Buckle Up For 2010

Beth Reinhard: "Try wrapping your mind around this: There could be five statewide offices up for grabs in the nation's largest swing state in 2010." "Florida facing a busy political year in 2010". Related: "News-Press: Mack won't make a run for Senate".

"'If they need a puppet, they've got the wrong dude'"

"In a year of little money and mounting tensions, tempers flared anew in the Florida Legislature on Friday when a Miami state representative accused the leader of the Florida House of being 'undemocratic.' At issue:"

Republican Rep. Juan Zapata's objection to the way House Speaker Larry Cretul quietly overruled him on a series of budget issues. Zapata all but dared Cretul to remove him as chairman of the House Human Services Appropriations Committee.

''If they need a puppet, they've got the wrong dude,'' Zapata said.

The act of defiance against Cretul was the second such incident in the House this year. And it came two days after two Republican senators faced off in a committee over a bill on clerk of court funding. In both chambers, members have been admonished for using unusually strong language, such as ''jerk'' and ''piss'' in committee meetings.

Normally, such matters remain behind the scenes. But this isn't a normal year.

See you in Havana

"Seven members of the Congressional Black Caucus went to Cuba to discuss improving relations with the communist government amid speculation that Washington could ease travel restrictions to the island." "US congressional delegation in Cuba". See also "Report: Obama To Ease Cuba Travel Rules For Families".

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "Trade with Cuba good for Florida".

"State schools may not get full stimulus funds"

"[T]here is still no ironclad guarantee that Florida will receive all of its money, even though state lawmakers have built a large amount into their budget proposals for next fiscal year. "

A decision apparently is still weeks away.

A key unanswered question for federal education officials: Did the state cut too much spending from its education budget during the past two years? If so, it might not qualify for much of the federal money.

"If they can demonstrate that education has not been cut more than other areas, they are in good shape. If not, it will be a challenge," Duncan said during a telephone news conference.

RPOFer Word Games

Steve Bousquet: "Democrats in the Legislature have argued for years that the state does not collect enough tax revenue to provide adequate services to people in Florida."

So, for years, Democrats have pushed various new taxes, such as applying the sales tax to Internet sales, reviving the intangibles tax on savings, eliminating the ability of businesses to shelter their Florida profits elsewhere, and closing sales tax exemptions.

To Republicans, these ideas are horrible because they would raise taxes. Instead, they'll raise fees and claim they didn't raise taxes.

Meek in O'Town

"U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek comes to Orlando today to launch what the Miami Democrat calls the "next phase" of his 2010 run for U.S. Senate by crisscrossing Florida in an effort to get his name on the ballot by gathering 112,000 signatures." "South Florida's Rep. Meek steps up Senate bid in Orlando".

From the "Values" Crowd

"Florida's heralded land-conservation program that has preserved millions of acres of green space during the past two decades is going away — at least for a year." "Florida Forever? Not this year".

"The Florida Senate voted Thursday to weaken the state's rigid growth laws that force developers to pay to build roads around places where they choose to plant new shopping malls, factories or planned communities. ... The bill now heads to the House, which want to dismantle the state agency that polices growth, the Department of Community Affairs." "Senate votes to weaken growth-management law". See also ""

"'Cash Register Justice'"

"A controversial bill pitting Florida judges and clerks in a battle for money and power has been yanked out of the control of state Sen. Victor Crist, a Tampa Republican." "Sen. Crist Loses Bill He Called 'Cash Register Justice'".

Confused about where you should be on this issue? Consider the source: "Lawmakers Should End Challenge to Clerks' Duties".

Imagine That

"Florida has some of the nation's strongest public records laws requiring politicians to disclose their sources of income and possible conflicts. But for the public, easily finding these forms is another matter." "Finances of public officials kept out of sight".

Raw Political Courage

"Florida might hike taxes on online travel industry" and "Want to drive a car? Want a divorce? It could cost more".

Kosmas

"Kosmas votes against budget for underfunding NASA".

'Glades

"Crist said [Thursday] that the initial 72,500-acre Everglades purchase announced this week could be paid for without raising property taxes, but he could not make that promise if the state were to buy all of U.S. Sugar Corp.'s land holdings." "Crist: No tax hike for Everglades deal - at least at first".

Showdown

"The House's gambling plan is a stark contrast to a Senate plan which passed out of its first committee last week."

The Senate has proposed giving the tribe full casinos, including craps and roulette, lowering the tax rate on slots at horse and dog tracks and jai alai frontons, and giving ''racinos'' -- race tracks that have slot machines -- card games such as blackjack. The agreement also would give parimutuels outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties bingo-style, Class II slot machines.

State economists this week shot down predictions by the Senate and governor that the Senate plan would produce $1 billion in new revenue and help close Florida's $3 billion budget gap.

Instead of $1 billion, economists predicted the Seminole's full casinos would produce about $400 million a year. They also said the proposal to reduce the tax rate on parimutuels while giving them new games would result in a net loss in taxes to the state.

Stop outsourcing, and ...

... I'll buy your newspaper: "Pensacola newspaper to lay off 84 in outsourcing".

Pay Cuts For Thee

Bill Cotterell: "House budget planners Friday raised the ante considerably for state employee pay cuts."

House budget planners Friday raised the ante considerably for state employee pay cuts.

A $1,300 annual pay cut would be the equivalent of two rent checks, or three car payments, or all of her gas money for the year, or cutting her grocery bill about in half, and most certainly telling her child no for shoes and clothes "like the other kids have."

"Chinese Drywall"

No, it isn't the name of the latest alternative band. "A South Florida congressman is asking Gov. Charlie Crist to declare a state of emergency over problems attributed to tainted Chinese drywall." "Congressman wants emergency declared over drywall".

"No one should get rich off abject failure"

"The U.S. House agreed 247-171 on Wednesday to a measure that aims to curb "excessive" bonuses at companies that received federal bailout money by giving more oversight power to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and financial regulators."

The bill would give power to federal officials to set performance standards for bonuses paid to employees at banks and other financial institutions that took billions in federal dollars as part of a massive government plan to rescue the nation's economy.

One of the bill's co-authors said the intention is to prevent a repeat of what happened at American International Group, where executives initially received about $165 million in bonuses after getting more than $180 billion in bailout funds.

"[The measure] is based on two simple concepts. One, no one has the right to get rich off taxpayer money. And two, no one should get rich off abject failure," said U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, a freshman Democrat from Orlando.

Brain Dead

"Bowing to criticism from the Legislature, the Florida Lottery on Friday scrapped plans to hire an advertising agency by an informal selection and will instead use a formal negotiating process."

The move came four days after Lottery Secretary Leo DiBenigno was criticized by a House committee for not heeding a legislative order to seek competitive proposals from ad firms and to sever ties with the current vendor.

Instead, DiBenigno had extended the Lottery's contract with the current vendor, Cooper DDB of Miami, which has reaped higher fees in recent months because of extra work.

Cooper DDB's lobbyist, David Griffin, is a former Lottery secretary.

Brilliant Mistake

"[L]egislative efforts are building this spring ... to ease regulations on insurance companies and increase rates." "Insurers may get free rein on rates". See also "Bill Cutting Hurricane Insurers' Risk Advances".

"We're inflating, we're shifting ..."

"State lawmakers might have to pass a budget this year without knowing whether they will receive nearly $900 million in federal money for schools." "Budget to include stimulus aid for schools, on faith".

"After back-to-back years of cuts to schools, lawmakers have figured out a way to hold per-student funding steady. But it comes at a price."

Programs outside the formula for student spending, such as mentoring and teacher development, would take cuts up to 20 percent. For a period of time, school board salaries would be limited to lawmaker levels, while superintendents would take 5 percent pay cuts. And school districts would be granted the freedom to set their calendars to maximize savings, even if it means longer school days in a four-day week.

But what has drawn some of the loudest opposition from Democrats is the way Republicans in the House have proposed rewriting the formula. Per-student funding actually increases slightly over last year, from $6,860.36 to $6,890.46, but it would include money that wasn't previously wasn't part of the formula.

''What we're doing is we're inflating, we're shifting, we're doing these things to make education seem as though it's priority enough to get the stimulus dollars,'' said Rep. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, a member of the House preK-12 appropriations committee, which approved its budget Thursday.

Hurricane Insurance

"With less than four full weeks left in the 2009 session, lawmakers started moving legislation Friday aimed at reducing a multibillion dollar property insurance risk politicians have laid on Florida consumers and taxpayers." "House committee approves hurricane insurance bill".

So It Goes

"The city's controversial sprinkler ban, which foes into effect today, is expected to conserve more than 30 million gallons of much-needed drinking water a week."

But the new restrictions, the toughest in the state, will also cost Tampa big bucks.

Brad Baird, director of the city's water department, estimates that the city could end up forfeiting nearly $1 million in revenue from lower water bills over the next two months.

5th DCA Fight

"Full 5th DCA asks Florida Bar for help in court fight against Crist".

Troxler agin' "Rabid O'Reilly"

Howard Troxler reminds us that "being a judge isn't a popularity contest. Nor is a judge something akin to a game show host, like the bloviating, foaming-at-the-mouth, make-believe anchorman Bill O'Reilly, of FOP News."

O'Reilly, who has made a career of being more clueless than Hulk Hogan roaming the aisles of Brooks Brothers, got his hoop skirt in a wad over a decision by Hillsborough Senior Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett to allow Richard Martin Chotiner, who was convicted of lewd and lascivious battery on a 23-year-old mentally challenged man, to remain free on $50,000 bail pending the outcome of an appeal.

Did this make people thrilled at the prospect of a convicted sex offender being allowed to remain on the street? Hardly.

But Padgett didn't release Chotiner because, well, he was feeling frisky that day and thought it would be a hoot to permit Chotiner his freedom for the moment, because after all, the judge has a soft spot for criminal defendants, especially those convicted of sexual offenses.

Rather, as a matter of that irritating, nagging, annoying thing called the law, Padgett had a legal responsibility to release Chotiner as long as he didn't pose a flight risk. As well, that mother of all party-poopers the United States Constitution, under the Eighth Amendment, stipulates that "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted."

The Rich Are Different

"Socialite Linda Gosman of Palm Beach pleads guilty to fraud".

The Zell Corporation Speaks

A muddled editorial in the Zell Corporation's Orlando Sentinel throws in obligatory anti-Dem blather:

Often, members of Congress leave the nuts and bolts of taxes and spending to the House and Senate budget committees. Rep. Corrine Brown, whose district includes parts of Central Florida, said she focuses on transportation . "I never pay too much attention to the budget," the nine-term Democrat said. "I'm an appropriator."

North again' South

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Tri-Rail, not just SunRail".

"You ain't seen nothing yet"

Joel Engelhardt: "There's too much traffic in Florida. Roads are jammed. You can't get anywhere without long delays"

.Folks, if you think things are bad now, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Legislators are giving up on the only growth management tool with teeth Florida has known. Senators like Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, and Jeff Atwater, the Republican Senate president from North Palm Beach, are pushing a solution that does away with that confounded law. In its place, they propose ... nothing.

"Yes, up to a point"

Randy Schultz: "Give Florida's House this much when it comes to property insurance: The philosophy is consistent, even if it's consistently unrealistic. ... doesn't it make sense to have insurance agents close to this important issue? Yes, up to a point. That point comes when political ideology leads to unrealistic ideas, namely that all will be fine if the private industry can charge whatever it wants." "COLUMN: Insurers' political insurance".

"Clean energy" = "nuclear and clean coal"?

The Tampa Trib editorial board: "Some environmental purists are upset that a clean energy bill progressing in the state Senate would allow nuclear and clean coal technology to be counted toward Florida's clean energy production targets. Critics have a point but should look at the big picture." "Clean Energy Requirement Would Generate Local Jobs".

Silver Lining

"Dry weather brings South Florida a bumper crop of wading birds".

And Then "Politics Began"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Florida, which has so much potential to be a leader in renewable energy, may have to settle for being little more than a follower. Gov. Crist wanted the state to require that all utilities produce 20''percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. The Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, could have done so and kept politics out of the debate. But the commission kicked the decision to the Legislature. Politics began." "Support energy compromise".

Stacking the Bench

"Former West Palm Beach circuit judge Jorge Labarga is set to become the second person of Cuban descent to serve on Florida's Supreme Court. Labarga, a 56-year-old native of Havana, Cuba, will be sworn in Monday afternoon at the state Supreme Court." "Jorge Labarga to become Florida s 84th Supreme Court justice".

Was This Anything More Than A Publicity Stunt?

Bill Maxwell: "Crist once again has gone against the grain of Florida politics and gubernatorial politics in particular. On March 26, Crist sent a letter to leaders of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers after meeting with members of the labor advocacy group in Tallahassee."

For weeks, the CIW had been asking the governor for a meeting to discuss slavery, related working conditions and unfairness in wages. During the meeting, the CIW made Crist aware of documented evidence of Florida farmworkers being enslaved. Last fall, for example, five Immokalee crew chiefs pleaded guilty to 17 counts of keeping more than a dozen men in boxes, shacks and trucks on their property. The workers were chained, beaten and forced to work on farms in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Until now, outsiders such as former President Jimmy Carter and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have been the only high-profile politicians to take up the farmworkers' cause. Other Florida governors, especially Jeb Bush, shunned these issues.

In his letter, Crist did something else no other Florida governor has done on behalf of farmworkers. He took on the powerful Florida Tomato Growers Exchange. Most farmworkers, including Florida tomato pickers, work seven days a week, between 10 to 12 hours with no overtime pay, no health insurance, no sick days, no benefits and no job security. Their wages — which have remained the same for 30 years — often are withheld at the whims of their bosses. The majority of all American farmworkers earn less than $10,000 a year.

Where's the Magic?

"Disney confirms 1,900 jobs eliminated".

Hillsborough County

The Tampa Trib editors: "No More Back-Room Budgeting".

On the other hand, the legislative branch also took a while to get going, with nothing much happening before lunch, and then only a few meetings in the afternoon.

Still, everybody insists that the place is on Super Crisis Red Alert. This week we will see the Legislature's specific ideas for how to fix the state budget, which is a huge mess, since the state expects to take in billions less next year than it would otherwise spend.

The Senate (they say in the House) is run by drunken sailors. The Senate wants to expand gambling, tax cigarettes and maybe even increase the state sales tax on sort of a whim. After that, all the senators will go to the bar, get pie-eyed, put all the money in a big pile and set it on fire.

The House (they say in the Senate) is run by reality-denying, bug-eyed, tax-hating fanatics who think we can get by with digging money out of the sofa. They're gonna have to agree to tax something, and come around on some gambling too, or else the lights are going to go out.

Senator Crist?

"Will Charlie stay or will he go? We proudly introduce the Crist-O-Meter".

Looking For $8.00 Hour Lawyers

"The Florida House is ready for a final vote on a measure that would restore a cap on attorneys fees in workers' compensation cases" "Fla. House slates final vote on insurance issue".

Tobacco Tax

"Two state senators say they want a proposed cigarette tax increase expanded to include all tobacco products. ... The panel's chairman, Sen. Thad Altman, R-Viera, and Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, say their legislation will help pay for the Medicaid program that covers the treatment of many people who become ill from smoking and other tobacco use." "Fla. senators want to hike tobacco taxes". See also "Process to raise Florida's tobacco tax by $1 per pack may get under way today", "Lawmakers consider new taxes on tobacco", "Taxes heat up for smokers" and "State Senate Favors Higher Tobacco Taxes".

More: "Will bump in Florida tax gain momentum?"

Back at the ranch, "Tobacco lobbyists stoked for tax fight".

Love For Sale

"All 160 members of the Florida Legislature have either accepted a campaign check from the industry or benefited from its contributions to their parties. And in the coming weeks, lawmakers will decide between two very different proposals to change the face of gambling in Florida." "Gambling dollars reach all legislators".

Going One Dimensional

"Sports leagues, dance studios and art schools across central Florida say the number of children participating in these extracurricular activities is down significantly over last year." "Parents cut dance, sports camps to save money".

Laff Riot

"As Congress prepares to debate President Barack Obama's budget, Republican Sen. Mel Martinez said Monday the proposal creates an unacceptable deficit and needs to be trimmed." "Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida criticizes Obama budget".

Qualifications Please?

"State Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, wants to become Florida's next university system chancellor and is ready to step down from the Legislature after 23 years if the Board of Governors will have him." "King has eye on chancellor job". See also "Sen. Jim King says he would step down to take job as university system chancellor".

"Nearly 80 percent of Republicans voted"

"Updated election data shows that Florida Republicans actually turned out at a greater rate than Democrats — nearly 80 percent of Republicans voted, compared to 76 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of other voters."

GOP turnout grew 1 percent from 2004; Democratic turnout grew 3 percent.

The lesson? Barack Obama's Florida win probably had less to do with mobilizing base Democratic voters than it did persuading swing voters.

Filling That Vacancy

"The state Supreme Court has been asked to order Gov. Charlie Crist to select a new appellate judge from current candidates rather than to wait for a black nominee." "State Supreme Court asked to order Crist to name new appellate judge". See also "Judge asks top court to force Crist to pick replacement" and "Ex-Judge's Dispute With Crist Goes To Court".

'Ya Think?

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "We think: The state has no business forcing unwanted tests on pregnant women".

Right Wingers Love The Government Teat

The Tampa Trib editors: "A forward-thinking bill meant to defend Florida's military bases from indiscriminate budget cuts is progressing in the Legislature. And that should be good for the nation's defense and Florida's economy." "Bill Should Arm Florida To Defend Military Bases".

Miniature Spine Sighting

"Sen. Mel Martinez expressed support for more bailout funds for General Motors and Chrysler, saying the federal government 'cannot allow' the U.S. auto industry to fail." "Martinez Supports Auto Industry Bailouts".

Tuition Increase

"After years of fighting all but the smallest tuition increase for public university undergraduates, elected officials are embracing legislation to give Florida's 11 institutions authority to raise the cost of a degree by as much as 15 percent a year." "An increase at state universities is embraced".

Uneducated Bidness Persons

"Cost cutting at Florida Atlantic University is likely to heavily affect the College of Business." "Florida Atlantic University's College of Business facing severe cuts".

"That's an insult to taxpayers"

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "On a banks of the Withlacoochee River sits a so-called barn with all the comforts of home: two bedrooms, a bath, a kitchen and a covered porch. By calling it a barn, the owner — a state senator and former Citrus County sheriff — avoided pulling a building permit and paying nearly $10,400 in impact and other fees. His buddies in Citrus County government appear willing to let him get away with it. That's an insult to taxpayers." "The elite game the system".

Never Mind About That

"A Broward family's efforts to collect $30.76 million from the Broward Sheriff's Office after a car crash that paralyzed a teen stalled Monday when lawmakers tabled the bill in its first committee stop." "Aid bill for crash victim stalls".

"It makes even more sense now"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "It made sense a year ago, with the economy teetering, for Florida to start treating mental illness as a disease, not a crime. It makes even more sense now, with the economy staggering, to make a change that would protect the public and save money." "To make Floridians safer, treat state's mentally ill".

Gainesville Green To Go Mainstream?

"Medical marijuana? Woman wants voters to decide".

Pusillanimity

"Crist has stayed out of the budget fray, but lawmakers have begun to question the wisdom of his stance."

Gov. Charlie Crist's policy of disengagement is testing the limits of lawmakers' patience and raising questions about his leadership. As the legislative session nears the midway point, Crist keeps at a safe distance from the politically turbulent talk of painful budget cuts and higher taxes swirling about him.

Rate Increase

"Republican plan would hike homeowner insurance rates 23% on coast".

"Out of reach of the public"

The St. Petersburg Times editors: "In courtrooms around Florida, proceedings are routinely captured electronically and later transcribed. Both the written transcriptions and the original sound recordings are valuable. But the Florida Bar as well as the chief justice of the Pinellas-Pasco circuit court, among others, want to put the electronic record out of reach of the public." "Keep court audio open to public".

Crist's policy of disengagement is testing the limits of lawmakers' patience and raising questions about his leadership. As the legislative session nears the midway point, Crist keeps at a safe distance from the politically turbulent talk of painful budget cuts and higher taxes swirling about him.

"'Taking Advantage of Economic Crisis'"

The RPOF is outa control in Tally. Howard Troxler clues us in: "The unifying theme of this year's session is not just "Economic Crisis" — more accurately, it's 'Taking Advantage of Economic Crisis.'"

A strong deregulatory thread runs through this session. Telephone companies seek to escape most of the rest of their controls. There's a bill for fewer inspections of nursing homes. Yep, that's what we need.

There's even a bill to stop regulating nursing schools. Nobody likes this idea — except the for-profit schools that would benefit.

But the biggest and most important trend of all in the 2009 Legislature is the use of this crisis to justify gutting a big part of the regulation of growth in this state.

Remember the example of an ex-smoker relapsing in a crisis? That's exactly what's going on here. Florida's growth machine is hoping to use the crisis to send this state back to the 1950s and our old addiction to growth.

There are bills to abolish the state agency that regulates growth, the Department of Community Affairs, and if that doesn't work, bills to take away its powers.

Other bills are aimed at the law we've had since 1985 requiring that there be enough schools, roads, water and other resources to handle growth.

There are bills to gut the protection of Florida's wetlands, to handcuff local control of growth, to kill impact fees, and to ban new local rules to protect wildlife or the environment.

"High-stakes action"

"If the Florida Senate has its way, the state's poker rooms will soon usher in an era of high-stakes action." "It's a big deal: No-limit poker on state's horizon".

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Two bills advancing in the Senate would greatly expand gambling in Florida. Like all similar attempts, the lure is money for education. Like all similar attempts, the claims are suspect. Like all similar attempts, the House is grumpy about the idea of more gambling." "The Senate's bet is too big, but House bet is too small".

Welcome to Florida ... now leave

"Central Florida teachers got recruited, soon might get booted". Related: "Florida teachers face tough fight for raises amid economy".

"The darkest side of the grinding recession"

"The darkest side of the grinding recession is showing up in a spike in domestic violence, including a 37-percent increase in the demand for emergency shelter services across the state." "Domestic violence in Florida spikes".

Sink talk

Gary Fineout: "Republicans speculate CFO Sink wants to run for governor".

Chiles Endowment Fund

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "What's changed in the intervening years besides the economy and the habits of the smoking public — youth smoking has dramatically declined, but about 20 percent of adults still smoke — is that the cigarette market has become more competitive. Today 20 percent of cigarettes sold in Florida — instead of 2 percent in 1997 — are manufactured by companies that were not required at the time to pay into the Chiles Fund." "Include 'Little Tobacco'".

Will the dedotprs care to share the details ...

... of their benefit packages with us?

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board:

Few private employees enjoy free health insurance anymore. They shoulder the cost of premiums right alongside their employer. But that's not true for some state employees, particularly those at the upper echelons of pay and power. As Florida lawmakers look for a way to balance the state's budget — including proposals to cut employee pay — a more just idea would be to look at curbing outdated health insurance benefits for those at the top.

"One major storm away from disaster"

The Daytona Beach News Journal editors: "If you live and work in Florida, you likely have seen reports warning that our state's property insurance market is teetering dangerously on the brink -- it could very well be one major storm away from disaster." "Bold solutions to hurricane exposure".

"Where there is the public will, there is also another way"

Aaron Deslatte: "Count on Florida lawmakers to prove that where there is the public will, there is also another way."

Florida's budget crisis is putting a bright spotlight on the Legislature's conflicting impulses to either ignore public preferences on taxes, gambling and budget cuts — or, conversely, ask voters themselves to make those big-ticket decisions.

Last year, in the midst of what now seems like an annual billion-dollar budget crisis, a Quinnipiac University poll showed Florida voters clearly wanted lawmakers to avoid tapping reserves, take the cash generated by Gov. Charlie Crist's gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe and raise the state's 34-cent-per-pack cigarette tax by $1.

Lawmakers did the exact opposite. They tapped reserves, cut spending and ignored taxes or the compact.

"Yeehaw!!!"

Mike Thomas: "We would be better off opening the city's water hydrants and flushing a half-million gallons into the street every day than letting Groveland use it to pave over more of rural Lake County." "In bottler battle, Groveland ignores real issue: Its thirst for sprawl".

'Ya reckon?

The Tampa Trib editors: "Jails are the wrong place to warehouse the mentally ill. Yet for years Florida has taken this approach toward those who are sick and turn to crime: Lock 'em up and don't worry about the treatment they need" "Jail Wrong Place For Mentally Ill".

"Urging residents to spend their dollars in state"

"Florida leaders and businesspeople are taking the 'buy American' philosophy a step further: They're urging residents to spend their dollars in state." "Floridians asked to spend dollars in state".

Endangered Species Act

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: "If the Endangered Species Act were a polar bear, it would look eviscerated and bleeding on ice. The act was so bowdlerized during the Bush administration as to be itself endangered by irrelevance. There's hope of a recovery." "From brink of extinction".

Passing the hat

"Florida State University students are raising money in hopes they can save some professors' jobs." "FSU students raise money to save professors' jobs".