Jebbie's "Millionaire's Tax Break"

Let them "bristle", its the GOoPer "millionaire's tax break":

Florida's tax on investments, the so-called intangibles tax, looks almost certain to be abolished this election year, even though its removal will touch only the wealthiest 1 percent of households in the state, state records show.

Gov. Jeb Bush and leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature bristle at those who label the move a millionaire's tax break. But erasing the tax is clearly seen as a key finishing touch to the governor's closing months in office.

"Tax on rich may die, haunt elections". On a related note, it is always good to remember that "Millionaires Bank On Citizens" ("The Tribune analysis revealed that millionaires often turn to Citizens for less expensive insurance than surplus lines carriers offer, while the rest of its customers pay among the highest rates in the state. A top Citizens official acknowledged its rates are too low for expensive homes and that a few homeowners have capitalized.")

And then there is this: "FEMA's generator reimbursements flowed to wealthier pockets".




Has Katherine Become Unbalanced?

This is starting to get sad.

U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris slogged through another political morass Saturday when she suggested that one of her most senior advisers [Adam Goodman] had fed embarrassing information to the press. ...

Asked whether Goodman was still with the campaign, she said: "He is, is, uh . . . heh . . . no comment."

The candidate's words became puzzling when Harris phoned the Orlando Sentinel an hour later with a different story.

She said Goodman was still with the campaign and said "it was wrong" of her to say he leaked information.

How strange is that?

The episode illustrated how chaotic Harris' campaign has become and overshadowed the story she had hoped to get out.

After all, and this is so Florida GOP,

She had been well-received at the gun show ... .

"Harris disputes reports of defections".




"Private Rights"

"The Legislature is considering several bills to strengthen private property rights, part of the backlash to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed a Connecticut city to seize private property for redevelopment." "Private Rights, Public Good".




Perhaps It Was A Political Stunt?

"Gov. Jeb Bush's vision for a Florida plan to aid Haiti included efforts to improve security, host political reconciliation talks, prepare for disasters and develop the impoverished nation's economy. But a year after the governor's Haiti Advisory Group recommended assistance to Florida's Caribbean neighbor, the state has made little progress toward those goals, some Haitian Americans say." "Gov. Bush's plan to aid Haiti fails to draw wide support".




His Failing? A "quest to ensure valid elections"

Leon SOE Ion

Sancho's insistence on quality also has angered several Florida officials, including Gov. Jeb Bush, and has already cost his county more than a half million dollars

"Supervisor draws fire in quest to ensure valid elections".




No Fault

"The clock is ticking on what to do about no-fault auto insurance".




"How in the heck can they get away with THAT?"

"There are 40 members of the Florida Senate and 120 members of the Florida House. Not one of them was defeated in the last election. Zero.
"

Here's why this is so important. When politicians cannot be defeated, then their decisions can be made without regard to public opinion or even public interest.

That's the answer to the age-old question: "How in the heck can they get away with THAT?"

"The map for democracy in Florida won't be drawn by incumbents".




Laff Riot

"In putting together its education budget, the House has agreed to spend $150,000 on a University of Florida graduate program in political campaigning -- expanding it to include more emphasis on ethics." "Ethics and more".




Ag Fight

"Agriculture's Representatives Keep Up Fight In Legislature".




While You're At It, What About The Turnpike?

"The Johnnie Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute needs a new name." "Rename Byrd Alzheimer's Institute".




"Surplus options"

"Over the next six weeks, Florida lawmakers flush with surplus tax dollars will be juggling two weighty political issues: whether to send it back to property owners or increase aid for school districts." "Lawmakers weigh surplus options".




GOoPer Tiff

"A top Republican senator recently raked one of the state's biggest business groups over the coals, marking the latest flare-up in a feud about who will assume the Senate presidency in 2008." "Tensions ease in political tiff".




Pruitt In More Hot Water

"State Sen. Ken Pruitt in 2003 and 2004 received a discount worth $8,345 from a Royal Palm Beach home builder who partnered with and retained lobbyists, possibly a violation of the state law that banned lawmakers from taking gifts of more than $100 from people or entities with lobbyists." "Pruitt's house deal tests gift law".




Dare We Call It ...

"incompetence", a Bush family trait:

Florida's homeowners insurance crisis has just ratcheted up another notch. The revelation that the state-run Citizens Property Insurance is hemorrhaging even more money than expected makes it even more imperative that Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Legislature make this their top priority. Yet they are distracted by tuition vouchers and tax cuts even as Floridians can't find coverage and those who have it are facing hundreds of dollars in state assessments on top of huge increases in their premiums.

While the governor and state lawmakers are busy micromanaging the high school curriculum and limiting civil liability for businesses, where is the urgency to address the state's most pressing concern? Bush has no plan of his own to deal with the insurance crisis. The House and Senate bills are, to be kind, works in progress and a long way from reaching the full chambers. One-third of the legislative session already is over, and there is every indication that insurance will be one of the last bills passed in the hectic final hours. That's no way to address a crisis.

"No way to address a crisis".




Cerabino

"A PAC by any other name is still the same".




Sure

"Foley, others say FEMA must face day of reckoning".




Working The GOP Base

"The roughly 100 people packed into a fairgrounds building for a concealed carry handgun class looked up blankly Saturday as U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris entered." "Harris campaigns in Central Florida".




Not The Best Way To Be Remembered

"'How do you forget a man named Tramm Hudson,' Armey joked. 'Sounds like something I should get on and ride.'" "Armey Helps Hudson Net $150K".






"Thanks to the property tax cap known as Save Our Homes, people who have lived in their houses a long time get a huge discount on their tax bill." "Your neighbor's tax bill".




GOoPers "Will now have to find a way to keep a straight face"

Scott Maxwell:

Bad news for Republicans: They will now have to find a way to keep a straight face while arguing that there should be no more unneeded changes to the state's constitution -- while also trying to change the constitution to ban something (gay marriage) that's already prohibited.

More bad news for Republicans: Some may have to consider the possibility that the state Supreme Court -- the one they called radically liberal in the Terri Schiavo case -- might actually be making rulings based upon the law.

"Supreme lessons in politics".




"Florida had to stick its head pretty far in the sand"

To Put It politiely, and the TD editorial board always does,

Florida had to stick its head pretty far in the sand to buy the idea championed by Gov. Jeb Bush, a relative novice to government when he first came into office, that privatization would save the day - and fast.

"Starting over: Outsourcing needs fresh approach".