Daily Clips for December 18, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Fifty Florida GOP officials sign letter calling for vote on Greer
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
The chorus of Republican officials calling for the ouster of state GOP chairman Jim Greer grew louder Thursday as at least 50 party officials signed a letter calling for a secret ballot vote on rescinding Greer's chairmanship.

Crist proposes cutting corporate-income tax
By Josh Hafenbrack
Miami Herald via South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Gov. Charlie Crist told The Sun Sentinel on Thursday that he is crafting a plan to slash Florida's corporate income tax, which generates $1.7 billion annually.

Crist says he had no reason to suspect alleged swindler Rothstein of anything illegal
By Peter Franceschina
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
In his most detailed comments yet about $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme suspect Scott Rothstein, Gov. Charlie Crist said Thursday he had heard the rumors swirling about the mysterious source of Rothstein's sudden wealth but saw no reason to investigate him or refuse his big political contributions.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

How we got to 43:43: Crist's inevitable return to Earth
By Steve Schale
Steve Schale
To me, the real story surrounding the Crist/Rubio Rasmussen poll has very little to do with Marco Rubio's rise and has everything to do with the one fundamental flaw in Crist's political career: he's never had a base.

Pensacola: "Don't Go Near the Water"
By Beach Blogger
Pensacola Beach Blog
Judging from their published comments, local utility and tourist-promotion big-wigs might have some pretty snappy suggestions for promoting Pensacola as a safe place to live and visit.

Hillsborough County Commission Votes Down Protections for LGBT Employees
By Tobias
Progress Florida
By a vote of 4 to 3, the Hillsborough County Commission today failed to extend non-discrimination protections to their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees.

FLORIDA POLITICS

LeMieux ends stall on Brazil ambassador
By Lesley Clark
Miami Herald
Florida Sen. George Le-Mieux dropped his opposition Thursday to the Obama administration's new ambassador to Brazil, saying he won commitments from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on areas of concern -- including Honduras and Cuba.

Battle brewing over GOP chairmanship
By Matt Dixon
Panama City News Herald
Republican Party of Florida Vice Chairman Allen Cox has not been coy about his criticism of RPOF Chairman Jim Greer's spending habits.

Greer may be short on money and support
By Paul Flemming
Tallahassee Democrat
An indicted Republican legislative leader is not enough. Shady expenditures are not enough.

Vasilinda: Deal 'fair and square'
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
State Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda and her television-newsman husband Thursday said renewal of a $3.7 million Florida Lottery contract with his company was "fair and square."

2010 RACES

Ausley may ditch Senate bid, run for CFO instead
By Jim Ash
Tallahassee Democrat
Veteran Democratic lawmaker Loranne Ausley of Tallahassee says she is seriously considering dropping her bid for the Florida Senate and running instead for chief financial officer.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Rail deal wins cautious support
By Heather Scofield
Daytona Beach News-Journal
The Volusia County Council cautiously renewed its commitment to the SunRail project Thursday with a one-year extension of an interlocal operating agreement.

DCF call center is answer for Ocala area jobless
By Jackie Alexander
Ocala Star-Banner
Samuel Allen and his family came to Florida four months ago from Michigan on the promise of a new job and new life.

EDUCATION

Florida teachers union blasts federal grants' merit-pay rule
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's largest teachers union Thursday called efforts to win federal grant money by overhauling teacher pay plans "fatally flawed" and urged local unions not to take part in the state's bid to win as much as $700 million.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

2.4M in FL would get coverage, group says
Staff Report
Health News Florida
About 2.4 million people will gain insurance coverage in Florida by 2019 if the Senate health-care bill passes, according to a report to be released next week by the consumer health organization Families USA.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Five law firms land plum state pension fund work
By Sydney P. Freedberg and Connie Humburg
St. Petersburg Times
Five law firms, including several political donors, were tapped Thursday to represent Florida's pension fund in mega lawsuits that could produce millions in legal fees.

Florida Justices Ban Shackling Kids In Court
By Bill Kaczor
The Associated Press
The Florida Supreme Court called the blanket use of shackles, handcuffs and other restraints on children in most of the state's juvenile courtrooms "repugnant, degrading, humiliating" and counterproductive as the justices banned the practice Thursday.

Scott Rothstein's office items to be auctioned
By Amy Sherman and Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
Everything from the pens Scott Rothstein could have used to write fake legal documents to the photo of himself blowing out candles on a cake with Gov. Charlie Crist to the massage chairs in the law firm's lounge will be sold at an auction next month.