Obama on Florida issues

"Here's the latest on how the new president has said he will deal with some issues of importance to Floridians:" "Where Obama stands on Florida issues".




Sansom hubris watch

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "Florida's House speaker has become mute. Since he took office, Ray Sansom has rarely appeared in public, provided little vision for navigating the state's financial crisis and sharply curtailed his contact with the media. If he cannot carry out the public responsibilities of his position, he should resign." "" "Speaker should lead or bow out".




Silent San(som) speaks, sorta

"House Speaker Ray Sansom said Monday that he welcomes an inquiry by Attorney General Bill McCollum into a controversial meeting he helped organize in Tallahassee for the board of trustees of his alma mater, the former Okaloosa-Walton Community College." "Sansom: AG probe will vindicate me".




Loopholes

Mike Thomas: "The worst thing Barack Obama could do for Florida is bail us out." "Bailout? Close Florida's tax loopholes first".




Not another one

"A high-profile South Florida megachurch known for fire-and-brimstone preaching wants a grandson of Billy Graham as its new pastor." "Billy Graham grandson considering new role". See also "Pastor vows to take politics out of pulpit".




"Tough Choices"

"In Florida's Legislature, cutting spending is considered the way to go just now, though — also in Florida and all other states — there is a political yearning to be rescued by more federal government spending. University of Florida economics professor David Denslow, one of the authors of 'Tough Choices,' a public policy report from the LeRoy Collins Institute, speculates that, for every $1 billion in budget cuts, the loss to the overall economy is $1.5 billion." "Our Opinion: Grant makes a statement".




Cuba

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "In her confirmation hearing this week, Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton said President-elect Barack Obama intends to keep his campaign promise to ease travel limits on Cuban-Americans who visit family on the communist island. Here's hoping he'll go further in opening U.S. ties with Cuba." "Easing travel limits should be the start of a broader U.S. opening to Cuba".




Over

"Two South Florida moms who staged a weeklong hunger strike to protest cuts to public education funding have ended their protest. ... The two got news they'd been waiting for Monday: Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho pledged not to cut arts and music or drop a program that allows high school students to take additional electives." "Moms' hunger strike ends".




Whoopee!

"Fourteen whooping crane chicks from Wisconsin have made it to Florida and should soon be on their way to their winter home: Crystal River. The chicks are following ultralight aircraft, which are training the young birds how to migrate." "Baby whooping cranes in Florida".




"Rivalry heats up"

"Scripps-Burnham rivalry heats up as institutes near launch in Florida".




Sea cows

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board writes today that "Florida has plenty of waterfront available for development without putting a fragile species at risk. And while opponents of this proposal are already painting the request for new habitat designation as a manatee-vs.-human issue, federal officials shouldn't be swayed. The requested habitat changes are based on science and common sense -- and they are necessary to protect a species beloved by Floridians." "Manatees' crucial habitat should be protected".




Inauguration

"For Miamians, D.C. bus trip passes torch to a generation". See also "History in the making", "For Central Floridians on the bus, inauguration is like a family reunion of sorts", "In Orlando, Mfume looks forward to Obama inauguration" and "Hundreds Of Floridians Will Witness History".




Informants

The Tampa Trib editors: "The legislation would require that law enforcement take some commonsense steps that should not handcuff them. It would encourage potential informants - who may be overwhelmed at the prospect of prison - to think hard about what they're about to do." "Sensible Rules Needed To Protect Informants".