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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Monday, February 8, 2010

Daily Clips for February 8, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Challenges grow in Crist campaign

By Lloyd Dunkelberger

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Gov. Charlie Crist's slide in political popularity has prompted what many once thought was implausible: He could lose the U.S. Senate race.


Party's challenge: Assure donors money goes to elections, not jet charters

By Aaron Deslatte

Orlando Sentinel

Jim Greer's exit from the Republican Party of Florida could be almost as tumultuous as his three-year tenure as state chairman.


Florida GOP soap opera is comedy of errors

By Scott Maxwell

Orlando Sentinel

Right now, Republicans are poised for victory. They have the momentum following their upset Senate win in Massachusetts.


State Debt Could Threaten Fla. Government Programs

By John Kennedy

News Service of Florida via Lakeland Ledger

Even as talk of deficits and debt seem focused largely on Washington, Florida's state government is cresting on its biggest tide of red ink in history.


Ten moments when politics in modern Florida changed forever

By Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Gov. Charlie Crist may or may not be the next U.S. senator from Florida, but this much is certain: Florida will never be the same.


My Obama photo gets skewed

By Edmund D. Fountain
St. Petersburg Times

I was supposed to cover a basketball game.


Rubio bows to hard-liners, stiffs Florida

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Just whom does Marco Rubio want to represent in the U.S. Senate?

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK

Jim Morin editorial cartoon

By Jim Morin

Miami Herald

FLORIDA POLITICS

Dockery says RPOF should release all credit card reports now

By Mary Ellen Klas

The Buzz Blog

State Sen. Paula Dockery, a Republican candidate for governor, today demanded that state party officials release all financial records, including the credit card statements given to any party leader since RPOF Chairman Jim Greer took office in 2007.


Lobbyist has an edge in close ties to Rep. Young

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times

To understand how this city works, how it is fueled by connections and insider knowledge as much as it is by bills, amendments and debate, consider Doug Gregory.


Crist's inspector general clears transportation officials in 'Wafflegate' controversy

By Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

An investigation into state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos found she didn't do anything wrong by using breakfast foods in the subject heads of e-mails dealing with a controversial rail project.


Social Web sites put officials on guard

By Heather Scofield

Daytona Beach News-Journal

The photo that County Councilman Josh Wagner posted to his online Facebook page of his dog Mugz on the evening of Jan. 21 isn't likely a public record.


Longer session? Longer term limits? Don't count on it

By Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times

The Florida Legislature needs to take a good look in the mirror.


National tea party gathering not attracting droves from South Florida

By Anthony Man

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Hundreds of attendees convened for the tea party's first national convention in Nashville, Tenn., last week - without movement leaders from South Florida.


Naples Tea Party draws hundreds with Rubio support, counterprotest from Obamarmy

By Ryan Mills

Naples News

They held hand-made signs supporting the United States Constitution, tax cuts and an audit of the Federal Reserve.


Legislature's plans to toughen ethics laws overdue

Editorial

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

It's not that public corruption is new to Palm Beach and Broward counties, despite the recent flurry of front-page photos of elected officials walking in and out of court on criminal charges.

POLITICAL RACES

Crist, Rubio tangle over census

By William March

Tampa Tribune

Related AP story: Crist still giving hugs in Senate run

The latest dustup between Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio hits an inflammatory hot-button issue for the right: counting noncitizens and illegal immigrants in the U.S. census.


Unlike Rubio, most politicians want all to count

By Beth Reinhard

Miami Herald

"Why do you believe that illegal immigrants shouldn't be counted in the Census?" the Fox News broadcaster asked the Republican candidate for Florida's open U.S. Senate seat.


Charlie Crist, acknowledged as '08 game changer, is seen at risk in Senate primary

By Adam C. Smith

St. Petersburg Times

Did Gov. Charlie Crist determine the leader of Free World in 2008?


Sink wants McCollum to investigate Bank of America in Florida

By Shannon Colavecchio

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

State Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink wants Attorney General Bill McCollum, one of her gubernatorial rivals, to investigate fraud at the bank where she was a longtime executive.


Lawmakers gear up for fundraising

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Lobbyists and legislators munched hors d'oeuvres and sipped scotch in a rooftop ballroom with a nice view of the Capitol last week in an annual ritual as important to Florida politics as mass mailings and attack ads.


Anger fuels rush of candidates

By Ron Hurtibise

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Voters are angry. And the most audacious among them are deciding they can help fix the country.


Fort Myers to host Rubio rally

By Betty Parker

Ft. Myers News-Press

Marco Rubio, the former House Speaker from Miami who's challenging Gov. Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate primary, will be in Fort Myers for a rally Wednesday.


Baker drops out of race for agriculture commissioner

Staff Report

St. Petersburg Times

State Sen. Carey Baker withdrew from the Florida agriculture commissioner race Friday, saying his campaign didn't meet its initial goals.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

How do Orange County mayoral candidates feel about Amendment 4?

By David Damron

Orlando Sentinel

Orange County's major mayoral candidates -- even those now in office -- cast themselves as outsiders and reformers.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE, AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Fans weigh in on Tebow ad

By Lise Fisher

Gainesville Sun

Saints or Colts fan? For many celebrating the NFL's penultimate game Sunday night in Gainesville, the question didn't seem to matter as much as just enjoying a beer, some food and Super Bowl XLIV.


Retiree says equality 'never happened' at KSC

By Kimberly C. Moore

Florida Today

Look at old photos of the Apollo firing room at Kennedy Space Center and you'll notice a few things the people have in common: all are men, most are wearing short-sleeved shirts and ties or white lab coats, and not a single one of them is black.


Jacksonville pushes to host new fighter jets

By Timothy J. Gibbons

Florida Times-Union

The Air Force will begin a series of open houses Monday as it decides if its newest fighter jet should be based in Jacksonville - a choice that might be vital to the future of the local fighter wing.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

State is looking at streamlining permit process for developers

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

With more than 1 million residents out of work, state lawmakers are trying to concoct the right blend of business incentives to bring jobs to Florida.


One man draws a line in the sand against oil drilling: Dave Rauschkolb is hoping opponents will join hands on Feb. 13

By Deborah Wheeler

Ft. Walton Sun

When Bud & Alley's owner Dave Rauschkolb hosted House of Representatives hopeful David Pleat at his 30A restaurant in October, he heard him issue a call to action against drilling for oil off his beautiful beaches.


To drill or not to drill: South Walton High School holds forum

By Angel McCurdy

Northwest Florida Daily News

Just weeks before the Legislature takes up the issue, supporters and opponents had their say Thursday on a proposal to drill for oil off Florida's coast.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Fla. unemployment expected to peak at 12.3 percent

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

State economists now expect Florida's unemployment rate to peak at 12.3 percent later this year - topping the modern record by nearly half a percentage point - and remain in double digits for another two years.


Obama plan unacceptable

By U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek

Florida Today

From the Apollo missions to the space shuttle Endeavour's scheduled launch today, spaceflight has inspired generations of young Americans to advance human understanding of the universe around them.


As shuttle's end nears, is it safer than ever?

By Robert Block

Orlando Sentinel

Space shuttle Endeavour sits on its launchpad awaiting blastoff to the International Space Station early Sunday morning, so problem-free that NASA managers and engineers have had almost nothing to talk about this week.


Space shuttle blasts off on last night flight

The Associated Press

Naples News

Endeavour and six astronauts rocketed into orbit Monday on what's expected to be the last nighttime launch for the shuttle program, hauling a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station.


Fewer fly on state's dime

By Paul Flemming

Pensacola News Journal

Outraged citizens, a crusading senator, political skittishness and shrinking budgets have led to sharply curtailed use of Florida state aircraft over the past three years.


Casinos the future of Florida's beaches?

By Josh Hafenbrack

Orlando Sentinel

Picture a Vegas-style Bellagio on the beach. Rows of neon-lit slot machines, blackjack dealers and craps dice.


State hit with job agency bill

By Steve Andrews

Tampa Tribune

The state will be required to repay the federal government for the Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance's spending on expensive meals and desserts.


For consumers' sake

Editorial

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Remember the banking crisis? The nation's largest financial institutions threatening to go belly-up because of bad loans and hinky investment practices?

EDUCATION

Funding Florida's schools: Districts seek fair share

By Denise-Marie Balona

Orlando Sentinel

There's not a school district in Florida that doesn't feel shortchanged by the Legislature, with teacher salaries virtually frozen and per-pupil spending continuing to slide.


FCAT unveiled with changes in content, scoring

By Linda Trimble

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Cost-cutting changes in FCAT content and scoring will be rolled out starting this week when Florida students take the writing section of the annual high-stakes state exam.


For the FCAT, a retooled approach to writing instruction

By Christopher O'Donnell

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Teachers call them "juicy" words, descriptive phrases like "kaleidoscope of color" that students can use to pep up their essays on the FCAT test.


Union opposition dogs Florida application for education Race to the Top funds

By Brandon Larrabee

Florida Times-Union

Florida's application for a $1.1 billion share of federal education reform funding could be hampered by a lack of support from teachers' unions as federal officials begin reviewing submissions from states across the country.


Future of black colleges in flux

By Bill Maxwell

St. Petersburg Times

The nation's historically black colleges and universities have been essential to the success of African-Americans since 1837.


'New Florida,' new money? There's a rush to upgrade state universities

Editorial

Palm Beach Post

The New Florida Initiative, a plan to increase state spending on higher education by $1.75 billion over five years and bring the university system into the knowledge-based economy, is a good idea that won't become a reality unless Tallahassee gets serious about Florida's future.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Nelson: Obama must push House to pass health care

By Nathan Crabbe

Gainesville Sun

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Friday that President Obama needed to "start cracking the whip" to get the House of Representatives to pass the Senate's version of health care reform.


Florida lawmakers search for solutions to Medicaid budget growth

By Brandon Larrabee

Florida Times-Union

The popular image of Medicaid as the Pac-Man of the state budget might have grown cliched by now, but many say the program's growth will continue to gobble ever-increasing shares of taxpayer funding if something isn't done to check it.


$1 million flows from Lee County to aid in Haitian recovery

By Rachel Revehl

Ft. Myers News-Press

Pennies clinked by the handful into jars at dozens of schools.


State doesn't reveal doctors' arrests

By Carol Gentry

Health News Florida

Dr. Carlos Contreras' address is a federal prison in South Carolina, where he was sent after pleading guilty to health-fraud conspiracy in September 2008.


State officials agree to test soil, water at homes of Acreage kids with cancer

By Mitra Malek

Palm Beach Post

State officials will test the water and soil at brain-cancer-stricken children's homes in The Acreage, Florida Department of Health's chief of staff said Friday -- an appeal those children's families have been making for months.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Manadatory sentencing leaves judges no leeway

By Jay Stapleton

Daytona Beach News-Journal

When restaurant owner Bob Fisher was young, he made "foolish" mistakes, and so he thought redemption should be considered for the young man who at gunpoint robbed his Port Orange Subway sandwich store.

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