First came the euphoria: News that a record-breaking number of Broward schools -- 157 campuses -- earned an A this year, according to the state's grading system.

One campus shot from an F to an A, and three zoomed from a D to an A.

But on closer examination, people started asking questions. Half of the students at some of those A schools are unable to read or do math well, test scores show. So how are those high grades possible?

Dems Call For Winn's Resignation

"Florida Education Commissioner John Winn ought to resign and the state should take over scoring standardized tests because most temporary graders working for a private contractor are unqualified, two Democratic state senators said Friday."

A review of 2,947 employment files showed 1,845, or 64 percent, lacked degrees or teaching experience in subjects they were grading on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test as required by the contract, said Sens. Les Miller and Walter "Skip" Campbell.

For some of the FCAT graders, their only other work experience was in jobs unrelated to education, including hair styling, pizza delivery, store clerk, janitor and popping corn at a movie theater.

Laff Riot

"Teachers for Tom and Educators for Crist".

Florida Embarasses Itself

"Neither Gov. Jeb Bush nor other state legislators stood up to Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, last month as he pushed through a narrow-minded bill that stymies international research at Florida's colleges and universities. Now it's up to the courts to set things straight and overturn the new law that serves no legitimate purpose." "Allow research travel".

Subsidizing Low Tax Counties

"Legislation that will provide state money to help "fiscally constrained" rural counties pay for basic government services received Gov. Jeb Bush's signature at a ceremony Friday. Many smaller counties have had trouble making ends meet in part due to low property values and state limits on local taxing powers. ... The qualifying counties are Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, Desoto, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okeechobee, Putnam, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla and Washington." "Counties to get state funds for services".

Cleland Speaks To Leon Dems

"'We cannot have people who have never had ... the guts to go to war sending our young men ever again,' he said, drawing loud, prolonged applause from more than 100 donors at the Leon County Democratic Party's fundraising dinner. 'I've had enough of the chicken hawks who, when it came their time to serve, said, 'Don't send me, send somebody else.' " "".

Desperate GOoPers

Jim Davis shows spine in response to the House Republican campaign ploy. "Davis on Iraq"

Then come the Florida Republican party hacks, led by State Senator Cary Baker (R-Eustis), who truly embarasses himself with this: "RPOF Attacks Davis on Iraq".

New Reefs

"New reefs discovered off Florida's coast".

Concealed Weapons

"Gun owners welcome anonymity".

Pasco GOP Party

"The dinner attracted GOP heavyweights such as Senate candidate U.S. Rep Katherine Harris, U.S. Rep. Michael Bilirakis, U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite and a host of others. For many in the crowd, Attorney General Charlie Crist, a gubernatorial candidate, was the main draw."

CFO Race

"CFO Candidates Find Support".

Sierra Club Suit

"A developer warned Friday that legal action by an environmental group to block a new city from being built on the Babcock Ranch could jeopardize the state's deal to purchase 74,000 acres for preservation. Florida's Sierra Club filed an administrative challenge Friday requesting that a judge evaluate whether developer Syd Kitson should be able to build a city designed for 45,000 residents on part of Babcock Ranch." "Group's objection may snarl Babcock Ranch deal". See also "Judge asked to stop Babcock Ranch city".

Smith Moves South

"Smith's New Digs".

Sorta Endorsement

"Democrat Liz McCallum announced the endorsement of the Pinellas County Council of Firefighters. Maybe that will tamp down talk that former USF St. Pete CEO Bill Heller is a shoe to win the Democratic nomination to succeed Frank Farkas in House District 52." " Firefighters Back McCallum-Sorta".

Drilling Politics

"An offshore drilling proposal that Florida lawmakers rejected last year will be revived in committee next week, and many Floridians say they welcome a second chance to support the deal. House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., hopes his committee will pass a bill next week that would allow coastal states, rather than the federal government, to decide whether to allow drilling within 100 or 125 miles of their coasts, lawmakers said Friday. The full House would then vote on the bill the following week, when House Republican leaders have scheduled an "energy week'' to consider legislation on developing alternative fuels and increasing domestic energy production." "Offshore drilling plan is coming back to life".

"For almost a quarter-century, Florida's congressional delegation has thwarted efforts to allow oil and gas drilling off the state's coast by presenting a near-unanimous front. Now it appears to be fracturing along largely partisan lines."

On one side, with Gov. Jeb Bush's blessing, are House Republicans who have been negotiating with a key chairman to set specific boundaries in the eastern Gulf of Mexico at roughly 100 to 150 miles from the coastline. They're demanding that any drilling closer to the coast would require the approval of the governor and the legislature.

On the other side are Democrats and one Republican who want drilling farther from shore. This group opposes a change in the current ban on drilling in most of the eastern gulf, or at least wants to limit drilling to a small area in the gulf more than 150 miles from the coast. The lawmakers also would continue to have the federal government, rather than state officials, set the boundaries.

"One of the nation's worst rates of uninsured"

"Jeb!"'s legacy, "one of the nation's worst rates of uninsured".

"We've known for some time that increasing numbers of people lack health insurance. Now a new Florida International University study details the role that businesses play in providing coverage in this state. The overall picture isn't pretty. Three million Floridians, representing 18 percent of the population, have no coverage. With one of the nation's worst rates of uninsured, Florida needs to find ways to reverse the trend." "When employers stop offering coverage".

A GOoPer Thing

"Commissioner Ronda Storms makes such a passionate plea to suspend the local gasoline tax that you'd think her plan would actually help. If you look down the road, however, you'll see the proposal as nothing more than an election-year gimmick. Her pandering would save a few cents a gallon, but only if retailers passed it on - a big if." "Holiday For Local Gas Tax Is False Savings For Drivers".

More Harris Woes

"The Federal Election Commission is questioning $60,000 in excess campaign donations to U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Longboat Key." "FEC questions Harris donations Her staff may have made coding errors when processing money". See also "Harris Donations Questioned".

"Big, fat F's"

"Gov. Jeb Bush and state Education Commissioner John Winn deserve big, fat F's for their flippant reactions to serious concerns about the qualifications of temporary workers hired to grade the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test." "Who grades the graders?". See also "FCATs".

But there is more, as the Sun Sentinel reports today: "Dozens of graduates of foreign universities who provided little more than copies of their college degrees, often written in a foreign language, were hired to grade this year's high-stakes FCAT exams, according to documents reviewed by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel." "State didn't verify degrees of dozens of FCAT graders from foreign universities".

Testy Testimony

"Florida's determination to block oil drilling close to its coastline irritates some members of Congress. And this week they weren't shy about expressing their frustration, with one House member asking how the state can ''dictate to America'' where to drill." "House panel feels state is spoiler for oil drilling". See also "Congressional testimony on offshore drilling 'testy'".

Union Yes

"More than 60 percent of the contract janitors and groundskeepers at the University of Miami voted to join the Service Employees International Union, giving the lowest-paid workers at one of Florida's richest private universities a place at the bargaining table." "University of Miami janitors vote to join union".

Charlie Jumps In

"Attorney General Charlie Crist's office has begun an investigation into a secret Broward County court docket that shielded from public view more than 100 divorces and other civil cases involving prominent people." "Crist's office investigating secret court docket".

Bills

"Gov. Bush signs wetlands bill, vetos 311 phone bill". See also "Bush signs new wetlands protections".

"Best and Brightest"?

"The American Conservative Union, which calls itself the nation's oldest and largest grassroots conservative lobbying organization, is giving U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez its 2005 Best and Brightest Award." " Mel Martinez's rising star".

Advice for Davis

"Democratic candidate for governor Jim Davis unveiled a 112-member "Statewide Advisory Committee"" "Advising Jim". See also " Davis names statewide advisory committee".

Fund Floats Bonds

See also "Catastrophe Fund to float bonds to raise cash in case of hurricanes" and "State's hurricane catastrophe fund gets $2.8 billion boost".

Name Calling

"Bush: Davis 'stupid' to send political e-mail as Alberto neared".

CFO Endorsements

"Two Republican candidates hoping to succeed Tom Gallagher as the state's chief financial officer picked up key endorsements Thursday for their Cabinet campaigns." "GOP's CFO hopefuls gather endorsements". See also "Lee gets Bense backing; Johnson adds Miami mayor".

"House Speaker Allan Bense made it official this afternoon by endorsing Senate President Tom Lee's campaign for chief financial officer. Bense will also serve as Lee's campaign co-chair in North Florida. " "Bense Joins Lee's Campaign". See also "Bense backs Lee".

"[A]mong the new supporters that Johnson, a state representative from Celebration, is touting are seven Miami-area lawmakers who serve with him -- and under Bense -- in the Florida House. They are: Reps. Gus Barreiro, Anitere Flores, Rene Garcia, Marcelo Llorente, Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Julio Robaina and David Rivera. Johnson also announced that Miami Mayor Manny Diaz has endorsed him, too. UPDATE: Add one more Miami lawmaker to Johnson's endorsement list: Rep. J.C. Planas." "Dueling Endorsements". See also " Miami Mayor endorses Johnson for CFO".

Harris on Iraq

Leon Voting Machines

Leon "county now is compliant with the federal Help America Vote Act, which requires the machines in all voting locations. After the county missed a Jan. 1 deadline to get them, the state pulled a $564,421 grant. The state, county and voting-machine companies went through months of legal wrangling before the county got the machines it needed." "County gets voting machines".

Millionaires

"Nelson, Martinez among U.S. Senate's millionaires".

Chamber Fave

"Crediting his 'unwavering support and commitment to the business community’s legislative priorities,' the Florida Chamber of Commerce on Thursday named Rep. Don Brown, R-DeFuniak Springs, its Most Valuable Legislator for 2006." " Rep. Don Brown is Chamber's MVP".

Another Labor Endorsement

"Yet another union endorsement for Democratic candidate for governor Rod Smith today, this time from a group that includes many of Walt Disney World's maintenance workers. The Laborer's International Union of North America Local 517 represents nearly 2,200 people altogether, Smith's campaign said, including construction workers, public employees and Disney World maintenance folks." "Magic Kingdom Cleaners for Smith". See also " Not just another Mickey Mouse endorsement".

Lobbyist Cash

"The two Capitol uber-lobbyists leading the legal fight to have a new lobbyist-disclosure law thrown out have finally filed their first reports offering a glimpse of how much clients pay them to influence public policy."

In the first three months of this year alone, Brevard County-based Guy Spearman was paid between $250,000 and $499,999 to lobby the Florida Legislature, according to the reports, which require lobbyists to report their fees only in ranges. Spearman's lengthy client list included the coupon company Valpak (which paid him between $10,000 and $19,999), beer-brewer and SeaWorld Orlando-owner Anheuser-Busch (between $20,000 and $29,999), and tobacco giant Philip Morris (between $30,000 and $39,999).

South Florida lobbyist Ron Book's fees and client list were even larger. The reports show Book was paid more than $1 million between January and March to woo lawmakers, by clients such as BellSouth (between $30,000 and $39,999), Florida Power & Light ($50,000) and hurricane-debris contractor AshBritt ($50,000).

Wal-Mart Stores actually had both men on its payroll, paying Book between $10,000 and $19,999 and Spearman between $20,000 and $29,999.

Reckless

"Few laws are as reckless as the one Florida legislators approved last year that makes it easier to kill, claim self-defense, and get away with it. The 'Stand Your Ground' law removed the requirement that a person threatened in public retreat before responding with deadly force, and now the predictable result is coming into sharper focus." "Flaws exposed in self-defense law".

The Rest of the Story

"Half of Broward County schools do not meet tough federal standards, and nearly one out of four will have to offer students free transfers to better-performing public schools next school year. This sobering account was released Thursday, just one day after the Broward School District celebrated a record number of A's under the state's grading system, which uses different criteria than the federal No Child Left Behind Act." "50 percent of Broward schools failed under U.S. standards".

"Why wait for a court's decision?"

"According to credible scientific evidence, Florida's method of lethal injection may inflict severe, gratuitous pain. If that is proven in court, the three-drug cocktail that the state uses to execute prisoners will be set aside. But why wait for a court's decision?" "Don't wait for court to say it's cruel".

Desperate

"Florida GOP Calls Out Keller's Foes".

Gallagher Endorsements

"[T]hree more GOP legislators have decided to endorse Gallagher, his campaign announced this morning. The trio included a pair from Central Florida -- Reps. Joe Pickens of Palatka and Baxter Troutman of Winter Haven -- plus Rep. Trudi Williams of Fort Myers." "Gallagher's Camp Grows".

Greening Universities

"Energy bills in the millions combined with idealistic environmentalism are forcing campuses to become laboratories of new conservation tactics." "Greening of Florida's universities".

Sanford "Sandy" Brill said Wednesday the system is in good shape and Florida is the first big state to comply with requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act for preventing voters from being turned away from the polls. But Leon County Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho said his employees are finding bugs in the system that might lead to long lines of angry voters in the Sept. 5 primary and Nov. 7 general election.

Why Is That Woman Smiling

"Even if she spent her inheritance, Harris would have about $30 million to try something else should her Senate bid fail. She reported assets worth between nearly $8.7 million and $37 million. No liabilities were reported." "Harris has inheritance, more". See also "Harris reports assets of less than she's said she'll spend", "Senators among millionaires in Senate" and " Katherine Harris' millions"

Drilling Debate

"They spelled her name wrong. They accused her boss of holding the nation's energy policy hostage. One demanded that the White House 'get its head out of the Florida sands,' and start protecting America's economy from runaway energy costs." "Florida oil drilling debate turns testy".

"Know Thy Neighbor"

"Gary Debusk, pastor of Christ Church of Peace, said the church began the 'Know Thy Neighbor' effort Monday to encourage dialogue and prevent voter-signature fraud. As the head of a congregation that supports same-sex marriage, Debusk said he also wanted to add a new perspective to a debate that he said has been dominated largely by religious conservatives. 'It's time for another voice that is Christian to be heard,' he said. The website, knowthy neighbor.org/florida, is linked to the church's home page and contains a searchable database of names. The names on such petitions are part of the public record, according to the Florida Department of State." "A church names names of gay-marriage foes".

How Convenient

As Jebbie closes out his final term and the GOoPers try to keep the Governor's mansion, we get this amazing news:

A record number of public schools earned A's and B's this year on Florida's annual school report card, with middle schools posting some of the best marks, state officials announced Wednesday. ...

Overall, state officials touted what they described as "extraordinary progress" in the past seven years. Since 1999, the number of A-rated schools, for example, jumped from 202 to 1,466, and the number of B's climbed from 313 to 608.

The controversial school grades are based on student scores and year-to-year improvement on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, a series of annual standardized exams in reading, writing, math and science.

"I hope a lot of people are proud of the fact that more kids are learning today than ever before," said Gov. Jeb Bush, father of the grading system, as he announced the 2006 results at the Capitol in Tallahassee.

Florida Education Commissioner John Winn was uncertain Wednesday how the state will face the growing No Child Left Behind failure rate, but hinted he might resist the federal demands and said he hopes for changes when the law is revised next year.

"I'm going to be hard-pressed to put the federal sanctions ahead of our state accountability system," he said.

You've heard the charge in recent years that the politicians who have determined they know more about education than educators tried to fix the numbers.

They've done it by creating and then re-creating standardized tests that are supposed to measure not just students but the schools they are in.

To accomplish that, the schools have been forced to abandon or at least reduce teaching any subjects that aren't a part of the standardized testing system. That explains why, when you ask junior about Washington crossing the Delaware, he's not going to be real sure who this Washington guy was, not to mention why he was trying to cross up this Dela Ware lady.

Now, a story in Mother Trib says, the district thinks schools are trying to teach too much.

Listen, I swear this is true. I don't make this stuff up.

They want to reduce what is being taught. They call it the less-is-more philosophy. Actually I know that philosophy. It's one they've employed on teachers' salaries for years.

Our 'Values Governor

"The largest single cut was $91 million for more than 700 nursing home providers entrusted to care for more than 71,000 of Florid's most vulnerable residents, the elderly and the poor. The appropriation was approved by both the House and the Senate, in part to restore $66 million taken away from providers in 2004 and for partially adjusting the base for nursing home Medicaid rates." "Veto will hurt nursing home patients".

GOoPers Get Desperate

Really, can't they do any better than this: "Jeff Sadosky, a spokesman for the Florida Republican Party, criticized Sink for another North Carolina connection, noting that she has campaigned with John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate. Sink tells Floridians she is 'nonpartisan,' when she is really campaigning with one of America's 'ultra partisans,' Sadosky said in a release." "Democrat seeks insurance solution".

"Jeb!" Attacks Davis Again

"Jeb!", who forgets he is not on the ballot, raises Davis' profile (yet again) with another cheap shot: "A campaign e-mail sent out by U.S. Rep. Jim Davis the day before Tropical Storm Alberto came ashore in Florida was a 'stupid' attempt to politicize the storm, Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday. Davis sent an e-mail to supporters with the subject line 'Alberto is here. Are we ready?' It criticized how Republicans have handled rising insurance rates and spoke of his own ideas on the subject as he seeks the Democratic nomination for governor." "Jeb calls Davis move "stupid"". See also "Davis' Alberto comments get stormy Bush response" and "Bush assails House member's timing of insurance reforms attack".

Negron Flips

I guess this "technically" is not a conflict of interest, but it sure makes the wanna be AG look bad:

Negron filed the bill HB 699 at the request of the Florida Medical Association. Working with the influential doctors' lobby, the Florida Nurses Association and others, he spent months negotiating the details, and the bill cruised through the House on a unanimous vote April 19.

But two days later, Akerman Senterfitt, the law firm that employs Negron as an of-counsel attorney, was hired by Palomar Medical Technologies of Massachusetts to defeat the bill. Palomar markets myriad devices used by medical spas.

Negron confirmed he no longer supports the bill, but stopped short of calling for a Bush veto. "That's up to the governor," Negron said.

Dick and Gus?

"The Buzz among Tampa Bay Republican insiders is that Vice President Dick Cheney may be coming to Tampa in late July (July 21 we hear) to help raise money for the congressional campaign of state Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Tarpon Springs." " Cheney Helping Bilirakis?"

Property Taxes

"Water managers are counting on at least one final year to keep riding South Florida's stratospheric real estate market. The South Florida Water Management District is proposing its largest-ever budget for next year, a $1.17 billion spending plan that depends on raking in at least 13 percent more in property taxes from Key West to Orlando." "Water district maps its biggest spending plan".

Our Green Governor

"The Florida Keys could be removed from the state's list of critical areas if officials there address environmental and development ills, under a bill Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law Wednesday." "Bush signs bill removing Keys from list of critical areas".

Another Lee Endorsement?

"Could House Speaker Allan Bense be about to join Gov. Jeb Bush and Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings in endorsing Senate President Tom Lee's bid for chief financial officer?" "Bush, Jennings and . . . ?".

Citizens

"Many costly condos seeing big rate hikes under Citizens plan".

Florida Embarasses Itself

Jac Versteeg has some fun at the expense of Florida's GOoPers:

Gov. Bush just signed into law a bill that says public colleges and universities can't pay for professors and other staffers to visit countries that the U.S. State Department has designated as sponsors of terrorism.

The law's author, Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, says the main goal is to keep Fidel Castro from getting tourist dollars. I'm sure that Cuban resorts rub their hands in greedy expectation when they hear that a bunch of wild and crazy Florida botanists are on the way. ...

Banning travel by academics to terrorist states should be just the beginning of Florida's protective travel policy. Infectiously evil ideas lurk in many places.

There's France, which, contaminated by too much information, thought that invading Iraq was a bad idea. Places like Norway and Sweden think that universal health care improves life expectancy. Many Mexicans have the idea that physical labor can be a noble path to an improved life for one's children.

All across Europe, countries think that global warming is a long-term threat that must be addressed. Perhaps most disturbing of all, places like England and Brazil think that soccer is a real sport.

Education Cash

"Two Florida gubernatorial candidates agree Florida needs to do more to ensure low income students get a chance at a college education."

But the timetables outlined by candidates Rod Smith, a Democrat, and Tom Gallagher, a Republican, are years apart. The two spoke Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities. ...

Their opponents in the September primary election, Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, a Democrat, were invited, but did not attend the meeting.

Everyone's A Winner!

"Tampa is a finalist to host the Republican National Convention in 2008. Then again, so are all of the other cities that submitted bids to the Republican National Committee." "Tampa Is A Not-So-Exclusive RNC Finalist".

Harris Slams Melquiades ...

but (presumably) not on purpose:

Katherine Harris is taking aim at her opponent - and hitting an important Republican friend in the process.

Harris declared in a letter to supporters this week that incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Tallahassee, is "weak on immigration."

Her reason: He favors a sweeping immigration bill offering millions of illegal immigrants and future guest workers a path to citizenship.

The rub: The legislation was created and championed by Sen. Mel Martinez, of Orlando, one of few Republican leaders anywhere who supports her.

Saunders Out

"State Sen. Burt Saunders bowed out of the Republican race for attorney general [Wednesday]." "One less contender for Attorney General". See also " Saunders' Exit Helps Me, Negron Says".

GOoPer Business Savvy

"It isn't fun trying to sort out questions about child support, and Florida's child support enforcement division shouldn't make it any more frustrating. But those seeking help through the agency's hotline are often greeted with nothing but the sound of bureaucracy: a busy signal. In April, 1.9-million calls of the 2.2-million to the hotline landed on a busy signal - no message system, no friendly "hold" message. That's a success rate of less than 14 percent, which can't be considered a success by any standard." "A busy signal is the wrong answer".

"Flatly indefensible"

"The state admits FCAT graders were substandard. So were its own excuses."

Monday, after the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported the preliminary findings of two legislators who sued and got access to the graders' qualifications, Winn offered a more humble assessment: "There was less than satisfactory implementation of this contract."

Winn's oversight of the contract generously could have been called "less than satisfactory" if he hadn't gone to such lengths to hide the information and made such ill-informed public claims. Now his department's role is flatly indefensible. ...

In an era of high-stakes school accountability, the least accountable agency may be the Department of Education. It has misspent legislatively appropriated funds, bungled grants for technology, churned through staff in key programs and botched a plan for teacher performance pay. The voucher program was so rife with fraud and mismanagement that it attracted critical attention from law enforcement, state auditors and legislative committees.

In response to the unqualified FCAT graders, Winn displayed a smugness that has become all too typical.

HD 69

"Former Sarasota Democratic Party chairman Harold Miller thought better of taking on fellow Democrat Keith Fitzgerald in a primary battle for state legislative District 69. Instead Miller, who resigned as party chairman in 2005, said he will work for Democrat David Shapiro who is running for the District 70 state legislative seat. That district includes southern Sarasota from Clark Road to Venice." "Miller decides against running".

But Bush indicated Tuesday he thinks the educational background of Florida public school teachers is more important than the school-and-work histories of the FCAT graders.

"We have science teachers who don't have a science major," Bush said. "And math teachers, the same. I think this is much to do about nothing."

Campbell, however, said: "Then, the governor should be ashamed of his education record and that we're not employing math teachers with math degrees. That may be why we have a significantly high dropout rate."

DOE's own investigation led to an embarrassing revelation: CTB/McGraw-Hill - which has an $82 million, three-year contract to administer the FCAT- had hired scorers without bachelor's degrees in or related to the fields they graded on the test.

That blatantly violates DOE's specific requirements for test-scorers, and it can only undermine the public's faith in the integrity of the scoring process. Considering the immense pressure on Florida's public schools to perform well on the FCAT, this 11th-hour revelation is deeply troubling. It suggests that, with regard to the FCAT, Gov. Jeb Bush's administration considers accountability a one-way street.

Commissioner of Education John Winn said he was “not happy” about the company's hiring practices, and he pledged to apply a strict monitoring system. But Mr. Winn's assurances would be more meaningful if DOE had addressed these concerns from the beginning.

New Laws

Bush signs underage drinking, sexual offender bills"".

"Secret Docket"

"There are a handful of legitimate reasons why certain court cases deserve to be sealed from the public record so that only the names of the litigants are known. But it defies logic to explain why any court case should be hidden entirely on a secret docket so that its existence is completely unknown. Yet more than 100 cases have been placed in a secret docket in Broward County since 2001, many of them involving well-known local residents' divorces. What gives?" "Abolish secret docket".

McBride's Problems

"Political connections, money and a religious right orientation could help Will McBride of Orlando challenge Katherine Harris for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. But three problems could hurt him."

First is time - there are only 83 days before the Sept. 5 primary.

Second is that he's not alone - LeRoy Collins of Tampa and Peter Monroe of Safety Harbor are both competing with him for votes of Republicans who don't want Harris as their nominee for the Senate.

And third is inexperience.

There's Something Annoying ...

about the brother of the person who defines "AWOL" complaining about Davis missing some votes, and then having the GOoPer mouthpieces trumpet it around the State.

"Jeb Bush brought up his record last week after Davis urged the governor to demand the resignation of Alan Levine, secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration, because Levine applied for a job with a hospital district that his agency regulates. 'This is the guy that didn't vote for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act 'cause he had to come down here and do a political stop,' Bush said. "He's on very thin ice as a politician that has been elected to go serve in Washington and misses vote after vote after vote so he can pursue his personal ambitions.'" "Missing Votes Is Losing Strategy".

Keller

"Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ric Keller chides Democrats in the Orlando-area's District 8 congressional race for including him among the GOP's so-called 'culture of corruption,' according to an interview posted by CQPolitics.com." "Keller strikes back". See also "The CQPolitics Interview: Rep. Ric Keller (FL 8)".

Revenge of the Lobbyists

"Lobbyists will throw a political fundraiser today with two goals: to help state Rep. Randy Johnson of Celebration become Florida's next chief financial officer and to exact a little revenge on his Republican primary opponent, Senate President Tom Lee." "Lobbyists' fundraiser for Johnson packs one-two punch".

GOoPer Legislative Agenda

"It's a rule of thumb in politics that if you want to do something but you don't really want people to notice, you do it late in the day. On a Friday."

For instance, the list included a measure ensuring Orlando's The Holy Land Experience will not have to pay property taxes. The law was crafted to end an attempt by Orange County Property Appraiser Bill Donegan to classify The Holy Land, which charges visitors $30, as a theme park rather than a church or museum and force it to pay more than $1 million in back taxes.

Also on the Friday night list: a bill creating a new tax break for companies that distribute advertising materials free of charge. By mail. In an envelope. To 10 or more people. On a monthly, bimonthly or other regular basis. The break, which is expected to cost the state about $700,000 a year, will mostly benefit Valpak, the company that sends out 500 million blue envelopes stuffed with coupons every year.

Cuba Travel Ban Challenged

"The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging a new Florida law that bans the use of public university funds to pay for travel to Cuba and other nations labeled terrorist states by the U.S. government. A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of professors from several universities contends that the law violates their First Amendment rights and impinges on the federal government's powers to regulate foreign commerce." "ACLU challenges law limiting college-paid trips".

Klein

"After more than a year of criticizing proposals by U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw and other Republicans to allow private Social Security accounts, Democratic congressional challenger Ron Klein said Tuesday that he soon will offer a Social Security plan of his own." "Shaw foe Klein to unveil Social Security plan".

CD 13

"Sarasota banker Tramm Hudson is resigning as regional director for RBC Centura Bank to focus full time on his campaign for the 13th Congressional District." "Candidate Hudson to leave bank job, focus on campaign".

Is This News?

"Gov. Bush surprised by, supports Pres. Bush's Baghdad visit".

While "Jeb!" Slept

"[B]anning the sale of Florida citrus in other fruit-producing states could sound the death knell for the state's beleaguered industry." "Partial Ban On Fla. Citrus Sales Stifles Competition, Not Canker".

Sancho's public comments couldn't be more blunt, or more typically Sancho. He said the state's attempt to regulate the testing methods of the state's 67 independently elected supervisors of elections is unconstitutional.

"We (elections supervisors) all know why this rule was put out there," [Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Ann ]McFall said. "It was to spank Ion Sancho."

Ban Challenged

"Florida's American Civil Liberties Union plans to file a lawsuit today to challenge a new state law that bans colleges from organizing and paying for trips to Cuba and other countries that may support terrorism. 'It's not in the overall interest of the United States for individual states to meddle in matters of foreign affairs and international security,' ACLU spokesman Brandon Hensler said Monday. The group's legal director will announce the lawsuit at an 11 a.m. news conference in Miami." "ACLU to fight Cuba travel ban".

Hurricane Forces Changes

"It's the tough new reality of campaigning in Florida, where too-busy hurricane seasons are becoming the norm. Campaign appearances and fundraising can come to a sudden halt and candidates tread a fine line to avoid being seen as exploiting a natural disaster." Political dance: the hurricane 2-step"".

"Davis And Cobb"

"Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis calls on Secretary of State Sue Cobb to reject a proposed new rule requiring lelections supervisors to notify state election authorities and voting machine company officials before testing voting machines. conducting tests on voting machines." "Davis And Cobb".

Medical Research

"The bill drew additional attention because of an effort to tack onto it language that would have placed certain restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, but supporters of the bill resisted it because they didn't want the measure to get bogged down in that controversial debate." "Money for medical research among bills signed into law".

Regarding another bill, "Last-minute additions to a bill now awaiting Gov. Jeb Bush's signature could weaken state oversight and leave consumers more vulnerable to fraud involving discount medical plans, Bush's top insurance official said." "Official opposes medical plan bill".

Whatever They Wanted

"Scripps given three more spending years".

Death Penalty

"In a ruling that could delay some executions, the Supreme Court Monday gave Death Row inmates a new route for challenging the constitutionality of lethal injections. The case revolves around Florida inmate Clarence Hill, who was strapped to a gurney with intravenous tubes attached to his body on Jan. 24, when Justice Anthony Kennedy issued a stay. Kennedy also wrote Monday's unanimous decision." "Old law is new challenge in lethal injections case".

HD 52

"The race to succeed Frank Farkas in state House District 52 in the St. Petersburg area stands to be one of the best races to watch anywhere in Florida. Former USF St. Pete CEO Bill Heller's recent entry in the race as a Democrat earned lots of attention, but there are plenty of other solid candidates." " The HD 52 Crowd". See also "Crowded field seeks seat held by Farkas".

"Clinton's Advice"

"The thrust of the former president's message: Democrats need to do more than just criticize Republicans and their policies and offer voters specific policy alternatives, from the relatively small (restoring cuts to college loan programs) to the much bigger (fighting global warming)." "Clinton's Advice". See also "President Clinton slams GOP in Orlando speech", "Clinton delivers message on party values", "Clinton Instructs, Raises Bucks For Party" and "Clinton helps rake in $250,000 for Democrats".

Scott Maxwell, in "Clinton raises faithful's fever in Orlando", observes:

"Bubba was back in Orlando on Monday, and the local liberals couldn't have been happier.

While President Bush's numbers are dropping in the polls as fast as "W" window stickers are dropping off SUVs, Clinton is as popular with his base as ever."

FCAT Follies

Education Commissioner John "Winn said he determined there was a "failure of performance" in the course-work requirement after his staff reviewed more than 2,500 applications of individuals hired to grade this year's FCAT." "FCAT graders will need to have experience with subjects they are scoring".

"A review of the applications, spurred by two senators, shows the test graders are as likely to be janitors as they are to be professionals." "Some FCAT scorers don't make grade". See also "FCAT graders under scrutiny".

"The state requires that graders' degrees be matched with the subjects they are scoring on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. CTB/McGraw-Hill and its subcontractors "did not fully implement the requirement of the related degree fields to a degree that we would like," Winn said. 'I am not happy.'" "Clinton helps rake in $250,000 for Democrats".

But for Dems the issue, Floridians apparently would never have known, and Mr. Winn and the rest of the FCAT fanatics would have remained blithely "happy".

Davis Courts Hispanic Vote

"Though the Hispanic vote is viewed as increasingly important, especially in this area, Davis framed the discussion as something larger. 'I am here because I want to build a relationship,' he said." " Davis seeks Hispanic support in Orlando".

Miami Herald Slams Attendance Records

The MH editorial board: "Absent while in office".

FCAT Follies

"Job applications for hundreds of the temporary workers hired to grade Florida's public-school exams show they have no apparent experience as an educator or a degree in a field related to subjects that they are grading." "Review of FCAT graders raises new questions on qualifications".

So Much for Local Control

The GOoPers are poised to issue a rule restricting the power of SOEs:

The state of Florida has not exactly earned voters' trust when it comes to running fair and accountable elections. It's hard to forget how the state turned its head while local officials were scrambling for a way to preserve voter-verified paper ballots, or the official stonewalling as doubts about the security of all-electronic, ATM-like voting equipment began to swell.

Most recently, officials at the state Division of Elections didn't seem at all surprised when Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall told them that Volusia and three other counties had received voting equipment different from the model certified for use in the state. ...

Then there's the situation in Leon County last December, where Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho invited Dutch computer-security expert Harri Hursti to hack into his Diebold machines to test their vulnerability to vote fraud. Hursti was able to change results of a mock election twice, in different ways, without leaving a trace of his tampering. State officials' main reaction was irritation with Sancho.

McBride

Same old, same old:

McBride is a Christian conservative who considered becoming a Baptist minister. He spent his first year in law school at Regent University, the Virginia Beach, Va., school run by the Rev. Pat Robertson. He describes himself as "pro-life across the board," saying he would allow abortions only in cases where there is an imminent threat to the life of the mother. Even then, he said, "It's a very slippery slope, so we have to be careful."

He would support a constitutional amendment forbidding gay marriage, saying a family is headed by "a man and a woman."

His support of conservative Christian causes should appeal to the Republican base. And that could rob Harris of some core supporters.

"Smith, Davis Neck And Neck"

"A Florida Chamber of Commerce poll suggests the Democratic race for governor is seriously heating up. U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa leads state Sen. Rod Smith of Alachua by just a point, 22.5 percent to 21.5 percent, in a poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The two have the summer to try to impress the 56 percent of respondents who said they are undecided. Those voters have until the Sept. 5 primary to make up their minds." "Smith, Davis Neck And Neck In Chamber Poll".

Missed Votes

Alcee "Hastings of Miramar, Davis of Tampa, Miami Republican Mario Diaz-Balart and Jacksonville Democrat Corrine Brown are among the dozen most frequent absentees in the current Congress, which convened in January 2005, according to a washingtonpost.com votes database." "Four Florida Congress members on most-missed-votes list". See also "Governor campaign cuts into votes cast".

Crist Opposes Crime

"Crist Proposes Crackdown On Sex Crimes".

Open Mouth ...

insert foot:

"He's got so much money already. Nelson's got over 11 to 12 million dollars for what seems to me to be a fairly safe seat," said Republican Sen. Mel Martinez.

GOoPers Caught Off Guard

"Florida agriculture officials have to accept some of the blame for the federal decision to ban the state from shipping citrus to 11 states and territories. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's quarantine caught Florida officials off guard, but it shouldn't have." "Citrus ban too broad, but canker plan too late".

Peas in a Pod

"Each claims to be a conservative, pro-family, anti-abortion, pro-business Republican who will keep the economy running smoothly while continuing most of the policies initiated by Bush.". "Gallagher, Crist: Cut from the same cloth?"

Exho Chamber

Bill Cotterell writes about the Bushco echo chamber, "Bush listens, but he's the boss »".

JJ

"State Rep. Gus Barreiro has a simple explanation of why he is so deeply involved in Florida's juvenile justice system." "Legislator has eye on juvenile justice".

Consumer Warrior

"Charlie Crist is releasing his second ad in his campaign to win the Republican primary for governor, a 30-second spot that portrays him as an attorney general who fought Medicaid fraud, electricity rate hikes and price-gougers who took advantage of hurricanes." "Crist to release second ad". See also " For Crist, a New TV Message" and "Political Ad Watch".

Leaving Children Behind

"Florida school districts are failing to meet another provision of the No Child Left Behind Act that ensures students get teachers who know the subjects they teach." "Not enough teachers 'highly qualified'".

Slosberg

"Health Care District mismanaged money at seniors' expense, Rep. Slosberg charges".

Frequest Fliers

"Members of Florida's congressional delegation have accepted more than $2 million in trips from private entities over the past five years, allowing themselves, their spouses and their staffs to travel to such far-flung destinations as Paris, Singapore and Kenya." "Fla. lawmakers ring up $2 million in free travel".

Manatees

"Conservation groups lost their fight last week to keep manatees on the state's endangered species list. But they haven't given up trying to change the process that bumped the sea cow from the highest level of state protection." "Coalition Disputes Manatee Change".

Leon County Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho has become something of a national hero among advocates of voting integrity for his leadership role after the state's embarrassing 2000 general election, and subsequently his drive to ensure the most foolproof voting equipment possible.

This has not, as we have noted before, caused Mr. Sancho to be looked upon with pride and joy by Florida's Division of Elections, which has been embarrassed and put on the spot for decisions and systems that it has endorsed, and which Mr. Sancho openly and frankly questioned.

The division is now considering implementation of a new agency rule that would play "gotcha" with Mr. Sancho.

It would, if approved by Secretary of State Sue Cobb, stop any county elections supervisor from running a test of voting equipment that his or her county is using, or considering purchasing, without first getting clearance from the state.

Imagine That

"Many hired to grade FCAT lack credentials, review finds": "Temporary workers hired to grade Florida's standardized test for public school students are as likely to be doctors and lawyers as they are video-store clerks, janitors, homemakers or even individuals with degrees from foreign universities.".

When Politicans Count Votes

It doesn't hurt to be reminded that

double-punching cost Al Gore a net increase of nearly 7,000 votes in Palm Beach County. There might have been even more Gore over-votes in Duval. He lost Florida by 537 votes.

With touch screens, you can't over-vote. They also reduce under-voting. You you can review the ballot to make sure that you have voted in every race.

Some conspiracy theorists, though, wonder whether the machine records what the voter sees. Touch screens aren't computers that one can hack into through a modem. But printers would provide a backup paper record. Touch-screen companies can't sell the printers until the secretary of state certifies them. That hasn't happened. Is it because Democrats want the printers and the governor, who appoints the secretary of state, is a Republican?

"Crist seeks spotlight"

"Sashaying and dancing across the floor of the Jose Mas Canosa Youth Center as a salsa band played, a beaming Attorney General Charlie Crist wrapped up a whirlwind three-day campaign tour Saturday in Sweetwater with an endorsement from Miami Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart." "Crist seeks spotlight, but shies away from mike". See also "Crist courts Cuban-Americans at Miami-Dade barbecue" ("Crist wound up his first intensive campaign swing around the state Saturday, announcing the endorsement of a Cuban-American Republican congressman with a barbecue rally in GOP voter-rich Miami-Dade County.")

"Elitist Shrew"

"If Ann Coulter wrote about herself the way she writes about others, she might be an "elitist shrew who is ignoring state election law to save her own skin." Or worse."

Instead, the self-appointed defender of American democracy and values is fighting allegations, which The Post's Jose Lambiet first exposed in February, that rather than correct her address, she voted in the wrong precinct during the Feb. 7 Palm Beach election. Rather than admit her error, correct her registration and move on, Ms. Coulter has hired former U.S. Attorney Marco Jimenez to defend her from the indignity of having to follow the law. ...

During her Tuesday spewfest on Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, Ms. Coulter made clear that she doesn't want her home address to grace a public record, even if it is required for voting. "Do you need my Social Security number?". "Should we get my stalkers on the line with my address and apartment number?" Then she blamed The Post. "When you go to the bush-league newspapers," she said, "you get all the venom of The New York Times, but they're all retarded."

But what did happen? Did someone who just looked like Ann Coulter try to vote using the home address of Ann Coulter's real estate agent? When the imposter was told that she was in the right place but had to fill out a change-of-address form, why did she leave and vote in the wrong place? It must have been an imposter, because surely the Ann Coulter who was a stickler for the law during the 2000 election recount - labeling the Florida Supreme Court a "kangaroo court" because she disagreed with its rulings - never would knowingly violate the law, then lash out at those who try to enforce it. Would she?

Where's The Disaster Governor?

"Work to shore up the dike has begun but may take decades. Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers, which is in charge of the dike, has downplayed reports about its dire condition. That's reassuring coming from an agency that just admitted it was largely responsible for the Hurricane Katrina disaster because it didn't heed warnings about weaknesses in the New Orleans dikes. This has emergency officials scrambling to come up with evacuation plans. It is the classic Florida fallback position: Run for your life!" "Okeechobee disaster plan: Run real fast". See also "So, if the dike breaks, where will people go?"

Hispanic Caucus

"In Ybor, Hispanic Caucus Sets Goals".

Wet GOoPers

"In trying to lure the Republican National Convention to Tampa during the height of the 2008 hurricane season, officials are rolling the dice that a storm won't hit while 50,000 delegates, journalists and visitors are in town." "GOP's Fete Could Be Crashed". See also "To: Ken Mehlman, RNC Chairman Re: Tampa's GOP Convention Bid". And Daniel Ruth has this column on "Paperwork? Quick, Avert Your Eyes!!!"

Sink's Siamese History

"Twins' great-granddaughter seeks a different kind of fame".

Oops!

"A judicial candidate's guided tour and chat at the Hillsborough court clerk's office may have violated a Florida election law." "Candidate's Office Tour Raises Flag".

FCAT Follies

Standardized testing puts students with learning disabilities under increased pressure"".

Poof!

"Almost as quickly as it appeared on the political radar screen, a nebulous group helping Democratic candidate for governor Rod Smith is about to vanish." "Rod Smith backer closes fundraising group, but may return".

Ombudsman Ousted

"Virgil Rizzo has been fired after two years as the state's, and nation's, first condominium ombudsman. Perhaps the most amazing thing about Rizzo's tenure is that it lasted so long." "Condominiums".

Raw Political Courage

Charlie takes another courageous stand: "Crist proposes tough penalties for molesters as bus tour ends".

Tracking Prescription Drugs

"Bush acknowledges his top remaining decision as he considers which bills to sign into law and which to veto involves legislation that would weaken Florida's landmark effort to closely track prescription drugs from the manufacturer to the neighborhood store. That's a good sign, because the lobbying by big drug distributors who don't want to be bothered with better ensuring the safety of their product is intense and politically well-connected. But there is only one reasonable path for Bush if he intends to better protect consumers from counterfeit drugs: Veto HB 371." "Track prescription drugs".

Thanks "Jeb!"

"Voucher change strands students".

More Crist Silliness

Yeah, Charlie ain't in it for himself: " Crist and his Message".

Yesterday we noted another silly aspect of Charlie's campaign ("Charlie Gets Silly").

Half Right

"The state wildlife commission did right by the long brutalized gopher tortoise. Elevating the lumbering Florida native to threatened status should go a long way toward halting the barbaric practice of allowing builders to crush them to death or bury them alive to pave the way for development. That's the good news today. The bad news is the manatee got bumped down a key notch." "Wildlife". See also "Federal laws won’t protect manatees, advocates say".

Scripps Saga

Scripps requests more time on payment plan"".

'Glades

Judge "Hoeveler is now considering what to do about the invalid permits [issued for mining on 5,400 acres], sparking a major lobbying campaign by the miners, the state of Florida and business groups to keep the mines open. The environmental groups who won the lawsuit, including the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, want an immediate halt to any new wetlands dredging -- but not an immediate end to all mining." "State, business groups: rock mining case threatens road projects".

"All but one of the people shot were unarmed"

"13 people in Central Florida ... pulled the trigger this year under a new law that loosens restrictions on the use of deadly force in self-defense. They killed six men and wounded four more. All but one of the people shot were unarmed. So far, three of the shooters have been charged. Five have been cleared; the other cases are under review." "Gun law triggers at least 13 shootings".

Citrus

"The latest blow to this multibillion dollar industry was struck by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Citing the canker scare, it indefinitely banned shipment of fresh Florida citrus to six producing states, including California and Texas, and five territories. Unless the federal government changes its mind, growers and shippers will be left holding 1-million boxes of fruit." "Stabilize slipping citrus industry".

A Tallahassee Story

"A bill that quietly died in the Legislature resurfaced after a lobbyist bragged about how lawmakers helped him kill it." "Lobbyist: Two helped doom a race-dog bill".

"Jeb!" Watch

"Curse of big brother stalks Jeb Bush".

Troxler on Byrd

"To review ancient history, during 2003 and 2004 one of the most powerful people in this state was Johnnie B. Byrd Jr., then speaker of the Florida House. Byrd was (and is) a lawyer from Plant City in Hillsborough County. It is fair to say that Byrd's two-year tenure as speaker was not, shall we say, universally praised." "Byrd center shouldn't be targeted for payback".

"Bending it like Bennett"

"Senator and other legislators stretch ethics laws to the limit":

Not surprisingly, state Sen. Mike Bennett doesn't see anything wrong with his leasing office space to state agencies. As he often points out, he's a "citizen legislator" entitled to make a living.

No one begrudges him the right to make a living. But it's time -- far past time, actually -- for Bennett and his colleagues in the Legislature to acknowledge another reality.

The reality is this: The state's laid-back ethics laws -- and the willingness of some legislators to stretch those laws to the limit --don't protect the interests of taxpayers, and they risk eroding the public's already strained confidence in elected officials.