Warning Will Robinson! Felons trying to vote!

Prepare yourself for RPOFer shrieking about "vote fraud": "More than 30,000 Florida felons who by law should have been stripped of their right to vote remain registered to cast ballots in this presidential battleground state, a Sun Sentinel investigation has found."

Many are faithful voters, with at least 4,900 turning out in past elections.

The felons the Sun Sentinel identified never received clemency, but their names remain on Florida's voter rolls. Some are well-known:"

ex-Broward Sheriff Ken Jenne and ex-Palm Beach County Commissioner Tony Masilotti, for instance, both convicted last year of public corruption.

IQ test: what do these two dudes not have in common with most of the felons stricken from the rolls?

On a separate note, doesn't the (apparently incompetent) FDLE have anything better to do than this?:

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement runs daily checks of criminal records against new voters and those who have made changes to their registrations, sending possible matches to the Elections Division.

"To civil rights advocates,"

the troubled system is an argument to change the state's constitution to automatically restore voting rights to all felons who complete their sentences.

"Many convicted felons remain on voter rolls, according to Sun Sentinel investigation".




Where's John?

"As John McCain struggles for traction in Florida, many Republicans find themselves asking the same question. Where is McCain's television presence?" "Many Republicans ask: Where's McCain's TV presence?".




"Do the math"

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board:

The Legislature just cut $332 million from the education budget. The state faces a $3.5 billion deficit next year, projecting further cuts to come. Deficits aren't unusual in downturns. Deficits that large, in a state supposedly this rich, are. They're the consequence of tax policy. One example: In 1999, under Gov. Jeb Bush, the state began phasing out the state tax on income earned on stocks, bonds and other investments -- a cut valued at more than $250 million a year and that mostly benefited the wealthy.

Do the math. That's more than $2 billion in lost revenue right there (not counting the much larger revenue the tax would have brought in from 2003 to 2007, when the stock market soared, not counting the trust-fund raiding that took place in 2001 to close a $1 billion budget gap and the raiding that took place this year to close a larger gap). Jeb Bush boasted that taxes were cut in almost every year he served, until 2006. The tax-slashing party didn't end with Gov. Charlie Crist, who championed a constitutional amendment forcing local governments to scale back their property taxes. The amendment passed, revenue fell, and school boards went into budget-cutting mode -- before the financial crisis hit.

Florida's $610 billion economy ranks it, by itself, as the world's 17th-largest economy -- ahead of Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Poland and Switzerland (where students generally perform better than in Florida), and twice the size of oil-rich Saudi Arabia's. The state economy grew 5.4 percent in 2004, 7.3 percent in 2005 and 3.6 percent in 2006, well ahead of the rest of the nation. Yet Tallahassee is pleading poverty now that its economy hit zero growth in 2007. It's not true that Florida had no choice in the fat years but to cut taxes, or has no choice now but to suffer the consequences. Bad tax policy is reversible tax policy. That's the message teachers and school boards should be hammering on lawmakers.

"Lesson plan for educators: Reform state priorities".




Wexler

"When Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler announced in July that he would begin renting an apartment in his congressional district, it was a rare indication that at least some of the ordinary forces of politics apply to the six-term incumbent." "Aggressive rivals, residency flap muddy Wexler's path to reelection".




Yee Haw!

"A giant Confederate battle flag that has been raised several times at the crossroads of two major highways near Tampa has been replaced with an even bigger flag." "Giant Confederate flag flying near Tampa gets bigger".




Undecided

"Floridians in November will decide on six proposed constitutional amendments. Less than a month before the election, most voters don't know much about them. In a poll conducted Oct. 4-6, more than 40 percent declared themselves undecided on five of the six ballot questions." "Poll: Floridians unsure about new amendments".




"My ambition is to have ambition"

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "You can't accuse the state's Public Service Commission of being too ambitious." "Now's not the time for state regulators to wimp out on renewable energy".




Don't get sick

"Volunteers In Medicine, which provides free care for impoverished, uninsured Martin County residents, closed its doors to illegal immigrants last month. Immigrant advocates in Indiantown, including Sister Teresa Auad, aren't sure how many undocumented families were using the clinic's free services, but said a need for primary care definitely exists in the area. ... Treasure Coast Community Health in Fellsmere also requires patients to prove legal residency before receiving care, Executive Director Don Loftus said. The center does direct undocumented patients to other agencies where their legal residency status might not matter." "Illegal immigrants face fewer choices for health care on Treasure Coast".




Don't blame the GOPers

The Zell Corporation wants you to know that the recession --> depression ain't necessarily the fault of GOPerdom: "There is lots of blame to go around. ... Republicans, it is true they contributed with their distaste for government regulation. But it was the Democrats who balked at regulating Fannie and Freddie. Fannie and Freddie downplayed the risks as they raked in massive profits. So if you ask me, all of them caused this meltdown." "Meltdown not over: 'Financial weapons of mass destruction' have yet to go off".




"Aiming for Ros-Lehtinen upset"

"A little-known Colombian- American businesswoman faces an uphill climb as she poses the first serious challenge to a 19-year Congressional incumbent." "Democratic challenger aiming for Ros-Lehtinen upset".

"A longtime congresswoman known for her personal touch, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is expected to fare better than others from her party at the polls." "Ileana Ros-Lehtinen rising above party's ills".




Sad news

"An animal welfare official says a wayward manatee that was rescued from cold Cape Cod waters died on the way home to Florida." "Lost manatee rescued in Mass. dies on trip to Fla.".




HD 33

"A law and order incumbent Republican [Sandy Adams]. A Democratic challenger [Robert Acosta] who would raise sales taxes. An independent with libertarian views. Those are the choices in the campaign for Florida House District 33, which covers west Volusia, as well as parts of Orange and Seminole counties." "Candidates see different needs in House 33 race".




Shhhh ...

Tom Blackburn has a little fun this morning: Roe v. Wade, you know ... "the decision anti-abortion folks rally against in Washington each January."

Who wrote it? A Republican justice (Harry Blackmun) appointed by a Republican president (Nixon). The court's majority consisted of four Republican appointees and three Democrats. The dissenters were one Republican (William Rehnquist) and one Democrat (Byron White).

"Republicans legalized abortion".




McCain who?

"Where's that Crist campaign magic?".




'Ya reckon?

"Congressional District 22: Ron Klein, Allen West disagree on pretty much everything".




TPS

"Two weeks ago, the Bush Administration announced it would extend temporary protected status to an estimated 300,000 Honduran, Nicaraguan and Salvadoran nationals who have been allowed to stay for years after natural disasters struck their countries. It was granted to Hondurans and Nicaraguans after Hurricane Mitch hit in 1998 and to Salvadorans after a series of earthquakes in 2001. While immigrant advocates argue it's unfair to deny Haiti the same benefit afforded those countries, opponents say the fact that the immigrants from those other places are still here is proof the system doesn't work." "Advocates urge U.S. to give undocumented Haitians temporary protected status".




No fat kids

The Miami Herald editorial board: "Legislature made the right call in requiring physical education classes." "Fit minds, fit bodies".




"Still can't seem to shake the 2000 TV spectacle"

"You may think a representative democracy sounds pretty simple. Self-governing folks can take an hour out of their busy lives Nov. 4 to cast their votes and decide which party and presidential hopeful rules the roost. Welcome to Florida. Hope you can stay for a while. Truth is, the Sunshine State still can't seem to shake the 2000 TV spectacle of the presidency being affected by poll workers training their spectacles on dimpled chads." "Here's what you need to know to ensure you can cast your ballot on Election Day".




Stumper

"Boxer, who serves with Obama on the Senate foreign relations and public works committees, will also visit communities in Boynton Beach and Lauderhill on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday she will campaign for Obama in Sunny Isles Beach, in Miami-Dade County." "Sen. Boxer to stump for Obama in West Palm Beach".




Never mind the parasites

Note to RPOFers: some folks don't own their own pools. "Nothing says 'South Florida lifestyle' like a pool, a tropical oasis where you can take a dip year-round. But hundreds of pools are closed annually for carrying parasites, bacteria and other pathogens that can make swimmers seriously ill." "Poorly maintained public pools a growing health concern in South Florida".




Party on

Michael Mayo: "It's party vs. power in Broward County sheriff's race".