liberal hearts "Jeb!" yet again.
Voucher Madness
"The intent of the governor and Legislature in creating vouchers has been to undermine th[e] system of free public schools." "Argument for vouchers no better than in 1999". See also "School voucher issue heads to state high court" and "Court to decide future of vouchers" (oral argument at the Florida Supreme Court, 9 a.m. Tuesday; catch the argument online here).
From the News-Journal:Voucher systems in Florida are not designed to offer a better choice for parents seeking better schooling for their children. If they were, they would require private schools receiving vouchers to be held as accountable for academic achievement, overall safety and financial responsibility as public schools. They would require that parents be provided with comparative information to help them make the best choice.
Instead, Florida's three voucher programs have minimal oversight. Private schools receiving vouchers get millions in tax dollars but how good are they? That information is not shared with the public, not even the FCAT scores. ...
By diverting public-education dollars to voucher programs, the state can slowly move itself out of the costly education business. And some critics say that is the goal. Indeed, legislators have been reducing the state's share of Florida's education funding for years. The budget just passed allocates 56.6 percent of state spending for education, down from 61 percent six years ago.
When lawyers address the Florida justices on Tuesday, their arguments will be about whether vouchers run afoul of the constitution's "no-aid" clause. Yet the overriding issue remains: Turning schooling over to private providers who are paid with tax dollars and not held to any standards is fundamentally wrong and doesn't improve public education. "Right Choice? "
GOoPer Stronghold
The Villages 90 minutes northwest of Orlando and home to 40,000 retirees (and expected to grow to 100,000 in 15 years) is notoriously "Staunchly Republican". What was our first clue? "Villages cranks up golf carts for record".
And Then There's This ...
"Schools: Funding system unfair":Volusia County and four other school districts are challenging Florida's school-funding system this week in a trial that could set the stage for a legal showdown on whether the state adequately supports its public schools.
The five districts, including Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach, lost tens of millions of dollars after state legislators last year changed the complex formula used to divide money among the state's 67 school districts. Kinda fits with the Florida GOP's overall goal "to undermine th[e] system of free public schools".
Out-Of-Staters
"University officials are considering asking Gov. Jeb Bush to veto legislation that would make it more difficult for out-of-state students to eventually claim state residency." "Veto urged for tougher tuition bill".
'Glades
Troxler:On Wednesday, a federal judge in Miami ruled that Florida was in violation of the deal it made for fixing the Everglades.
For some reason, this ruling seemed to come as a surprise to Gov. Jeb Bush's administration.
The state's defense: We're doing what we can, as fast as we can.
Maybe they'll be able to get this judge kicked off the case, too. When the last judge on the case criticized Florida's foot-dragging, the sugar industry got him removed for being biased. "Everglades cleanup is taking its sweet time".
"All political eyes on Pinellas"
"The state Democratic Party sees so much potential in Pinellas that it's planning on placing a full-time staffer in the county soon to help Democratic candidates. The state GOP, however, already has a field staffer based in the area and touts a local Republican operation that proved its effectiveness by narrowly swinging the county to Bush in November."
Here's why: "No Florida county has as many potentially competitive legislative districts. At least 11 seats will change hands." ""All political eyes on Pinellas".".
Touch Screens
The PB Post argues, "Keep the touch screens" (at least in PBC and so long as there is a paper record):Creating a printed record of every vote would add redundancy and could quiet concerns about votes lost in a computer's memory banks. That won't excuse lapses like those that happened in Miami-Dade County. Simple attention to detail doesn't capture the buzz of introducing printers or changing systems, but it helps assure that votes are counted accurately. If Palm Beach County's butterfly ballot in 2000 didn't scream it loud enough, voters don't need any more surprises from their elections office. More.
Public Records
"The state Supreme Court must take care not to erode our Sunshine Amendment when deciding how to handle court records in the digital age." "The public vs. the private".
Not Nearly Enough
"Demanding change, and getting it":For decades, the fruit and vegetable pickers who work Florida fields from October to May have labored with no right to unionize, no overtime, no health insurance and a lack of other safeguards other workers enjoy. Whether poor citizens or undocumented illegal immigrants, they faced the danger of forced labor at slave wages (or no wages), exorbitant charges for transportation to the fields, high-cost group housing and pay that amounted to $7,500 or $8,000 annually. The rest of the column.
Actually Florida farmworkers have a fundamental cinstitutional right to unionize and bargain collectively (Article 1, Section 6 of the Florida Constitution). Unfortunately, the "right" is not self-executing; unless and until the Florida Legislature passes legislation implementing the constitutional right to bargain for agrifultural workers, the constitutional right is - incredibly - meaningless (it has been part of the Florida Constitution since 1968).
On a related note, "EPA, Labor agents, Putnam deputies raid East Palatka labor camp". There is a big Dkso discussion threard over this piece:Slavery in Florida on Jeb's Watch: Ignoring Published Reports, He Permits it to Continue Check it out.
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