Daily Clips for December 4, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Legislative session on rail opens with defections, polarized debate
By Steve Bousquet, Marc Caputo and Shannon Colavecchio
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A special lawmaking session on passenger rail projects opened Thursday with a Republican senator abandoning his support and critics firing off objections that could foreshadow more trouble ahead.

New report says oil drilling will harm Florida coasts (includes audio)
By Lauren Martinez
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
The 3 to 10 miles the Florida Legislature controls off the state's coastline has caught the attention of oil lobbyists who want to remove the drilling ban.

Florida senators split on Medicare
By Bart Jansen
Ft. Myers News-Press
Related: Drugmakers must contribute more, Nelson says
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida voted Thursday against a proposal to send a landmark health care reform bill back to committee over provisions that would cut Medicare spending.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Setting Energy Efficiency Goals: A Message to Florida Public Service Commission
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
In this economy, it's more important than ever to try to reduce expenses.

Big Oil's Claims About Safe, "Invisible" Drilling Are Declared Bunk
By Ray Seaman
Progress Florida
This should come as no surprise to anyone, but Big Oil has been caught lying again.

Crystal River Nuke Crack
By Bill Newton
Florida Consumer Action Network blog
Today's St. Petersburg Times explains what's going on with the crack in the 42 inch thick containment wall of Progress Energy's Crystal River Nuclear Plant.

FLORIDA POLITICS

SunRail vexes foes of federal stimulus
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
The special session launched Thursday to back commuter rail has put Republican lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Crist in something of a political fix as they defend their rush to pull down $3 billion in federal stimulus funding for rail projects.

Session sees bumpy start
By Jim Ash and Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
A special session on rail issues got off to a bumpy start Thursday, with the high-profile defection of a former Senate transportation chairman.

How Rothstein bought himself priceless pals
By Fred Grimm
Miami Herald
The feds seized Scott Rothstein's gaudiest assets, allegedly purchased with purloined money. The governor was not among them.

State government run like a Ponzi scheme
By Stephen Goldstein
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
In recent days, the biggest names in big Florida Ponzi schemes have been Madoff and Rothstein.

The bench is no place for politics
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
It's great that Gov. Charlie Crist got his wish for a grand jury to look into public corruption in this state.

2010 RACES

Crist speaks to local GOP
By Thyrie Bland
Pensacola News Journal
Twitter Gov. Charlie Crist left his pinstripe jacket on his chair when he walked to the podium Thursday night.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Tax break for working waterfronts still unclear
By Grace Gagliano
Bradenton Herald
Florida voters were clear in November 2008 when they overwhelmingly approved Amendment 6.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Backers of 'Confederate Heritage' specialty plate win round in court
By John Frank
St. Petersburg Times
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is trumpeting a federal judge's ruling as a major victory in its efforts to get the rebel battle flag on a specialty license plate in Florida.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Fed rule halts red snapper fishing
By Jim Waymer
Florida Today
Come Jan. 4, better throw back that red snapper, at least in federal waters. Having one onboard will be illegal.

Local elected officials urge opposition to drilling in gulf
By Sara Kennedy
Bradenton Herald
In an effort to counter proposals to allow oil and gas drilling as close as three miles from shore, Manatee County commissioners have written a letter opposing drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, officials said.

Boss: FPL's image has suffered
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Florida Power & Light chief Armando Olivera said Thursday that he was embarrassed to learn earlier this year that his top officials sent personal Blackberry messages and socialized with staff at the Public Service Commission, tarnishing the company's image as it awaits a ruling on its $1.3 billion rate increase request.

State considers protection for lemon sharks
By David Fleshler
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
They are the lords of the reefs, powerful 10-foot sharks that prowl shallow coastal waters, snatching stingrays, crabs and mullet.

Florida's gulf drilling debate
Editorial
Northwest Florida Daily News
In a few months, the Florida Legislature will debate whether to allow drilling for oil and natural gas as close as three miles from Gulf Coast beaches.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

State economists updating Fla. revenue estimate
The Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
State economists are updating their estimate of Florida's general revenue.

Chinese drywall victims could get big tax breaks
By Isaac Wolf
Naples News
Homeowners stuck with tainted Chinese drywall could be eligible for big tax breaks.

EDUCATION

Class sizes grow amid state's fiscal woe
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Class sizes in Florida's public schools crept upward this year for the first time since 2002, a reversal fueled by Florida's worsening budget crisis.

Florida education commissioner hears plenty of ideas for school issues in Pasco visit
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
Florida education commissioner Eric J. Smith gets to hear from lawmakers and state officials any time he wants.

Fewer tests, more teaching
By Andrew Spar
Orlando Sentinel
Teachers in our schools are feeling more stress and pressure than ever before.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Bills add residency slots for FL
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Health News Florida
Florida's lagging physician workforce could get a shot in the arm under versions of the health care reform bill being debated in Washington.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Fla. atty's 20 main creditors total $1.2 billion
The Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The 20 largest creditors in the fraud case of disbarred Florida attorney Scott Rothstein's defunct firm have filed nearly $1.2 billion in claims.

Behind-the-scenes fight affects U.S. Attorney nomination
By Lucy Morgan
St. Petersburg Times
A bitter and personal war of words is dominating the search for a new U.S. Attorney for Florida's Middle District, which stretches across 34 counties, including the Tampa Bay area.