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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Monday, January 18, 2010

Daily Clips for January 18, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Vice President Joe Biden stresses U.S. aid commitment during visit to Little Haiti

By Beth Reinhard

Miami Herald

Related AP story: Prayers for 'new life' as Haitians in Fla. mourn

Vice President Joe Biden came to Miami on Saturday to assure Haitian-American leaders that the administration was committed to Haiti's recovery -- for as long as it takes


More celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. with service

By Deirdre Conner

Florida Times-Union

One of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s sayings is an oft-repeated mantra on this day designated to remember his birth: "Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve."


Fla. business leaders meet with lawmakers

By Wayne T. Price

Tallahassee Democrat

Business and economic development leaders gave their input to state lawmakers Friday on how to create jobs in Florida.


Oil Drilling Debate Has Begun Again

By John Kennedy

News Service of Florida

Officials from the federal Interior Department, Shell Oil Co. and an industry association touted the technology and safety history of offshore oil-drilling last week before a panel in the drill-friendly House.


Florida's Mini-Madoff: Scott Rothstein's Fall Could Ensnare Politicians Too

By Tim Padgett

Time Magazine

Scott Rothstein is your typical South Florida wannabe.


As governor, McCollum would lead Florida into Dark Ages

By Stephen L. Goldstein

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

If Florida Attorney General Ira William "Bill" McCollum is elected governor, he will lead this state decisively -- into the Dark Ages.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Bush and Crist brush coolly past each other

Adam C. Smith

St. Petersburg Times

One of the constant political undercurrents in Florida is the tension between Jeb Bush and his allies, and Charlie Crist and his.


Florida Democrats claim more money, voters

By Aaron Deslatte

Orlando Sentinel

Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Scott Arceneaux sent out a memo last week bragging of a "banner year" for registering new voters and raising cash, adding that the party rings in the 2010 election year with a sizable cash advantage over Republicans.


Ethics chairwoman lobbies for change in unreceptive corners

By Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times

The term "government ethics" is seen as an oxymoron, like "jumbo shrimp."


Sheriff's No. 2 has a high-ranking friend: Gov. Crist

By Sally Kestin and Brittany Wallman

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

A high-ranking Broward sheriff's official under scrutiny for his association with Scott Rothstein has a friend and patron in high places: Gov. Charlie Crist.


South Florida Raging Grannies fight for political causes

By Laura Figueroa

Miami Herald

These grannies aren't here for the sun and shuffleboard.

POLITICAL RACES

Meek gains as Ferre's Senate bid takes a hit

By Beth Reinhard

Miami Herald

Related: US Rep. Meek arrives in Haiti to help with relief

A correspondent for CNN's Anderson Cooper: 360 was waiting for Kendrick Meek in the green room. Did the congressman have time for one more interview on aid to Haiti?


Pundits agree: Senator likely to be Crist or Rubio, not Meek

By Aaron Sharockman

St. Petersburg Times

Related: Rubio debuts campaign office in Crist's home county

With Republicans Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio dominating news coverage about Florida's U.S. Senate race, Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek would like you to know he's running, too.


Florida Democrats suddenly targeting Rubio as GOP threat in U.S. Senate race

By Michael C. Bender

Palm Beach Post

Florida Democrats signaled a new strategy in the U.S. Senate campaign today by targeting Republican Marco Rubio, once a long-shot U.S. Senate candidate, with their second press release in as many days.


Democrats select state CFO candidate

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

After going months without a competitive candidate for chief financial officer, Florida Democrats have recruited a former legislator to complete their slate of statewide candidates for 2010.


Grayson Rouses Local Democrats

By Bill Rufty

Lakeland Ledger

Alan Grayson, the Orlando congressman whose outspoken remarks have made him a prime target of national conservative talk shows, came to Lakeland on Saturday night and had local Democrats cheering.


CFO candidate Jeff Atwater meets and greets area GOP

By Matt Dixon

Panama City News Herald

Bay County, meet Senate President Jeff Atwater. Senate President Jeff Atwater, meet Bay County.


Evers ahead in Senate race

By Paul Flemming

Tallahassee Democrat

The campaign to replace Durell Peaden in the Florida Senate may be a TKO more than eight months before the primary.


Campaign finance reports: The rich get richer

By Matt Dixon

Panama City News Herald

The holiday season was good to the frontrunners in area political campaigns.


Crist needs to be himself

Editorial

Ft. Myers News-Press

Despite losses in county GOP straw polls concerning his Senate run -- most recently in his own Pinellas County -- Crist still has eight months to make a case for himself that he deserves Republicans' vote in the primary election.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

A better way to elect our leaders

By Deirdre MacNab

Miami Herald

Do you know who represents you in Congress? Do you know the name of your state senator or representative?


4 Florida cities trying to decriminalize marijuana

By Caren Burmeister

Florida Times-Union

A longtime effort to decriminalize marijuana possession in Jacksonville Beach has expanded to Atlantic Beach, as well as to Orlando and Tallahassee.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE, AND SOCIAL ISSUES

South Florida MLK Day celebrations have Haiti in mind

By Kyle Teal

Miami Herald

A moment of silence for the victims of last week's devastating earthquake in Haiti interrupted the celebratory cheer of Saturday's Martin Luther King Jr. Parade in South Miami-Dade.


Tim Tebow Starring in Super Bowl Ad for Anti-Gay, Radical Christian Right Group

By Kyle Munzenrieder

Miami New Times

Tim Tebow may never have another chance to be associated with a Super Bowl, but why is he recording an ad for Focus on the Family?


Nation still wrestling with race

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Last year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the nation's celebration was inevitably linked to the election of Barack Obama, who would be sworn in as the nation's president the next day.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

EPA to provide pollution limits for Florida waters

By John Frank

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

In a move cheered by environmental groups, the federal government Friday proposed stringent limits on "nutrient" pollution allowed to foul Florida's waterways.


Hundreds of risky fuel tanks go unrepaired despite state deadline

David DeCamp

St. Petersburg Times

Despite 19 years notice, hundreds of gas stations, governments and businesses failed to upgrade risky fuel storage tanks before a New Year's deadline.


Controversy surrounds seagrass project

By Cammy Clark

Miami Herald

On 95 acres of ocean floor near the Seven Mile Bridge, a seagrass meadow damaged by boaters is Exhibit A in an environmental group's controversial quest to start a new marine mitigation fund for Florida.


State studies tax, eventual ban of paper, plastic bags

By Jim Ash and Jim Waymer

Florida Today

When he reaches the register, Drew Martin always has to explain


Fund Florida Forever

By Charles Pattison

Tampa Tribune

The nation's biggest land conservation program has another chance before the 2010 Legislature to renew itself and change course from the 2009 majority decision not to fund this very popular and successful effort.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Long road ahead for Florida recovery?

By Brent Kallestad

The Associated Press

Three renowned economists agree Florida's boom days are over and that the state's recovery from the recession is likely to take awhile.


Crist Pushing for Agricultural Disaster Declaration

By Bill Rufty

Lakeland Ledger

Bright-orange pulp from a newly cut orange smelled fresh and citrusy, but the juice cells nearest the rind looked dry and a little discolored.


Florida plans census marketing blitz

By Steve Bousquet

Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau

The search will soon be under way in Florida for every Hispanic, farmworker, college student and members of other historically hard-to-count groups in a marketing blitz aimed at improving the 2010 Census count.


Recession Special: NASA cuts space shuttle price

By Marcia Dunn

The Associated Press

Here's a recession bargain: the space shuttle. NASA has slashed the price of these 1970s era spaceships from $42 million to $28.8 million apiece.


Uncollected taxes

Editorial

Gainesville Sun

Florida is looking at a $2 billion revenue deficit. But another year of draconian budget cuts will be devastating to state universities, public schools, criminal justice, health care and other vital public services.

EDUCATION

Crist Signs Off on Federal Grant Application for Education Funds

By Kathleen Haughney

News Service of Florida

Florida's application for millions of dollars in federal education money is on its way to Washington D.C. after obtaining the signature of Gov. Charlie Crist Friday, four days ahead of the federal deadline.


Weatherford's feels heat from teachers over educational issues

By Jeffrey S. Solochek

St. Petersburg Times

During his first few years in office, state Rep. Will Weatherford regularly demurred on Florida education issues.


'Bud' Chiles treks across Florida as advocate for kids' health, education

By Kate Santich

Orlando Sentinel

Forty years after the late Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles walked the length of the state in his underdog bid for the U.S. Senate, his son and namesake is marching on his own mission.


Pay report: Not as many raises for university presidents

By Luis Zaragoza

Orlando Sentinel

When University of Central Florida President John Hitt said no thanks to a pay raise last year because of the bad economy, he wasn't alone.


Public education under attack again

By Jane Glover

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Friday morning's newspaper brought us the news that the Florida Council of 100, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Charlie Christ and former Gov. Jeb Bush are proposing major changes to the educational system in our state.


If only wishing could pay the education bills

Editorial

Tallahassee Democrat

Perhaps with business organizations behind it, a significant increase in the state's investment in education from kindergarten through college could gain some traction in the Florida Legislature.


HEALTH AND SENIORS


Health care legislation stirs again in Tallahassee

By Lloyd Dunkelberger

Gainesville Sun

As Congress negotiates a sweeping federal health care plan, many Florida leaders are already portraying the legislation as a disaster for the state.


As health reform nears, time to get details right

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

The nation stands on the brink of historic health care reform that would extend insurance to millions of Americans and ramp up efforts to control costs without raising the deficit.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Florida courts to file documents online

By Pat Gillespie

Ft. Myers News-Press

In the not-too-distant future, a person may be able to file a lawsuit from the comfort of their own computer.


Florida considering ban on juror Tweeting, texting

The Associated Press

Tallahassee Democrat

Two Florida Supreme Court committees have urged justices to ban jurors from tweeting, texting, e-mailing and using the Internet to communicate about or do research on their cases.

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