Daily Clips for December 21, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Suddenly in a slump, Crist seems a bit lost
By Beth Rainhard
Miami Herald
Gov. Charlie Crist walked alone into Friday's meeting with The Miami Herald editorial board.

Gov. Charlie Crist stands by embattled Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times
At the moment, Gov. Charlie Crist needs another headache like he needs a hole in the head.

Jobs outlook not expected to improve until second quarter
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
Florida's unemployment rate rose last month to 11.5 percent, within a half-point of a state record, the state announced Friday.

A Worsening climate: Political pressures on Crist place the environment at risk.
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's ban on offshore drilling may be history. So too its claim to being in the forefront of states on clean energy. We're convinced of that because of what Gov. Charlie Crist said.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Gov. Crist: I'll return donations from Rothstein's law firm
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
Related: Feds pursue more lawyers, campaign violation links in Scott Rothstein case
Related: Scott Rothstein's attorney: Don't auction his photos
With polls showing his U.S. Senate rival on his heels, Gov. Charlie Crist reversed course Friday and said he would return all campaign donations from employees of the law firm formerly headed by accused con man Scott Rothstein.

Legislature set to hit the session running on corruption reform
By Brandon Larrabee
Florida Times-Union
After a rash of corruption charges against state and local officials and other political figures, a handful of lawmakers has already filed a slate of bills aimed at cracking down on official misconduct.

Pressure Mounting on Greer to Step Down
By John Kennedy
News Service of Florida via Lakeland Ledger
Pressure continued to mount on Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, with former state House and Senate GOP leaders circulating a resolution Friday calling for him to resign.

Rail special session gave DOT unprecedented clout
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The state Department of Transportation acquired sweeping new power, including the ability to borrow money, in the rail bill that Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law last week.

Just Who Are Those Florida Swing Voters?
By Dr. Susan MacManus
Sayfie Review
A Closer Look at No Party Affiliation (NPA) Registrants and Self-Proclaimed Independents.

Some Oppose Term-Limit Bill
By Kevin Bouffard
Lakeland Ledger
Local officials in Polk County and across Florida are closely watching proposed legislation that, as currently written, would limit the terms of elected county and municipal officials to 12 years.

Florida rules leave too many voteless
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
The U.S. Constitution guarantees Americans the right to vote.

2010 RACES

Records link Rubio to many spending items
By Gary Fineout
The Fine Print
Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio -- a GOP candidate for U.S. Senate -- claims on his campaign Web site that "during Rubio's last four years in the House, he did not file any individual member budget requests."

Fla. Senate candidates to meet at Cuba forum
The Associated Press
Miami Herald
Three top candidates in the race to become Florida's next U.S. senator will face off on the issue of U.S.-Cuba relations.

Candidate Deutch wins endorsements from fellow Dems Frankel, Meek, to replace U.S. Rep. Wexler
By Stacey Singer
Palm Beach Post
State Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, burnished his congressional election resume with endorsements from two top Democrats on Sunday, setting him up as the local party's favored son in the Feb. 2 special election primary to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler.

Crist would suspend Spence-Jones again if she wins special election
By Charles Rabin and Michael Vasquez
Miami Herald
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said Friday he would likely remove Michelle Spence-Jones from office again if she wins her Miami commission seat again in January while fighting a grand theft charge.
BALLOT INITIATIVES

District process may be changed
By Jim Saunders
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Every 10 years, Florida lawmakers play a political chess game.

Proposed amendments take aim at redistricting reform
Editorial
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Entrenched Florida politicians and their special-interest allies in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., are getting nervous about a pair of proposals that could loosen their grip on power.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Pols, voters abandon go-green positions
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
This is not a good time to go green in Florida politics.

Reject near-shore drilling
By Scott Maddox
Tampa Tribune
In 2008, a super-modern, hi-tech, state-of-the-art oil drilling rig was installed 250 miles off the Coast of Australia.

State says manatee deaths up
By Catherine Whittenburg
Tampa Tribune
State wildlife officials are reporting that a record number of manatees were found dead in state waters this year, due partly to cold weather in early 2009.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida unemployment leaps to 11.5%; bay area to 12.3%
By Jeff Harrington
St. Petersburg Times
Even as the national unemployment picture slightly improved, the job front in Florida -- and Tampa Bay in particular -- took a turn for the worse in November.

State job rolls take a hit amid recession
By Bill Cotterell
Pensacola News Journal
The recession has state government employees clinging to their jobs as Florida legislators cut job rolls.

Hard times remain for Florida banks
By John Hielscher
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Sixteen Florida banks have failed during the Great Recession, the fourth highest total in the nation.

PSC's newcomers already facing high-stakes decisions
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Six months ago, David Klement and Steve Stevens were looking for jobs in classified ads and on Internet job boards.

No Rail Grant List Exists
Staff Report
Lakeland Ledger
A Florida congressman told a Central Florida newspaper Friday that the state is among four finalists to receive federal stimulus money for high speed rail, but other officials said the statement may have been premature.

Fla. parimutuels betting on casinos for rebirth
By Michael Vasquez and Jim Freer
Miami Herald via Ocala Star-Banner
An overflow crowd of 26,874 flocked to Hialeah Park's hallowed grounds when the historic track threw open its gates Nov. 28 after an eight-year hibernation.

Stop 'legal' tax cheating
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Even if online sales hit record levels between Cyber Monday and last week's beat-the-shipping-deadline push, Florida won't benefit the way the state would from a mega Black Friday.

EDUCATION

VPK enrollment is growing across Manatee and Florida
By Natalie Neysa Alund
Bradenton Herald
The state-funded, legislative-mandated program called Voluntary PreKindergarten was created to prepare every 4-year-old in Florida for kindergarten.

63 of 67 school district OK Fla. grant application
The Associated Press
Miami Herald
Education Commissioner Eric Smith says 63 of Florida's 67 school districts have endorsed the state's application for up to $700 million in federal grant money.

Teaching science is a state priority
By Eric J. Smith
Tallahassee Democrat
As commissioner of education and a former science teacher, I have a very keen understanding of how important science is to the future success of our students.

Climate researcher becomes FSU's 14th president
By Shannon Colavecchio
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
The third-grader from Lafayette, Ind., had no interest in race cars or G.I. Joe sets for his upcoming birthday.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Getting Florida's Nelson to vote for the health bill
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dropped a Medicare buy-in provision to the latest health care reform bill, he likely secured Sen. Bill Nelson's support when the package goes for a vote of the full Senate this week.

Insurers may have to hike percentage spent on care
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
If there is one thing former Saturday Night Live comedian Al Franken doesn't find funny, it's the amount of money paid to health insurance companies that doesn't go to health care.

Malpractice setup haunts Lee County, U.S. health care
By Pat Gillespie
Ft. Myers News-Press
In the six years since Florida put limits on damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, insurance premiums and lawsuits have dropped.

Lawyers heading to court next month over Florida's Medicaid reimbursement rates
By Jim Ash
Tallahassee Democrat
While the nation waits for Congress to vote on massive health care reforms, advocates for 1.6 million poor children in Florida are pinning their hopes on a Miami federal judge.

Proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage concern South Florida seniors
By William E. Gibson and Bob LaMendola
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
For years, the federal government has spent billions to entice senior citizens into private Medicare Advantage plans run by HMOs that offer bonus care for low premiums.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Police chief in limbo after second major embarrassment
By Brittany Wallman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Some leaders don't survive a single bout of public embarrassment and negative attention. But two?

Put children first
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
The case of Dorothy Sampson-Monroe demonstrates why Florida needs stricter rules on when convicted criminals may care for children as day care workers, foster parents or counselors.