"Florida now ranks 50th among states ..."

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board: "While other states were seizing the opportunities offered by SCHIP and racing ahead, Florida dragged its heels. Several times, the Legislature turned its back on a portion of the federal funding allocated for Florida by failing to appropriate enough money for the required match. And in May, state leaders saw the fruits of their neglect. According to the Commonwealth Fund, a respected nonpartisan health research group, Florida now ranks 50th among states for key indicators of child health." "Sorry record on child health".




No comment

"U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, a leader of the conservative Blue Dog caucus in Congress, said Wednesday he will vote for Sen. Barack Obama but shied away from endorsing his party's candidate for president." As the GOPers march in lockstep,

Obama has run into reluctance among congressional Democrats.

Rep. David Boren, the only Democratic congressman from Oklahoma, said Tuesday the Illinois senator does not have a record of bipartisan work in Congress. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fla., a first-term member targeted by Republicans in a GOP-leaning district, said he will remain an uncommitted superdelegate but might not attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Georgia Rep. Jim Marshall refused to say whether he considers Obama better qualified than McCain.

"Boyd doesn't endorse, but will vote for Obama"."Hometown Democracy files suit over initiative".




Rerun?

"The state ruled at the time Florida Hometown Democracy failed to get the number of signatures required to make the November ballot. Florida Hometown Democracy would let voters decide whether to allow changes to city and county comprehensive plans -- their blueprints for growth." "Hometown Democracy files suit over initiative".




In the dark of night ...

... Mr. Happy Face"quietly signs leaner state budget". See also "Crist signs pared-down $66-billion budget into law", "Crist OKs $66B budget with little fanfare" and "No fanfare as painful budget inked".




No

"Does Charlie Crist seem presidential to you?" "Does Crist have what it takes to be McCain's running mate?".




Rat contractors from South Carolina ...

... will have their lobbyists all over this:

Rules by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, for example, include a minimum-age requirement of 18 for drivers, a substance abuse policy, written examinations and physical requirements. These are common-sense standards that require crane operators to at least have a working knowledge of their machines and are physically able to operate them.

"Florida Needs To Establish Baseline Standards For Cranes".




GOPers at it again ... Mel shrugs

"With gas topping $4 a gallon, Republicans on Capitol Hill are reviving an issue that most Florida politicians and environmentalists had considered settled: offshore oil and gas drilling." "GOP resurrects offshore oil drilling plan".




Court TV

"Judge Michael Allen's ethics and perjury trial concluded Tuesday with a flurry of new corruption charges by his attorney against a fellow judge on the 1st District Court of Appeal."

Allen's 2006 written opinion in the appeal of political heavyweight W.D. Childers said Judge Charles Kahn's failure to recuse himself from the case could lead to questions about the court's impartiality. That got Allen accused of bringing disrepute on the court and lying about his motivations for doing so.

"On Wednesday, Allen's attorney, Bruce Rogow, gave a closing argument in a Judicial Qualifications Commission hearing that raised the ante."

Kahn's vote and opinion that would have reversed Childers' bribery conviction, Rogow said, were "pay future," an attempt to curry favor with the powerful Childers allies who could help get Kahn appointed to higher office.

"Judge Kahn wasn't paying back, this was pay future," Rogow said. "Judge Kahn wanted to get ahead in terms of judicial promotion and this was the way to do it."

Wally Pope, attorney for the JQC, said Rogow's claims were "pathetic."

"Allen trial ends as new charges fly".




Release me

"The Florida Supreme Court heard emotional arguments Wednesday in a case that could touch every parent asked to sign a release and every child who begs to be a cheerleader, play little league or go to the water slide or the skateboard park."

The Florida Supreme Court heard emotional arguments Wednesday in a case that could touch every parent asked to sign a release and every child who begs to be a cheerleader, play little league or go to the water slide or the skateboard park.

At issue is whether parents have the authority to sign away a child's legal rights to sue if the child is injured by a negligent park owner or activity sponsor.

"High court hears arguments on legality of pre-release waivers".




A little "balance" please

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board:

- "Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, who is smarter than this, supported the Articles of Impeachment, which won't go anywhere and thankfully have been buried in a committee not likely to hold hearings before Bush leaves office."

- "Last year, Kucinich led the misguided charge to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney, and Wexler supported that. In the case of Bush, Wexler called it a "sworn duty" of Congress to act."

"Impeachment not worth another minute of anybody's time".

The editors are probably correct, but it might be easier for Wexler and folks of his (our) ilk to stand down if newspaper company editors, perhaps even those fine fellows on the Sun-Sentinel editorial board, could bring themselves to write about the fool who now occupies the White House, as well as his VP, in language approaching the following words they found themselves capable of writing a few years back:

There is absolutely no doubt that in his ill-conceived effort to cover up his sordid affair with Monica Lewinsky. His continued legalistic refusal to admit that he lied is causing people to ask, legitimately, whether he is a congenital liar.

The editors continue:

Clinton has disgraced himself with his despicable behavior, and undermined the presidency.

There's more:

His effort to shift blame to independent counsel Kenneth Starr for his predicament is disingenuous. Clinton created the mess he is in by his lies and deceit.

There's more for the Chief executive by our honest brokers on the editorial board:

Clinton is solely to blame for the reckless personal conduct that caused this national crisis.

Wow! Way to lay it on the table guys!

To be sure, and rightly so, and in this same December 21 of 1998 editorial, the Sun-Sentinel editors slammed the idea of impeaching the Chief executive over lying about sex. However, they did publish, in this same editorial, that

His character flaws cry out for substantial rebuke and censure, and appropriate punishment in a court of law after he leaves office.

"Removal Too Severe A Penalty for Clinton's Shameful Actions" (12/21/98 editorial no longer online).

Here's an idea, why don't the Sun-Sentinel editors and their brethren newspaper company employees start referring to Bush and Cheney's lies:

- "congenital liar".

- "despicable behavior".

- "lies and deceit".

- "disgraced himself".

Maybe, after using terms like these, maybe these editors might ... you know bring themselves to go whole hog, and publish something, anything, like the following:

The conduct of Bush and Cheney "cry out for substantial rebuke and censure, and appropriate punishment in a court of law after he leaves office

Then maybe Wexler and the crazies like him (us) might settle down and be good little citizens.




Double whammy

"Local governments in the midst of writing annual budgets face lower property tax revenues because of a new state constitutional amendment and falling real estate values." "Fla. governments facing 2 property tax cuts".




"A crowded Republican race"

"Looking to get an early start in what could be a crowded Republican race, former GOP state Rep. Joe Negron of Stuart announced today he'll run for state Sen. Ken Pruitt's seat in 2010 when Pruitt is term-limited." "Negron will run to succeed Pruitt in 2010".




By the way, you may not have noticed that ...

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "South Florida drying out".




And while we're at it, let's build more prisons

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "There is a big difference between having a lawyer to represent you and having the illusion of one. Having a public defender who has been appointed to handle so many cases that he or she has no reasonable opportunity to prepare an adequate defense is essentially like having no lawyer at all." "Court system makes do with less".




Good questions

The Pensacola News-Journal editorial board: "Educational reforms first put in place during the administration of former Gov. Jeb Bush have been controversial, but the scores indicate progress."

That, of course, also depends on whether the FCAT process is sound, and if the tests are the right tests.

"Keeping score in school".