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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Daily Clips for July 22, 2010

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Florida's failed special session (includes video)

By Dave Heller

WTSP 10 Connects TV News Tampa

Excerpt: "The leadership in this Legislature joined arm and arm with big oil yesterday and said we stand with you against the people we represent," said Damien Filer of Progress Florida.

FEATURED STORIES

Bill McCollum, Rick Scott duel in Miami-Dade

By Beth Reinhard and Carrie Wells

Miami Herald

With one month left in the costly and caustic Republican gubernatorial primary, the leading candidates both tramped across voter-rich Miami on Wednesday, with Rick Scott rolling out his long-awaited economic plan and Bill McCollum dismissing it as "partially plagiarized."


Crist orders 'interim' valuations of property affected by BP spill

By Josh Hafenbrack

Orlando Sentinel

Gov. Charlie Crist signed an executive order Wednesday that could give homeowners and businesses in the Florida Panhandle stronger footing to seek financial relief from plummeting home values as a result of the BP oil spill.


A gathering storm halts Gulf oil well work

The Associated Press

Palm Beach Post

A storm brewing in the Caribbean brought the deep-sea effort to plug the ruptured oil well to a near standstill Wednesday just as BP was getting tantalizingly close to going in for the kill.


Oil spill workgroup leaders not from Panhandle

By Jim Ash

Florida Capital News

Flatly rejecting Gov. Charlie Crist's order to put an offshore drilling ban on the November ballot in Tuesday's aborted special session, House Speaker Larry Cretul is forging ahead with his own response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster.


Political theater as farce

Editorial

Pensacola News Journal

We should all be grateful to Republicans in the Florida House of Representatives.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Politics is the game they play

By Bill Cotterell

Florida Capital News

What's this? Political people playing political games in an election year?


Fasano: Panhandle Lawmakers Overlooked by House Speaker

By Bobbie O'Brien

WUSF Public Radio Tampa

One state lawmaker is questioning the fact that no one from the Panhandle is leading six Florida House workgroups on the oil spill.


Alex Sink says House GOP rushed through pro-oil drilling measure, but stalled on oil ban

By Aaron Sharockman

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact

The July 20, 2010, special session to consider a constitutional amendment banning oil drilling in state-controlled waters was full of drama and political theatrics, but ultimately little action.


Cocoa Republican purchased Crist oil painting

The Associated Press

Florida Today

A member of the Florida Transportation Council from Cocoa is the owner of Gov. Charlie Crist's portrait that once graced the halls of the Republican Party of Florida's capital headquarters.


The big joke

Editorial

Gainesville Sun

Our esteemed legislative "leaders" made a 48-minute joke out of Tuesday's special session, called by Gov. Charlie Crist to put an offshore oil drilling ban on the November ballot.

POLITICAL RACES

Sink Ahead of Scott, McCollum in New Poll

By Scott Finn

WUSF Public Radio Tampa

For the first time this year, a poll shows Democrat Alex Sink beating both of her potential Republican challengers in the race for Florida governor.


Rick Scott files legal challenge to public campaign finance law

By Mary Ellen Klas

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Republican candidate for governor Rick Scott submitted his appeal brief to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal in Atlanta at noon Tuesday, claiming that the federal district court's argument was flawed when it upheld the Florida law on public campaign finance in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the "millionaire's amendment" as an attempt to level the playing field.


Will voters be buying Rick Scott?

By Zac Anderson

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Spending $25 million of his own money on a furious three-month television advertising campaign, political outsider Rick Scott has gone from relative anonymity to leading the Republican race to become Florida's next governor.


New 527 ad attacks Rick Scott's past as CEO of Columbia/HCA

By Luke Johnson

Florida Independent

Buoyed by another $140,000 this week from Freedom First Committee (state Sen. Mike Haridopolos' 527), Florida First Initiative released Tuesday a new television ad attacking his rival, Rick Scott, on his tenure as CEO of Columbia/HCA, the largest for-profit hospital chain in the U.S.


The big winner of Scott-McCollum ad war may be .. Alex Sink

By Aaron Deslatte

Orlando Sentinel

The biggest winner in the Republican gubernatorial ad war roaring on the airwaves could be one of the candidates spending the least: Democrat Alex Sink.


DNC member paid by Greene before endorsing him

By Brendan Farrington

The Associated Press

When a Democratic National Committee member asked for guidance on whom to support in the Democratic Senate primary, some come quickly - from billionaire Jeff Greene.


Meek failed to disclose stock

By Beth Reinhard

Miami Herald

When he was a state legislator, Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek failed to disclose his stock ownership in a medical-waste company that eventually went bankrupt and whose officials were accused of cooking the books.


Challenger to Thrasher won't take PAC money

By Tia Mitchell

Florida Times-Union

State Senate candidate Charles Perniciaro will report a campaign chest of $360,000 in his race against incumbent John Thrasher, and he announced Wednesday he will not take contributions from lobbyists or political action committees.


Brown-Waite raised, spent campaign funds with retirement imminent

By Laura Kinsler

Tampa Tribune

Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite raised more than $120,000 in the months before she made the surprise announcement that she wouldn't seek re-election because of health reasons.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Concern over Amendment 4 has the City of St. Petersburg considering a new simplified land use map

By Michael Van Sickler

St. Petersburg Times

Related editorial: Decoy land use ploy is insult to voters

Betting that Florida voters will pass an amendment in November that would require the public, not elected representatives, to approve any changes to land use rules, city officials are looking for a way to blunt its effects.


Give the people power

By Jeff Boyle

Daytona Beach News-Journal

In response to Howard Tipton's suggestion that the Hometown Democracy amendment "would distort our ability to attract economic growth to Florida," existing comprehensive land-use plans allow development that would add tens of millions of people to the state population, its roads and its schools.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Brewing storm could halt oil spill cleanup efforts temporarily

By Craig Pittman and Katie Sanders

St. Petersburg Times

Related: Crist issues order for 'interim' assessments to document oil spill damage

Just as efforts to kill the Deepwater Horizon gusher are nearing completion, a setback looms: a tropical storm that has halted all work and could send all the ships scurrying for cover.


Loop current and leak cap keeping BP oil spill away from south Florida, East Coast

By Stephanie Hayes and Katie Sanders

St. Petersburg Times

In the oil spill battle of man versus nature, nature is pulling off a valiant feat.


For oil spill victims, fair compensation requires a crystal ball

By Andrew Restuccia

Florida Independent

George Barisich -- a third-generation shrimper in Saint Bernard Parish, La., whose livelihood has come to a screeching halt as a result of the Gulf oil spill -- hasn't got the slightest idea when he'll be able to get back to work.


Threats bring 'a dark year for sea turtles'

By Nathan Crabbe

Ocala Star-Banner

University of Florida veterinary pathologist Dr. Brian Stacy has seen firsthand the major threats faced by sea turtles over the past few months.


Judge rejects Florida demand for water in dispute

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

A federal judge has declined Florida's request to release more water from a north Georgia dam to protect three threatened or endangered species downstream.

LGBT

U.S. should follow Argentina's lead on gay marriage

Editorial

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

It's the United States that continues to be a hemispheric follower, not a leader, in the push to extend basic rights to a segment of the citizenry.

EDUCATION

FCAT scores show progress

By Eric J. Smith

Daytona Beach News-Journal

It's no secret that opinions about the FCAT are as passionate as they are polarizing, but I can't help but be disappointed in The News-Journal's July 17 guest opinion piece by Bill Archer titled "State should examine high-stakes test scores."


Study: Polk Near Bottom Of U.S. in Higher Education

By John Chambliss

Lakeland Ledger

Polk County ranks almost at the bottom in a national ranking that looked at how many residents had 4-year college degrees.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida Panhandle tourism czars look beyond oil spill

By Laura Fiegueroa

Miami Herald

Ten minutes is usually all it takes for Susan Estler to find an inviting beach scene, snap it with her iPhone camera, and blast it to digital billboards from Baltimore to Atlanta.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Medicaid HMOs under scrutiny

By Jim Saunders and Carol Gentry

Health News Florida

Federal prosecutors in Tampa are reportedly checking whether Medicaid HMOs other than WellCare Health Plans submitted less-than-honest claims in past years.


Looking to the future of children's health care

By Linda Merrell

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Caught in the swirl of controversy and commentary about national health care reform legislation are the benefits that will, overall, be a good thing for children in the nation and our community.

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