Strangers in town

Adam C. Smith: "There is an excellent chance that on Aug. 24 Florida will have a very rich Democratic Senate nominee and a very rich Republican gubernatorial nominee opposed by their respective party establishments. It's an unprecedented situation that has partisans on both sides wary of the potential intra-party turmoil just as a general election kicks off."

That's especially true with Florida Republicans. Gubernatorial front-runner Rick Scott has zero allegiance to the state party leadership or its favored political consultants and lobbyists-fundraisers who are doing all they can to beat him.

GOP chairman John Thrasher has rebuked Scott for criticizing the way rival Bill McCollum failed to aggressively pursue alleged mismanagement by former party chairman Jim Greer, who now faces criminal charges. Incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon and Senate President Mike Haridopolos, both of whom stood by Greer for months and worked with McCollum and Thrasher to give Greer a secret severance package, have funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to political committees to defeat Scott. ...

Then there's the Democratic Senate primary between U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami and real estate mogul Jeff Greene of Palm Beach. The White House, the state party and the Democratic National Committee are all officially backing Meek.

Meek has already said he would be unlikely to endorse Greene in the general election, and the nomination of Greene could make longtime party stalwarts receptive to backing, at least tacitly, nonpartisan candidate Charlie Crist.

"Party-backed candidates Meek and McCollum could lose to millionaires Greene and Scott".




"Anti-incumbency wave"

"So fearful are they of an anti-incumbency wave sweeping the nation, many candidates seeking re-election are going to great lengths to downplay their experience in public office. They minimize their years in office and instead highlight their business experience. Others have banned the use of the word 're-elect' in their campaigns." "Incumbents worry about voter anger".




"Freedom", RPOFer style

More "freedom", RPOFer style"A public-interest group warns that food inspections at Florida hospitals, nursing homes and day-care centers will be less rigorous under a new state law."

The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs and the state Department of Health were stripped of their inspection authority and mandate at those facilities.

The change was contained in House Bill 5311, which was signed into law by Gov. Charlie Crist last month.

"Florida politicians were clearly not thinking about their young children or their aging parents when they passed this bill," Sarah Klein, a staff attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told Food Safety News.

"These consumers -- and anyone who is immuno-compromised -- are already at greater risk of being hospitalized from food-borne illness. Ending food safety inspections in the kitchens that feed those populations is like taking seat belts out of their cars and hoping no one has an accident," Klein said. ...

Meantime, and ironically, the Institute of Medicine -- the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences -- is urging the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to delegate more food facility inspections to the states.

"Report: Florida Skimps on Food Inspections".




Today is deadline to register

"Today is the deadline to register to vote in primary elections. Primary election day is Aug. 24, but early voting runs from Aug. 9 through Aug. 21." "Today is the last day to register to vote in primary elections".




Scott's $25 million blitz

"Does Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott measure up to his $25 million television advertising blitz up close and in person?" "Bus tour draws voters hoping to see beyond the TV image of Rick Scott". See also "Rick Scott takes bus tour to Sarasota, Villages".




Get a job

"George P Bush, son of Florida governor Jeb Bush, is beginning to spread his political wings as the third generation of the Bush dynasty." "George Bush the Third: the new kid on the block".




Fl-oil-duh

"Could American take over Britain's BP?".




"Like crabgrass sprouting in the spring"

"Like crabgrass sprouting in the spring, as the election season approaches campaign signs take root in lawns, road rights of way and almost any vacant piece of land throughout the region." "Campaign signs: Annoying eyesores or barometer of support?".




From the "values" crowd

"Spending, job cuts reality for Volusia schools".




Another fine Jebacy

Stephen Goldstein last week: "Elected officials come and go. But their policies, good or bad, may affect us for years."

Once again, Jeb Bush has failed the Florida Governor's Assessment Test (FGAT). Four years after he left office, we're reeling from the $1.5 billion cost of the biotech boondoggle he foisted on us. He promised us a silk purse of an investment, but he's stuck us with a sow's ear.

In 2003, Jeb became obsessed with luring California's Scripps Research Institute to Florida. He called it "a seminal moment in our state's history" — the magic wand that would make us a world leader in biomedical research and development and jumpstart our economy. He hurriedly called a special session of the Legislature and made it pass a one-time $310 million gift for Scripps from federal stimulus monies that were allocated for Florida. Palm Beach County anted up about $269 million to pay for land and buildings for Scripps.

Of course, some of the $310 million could have been used to offset a $40 million cut for state universities and the end of enrollment in the Healthy Kids children's insurance program that same year. But Jeb was quoted saying, "There is no better way to spend the one-time federal economic stimulus money than by investing in a project that spurs targeted economic growth. This investment will return more growth and revenues down the road." Shades of Bernie Madoff, he estimated the state return on its investment at 44.8 percent.

Estimates of the Scripps Florida economic miracle were predictably pie-in-the-sky.

"Scripps Florida: Hyped bio-tech boom went bust".