FlaBaggers in a jam

"A new poll indicating the majority of Floridians favor a change in U.S. policy toward Cuba comes as the issue of isolation of Cuba versus engagement is being hotly debated in the Cuban-American community."

For decades after the Cuban revolution, Cuba and the United States were the most distant of neighbors. Cuba restricted travel by requiring a reviled tarjeta blanca, or exit visa, and the U.S. embargo restricted not only trade but kept nearly all Americans from traveling to the island and spending money.

Now with changes in both U.S. and Cuban policy, travel between the United States and Cuba has hit record levels. An estimated 600,000 Cuban-Americans and other Americans on so-called people-to-people trips visited the island last year, and more Cubans, including dissidents of various political stripes, also have made trips to South Florida since Cuba changed its travel rules a year ago.

For many Cuban-Americans, the question of Cuba has become a balancing act as they weigh how to help the Cuban people against their own desire not to do anything that would prolong the Castro government.

But a poll released by the Atlantic Council late Monday shows that 64 percent of residents in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties favor normalization of relations with Cuba or more direct engagement.

In a smaller sampling, which means there could be a larger percentage of error, those of Cuban descent were more heavily in favor of normalization or engagement: 79-21 percent in Florida and 73-26 percent nationwide.

When it came to removing all prohibitions on travel to Cuba, 67 percent of Floridians were in favor, according to the poll. . . .

In recent days, the question of the embargo has been at the forefront of political debate in Florida with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist saying that after more than five decades, the embargo has not produced the desired effect and should be lifted. Republican Gov. Rick Scott has responded that the embargo should stay in place because keeping it supports the Cuban people.

But Pepe Hernández, president of the Cuban American National Foundation, suggests it might be better to keep the dialogue on the future of Cuba outside Florida political circles. . . .

As more Cuban-Americans make the trip to their homeland, some attitudes are shifting. As a young man, sugar tycoon Alfonso Fanjul saw his family’s Cuban sugar holdings taken over by the Cuban government and he was a major funder of the anti-Castro movement. But he told The Washington Post that he has started to visit the island, talked with top Cuban officials and would consider investing in Cuba — if there are political and diplomatic advances.

Grubbing for wingnuts

"U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is visiting South Florida to help the Republican Party raise money — and at the same time audition for donors and activists who could prove valuable if he runs for president." "Ted Cruz brings tea party populism to Florida fundraising circuit".

Jolly puffing

"Miscasting Jolly’s Social Security prudence". Meanwhile, "GOP targets Alex Sink's Obamacare Gaffe; David Jolly Hit on Social Security".

Bondi fights Chesapeake Bay cleanup

Jennifer Hecker: "Last week, the state of Florida used your tax dollars to take legal action to try to stop the cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay in the mid-Atlantic region."

While dirty water abounds here at home, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a brief against the Bay cleanup plan — along with the polluters (the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Pork Council, The Fertilizer Institute, National Beef Cattleman’s Association, etc.)

These are the same types of polluting industries we’ve been trying to get to capture and treat the pollution that they generate here in Florida. They are also the same polluting interests that joined Bondi in suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fight protective enforceable water quality standards for controlling fertilizer, sewage and agricultural runoff into Florida’s waters for drinking, swimming and fishing.

As both Florida’s waters and the Chesapeake are being polluted by nutrient pollution, having an effective nutrient pollution cleanup plan for the Chesapeake means Florida’s polluters could have to do more to treat their own pollution on-site, rather than disposing of it in our waterways. This would save us from having to pay more of the ever-increasing costs of declining tourism and real estate values, as well as for additional publicly funded cleanup projects.

"Huge Separation Point"

"The Florida gubernatorial race heated up this week as the two leading candidates clashed over President Barack Obama's controversial health care law on the national airwaves. If there is a single polarizing issue for Gov. Rick Scott and his predecessor, it is Obamacare." "Obamacare Huge Separation Point for Rick Scott and Charlie Crist".

It must be those tax cuts

"Scott touts 94.7 million tourists last year". See also "Florida breaks tourism records".

Rick Scott has more "good news" for the minimum wage crowd: "Universal hiring 3,500 for expansions including Diagon Alley, Gov. Rick Scott says".

Could there be a loomin' 'lection?

"The Republican-dominated Legislature has, for years, rejected calls to change the law, but this spring the outcome could be different. Some influential lawmakers, including House Speaker Will Weatherford, are voicing support for in-state tuition for undocumented students." "Florida may allow undocumented students to pay lower college tuition".

"Marijuana and the Legislature"

The Sarasota Herald Tribune editors: "Marijuana and the Legislature".

Must be Obama's fault

"Officials say consumer interest in the on-line marketplace is so great they are worried whether the site has the technical capability to handle the expected volume of visitors. FHC officials declined to release any specific visitor numbers to the site but did say they were 10 times more than anticipated. " "Florida Health Choices stuck in delay".

Voucher madness

"If Florida’s controversial school voucher program needed a powerful ally in Tallahassee this year, it found one: House Speaker Will Weatherford."

Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, is building support for a proposed expansion of the tax credit scholarship program, which provides private-school scholarships to about 60,000 low-income children in Florida.

The proposal would enable corporate donors to earn dollar-for-dollar sales tax credits in exchange for contributions to the scholarship program. (Donors can currently earn credits toward their corporate income taxes, as well as their insurance premium and alcoholic beverage excise taxes.)

It would also create new partial scholarships for participating students whose families suddenly earn too much money to qualify.

Meanwhile, Aaron Deslatte reports that "one potentially massive shock to the system could be coming on the school-choice front: not the expansion of Florida's school-voucher program, but the idea of requiring the tens of thousands of students receiving them to take similar assessments as their public-school counterparts. . . . That would be a dramatic swing in Florida's experience with school choice, where critics have complained voucher programs were diluting public schools with no evidence they were improving the outcomes for poor children." "Students in voucher schools could face state testing".

Jebbie, of all people, accuses Crist of "organizing his life around his personal ambition"

"Talking to the Fox Business Network, [John Ellis] Bush went after Crist in very personal terms." In an astounding piece of hypocrisy, Jebbie claims Crist, get this,

“organized his life around his personal ambition . . . .

Back in November, Bush endorsed Scott’s re-election efforts.

“I still do, yes sir, that’s right,” Crist replied. “If he was running against Hillary, and you were governor of Florida, who would you support?” King asked.

“Well, if I win, I’m going to be a Democrat,” Crist said. “I think that Jeb would make a good president. I think Hillary would make a great president."

“You would support Hillary?” King asked.

“Yes, correct,” Crist replied.

“As a Democrat?” King asked.

“I like great better than good, as a Democrat, as an American, as a Floridian,” Crist said.

"This is the state of test-obsessed education"

"On Tuesday night, Andrea Rediske looked down at the bed where her 11-year-old son, Ethan, lay motionless. An oxygen machine hummed. Ethan occasionally moaned. They were the sounds of death."

But in the final days of Ethan's life, his parents also spent time on paperwork.

Not for health care, but to try to explain to the state of Florida why Ethan couldn't take the FCAT equivalent of standardized tests for special-needs kids.

A hospice worker actually penned the letter Jan. 28, asking school officials to please forgive Ethan's teacher for not giving him the test ... for he was dying.

This past Thursday, the state granted the waiver.

Ethan died the next morning.

The last-minute exemption provided little solace to a mother whose grief is mixed with fury for the way the education bureaucracy treated Ethan when it came to standardized tests — not just in his dying days, but throughout his whole life.

"There's no word for how awful this is," Andrea said. "No mother should have to go through this."

Andrea has been fighting these tests for years — because there was no way Ethan could ever take them.

He was brain-damaged and legally blind. He had cerebral palsy and couldn't make deliberate movements or even keep his gaze focused.

Yet the rigid rules, which start at the federal level and get further complicated when state and local bureaucrats get involved, say every kid who gets access to public education — something every child is guaranteed — must be tested.

Many might wonder why the Rediskes even bothered with paperwork — why they didn't simply tell the bureaucrats to pound sand. Because, they say, they didn't want Ethan's teacher to be penalized in her evaluation or pay.

Related: "After 11-year-old dies, "Ethan Rediske Act" is filed" and "Teachers, parents fret over school-exam overload".

"No new stadium 'checks'"

"House Speaker Will Weatherford expects the House to craft legislation this year that would redefine the process for the owners of the multimillion-dollar facilities to apply for money." "House Speaker Will Weatherford: No new stadium 'checks' this year".

"Political Bits and Pieces"

Kevin Derby: "Political Bits and Pieces".

Scott Maxwell: "Don't look now, but it appears we have a real race for Attorney General."

Two recent polls show Republican Pam Bondi barely ahead of two little-known Democrats in her attempt to hang on to her seat.

This is pretty remarkable, considering most cabinet officers can get re-elected as long as they're not campaigning from prison.

Bondi, however, has been her own worst enemy, making national headlines for, by way of example, postponing an execution so she could host a fundraising party for herself.

Bondi seems to know she's in trouble. Recently, she threw an odd tantrum in response to a solid hit from Democratic opponent George Sheldon a few weeks ago.

Sheldon said he was concerned that Bondi's interest in investigating a controversial get-rich program run by Donald Trump "kind of evaporated after a $25,000 contribution was made." . . .

Bondi was apoplectic in response to Sheldon's remarks. She called them "offensive," "despicable" and "disgusting."

She also said they were "untrue," saying she hadn't dropped an investigation — because she had never actually started one.

Charlie Crist — who's making headlines for refusing to debate his Democratic primary opponent, Nan Rich. Crist told the Miami Herald he had no plans to debate Rich. And he used this bit of Alice-in-Wonderland-like logic to explain why, saying: "This is not really a race about candidates. This is a race about the people of our state."

It's not a race about the candidates?

Maybe Charlie's not waiting for weed to be legalized.

Earnest-sounding nonsense aside, it's time to step up, Charlie. Voters deserve to see their options talk about issues side by side.

Those unwilling to debate shouldn't run.

Raw political courage

"The Florida affiliate of the National Rifle Association has a new priority: the right to bear Pop-Tarts." "‘Pop-Tart’ gun bill would not punish children with simulated weapons at school".

- Nationwide, 56 percent of respondents favor changing our Cuba policy, with an increase to 63 percent among Florida adults and 62 percent among Latinos.

- Support is strongest among Democrats and Independents, but 52 percent of Republicans also favor normalization.

- Florida, home to the country’s largest Cuban- American population, leads the nation by 7 percentage points in supporting normalized relations.

- In Miami-Dade County, where the highest percentage of the state’s Cuban-American population lives, support registers at 64 percent—as high as the overall state number.

More on the poll" "Read the poll and analysis", "Cuba poll reflects changing political landscape in Florida" and "Poll: Floridians support thaw with Cuba. A plus for Charlie Crist?". Even the Tamp Trib, "State ban on Cuban research makes no sense".

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has taken issue "with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist’s view that the U.S. embargo has outlived its usefulness, saying keeping it in place is “standing up” for the Cuban people."

Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera was even more forceful in his rejection of Crist’s assertion last Friday on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher that the time has come to lift the embargo. . . .

The politicians’ remarks come at a time when attitudes toward Cuba are evolving as more liberal travel policies by both the United States and Cuba increasing put Cubans on the island and those in Florida in more frequent contact with each other. . . .

Asked if he thought the Cuban-American population in Florida still supports the embargo, Scott [before release of the poll] responded, “Absolutely.”

A new poll to be released by the Atlantic Council Tuesday may provide some clarity on the issue. The national poll examines attitudes toward U.S.-Cuba relations, including the embargo.

Safe Bet

"It's a Safe Bet Fred Costello is Headed Back to Tallahassee".

Did Rubio inhale?

"Sen. Marco Rubio is declining to say whether he ever smoked marijuana." "NEW: Rubio dodges question on his past marijuana use".

Hill's Univision Advantage

"High in the polls with a dream candidate’s résumé, Hillary Clinton’s advantages in the 2016 presidential race are the stuff of near-constant media chatter these days."

Except for one topic: Univision.

The Spanish-language network, which broadcasts from Doral, has remarkably close ties with Clinton — from the way the media giant covers immigration to the financial backing of its top leader to a new initiative between the network and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation. Barely a peep from the press, though. . . .

So far, the RNC isn’t taking on Univision the way it pressured CNN and NBC last year to scrap plans for a Clinton documentary, which Republicans said amounted to election-year infomercials. In that case, the RNC threatened to boycott the networks from hosting a 2016 GOP White House candidate debate.

The dispute was well-covered in the navel-gazing ranks of the New York-D.C. media-industrial complex.

How about the close Univision-Clinton ties? Crickets — although The Washington Post, to its credit, covered the Univision event and noted some political advantages Clinton could gain. On a related note, The New York Times reported in August how “efforts to insulate the foundation from potential conflicts have highlighted just how difficult it can be to disentangle the Clintons’ charity work from Mr. Clinton’s moneymaking ventures and Mrs. Clinton’s political future.”

Oh, yeah. Saban basically owns Univision, too. His Saban Capital Group bought Univision Communications Inc. in 2007 with other investors.

Saban wasn’t speaking about Univision in that above-mentioned Nov. 29 interview.

But just four days before, his network coincidentally announced its partnership with the Clinton foundation and a host of other major nonprofits, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Under Saban, Univision has become one of the most-watched networks on TV. Depending on the day or month, Univision has sometimes beaten out English-language ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox for young viewers in prime-time.

With Hispanics comprising the fastest-growing population and electoral demographic, the network is poised for outsized growth and political influence. . . .

Perhaps Univision gets a pass because most political-media reporters don’t pay attention to Spanish-language media.

Regardless of language, though, the silence remains deafening.

Crime-fighting credentials in CD13

"With a month to go, the candidates running in the special election for an open congressional seat in Pinellas County tried to establish their crime-fighting credentials on Tuesday, but also showed more of their teeth." "Who Is CD 13's Bigger Crime Dog, Sink or Jolly?".

We shed tears, but act like we don't give a damn

Yesterday in Orange County we lost another greedy first responder with three young children and the temerity to think he might receive a decent pension: "Deputy killed: 'Hero' slain in felon's attack".

Meanwhile, "Pasco County employees got pay raises this year for the first time in five years — but Sheriff Chris Nocco said that’s not enough of a bump to keep his deputies from fleeing to other agencies." "Sheriff’s office may face deputy exodus".

Rick Scott was nowhere near this announcement

"A mortgage company that has received $2 million in state incentives to create jobs has announced that it will lay off 745 workers in April. . . . Gov. Rick Scott had touted the company last year as a job-creating machine." "Touted Fla. mortgage company laying off 745".

Good luck with Rick Scott's botched unemployment compensation website.

Pension games

"House Speaker Will Weatherford says lawmakers will reform the Florida Retirement System during the 2014 legislative session. Several options are being considered, among them a 'cash-balance' plan proposed by Sen. Wilton Simpson." "Teachers union opposes pension changes; Speaker says expect some". See also "FRS bill emerges in Senate".

Appealing to Floridians' basest instincts

"Gov. Rick Scott continued his campaign-style tour of the state Monday, selling himself in South Florida as a champion of cutting taxes." "Rick Scott sells himself as tax cutter".

Teacher haters in a dither

"Survey says teachers are not the problem".

All this and no surprises

"The Florida Chamber of Commerce, having seen most of its agenda passed in recent years, will chase after bills that have stumbled in past legislative sessions." "Chamber unveils tax cuts, tort and pension changes, and anti-casino agenda".

Weatherford’s gambling support will fill GOP campaign coffers

Fabiola Santiago worries that Miami "is facing nothing short of a major affront on its quality of life as the state’s resistance to casino gambling expansion folds, player by player."

In a stunning move this week, Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, a Republican who previously opposed gambling expansion, told the Herald/Times Bureau that he’s now open to passing legislation that would allow Las Vegas-style casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward. . . .

The speaker, who’s from Pasco County and has enormous power in setting the agenda for the Legislature, seems not to care one iota about what happens in South Florida.

In exchange for pushing through the casino gambling expansion as a priority this session, Weatherford wants a constitutional amendment that requires voters to approve any future gaming.

His condition is only a bone he’s throwing fellow conservatives who oppose gambling. Voters have in the past turned down casino gambling expansion, but look where we’re now. That’s how little the speaker respects them. What truly matters is that, in this hard-fought election year, Weatherford’s support will fill Republican coffers with campaign contribution from gambling interests.

But hey, if Miami’s ruined in the process, it’s all good.

Chickenhawk discovers the political utility of veterans

"Marco Rubio and Jeff Miller Tackle Veterans Affairs Reform".

"Without mercy"

"With nine months to go until the gubernatorial election, Florida’s two major parties are like a couple of heavyweights in the 12th round, pounding each other on behalf of their candidates without mercy." "Governor's Race a Bruiser: Parties Slugging Away at Each Other Like Prizefighters".

They want their MJ now

"Medical marijuana bill filed".

State can't explain website flop, but wants to explore "telemedicine"?

Update: "Committee delays vote on telemedicine bill".

If "Florida’s unemployment benefits website was not ready for launch and state can’t explain why", do we really want "State lawmakers to explore telemedicine"? Who knew, but "doctors at Miami Children’s Hospital use advanced communications technology to diagnose sick children in Ecuador, Peru and the Dominican Republic."

Not surprisingly, "Helping young patients in remote parts of Florida or other states, however, is not so easy."

For one, insurance companies in Florida aren’t required to reimburse doctors for telemedicine services, meaning physicians aren’t guaranteed payment for Web-based consultations or diagnostic test interpretations. What’s more, many doctors don’t have the licenses to practice in other states or the credentials to practice at other hospitals.

“Because of the regulatory limitations, it is easier for me to care for a child in Colombia than it is for me to care for a child at Broward General,” said Dr. Jacques Orces, the chief medical information officer at Miami Children’s.

The Florida Legislature wants to change that.

The state of Florida has joined a lawsuit aimed at blocking a massive cleanup plan for Chesapeake Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay.

And, no, you can’t make this stuff up. . . .

Why would the state of Florida try to obstruct the cleanup of public waters hundreds of miles away from our own? Because Bondi and Gov. Rick Scott are complete tools.

They aren’t suing on behalf of the citizens of Florida; they’re suing on behalf of big agricultural and development interests that don’t want the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency enforcing clean-water laws anywhere.

Imagine the widespread anger down here if the state of Maryland or Pennsylvania sued to halt Everglades restoration. That’s how people up there feel about what we’re doing to them.

Fertilizer runoff from lawns and other pollution has killed thousands of acres of sea grass in the Indian River Lagoon, and it’s the prime suspect in a steep rise in deaths of manatees and bottle-nosed dolphins. . . .

Instead of suing the Corps to halt the dumping, Scott and Bondi are wasting Florida’s legal budget fighting faraway projects like the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint, which is actually a model of sensible cooperation between the states and the feds.

Scott and Bondi don’t care. Both are up for re-election this year, and are banking on hefty donations from developers and Big Agriculture. That’s the only reason they stuck their noses into this lawsuit.

"Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, beware"

"Florida favorite sons Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, beware. Recent polling shows Hillary Clinton would defeat any of the potential Republican presidential candidates, including former Gov. Bush and U.S. Sen. Rubio. The latest Quinnipiac University Poll shows Clinton has support among almost all voting blocs in Florida, regardless of age, income or race. Six in 10 Florida voters think she'd make a good president and seven in 10 believe she has strong leadership qualities." "Hillary Clinton would beat any Republican challenger in Florida in 2016, poll shows".

FlaGOP to resume attack on healthy Florida Retirement System

"The Florida Retirement System is far from broke — actuaries consider it quite healthy — but Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders are determined to fix what they see as its potential financial pitfalls. The debate will play out against a backdrop of election-year politics and the specter of fiscal failures that have other governments scrambling to patch holes in their pension pots." "Lawmakers eye changes to Florida Retirement System".

Hill a "dream come true" for SoFla Dems

"Hillary Clinton campaign, presidency would be dream come true for South Florida Democrats in Congress".

CD 13 Endorsements

The Tampa Bay Times Times recommends Alex Sink for U.S. House, writing that "candidate for House District 13, Alex Sink reflects the mainstream values of Pinellas County voters and has a record of the bipartisanship that Washington needs to start working again." The Tampa Trib predictably endorses David Jolly, shuddering that "Sink is campaigning as a consensus builder who can fight the gridlock in Washington. We respect her ability, but she would be under the direction of Nancy Pelosi, who is far to the left of District 13’s constituents."

Meanwhile, "Sink, Jolly ads in District 13 race full of half-truths, distortion".

"A complete reversal"

"Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist said he supports ending the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, a complete reversal from his position as the state’s former Republican governor and as an independent Senate candidate in 2010." "Charlie Crist flip-flops on U.S. embargo against Cuba".

"Botched launch of Florida’s new unemployment benefits website"

"A week before the botched launch of Florida’s new unemployment benefits website, state senators grilled an agency chief and heard no warning about the chaos to come. The CONNECT project was well managed and extensive testing showed system failure was unlikely, said Tom Clendenning, director of the Department of Economic Opportunity’s workforce services." "Florida’s unemployment benefits website was not ready for launch and state can’t explain why".

Run, "Jeb!", run

Former Miami Herald reporter Beth Reinhard can't get enough Jebbie, writing that "All of a sudden, Jeb Bush is in the sweet spot."

That was not the case one year ago, when it was the ex-Florida governor's protégé, Sen. Marco Rubio, who was declared "the savior of the Republican Party" by Time magazine. Bush, in contrast, looked dated and squishy while promoting a book that backed off his past support for citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Now, Bush's more cautious approach to immigration reform is right in line with the principles that House Republicans recently adopted. The yearlong immigration debate has bruised Rubio, while scandal has handicapped another potential 2016 rival, Chris Christie. With the New Jersey governor's future looking uncertain and public opinion of Capitol Hill worse than ever, old-school Republicans and business elites are casting about for another can-do executive from outside Washington.

Bush is an obvious prospect. Despite the baggage his name carries in some circles, the reservoir of goodwill among Republicans for Bush is deep, and his popularity with the suit-and-tie crowd is high. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce turned to him just this week to star in a television ad for Republican David Jolly, who is running in Florida's 13th Congressional District.

But can Bush be pressed into service?