Daily Clips for September 22, 2010

FEATURED STORIES EXCLUSIVE: Rick Scott and Solantic: the Randy Prokes email By Joy-Ann Reid The Reid Report Among the many allegations related to Medicare, Medicaid and Tri-Care fraud linked to Rick Scott, the Republican candidate for Florida governor, the one that produced a secret Scott deposition just days before he filed for governor, along with the most interesting moment of the campaign was the allegation that his new company, Solantic — the one he owned after leaving Columbia/HCA holding a $1.7 billion federal fine (plus a $300 million parting gift for Scott) — also committed fraud, this time, using doctors’ licenses without their knowledge and billing Medicare improperly for patient care. Charlie Crist's plan: Be all things to all voters By David Cantanese Politico Independent Florida Senate candidate Charlie Crist is walking a political tight rope, delivering tailored messages to different pockets of voters with the goal of building a bipartisan voting coalition. Crist can keep GOP campaign contributions — for now By Robert Samuels Miami Herald Gov. Charlie Crist can continue spending millions of dollars in contributions he received as a Republican Senate candidate, a judge ruled Tuesday afternoon. DREAM Act, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal derail defense bill amid Republican filibuster By Elise Foley Florida Independent Related: Immigrant-rights groups criticize LeMieux for joining filibuster of defense bill Senate Republicans filibustered the defense authorization bill Tuesday afternoon, ending a push by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to pass the DREAM Act, which would provide legal status to some undocumented immigrants in exchange for school or military service, and a repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy for homosexuals serving in the military as amendments to the legislation. FLORIDA POLITICS Crist fills two Florida Public Service Commission seats to be vacated by ouster By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Gov. Charlie Crist again passed over a state senator and a former Florida Public Service executive director and instead named Eduardo Balbis and Julie I. Brown to the Public Service Commission on Tuesday. Gov. Charlie Crist nominates 2 for utilities board By Mary Ellen Klas Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau Gov. Charlie Crist completed his forced remake of the Public Service Commission on Tuesday appointing two bureaucrats -- a woman and a Hispanic man -- to the board that regulates utilities. Governor names key Obama fundraiser to commission The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Gov. Charlie Crist, a former Republican running as an independent for the U.S. Senate, has named a key supporter of Democratic President Barack Obama to a key legal position. POLITICAL RACES Atwater says Crist's view on coastal oil drilling shifted abruptly this year By Lee Logan St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau The spring 2009 legislative session was winding down, and Gov. Charlie Crist had Senate President Jeff Atwater on the phone. Charlie Crist went to Disney World! Now who paid for it? By Aaron Sharockman St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact It was the eye-catching headline. A Republican Party of Florida investigation into party finances, released Sept. 17, 2010, revealed that former party chairman Jim Greer and Gov. Charlie Crist spent a weekend with their families at Disney World in 2009. Crist: Florida could change polarized politics by voting for him By William March Tampa Tribune Gov. Charlie Crist said Florida could start a trend toward less polarized, less partisan national politics by electing him, a no-party candidate, to the U.S. Senate. Crist can spend all he wants as donors sue him for refunds By Pat Gillespie Ft. Myers News-Press Charlie Crist can spend his campaign money for his U.S. Senate bid freely, a judge has ordered. Rick Scott's Tax Plan May School Hurt Vouchers News Service of Florida Lakeland Ledger Republican Rick Scott launched a new TV ad Tuesday ridiculing Democratic rival Alex Sink's past support of tax increases, labeling her a "liberal" who backs higher taxes "morning, noon and night." Dan Gelber wins endorsement from firefighters By Abel Harding Florida Times-Union Dan Gelber picked up the endorsement of the 23,000 members of the Florida Professional Firefighters (FPF) today. Florida CFO candidate says politics is holding up rebates for solar items By David Bauerlein Florida Times-Union The Democratic candidate for Florida chief financial officer said Tuesday in Jacksonville that legislative leaders are “playing politics” by not approving $31.5 million in federal money for rebates to residents who installed solar systems and Energy Star air-conditioner units. Deutch, Budd compete for seat in U.S. House District 19 By Angel Streeter South Florida Sun-Sentinel In April, Ted Deutch became the newly elected representative of the 19th congressional district. BALLOT INITIATIVES Amendment 8 proponents push class-size changes By Doug Blackburn Pensacola News Journal Proponents of Amendment 8, which would allow Florida's public schools to use averages rather than strict numbers to comply with class-size regulations, insist that they support smaller classrooms. Making boundaries make sense By Michael Putney Miami Herald Voters are angry and have every right to be. Redistricting opponents seek to preserve their own power Editorial St. Petersburg Times Lawmakers and influential business groups will do just about anything to hold on to power. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Professor: 'Put Mother Nature first' to heal Gulf By Paul Flemming Florida Capital News BP's Deepwater Horizon oil well was finally capped on Sunday, but the work of monitoring the impact and healing the Gulf of Mexico from the record-setting spill has just begun. Judge: EPA chief must show up in court over Everglades cleanup By Curtis Morgan Miami Herald Five months ago, U.S. District Judge Alan Gold ordered the top bosses of two state and federal environmental agencies to show up in his Miami courtroom to explain in person how they are going to end the “glacial delay” miring efforts to clean up the Everglades. Public backlash building against legislative mandate on septic tanks By Bruce Ritchie Florida Tribune A proposed state septic tank rule and the legislation that sparked the rule are becoming the focus of anti-government critics. National ag groups ask EPA to reconsider water strategy nationally and in Florida By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Thirty-six national agriculture groups are asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to delay a proposed action on water quality in Florida and to reconsider its strategy nationally because of the expected costs. Wildlife managers will review storks' endangered status By Curtis Morgan Miami Herald Federal wildlife managers agreed Tuesday to reassess whether the wood stork still merits endangered-species status, a step prompted by a petition from Florida homebuilders. Speaker Cretul has no issue with drilling Editorial Sarasota Herald-Tribune To provide political cover for refusing to do anything when Gov. Charlie Crist called a special legislative session in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon explosion ... House Speaker Larry Cretul appointed some committees to presumably look into things the state ought to do better to protect itself against oil spills. Keep spill on radar Editorial St. Petersburg Times Five months after unleashing the worst oil spill in U.S. history, BP's broken well in the Gulf of Mexico was declared "effectively dead" Sunday. LGBT Republicans block bill to lift military gay ban The Associated Press Miami Herald Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked legislation that would have repealed the law banning gays from serving openly in the military. Gay man can keep his adopted boys, chief of Florida child welfare agency says News Service of Florida Palm Beach Post If an appeals court reverses a South Florida judge and rules that Florida's ban on adoptions by gay couples is valid, the state's child welfare agency won't remove the two children at the center of the challenge, the head of the agency said Monday. EDUCATION FCAT company president vows to do better By Kathleen McGrory Miami Herald The president of the company that botched the release of this year's FCAT scores assured the state Board of Education Tuesday that the problems won't happen again. Florida senator, Duval teachers union president respond to study on merit pay By Mary Kelli Palka Florida Times-Union Reaction in Northeast Florida to a study casting doubt on the benefits of teacher performance pay was mixed Tuesday. State may ban sugary drinks from public schools By Denise-Marie Balona Orlando Sentinel The Board of Education has agreed to move forward on a plan to eliminate sugary beverages and make Florida the first state in the nation to ban chocolate milk in public schools. HEALTH AND SENIORS Feds: We jawboned lower premiums By Carol Gentry Health News Florida Medicare Advantage plan enrollees will see a 1 percent reduction in premiums for next year, on average, and increased protection against out-of-pocket spending, federal health officials said today. Healthcare reform should be here to stay Editorial Miami Herald Just as the federal healthcare reforms are set to kick in this week, fresh evidence arrives from the Census Bureau that underscores the genuine need for fundamental change in the way Americans receive medical attention: The number of uninsured in America reached nearly 51 million people in 2009, compared to 46.3 million in 2008. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES GOP Blocks Immigrant Student Bill, Protests Planned in Central Florida By Robin Williams Adams Lakeland Ledger Citizenship isn't the only goal that seems an impossible dream for some undocumented immigrants whose parents brought them to the United States illegally years ago. Dream Act's promise Editorial Miami Herald What does a defense authorization bill have to do with allowing undocumented young people to earn legal status in the United States?