We need to be rescued from Jeb Bush.

it is becoming clearer by the day that Jeb Bush did not leave Florida in great shape to weather the recession. Public schools and health care already have taken cuts, with more on the way. The situation is worse than it needed to be because Jeb made cutting taxes for Florida's wealthiest residents a priority.

it would be nice to have someone of global stature to take on Jeb Bush if he decides to run for Senate. Caroline Kennedy, daughter of former President John F. Kennedy and niece of former New York Sen. Robert Kennedy, certainly fills the bill. What about the fact that she isn't a Floridian? Doesn't matter. Hillary Clinton wasn't really a New Yorker when she ran for her Senate seat from there. Besides, Caroline Kennedy has significant ties to Florida.

Most obviously, for more than 30 years she joined other Kennedys at the family compound on Palm Beach. The family of her husband, Ed Schlossberg, also has owned a home on Palm Beach.

So that she can earn it. She should try not to radiate the sense of entitlement so common to, say, Jeb and George W. Bush, both of whom exploited the family name to get political jobs well above their abilities.

Surely President-elect Obama can find Caroline Kennedy a meaty role to play in his administration. Put her in charge of programs to help individuals avoid foreclosure, for example.

Jeb probably still feels a sense of entitlement concerning Florida. He must be thinking the Senate seat is his for the asking. Let Caroline Kennedy run in Florida, and - if Jeb isn't afraid to take her on - it would set up a battle between the two best-known political families in the country.

five reasons for him to jump in and five reasons to stay put in the private sector

Ruth's back!

Daniel Ruth, whose work last appeared in the Tampa Tribune, begins a weekly column to appear on Fridays in the St Pete Times. He starts with this nifty piece about Mel: "Nothing stirs the paternal yearnings of a pol, turning them into something akin to Andy of Mayberry meets Walton Mountain, more than a 36 percent approval rating." "Martinez family, he's all yours".

Florida's "political reporters" reduced to fighting for wedding cake

"Crist became the first sitting Florida governor to wed in nearly 42 years, exchanging vows Friday evening with New York socialite Carole Rome in a church ceremony." "Gov. Crist, you may now kiss the bride". See also "Gov. Charlie Crist weds Carole Rome in St. Petersburg" and "Florida's new First Couple".

"Their guest list — ranging from [brainiac]television commentator Geraldo Rivera to the elite of Tallahassee's lobbying corps — was a mostly well-kept secret."

"The bride, wearing a floor-length white silk gown [(BTW she's previously married with children)], carried a huge bouquet of white roses and her husband's boutonniere matched it. Dinner opened with butter-poached lobster and caviar from Mote Aquaculture in Sarasota County, followed by Caesar Salad, braised short ribs and macadamia nut-crusted grouper with vegetables." "Crist-Rome wedding a celebrity-filled fete". See also "220 of their closest friends" and "A new life for Gov. Crist".

We'll let Joy-Ann Reid say what few others have had the courage to say: "Meanwhile: Miss Charlie gets married ... to a woman!" In the meantime, "Gay protesters ask: When can I get married?"

The lazy bastard probably wants a pay raise this year ...

"FHP trooper delivers baby girl on the Turnpike".

"Florida, moderate and centrist"? But I thought Obama was a socialist?

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "Crist will soon make his third appointment to the Florida Supreme Court — a choice that could significantly change the ideological balance of the seven-member court. Crist, after choosing two ideological conservatives to succeed like-minded justices, now should ensure the court remains, like Florida, moderate and centrist." "For a centrist court".

Sugar fight

"A major competitor of U.S. Sugar filed a complaint alleging its $1.34 billion dollar deal to sell the state land won't advance Everglades restoration and only lines the pockets of U.S. Sugar, a spokesman for Florida Crystals said Friday." "Florida Crystals opposing state deal with US Sugar". See also "Fanjuls file legal attack against U.S. Sugar sale" and "U.S. Sugar deal may be $300 million too expensive, new appraisals say".

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board:

If a proposed $1.34 billion purchase of U.S. Sugar's 182,500 acres goes forward on Monday or Tuesday — and despite the fact that the water district needs just 40,000 to 45,000 of those acres for Everglades restoration — U.S. Sugar would lease the land back for the bargain price of $50 an acre for six of a seven year contract. That's about one-fifth of market rate; hence, not much of a deal in lease payments for taxpayers.

During those years, systems for converting the farm land into water storage and filtration areas would be completed. And that's the part of the purchase plan that's critically important to environmentalists and the ecosystem south of the Everglades and vital to South Florida.

Yet given the current economic climate, and not knowing how much this restoration would ultimately cost — given long-term costs of bond financing on top of the $1.34 billion purchase — a decision next week is dubious, rushed and arbitrary. To proceed with this approach, the district will also have to divert funding intended for other Everglades restoration projects.

Castor on the move

"U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa will relinquish her seat on two influential House committees to join the panel tasked with shepherding President-elect Obama's health care plan through Congress."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that Castor, a Democrat, will join the wide-ranging Committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees energy policy, environmental regulations, consumer protection and health-related programs, including the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.

Because of its breadth, Energy and Commerce is a so-called exclusive committee, meaning its members generally cannot serve on other committees. Castor will give up her posts on the Rules Committee, which determines what bills may be debated by the House and under what conditions, and the Armed Services Committee.

Castor said she requested the transfer to allow her to focus on legislation aimed at making health care more available and affordable.

C'mon, Kurtie ... you can do it

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board writes that Florida Secretary of State Kurt

Browning said he will ask the Florida Legislature to expand the possible locations for early voting. A 2006 state law restricts sites to elections supervisors' offices and branches, city halls and public libraries — locations that may not always be the most convenient when it comes to parking, as voters in downtown St. Petersburg found. Browning suggested such places as convention centers also would be logical choices, and there should be plenty of others.

Browning should go a step further and push the Legislature to require each county supervisor to offer a minimum number of early voting sites per capita, particularly in major urban counties like Pinellas. Clark has said she limited the number of sites due to budget constraints. She successfully pushed the use of absentee ballots. But mail-in ballots are more prone to errors, increasing voters' risk of their ballot being thrown out. Pasco and Hillsborough counties provided more early voting sites than Pinellas, and there should not be such imbalances across the state.

Been there ...

"Two outgoing congressmen from Central Florida played hooky this week when they skipped a vote aimed at saving American car companies." "Keller, Weldon no-shows for big vote as time wanes".

Palm Beach Windstorm Self Insurance Trust

"Only months after state regulators suspended the Palm Beach Windstorm Self Insurance Trust for questionable financial stability, the trust is again fighting official criticism of its business practices." "Palm Beach Windstorm Self Insurance Trust fights state over suspension".

Citizens and the SEC

"The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. on bid placements earlier this year on auction rate securities." "SEC reviewing Citizens business dealings". See also "SEC probes Citizens transactions".

Encouraging "conservation techniques"

The News-Journaleditors: "The public should pay close attention to how local governments amend land uses for the designated acreage. Too much is left to interpretation in land development codes, too many phrases in the document 'encourage' conservation techniques but don't require them.". "Concessions for conservation".

Never mind

"Florida pulled the plug for a Miami tunnel that's been in the works since the late 1980s. Will the DOT reallocate more than $1.3 billion to other projects? " "Florida pulling plug on Port of Miami tunnel".

Refund

"A property insurance company wants a refund from the state's hurricane catastrophe fund, saying the state charged for backstop insurance it didn't have the reserves to provide." "Insurer wants $14-million refund from state catastrophe fund".

Homeless people

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel made a mistake that cost the city $100,000 and more in public opinion. The mistake was the mayor's vote in 2007 to break a 2-2 commission deadlock and ban the feeding of the homeless outside the city library. The ordinance violated the constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly and was needless, since outside groups had offered to work out a solution to complaints from businesses about the feeding." "Frankel's $100,000 mistake".

That'll be a "no"

"An administrative law judge on Friday rejected a 47.1 percent average rate increase sought by State Farm Florida, the state's largest privately owned property insurer, providing coverage for hurricanes, fires and other perils." "Administrative law judge rejects insurer". See also "State Farm's plan to raise rates shot down yet again" and "Judge rejects State Farm rate request".

"Reputed kingpin"

"The reputed kingpin of a Colombian drug cartel responsible for smuggling $10 billion in cocaine to the U.S. is in Miami to face a 12-count federal indictment." "US extradites reputed Colombian drug chief".

for the first time in more than four decades, a sitting Florida governor is getting married. ...

As for who is on the 200-person guest list, well, that's been Tallahassee's favorite guessing game of late.

Rarely has a secret been so guarded.

Politicians can always talk a good game about leadership. That's the easy part. What defines leadership is how someone reacts in a crisis, when difficult choices must be made: Take a stand when the political squeeze is on, or poke a wet finger in the air and see which way the wind is blowing.

Raise your finger, Charlie Crist, if that sounds like anyone you know.

Bonnie King Charlie

The Orlando Sentinel editors write that "It's good to be the governor."

So good, you can almost live like a king. Gov. Charlie Crist did just that over the summer, getting the royal treatment during an all-expenses-paid 12-day visit to London, Paris, Madrid and St. Petersburg.

stayed in princely palaces (a $2,179 suite at the Hilton London Metropole; a $1,385 suite at The Westin Paris; and suites costing about $1,200 in Madrid and St. Petersburg) and ran up princely tabs. His first-class jet fare cost $8,000. Room service and minibars topped $1,300 (can't get enough of that Evian!). And looking good [sic] didn't come cheaply, either.

For the people's governor, that meant $320 for electric fans to help him manage the heat while delivering speeches.

Four Ladies in Waiting aides, two Grand Chamberlains agency heads, nine Groomsmen bodyguards, a spokesman Grand Master of the Hunt, a Master of the Pastry photographer and several others got to accompany Mr. Crist to Europe.

But it's bad, inexcusably bad, how the governor made his way overseas, and the way he and his staff -- whose tab ran to nearly $500,000 -- supported themselves while there.

His bodyguards including The Premier Master of the Horses and Mewsran up a nearly $630 dry-cleaning bill. Was it because they had to look their best for the photographer he thought necessary to bring along?

And nine Groomsmen bodyguards? Nine?

Mr. Crist thought it acceptable to stick taxpayers with the entourage's $430,000 bill. We're not convinced it should have run half that much.

"Stealing from Florida's elderly, and from our children's future"

The Miami Herald editors:

The temptation to tap into the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund to help offset a projected $2.3 billion shortfall in budget revenues is strong -- but Gov. Crist and state lawmakers should resist the urge. Raiding the fund would be stealing from Florida's elderly, and from our children's future.

Desperation can make even normally reasonable people do nonsensical things, and the mere fact that Gov. Crist and state lawmakers are considering borrowing from the fund is evidence of their clouded judgment. Money from the fund is invested largely in long-term securities that have lost nearly half their $2.1 billion value since June. Borrowing from the fund at this point, when the fund's assets are at record-low values, would eliminate the fund's chances for a full recovery.

Lock 'em up

"Some prison inmates in Florida - which locked up more new ones last year than any other state, according to a federal report released Thursday - soon could be living in tents." "Fla. _ No. 3 in prison popluation _ turns to tents".

Tired of the private sector

Jebbie's raring to get back on the government payroll:

Jeb Bush is leaning toward doing something he always said he never wanted to do: run for the U.S. Senate.

Bush has said publicly only that he is considering running for the seat Florida Sen. Mel Martinez will leave when his term is up in 2010.

But friends and political associates say that behind the scenes, he's being deluged by Republicans urging him to.

"I can't tell you the number of people who have asked me for his contact information, saying they want to tell him they want him to run," said Fort Lauderdale lawyer Justin Sayfie, a former Bush administration official and GOP activist.

Those doing the urging include his brother, President George W. Bush.

At a White House Christmas party Thursday, "the president was just effusively promoting it to all the Floridians, and so was Laura," said accountant and GOP financial consultant Nancy Watkins of Tampa. "He was saying, 'We've gotta get Jeb going for the Senate.'"

Some of those friends say Jeb Bush doesn't need much arm-twisting.

Whatever

"The state overcharged for the amount of backup insurance it was offering in its hurricane catastrophe fund, says a property insurance company." "Property insurance company wants refund from state's hurricane catastrophe fund".

Can't live on sunshine

"Authorities call attention to US homelessness".

Paulites nearly pull off Orange GOP coup

"The longtime chairman faced a challenge from Deon Long, who was backed by coalition of disaffected Republicans, namely those who supported U.S. Rep. Ron Paul's failed presidential bid. " "GOP chief Lew Oliver barely holds onto Orange post".

Hillsborough

"A lawsuit that could have thrown the controversial county mayor issue back into the courtroom was rejected Thursday by Hillsborough County commissioners. The lawsuit would have challenged the legality of giving a county mayor veto power over county budgets. Hillsborough voters on Nov. 4 approved an amendment to the county charter giving veto power to a county mayor, but no such position exists." "County Mayor Lawsuit Rejected".

The private sector

"State employees having consumer problems with their insurance coverage often complain about long waits on hold when calling one of Florida government's health-maintenance organizations — followed by cold, impersonal service from some bored bureaucrat." "AvMed typo leads state workers to call sex line".

Delightful

"Complaints about remittances never being delivered to Cuba by a Hialeah business led investigators to charge three people running the place." "Two held in alleged theft of money bound for Cuba".

"tectonic shift" in the state's battered economy requires a special session in January to balance the state's budget.

Next thing you know ...

... these lazy bastards will be running into a burning buildings while the rest of us are running out: "Tampa firefighters' pay request shameless".

Oh well

"Crist eliminated the only Hispanic nominee for an as-yet unfilled Florida Supreme Court vacancy Wednesday by appointing him, instead, to a secondary appellate court. Crist also sent a letter to the chairman of the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission asking the panel to submit additional nominees to increase the diversity of the slate." "Hispanic Supreme Court finalist gets appeal post".

More: "Crist appoints two Palm Beach County judges to appellate bench

thanks ... but no thanks ...

"Mary Brandenburg of West Palm Beach and two other Democrats in their final term in the Florida House were in line for committee leadership positions unveiled by Republican House Speaker Ray Sansom this week, but the minority party leader declined the assignments, according to public records obtained by The Palm Beach Post. House Democratic Leader Franklin Sands of Weston said he turned down the offer from Sansom because ... ." Democratic leader defends rejection of leadership posts".

Chiles

"While Crist was signing the agreements, children's-services groups and the son of the late Gov. Lawton Chiles were marking the 10-year anniversary of the governor's death by drawing attention to the plight of uninsured children."

"Very sadly, since he's gone from the scene, we've seen a political dynamic where tax cuts are trumping children's funding issues," said Lawton "Bud" Chiles III.

"Budget cuts have severely decimated any safety net that exists for children and families."

Florida has the nation's highest rate of uninsured children, the highest dropout rate and one of the country's highest juvenile incarceration rates, the group said.

Chiles and Crist are facing off over one of the budget-cutting strategies Crist favors: tapping the Lawton Chiles Endowment for as much as $1 billion for basic state government operations.

Good luck

The Daytona Beach News Journal editors: "As the economy tanks, more Floridians will need advice (especially in the areas of labor and real-estate law.) That makes a joint effort by the Florida Supreme Court and the bar association particularly timely. This week, they provided a report on ways to encourage more pro bono legal work." "Legal help when facing a giant".

Fake health care "reform"

"Florida ranks third in the nation, with about 3.7 million uninsured. That number is likely growing because of the deteriorating economy." "Crist, critics clash on health plan".

Charlie's "solution" - fake health care reform in the form of eliminating state minimum standards:

Arvin Lewis, vice president of patient, business and financial services at Halifax Health, doesn't expect the new coverage will cut down significantly on the number of uninsured people coming through the hospital doors.

"But any coverage is better than no coverage," he said, calling the plans "very thin" coverage.

Douglas Gibson, an agent at Commercial Coverages Inc. in Daytona Beach, said he doesn't expect too many people to be attracted by the provisions, such as 12 days of hospitalization at a co-pay of $750 a day, as it is in one of the plans offered by Florida Health Care. That could leave a patient with a $9,000 bill, he pointed out.

"I don't see a whole lot of people who are in the lower income brackets buying this, because they know they can go to the hospital if they get sick," he said.

"He didn't act alone"

"For all the brazenness and hypocrisy of House Speaker Ray Sansom's funneling millions to the college that now employs him, he didn't act alone."

Gov. Charlie Crist and other Republican lawmakers have been his enablers. They were complicit in Sansom's use of school construction money as a personal slush fund while he was the House budget chief. Legislators could have challenged the Destin Republican's raids and blocked them. The governor could have vetoed them. Their silence then — and now — points to the sad state of Florida politics where the interests of all Florida taxpayers are too often subjugated for the politically well-connected few.

Not one prominent Republican official has publicly condemned Sansom's actions.

Whoopee!

"Search for gas-price gougers narrows".

Gator Country

"5-foot gator spotted crossing downtown Orlando street".

"The aging men who call themselves the 'White House Boys'"

The Tallahassee Democrat editors: "Their horrific stories sound chillingly familiar. We've read and heard about similar ones from parts of the world where, for a period of time, decency and humanity are challenged by the darkest, most evil tendencies in human nature. Atrocities. Crimes against humanity." "Cold-case justice: Dozier probe's not simply symbolic".

Maitland housewife stays on message

In the endless fight to prove that everyone in Maitland is not a Bushco hood ornament, we get this - what should be obvious - gem from Mike Thomas today: "State's hypocrisy on gay adoptions could tear apart this family".

Spine alert

Signs of life.

Deal fight

"A major Florida farming group came out today against the state's $1.34 billion land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp. - just days before South Florida water managers are set to vote on the purchase. The Florida Farm Bureau Federation issued a news release denouncing 'the unnecessary acquisition of more land by government,' saying the deal would harm local economies along with the Everglades it is intended to save." "Farm bureau blasts U.S. Sugar deal; government group expresses concerns".

Oranges

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture today trimmed its December orange crop forecast for Florida's 2008-2009 harvest season, reducing its earlier estimate by 1 million boxes to 165 million boxes." "Department of Agriculture trims orange crop forecast".

Sounds like Chicago politics (but without the prosecutor)

Scott Maxwell has a little fun at the expense of the "Peoples Governor"; he does "a little checking" of his own in an effort to learn how "Charlie Crist, his fiancee, his fiancee's sister, nine bodyguards and several dozen of Charlie's closest friends and business associates somehow managed to spend [$430,000] this past summer on a European trade mission."

Imagine if someone named Blagojevich had pulled the same stunt?

Some exerpts from the fun little column follow*:

*Room service. Let's start with Crist's room-service and minibar bills. They totaled $1,300.

First of all, I'm thinking soon-to-be Mrs. Gov. Good Times was responsible for some of the drink bills. Because "minibar" receipts show someone (or some ones) in Crist's room imbibed 14 times in Crist's suite on the three-day stay in London. ...

Which brings us to the next reason the trip tab was so high . . . [ellipsis original]

*Entourage envy. I obtained a list of those who traveled with Crist. It was six pages long.

A total of about 90 people traveled with Gov. Globetrotter at different stages of his European vacation. There were top executives from big law firms, big banks, Realtors -- even an engineer from Universal Orlando. And, of course, the official trade-mission photographer.

Looks like someone (who was trying to boost his prospects as John McCain's running mate at the time) wanted to show those fancy foreign dignitaries that his entourage was bigger than their entourage.

The bodyguards alone, split up among the four countries, spent more than $148,000. And keep in mind: We're talking relatively safe places such as London and Paris . . . [ellipsis original] where people go to celebrate their anniversary. One can only imagine the bills if Charlie had gone to Baghdad.

*No Priceline.com. The most laughable line about this whole to-do came from the head of the state's economic-development arm. In planning the trip, Manny Mencia of Enterprise Florida claimed that trip organizers "negotiated to the last cent."

I'm not sure Mr. Mencia realizes how many cents it takes to get to the $2,179 that Crist spent each night for the Hilton London Metropole. But it's a lot -- and safe to say that cheaper, yet classy, venues were probably available.

Still, Mencia's line about Enterprise Florida's version of negotiations explains a lot.

I remember earlier this year when it was revealed that Nestle; Corp. somehow snookered the rubes in Florida government to give it permission to take hundreds of millions of gallons of water every year for the next decade -- all for a $230 permit.

Enterprise Florida was involved in that deal.

So please, Enterprise Florida: No more negotiating! ...

Put it all together, and you can see how Gov. First Class and Co. started creeping toward the half-mil mark.

Laff Riot

It has been quite the laffer to read Florida's newspaper companies blasting Illinois state government corruption, after sitting on their hands in Florida for the last decade.

Where were these geniuses - who are all atwitter about the Illinois Governor - when Florida's own Mr. "Make the Money and Run" ...

... who has since cashed in by jumping on board several gravy trains, including Lehman Brothers (the investment company that sold the state millions in bad mortgages), Rayonier (the Jacksonville-based timber and real estate company from which the state purchased nearly $100M in land during Jebbie's tenure), and the "nearly $37,000 a day" Tenet joy ride ...

... was corrupting Florida's election process, fomenting state constitutional crises, gutting Florida's system of public finance*, handing state work to "'a network of contractors who have given him, other Republican politicians and the Florida G.O.P. millions of dollars in campaign donations'", and otherwise according to the radical Time Magazine, leaving Florida with the

worst real estate meltdown since the Depression. We've got a water crisis, insurance crisis, environmental crisis and budget crisis to go with our housing crisis. We're first in the nation in mortgage fraud, second in foreclosures, last in high school graduation rates. Our consumer confidence just hit an all-time low, and our icons are in trouble--the citrus industry, battered by freezes and diseases; the Florida panther, displaced by highways and driveways; the space shuttle, approaching its final countdown. New research suggests that the Everglades is collapsing, that our barrier beaches could be under water within decades, that a major hurricane could cost us $150 billion.

Bushco hood ornament reveals little

Beth Reinhard shared this with her readers a few days ago: "In his new memoir, A Sense of Belonging, the Republican senator from Florida describes not a resounding call to public service but says politics 'sort of sneaked up and tapped me softly on the shoulder.' In fact, Martinez doesn't even get to his time in office until page 199 of the 238-page book. And don't expect any revelations in the last 40 pages about his amazing trajectory from Orange County mayor to Housing and Urban Development secretary to U.S. senator to Republican National Committee chairman. Martinez shares little from his ringside seats during epic battles over the 2000 recount, Terri Schiavo and immigration reform." "Senate-seat contenders see premium spot".

With a public record like his, who can blame him ... .

Another Supreme Court vacancy

"A state panel Monday nominated five judges, including [believe it or not] a woman and a Hispanic man for a Florida Supreme Court opening."

The Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission sent the names to Gov. Charlie Crist. He will appoint a replacement for Justice Harry Lee Anstead, 71, who is retiring in January when his current six-year term ends.

The commission met behind closed doors in Tampa to deliberate after interviewing 18 applicants, including 10 judges, for the at-large seat on the seven-member high court. The vacancy is the third for the state's high court in less than a year.

The nominees are 5th District Court of Appeal Judge C. Alan Lawson of Daytona Beach and Circuit Judges Kevin Emas of Miami, Gill Freeman of Miami, Jorge Labarga of West Palm Beach and Waddell Wallace III of Jacksonville.

The governor filled both previous [FSC] vacancies, each the result of a resignation, over the past four months with [suitably right-wing] non-Hispanic white males.

"Florida's judicial selection process needs reform"

The St Pete Times editors: "Two incidents in the past week are stark reminders that Florida's judicial selection process needs reform. First, a list of nominees for a Central Florida appellate seat lacked minorities. Then, a finalist for the Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court bench included an attorney with no jury trial experience but plenty of political connections. In both cases, Gov. Charlie Crist did the right thing. Now he needs to go after the systemic problem and push for an overhaul of the judicial nominating process."

Bush sought to wrest control of the branch in a number of ways, but he was most successful in taking over the judicial nominating commissions. The 2001 Republican-led Legislature gave the governor authority to fill all 234 seats on the state's 26 JNCs — though the governor must fill almost half the seats with attorneys nominated by the Florida Bar.

The impact of the change is now clear. Too often now, the nominating commissions are putting more emphasis on the correct political persuasion and ideology, and less on the best qualifications. In August, Crist grumbled that the eight finalists for the first of two Supreme Court seats included no women or African-Americans, though he didn't reject the list and ended up appointing two conservative white men. But Crist wisely rejected a similar list recently for an opening on the 5th District Court of Appeal. The court covering 13 Central Florida counties has 10 seats, but only one female judge and no African-Americans. Oddly, the JNC has rejected the governor's request for a new list and forced a showdown.

"Commuter-rail"

"Crist expressed support Monday for creating a Central Florida commuter-rail system and said he probably will play a more active role in the debate about the issue." "Crist supports commuter rail".

After all, they're black

"Federal immigration officials say deportations to Haiti have resumed just three months after they stopped returning residents to the storm-ravaged country." "Deportations to storm-crippled Haiti resume".

Florida's new Paparazzi

Jim Ash: "It isn't exactly the go codes for the nation's nukes, but the guest list for Gov. Charlie Crist's wedding to socialite Carole Rome may be one of the best-kept secrets in government. Sources say Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, Crist's close friend, is helping with the arrangements. However, the veteran political operative remains tight-lipped." "Crist's wedding draws near".

Nice to read that "Greer, Crist's close friend, is helping with the arrangements." Greer has a career as a wedding planner when this is all over?

Threatening to "shave millions"

"Steep and continuing drop-offs in gas- and sales-tax collections, as well as other taxes and fees, threaten to shave millions of dollars from current-year city and county budgets." "Florida city, county budgets drop with falling tax revenues".

"Angst over the economy and jobs"

"A majority of 1,200 Florida adults polled cited 'economy and jobs' as the No. 1 or No. 2 issue in the latest Sunshine State Survey conducted on behalf of Leadership Florida, a statewide networking program run by the Florida Chamber of Commerce."

Initial details unveiled Monday caught even survey pollsters Mason-Dixon Polling & Research off-guard.

Fifty-six percent polled said "economy and jobs" was the most important issue, and 11 percent more cited it as the No. 2 issue. Combined, that's 67 percent of Floridians calling the economy and jobs one of the top two issues confronting the state.

Such a spike in angst over the economy and jobs in one year may be unprecedented.

"This is the first time I have seen something move this high this fast in 25 years of polling at the state level," said Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker.

The Maitland Housewife's speaks

Mike Thomas: "We probably won't get what we need to fix Florida's economy".

Sweeter

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "After last Tuesday's seven-hour hearing on the South Florida Water Management District's proposed $1.34 billion purchase of U.S. Sugar's land, the district held no new negotiations with the company. New negotiations must take place before next week's scheduled vote on the contract by the water district board." "Improve U.S. Sugar deal".

More: "U.S. Sugar board OK's $1.34 billion land deal with the state", "U.S. Sugar, Florida reach $1.3B deal", "U.S. Sugar approves selling land for Everglades restoration", "US Sugar Board approves sale farmland to Florida" and "".

Kick him out

Scott Maxwell: "Enough of this pussyfooting around. House Speaker Ray Sansom should resign. And if he won't go voluntarily, he should be thrown out." "It's time for Ray Sansom to leave the House — or be thrown out".

Gambling

"House Speaker Ray Sansom will announce his committee appointments today, including the creation of a committee to negotiate a gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that could send revenue to the state. Sources close to Sansom confirmed Monday that the select committee would be headed by Rep. Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, and that Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, would be one of the committee's chief negotiators."

Crist reached an agreement with the Seminoles a year ago that allowed them to operate Las Vegas-style slot machines, as permitted under federal law, and to conduct high-stakes card games such as blackjack and baccarat.

But the state Supreme Court ruled in July that Crist overreached his authority by changing state law because those card games are illegal elsewhere in Florida. That meant lawmakers had to sign off on the deal or craft a new one.

So long as he didn't negotiate anything

"Florida man posing as U.S. diplomatic officer arrested".

Allen

"Without a hearing or comment, the 5th District Court of Appeal denied an appeal by former Florida Rep. Bob Allen." "Court dismisses Allen appeal". See also "" and "".

"Chiles won't say"

"When Bud Chiles and his family publicly threatened to sue lawmakers last week over the possible depletion of the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund, it elevated the real-estate investor and son of the former governor to a rarity in the Capitol: A challenger to Gov. Charlie Crist's do-the-right-thing persona. But could that turn into an actual challenge to Crist at the ballot box in 2010? Chiles won't say." "Herald: Chiles won't say whether he'll challenge Crist in 2010".

Boulware

"Former Florida State and NFL football star Peter Boulware, who lost in a a razor-close contest for the state House of Representatives last month, is the newest member of the State Board of Education. Gov. Charlie Crist named the 33-year-old Boulware of Tallahassee to the seven-member panel Monday. He succeeds longtime Tallahassee middle school principal Donna Callaway, who resigned in June. Boulware, a Republican, was defeated by a scant 440 votes in his first bid for political office by Democrat Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda in a heavily Democratic district." "Fla. gov names Boulware to education board".

"Officials don't know who - or what - lies beneath"

"A dirt road near a state-run reform school where children were abused in the 1950s and '60s ends at a makeshift cemetery - more than 30 white metal crosses neatly lined in four rows. But state officials don't know who - or what - lies beneath. There are no names, dates or other details on the simple markers." "Fla. gov.: State should probe reform school graves".

Odom has been a generous contributor to Sansom's campaign.

Sansom has directed millions in tax money to the school in recent years. He also pushed legislation giving the institution its state college designation in June.

Groundbreaking is about to begin on the two-story, 30,000 square-foot building, which will be used by emergency officials during natural disasters. But the manager of Odom's airport operation, Bill Blackford, says the building will also be used to store Odom's jets. Architectural plans from the college also show an "aircraft hangar" and "aircraft-related occupancies."

Odom sought state money for a similar project last year at the same site, but didn't get any funds.

Sansom often flies around the state on official business in Odom's aircraft, paid for by the GOP. His district legislative office is rented space in a building owned by Odom. And Odom's Crystal Beach Development gave $100,00 on Sept. 4 to a political committee controlled by House Republican leaders, including Sansom. In 2006-07, Odom's companies gave Sansom $16,000, according to the newspapers reports.

Florida's media elite reduced to common paparazzi

"It's the wedding of the decade by Florida political standards, yet the scoop on the first marriage of a sitting governor in 40 years is the best-kept secret in the capital." "Veil of secrecy surrounds Gov. Crist's wedding".

"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche"

"Crist took a pricey 12-day trip to Europe this summer, hitting taxpayers with a $430,000 bill amid a sagging economy, a newspaper reported." "European trip for Crist, entourage cost $430K".

But Jebbie said things were great ...

"More than 1,000 Florida public schools, including dozens in Central Florida, do not meet federal academic standards and are drifting toward failure." "Even top schools may fail".

More from our "Education Governor"

Another fine Jebacy: "If the intention in Florida was to develop the best and the brightest to compete in the global marketplace, the result isn't to Florida's credit."

According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Florida ranks below the national average in the percentage of young adults enrolled in college (33 percent of students between 18 and 24), compared with a national average of 34 percent. The national average rate puts it below six other countries, including top-ranked South Korea, where 53 percent of young adults attend college.

And here's one of the most telling caveats in Florida's positive graduation rates: Though the state produces degree-holding students, those graduates often don't stay here. Just 35 percent of young Floridians (ages 25-34) hold an associate's degree or higher, well below the 39 percent national average, and a lower percentage than 15 countries. That's not a great surprise in a state heavily invested in real estate as an economic driver (an industry dependent less on education than speculation) and on tourism (an industry dependent less on education than servility). But it's not suggestive of a robust, diverse economy.

Speakin' of "speculators"

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board:"

Many loans dwarfed the true value of the properties, and some borrowers had no visible means to repay. And the bad mortgages were approved or assigned by many of the same institutions that are lining up for billions of dollars in a taxpayer bailout. No wonder there is little public sympathy for financial institutions whose greed and recklessness helped create this mess.

"Tuition hikes put college out of reach for middle class"

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board: "The price of opportunity".

Yee Haw!

"Republicans in Hillsborough focus on welcoming minorities and women".

"Florida is doing poorly compared with national averages, and very poorly compared with several other nations"

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board: "The bad news is that by most other measures, including affordability, participation (especially among the young and working-age adults) and preparation, Florida is doing poorly compared with national averages, and very poorly compared with several other nations, where quality and affordability of higher education has been gaining rapidly on the United States. "

The implications for Florida are grave. In an economy dominated by services (health, finance, insurance, retail, information technology), the difference between long-term growth and stagnation is a skilled, versatile and diverse work force. Florida is meeting the challenge only partly, with two gaps between those who are making it to college and those who aren't: Blacks and Hispanics are less likely to make it into college or graduate than whites. Poor and working-class students are even less likely to do so.

Whatever

"Democrats in Hillsborough focus on membership, momentum". See also: "Broward County Democratic chairman defeats challenger".

Kicking and screaming ...

Even Brevard County can't resist movement into the 21st Century: "Minorities boost Dems' numbers".

Tax nuttery

Dan DeWitt: "This proposed constitutional amendment, which Tallahassee business groups hope to place on the ballot in 2010, would cap local tax revenues at the combined percentage of annual inflation and population growth. ... But, without listing the many protections from excessive taxes Floridians already enjoy, let me sum up our situation this way:"

We've historically been a state with rock-bottom taxes; as property values climbed during the real estate boom, we briefly drifted into the medium-low range; as these values drop, we are sinking back.

I'm sympathetic to the economic plight of small business owners, whom this cap is designed to help. I'm married to one. But this cap won't help in the short term. Commercial property values, which held up longer than home prices, have started to fall ... .

In the future, this revenue limit will hamper governments trying to keep up with costs, such as for medical insurance, that tend to rise faster than inflation. That's also true of the price of building roads and schools. At least it's true during periods of rapid growth, when this cap might provide real relief.

Bad moon rising

"A state panel is interviewing 18 lawyers and judges for a third Florida Supreme Court opening in less than a year. The applicants are appearing Monday before the Supreme Court Nomination Commission in Tampa. The commission will forward at least three names to Gov. Charlie Crist. He will choose one to replace Justice Harry Lee Anstead, who is retiring in January from the seven-member high court." "Panel interviewing Fla. Supreme Court applicants".

The business-development trip to London, Paris, St. Petersburg and Madrid was supposed to cost taxpayers $255,000. The actual tab was far higher -- in excess of $430,000, the Sun Sentinel found in a detailed review of the July trip's costs.

Taxpayers paid for more than two dozen people to accompany Crist, including a photographer, a spokeswoman, four aides, two agency heads and nine bodyguards.

Their boss, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey, went along to sign a crime-solving agreement with British police, billing taxpayers $5,135 for less than 12 hours of official duties during four days. Bailey stayed an extra week at his own expense and brought his wife. His spokeswoman said he was on call around the clock and complied with state travel and vacation policies.

Crist's expenses, totaling more than $30,000, were not paid by taxpayers but by business executives who went on the trip. The governor did not scrimp.

His London hotel suite, originally estimated to cost $1,800 per night, actually was $2,179, the Sun Sentinel found.

He flew first class for about $8,000 round-trip, courtesy of a Miami travel agency. He ran up room service and minibar tabs of more than $1,300. And he spent $320 on electric fans to keep him cool while giving speeches.

Crist defended the trip, saying: "I think it's important to promote free trade."

Not so tuff after all?

"Miami-Dade lobbyist Ron Book says Bush may not be as formidable as conventional wisdom holds, owing in part to the tanking economy and toxic Bush brand."

During the past year, Book said, his casino clients have continued to poll Bush's popularity, and noted it has dropped since the governor left office.

Democrats could also relish pouring money into another fight against the Bush dynasty.

"I do not consider him a shoo-in," Book says. "In this economy, if somebody loses a job, they're no longer a Republican; they're a Democrat."

Treating teachers like trash ...

"Teachers Can Hold Off Retirement No Longer".

How low can the RPOFers go?

"The family of former Gov. Lawton Chiles said they will sue state leaders if they decide to raid the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund for children and seniors in an attempt to balance the budget." "Former Gov. Chiles' family threatens to sue state". Yesterday: "Chiles pleads with state not to 'raid' children's fund".

Scandals galore

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: "With all those scandals to choose from, the public seized on the Santa ban. OK, it was dumb. But Florida needs the people who vote on budgets to play Santa - or possibly even Saviour - to our universities." "No room at the Real Scandal Inn".

"Politicians all over Florida re-writing their career plans"

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Here in Florida, Campaign 2010 is already in high gear."

Just this past week, brand-new members of the state House and Senate started positioning themselves for re-election, while veterans were already setting their sights on moving up to the next level.

Meanwhile, the announcement by Republican Mel Martinez that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate quickly revived names — such as Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio — you might have thought you'd heard the last of.

It's all about intimidating the opposition, controlling donors and keeping elected offices within the party.

The Martinez announcement left politicians all over Florida re-writing their career plans.

Battle of the pipsqueaks?

Recall that "a rivalry among allies of both leaders - the men and women who make up the Republican Party of Florida - developed as soon as Crist was elected as Bush's successor."

After Crist largely ignored such social conservative issues as gay marriage and abortion in his 2006 campaign in favor of such populist concerns as insurance and taxes, Bush loyalists mounted an ultimately unsuccessful campaign to block Crist's pick for party chairman, Jim Greer.

Greer is being challenged for his reelection this year by conservative Martin County Republican Eric Miller, who said the party needs to sharpen its focus on social issues. Greer, however, received endorsements last week from state Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and House Speaker Ray Sansom, R-Destin.

In the two years since that intra-party squabble, Crist has faced more adversity from conservative Republican lawmakers, who identify Bush as their conservative standard-bearer, than Democratic leaders in the legislature.

Democrats have criticized Crist on budget issues but have more often praised the governor for his efforts to restore voting rights for felons and, most recently, his executive order to extend early voting hours in the November election.

But when Crist showed little appetite for pushing for public school vouchers, Bush allies persuaded the state's Taxation and Budget Reform Commission to offer a set of constitutional amendments to Florida voters. The state Supreme Court removed those amendments from the ballot.

Republicans insist having Crist and Bush in elected office would be a "good problem to have."

News 4 sale

"Report: McClatchy putting Miami Herald on sale".

I-4 clout

"Central Florida landed some prime real estate in the state Senate last week when local lawmakers were named to head up the budget, transportation, environmental protection and legal committees. The jobs give them greater influence over legislation." "Senators on committees".

"2.6 million voters constitute more than a 'pop fad'"

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: Deland Republican "State Rep. Pat Patterson is taking a cautious approach. Before agreeing to any changes to Florida's early-voting law, the recent chairman of the House Ethics and Elections Committee wants to make sure it's just a 'pop fad.' ... xthe Florida Legislature has made it harder to vote early. The changes that lawmakers approved in 2005 -- strangely enough, in response to the impressive early voting turnout in 2004 -- require local elections supervisors to conduct early voting only at their offices, at city halls or at public libraries."

Kudos to the editors for recognizing that RPOFers are all about suppressing the vote:

So why would Mr. Patterson, a Deland Republican, worry about giving local supervisors more authority to expand early voting hours?

He said he wants to make sure the rules are uniform, and that the state doesn't impose rules that local supervisors can't afford to implement.

His caution might also have something to do with the "R" next to his name.

The political arithmetic is simple: Democrats are more likely than Republicans to vote early. Florida's Legislature is dominated by Republicans. In this case, 1+1 equals an unfair state law that works against people of any political stripe who want to vote early.

Not the kind of "blue" we were hoping for

Allen Boyd, the "12-year Democratic U.S. House member from the North Florida town of Monticello thinks he'd be a swell Senator:

The 63-year-old farmer and former state legislator is not well known and has a weak geographic base to run statewide. But the leader of the conservative Blue Dog Democrats is among the more influential Democrats in Congress and should not be underestimated, especially given that Democrats with Southern twangs and rural roots have a knack for winning Florida. Having raised money and campaigned for dozens of House members, Boyd has lots of chits to cash in. He also serves on the House Appropriations Committee, whose members tend to draw cash like bees to honey.

Sounds like a perfect public works project for Obama

Carl Hiaasen: "Crist's plan to purchase 181,000 acres of cane fields near Lake Okeechobee is audacious and unprecedented. But many years will pass before we know whether it's a miracle or just a pipe dream, one more exorbitant disappointment in the long struggle to save what's left of the Everglades."

Assuming that the money for the deal can be raised somehow, getting the land is only the first step.

Nobody knows what it will cost to clean up the cane fields, or how long that would take.

Good luck

"With just nine days left until water managers vote on a $1.34 billion land deal aimed at rescuing the Everglades, residents of neighboring farm communities have a question for Gov. Charlie Crist: Who's going to rescue our jobs?" "As U.S. Sugar vote looms, job-fearing Glades residents demand action from Crist".

Lightweights gather around Saint Jebbie

The vapid Michael Barone* - who recently warned of the "Obama Thugocracy"** - writes that Jeb "Bush, in my judgment, was the outstanding state governor of this decade, for reasons that Peter Robinson of the Hoover Institution sets out." That is, the Herbert "Hoover Institution" - the entity enshrining the achievements of one "Herbert Hoover", which even one of Barone's own employers considers one of the worst presidents in U.S. history.

With friends like that, "Jeb!" ... even Florida's political reporters and newspaper company editors may not be able to save you.

- - - - - - - - - -
*Barone shares the stage at the wingnutty Townhall.com with, among others, these luminaries: Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved, Thomas Sowell, Tony Blankley, and Ann Coulter.

**We understand your deft use of the word "thug", Mr. Barone: "After All, He [Obama] Is Black".

FCAT Follies

"Students' 'poof! papers' on FCAT exams concerns state educators".

Who knew? But is anyone surprised?

"As a candidate, President-elect Barack Obama singled out the elimination of Medicare Advantage subsidies as one of the ways his administration would economize. Now, new studies reinforce the waste associated with those payments, leaving little reason to continue the program. ... billions of dollars have been directed into private sector profits that could have been spent on direct care for Medicare beneficiaries." "Advantage, insurance companies".

Charlie needs to burnish his exorcist cred, or at least ...

... be blessed by a witch hunter (like Palin) before he has a chance with this (the GOP base) crowd.

"When CNN polled 460 Republican voters nationwide Dec. 1-2 about prospective presidential candidates in 2012, they included Crist among seven contenders." Yee Haw!

"The bad news: Crist came in dead last", even trailing an exorcist by a dozen points.

Thirty two percent said they were very likely (and 45 percent somewhat likely) to support Sarah Palin; 28 percent very likely to support Mitt Romney (33 percent somewhat likely); 34 percent very likely to support Mike Huckabee (31 percent somewhat); 23 percent very likely to back Rudy Giuliani (34 percent somewhat); 27 percent very likely to back Newt Gingrich (25 percent somewhat); 19 percent very likely to back Bobby Jindal (25 percent somewhat); and 7 percent very likely to back Crist (25 percent somewhat).

"Now, it looks awful"

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "At first, the job that one of Florida's three most powerful politicians took at a state college just looked bad. Now, it looks awful." "House speaker sold political soul, and at a bargain price". Why is Sansom gets $6 million for friend's proposal">this man smiling?

"Eight years investing mostly in the wealthy"

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "Friday's terrible jobs report ... The economy lost 533,000 jobs in November alone. The unemployment rate of 6.7 percent remains much lower than the worst point during the last three serious recessions - 9''percent in 1975, 10.8 percent in 1982 and 7.8 percent in 1992 - but the pace of job loss is increasing. As it does, even people who have jobs pull back their spending, which drives down the economy and causes unemployment to rise."

We've spent eight years investing mostly in the wealthy. Friday showed what we've gotten for it.

"... It degenerated into squabbling ..."

"Former Miami-Dade Democratic chairman Bret Berlin announced his candidacy for state Democratic chairman Saturday, saying the party needs to change with the times and heed the lessons of the Barack Obama campaign. ... xif Berlin hoped to convey that he would be a more effective, unifying leader than current state party chairwoman Karen Thurman, his conference call didn't help. As soon as he opened up the call for questions, it degenerated into squabbling as several Miami-Dade Democratic activists took turns accusing Berlin of violating eligibility rules for his candidacy and complaining about assorted local party problems."Miami-Dade Democrat aims to oust Thurman".