The project was one of 13 involving 31 states that Obama announced would receive a total of $8 billion in federal-stimulus funds for fast trains. The Central Florida plan got $1.25 billion -- nearly half of what state officials requested for it.

Sayonara Jebbites

"Crist says sayonara to Jeb picks on universities board".

"Post-recession dreaming"

"Welcome to the New Florida. This is a land where, in addition to tourism, agriculture and construction, the state has another leg on which to stand -- something policymakers are describing as 'the knowledge economy.'"

It's a place where higher education churns out more than degrees. Where entrepreneurs are developed. Where patents are awarded and companies want to move, to take advantage of the highly educated work force.

Sound like post-recession dreaming?

Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday embraced the concept with both arms at a press conference during the Florida Board of Governors' meeting in Tampa, announcing he will recommend a spending increase of $100 million for Florida's 11 state universities next year.

"It's the economy, stupid"

"As Florida politicians get ready for this year's legislative session and elections, they are focused on a well-worn message: It's the economy, stupid."

Top state leaders and candidates paraded in front of journalists Wednesday at the Capitol to vow that their priority in 2010 will be fixing the economy and creating jobs.

Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, largely echoed Sink's view that the state needs a more diverse economy. But in a dig at the Democrat, he downplayed government's role in putting people to work.

"It's not government that creates jobs," McCollum said. "It's the private sector that creates jobs."

Former House Speaker Marco Rubio, who is running against Crist for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, criticized the growth of the federal government and said businesses are hampered by uncertainty about taxes.

"In Charlie's shoes"

"Put yourself in Charlie's shoes." Must we? Kim Wilmath of The Saint Petersburg Times describes the scene:

So now, with Obama in Tampa announcing funds for the high-speed rail project Crist worked so hard to secure, how does Crist react?

What if Obama goes in for the kill? Should Crist pull away? Does he dare hug back?

The answer comes a few seconds later, when Obama steps off Air Force One with his hand outstretched. Click, click, click go the cameras.

Crist manages to get away with a firm handshake. But it's a close call.

Obama's other hand lingers on Crist's elbow as Crist leans in with furrowed brows. In 27 seconds, it's all over.

Welcome to Florida, Mr. Obama

"President Barack Obama's visit to the University of Tampa felt more like a campaign rally than a town-hall meeting, thanks to an audience of more than 2,500 people."

Amid declining poll numbers and political fortunes, President Barack Obama on Thursday tried to reconnect with the fickle state that helped put him in the White House and urged voters to keep the faith despite Florida's withering recession.

He aimed his message at the coveted independent voters clustered in this part of Florida who broke with tradition in 2008 and cast ballots for the Democratic nominee. Independent voters have recently carried Republican candidates to statewide victories in Massachusetts, Virginia and New Jersey, raising the GOP's hopes for the 2010 election.

The Tampa town hall was the first joint appearance outside the Washington area by Obama and Vice President Joe Biden since last February, when they traveled to Colorado to sign the economic stimulus bill into law.

"Already among the lowest"

Scott Maxwell slams "Charlie Crist's proposal to cut corporate income taxes — which are already among the lowest in the United States."

"A whole new spin on the term fat cats"

Daniel Ruth: "You know you're dealing with a buffet line of freeloading Kato Kaelin types sitting around doing little more than pushing a bunch of paper when the Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance board spent more time shuffling napkins than job applications." "Cupcakes and cluelessness".

Not a forgiving crowd

"Republican congressional hopeful Ed Lynch says his $1.365 million in tax liens and the $143,617 in court judgments against his contracting business shouldn't be viewed as negatives but as proof he's willing to stand up to the federal government."

Lynch's rivals in Tuesday's special GOP primary for congressional District 19 have brought up the liens and judgments directly and indirectly at public forums. Both Joe Budd and Curt Price have said they won't support Lynch in the April 13 general election if Lynch wins the primary.

The three Republicans, along with Democrats Ted Deutch and Ben Graber and a no-party candidate Jim McCormick, hope to replace former Democratic Rep. Robert Wexler, who left office this month to head a Middle East think tank.

"Unfortunately for the GOP ..."

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "After the party's upset Senate victory in Massachusetts, Republicans got so giddy as to wonder whether — even though party registration is 2-to-1 against them — they could win the congressional seat held since 1996 by Democrat Robert Wexler."

Unfortunately for the GOP, the two best candidates in Tuesday's primary are Democrats. Among the three Republicans, by process of elimination, The Post recommends Joe Budd.

"Mini-Rothsteins"

"Case shows S. Fla. is rife with 'mini-Rothsteins'".

Daily Rothstein

Rothstein "could seek to have his term significantly reduced if he plays a key role in the ongoing probe of others in his bankrupt Fort Lauderdale law firm who prosecutors say may have benefited from the $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme."Rothstein hopes to reduce sentence by helping in probe of others at firm".

"CristWorld"

Mark Lane: wishes he "lived in the same world as Gov. Charlie Crist."

CristWorld sounds like a great place. A place where spending for education goes up during a recession. A place legislators say they were wrong and are open to looking at things anew. A place where taxes go down, but more money appears.

The CristWorld education budget was unveiled Monday. It calls for a $500 million increase in funding for public schools.

The CristWorld higher education budget was released Thursday, and it's even more impressive. It calls for a healthy $100 million increase but only as a down payment on a $1.75 billion increase over five years. It would double the amount the university system gets from general revenue.

Good news all around. The past two years have been hard on education in Florida. As is the rule in hard times, state budget cuts fell hard on the schools. Florida now spends $280 less per student than it did in the 2007-2008 budget year. There were all those teacher layoffs last summer, and there would have been more if federal stimulus money hadn't come to the rescue.

But this was good news from the governor. There is no job creation plan that pays off as surely, widely or consistently as funding good schools and universities.

So why the worry? Can't we all live in CristWorld?

Speaking of "CristWorld"

"Despite unemployment nearing 12 percent, Gov. Charlie Crist said Thursday Florida's economy is starting to rebound and needs some incentive funding for space and the film industries." "Crist: Economy rebounding".

Related: "Crist: Invest in space, film industry" and "Crist: Budget outlook hopeful for state workers; legislative leaders skeptical".

"It's become a fact of life"

The Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "It's become a fact of life in local and national politics: elected officials bowing out, for one reason or another, before their terms are up, forcing special elections to fill their seats so their constituents don't go unrepresented for too long." "PBC Elections Office should be reimbursed, and fast".

"It's the judges, stupid"

Stephen Goldstein: "Floridians, more than other Americans, ought to remember:"

It's the judges, stupid — even more than the economy! Black-robers, especially those with a lifetime appointment, make decisions that too often affect our lives for generations beyond any law passed by elected officials. So, with this country now tipped to the radical right, we need to put a non-pandering, ultraliberal Floridian with backbone in the U.S. Senate and the governor's mansion.

Real tuff lawyer

"Nancy Grace felt sick through deposition, TMZ reports".

Kottkamp, who?

"Kottkamp speaks to area Republicans".

527s

Gary Fineout: "Herron pressing the state on 527s".

Graber

"Ben Graber was a state House member from Broward County from 1988 to 1994 and a Broward County commissioner from 2000 to 2006."

But he’s lived in unincorporated Delray Beach since 2007. And with about 70 percent of congressional District 19 Democratic primary voters living in Palm Beach County, Graber today sent out a “Dear Neighbor” blast e-mail decrying the “false rumor” that he’s a Browardian.

"The often-reviled FCAT"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "They used to be called 'finals.' Now, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers is calling them standardized end-of-course exams. By whatever name, such tests — if wisely written and smartly used — could be an intelligent replacement in high school for the often-reviled FCAT." "Making a better test than FCAT".

No, it wasn't a Chamber meeting

"Report: 350 accused drug dealers and prostitutes arrested in sting".

Better than nothing

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: "Recognizing the historic opportunity to preserve environmentally sensitive land, Gov. Charlie Crist will recommend spending a scant $2 million to revive the state's Florida Forever program in the next state budget. It's a small sum, but 2 million times better than the program received last year." "Small sum could help keep Florida green forever".

McCollum's promised legal challenge is a "good idea," Florida voters tell the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey 49 - 42 percent. Support for the idea is 73 - 18 percent among Republicans and 53 - 39 percent among independent voters. Democrats oppose the lawsuit idea 73 - 19 percent.

Florida voters disapprove 57 - 32 percent of the health care reform plan being considered by Congress.

In the Governor's race, McCollum leads Sink 84 - 4 percent among Republicans and 33 - 25 percent among independent voters, while Democrats back Sink 68 - 8 percent.

"Attorney General Bill McCollum has moved out to a double-digit lead in the race for Governor. He's beating CFO Alex Sink among independents and doing better among Democrats than Ms. Sink is doing among Republicans," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "But McCollum shouldn't start picking out draperies for the governor's office. Certainly part of his lead is due to being somewhat better known than Ms. Sink - although neither one is a household name in the state."

Voters approve 56 - 20 percent of the job McCollum is doing and give him a 35 - 15 percent favorability, with 48 percent who don't know enough about him to form an opinion.

Sink gets a 39 - 22 percent approval rating, with 40 percent undecided, and 68 percent don't know enough about her to form an opinion.

McCollum dominates a Republican primary with a 44 - 6 percent lead over State Sen. Paula Dockery, while 47 percent remain undecided.

Q Poll has Rubio taking lead

"Former State House Speaker Marco Rubio has squeaked past Gov. Charlie Crist in the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination,"

leading 47 - 44 percent and topping Gov. Crist on trust, values and conservative credentials, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Rubio beats the leading Democrat, South Florida Congressman Kendrick Meek, 44 - 35 percent in a general election matchup, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Crist leads Meek 48 - 36 percent.

"Who would have thunk it? A former state lawmaker virtually unknown outside of his South Florida home whose challenge to an exceedingly popular sitting governor for a U.S. Senate nomination had many insiders scratching their heads. He enters the race 31 points behind and seven months later sneaks into the lead," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "And, the horse race numbers are not a fluke. Rubio also tops Crist on a number of other measurements from registered Republicans, who are the only folks who can vote in the primary. Rubio's grassroots campaigning among Republican activists around the state clearly has paid off.

"The greediest generation is in its prime"

The Q poll, showing that "Florida voters disapprove 57 - 32 percent of the health care reform plan being considered by Congress" and "support State Attorney General Bill McCollum's promise to challenge the constitutionality of any federal health", make Pierre Tristam's essay today particularly timely.

Tristam discusses the "disconnect in health polls, which now show a sizable majority opposed to "health care reform," whatever that is, but not to proposals in their particulars. Big majorities still think the uninsured should be covered, that government has a responsibility to cover them, that a government-backed public insurance system competing with private insurers is a good idea, even that Medicare should be expanded. Bundle all those proposals under "health care reform," and you get a big fat "No" -- not from those who don't have insurance or jobs but from those who do: the employed, the retired, the rich. In sum, what "rebellion" there is about Obama and his agenda isn't the cry of the dispossessed. It's the rasp of the misers. It's the size of a national character diminishing in tandem with its presumed returns. The greediest generation is in its prime." "Americans fear losing affluence after decades of dole".

Delightful

"Voters were opposed, 50 percent to 46 percent, to a decision by the Obama Administration to grant temporary legal status for 18 months to Haitians living in the U.S. when the earthquake hit and divided on allowing more immigrants into the country. Quinnipiac said the survey had a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points." "Poll: Fla. voters want immigration laws enforced".

Goodness gracious ... what's a knuckle-dragger to do?

"A Miami judge has approved the adoption of a foster child by a lesbian couple, bringing to three the number of adoptions by gay parents since 2008." "Ruling a third strike against Florida's gay adoption ban".

James Madison would cry

The current president and CEO of Florida's inaptly named "James Madison Institute" argues for government sponsored tax credits and vouchers for the families of children attending religious schools. "Liberate education from one-size-fits-all model".

However, one James Madison, presumably the James Madison Institute's namesake, had quite the opposite perspective on such ideas; Madison "personally deplored" ever "involving the state in religious exercises". Indeed, Madison feared Congress

"might even establish religious teachers in every parish and pay them out of the treasury of the United States"

"Dare we dream?"

Scott Maxwell delivers some well-deserved snark this morning:

if we keep this up, we might one day become … dare we dream? … Average!

Bringing school funding up to the national average is something moms and dads have been craving for years.

But until now, public schools have had to get in line behind everything from corporate tax breaks to free health care for legislators.

As a result, Florida's per-pupil spending levels (the true measure of education spending) usually rank near the bottom of the nation.

Finally, though, Crist has proposed a funding boost of $535 million that would translate into another $179 per student, getting us back to where we were in 2007. It's a good start.

The timing may be suspicious — perhaps an attempt by Crist to pander for votes in the U.S. Senate race. But at this point, we'll take what we can get.

Desperate

"The governor announced he supports a plan to loosen the class-size limits imposed by a state constitutional amendment in 2002." "Gov. Charlie Crist backs easing class-size rules".

7 percent solution

"With possibly the lowest turnout in Hillsborough County's election history – less than 7 percent of eligible voters cast ballots – Democrat Janet Cruz and Republican Hunter Chamberlin edged opponents in Tuesday's primary elections to fill the vacated state House District 58 seat." "Cruz, Chamerlin win light District 58 primary".

FCAT Follies

The Tampa Tribune editorial board has to concede that Jebbie's so-called "reforms also put far too great an emphasis on how students perform on a standardized test - the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The test, at best, is only a partial measure of what students have learned." "Move away from FCAT to improve schools".

Daily Rothstein

"Rothstein plea likely to be low-key affair".

More anti-union bile ...

... from the Orlando Sentinel editorial board:

Orlando's flamboyant first-term congressman, Democrat Alan Grayson, has drafted his own package of legislative fixes in response to the ruling. Some of them are business-bashing nonsense and probably wouldn't — shouldn't — stand up to a legal challenge.

His better ideas are worth taking only half seriously, because Mr. Grayson has targeted corporations but conveniently ignored labor unions, which have contributed $120,000 to the congressman since his 2008 election. He contends corporations have more to spend, and more to gain from it.

While the treasuries of major corporations may dwarf those of unions, organized labor can be a major player in campaign spending. The government employees union AFSCME is the nation's second biggest contributor to political action committees, according to the Tampa Tribune.

But Mr. Grayson's idea of requiring greater disclosure for election spending from corporations — an option left open by the Supreme Court — is a good one, so long as it also applies to unions. Voters shouldn't be left guessing if Corporation X or Labor Union Y is bankrolling an ad for or against a candidate. And the cost of that ad should be promptly reported and made accessible online.

Sansom whines

"State Rep. Ray Sansom accused a state prosecutor of misconduct Tuesday and asked that charges of misusing $6 million in taxpayer money be dismissed." "Florida Rep. Ray Sansom lobs misconduct charge at state prosecutor, seeks to get charges dropped".

The Trib drags its knuckles ...

... for Tebow, James Dobson* and Focus on the Family**. The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "The Tebows' life-saving Super Bowl ad".

- - - - - - - - - -
*"Dobson is an intelligent design supporter and has spoken at conferences supporting the subject, and frequently criticizes evolution, contrary to the teachings of his Christian denomination, the Church of the Nazarene. In 2007, Dobson was one of 25 evangelicals who called for the ouster of Rev. Richard Cizik from his position at the National Association of Evangelicals because Cizik had taken a stance urging evangelicals to take global warming seriously." "James Dobson".

**"In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, [Focus on the Family] shifted from support of Mike Huckabee to not supporting any candidate, to finally accepting the Republican ticket once Sarah Palin was added to the ticket. Prior to the election, a television and letter campaign was launched predicting terrorist attacks in four U.S. cities and equating the U.S. with Nazi Germany. This publicity was condemned by the Anti Defamation League. Within a month before the general election, Focus on the Family began distributing a 16 page fictitious letter titled Letter from 2012 in Obama's America, which describes an imagined American future in which 'many of our freedoms have been taken away by a liberal Supreme Court of the United States and a majority of Democrats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.' According to USA Today, the letter 'is part of an escalation in rhetoric from Christian right activists' trying to paint Democratic Party presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama in a negative light. Other Evangelicals like Jim Wallis and various progressive Christians denounced the letter as fearmongering." "Focus on the Family".

"Man hug" blues

"Crist, who has been taking a steady pounding for his 'man hug' with President Barack Obama last February, now says he may be with the president again Thursday in Tampa." "Gov. Crist doesn't rule out meeting President Obama in Tampa". St Pete Times editors: "Crist should greet Obama".

Enough is enough

"Ticket prices increasing for Florida Strawberry Festival queen's pageant".

Running government like a business

"A highly critical state report released Tuesday night finds Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman ran up $25,000 in questionable travel and should reimburse taxpayers for those expenses." "Steve Bousquet - St. Petersburg Times".

Because we're FPL

"Utility regulators have asked FPL to justify its claim that it will suspend projects after it didn't get the rate increase it wanted." "FPL pressed to explain project-suspension statement".

Miami

"Miami city commissioners debated late into the night, before an overflow crowd, over who will replace suspended Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones and represent the city's most impoverished district." "Crowd delays panel's choice".

Hope remains for another negotiated settlement that would send a cut of the gambling profits to the state treasury without significantly increasing gambling. The Legislature should work to get that deal done.

Meanwhile, it is possible that the National Indian Gaming Commission will intervene. Federal officials might, as some legislators suggest, order the Seminole casinos to stop playing blackjack, a game never legalized in this state. The casinos might also be allowed to continue playing slots, without sharing its profits with the state. ...

At this point, the best way to deal with the gambling vice is to limit it to existing casinos and tax it.

Education budget

"Crist plans to announce his 2010 education budget recommendations during a visit to a St. Petersburg elementary school." "Crist to present education budget recommendations".

AG Race

Steve Bousquet's updated piece on the AG race: "Florida attorney general race: Beyond a common surface, a political divide".

Broward corruption

The Miami Herald editors: "Chasing corruption out of Broward".

"Make Jeb Bush governor again!"

Mark Lane: "January and February on the legislative calendar are like spring training season in baseball."

No legislative pre-season is complete without an announcement that Florida's class-size amendment needs to be repealed. This year is no exception. ...

The Florida Council of 100 released its wish list for education last week. The 86-page, jargon-heavy report may be summarized as follows: Make Jeb Bush governor again! ...

The group also wants to double funding for the State University System. A great idea! There's no economic incubator like higher education.

But how to find the money? The plan recommends tuition increases and having the governor, Legislature and university system come up with nonbinding long-term funding compacts. The money for the nonbinding compact goals would be found, well, somehow. The word "tax" is nowhere in the report.

HD 58

"District 58 primaries uncertain, expensive".

Not so local

"Each election cycle, as candidates get their political messaging machines revved up, one theme often resonates loudest."

It goes something like this: “If you elect me to serve you in Tallahassee, I will represent (insert district here) with integrity, and ensure that you have a voice in government.”

It’s the “all politics is local” pitch.

A [Panama City] News Herald analysis of area candidates’ campaign finance reports, however, found a majority of money fueling area campaigns does not come from local sources.

Of the more than $1.4 million raised by 14 area state candidates included in the analysis, only 30 percent came from within the candidate’s district, or the district they want to represent.

“Am I surprised? No,” said April Schiff, a Republican campaign consultant from Tampa. “I think they do fundraise in district, but that’s not where the people are who have the strongest interest in what’s going on.”

McCollum rolling in $

"McCollum's Campaign War Chest Dwarfs Dockery's".

"An issue that has driven a deeper wedge"

"Rebecca Pittard is an accomplished teacher who was honored this month with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching at a ceremony in Washington, D.C."

The Volusia County elementary-school teacher is passionate about math education and energized by discussions on how to do better for her fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Like many of her colleagues, however, Pittard is leery of Florida's latest effort to reward top teachers with more money. ...

Florida's new merit-pay plan is embedded in its effort to secure up to $1.1 billion for its public schools from the federal Race to the Top grant competition, which will award money to states willing to reform their education systems.

It's an issue that has driven a deeper wedge between teachers unions and school district administrators across Florida while raising alarms in many teacher lounges.

"We're pleased the union is saying, 'Hold on and lets really look at the repercussions,' " Pittard said.

Florida Forever

"Crist pushes to restore funding for Florida Forever".

Six FlaCon amendments

"Six amendments have been certified for Florida's 2010 ballot, with the first three proposed by the Legislature and the second three through petition drives:— Amendment 1: Would repeal a constitutional provision that requires public financing of campaigns for governor and the three Cabinet positions for those candidates who agree to spending limits. " "6 amendments on state's 2010 ballot".

"Scott Brown replay"

Adam C Smith: "A Scott Brown replay may not be easy in Florida".

"Little to show for it"

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Florida dreams of becoming a biotechnology hub, a place where the brilliant and the investment-savvy will come to build the economy of the 21st century."

Eight years ago, Gov. Jeb Bush was asking legislators to invest $100 million to help Florida challenge the nation's high-tech hot spots for future business in biotechnology and biomedical fields, and the push hasn't stopped.

A report last week by the Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability (OPPAGA) said the state has spent more than $1.5 billion on this effort. But it also said the state has little to show for it.

Fair use

"Crist's use of Rubio video shut down by WFSU and YouTube".

Public school restraints

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board is "Questioning the use of restraints in public schools" ("Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange [is] sponsoring a bill to end the use of seclusion and restraints against disabled students in public schools. This is the third time the bill has been introduced -- this year, it should pass.")

We're talking about the war that Florida businesses and their lobbying arms are girding for against the Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment. It would ban local governments from making major changes in their development regulations without a public vote.

FairDistrictsFlorida.org has raised and spent more than $3.1million from Democratic check-writers such as the Service Employee International Union, the state and national arm of the National Education Association, and a host of Florida trial bar firms. Democrats are hoping a "fairer" redistricting process would result in the election of ... more Democrats.

House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon, R- Winter Park, and Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island — who will oversee the re-drawing of political maps as the Legislature's presiding officers — have been doing their utmost to throw a wrench in the movement.

Raw political courage

"Florida's lawmakers will gather at the budget-battered capital this year to confront a financial mess – but even so, they vow not to raise taxes."

Federal stimulus money runs out midway through the fiscal year, blowing a billion-dollar hole in the budget. Avoiding tax increases could mean cuts to state services, from courtrooms to state roads, and widespread layoffs. ...

Even as the national economy is showing improvement, Florida is once again facing deep deficits and difficult choices. Yet again, the budget will dominate the agenda in Tallahassee this spring, which is Gov. Charlie Crist's last in the governor's mansion.

In an election year, Republican legislative leaders have ruled out any new taxes or fees. That's a major shift after two years in which they raised taxes and fees on everything from cigarettes to auto tags to speeding tickets. ...

The governor is expected to roll out his budget proposal Friday. The Legislature will then spend the two-month legislative session that begins March 2 haggling over spending details, with a final agreement likely to come in late April or early May.

No one is quite sure how deep Florida's budget hole will be. It could be as little as $1 billion or more than $3 billion, depending on whom you ask. ...

President Obama's $787 billion stimulus program included a bailout for state government, money that is fused into Florida's schools and health-care budgets. The money dries up in December.

Nonetheless, state legislators are relying on federal largesse again. Congress is considering extending stimulus benefits for Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health coverage to the poor and disabled. The extension would save Florida legislators almost $1 billion, helping them avoid the deepest cuts.

Still, 2010 will be the year when Florida's budget hits rock bottom – and stays there. With unemployment reaching a 34-year high of 11.8 percent Friday, chief economist Amy Baker warned lawmakers it will be spring 2011 before normal growth rates in tax receipts of 3 to 5 percent return.

Another federal handout, please ...

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "Florida already was a strong contender for the high-speed rail money that President Barack Obama could award as early as this week when he stops in the Tampa Bay area. The state has land set aside for the Tampa-Orlando link. There would be a future extension to Miami, and the ridership from the millions of visitors to South Florida and the state's theme parks makes high-speed service viable. But the recession's impact on Florida makes an even more compelling case to award the grants to the Sunshine State." "Rail grants are just the ticket for Florida".

RPOF has "a host of big problems"

Jane Healy: "With the ouster of Florida Republican Party chairman Jim Greer this month, state Republicans have found themselves with a host of big problems to overcome in this election year. But can they do it?"

Problem No. 1: The GOP is losing ground in key counties. ...

Problem No. 2: Money dried up.

Feds step in, yet again

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved the conservation of a 4,000-acre chunk of private land for Florida panther habitat." "Private land to be set aside for panthers".

Government haters

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Crises, like the one burning holes in government budgets throughout Florida, should compel officials to try out innovative strategies to overcome them. Responsible strategies."

Instead, they are promising the state billions of dollars annually if it opens its west coast to near-shore drilling, though rigs off Texas net just $45 million annually, and a major oil spill could cripple Florida's tourism industry.

They held an economic summit promoting lower taxes, though Florida already is one of the lowest taxed states in the nation.

They hawked a silly scheme to tax motorists by the mile, a plan that would strip away the economic incentive to buy environmentally friendly vehicles.

And many of these officials won't even consider merging some of their government operations, which could save taxpayers many millions.

Privatization's opponents don't voice, however, what might really trouble them: the knowledge that a well-run private operation could cost some government workers their jobs (while saving taxpayers money).

The state outsourced all of us in 1996 to a company named Barton Security. Later, they were bought out by Allied Security and called Allied/Barton. The only thing that changed was that the benefits that employees received got less and we had to contribute more.

In 2007 that contract was up for re-bid and the successful bidder this time was a company named Faneuil Group. ...

The one thing that happened immediately was hiring of a total new management team (who seem to manage mostly autocratically) because the treatment of collectors and supervisors got worse again. The benefits also got much worse. The health insurance plan (which is very important to employees today) is entirely laughable. It covers approximately 2 days in the hospital annually or $10,000.00 total annually.

Foreclosure madness

"Foreclosed homes leave remaining owners to pick up the tab".

Florida workers take heart!

"Legoland Florida will thrive".

Chamber hypocrites

The Saint Petersburg Times editors: "Some of the state's leading business organizations are stepping up their efforts to persuade the Legislature to raise the standards for public education. That is commendable. But for all the commonsense recommendations in the Council of 100's new report ... there is a major omission typical of the business lobby's approach in Tallahassee. While they talk a good game about investing in education, they fail to offer up any sources of funding."

Only federal stimulus dollars have kept thousands of teachers in the classroom, and the federal money will disappear soon. A day of reckoning is coming, and Florida business has a responsibility to help find ways to pay for the educational excellence they are embracing. Yet the Florida Chamber of Commerce has regularly stood in the way of overhauling the state's outdated tax structure, which is the key to paying for better schools and spawning that new economy. It has not embraced taxing Internet sales in a meaningful way or extending the sales tax to services. The report recommends a one-time infusion of $1.75 billion for higher education over the next five years, but it does not suggest where the money would come from.

Never mind

The Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "The Public Service Commission seems to have gotten it just about right in its decision on FPL's rate increase. The utility sought a huge $1.27 billion rate increase. The PSC approved a small fraction of that amount, $75.5 million worth."

FPL, predictably, was unhappy with the PSC's ruling. "This [decision] was based on politics, not economics," said Lew Hay, the company's chairman.

Sour grapes? Maybe.

But Floridians should give Hay the benefit of the doubt. They should encourage Hay, if he believes the PSC really is politicized, to back reforms to make the regulatory body more of an administrative law panel.

Doing so would create a much higher threshold for ethical and professional standards, giving Floridians, including FPL and the other regulated companies, a greater level of comfort about the quality of the decisions rendered.

"As goes Massachusetts, so goes Florida?"

Myriam Marquez hugs her man this morning: "Former House Speaker Marco Rubio is salivating at Scott Brown's U.S. Senate victory in Massachusetts, as he should."

Rubio is young and attractive and a powerful speaker, even if you disagree with him as he stumps to be the next GOP senator from Florida. Rubio hasn't posed in the buff for Cosmopolitan, which didn't seem to hurt Brown the hottie.

Florida Democrats say there's no comparison because, unlike Massachusetts, Florida's majority in the Legislature, the governor and most of the Cabinet are Republican. Surely, they say, voters will blame the GOP for Florida's unemployment, foreclosures and struggling schools and health services. They point to gains made in Democratic voter registration, too.

Pobrecitos, they're just not getting it.

Good luck with that

"Crist, Florida try to reverse spring training exodus".

Marco "not for the faint of heart"

Kathleen Parker: "It may not qualify as a trend yet, but it is impossible to avert one's gaze from the puddles of blood surfacing in certain politicians' photo albums."

It started with you-know-who from Alaska, who won carnivore hearts when it became known that she could field dress a moose [or so she claims]. ...

Then came Christmas greetings from Republican Marco Rubio, former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, who is in a primary battle against Gov. Charlie Crist for the U.S. Senate. We all have our version of the holiday dinner, but Rubio took us behind the scenes, tweeting photos of the 2009 Rubio family Christmas Eve pig.

Although it wasn't clear whether Rubio had killed the animal or wielded the butcher knife himself, one photo shows a dead hog on a table as a man slices into its haunch. "Warning, picture not for the faint of heart,'' Rubio graciously tweeted. Indeed.

"Time to call a halt to the war on drugs"

Right winger Kingsley Guy argues that a "sensible idea coming out of California is — hold onto your hats — legalizing and taxing marijuana."

I already can hear the reaction from self-anointed Florida "conservatives." It goes something like this:

"Are you nuts? We'd be turning the state over to drug-crazed, hippie, liberal, Godless reprobates. Anyone advocating such a course of action would be doing the work of the devil."

To which, I would counter: "Those who have argued for an end to the un-winnable drug war include the late William F. Buckley, the intellectual godfather of the modern conservative movement; the late Milton Friedman, the free-market economist whose economic thinking laid the foundation of the modern conservative movement; and George P. Shultz, Ronald Reagan's venerable secretary of State." ...

Florida isn't California, and marijuana legalization and taxation will be more difficult to sell here. But it's time to start pushing hard for it. The cause could get a lift from the "tea party" movement. Tea-party libertarians need to convince the so-called "conservatives" waving placards next to them (many of whom never heard of Buckley, Friedman or Shultz) that it's time to call a halt to the war on drugs.

"A more immediate problem"

"Put aside the furor about national health care reform. Florida leaders have a more immediate problem. With jobs disappearing and incomes sinking, Floridians are increasingly turning to the government-run Medicaid program for health care -- driving up costs and playing a major role in a potential $3 billion state budget shortfall next year." "Medicaid draining state's wallet".

Rothstein, Crist and Jebbie

"Hundreds packed an auction to buy alleged Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein's personal items and pick through the pieces of the life of one of South Florida's biggest con men."

Broward Democratic Party chairman Mitch Ceasar purchased a post-campaign thank-you letter that Republican Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti wrote to Rothstein.

Sergio Pino, a Miami builder who raised money for Crist in the past, grinned and posed with his purchases: framed photos of Rothstein with Crist and with former Gov. Jeb Bush.

"Two historic pictures: one with the best governor we ever had: Jeb. One with the worst governor we ever had: Charlie Crist,'' said Pino, who has grown disenchanted with the sitting governor, now running for the U.S. Senate.

Pino was once Crist's campaign finance chairman but stepped down in 2006 amid a probe related to Pino's fundraising activities. He was never charged.

Rothstein and those in his inner circle at the law firm, including former name partners Stuart Rosenfeldt and Russell Adler, donated $2.2 million to Crist, Republican presidential nominee John McCain, the state GOP, the Florida Democratic Party and state chief financial officer Alex Sink, among others.

The Democratic Party, along with Crist and Sink, have returned the tainted donations. The GOP returned $145,000 donated by Rothstein himself -- but not the $483,000 contributed by the firm and other lawyers.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions were also showered on political groups backing Broward sheriff's candidates Al Lamberti and Scott Israel in 2008.

The possible upshot: Candidates and elected officials "are going to be far more cautious about doing research about who they are getting money from in the future,'' said Jim Kane, a Broward-based pollster.

Perhaps no one will be more vulnerable than Crist, who received about $86,000 from Rothstein and others in his law firm for a U.S. Senate bid. Crist, whose popularity has plummeted with the dismal economy, has drawn a feisty GOP primary challenge from former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.

Several photos of Rothstein embracing Crist -- especially one where both are blowing out the candles on Crist's birthday cake in 2008 -- have been reprinted in the media and could wind up in campaign ads.

Words mean things

"Republicans head to Waikiki to work on strategy".