On Friday, Scott and his allies pointed to a Department of Economic Opportunity report that found Florida's unemployment rate has dropped from 7.8 percent in February to 7.5 percent in March. Scott and his assorted supporters crowed “it’s working” and tried to contrast the new numbers with the unemployment rate under former Gov. Charlie Crist, unannounced Democratic front-runner to challenge the governor next year.

Scott and his backers are correct in noting that Florida’s economy is on the rebound. But they will need more than healthy unemployment numbers to boost the governor’s re-election chances.

Now, a lot of the same people who moaned that the unemployment numbers could not be trusted when it came to Obama are assuring voters they show Scott’s policies are effective."

But another part of the problem comes from Scott and the myths that have developed around him. When he came out of nowhere in 2010 to beat Bill McCollum in the primary and Alex Sink in the general election, Scott told voters that his business background would help turn Florida around and create 700,000 new jobs in 7 years.

Can he govern as well as he can issue press releases?

Tampa Bay Times editors: "Gov. Rick Scott has two weeks to demonstrate he can govern as well as he can issue press releases. It's great that the governor supports expanding Medicaid and accepting billions of federal dollars to provide health coverage to nearly a million residents. Now he has to persuade fellow conservative Republicans in the Legislature to agree or embrace a reasonable alternative. This is a defining moment for this state, and Scott should use all of the persuasive tools of his office to lead lawmakers to the right conclusion."

Charlie now a Panhandle Dem

"Crist visits Leon County, local Democrats".

"Pay proposals vary in shape and size"

Tampa Bay Times editors: "The past five years haven’t been easy for state government workers and teachers."

The ranks of state workers have shrunk about 10 percent. Training has been slashed by 25 percent. Seven out of every 10 state employees make less than $40,000 — putting them well below what the average employee in the private sector makes and near the bottom of state workers across the country.

The state’s 172,000 teachers, meanwhile, have had tenure stripped away and are now evaluated based on student test scores, which next year could help decide if they get a raise.

“It’s been a rough ride,” said Ryan Druyor, a 30-year-old research scientist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who lives in St. Petersburg. “Getting ahead working for the state just isn’t done anymore. We’re falling behind."

But as lawmakers haggle over budget details during the next two weeks, the pay proposals vary in shape and size, who gets them and for how much.

It’s a legislative exercise that has left many workers feeling oddly conflicted. While obviously thankful that their pay is on the upswing again, they can’t help but notice they aren’t being treated equally.

"Hitting the Home Stretch"

"Weekly Roundup: Hitting the Home Stretch".

Teabaggers take a bath

"Rubio's PAC Spends $47,484 on Water Bottles, Hauls in More Than $650,000".

"Rural gun absolutists ignore the firearm slaughter"

Fred Grimm: "We don’t count for much down here in Florida. Not in this particular democracy. Not like the someone from the sparse reaches of rural America. When it comes to settling the great national issues of the day, the opinion of a cowpoke from Wyoming or a roughneck from North Dakota carries considerably more weight than some no-account from Florida."

Over the years, the undemocratic make-up of the Senate gave disproportionate power to slave states (Robert Dahl, the famed Yale political scientist, noted that House of Representatives passed eight antislavery measures between 1800 and 1860 but all of them faltered in the Senate), then allowed segregation and its attendant wrongs to fester through the 1960s.

Disproportionate power has led to disproportionate disbursements of federal money — and this bizarre scenario in which residents of the rural south and west complain bitterly about recipients of federal handouts, about those imagined urban welfare queens, those moochers, while (with a few exceptions like Texas and Nevada) their own states collect more than they contribute to the federal treasury.

Rural states enrich themselves running cattle on federal rangeland, cutting timber in national forests or collecting federal farm subsidies and crop guarantees. In the past decade, they scarfed up more, per capita, in Homeland Security grants than states facing actual threats, like New York. As if al Qaeda had sworn jihad against Montana cows.

And it was the same scenario with federal stimulus money. The New York Times analyzed the distribution of the stimulus cash and found that the smaller states made out like bandits. Much of the money was flowing to same states whose political leaders complained so fervently about the stimulus programs.

Surely the founding fathers didn’t anticipate a situation in which workers abandon rural America and head to urban job centers even as rural America accrues more political clout. The voters migrate in one direction, the power and money flows the other.

So now a majority of Americans can only watch as rural gun absolutists ignore the firearm slaughter suffered in urban America and beat down even the most tepid gun measures, like the vote Wednesday killing background checks. They explain their opposition with this weird fantasy insurrectionist argument — they must hold on to their assault weapons, lest the federal government come after them.

It makes a tiresome sound, coming from folks who’ve got far more influence in that same federal government than residents of New York or California or Illinois. Their disproportionate power was on display Wednesday in the Senate, where some gun nut from Wyoming has 17 times more clout than a no-account from Florida.

Hispanic conservatives strive for relevancy

"Hispanic conservatives embrace immigration reform".

"An incentive to plead ignorance"

The Tampa Trib editors: "When the elderly are abused, and families seek compensatory damages from those responsible, the judgments can be limited by the victim’s incapacitation. Punitive damages are the clear and imminent threat that gets the attention of the nursing home operators and owners. Raising the bar for the families who are suing, and giving nursing home owners an incentive to plead ignorance, should not be written into law." "Obstacle to justice for nursing patients".

Sorry, Mr. West, this ain't the same as taking on an unarmed prisoner with a pistol

Quite the tuff guy, the pusillanimous Mr. West: "Allen West to FAU protesters: Stop harassing my wife or face ‘the side of me that you do not want to see’". Yes, the same West who dishonored himself and our country by threatening to kill an unarmed prisoner, and "followed up on that threat by taking the suspect outside, put him on the ground near a weapons clearing barrel and fired his 9 mm pistol into the barrel."

"Political reasons that fly in the face of common sense"

The Miami Herald editorial board: "The Florida House’s refusal to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid stands as the most confounding action of the 2013 legislative session thus far, and probably the most irresponsible."

Money that could be used to help more than a million needy Floridians who lack access to healthcare is in danger of being rejected for political reasons that fly in the face of common sense and elementary mathematics.

"You are a coward Sen. Rubio"

"The leader of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns group in Rubio’s home county of Miami-Dade, Democratic Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner, said at a Thursday news conference that the Florida senator’s vote the day before was all about his ambitions for the White House in 2016."

And, Lerner said, Rubio’s position on guns will cost him dearly when he runs again.

“Your position and your vote yesterday put you on shaky ground with 94 percent of Floridians,” Lerner said, citing a poll paid for by the group that showed overwhelming support for universal background checks.

“You are a coward Sen. Rubio,” she said. “You are afraid to stand up to the gun lobby and to stand up for your constituents. Instead, you stood up for the NRA. Shame on you.”

New campaign-finance records show that ISC gave nearly $27,000 worth of tickets, food and drink to the Republican Party of Florida on the day of NASCAR's biggest race. The Daytona Beach-based company gave another $2,200 in tickets, food and drinks to the Florida Democratic Party on race day.

The gifts came a little more than a week before state lawmakers gaveled open their 2013 session, where legislation is now advancing that could give ISC tax breaks worth close to $100 million over 30 years.

The American Resort Development Association gave $102,500 to the Republican Party during the quarter and $50,000 more to the Democratic Party. The time-share industry trade group is lobbying lawmakers to pass a controversial bill that would impose new restrictions on owners trying to get rid of their time shares.

Walt Disney World gave $140,000 to the Republicans, plus $30,000 — and about $11,000 in freebies — to the Democrats. The giant resort is lobbying for legislation that would expand the legal definition of tickets to cover its new "MagicBand" wristbands and strengthen penalties on theme-park ticket fraud.

And Progress Energy gave $300,000 in checks and about $25,000 worth of private airplane flights to the state GOP, along with $5,000 to the Democratic Party. The company opposes efforts to rescind a law allowing it and other utilities to charge frees for nuclear power plants that may never be built.

Meanwhile, rather than cutting a check, Universal Orlando gave the Republican Party about $185,000 worth of free park tickets, hotel rooms, food and entertainment for the party to use in an annual fundraiser held at the resort just before the legislative session began.

Universal's latest donation came as lawmakers discussed whether to impose new limits on a tax-incentive program that is supposed to stimulate development in "urban high crime areas," which Universal and its hotel affiliate have tapped into for more than $8 million in tax breaks. Lawmakers appear unlikely to make any changes to the program this year.

Republicans control the governor's office and large majorities in the Legislature, so businesses and other interest groups generally steer far more money to the GOP. The latest reports show the Republican Party raised approximately $6 million during the first quarter, while the Democratic Party raised about $1.1 million.

State lawmakers are prohibited from raising money themselves while the Legislature is in session. But the parties don't face that restriction.

And many times, the timing of contributions coincides with legislative actions.

Runnin' gub'ment like a bidness

"The federal government says it will investigate a $1 billion state housing program designed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson called for the audit last month, complaining that the Florida Hardest Hit Fund was poorly run and not reaching enough people." "Feds to probe Florida foreclosure aid program".

Budget blues

"$74.4 billion House budget has money for education, state workers". See also "Florida lawmaking news at a glance".

Musta been Scott's tax cuts

"Florida economy is looking up, UCF prof says".

Selling state planes amped up Carroll's travel costs

Selling the state planes, another great Scott idea. As a result, "Carroll was the first lieutenant governor in recent times without access to a state plane to get to official events, because Scott ordered the two planes sold after he was elected. A multimillionaire, Scott has his own plane and pays for his own travel." "State put Jennifer Carroll on a budget after a series of big travel bills" (By the way, "Carroll did not travel lavishly, flying coach on commercial airlines and avoiding $400-a-night hotel rooms").

Small ball

Update: "Florida can save millions by accepting federal Medicaid funds, state agency says". "House Republicans offered a bare-bones alternative to expanding Medicaid on Thursday, bypassing more than $50 billion in federal aid while setting up a clash with Gov. Rick Scott and the more moderate Senate."

The House's plan would cover up to 130,000 disabled adults and adults with children, far less than the estimated 1 million Floridians who could be covered by federal money.

"Well-connected, for-profit providers"

"The Legislature's stampede to significantly expand online learning for students in public schools has nothing to do with offering more options and meeting unmet needs. It has everything to do with creating opportunities for well-connected, for-profit providers to make money at the expense of public schools." "Online learning plan out of line" ("online classes should not be diverting public money for public schools into the pockets of lightly supervised for-profit operators. That's a bad bet for students and for taxpayers.")

"Republican bad girl" found hiding under a rock in Nicaragua

"Rivera's Missing Pal Ana Alliegro Found". See also "Justin Sternad’s political consultant denies wrongdoing or ties to his congressional campaign to Miami New Times reports".

Cheapening public service

Frank Cerabino: "Two years ago, legislators made a clumsy attempt to radically undermine the state prison system, the third-largest in the country, with a plan that was ultimately blocked by the courts."

Here’s how it worked: Without fanfare or public debate, legislators inserted language into the state budget that called for turning 29 prisons in 18 counties in the southern part of Florida into for-profit prisons.

And to make sure those privately run prisons would show the mandated 7 percent savings in operational costs over the state’s traditional prisons, the state started shipping the high-maintenance and expensive prisoners out of those prisons earmarked for privatization and into the traditional public prisons.

Now, they’re doing the same thing to public schools.

The parental trigger bill is designed to lead to the widespread conversion of traditional public schools in Florida to charter schools, which receive public money but don’t have to follow the restrictions of traditional public schools.

Hundreds of charter schools already are operating in the state and teaching about 7 percent of the state’s public school students. The results are mixed. Some schools are good, but many aren’t. Charter schools routinely get more than their share of F-ratings in the annual roundup of schools.

And they take capital improvement dollars away from traditional schools, money that’s flushed away when the charters go broke, which happens about 20 percent of the time.

Charter schools in Florida also have found some bizarre ways to turn a profit: One school in Miami-Dade operated as a nightclub after school hours. A Pensacola charter rented out teens for road work. And a charter school in New Port Richey offered $50 for students to sign up new kids to boost the school’s head count.

Education experts in action

"State lawmakers approved a sweeping education proposal that would create two distinct designations for high school diplomas." "Lawmakers approve major changes in graduation requirements, online university".

"Absentee ballot fraud case unravels"

"Charges against the original nine defendants, dubbed the “Madison Nine,” have been dismissed to all but two of them." "North Florida absentee ballot fraud case unravels for prosecutors".

"Student records more accessible"

"This week, the state Senate passed a sweeping bill that would make student records more accessible by housing them in an expansive online database. The proposal has drawn fire from parent groups, who believe the measure will enable for-profit education companies to take advantage of individual student information."

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the House are moving to exempt teacher performance data from state public records laws for a three-year window. The controversial proposal comes weeks after the Florida Times-Union lost a lawsuit against the state to obtain the data, which will soon be tied to pay raises. The newspaper is appealing the decision.