Rubio reaps royalties and advances

"GOP Sen. Marco Rubio earned $345,000 in royalties last year from sales of his 2012 best-selling autobiography, according to his latest personal financial disclosure form filed Thursday."

That's roughly twice what he earned from his day job as a senator.

In addition to the royalties, Rubio received an $800,000 advance in 2012 from Penguin Group USA to write the book, "An American Son."

Scott is outspending Crist at an 11 to 1 ratio

Aaron Deslatte points out that "the incumbent governor has outspent the former GOP governor-turned-Democrat roughly $11 to $1. That ratio cannot continue." "Ads in governor's race fueled by policy flip-flops".

"Plenty of time to decide what Rubio is full of"

Mark Hohmeister writes that "a presidential campaign is long and hard, and voters will have plenty of time to decide what Rubio is full of." "The smart guy heads for the top".

Weekly Roundup

Kevin Derby: "Political Bits and Pieces." See also "Week in Review for May 16, 2014," "Arrivals and Departures, May 16, 2014," and "Weekly Roundup: The Two Sides of the Governor's Office."

Rubio backs program that allegedly awards outsized share of scholarships to affluent white students

"Sen. Marco Rubio is asking the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to end its probe into Florida’s Bright Futures scholarship program."

The office is investigating claims that the eligibility criteria have the effect of discriminating against black and Hispanic students. . . .

The program has long shouldered criticism for awarding an outsized share of scholarships to white and affluent students. The allegations prompted the federal investigation more than a decade ago.

The best he could do

"Jobless rate ticks down to 6.2 percent; 34,000 jobs added in April." More: "Florida Adds 34,000 Jobs in April."

Pension deform

"The most recent version of the local legislation had nearly universal support, including the backing of the Florida League of Cities and the Florida Police Benevolent Association. The league and the PBA had been on opposite sides of the issue, which dealt with how local governments can use insurance-premium taxes that bankroll the pension plans. Essentially, the bill would have repealed restrictions in state law on how the premium taxes are spent, so long as local governments and unions agree." "Future of pension reform next year still not clear."

"Smells fishier than a Japanese sushi market"

Nancy Smith: "For a lawsuit claiming to lift the state into sunlight and fresh air, the 'emergency petition' two notable Floridians filed Wednesday in the state Supreme Court sure smells fishier than a Japanese sushi market."

I never thought I would be arguing on the other side of the Sunshine Law -- legislation I've always believed represents Florida government at its best. But here I am, frankly, feeling the law that helped frame who I am is at this moment in very skillful, very manipulative hands, being used for political expediency, to embarrass and humiliate a governor the petitioners don't want to see re-elected.

Session Summary

"2014 Session Summary: Gaming".

"Softer touch"

"Instead of attacking Democrat Charlie Crist, Republican Gov. Rick Scott is opting to soften his own image in a campaign ad that features his 2-year-old grandson." "Latest Gov. Scott ad has softer touch."

More than spoilers

"Libertarians, meeting in Tampa, aim to be more than spoilers."

The Republican-leaning group had invited Crist weeks ago to address its spring meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, and offered 30 minutes of speaking time.

On Tuesday, it withdrew the invitation, but Crist showed up anyway and listened to Scott’s talk. He then called a press conference and basked in the free publicity.

“It’s silly, childish and, frankly, rude,” said Crist. “It’s galactically stupid.”

The council gave no explanation for silencing Crist, who as a former governor is a lifetime member of the council. Two council leaders, chief executive Susan Pareigis and chairman Steve Halverson, did not respond to phone and text messages and emails.

Crist said Halverson told him Wednesday, “I owe you an apology. I was involved in that,” and that the reason was “we didn’t want it to be political.”

Halverson, a Jacksonville construction executive, has personally given $3,000 to Scott’s reelection campaign and $25,000 more to Let’s Get to Work, Scott’s political committee.

Ironically, Crist’s speech would have been largely ignored because Council of 100 events are off-limits to reporters.

The speech that Crist was not allowed to give was an all-out attack on Scott’s record and his integrity — “a bully with a $100 million checkbook,” according to prepared remarks released by his campaign.

“We have a governor who leads by embracing the ideological fringes, taking care of his friends, bullying his opponents, hiding from the public and press and running from tough issues,” Crist’s text said. . . .

A few council members voiced their opposition to the snub. And state Sen. Dwight Bullard, the leader of the legislative black caucus, and the state House Democrats’ leader, Perry Thurston, wrote the council a letter that accused it of bending to the “bullying of Governor Scott.” They suggested the council was an all-white conservative front group.

Constitutional challenge targets pols use of blind trusts

"Gov. Rick Scott, the first officeholder to take advantage of the provision, appears to be the target of the action, but he’s not a named defendant." "Constitutional challenge targets Gov. Rick Scott’s use of blind trust law". See also "Suit asks court to stop politicians’ use of ‘blind trusts’" and "Supreme Court petition challenges Scott's use of blind trusts." More: "Civil-rights, media groups sue to force Scott to disclose assets."

Updated: "Careful Who You Blindly Trust: Florida's Sunshine Law and Political Opportunism".

Unfettered

"Proponents of immigration reform have an uphill battle getting a majority of the Republicans in the House behind their agenda. As they continue to push immigration reform, expect Diaz-Balart to play a larger role, secure in the fact that he is no political peril this year." "Unfettered Mario Diaz-Balart Takes On Immigration Reform".

Never mind the Jebacies

"Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday bashed his predecessor, former Gov. Charlie Crist -- his likely opponent for reelection this fall -- for losing more than 100,000 manufacturing jobs during his four years in office (2007-2011)."

He did not mention that Crist’s predecessor, Gov. Jeb Bush, oversaw the loss of 68,100 manufacturing jobs during his eight years in office (1999-2007). Crist was a Republican while in office but switched to the Democratic Party -- Jeb Bush, oversaw the loss of 68,100 manufacturing jobsafter a failed independent bid for U.S. Senate in 2010 -- and is running for his old job against Scott.

Rick Scott nowhere to be found

"Darden lays off more employees at Orlando HQ".

"Attack ads take center stage"

"Attack ads have taken center stage as the candidates maneuver for position to get the edge in the Florida gubernatorial campaign." "Attack Ads Front and Center in Florida Governor's Race".

And the temerity to expect a pension

"OPD lieutenant saves retired firefighter at D.C. memorial." Meanwhile, Fla. police officer buys homeless man shoes".

"The tea party has experts, too"

Carl Hiaasen channels his inner Rick Scott: "My fellow Floridians, as you’ve all probably heard, a new National Climate Assessment report says that Florida is seriously threatened by rising sea levels, mass flooding, salt-contaminated water supplies and increasingly severe weather events — all supposedly caused by climate change."

Let me assure you there’s absolutely no reason for worry. I still don’t believe climate change is real, and you shouldn’t, either.

Don’t be impressed just because 240 “experts” contributed to this melodramatic report. The tea party has experts, too, and they assure me it’s all hogwash.

GOP "bad girl" not so tuff after all

"An associate of former U.S. Rep. David Rivera plans to appeal a judge's ruling denying her release on bail on charges of campaign finance laws. The attorney for Ana Alliegro has filed court papers saying she will take her case to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Two Miami judges have ordered her jailed until trial as a flight risk." "Bail appeal for associate of ex-Rep. Rivera".

Perry and Santorum Look to Florida

"Two Republicans who ran for their party’s presidential nomination in 2012 and are considering second bids in 2016 are focusing on Florida this month." "Rick Perry and Rick Santorum Look to Florida With 2016 Bids on the Table".

A political year on the education front

"Lawmakers appropriated a record amount for public education, granted in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants and expanded a tax-credit scholarship program." "2014 Session Summary: Education".

"High-profile legal scramble"

"Florida’s Republican legislators and their political consultants mounted a last-minute attempt Thursday to keep key emails, maps and planning documents out of a court case that is scheduled to begin next week over the state’s congressional districts."

The appeal to the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee comes after a circuit court judge ruled last week and again Thursday that several documents considered confidential “trade secrets” by political consultant, Data Targeting and its owner Pat Bainter, should become public — if they are used in court by lawyers.

The high-profile legal scramble comes just days before a two-week redistricting trial is scheduled to begin in the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County.

The League of Women voters and seven Florida voters are suing the state for violating the state law that prohibits legislators from protecting political parties and incumbents when redistricting the state.

They told the court they plan to use the documents to argue that Bainter and his staff partners, Matt Mitchell and Michael Sheehan, “surreptitiously participated in the process of preparing the 2012 Congressional Plan.”

The parties have been fighting for more than a year over whether the emails between legislators, staff and the political consultants should be kept secret.

Wingers see the light

"Conservatives from the Sunshine State called on Congress Thursday to pass immigration reform before the end of the year. Immigration reform legislation backed by the 'Gang of Eight,' including U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., passed through the Democratic-controlled Senate but it has stalled in the GOP-led U.S. House." "Florida Conservatives Push Congress for Immigration Reform".

Rubio in a dither teachers teach kids about climate change

What's a climate change denier to do as "EPA chief, students talk asthma and climate change." Rubio is traveling five gears in reverse: "Attacked for his position on climate change, Sen. Marco Rubio explains himself."

Are Crist's "Cuba-obsessed advisors working for Rick Scott?"

Fabiola Santiago thinks Crist should "Fire [his] Cuba-obsessed advisors. They must be working for Rick Scott, the Republican governor whose seat easily could be yours again if [he] focused this race on crucial state issues, not U.S.-Cuba policy."

She writes him a personal note:

You didn’t hear me the first time I brought this up after your silly appearance on Bill Maher, so here’s a second round of unsolicited advice: Amateur Democrat Charlie Crist, you’re digging yourself deeper in the hole. Stick to what you know – and what all Floridians need from their governor, leadership on state matters.

How we, Cuban-Americans, feel about Cuba is more complicated and nuanced than any poll could ever measure – and you could understand.

When I finished reading the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times story headlined: “Crist: Embargo ‘has not worked,’ ” I felt that, as a voter, I was done with you.

Not because of any position I hold on the embargo, but because so many of your comments throughout the story show bad judgment and political opportunism — and because I’ve heard from your campaign not an ounce of leadership on endangered springs, rising sea levels threatening our cities, and gun control laws.

Not that he ever had her.

Scott signs off on nuclear plant

"Despite warnings of election-year pushback, the state’s top elected officials have agreed to the largest power plant expansion in 40 years, including construction of hundreds of new high-voltage towers." "Governor and Cabinet approve unpopular power lines and nuclear plant".

Morgan Polikoff [of University of Southern California] and Andrew Porter [of University of Pennsylvania*] studied the relationship between a VAM and the quality of instruction. After evaluating data from 327 fourth and eighth graders in six districts they found a ["surprisingly weak"] relationship between student performance and the quality of instruction provided by a teacher. Read the report here.

And StateImpact Florida writes about a Brookings Institution study that found the teachers who started the school year with higher achieving students earned better scores, on average, than teachers who started the year with lower achieving students.

- - - - - - - -

*The education experts at Florida's JMI who write policy briefs on education issues will no doubt be displeased by this research.

Scott campaign claims $3M April haul

"The political machine around Republican Gov. Rick Scott's re-election effort is boasting he raised $3 million in April, a showing the GOP hopes will end a streak of Democrat Charlie Crist out-raising the incumbent in hard money." "Team Scott boasts $3 million campaign-cash haul for April."

Stoopid: teacher salaries based upon tests given to kindergartners

"Under the plan, kindergartners and first-graders would take the standardized reading tests sometime between May 27 and 30."

The Legislature passed a law a few years ago that said evaluations were to be based in part on student growth as measured by standardized tests.

The problem was that students didn’t take FCAT until third grade. Also, there were no tests for many subjects, such as art, music, physical education and vocational classes. For those evaluations, Pasco and other districts assigned schoolwide FCAT averages to the teachers.

But for this school year, the Legislature changed the requirement and said the student-growth measure in the evaluation must be based on test results for students the teacher teaches.

Session summary

"Bills eliminating state-level reviews of large development projects in more counties and environmental permitting regulations didn't make it out of the legislature but a bill favored by the real estate industry to entice insurers to write more flood insurance policies will go to Gov. Rick Scott's desk." "Session Summary: Growth Management and Real Estate."

Raw sewage

"Spreading septic tank waste on land is banned in Florida starting Jan. 1, 2016. Opponents wanted a year delay and a study of the environmental effects of spreading septic waste on land but their proposals failed during the 2014 Legislative Session." "Ban in 2016 on septic tank waste disposal now looming as bills fail to pass."

Even the extremists . . .

Even the extremists populating the Tampa Trib editorial Board recognize that "for the GOP to ignore even the possibility of climate change damage doesn’t seem to us a responsible — or conservative — response."

Florida already has experienced more frequent flooding, dying coral reefs, and tropical fish and plants extending their ranges. Rising sea levels are killing trees along some coastlines.

And those who scoff at government studies should consider that insurance companies, hardly emotional about the issue, are believers. Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported the industry was expecting a rise in sea level and natural catastrophes due to climate change.

Of course, none of this means the sky is falling. The weather has changed dramatically throughout the eons.

But one doesn’t have to be a Chicken Little or want to throw the economy into a free fall to recognize the wisdom of objectively attending the facts and preparing for the possibilities.

Back at the ranch, "Marco Rubio clarifies climate change stance – sort of." See also "Marco Rubio's Climate Change Doublespeak."

Education equality

"The NAACP is holding a summit on education equality in honor of the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Wednesday's event in Fort Lauderdale will bring together panelists including Harvard law professor Charles J. Ogletree and David J. Johns, the executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans." "NAACP holds summit on education equality in Fla.". Meanwhile, "Groups protest race-based test standards."

Could it be magic?

"With a stroke of a pen, Gov. Scott removed more than 30 references to Common Core State Standards from Florida law. Scott signed three education bills Monday, addressing textbooks, data collection and standards." "Common Core vanishes from state law".

"The Politicians Have Left Tallahassee"

Former editorial page editor of the Florida Times-Union and speech writer for Jeb Bush, Lloyd Brown shares his wisdom: "Resume Breathing: Politicians Have Left Tallahassee".

Rubio wants

"Rubio, who is a potential Republican presidential contender in 2016, also called for more private-sector options for Americans looking to save for their retirements." "Marco Rubio Calls for Opening Federal Retirement Plan to All Americans." More Marco: "Marco Rubio Calls for Opening Federal Retirement Plan to All Americans" and "Marco Rubio vs. Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Florida Gubernatorial Issues."

Bondi bucks

"Pam Bondi’s edge over her various rivals continues to grow as she runs for a second term as Florida’s attorney general."

Already leading the polls, Bondi holds a considerable advantage over other candidates in the race. By the end of April she had brought in almost $1.16 million, relied on more than $684,000 of in-kind donations and spent less than $52,300. That figure doesn’t include two committees affiliated with Bondi -- “Justice for All” and “And Justice for All” -- which have already raised an additional $1.7 million.

Raw political courage

"Rick Scott Promises Speed-Limit Veto, Wins Applause."

"From Chain Gang Charlie to being a changeling"

Marc Caputo: " From Chain Gang Charlie to being a changeling, Crist stays a political step ahead of his flip flops."

Scott dodges climate change question

"Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday dodged the question of whether he still believes climate change is not caused by humans, responding that 'I'm not a scientist.'"

Florida's vulnerability to climate change was a focus in the National Climate Assessment issued last week by the White House as required by Congress.

Over the weekend, U. S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, disagreed with accepted scientific wisdom that humans were having an effect on what he called the “always evolving” climate, according to the New York Times. That led to editorials in the Washington Post, the Tampa Bay Times and the Sun-Sentinel criticizing Rubio for his stance.

Nancy has had it with Charlie

"Most of the time, it's easy to be light and sassy about Charlie Crist. Frankly, on almost any occasion, he's good for a laugh. But last week he finally said something I couldn't laugh and sass about. I tried, couldn't do it." Nancy Smith: "Believe It: Charlie Crist Was Head to Toe About Racism."

He gone

"It was just last week that Democrat Eduardo “Ed” Jany faced questions about holes in his resume -- and on Tuesday, he dropped out of the congressional race against U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla." "Ed Jany Calls It Quits in CD 13 Race."

That glowing feeling

"Cabinet approves new FPL nukes, leaving south Miami-Dade County cities planning appeal."

"It’s ridiculous -- beyond ridiculous, really"

"Claims like this one recently circulated on the internet: 'Florida Democrats just voted to impose Sharia law on women.'"

Senate Democrats did vote against a bill that prohibits judges from applying foreign law in family-law cases if it contradicts United States public policy. In reality, though, the bill would have essentially codified existing practice. The bill didn’t single out Sharia law, and the United States Constiution still applies.

It’s ridiculous -- beyond ridiculous, really -- to suggest that Senate Democrats forced on women such elements of Sharia law as burqa-wearing and stoning to death. We rate this claim Pants on Fire.