"Trespassing" [June 20 edition]

"Trespassing on turf that favors Republican John McCain, Barack Obama plans to sweep Friday into Florida and 17 other states with his first television ad of the general-election campaign." "Obama ventures onto Florida's TVs".

"Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will visit Jacksonville today for a $500-a-person fundraiser. He is not expected to make any public appearances. This will be his first visit to Jacksonville this year." "Obama to visit Jacksonville today".




So much for the right wing Cuban vote

"Summoning a time of political upheaval in Miami, a great-uncle of Elián González plans Friday to publicly denounce two Barack Obama campaign advisors who helped send the boy back to his father in Cuba eight years ago."

One day before the expected Democratic nominee addresses a conference of mayors in Miami, Delfín González will hold a 1 p.m. news conference outside the Little Havana home where Elián lived with relatives for several months in 2000.

Earlier this week, CNN reported that Elián, now 14 years old, has joined Cuba's Young Communist Union. Obama was an Illinois lawmaker during the 2000 dispute and did not take a public position.

At issue are foreign-policy advisor Greg Craig, who represented Elián's father in the custody battle with the Miami relatives, and legal advisor Eric Holder, a member of Obama's vice-presidential search committee who was deputy attorney general when the 6-year-old boy was seized by federal agents and returned to Cuba.

''We're going to express opposition to Barack Obama's visit to Miami, and explain how we're opposed to him having individuals on his campaign who were associated with Elián's seizure in 2000,'' González said.

"Elián saga might hound Obama visit".




"The next property tax fight is under way"

"On Monday, a broad and powerful coalition will announce plans to oppose a November ballot that would greatly reduce property taxes for schools but increase the sales tax. The coalition includes major business trade groups, school unions and the AARP. It will attack Amendment 5 with direct mail, radio and TV advertising, starting as early as a month from now." "'Tax swap' battle to hit mailbox, radio, TV near you".






"" "".






""

"". See also "" and "".






"" "".






"" "".






"" "".






""

"".






"" "".




And so it begins ...

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "Obama's big words ring hollow".




"How do you keep a project you helped derail from getting back on track?"

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board:

How do you keep a project you helped derail from getting back on track? You offer an alternative. One you claim is better, affordable, within reach.

And which, after folks poke and prod it, stands up to the scrutiny. They judge it to be better, affordable, within reach.

The alternative from Lakeland Sen. Paula Dockery doesn't measure up.

Her attempts to pass off intercity rail as a credible substitute for the Central Florida commuter-rail project she helped stall, and as the best thing going for lovers of mass transit throughout Florida, don't wash.

"Dockery's pitch to have intercity rail replace commuter doesn't wash".






"" "".






"" "".




"Not helpful"

"Some members of the Board of Governors expressed concern Thursday over a proposal that would allow them to be more involved in the selection of university presidents." "Members say BOG proposal 'not helpful'". See also "U. board steps back on presidential selection plan".




Here's an idea

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Combined Little Leagues a home run for Delray race relations".




"At risk of getting lost in more than name"

Did you know that PBCC

now offers bachelor's of applied science degrees in supervision and management.

Those niche workforce programs will prepare students for positions of demonstrated need: health-related, business and public-safety administration jobs. The explanation was needed because Florida again has embarked on an experiment driven by politics rather than policy.

Florida's two-year colleges have been able to create four-year degree programs since 2001 with the approval of the state Board of Education. But during the last session, legislators launched a new Florida College System under which the schools will morph into "state colleges" offering bachelor's programs. At last count, nine of the 28 community colleges now offer the degrees.

If you missed the statewide conversation that got us here, that's because there hasn't been one. The Legislature did not convene community college and other education officials to decide whether this was the way for Florida to meet the needs of the state and its students for more baccalaureate degrees. There is no strategic plan that includes how the kindergarten-through-12th-grade system fit in the pipeline. Tallahassee dictated, and Gov. Crist signed the bill last week.

Meanwhile, "The Great 28," widely recognized as the best community college system in the country, quickly is morphing into a new system whose mission is at risk of getting lost in more than name

"Community college risk: Destruction by degrees".






"" "".






"" "".






"" "".






""

"".






""

"".






"" "".






"" "".






"" "".






""

"".






"" "".






"" "".






"" "".






"" "".






"" "".






""

"".






"" "".








"".






"" "".






"" "".






"" "".






""

"".






""

"".






"" "".






"" "".






"" "".