RPOF gets out the vote the old fashioned way

GOPers can preach about their newfound centrism, but when push comes to shove they revert back to their tried and true GOTV scheme - rallying the wingnuts:

A constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Florida is closing in on a spot on the 2008 ballot, triggering a political battle that could sway voters in a presidential year.

Florida4Marriage, the group pushing the amendment, has 597,000 signatures and needs only 13,000 more to put it before voters.

"Proponents of the ban are heartened by polls showing that the amendment has a good chance of getting the 60 percent of votes necessary for passage." Here's the bottom line:

the issue could spike the number of voters, particularly conservative voters ...

"It's a wedge issue in a battleground state in a key election year."

"Amendment banning same-sex marriages closing in on ballot spot in November 2008".




Whatever

"Martinez gives Castro a slap on the wristbands".




"Making every vote count"

The Orlando Sentinel editors:

Florida has been the butt of a lot of election jokes since the debacle of the 2000 presidential race, but now the state is leading the way in election reform.

This year, Florida banned the use of touch-screen voting machines in favor of paper ballots that can be counted by hand if machines fail. Now a similar effort is being led in Washington by Florida's U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, and Congress would be wise to adopt this sound idea.

"Making every vote count".




GOPer flop

The St Pete Times editors: "Legislature failed; It's tax panel's turn".




Charlie flops yet again

"Crist could have fought harder to keep Florida's share in the short term - even if it meant going to court. Obviously, that tactic, along with some dramatic pleas for help from the Bush administration, worked very well for Gov. Perdue." "Gov. Crist comes up dry".




"The Florida Hometown Democracy Effect"

"A proposal that puts growth in voters' hands may be behind a surge in development requests." "Owners rush to develop parcels".




Grubbing for the wingnut vote

"The politics of global warming are heating up. House Speaker Marco Rubio, who has challenged Gov. Charlie Crist’s more aggressive approach to fighting the problem, is about to weigh in." "Rubio not pleased with Crist's battle against global warming".




Military Contractor to take on Klein

"Back from a stint in Afghanistan as a private military adviser, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West says he's ready to challenge freshman U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, in a Palm Beach-Broward congressional district where Republicans have lost much of their early optimism. West opened his campaign in June, then spent five months in Afghanistan as a private contractor advising the Afghan military. He returned to South Florida Friday." "Klein challenger set for fight".




"Held together by 'chewing gum' and 'baling wire.'"

"Florida's proposed property-tax overhaul could squeeze an already-battered state budget while further tangling a tax system that one former leader said is held together by 'chewing gum' and 'baling wire.'" "Tax plan leaves many unanswered questions".

And then there's this: "To sweeten the property tax relief measure on the Jan. 29 ballot, legislators have embraced a concept known as portability, allowing residents to take their capped tax savings with them when they move. It could be the measure's undoing." "Portable tax relief might carry costly legal baggage".




Cat fund

"The wildfires that ravaged tracts in Southern California are bolstering attempts in Congress to create a national catastrophe fund to help ease the cost of homeowner insurance." "Wildfires boost Florida's case for catastrophe fund".




Poor Bob

"At trial, Bob Allen facing national publicity". See also "Allen attorney doubts he can seat impartial jury on sex charges".




Charter school follies

"After a decade of having school districts shepherd their own charter schools, the state is stepping in -- but not without a fight by some school boards that view it as a Tallahassee power grab."

Already, 20 charter schools that want to open in Miami-Dade and at least nine in Broward have applied to a new state board, said Rudy Rodriguez, executive director of the fledgling Florida Schools of Excellence Commission, which will now oversee charter schools.

On Monday, the Florida School Boards Association will gather in Tallahassee to consider challenging the commission on constitutional grounds.

''We're very disappointed,'' said Wayne Blanton, the association's executive director. ``This is sort of a back-handed slap at a number of school districts. We're definitely going to take some sort of action.''

Charter schools are tax-funded schools with their own governing boards. More than 22,000 students in Miami-Dade and 17,000 in Broward are enrolled in charter schools.

Previously, the authority to open and close these schools rested exclusively with locally elected school boards. But some charter schools around the state were rife with scandal, and questions were raised about their oversight.

The Florida Legislature created the seven-member commission in 2006. Its members are appointed by the State Board of Education.

"Boards jeer state's role on charters".




Thanks Dubya

"Bush's affliction with environmental myopia is well-established. Mr. Bush's action would do disproportionate harm to the Sunshine State. It took considerable time, effort and money to create a powerful federal-state partnership to save the Everglades, one for which president seems to lack enthusiasm." "All wet".