Slavery exists in the tomato fields of Florida, a U.S. Senate committee was told today.

"Today's form of slavery does not bear the overt nature of pre-Civil War society, but it is none the less heinous and reprehensible," Collier County Sheriff's Detective Charlie Frost told Democratic members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee.

No Republicans attending the hearing.

Reggie Brown was upset. As executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, he was before a U.S. Senate committee in April to dispute charges of slavery and human trafficking leveled at tomato growers by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, what Brown called “a purported labor organization.”

There’s nothing “purported” about the South Florida-based organization (ciw-online.org) other than the status of its mostly Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian membership of migrants. Their employers often don’t consider them quite human. More like purported human beings

Speaking of unions as being the root of all evil

"Volusia School Superintendent Margaret Smith sued teachers union president Andrew Spar on Friday,"

charging his accusations that top school officials are misleading the public about the budget are false and defamatory.

"I will not stand by and allow union representatives [read thugs] to maliciously damage my reputation and credibility in the community," Smith said at a Friday afternoon news conference. "Nor will I stand by while Mr. Spar harms the schoolchildren of Volusia County."

Smith is seeking more than $15,000 damages and a jury trial. She filed the suit personally, not as superintendent, and is paying for it herself. Ted Doran, who also is the School Board attorney, is representing her.

Another fine Jebacy

And this isn't coming from the United Faculty of Florida or some other commie group:

Florida is losing some of its best professors in an unprecedented ''brain drain'' to schools elsewhere, the head of the state's public university system said Friday.

And the state has the worst student-to-faculty ratio in the country, 31-1, state university system Chancellor Mark B. Rosenberg said.

It would require a $500 per semester tuition increase just to get to the national average of 25-1, Rosenberg told the board of directors of the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade's business recruitment agency. The tuition increase would pay for the $240 million cost of hiring 2,000 new professors.

Can't we pretend it is "health insurance"?

"A new report casts doubt on how much progress will be made by offering a “bare-bones” health care policy to the nearly 4 million Floridians who have no health insurance." "Skepticism raised over Florida health care plan".

Holly Benson on the job

"As of Friday, the agency had sent out about $48 million in emergency payments to 5,600 people who hadn't been reimbursed in about a month." "State 'Progressing' On Medicaid Glitch".

Unused

"Most of $5M fund for needy troops unused in Fla.".

Shouldn't someone report this to ... the ... SOE?

"For at least the third time this campaign cycle, Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson will need to return a campaign contribution because the donor appears to have exceeded legal limits." "Campaign Contribution Exceeds Limits Again".

Florida, "The Al-Qaida of real estate"

"Perhaps the best way to understand how it could be possible for more than 10,000 people with criminal records to win state approval to work in the mortgage business is to think of Florida as historically sort of the Al-Qaida of real estate."

After all, ever since Ponce de Leon conned a bunch of unsuspecting Conquistadors that they could stay young forever simply by drinking the 16th-century version of Zephyrhills water, one cheesy huckster after another has used the allure of Florida to separate countless rubes from their money.

And since the state has become one giant strip mall from Pensacola to Key West, interrupted by real estate developments with cozy names like Pit Viper Palms, or Tea Pot Dome Estates, or You're Toast Terrace, somehow it only seems fitting the paperwork to get started on the fiduciary pillaging would be handled by experts in their field - thieves, goons and thugs.

Do they get an offset for contributions to the RPOF?

"Florida's chief financial officer says a Tampa-based company needs to repay the state at least $46.5 million." "Tampa firm owes $46.5 million to state, Sink says".

From Limbaugh to you via the liberal media

This from the liberals at the St. Pete Times: "Edwards scandal: Silence, please".

'Ya reckon?

"A nonprofit advocacy group said Friday the state has greatly overstated the savings from Florida's Medicaid reform experiment, now in its second year in Broward County and the Jacksonville area." "Group disputes savings in Medicaid experiment".

Corporate America stuck with the "heavy lifting"

The The Orlando Sentinel editorial board is tired of corporate America having to pick up the tab in these "private-public partnerships":

The regional effort is supposed to be a private-public partnership; yet it looks as if businesses are doing all the heavy lifting.

After all, its Broward

"In the Broward Sheriff's race, Scott Israel is still the Democratic fundraising leader but lags far behind the incumbent sheriff. Tight fundraising battles by two state House candidates, including one who could become the state's first openly gay legislator, have set the stage for a close primary. " "Broward candidates build on war chests".

"'The question is whether Florida will grow up.'"

Kenric Ward: "By the time you read this, Florida Hometown Democracy may have gathered enough petitions to make the ballot."

In the face of a hostile Legislature, well-heeled corporate opposition, erratic counting procedures by supervisors of elections, questionable emergency rules from the secretary of state and inexplicably blasé (or non-existent) news coverage, FHD marches on.

“Eventually, Florida is going to grow again,” predicted Peter Zalewski.

To which Grunwald muses: “The question is whether Florida will grow up.”

The Sunshine State’s relentless boom-and-bust economy has been fueled by real-estate speculation, starting when land was sold by the gallon (a subject with which Grunwald, author of “The Swamp,” is intimately familiar).

Now that there are 18 million-plus Floridians — most of them living south of Orlando — it’s increasingly obvious that a construction industry on steroids is as unhealthy and unsustainable as a mountaintop coal mine. Relying on residential development for continued prosperity is like building a house of cards in a hurricane.

Few politicians will admit this. Their go-along-to-get-along attitude enables the scrape-and-sell game to continue. They depend on it for their financial support.

Florida Hometown Democracy is the “growing up” Grunwald speaks of. It’s the realization that pliable politicians — incumbent or newcomer — cannot be the ultimate answer. It should be painfully apparent by now that our elected officials are neither endowed with special insights nor unique intelligence.

The voice of the people, ratifying or rejecting via referendum, is the purest form of local governance. Hometown Democracy is the check and balance that’s been missing. That’s why fed-up Floridians keep signing. They’re tired of being treated like children

The jack-boot thugs federal government to the rescue ...

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Whether legislation before Congress can rescue the nation's — and South Florida's — housing market isn't clear. But it's certainly worth a try. Lawmakers finally moved this complex bill forward this week. The House approved a package to stem foreclosures with federal guarantees for refinanced mortgages, tax cuts for first-time buyers and lifelines for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae." "South Florida housing market needs a boost; hopefully congressional legislation can provide it".

Yippee - ki - yay , Motherf****er!

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Congress has approved a national program to allow retired law enforcement officers to complete a shooting course for a concealed weapons permit that is recognized nationwide. Doubly unfortunate, Florida has signed on by offering a course for ex-officers to take and receive the permit. In part, the program's goal is to give retired cops a countrywide permit so they can act if they see a crime occurring. This is a flawed assumption." "Do we really want 80-year-old cowboys carrying guns?".

OK in our fields, but not in our jails

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "U.S. immigration officials have deported nearly 2,000 more illegal immigrants from Florida this year than during the same six-month period in 2007, a 50 percent increase that is on pace to far surpass anything seen in the last decade." "Cooperation working on state's illegal inmates".

Hey Charlie, don’t let the door hit you on the way out

Newspaper company employee, Adam C. Smith, who is traveling with the employees of even bigger companies these days, shares his thoughts about the VP thing:

"McCain needs to pick someone who is vibrant and brings a lot of energy to the ticket,'' said Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer, who naturally thinks Gov. Charlie Crist would be ideal. "And I think it would be in his best interest to pick soon, rather than wait. He needs to generate some significant media attention."

"He may decide that he needs someone that will energize the conservative base. He will most certainly want to choose someone who would be viewed as a leader in the next generation of Republicans, and he'll probably want someone who stands a good chance of bringing some political real estate with him."

Wet and wild

"Wet July gives Lake Okeechobee a much-needed boost".

More government regulation

"State regulators are worried that a new self-insurance fund lacks enough members to spread its risk and say it hasn't submitted all the paperwork needed to keep its license. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation issued an order Wednesday stating the Palm Beach Windstorm Self-Insurance Trust - a pool of 18 high-rise condominiums in Palm Beach and Broward counties - violated its agreement with the state by failing to show a bank-issued letter of credit for one of its original four members." "Self-insured condo fund may forfeit state license".

Off Topic

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board is downright mean to McBush this morning: "Obama-Maliki ticket".

Rubio will get $69,000 during the next nine months to teach one class per semester at Florida International University in Miami, officials announced Thursday.

FIU is still reeling from budget cuts that are forcing layoffs and program eliminations. School officials say half of Rubio's pay will come from private sources.

Haridopolos, R- Melbourne, the presumptive Senate president in 2010-11, is paid $75,000 a year to teach a history course in the fall and run an intern program. Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, announced she would finish her $2,300-a-week contract for free after it was disclosed she helped create and fund the $1million program FSU hired her to run.

"Scammers"

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board: "Florida's reputation as a haven for real-estate scammers is long established."

By rights, this state should have the toughest, savviest regulation in the country -- officials have seen it all. Yet Florida leads the nation in mortgage fraud, helped in part by a system of negligent regulation that puts the fiscal future of too many residents in the hands of known criminals.

That would be a "no"

"First District Court of Appeal Judge Clay Roberts, who was the top legal adviser to then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris, is among the applicants along with two judges who ruled in recount cases and a member of President Bush's legal team."

Other hacks with the entitlement bug include "former GOP legislators, Dudley Goodlette, who most recently was legal adviser to the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, and Charles Canady, a former congressman and current state appellate judge." "50 candidates seek 2 Fla. Supreme Court openings".

Hike

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "On its face, State Farm's request to increase rates for hurricane coverage by an average of 47 percent statewide is outrageous and unjustified. If so, it should be rejected. But if the company has based its application on a state-approved formula and solid numbers that don't export profits to its parent company, the implications are ominous after two storm-free years." "Big Insurer's Bid To Up Rates Scary Blow After Two Calm Years".

"What's left is voter mistrust"

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "Take a good decision - bringing The Scripps Research Institute to Palm Beach County - and contaminate it with hidden agendas, bad decisions and ham-handed politics. Add budget cuts ordered by state legislators and voters. What's left is voter mistrust. In some cases, it's justified." "Budgets can stay sound if politics stays sound".

Wexler

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Even if U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler has been open about where he lives, including commenting on it in his book, his home residency status comes off as an arrogant ruse to evade congressional state residency rules. Maybe that's not his intention, and maybe it's perfectly acceptable, but it nonetheless comes across as deception, nonetheless." "Wexler's official residency should be investigated".

"$308 million computer system"

"The state of Florida has sent out emergency payments to 5,600 Medicaid providers that haven't been reimbursed in a month because of a computer glitch. Holly Benson of the state Agency for Health Care Administration said Friday that about $48 million in emergency payments have been sent. The problem was a glitch in the agency's new $308 million computer system that would not allow care providers to properly file claims." "Computer glitch delays money to Medicaid providers".

Whatever

"ADA hailed 'great act of justice' for civil rights".

Out here in the fields

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "Florida Tomato Growers Due Amends".

"Deeply troubling">

"To have one-third of the 120 seats on this year's ballot decided without a vote is a deeply troubling sign. But it's nothing new. It was this way long before term limits kicked in eight years ago." "It's troubling when a third of 120 seats go uncontested".

"Commanding lead"

"Obama, who struggled to attract Hispanic voters in the Democratic primary, now has a commanding lead with the group, a study released Thursday found." "Obama tops among 66% of Latinos, study finds".

"Most people have begun to see through the scheme"

"Crist is the one who signed off on this ever-maddening Department of Transportation quest to turn over public roads to private companies. He holds out hope, apparently, that the companies will shower his depleted budget with cash in such a way that he can deny their investment will be repaid by sky-high tolls."

Most people have begun to see through the scheme at this point, though, which may explain why resident and consumer groups and the county governments on both ends of the Alley have formally opposed the lease. Now that the DOT has received statements of interest from six different suitors, it is also clear that South Florida motorists could someday be entering a global marketplace.

Each of the six teams includes foreign companies — from Spain, Portugal, France, Brazil. One, from Italy, is made up only of foreign investors. Their interest merely underscores the inexplicable politics of outsourcing a publicly owned road.

Imagine that

"Candidates' ads shun the use of 're-elect'".

More Max

"The site, www.mustchangecongress.org, implores viewers to join a national movement to oust Republican incumbents, but the fine print reveals that donations go to Linn's campaign alone. It floods visitors with videos, pictures and quotes from Sen. Barack Obama but doesn't mention that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has not endorsed Linn." "Linn's Web site draws scrutiny".

Another fine Dem

"Florida trial lawyers are targeting Orlando state Sen. Gary Siplin with a leaflet mailed to voters accusing him of favoring insurers and telephone companies over consumers. But a national school-voucher group with nearly $1million in its Florida political war chest also is weighing in — praising the incumbent Democrat for his support of taxpayer-funded school-voucher programs." "Mailers duel over state Sen. Gary Siplin's voting record".

Voodoo

"Voodoo-doll brouhaha prompts extra security for Deltona leaders".

From the "values" crowd

"Nearly 300 poor North Florida children denied health coverage".

You can "mishandle" my "millions anytime

"McCain and the Republican Party of Florida have given to charity several thousand dollars in political contributions from a Tampa Bay area man who recently lost an investor lawsuit in Oregon that accused him of mishandling millions." "Donor's dollars passed to charity".

Under pressure

"Two former executives for U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan's auto dealerships said they were pressured to donate to Buchanan's 2006 congressional campaign and were offered cash and gifts as inducements, which would violate federal campaign laws."

"Lawyers for Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, called the latest allegations an effort 'to dishonestly tarnish Vern Buchanan's reputation three months before an election.'" "Herald-Tribune: Buchanan workers tell of donation pressure".

"Sex-ed provider teaching 'abstinence-only' fantasy"

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board: "" "The facts of life, purely".

Raffles

"Politicians' 'raffles' raise legal questions"

"It's the redistricting game"

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "It's no mystery why 42 state legislators and congressional representatives in Florida were re-elected without opposition this summer, and why many other incumbents are likely to breeze to new terms with only token opposition in the fall." "Erase Political Favoritism From Legislative Redistricting" ("FairDistrictsFlorida.org is collecting signatures to get two proposed state constitutional amendments on the 2010 general election ballot that would create new mandatory criteria for redistricting.")

"Griping Man"

Sally Swartz: "Every few weeks, Griping Man leaves an infuriating message on my answering machine. Griping Man works for a neoconservative group called Freedom's Watch that tries to promote support for the Iraq War and for President Bush's other unpopular policies. Lately, Griping Man targets U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, blaming him for just about everything."

The money bankrolling Griping Man and Freedom's Watch comes from Sheldon Adelson, 74, who, reports a June 30 story in The New Yorker, owns the Venetian and the Palazzo, two giant Las Vegas casino-resorts, and "is the third-richest person in the United States, according to Forbes." Mr. Adelson also likes to dabble in Israeli politics, and started a free newspaper, Israel Today, to promote the conservative Likud party. He has invested heavily in creating Las Vegas-style gambling resorts off China's shores.

He helped create Freedom's Watch at a meeting in Florida of the Republican Jewish Coalition in early 2007. The idea was to build an organization that could compete with the liberal-leaning MoveOn.org, The New Yorker reports. Last summer, Freedom's Watch spent $15 million supporting the troop surge in Iraq.

After reported infighting and "micromanaging on the part of its prime benefactor (Mr. Adelson), Freedom's Watch backed off for a bit, but recently has made a comeback, targeting Democrats it hopes to unseat nationwide. Rep. Mahoney won the seat left vacant by Republican Rep. Mark Foley, who resigned after his salacious e-mails to underage male congressional interns surfaced. Republicans, still smarting from the loss of a seat in a district gerrymandered to be an easy GOP win, are ready to pump megabucks into the effort to crush Rep. Mahoney.

So, Griping Man calls everybody in Rep. Mahoney's district, and Rep. Mahoney's staff hears from a lot of angry people. Unlike Griping Man's backers, Rep. Mahoney's human staff talks to the callers, takes their names and sends follow-up letters explaining Rep. Mahoney's positions.

Did I miss the slavery editorials?

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board is all over this: "The plight of Florida's tomato growers shows the need for an overhaul".

Party time

"Crist celebrates birthday with Palm Beach party".

Who'd thunk it would get to this?

"Bring back Theresa LePore".

"A child raised by a single mother ..."

"Democrat Barack Obama unveiled a new radio advertisement Wednesday that targets Hispanic voters with his story of a child raised by a single mother who grows up to become a Chicago community activist and political leader." "New Barack Obama ad geared toward Hispanic voters". How long before he is swift boated on this?:

The ad, similar to the two English-language television spots the campaign aired in the state last month, focuses on Obama's biography and mentions that he was raised without his father in his home.

"Some people have power and connections," the radio ad narrator says, according to a translation. "But most of us have to make our own way through life."

Another office opens

"Democratic Party activists won't have to look far to find Barack Obama's Gainesville campaign office." "Democrats open local office for Obama camp".

No comment

"Polk County ends spanking in public elementary schools".

Wexler

"U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler is defending himself against new accusations that he is playing a residency shell game by using his in-laws' address in Delray Beach while living in a Maryland suburb."

A national TV news program reported, and records show, that the popular six-term Democrat owns a home in upscale Rockville, Md., where he and his wife spend most of the year, pay property taxes, and where his children attend private school.

But Wexler officially identifies his residence as the south Palm Beach County home of Lawrence and Roslyn Cohen, his wife's parents. It's where the Wexlers register two vehicles and maintain voting and driver's license addresses, and where Wexler says he stays overnight during visits to the district on congressional breaks and other occasions.

Election laws require members of Congress to reside in the state they represent. Wexler says he meets that requirement by officially designating his in-laws' house as his residence.

The Cohen home is in the gated, seniors-only Huntington Walk subdivision of Delray Beach in Wexler's 19th Congressional District, a Democrat-rich district that encompasses most of south Palm Beach County and parts of north Broward County.

"Campaigning in a linen sheath"

"Campaigning in a linen sheath one week after The New Yorker magazine caricatured her as a black militant, Michelle Obama addressed hundreds of donors in Miami Wednesday in her largest event in Florida so far. About 800 people contributed between $100 and $5,000 to her husband's presidential campaign." "In Miami, Mrs. Obama drums up support, cash".

All it takes is money ...

"The head of a state agency that allowed thousands of criminals to sell home loans in Florida has acknowledged that his office did not follow a screening law, but blamed legislators for failing to provide money to enforce it." "Fla. to address criminals in mortgage industry".

"Stumped"

"The sabal palm, Florida's state tree, is under attack by a microscopic killer that has scientists stumped." "State icons are dying -- and nobody knows why".

Stop the madness

"State receives six proposals to lease Alligator Alley".

Gamble

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "The Florida Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Seminole Tribe of Florida can't conduct high-stakes blackjack and baccarat games at its Hard Rock Casino near Hollywood. Legislative leaders have said that they won't give the tribe permission. Gambling rivals have sued to block the games at Hard Rock. But at least for the short term, the odds still favor the Seminoles, which is where Gov. Crist will have to keep placing his bet." "Crist must keep playing".

- "First, a jobs report came out last week showing the state leading the country in job losses, and ranked second in the number of home foreclosures."

- "Two, the tax cutting plan backed by Crist, and which won voter approval in January, has done little to stimulate the economy, and many voters are blaming that measure for cuts in government services."

- "Three, another economic report said the downturn in Florida could last through 2009."

- "Four, surveys suggest South Florida's population growth, a key economic driver, continues to slow dramatically."

- "Need we go on? Unfortunately, we could."

A good deal of our economic woes are self-inflicted via an inequitable, unbalanced tax structure. The state can't simply sit back and wait for an economic rebound to lift us out of the current morass. Florida has to be more proactive, and a tax overhaul is a good start. ...

Florida's economic woes have proven a lot deeper and more problematic than perhaps the governor anticipated. He needs to refocus, or find that his base isn't as deep as he thought it was.

The unhappy news is helpful for one reason: It bulldozes the myth, crafted by Jeb Bush and perpetuated by Gov. Crist, that Florida added those jobs because the state has cut taxes for much of the past decade. Florida has not raised taxes since Mr. Bush left office 18 months ago. In fact, the Legislature cut taxes once since then; in January, voters did it again. Yet jobs continue to disappear. As a January 2005 Post story had shown, Mr. Bush had a lower job-creation rate after six years than non-tax-cutting governors.

Emergency shut down

"The Agency for Health Care Administration filed the emergency motion Monday to block any more admissions and suspend the license of the 52-bed Care Center of Ormond Beach Inc., saying conditions at the home 'present a direct and immediate threat to the health, safety or welfare of the residents.'" "State shuts care facility, details residents' injuries".

A "gray flannel suit" thing

"S. Fla. businessmen accused of cheating hospital, IRS".

"A 'mind-boggling' change in Florida's finance structure"

"Supporters say the proposal would slash property taxes and boost Florida's economy. Opponents say it would force other tax increases and hurt public schools. But this much is clear: As voters get ready to go to the polls in November, they face a choice that could fundamentally change the state's tax system." Here's the kicker:

If voters approve the measure, lawmakers would have to take other steps -- such as raising the sales-tax rate, closing tax exemptions or cutting other government spending -- to make up the lost money.

Privatization follies

"Palm Beach County commissioners this morning opposed a state proposal to privatize Alligator Alley. At the request of Commissioner Karen Marcus, the commission voted 6-0 to formally object to the privatization idea, which Gov. Charlie Crist and other state leaders have been exploring. Commissioner Jeff Koons was not present for the vote. The state's Department of Transportation is considering leasing the toll road to an investor to raise money for the state." "Don't make Alligator Alley private, Palm Beach County urges".

Are they serious?

Scott Maxwell: "Is St. Johns River Water Management District even serious about conservation?".

When the death penalty is not enough ...

Even the The Tampa Tribune editorial board gets this one:

It's ironic that Florida's prison system is called the Department of Corrections, since there is very little correcting going on.

Florida has lacked the political will to provide serious money for rehabilitation, including drug-abuse treatment programs, which might break the cycle and reduce crime in our communities.

But DOC Secretary Walter McNeil envisions a new future, one that moves the system beyond a singular focus of building massive prisons in rural areas that need jobs.

McNeil wants Florida to provide treatment programs for inmates close to being released. Even more groundbreaking, he wants to create a state jail system for nonviolent offenders serving sentences of less than 18 months.

"Off with his head!"

"Naples police say 43-year-old Laslo Mujzer swiped 42 cents from the Coastland Center Mall in Naples on Monday. Officers arrested Mujzer after a mall customer saw him fishing around in the fountain." "SW Fla. Man arrested for stealing 42 cents".

"'It's crazy that this should happen'"

"Nearly 300 poor children in the Tallahassee area were recently rejected for subsidized health insurance at a time when the state is struggling with a transition to a $300 million computer system that manages 2.3 million Medicaid patients. The children, from birth to 18, were recently denied access to the Tallahassee Pediatric Foundation, a network of pediatricians that serves thousands of children on Medicaid in the North Florida area."

"It's crazy that this should happen," said Tallahassee pediatric cardiologist Dr. Louis St. Petery. "This is what forces so many people into emergency rooms."

Gas tax

"Orange County voters may get to decide this fall whether to impose a new 1-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax to help pay for Central Florida's financially struggling bus system. Commissioner Linda Stewart on Tuesday proposed putting the penny-at-the-pump plan to voters in a referendum Nov. 4, and a majority of county leaders said they are open to or support the idea. A formal vote could come as early as today." "Is Orange County en route to new gas tax?".

What exactly is a "reporter"

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Martinez needs to join Nelson in backing Senate's shield law for reporters".

Every one an expert

"Are Obama, McCain reaching Hispanic voters?".

Sad

The GOPer whining "at the heavy news coverage of Barack Obama's trip to the Middle East" is becoming hysterical:

"They're disproportionately fawning over him to some extent," said Darryl Paulson, a University of South Florida political scientist, and a Republican. "When you have two candidates who are relatively equal in the polls, you would think the coverage would be somewhat equal."

David Colburn, a historian and specialist on the presidency at the University of Florida, noted that prior to the trip, McCain raised repeated questions about Obama's stands on terrorism and security issues and criticized him for not having been to Iraq recently.

"John McCain baited Obama about his lack of consultation with our military leaders in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said. "So McCain is a bit disingenuous when he now criticizes Obama and the coverage."

Two of Tampa's best-known military names, retired Rear Adm. Leroy Collins Jr. and retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Chip Diehl, former commander of MacDill Air Force Base, spoke up for McCain at Tuesday's Tampa event, where attendees watched McCain blast Obama at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire.

Cuba

"House lawmakers agreed to unfreeze $45 million in assistance to Cuba after the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development promised to immediately work to improve the program, the head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee announced Tuesday." "US aid to Cuba unfrozen, State Dep. pledges reform".

We missed those "sometimes-moderate stands"

"One of the more unusual campaigns this year has been that of Republican Jim King, 53, who attacked incumbent U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite for her sometimes-moderate stands and had hoped to win the Republican nomination for her 5th Congressional District seat. But he was forced to drop out over questions about his veracity."

While King is no longer a candidate, his name still will be on the Aug. 26 Republican primary ballot. ... earlier this month, he withdrew from the race after the St. Petersburg Times reported that the long resume about his claim to be a doctor and a veteran appeared to be largely false.

Jennings

"Christine Jennings, the Democratic candidate for the 13th Congressional District race, has received the endorsement of Clean Water Action." "Clean Water Action endorses Christine Jennings".

Wexler

"Wexler's challenger has accused the six-term congressman of playing a residency shell game, saying Wexler, D-Delray Beach, uses his mother-in-law's address in Delray Beach while flagrantly making his home in a Maryland suburb."

The geniuses weigh in:

"Is it not a ruse?" host Bill O'Reilly asked John Fund, author of Stealing Elections: How [Democratic Party] Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy.

Fund said it is not illegal for Wexler to use his mother-in-law's address, which is in a deed-restricted community for people 55 and over. But that it certainly is not within "the spirit of the law," he said.

"In the next few months, (Wexler) might want to shop around for a little garden apartment in Delray Beach," Fund said.

Edward Lynch, a Republican running for Wexler's congressional seat, has been researching Wexler's living arrangements and took his argument to the Fox News program.

Even without an economic decline, the state's budget picture could worsen. The Florida Budget and Taxation Reform Commission failed to tackle the state's real budget needs this year, instead recommending a foolhardy measure that would make state and local governments even more reliant on the unreliable sales tax.

It's understandable that Florida's leaders don't want to face economic reality. It's grim. But if they don't, they risk something worse than the current, painful but temporary economic downturn.

But "Jeb!" said ...

... to round up: "Florida's method ... has consistently resulted in much higher graduation rates than the national studies." "Mixed results in study of Fla. graduation rate".

Cuba cash

"House lawmakers agreed to unfreeze $45 million in assistance to Cuba after the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development promised to immediately work to improve the program, the head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee announced Tuesday." "US aid to Cuba unfrozen, State Dep. pledges reform".

Amendment 5 battle heatin' up

"A group of business leaders have filed a lawsuit to remove the amendment from the ballot and John Sebree, of Florida Realtors Association, which has pledged $1 million to support Amendment 5, acknowledged today he was concerned about the opposition from small businesses."

Sebree said eliminating property taxes that pay for public schools, which is where the proposed cut would happen, would help make Florida business more competitive.

"That's a big deal," Sebree said. "I think they're looking at the unknowns two or three years down the road and not looking at what this could really do for them now. I think that it's short sighted."

But Barnie Bishop of the Associated Industries of Florida, one of the groups that filed the suit in Leon County Court, said, "There is no now." ...

Sebree held a press conference to unveil giveme5florida.com and promote support for the amendment from state Reps. Frank Attkisson, R-Kissimmee, and Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg.

Go gators

"It's 7 a.m. in the marsh, and like some sort of cigar-chomping swamp cowboy, biologist Lindsey Hord is about to reach for something that could cost him a few fingers -- or worse -- if he's not careful. It's the first day of Florida's annual alligator egg collection program, a yearly ritual to replenish stocks for the state's gator farmers." "State keeps farms full by culling wild nests".

AFSCME endorsements

"Declaring that state employees can't afford to have legislators on a 'learning curve,' the labor organization representing public workers announced its endorsements Monday." See who they are here: "Public workers' union endorses candidates".

"A 1930s-style economic depression"

"If U.S. Sugar Corp. isn't replaced with something equally viable, the towns and rural counties around Lake Okeechobee could be thrust into a 1930s-style economic depression, a Glades County commissioner said Monday." "Loss of U.S. Sugar big Glades concern".

Luv dat corporate welfare

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "Today, Palm Beach County commissioners will consider a contract that calls for the public to pay more than $3 million a year, to start, for 20 years to raise $86.9 million for Max Planck. The result would be Planck's first American operation. The county would pay for a $60'million building at Florida Atlantic University's Jupiter campus, next to Scripps, and contribute nearly $27'million for Planck's operating costs, including equipment. The state would match the county's contribution." "Invest in better times; seal the deal on Planck".

"Mortgage fraud"

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "There is plenty of blame to spread around for the mortgage crisis and the record number of home foreclosures, from greedy mortgage companies to individuals who recklessly bought more house than they could afford to lax federal regulation."

Now it appears the state of Florida shoulders a good bit of responsibility as well. The state has failed to adequately screen mortgage professionals, aggressively discipline those who took advantage of borrowers or even regulate a significant portion of the industry. Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet need to take immediate action to ensure the state fulfills its obligation to protect homeowners from the worst of the predatory brokers.

From 2000 to 2007, the state let more than 10,000 people with criminal records go to work in the mortgage business — including more than 4,000 who passed background checks even though they committed crimes such as fraud and extortion that state law says should be flagged by regulators. A 2006 law requiring national criminal background checks was routinely ignored by the Office of Financial Regulation.

Guess what happened: The Herald found those ex-convicts committed more than $85-million in mortgage fraud and stole identities and money from some borrowers.

Simple

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "The key issue was simple:"

Would Congress cut payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients or payments to private insurance companies that cover Medicare patients? Since Republicans have tried since 2003 - and the overpriced, oversubsidized prescription-drug plan - to privatize Medicare, most GOP lawmakers first wanted to penalize the doctors. But a July Fourth weekend of ads by the American Medical Association and hostile reaction from constituents shifted the debate. The House and Senate passed the bill by wide enough margins that the veto didn't matter.

God forbid that these slavers miss a paycheck

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "Florida tomato growers correctly blame the FDA for stigmatizing their product without working more closely with the industry early on to trace the problem to its source."

It appears that the government jumped to a convenient conclusion under public pressure to come up with an answer - any answer. Tomato sales have plummeted, and growers have no assurance that things will get better with the next harvest. Some farms may switch to other crops in the fall to avoid the risk of more wasted effort and heavy losses. Consumers figure to take a hit from rising prices, too.

The FDA's inept and irresponsible response to the outbreak cost Florida growers mightily. They want compensation from the government, and they deserve to get it.

The only foolproof way to detect election-tampering is with hand recounts of randomly selected precincts. Unfortunately, Florida law doesn't set the bar high enough for post-election security. Elections officials in each county are mandated to recount only one (randomly selected) race, and recount only 1 percent to 2 percent of precincts. Such a recount could catch a machine malfunction, but the chances of picking a race high-profile enough to be of interest to hackers is slim. And the audits won't take place until after results are certified, setting the stage for another high-profile court battle if problems turn up.

Meanwhile, legislators significantly narrowed the scope of hand recounts in very close races, where the top two vote-getters are separated by less than one-quarter of one percent. Elections officials are now only allowed to hand-tally overvotes (where voters appear to have marked votes for more than one candidate in a race) and undervotes (where voters apparently skipped voting in that race). All other ballots cast in that race would be counted by machine, an imperfect solution at best.

In any election, determining voter intent should be the primary goal. But lawmakers failed to require adequate safeguards -- leaving elections officials to cross their fingers and hope this state doesn't see another lengthy, mortifying voting scandal.

Another fine growth industry

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board:

Prisons are expanding faster than schools in Florida, and Department of Corrections Secretary Walt McNeil is offering a compelling strategy for reducing the cost. He would build smaller, less elaborate prisons closer to home for short-term nonviolent offenders. His approach could help lawmakers restore some semblance of budgetary balance, and it is worth serious consideration.

Write-in scam

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "When write-in candidates manipulate the election process by slamming precinct doors on voters, as they've done to 280,000 people in Pasco and Hillsborough counties this election season, it's time to fight back. And it's simple to do: Become a member of the party whose primary would have been open to all voters if not for shams by write-ins, who don't even have to follow normal qualifying procedures. You can always switch back after the election." "Voters Can Strike Back Against Abuses By Write-In Candidates".

"Unlikely to work"

"Cover Florida, the health-insurance policy touted by Gov. Charlie Crist and passed by the Legislature in May as a way to reduce the state's 3.7 million uninsured, is unlikely to work, according to a report this month by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonprofit policy-research group in Washington, D.C." "Cover Florida health insurance appears to come up short".

Oops!

"Florida's top banking regulator is under fire after a newspaper investigation exposed that thousands of convicted criminals were licensed as mortgage brokers during the state's recent real estate boom."

The Miami Herald reported Sunday that more than 10,000 mortgage brokers with criminal records were licensed by the state between 2000 and 2007. And more than 4,000 of that number cleared background checks despite committing crimes — like fraud, racketeering and extortion — that state regulators are supposed to flag and not license.

Too bad

"Democrat [sic] Joe Lieberman, campaigning among Jewish voters in South Florida for fellow senator John McCain, said today he won't be the Republican presidential candidate's running mate." "Lieberman says he won't be McCain's running mate".

More: "Stumping for McCain, Lieberman says Democrats have 'changed dramatically'".

Restoration

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Restoring civil rights for nonviolent ex-offenders now depends on restitution -- their court-ordered payments to crime victims -- which mucks things up for ex-convicts as well as victims."

More than 30 percent of ex-offenders were recently ruled ineligible for the restoration of their civil rights such as voting and serving on a jury. Why? They hadn't made good on restitution obligations. Yet Florida is shutting them out of jobs that require occupational and business licenses, such as a roofer, a cosmetologist or a nurse.

"Pocketbook concerns"

"At a time when Floridians have their pick of pocketbook concerns, from record gasoline prices to lack of health care, one issue remains a high priority: property insurance." "Fed up with insurers, Florida voters may take anger to polls".

"Washed away ..."

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "Cities and counties in Florida have approved untold millions in spending that they knew literally would be washed away. For the first time, a court will hear arguments about whether that's a good idea." "Restoring the beaches, but harming the seas?".

Water war

"Florida to Georgia: Water war not just about mussels".

Drop

"Crist, however, has yet to offer specific fixes." "Crist eyes loopholes in DROPs retirement program".

To win the Sunshine State, the Democrat needs a massive turnout among two fickle voting blocs: young people and blacks.

By contrast, his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, sees a state of tailor-made constituencies: military types and conservative whites, especially in North Florida; wealthy Republicans in southwest Florida; Cubans in southeast Florida, along with lots of other right-of-center Floridians.

Add in the GOP's famous turnout machine -- Republicans carried Florida in eight of the past 11 presidential elections -- and you reach the same conclusion as pollster Brad Coker.

Busy bees

"The Florida Obama campaign has already surpassed many others in terms of laying infrastructure more than four months before the general election. Obama's staff won't reveal exact numbers, but Bubriski said it plans to hire "a lot more than 100" paid staffers. Last month, the campaign employed 20. ... political veterans say they hear the campaign plans to open between 30 and 50 offices". "Obama campaign hits the streets of Florida". See also "Obama backers go door-to-door in Daytona".

No manual recounts

"As the state heads into what is expected to be a record-setting year for voter turnout, Florida law does not allow for every ballot to be counted in case of a close election." The explanation is here: "Manual recounts remain elusive".

Tear jerker

"It's a story neither he nor his campaign wants to revisit. McCain's former [Orange Park] neighbors remember it well."

Like her husband, Carol McCain was not the same person after the war. McCain came home to find her with a permanent limp from a near-fatal car accident. She was no longer the tall beauty he fell in love with. McCain sued for divorce in 1980 and married a woman 18 years younger.

McCain has admitted his failings. His former wife told Timberg she did not think her accident or the war was to blame.

"I attribute it more to John turning 40 and wanting to be 25 again," Carol McCain said. She did not respond to three attempts to reach her for this story. The McCain campaign did not make his children available for comment.

"Loserman"

"Lieberman to stump for McCain today, Monday".

The trough

McCain's Florida cash registers

The names in McCain's $50,000-$100,000 list include former GOP state chairman Al Cardenas, current GOP chief Jim Greer, Crist adviser Chris Kise, lobbyist and former Jeb Bush aide David Rancourt, state House Speaker Marco Rubio and part-time Floridian Donald Trump.

In the $100,000-$250,000 range, Gary Morse makes an appearance, along with former Jeb staffer and Crist transition co-chair Kathleen Shanahan.

Moving on to the big dogs who raised more than $500,000: there's Tallahassee lobbyist (and McCain's Florida finance chairman) Brian Ballard and Fort Myers megafinancier Al Hoffman.

Say anything

"State Sen. Jeff Atwater is as entrenched an incumbent as there is, a prodigious fundraiser and the Senate president designate."

But in his re-election campaign, he is attaching himself to the Barack Obama banner of "change." A new campaign mailer uses that word several times and it also makes no reference to the fact that the North Palm Beach Republican is an incumbent, first elected in 2000.

"Think again"

The Miami Herald editorial board: "Old hands will be tempted to dismiss the latest Florida obituary in Time as media hyperbole. Our paradise has been declared ''lost'' so many times before that we've stopped paying attention. Think again."

It doesn't take a Ph.D. in economics to see that a low-wage state with a high cost of living (due in part to the insurance crisis and high property taxes) is woefully unprepared for these challenges. Nor does it give the next generation the tools it will need to come up with solutions.

Florida already is No. 50 among the states in spending per pupil in public schools. Still, the state has cut funding by $75 million to the Miami-Dade school district because of falling tax revenues. That leaves administrators and unions to fight over the scraps, and forces cuts at every level. Next year could be worse.

Florida's failure to manage growth lies at the heart of this problem. If times were good, the basic flaws in Florida's economic structure would remain hidden, but they would still pose a threat to the state's future. More and more newcomers enter Florida every year but state leaders don't seem up to the job of updating and overhauling physical and economic infrastructures that were never designed to cope with the needs of a population that has ballooned to 18 million people. ...

The question not only is what we will do about it, but who will lead us.

a Legislature that prefers ''protracted arguments about evolution and other Terri Schiavo-style social issues as well as legislation proposing crackdowns on bikers who pop wheelies'' while slashing $5 billion from an already inadequate budget, will never be mistaken for a repository of political wisdom

Hiaasen: "Only a sucker would believe otherwise"

Carl Hiaasen: "Last week, President Bush strode [sic] into the White House Rose Garden and announced he was nullifying the moratorium on offshore oil drilling that his father initiated 18 years ago following the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska."

"The time for action is now,'' proclaimed the younger Bush, though of course the gesture was largely symbolic. The moratorium stays in place until Congress decides not to renew it.

And Congress, declared our fearless leader, is "the only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources.''

Wow. And we thought the gas crisis was more complicated. Apparently it's the fault of those knuckleheads on Capitol Hill who continue to persecute the poor energy companies.

Naturally, some ''obstructionist'' Democrats want the oil companies to explain why they aren't drilling in all these other places before they start drilling off the coasts of Florida, California and along the eastern seaboard. ...

That means four-fifths of all known offshore deposits are available to industry exploration efforts, according to the federal Mineral Management Service.

So why aren't they concentrating on the oil leases that they already control? Another good question, and one for which the explanations are typically murky.

The energy companies want to score big before their two guardian angels, Bush and Dick Cheney, leave power. With the public pounded by gas prices surpassing $4 a gallon, industry lobbyists see a golden opportunity to dismantle the offshore moratorium.

In both Florida and California, which suffered a horrendous spill at Santa Barbara in 1969, most residents have opposed near-shore oil exploration. ...

Yet in Florida, fellow green Republican Charlie Crist, a longtime foe of offshore drilling, recently announced that he -- like McCain -- has had a change of heart.

''Floridians are suffering,'' Charlie said, as if oil companies will kind-heartedly deflate gas prices once their derricks rise off Destin and Tampa.

Ironically, both the industry and the government believe leases within 100 miles off Florida's coasts hold mostly natural gas, which will do nothing to help lower the cost of crude.

Such details are seldom noted by politicians who disingenuously peddle offshore drilling as a cure for high gas prices. The only cure is to radically reduce demand, and to develop alternative energy sources. ...

Drilling in the Alaskan wilderness won't save us, nor will drilling off the beaches of Florida and California. The main result would be a temporary boost in domestic product, which the oil companies will eagerly sell us at whatever price the market will bear.

Only a sucker would believe otherwise.

"I'm sick and tired of getting table scraps"

"The leader of the Florida Democratic Party's gay caucus, declaring that 'I'm sick and tired of getting table scraps,' complained Saturday that Sen. Barack Obama offended a large and faithful voting bloc by not sending his wife or another top campaign surrogate to the group's annual meeting. But a top state coordinator of the Obama campaign assured members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Democratic Caucus that Obama is their best bet on gay issues." "GLBT Democrats say Obama 'slighted' them".

For those that can afford it ... no problem

"For-profit colleges are finding a spot in Florida's higher education market, but their popularity comes with a higher price." "For-profit colleges gain in popularity in Florida".

Perks

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "It's one thing to ask taxpayers to foot the bill for take-home-cars awarded to law enforcement officers and other government workers who travel frequently on the job. But a $21,324 Ford Crown Victoria for the North Lauderdale human resources director? A $27,559 Dodge Durango for the Davie town clerk?" "Car perks for government workers waste money".

Algae blooms

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "In a broad sense, achieving a better balance is the goal of a lawsuit filed in federal court last week in Tallahassee by five environmental groups. They sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, contending that the EPA is violating the federal Clean Water Act by not setting new limits for urban and agricultural runoff that fuels algae blooms in Florida waterways." "Balancing act".

Back at the ranch, "Southwest Florida beaches littered with red algae".

FCAT Follies

"Florida schools that rally, drill and otherwise throw themselves into an FCAT frenzy may have to exercise more control, now that new test-prep restrictions have become law. FCAT skeptics say the new policy is a triumph, in that it acknowledges there is too much focus on the high-stakes test. But they question how much practical effect the law will have, given the myriad exceptions that lawmakers built into it." "Law Aims To Declaw FCAT Mania".

Try sex ed?

Dan Moffett thinks Jebbie "did for education in Florida what Eliot Spitzer did for monogamy" He continues: "it would be great to hear a governor, elected official or superintendent say something like this: 'We are not losing these kids as students at 13 and 14 years old; we're losing them at 13 and 14 months - and, in fact, even earlier.' ... people in power are still acting as if it's possible to overcome a childhood of neglect with some FCAT tutorials." "Grade schools on prenatal FCAT".

Media pays attention to Young challengers!

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "To use a neighborhood meeting about cancer-causing contaminants as a campaign opportunity is the political equivalent of ambulance chasing, but that didn't stop Max Linn."

On the cheap ...

Scott Maxwell on Orlando's woes: "You get what you pay for. That's why residents who want government on the cheap often get just that -- along with substandard schools, inadequate police service and shoddy roads." "Before raising taxes . . .".

"Fourth Seminole War"

Randy Schultz: "The United States won the third and final Seminole War, which ended in 1858. Ah, but the Fourth Seminole War now being fought in Florida? The tribe is winning, and despite the method of warfare, the outcome seems fair. The fourth war is over the Seminole Tribe of Florida's fight to have the most lucrative casinos in the state. And the tribe is holding all the cards." "Seminoles up the ante in latest 'war'".

Where's Charlie?

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "Reading the recent headlines regarding Florida's property insurance crisis is as depressing as watching gas prices rise. It does not take an actuary to figure out the trend lines aren't good. The state's efforts to make property insurance more accessible and affordable are not working." "A failed insurance market".