“We think she’s credible and she carries herself as someone who doesn’t throw these allegations around,” said Steven Andrews, a Tallahassee attorney representing Carletha Cole. “Everything she’s said to us has been self-corroborated by public records.”

On Thursday, Lane Wright, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, called the claims “outrageous.”

Cole, 49, was arrested and charged in October with disclosing an illegally taped conversation to a Florida Times Union newspaper reporter. The taped conversation involved Cole and Carroll’s chief of staff, John Konkus, talking about interoffice drama.

Cole was charged with releasing the tape, not with actually recording the conversation. If convicted of the third-degree felony of disclosing it, she faces up to five years in prison.

In Florida, it is illegal to record a private conversation without the consent of its participants. Cole denies making the recordings.

The criminal case turned nasty this month when Cole, in court documents, accused Carroll of engaging in sex, lies and illegal audio taping at her office in the state Capitol.

Bolstering Cole’s credibility is a polygraph test she took about her claim that she had walked in on Carroll and a female staffer engaged in what appeared to be a sex act in Carroll’s office. The polygraph was administered last October, shortly after Cole’s arrest, by Timothy Robinson, who retired as chief polygraph examiner from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and now works independently.

“I remember asking those questions,” he told The Herald/Times on Thursday. “I found no signs of deception, and found her very credible. That was my decision, and I still stand by it.”

Carroll, a U.S. Navy veteran who is married with three children, told the Associated Press earlier this week that the allegations were “totally false and absurd.”

Dems call for probe to explain why TB info not disclosed

"On the heels of a Palm Beach Post story detailing secrecy surrounding the worst tuberculosis outbreak in 20 years, the state Senate’s ranking Democrat called today for a probe to explain why information on the North Florida outbreak was not provided to state lawmakers before they voted to close A.G. Holley Hospital. The Lantana facility was Florida’s only TB hospital. A fast-growing strain concentrated in Jacksonville has been linked to 13 deaths and 99 illnesses, including six infected children." "Florida Senate leader calls for probe into TB outbreak". See also "Senate Democratic Leader Rich seeks TB investigation" and "Florida Dems Want Senate Probe of 'Troubling' A.G. Holley Closing".

Mica fights for "right to 'bare arms'"

Scott Maxwell thought he "knew about most of the testy political debates — until John Mica alerted me to a new one this week. In a campaign mailer, the Winter Park congressman vowed to stand up for Americans' right to 'bare arms.'" "In gun news, it's NRA vs. sheriffs, Mica vs. English language".

Aug. 14 Primary Begins

"Absentee Ballots for Aug. 14 Primary Begin Going Out".

Hialeah slots

"Plans for slot machines at Hialeah Racetrack have been scaled back and won't come online until later than expected, leading state economists to lower their slot revenue projections." "State lowers slot revenue projections, anticipating Hialeah delay".

"Ad attacking Nelson is riddled with false statements"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court's overreaching Citizens United decision that allowed corporations to spend freely to influence elections, the unhealthy results are clear."

Corporations are spending millions to advance their agendas, and too often they are hiding behind tax rules to do it secretly. For example, an outfit called American Commitment is airing an ad attacking Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson that is riddled with false statements about health care reform. The Internal Revenue Service should get serious about investigating these sorts of organizations that are effectively laundering anonymous contributions, and at the very least the contributions should be publicly disclosed.

Voters in Florida and other swing states are being flooded with television attack ads that too often stretch the truth and too often are paid for by organizations with nebulous sounding names. The so-called super PACs, which can raise unlimited amounts of money, are bad enough. Republican strategist Karl Rove's American Crossroads super PAC has reserved more than $6 million in air time to attack Nelson. But at least those super PACs have to disclose their donors. It turns out corporations are steering more of their money to other types of tax-exempt groups such as American Commitment to avoid being held accountable for their mudslinging.

"Jeb’s deformed creation"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Gov. Scott has noticed the growing crowd brandishing pitchforks and torches. So he is trying to downplay his role in grafting grotesque new parts onto the Frankenstein Comprehensive Assessment Test."

Florida’s current governor might be starting to realize what others have known for years. The FCAT has become a monster. Jeb Bush took a test designed to gauge and guide student improvement, and jolted it with voucher politics. With Wednesday’s release of FCAT-based grades for middle and elementary schools, Jeb’s deformed creation once again stalks public school halls and classrooms.

Another fine Florida export

"Several times over the last 18 months, federal agents have raided pain clinics - alleged 'pill mills' - across South Florida. There has been success in battling what, prosecutors say, was a virtually unregulated pain clinic industry; much of it in Palm Beach County. ... Now, though, the pain and problem is spreading to Florida's neighbors to the north." "FL 'pill mill' problem migrating to other states?".

HD 82

"A crowded field of five Republicans will vie in the Aug. 14 primary to replace incumbent Rep. William D. Snyder, R-Stuart, in newly redrawn state House District 82. ... The winner will effectively win the seat." "5 Republicans vie for state House 82 in Martin, north Palm Beach County".

Scott "quick to act and slow to consider consequences"

The Palm Beach Post editors: "Gov. Scott has dropped his flawed push to remove thousands of alleged non-citizens from Florida’s voter rolls. And now, at last, his administration is releasing his list of suspects for the world to see."

This week, after consulting with the state attorney general’s office, Secretary of State Ken Detzner agreed to release the list. It would be interesting to see just how many people on it are citizens entitled to vote. Of the roughly 2,700 names from the list already sent to county election supervisors in April, dozens turned out to be legal voters who found themselves required to prove their citizenship or risk being removed from the rolls. This master list is sure to contain many, many more.

In its botched voter purge, as in so many things, the Scott administration was quick to act and slow to consider consequences.

Affordable Care Act would boost Medicaid payments to Florida doctors

"In a move aimed at getting doctors to treat more low-income patients, the federal health overhaul likely will lead to increased Medicaid payments to Florida primary-care physicians. The federal Affordable Care Act, which was largely upheld last month by the U.S. Supreme Court, requires higher Medicaid payments to primary-care physicians in 2013 and 2014. Florida Republican lawmakers had not started moving forward with the higher payments because of their broader opposition to the act, which they deride as 'Obamacare.'" "Federal health care law would boost Medicaid payments to Florida doctors". See also "Law Would Boost Medicaid Payments to Florida Doctors".

Majority of Florida voters oppose Affordable Care Act

"A majority of Florida voters oppose the national healthcare law and half want it repealed, a new Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times/Bay News 9 poll shows two weeks after President Barack Obama’s signature achievement was largely upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court."

Only 43 percent of voters statewide support the Affordable Care Act and 52 percent oppose it, with 5 percent undecided. With the exception of southeast Florida, more voters think the law will make the healthcare system worse.

More voters also favor the state opting out of provisions of the law, something Gov. Rick Scott has already said it would do.

And 50 percent want to see Republicans follow through on their vow to repeal the law, with 43 percent saying it should remain.

In perhaps the most worrisome sign for Obama and Democrats, only 39 percent of voters 65 years or older support the law. Seniors make up about 30 percent of the overall state’s electorate.

SoFla GOPers cowering under their makeup tables

"South Florida GOP: Obama Naïve to Downplay Threat of Dictator Hugo Chavez".

"One in ten Florida adults cannot vote because of a felony conviction, by far the nation's highest rate"

"One in ten Florida adults -- and nearly one in four African Americans – cannot vote because of a felony conviction, by far the highest rate in the nation, a report released on Thursday indicated." "Florida leads nation in excluding ex-felons from polls".

Union "boss"?

The newspaper owned by a slum lord - "whose civic influence is about as positive as that of the Crips, the Bloods and the Mexican mafia" - has the temerity to refer to elected union officers as "union bosses": "Judge approves bail money for ex-teachers union boss".

"Mortgage fraud investigation rate is the highest in the country"

"A new report shows Florida's mortgage fraud investigation rate is the highest in the country, but slowing." "Report: Florida has highest mortgage fraud investigation rate". Related: "Florida foreclosures rise in first half of 2012".

"The NRA's Politburo of Bullets"

Daniel Ruth: "It always has been one of the great disconnects with reality — and rationality — that while Hammer gets her bandolier in a wad over protecting "law-abiding citizens," the NRA takes great pains to make the job of those charged with upholding law and order more difficult and dangerous." "Sheriff pulls trigger on half-baked NRA quiz".

'Glades

"A federal judge who blasted state and federal regulators two years ago for failing to enforce anti-pollution laws in the Everglades as given his blessing to the agencies to move forward with an $880 million clean-up that would jump-start delayed projects and possibly resolve 20 years of costly lawsuits." "Federal judge OKs Everglades clean-up procedures".

"Absent: the Republican-led Florida Legislature"

The Tampa Bay Times editors: "There is a reason for all of the bluster in North Carolina over the ouster of Bill Johnson as CEO of newly combined Duke Energy and Progress Energy. The regulators are embarrassed for failing to do their job and properly examine the deal. In North Carolina, utility regulators did not even ask about the shuttered Crystal River nuclear power plant. In Florida, they asked but failed to move aggressively and had even less authority to review the merger. If regulators didn't see this coming, they have only themselves to blame."

For months, Progress Energy customers have been begging the Florida Public Service Commission to take a harder look at the botched repair job in Crystal River and whether it should just be shut down. (The PSC will hear a status report next month.) The PSC also has been unwilling to re-examine its approval of an advanced nuclear fee paid by 1.6 million Florida customers for a proposed Levy County nuclear plant that has more than quadrupled in cost since it was first announced six years ago.

Also absent: the Republican-led Florida Legislature, which has refused to even hold a committee hearing on the advanced nuclear fee, a law so badly written that there is actually a profit incentive for power companies to delay construction.

Judge holds off ruling on write-in issue

"A federal judge said he will decide Friday whether to force Miami-Dade County to open up the State Attorney’s Aug. 14 primary election to more than 700,000 Republican and independent voters." "Judge holds off on ruling in Miami-Dade State Attorney election write-in issue".

The grades have been tweaked, adjusted and tweaked again. Even ardent supporters of the A+ plan appeared willing to concede that the process, which began with the ill-conceived grading of the state's FCAT writing test, has been a complete mess.

The results will obviously fuel the growing backlash against the FCAT. Even Republican state Sen. Don Gaetz, a former Okaloosa County school superintendent and the incoming Senate president, distanced himself from the results.

"Explosive contradiction to the upbeat spin coming out of Tallahassee"

"Some angry lawmakers want Gov. Rick Scott to create a panel to investigate a tuberculosis outbreak after learning that state officials kept mum about the epidemic even as the legislature was debating closing Florida’s only TB hospital in Lantana." "Democrats urge Gov. Rick Scott to probe TB cluster".

Fred Grimm: "Last February, even as Duval County was struggling with a burgeoning tuberculosis crisis, our oblivious lawmakers were debating a bill that would massively downsize the Florida Department of Health, cut 12,000 public health jobs, eliminate preventive care and environmental health programs and close Florida’s last TB hospital."

They weren’t told that Duval health officials had just asked the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for help.

The controversial bill passed and was signed by the governor on March 27. Nine days later, the CDC issued a 25-page report, describing the Duval crisis as the largest outbreak of TB that the agency had encountered over past two decades. The investigation tallied 99 illnesses and 13 deaths in 2010 and 2011 from tuberculosis, including an antibiotic-resistant strain that public health officials fear most. The CDC calculated that the TB victims, many of them homeless and in and out of Jacksonville’s homeless shelters and assisted-living facilities and jails, had exposed more than 3,200 others to the lung disease. So far, only 253 of those potential new victims have been tracked down. The outbreak isn’t contained. And it has moved beyond Jacksonville.

The outbreak and the CDC report made for an explosive contradiction to the upbeat spin coming out of Tallahassee. The governor’s office denied a cover-up, but if not, the bad news was sure as hell muffled. Other agencies may have been notified, but there was no public warning. And the Palm Beach Post was only able to pry the CDC report loose after invoking the state’s public-records laws.

Anti-Nelson super PAC "trots out a series of distortions"

"U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is facing a growing threat in his re-election campaign — and it's not necessarily Republican rival U.S. Rep. Connie Mack. It's the super PAC." "Third-party groups spending millions to attack Bill Nelson".

"A new television ad attacks Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., on the health care law and claims to have 'the facts.' Then it trots out a series of distortions."

The ad is from an outside spending group called American Commitment, a Washington-based conservative advocacy group. It's a 501(c)4, so it doesn't have to disclose its donors. The ad's website notes that its president, Phil Kerpen, previously worked at other right-leaning groups like the Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity and the Cato Institute.

Another fine Jebacy

"Number of Floridians ages 25-34 with college degree fell in 2010".

Nelson trailing in Rasmussen poll

"U.S. Rep. Connie Mack has opened up a 46-37 percent lead over incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll." "Mack leads Nelson in new poll". See also "Connie Mack Begins to Steam Ahead of Bill Nelson".

Voter registration deadline

"Voter registration deadline Monday". See also "Monday is registration deadline for Aug. 14 primary".

GOP publicity stunt

"Florida Reps Spar Along Party Lines on House Vote to Repeal Obamacare".

"Sex, lies and audiotapes"

"As part of her defense in a criminal trial, a former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll said she caught the lieutenant governor in 'a compromising position' with another aide shortly before being fired last year."

The allegations are part of the ongoing prosecution of Carletha Cole, a former aide to Carroll who shared a recording of a conversation with Carroll's chief of staff with a reporter for the Florida Times-Union after she was fired.

Cole has been charged with disclosing that recorded conversation.

Cole's motion, filed in response to the state's efforts to keep some records sealed, portrays a dysfunctional office where Carroll's aides frequently recorded conversations and the lieutenant governor pushed for a website where fans could follow her. It also says Steve MacNamara, former chief of staff for Gov. Rick Scott, viewed Carroll as a "loose cannon," in the words of the filing.

But its most sensational anecdote concerns Cole inadvertently walking in on what she believed to be a sexual encounter between Carroll and a female employee.

"Second-class citizens in Southwest Florida"

"Democrats often feel like second-class citizens in Southwest Florida, but they could be in danger of looking up at another powerful voting block: independents. The percentage of registered voters who do not identify with a major political party is on the rise in Collier and Lee counties. The increase — up about 2 percent since 2008 — mirrors an uptick nationally in the number of voters registering as independents." "Independent voters on the rise in Southwest Florida, battleground states".

Villages an ATM for GOP

"The massive retirement community, which has over 50,000 residents according to the 2010 recent Census, has become a must-visit stop for Republican politicians and conservative media figures." "The Villages has become an ATM for GOP".

Rubio embarrasses himself

"Republicans, led by Mitt Romney and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, pounced on President Barack Obama on Wednesday after he told a Miami TV anchor that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez does not pose a 'serious' national security threat to the United States."

Experts in the region, though, called Obama's comments reasonable. Chávez is "certifiable," with a tremendous ego fueled by the power that comes from sitting on vast oil reserves — but he's not as dangerous as the leaders of other less friendly regimes, said Riordan Roett, the director of Latin American Studies Program at the School of Advanced International Studies at The John Hopkins University.

The Republican criticism is "just pure electoral politics," Roett said.

"He poses no security threat to the United States or anyone else," Roett said. "Hugo Chávez is not going to attack us, he's not going to occupy our embassy, he's not going to bomb U.S. planes arriving in Caracas at Maiquetía Airport. He is a loudmouth who enjoys listening to himself, and has built up on the basis of oil revenue, a very, very populist, dependent regime that can't deliver on basic services, on goods and commodities to his own people."

"Will young vote this fall?"

"The last time Barack Obama ran for president, students lined up three hours deep at the University of Central Florida Arena to vote for him by a 3-to-1 margin. And Tuesday, when first lady Michelle Obama brought her husband's re-election campaign to the original UCF arena, now known as The Venue, a packed room of 2,251 rowdy campaign volunteers and supporters from throughout Central Florida made the event sound like a campus pep rally."

But outside the arena, the support Barack Obama enjoyed from college students in his 2008 presidential election may be far from secure this year.

Predictable Chamber Endorsements

"Florida Chamber of Commerce Unveils Legislative Endorsements".

Runnin Gub'ment like a Bidness

"Florida businesses owe the federal government almost $700 million borrowed to make unemployment payments during the past three years." "Florida owes federal government $700 million for jobless benefits".

"Another thoughtless edict from a governor who seems unable to make the transition from corporate CEO"

The Tampa Bay Times editors: "Scott is toying with Florida's economy by sending mixed messages about the state's commitment to partner in high-tech medicine. In a newly disclosed letter to three state-supported cancer research facilities including H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Scott said the centers could not make money off their brand names if they want to continue to receive state funds. It was another thoughtless edict from a governor who seems unable to make the transition from corporate CEO, and it raises troubling implications for jobs, medical research and the economic future of Tampa Bay and the state." "Scott's thoughtless edict on cancer centers".

New Citizens

"The new president of Citizens Property Insurance made it clear: his goal is to reduce the state-run company’s footprint in Florida." "New Citizens boss wants to slowly shrink state-run insurance company". See also "Barry Gilway: No 'Doom-and-Gloom' Rate Scenarios on Citizens' Horizon" and "New Citizens chief wants better public outreach".

The Sarasota Herald Tribune editorial board on "The value of Citizens".

That report had been penned on April 5, exactly nine days after Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill that shrank the Department of Health and required the closure of the A.G. Holley State Hospital in Lantana, where tough tuberculosis cases have been treated for more than 60 years.

Had they seen the letter, decision makers would have learned that 3,000 people in the past two years may have had close contact with contagious people at Jacksonville’s homeless shelters, an outpatient mental health clinic and area jails. Yet only 253 people had been found and evaluated for TB infection, meaning Florida’s outbreak was, and is, far from contained.

The public was not to learn anything until early June, even though the same strain was appearing in other parts of the state, including Miami.

West can't get his hypocrisy straight

"South Florida Congressman Allen West shook up the political arena over the weekend by comparing Social Security to a modern form of slavery."

West invoked the word "slavery" – not for the first time -- in a Fox News interview on Sunday to make the point that government programs perpetuate a sense of dependence.

"Since June of 2009 or so, we have seen 2.4 million private sector jobs created, but we've had 3.1 million people going on Social Security disability," said West, R-Palm Beach Gardens. "So once again, we are creating the sense of economic dependence, which, to me, is a form of modern 21st-century slavery."

But in a Facebook post Monday, West blamed "the liberal media" for "putting words in my mouth and saying I attacked Social Security.

"Floridians have only their governor to blame"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "The Florida governor rejected $2.4 billion in federal money last year that would have paid for a high-speed rail line that would have created jobs, provided an economic boost and linked two metro areas. Scott was more interested in scoring political points with his tea party followers and snubbing the Obama administration than in waiting for an economic analysis that supported the project. He also wouldn't listen to offers to protect the state from paying construction cost overruns or operating subsidies." "Florida remains stuck at the station".

Scott about to flip-flop on FCAT

Christopher O'Donnell writes that "those living under the strain of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test are seeing some hope in recent remarks by Gov. Rick Scott that students face too many tests and the high-stakes nature of the tests is taking a toll on parents, students and teachers. ... Scott already has shown that public opinion can sway him into major policy U-turns." "As FCAT protests increase, state softens stance on test".

So says the Chamber

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "Drug loophole boosts health care costs".

"Republican members of the School Board seeing red"

"First lady Michelle Obama will stop in Miami on Tuesday to recruit residents to vote and volunteer to reelect her husband, President Barack Obama."

But the spot for the political event – Barbara Goleman Senior High in Miami Lakes – has some Republican members of the School Board seeing red.

“Allowing the first lady of the United States to use one of our schools explicitly to benefit the president’s reelection campaign is inappropriate and sends the wrong message to our students, employees, and to taxpayers – even if the president’s campaign is willing to pay for all costs resulting from the event,” Curbelo wrote in the letter to School Board attorney Walter Harvey.

Curbelo told The Miami Herald on Monday: “There’s a difference between official visits to schools by elected leaders and events that are for the sole purpose of advancing the interests of a political campaign.”

Curbelo added that his request was not an “anti-Obama position” and that he welcomes official visits from the president and first lady, but wants to keep politics out of schools to the extent possible.

Diaz de la Portilla said in a statement:

“The use of public schools whose only focus should be to educate our children for political gain is downright wrong. Don’t these liberals have boundaries? Our schools are places for learning, not places for politicking.”

While Michelle Obama holds the campaign event at a Miami-Dade school in Florida on Tuesday, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney will attend a town hall the same day at a high school in another swing state, Colorado.

Under School Board policy, all groups, including political, religious and nonprofits, can apply to lease facilities from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Harvey said.

The district doesn’t spend any money on the event for the outside group and employees cannot attend the event if they are on the clock. Students are on summer break.

"Organizations want to register 250,000 nurses to vote"

"The League of Women Voters and five nursing organizations want to register 250,000 nurses to vote. ... The move comes while the state is embroiled in a series of legal battles with the federal government over Florida’s voting procedures. " "Nurses launch first voter registration drive".

The best they could do

"Sarasota GOP to honor Trump".

Beleaguered FlaDem drops out of the race for Congress

"Beleaguered Democratic candidate Nina Hayden dropped out of the race for Congress on Monday, and also said she is dropping her lawsuit against state and local elections officials." "Beleaguered Nina Hayden ends congressional campaign and lawsuit".

FlaGOP seeks to shield fundraising and consulting agreements

"The Republican Party of Florida doesn't want to share some documents in the upcoming criminal trial of its former chairman. Party officials asked a judge to nix a request from Jim Greer's attorney seeking certain documents. Those documents deal with fundraising and consulting agreements for the party, the state House and state Senate from 2003 to 2012." "Florida Republicans don't want to share documents".

"Consumed with ambition"

"What will you be doing in November 2018?"

While you ponder such an odd question, consider this: The race is already underway to choose the speaker of the Florida House in 2018, involving people who haven’t been elected yet.

Bizarre, but true.

Without question, this is one of the most illogical and potentially dangerous side effects of term limits.

House candidates are limited to eight years — four, two-year terms. The instant they hit the campaign trail, they can hear the ticking of that term limits clock.

Consumed with ambition, they run for speaker without first showing the ability to lead. This is the speed-dating version of running for class president, with much more serious consequences.

The Week Ahead

"The Week Ahead for July 9 to July 13".

"Teetotaling time warp"

Daniel Ruth: "Florida’s Madison and Lafayette counties and the Panhandle’s Liberty and Washington counties have remained in a teetotaling time warp." "Dry counties leave me shaken and stirred".

That ought to make Florida's "values voters" happy

"Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson is giving $1 million to a 'super' political committee aimed at helping conservatives get elected in Florida." "Casino mogul gives $1M to new 'super' PAC".

FLOTUS in Florida

"FLOTUS makes Fla campaign spin". See also "".

Unrealistic Mini-Mack "Penny Plan"

"'The 'Mack Penny Plan' is simple — eliminate one penny out of every federal dollar spent,' Mack said in a mailer. 'Doing this would balance our budget by 2019 and restore economic freedom by reducing spending and bringing fiscal discipline to Washington. The Penny Plan continues to gain support.'"

Under the plan, the federal government would reduce spending by 1 percent each year for six years. Then, in the seventh year, funding would be capped at 18 percent of gross domestic product, which measures the size of the overall economy. By the eighth year, the plan would balance the budget and save $7.5 trillion over 10 years.

Experts we reached out to generally agreed that Mack's math is correct and would balance the budget.

But — and it's a big but — no one we interviewed thought Mack's proposal was a realistic way to balance the budget.

"One can always make the math work, as presented in this fashion it's a fairly straightforward exercise," said JD Foster of the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Most notably, Mack doesn't explain how he would adjust Medicare and Social Security to make up for the expected growth as baby boomers retire.

We asked Mack's congressional office, for instance, if Mack supports cutting Social Security 1 percent a year for six years.

It didn't answer.

Michael Linden, of the left-leaning Center for American Progress, called Mack's plan "ridiculous." He said that Mack and others would face a choice between cutting benefits to seniors and veterans or — if they held Social Security and Medicare harmless — massive cuts to most everything else.

RNC bumps county services

"More than a thousand Hillsborough County government employees will move out of downtown Tampa the week before and during the week of the Republican National Convention, but the county will still be open for business." "Many county services relocating during RNC".

Meanwhile, "GOP books Hard Rock hotel for entire RNC week".

Might as well blame Occupy

The Tampa Bay Times editors: "Community leaders in West Tampa should think twice before blaming the Occupy Tampa camp for the blight on Main Street and the surrounding neighborhoods." "Of blight, blame and Occupy".

Romney and friends picking up the pace in Florida ad-wars

"Crossroads GPS launches $6.5 million anti-Obama ads in Florida".

"Campaigns already have bought more than $3.1 million worth of commercial time this month, with most of the ads scheduled to run during the first two weeks of July, according to numbers gathered by the Orlando Sentinel Friday from just three Orlando broadcast stations: WFTV-Channel 9, WESH-Channel 2 and WKMG-Channel 6."

For the third month in a row, Obama For America is making the single biggest buy. The Democratic president's re-election campaign has spent $1.2 million so far for more than 1,177 commercials in July, just on Orlando's three leading stations.

And after five months off the air, his Republican challenger is answering. In late June, Romney spent $886,000 to put up his first Florida commercials since the Jan. 31 Republican primary. He placed 899 commercials on Orlando's three largest stations, through July 10. More are likely in the last three weeks of the month.

Three political committees supporting Romney – and which also are opposing Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson – also have bought big in July. Crossroads GPS has spent $995,000 in Orlando on 575 commercials through mid-July. Americans for Prosperity, funded by the billionaire David Koch, spent $282,000 on 213 ads.

And a new group, American Commitment – an apparent offshoot of Americans for Prosperity -- spent $144,000 on 121 ads running early in the month, the first part of its announced $1.1 million statewide effort to attack Nelson.

17% shift away from Dems in Century Village

"At Century Village in Pembroke Pines, where the Democratic roots run decades deep, residents are seeing a change that once would have been unthinkable."

In the past 10 years, as the original condo dwellers, mostly northeastern Jews, passed away or moved out, the over-55 community that routinely delivered a Democratic voting bloc is becoming increasingly Republican and independent.

"Spending would have happened without the tax incentive"

"CSX is one of five businesses currently seeking the year-old tax break, according to state officials. Known as the "single sales factor," it allows companies that spend at least $250 million on capital projects in Florida during two years to use a more favorable formula when calculating their state corporate-income taxes. In each case, the company's capital spending would have happened without the tax incentive." "Florida's tax break often helps companies do already-planned work".

PBC SOE Race

"Palm Beach County’s supervisor of elections wants to become the first returned to office in the 21st century, but a sitting mayor with a background in technology says continuing snafus cry out for change."

Incumbent Susan Bucher, 53, says she has the office on the right track, turning a $1.3 million deficit she inherited into money back for the county. ...

Wrong winners announced in Wellington in 2010, county results lagging hours behind others in a closely watched governor’s race and a $1 million order for unsuitable analog modems make it tough to argue things are going well, says challenger Woodie McDuffie, 65.

He says his 42 years of experience with technology, including a long run as information technology manager for the county Property Appraiser’s office, will help him take the office out of the headlines.

McDuffie, Delray Beach’s mayor, said that when he met the mayor of Kyoto, Japan, he learned that Palm Beach County’s reputation for election foul-ups went all the way around the world. “Oh, that’s the place where people can’t add,” the Kyoto mayor said, according to McDuffie.

McDuffie said he is running for the post “because I have witnessed 13 years of failure in that office.”

Caneste Succe, a former employee of the supervisor of elections office and a former Lantana mayoral candidate, also has his hat in the ring.

Will God deliver them from the evils of politicians?

Stephen Goldstein: "This year, the Florida Legislature did something for which everyone should thank God: It passed a bill making it legal for students to deliver "inspirational messages" (aka prayers) at public school events. And Gov. Rick Scott promptly signed it into law."

Hallelujah!

Last Sunday, the law went into effect. And I welcome it, because it comes at a crucial time in Florida history, when our elected leaders are failing to live up to their oaths of office, the public has lost faith in them, and perhaps only divine or "out-there" intervention can save us. No doubt the legislature and governor feel the same way and a special concern for students. These days, young people can't expect much from secular authorities. So perhaps, now that they may pray in school, God will deliver them from the evils of politicians.

Weekly Roundup

Michael Peltier: "Weekly Roundup: Are These Truths Self-Evident?"

"Write-in ploy"

The Miami Herald's Myriam Marquez: "Write-in ploy cheats the voters".

"And then they came for me"

Fred Grimm reminds us that "The Miami Herald was not among the newspapers implicated in the outsourcing scandal that erupted last week after This American Life (Public Radio International) reported that a contractor content provider called Journatic has been cranking out 'local' stories for the Chicago Tribune, the Houston Chronicle, the Chicago Sun-Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and other American newspapers."

Grimm points out, however,

that outsourcing news content would be all that novel. American companies have been shipping so many jobs overseas that the term “corporate America” has become an oxymoron. Last year, the Wall Street Journal surveyed employment data from a number of the nation’s heftier corporations — General Electric, Caterpillar, Microsoft, Walmart, Chevron, Cisco, Intel, Stanley Works, Merck, United Technologies and Oracle — and found that while they were cutting their domestic workforces by 2.9 million over the last decade, they had hired 2.4 million people overseas.

Apple, a company that once boasted how nearly all of its gadgets were assembled in the United States, has pretty much dispensed with the American factory worker. Last year, some 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads and 59 million other items stamped with the Apple logo were made overseas. About 700,000 foreign workers make iStuff. Meanwhile, Apple, our most admired American corporation, employs a relatively piddling 43,000 workers back home. American companies, in search of profits, have gone global, untethered to the national interest.

It’s not just manufacturing gone overseas. Cut-rate accountants abroad now do Americans’ income taxes, cheapo radiologists read their X-rays, bargain-priced architects draw plans for their new homes, low-paid loan officers ponder their mortgage applications. Manufacturing, medicine, the service industry — chunks of it have been outsourced. And now journalism.

It’s like a modern variation of that famous Martin Niemöller lament from pre-World War II Germany. First they outsourced the factory jobs, and I didn’t speak out. Then they shipped out the service jobs and I didn’t speak out. Then the docs. And then they came for me.

"Florida's springs are dying ... to feed the development beast"

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Springs are among Florida's most renowned environmental treasures — fonts of crystal clear water, oases for animals and plants, year-round playgrounds for swimmers and divers from across the state and around the world. But Florida's springs are dying. Less water is flowing, due in part to overpumping from their underground water supply to feed the development beast." "Will Florida save its springs or let them die?".

Scott "can have his own opinion, but not his own facts"

Robyn E. Blumner points out that, "Throughout Rick Scott's governorship he has had a tenuous relationship with the truth."

Maybe this penchant started as a businessman when he led the Columbia/HCA hospital chain while it engaged in massive Medicare and Medicaid fraud; the company later pleaded guilty to at least 14 corporate felonies. Scott maintains that he didn't know what was going on.

Maybe he broke ranks with the truth after invoking his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination 75 times during a deposition that otherwise requires the subject to be honest.

But whenever Scott decided that the truth is just not his cup of tediousness, his predilection for making stuff up has been on full display since the federal health care law was largely upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last month. ...

For a man who is among cable television's go-to opponents of "Obamacare," Scott's objections suggest that he has only a vague idea of what the law actually does.

Scott is the anti-Moynihan who makes rhetorical points by ignoring inconvenient holes in his argument. For instance, Scott complains that the law will lead to rationed care like that found in Canada and the United Kingdom (again, ruled "False" by PolitiFact) but he fails to mention how care is currently rationed in the United States.

Insurers ration care by denying coverage, rejecting claims and deciding which doctors and hospitals to accept. Sufferers of chronic conditions worry about reaching their policy's annual or lifetime limits. People without any insurance face the ultimate rationing.

Scott complains that health reform will put American businesses at an "unbelievable disadvantage" compared with international competitors. But he doesn't mention the anticompetitive environment American businesses face now by being saddled with health insurance costs not similarly borne by competitors from nations with universal health care. And if competitive disadvantage were Scott's primary concern, he should support Medicare for all, which he doesn't.

Scott wants to leave health care to the free market and let people buy any kind of policy they want (and can afford), essentially the system we have now but with fewer limits on insurers. It's no wonder he has trouble defending his stance with facts.

As a former health care executive Scott could have helped lead an intelligent conversation on health reform. Scott chose instead to speak alarmist nonsense, leaving Florida's uninsured and the truth behind.

"'The Senatocracy,' powerful puppetmasters seeking compliant legislators"

"Florida state Senate leaders are taking sides in two local Republican primary races, hoping to make sure Tom Lee of Brandon and Pasco County state Rep. John Legg win state Senate seats in districts that border Tampa."

In a Florida legislative race, backing from powerful legislative leaders can make a candidate a near shoo-in.

Their opponents say that raises the specter of local election outcomes dictated by what one called "the Senatocracy," powerful puppetmasters seeking compliant legislators.

State Rep. Rachel Burgin of Riverview is running against Lee for the District 24 seat representing most of East Hillsborough County.

Legg faces former state Rep. Rob Wallace of Carrollwood along with John Korsak of Tampa, a Marine retiree and security consultant, for the District 17 seat representing northwest Hillsborough and southern Pasco counties.

Democrats have filed in both districts, Wes Johnson in District 17 and Elizabeth Belcher in District 24. Both are little-known dark horses, however, making it likely the GOP primaries will choose the senators.

If those primaries were decided by the backing of powerful Republicans, they'd be over already.

Legg's backers include former governors Jeb Bush and Bob Martinez and incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford.

Lee's include Bush and a roster of top local Republican Congress members, county commissioners, constitutional officers and state Cabinet members.

Both also have been endorsed by the most powerful people already in the state Senate: incoming Senate President Don Gaetz of Niceville; his likely successor as president, Andy Gardiner of Orlando; and Jack Latvala of Clearwater, a possible successor to Gardiner.

In Florida, leaders of the state Legislature, including the Senate president and House speaker, and the allies they appoint to top legislative posts, have the ability to advance or stall almost any legislation.

What's wrong with Hillsborough?

"A committee formed to foster economic prosperity in Hillsborough County is poised to reopen debate over the historically controversial subject of wetlands conservation. County commissioners formed the 21-member Economic Prosperity Stakeholder Committee to ease regulatory obstacles to economic development. The committee was to focus primarily on land development rules, but now, some members want to rewrite wetlands protections." "New fight on horizon over wetlands rules".

And just down the road in Sarasota County, a "Conservation funding proposal worries slow-growth camp".

"Nomadic politicians"

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: "Term limits create nomadic politicians".

Maxwell's Malarkey Meter

Scott Maxwell: "With campaign season heating up, the Malarkey Meter is getting back to its roots — vetting some of the claims, attacks and hogwash you're hearing. We're kicking things off by looking at some of the bombs being thrown in the testy GOP primary between John Mica andSandy Adams — and then by looking at some of the malarkey in the ads run by Barack Obama andMitt Romney." "Mica, Adams, Obama, Romney all set off Malarkey Meter".

Lake County Yawner

"Former Gov. Jeb Bush endorses Carey Baker for property appraiser".