Is this man brain dead?

Charlie has finished his a "four-day trade mission to Britain ... with speculation about his vice presidential chances, hopes that cheap Florida real estate would entice foreign buyers and a private meeting with Prince Charles. ... Crist [had] traveled to Paris Wednesday afternoon."

Next on Charlie's itinerary, "Crist will be spending the weekend in St. Petersburg - not his home on Tampa Bay, but rather Russia." "Crist travels to Russia on trade mission". No doubt, this is the best time of year to visit St. Petersburg, "considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world ... referred to as the Venice of the North or the Paris of the East".

Russia’s “Window on the West” glitters with spectacular cathedrals, world-renowned museums, and romantic canals.

Perfect for a young couple in love.

Winking "qu'ils mangent de la brioche" at his fellow Floridians,

Crist and an entourage of 90 business, academic and government officials are spending $254,918 in public money on a 12-day state trip through Europe

"Crist returns from his European date trade mission next week in time to celebrate his 52nd birthday at Palm Beach's historic Breakers hotel, where donors can pay $5,200 to get their names engraved on his birthday candles."

While Crist was touring a nuclear plant in France and meeting with aerospace firms and Prince Charles in London, Florida's job loss numbers were moving to the front of the pack nationally.

Home foreclosures ranked second in the country last month. Population growth has slowed, from 500,000 a year two years ago to a projected 117,000 this year.

And then there's this:

Florida led the nation with a loss of 78,100 jobs over the last 12 months, figures released Friday show ...

The numbers are so dire Crist may have to further cut state spending this fall, even though lawmakers already slashed $6 billion from the budget that took effect this month. ...

State Farm announced it can't keep insuring homes in Florida without raising rates 47.1 percent.

"Governor Charlie Crist to face problems in Florida after return from Europe".

Time Magazine summarized it this way last week:

Water Crisis Mortgage Fraud Political Dysfunction Algae Polluted Beaches Declining Crops Failing Public Schools Foreclosures ...



Rumor has it that Charlie and his babe shared a lovely dinner (including brioche) at the Eiffel Tower, followed by a cruise on the Seine River, followed by the fabulous show "Feerie" with its famous "French Can-Can" at the Moulin Rouge.



We've got a water crisis, insurance crisis, environmental crisis and budget crisis to go with our housing crisis. We're first in the nation in mortgage fraud, second in foreclosures, last in high school graduation rates.

Our consumer confidence just hit an all-time low, and our icons are in trouble--the citrus industry, battered by freezes and diseases; the Florida panther, displaced by highways and driveways; the space shuttle, approaching its final countdown.

New research suggests that the Everglades is collapsing, that our barrier beaches could be under water within decades, that a major hurricane could cost us $150 billion. ...

But now the financial and environmental bill for a century of runaway growth and exploitation is coming due. The housing bust has exposed a human pyramid scheme--an economy that relied on a thousand newcomers a day, too many of them construction workers, mortgage bankers, real estate agents and others whose livelihoods depended on importing a thousand more newcomers the next day.

And the elaborate water-management scheme that made southern Florida habitable has been stretched beyond capacity, yo-yoing between brutal droughts and floods, converting the Everglades into a tinderbox and a sewer, ravaging the beaches, bays, lakes and reefs that made the region so alluring in the first place.

"Is Florida the Sunset State?"

And this is rich:

Crist's office refused to reveal any details of the meeting with Prince Charles. But the governor also met this week with Charles' brother, Prince Andrew, to discuss ways to improve Florida-Britain trade relations.

Wonder if it was one of those "high tea" things, with all the fixins'.


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*Here's a hint, Jeff: you may want to stay away from blaming Floridians for believing things are bad. Recall these sage words?: "You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession.... We may have a recession; we haven't had one yet....We have sort of become a nation of whiners.... You just hear this constant whining".




Drilling

"Could we ever see oil rigs off the World's Most Famous Beach?" "Drilling bans may end".




ACORN hates America

The Hillsborough County Republican Executive Committee Tampa Tribune editorial board whines today about "the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)" saying that

Florida is not doing enough to help low-income residents register to vote when they apply for public aid. ACORN's Florida organizer, Brian Kettenring, told Tribune reporter Catherine Dolinski the state is even violating the civil rights of some residents.

Good little GOPers that they are, they respond with the usual deep thinking:

This is nonsense, of course. The state, especially through its motor vehicles department, has done about all that government can do. Voting is a right that carries responsibility on the prospective voter's part. The state cannot force someone to register if they are not interested.

And here's a curious remark by the editors:

If ACORN wants to fight voter disenfranchisement, it should target the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which prohibits nonpartisan groups from holding voter-registration drives at its hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and offices. Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning has joined the chorus of criticism about this slap in the face to veterans.


"Understandable Drop In Voter Sign-ups". That last remark is curious. What are the editors suggesting?




What is it with Orlando?

First this: "Vandals in Orlando spray-paint cars with anti-Obama messages.", now this: "Noose delivered to Orlando Commisioner Lynum's office".




Reconsider?

"Crist on Friday asked the Florida Supreme Court to reconsider its decision striking down a gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe." "Crist asks court to reconsider gaming ruling".




Not just Allstate

"More insurance rate hike requests predicted".




Retaliation?

"Republican officials are targeting Democratic state Sen. Dave Aronberg in retaliation for Democrats' once-high-profile race against incoming Senate President Jeff Atwater." "Revenge sparks GOP attack ads, Democrats say".