Perhaps state Sen. Gary Siplin feels vindicated today, after an appeals court overturned a grand-theft conviction for using a state employee on his 2004 re-election campaign.

He should use this opportunity for the good of his district. That would be a welcome change from his toxic presence in Tallahassee.

That said, we are disappointed with the ruling. The appeals court did not dispute the fact that Mr. Siplin allowed a state employee to work on his 2004 campaign while she was still drawing her state salary.

A three-judge panel wrote that evidence was circumstantial, and that Mr. Siplin certainly could have researched the circumstances more carefully before making the hire.

It's a far cry from vindication.

That's a relief

"Screenwriter says movie on 2000 election won't overlook South Florida".

"Brace yourself" Florida

Steve Bousquet today: "If you like craziness with your politics, you're probably going to like Florida more than ever in 2008." "Best brace yourself for politics in 2008".

"Unprecedented drought"

"Heading into 2008, South Florida continues to see unprecedented drought conditions like much of the Southeast. And the worst is yet to come as the state settles into a seven-month dry season after two years of below average rainfall." "Unprecedented drought expected to plague South Fla. into 2008".

"Empty rhetoric"

"The Bush administration made loud promises about cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, but new data suggest the promises were empty rhetoric. Fewer than 100 company owners or supervisors were arrested in fiscal 2007, according to a report in The Washington Post, and the Department of Homeland Security continued to focus mainly on arresting illegal workers. ... Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., a member of the Senate's homeland security committee, has it right when she says the failure to prosecute employers for illegal hires is like punishing the under-age drinker but ignoring the tavern owner who rakes in all the profit." "Employers weak link in immigration battle".

Was Rudy around to display his "leadership"?

"Bomb scare has offices near Capitol evacuated".

Sea cows and wolves

See "Red wolf, once extinct in Florida wild, is coming back" and "6 more manatees die mysteriously". See also "Specialist tracks generations of manatees at Blue Spring State Park".

Rudy: all terror all the time

"Rudy Giuliani wrapped up a three-day swing through Florida on Friday by picking up the endorsement of a national association of state troopers, standing beside a memorial outside the Orange County courthouse honoring slain law enforcement personnel. The Republican presidential candidate, accompanied by National Troopers Coalition Chairman Dennis Hallion and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, spoke briefly to a few supporters almost exclusively about terrorism before signing autographs and heading back to Iowa in anticipation of next week's caucuses there." "Giuliani stresses his need to win Florida". See also "Terrorism, law enforcement are focus of Giuliani's Orlando visit".

To the extent you care to watch this, here it is: "Rudy Giuliani sits down with Orlando Sentinel editorial board". More here.

Racetrack

"A pair of developers who want to bring a quarter-horse racetrack to Jefferson County have been given the green light by the state, a spokesman for the Department of Business and Professional Regulation said Friday." "State puts stamp of approval on Jefferson racetrack".

Nobody's perfect

"In a 2004 interview with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Mrs. Tose'-Rigell defended the president's actions. 'I don't think anyone could have handled it better,' she said. "Principal of school Bush visited on 9-11 has passed away".

Heartland

"The Heartland Parkway has a pulse again. The state Department of Transportation recently committed $5.5 million to study one segment of the proposed toll highway -- the part running through Polk County." "Proposed toll road wins study money".

Knuckle-draggers less than happy with this ...

"The state did not execute any death-row inmates this year for the first time in 25 years, the result of legal and ethical challenges to lethal injection that have temporarily halted executions nationwide." "Challenges halt Florida executions for 2007".

Where's the "transparency"?

"Federal Medicaid officials released the names of the 52 worst nursing homes in America last month, then patted themselves on the back for a job well-done in protecting the nation's frail elderly."

Florida has three homes on the list - St. Petersburg's Apollo Health and Rehab Center, Palm Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Lauderdale Lakes and Key West Convalescent Center. The homes were identified as persistently poor performers by Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration.

The list is helpful, no question. But it is not complete.

The full list is reported to be much longer - some 128 homes with repeat problems. These homes have been given numerous chances to correct themselves, but yo-yo in and out of compliance with the federal government shielding their identity.

A group of U.S. senators is demanding that the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services release the full list. Surprisingly, neither of Florida's two senators - Bill Nelson or Mel Martinez - is backing the effort for greater transparency.

Huck

"Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee tried to link the crisis in Pakistan to the hot-button issue of immigration in the U.S., as several presidential candidates pounced on the tragedy abroad in making their cases to Iowa voters." "Huckabee stirs immigration debate".

People who show up for early voting next month will be able to use an employee badge or buyers' club card as identification, despite new election laws taking effect Jan. 1 that eliminate their use.

In the spring, the GOP-controlled Legislature tightened up the types of photo IDs that could be used by voters, but the new law has been put on hold because the U.S. Department of Justice has yet to sign off on the change.

Florida's top election officials this week told election supervisors to ignore a handful of voting law changes because federal authorities are still reviewing them to see if they would adversely affect minority voters.

Because of past discrimination in five Florida counties -- Monroe, Collier, Hillsborough, Hendry and Hardee -- the federal government must sign off on any changes before they take effect.

While the federal government can block the law from taking effect only in those five counties, Florida law requires voting standards to be uniform throughout the state.

[1] a decision to eliminate two forms of photo identification that can be used by voters -- a buyers' club card and employee badges -- at the polls. There are nine other types of photo ID, including a driver's license, student ID or U.S. passport, that can still be used at the polls.

[2] The Justice Department also asked why lawmakers decided to give voters two days instead of three to prove their identity if they vote by provisional ballot.

[3] Federal authorities also want to know the impact of imposing fines on groups that hold voter registration drives. A similar law imposing fines on groups was challenged by the League of Women Voters in federal court in 2006, so lawmakers went back and lowered the fines.

[4] Justice has also raised questions about the state's ''no match'' law that requires information on a voter registration application to match either driver's license numbers or Social Security numbers kept by state and federal governments.

"The same bad news" courtesy of our "Education Governor"

As the Bushco sycophants continue to trumpet Jebbie's supposed "remarkable education gains" and "the most successful education reform in Florida history", the Palm Beach Post editors take a more sober look at Jebbie's mangling of Florida's public education system:

The fallout from former Gov. Jeb Bush's massive overhaul of Florida education continues to be the same bad news. The latest is that standardized tests show little change in the percentage of Florida students needing remedial reading, writing and math education before they will be ready for college-level work. ...

One remedy, suggested by a task force to the state Board of Education, is to require high school students to take more academically challenging classes. Another recommendation - to develop new high school tests to measure students' readiness for college - gets back to what the FCAT originally was supposed to provide: assessment to be coupled with addressing the deficiencies.

Gov. Bush instead hijacked the test to justify school labeling and the diverting of public education money to private school vouchers.

Huck flying high

"A wasp buzzing in Mike Huckabee's ear on the tarmac today symbolized the surprising surge in the GOP presidential candidate's popularity and the subsequent attacks lobbed by his opponents campaigns."

"That wasp is being sent by some of my opponents," Huckabee told a group of at least 100 supporters before boarding a charter plane for a fundraiser in the Panhandle. ...

Fundraisers in Miami, the Orlando area and Destin gleaned a much-needed $350,000, campaign aides said.

The tour of the state comes as the former Arkansas governor's poll numbers are rising, with some polls showing him in first place or tied for first among the crowded GOP field that includes Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson. ...

Huckabee picked up a surprise endorsement standing on podium at Orlando Executive Airport.

Former state senator Dick Langley, who had been a co-chair of Mitt Romney's Florida campaign, ripped a Romney sticker off his lapel and replaced it with one of Huckabee's.

PIP

"Starting Tuesday, Florida drivers will be required to carry both personal injury and property damage liability insurance when the state's Personal Injury Protection law goes into effect." "Old car insurance rules return".

"Curb growth"

The St. Pete Times editorial board: "Floridians have spoken: Curb growth".

Whoopee!

"Although attention on next month's tax relief referendum has focused on letting residents keep their tax breaks when they buy a new house, Broward County homeowners who have no plans to move would still save an average of $308." "Broward, cities weigh losses if voters OK property tax reform". See also "Breakdown of property tax amendment". More: "Governor vows to lower rates for homeowners and businesses".

From Orlando, no less ...

"Simmermaker, 43, lives in Orlando with his wife, and works in Cape Canaveral for a defense contractor. His buy-American effort is currently a serious hobby, but someday he expects it to become his day job. He has already become a national spokesman for his cause, appearing frequently on Your World With Neil Cavuto on Fox News, as well as on CNN and MSNBC, and he has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal."

He began reading about American commerce, looking for books that helped consumers buy American products. There weren't many. So he decided to write one: How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism was published in 1996. The 508-page third edition was released this month. The book lists thousands of American products and where to find them.

His Web site went online in 1997: Howtobuyamerican.com contains Simmermaker's "Buy American Mention of the Week," archives of his monthly feature stories, news updates and links to Web sites for American-made products

One way to outrage a wingnut

"Free hybrid car parking. Cash rebates for solar panel installations. Low-interest loans for energy-efficient home renovations. Tearing up that water-thirsty lawn in the parched Southwest? The check's in the mail, courtesy of a city government. ... In Parkland, where the motto is 'Environmentally Proud,' the city plans next year to begin offering a package of cash rebates to its 25,000 residents for being more environmentally friendly." "Cities offer cash, perks to entice residents to go green".

"Abuse or neglect"

There has been "a spike in the number of children who died from abuse or neglect in Florida in 2006, according to a report released this week." "More Florida children die from abuse".

Off topic

"Woman charged in theft of GPS-equipped Jesus".

Raw political courage

After announcing that global warming is really a swindle (no joke), in a rare display of political courage, Bill "McCollum reminds parents about dangers of teen drinking".

"The slickest advertising"

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board:

f you're a registered voter, you've probably already receiving mailers on the Jan. 29 statewide property-tax referendum. Whether you're for or against the amendment, or haven't made up your mind yet, it's important that your decision be as fully informed as possible.

The ballot language alone is a challenge even for people who follow public policy closely. Moreover, an issue that's so central to citizens' pocketbooks and the quality, even availability, of certain public services should not be decided solely on which side can raise the most money to develop the slickest advertising, which most likely grossly oversimplifies the debate.

Christmas spirit

The Miami-Dade state attorney's office was in a Grinchy mood this holiday season, terminating the services of one

Daniel Zuniga, a legal intern who agreed to ''participate'' in a deal to have criminal cases dismissed in exchange for toys for a charity. The deal was set up by County Judge Karen Mills Francis.

Mills Francis put several cases on the calendar, making it clear she would dismiss the charges if the defendants brought in toys for the charity, Chavez said.

''Our office didn't want to go along with it, but [Zuniga] basically went along with the judge's decision,'' [spokeswoman Terry] Chavez said.

Disciplined in connection with the judge's request were assistant state attorneys Amanda Hemley and Thomas Haggerty, along with intern Roy Kirsh.

Each received one or two weeks' suspension without pay, according to documents released by the state attorney's office.

Spare us

The late Sonny Bono's husband in law (?) weighs in on the tragedy in Pakistan. If you wish to read his sage word's, see "News-Press: Mack gives statement on Bhutto assassination".

Thugs

"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Karen Parker says the female bears were shot. The animals' carcasses were left on the roadside near private hunting grounds. ... Black bears are listed as a threatened species in Florida, and hunting them is illegal." "2 black bears found dead in Gulf County".

Surprise!

The St. Pete Times editors: "Crist had an early New Year surprise for state residents who lack prescription drug coverage." "Welcome medicine: discounted drugs". See also "Gov. Crist's lead" ("Drug discount plan could help millions").

'Glades

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must not be penny-wise and pound-foolish in implementing the massive Everglades restoration plan. Twenty years from now, Corps planners should be able to praise their predecessors rather than condemn them for being short-sighted." "Unclog Glades artery -- the Tamiami Trail".

It took a lawsuit and a ruling from a federal judge to keep a Republican-initiated Florida law from blocking up to 14,000 people from voting in the upcoming presidential primary. ...

The state has a short but sordid history under Republican governors [read: Jebbie] of using technology to keep mostly poor and minority voters from voting. The worst example came under Gov. Bush, whose administration used corrupted computer records to block

... The state has a short but sordid history under Republican governors of using technology to keep mostly poor and minority voters from voting ...

non-felons as well as ex-felons from voting. The now-stalled "no-match" law requires potential voters to provide a driver license, Social Security number or other form of ID to register. If a single digit doesn't match a state database, which could too easily be the fault of human error, the voter would not be registered.

About 14,000 potential voters were on hold when the NAACP and others sued, saying the law unfairly blocks African-Americans and Hispanics. Aside from typos, the groups worried that errors would arise from nontraditional spellings of names among African-Americans and difficulty matching multiple surnames among Hispanics. Judge Mickle found proof the law caused "actual harm to real individuals," reason enough to halt enforcement.

... Republicans look for ways to limit access to the ballot box ...

Throughout the nation, Republicans have shown little concern for the actual harm they do to individuals in the name of safeguarding elections from voter fraud. ...

While Republicans look for ways to limit access to the ballot box, the courts correctly side with unfettered access for legitimate voters, acknowledging that far too often the real fraudulent act is committed in the name of contesting fraud.

The little people just don't get it

The "Jeb!"-apologists over at the Orlando Sentinel are all atwitter - they find it "frustrating that more people don't understand the importance and success of Florida's landmark effort to hold schools accountable by requiring students to pass the FCAT."

It's hard to say what's most worrisome about a recent opinion poll that showed a majority of people surveyed still clings to an unrealistically rosy picture of Florida's universities and believes the state's high-stakes test for school students is unnecessary. ...

But the test has done wonders for Florida's children. No longer can schools hide behind confusing statistics and confusing measurements for achievement -- they're issued an A through F grade. This is important for minority students in poor neighborhoods; they've showed remarkable education gains since former Gov. Jeb Bush made the FCAT the cornerstone of his reforms in 1999.

"Walking the fine line"

"This election season, candidates are walking the fine line between public anger over illegal immigration and the growing clout of the country's largest minority group. At the same time politicians are talking more about tougher border control and cracking down on immigration violations, they're also ramping up efforts to connect with Hispanic voters." "Candidates avoid Hispanics' ire".

Dec. 31 Deadline

"Before heading to that New Year's Eve party Monday, don't forget: Dec. 31 also is the deadline to register to vote in January's presidential primaries. So what, you say? You think Jan. 29 won't matter because you're not a registered Republican or Democrat ... ? Any voter can cast a ballot on a statewide constitutional amendment affecting property taxes. Also, if independents or minor-party members switch to one of the major parties by Monday, they can vote in a primary, too." "Voter Registration Deadline Approaches For Primary". See also "Monday is deadline to register, switch parties in primary".

Slowing down

New Census Bureau state population estimates were released today:

Florida, a state whose economy has been fueled largely by a steady stream of retirees crossing the border each year, gained in population but at a slower rate than usual. Florida was the 19th-fastest-growing state through July 2007 compared with the previous year when it ranked ninth.

Florida's population increased by 1.1 percent to 18.3 million as of July 2007. The previous year the rate of increase was 1.8 percent.

"If there's one state that's a little surprising, I would say it's Florida," said Greg Harper, a demographer with the bureau.

"While Lake Okeechobee remains at record low levels and drought continues through much of central South Florida, water managers sent 250 billion gallons of coastal runoff out to sea during the summer rainy season." "Lake O, funding go dry as water is wasted at sea".

Firewall

"With the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary within the next two weeks, Rudy Giuliani will make a three-day campaign swing through Florida starting today. Giuliani's trip to Florida underscores his unconventional campaign strategy, heavily emphasizing larger, later-voting states including Florida and the Feb. 5 primary states over the early states - Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina - that now are drawing most of the attention of the leading candidates." "Giuliani Stumping Florida". See also "Iowa? Nah -- Giuliani pins hopes on Florida". More: "Giuliani keeps focus on Florida".

Rudy's Florida strategy?: all war, all the time: "More troops needed, Giuliani says in Largo".

And isn't this pretty: "Giuliani begins Florida swing, stumps to veterans". One wonders if he'll get around to explaining this: "VA medical centers criticized for shunting patients to other hospitals".

"Worst in nation"

"Florida cities are worst in nation in housing prices".

Huck

"Presidential contender Mike Huckabee arrived in Florida on Wednesday but was planning on spending less than a day in the state before returning to Iowa, which hosts the leadoff nominating caucuses next week." "Huckabee campaigns briefly in Florida before heading back to Iowa".

Another Charlie flop

"Despite Gov. Charlie Crist's best efforts to persuade insurance companies to lower the rates they charge home and business owners, little progress was made in 2007." "Governor vows to lower rates for homeowners and businesses".

Can't get any more local than this

"When Miami Lakes town employees arrived at work one day this month, something was askew: Not a single copy of the popular Miami Laker -- a hometown Miami Lakes newspaper that has covered town politics for decades -- could be found at Town Hall. Who took the papers?" "Flak prompts newspaper to stop covering politics".

Silly

"Starting New Year's Day, Florida jurors will be allowed to ask questions of witnesses in civil and criminal trials. The Florida Supreme Court adopted the new rule last fall to help jurors get at the truth, but the court's controversial decision has some judges and lawyers fretting about the potential for problems." "Juror Questions Improve Search For Truth".

Goin' up

"Gas could be $3.75 a gallon by spring".

Like something outa The Handmaid's Tale

"A felony weapons charge has been dropped against a 10-year-old girl who brought a kitchen knife to school to cut up her lunch, authorities said Wednesday." "Ocala girl who brought knife to school for lunch won't be prosecuted".

Red Tide

Another lefty scientific conspiracy, with an anti-wingnut title to boot: "Red tide strikes Florida's Treasure Coast".

Buffett branching out?

"Jimmy Buffett, the Florida troubadour, environmental activist, Parrothead-In-Chief and soon-to-be casino mogul, wants to know more about Gov. Charlie Crist's gambling compact with the Florida Seminoles." "Buffett ready to learn more about Seminole gambling deal".

Electronic picket line

"A video on YouTube highlights the union's dispute over pay with Mayor Pam Iorio." "Tampa firefighters lobby mayor on the Web".

"Just count the lawyers"

"If anyone doubts how seriously Florida takes voting, just count the lawyers." "Voting fights heat up".

"Precious parcel"

"It took years, but Hillsborough County finally has negotiated a deal to buy more than 1,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land that adjoins Pinellas County's Brooker Creek Preserve. The result is a green swath of more than 9,300 acres spanning the Pinellas-Hillsborough line." "Precious parcel wins protection promise".

Special election

"An open seat on the Miramar City Commission has attracted three likely candidates for a special election. The seat became available after Gov. Charlie Crist suspended Fitzroy Salesman from office last week. A date for the special election has not yet been set, but March 11 is a possibility." "Miramar gears up for special election to replace Salesman".

Labels: "A short but sordid history under Republican governors"

But many Florida counties will be relying on comparatively new technology to carry them through early voting. And with that comes the potential for snags.

As many as 27 counties, including Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough, plan on using ballot-on-demand machines to print ballots during early voting. Pinellas is using the system now to print absentee ballots.

Am I limited to one answer?

A question for the ages:

Quick, what do term-limited Florida legislators have in common with Britney Spears?

Kirk Wagar

"At 38, this cocky, born-again son of an arctic ship captain has emerged as one of the most important and courted Democratic players in America's biggest battleground state. Beneath Wagar's legendary political incorrectness is a ferociously loyal and idealistic champion who, not incidentally, can reel in reams of campaign checks." "Obama's political muscle in Florida".

Poor things

Child labor laws, minimum wages, crummy tax relief - what's an Associated Industries lobbyist to do?

To hear Gov. Charlie Crist tell it, help arrives Jan. 29 when voters take up the property tax cut proposal that he helped the Legislature create. Taxes, he says, would "drop like a rock."

But the plan gives little relief to business owners, who helped launch the cry for reform in 2006 after their tax bills jumped more than 40 percent in two years.

Research shows that the main provision aimed at businesses -- capping annual growth of a property's taxable value at 10 percent -- would rarely be triggered for commercial properties. The other provision is a $25,000 exemption on certain business property and some mobile home property.

"We would be less than frank if we said we are pleased with what the Legislature did for the business community," said Barney Bishop, chief executive of Associated Industries of Florida, one of the state's most influential business groups.

"The average increases for most businesses have been 4 to 6 percent," Bishop added. "To add insult to injury, the cap goes away in 10 years" unless voters reauthorize it in 2018.

The cap also applies only to taxes that fund local government; school taxes, which make up 40 percent of a bill, are not subject to the restriction.

Silly

"Under new jury rules that go into effect on Jan. 1 in Florida, jurors will be allowed to ask questions of witnesses in criminal and civil trials. The ability to submit questions is the most controversial of several jury reforms recently approved by the Florida Supreme Court." "Florida rules set to change for jury trials".

"Gay marriage is last season's politics"

The Trib editors:

Twenty-seven states have passed constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriages and next November, Florida could become the 28th.

But backers of the amendment shouldn't expect Florida voters, most of whom do not approve of gay marriage, to be exercised about this issue during an election year in which there are so many other important matters to talk about.

Gay marriage is last season's politics. ...

Republicans have effectively used the gay-marriage ban amendments against Democrats, who want gay votes but don't want to alienate the majority of voters who don't sanction same-sex marriages.

"Pandering"

The Palm Beach Post editors: "U.S. immigration policy is politically contorted and dysfunctional enough without the states meddling in cases where they don't belong."

But recently released documents show that both former Gov. Jeb Bush and his successor Gov. Crist ordered the Department of Children and Families to get involved in a dispute that began last year over a 4-year-old Cuban girl. State officials had said they gave no special treatment to the politically charged case but records obtained by The Associated Press clearly indicate otherwise. DCF spent more than $250,000 in legal fees and took free work from private attorneys in a failed effort to help a prominent Cuban-American couple in Miami get permanent guardianship of the girl and prevent her father from taking her back to live in Cuba.

Naturally, the case resurrected the political angst of the Elian Gonzalez dispute from 2000. If the child had been Guatemalan, or Haitian, or Italian, the birth father would have claimed custody quickly and taken her back home. But the specter of another Elian and another eruption in the Miami exile community turned an obvious humanitarian decision into something acutely political.

Immigration attorney Ira Kurzban, who represented the father, Rafael Izquierdo, is right when he blames Gov. Bush for the decision "to pander to the right-wing elements of the Cuban community" from the beginning. The Crist administration then continued the pandering. Records show DCF did all it could to disparage the reputation of Mr. Izquierdo and relatives in Cuba. Like Elian, the girl became a pawn in a political game that ignored her best interest.

"Mixed bag"

"The Everglades, the Indian River Lagoon and Central Florida veterans scored victories in Congress in 2007. But NASA failed to win an extra $1 billion intended to make up for past shortfalls." "Congressional session a mixed bag for Florida".

Term limits

"Term limits could be problem for Big Bend".

A bit much

"For years, University of Florida alumni have insisted that the path to heaven runs through Gainesville. Well, they may soon have a point." "Die-hard Gators could get campus urns".

Cuba

"Raul Castro: Fidel is stronger, should be parliament candidate".

"On New Year's Day"

"On New Year's Day, 1923, a 22-year-old white woman named Fannie Taylor told the sheriff of Levy County that she had been assaulted by a black man. Soon, a mob of between 400 and 500 people was searching the woods around Rosewood, a community of about 30 black families east of Cedar Key. Suspicion had fallen on a black man named Jesse Hunter, who had escaped recently from a road gang. Hunter was never found, but after seven days of violence, six blacks and two whites had been killed. The homes, stores and churches of Rosewood lay in ashes and the surviving residents had fled through the woods. Mortin's uncle, Sam Carter, was the first to die." "Rosewood survivor recalls 1923 massacre".

It must be there, somewhere ...

"Archaeology students search for artifacts in Panhandle".

Who knows?

"Charlie Crist and state officials deserve credit for forging a deal to reduce prices on pharmaceuticals."

Under the state program, roughly 4 million elderly and low-income Floridians will receive a drug card giving them access to cheaper medications at pharmacies across the state. Those reductions should total between 5 percent and 42 percent.

Sure, there probably are a lot of skeptical folks across the Sunshine State today. And given disappointments over meager insurance premium reductions, and even the inability to slash property taxes so far, you can't blame them for doubting this deal, too, won't be as good as promised.

The proof is in the results, and soon we'll see if the governor's plan meets its billing. All Floridians should hope so, and should give the plan a shot.

From the Folks that gave us Tulia, The Thin Blue Line, and Dubya (mocking Karla Faye Tucker)

"This year's death penalty bombshells -- a de facto national moratorium, a state abolition and the smallest number of executions in more than a decade -- have masked what may be the most significant and lasting development."

For the first time in the modern history of the death penalty, more than 60 percent of all American executions took place in Texas.

Over the past three decades, the proportion of executions nationwide performed in Texas has held relatively steady, averaging 37 percent. Only once before, in 1986, has the state accounted for even a slight majority of the executions, and that was in a year with 18 executions nationwide.

But last year, enthusiasm for executions outside of Texas dropped sharply. Of the 42 executions last year, 26 were in Texas. The remaining 16 were spread across nine other states, none of which executed more than three people. Many legal experts say the trend will probably continue.

David R. Dow, a law professor at the University of Houston who has represented death-row inmates, said the day is not far off when essentially all executions in the United States will take place in Texas.

Max Lesnik

"He fled Cuba in 1961, but still calls Fidel Castro his friend. He can't stand communism, but bitterly opposes the U.S. embargo. He lives in Miami, but travels regularly to Havana, even appearing on state-run television. Max Lesnik always has an opinion, and often makes someone mad - no matter which side of the Florida Straits he's on." "No longer an exile, Castro's friend is at home in Cuba and Fla.".

Christmas gift

"Birds are expected to flock to Rodman Reservoir in northern Florida as officials lower the water level to help improve the ecosystem's health." "Reservoir drawdown to lure birds".

Game on

"Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have practically become Florida residents, while Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton won't set foot here unless they can collect some checks and not be seen in public."

And Sen. Bill Nelson sued his own national party chairman, while Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer is talking about watching his party's national convention at a Holiday Inn piano bar.

All because Florida decided to move its presidential primary to Jan. 29. The infighting led Florida newspaper and broadcast editors to vote the primary battle the state's No. 5 story for 2007.

Charlie's angels patrons

This might inform one's thinking about the prop tax amendment:

Christmas came early for Gov. Charlie Crist.

The governor's Yes on 1 property-tax group supporting the proposed amendment raised more than $1 million from utilities, developers, friends and business groups last week, boosting the total he has raised to promote the tax-cutting amendment to more than $2.5 million. ...

Among the biggest givers to Crist's cause: Florida Power & Light doubled down on the amendment, giving another $250,000 to the group, which plans to run ads next month; the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which has talked up the ballot measure but had not thrown any coins into the fight, gave $100,000 last week; Ashbritt Inc., a Pompano Beach environmental-engineering and waste-disposal firm, gave $125,000; and TECO Energy coughed up $50,000.

"Behind the scenes"

"Because of the primary dust-up, the candidates stump behind the scenes." "Democratic candidates stump in Florida on sly".

Wexler

"Rep. Robert Wexler is taking on the Bush administration -- in cyberspace.

The Boca Raton Democrat has launched a website -- wexlerwantshearings.com -- and is gathering signatures calling for impeachment hearings against Vice President Dick Cheney." "Rep. Wexler calls for Cheney's impeachment".

Did the Miami Herald really need to add this snarky sub-headline: "Echoes of Dennis Kucinich?"

Logrolling

"Powerful" people telling each other how "powerful" they are: "Scott Maxwell: The 25 most powerful people in Central Florida".

"'The cupboard is not just bare,' ... 'The cupboard is gone'"

"Faced with a $2.4 billion shortage from sales tax and corporate tax revenue, House and Senate money managers have warned Florida lawmakers that funding for election-year goodies will be in critically short supply during the coming legislative session." "Despite projected shortfall, lawmaker vows to fight for funding".

In 2006, 36 percent of respondents thought that the state would be a worse place to live in five years. This year, it was 43 percent. Not only has Florida's growth been slowing, the kind of growth may be changing, as reflected in the declining school enrollment.

Jebbie's "failed experiment"


The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Like any failed experiment, Florida's Medicaid reform requires some changes before being repeated and duplicated." Jebbie "claimed his reform plan would relieve Medicaid's ballooning cost to Florida; it's $16 billion this year, 22.3 percent of the state's budget. But the Georgetown team found that, a year into the changes, it's uncertain whether the state is saving money, including 'whether administrative costs are higher than in regular Medicaid.'" "Fix the Medicaid fix".

Comeback kid?

"Former Tamarac state Sen. Skip Campbell is thinking about his New Year's resolution for 2008 and it goes something like this: beat Jeff Atwater, the North Palm Beach Republican senator who is the GOP's choice for Senate president in 2009 -- if he is reelected." "Campbell considers comeback in 2008".

Stop the madness

"Port St. Lucie Councilwoman Michelle Berger proposes to 'help' St. Lucie County's public schools by providing a subsidy to parents who can afford to send their children to private schools."

In fact, assuming that the private schools lowered their tuition at all - and didn't just pocket the savings as additional profit - the cost of tuition still would be out of reach for the families of most children and certainly for the poor who, statistically, are most likely to make low scores on the standardized tests that misguided state policy insists be used as the main factor in assigning school grades.

How does taking relatively wealthy students out of public schools do anything to improve the scores of students left behind? Besides, private schools - even those getting most vouchers - don't have to give the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test that is given at all public schools. Where's the competition in that? Maybe this. As Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon points out, private school cherry-picking would mean that 'more of your room mothers, chaperones on field trips and supplies are gone' from public schools.

Cognitive dissonance

The Tampa Trib editors - worshipers of the "greed is good philosophy - think folks ought to be volunteering more:

Given the economic downturn, social service agencies know this spring's legislative session will be painful. Yet legions of nonprofits are lining up with palms outstretched, looking for some sort of Tallahassee Santa Claus.

Their ranks include advocates for the homeless, the disabled and the mentally ill. Affordable housing is high on the wish list. So, too, is more money for foster parents, and grandparents who keep their grandchildren out of foster care.

But what if these organizations were to make a different pitch?

What if rather than asking for money in these tight times, these nonprofits asked for volunteer hours - something small, like two hours a week?

Mack attack

"It’s been several weeks since state Sen. Burt Saunders announced he will run against incumbent Congressman Connie Mack in the 2008 election."

Yet no one seems to know how Saunders’ entrance will impact it.

Saunders, a Naples Republican throughout his 20 years as a Collier County commissioner, state representative, and state senator, will run with no political party affiliation against Mack, who is a Republican from Fort Myers. ...

The 14th Congressional District Mack represents is solidly Republican, and it is unclear if Republicans will view Saunders as one of their own, or if they’ll refuse to vote for him if he doesn’t have the “R” next to his name.

Cheap-out unconstitutional

Missed this the other day: "A Leon County judge rules a new plan by the Legislature to save money on attorneys for poor defendants violates the state constitution." "Indigent legal-cost savings plan is rejected".

If you wanna vote ...

"Registration deadline nears".

And Merry Christmas to you too

"Woman's burning body found near church", "Armed carjackers attack man, threaten woman, daughter in Volusia" and "Man stabbed at party dies".

Class size retreat?

The Orlando Sentinel editors:

It's easy to understand why Floridians are wary of lawmakers tinkering with the state constitution's limits on school class sizes.

After all, the Republican-controlled Legislature fought the class-size limits even before voters decided to amend the constitution in 2002. Former Gov. Jeb Bush campaigned against the amendment and even joked that he had a "devious plan" to gut the initiative he said would bust the state's budget. Republicans even tried to repeal the amendment, to no avail.

Voters were adamant and they got their wish. As the measure has been phased in over the past five years, fewer students have been crammed into crowded classrooms, particularly in South Florida, where the problem was worse.

"$240 windfall"?

"At first glance, opponents of a $9.3 billion property tax slashing plan on the Jan. 29 ballot appear to be a dollar short, and if not a day late, running out of time."

Subtract time off for the holidays, and organizers have less than a month to convince Floridians not to vote themselves an average $240 windfall — and defy a cheerfully centrist governor with stellar approval ratings.

Floridians may be very fond of Charlie Crist, but they grew up respecting their teachers and venerating the uniformed army of public servants who protect their homes, fight their fires and dress their wounds ... .

"The polls repeatedly show that the trustworthiness of police, firefighters, teachers and nurses is always high," ... .

Is nothing sacred?

"In some religious families, there's no such thing as Santa Claus".

# Until January 2007, Jeb Bush, as governor, is one of three trustees of the State Board of Administration. The SBA administers $180 billion in Florida assets, including the Local Government Investment Pool.

# In February, out of office, Mr. Bush forms Jeb Bush & Associates.

# In June, the Lehman Brothers investment firm hires Jeb Bush & Associates as consultants.

# In July and August, Lehman Brothers sells the Florida pool $842 million in mortgage-backed debt. At the time, the SBA's executive director is Coleman Stipanovich. Promoted to the job in 2002 by Gov. Bush and the other SBA trustees, Mr. Stipanovich is the brother of Jeb Bush's former campaign manager.

# In November 2007, local governments and school districts that kept their short-term cash in the supposedly low-risk investment pool find out that the investments sold by Lehman Brothers and other brokerages have gone bad and rush to withdraw $12 billion, nearly half the pool's assets.

# In December 2007, after the state temporarily freezes accounts to stop the run on the state pool, Mr. Stipanovich resigns.

# In December 2007, after the Lehman Brothers link to Florida is reported, the former governor sends an "emphatic" denial of wrongdoing to The St. Petersburg Times. A Lehman Brothers spokeswoman insists that "there's no link between Bush and Lehman's sale of debt to Florida."

like so many other timelines involving Bush brothers and business deals - think Neil Bush and Silverado, George W. Bush and the Texas Rangers, Jeb Bush and foreign sales of water pumps - the timelines feature Bushes in business deals that have more to do with political connections than real business acumen. [For more, see the St Pete Times' expose on Jebbie: "Make the money and run"].

The role of Jeb Bush and political crony Stipanovich in the Lehman Brothers deal is just one issue for the state to investigate. Another is the extent to which Lehman Brothers knowingly took advantage of what one expert called "less-sophisticated investors" to dump subprime-tainted securities. If there is grounds for a lawsuit, Florida should file it.

The Democratic leader of the Florida Senate, Buddy Dyer, has never been on very good political terms with the state's governor, Jeb Bush, George W.'s brother. So as the senator tells it, when he learned ... that the Bush boys' father, former President George Bush, would be making a speech to the State Legislature on March 9, he concluded that some partisan politicking was afoot and called on fellow Democrats, as well as fair-minded Republicans, to boycott the affair.

The visit, he noted, would take place just five days before Florida's Republican primary, a contest in which George W. and John McCain will be duking it out once again, but this time for one of the largest batches of convention delegates.

Then Senator Dyer followed up with a letter telling the former president not to expect to see him at the Capitol for the speech. Jeb Bush fired back at Mr. Dyer on Wednesday with a letter accusing him, according to The Orlando Sentinel, of being a ''petty partisan'' and adding:

''Buddy, this isn't about politics, not for me. It's about family. I love my 75-year-old dad more than life itself and I will not subject him to petty partisan attacks directed at me, through him, in the golden years of his life.''

assigned Mr. [Brad] King, prosecutor for the state's Fifth Circuit, to the case because the state attorney's office for Orange County had a potential conflict of interest. Governor Bush was not legally required to suspend Mr. Dyer but did soon after the indictments were unsealed on March 11. He reinstated Mr. Dyer by executive order on Wednesday [after six weeks out of office], as required when municipal officials are cleared of charges. ...

Mr. Dyer's lawyers were planning to ask a judge to dismiss the case, saying that prosecutors were misusing a broadly written and poorly understood law meant to prevent crimes like vote buying. A special election to replace Mr. Dyer temporarily, scheduled for May 3, has been canceled.

Soon after Mr. Dyer won last year's election, his Republican opponent sued, charging that several thousand absentee ballots should be disqualified as fraudulent and seeking a new election. Though Mr. Dyer, a former state senator, won by nearly 5,000 votes, he avoided a runoff by only 234 votes. A judge dismissed the suit last month.

The state investigation was politically charged from the first, drawing criticism from Democrats during last year's re-election campaign of President Bush, Governor Bush's older brother. Some elderly black residents of Orlando said that agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which conducted the investigation and reports to Governor Bush, had intimidated them during interviews at their homes about the absentee ballots they cast in the mayoral race last March.

Democratic groups then accused Governor Bush's administration of trying to suppress the black vote in Orlando, a coveted swing city, before the presidential election, an accusation that Mr. Bush dismissed as outrageous.

Politicians from both parties have paid Mr. Thomas to get out the vote, including Glenda Hood, Florida's secretary of state, when she was running for mayor here and Senator Mel Martinez when he was seeking a county office. Both are Republicans.

during his first term, Gov. Jeb Bush regularly inserted himself into ongoing investigations of political or particularly sensitive natures while I worked with FDLE by requesting continuous updates and tacitly pressuring the agency at every level.

That's why we call them dead enders

Floridians are coming to recognize that Jebbie's FCAT scheme was merely a "a Jeb Bush brainstorm [sic] originally intended as a means to provide vouchers to private schools". Some of these schools, in turn, use public dollars to "teach[] that Jews and other non-Christians were bound for hell."

Although this of course makes sense to Jebbie and his fellow knuckle-draggers, most Floridians probably don't believe that public funding for, say ... language classes, ought not include "speaking in tongues 101".

While most folks with a reading range broader than only the "Good Book" see the light, the readers subjected to Florida's mainstream "media" continue to get the same drivel from the usual Bushco derrière-wipes: "Using the FCAT to grade schools is the most successful education reform in Florida history." "Mike Thomas: FCAT a successful reform tool, and no poll changes that" ("If Jeb Bush was a Democrat and achieved these results by spending another $100 billion on schools, he'd be hailed as a hero.")

Raw political courage

John Kennedy and Aaron Deslatte: "Budget chiefs Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey, and Rep. Ray Sansom, R-Destin, are already playing the Grinch role. Setting a Jan. 4 deadline for accepting hometown requests, the pair recently sent a memo to lawmakers warning that lumps of coal were more likely this year than shiny new bikes."

Laff riot

It is no secret that the Tampa Trib editors are a collection of right-wing ding bats; an editorial we missed the other day brings the point home yet again. The editors criticize a local pol because he

doesn't believe government should be run as a business ....

What kind of "leadership" is this?

"Despite a hiring freeze and other cost-savings measures now in place at the state's 11 public universities, President Bernie Machen has received an extension and a healthy pay boost from the University of Florida trustees." "UF president nets $1 million contract".

We're Number Two!

"Florida couldn't navigate out of its housing doldrums in 2007. Around the state, a surplus of homes and condos built during an unprecedented housing boom left the market saturated and sluggish. Foreclosures climbed, lifting Florida to the No. 2 spot nationwide in the number of bad mortgages per capita by November." "Top story of 2007: Housing boom bust".

For a property tax savings of "67 cents a day" ...

Floridians are looking at a " potential $1.5 billion, five-year cut to schools" "Tax plan OK could hammer region". All that and no suprises for a mere "67 cents a day".

Thanks Charlie, what a bargain.

Imagine if it were the other way around, and Floridians were asked to raise their property taxes a mere 67 cents a day to pump $1.5 billion into Florida schools? Would Floridians vote for it?

What motivates Floridians?

"Most voters' concerns come down to money".

"Bob Allen redux"

"For those who can't get enough news about former Merritt Island Republican state Rep. Bob Allen, the disgraced lawmaker made current year-end issues of the magazines Campaigns & Elections and Rolling Stone."

In Campaigns, Allen's misdemeanor conviction and eventual resignation from the House for soliciting sex from an undercover cop is cited in a cover story that touches on the need for politicians to "know thy supporters' resumes." Allen was a Florida co-chair for Republican presidential contender John McCain, whose campaign was forced to answer for its wayward ally.

In Rolling Stone's Yearbook 2007, Allen is one of five Republicans in a graphic detailing the GOP's proclivity for getting mired in sex scandals.

"And one might be wrong"

"One might think, given the unhappiness over Florida's property taxes, that this group would have its hands full just dealing with taxation. One might also think, given that the state constitution calls it "the Florida Budget and Taxation Reform Commission," its only concern would be, you know, budgets and taxation." Mark Lane writes that

one might be wrong.

At least a few commission members want to use the group to re-fight former Gov. Jeb Bush's old educational fights. There are proposals being floated that would constitutionally guarantee vouchers for church schools and repeal the Class Size Amendment.

A literal thinker might ask, "What in the name of Ralph D. Turlington is a budget and tax policy group doing taking up educational policy?"

Probably the same reason the commission is considering an amendment to encourage faith-based prison programs.

The answer is that since everything under the sun affects state spending, then logically everything under the sun falls under the mandate of the Budget and Taxation Reform Commission.

Painful

It is truly painful reading the traditional media types sharing their discovery of hip new technology, like Twitter, and how it will dramatically impact elections: "Young voters are texting, Twittering and YouTubing their way toward being a force in presidential politics as they use technology to tune in to the campaign, and experts are predicting they will turn out to vote like never before." "Orlando-area young people are a-Twitter over '08 race".

Sounds like a plan

Here's the plan: first don't pay them a decent wage; second, label anything they do or say (especially through their union) as special interest whining; and finally, put a "list of 'problem' teachers online".

Free kindling

"For months, a stack of Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio's 100 Innovative Ideasbooks sat in the gift shop at the state Capitol, free for the taking."

"I couldn't give them away," clerk Gilda Morris said. So Morris tapped the buyers' psyche. She put up a big sign that read "free" and placed the books in a more prominent spot. Within 24 hours, they were gone.

Rudy goin' down

"The average of recent Florida polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.com shows Giuliani backed by 25 percent of Florida Republicans, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 23 percent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 19 percent, Arizona Sen. John McCain with 11 percent, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson with 9 percent, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 3 percent." "Giuliani's lead erodes; Huckabee gaining ground".

"A wallflower in the face of emerging history"

"Once again, the Cubanologists in South Florida and beyond were in a tizzy, a real intellectual frenzy, parsing the words in a Fidel Castro letter, this one hinting at retirement."

What's lost in the hyperventilating over every utterance by Castro on television, or in a written letter, is that while Cuba stares at a future that could be much different from its present, the United States remains on the sidelines, sitting on its hands. It's perplexing, to say the least, to see the world's lone superpower acting as nothing more than a wallflower in the face of emerging history.

This administration doesn't get a simple fact: Waiting for someone to die is not a foreign policy befitting a nation that aspires to lead a free world.