The state's political landscape will shift significantly by the once-a-decade redrawing of all legislative districts following the census, which also hands the state two more seats in Congress for a total of 27.

Two voter-approved amendments to Florida's Constitution prohibited legislators from protecting incumbents in drawing boundaries.

At least 14 of 40 state Senate seats and 38 of 120 state House seats will have new occupants by November.

But not everything will change.

A total of 38 lawmakers, or nearly one-fourth of the Legislature, can waltz into office without getting a single vote because no one challenged any of them, including four House freshmen who were seeking office for the first time.

Bushco education advisor wins award for "compellingly lousy educational research"

"Former Gov. Jeb Bush’s top policy advisor on education, Matthew Ladner, recently got a national award. Just not the kind a policy advisor welcomes. Ladner won the 'Get a Life(time) Achievement Award' from the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder."

It was the first time an individual won a Bunkum Award. The center reserves them for “the most compellingly lousy educational research.”

Ladner is the senior advisor of policy and research for the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Bush chairs the influential nonprofit, which supports market-based education reforms like school vouchers and charter schools.

After reviewing his work, the center determined Ladner’s analyses would “be less deceptive if they were selling prime Florida swampland.”

"Scott says he's determined"

"Scott says he's determined to preserve the integrity of the voting process by eliminating noncitizens from the rolls."

As local elections supervisors suspend county-by-county searches for noncitizens, calling the state's data defective, Scott defends them as necessary to the effort to rid the rolls of noncitizens.

First Wisconsin, "Look next to states like Florida"

Robyn E. Blumner: "America's labor movement demonstrated that everyday people could gain a soupçon of power over their working lives by standing together. ... But 6/5/12 marks its demise."

Look next to states like Florida, where Gov. Rick Scott has said the state would be better off without public-sector unions — just about the only union power that exists.

Scott rolling in his doo doo over Wisconsin

"In the eyes of Gov. Rick Scott, Scott Walker’s victory over the Democrats' and labor unions' recall effort in Wisconsin is validation for similar conservation [sic] actions he has pushed in Florida." "Rick Scott: Wisconsin Validates Florida’s Conservative Agenda".

Week in Review

"Weekly Roundup: For Candidates, Election Officials and FAMU President, It's On". See also "Week in Review for June 4 to June 8".

"A law that cannot be fixed, and it should be repealed"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "A task force to investigate 'stand your ground,' led by Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, is stacked with lawmakers who either sponsored the law or are vocal supporters of it. Carroll pointed to the Times' reporting to suggest the law may need reforms, but the task force's objectivity would be more believable had the law's critics been given a seat at the table. The Times' analysis demonstrates that this is a law that cannot be fixed, and it should be repealed." "Repeal 'stand your ground'".

Florida Chamber drags its knuckles

How nice. "Florida Chamber President Mark Wilson offered his group's take on this year's session of the Florida Legislature."*

Q: What are the key steps on pension reform?

A: If there was one thing I'd do, it would be to move new employees into a defined contribution plan instead of a defined benefit.

I don't think it's in the cards to change it for people already in the system. We're advocating that prospective employees coming into government would be defined contribution, like all of us in the private sector.

Q: Are there areas for compromise with the public employees unions?

A: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called me and asked if we'd sit down with the teachers union and reach a compromise on some of these issues. We sat down and tried, but at the end of the day, you're trying to find compromise on policy but in the meantime you're not agreeing on who the candidates are. It just makes it hard. I wish we could ...

White supremacists make threats in Central Florida

"White supremacists threaten state attorney, judge, agent".

Lawsuit to stop voter purge

"The American Civil Liberties Union sued Florida on Friday to stop its controversial program designed to purge noncitizen voters from the rolls. The ACLU says the program, which overwhelmingly targets minorities, needs approval from the federal government under the 1965 Voting Rights Act — a claim already made last week by the U.S. Department of Justice when it ordered Florida to cease the purge." "ACLU sues Florida to stop noncitizen voter purge". Meanwhile, "Voter purge crumbling".

Campaign Roundup

"Campaign Roundup".

Scott and his Beer Lobbyist threaten DOJ

"On Wednesday, Secretary of State Ken Detzner made it clear Florida isn’t ready to halt its search of noncitizens as he sent a string of questions as part of a response to the deadline the federal department had set for Wednesday for Florida to halt the review. Detzner also gave the DOJ until Monday to respond to his questions." "Florida to DOJ: We’re Waiting".

Obama woos Hispanics

An "upbeat ad starring a Florida resident is one of several such spots the Democrat's team is running on Spanish-language stations in pivotal election states, and it contrasts sharply with the hard-hitting commercials in English that the incumbent's campaign is airing against Republican rival Mitt Romney." "Obama campaign woos Hispanics with TV, radio ads".

Into the sewer

"The News-Press' Tampa Bay news partner 10 News has learned of allegations of homosexual affairs, a governor trying to kiss another man, and drunken escapades by former Gov. Charlie Crist."

These allegations come in the form of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement Investigative Report in the Republican Party Chair Jim Greer saga.

Jim Greer is facing criminal charges and is set to go to trial on July 30 for allegedly paying himself to raise money for the Republican Party of Florida. Greer maintains that former Governor Charlie Crist approved the deal.

Entrepreneurs in action

"Three men have pleaded guilty in Florida to federal charges that they bilked septic tank owners out of more than $1 million partly through bogus toilet paper claims." "3 in Fla. guilty in septic toilet paper scam".

Weatherford's Chief of Staff

"Kathy Mears Named Will Weatherford's Chief of Staff".

GOP would rather have Scott deliver the keynote address

Daniel Ruth: "Far be it from me to be the party pooper, but for all the tea party types out there, uh, your guy Ron Paul was a big-time loser in the Republican Party presidential nominating process."

Yet the tea party can't quite seem to take the rejection of the Paul campaign by the body politic. Republican voters would have rather shoved shards of glass up their noses than see Mr. Dithers on the ballot against President Barack Obama this fall.

Thus the tea party has started whining that the Republican National Committee is interfering with their plans for a three-day celebration of all things Ron Paul just before the GOP convention in Tampa this summer.

Sheesh, this would be like staging a three-day soiree in honor of the Yugo. Please.

Tea party organizers have complained the RNC is attempting the undermine plans for the Ron Paul-apalooza at the Florida State Fairgrounds. This is certainly a fitting site. Yes, you're absolutely right, the temptation to go all barnyard here is almost too much to resist. But let's press on.

One can only hope the RNC is trying to gum up the Ron Paul lovefest. Don't you suspect the GOP would rather have Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who is to public speaking what Dick Cheney is to marksmanship, deliver a prime-time keynote address, than explain why the chap who came in dead last in the delegate count — 140 — warrants his own festival?

Lawyers will write emails

"A lawyer for former Gov. Charlie Crist has accused former GOP Chairman Jim Greer and his lawyer of possible witness tampering."

John Morgan, the senior partner in the law firm where Crist now works, has told agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that Damon Chase, the Lake Mary lawyer who represents Greer, pressured him to have Crist change his testimony or face embarrassing personal questions. Morgan said he represents Crist.

Greer is charged with fraud, money laundering and theft of almost $200,000 from the Florida Republican Party by creating Victory Strategies, a company that billed the party for consulting work. Greer faces trial July 30 in Orlando.

Documents released late Friday by Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Michael Williams include the FDLE report documenting Morgan’s call to FDLE on May 17. The call was made a few days after Morgan said he received a call from Chase suggesting that Crist could avoid giving a deposition in the criminal case if he was willing to revise an earlier affidavit that denied knowledge of the company Greer was creating.

Morgan gave prosecutors copies of emails exchanged with Chase after the call. In an email to Chase sent on May 14, the day Morgan says he received the call from Chase, Morgan told the lawyer he had shared details of the conversation with Crist.

“My personal opinion is that Jim is desperate and using you as a way to extort Charlie with embarrassing questions,’’ Morgan wrote. “You have a very good reputation in this town. As a friend I warn you to be careful in helping Jim at all costs. There are things you don’t know that will be very shocking to you. Don’t get caught up in it yourself.’’

Race is over according to "Cardboard Connie"

"Connie Mack IV has declined to participate in a televised debate for Republican U.S. Senate candidates, signaling his belief that the primary race is over and he's the winner." "Mack shuns Senate Republican debate, says race over".

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Cardboard Connie may have to make a comeback. In 1988, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Robert Merkle often brought along a life-sized image of Connie Mack III because Mack refused to debate him. Now the former senator's son is trading on his father's name and refusing to debate his Republican opponents in the U.S. Senate race." "Mack shouldn't duck Republican debate".

The 67 county elections supervisors — who have final say over voter purges —are not moving forward with the purge for now because nearly all of them don’t trust the accuracy of a list of nearly 2,700 potential noncitizens identified by the state’s elections office. The U.S. Department of Justice has ordered the state to stop the purge.

The Department of Justice last week said the state’s purge came too late. Under a federal law commonly known called “motor voter,” state purges must end 90 days before a federal election — May 16 this year. (The Florida state primary is Aug. 14.)

DOJ also said the Voting Rights Act of 1965 required the state to get permission for the purge.

But Detzner [see "Beer lobbyist knows little about voting"] disagreed.

NeoVoucher Madness

"Kevin Welner, a professor of education at the University of Colorado, wrote a book on the tax-credit scholarship programs, now operating in eight states including Florida and Georgia, in which he described them as 'neovouchers' -- distinguishing them from traditional voucher programs that directly provide public funding for private schools and that consequently have run into legal trouble because of the constitutional prohibition on public funding for religious education."

The American Federation for Children ("AFC") is "a national organization that promotes privatization of public schools and has played a key role in the creation of neovoucher programs".

The chair of AFC is Betsy DeVos, billionaire wife of Amway founder Richard DeVos and former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. Betsy DeVos' younger brother is Erik Prince, founder of the North Carolina-based private security firm previously known as Blackwater; their father was the wealthy founder of an auto parts company noted for his right-wing politics. The DeVoses have spent tens of millions of dollars to support school privatization efforts.

Betsy DeVos has been upfront about her belief that wealthy families like her own should be allowed to have outsized influence on government, writing in a 1997 op-ed for the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call:

"[M]y family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican party…. I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now, I simply concede the point. We expect to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues. We expect a return on our investment; we expect a good and honest government. Furthermore, we expect the Republican party to use the money to promote these policies, and yes, to win elections."

"Scott overstating the health of Florida’s economy"

"Economists taking a fresh look at the state’s unemployment rate report findings that support workers’ organizations that say the state’s job picture may be improving because thousands of jobless Floridians are leaving the workforce."

The Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research this week released its latest economic overview for the state, which says that as much as 75 percent of the state’s 1.2 percent drop in unemployment since last December is attributed to Floridians leaving the workforce.

If the same number of Floridians were in the labor force, April’s 8.7 percent unemployment rate — a three-year low– would have seen 9.6 percent of workers in the state unemployed, the office concluded. Those disappearing from the workforce could have abandoned their job search, returned to school, left the state or retired.

Critics say that Scott is overstating the health of Florida’s economy when he claims the unemployment drop is proof the state is on what he called the “path to recovery.”

Even at 8.7 percent unemployment, Florida’s rate remains above the nationwide 8.1 percent level. Only seven states have higher unemployment rates than Florida, which was tied in April with Mississippi and Illinois, the Office of Economic and Demographic Research found.

They hate unions, don't they?

"Public employees under scrutiny after recent elections".

"Voter fraud simply hasn't been a problem "

"Gov. Rick Scott and his Department of State have been talking about voter fraud in Florida since 2011, shortly after Scott took office. ... But notwithstanding the concerns of Scott and Republican legislators, state records show that voter fraud simply hasn't been a problem for the past decade." "Statistics show voter fraud is a rare occurrence in Florida".

Desperate

"Mitt Romney Calls on Jeb, Marco, Florida Republicans for Boost with Hispanics".

It must be the Pollster

The Sunshine State News blames the pollster: "Bill Nelson With Solid Lead in Dem-Leaning Poll".

"Trio of mini-sagas"

"A trio of mini-sagas has been concluded as state senators Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville, and Jim Norman, R-Tampa, all filed their qualifying paperwork." "Latvala, Oelrich, Norman Are In as Qualifying Reaches Final Day".

"Florida is one of five states where earnings remain below pre-recession levels"

Bad news for Mr. Scott: "Florida’s economy grew last year, but at a slower pace than the previous year and slower than most states."

The unemployment rate has dropped significantly, but not primarily because of job creation. Housing sales and prices are rebounding, but problems with foreclosures and underwater properties continue to be a drag on the real estate market.

The mixed bag of results is derived from a report released Wednesday by the state Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

Overall, Florida’s economy grew at a rate of 0.5 percent in 2011, slower than the 0.9 percent growth rate in 2010 and the 37th highest rate among states. Per capita personal income grew 3.5 percent, but that was the fifth-lowest rate among states. The national average increase in per capita personal income for last year was 4.3 percent. Florida is one of five states where earnings remain below pre-recession levels.

Gov. Rick Scott has touted the decline in the unemployment rate since he took office in January 2011, but the drop in recent months has been mostly because of workers leaving the workforce, not finding jobs. Florida’s unemployment rate for April is 8.7 percent. That’s down from 9.9 percent in December, but 75 percent of that decrease comes from a shrinking workforce rather than new employment.

Since December, the number of people in the workforce has shrunk by 48,000 to a total of 9,255,000 workers, even though the working age population has grown by 67,000 to a total of 15,384,000 people.

The report states that because the state will add 2,600 people of prime working age (25 to 54) every month, it will take many more new jobs than Scott’s pledge of 750,000 to reach pre-recession levels.

Dirty water

"Industry groups are backing the state's proposed rules to replace federal rules that industry calls too expensive and difficult to meet. Environmental groups challenged the state rules as weak and unenforceable, but Administrative Law Judge Bram D.E. Canter ruled against them." "State judge sides with DEP in water quality rules challenge".

"Reckless comparison"?

Nancy Smith believes the "Tampa Bay Times has a political statement to make, OK, I get it. But their editors used a reckless comparison to make it, and I can't let that go without comment."

Comparing George Wallace in Alabama 49 years ago to Rick Scott in Florida today is so wild and crazy, so unthinkably off the mark, it's like nails on a blackboard to those of us who were in Tuscaloosa on June 11, 1963.

I just can't believe that the folks at the Times responsible for today's editorial, "Governor, halt the voter purge," are proud of what they've done here.

"Common Core standards"

"Florida's implementation of "Common Core standards" for math and English Language Arts could cost taxpayers as much as $780 million -- could, but shouldn't, says a national education think tank." "Cost of Common Core: Boon or Boondoggle for Schools?".

Sorry, Ricky

"Bank of America to lay off 675 workers in Fort Lauderdale". Meanwhile, "Court clerks expect 11 percent statewide staff cuts" ("clerks will eliminate about 900 positions statewide in the coming months, a reduction of more than 11 percent. Employment in clerks' offices has fallen from 9,600 in 2009 to 7,900 this year.")

Here it comes ...

Florida's conservative editorial boards are all over the Wisconsin vote. The Orlando Sentinel editors: "Sure, you can criticize Walker for being a poor communicator."

You can disagree, as we do, with how far he went in pursuing reforms by curtailing employees' collective bargaining rights. The 900,000 people who signed the recall petition forcing Tuesday's election would certainly concur.

But the majority of Wisconsin voters who turned out to make sure Walker completes his four-year term nonetheless backed his efforts to restore some fiscal balance to government. And that majority is what counts most right now. That's the message.

Wisconsin isn't an isolated case. Look at what happened just last September in a South Florida city, Hollywood, where voters backed controversial ballot items to reform city pensions.

Or look at how Florida lawmakers in Tallahassee approved equally contentious legislation last year requiring employees to contribute to their own retirement plans. We supported that effort, pushed by Gov. Rick Scott. For now, it's held up in court.

The heated and ugly politics isn't healthy, but the results are. The fallout from the Great Recession has forced many private sector employers to make painful decisions. It is forcing governments to take painful steps, too.

We don't take pleasure in the consequences. We appreciate the work that public employees do.

Cost to taxpayers for arresting chalk protester: $196,363

"Cost of a 15-pack of Crayola sidewalk chalk: $4. Cost to Orlando taxpayers for arresting chalk protester: $196,363. After losing a federal lawsuit filed by a man wrongly jailed for chalking protest messages in front of City Hall, Orlando has now settled all its legal bills and damages." "Chalk-protest arrest proves costly for Orlando taxpayers".

"Category 5 shocker"

The Palm Beach Post editors: "You could have knocked us over with a mild tropical storm last week when Gov. Scott called for a national disaster insurance plan. This call came from the famously free-market Rick Scott. The regulation-cutting Rick Scott. The get-government-out-of-the-way-and-let-business-work Rick Scott. If it wasn’t Saul on the road to Damascus, maybe it was Rick on the road to Miami, where he appeared at the National Hurricane Center." "Scott’s Category 5 shocker".

'Glades

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Floridians can take heart that a bipartisan U.S. House majority acted this week to keep a federal commitment to restore the Everglades." "Committed to Everglades".

"Paid-media bloodbath"

"Central Florida can now officially gird itself for a campaign-season, paid-media bloodbath."

Friday was the deadline for state and federal candidates to file their qualifying paperwork, and the Metro Orlando region is poised to host the most high-profile contests between majority-party Republicans with financial resource advantages, and minority-party Democrats buoyed by new district lines and stronger efforts to recruit candidates who can compete.

Thanks to redistricting and term-limits, this year is shaping up to be the most competitive for congressional and legislative seats in at least a decade -- and likely longer.

For Democrats, the new maps have given lift to hopes that they can chip away at the super-majorities held by Republicans in the state House and Senate.

"We're competing everywhere," said incoming Senate Democratic Leader Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale.

"For too long the Democratic Party has not competed as vigorously as we should have."

Two of the top three races where Democrats hope to gain Senate seats will play out in Central Florida.

A new Hispanic-majority District 14 will pit Democratic state Rep. Darren Soto against GOP personal-injury lawyer William McBride, a son-in-law of wealthy Christian-radio-station owner Stu Epperson and a U.S. Senate candidate in 2006.

The Orange/Osceola district is 50 percent Hispanic and leans heavily Democratic, but the largely Puerto Rican population of Central Florida has demonstrated an independent streak when Latino candidates are on the ballot.

A second closely watched Senate race has Volusia Commission Chairman Frank Bruno squaring off against state Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange. The district that stretches from Daytona Beach to Ocala has a slight, 3.5-percentage-point Democratic registration edge but has flipped between Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and Republican Rick Scott in 2010.

Lawsuit challenging Florida's intrusion into foreign policy gets a court date

"A June 25 hearing has been set for a Florida construction company's challenge to a state law banning governments from doing business with firms that have economic links to Cuba and Syria. ... The lawsuit claims the law is unconstitutional because foreign policy powers rest solely with the federal government." "Hearing set on Fla. firm's challenge to Cuba law".

"One of the world's biggest corporations puts one over on Florida taxpayers"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Never mind that there's already a Sam's Club rising from the ground on 34th Street N in St. Petersburg. The City Council — hiding behind the guise of job creation — was all too happy to help one of the world's biggest corporations put one over on the Florida taxpayer." "Wal-Mart puts one over on council".

In a sharply worded letter, Scott’s administration claimed the Department of Justice doesn’t understand two federal voting laws at the heart of the dispute and was protecting potentially illegal voters more than legal ones.

Florida also accused another federal agency, the Department of Homeland Security, of violating the law by denying Florida access to a federal citizenship database.

“This hardly seems like an approach earnestly designed to protect the integrity of elections and to ensure that eligible voters have their votes counted,” said the letter, written by Scott’s hand-picked secretary of state, Ken Detzner, a fellow Republican.

Detzner also submitted a list of four questions that he wants the DOJ to answer.

In tone and substance, the letter all but dares the Justice Department to sue Florida for allegedly violating the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), nicknamed “motor voter.”

for access to a Department of Homeland Security database of citizens and said the feds "may [have] violate[d] federal law" by denying it. And he added that the purge has identified people who "by their own admission" are non-citizens and have no right to vote.

But an attorney for the Florida Association of Supervisors of Election, who last week had urged the state's 67 supervisors to suspend the purge because of the feds' letter, said Wednesday night he was sticking by that recommendation until the dispute is resolved.

"I don't think the Justice Department is going to say, 'Oh, we were just fooling,'" said Ron Labasky, the group's attorney.

Poll: Obama maintains Florida lead

"PPP's newest Florida poll finds little change in the state compared to mid-April."

At that time Barack Obama led Mitt Romney 50-45 there, and now his advantage is 50-46. Voters in the state narrowly approve of Obama, 49/46, and continue to dislike Romney, giving him a 39/53 favorability rating.

Obama's strength is based on what's become a pretty predictable set of groups. He's up 57-39 with women, 61-36 with Hispanics, 93-7 with African Americans, and 65-27 with voters under 30. Romney's up 52-46 with seniors and 55-41 with whites but he'd need larger advantages with those demographics to be ahead overall.

Neither of Florida's most discussed Vice Presidential prospects would have a huge impact on the race. Marco Rubio is slightly popular with a 44/40 approval rating, but his presence on the ticket would only narrow Obama's lead to 49-46. Rubio would help some with Hispanic voters, taking Obama's lead down to 55-40 with that group, but doesn't make a huge dent overall.

Jeb Bush wouldn't help Romney either. He has a 48/42 favorability rating but with him as the VP Obama's lead actually increases ever so slightly to 5 points at 50/45.

Jack Latvala to run for Senate District 20

"Republican Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, announced he will run for Senate District 20 by posting a tweet on his web page. The newly redrawn district covers northern Pinellas County." "Latvala decides to seek Senate District 20".

Deep thinker

"Jeb Bush says he doesn’t 'have to play the game of being 100,000 percent against President Obama,' although the former Florida governor has 'a long list of things' that he thinks Obama has done wrong." "Jeb Bush praises Obama, worries GOP is shortsighted".

"Florida led the nation in federal public corruption convictions"

"Leaders of a new ethics watchdog group say reforms are coming to Florida’s ethics laws. Integrity Florida, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group founded in January, released a report Wednesday showing that Florida led the nation in federal public corruption convictions from 2000 to 2010." "Ethics watchdog group calls for reforms". See also "Is Florida the leader in public corruption? Study to say yes".

League of Women Voters to resume registrations

"The League of Women Voters said they are ready to resume their interrupted registration efforts just days after winning a federal injunction against Florida." "League of Women Voters to restart registration drive". See also "League of Women Voters restarts registration drive".

The Sarasota Herald Tribune editorial board: "The venerable Florida League of Women of Voters and youth-oriented Rock the Vote announced yesterday that they are resuming voter-registration drives in our state. Words from a 1970s sitcom's theme song come to mind: Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back." "Ready again to register". See also "U.S. judge's ruling means voter registration efforts will resume, ramp up in Florida".

Orange County SOE wants 214,000 fresh voter signatures

"Some voters are showing signs of getting fed up with efforts to question their right to vote in Florida, reacting angrily to 214,000 letters sent by Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles this week to longtime and absentee voters in Orange County. Cowles is asking them to submit fresh voter signatures so that there will be no confusion when his office checks signatures on absentee ballots this year. In the Republican presidential primary Jan. 31, Cowles said, his office rejected 119 absentee ballots because the signatures on the ballots didn't adequately match the ones they had on file." "Orange voters react angrily to request for new signatures".

Teamsters take on DOC

"The labor union that represents the state's corrections officers is trying to block cost-saving measures at the Department of Corrections that limit officers’ ability to check up on parolees and probationers in their homes. In March the department imposed new limits on so-called community corrections that ended periodic visits to many offenders’ homes. In some cases they could still visit offenders with permission from a supervisor." "Teamsters, Department of Corrections clash over probation policy".

Poor "Jeb!", this year "was probably his time"

"In an interview that aired this morning, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush rejected any notion of being Mitt Romney's running mate on the GOP ticket — 'under no circumstances,' he says — but when asked about his own presidential aspirations, he said this year 'was probably my time.'" "Jeb Bush on run for presidency: 'This was probably my time'".

Uncapping Citizens' rates

"As the state's insurer of last resort prepares to name a new president next week, one of five candidates, interim president Tom Grady, continued a barnstorming tour today to keep alive the idea of uncapping rates for new customers." "Citizens interim president touts uncapping rates as he tours state".

Jeb endorses Mack

"Mack wins coveted Jeb Bush endorsement for U.S. Senate run".

Never mind

"Connie Bersok was placed on administrative leave with pay in May two days after writing a memo objecting to a proposed permit for a wetlands mitigation bank in Clay County. DEP, which declined a media request to interview Bersok, said she was placed on leave pending an internal investigation -- not because of her memo. A superior had raised concerns two days after the memo about Bersok violating personnel policies." "Wetlands expert cleared by investigation, returns to DEP".

"Partisan hacks have no shame"

Thomas Tryon: "Florida's partisan hacks have no shame. Republican and Democrat alike, they circumvent the state constitution and deliberately disenfranchise would-be voters -- with impunity -- by exploiting Florida's election law."

The latest exploitation came last week, when Victoria Ann Brill filed to run as a write-in candidate for Sarasota County supervisor of elections.

Brill is the 24-year-old daughter of the Sarasota County Republican Party's finance chairman. Her goal is not to get elected so she can run the elections office and encourage voting; rather, she filed as a write-in candidate to deny a majority of registrants in Sarasota County the chance to vote for the supervisor. How ironic.

If Brill formally qualifies as a candidate this week and no Democrat runs for the office, 55 percent of the people registered to vote won't be able to cast a ballot in the race between Republicans Kathy Dent, the incumbent, and Jon Thaxton, who announced his candidacy Friday.

Unfortunately, Brill is only one of many write-in candidates in our region who have sought to limit voting and undermine the intent of a constitutional amendment approved in 1998 by 64 percent of Florida voters.

Tougher regulations for ALFs ... the whining begins

"Industry representatives said they fear the costs associated with the increased regulation could force many of the nearly 3,000 assisted living facilities to close their doors. About two-thirds of the assisted living facilities in Florida have 20 or fewer beds." "ALF panel begins negotiations on tougher regulations".

Speaking of "partisan hacks"

Jebbie breathlessly declares that"'I'm not going to be VP candidate'".

Health insurance parity

"All state employees -- from the governor and chief justice to the janitor and newest clerk -- would pay the same for their health insurance, under a recommendation approved Wednesday by a special commission on cutting operating costs of Florida government." "Efficiency panel urges health insurance parity".

Raw political courage

"Gov. Scott takes jobs talk to rural Panhandle counties"

The Miami Herald editorial board: "Why did Gov. Rick Scott sign this legislation, which usurps the federal responsibility guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution? He, too, alluded to the unenforceability of state law after signing it — and then he backtracked. And now the state will have to spend public money fighting yet another lawsuit. ... Any questions about how U.S. laws pertaining to Cuba are being enforced should be clarified by federal courts — not the Florida Legislature." "Another inevitable lawsuit". See also "Construction firm sues to block law barring contracts with companies tied to Cuba".

Ron Paul Festival

"With slightly more than two months until the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, tension is building between the party and supporters of Ron Paul, who hope for a high-profile role that may not please the GOP establishment."

The tension broke into confrontation and arrests when Paul backers took over a state GOP convention in Louisiana last weekend to elect their own slate of Tampa delegates.

It's also showing up in Tampa convention planning as Paul's forces suggest the party is stalling approval of a three-day Ron Paul Festival at the Florida State Fairgrounds the weekend before the convention. The party's convention-planning Committee on Arrangements denies the charge.

The festival, backers say, will include musical acts, comedy, speeches and up to 20,000 attendees – but maybe not an appearance by Paul – and is part of his attempt to use the gathering to elevate his blended libertarian-Republican message.

It may also be aimed at raising Paul's political influence or that of his son, Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

For their part, Republicans are objecting to another tactic by Paul forces – seeking to pack the convention with Paul supporters, a practice some condemn as "delegate stealing."

Paul has been successful in getting dozens of delegates in states where his votes in primary elections or initial caucuses didn't appear to justify it.

State government layoffs

"After vetoes by Gov. Rick Scott, the new $69.9 billion state budget eliminates 4,358 positions. The state workforce is seeing fewer reductions than last year, however, because the cuts are smaller and agencies are focused on filling vacancies." "State government layoffs are coming, but more slowly than last year".

Pinellas County Exhibit A

"To understand the serious challenges Florida Democrats face clawing their way back to relevancy in America's biggest battleground state, consider Pinellas County Exhibit A:"

It's a safe bet that Barack Obama will carry Florida's most densely populated county in November, even if Mitt Romney wins the state. The president won Pinellas by more than 8 percentage point fours years ago, after all, and Alex Sink comfortably beat Rick Scott two years ago in that GOP wave election.

But it's also plausible that once the votes are counted Nov. 6, Democrats in Pinellas will wind up with few — if any — other gains, despite their slight advantage in registered voters.

"Republican Party has drifted into the 16th century"

Daniel Ruth: "It probably gives you some idea how far the Republican Party has drifted into the 16th century when Jeb Bush has emerged as a moderate voice of reason and common sense."

There are plenty of reasons why Bush has been pretty insistent he's not remotely interested in being Mitt Romney's running mate, not the least of which is the former Florida governor probably views the vice presidency as beneath him. But if there's a job that involves ermine robes, sedan chairs and thrones, well then, give Jeb a call. Perhaps he'll answer the phone.

For years Norquist has been the Republican Party's one-man blackball society, forcing candidates and officeholders to sign a ditzy pledge to never, never, never vote to raise taxes of any kind. They can't even think about it, or dream about it, or even mouth the word, or Norquist will unleash the gods of hellfire upon their careers with a vicious sneer.

Bush thinks this is silly.

First, he hinted that those Republicans who had signed the bumptious pledge were essentially little more than spineless, gutless toadies, all too happy to sign away their scruples to satisfy the demands of a self-anointed Washington insider. Some of these folks include signatory Mitt Romney, who would have signed Norquist's keister if he thought it would win him the support of the tea party's Herbert Hoover Brigade.

With a single comment, Bush exposed Republicans who love to tout their rugged individualism as little more than groveling curios on Norquist's stump charm bracelet.

And just as important, Bush blithely dismissed Norquist's bona fides as an influential player in national politics.

"Lobbyist-driven legislature"

"A state panel appointed to spell out ways to save money finds an unexpected hurdle to streamlining state government: a lobbyist-driven legislature." "Task force faces big hurdles to save state billions of dollars".

Zimmerman SA threatens to sue Harvard Law School

"Famed attorney and legal commentator Alan Dershowitz has been one of the harshest critics of State Attorney Angela Corey's approach to prosecuting George Zimmerman. According to Dershowitz, Corey is none too pleased."

Writing on Newsmax.com, the Harvard Law School professor says Corey called the school and went on "a 40-minute rant, during which she threatened to sue Harvard Law School, to try to get me disciplined by the Bar Association and to file charges against me for libel and slander."

When the school explained Dershowitz has a right to express his opinions, Corey "persisted in her nonstop whining," he writes, "claiming that she is prohibited from responding to my attacks by the rules of professional responsibility."

Dershowitz has been critical of Corey since she charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder in April. He says the affidavit she filed to support that charge omitted key facts and contained "half truths."

A Corey spokeswoman declined to comment on the Newsmax column.

Dershowitz's post doesn't say when exactly Corey's call occurred. A Harvard Law School spokeswoman didn't return a call seeking comment.

Dershowitz says Corey, in her affidavit, "willfully omitted all information" about injuries Zimmerman suffered in his conflict with 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. He said Corey denied having an obligation to include that information.

"She should go back to law school, where she will learn that it is never appropriate to submit an affidavit that contains a half truth, because a half truth is regarded by the law as a lie, and anyone who submits an affidavit swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," Dershowitz wrote.

Dershowitz has ripped Corey repeatedly.

The affidavit, he said in a television interview, "is not only thin, it's irresponsible." He described Corey's announcement of the charge as "a campaign speech for re-election" and later wrote that she has been "anything but ethical, lawful and professional" in prosecuting the case.

"Leave it to Gov. Scott's administration to flub"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "If Florida truly wants to rid the voter rolls of noncitizens, the state is doing so in the worst way. Late, rushed and flawed are three appropriate adjectives, but the best one may be combative, because the state's my-way-or-the-highway approach has created a nationally watched confrontation with two federal agencies, the 67 election supervisors and a litany of advocacy groups."

Leave it to Gov. Scott's administration to flub what could have been a noncontentious effort. Few would quarrel with the stated goal of ensuring that noncitizens do not vote illegally. The new effort to compile a list of suspected noncitizens, however, was handled secretively and then sprung at the eleventh hour upon the independent election supervisors, whose offices maintain the voter rolls.

"How many clients is too many"?

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "How many clients is too many for a public defender?"

That is the fundamental question about the quality of justice for indigent defendants that will be considered today by the Florida Supreme Court. The justices are being asked whether a public defender's office may obtain relief from caseloads so excessive that attorneys are unable to meet basic professional standards of representation. It is a difficult question, particularly in an era where the Legislature has no qualms about underfunding the courts. But it is incumbent upon the justices to ensure that poor defendants get a lawyer who does more than simply show up.

Four years ago, the Miami-Dade County Public Defender's Office was facing a perfect storm. New cases were flooding in while the Legislature was cutting spending. At one point the office was responsible for providing a defense in more than 40,000 new and reopened noncapital felony cases with fewer than 100 lawyers to handle them. National standards put maximum annual caseloads at 150. Assistant public defenders in Miami-Dade were responsible for 400 or more felony cases. Any lawyer who handles more than double the maximum is unable to provide more than a cursory defense to most clients. In desperation, the office sought help from the state courts.

Under professional rules, attorneys may not take more cases than they can handle. The public defender's legal position is that to allow additional appointments beyond that would be a conflict of interest, since any time used for a new client would limit the ability to serve existing clients.

Like Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Walker has pushed to cut government spending, curb union power and create jobs, taking on teachers, firefighters and state workers in the process.

The political blowback sparked a recall movement for Walker. Though the recall option isn't available to Florida voters, Scott has suffered from low public approval ratings during his first year and a half in office.

His Republican colleagues in the Legislature have tempered some of his more ambitious policies, including deeper spending and tax cuts and higher payments from public workers for their pensions.

Last November, Kasich was rebuked when Ohio voters rejected a new state law that sought to curb the power of public unions.

Now Walker, who drew thousands of protesters to his state capital by joining with a Republican Legislature to all but end collective bargaining for public workers, must win a recall vote to stay in office. Independent polling shows Walker with a lead over his Democratic challenger.

A Walker loss — coupled with Kasich's setback last year — could bolster Scott's critics, who contend the second-year governor, like his Midwestern political allies, is trying to turn Florida too far to the ideological right.

But if Walker wins, it could boost Scott's argument that his policies aimed at limiting government and the power of public workers are key to an economic turnaround as he seeks re-election in 2014.

"Overreaching elections law"

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "All Floridians, especially Gov. Rick Scott and state lawmakers, should consider the sensible findings of U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, who last week threw out part of an overreaching elections law. The law's intent, to prevent voter fraud, was worthy. But it was so broad and clumsily written that it appeared to be aimed more at discouraging voters than safeguarding the process. ... Scott's and the Legislature's haphazard efforts went beyond sensible safeguards and needlessly jeopardized Americans' right to vote." "Judge stops assault on democracy".

Less than half of voter registration groups have registered a single voter

"In a recent opinion piece published in the Orlando Sentinel, Republican Party of Florida chairman Lenny Curry added his voice to those championing Florida's elections reform."

Lenny Curry argued that more than 250 groups are actively registering voters from across the political spectrum, and "are registering voters right now."

Curry is basically correct about the number of groups that signed up with the state to register voters and continue to file monthly paperwork to stay active.

But he's wrong to say they're actively registering voters.

Less than half of those groups have registered a single voter since the law took effect, and six groups have registered nearly 90 percent of all voters so far.

Furthermore, the statement's intent was to illustrate the ease of complying with the law, a measure that won't be clear until election season is in full swing.

On balance, we rate this claim Half True.

Driving the false equivalence bus over the cliff

In his effort to create a hot story, Marc Caputo drives the false equivalence bus over the cliff:

Gov. Rick Scott’s administration created a mess by trying to get rid of noncitizen voters.

And President Barack Obama’s administration helped him do it.

First, Obama’s Department of Homeland Security stonewalled the state’s noncitizen voter hunt for almost nine months by refusing Florida access to an immigration database. Then, on Thursday, Obama’s Justice Department ordered the purge to halt, in part because time had run out.

None of this is to say the feds have reason to trust Florida or Scott or give them the benefit of the doubt, however.

Scott and his fellow Republicans tried to change elections rules with a new law, passed last year, that cracked down too hard on voter-registration rules and that removed Sunday-before-Election Day early voting when African Americans have flocked to the polls. A federal judge Thursday struck down major “onerous” parts of the law, which DOJ is fighting as well.

Also, Scott campaigned in 2010 for an Arizona-style immigration law that could require local police to start hunting illegal immigrants. Obama is challenging the law in court, and the Homeland Security Department probably isn’t too keen on giving Scott’s administration access to its immigrant database.

And overall, this former Confederate state has had a shameful history when it comes to race and voting. There’s a reason five Florida counties — Monroe, Hillsborough, Hardee, Hendry and Collier — are specifically targeted by the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which protects minorities.

Broward heats up

"Election season starts to heat up in Broward".

Jebbie's failed education policy never goes away

"Former Gov. Jeb Bush is six years out of office, but his influence over the state's education policies may be greater than ever."

The Foundation for Florida's Future — a million-dollar educational incubator Bush founded in 1994 that's led by his former deputy chief of staff — is widely considered the single most influential voice over the state's educational policy, far surpassing either teachers or parents.

And the issues that it focuses on — creating more charter and virtual schools; ending tenure and instituting merit pay for schoolteachers; strengthening the state's FCAT and other standardized "accountability" tests — have surged to the top of the agenda espoused by the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott. Opposition from teachers' unions and some parents has been drowned out or ignored.

•One year after then-Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed the bill, merit pay for teachers — including elimination of tenure for all newly hired instructors — easily passed the Legislature with the backing of Scott. It topped the Foundation's bill list.

•An internal copy of Scott's legislative agenda for the 2012 session said the foundation would "take the lead" on a controversial school-voucher initiative. The so-called "Education Savings Account" would have seen the state pay part of its per-pupil expenditure direct to parents to spend on anything from private-school tuition to textbooks or curriculum for a home-schooling program. Ultimately, it went nowhere.

When only 27 percent of the state's fourth-graders earned an acceptable score on FCAT writing last month, Levesque's staff helped lead strategy sessions with the Department of Education on how to respond. They even offered the department the help of a public-relations company that she worked with through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

•While public-school funding has been cut — it peaked at $7,126 per student in 2007-08 and will be at $6,375 for the next year — programs such as the corporate-income-tax scholarship program have expanded. Lawmakers this year raised the cap on the program — established while Bush was governor — from $140 million to $229 million, with the option for further expansion.

Finally, though this year's budget had no construction money for public schools, it included $55 million in construction dollars for charter schools. Bush has been a strong proponent of school choice, including charter schools.

From the guy who can't pay his mortgage "quickly and decisively"

Here's a surprise - Marc Caputo is impressed with Rubio:

Rubio, though, still adheres to the party line.

His praise of President Obama is sparse — even amid seeming foreign-policy triumphs like the overthrow and death of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in October. At the time, Rubio and other Republicans gave Obama relatively little credit.

“Let’s give credit where credit is due: it’s the French and the British that led on this fight,” Rubio, echoing the Republican Party line, said at the time in a video clip mocked by The Daily Show’s John Stewart, who essentially accused Rubio and others of being neither gracious nor statesman like.

Asked Stewart: “What the f--- is wrong with you people? Are you that small?”

When asked about the lampooning on the popular liberal comedy show, Rubio said he stood by his criticisms, which were aimed more at Obama for not acting more quickly and decisively.

"Authentic conservative"

"After Mike Haridopolos, Adam Hasner and Jeff Atwater successively bowed out of the GOP race for U.S. Senate, ex-U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon says he is taking his turn as the 'authentic conservative.'" "Dave Weldon: I'm the 'Authentic Conservative' in U.S. Senate Race".

"Election cycle formally kicks into gear next week"

"Despite voter-approved changes to the way Florida’s legislative and congressional districts were redrawn, the makeup isn’t showing much of a shake-up as the election cycle formally kicks into gear next week." "Legislative, Congressional Qualifying Begins Monday". Related: "State's political season moves at a brisk clip".

"Broken-record talk"

Nancy Smith: "It's true, we're in the fourth straight year of budget shortfalls, we need money for education, for roads, for social services. But to hear some in the media and in government talk, the only way Florida is going to survive this sour economy is with a massive overhaul of its tax structure. This is broken-record talk. It's the same fiscally reckless refrain I've heard since the day I arrived in Florida 35 years ago." "Word of Appreciation for Florida's Tax System".

Now it should be clear even to Gov. Rick Scott that barriers to voter registration drives and the state's heavy-handed purge of the voter rolls are unconstitutional. The governor should start encouraging all Floridians to vote and quit putting up barriers to the polls that disproportionately affect the poor and minorities.

The federal backlash, coming in separate moves Thursday, is the most powerful rebuke yet of a Republican governor and GOP-controlled Legislature bent on disenfranchising Florida voters by using measures that primarily marginalize African-Americans, Hispanics, poor people and other reliable Democratic constituencies.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle threw out restrictions on third-party groups that register voters, calling them "harsh," "impractical" and "plainly" illegal.

The question of whether Scott and his fellow Republicans overreached is not even close. In tossing parts of the 2011 election law, Hinkle sounded incredulous about the lengths that Republicans went to erect new hurdles to voting.

Democrats cry voter suppression. Republicans insist they’re simply trying to prevent voter fraud. Who’s right?

The problem is the way state GOP leaders in Florida (and various other GOP-led states) are going about it. They want to “prevent” a problem that there’s no evidence even exists. It carries the stench of voter suppression in a presidential election year when Florida is among a handful of swing states key to victory for either President Obama or his Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Back in the contentious presidential nail-biter of 2000, the integrity of Florida’s voting system was challenged by butterfly ballots and dimpled chads and a purge of thousands of voters the state deemed to be ineligible felons when, in fact, they were eligible to vote. Those structural problems were fixed years later by federal and state laws, with new ballot scan machines in Florida and rules that made early voting possible days before the official Election Day. The point was to have access to voting and transparency.

But now, Florida seems to be heading back to those “Flori-duh” days of purging voters who have every right to vote and finding ways to limit young people, immigrants and minorities — who typically lean Democrat — from voting with onerous rules on voter-registration drives, restrictions U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle called “risky business” for those groups that faced $1,000 in fines if they submit new voter forms past the 48-hour rule.

Florida's "phantom" votes

"Almost half of Florida's voters will have their ballots counted this November by machines that can malfunction in as little as two hours and start adding votes."

A New York study found that the precinct-based vote counter added votes in some races on a ballot, which can invalidate some or all of the votes.

Although not used in Palm Beach County, Election Systems & Software's DS200 scanner will count votes in some of the most populous counties in Florida, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Orange.

State elections officials stand behind the scanner, which they say has been thoroughly tested.

Even so, the manufacturer issued a nationwide bulletin warning that the scanner needs to be carefully cleaned to avoid adding "phantom" votes.

The addition of extra votes can generate overvoting - instances where two or more candidates are chosen on a ballot in the same race. If a voter doesn't correct the ballot, his or her vote in that race is thrown out. In 2008, overvoting rates were so high in Florida counties using the scanner that an estimated 11,000 people lost their vote for president, an analysis by the nonprofit watchdog group Florida Fair Elections Coalition concluded. Miami-Dade County precincts with large numbers of minority and non-English­-speaking voters were especially hard-hit.

Ballot design was part of the problem, the coalition said. However, the group requested that the state Division of Elections temporarily remove the DS200 from its list of authorized voting equipment.

That didn't happen.

Florida Voter Purge to Continue

"Despite a Justice Department letter, objections from county elections officials and evidence that a disproportionate number are voters of color, Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner's office planned to continue scrubbing the election rolls, a spokesman said Friday. Gov. Rick Scott (R) ordered the search for potentially ineligible voters." "Florida Voter Purge Will Continue, Defying Federal Warning".

"Road to the future of Florida Senate goes through Tampa Bay"

"The road to the future of the Florida Senate goes through Tampa Bay in November."

Some of this year’s fiercest state election fights are likely to occur in the region, mainly because of a job held by someone that’s rarely a household name — the state Senate president.

“After the election this year, you will probably get a sense of the Senate leadership for the next six years,’’ said Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who is running to be Senate president from 2016-18.

That’s because, due to redistricting, every seat in the 40-member chamber is up for election, and the winners will determine who holds the clout for the next decade.

Latvala, who returned to the Senate in 2010 after being termed out in 2002, wants to make sure that enough returning and newly elected Republican senators support him. He even held a fundraiser to raise money for his political committee, proclaiming the money would go to “the first Senate president from Pinellas County.”

Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, is also lining up support for the 2016-18 presidency, albeit more quietly. And Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, says he, too, remains a candidate.

The men are all Republicans but they differ in philosophy. Thrasher and Negron are conservative; Latvala is a moderate. Thrasher forged his reputation as a dominant House speaker who forcefully pushed through former Gov. Jeb Bush’s agenda. Negron began his career in the House and moved to the Senate where he has become a budget and health care expert. And Latvala is a maverick who relishes challenging leadership and forging consensus on thorny issues.

Latvala helped secure the 2014-16 Senate presidency for Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, when Thrasher and Negron lost confidence in Gardiner and attempted to hoist Thrasher to power instead. Now Gardiner, and Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, the designated Senate president for 2012-14, can help determine which candidates align with whom in 2016. The battle is fiercest in Tampa Bay.

"Get tough on the unemployed, and go easy on employers"

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "If there were any questions about where loyalties lie among Florida lawmakers, consider what they've done to the state's unemployment compensation system: made it harder for the jobless to collect benefits and eased the burden on businesses of paying for them." "Florida's jobless crackdown shows skewed priorities". See also "Workers: State blocks unemployment benefits".

"Time-out-from-testing"

"'I don't agree with the system, and I don't think it's working,' said Terry Andrews, Osceola County's school superintendent, a day after the much-lower-than-expected scores were released."

"I'm not against testing, but when we test kids for 48 days out of the year, there's something wrong," Andrews said, referring to his district's testing calendar. "And when we have five third-graders who are so upset, they throw up on their tests, and we have to put them in plastic bags to grade them, it's time to look at what we're doing."

Even before the writing scores were released, however, there were signs of an increasing frustration with Florida's stable of standardized tests and how the state uses test scores to make promotion, class-assignment and graduation decisions for students, grade schools A to F and, starting this year, help judge teacher quality.

Two Florida school districts have signed a national "time-out-from-testing" resolution. The Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition has put together a white paper on the negative "ramifications" of testing, which in its view dominates too much of public education.

The Florida School Boards Association will take up the paper, and its findings, at a meeting this month.

Those upset with the system argue it puts too much stress on students and teachers, costs too much, eats up too much time and limits creativity in classrooms.

But state education leaders say the accountability plan, adopted in 1999 when Jeb Bush was governor, has improved student achievement, boosting Florida's showing on both state and national tests and increasing the number of students graduating from high school.

Florida has had a "meteoric rise" because its accountability plan measures student achievement and holds schools responsible for improving it, said Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson.

Before then, the state was a bottom feeder on most academic measures.

"Tampa strippers get ready"

"Tampa strippers get ready for a really big party -- the GOP".

Deutch "wants to find out how the purge originated"

William March: "U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton has filed a public records request for documents related to the state's attempted voter roll purge, which is targeting alleged non-citizens illegally registered to vote. ... Deutch spokeswoman Ashley Mushnick said he wants to find out how the purge originated, and how people's names got on the list. The Associated Press reported that Gov. Rick Scott initiated the purge, despite advice against it by former Secretary of State Kurt Browning." "Deutch seeks records on state voter purge".

"Transferring public education money to private companies"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is angry that the Legislature forced Florida school districts to keep providing private tutoring for low-performing students at high-poverty schools. "

Mr. Duncan's department just gave Florida a waiver from that and other No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, saying research shows that such tutoring doesn't improve academic performance.

But the required spending does something near and dear to the hearts of Florida legislators: It transfers public education money to private companies. In Palm Beach County last year, roughly 100 outside groups were eligible to provide private tutoring. They billed the district $60 to $70 a session for individual tutoring, and could collect up to $1,254 per student.

"The location is hardly a coincidence"

"Just weeks before the nation's Republicans gather in Tampa to make Mitt Romney their presidential candidate, the state's Democrats are in town to choose delegates for their convention. The location is hardly a coincidence." "State Democrats gather in Tampa to select delegates for convention".

PBC Dems could get whipsawed on immigration

The Palm Beach Post editors: "If Palm Beach County Democrats don't handle complaints about party official Clarence Shahid Freeman carefully, they could get whipsawed on immigration the way Republicans already have been."

Florida's GOP courts Hispanics, particularly Cuban-Americans, but concocted a voter-roll purge that flagged legal Hispanic voters.

As Post reporter John Lantigua revealed in a two-part series [last] week, immigration lawyers Aileen Josephs and Cynthia Arevalo have filed a complaint with the Florida Bar accusing Mr. Freeman of the unlawful practice of law. Mr. Freeman is president of the Boynton Beach Democratic Club, is on Palm Beach County's Democratic Executive Committee and was an officer of the Brazilian American Democratic Club based in Boca Raton.

The lawyers say Mr. Freeman, who is not a lawyer, improperly took money from immigrants to intercede in immigration cases and used his Dem

Florida's "shady officials" leave a cloud of ethical suspicion

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "Shady officials have, in copious numbers, left a cloud of ethical suspicion over Florida's state and local governments. In the most recent 10-year period for which records are available, Florida leads the nation in corruption convictions by the Public Integrity section of the U.S. Department of Justice. The 781 convictions are averaging more than six each month since 2000." "Please pass the sunshine".

Next time, read up on the First Amendment

The Sarasota Herald Tribune editors: "Next time Florida lawmakers are tempted to meddle with voter registration drives, they might want to read up on the First Amendment and the freedoms it protects. Thursday, a federal judge cited those freedoms as a reason to suspend the state's onerous new restrictions on groups mounting voter registration drives." "Reprieve for voter drives".

Young faces credible Dem challenger

Adam C. Smith: U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young "faces another credible Democratic challenger, St. Petersburg lawyer Jessica Ehrlich, 38, who ... makes clear she will try to wrap the Paul Ryan budget proposal revamping Medicare around Young's neck." "Challenger Jessica Ehrlich criticizes Rep. C.W. Bill Young".

To replace Rod Smith

"Florida Democratic Party chairman Rod Smith has made it clear he will not seek another term as chairman after November's election. So who is his likely replacement? So far, we hear mainly about three contenders for the next party chairman: Hillsborough State Committeeman and Democratic National Committee member Alan Clendenin; Palm Beach Democratic chairman Mark Alan Siegel; and outgoing state Rep. Scott Randolph of Orlando." "For party chairman".

"Assault on state's fragile environment by Scott administration"

Daniel Ruth on the "assaults on our state's fragile environment by the Scott administration."

The Scott administration, with its zeal to give businesses carte blanche in dealing with our natural resources, seems to hold the anachronistic view of wetlands as being peat bogs that breed mosquitoes and other vermin, dirty and dangerous places that should be drained and backfilled for development and agriculture.

The governor and his aides need a primer on the intrinsic value of wetlands. They should log on, for example, to the St. Johns River Water Management website. They would learn that wetlands benefit us by:

• Cleaning, or filtering, pollutants from surface waters.

• Storing water from storms or runoff.

• Preventing flood damage to developed lands.

• Recharging groundwater.

• Serving as nurseries for saltwater and freshwater fish and shellfish that have commercial, recreational and ecological value.

• Providing natural habitat for a variety of fish, wildlife and plants, including rare, threatened, endangered and endemic (native) species.

Why, then, would anyone — especially the state's highest elected official — tolerate dissembling when the welfare of the state's wetlands is at stake? Scott and his DEP appointees should be the lead stewards of our environment, always protecting our treasures from irresponsibility and greed.

The audacity of retirement

"It's actually a better deal for the state to have a retiree return to work since they are not entitled to further retirement benefits whereas a new hire would be."

In any event, "New hires must now work eight years to become vested in the system and will receive a retirement based on their highest eight years of earning instead of five. The new retirement parameters for calculating benefits are now set at age 65 instead of 62, or 33 years of employment instead of 30 if younger and all employees are required to contribute 3 percent of their earnings to the retirement program - although that is being challenged in court." "2nd retirement no more an option for state workers".