That Explains It

"A former Convergys Corp. employee who complained about the company's mishandling of state workers' personnel information lodged an ethics charge Friday against Attorney General Charlie Crist. Sam McDowell told the Commission on Ethics that Crist refused to check out his complaints about lax security because of the attorney general's ties to Brian Ballard, a Convergys lobbyist and adviser to Crist's gubernatorial campaign." "Accuser: Crist shielded lax personnel contractor". See also "Whistleblower files ethics complaint against Crist".




"Florida's Legislature has declared war on the people of Florida"

"Lawmakers Trying To Gather Power":

"Florida's Legislature has declared war on the people of Florida," says Paul Jacob, of Americans for Limited Government, who has campaigned in Florida in support of the citizens initiative process and term limits.

And it is much more than the citizens initiative process and term limits issue at stake.




Hypocrites Gone Wild

I guess I'm not "deep" enough to fathom Jebbie's explanation for this:

Four months ago, Gov. Jeb Bush turned down an invitation to attend a fund-raiser for U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris' struggling U.S. Senate campaign, telling people it would not be appropriate to raise money while the Legislature was in special session debating changes to Medicaid and rules for slot machines.

It wasn't the first time Bush has objected to fund raising during legislative sessions. Three years ago, the Republican governor chastised GOP legislators for raising money while crafting new medical malpractice laws.

But in the three weeks since the Legislature convened for its 2006 session, the Foundation for Florida's Future -- an organization created by Bush and some of his closest allies to promote his educational policies -- has collected more than $600,000.

In an e-mail, Bush defended the fund raising. He pointed out that he has not solicited money for it since the legislative session opened -- though he did send potential contributors a letter about a month before the session began asking them to give "$2,000, $3,000 or more."

"Bush defends cash given to state fund".

Looks like "Jeb!" will be going out of office the same way he came in: a money grubbing shill for millionaires who clings to his father's (and now brother's) coattails,




Session News

- "Legislature 2006: Developments from day 18, March 24".

- "A look at Florida's proposed anti-human trafficking bill".

- "Schools Fare Better In Senate Proposal".

- "Lawmakers to continue push for medical examiner's removal in boot camp death case".

- "Proposal would shift money away from South Florida schools".




Go Figure

Musta missed something:

In an effort to jump-start her sputtering Senate campaign, Rep. Katherine Harris went on national television invoking the memory of her late father and saying the money he left her will form the financial foundation of her challenge to Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.

Now the Harris campaign says that's not the case.

"Campaign says Harris won't turn to inheritance".

Didn't we just read: "After Senate race, Harris 'will not own anything'".




Mommy ... What's a CFO?

"Florida CFO an important position, yet one few know much about".




Send In The Clowns

"Rep. Katherine Harris lost two more top staff members this week, one from her campaign office and one from her congressional office." "2 More Of Harris' Top Employees Quit".




Same Old Song

"Conservatives Find Nelson’s ‘Liberal Quotient' Taxing".




Buzz Snark

The Buzz folks can't help themselves:

RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman comes to the Sarasota Lincoln Day Dinner Sunday night at the Hyatt Sarasota. No word yet whether the local Congresswoman and national party's favorite Senate candidate will be there, but we sure will be interested to see how enthusiastically Mehlman embraces Katherine Harris.

"Ken And Katherine".




GOoPers Line Up

"Foley, Martinez, Mack Help Crist".




I Am Shocked

In the House vote to repeal the legal doctrine of joint and several liability, "four House Democrats went to the House clerk and switched their 'nay' votes to 'yeas.' The four were Reps. Anne Gannon, Delray Beach; Richard Machek, Delray Beach; Ron Greenstein, Coconut Creek; and Bob Henriquez, Tampa.":

Lance Block, the former president of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers and a lawyer-lobbyist in Tallahassee, said the four were probably trying to appease the trial-lawyer lobby with their initial vote and then trying to protect their "political futures" with the reversal, which would curry favor with the business lobby.

"Lawyers' lobbyist chides 4 Democrats over vote switch".




"Unstoppable"

This is just gross:

With substantial financial backing from the Florida Republican Party, the proposed state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage now looks unstoppable. ...

The amendment can only help Republicans in their get-out-the-vote efforts in 2008. Initiatives asking voters to bar same-sex couples from marrying have passed in every state where they have been on the ballot. Opinion polls show most Floridians oppose same-sex marriage, and Christian conservatives - a major part of the Republican Party's base - are particularly energized by the prospect of enshrining the ban in the state Constitution.

But the proposed amendment would make a terrible addition to the state Constitution, a document that is supposed to speak for all of Floridians. Although the state high court said the initiative language is clear and unambiguous, in fact it is misleading and would go far beyond just prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying. ...

Florida law already prohibits same-sex marriage, but that wasn't enough for the Republican Party, which thinks nothing about diminishing the state Constitution to arouse its base.

"Bringing out the base".




"Gimmicky '65 percent solution,'"

"Numbers in the class-size amendment are real. Numbers in the so-called '65 percent solution' that some legislators and Gov. Bush could use to attack the amendment are rubber. The gimmicky '65 percent solution,' which is linked to the attempt to repeal class-size limits, would require school districts to spend 65 percent in the classroom. But 65 percent of what? Good question. Supporters won't say." "65 percent' school plan 100 percent dishonest".




"Money Hole"

"The money hole at Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has widened to an estimated $1.7 billion, a shortfall all the state's homeowners must cover. But a proposed bill the House Insurance Committee approved this week might offer them some relief. It would pour extra sales-tax dollars each year into Citizens, the state's insurer of last resort, to pay down its deficits." "Sales-tax surplus may bail Citizens".




"Set standard accounting in school construction"

"Why 67 ways to spend one pot?"




Keller Running Scared

Poor Ric Keller, stooping to having to appear onstage with one of the most disliked persons in the country:

The Orlando speech was one of several around the nation for Cheney, who along with Bush continues to rake in millions at campaign stops despite low approval ratings. Cheney was also scheduled to visit Jacksonville Friday before leaving Florida.

The 200-person event raised $225,000 for Keller, who faces two challengers for his central Florida seat.

Some candidates in targeted districts have sought to distance themselves from the administration, but Keller appeared onstage with Cheney.

"Cheney attacks Democrats over remark calling Bush 'dangerously incompetent'".




The Ususal Suspects

"Consumer advocate Susan Glickman ran her finger over a suggested list for a group of people who could decide everything from the types of power plants that are built in Florida to what kind of gasoline consumers put in their cars for the next several years." "Proposed energy panel makeup in Senate bill concerns some".