Daily Clips for August 16, 2010

FEATURED STORIES No hug, no spotlight for Crist during Obama visit The Associated Press Panama City News Herald Related: Dive in, Mr. President; the water's fine Related: First family goes sailing, stops for ice cream There was no hug and little in the way of a photo op, but Gov. Charlie Crist did get a brief pat on the shoulder Saturday from President Barack Obama. In Florida Senate race, voters unimpressed, undecided By Beth Reinhard and Adam C. Smith Miami Herald Florida voters are in the dumps, deeply pessimistic about the state's direction and not particularly impressed with any U.S. Senate candidate. Jeff Greene, Kendrick Meek differ in debate on Cuba travel, New York mosque, federal stimulus By Beth Reinhard Miami Herald After an uncomfortable two weeks of publicity over his 2007 trip to Cuba, Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Greene said Sunday that he was rethinking his opposition to the U.S. embargo and travel restrictions. With BP spill under control, U.S. looks at drill ban The Associated Press St. Petersburg Times Related: After leak stopped, poll shows support fades for oil-drilling ban Related editorial: After well capped, much work remains Related editorial: Keep pressure on BP to pay claims Now that the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history has effectively been stopped, the White House is considering an early end to its moratorium on deepwater drilling. Tiny toxic town takes on a corporate Goliath By Ronnie Greene Miami Herald The main drag in this tiny blue collar hamlet is nearly hidden west of U.S. 301, a world away from the bustle of nearby Carrabba's, The Fresh Market and Starbucks. Tallevast Road lacks sidewalks, so if you're walking through town, tread gingerly to avoid the work trucks rumbling through. EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK By Andy Marlette Pensacola News Journal Related editorial: A desperate politician FLORIDA POLITICS Poll: Crist, Obama get low marks on oil, economy By Ray Reyes Tampa Tribune The state's sputtering economy has hurt Gov. Charlie Crist politically, new poll results show. Obama, in Panhandle visit, says work in the Gulf is not done By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post President Obama is giving this waterfront region a gift money can’t buy: free advertising showcasing the oil-free beaches and waters during his weekend visit with wife Michelle, daughter Sasha and dog Bo. Lavish new court building causes uproar Editorial St. Petersburg Times Congress cut a $26 billion check for state governments last week to prop up their Medicaid programs and prevent layoffs of teachers and other public employees. A monument to all that is wrong in Tallahassee Editorial St. Petersburg Times The obscene excess of a new $48 million courthouse in Tallahassee will be a permanent reminder of why voters distrust government to spend taxpayer dollars wisely. POLITICAL RACES As Bill Clinton campaigns for Kendrick Meek, benefits may be mutual By Alex Leary St. Petersburg Times "On the scale of 1 to 10," U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek says of Bill Clinton's visit to Florida today, "this is an 11." Crist support waning in latest polls By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Gov. Charlie Crist’s race for the U.S. Senate took two hard hits over the weekend in a poll showing Republican Marco Rubio surging ahead. Note to Crist: Never underestimate the loyalty of Florida Democrats (or Republicans) By Adam C. Smith St. Petersburg Times With so little attention on Marco Rubio these days, there seems to be an emerging conventional wisdom that Charlie Crist is well positioned to win Florida's Senate race. Meek, Greene wade into ground zero mosque debate during fourth and final Democratic debate By George Bennett Palm Beach Post A planned mosque near the site of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks - suddenly a topic of national conversation after President Obama weighed in Friday - drew noticeably different responses from Florida's leading Democratic Senate candidates in their fourth and final debate today. Meek vs. Greene in Democratic showdown for the U.S. Senate By Lloyd Dunkelberger Ocala Star-Banner While much of the attention in the U.S. Senate race has been focused on the dramatic twists and turns of Gov. Charlie Crist's campaign, Florida Democrats are facing their own drama in the Aug. 24 primary. Greene: Vast personal investments wouldn't influence votes By William March Tampa Tribune Billionaire Jeff Greene has repeatedly said that paying for his own U.S. Senate campaign will make him independent of special interests that influence members of Congress. Meek was the star at Democratic fundraiser Saturday in Vero Beach By Janet Begley TC Palm With Florida’s U.S. Senate race crowded with candidates, Democrat Kendrick Meek met with a hundred Indian River County supporters Saturday afternoon, looking for their backing in the upcoming Aug. 24 primary that pits him against rival Jeff Greene. Meek hasn't forgotten about Crist By Jeremy Wallace Sarasota Herald-Tribune Democrat Kendrick Meek has more to worry about these days than just Jeff Greene, his Democratic primary opponent for the U.S. Senate. Obama helps governors to help himself By Carol E. Lee and Alexander Burns Politico Related: Meek to get speaking role at Obama event in Fla President Barack Obama will do more in two days this week for his party’s candidates for governor than he has done all year, wrapping his arm around several of the most highly touted gubernatorial hopefuls on the ballot in 2010. Rick Scott leads Bill McCollum by 10 points in new Times/Herald/Bay News 9 poll By Steve Bousquet and Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Related: McCollum trounces Scott in Republican straw poll in Pinellas Rick Scott leads the Republican primary for governor in a new statewide poll thanks to his massive TV ad buys and the old maxim: It's the economy, stupid. McCollum shows signs of righting bruised campaign By Michael C. Bender Palm Beach Post A campaign supporter's crutches leaned against the same table as Bill McCollum's yard signs during a Duval County Republican luncheon. Tagged an insider, an experienced Bill McCollum grows ever tougher By Lloyd Dunkelberger Sarasota Herald-Tribune The rookie pitcher felt the pressure. He had one pitch to make or break his night. He delivered. It was a strike. Political newcomer Scott looks forward By Gary Fineout Sarasota Herald-Tribune Rick Scott's life has been marked by the passion to win - and to do just about whatever it takes to make sure he does. Florida's top lawyer seat is an open race The Associated Press Tampa Tribune With billions at stake over Gulf oil damage claims and a pending lawsuit over new federal health care laws, the next attorney general Florida voters choose may be their most influential in years. Taxpayers have spent more than $5 million on help for political campaigns By Gary Fineout Florida Tribune Florida taxpayers have already handed more than $5 million in matching funds for the 2010 election in just three weeks. BALLOT INITIATIVES Florida amendments have tough time getting past judges By Brandon Larrabee Florida Times-Union In legislative leaders’ campaign to add six amendments to the state Constitution, judges are proving to be the most difficult voters to win over. Amendment 4 will break the grip of real estate speculators By Lesley Blackner Sarasota Herald-Tribune A recent New York Times analysis found that Florida is the No. 1 state in America for public corruption. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY In the Everglades, the Miracle That Wasn’t By Damien Cave New York Times The aging environmentalist with the Abe Lincoln beard ambled to the podium on Thursday to tell water managers that he could no longer support their plan to buy land for the Everglades from United States Sugar. Crist's downsized Everglades restoration land deal still faces legal scrutiny By Andy Reid South Florida Sun-Sentinel A nearly $2 billion land deal once described as the Louisiana Purchase of Everglades restoration ended up getting whittled away under the weight of a sinking economy and shifting political winds. Florida wildlife officials try again to set up endangered species lists By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times For 15 years, state wildlife officials have struggled to come up with the best way to declare certain Florida species to be in danger of going extinct and thus in need of protection. Septic tank owners are angry over inspection legislation By Jim Ash Florida Capital News Some of Florida's nearly 3 million septic tank owners are getting angry, and a veteran lawmaker who said he was tricked into voting for the first statewide mandatory inspection program is getting nervous. Senate should pass climate legislation By Emma Brinkley Daytona Beach News-Journal Last month's announcement that comprehensive climate legislation will not be acted on by the Senate comes as a huge disappointment for those of us who believed the days of lobbyists' control over Washington, D.C., were over. Still a good, if much smaller, U.S. Sugar deal Editorial Miami Herald What a roller coaster ride the U.S. Sugar land deal has taken. The spill isn't gone Editorial Sarasota Herald-Tribune The apparently successful plugging of BP's Macondo oil gusher, before the peak of hurricane season, is a huge relief. But it is not the end of a nightmare. System must protect state: Even if oil never gets here, all Floridians could be affected Editorial Palm Beach Post Barnacle Bill's is a seafood restaurant in Tallahassee that depends on oysters the way a barbecue place depends on ribs. LGBT Time for Florida to allow gay adoptions, not ban gay foster parents By Michael Mayo South Florida Sun-Sentinel Only nine days until the Aug. 24 Florida primaries, and we know what that means: It's open season on gays. EDUCATION Tightened class-size limits put Florida schools in a bind By Cara Fitzpatrick Palm Beach Post After four years at the helm of Spanish River High, Susan Atherley is used to the flurry of activity in the days before a new school year starts. School grades meaningless: Florida can't phase out this failed system fast enough. By Jac Wilder VerSteeg Palm Beach Post Facing harsh criticism about this year's FCAT scores, Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith insisted that "School grades represent the pinnacle of an assessment and accountability system that has brought great academic progress to the children of Florida." Federal investigation spurs changes at First Coast for-profit colleges By Matt Coleman Florida Times-Union A federal undercover investigation that exposed systemic problems in the fastest-growing sector in higher education has led to wide-ranging internal audits at a handful of for-profit colleges with ties to Northeast Florida. Shore up trust in FCAT Editorial Orlando Sentinel Always controversial, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test is equally theatrical. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY 75 years of Social Security By Nirvi Shah Miami Herald Related: Social Security issues span generations Seventy-five years before the current Great Recession, America was at its most memorable economic low point. Fla. tourism industry ready for signs of oil-cleanup to go; fisherman not so sure By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post By outward appearances at least, residents along Florida's Panhandle coast are about to get their lives back. Dozens of Florida home insurance companies raising rates by double-digits By Laura Layden Naples Daily News Across the state, homeowners are feeling the pain of higher home insurance rates. Stimulus-funded mobile training program out of money, leaving Florida By Jeff Harrington St. Petersburg Times They enter a mobile unit parked outside a manufacturing plant every day, perhaps 12 to 14 in a group. Buying online? State wants taxes By Anthony Clark Gainesville Sun Florida is offering amnesty on three years' worth of overdue and often-overlooked state taxes owed by individuals and businesses. Back-to-school sales tax holiday: 'Every penny helps' By Grace Gagliano Bradenton Herald Becky Carmichael started her shopping at 10 a.m. Friday. HEALTH AND SENIORS High-risk health plan off to slow start By Frank Gluck Ft. Myers News-Press A widely anticipated federal insurance program for people with pre-existing medical conditions has attracted only a modest number of enrollees since starting a month ago. HMOs dispute $34M in state fines By Jim Saunders Health News Florida The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration says the state's Medicaid HMOs owe $34 million in fines in a long-running dispute about enrolling newborns in health plans. Local dengue case raises mild concern By Fred Tasker Miami Herald With confirmation of the first locally acquired dengue fever case in Broward County, South Florida health officials Friday urged people not to worry -- but they also ramped up efforts to control the offending mosquito. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Florida politicians divided over Obama's stance on New York mosque By Alex Leary St. Petersburg Times As President Barack Obama tried to reframe his support of a mosque near ground zero in New York City, the political storm swept through Florida with two top Democratic candidates criticizing the plan as insensitive. McCollum's desperate move smacks of disrespect By Myriam Marquez Miami Herald On the same day that Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum unveiled his proposed “tougher but fairer than Arizona” immigration law, a statewide poll showed him pulling ahead in the race. Catching illegal immigrants on the highway in Florida By John Barry St. Petersburg Times Mexicans have a name for it. They call it el ojo, the eye. Outdoing Arizona will cost Florida taxpayers, not resolve the crisis Editorial South Florida Sun-Sentinel It may be great political theater, but Florida should not try to outdo Arizona. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Florida's minimum mandatory laws produce uneven sentences By Cindy Swirko Gainesville Sun When 19-year-old Hope Sykes was sentenced in April to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking, she looked stunned. Then she cried.