"Sen. Bill Nelson on Thursday asked the Justice Department to probe whether new voting laws passed in Florida and more than a dozen other states were part of a coordinated effort to suppress voter turnout among millions of people in next year's presidential election."

Nelson, a Democrat who will be on the ballot himself in Florida next year, asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate "whether new state voting laws resulted from collusion or an orchestrated effort to limit voter turnout."

New voting laws signed in May by Republican Gov. Rick Scott curtail the number of early voting days in Florida from 15 to eight. The law also makes it more difficult for third-party groups, such as the League of Women voters, to register voters by giving them only 48 hours to turn in voting forms.

Nelson has been particularly critical of changes to early voting that no longer allow people to vote on the Sunday before elections — a prime time for many African-American voters who would cast their ballots following church services. ...

Nelson earlier this week in a speech on the Senate floor pointed out that the new, stricter voting laws are in states that make up two-thirds of the 270 electoral votes need to win the presidency. That includes Florida, where his own re-election — and the presidential contest — will mark the first major test.

Don't tell Grover

"If the Florida Legislature makes no changes, employers throughout the state will see significantly higher unemployment tax bills." "Unemployment tax in Florida may rise sharply in 2012".

Rewarding Florida for dragging its feet on dirty water

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "Why is the federal government continuing to reward Florida for dragging its feet on cleaning up dirty waters? The latest gift to the state’s big polluters came when the EPA gave tentative approval to new state pollution standards that are far short of what our waterways need." "Florida's polluters win again".

Republicans diss Fla-Bagger convention

"The Florida Tea Party Convention being held this weekend in Daytona Beach doesn't seem to be getting ... respect. Very few of the top Republican presidential and Senate candidates and Florida elected officials plan to attend the event, which begins today, and is scheduled to include Senate and presidential candidate forums. Most are citing scheduling conflicts, government business or the pressure of campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire as their reasons for missing the event. But political experts say the declining public reputation of the tea party movement may also be part of the reason." "Few top Republicans coming to Florida Tea Party Convention". See also "Politicians are politely avoiding Tea Party Convention".

Empty suit in search of a press conference

"Amid revelations that the Obama administration considered bailing out the solar company Solyndra, a House subcommittee on Thursday voted to subpoena White House records related to the failed firm's financial and political connections. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight Subcommittee, said the subpoena was necessary because the White House is 'slow-walking' all requests for information." "House Subpoena Widens Probe of Federal 'Green Jobs' Boondoggle".

"Terrible news for Florida and its schoolchildren"

The Saint Petersburg Times editors: "Education isn't free. And the failure to spend enough on public education can be expensive, indeed."

Stagnating test scores for Florida students on a nationally important test illustrate what happens when education funding drops. And the same politicians who have lauded Florida's educational progress over the past decade need to step up and be heard now that the results are not so rosy.

Results for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the so-called "nation's report card," show that Florida's students have basically plateaued since 2007. (A representative sample of fourth- and eighth-graders is tested in math and reading every two years.) Not coincidentally, state funding for education per pupil has dropped from $7,126 to $6,268 during that same time.

Whatever the limits of standardized testing, this is terrible news for Florida and its schoolchildren. The loss of reading coaches, the increasing pressures on classroom teachers and a focus on budget cuts have combined to hurt the state's students.

"Florida's troubling take on gambling"

Scott Maxwell laments "Florida's troubling take on gambling — proposing to expand it right after cutting funding to deal with gambling-related problems. That's a bad combination. As the Sentinel's Gary Taylor reported Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the state's $500,000 contribution to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, even as calls for help are on the rise. The Seminole Tribe still gives $1.75 million. And $500,000 would be a drop in the bucket of proceeds from the state lottery — which more than half of the callers to the hotline listed as one of their top two addictions." "Gambling, prayer and the 'celebrate plate'".

"Casino Bill Could Face Long Odds"

"As an Indian Giver, Florida Casino Bill Could Face Long Odds". See also "Q&A: Erik Fresen and Ellyn Bogdanoff Discuss Their Casino Bill".

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Flawed gambling bill requires reshuffling".

West featured speaker at CPAC 2012

"The American Conservative Union announced on Friday that South Florida Congressman Allen West will be a featured speaker at CPAC 2012, the 39th annual Conservative Political Action Conference, another sign of his starring role on the Right." "Allen West to highlight conservative conference". See also "Allen West to be a featured speaker at CPAC 2012".

In rush to suppress vote, state may violate its own laws

"Because the state was denied an expedited hearing for its new voting laws, Florida might find itself conducting a presidential primary with two different sets of elections laws. An elections expert writes that if this is the case, the state would be in violation of its own statutes."

Dr. Daniel Smith, president of ElectionSmith and a professor at the University of Florida, points out that “in denying the state’s request for an expedited hearing and decision, the federal district court’s decision to wait until May to hear oral arguments has virtually assured that the January 31 [Presidential Preference Primary] will be conducted with two sets of election laws.”

The Americans Civil Liberties Union of Florida, one of the interveners in the case, echoed this argument following the decision. The group said in a statement that “because Governor Scott and Secretary of State Browning moved ahead to implement the law without waiting for federal approval, one major result of the ruling is that Florida will conduct its January Presidential Preference Primary with two sets of election laws in the state.”

If this is the case, the state could be violating its own laws.

The Brennan Center for Justice wrote a letter to Browning this past June warning him that implementation of the new voting laws before federal preclearance could violate state statutes.

"Santorum to visit Palm Beach County"

"Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, whose low-budget campaign has concentrated on building momentum in Iowa, is paying a rare visit to Florida this weekend with stops in Palm Beach County." "GOP presidential candidate Santorum to visit Palm Beach County on Saturday".

"GOP laff-fest"

Carl Hiaasen: "GOP laff-fest coming soon to our state".

Them damn unions

"Union again beats state in private prison legal fight".

"Cannon an anti-casino wild card"

Aaron Deslatte: "The well-moneyed forces for turning South Florida into a destination casino boomtown will confront a wave of opposition from existing casinos and racinos, theme parks defending their convention business, and social conservatives."

One wild card to consider: House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park.

Here's why. Cannon has already secured his legislative policy legacy by blowing up Florida's growth-management agency, and putting on the 2012 general election ballot a judicial reform measure – albeit a watered-down one – that would give the Legislature more influence over Florida Supreme Court appointees, including the power to confirm them.

Entrepreneurs in action

"Florida disability administrators are recommending a ban on caregivers who have harmed residents living in ALFs." "Time to ban ALF caregivers who abuse, state is told".

Country club slavery

"In Immokalee, a dozen Hispanics spent long days in the fields then were forced to sleep in a rental truck. In Boca Raton, Filipino workers pulled grueling shifts at country clubs then returned home as captives, fed rotten chicken and denied medical attention."

Stories such as these from recent years in Florida are chilling examples of human trafficking — an issue officials say is growing but often overlooked.

Shameless wingnuttery

"There are a just a few inalienable truths in life and, for many, one of them is that school teachers are underpaid—but that's just not the case according to two leading conservative think tanks."

In a new report that is unlikely to make any friends on the other side of the political spectrum, the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute argue that not only are teachers not underpaid but that, when factoring in things like job security and benefits, they're actually substantially overpaid, earning 52 percent more than "fair market levels."

"Hispanic lawmakers continue to hammer Umatilla Republican"

"Two weeks after Sen. Alan Hays’ controversial remarks on the possibility of a Congressional district meant to give Latinos an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice, Hispanic lawmakers are continuing to hammer the Umatilla Republican and call for his removal from a key committee." "Fla. state Senator’s call to check Hispanic voters’ citizenship continues to draw fire".

Ricky gets his hands dirty

"Scott spends ‘workday’ at Port of Miami".

Lawmakers meet with exiles

"Miami lawmakers on Capitol Hill hosted several former Cuban prisoners who had protested against the regime of Fidel Castro." "Lawmakers meet with freed Cuban prisoners".

Scott's "Goals of 2012 Legislature"

"Rick Scott Looks Ahead to Goals of 2012 Legislature". Related: "House Speaker Cannon's Address to AP's Session Preview".

Scott's former Company moves HQ to Nashville

"The chain of health care clinics started by Gov. Rick Scott is moving some jobs out of Florida, a financial newspaper in Jacksonville reported."

Scott, who has staked his legacy on job creation, said Wednesday it was “disappointing” to learn his former company, Solantic, was moving its corporate headquarters to Nashville.

strong>Nancy gets her Charlie-hate on

Nancy Smith gets her Charlie-hate on this morning, asking "Is that Charlie Crist's old pal U.S. Sugar Corp. I see over there buying land with taxpayers' money?" "U.S. Sugar Corp. Puts Your Tax Dollars to Work".

"Florida in a hurry to curtail voting rights"

The Palm Beach Post editors: "As if state officials hadn't embarrassed Florida enough with this year's repressive new voting laws, they've brought added derision with their two-faced attempt to manipulate the mandatory federal approval process."

After dawdling for weeks before submitting the laws for U.S. Department of Justice review, Secretary of State Kurt Browning withdrew the four most controversial components with the bogus excuse that he sought "neutral evaluation." He resubmitted them to a federal court in Washington, where, after more delay, he demanded an expedited decision in light of Florida's Jan. 31 presidential primary. ...

The three-judge panel scoffed at the state's urgency.

Logrolling Tallahassee style

"Two of the leading Republican candidates looking to challenge Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson -- restaurant executive Craig Miller and businessman and retired Army Col. Mike McCalister -- came to Tallahassee on Wednesday. But it was a third -- U.S. Rep. Connie Mack -- who came away with a major endorsement."

At the AP’s annual legislative planning session in the Capitol, Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, announced he is backing Mack to take on Nelson. Haridopolos said he is returning a favor, as Mack had backed him when Haridopolos was in the primary contest.

Thursday Morning Reads

""Today in the Capitol: Press conferences, merit pay and Casey Anthony legislation"". See also "Thursday Morning Reads: ALFs, illegals remark controversy and casinos".

37/26 negative/positive split for Scott

"Massachusetts-based Suffolk University released more poll results from their October survey, finding that Gov. Rick Scott's performance still isn't garnering a lot of support among voters. The poll, which surveyed of 800 Florida registered voters was conducted October 26-30. It found that Scott's job performance was rated "negative and damaging" by 37 percent of the voters and "positive and productive by 26 percent." "Poll: A Scott-Sink race today would be a head heat".

"The Republican majority in Tallahassee is showing little leadership"

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "Once again, Florida state government is facing a major budget deficit — as much as $2 billion next year."

And once again, the Republican majority in Tallahassee — Senate President Mike Haridopolos especially — is showing little leadership in solving the fiscal crisis.

Just what we need ... "more businessmen making decisions"

"U.S. Senate candidate Craig Miller says Washington needs more businessmen making decisions instead of career politicians. " "GOP Senate candidates say politicians have failed".

New discrimination bills

"Florida lawmakers have crafted a slew of new bills that would outlaw hiring discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, whether someone is unemployed and whether an applicant has a criminal history." "Legislators roll out bills to end employment discrimination".

Putnam and Bondi oppose EPA pollution standards

"Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, Attorney General Pam Bondi and a slew of industry representatives filed their opposition to EPA-mandated water pollution standards for the state. Arguing that 'federal intervention was and remains unnecessary,' they ask the court to invalidate the January 2009 determination that required that the standards be implemented." "Bondi, Putnam, affected industries join together to fight EPA water rules". Related: "Department of Agriculture outlines objections to EPA clean water rules".

Big of him

"Scott's jobs czar said Tuesday that he supports a quicker release of information about the secret tax incentive deals the state gives some of the largest companies in the world." "Gov. Rick Scott's jobs czar: Divulge details of tax incentive deals after deed is done".

"Condo sales picking up across Florida"

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: "Sales of condominiums are picking up across Florida and that could be a sign that the worst of the residential real estate crash is behind us." "Condo sales may herald upturn in market".

VP Rubio?

"U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio could provide the juice needed for a Republican presidential candidate to win Florida, according to a new poll by Suffolk University. But the advantage dissolves if President Barack Obama adds Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to his Democratic ticket." "Poll: Marco Rubio veep could deliver Florida for Republicans". See also "Poll: Marco Rubio boosts GOP ticket in Florida".

Fla-bagger - Muslim kerfuffle

"Controversy over an on-again, off-again speaking invitation to a Muslim group has spiced a tea party convention set for this weekend in Daytona Beach."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations complained to convention planners when it learned that Pam Geller, a prolific critic of radical Islam, was on the speaker list. One of the organizers then proffered an invitation to give CAIR equal time.

"We accepted only after guaranteeing we would receive (the) same treatment and respect as other speakers and that 'Muslim-bashing would not be tolerated,'" said Hassan Shibly, Tampa executive director of CAIR Florida.

But amid continued jousting over the program and the ground rules, simmering suspicions boiled over, with Geller threatening to pull out.

Pam Dahl, the chief convention organizer and head of the Tri-County Tea Party, told Sunshine State News on Wednesday that Geller is in and CAIR is off the agenda.

Nelson takes on new voting laws

"Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., reiterated his request for a congressional investigation into Florida’s controversial new voting laws on the Senate floor today."

In a letter sent to Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Nelson asked him to consider “conducting investigative field hearings” to see if the new voting laws were “an orchestrated effort to disenfranchise voters” in a manner that is possibly illegal.

In the letter, Nelson spoke of a recent case involving New Smyrna Beach High School civics teacher Jill Cicciarelli.

In a press release, Nelson wrote that “when [Cicciarelli] organized a drive at the start of this school year to get her students pre-registered to vote, she ran afoul of Florida’s new law. Cicciarelli hadn’t registered with the state before beginning the drive and didn’t submit the students’ registration forms to the elections office within 48 hours. Under the law, voter registration activities such as hers could result in hefty fines.”

Nelson also mentioned the involvement of a conservative group called the American Legislative Exchange Council (known as ALEC) in the prevalence of these voting laws around the country.

The NASCAR state

"Make NASCAR the official sport of Florida? State senator wants to".

School prayer bill

"The Anti-Defamation League expressed disappointment with yesterday’s vote by the Florida Senate Pre K-12 Education Committee 'in favor of an amended version of a divisive and constitutionally defective statewide school prayer bill.'" "Anti-Defamation League speaks out against state Senate school prayer bill".

Court revenues falling sharply

"Lawmakers on Tuesday mulled suggestions from the judicial branch for stabilizing the oft-depleted budgets of courts and county clerks."

Since July 1, the state court system has needed nearly $100 million in loans to pay for operations because court filing fees and fines aren't covering court operations. County clerks say they need $36 million to get through March.

But in a report, a work group of a dozen judges and clerks said fees and fines alone were never intended to cover the entire system and asked lawmakers to direct general revenue dollars — money largely generated through state sales tax collections — to help pay for parts of the judicial system.

Members of the Senate Budget Committee praised the work group for offering suggestions but did not commit to honoring the recommendations, which included establishing a reserve fund.

Court revenues have fallen sharply below projections as a result of declines in mortgage foreclosure fees.

RNC shakedown of Tampa hotels under discussion

"Organizers of the 2012 Republican National Convention and executives of hotels contracted to house thousands of convention visitors aired their differences ... after convention organizers said they were expected to cut room rates established in year-old contracts. Hotel executives received forms with lower rates to sign and return by Friday. RNC officials also want to increase the fee hotels pay to help cover convention expenses from $30 per room to 10 percent of each guest's hotel bill. Organizers say some rates, approved by previous Republican staffers, are too high for the market during the late summer season." "Hoteliers meet with RNC officials about convention rates and fees".

Both are included as speakers on the current convention agenda, along with a slew of right-wing activists and speakers. ... According to the convention’s website, sponsors of the event include Freedom Works, the Heritage Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, Craig Miller’s U.S. Senate Campaign and the Oath Keepers.

Scary Facts About the Everglades

"Environment Florida released its 'Ten Scariest Facts About the Everglades' at a press conference coinciding with Halloween." The full list:

- Over the last 100 years, the Everglades have shrunk to less than half their original size as agricultural and residential development in the region expands. The process has been accelerated over the last 30 years by the growth of the sugar industry and skyrocketing development of Florida’s east coast.

- Due to recent decisions made by the Supreme Court, 29% of streams in Florida are at risk of losing their Clean Water Act protections.

- Water from Everglades National Park and other areas drains into the Biscayne Aquifer, which is the source of drinking water for Dade, Broward and some Palm Beach County residents. Meaning more than 7.7 million people depend on the Everglades for drinking water. Without the Everglades to “recharge” this underground water supply, the aquifer would be in danger of running dry or being contaminated by salt water.

- The Everglades has among the highest mercury levels in fish in Florida. The average male Florida panther has higher estrogen levels than females, due to the estrogenic properties of mercury in the fish they eat. The mercury comes from coal-fired power plants and industrial facilities like cement plants.

- Polluted runoff from nearby sugarcane and other agricultural operations as well as encroaching urban sprawl significantly alters the Everglades’ complex and unique water chemistry. This year, the SFWMD acknowledged that even if pollution loading to Lake Okeechobee stopped today, it would take more than 20 years for water quality in the Lake to be restored.

- South Florida Water Management District currently allows discharge of water into the Everglades that contains 9 times more phosphorus than allowed under the Clean Water Act. This creates what is called nutrient pollution that causes harmful algae blooms.

- Nutrient pollution causes algae blooms that take oxygen out of the water, suffocating much of the natural flora and fauna. More than 25 percent of the remaining Everglades has been damaged by excessive nutrient pollution. Clean-up of Everglades phosphorus pollution was supposed to be completed by 2012, but the state legislature extended it to 2016. Now Gov. Rick Scott is requesting the deadline be pushed to 2022 and asking for millions more dollars.

- Phosphorus levels in Lake Okeechobee are 3.5 times higher than recommended, causing algae blooms and other indicators of profound imbalances. Wastewater utilities dry sludge from sewage treatment plants and spread it on fields in the Lake Okeechobee watershed as a disposal method. Sludge contributes nearly a quarter of the phosphorous in the watershed.

- Around 1913, water levels in Lake Okeechobee dropped from around 22-feet above mean sea level to about 15-feet above mean sea level, primarily to provide flood control. By maintaining the lake at these lower levels, the Everglades system has also lost its single largest place to store water.

- Pythons are an invasive species in the Everglades, eating small mammals and disrupting the natural food chain. In the last 4 years, more than 230 pythons have been found in the park. At 19 feet long, they also pose a threat to humans. In the Everglades 26 percent of all resident mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish are not native to the region, and South Florida has one of the largest non-indigenous faunal communities in the world.

"Senator wants to end secrecy surrounding deals"

"A Republican state senator wants to end secrecy surrounding deals that use tax dollars to lure companies to Florida or that keep existing businesses from leaving." "Florida senator wants to end secrecy on tax incentives for businesses".

Occupy Florida

"Occupy Miami weathers another tough weekend". See also "" and "".

Will Scott take credit for these jobs? ...

... if so, perhaps he will take credit for "NASA [having] shed 4,000 jobs since 2009 as the space shuttle program has been retired."

"NASA announced a public-private partnership Monday with Space Florida, the state’s aerospace economic development agency, to lease the Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility-3 -- the space shuttle's main engine-processing facility -- to Seattle-based Boeing Co." "Boeing's Manned Capsule to Launch 550 Jobs at the Cape". See also "Boeing to build spacecraft in Space Coast, bring jobs to Florida".

"Dispensing funds to party potentates"

Daniel Ruth: "150 large is the number LeMieux received in his role as a consultant for the Florida Republican Party, after he (you're not supposed to notice this) stopped serving as chief of staff to the GOP's answer to the heretical Galileo, the Obama hugger Gov. Charlie Crist."

For his part, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate insists he earned $150,000 in his role advising the party on how to reach out to Hispanics and African-Americans. And judging from the — to put it mildly — lack of hordes of minority voters tripping over themselves to cast a ballot for, say, Gov. Rick Scott, one might conclude LeMieux's consulting skills might be viewed as just a pinch wanting.

Perhaps a rare cynic among us might suggest LeMieux's $150,000 idea of minority outreach pretty much consisted of devising a strategy for Republicans to play more Aretha Franklin and Julio Iglesias tunes at their pep rallies in The Villages. You never know, it might work.

When former state party chairman Jim Greer was told LeMieux justified his $150,000 air kiss by functioning as a sort of GOP version of Al Sharpton meets Cesar Chavez, he almost did a spit-take rivaling Milton Berle at a Friars Club roast.

Greer suggested LeMieux did less work for the 150K than Kato Kaelin. Instead, Greer noted the six-figure largesse was really little more than a bonus payment for helping Crist, the GOP's answer to Marshal Petain, (and you're really not supposed to notice this) get elected governor.

Greer is currently facing criminal charges for setting up a double, super-secret fundraising operation that funneled $125,000 to himself for apparently doing even less work than LeMieux did for his door prize. So it would be understandable to think Greer is hardly a disinterested figure here.

But since Greer has proven to be somewhat adept at dispensing funds to party potentates with all the accountability of a Libyan weapons arsenal audit, you could think of the former chairman as something of an expert witness.

Besides, LeMieux already had received some $200,000 in state party monies for helping his once (and this one you're really supposed to purge from your memory) great, close, dear friend, buddy and pal Charlie Crist win his primary and the general election for governor.

The Week Ahead

"The Week Ahead for Oct. 31 to Nov. 6".

Planned Parenthood to join Awake the State rallies

"Planned Parenthood has announced it will join Awake the State in rallies taking place all over Florida tomorrow." "Planned Parenthood to join Awake the State at rallies tomorrow".

Florida Forever

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: "Support Florida Forever, despite budget woes".

Privatization appeal

"At the request of the Legislature [and notwithstanding the report yesterday that "Ruling on privatization of state prisons to go unchallenged"], the state will challenge a judge's order blocking privatization of 30 prisons in South Florida. Shortly before the courts closed for the day Monday, Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a notice of appeal with the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee."

Bondi's spokeswoman said she did so at the request of the Republican-led Legislature, which was not a party to the original lawsuit but whose actions were sharply criticized in the original ruling.

The decision extends the state's effort to implement the most ambitious outsourcing of government-run prisons to date in the United States.

Attacks on Mack unleashed

"With U.S. Rep. Connie Mack preparing to enter the Republican primary field looking to challenge Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, fellow Senate hopefuls unleashed attacks on the newcomer to the race. The team behind former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, who is running in the Republican primary, used Halloween to attack Nelson, Mack and former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, who is also running in the Republican primary. " "GOP Senate Hopefuls Take Aim at Bill Nelson -- and Start Attacking Connie Mack".

Jebbie keeps his head down

"The Daily Beast has a short story on former Gov. Jeb Bush and his role in today's political landscape." "Daily Beast: Jeb is the GOP's grown-up".

Never-used Gambling loophole

"Miami could be home to South Florida's eighth slots-and-poker casino long before any destination gambling resort breaks ground, under a permit quietly sought by the owners of Flagler Dog Track and Magic City Casino and approved by state regulators. Flagler lawyer John Lockwood uncovered a never-used loophole in a 30-year-old parimutuel law and used it to persuade the state Division of Parimutuel Wagering to give West Flagler Associates a permit to operate summer jai alai — and potentially slot machines." "Florida state regulators okay jai alai permit that could endanger Seminole gambling compact".

No Dem is running against Young

"At least on the Democratic side. U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young’s health has declined and he's been forced to raise money for re-election earlier than usual. Yet no Democrat is running against the 80-year-old incumbent." "No takers for Young".

Goin' local

"The results of Tuesday’s municipal elections could indicate if voters have had enough with incumbents — or if they are willing to keep them in office after a series of tough budget years. But turnout is generally expected to be low." "Four Miami-Dade cities hold municipal elections Tuesday". Related: "2 races on Miami ballot: one tame, the other tense".

Sure, he's raising a ton of money, but he's not engaging with the Republicans criticizing him or doing any traditional campaigning. And he says he will not shy away from appearing with Obama as they both seek another term in office. ...

Other than the president's re-election, retaining Nelson's seat is the Florida Democrats' biggest priority in 2012. He maintained a high profile during the three-day convention, giving a speech and hosting a gathering at the Disney hotel where about 2,000 activists gathered.

But, he's not talking about his campaign — he doesn't even have a campaign manager. He won't criticize his opponents. He won't even talk about them. And while Republicans are bashing Obama, Nelson noted that he stood onstage with Vice President Joe Biden at the convention and won't hesitate to appear with the president, saying he thinks Obama's poll numbers will come up as voters look at the alternative.

RPOFers afraid to appeal privatization ruling

"After a month without acting and the deadline today, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is almost certain to decline to appeal a judge's decision striking down his and the Republican-controlled legislature's 18-county prison privatization plan."

That's because lawmakers have more to lose than gain if a higher court affirms Leon County Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford's Sept. 30 ruling that the way the lawmakers created the privatization plan was unconstitutional.

Lawmakers employed the same tool they've used for decades - the terms and conditions inserted into the fine print of a state budget - to create the plan for the privatization of 29 prisons and other corrections operations in the southern half of the state.

But, citing previous Florida Supreme Court decisions, Fulford said the proposal changed current state law too much to be included in the budget and instead should have been handled in a separate bill unrelated to the must-pass state spending plan.

The circuit judge's ruling applies only to the case in hand, but a higher court ruling could have a broader effect.

"Rick Scott, George W. Bush and the tea party"

"Regardless of who wins the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Florida voters can expect to hear a lot from Democrats about Rick Scott, George W. Bush and the tea party next year." "Florida Democrats point fingers at Gov. Scott, GOP lawmakers".

Voter suppression, Florida style

Waldo Proffitt: "Republicans have been busy for the last two years making it more difficult for about 5 million citizens to vote. That figure is provided by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York School of Law."

Republicans claim they have been changing voting requirements in order to prevent voter fraud, but voter fraud is very rare. In recent years more people have been struck by lightning than have been charged with casting illegal ballots.

What Republicans have been doing is to make registration and voting more difficult for groups of people believed to contain more Democrats than Republicans — early voters, young voters, college students, poor people. ...

Florida and Texas passed laws restricting voter registration drives, and Florida and Wisconsin passed laws making it more difficult for people who move to stay registered and vote. ...

The Florida rules now specify that any third-party voter registration effort requires volunteers to register with the Elections Division and to return each filled-out registration card to the local supervisor of elections office within 48 hours or face fines up to $1,000. The Florida League of Women Voters, which has been conducting registration drives for many score years, decided to stop rather than run the risk of very costly fines.

Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia enacted bills to reduce early voting. Two states — Florida and Iowa — reversed prior executive actions that made it easier for citizens with past felony convictions to restore their voting rights. I am not aware of any figures which show more felons are Democrats than Republicans, but I suspect Republican legislators may think that to be the case.

"Welcome to the NFL, Mr. Rubio"

The Miami Herald editorial board writes that Rubio "Suddenly, he finds himself caught up in an embarrassing political hullaballoo over his family history and qualifications for higher office. Welcome to the NFL, Mr. Rubio."

As for "the absurd contention about Mr. Rubio’s citizenship. It comes from the same fringe 'birthers' who have been trying to discredit President Barack Obama’s own right to be president for years, and it’s just as wacky."

Even making allowances for the somewhat ambiguous nature of the phrase “natural born citizen” in Article II of the Constitution, it requires an extraordinarily cramped and mean-spirited reading to conclude that someone born in this country whose parents were Cuban exiles is not a full-fledged citizen and thus ineligible for the office.

Yikes — the birther revolution is starting to eat its own children! If they’re wise, GOP leaders will pull their party away from this xenophobic fringe and move toward the political center before the party suffers more damage from the cuckoo contingent.

"Enterprising criminals"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "Enterprising criminals are taking Florida's no-fault auto insurance law for a ride, fueling soaring insurance rates for everyone else. Now it's up to state lawmakers to give this issue the attention it deserves during next year's legislative session." "Scammers take Florida for a ride".

Visas to foreign nationals who buy U.S. homes?

"A congressional proposal to issue visas to foreign nationals who buy U.S. homes could be a big boon to Florida's real-estate market. Already the top state in sales to international buyers, Florida stands to benefit from the VISIT-USA Act proposed by Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Mike Lee, R-Utah." "Home Run for Florida: U.S. Visas to Foreigners Buying Houses Here".

GOPers in the Twittersphere

"Twitter is abuzz with presidential candidates this year, though not all in the Twittersphere are equal. Rick Santorum tweets a lot more than Rick Perry, Herman Cain is the Republican most likely to be retweeted, and their Twitter followers are dwarfed by President Barack Obama's. That's according to an Associated Press analysis of the presidential candidates' use of Twitter that found widely different levels of engagement, despite the site's emergence as a go-to hub for political communication." "AP analysis: Candidates' Twitter use varies widely".

Nelson "Mostly True" on Spill info

Politifact says "letters, press releases and interviews show Nelson did play a key role in the release of critical data [about the oil spill], and for that we'll rate his statement Mostly True." "Sen. Bill Nelson helped lift veil on BP gulf oil spill".

"Obama’s math problem"

"There’s good news for President Barack Obama in Florida, where barely four in 10 voters approve of his performance: He can lose the state’s 29 electoral votes and still comfortably win re-election in 2012."

Thanks to the expanded political playing field he helped create three years ago, even a long-standing presidential election axiom — whoever wins two out of three between Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio wins the White House — is out the window.

Now the bad news for Obama: It’s absolutely plausible nearly one year out from the election that he will lose all three of those states — and a whole lot more. His approval ratings in Pennsylvania and Ohio are just as bad as in Florida, and his poll numbers are grim throughout the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions.

"2014 gubernatorial race is starting to rumble"

"Even as all eyes are on the presidential race, the Florida Democratic Party's 2011 state convention at Disney World this weekend offered plenty of signs that the 2014 gubernatorial race is starting to rumble." "Scott has Florida Democrats all riled up at state convention". See also "Vice President Biden scolds GOP as 'obstructionist' in two Central Florida speeches", "Biden fires up Florida faithful in Orlando", "Florida Democrats united in their criticism of Gov. Scott", "Fla. Dems: GOP is driven by far right extremists" and "Florida Democrats point fingers at Gov. Scott, GOP lawmakers". Related: "Florida Democratic Party wraps up 3-day convention".

Florida's voter fraud team to the rescue

"A Florida Panhandle teacher who registered students to vote but turned in their applications late may be fined for violating the state's new election law, which has drawn fire from critics who say it will suppress voting."

Secretary of State Kurt Browning asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate and seek applicable fines in a letter Thursday.

Dorworth goin' down?

Scott Maxwell writes that the Orlando Sentinel was inundated with hundreds of calls, letters, emails and online comments from readers incensed about last weekend's column raising questions about aspiring state House Speaker Chris Dorworth's newly disclosed wealth."

The overwhelming reaction: Dorworth needs to come clean about how he came into a newly listed $713,000 stake in an out-of-state corporation — as well as his financial ties to other insiders, government officials and those who profit off government deals.

The reaction crossed party lines, with many Republicans ticked that their party hasn't offered up a better speaker candidate for 2014 … and wondering why other party leaders sit idly by, providing fodder for Democrats.

Still no response from Dorworth. (You can read the 21 questions [Maxwell] sent him at OrlandoSentinel.com/takingnames.)

Florida employers like "cut-rate labor" living in "virtual peonage"

Fred Grimm: "They’re the veritable saviors of the hospitality industry, aren’t they? Foreign guest workers, recruited from distant places, 7,276 of them last year, to rescue Florida’s hotels and restaurants and country clubs and amusement parks and other businesses so very desperate to fill vacant jobs."

Without these recruits — officially designated H-2B temporary non-agricultural guest workers — these hapless businesses would have been forced to find help among Florida’s piddling pool of 977,000 unemployed citizens.

Of course, H-2B employers must first attest that they can’t find actual Americans to fill these American jobs. But everyone knows that unemployed Americans disdain the very idea of laboring in the Dickensian miseries of air conditioned luxury vacation resorts.

Perhaps employers also like the idea of cut-rate labor. They pay no unemployment compensation or health benefits for H-2B workers. And H-2B workers are bound to a single employer for the life of their visa, up to three years. This set of workers is barred from receiving raises over the modest “prevailing” wages set for their particular job by the U.S. Department of Labor (like, say, $8.95 an hour for an amusement park worker). Those wages also have the added benefit of depressing the pay of regular American workers at the same workplace.

“A scandal,” Gregory Schell, managing attorney for Florida Legal Services, called the H-2B program. Schell has represented a series of foreign workers, brought over on H-2B visas by labor contractors, who found themselves in virtual peonage.

Weekly Roundup

"Weekly Roundup: Mack Attack in GOP Senate Race". See also "The Week in Review for Oct. 24 to Oct. 28".

"A powerful jolt of jobs and money"

"A proposed casino resort would deliver a powerful jolt of jobs and money to Southwest Florida, according to statistics from a economic consulting firm. Some Lee County government officials and business owners said the casino would be a formidable engine of economic growth; others weighed the good versus the ill effects they say the project would bring."

The report was prepared by The Innovation Group of Winter Park, hired by a group headed by Miami Heat president Pat Riley that’s working to bring a casino to The Forum, a mixed-use development just east of Interstate 75 between Colonial Boulevard and State Road 82 in Fort Myers.

Would-be casino developers from across the state are jockeying for position as the Legislature starts work on a bill that could expand gaming in the state.

The casino proposed for The Forum would bring a construction project with $1.2 billion in spending and 8,783 construction jobs, plus a workforce that would reach 4,959 jobs with a $136.2 million annual payroll by 2018, the Innovation Group report states.

Tax revenues by 2018 would total $29.2 million a year: $4.3 million from a voluntary 1 percent local gaming tax; $5.6 million in bed tax; and $19.3 million in property taxes.

That wouldn’t come at the cost of other local industries, said Phil Nichols of Atlanta-based Whitestar Strategies, a consultant working with developer Champion Development Corp.

“We’re not going to cannibalize existing tourists,” he said, adding 80 percent of guests would be new tourists who wouldn’t have come without the casino.

"Tuition bias against true Floridians"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Little-known state rules say if a college applicant lives with her parents and can be claimed as a dependent under federal tax law, she needs to prove her parents live legally in Florida in order to qualify for in-state tuition. If she can't, she pays out-of-state rates, even if she's Florida-born and raised."

The Southern Poverty Law Center is suing the state ... The lawsuit argues the state is violating their constitutional right to equal protection under the law since they are being treated differently from other citizens whose parents are legal residents.

The class-action lawsuit is compelling, yet Florida's students should not have to wait for it to wind its way through the federal courts. The state Department of Education and the state Board of Governors, which respectively oversee state colleges and universities, should revoke this rule and stop discriminating against Floridians who deserve the same rights as their classmates.

A Democratic state lawmaker from Jacksonville has responded with a bill that would eliminate this fundamental unfairness, but his bill's prospects in the Republican-controlled Legislature are tenuous at best. And, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center attorney who filed the lawsuit, the residency requirement is not even mandated by state statute. The requirements arose, the attorney says, in regulations set up by the Department of Education and the Board of Governors, which flesh out general state laws with administrative rules.

"The best education is never the cheapest"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "no one in Tallahassee's majority party seems willing to acknowledge is that the state, not just students, must invest more in higher education if Florida's universities are ever going to rank among the nation's best and help diversify the economy."

The governor frequently claims his goal is to provide the best higher education in the nation. But the governor has yet to define that, other than to suggest universities need to expand science, technology and math degrees. The Legislature cannot allow Scott to fuse a solution for improving STEM education with a mission to cut spending elsewhere. If all Republicans do in the coming legislative session is reallocate measly resources in the name of economic development, the state will only lose more ground academically.

Florida universities need more investment, not less. And they need state leaders who understand that the best education is never the cheapest.

"Cuban-American’s perspective on Rubio's latest tall tale"

Patrick Monteiga, editor of Tampa’s La Gaceta newspaper, writes that when "Rubio’s mom came back it seems the whole family falsely embraced exile status saying they fled Castro and who knows, maybe they even accepted the welfare that was offered to the exile community. My grandfather came back and was ostracized by many of the exiles, while Rubio’s family, because of their lie, was embraced." "Why Marco Rubio’s lies matter". See also "Buzz's 5 Questions: Luis Garcia questions why Marco Rubio's parents returned to Cuba".

Of course, for Rubio's political allies and apologists, his lies are irrelevant: "Forget the year of arrival, Cubans are exiles". See also Antonio Fins' "Rubio's family in exile — just ask Cuba". And no surprises from Myriam Marquez: "On Rubio, exile is more than a date of departure" ("to turn this slip of a date into a 'gotcha' visa-gate insults most Cuban Americans.")

Nelson "walking on volatile and unfamiliar political territory"

"If you're Sen. Bill Nelson, you must feel good about the campaign year ahead: flush with $7.5 million in your campaign account; President Barack Obama preparing a massive get-out-the-vote campaign for Florida Democrats; a crowded Republican primary lacking any titans and promising to be bloody."

But spend a little time chatting with Florida's senior senator, and it's clear the state's most durable politician is walking on volatile and unfamiliar political territory.

An aggressively cautious middle-of-the-roader, Nelson, 69, now lives in the tea party era where hyper-partisanship reigns. The Orlando Democrat is far and away the longest-serving statewide politician, with four decades under his belt. This at a time when voters say they're fed up with incumbents and, especially, Washington politicians.