"Florida leads the nation in job losses"

"Florida leads the nation in job losses as the state's collapsing construction market fuels unemployment." "Florida jobless rate the worst in nation". See also "Fla. unemployment at highest rate in more than 13 years" and "Job picture is bleakest in 13 years".

"Soaring job losses and a sour economy"

"Florida faces a $1.76 billion revenue shortfall over the next 10 months, state economists predicted Friday, because of rising gas prices, soaring job losses and a sour economy." "Florida's revenue expected to fall for third year in a row".

Florida's system of public finance is of course a house of cards built by pusillanimous hacks owned and operated by the no-taxes under any circumstances crowd (a/k/a the Chamber of Commerce, the Associated Industries of Florida, and their ilk). With no backstop (and independent income stream), we get exactly what the Chamber of Commerce and AIF paid for: "State revenue estimate $1.8B short", "Sagging economy punches $1.8B hole in Fla. budget", "State economic picture getting bleaker" and "Florida faces $1.5 billion budget deficit".

"Florida — unlike the federal government — can't run a deficit. Crist's options:"

• Tap into reserve funds. The Legislature has given him authority to withdraw from the state's post-hurricane recovery fund or its health care endowment. About $1.6-billion is available.

• Make permanent an executive order cutting allocations to state agencies 4 percent, saving up to $1-billion.

• Call the Legislature into a special session to cut the budget, though that option would meet resistance in an election year.

Charlie "talking out of both sides of his mouth, as he often does"

Bill Maxwell: "Crist is talking out of both sides of his mouth, as he often does. This is the first time a Florida governor has ordered a review of a state attorney's report in such a case. Does this mean that Crist will order similar reviews whenever, or if, other white police officers shoot black civilians? I hope that Crist's action is an earnest search for the truth rather than an act of political calculus." "Code of silence poisons case".

Daniel Ruth's take: ""Race-Baiting Chum-Churning Alive And Well".This is your RPOF

"The Hillsborough County Republican Party has chosen Rachel Burgin, legislative assistant to state Rep. Anthony 'Trey' Traviesa, to replace Traviesa on the November ballot for the 56th District seat."

Party leaders chose Burgin this afternoon after interviewing nine candidates for the post. Burgin, 26, is a former assistant to Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair and is studying at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C.

Mickey is a RPOFer?

"Walt Disney World has limited its ban on employee guns at work to the giant resort's main property only -- and with that move Friday received the blessing of Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum."

How nice of Bill to give his "blessing".

Disney was a backer of McCollum's 2006 campaign for attorney general. The company and more than a dozen executives wrote checks to McCollum during the race, funneling more than $5,000 to his campaign. The contributing executives included Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World, and Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney also gave more than $520,000 in money and goods during the 2006 campaign to the Republican Party of Florida, which spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help get McCollum elected.

Here's a solution - cut taxes

"A national Republican pollster warned Florida GOP activists that public sentiment is running against their party on key economic issues Friday and said the presidential race is going to be incredibly close." "Fla. GOP warned public opinion low".

Amendment 5

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "The campaign to get Amendment 5 off the November ballot went one-for-three in court on Thursday, but that was enough. With luck, it will be enough to survive any appeal." "Strike one, and done?".

"Mark Herron, a Tallahassee attorney who represents Vote Yes on 5 for Property Tax Relief Inc., said proponents will ask the First District Court of Appeal to either hand the case directly to the Supreme Court or to hear it on an emergency basis. The measure is supported by Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Association of Realtors, a group that has pledged to put up $1 million for a campaign." "Supporters of Amendment 5 say they'll appeal ruling to remove measure from ballot".

Just do it Charlie ... select "Ricky" (his real name)

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "Crist makes no appointment more important than that of a Supreme Court justice, and he has every right to demand a larger, more diverse pool of nominees."

Charles Canady, for example, is an appellate judge nominated for Cantero's seat. But Canady got his judgeship from Gov. Jeb Bush, after serving as Bush's general counsel and defending school vouchers in court and after eight years as a highly partisan congressman who in 1999 helped run impeachment hearings against President Clinton. Similarly, Ricky Polston, nominated for Bell's seat, is an appellate judge appointed by Bush. It seems hardly coincidental that Polston was the lone dissenter in a three-judge panel ruling against Bush's vouchers. Polston's dissent ran 34 pages.

FloBama

"Barack Obama intends to use a huge organization involving "thousands" of volunteers, along with thousands of new voters, to win Florida, his campaign manager told some of those volunteers during a trip to Florida this week. David Plouffe, head of the Obama campaign, made a swing through Tallahassee on Thursday evening and Friday, holding a conference call for campaign volunteers, a fundraiser at the home of a supporter and a news conference call for reporters Friday." "Obama: Zeal Will Win State".

Good luck

"The Tampa Bay region has no greater problem than its congested and outdated transportation system. For two decades, political leaders throughout Tampa Bay have acknowledged that commuter rail must play a role if the growing region is to maintain its quality of life and diversify and grow its economy. Yet all the talk and costly studies have failed to drive a single spike into the ground; even a rudimentary rail system is at least another decade away. That's why Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio's plan to jump-start rail is encouraging." "Give rail a jump-start".

Brain trust

"U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., met with elected officials from Lake County Thursday to discuss a range of issues." "Nelson discusses issues with Lake County leaders".

The slum lord speaks

Sam Zell simply can't support a candidate who supports "mandating paid vacations and pensions for all Americans, and boosting Social Security and Medicare benefits without regard to the funding problems in those programs". "We think: The incumbent and his Democratic opponent from 2006 are the best choices for voters".

Background: "There's never been a wider, more competitive field of Democrats fighting to kick Republican U.S. Rep. Ric Keller out of Congress." "For Democrats, there's no dearth of candidates to unseat U.S. Rep. Ric Keller". See also "A 5th term, or a fresh face: Keller, Long face off in Republican primary".

"Congressional District 25 is beginning to heat"

"The race for Congressional District 25 is beginning to heat up on the west coast. While the snipes and accusations have been flying for awhile in Miami-Dade County, where the majority of constituents reside, disputes are now finding their way over to Collier County. Two weeks ago, Democratic candidate Joe Garcia, D-Miami, held a conference call, accusing incumbent Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, of refusing to debate him." "DBarbs fly between congressional candidates over debate".

Wexler sued

"Independent congressional candidate Ben Graber said Friday that he wants a judge to remove U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler from the Nov. 4 ballot." "South Florida: Challenger sues to have Wexler cut from ballot".

Strange

St Pete City Council: "This race has a shift made more notable because Darden Rice is gay, which clashes with the religious beliefs of some of her African-American backers. And Rice's opponent in the Aug. 26 Democratic primary is Rene Flowers, who in 1999 became the first black woman elected to the St. Petersburg City Council"

Darden Rice came close in 2005 to winning a seat on the St. Petersburg City Council representing a majority African-American district, despite her acknowledged failure to establish broad support from black leaders.

Now, several of the city's black political operators who backed her opponent, Earnest Williams, three years ago are supporting Rice, who is white, in her campaign for the County Commission.

It's a shift made more notable because Rice is gay, which clashes with the religious beliefs of some of her African-American backers. And Rice's opponent in the Aug. 26 Democratic primary is Rene Flowers, who in 1999 became the first black woman elected to the St. Petersburg City Council.

Stressed

"As with so many fish species, the health of the gulf's grouper populations is not what it should be. Red grouper is already under an annual quota for commercial fishing, and federal regulators are poised to limit annual catches of gag grouper as well." "Stressed fish stocks and diners".

DCF

"Crist tapped a one-time political foe to replace outgoing Department of Children and Families Secretary Bob Butterworth. George Sheldon, Butterworth's long-time right-hand man and until now assistant secretary of the maligned agency, will take over as interim secretary, Crist announced this morning." "Crist picks former foe as interim DCF chief".

Cool

Missed this the other day from The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Record numbers of people are discovering their neighborhood libraries, and that's good news." "Imagine that: Libraries are cool again".

Fifty lawyers applied to replace Kenneth Bell, 52, and Raoul Cantero, 47, who both are retiring for family reasons. Both were appointed by Jeb Bush.

Among five lawyers nominated for Cantero's at-large seat is 2nd District Court of Appeal Judge Charles Canady, 54, of Lakeland. He was one of 13 members of Congress who ran the impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton. ...

The four other finalists for Cantero's seat: 11th Circuit Judge Kevin Emas, 50, Miami; 5th District Court of Appeal Judge Vincent G. Torpy Jr., 52, Daytona Beach; 15th Circuit Judge Jorge Labarga, 55, West Palm Beach; and lawyer Edward Guedes, 44, Miami.

The finalists for Bell's seat, who must reside within the 1st District Court of Appeal area, are: 1st DCA Judge Ricky L. Polston, 52, Tallahassee; 1st DCA Judge Peter D. Webster, 59, Tallahassee; and 4th Circuit Judge Waddell A. Wallace, Jacksonville. ...

The only Hispanic finalists were Labarga and Guedes, who is also the only registered Democrat. Guedes is known in South Florida legal communities as openly gay, but he was quick to add he doesn't want to be considered based on his ethnicity or sexual orientation.

The strongest political credentials belong to 2nd District Court of Appeal Judge Charles Canady, 54, of Lakeland, an at-large nominee.

On his application, the former Republican legislator and congressman listed Clinton's 1999 Senate impeachment trial as the most significant case he has litigated. The Senate acquitted Clinton on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power related to his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Canady later served as general counsel to Gov. Jeb Bush and defended Bush's school voucher program, which let children from failing public schools switch to private schools at taxpayer expense. The Supreme Court ruled 5-2 that the program was unconstitutional.

Welcome to Florida, stay awhile ...

"Barack Obama's national campaign manager is coming to Florida. David Plouffe is planning to hold a news conference [today in Tampa] about the campaign's organization in what will be a battleground state come November." "Obama campaign manager comes to Florida".

The "drill bit"

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board: "John McCain would have you believe that drilling for more oil would immediately bring down oil prices -- and that the mere talk of drilling more has pushed prices down in the last few weeks. Give him a gold medal for bunk. " "On the stump with a drill bit".

Obama to address VFW convention in Orlando

"Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama and, possibly, President Bush will address the national conference of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Orlando starting Monday, the St. Petersburg Times is reporting." "McCain, Obama and Bush headed to Orlando to speak to VFW".

In lieu of fainting at the sight of McBush, GOPer VFWers may want to ask themselves why the troops actually in combat (as opposed to the career officers residing in offices stateside)

Now, between firefights in the Iraqi desert, some infantrymen have been sending a different kind of mail stateside: two or three hundred dollars -- or whatever they can spare ...

According to an analysis of campaign contributions by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Democrat Barack Obama has received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contributions than has Republican John McCain, ...

"That's shocking. The academic debate is between some who say that junior enlisted ranks lean slightly Republican and some who say it's about equal, but no one would point to six-to-one" in Democrats' favor, said Aaron Belkin, a professor of political science at the University of California who studies the military. "That represents a tremendous shift from 2000, when the military vote almost certainly was decisive in Florida and elsewhere, and leaned heavily towards the Republicans."

"'It says how much we value education'"

"Though she has to watch her budget at home, Condrey spends at least $1,000 of her own money each year buying supplies for her classroom."

"But Jessy Hamilton, who teaches geography and history to gifted students at Walker Middle in Orange County, says he no longer can afford the $500 he used to shell out annually for supplemental materials and supplies. A teacher for six years, he makes about $38,000 and doubts he ever will be able to afford a house if he stays in Florida." "Teachers 'not going to get a penny' in raises".

Amendment 5

"A circuit judge Thursday threw the tax-swap constitutional amendment off Florida's November ballot, saying its legal title and summary do not tell voters what the proposal really does." "Leon circuit judge pulls Florida tax-swap amendment from ballot". See also "Judge removes tax swap from ballot" and "'Tax Swap' axed from November ballot". However,

even if the question is eventually returned to the statewide ballot, Cooper's ruling was an immediate boon for opponents, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida School Boards Association.

Cooper ruled that the ballot question misleads voters by implying a "balanced trade-off." The proposal would require state lawmakers to use a sales tax increase and other sources to replace a $9 billion hole the property tax cut would leave in Florida's budget for K-12 schools.

Cooper also agreed with plaintiffs - a coalition of business and school groups - that the ballot question ignored "several significant changes" included in the amendment.

"A voter reading the title may well be misled into voting for or against the amendment without reading further," Cooper wrote.

Going down

State "economists have had to repeatedly reduce their revenue forecasts over the past two years because Florida's economy has been sinking faster and deeper than they'd expected." "Fla. revenue estimate may be down again".

Posada

"A federal appeals court on Thursday ordered Cuban militant Luis Posada Carriles to stand trial in El Paso on immigration fraud charges. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that Posada, an aging anti-Castro militant, should stand trial on charges that he lied to federal authorities in his 2005 bid to become a U.S. citizen." "Appeals court orders Cuban militant to stand trial".

And a TV in every seat back

"While Wade is named as a partner, he is not contributing financially to the schools, collecting a salary or taking part in day-to-day operations, said Mark F. Thimmig, CEO and president of Mavericks in Education, which would run the schools. But he is expected to show up at the opening of the schools, if they win school board approval."

What could be cooler than a high school with a game room full of Wii, PlayStation and Xbox consoles? How about three new Palm Beach County schools named for Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade?

A private education company is trying to win approval to open 16 charter schools, including three in the county, named for the NBA All-Star guard. ...

Thimmig formerly led White Hat, one of the nation's largest for-profit educational management companies. White Hat operated several Palm Beach County alternative schools before the school board decided not to renew the contract last year when the company didn't meet some academic goals.

The cult of "W"

"President Bush's popularity has tanked, but boy can he still bring in the cash. He's raked in close to a billion dollars, the political fundraiser in chief, during his White House tenure." But the GOPers hide him in the attic with the other crazy uncles:

Bush spent 90 minutes recently at a California winery tucked in a hillside in Napa Valley to help wring $850,000 from deep-pocket donors. That's $9,444 a minute.

Out of political expedience, McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, is generally keeping his distance - at least physically - from an unpopular incumbent who's burdened with war, soaring fuel prices and a sputtering economy.

Bush embraced McCain as the party's next standard bearer in the Rose Garden in March, saying, "I can help raise him money, and if he wants my pretty face standing by his side at one of these rallies, I'd be glad to show up."

Since then, the only time they have been seen together in public was after a fundraiser on May 27 in Phoenix. The two men shook hands on the airport tarmac and smiled and waved at reporters before Bush boarded Air Force One. The goodbye lasted less than a minute.

Not pretty

"The news isn't pretty for the courts system these days. The economy is lagging, crime is up, judges are getting busier and their staff is shrinking, officials say." "Budget cuts impacting court system".

Cuttin' courts

"Fla. soldier found dead in Fort Hood barracks".

Republicans battle it out in Dem district

The poor The Orlando Sentinel editorial board:

Mr. Siplin's primary opponent isn't a plausible alternative. Maurice Woodard says he's the trustworthy candidate, and he has an impressive resume. But the former Republican's claim of always voting for Democrats proved false. And he's unaware of important issues.

"Seeking more creative solutions from state lawmakers"

Drownin' that baby ...

"The alliance, Florida's People -- Florida's Promise, is bracing for an additional state revenue shortfall of perhaps more than $1 billion, its leaders said Thursday. The exact figures will be announced today. But already the group has some 50 agencies across the state -- including the Florida AARP, the Florida Coalition for Children and Florida TaxWatch -- that have pledged to work together to resolve the funding crisis. And 750 individuals have signed the group's petition seeking more creative solutions from state lawmakers than the slash-and-burn approach of the past legislative session." "Unusual alliance fighting to stop budget massacre".

Low hangin' fruit

"The promise of a likely easy win has Republicans in District 56 eager to run after State Rep. Trey Traviesa's decision to not run for re-election." "Contenders Line Up To Take Traviesa's Place On Ballot".

Not exactly the New Deal

"Crist said Thursday he was directing state agencies to ramp up construction projects already in the pipeline in an effort to offset news that Florida's economy — and tax revenues — are in a deep slump." "Florida Gov. Charlie Crist wants state to speed up construction".

Lori Parrish

"Broward County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish faces a primary challenge from former employee Sara Truini." "Former employee challenges Broward property appraiser in primary".

Crist called agency heads together Wednesday before announcing his "Accelerate Florida" plan to pump more money into the economy. He said pushing up projects like highway and new school construction will create jobs immediately.

"Frenzy"

After more than two decades of political consensus on offshore oil exploration, $4 gas and two pandering presidential candidates have put Florida's coast in imminent danger. Is more drilling really the solution? "" "Oil drilling frenzy puts Florida at risk".

And the Justice is ...

"Crist now has eight candidates to choose from to fill two spots on Florida's highest court. The Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission forwarded the eight names, dominated by seven lower-court judges, to Crist this morning. The finalists include Vincent Torpy Jr., now an appeals court judge, but once a Brevard County circuit judge and an Indialantic police officer. Two of the finalists are from Tallahassee, 1st District Court of Appeal judges Ricky Polston and Peter Webster." "Crist has eight Supreme Court candidates to choose from" ("none are from Northwest Florida").

As good a reason as any

"It's just a guess, but it's entirely possible Crist's appeal faded out of fears on the part of McCain that given Rome's association with the whoopee cushion/hand buzzer/exploding cigar novelty business, it presented too great a diplomatic risk to have her lurking around that first state dinner with the Queen of England." "Veep Dreams Seem To Turn To Bleep".

Time to cut taxes

"With Florida's economy worsening, economists are likely Friday to forecast a $1.2 billion loss in projected tax revenues, which could lead Gov. Charlie Crist to dip into reserves or propose more budget cuts."

"On his state Senate campaign website Wednesday, Gelber noted the monthly tax-collection shortfalls as well as the following statistics that indicate Florida is in for a tough ride:"

• 78,000 people lost work from June 2007 to June 2008, making the state first in job loss.

• 40,000 Florida homes were foreclosed in June, the second-highest number in the nation.

• 300,000 homes are unsold, meaning there's a year's worth of inventory sitting empty.

• Existing state properties lost $153 billion in property values, thereby reducing the borrowing power that helped fuel Floridians' spending habits.

Hard ball

"DePuy dismissed the allegations as baseless and accused Slade of dragging the campaign into "the sewer." The PBA has endorsed one of DePuy's opponents, Alma Gonzalez, in the at-large race." "PBA head files ethics complaint against DePuy".

Amendment 5 decision imminent

Update: no surprise: "Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper has ordered Amendment 5, the tax-swap proposal that would eliminate about a quarter of Florida property taxes, off November's ballot.". There will be an appeal, of course: "Judge tosses Amendment 5 from ballot".

"The campaign to wipe out most school property taxes in Florida moved to a courtroom Wednesday, with an openly skeptical state judge raising the possibility the ambitious tax plan could be torpedoed before it ever reaches voters. Backed by battling business and real-estate groups, lawyers argued over whether the Amendment 5 tax plan's title and summary scheduled to be printed on Nov. 4 election ballots in Florida are misleading. Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper said he'd issue a ruling by today on whether to strike the proposed amendment to Florida's constitution from the ballot. Either way, an appeal is certain." "Judge to rule today on controversial tax-cut amendment".

At the trough

"Republicans Line Up To Replace Traviesa In District 56 Race".

Poor Vern

" The FBI and other authorities should investigate business and election fraud allegations made against U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan's campaign and some of his businesses, the Florida Democratic Party said Wednesday. 'Based on the seriousness of the charges being made, it is only appropriate that the FBI and other authorities begin investigating these allegations,' said Eric Jotkoff, the party's spokesman."

Some former employees of Buchanan's automobile dealerships contend in civil suits they were pressured into donating to the Sarasota Republican's 2006 campaign, then reimbursed for it. The ex-employees also accuse the dealerships of engaging in fraudulent business practices.

"Concerns grow over the deal's economic consequences"

"Five weeks of negotiations have the state's $1.75 billion buyout of U.S. Sugar on track for a September deadline, even as concerns grow over the deal's economic consequences. Gov. Charlie Crist on June 24 announced the landmark deal to put Florida's largest sugar producer out of business and use the company's 187,000 acres to help restore flows of water from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades." "U.S. Sugar buyout deal on track for September".

'Glades

"Farmers south of Lake Okeechobee met their state-imposed Everglades cleanup goals this year after stumbling in 2007, South Florida water managers announced this week." "Glades farmers meet cleanup goal".

"The Miccosukee Tribe filed suit, arguing that the U.S. Sugar deal was derailing the long-promised reservoir, violating an agreement to corral and clean up polluted water headed to the Everglades. Moreno expressed sympathy for the Tribe, but decided that the potential long-term benefits of the U.S. Sugar deal were worth delaying the reservoir." "Judge won't force resumption of Palm Beach County reservoir work".

It's a job

"Loranne Ausley, at the end of her career as an advocate for children in the state House, will chair the Florida Healthy Kids program." "Ausley to chair Florida Healthy Kids program".

Brain dead in Hillsborough

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "In Florida, judicial candidates run in nonpartisan races; it at least gives the courts a veneer of independence. Linda Courtney Clark hasn't mastered the concept in her seven years of practicing law. Consider how Clark handled questions about an e-mail solicitation a supporter sent out on her behalf. Former Republican state Sen. John Grant, a Tampa attorney"

The courts need "people of high moral character," Grant wrote. "Linda has a tough campaign and faces someone who take(s) a far more liberal position on the social and moral issues that you and I care about." The retired senator also hit up recipients to donate to her campaign.

Grant said he doesn't know Campbell — "never met her" — but understands "people running" her campaign are Democrats. "I don't want to say guilt by association," he said last week, "but you certainly can know someone by the company they keep." So here you have Grant pleading innocent to a foul even as he commits one. Worse, Clark refused to disavow Grant's tactic. She said Grant's characterization was not political — then declined to say whether she agreed with Grant's assessment on the grounds she could not comment on political speech. Clark attacked the "journalistic integrity" of the St. Petersburg Times for reporting the story. In a letter, she underscored her commitment to the 'judicial cannons (sic),' threw Grant's name around again and painted herself as a victim.

CD 5

"If you're a Democrat, here are your choices for Congress this year:"

A candidate known as "Grandma" who crusades against state education testing and calls the United States a "communist country."

A candidate so confrontational he was banned for life from Disney for tussling with his own party's officials.

And a candidate who lost six previous long-shot campaigns but wants to run again because he is unemployed.

Good luck

"Leon County legislative candidates agreed Wednesday that Florida's fiscal crisis requires government to make tough choices about budget priorities and look for new revenue sources." "Candidates say tough budget choices require some creative thinking".

Bell Shoals Baptist Church'

"'What is integrity to you?' church member Fred Mahusay asked supervisor of elections candidate Phyllis Busansky. Without missing a beat, she answered." Read what she said here: "Candidates share beliefs with Brandon congregation".

A PBC thing

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "Add early voting to the potential pitfalls awaiting voters this fall. The breakdown of a statewide registration system on Monday, the first day of early voting for the Aug. 26 primary, is the latest warning for Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Arthur Anderson. Once again, the county managed to single itself out. Most supervisors had a plan if the statewide registration database went down. But not Dr. Anderson, who is running for reelection against two opponents." "Vote early? Not often".

Because on the surface, the voter registration trend in Florida should be worrisome to John McCain and Republicans, who can't afford to lose Florida's 27 electoral votes. While the state GOP added about 126,000 voters this year through July, Florida Democrats added 236,000.

Since January, Democrats accounted for nearly 45 percent of about 530,000 new registrations in Florida, compared with 24 percent for Republicans and 31 percent for independents and minor parties. More than twice as many new Hispanic voters — a heavily courted electorate — registered Democratic as Republican, as did new voters under 35.

But "Jeb!" said ...

"Florida ranks among worst in ACT college entrance test scores". But what about the SAT? "This year's scores for the SAT, another widely used college entrance exam, have not yet been released. On last year's SAT, Florida also ranked near the bottom ... ."

One assumes "Jeb!" and his lapdogs in the media will acknowledge that his approach was, you know ... a complete and utter failure. See also "Fla. ACT scores continue to fall".

"Trickle"

"A trickle of residents showed up for the first day of early voting Monday in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, where elections supervisors were closely monitoring the use of new equipment. " "Turnout, problems light in early voting".

Hate them "fecal bacteria outbreaks"

"West Palm Beach may have to pay nearly $400,000 in penalties for problems at its water treatment plant that led to a fecal bacteria outbreak last year." "Fla. city to be fined for water problems".

Plus, they just ain't true ...

"In what had been a quiet campaign for the state House District 100 seat, challenger Robert Kellner is trying to mix it up with incumbent Evan Jenne. Kellner has filed a pair of complaints with the Florida Elections Commission: one charges that Jenne accepted contributions in excess of legal limits. The other contends that Jenne's state-paid legislative assistant is improperly working on his campaign. Jenne, 30, a Democrat seeking re-election to a second term, called the complaints 'completely and utterly false.'" "Jenne denies challenger's charges".

"Florida's process isn't as clean as it once was"

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board: "Florida's process isn't as clean as it once was. Bush persuaded the Legislature to shift the rules for appointing nominating commissions."

When Bush took office, each commission (there is one for the Supreme Court, one for each appellate court and one for each judicial circuit) had nine members -- three appointed by the governor, three by the Florida Bar, and three chosen by the first six members of the commission.

In 2001 the Legislature changed the rules, giving the governor the ability to appoint all nine members of each nominating commission. The state bar's role has been reduced to a purely advisory one. In effect, the Legislature was granting the governor power to stack the courts.

Like Bush, Crist has chosen most of his appointments to the nominating commissions along party lines. And the commissions have been doing their work without much controversy or notoriety. Still, the governor should ask the Legislature to return to the previous, more balanced scheme for choosing nominating commissions.

As governor, Crist will still have the final say on judicial candidates. But returning to Florida's nationally recognized, balanced selection procedure would give the governor comfort that he's choosing from the most qualified candidates available. And it would secure Crist a reputation as a defender of judicial integrity -- making Florida the best possible example as the American Bar Assocation continues its study of judicial selection.

To tackle daddy's boy

"With the primary just two weeks away, three Democratic contenders in the 9th Congressional District race debated Social Security and energy policy Tuesday in a campaign forum. The Democratic winner faces incumbent Republican House member Gus Bilirakis in November, and the GOP first-termer drew criticism on energy policy." "Bilirakis challengers debate their differences".

"Champion of Business"

"Banks have filed three lawsuits against state Rep. Peter Nehr in recent months as the Republican tries to balance his failing business with a run for re-election."

His financial problems come to light in the midst of a tough battle for re-election.

Nehr is facing a rematch with Democrat Carl Zimmermann, a 57-year-old Palm Harbor resident and a Countryside High School teacher. Nehr defeated Zimmermann in 2006 by fewer than 1,500 votes, or 3 percent, despite the GOP's advantage in the district.

Nehr received the "Champion of Business" award earlier this year from the Associated Industries of Florida for his bill that made property tax assessments friendlier to businesses.

No comment

"The cost of incarcerating an elderly offender is about three times more than incarcerating younger ones, said Herb Hoelter, co-founder of the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, which studies prisons. He said the aging inmate population burdens the state with expensive medical needs, including wheelchairs and cancer treatments." "Older inmates take a toll on Florida tax dollars".

Bidness first

"State Rep. Trey Traviesa, a staunch Republican known for his strong antiabortion views, announced Tuesday that he wasn't seeking re-election in a race where he was a clear favorite."

Just a week after telling a Times reporter that his re-election seemed certain, Traviesa said he decided to drop out of the House District 56 race, saying he needed to spend more time on his business, a health care company called the Laser Spine Institute.

"My business has grown by leaps and bounds, and I have to look the situation in the face," Traviesa said. "Politics just doesn't fit right now."

According to Sam Rashid, a Plant City Republican activist, Richard Corcoran, the brother of Traviesa's political consultant, is in the mix. Others cited Jamie Wilson, former Republican Party of Florida official who is now in-house lobbyist for the Moffitt Cancer Center; former House member Sandy Murman; Rachel Burgin, a Traviesa aide; and Tampa Bay Lightning lobbyist Ron Pierce, who was a policy director for former Senate President Tom Lee.

Good luck

"Experts try to close health-care gap for minorities".

State gives up

"About 10 million Florida motorists will get $1 off their annual vehicle registration renewals in 2009-10 as the result of a federal lawsuit settlement approved Tuesday by Gov. Charlie Crist and the state Cabinet. The suit accused the state of violating the federal Driver Privacy Protection Act by selling personal information from vehicle registration and driver license records to mass marketers from June 1, 2000, to Sept. 30, 2004." "Lawsuit settlement will give $1 off vehicle registration renewals to Florida motorists".

"Surreal"

"Orlando state Sen. Gary Siplin's Democratic primary against Maurice Woodard is starting to border on the surreal."

Ads from interest groups on both sides of the Aug. 26 contest are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into TV ads and direct-mail pieces, all aimed at painting the other side as bright-red Republican.

The latest is a Republican group that has sent a mailer blasting Woodard -- who switched his registration to Democrat in 2007 -- for supporting a GOP administration that "shipped our jobs overseas, wrongly started the war in Iraq and destroyed our economy."

At the same time, a pro-school-voucher group financed by the family of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton launched a television ad Monday that labels Woodard a "George W. Bush Republican."

"You know, the same guys who give billions to Big Oil but can't afford health insurance for the poor," the commercial's female narrator says.

The line of attack wouldn't be noteworthy if it came from the playbook of a left-wing group such as MoveOn.org. But the committee that paid for the mailers, called Our Community Deserves the Best, was set up by Republican operatives.

What goes around ...

"U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said he fears Russia's aggressive action against Georgia may have some serious consequences on the American space program. If Russia fails to hold back military action in the former Soviet republic, it could hurt U.S. chances of accessing the International Space Station once NASA retires the space shuttles in 2010, the Democrat from Orlando said Tuesday. The Russian Soyuz vehicle will be the only option available for NASA to send crew and cargo to the space station until the shuttle's replacement becomes available for manned missions in 2015. Nelson fears deteriorating U.S.-Russia politics may result in 'Russia denying us rides or charging exorbitant amounts for them.'" "Sen. Nelson: Russia's action against Georgia could hurt U.S. space program".

Lake O

"In what one lawyer likened to passing on a sandwich for a chance at an all-you-can-eat buffet, lawyers from groups often in opposition teamed up today to argue against a demand to restart work on what would be the world's largest reservoir. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Federico Moreno heard arguments, but took no action, in the Miccosukee tribe's suit against the South Florida Water Management District." "Judge hears arguments today to stop work on reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee".

"Grilled"

"State regulators Tuesday aggressively grilled State Farm officials, asking them to justify their request for an average 47 percent increase in homeowners insurance rates. For State Farm Florida's 900,000 homeowners policyholders there are thousands of dollars in higher premiums at stake. The three-hour public hearing will be part of the regulators' review of the request from State Farm." "Officials question State Farm rate hikes". See also "Hurricane insurance hearings create own storm".

Amendment 5

"The plaintiffs - a group of business and school officials - trying to remove Amendment 5 told Judge John C. Cooper today said the question is misleading because it doesn't explicitly tell voters that $8 billion in school revenue does not have to be replaced after 2010, the first year the changes would take effect. Defense attorneys Mark Herron and Lou Hubener countered that the ballot question does not imply that a specific schools budget amount would be required after 2010. The defense also pointed out that the legislature is not obligated to spend a specific amount on public schools now." "Tax amendment challenged in court".

More: "Judge to hear tax swap amendment challenge".

"Her motion died without a second"

What exactly do these folks do for "$92,575-a-year"?

Despite a plea that the Florida Parole Commission needs racial diversity, Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet unanimously re-elected Commissioner Fred Dunphy on Tuesday. ...

"I think we should reopen the entire selection process in hopes of generating additional candidates," said Sink. "I believe that our commission, to the extent we possibly can, ought to reflect the diversity of the population of Florida."

Her motion died without a second, so Crist called the vote.

After his re-election to the commission, Dunphy was named its chairman in a 3-1 vote. Sink dissented without comment. She said afterward she preferred Commissioner Monica David, the outgoing chairwoman, for the vice-chair spot.

Commissioner Tena Pate remains vice-chair of the panel.

The commission is all-white and, if Vinson had been chosen, it would have been all-female.

HD 10

"Term limits are forcing Republican Will Kendrick of Carrabelle to step down from House District 10. Largely rural, the district covers Hamilton, Madison and Taylor counties and parts of Alachua, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Jefferson, Levy and Wakulla counties." "Four candidates vying for House 10 seat".

FDLE

"The head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Tuesday budget belt-tightening may force 40 to 50 layoffs and that the state might pull out of all but the biggest drug cases." "FDLE may be forced to cut more positions".

Hittin' the bricks

"Florida's top regulator of mortgage brokers said Tuesday that he will resign next month after his agency licensed thousands of brokers with criminal backgrounds, including racketeering and money laundering." "State regulator quits under fire over criminals' broker licenses". See also "Fla. Mortgage Chief Resigns" and "Florida financial regulator resigns".

"Pay to Play"

Joel Engelhardt: "Pay to play is alive and well in Palm Beach County. Sure, West Palm Beach got slammed with the "Pay to Play" nickname over a grand jury report that discovered that - horror - campaigns are financed by people who want something. But if it weren't for players, who else would play?" "No 'players,' no campaigns".

Lawsuit

"A Florida law that prohibits petition gathering near polling places is being challenged through a federal lawsuit filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union. The law prohibits approaching voters within 100 feet of polling places after they cast ballots, but it was amended this year to exempt people taking exit polls after a successful legal challenge by the news media." "Suit challenges Fla. polling place petition limits".

"Social Initiatives on State Ballots Could Draw Attention to Presidential Race".

Mulligan

"The Florida Democratic Party has finally nailed down a time and place for its do-over meeting to select a slate of 27 members of the Electoral College." "Updated: Democrats set new date to vote electors". Background: "Florida Democrats could lose electoral votes".

Interviews

"The first day of state Supreme Court justice interviews put candidates face-to-face Monday with a nine-member panel that questioned them on everything from their judicial philosophy to whether their families would support a move to Tallahassee." "Day 1 of state Supreme Court interviews begins".

"Trickle"

"A trickle of residents showed up for the first day of early voting Monday in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, where elections supervisors were closely monitoring the use of new equipment." "Turnout, problems light in early voting". See also "Early voters face choices galore".

"Party on, dude!"

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Being recognized as a top party school is a far cry from efforts to turn the state's flagship university into a truly top-tier institution of higher education. Oh, well. Party on, dude!" "UF right to shed party school image, and lawmakers can help".

"The children of University of Florida alumni were more likely to be accepted to the school this year than their non-Gator-related peers. One reason: legacy, an admissions policy that some education experts call the 'dirty little secret' in public university enrollment offices and one that three Florida schools use." "UF, 2 others use 'dirty little secret' for alums' kids".

Portable

"Few homeowners in South Florida taking advantage of portable tax savings".

The mortgage broker thing

Mark Schlakman: "Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson will revisit concerns surrounding the licensing of mortgage brokers during a Cabinet meeting today." "Here's how Cabinet can fix rights restoration".

GOPers like the "divisive" stuff

"Divisive social issues will be on the ballot in several states in November, including constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage in Arizona, California and Florida, and limitations on abortion in California, Colorado and South Dakota." "Social Initiatives on State Ballots Could Draw Attention to Presidential Race".

"Undecided"

"Democrats hoping for a heads-up on which Republican will challenge nationally targeted freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney in November didn't get a clear answer in a recent poll. A question about the Aug. 26 GOP congressional District 16 primary among former Palm Beach Gardens Councilman Hal Valeche, attorney Tom Rooney and state Rep. Gayle Harrell was included in a late-July poll commissioned by Dems. The survey, which a Democratic strategist showed to the Politics column, found 'undecided' leading the field, with 33 percent of Republican voters in Mahoney's district." "'Undecided' holds edge to face Mahoney".

"Something has to give"

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "Florida's 11 public universities have made an advance request for $65.4 million to retain faculty and staff members who have not had raises in two years. Yet the Legislature is looking at another major shortage in the 2009-10 budget. Something has to give. In this case, it's the Legislature." "Pay Florida's professors".

'Glades

The Miami Herald editorial board: "What trouble a bad law can create. In 2003, the Florida Legislature, at the behest of then-Gov. Jeb Bush, rewrote the 1994 Everglades Forever Act. Environmentalists and the Miccosukee Tribe warned that the revisions were a reprieve for the sugar industry, which was required to meet strict pollution cleanup standards and timetables under the original law. " "A bad law gets the rap it deserves".

"It's not really all that simple"

"After eight years of voting turmoil, from punch cards and hanging chads in the 2000 presidential election to the high-tech, touch-screen voting machines distrusted by so many, Broward County voters are about to get a new, seemingly simple way to vote: marking a paper ballot. Except it's not really all that simple." "Time for voters to make their marks on new paper ballots".

Steve Bousquet: "Florida's switch to paper ballots adds a paper trail that didn't exist with touch-screen technology, but the new system may do little to avoid chaos after a razor-close election. As early voting begins today for the Aug. 26 primary, elections officials are quietly praying for lopsided results. " "Paper ballots could cause trouble in close races".

Florida Crystals

"Sugar grower Florida Crystals is lobbying for an inland port with the development of an industrial and commercial center just south of Lake Okeechobee, smack in the heart of the state's proposed pathway for Everglades restoration.... " "Sugar grower pushes for inland port in Florida".

"Comprehensive plan"

"Southern governors whose states represent one of the nation's major energy producing regions are working on a comprehensive plan to reduce the South's carbon footprint and create jobs." "Southern governors to develop energy plan".

Who wants the dubious notoriety of "last in the nation?"

Last in education. Last in life expectancy. Last in new business. Last in quality and quantity of doctors per population.

It seems unbelievable, but last-place rankings will be an unintended consequence of decisions made by today's state and federal lawmakers and today's courts. Those decisions already are pushing us toward the bottom in health care access.

With too few new doctors choosing to come to Florida, it will not be long till our seniors understand their health is at risk. Retirees will stop coming and those here will start to leave.

Obama's crushing Florida ground game

"Amid the growing visibility of a huge Obama campaign under way in this must-win state for McCain, loyal Republicans have been waiting for signs of life on their side. 'Whatever they're doing on the grass roots campaign clearly is not working,' said Republican consultant Doug McAlarney of Tallahassee." "90 days left, time to move voters".

"But with well over 200 full-time staffers in Florida — four times as many as McCain and the Republicans — and some 150,000 Florida volunteers registered online, Obama is building a Democratic campaign machine that could finally challenge the GOP's mastery of ground-game tactics." "McCain, Obama Florida machines get cranking".

Seems we're stuck with Charlie

"He already seemed like a long shot, and then this week McCain faced some lousy national publicity and had to return $50,000 of suspicious campaign donations funneled through Charlie Crist's pal and top fundraiser, Harry Sargeant III of Boca Raton." "Veep-O-Meter retires along with Crist's VP hopes".

Adam C. Smith put it this way:

McCain owes a lot to Crist, but tapping him for veep would guarantee a lot more scrutiny of Crist's newly controversial political benefactor.

Poor Tom

"Democrats consider Republican incumbent Tom Feeney vulnerable in his campaign to represent the 24th district in the U.S. House of Representatives because of his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In 2003, Feeney took a trip to Scotland with Abramoff. Feeney has reimbursed the federal treasury $5,600 for the trip, but Justice Department investigators have questioned him in the wake of the Abramoff scandal. Add in national sentiment for change because of frustration with the war in Iraq, along with a stagnant economy, and Democrats are sensing an opportunity in the Republican stronghold covering Southeast Volusia, as well as parts of Brevard, Orange and Seminole counties." "Challengers see opportunity to unseat Feeney".

And then there's Florida's budget deficit

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board: "Florida's budget picture has worsened every quarter of this year. Friday -- less than seven weeks into the state's fiscal year -- state economists are expected to announce a pending deficit in the hundreds of millions of dollars. That leaves Gov. Charlie Crist with difficult choices."

The responsible solution is clear: Call the Legislature back into session, and tell it to find the money to keep Florida's budget afloat without making further cuts to services or raiding reserves. The AARP/TaxWatch coalition offers several suggestions, including collecting sales tax on Floridians' Internet purchases and claiming millions of dollars in federal grants that the state has failed to apply for.

Lawmakers also should roll back tax cuts that benefited wealthy investors while producing no noticeable boost to Florida's economy.

"We'll figure that part out later"

Howard Troxler makes Amendment 5 simple: "Here is the plan: We'll figure that part out later. Yep, that's the plan." "The latest tax idea: Leap first, look later".

More from the Miami Herald: "Assuming a judge doesn't knock it off the Nov. 4 ballot this week, a $9.3 billion to $11 billion tax-swap proposal for schools would force the Legislature to make some tough decisions."

The unknowns, however, dominate, considering that the amendment calls for:

• A review of some special interest sales-tax exemptions, ranging from car trade-ins to charter-fishing boats to school textbooks and lunches to newspaper advertising. If all those exemptions were eliminated, the state would get an additional $4 billion a year. The amendment prohibits lawmakers from touching another $8 billion in sales-tax exemptions because they cover food, health services and aid for the poor.

• A one-cent increase to the six-cent sales tax. That would probably raise $4 billion in the budget year beginning in July 2010. But whether this will help or hurt the economy is hotly contested.

• More budget cuts. It's not clear how much is left to trim after lawmakers cut $6 billion over the past year, and more trims are likely to be needed as the economy continues to falter.

• Other unspecified tax increases. These could include legalizing more video-lottery gambling (nearly $1 billion a year), taxes on cigarettes or booze (more than $1 billion), making all corporations in the state pay taxes ($365 million), stocks-and-bonds taxes ($830 million) or up to $23 billion by imposing sales and use taxes on services ranging from haircuts to accounting to limousines.

• A five percent cap on the assessed value increases of non-homesteaded properties. Voters in January approved a first-ever cap of 10 percent. (Owners of primary homes already have a 3 percent yearly cap, known as Save Our Homes.)

voters have passed 25 of 26 statewide constitutional amendments placed on the ballot.

This new willingness of voters to go along with constitutional rewrites was why business groups and Republican lawmakers in 2006 won passage of constitutional language raising the bar for passing amendments from a simple majority to 60 percent.

"Fifteen years ago, Florida voters who were a little confused tended to vote 'no,' " said University of Central Florida political scientist Aubrey Jewett, who has written a book about Florida ballot initiatives. "Nowadays, it seems Floridians are very likely to say 'yes.' "

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled summaries and titles of amendments put on the ballot by citizens and cannot "fly under false colors" or "hide the ball" from voters.

But the Legislature and review commissions are held to a lesser standard. Consider Amendment 9, also put on the ballot by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission.

It combines a seemingly common-sense mandate that school districts spend 65 percent of their budgets on classroom instruction -- 61 of 67 school districts already meet this standard -- with a policy shift that could allow more tax dollars to flow to private-school vouchers.

... and nobody came

"Imagine this scenario: Barack Obama wins Florida in November, and those 27 electoral votes enable him to reach the magic, winning number of 270 electoral votes. But Obama can't actually claim victory because Florida Democrats neglected to properly elect the 27 presidential electors who ultimately vote for a president." "Democrats lack quorum for presidential electors".

Sink to swap?

"Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink told the Buzz last week that while she hasn't taken a formal position on constitutional Amendment 5, she's leaning against it." "Sink not on board with 'tax swap,' yet".

Rouson believes in evolution

Bill Maxwell asks "What is the difference between 'evolving' and 'flip-flopping'?"

State Rep. Darryl Rouson is tussling with this question as the Aug. 26 District 55 Democratic primary approaches because he has gone from opposing same-sex adoption to publicly supporting it.

Now, Rouson, an attorney and former president of the St. Petersburg chapter of the NAACP, must explain his new stance to some of his old friends and to his many skeptics who think they see a case of cynical politics unfolding.

"I haven't flip-flopped. I have become educated.

And then there's Tally

"Although the Democrats expect this to be a good year nationally, that political momentum may not filter its way down to state legislative races. Political strategists say Republicans are likely to retain their nearly 2-to-1 advantage in the Florida House and Senate, aided by legislative district lines that were drawn by the GOP in 2002 to favor their party." "Experts: GOP to retain control in Fla.".

The residency thing

"Defining 'home' can be a stretch for politicians" and "Looking past residency, voters feel at home with Wexler".

Randy Schultz

Randy Schultz: "The state got by for so long on agriculture, tourism and services, all of which run mostly on lower-wage jobs that don't require an undergraduate degree, much less an advanced degree. But since 2003, the housing bubble and hurricanes have made Florida more expensive, and there aren't enough higher-paying jobs to keep the economy humming. This may be the fourth-largest state, but it has the manufacturing/industrial base of a country that sends 10 athletes to the Olympics. Study after study has shown the link between better jobs and better universities."

All that is true, but Schultz loses me with when he continues with this:

Yet the push from business hasn't come. Maybe now?

"I think that (the budget cuts) have had positive unintended consequences," [Dr. Mark Rosenberg, chancellor of the university system] said. "I think the mobilization has started." He means that the power hitters - the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida - may be ready to start lobbying the Legislature.