But they're "our" activist judges

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: Jebbie appointee "Paul Hawkes isn't just a terrible steward of public money - he's responsible for the 'Taj Mahal' courthouse scandal in Tallahassee. He and Bradford Thomas also are destructive 'activist' judges. Both sit on Florida's 1st District Court of Appeal. Their recent ruling in a Martin County case punishes people and organizations that dare to challenge rulings detrimental to Florida's environment."

Martin County commissioners adopted, and the state approved, new growth rules to which several environmental groups objected. An administrative law judge upheld the approval, and the Martin County Conservation Alliance and 1000 Friends of Florida appealed.

The conservation groups lost the appeal. But the three-judge panel, in a 2-1 decision with Judges Hawkes and Thomas in the majority, further ruled that the environmental groups and their lawyers should be punished for filing the appeal.

"Environment ruling chills access to courts".




Walkin' on sunshine

"Gov.-elect Rick Scott started his new job a week before officially taking office, with an inaugural road show starting in his Naples hometown and winding up with a down-home barbecue in Clewiston. Scott and his caravan flew in two twin engine private jets, with a stop at Disney World, to kick off four days of inaugural festivities before he becomes Florida's 45th governor Jan. 4." "Jetting through turbulent times, Gov.-elect Rick Scott stays sunny and promises work on job front". See also "Scott's tour stresses his campaign promises".




Give her a break

There are plenty of reasons to disagree with Deborah Cox-Roush, but this ain't one of them: "Old DUI case surfaces in contest to be head of Florida Republican party".




Mor of them anti-bidness regerlations

"When one of South Florida's largest home builders received a federal permit seven years ago for a development called Islands of Doral, the approval came with some conditions."

To compensate for destroying 415 acres of maleleuca-infested wetlands in West Miami-Dade County, Century Homebuilders agreed to set aside another 47 acres and create a wetlands preserve by removing the exotic species and replanting with spikerush, pond apple and other native foliage.

Century never completed the job.

Under the terms of a settlement approved this month by U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King in Miami, the builder now must perform the wetlands work it originally pledged to complete and pay a $400,000 fine plus $60,000 in other regulatory fees -- an unusually stiff penalty in a wetlands-violation case.

"Home builder must pay $460,000 for wetlands violations"..




Panther habitat shrinks

"More Florida panthers are born, but habitat shrinks".




Attack on public employee pensions

"Rick Scott targets government pension plans as a way to cut costs, suggests employees should contribute".




"The same interests that contributed to Putnam"

The Orlando Sentinel editors: "Even before Adam Putnam is sworn in, the incoming state agriculture commissioner has alerted Floridians there's a new sheriff in town."

[W]e're troubled that Mr. Putnam, who was so eager to call for a timeout in the sugary drinks debate, has been curiously tight-lipped on whether he thinks flavored milk — larded up with 20 to 30 grams of sugar — is unhealthy enough to be punted out of schools.

We're sure the state could have taken that important step and allowed itself to become part of a conversation about nutrition.

And we're unsettled that the protests that brought to a close the Board of Education's sugary drinks discussion in May — from sugar and dairy farmers — are the same interests that contributed to Mr. Putnam's statewide campaign.

"Don't sugarcoat reform".




Whooppee!

"Rick Scott stops in Orlando on pre-inauguration tour".




Entrepreneurs in action

The Miami Herald editorial board: "When it comes to the unsavory and downright illegal, South Florida owns the market in healthcare scams. Miami-Dade County is the nation's epicenter of Medicare fraud. Broward County is the state's biggest black market in prescription pain killers like oxycodone." "Pill mills still going strong".