Gulf Stream resident Harry Sargeant III, former finance chairman of the Republican Party of Florida and fund-raiser for Gov. Charlie Crist and the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain.

But it couldn't because Sargeant's company was the only U.S. company authorized by the Jordanian government to ship through Jordan.

Sargeant and his associates established the monopoly through tens of millions of dollars in bribes to corrupt Jordanian officials, according to a lawsuit from a would-be competitor that this month got the go-ahead to continue from a federal judge in West Palm Beach.

shines an unwelcome spotlight on Crist at a time when his U.S. Senate campaign is fighting the rising momentum of former House Speaker Marco Rubio's campaign. Rubio is Crist's GOP primary opponent. Sargeant, whose relationship with Crist dates back to their fraternity days at Florida State University, has donated at least $358,000 to Crist and the state party through his family and businesses. ... Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer also defended Sargeant last year when he questioned the timing of the report by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which was released less than a month before the November general election.

According to the report and court documents, Sargeant formed IOTC Jordan in 2004 with Abu-Naba'a and Mohammad Al-Saleh, the brother-in-law of Jordan's King Abdullah II, to bid on contracts for the shipment of fuel from Jordan to the U.S. troops in Iraq.

Sansom

"As the Florida House prepares for an unrivaled investigative hearing in January into its former leader, new information undercuts key parts of Rep. Ray Sansom's defense."

A budget document clearly links Sansom to a Panhandle college's $6 million airport project and a statement from an official raises new questions about Sansom's ties to a private developer and major political donor.

Prepare for "momentous" political year

"The upcoming year promises to be one of the most momentous, not just for the 365 days ahead but reaching into the future for a decade to come."

For the first time ever, every member of the state's Cabinet will be up for grabs in the same election. Governor, attorney general, chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner will each be filled by new people.

The U.S. Senate race will lead the parade.

All 120 state House seats are up for grabs, and more than half of the Senate.

There are four proposed amendments already on the November ballot.

FairDistrictsFlorida is trying to meet the Feb. 1 deadline to get 676,811 signatures.

(A) Amendment 1, proposed by the Legislature, would repeal the state's public-finance system for elections.

(A) Amendment 2, by the Legislature, would expand property-tax credits for deployed military personnel.

(A) Amendment 3, by the Legislature, would cap annual assessment increases for non-homestead property at 5 percent and provide tax protection for first-time homestead buyers.

(A) Amendment 4, proposed by Florida Hometown Democracy by initiative petition, would require local votes on significant changes to comprehensive development plans.

The 2010 U.S. Census will define politics for the next decade.

First, there's the count. Florida is likely to vault to become the third most populous state and gain a congressional seat. Population for the state is a factor in federal funding formulas, including for counties and cities.

Then, after the count's in, state lawmakers get to work drawing the political lines for congressional districts and state House and Senate districts.

The whole process could get even more complicated if FairDistrictsFlorida makes the ballot with its redistricting criteria.

No brain required

"2009's political no-brainers".

Running Florida on the cheap

"The UC trust fund fell from $1.3 billion at this time last year to nothing in August, forcing the state to borrow more than $600 million from the federal government. If the fund dips below 4 percent of taxable payroll for a fiscal year, rate increases kick in automatically." "Businesses struggle with higher tabs for unemployment tax".

Evil teachers' unions

The Sun-Sentinel editors channel their owners this morning: "Teachers union sends not-so-merry holiday cards".

"Wexler's legacy"

"Virtually every politician in America fantasizes about achieving what Robert Wexler has attained: Constituents who love him so much that he could cruise to an easy congressional re-election until he's ready for retirement. But Wexler, 48, is giving it up. On Jan. 3, he resigns from Congress, a year before the end of his seventh term." "Wexler's legacy: Loyal constituents, bipartisan bonds, passionate critics". See also "Robert Wexler: Farewell interview", "From both sides of the asile, colleagues weigh in" and "Looking back on Wexler's career".

"Florida deserves action on corruption crackdown"

News Journal editorial board: "Misconduct and scandal plagued Florida government in 2009. That has some hoping that 2010 will be a good year for ethics reforms and other changes to make public officials more accountable." "Cleaning up politics".

Entrepreneurs in action

"2 Broward doctors settle insider trading case".

"Yes, Charlie ..."

Paul Flemming: "Yes, Charlie, there is a Federal Stimulus. It exists as certainly as love and generosity and pork-barrel politics exist, and you know that they abound and give to your agencies and political allies their highest budget requests and most profligate rail projects. Alas! How dreary and in deficit would be the state budget if there were no Federal Stimulus. It would be as dreary and in such arrears as if there were no trust funds to sweep. There would be no childlike faith in them, no poetry of jobs created, no romance of road contractors with larded bids to make tolerable this economy. We should have no political future, except in sense and sight and an endowed chair at Florida State. The eternal light of optimism with which your politics fills the world would be extinguished." Much more here: "Yes, Charlie, there is a Federal Stimulus".

Voting machine monopoly

Miami Herald editorial board: "The only people who benefit from monopolies are their owners. For the rest of us, monopolies mean being powerless because we have no choices."

ES&S officials have tried to quell these concerns, saying the new acquisition will result in "better products and services.'' Maybe so, but it would be more reassuring to know that election officials throughout the country had access to competition to keep integrity in the voting process and uphold citizens' trust that their votes will be counted.

Mr. Browning can go a long way toward reassuring Floridians by certifying additional voting equipment manufacturers, thus giving election supervisors more leverage when dealing with ES&S.

Who writes this garbage?

Rush Limbaugh's favorite minority after from Clarence Thomas, one Walter Williams, wants you to know that the "Prospects for improvement in black education are not likely given the cozy relationship between black politicians, civil rights organizations and teacher unions." "Liberals ruin black education".

This, we suppose, pleases the tea party crowd?

"Florida’s low stimulus share comes despite having the nation’s eighth-highest unemployment rate in October, second-highest rate of foreclosures this year and highest growth rate in new food-stamp recipients in 2009. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation report said Florida was the second-most economically distressed state behind Nevada." "Florida still low in per-capita stimulus funds".

"Oily sales pitch"

The Tampa Trib editors: "It is becoming increasingly evident that the shadowy group promoting oil drilling immediately off Florida's shores is playing fast and loose with the facts."

Florida Energy Associates, an independent group of oil producers that won't identify its members, claims in its literature, "New technology allows for safe, sub-sea energy exploration without creating a visual blight. No visible, permanent structures need be seen from the shoreline."

Rep. Dean Cannon, the Winter Park Republican who is the Legislature's leading champion of drilling, continually claims there will be no unsightly rigs.

Not so.

The drilling proponents said as much as 3 billion barrels of oil lie beneath Florida's waters. But the 3-billion-barrel figure is based on a U.S. Geological Survey report that included not just Florida's waters but much of the Gulf of Mexico and land deposits under most of the South.

Another assertion is that Florida would realize $2.25 billion a year in royalties. But that is based on the assumption Florida waters would produce 150 million barrels of oil a year - more than Alaska, Texas, Louisiana and California combined produced in their peak year. And remember, almost all the exploratory wells that were drilled before Florida's coastline was protected came up dry.

Of course, the oil crowd's mantra is that the rigs pose no risk to the environment. But just last August, a blowout occurred on a new "jack-up" rig like what is proposed for Florida, and it spilled 300 to 400 barrels of oil a day for weeks in the Timor Sea off Australia.

Such an accident would ruin our white sandy beaches, considered among the best in the nation, and demolish Florida's $65 billion-a-year tourism industry. And small oil spills remain routine in Gulf of Mexico operations.

The check's in the mail

"Flagstone Island Gardens developer Mehmet Bayraktar, who said he'd make good on $500,000 in overdue rent to the city of Miami by Tuesday, instead received a five-week reprieve." "Miami gives Watson Island developer a reprieve on back rent".

Another lazy public employee

"Fire-rescue dispatcher helps revive child pulled from pool".

Thank you, Mr. Nelson

"The Senate's version of healthcare reform approved Thursday has a provision to protect Florida seniors from losing a rich benefit package they have as members of Medicare Advantage Plans. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., inserted the language to help 800,000 Florida seniors enrolled in the HMO plans, including 300,000 in South Florida." "Senior health benefits preserved".

Beetles, crabs and pythons

"FL avocado farmers enjoy high prices, fear beetle", "Crab claws a lucrative catch" and "Reptile breeders say python ban will hurt business".

Republicans are not as good at hair-splitting as the Democrats, who can argue furiously for an hour, then pass a motion 112-3. Although Democrats remain the largest party by registration, they fell from power partly because of their inability to reunite after sharply dividing over things the average working Floridian doesn't care about.

The most interesting Republican race, right now, is between Chairman Jim Greer and a growing number of GOP state committee members who want to fire him. Democrats wore out a series of party chairmen — Simon Ferro, Terrie Brady, Mitch Ceasar, Bob Poe, Scott Maddox — during the years of their demise.

If the only way Greer can keep the gavel at a special meeting next month is by ruling an election out of order, his job won't be worth keeping. As it is, Florida Republicans are in the awful position of starting an election year with either a new chairman, or one who virtually forces the party to keep him.

Cardiologists want theirs

"Cardiologists across Florida are organizing protests and opposition to Medicare cuts they say could cause delays in treatment." "Fla. specialists oppose possible Medicare cuts".

Crist resorts to "trickle-down talk we've been spoon-fed by Jeb"

Scott Maxwell: "Charlie Crist nowadays is looking more beat-up than Rocky at the end of his bout with Apollo Creed."

His state is in economic shambles. Unemployment is outpacing the rest of the nation. And politically, he's losing ground to Marco Rubio, who's surging largely because he's not Charlie Crist.

Charlie is desperately searching for something — anything — that might lift his falling fortunes.

So he has reverted to the most Pavlovian of responses for the simple-minded pol: The tax-cut proposal.

We already have one of the lowest tax rates in the United States.

The tax-hating wonks at the Tax Foundation say that only three states tax their residents less than Florida.

And our corporate income tax of 5.5 percent is well below the national average — 39th, according to the same foundation.

So, according to all the trickle-down talk we've been spoon-fed by Jeb Bush and all the Jeb wannabes who've worshipped at the altar of Grover Norquist in the past decade, Florida's economy should be thriving more than most any in America right now.

Except we're not.

Florida is not only suffering — we're suffering more than the rest of the country.

From the "values" crowd

"Budget crisis guts teacher-certification program".

Greer on the ropes

Aaron Deslatte: "Embattled Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer will grant his critics a hearing next month to discuss his performance -- but they won't be able to vote him out of the job just yet."

Under pressure from internal critics, Greer sent a letter to GOP executive board members Tuesday calling for a special meeting in Orlando in response to a petition signed by at least 50 executive board members calling for his ouster.

The move was forced by Republican Party of Florida vice-chairman Allen Cox of Gulf County, who along with dozens of other GOP leaders, has accused Greer of financial mismanagement and tried to push him out.

But Greer's letter says that since the RPOF constitution calls for electing a chairman to a fixed, two-year term, those calling for his ouster will have to make their case through the normal grievance process, which Greer himself controls as chairman. Therefore, the committee won't be able to vote when it convenes at 9 a.m. Jan. 9.

Cox called that interpretation "nonsense" Tuesday and said his group would challenge Greer's interpretation of the rules.

Thank you, Mr. Obama

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "The bad news this Christmas continues to be a job shortage, but there is good reason to believe the worst is over. The economy is once again growing, sales of existing Florida homes were up last month, and most of the stimulus spending in the federal pipeline hasn't yet reached local job markets."

Locally, the federally subsidized construction of a highway from the Tampa port to I-4 will create both good private-sector jobs and a piece of permanent and productive infrastructure.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa reports that the new defense appropriations bill includes nearly $10 million for this area for the University of South Florida and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute.

At the state level, Workforce Florida reports that it could receive up to $200 million from the federal government, with no local match required, to provide temporary jobs for low-income families.

Seventy years ago, the Tribune concluded: "We can look forward with optimism." A growing feeling of business optimism and improving economic data lead us to the same opinion today.

Outa here

"More people continue to leave Florida than move in from other states, reversing a decades-long trend of population growth fueled by retirees and job seekers, according to estimates released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau." "More leaving Florida than moving in".

Daily Rothstein

"In the weeks before his $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme was revealed, attorney Scott Rothstein repaid hundreds of millions of dollars to the investors he had swindled, according to records filed in bankruptcy court this week."

Documents show that Rothstein used the law firm as his piggy bank, withdrawing massive sums for himself and doling out fat loans and payments to friends and family. He even paid salaries to his parents and wife. ...

The bankruptcy records show that Rothstein paid himself $13.4 million from his law firm's accounts between November 2008 and October, when he flew to Morocco as his scheme unraveled. Yet Rothstein never cashed $846,000 in paychecks from the firm.

Millions more were listed as being paid to Rothstein's partners, employees and business associates, the bankruptcy trustee says. ...

Among those who allegedly received big loans: Stuart Rosenfeldt, co-owner of the law firm; Marc Nurik, Rothstein's defense attorney; and Irene Stay, the firm's former chief financial officer. However, all three say the information in the court records is inaccurate.

Rothstein's firm paid more than $300 million to creditors in the 90 days before the bankruptcy case was filed in November, the records show. That timing is significant because those entities might be asked to return money.

But the records of the law firm -- where the now-jailed Rothstein was said to manage the books -- are in disarray. Trustee Herbert Stettin said the information is based on the law firm's unaudited books and might be amended in the future.

Infrastructure

"South Florida deluge raises questions about drainage systems". Perhaps we should beg for federal bailout money to fix this, while at the same time of course calling for tax cuts.

Wafflegate

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "Officials with the state Department of Transportation spent months negotiating in secret with CSX Railroad to cut the deal that would eventually become SunRail - the $495 million purchase of 61 miles of track for commuter rail near Orlando."

The DOT negotiators even signed confidentiality agreements to keep the public out of the know.

And now it appears that maybe, just maybe, they've tried to skirt the state's public records law by sending e-mails relating to the rail legislation that passed earlier this month with words like "pancake" and "French toast" in the subject line.

If DOT Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos and aide Kevin Thibault used the breakfast terms in an effort to trick people such as state Sen. Paula Dockery, the leading critic of the CSX deal, and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, a sometime critic - both gubernatorial candidates - they should resign.

More Rothstein

"The law firm of financial-swindling suspect Scott Rothstein gave a whopping $6.06 million to nonprofit groups, arts organizations and foundations in the last year, according to newly released financial records." "Donations from Rothstein's firm".

Crist's Rothstein blinders

Fred Grimm asks: "A penchant for vulgar ostentation proves nothing, of course. But gold toilets? Come on, guys. Surely a police chief or a former attorney-general-turned-governor might have suffered a flicker of unease as they lowered their bottoms onto one of Scott Rothstein's gilded thrones."

"I'm not clairvoyant,'' Gov. Charlie Crist protested when The Miami Herald pressed him on his very profitable coziness with the wild-spending, cigar-chomping Rothstein, who the feds claim was illegally funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to the political campaigns of Crist and other favored candidates.

Crist, fending off queries from The Herald's editorial board, countered with his own rhetorical question: "Should we distance ourselves from people because there's a lot of talk? Is that a fair standard?''

Well, Charlie, when a "lot of talk'' happens to coincide with gold toilet seats and two $1.6 million Bugatti sports cars, perhaps a governor ought to reexamine those standards.

You'd think that the former judges and prosecutors Rothstein hired to give his Lauderdale law firm its unwarranted gravitas might have been slightly unnerved as they watched so much inexplicable wealth flushed away on so much bad taste.

Maybe the string of political candidates coming to grub for money at Scott Rothstein's garishly appointed mansion might have overlooked the gold bathroom fixtures and a single Bugatti, or just one red Ferrari or a lone Rolls-Royce or one little Corvette. But the second Bugatti, the other red Ferrari, his second Rolls and two extra Corvettes? Not to mention the other waterfront homes?

The Diaz de la Portillas

"Miami-Dade School Board member Renier Diaz de la Portilla is under investigation for allegedly skirting bidding rules to pay for a mailer that could help his brother in a political campaign to succeed their other sibling as state senator."

Renier Diaz de la Portilla said the mailer, approved by a School Board lawyer, was legitimate and that the investigation launched by the county's inspector general was "politically motivated.'' It stemmed from a complaint made by Miguel Diaz de la Portilla's campaign opponent, Julio Robaina.

Robaina, a Republican like the three brothers and currently a state representative, says the mailer was akin to a taxpayer-funded campaign piece because it targeted reliable Republican voters in the senate district.

Total cost: $23,400, though Miami-Dade's school board has halted payments on the contract until the investigation is over. The state attorney's office has now launched a related criminal probe, according to WFOR-CBS4, a Miami Herald news partner, which broke the news of the probe this week.

"This is a prime example of how the Diaz de la Portilla brothers use public money to profit,'' Robaina said, pointing out that Renier and Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, a former county commissioner, were registered as lobbyists during the spring lawmaking session, as was the senator's recently estranged wife.

Scripps 101

Joel Engelhardt: "Who failed Scripps 101? Port of Palm Beach commissioners, that's who. It was inexcusable, especially since they were warned." "Cruising for confrontation".

Never mind

The Orlando Sentinel editors:

Larry Bostic was convicted of robbery and sexual battery in connection with a 1988 rape behind a Fort Lauderdale bar.

Alan Crotzer was found guilty of kidnapping, robbery and rape in a 1981 home invasion in Tampa.

Luis Diaz, identified as the notorious "Bird Road Rapist" — linked to more than 25 attacks in Coral Gables — was convicted of eight rapes.

All three served at least 19 years in Florida prisons. All three were innocent.

Floridians at the trough

"The Senate won't consider extending the federal deduction for sales taxes this year, key lawmakers said Tuesday. But it seems likely that the deduction – so important for people in Florida and other states without a state income tax – will be revived early in 2010 and made retroactive to the start of the year. " "Congress delays extension of sales-tax break".

Good question

Mike Thomas asks: "Would Jesus pray to block health care for needy?".

Nelson

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board this morning: "Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., for example, was able to grandfather benefits for 800,000 seniors in Florida (and a smaller number in other states) who are covered under the private Medicare Advantage plans. There are other winners: the AARP, longshoremen, the American Medical Association. Throwing a bone here and there is part of the cost of expanding health insurance to 30 million Americans."

Orlando Sentinel editors slam Grayson

The reliably Republican The Orlando Sentinel editorial board is doing everything it can to undermine Alan Grayson. Consider this "editorial" yesterday: "In just his first term in Congress, Orlando's Alan Grayson has become the toast of the blogosphere and a sought-after interview on cable news channels. He has done it with a series of inflammatory statements and stunts. But he may have jumped the shark last week."

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the 8th District Democrat asked that a Lake County woman behind a Web site critical of Grayson be investigated, prosecuted, fined and imprisoned -- for five years.

Mr. Grayson's four-page letter to Mr. Holder reads like a legal brief. It lays out in detail the congressman's allegations that Angie Langley of Clermont has misrepresented herself as his constituent and illegally raised funds against him through a committee and Web site called MyCongressmanIsNuts.com.

It's a sophomorically named parody of a Web site started by Mr. Grayson's campaign, CongressmanWithGuts.com. That site helped his campaign raise more than half a million dollars in a day last month.

The parody site, by contrast, had raised less than $11,000 as of mid-afternoon Tuesday, according to the running total on its home page. Which makes Mr. Grayson's appeal to the nation's top law enforcement official look like going after a gnat with a bazooka.

Being the target of rough criticism is an occupational hazard for public officials, especially those as high-profile as a U.S. congressman. Any politician who pursues legal action against critics, even critics who may not have followed the letter of the law, calls into question his commitment to the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech.

It's an odd and ironic response from Mr. Grayson, one of the most intemperate voices in Washington. This, after all, is the congressman who called a former lobbyist now advising the Federal Reserve "a K Street whore." Who said that former Vice President Dick Cheney should "STFU" -- an acronym for a vulgar phrase used in Internet banter starting with "shut the" and ending with "up." Who declared on the U.S. House floor that the Republican health plan was for Americans to "die quickly" if they get sick.

Mr. Grayson's overheated reaction to the Web site parody adds to his image as a polarizing, divisive figure in Congress, an institution that runs on coalitions. It detracts from his credibility as a serious representative of his Central Florida constituents.

"Compelling juvenile justice to restore children's dignity"

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: "Children in orange jumpsuits, shackled at the ankles and the wrists, chained to one another and paraded in court: It's the sort of scene associated with brutal regimes more inclined to punish and humiliate than rehabilitate. In Florida (and most southern states), it's been the norm regardless of the individual's alleged offense." "Unshackled".

U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart confirmed Tuesday he and his brother, U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, have rescinded their endorsement of Crist for the Republican primary.

Sansom jammed

"A budget document clearly links Rep. Ray Sansom to a Panhandle college's $6 million airport project and a statement from an official raises new questions about Sansom's ties to a private developer and major political donor."

You know things are getting dicey when your lawyer resorts to this:

Sansom's criminal defense attorney has said there is no evidence Sansom opened the message, though Sansom regularly used e-mail to communicate.

Greer wigs out

"Republican Party of Florida Jim Greer, under fire from GOP discontents trying to oust him from his post, removed the party’s grievance chairman Tony DiMatteo from the committee set to deal with a complaint about the party infighting."

Greer accused dissidents of "treason," "slander" and "libel" in a letter to party leaders.

In the letter, Greer, handpicked by Gov. Charlie Crist, warns he won’t back down from his leadership spot despite efforts by what he calls Marco Rubio backers to get rid of him.

Greer flexed his political muscles this year when he tried to use a parliamentary procedure to hamper former state House Speaker Marco Rubio’s candidacy to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez. Crist had jumped into the Senate race in May, garnering Greer’s support immediately.

That transformed what had been a whisper campaign against Greer into a petition from some party faithfuls to get Greer to resign.

Not going to happen, Greer said in the letter.

Charlie's "muddled stats"

"Crist says Florida has a good story to tell when it comes to K-12 education. ... Does Crist have the rankings right?"

Christopher B. Swanson, director of the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, the not-for-profit organization that publishes Education Week, says Crist is referring to overall rankings for 2008 and 2009. But there is no overall ranking for 2007.

That's because the publication never produced one, Swanson says.

What was graded and ranked in 2007 are two specific categories, Chance For Success and K-12 Achievement. Those categories were then folded into the overall calculations and rankings for later years, Swanson said. Put another way, the 2007 rankings measured A and B, while the 2008 and 2009 numbers measured A, B, C, D, and so on.

Crist shoehorned the numbers together.

Cuba

"The four candidates for U.S. Senate affirmed their support for democratic reforms in Cuba and took a tough line on American policy toward the island nation. " "Florida's U.S. Senate candidates unified on Cuba". See also "Senate hopefuls hit the stump on Cuba policy".

"Local-preference ordinances do more harm than good"

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: "Local-preference ordinances appeal to local boosters, especially in economically tough times. The ordinances give local businesses an edge when bidding for contracts, even when their bids are higher than those of out-of-town companies. ... For all their appeal, those local-preference ordinances do more harm than good. Taxpayers should not have to pay more for a service just to favor a local company. It penalizes all to benefit very few on the assumption that supporting a local business helps the economy. The assumption is short-sighted and parochial." "Taxpayers before bidders".

Revolving door

"Dale Brill, director of transportation, tourism and economic development for Gov. Charlie Crist, is leaving to serve as president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation." "Gov. Charlie Crist aide departing to be Chamber chief".

Union's are terrible things ...

... Just ask Mike Thomas: "Florida teachers union trying to block $700M in federal education grants".

Sink's "reform push seems to have hit a political roadblock"

The Orlando Sentinel editors: "With more than $100 billion in investments, Florida has the nation's fourth-largest pension fund. For the nearly 1 million public employees and retirees counting on the fund — and the taxpayers who would cover any shortfalls — Florida can't afford anything less than strong supervision."

The Florida State Board of Administration manages the pension fund and other investment accounts. Responsibility for supervising that state agency, however, comes down to just three politicians who serve as trustees: Florida's governor, chief financial officer and attorney general. In that current trio, only CFO Alex Sink, a former banker, has a private-sector financial background. But it's easy to envision a scenario where none of the trustees knows a stock from a bond.

Ms. Sink has been calling for better oversight of the agency since a crisis two years ago exposed serious management problems. Her proposals include adding a trustee with investment expertise and one enrolled in the pension plan as an employee or retiree. But her reform push seems to have hit a political roadblock.

The Democratic front-runner for governor in 2010, Ms. Sink hasn't won over Attorney General Bill McCollum, the leading Republican candidate for governor. Nor has she convinced Gov. Charlie Crist, who is seeking next year's GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

"Vindication"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "A Guatemalan dishwasher can claim vindication in his four-year legal fight against the U.S. government over seizure of his life savings, after a federal judge heeded an appeals court ruling and reversed himself." "Illegal whose $59,000 was confiscated still may get cleaned".

Puffing Dockery

"State Sen. Paula Dockery has been the face of opposition to Central Florida's commuter-rail ambitions for the past two years. Now she wants to be known as something else: governor." "Paula Dockery making 'outsider' bid for governor".

Whatever

"The next two presiding officers in the Florida Legislature, Sen. Mike Haridopolos and Rep. Dean Cannon, flew into town this morning to announce they would stage a two-day jobs summit in Orlando next month to focus on what the state could do to speed up economic recovery." "Haridopolos and Cannon call a jobs summit, won’t comment on Greer’s". See also "State leaders plan conference on job creation".

Home resales skyrocket

"Home resales in the South skyrocketed last month as first-time buyers hurried to grab an expiring federal tax credit while exploiting low prices and mortgage rates."

Here are some highlights:

- Orlando, Fla.: This tourist mecca experienced two extreme swings in November. Sales doubled from last November, the biggest gain among Southern cities in the AP-Re/Max report. (Jackson, Miss., had the smallest sales gain at 15 percent.)

Meanwhile, the Orlando median sales price dropped by a quarter to $123,250, the steepest price decline among Southern metro areas in the AP-Re/Max report.

Homes priced $200,000 and below sold quickest in November, fueled by first-time buyers and investors, said Les Simmonds, president of L.G. Simmonds Real Estate Corp. in Orlando.

"If you have something in the low price range, your telephone will ring," Simmonds said.

Still, prices could keep sinking because of consistently heavy foreclosure inventories, which have driven down property values in Orlando as well as in Miami and Tampa.

"That's the kicker: It's almost like you feel you are getting somewhere, then there's always something to hold you back," Simmonds said.

- Miami: This sunny metropolis saw the median sales price decline 23 percent to $152,000, but affordable prices for houses and condos helped spur a 59 percent sales increase from last November, the AP-Re/Max report showed.

Foreign investors and buyers looking for bargain foreclosures boosted sales for Ralph De Martino, owner of Ocean International Realty in Miami Beach. De Martino has presided over six deals since the start of November.

"Business has been pretty good - very good, actually," De Martino said.

Nelson, a Florida Democrat, publicly questioned the Medicare buy-in provision that would have allowed people between 55 and 65 to buy into Medicare early. That provision was seen as a final effort to offer some semblance of a public option that some Democrats had been pushing.

But Nelson feared the expanded Medicare provision would be too costly to taxpayers.

With that provision now gone, Nelson has said he will likely vote for the bill this week, even though his earlier attempts to amend the legislation failed. Nelson had proposed a measure to allow people to buy prescription drugs from other countries, such as Canada, where drugs are often cheaper.

Nelson's amendment failed.

Death politics

Randy Schultz wonders if "will Florida get smart enough to abolish the death penalty?"

Business groups have joined the departments of Corrections, Juvenile Justice and Children and Families in calling for major changes in how Florida administers criminal justice. They want more rehabilitation behind bars and more support for newly released inmates. They want diversion programs for addicts who commit crimes because of their dependency. They want prison reserved for the dangerous, not the annoying.

All of it makes sense, so it may be lost on a Legislature that slurps up federal stimulus money while denouncing the federal stimulus program. Landmark reform, too, would mean touching the untouchable issue of capital punishment.

Florida offers the best explanation for that caution. No state has released more Death Row inmates (23) because of exoneration. Another died of cancer before he could be released. No juror wants to worry that he or she might have sent an innocent person to his death. ...

Every objective study shows that life imprisonment costs much less than sentencing someone to death, because of the costs for lawyers who handle specialized, complex death penalty appeals. To Jeb Bush, the answer was to limit the number of years during which an inmate could appeal. The Florida Supreme Court shot him down. Good thing. Under Mr. Bush's 10-year limit, Florida would have killed people before they could be exonerated.

"1.6 million poor children"

"While the nation waits for Congress to vote on massive health-care reforms, advocates for 1.6 million poor children in Florida are pinning their hopes on a Miami federal judge." "Court to hear Medicaid reimbursement lawsuit".

"Especially in Florida"

"Home prices may be falling, but many Americans are spending a bigger portion of their incomes on housing, especially in Florida. The Sunshine State ranked second among all states for its share of severely cost-burdened working families, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Housing Policy." "For Floridians, gap grows between home prices, incomes".

Daily Rothstein

"Feds investigate possible campaign violations by lawyers at Rothstein's Fort Lauderdale firm".

Whiners

Bill Cotterell writes that some people have "convinced themselves that every state agency could be cut anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent without hurting services. ... they indicate that many people don't perceive the government doing anything for them, personally, so they don't see why they should pay taxes for all of it."

In theory, they have a point. There are people who don't have children, at least none in public schools, so they feel they shouldn't pay for education. That view is heard often in Southeast Florida among retirees, many of whom spent their productive years in other states (states with income taxes) and now have come down here feeling entitled to as free a ride as possible.

But do those people benefit from living in an educated community? From having a trained work force? Never mind, if I don't see an immediate, tangible and direct benefit, I don't want to pay for it.

Most taxpayers, even in government-oriented Tallahassee, don't think about the accuracy of a gas pump or the cleanliness of a meat counter as something state government assures. When your insurance company pays a claim, you don't wonder what it might do if not for state regulators. ...

Most of the criticism is anecdotal: I went to renew my auto tag and saw three employees chatting while people waited, or, I used to work in an office where they made up statistics to justify hiring more and more people every year.

So that proves all of state government — not to mention the city, county and Washington — is made up of a bunch of incompetents. But you could probably find the same things in any large business operation.

Does anybody ever say, "Oh, yeah, computer technicians — you know how lazy they are ..." or, "Well, what can you expect from an insurance company? Bunch of over-paid loafers just watching the clock ..."?

Readers who click on the comment line to gloat or laugh every time we have a story about state or local government cutting back — do their employers or customers have such contempt for them? Are the shops, factories or offices where work recklessly overstaffed, charging far too much and producing almost nothing?

Then why do they think it's that way in government?

Cuba

"Crist, GOP challenger Marco Rubio, and Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek are among the candidates expected to address the nation's most powerful Cuba lobby, the US-Cuba Democracy PAC, on Monday in Coral Gables." "Fla. Senate candidates to meet at Cuba forum".

State Farm drops its threat

The Miami Herald editorial board: "Florida's consumers scored a significant victory last week when State Farm dropped its threat to walk away from this market. The company decided instead to continue to write policies under a much smaller rate increase than it first requested -- or should we say demanded?" "Insurance consumers win one -- at a price".

Another fine Jebacy

The Daytona Beach News Journal editors ask, "How religious is too religious?"

The Florida Supreme Court ducked that question in the 2006 case of Bush v. Holmes. The court ruled that state-funded vouchers for tuition at private schools, many of which were operated by churches, put the state in violation of its constitutional duty to fund a "high quality system of free public schools." But the court was reviewing a decision by the 1st District Court of Appeals, which had overturned vouchers on a different point -- saying the state couldn't give money to schools that incorporated religion as part of their mission.

That same appellate court decided last week to allow a lawsuit against the state Department of Corrections that questions whether the department crossed that line when it funded two faith-based substance-abuse programs for probationers leaving prison. The decision came after oral arguments in October, in which a three-judge panel asked pointed questions of the lawyer defending the contracts with Prisoners of Christ Inc. and Lamb of God Ministries Inc.

"They're getting $20 a day for each offender that . . . clearly provides for religious indoctrination. Why isn't that aid directly for a religious purpose?" Senior Judge Edwin B. Browning asked Assistant Attorney General Timothy Osterhaus, representing the Department of Corrections. ...

By forcing the Department of Corrections to establish contracts with faith-based groups, lawmakers set up a nearly unavoidable court battle. But they could easily resolve this problem by changing the law that created the prison-based programs.

"An inexcusable shame"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board:

[A] recent analysis by a voting rights group serves as a sharp reminder that Florida still doesn't live up to that promise. Recent changes in voter registration laws, approved under the guise of preventing fraud, left thousands of would-be voters disenfranchised in the 2008 presidential election. That is an inexcusable shame, and one that Florida lawmakers need to address before the 2010 midterm elections.

Redistricting

Jim Saunders: "Every 10 years, Florida lawmakers play a political chess game."

Using databases filled with population and election information, top lawmakers strategically draw new legislative and congressional districts that can help determine which politicians will be in office for years to come.

But when voters go to the polls in November 2010, they could overhaul the redistricting process that critics have long derided as protecting incumbents and the party in control in Tallahassee.

A group known as FairDistrictsFlorida.org expects to have enough petition signatures to propose two constitutional amendments that would place new restrictions on redistricting -- including a ban on drawing districts "to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party."

Crist is "lost"

"'Lost' Charlie Crist struggles for answers, traction". Meantime, "Poll says Rubio's numbers are climbing, while Crist's slip".

Cheats

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Even if online sales hit record levels between Cyber Monday and last week's beat-the-shipping-deadline push, Florida won't benefit the way the state would from a mega Black Friday." "Stop 'legal' tax cheating".

Charlie's Florida

More than 1 million Floridians out of work, jobless rate still rising" and "Florida unemployment hits 11.5 percent". More: "Jobs outlook not expected to improve until second quarter". Related: "Regulators shutter Florida bank, 6 others" and "GED seekers surge as recession persists".

Dragging their knuckles

Aaron Deslatte: "This is not a good time to go green in Florida politics."

If Gov. Charlie Crist was too nervous to hold a climate change conference this year, what were the odds that Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum would try to expand the GOP base and support environmental issues like "cap-and-trade?"

Slim to none, thank you.

Rubio

"Records link Rubio to many spending items".

Grayson

The The Orlando Sentinel goes after Grayson yet again: "Web-site parody spurs Grayson to seek jail for foe".

11 innocent Florida citizens

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Last year, the Florida Legislature passed a law that automatically grants former inmates who have been found innocent $50,000 for each year they were wrongfully incarcerated, so long as they were never convicted of a prior felony offense. It's the state's automatic apology, of sorts, for when the judicial system has gravely erred."

In recent years, at least 11 innocent Florida citizens have been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. Nationwide, some 248 inmates have been exonerated by DNA evidence that showed their innocence.

Last week in Bartow, James Bain joined the list of the newly liberated, wrongfully punished, and he appears to be entitled to $1.75 million from the state of Florida as a result.

So much? Yes. He was released after 35 years for a crime it's now proven through DNA testing that he didn't commit. Such testing didn't exist in 1974, but his conviction was based primarily on the eyewitness identification of a 9-year-old Polk County boy. Today, it's known that witness misidentification is the leading cause of wrongful convictions. According to the Innocence Project of Florida Inc., it has contributed to almost 80 percent of those 248 overturned by DNA testing.

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Peggy Quince was formally asked this month to set into motion a system that would identify and understand in an orderly and ongoing way what goes wrong with the criminal justice process in such cases, what patterns keep repeating, what flaws in the system could and must be remedied.

Fortunately, a growing number of people are giving voice to that concern — even while many of the politicians who could actually do something about it sit slack-jawed on the sidelines.

A group of widely respected attorneys and jurists — including former Florida Supreme Court justices and presidents of the American Bar Association — is pushing for creation of an innocence commission.

Their goal is to study the multiple cases of imprisoned innocence, discover what went wrong in the past — and figure out how to prevent it in the future.

"Largest utility rate cases in Florida history"

"Newcomers appointed to the state utility board will have the power to make a historic decision and will face the pressure that comes with it."

In January, they will sit in judgment of two of the largest utility rate cases in Florida history ... .

From the "values" crowd

THe The Tampa Tribune editors point out that, while "it's the holiday season, but it's not a cheery time for Floridians with disabilities and their families. The state is in the process of reviewing individual 'cost plans' - a process that likely will result in painful service reductions for many of Florida's most vulnerable citizens." "People with disabilities unfair targets of cuts".

Rothstein probe widens

"Federal investigators are scrutinizing the records of Scott Rothstein's former employees -- who gave about $2.2 million to political candidates -- for potential campaign finance and other violations."

The largest chunk of contributions, about $1.2 million, came from Rothstein and his wife, Kimberly, who held fundraisers for McCain, Crist and other politicians at their waterfront home.

The third named partner, Russell Adler, and wife, Katie, gave about $185,000 to state and federal politicians. Among them: former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for his presidential bid and later McCain, when he became the Republican nominee for the White House.

One employee who was close to Rothstein, chief operating officer Debra Villegas, donated about $46,000 to the campaigns of McCain, Giuliani, Crist and GOP committees in Florida. Last year, Rothstein bought a $400,000 house for Villegas in Weston. ...

At Rothstein's old firm, political fundraising was commonplace because the managing partner sought to ingratiate himself with Crist and other GOP heavyweights.

Crist sees the (Rothstein) light

"With polls showing his U.S. Senate rival on his heels, Gov. Charlie Crist reversed course Friday and said he would return all campaign donations from employees of the law firm formerly headed by alleged con man Scott Rothstein. ... Crist's change of heart comes more than two weeks after Rothstein was charged with multiple counts of racketeering. Federal officials said the law firm had been paying employees with tainted money and that some lawyers had been illegally reimbursed for making campaign donations."

But until now, Crist was unwilling to return money traced to the firm.

SunRail

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Officials must find a way to fund trains long term". "Ensure SunRail's future". Related: "Lessons for SunRail come from Charlotte, where train is a success". More: "Jane Healy: Will politicians make the most of SunRail?"

"Vaccine hysterics"

Mike Thomas: "H1N1-vaccine hysterics need dose of reality".

Secret deals

The Daytona Beach News Journal editors:

State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Destin, and Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, are filing legislation that would clarify when and how Florida's Sunshine Law applies to economic- development ventures involving local governments. Ideally, such a bill wouldn't be necessary. When tax dollars are involved, transparency should prevail, whatever the venture. But one of the more than 1,000 exceptions to the Sunshine Law is a vague provision allowing governments to negotiate secretly with private business when economic development is the goal. Secret negotiations can go on for two years even when they involve tax dollars, which local governments use as incentives to lure companies or keep them in town.

The aim of the exception is defensible. The vagueness isn't, because the exemption has turned into a virtual exclusion of public input until deals are done.

Please, Mr. Obama

John C. Hall, executive director of the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy: "Federal stimulus money has helped keep Florida afloat in 2009 during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. But more trouble looms on the horizon when federal funding stops — unless Congress acts to provide more aid." "John C. Hall: Extending stimulus is vital to state's economy".

Naughty

Myriam Marquez takes a shot at being witty: "Many political kiddies have been naughty". Related: "Key witnesses against Spence-Jones are neighbors" and "Crist would suspend Spence-Jones again if she wins special election".

Catch shares

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Dec. 10 released its draft national policy to promote -- but not mandate -- the use of catch shares in managing depleted fish stocks. It is a bold move that suggests a promising alternative to a contemplated but highly unpopular long-term ban on red-snapper and grouper fishing in waters off Volusia and Flagler counties. (A temporary ban along the South Atlantic coast from the Carolinas to South Florida went into effect this month.)

Poll update

"Two new polls show the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate is likely to be a political death struggle between Crist and Rubio. In poll for the Associated Industries of Florida lobbying group, Zogby International showed Crist leading Rubio by 45 percent to 36 percent among likely Republican primary voters -- with a margin of error of about 6 percent." "A hot primary".

Imagine that

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "The Florida Legislature needs to heed the call of the state Supreme Court and correct an alarming double standard in criminal law that treats people differently based on where they live."

The state high court on Thursday upheld the conviction of a Hillsborough County teenager who ran from two sheriff's deputies in a high-crime area near the University of South Florida. He was convicted of resisting an officer without violence. In a better neighborhood, the teen's actions would not have constituted a crime, because police wouldn't have had enough reasonable suspicion to stop him.

South Florida condo market

"Encouraging signs after weak year of condo sales".