But don't get cocky, Florida Democrats. In many respects, 2014 is more important for the vitality of the party than 2012.

As you prepare to elect a new state party chairman there's every reason to worry heading into the new election cycle, even against vulnerable Republican Gov. Rick Scott.

You won't have the massive Obama grassroots machine registering and turning out tens of thousands of new voters. Or a lavishly-funded TV campaign of Obama. And if past is prologue, Florida Republicans will have far stronger turnout than Democrats.

Republican Party of Florida golf cart full of prostitutes under wraps

"Floridians will have to wait a little longer for details of that [Republican Party of Florida] golf cart full of prostitutes"

The Fifth District Court of Appeal on Friday ruled in favor of anonymous petitioners who want to block the release of investigative reports about a gathering in the Bahamas sponsored by the Republican Party of Florida when Jim Greer was chairman.

Orlando Judge Marc Lubet declared the reports public record in July after hearing objections from Orlando lawyer Richard E. Hornsby who said he wanted to spare his clients from being embarrassed. . . . He would not identify the clients who want to keep it sealed.

Lubet read the report and then asked prosecutors if GOP lobbyist Brian Ballard, former party finance chair Harry Sergeant III, former party executive director Delmar Johnson and Dane Eagle, a former aide to Gov. Charlie Crist who was elected to the Florida House in November, would be called as witnesses in Greer’s criminal trial.

When Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Michael Williams said all but Eagle are slated to be witnesses, the judge ordered the report released because it is part of the evidence turned over to defense attorneys in the criminal case. Under Florida law documents given to a defendant are public record.

But in a brief unsigned opinion Fifth District Court of Appeal Chief Judge Richard B. Orfinger and Judges Thomas D. Sawaya and Bruce W. Jacobus said "the documents should not be disseminated and should remain confidential at this time."

"Need to correct Florida’s abysmal record on holding elections"

The Miami Herald editorial board: "The new Florida Senate President Don Gaetz hails from a small town in north Florida called Niceville (pop 11,684). Sworn in last week, he gave a forceful speech about the need to correct Florida’s abysmal record on holding elections. . . . This means something coming from the head of the Florida Senate, where gerrymandering, reduced voting hours and restrictions on voter registration drives all were driven by previous Republican leadership." "Winds of change?".

Changes as Scott's re-election bid looms

"After once advocating the rapid dissolution of Florida’s state-run home insurance company, Gov. Rick Scott is now emphasizing less aggressive property insurance changes as his 2014 re-election bid looms and public anger grows over rate increases." "Rick Scott softens stance on changes to Citizens insurance".

"Then politics happened"

"Scott used tough language in the summer of 2011 when he created a panel to help fix the deadly abuse and neglect in Florida assisted living facilities."

He pledged to provide protections for elderly and disabled ALF residents, who in recent years saw sweeping breakdowns of care as lawmakers stripped regulations and failed to protect the state’s most vulnerable people from burns, beatings and death.

Then politics happened.

In a change of tide, Scott’s panel issued its final report this week, calling for diminished transparency, fewer regulations and more money for ALF operators. The panel calls for the state to better enforce existing rules rather than create new ones. And to reward ALFs when they do right rather than punish them when they do wrong.

"Florida's dying springs"

The Orlando Sentinel editors: "It's up to Rick Scott to help Florida's dying springs".

Scott refused to prepare Florida for the ACA

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "For nearly two years, Gov. Rick Scott has refused to prepare Florida for the Affordable Care Act. Now that he has no other choice, he wants to negotiate with the Obama administration. He’s missed too many deadlines."

The governor campaigned in 2010 against the ACA, which had become law that March. After being elected, he first hoped that the U.S. Supreme Court would keep him from having to implement the law. When the court upheld the law last June, Gov. Scott hoped that Mitt Romney’s election would save him. Because the governor resisted so long, putting politics over patients in a state with the second-highest rate of uninsured residents, Florida would not be ready to set up a key aspect of the law. . . .

The Florida House and Senate have created committees to study the health care law, but the Legislature doesn’t open its session until March.

Gov. Scott could have been readying Florida for the law, even as he rooted for the Supreme Court and Mr. Romney. His needless delay means that he must ask for Washington’s help mostly on Washington’s terms.

Birther lawsuit plods along in Tally

"The state of Florida, now known as much for election controversies as oranges and sunshine, may still hold a surprise for everyone who thought the 2012 presidential election was over and done with."

In a largely forgotten court case being litigated in Tallahassee, lawyers are still arguing about whether President Barack Obama was qualified to run for president in the first place.

Attorney Larry E. Klayman of Washington, D.C., a controversial Republican activist, and his client, Michael C. Voeltz, a registered Democrat from Broward County, have refused to concede the election outcome. They are still pursuing an Obama "birther" challenge in an appeal in Tallahassee.

The judges of the Florida First District Court of Appeal have refused to submit the case immediately to the Florida Supreme Court, as requested by Klayman. On Nov. 27 they also refused Klayman's request that the court handle the appeal on an expedited basis.

Klayman is advancing two arguments: (1) Obama has never established that he is a "natural born citizen" as required under Article II of the U.S. Constitution because his Hawaii birth certificate posted online "has either been altered or is entirely fraudulent"; and (2) Obama was born to a mother who was a United States citizen and a father who was a citizen of Kenya, and to be a "natural born citizen" a candidate for president must have been born in this country to two U.S. citizen parents.

Unfortunately, the term "natural born citizen" is not defined in the Constitution.

Klayman began his legal challenge by filing suit in the state circuit court in Tallahassee in February, asking Circuit Judge Terry P. Lewis to declare that Obama was not constitutionally eligible to run for president.

Obama's lawyers relied on an 1898 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which held that every person "born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, becomes at once a citizen of the United States." In that case — which did not involve a president's qualifications — a cook born in San Francisco whose parents were both Chinese citizens living in this country was held to be a U.S. citizen at birth under the 14th Amendment.

In June, agreeing with Obama's lawyers, Judge Lewis granted their motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

He is arguing that the authors of Article II consulted and relied on a 1758 treatise by Swiss legal expert Emmerich de Vattel called "The Law of Nations." That treatise states that "natural born citizens are those born in the country of parents who are citizens" and that "the country of the father is the country of the son."

Dirty fight

"The Florida Wildlife Federation is challenging the proposed DEP permit for the Highlands Ranch Mitigation Bank in Clay County. Now the mitigation bank is accusing the environmental group of working on behalf of a competing wetlands mitigation bank in Duval County." "Mitigation bank seeks to turn tables on environmental group challenging its permit".

Promises, promises

"During the past month he rallied with Mitt Romney, dealt with the national fallout from seven-hour voting lines in Miami-Dade County and late election results, pivoted his stance on the federal health care law after President Barack Obama defeated Romney, and challenged state colleges to hold four-year degrees under $10,000. He also found time to crisscross the state unveiling jobs announcements where companies either moved to Florida or expanded existing operations, promising new jobs and investment in exchange for taxpayer incentives." "Amid busy month, Gov. Scott pounds jobs pavement".

"So far, it hasn't gone well"

"Now that Election Day is done, Central Florida's congressional delegation is gearing up for the next competition — snaring seats on powerful committees that can determine everything from road money to space policy. So far, it hasn't gone well." "Congressional delegation jockeying for influence".

Siegel's back

"Mark Alan Siegel, who resigned under intense pressure this summer as chairman of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party, is attempting a political comeback."

Siegel is running for state committeeman, a top county party post that would allow him to pursue his long-held dream of running for chairman of the Florida Democratic Party.

He turned instantly radioactive at the party's national convention in Charlotte, N.C., when he said in a videotaped interview that fundamentalist Christian support of Israel was a "false friendship" because those Christians only endorse Israel's survival as the site of Armageddon, where many believe Christ will smite evil and establish an earthly kingdom.

Fearing the controversy could hurt Democratic candidates and wanting to end news coverage of the issue as quickly as possible, party leaders — including U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, and state Democratic Chairman Rod Smith — demanded Siegeal immediately remove himself from the county party.

Let the campaign fund raising begin

"Governor Rick Scott is leading a 190-person delegation on a five-day trip to Colombia to promote Florida’s products and businesses." "Scott off to Colombia on latest trade mission".

"Scott’s latest brilliant idea"

Fabiola Santiago: "Scott’s latest brilliant idea: He wants you, young Floridian, to get a cheap college education. Not just any education, but a four-year bachelor’s degree for the bargain-basement price of $10,000."

It’s not hard to see that behind the governor’s proposal lurks the ideological zealotry that has marked his two years in office.

That Scott, who’s headed to end up in the record books as the most unpopular governor in Florida history, would dream up a populist gimmick in an attempt to boost his poll rankings, is not surprising.

But most troubling is that Scott’s proposal received the backing of every member of the state Board of Education —except, thankfully, vice chair Roberto Martinez. . . .

Funding education, Martinez added, is the investment we need to make.

Scott could start by restoring the funds he and the Republican-dominated Legislature have slashed from colleges and universities to the tune of $300 million during the past two years.

"Gambling fight is likely to simmer in 2013"

"A bill to bring large casinos to South Florida drew the glitzy and glamorous headlines this year, but ultimately went bust under the weight of heavy lobbying by entrenched and competing interests. Now, after a legislative session punctuated by a heated fight between and among the Central Florida hospitality industry led by Walt Disney World, large-scale casino conglomerates, pari-mutuels, Seminole Indian casinos, social conservatives opposed to new gaming and Internet sweepstakes café operators, Florida’s gambling fight is likely to simmer in 2013." "New Senate Gaming Committee plays the long game".

That's because Scott doesn't use email as a primary form of communication, and neither does his top aide, chief of staff Adam Hollingsworth.

Workers at state agencies also are wary of using email to alert Scott's inner circle (and consequently the media) to impending trouble.

Anyone can access the email of Scott and his top aides at www.flgov.com/sunburst. But if Sunburst were designed to end secrecy in state government, it hasn't.

"It's been a disappointment, to say the least," said Barbara Petersen of the First Amendment Foundation, who had high hopes because the search for email from Scott's office had been costly and time-consuming.

"The manipulation of content and lack of substantive communications — there's simply not much there of any real value to the public," Petersen said.

Bills filed to increase Early Voting

"Democrats File Bills to Increase Early Voting Hours". See also "Florida Democrats file bills to increase early voting hours".

"Medicaid expansion would provide a significant and disproportionate benefit to employers"

The Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy: "Affordable Care Act opponents have expressed a desire to forgo the opportunity to expand Medicaid, ostensibly out of concern for the perceived burden on the state budget and, by extension, on Florida businesses. In reality, however, Florida's participation in Medicaid expansion would provide a significant and disproportionate benefit to employers in Florida's service industry-dominated economy. Read the report." "Florida Employers Will Benefit Greatly From Medicaid Expansion".

"Bondi needs to stop whining and start leading"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Citizens Property Insurance Corp. CEO Barry Gilway need to stop whining and start leading." "Stop complaining, start leading".

Continuing effort to sink Crist campaign

Sunshine State News, which some might argue is the official newspaper of the Republican Party of Florida, gives us this today: "The Republican Party of Florida is continuing its efforts to sink any Charlie Crist campaign before it can get off the docks. The latest release from the RPOF takes on the former Republican-turned-independent-rumored-Democrat governor for his appearance with legally challenged former RPOF Chairman Jim Greer on MSNBC:"

After a brief estrangement, professional political candidate Charlie Crist has apparently reforged his alliance with his hand-picked political co-star, Jim Greer, and the two are now trying to leverage it into a new, blockbuster theatrical release.

In a delicately choreographed TV teaser, the two former political co-conspirators thrilled MSNBC viewers this week in a coordinated duet, with supporting roles filled admirably by Al Sharpton and Rachael Maddow.

Bryan Nelson, R-Apopka, "the 'wolf guarding the henhouse'"

"The new makeup of the main committees dealing with property insurance legislation removes some roadblocks for industry-friendly bills that have stumbled the past two years."

Most notably, Rep. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, did not get a spot on the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee despite making it his top request for a committee membership. Fasano helped water down or kill bills pushed by property insurers as a senator the past two years.

“Even (former Senate President Mike) Haridopolos put me on the insurance committee,” Fasano said. “I’m extremely disappointed.”

Yet Fasano vowed to remain vocal on property insurance issues and to pressure House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee Chairman Bryan Nelson, R-Apopka, whom he likened to the “wolf guarding the henhouse.”

“You better believe it. If I’m not on the committee I’ll hold a press conference every time (Rep.) Nelson wants to poke the consumer in the eye,” Fasano said.

Privatization follies

"Circuit Judge John Cooper, quoting Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and super sleuth Sherlock Holmes, promised a prompt solution to a multimillion-dollar puzzle of conflicting legislative and executive powers Thursday involving Gov. Rick Scott's plans to save taxpayers money by privatizing health services in Florida prisons." "Prison health care privatization back in circuit court".

Late to the game

"The Florida Legislature is taking its first steps toward implementing Obamacare. Both the House and Senate have formed special committees to study the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and to recommend legislation necessary to comply with the federal law." "Lawmakers getting to work on Obamacare".

Meanwhile, "Advocates who once begged Florida lawmakers to embrace President Barack Obama’s health care law are now lobbying federal officials to leave out Florida decision-makers. With little more than a year left to plan major provisions and Florida politicians on record against the law – chief among them Gov. Rick Scott – health care reform advocates argue that programs they fought for may fail in the hands of state leaders. An alliance of state organizations is sending a letter today to the Department of Health and Human Services, asking federal officials to set up an online insurance marketplace, set to go live Jan. 2014, without state input." "Advocates ask feds to kick state out of health care law decisions".

"Doing its best to provide an inferior product"

"Citizens is doing its best to provide an inferior product, the president of Florida’s last-resort property insurer told an industry conference Thursday." "CEO: Citizens Insurance is substandard intentionally".

Frank Cerabino: "Not-so-upstanding Citizens".

Happy to make the boss man happy

Always happy to make the boss man happy, The Sun Sentinel editorial board writes that, "Some are mocking the idea, calling it a political stunt or a gimmick. Others don't think it's possible. But we like the challenge Gov. Rick Scott has put before the state's 28 public colleges — previously known as community colleges — to offer discounted bachelor's degree programs for $10,000 or less to in-state students." "Scott's challenge worth taking". And more of the same from The Tampa Tribune editors: "Scott's useful challenge to curtail college costs".

"Do-over elections"

Steven Kurlander: "Build in a simple, immediate do-over election into our election process, much like the runoff elections allowed in some states when more than two candidates are running and none gain a succinct majority or a particular percentage of votes. Just simply call a second election to allow all those voters who voted early or by absentee ballots to get to the polls a second time." "Do-over elections would make process more honest".

"'Rogue agency' that's biased in favor of employers"

"Lawyers who represent workers before the Florida Human Relations Commission say it is a 'rogue agency' that's politicized and biased in favor of employers. The state chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association issued a report Thursday calling for it to be fixed or abolished." "Lawyers say Fla. Human Relations Commission biased".

Federal dollars accounted for 35 percent of Florida’s budget

Jac Wilder Versteeg: "Governors are taking a short break from bragging — so they can get in some begging."

“Please,” they beg Washington, “don’t throw us over the ‘fiscal cliff.’ ” Over and over we’ve heard governors preach that they have to balance their budgets and live within their means. If the states can do it, the governors sneer, those profligate spenders in Washington should shape up and do the same. Here’s Florida Gov. Rick Scott in his recent speech to the Federalist Society: “We balanced the state budget in my first year without raising taxes, despite a multi-billion dollar budget deficit.”

The footnote is that he and the Florida Legislature did so by taking $350 million in federal stimulus money that year alone. The stimulus is history, but federal padding of state budgets isn’t. The feds kick in about $11 billion toward Florida’s Medicaid bill. The federal Title I program supplementing education at low-income schools is worth $500 million to the state. The National Priorities Project this year reported that, for 2010, federal dollars accounted for 35 percent of Florida’s budget.

Cannon looks for some Chamber luv

"The Florida Chamber of Commerce already has a deep roster of lobbyists; some may even say it’s too big. But Chamber President Mark Wilson says there's about a 50 percent chance that they could find a place for a new all-star firm in Tallahassee -- Capitol Insight -- launched by two former House speakers, Larry Cretul and Dean Cannon." "Florida Chamber Holds ‘Serious’ Talks with New Lobbyists Larry Cretul, Dean Cannon".

Legislature's upcoming ethics reform agenda

"Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Destin, is reviewing a report published Tuesday by a pair of public policy think tanks on public ethics reforms at the county level, and his office says counties 'certainly have a role to play' in formulating the Legislature's upcoming ethics reform agenda." "Don Gaetz: Florida Counties Will Participate in Upcoming Ethics Reforms". Related: "Counties show progress on ethics reforms".

Atwater speaks

"Florida CFO Jeff Atwater said companies need to lower premiums to reflect changes to no-fault laws." "State CFO to car insurers: lower premiums".

Aside from a ballot, stacked with proposed state constitutional amendments, that ran from 10 to 12 pages in various jurisdictions, there was the problem of recruiting temporary poll workers to count absentee ballots.

Ms. Townsley says only 60 of the 150 workers who were hired showed up to do the job. What was their excuse?

Oh, they decided it wasn’t worth the trouble, apparently. Some said they feared they would lose their unemployment benefits for working only a few days. Others just changed their mind.

Makes one wonder where the elections office chose to recruit these so-called workers.

Adding to the mayhem was the state’s new requirement that counties count absentee ballots 24-7 as soon as polls closed on Election Day. Those long shifts for workers and the canvassing board, which has the last say on whether voters’ signatures are valid on absentee ballots, only heightened the anxiety and created another Flori-duh moment for Miami-Dade, along with Broward, Palm Beach and several other counties, because they took days to finish counting.

Meanwhile, "Florida Congressional Democrats seek federal probe of voting law".

Senate committees

"Detert and Galvano are on key Senate committees".

"Both deny wrongdoing"

"Two Miami commissioners were reprimanded for ethics violations. Both deny wrongdoing." "Miami-Dade ethics board rebukes two city of Miami commissioners".

LeMieux lament

"Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux spoke to Sunshine State News Wednesday, his first interview since Election Day less than a month ago."

He believes he would have had a better chance of beating incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in the Senate race than primary victor – and general election loser – Connie Mack IV, and in the coming weeks he will be announcing reforms to give state and local Republican Party apparati a greater role in the selection of nominees in the primary process.

Finally, he insists he has no regrets for having introduced into the primary race attacks on opponent Mack’s pre-congressional moral character. The attacks were taken up by Nelson during the general election.

Privatization follies

"Judge hearing Fla. prison privatization challenge".

Tough rules

"State may toughen rules for community-college professors".

"Insurers Gone Wild"

Fred Grimm: "Sorry, Citizens."

Not you, fellow citizens. Who cares what you think? I’m apologizing to your betters: those hard-working — and occasionally hard-partying executives — at Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Citizens provides catastrophic hurricane insurance for Florida homeowners. Lately, the company’s been buffeted by a cyclone of adverse publicity. Apparently the “media” has been on slanderous vendetta.

Gilway was like a veritable thesaurus as he dredged up adjectives to describe the media’s treatment of his beleaguered operation. The Miami Herald’s Toluse Olorunnipa reported that Gilway called the news coverage preposterous, absurd, pathetic and shameful. Citizens Board Chairman Carlos Lacasa complained these stories were only “designed to incite the public.” . . .

Gilway railed about how that whole firing thing has been utterly misconstrued by the press. It was a coincidence, apparently, that all this unfolded as the company was amidst restructuring. And the Office of Corporate Integrity just happened to be restructured out of existence. But you know how the media thinks. The boss fires the investigators who uncover company scandals. We make it seem soooooo suspicious.

Full on Chamber dead ender Obamacare whine

She who apparently loses every piece of litigation she touches, "Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was still 'disappointed' in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June on the Affordable Care Act." “Before Congress passed this health care law, President Obama stood in front of the public and told us that the insurance requirement was not backed by a tax.

“And yet we read the opinion that upholds the health care law on the basis that Congress has taxing power. We all know that this law would never have gotten through Congress if it was sold as a new, $4 billion tax on the American people.”

Bondi’s appearance preceded a panel on Florida’s reaction to the Affordable Care Act that is better known as Obamacare.

And she blamed the failure of “political accountability” for the outcome.

“We learned our Republican system of government only works well when our leaders are honest with the American people,” Bondi said.

Extra hoops for mere local government employees

"Citing a 1992 state law, the court ruled lawmakers explicitly separated local government employees from their state and federal counterparts, who are protected from recriminations if they make charges of wrongdoing to the appropriate state or federal authorities. Local government employees, in contrast, must first direct their comments to the local chief executive officer or other appropriate local government official to protect themselves from being fired in response to their charges, the court ruled." "Local Whistleblowers Must Tell Local Bosses".

Local ethics laws tightened

"Florida's local governments toughening ethics laws".

"Anything less is an affront to open government"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "So far, no one in Tallahassee — not Scott nor Senate President Don Gaetz nor House Speaker Will Weatherford — are willing to commit to extending the Spider Data contract that ends Dec. 31. But now that the sun has shone on the budget process, putting it back in the shadows should not be an option. Scott, Gaetz and Weatherford should either find favorable terms to extend the project or commit to the same transparency through another publicly accessible tool. Anything less is an affront to open government and Floridians who expect nothing less." "Keep light shining on state budget".

Most of Florida's Obamacare beneficiaries likely to be children

"Florida’s lawmakers appear to be facing a choice of adding comparatively few people to the state’s Medicaid rolls at considerable cost or adding a lot more people for not much more money, according to a study by a Washington study group released this week."

The study showed that if Florida accepts Medicaid expansion, it will cost the state about $8.9 billion over 10 years to insure an extra 1.6 million people in the state-federal insurance for the poor.

If Florida opts out of the expansion — as the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to do — the state’s Medicaid enrollment will still go up by about 370,000 people, with an added cost to the state of about $3.5 billion over 10 years, according to the Kaiser analysis.

An increase in enrollment will occur under either scenario because many provisions of Obamacare will make it easier for people to apply and qualify for Medicaid, said Rachel Garfield, a Kaiser researcher. One example: People applying for insurance through the new exchanges will be directed to Medicaid if their income is below a certain level. Garfield said most of those who would be added to the rolls are likely to be children.

Gov. Rick Scott has warned repeatedly that Medicaid expansion could be too expensive for Florida in these tight budget times. Last summer, he was reported to have said on several national television shows that Medicaid expansion through Obamacare would cost Florida about $1.9 billion a year — far higher than the Kaiser figures.

Florida should erect a statue of Hugo Chávez

Andres Oppenheimer: "Just as Florida should extend eternal gratitude to Cuba’s dictator, Fidel Castro, for the tens of thousands of middle-class professionals who fled to Miami after the 1959 Cuban revolution, Florida authorities should erect a statue to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez for triggering the flight of a good chunk of Venezuela’s middle class over the past decade." "Obama should send thank-you note to Chávez".

On the cheap

Lloyd Dunkelberger: "Scott’s call for state colleges to offer a cheaper four-year degree follows years of steep budget cuts to Florida’s higher education system, leading one top state education official to say the goal cannot be achieved without sacrificing education quality." "Scott call for cheaper degree follows budget cuts".

FlaBaggers in a dither

"The University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research expected the drop-off. Chris McCarty, director of the Survey Research Center, said of the election, 'No matter who won, half of the state was not going to be happy with the outcome.'" "Election results, 'fiscal cliff' worries drive down Florida's consumer confidence".

"Here’s the rub . . . here’s the insult"

The Miami Herald editorial board: " But here’s the rub: Florida’s colleges and universities already are among the cheapest in the nation — they’re not the for-profit colleges causing much of the problem nationally for students overwhelmed by loans. And here’s the insult: For the past six years the state has cut funding for state colleges to perilous levels, and this past legislative session the governor supported whacking $300 million from the state university system, which runs separately from state colleges." "Invest in Florida’s public colleges".

Dirty water

"Industry groups and utilities have been battling environmental groups for the past three years over proposed federal water quality rules. A federal judge in May warned the agency against seeking another delay." "EPA seeks another delay in deadline for issuing water quality rules".

A prominent Tallahassee-based lobbying firm announced Tuesday that it has hired Dorworth, the controversial Lake Mary Republican who lost his seat in the state House earlier this month in one of the most shocking legislative defeats in Florida history.

Dorworth, 36, will manage a new Orlando office for Ballard Partners, which earned more than $1 million in fees during the last quarter alone from clients that include Amazon.com, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Florida Power & Light and gambling giant Genting.

"Obviously, everyone was shocked by the election results," said Brian Ballard, the firm's president and one of the state's top Republican fundraisers. "But there's nobody that has left the House of Representatives in my memory, really since [former House Speaker] Allan Bense, that has had the love of the membership as much as Chris Dorworth."

Dorworth, who lost his Seminole County-based House seat to Democrat Mike Clelland of Lake Mary, called the move "an incredible beginning to the next chapter in my career.

"I chose to work with Ballard because I've seen that over my tenure in government, it seems that on every major battle that plays out in Tallahassee, Brian Ballard has been right in the middle of it advocating for his clients," he said.

By law, lawmakers can't lobby the Legislature for two years after they leave office. Dorworth said he expects to spend that time "setting strategy and establishing a strong presence here in Central Florida" for Ballard Partners, as well as lobbying the Governor's Office and executive agencies.

He then plans to begin legislative lobbying.

"Bipartisan spirit is already receding"

"The bipartisan spirit is already receding from last week's swearing-in ceremony and Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford looked more like a typical conservative Republican with the unveiling of his committee assignments on Monday." "Florida House leadership assignments will test bipartisanship".

"Group tasked with making recommendations to improve Miami-Dade elections"

"A group tasked with making recommendations to improve Miami-Dade elections will begin meeting Tuesday morning, three weeks after Election Day was marked by long lines and a surge of absentee ballots that took several days to count." "Group to begin reviewing Miami-Dade’s elections practices". See also "Why you spent hours in line at the polls" and "Miami-Dade mayor names election advisory group members".

"Nine-ballot discrepancy"

"Audits of the voting systems used in the Nov. 6 election reflect none of the ballot-counting turmoil in Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties, where misplaced, misprinted and machine-munched ballots made Florida — once again — the target of wisecracks and lawsuits."

In St. Lucie County, where angry voters demanded a recount after learning that machines could not read some cartridges in the testy congressional race between Allen West and Patrick Murphy, the audit found 100 percent accuracy in two randomly selected precincts.

In Palm Beach County, where 27,000 ballots had to be hand-copied onto new ballots because a printing error prevented machines from tallying the ballots, the difference between election night totals and the audit of more than 3,200 ballots in four precincts found a nine-ballot discrepancy. Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher attributed the difference to “little anomalies,” such as a poll worker who double-counted write-in ballots in one precinct and another who allowed provisional ballots to be scanned.

Although more than 700,000 voters cast ballots in Palm Beach County, the nine-ballot discrepancy bothered Bucher, who said she will review reported problems and decide how to improve the process.

"Laundry list of scandals"

"Beleaguered by allegations of corporate misconduct and exorbitant executive spending, leaders at Citizens Property Insurance Corp. expressed outrage — at the media. During a special hearing on Tuesday to address several corporate improprieties first reported by the Times/Herald, Citizens CEO Barry Gilway reserved some of his harshest criticism for news outlets that uncovered the laundry list of scandals at the state-run company." "Citizens leader criticize media coverage of firm’s problems". See also "NSF Video: Citizens Insurance Hearing".

"A gimmick pretending to be a policy used as a sound bite"

The Miami Herald editorial board: "Florida colleges and universities are among the most affordable, and there has been a brain drain of top professors in their fields leaving for other states that pay them more. Florida Board of Education member Roberto 'Bob' Martinez of Miami noted in a letter to the governor last week that Scott’s proposal 'will be perceived as a gimmick pretending to be a policy used as a sound bite, and merely copying the plan announced last year by Gov. Perry of Texas.' Mr. Martinez, a Republican appointee, is telling it straight." "Invest in Florida’s public colleges".

"There's some singular backbone for you"

Daniel Ruth: "A few days ago, Sen. Marco Rubio hedged on this whole silly science thing by claiming he has no clue about the age of the planet."

"It's one of the great mysteries," said the man who wakes up every morning practicing the crisp salute upon debarking from Marine One on the White House lawn.

Congress, of course, is populated by figures who pride themselves — at least before microphones — as fiercely independent-minded pillars of courage ever ready to stand up to the forces of evil bent on destroying America. Inspiring is what it is.

And yet, going into the November elections, 279 congressional incumbents along with another 286 challengers eager to become part of the Capitol Crazy Buffet line all happily signed a pledge to Norquist promising to never, ever raise taxes by so much as a bus token.

Say, there's some singular backbone for you.

Among those rolling over like a Shih Tzu eager to get its tummy rubbed for a Snausage treat were Rubio, Reps. Vern Buchanan of Sarasota, C.W. Bill Young of Indian Shores and the recently defeated Allen West of Palm Beach Gardens.

"Atwater will have to answer questions"

"Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater will have to answer questions under oath in a lawsuit filed by the owner of a Tallahassee art gallery that was never paid for framed photographs valued at more than $357,000 for the new 1st District Court of Appeal." "Florida CFO Jeff Atwater must testify in 'Taj Mahal' case".

Stand-your-ground gun laws have a troubling racial component

Frank Cerabino: The Stand Your Ground numbers are not a mystery:

They’re just inconvenient to the supporters of the law. David Hemenway, the director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, wrote a piece that summed up the findings of multiple studies showing that stand-your-ground gun laws don’t deter crime and have a troubling racial component in the way they are prosecuted. “In the Stand Your Ground states, when white shooters kill black victims, 34 percent of the resulting homicides are deemed justifiable, while only 3 percent of deaths are ruled justifiable when the shooter is black and the victim is white,” Hemenway wrote.

"Focus on growth management fades"

"Growth management issues have been moved from the former Community & Military Affairs Subcommittee to the Economic Development & Tourism Subcommittee. 'We think growth has a more prominent role than just kind of being a secondary issue for economic development,' Charles Pattison, president of 1000 Friends of Florida, said in response." "'Community Affairs' disappears from subcommittee name as focus on growth management fades".

Dems defeated Republican who fell for Teabagger scare tactics

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Tuesday's 6-1 vote to add fluoride back into the drinking water caps a long public controversy that reaffirms the centrist judgment of Pinellas voters and their embrace of sound science and sensible government. New commissioners Charlie Justice and Janet Long decided to run for office in part because the commission voted 4-3 to stop adding fluoride in January. The Democrats defeated two Republican incumbents who fell for the scare tactics and the tea party political pressure, and they pledged to reverse the decision upon taking office." "Welcome reversal on fluoride". See also "Citizens CEO on Dismantled I-Team: ‘The Bad Decision Was How We Did It’", "Citizens defends investigator firings, wants to move on" and "Pinellas to put fluoride back in water".

Chairs and committee assignments

"In line to be the House speaker in 2017, Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Trinity, will head his chamber’s approach to the federal health care act." "Richard Corcoran to Head House Approach on Federal Health Care, Committee Chairs Announced".

"Senate announces committee chairs; House releases full committee assignments", "", "", "Don Gaetz, Will Weatherford Offer Joint Agenda for 2013 Legislature" and "Benacquisto Named Senate Majority Leader, Negron Gets Budget, Latvala to Chair Ethics, Elections".

Battle of the empty suits

"The appearance for 2016 -- at least as the national media portray it -- continues to be that the Sunshine State will be affixed to the GOP ticket. The question that continues to swirl is, will it be U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, or is former Gov. Jeb Bush planning his move?"

Capitol insiders with long ties to the governor say they've heard rumblings, some even hopeful and eager to help rev up his campaign machine. But they could only offer speculation if Bush would jump into a national contest, and still believe he would have been the strongest in the 2008 Senate race or among the 2012 presidential field. . . .

Following the general election, Rubio was quickly anointed the next darling of the right, if that is what one could call someone who for nearly a year was on the tips of every vice presidential discussion while brushing up on his foreign policy credentials and becoming a regular Sunday morning talk show guest.

Another Haridopolos gem

"A $5 million program to monitor revealing details of the state budget has been kept under wraps and now may not become active unless state leaders agree to put it into place by the end of the year." The software program was "quietly developed by a former House budget staffer, licensed by the state Senate under former Senate president Mike Haridopolos, and financed with $5 million of taxpayer dollars". "Legislative leaders are ready to shelve a $5 million budget-tracking program".

GOPers in a dither

"Never before have Hispanics voted so overwhelmingly Democratic as they did for Obama, said Luis Martínez-Fernández, professor of history at the University of Central Florida." "Will next generation of Hispanic voters follow their parents?".

Pass the ammunition

"Cops: Brevard man shoots Jacksonville teen dead over loud music".

Scott's latest cheap gimmick

"Rick Scott wants colleges to offer $10,000 degrees", "Scott's challenge: $10K degrees", "Scott: Community colleges should offer $10,000 BAs". See also "Rick Scott: Four-Year Florida College Degree for Under $10,000".

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Cheap gimmicks are no way to improve Florida's higher education system and better prepare students for the work force. That is exactly what Gov. Rick Scott proposed Monday, borrowing a simplistic idea from Texas by challenging the state college system to offer $10,000 bachelor's degrees. How this blue-light special fits with Scott's supposed commitment to building a quality higher education system that produces more science, math and technology degrees is anyone's guess. But slashing prices to deliver cheap college degrees when what's really needed is more public investment in colleges and universities is the wrong approach." "Scott stunt won't fix higher ed".

Nancy Smith complains this morning that, "Of course the Democrats are going to look down their noses at a $10,000 college education: 1) they didn't think of it first; 2) it can't have any merit if Rick Scott is promoting it; and 3) heaven forbid debt-spooked students and their families get a choice." "So Predictable, So Tiresome: Democrats' Disdain for Rick Scott's Affordable Ed Plan".

Joe Henderson agrees that "college is too expensive and student debt is a social and economic time bomb. The problem requires serious people seeking serious solutions. It won't be solved with gimmicks. The governor's proposal is a gimmick." "Scott's degree gimmick won't help education".

"Divine guidance comes with $4,000 a year in maintenance fees

Fred Grimm: "Divine guidance comes with a one-time charge of $22,000. Plus another $4,000 a year in maintenance fees. The estimate didn’t come from theistic sources (God doesn’t bill by the prayer), but from the Miami-Dade mayor’s office, trying to calculate the cost to taxpayers if the county commissioners vote next month to reinstate the thorny old custom of entertaining prayers before meetings." "County government doesn’t have a prayer".

Runnin' gub'ment like a bidness

"A department deputy secretary said the Highlands Ranch LLC permit would provide more environmental protection. But DEP wetlands expert Connie Bersok testified that the number of credits proposed by the department could not be ecologically supported."

DEP wetlands expert Connie Bersok wrote a memo in May objecting to a proposed permit for the Highlands Ranch project. A few days later she was suspended from her job with pay amid a department investigation into possible work leave and attendance violations that were not substantiated.

Check, please

"PSC Gives Thumbs Up to Nuclear Costs".

"Every major metropolitan area in the country saw increase in personal income"

"For the first time since the start of the Great Recession, every major metropolitan area in the country saw an increase in personal income last year, according to data released Monday by the government. The 2011 data is the most recent year charted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, but assuming that the trend holds this year, it bodes well for Southwest Florida and the nation's recovery, which is reliant on consumers spending more money." "Personal incomes increase in SW Florida, data show".

The Week Ahead

"The Week Ahead for Nov. 26 to Nov. 30".

Sharia Law prohibition jumps to top of GOP agenda

"Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, has brought back a bill that seeks to prohibit foreign laws -- while not spelled out in SB 58, the focus of similar legislation in other states is Islamic “sharia” law -- from being used by state courts." "Texting Ban, Sharia Law Prohibition, Equal Rights for Women among Early Senate Bills".

Outsourcing madness

"County tax collectors and two other license plate groups filed formal protests Monday accusing Florida's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of overstepping its authority with plans to outsource parts of its license plate operation." "County tax collectors, others file protests against Florida's plan to outsource license plates".

Hatin' them lib'ruls

Lloyd Brown is still looking for lib'ruls under his bed: "From Nov. 6 until November 2014, the effort to unseat Florida Gov. Rick Scott will be under way."

There will not be one day during that time without an editorial, column or editorial disguised as a news story that trashes Scott in one way or another or praises one of his potential challengers. Liberals longed for Jeb Bush to go also. But not in the way they do Scott. He is loathed by the left.

Largely, it is because he is not a politician. Thus, he desecrates their religion by his presence.

He also was a successful businessman. Strike two. Success deserves punishment, not reward, in the liberal view.

From what I can gather, Scott's major offense during his first term was to suggest that state employees actually pay for part of their own retirement.

In the era of European socialism we are entering, this gives sensitive liberals the vapors.

Government's function, as they see it, is to coddle us from cradle to grave. Even now they are straining to get closer to the cradle by making the voluntary pre-kindergarten program mandatory. Scott also has supported sensible reforms for the government schools, such as merit pay for teachers.

Weatherford's version of "sanity"

"In the campaign cycle that just ended, Senate President Don Gaetz controlled a fund of about $4 million and House Speaker Will Weatherford, $2 million. Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, controlled a fund that raised $1.9 million. Latvala, a tenacious and experienced lawmaker, is the new chairman of the Senate Ethics & Elections Committee, a focal point of changes to the campaign finance system."

Gaetz and Weatherford want to raise the $500 contribution cap and ban legislator-controlled funds, called CCEs or committees of continuous existence, which collectively raised $22 million in the last cycle, according to contributionlink.com.

"I think $500 is archaic," Weatherford says. "We all know people are spending a lot of money on campaigns. Unfortunately, none of it's going to the actual campaigns."

Before Chiles, the maximum contribution to a legislative candidate was $1,000, and $3,000 to statewide candidates.

Weatherford says the changes he seeks would be more transparent than what exists today in Florida.

Under the current system, CCEs and electioneering organizations that buy ads and mail pieces transfer millions of dollars among them, making it hard to follow the money.

Gaetz and Weatherford see a system poisoned by big money and want to clean it up, just like Chiles did more than two decades ago.

"What I'm trying to achieve is sanity," Weatherford says.

Race to the bottom

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "One of the priorities of new Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford is to phase out pensions for state workers. Taxpayers should hope he succeeds."

This isn't a question of being chintzy to score points with conservative voters. Growing pension obligations threaten the security of today's workers and programs while unfairly shifting costs of unknown size to the future.

The high costs and uncertainties of pensions have caused most private companies to drop them in favor of the 401(k) retirement plan. Weatherford wants to shift to that sort of system for new state workers. Existing pension promises would be kept.

One argument against reform is that Florida's pension fund needs more new employees paying in to keep it financially healthy. If the base must keep growing to keep the top from collapsing, that describes a pyramid and confirms Weatherford's description of the system as a "ticking time bomb."

That's not to say Florida's pension fund is in trouble. It is funded at 86.9 percent and is among the nation's best. Workers are not going to be short-changed.

Revolvin' door

Jason Garcia: "The Republican lawyer, who had represented the Winter Park area in the Legislature since 2004, has opened a new lobbying shop in Tallahassee called Capitol Insight LLC. The Republican lawyer, who had represented the Winter Park area in the Legislature since 2004, has opened a new lobbying shop in Tallahassee called Capitol Insight LLC."

Cannon joins a line of former state House speakers who jumped from legislating to lobbying. At least eight former speakers are or have recently been lobbyists — including Ocala Republican Larry Cretul, who was Cannon's immediate predecessor as speaker and will now be Cannon's partner at Capitol Insight.

Nobody illustrates how lucrative lobbying can be for ex-lawmakers more vividly than state Sen. John Thrasher, R-Orange Park, who served as speaker in 1999 and 2000 and joined the lobbying firm Southern Strategy Group in early 2001, representing clients such as Walt Disney World, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Mosaic. Thrasher left Southern Strategy and was elected to the state Senate in 2009.

During Thrasher's final year in the House, his net worth was $512,000, according to a legally mandated financial disclosure. When he joined the Senate eight years later, his net worth had ballooned to $7.5 million.

Thrasher earned $1.6 million related to his lobbying just in 2008.

Crazy times in St. Lucie County

"U.S. Rep. Allen West may have ended his two-week battle with election officials in St. Lucie County on Tuesday, but the Treasure Coast office will continue to face scrutiny over how it handled the election." "Allen West's Concession Won't End Troubles for St. Lucie County Elections".

Republican leaders said in proposing the law that it was meant to save money and fight voter fraud. But a former GOP chairman and former Gov. Charlie Crist, both of whom have been ousted from the party, now say that fraud concerns were advanced only as subterfuge for the law’s main purpose: GOP victory.

Former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer says he attended various meetings, beginning in 2009, at which party staffers and consultants pushed for reductions in early voting days and hours.

“The Republican Party, the strategists, the consultants, they firmly believe that early voting is bad for Republican Party candidates,” Greer told The Post. “It’s done for one reason and one reason only. … ‘We’ve got to cut down on early voting because early voting is not good for us,’ ” Greer said he was told by those staffers and consultants.

“They never came in to see me and tell me we had a (voter) fraud issue,” Greer said. “It’s all a marketing ploy.”

“Jim Greer has been accused of criminal acts against this organization and anything he says has to be considered in that light,” says Brian Burgess, Florida GOP spokesman since September.

Wayne Bertsch, who handles local and legislative races for Republicans, said he knew targeting Democrats was the goal. . . .

Another GOP consultant, who did not want to be named, also confirmed that influential consultants to the Republican Party of Florida were intent on beating back Democratic turnout in early voting after 2008.

"Not theoretically. Provably. It has failed"

Scott Maxwell writes that it is "all spelled out in the 178-page report presented to Enterprise Florida, the state's economic-development arm: more taxpayer giveaways. And now they want us to shoot for lower-paying jobs."

I guess when you can't clear the bar, you lower it.

This should be shocking. Unfortunately, it's merely a continuation of Florida's failed, two-prong approach to the economy.

For years, Florida leaders have argued that if we just keep lowering corporate taxes — and keep giving away taxpayer money — the economy will boom.

Yet it hasn't worked.

Let me repeat that last sentence, because it's important: It hasn't worked.

Not arguably. Not theoretically. Provably. It has failed.

Despite lowering corporate taxes to among the lowest in America (45th) and courting companies with hundreds of millions of incentive dollars, our economy is a mess — much worse than America's in general.

Our unemployment rate is higher. Our foreclosure rate leads the nation. We have a higher percentage of uninsured residents. And our average paycheck lags.

If you're still arguing that lowering corporate-tax rates and increasing corporate handouts is a formula for success, you're delusional.

West lost because of Republicans

Randy Schultz explains how "Democrats didn’t dump Allen West from his tea party perch in Congress. Republicans did." "Allen West lost because of Republican voters".

On to The Villages

"Huckabee to promote book on return to The Villages".

"So far, anyway"

"After years of increasingly intense hyper-partisan warfare, Republicans and Democrats sound serious — so far, anyway — about working in harmony for the common good of Floridians."

“They want us to work together, they’re not going to reward acrimony, they’re going to reward results,” said Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon. “I’m a conservative, I have a conservative view of the world, but the notion of representative democracy is that we respect one another and recognize we don’t have the market cornered on good ideas and are willing to compromise to advance the ball.” . . .

In Tallahassee, Republicans set the tone because they are firmly in control. However, they seem chastened by what happened in Florida: Their party’s presidential candidate lost, as did most of the constitutional amendments they placed on the November ballot. They lost seats in the House and Senate, and voters grew angry standing in line for hours to cast ballots.

Democrats picked up five seats in the 120-seat House, which now has 76 Republicans and 44 Democrats. Republicans needed 80 seats to hold a supermajority and completely control the legislative agenda.

In the Senate, Democrats picked up two seats, and while they are still outnumbered by Republicans 26-14, they did break the GOP’s supermajority.

"A hidden sickness, deep within the earth"

"A century ago Florida’s gin-clear springs drew presidents, millionaires and tourists who sought to cure ailments by bathing in the healing cascades. Now the springs tell the story of a hidden sickness, deep within the earth." "Florida's vanishing springs".

"Our republic is what happens between the votes"

Stephen Goldstein: "With the disquieting wisdom of a Zen master, the French composer Claude Debussy wrote, 'Music is the silence between the notes,' which pretty much turns our understanding of it on its ear."

To apply that high-minded aesthetic to the low-life of American politics: Policy-making, the stuff that really affects your life, is what happens between elections — in the winks and nods of back-room dealing.

And yet, tragically, most people are distracted by the noise of political campaigns, feel they've done their civic duty if they watch a debate and drag themselves to the polls, then go about their personal business — oblivious of the fact that, during (what they think is) downtime, when "the people" aren't looking, politicians and lobbyists are conspiring where they don't have to face the music of voters. Our republic is what happens between the votes.

Juggling the classroom with Capitol duties

"There are always plenty of lawyers within the legislative ranks. Real estate developers and insurance execs? Ditto. The Florida House even has a couple of funeral directors. This month, west-central Florida voters sent a trio of newcomers to Tallahassee. They all knocked off entrenched incumbents. They're all Democrats. And they're all public school teachers."

While it's not unheard of for those in the academic ranks to pursue politics – several veteran members of the Legislature identify themselves as retired educators or one-time teachers – two of the three rookies will juggle day-to-day classroom responsibilities with their Capitol duties.

And the trio will bring years of experience to the table as lawmakers debate such hot-button issues as teacher evaluation and pay, charter schools and expansion of voucher programs.

• This spring, the Legislature passed what Gov. Rick Scott called "an education budget," with $1 billion in new spending for K-12 schools. But detractors noted that the budget did not make up for five prior years of education cuts, including $1.3 billion in cuts approved in 2011.

• The Legislature recently required those in the public employee retirement plan, including teachers, to contribute 3 percent of their pay to their retirement. Public employees successfully challenged the plan in court, but the state is appealing. House Speaker Will Weatherford, a Republican from Wesley Chapel, has already announced he will seek to convert future public employees' retirement from a traditional pension plan to a 401(k)-style plan.

• The Republican-dominated 2011 Legislature considered making it illegal to deduct certain payments – including union dues – from the paychecks of public employees. Teacher's unions generally favor Democratic candidates. The measure eventually died.

• This spring, the House passed a plan to allow parents at failing schools to initiate turnaround plans, including turning the schools over to private or charter school companies. The "parent trigger" bill failed on a tie vote in the Senate.

• Teachers and union officials held a news conference in Tallahassee last week calling for the suspension of the state's "value-added model," a formula intended to judge teacher effectiveness based on test scores. Teachers say the plan is degrading and invalid; the state is sticking to its formula.

Another "elections disaster waiting to happen"

Lloyd Dunkelberger: "Florida will no longer be known for hours-long waits to vote and days-long waits to count ballots, two of the state’s top legislators vowed Tuesday." "Legislative leaders pledge to improve Florida elections".

The Sarasota Herald Tribune editorial board addresses the "long waits at the polls in some of the state's most populous counties, especially those in Southeast Florida. Delays were not limited to heavily populated areas of the state on Nov. 6: Even in mid-size counties, such as Manatee, voters who opted for early voting experienced delays up to two hours. (Manatee had only one early voting site, a ridiculously low number; in comparison, Sarasota County had six.)"

Even though Florida made substantial progress toward reforming its election laws following the debacle of 2000, the state took steps backward in 2011 -- for example, reducing the number of days available for early voting.

Restoring, or perhaps expanding, the number of early-voting days should be considered. The Legislature should also engage county-level elections supervisors to determine what legislative roadblocks prevent the addition of early-voting sites -- especially in general elections, when turnout is substantially higher than in other elections. . . .

One of the most frequently cited reasons for long lines and vote-processing delays was the length of the general election ballot. Fortunately, the Legislature can make future ballots shorter and voter-friendly. . . .

The leaders should also take a proactive step by re-examining another law adopted in 2011. That provision could, under certain circumstances, require elections supervisors to include the entire wording of proposed constitutional amendments, not only the summaries, on ballots. The law could also require the ballot to include the text of the constitution that would be stricken if voters approve the amendment.

This seems like an elections disaster waiting to happen -- creating the likelihood of more delays at the polls, lengthening and complicating ballots and raising printing costs. Consider: Had this law applied to the recent voting, the entire text of Amendment 4 and the "strike-throughs" would have totaled more than 3,800 words.

Another constructive step will require legislative discipline. The Florida Constitution says amendments proposed by "the people ... shall embrace but one subject." That provision does not explicitly cover initiatives by the Legislature but, at the least, lawmakers should respect its spirit and limit future amendments to single subjects.

• Change state election rules and laws to overcome rules that enable a slot for write-in candidates to appear on the general election ballot -- without meeting the basic requirements that other candidates must meet. The status quo allows write-ins to circumvent the voter-approved "universal primary" amendment and crowds the ballot.

• Revisit the 1998 constitutional amendment that made it too easy for candidates to be on the ballot for president. Florida had 12 candidates for president listed, second most in the nation. One of those was comedian Roseanne Barr.

• Hire, under temporary contracts, efficiency experts who could help elections supervisors, especially those in populous counties, better estimate voter turnout at precincts. Data-driven assessments would provide supervisors with information they need to match resources -- such as personnel, ballots and machines -- to turnout.

I'm shocked, shocked

Here's a shocker: charter school operator, one Adam Miller, who currently draws a government paycheck as "Charter Schools Director" in the Florida Department of Education's Office of Independent Education & Parental Choice, thinks he's doing a great job:

Student achievement data compiled by the Florida Department of Education suggests charter students are performing better than their peers in traditional schools.

That goes against research by Dr. Stanley Smith, a University of Central Florida business professor.

He found that charters perform worse than traditional schools when poverty and minority status are taken into account.

Smith’s research can be found here.

False equivalence

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "State law does cap direct contributions to candidates at $500. But the law also lets candidates create separate committees to rake in unlimited donations to cover campaign expenses — 'committees of continuous existence' or CCEs — and advertising costs — electioneering campaign organizations, or ECOs. Corporations, unions and wealthy fat cats looking to maintain or expand their influence in Tallahassee routinely take advantage of this loophole to shower thousands of dollars on their favorite candidates." "Take out political trash: Harness the committees".

We understand the Sentinel owners hate unions, but please, don't - in a phony attempt at equivalence - equate the amount of cash flowing into politics from "corporations, unions and wealthy fat cats".

Oh no . . . Not another mini-"Jeb!"

Beth Kassab points out that Florida "is on its fourth commissioner in 18 months and going on its fifth."

Beth continues with this silly remark:

The new commissioner will have a big influence on what qualifies as a passing score on high-stakes tests and could help keep Florida as a national leader for education reform.

Beth then continues to burnish her Republican bona fides with this:

Everybody has an eye on Tony Bennett, the shake-'em-up reformer with an impressive list of accomplishments as Indiana's top education chief. He lost his re-election bid earlier this month — and Indiana lost its place as a reform leader — in an upset by a veteran teacher and union leader.

Indiana's loss could be Florida's gain.

Really, Beth? Do we really need another mini-"Jeb!" running Florida's education system into the ground? A failed Republican who could not keep his seat in a Republican "stronghold" like Indiana?

And, although "Jeb!" is running as fast as he can away from the Indiana flop, the fact is that Indiana's repudiation of Tony Bennett was a flat out repudiation of Jebbie and his "reform" freak show. Although

many states have borrowed from Bush’s education agenda, few have embraced it as fully as Indiana. Superintendent-elect Glenda Ritz’s supporters say these policies — A-F grading for schools, teacher evaluations, performance based pay, expansive voucher programs and expanded charter school options — are why Bennett lost earlier this month.

More: "Glenda Ritz Unseats Tony Bennett In ‘Referendum’ On Indiana Education Policy". See also "Incumbent Superintendent Tony Bennett Concedes Race To Ritz" ("Bennett had been a critical force in moving forward education priorities of Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration: school voucher programs, merit pay for teachers and expansion of charter schools, policies many teachers criticize.")

Meanwhile, the wingnuts are in a dither as the "reform" movement crashes and burns: "What we learned about school reform in 2012".

"Paying law firms to not ferret out bad behavior"

Fred Grimm concludes that the "nice thing about working for Citizens is that forgetting about scandalous instances of corporate misconduct appears to be official company policy."

The report [on Citizens] has this stuff about the braless bar dancing in Tampa and the former director of underwriting taking his staff on a rowdy outing in Key West, replete with more inappropriate, harassing behavior. And the Citizen corporate counsel’s lack of a Florida law license. And other stuff (including an interesting passage about an employee running a sex toy mail order business using the company computers and the Citizens mail room.)

Most of the allegations of unseemly behavior had originally been dismissed after a faux investigations performed by hired private law firms. The hired guns knew what to find. The company paid $2,403,952 since 2003 to outside lawyers to find, 92 percent of the time, that allegations of bad behavior were “unsubstantiated.” (The review by the Office of Corporate Integrity, noting that the lawyers didn’t do much actual investigating, found only 46 percent of the complaints had been unwarranted.)

But if the rowdy behavior was too much, even by Citizens’ permissive standards, getting fired could be pretty lucrative. The report found Citizens had written checks amounting to $752,903 in severance pay since 2004. Scandalous behavior seem to pay off big-time. Another underwriting veep accused of having an adulterous affair with one of his workers, and hitting up another young woman in his office for $5,000 to help him hire a lawyer to fend off the accusations, was given $80,000 severance, and $40,000 in accrued vacation and sick pay, to go away.

The problem, of course, is that Citizens, while giving away big chunks of severance money to its naughty party boys and paying law firms to not ferret out bad behavior by other employees, was simultaneously putting the big squeeze on Floridians.