Daily Clips for November 20, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Florida's senators: Room for improvement in health care reform bill
By Lee Bowman
Naples News
Both of Florida's senators say there's plenty of room for improvement to the health care reform bill being brought to debate by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Cut services? Hike taxes? Recession has GOP in a fix
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
For decades, Floridians have essentially bought government on the cheap, satisfying a swelling appetite for expanded services with taxes paid in large measure by visitors and newcomers.

Tampa City Council passes antidiscrimination rules for transgender people
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times
Related column: In the end, Tampa council upholds idea of equality
Men who live as women, women living as men, clergy members, mothers and grandparents packed the Tampa City Council chambers Thursday to debate a new ordinance that would protect transgender people from discrimination.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Kiss of Death? Palin Might Endorse Rubio in Florida Senate Race
By Trish Ponder
Pensito Review
Most people were stunned when, after weeks of auditioning the Republican party's best and brightest, Sen. John McCain chose the unknown and inexperienced Sarah Palin as his running mate in the 2008 presidential campaign.

On health care reform, letter writing, and form letter responses to constituents...Senator Nelson's office = fail.
By R.S. Pienta
Florida Progressive Coalition
I have been doing some letter writing to elected officials in the wake of recent Congressional activity.

Hey Rep. Kosmas! Stand Up to Big Banks and Payday Lenders
By Progress Florida
Daily Kos
Activists today delivered a letter signed by more than 200 constituents urging Rep. Suzanne Kosmas to stand up to special interest lobbyists by supporting strong, comprehensive financial reform.

St. Petersburg should move its elections back to the Spring, but when exactly?
By Peter Schorsch
St. Petersblog 2.0
The numbers do not lie: in March of 2001, more than 34% of voters turnout to choose the Mayor of St. Petersburg.

FLORIDA POLITICS

No, really, they're happy to book the governor
By Paul Flemming
Tallahassee Democrat
Another week, more folderol from Florida Republicans.

Amigos from across the aisle
By Anne Schroeder Mullins
Politico
Freshman Rep. Mike McMahon (D-N.Y.) returned to his office and found his entire staff abuzz. "Congressman Tom Rooney stopped by," they excitedly told him.

2010 RACES

Daily Kos/Research 2000 Florida 2010 Poll
Poll Results
Daily Kos
Margin of error 4%; poll conducted Nov 16, 2009 - Nov 18, 2009.

Reagan to pass on state Senate
By Sara Kennedy
Bradenton Herald
State House Speaker Pro Tempore Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, confirmed Wednesday that he will not run for the state Senate when his current term expires.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Conferences offering opposite views on homosexuality to converge in West Palm Beach
By Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post via Miami Herald
One group believes that homosexuals can be cured and runs programs aimed at putting gay men and lesbians on a straight path.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Regulating growth now much harder, Pelham says
By Nathan Crabbe
Ocala Star-Banner
Making his second run as secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs, Thomas Pelham said the process of regulating growth has taken a turn for the worse.

Industry reps slam DEP bag ban recommendation
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Representatives of stores and packaging industries slammed the Department of Environmental Protection today for a draft report's recommendation to tax and then ban plastic and paper bags in Florida.

Investing in nuclear power
Editorial
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Say you want to build a nuclear power plant. It won't be easy, cheap or quick. Nor has it been done for three decades in the United States.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Retailers Will Ask for Relief With Unemployment Tax
By Bill Kaczor
The Associated Press
Some Florida businesses want to partly roll back an increase in their unemployment compensation tax after being shocked by its magnitude.

Florida posts nation's largest drop in new unemployment insurance claims
By Jeff Harrington
St. Petersburg Times
Florida is leading the country on the jobless front-- in a good way.

Solar energy plant at KSC generates jobs
By Jim Waymer
Florida Today
Kennedy Space Center plans by late next year to start building one of the largest solar power plants of its kind in the world, bringing 1,000 temporary construction jobs and 50 long-term science and engineering jobs.

EDUCATION

State rates teacher prep programs
By Ron Matus
St. Petersburg Times
Out of the blue, the FCAT has a new job: measuring the programs across the state that produce teachers.

Crist's ex-teacher retires from Palm Beach County schools, citing discouragement with changes
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
Charlie Crist's fourth-grade teacher is frustrated and tired. And she's not taking it anymore.

Florida schools on trial
By Mark Lane
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Florida voters, bless their changeable hearts, voted overwhelmingly in 1998 to put an amendment into the state constitution declaring that running quality schools is a basic job of state government.

Education violation
Editorial
Tallahassee Democrat
In 1998, when 71 percent of Florida voters endorsed a constitutional amendment to make it a "paramount duty" of the state to provide quality education to students in our public schools, it was anticipated that several years might pass before this well-intended concept had enough meat on its bones to be enforceable.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

FL Medicaid Health Info Network
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Today the Agency for Health Care Administration launched the Florida Medicaid Health Information Network, becoming the first state in the country to make the move toward a paperless system.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Fla. jury awards $300 million in ex-smoker's suit
By Christine Armario
The Associated Press
A South Florida jury on Thursday ordered Philip Morris USA to pay $300 million to a former smoker, agreeing that the tobacco company's negligence was the cause of her emphysema.

First Chinese drywall trial is set for January
By Aaron Kessler
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The first Chinese drywall trial is now scheduled, and it will involve a manufacturer controlled by the Chinese government itself.