Crist and Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp went to the Florida State University’s law school, where Roberts, an adjunct instructor, was co-teaching a class in constitutional law, to inform him of his appointment Thursday.

They entered the classroom as Roberts and his teaching partner, Florida State President Emeritus Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, were leading a discussion on a timely topic: judicial appointments.

"He said, 'Hi, I’m Gov. Crist, and I’m here to make your professor a judge,'" Roberts said.

Special Session Gets Tense

"Exasperated legislators traded barbs in the state Capitol late Friday night as key members struggled with how to slash annual premiums for customers of private insurance companies and state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Still, they hope to reach an overall compromise as early as today on legislation to ease the state's property insurance crisis." "Debate in Capitol over insurance rates turns tense".

"Faced with the prospect of achieving minuscule savings for Citizens Property Insurance customers, Senate negotiators are urging House members to adopt a new plan that could slash Citizens rates by as much as 23 percent." "Senate Urges Widening Citizens' Scope".

"Scrambling to overhaul Florida's insurance system, lawmakers agreed Friday to prod more companies to sell property insurance and to give money-saving -- but potentially risky -- choices to homeowners."

House and Senate negotiators approved a controversial plan that would require auto insurers to sell property coverage in Florida if they also sell it in other states.

At the same time, they decided to allow homeowners to buy high-deductible policies or to go without wind coverage as a way to hold down soaring premiums.

But with a special legislative session scheduled to end Monday, lawmakers were continuing to grapple with major issues, such as proposals to expand the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to compete more with private insurers.

Whatever

"Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida took the helm of the Republican national party on Friday, vowing to reach out to black, Hispanic and 'all communities that may have never believed that Republican ideals spoke for them.'" "Martinez urges GOP to reach out". See also "Martinez Vows To Use GOP Post For Hispanic Outreach".

"Gloomy Picture of Higher Education in Florida"

"Low college tuition, the Bright Futures scholarship program and prepaid-tuition plans have created what could become a financial nightmare for the state, a consultant's report has found."

"All of these economic decisions, while fueled in many ways by good intentions, will bankrupt the state's higher education system if these fundamental policy issues are not revisited in a timely manner," according to the report, written by Alceste T. Pappas of the Connecticut-based Pappas Consulting Group.

The report paints a gloomy picture of higher education in Florida, suggesting that expensive research efforts and new medical schools have siphoned resources from undergraduate studies.

She proposes dramatic changes in the way the state pays for higher education, including higher tuitions.

Although elitism and prejudice fed those perceptions, they weren't completely off base. Now a consultant's report may further Florida's reputation for mediocrity - or spur an effort to make substantial improvements. We hope it's the latter.

How "David beat Goliath"

"David beat Goliath twice in November."

With heavily tailored district lines, incumbents rarely lose any legislative race. But voters turned out two sitting state representatives who supported legislation now blamed for helping property insurance rates skyrocket. Both enjoyed a huge financial advantage, partly because of the largesse of insurance companies.

Both seats went from Republican hands to the Democrats. The same factors applied in the five additional open seats Democrats took from Republicans, marking their first gains in Tallahassee in 20 years.

"It amazed me how some of these incredibly safe seats were challenged," said former state Rep. Randy Johnson, a Republican who helped draw the district boundaries in the state House six years ago. He called the election results stunning and an epiphany that sometimes it takes more than money to win.

Companies dealing in all types of insurance, along with agents and others tied to the industry, donated $4.4 million to the Republican Party of Florida in the 2006 campaign. The Florida Democratic Party received $463,321, state records show.

Water

"Rigorous Water Conservation Must Become Way Of Life".

How Green Is Our Charlie

"The mood is largely pinned on the uncertain promise of coaxing more maybes from Gov. Charlie Crist than activists heard from his predecessor. Environmentalists had hoped to hear Crist's views, but late Friday he canceled a speech tonight because of the continuing special legislative session on insurance. Leaders of key state and federal agencies say they'd be surprised by any dramatic shift from the course set by Gov. Jeb Bush." "Nature lovers hope Crist will listen".

'Glades

"Environmentalists celebrated early this decade when Congress agreed to assist in a multibillion-dollar Everglades restoration. Most of the cash has never come."

At the annual Everglades Coalition conference Friday, the focus was twofold -- whether the coming year will see change in the so-far broken promise; and whether to expect breakthroughs in reviving the state's imperiled treasure.

Tampa River

"Mayor Pam Iorio, who grew up near the Hillsborough River, says she loves the waterway that runs through the heart of Tampa. She's excited the Riverwalk project will make the river the focal point of downtown. Yet her administration seems ready to fight efforts to dramatically increase fresh water flow to the lower river." "River's Health Should Be Priority".

Robert E. Lee

"A Hillsborough County proclamation honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on the 200th anniversary of his birth has rankled some black leaders, with one calling it a 'slap in the face' to minorities." "Florida county's honoring of Robert E. Lee rankles some".

Jebbie's "Ugly Pig"

Yesterday's Tallahassee Democrat: "Department of Management Services Secretary Linda South called ex-Gov. Jeb Bush's most ambitious privatization project 'an ugly pig' that she will have to make the most of, since there is no prospect of returning state personnel services back to government." "No evidence of information leak". See also "Audit finds lax security for workers' private data".

Precisely why is there "no prospect of returning state personnel services back to government"?

Tampa

"City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena secured another term when the deadline for candidates to qualify passed without anyone filing for her seat. Other city council incumbents weren't as fortunate." "None To Oppose Saul-Sena".

What? No "Dancing in the Streets"?

"Fidel Castro’s enemies in exile have long predicted that the end of his reign in Cuba would bring dancing in the streets, a mass exodus and a rapid transition to a U.S.-style democracy and market economy. But almost six months after Castro stepped aside due to illness, the transition has occurred — and with none of those changes." "Cuba’s post-Castro transition has already occurred, with no major changes".

In the meantime, "the Cuban government’s arts union Thursday backed protests against the recent reappearance of a former top censor blamed for Stalinist-type purges on artistic expression in the 1970s." "Cuban writers union backs protestors of reappearance of ex-censor".

Scandal

"The unprecedented level of government scandal in Palm Beach County went higher Friday with the forced resignation of West Palm Beach City Commissioner Jim Exline, who faces a federal tax evasion charge over an alleged $60,000 in unreported income from 2004." "Scandals keep growing".

CD 13 Fallout

"District 13 voting machine dispute could complicate March election".

"Appearances"

"Most everyone knows Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson is passionate about embryonic stem cell research. The question becomes, are developers capitalizing on that knowledge to try to buy influence with the commissioner?"

The fact that the question is even being asked suggests Aaronson has needlessly put himself in an untenable political position at the worst of times.

Sad Case

"Disabled man appeals drug trafficking conviction to Supreme Court".

Wingnut Central

"U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney will help former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign by serving as a liaison to fiscal conservatives and organizations promoting fiscal responsibility in Washington." "Rep. Feeney to help Romney presidential campaign".

"Swanee River"

"Racist Screed Or Enlightened Work? State Song Stirs Up Folks At Home".

"On the Rocks"

"Another Florida insurance company is on the rocks." "State takes control of Vanguard".

Sink

"The lone Democrat elected to the Cabinet, Sink carries considerable clout in the debate playing out in Tallahassee. While lawmakers rushed this week to assemble the biggest rate-relief package, she paced the Capitol halls, meeting with nearly two dozen legislative leaders. Her message: balance the rush to cut rates or risk bankrupting the state." "CFO's job: Keep reforms from sinking state". See also "State's new CFO takes her time on insurance plans".

In a gamble to lower premiums for hurricane insurance, Florida legislators are ready to let homeowners take bigger risks: Buy coverage for less than a home's value, accept steep deductibles -- or even go without windstorm insurance at all.

Homeowners who accept the risks would bet that damage to their home from a storm wouldn't cripple them financially, while saving themselves thousands of dollars in premiums. In some extreme cases, the proposals would allow Floridians in danger of losing their homes because of the steep rise in premiums to keep them long enough to weather the next storm season. ...

The Senate plan goes further than the House in offering homeowners options for reducing premiums, though both sides have bipartisan agreement that more choices are needed. But one group has already sent up flares of alarm: The banking industry is warning lawmakers that few of the proposals will be realistic for homeowners who have a mortgage. Other critics question whether the savings will be worth the risk.

This Week in Tallahassee

"The Florida Legislature will be in special session Jan. 16-22. The key events today and what's coming up:" "2007 Capitol roundup".

"Handicapping Local Government"

"The cap, as discussed by lawmakers and favored by Rubio, would essentially force local governments to adopt the rolled-back rate every year, with a small allowance for new revenue. One bill targeting cities in particular would allow extra revenue based on inflation, plus 3 percent. Voters would have to approve a constitutional amendment for the cap to be effective. The idea isn't new. A 1992 constitutional amendment imposed a 3 percent cap on how fast assessments could grow every year. That's the Save Our Homes amendment. It's also the source of today's tax woes. The amendment severely skewed revenue collection, shifting the burden from homesteaded properties and imposing it on businesses and renters, who are not covered by the Save Our Homes amendment. A 3 percent cap on revenue collection wouldn't "reform" that impairment of the tax system. It would create new hardships by handicapping local governments' ability to live up to their constituents' expectations." "Tax caps Florida style".

Tally Rally

"Homeowners angry about insurance didn’t want to let the legislative session start without letting their opinion be known. Follow their journey online." "Rally Heads For Tally".

"Insurers Should Carry More of the Burden"

"As they debate solutions -- many of which are likely to include taxpayer-funded bailouts -- lawmakers should take a look at a national study released earlier this month by the Consumer Federation of America. The report, available at consumerfed.org /pdfs/2007Insurance_White_Paper.pdf, examines insurance companies' profits, policies and actions over the past years and reaches an undeniable conclusion: It's past time to get tough with insurers." "Covering storm risk".

The Rich Are Different

"Gov. Charlie Crist is proud to call himself 'cheap,' sharing tales of patching his shoes rather than replacing them and comparison shopping for generic products in drugstores."

But Crist was generous in handing out nearly $600,000 in bonuses to about two dozen employees of his campaign.

A review of campaign finance reports filed earlier this month show Crist paid the bonuses after his September primary victory and his November general election victory.

The money was paid by the Republican Party of Florida, which received $30 million or more from donors interested in helping the Crist campaign, which was limited to $500 individual limits in its own campaign account.

The Permanent Campaign

Charlie writes a letter about insurance: "Charlie Crist: Together, we must find a solution". See also "Kottkamp says insurance No. 1 priority for Crist".

Vern

Jeremy Wallace's column today includes this: "Even though U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan was once president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and even has his name on the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce building, the Longboat Key Republican had little trouble rebuffing the group's lobbyist on one of his first big votes in Congress." "Buchanan votes against Chamber; Mahoney gets brief taste of power".

Veterans

"The hearings, including a stop in Tampa, will gather information on 21st century veterans." "Commission to go on tour for input on veteran needs".

Another Jebbie Dead-Ender

Mike Thomas pops off on Jebbie's education "reforms", spouting tired RPOF talking points like these:

- "Student test scores in Florida have shown solid gains, particularly among minority kids."

- "Bush's problem wasn't results. It was communicating them."

Where will Charlie Crist take our schools?

On the campaign trail, he solidly backed Jeb Bush's reforms.

But once he took office, it was whack, whack, whack. He removed three of Jeb's top education officials.

What should we make of this?

Affordable Housing

John Wiseman, president of the Florida Home Builders Association: "Builders support Crist's affordable-housing goals".

"Jeb!" Watch

"Jeb Bush may be gone from Tallahassee, but his political machine is active and plotting a course that would make Florida a major player in picking the Republican Party’s candidate for president." "Gone But Not Forgotten".

Booting the "Jeb!" Lapdogs

The Palm Beach Post editorial board on a handful of the "Jeb!" sycophants Crist was saddled with:

Crist pulled back the appointments of Phil Handy and T. Willard Fair. Both had reached the end of their legal terms on the Board of Education, where their primary function has been to heap hosannas on each of Gov. Bush's education proposals.

To keep them on the board, Gov. Bush invented a loophole and, just before leaving office, shoved the two men through it. The dodge was particularly hypocritical, since Mr. Handy became a force in state politics by championing the 1992 term-limit amendment. Other board members - all Bush appointees - with typical subservience elected Mr. Fair chairman and Mr. Handy vice chairman. At Mr. Bush's farewell appearance before the board, Mr. Fair told him: "In my judgment, there is no greater person on this Earth than you. I love you."

Mr. Bush's goal was to safeguard the job of Education Commissioner John Winn, another adoring fan, who was inexplicably exempted from the usual courtesy of tendering his resignation to the incoming governor. Mr. Bush's education "legacy" has been buffeted by court findings that his first voucher program is unconstitutional, by financial scandals in other voucher programs and by a stream of statistics showing that Florida is stuck in the bottom tier in most key education categories, such as graduation rate, SAT scores and per-pupil spending. So Mr. Crist, who professes to admire Mr. Bush's reform spirit, is right to wonder whether he needs a batch of more capable reformers.

Manatees

"A Broward County manatee-protection plan has been rejected by the state wildlife agency because it would allow the construction of thousands of new docks along waterways heavily used by the endangered marine mammals." "Sun-Sentinel: State rejects Broward County's plan to save manatees".

MLK

"Step Up And Make King's Dream A Reality, Speakers Urge". See also "Crist hails the lessons MLK taught".

Another Monkey

"It's not the 800-pound property-insurance gorilla that state lawmakers in Tallahassee this week are working to tame. But Florida's motorcycle-insurance problem is a monkey lawmakers also need to get off citizens' backs. After all, they helped put it there." "A gaping hole".

"Traffic inflicts Record Toll on ... Panthers"

"Traffic inflicts record toll on the state's endangered panthers".

Off Topic

Tom Blackburn yesterday:

Paying ousted chief executive Bob Nardelli $210 million to just go away probably means that Home Depot won't be able to hire a few hundred people who would know what you need for your do-it-yourself home repairs, but the Finance Committee won't hold baleful hearings over that. There are hearings about the alleged effects on the economy when the poor get a raise, not when the rich get a windfall.

To an employer, people who will work for $6.55 all look pretty much alike. If the government doesn't negotiate for them, they have no leverage at all in the marketplace.

That is why civilized countries started setting minimum wages in the first place. Keeping such countries civilized is, however, another matter, mostly political. Congress and the president have allowed the minimum wage to drift down to 31 percent of the average hourly wage in the private sector, the lowest it has been since 1949. The liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities computed that the minimum has been as high as 52 percent of the average, and it rose from 36 percent to 39 percent during that Clinton-era boom when it didn't cause the unemployment the business lobbyists are still assuring us will come if the wage rises.

I Guess It Wasn't About the "Ideas"

"Criticized for paying too much in salaries, House Speaker Marco Rubio tightened his belt Monday, and one of his highest-paid staffers abruptly resigned. Rubio demoted and cut the salary of his communications director, Jose Fuentes, by nearly $40,000 and hired a veteran replacement at less pay." "House Speaker Rubio cuts back".

"Snowbirds are Shortening T heir Stays"

"Florida's mild climate and world-class beaches continue to draw Northern retirees seeking temporary refuge from harsh winter weather, but tourism experts say many of these snowbirds are shortening their stays." "Northern retirees opting for shorter winter stays".

Consultants

"Hard lessons for our teachers".

"Shortage of Male Teachers"

"Shortage of male teachers takes toll".

Brown-Waite

From Yesterday's St. Pete Times: "You're Ginny Brown-Waite, and you are in uncharted, and uncomfortable, waters." "Ginny, you know the way the wind blows".

Insurance Models

Steve Otto: "They'll Predict How Broke We Will Be".

No Sink in 2010?

"Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is a bright new star for Florida's Democrats, but she has already told Gov. Charlie Crist that she doesn't plan to run against him in four years. A day after her election, Sink told Crist that she expects him to be a 'popular incumbent governor' in 2010." "Sink tells Charlie she won't run against him".

Power Broker Keeps His Powder Dry

"For now, Gov. Charlie Crist is neutral in the Republican primary for president, even though he acknowledged in an interview recently that he’s being courted by the top contenders—Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney. But Crist is sure to feel pressure to take sides, and he may not be neutral for long." "Crist Says He’ll “Probably” Take Sides In Primary, But Not Yet".Making Miami A National Issue?

Tancredo is not joking: "Miami's favorite critic, Colorado Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, spent the weekend in Iowa on what the Rocky Mountain News called a 'gut check' to see if he will run for president." "Tancredo for President?"

State legislators will be wrestling with the best way to adjust a property tax system some say has gone out of kilter since the Save Our Homes amendment went into effect more than 10 years ago. It created an inequitable division between longtime homeowners enjoying controlled property tax increases, and new buyers shouldering unpredictable and much larger rises.

If some sort of cap is imposed -- and property values level off -- municipalities could be in for a struggle to make ends meet, local officials say.

Rid Florida of Jebbie's "Culture of Contempt" for Teachers

The St. Pete Times argues that "one of the quickest ways Gov. Charlie Crist can help classroom teachers is to remake the state bureaucracy that routinely shows contempt for them."

Crist will find that such attitudes are pervasive in the Department of Education. He also will find that Winn, and commissioner Jim Horne before him, chased off many of the seasoned professionals who once worked in the Turlington Building in Tallahassee. In their places are people such as Yecke, who ran for Congress in Minnesota and once derided her academic critics as following "the hate-America agenda."

DOE has become a revolving door for ideological opportunists, and one result has been a series of embarrassing management blunders. Legislative and administrative audits have sharply criticized the agency for its persistent lack of controls over school vouchers. It had to ask the Legislature for $7.6-million after buying a computer system on the mistaken belief a federal grant would cover the cost. It handed out $1.1-million to students of a private online school who were clearly ineligible under state law. It allowed a Gainesville man with a history of racketeering arrests to oversee voucher tax money, with police then accusing him of stealing $268,000.

DOE needs a housecleaning, and Gov. Crist has begun the task. On Wednesday, he pulled back the appointments of Fair and Phil Handy, the two board members most responsible for the culture of contempt. On Friday, Winn abruptly "retired."

Flip-Flop

Brace yourself, in this piece about the new head of the House Insurance Committee, state Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, the term "Flip-Flop" actually appears:

In just one week, Republicans leaders who argued that cutting insurance rates would be impossible were almost falling over each other with ways to cut rates.

The flip-flop has given pro-insurance industry lawmakers such as Reagan no place to find political refuge, said House Minority Leader Dan Gelber, D-Miami.

Early Test for Sink

"How Sink manages those employees and negotiates the political traps that exist for the only statewide elected Democrat in Tallahassee may well determine the political future of both Sink and the Florida Democratic Party."

But her most vexing problem the next few months is likely to be ''Project Aspire,'' the ambitious program to replace Florida's accounting system with a totally new set of software and databases to track every purchase and every check sent out by the state.

The project was already behind schedule. But Bearing Point ended its work on Dec. 22 because lawmakers did not set aside more money for the project and because the state failed to seek more money for changes the company says the state wanted.

State officials contend that the company has defaulted on its contract.

Florida has already spent $57 million, and it will likely cost at least another $40 million to get the system running.

State Proposes To Shift Driver Licensing to Counties

"Now, the state has a proposal to shift driver licensing to county tax collectors. The 67 counties already handle vehicle registration and 31 offer some level of licensing, ranging from routine renewals to full road tests." "Licensing may see changes".

"None of the Above"

Palm Beach Post editorial board: "The Legislature could eliminate the chance of another Sarasota County-style election controversy by requiring a simple addition to the ballot: 'None of the above.'" "'No choice?' Good choice".

Tent City

"Those who paid attention to the drama swirling around a tent city for the homeless in St. Petersburg over the past week learned something about this place they call home. First, the homeless have a face and voice. In an extraordinary City Council session, the residents of tent city got a rare chance to make their case for understanding and empathy. Mostly, they succeeded." "Shelter, empathy for those in need".

Something "Special"

"By definition, the legislative session beginning Tuesday is 'special' because it has been organized outside of the traditional spring 60-day meeting of state lawmakers."

But there is something else special about this week's session. In the past, legislators have gathered in the off-season after doctors complained that too many malpractice lawsuits were crippling their practices. They acted in overtime when the business lobby said the workers' compensation system was in crisis. They've gathered when the governor decided that the state's Medicaid system needed to be overhauled.

Tuesday, lawmakers will respond in special session to an entirely different constituency: the people they represent back home.

Who Knew?

Who knew which Legislators were insurance agents? "7 lawmakers pulled 2 ways on premiums".

"Citizens Nightmare"

"Citizens Property was created in 2002 as the state's insurer of last resort. It was supposed to hold down rates, saving policyholders money. And for a while, it did just that. Until the storms began." "The Citizens nightmare".

Clean Water Act Ruling

"A federal judge's recent ruling in Florida that the U.S. Clean Water Act requires the state to obtain permits before pumping contaminated water from farmland and urban run-off into Lake Okeechobee has put the state's flood control operations -- and similar programs around the country -- in limbo. It also could affect a multibillion-dollar federal and state effort to restore the Everglades, critics of the ruling say." "Court ruling worries state water managers".

"Organizing Potential"

"For years, unions have hypothesized about the Sunshine State's 'organizing potential.'"

Nearly 4,000 nurses, technicians, professionals and other workers at six Florida hospitals have voted to form a union with the Service Employees International Union since October.

PSC AWOL on Hurricane Blackouts

"The Public Service Commission is taking too long to address issues that slow down Florida Power & Light's hardening of its power grid, the largest in the state. Hurricanes will not wait for the PSC's glacial rule-making process." "Prevent a repeat of hurricane blackouts".

"Corporate Connections and Political Motives"

"Many are not aware of the hidden activities, corporate connections and political motives that permeate the otherwise noble-sounding intent of the No Child Left Behind Act." "Public schools target of destructive No Child act".

"This Time, Please Read the Fine Print"

"Insurance bills are complicated. The devil is in the details. Last year, lawmakers produced a bill with yet another onerous increase for consumers that many legislators later claimed had been slipped past them. This time, please read the fine print. This time, give us relief, not excuses." "Legislature must offer relief on insurance".

Steinberg for Gelber?

"Miami Beach City Commissioner Richard Steinberg is eager for a promotion. He has announced -- 21 months before the election -- that he is running for the Florida House seat currently represented by Dan Gelber. Gelber, the House Democratic leader, cannot run for another term in 2008. Steinberg, an attorney and a Democrat, was elected to the Miami Beach City Commission in 2001." "Beach commissioner is aiming for House seat".

Party-Switchers

"Plenty of Palm Beach County politicians have changed party labels over the last two decades, but Republican-turned-Democratic County Commissioner Warren Newell is among the few to do so while holding office." "Newell's switching of parties while in office county rarity".

Romney

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who will speak at the county's Lincoln Day event on March 9. 'The fact that, so early in the process, a major presidential candidate is dedicating time and attention to voters in Florida demonstrates the state's importance,' said state Rep. David Rivera of Miami. Rivera is advocating a bill that would move Florida's primary from March to late January or early February, further pushing the state into the national spotlight." "Romney to Speak at Dade Dinner".

"Jeb Bush may be gone from Tallahassee, but his political machine is active and plotting a course that would make Florida a major player in picking the Republican Party's candidate for presidentJeb Bush may be gone from Tallahassee, but his political machine is active and plotting a course that would make Florida a major player in picking the Republican Party's candidate for president." "Bush allies back Romney, Oct. straw poll".

Florida Democrats, you may recall, spent much of last year's election season championing plans to have the state assume more of the financial risk from hurricanes in the name of driving insurance rates down.

The party's candidates for governor -- first Rod Smith in the primary, then Jim Davis in the general -- made such ideas signature issues of their campaigns.

In response, now-Gov. Charlie Crist and the Republican Party of Florida spent millions of dollars on television commercials during the general election savaging Davis' insurance plan as "risky" and irresponsible.

Davis "wants to bail out the insurance companies on the back of Florida taxpayers, and that's wrong," Crist warned viewers during a televised debate at Nova Southeastern University near Fort Lauderdale.

Another Open House Seat?

"Rumors keep swirling that Rep. John Quinones, the Kissimmee Republican who was the first Puerto Rican elected to the Florida Legislature, is about to step down to run for a new seat on the Osceola County Commission."

Quinones, who met one-on-one with House Speaker Marco Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist last week, says he is seriously weighing the idea.

But he also says he doesn't expect to make a decision until after this week's special session

By The Way ...

"Insurance companies still have influence": "Campaign-finance records through December show the insurance industry - that includes life, health, auto and home insurers as well as their agents - gave nearly $24 million to candidates in the 2006 state races." Or are "Insurance lobbyists on the outside looking in"?

Don't Count Those Chickens

"Even radical proposals before the Legislature don't mean large insurance cuts for every Florida homeowner. ... the predicted savings are far below the numbers lawmakers were using last week in introducing those proposals. According to the State Board of Administration analysis, the net effect of a $7 billion expansion of the Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is a statewide decrease in insurance rates of less than 2 percent." "Offering lower rates may be easier said than done".

"Relief from rocketing insurance rates is on the way."

But curb your excitement. You will pay later.

Many of the proposals to be deliberated on during this week's special session of the Legislature would pass more risk from insurers to consumers and the state of Florida.

That means the tab would be deferred until a major storm hits. Then all Florida residents would pay, through hefty surcharges on insurance policies or higher taxes.

Manatees

"Local, state, federal officers take to water to protect manatees".

The Pundits Weigh In on Insurance

- St. Pete Times: Beware of instant gratification:

What a difference a year - and an election - makes in Tallahassee. The 2006 effort by Gov. Jeb Bush and the Legislature to address the property insurance crisis was a market-driven approach heavily influenced by the industry. It did not stabilize rates or slow policy cancellations or lure large private insurers back into the Florida market in a year with no significant hurricanes.

Now, Gov. Charlie Crist and new legislative leaders are responding to the anger they heard on the campaign trail by changing directions, declaring they will force premium reductions and acknowledging government will have to play a larger role in making property insurance more available and affordable. In the state Capitol, that is a significant change in philosophy that should benefit Floridians.

But in their rush to respond to the crisis in a special legislative session that opens Tuesday, the governor and state lawmakers have to be careful about raising expectations too high for immediate rate relief [which may not be much anyway] and putting the state's long-term financial health in jeopardy. Everyone should be aware of the stakes if the state and its taxpayers assume significantly more risk and expense the next time a major hurricane hits in return for lower premiums now.

Lawmakers seemed ready to act on recommendations from a Jeb Bush-tapped task force that offered insurers incentives to get them to operate in Florida, but that didn't quantify how residents would benefit.

They looked approvingly at others calling for homeowners to assume more risk in exchange for lower premiums.

Little, meanwhile, had been seen of Gov.-elect Charlie Crist or his campaign promises to wholly alter the way property insurance is bought and sold in Florida.

But wait. Lo and behold, Mr. Crist and some state legislators now appear to have found the resolve to make insurance in the state of Florida work not just for insurers, but for the insured.

The problem is that the governor and Senate are talking about making Citizens into a real insurance company. For years, the goal has been to phase out Citizens. Unfortunately, for all the talk from some legislators about incentives for private companies, there probably aren't enough incentives to draw the private carriers back to the higher-risk area. The industry now is dropping policies in coastal states as far north as New England.

Whether through Citizens or some other entity, the Legislature correctly is ready to give the state a much bigger role. It will happen through short- and long-term changes during the special session and during the regular session in March. Ideally, there would be a national or regional disaster fund. For now though, Florida will have to ease this crisis by spreading the risk statewide. The Democrats were saying this months ago. Now, most of Tallahassee is saying it.

"Profiteering" insurance companies, as Crist calls them, are the perceived villains, but lawmakers and the voters they serve should remember these businesses are a necessary evil unless Florida wants to socialize homeowners insurance. ...

Yet it seems a sure bet that a majority of lawmakers will sidestep talk of free markets and back state government's assumption of risk to give property owners relief from skyrocketing premiums. ...

What the Legislature is about to do may provide relief to policyholders, but it is a rebuke of long-held principles that may not serve the state's long-term economic interests.

What would Jeb do? Who cares?

A year ago, Jeb Bush would have been calling the shots on this issue. He probably would have offered a bill, and the House and Senate would be reacting to it and working off it. Not this year. Gov. Crist filed no bill. He stated early on that he didn't just want rates to level off. He wanted rates to come down. He said it again on Thursday. The executive branch laid out the concept. The legislative branch can work out the details.

Charlie seems intent on turning property insurance into a homeowner entitlement program.

This runs counter to everything Bush stood for, which is less government and more private enterprise.

Jeb's solution for the hurricane insurance crisis was raising premiums to attract more private insurers into the state and create more competition. To that end, he signed a law last year that sharply boosted rates charged by our state-run insurance company, Citizens Property.

All was good until the people on the coast got their premium notices.

They screamed like Hormel hogs.

Fearing for their political lives, Republican lawmakers have tossed Jeb's brutal capitalism for Charlie's populism.

What About Health Insurance?

"Some might argue that the only real reform can take place on the national stage -- through some form of national health plan that assures coverage for everyone. There's merit to that argument. But it's not an excuse for state and local inaction." "Lack of insurance, inadequate care are local problems".

Whatever

"Bilirakis reflects on career".

Expressway Authority Troubles

"State lawmakers pummeled the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority on Saturday, saying only a reorganization will spare the embattled agency from being abolished." "Legislators Blast Troubled Tollway Authority".

"As the investigation into the workings of the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority widens, it becomes even more obvious that Gov. Charlie Crist ought to appoint board members who are far removed from this region's powerful development interests." "Steer clear in appointments".

Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys

Mary Ann Lindley: "Last spring, the Legislature created the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, a law that was co-sponsored by Rep. Curtis Richardson of Tallahassee and went into effect Jan. 1. At the time, I rolled my eyes, thinking here we go, another council, another study of what is absolutely known, visible to the naked eye. Plus, there was no funding to do anything but hold statewide meetings." "Lost and found".

Snub

"Gov. Charlie Crist confirmed last week that it's still pretty icy between himself and the White House following his snub of the president at an election eve rally in Pensacola." "White House snub? It cuts both ways".

Don't Forget

"The Rev. Al Sharpton didn't sugarcoat his message for those who gathered with him Saturday night to honor slain civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Always outspoken, Sharpton criticized successful people young and old who aren't more thankful for the sacrifices King made decades ago to improve the lives of racial minorities and the poor." "Don't forget, Sharpton urges Daytona crowd".

Tallahassee Democrat Changes

"The Information Center is the newsroom of the future, more flexible and nimble than ever before. It will enable us to focus on doing the jobs required of us by our readers and customers today - the most dramatic shift in how news is gathered and distributed in a hundred years." "Newspaper revolution: major changes coming".

Power Play

"Tampa Electric Co. should be ashamed of how it treated a neighborhood the utility defaced with power poles. Three years ago, without warning residents beforehand, the company planted 12-story power poles in a working-class neighborhood called Egypt Lake, north of downtown. TECO settled the case last week after two state courts robbed the residents of justice. The poles are a monument to the company's bad faith and the adage that money talks." "Crude power play".

Course Repetition

"Why would anyone defend a policy of forcing Florida college students to repeat classes when Gov. Charlie Crist and the chancellor of the university system agree that the state's college classrooms are bursting at the seams? No one actually defends such a policy. But in practice, that is exactly what happens to students across the state." "Reduce course repetition in Florida's colleges".