Daily Clips for December 27, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Rick Scott must sell, not order, many ideas on his list of proposals By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Gov.-elect Rick Scott says it won't be business as usual when he takes the reins of the state's highest office on Jan. 4, and if he adopts the giant to-do list from the six groups on his transition team, there may be no doubt he has kept his promise. Scott's environment team says goal is to 'help make … development happen' By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times They were told to be bold. They were told to come up with something dramatic to shrink state government and create jobs. Gov-elect Rick Scott's team bucks GOP ideology, urges easing prison policy to cut costs By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Conservatives have been known to be tough on crime. Haridopolos fires pension consultant tied to Alabama banking scandal By Aaron Deslatte South Florida Sun-Sentinel Senate President Mike Haridopolos abruptly fired on Friday a consultant tied to an Alabama banking scandal, one day after the Orlando Sentinel disclosed the existence of the $90,000 contract. It paid to know Florida's pension fund boss; firm got deal despite red flags. By Sydney P. Freedberg St. Petersburg Times Related: Documents show how Florida pension fund money was steered to Bayview In the mortgage business, Bayview Financial Holdings is known as a "scratch and dent'' company. EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK By Jeff Parker Florida Today Artist's commentary: Let The Turf Wars Begin FLORIDA POLITICS For changed Crist, ‘it was a difficult time to govern’ By Steve Bousquet Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau He rode a wave of optimism into office four years ago, but Gov. Charlie Crist leaves behind a very different Florida when his term expires next week. Alex Sink glances back at loss of governor's race, looks ahead By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Stung by a narrow defeat in a governor's race she says she never expected to lose, Alex Sink is retiring from public office, but not from public view. Wallets open to toast Scott By Gary Fineout Sarasota Herald-Tribune Governor-elect Rick Scott plans to mark his ascension to the most powerful post in the state with a black-tie inaugural ball, a candlelight dinner with donors, a parade and barbecues and breakfasts with supporters across the state. Florida Gov.-elect Scott's inaugural celebrations begin Monday around the state Staff Report Palm Beach Post Events for Gov.-elect Rick Scott's inauguration begin Monday and continue through his inauguration day, Jan. 4. State senator: Make 'Merry Christmas' official greeting The Associated Press Tampa Tribune A Florida lawmaker doesn't want to hear "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" on Dec. 25 — just "Merry Christmas." Congressional boost piques local interest By Sara Kennedy Bradenton Herald The addition of two new Florida congressional seats from a higher census count could set off a scramble in Manatee-Sarasota. POLITICAL RACES Commissioners will discuss Alvarez recall Staff Report Miami Herald Miami-Dade County commissioners have scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday to consider when to hold a recall election involving county Mayor Carlos Alvarez. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY To fix Gulf's woes, think years and billions of dollars By Kevin Spear Orlando Sentinel Related: BP oil spill hit Florida hard, but claimants remain frustrated John Hankinson Jr., a veteran of many of Florida's biggest environmental battles, is now the federal government's point man for one of the nation's most pressing challenges: cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Oil debris still washing up on Panhandle beaches The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Bits of oil are still washing up on some Florida Panhandle beaches, months after BP's leaking undersea well was plugged. Scott appointments could affect U.S. Sugar options, water district’s future By Eric Staats Naples Daily News On the campaign trail this summer, Rick Scott stood outside the South Florida Water Management District offices in West Palm Beach at a tea party rally and protested the district’s plan to buy U.S. Sugar land for Everglades restoration. Tallahassee responds to report claiming toxic chromium-6 in city tap water By Brett Ader Miami Herald Officials from the City of Tallahassee today issued a statement responding to a report released earlier this week that identifies Florida’s capital, along with Miami, as one of 31 U.S. cities with municipal water supplies that contain hexavalent chromium, a cancer-causing carcinogen. Stunting growth oversight Editorial Orlando Sentinel It's appalling how Gov.-elect Rick Scott and legislative leaders have vilified the Department of Community Affairs — the state's invaluable growth management arm — as a prelude to dismantling it. LGBT Vice President Joe Biden sees gay marriage consensus By David Lightman McClatchy News Service Attitudes toward same-sex marriage are “evolving,” and a national consensus for gay marriage is inevitable, Vice President Joe Biden said Friday. EDUCATION Teachers give higher grade to merit pay By Kathleen McGrory Miami Herald The teacher pay debate that rocked Tallahassee last spring is back. Local leaders question governor-elect's school-voucher reform plan By Linda Trimble Daytona Beach News-Journal Vouchers for all students. Merit pay for teachers, but no tenure for new hires. Do voucher advocates really want vouchers for everybody? By Ron Matus St. Petersburg Times Some do. Some don't. And where the fault lines surface in Florida, especially among Republican lawmakers, may be key as Gov.-elect Rick Scott's proposal for universal vouchers ("education savings accounts") gets consideration in coming months. For-profit colleges face new rules in Florida By Scott Travis South Florida Sun-Sentinel For-profit colleges are ending a tumultuous year with more regulation in Florida and more battles against critics in Washington, D.C. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY No hurricanes, but bigger insurance bills on the way By Paige St. John Sarasota Herald-Tribune More than 4 million Florida homeowners, battered by property insurance rate hikes and disappearing coverage, are about to get hit again. State official's profitable deal with Office Depot may cost governments and nonprofits nationally By Matt Clark Naples Daily News The oft-criticized and outgoing head of the state agency in charge of purchasing has handed a profitable deal to a Florida business at the potential cost of government agencies and nonprofit organizations across the country, an ongoing Daily News investigation found. Novice Florida lawyers draw suspicion in foreclosure mess By Christine Stapleton and Kimberly Miller Palm Beach Post Recently out of law school and looking for work, scores of young Florida attorneys found steady paychecks in burgeoning firms whose business is based on repossessing the American dream. Farmworkers struggle to eat, pay bills after Florida freezes By Katy Bishop Naples Daily News Since freezes began decimating Florida crops, life has been a struggle for Maria Gabriela Chaires and her family. Tampa Bay residents support high-speed train, but not light rail By David DeCamp and Lee Logan St. Petersburg Times At 74, Mike Suhoza wants a high-speed train to run from Tampa to Orlando. Throwing money down the drain Editorial Ocala Star-Banner Faced with at least a $3.5 billion budget shortfall, maybe Florida’s legislators will finally be pushed into closing one of the biggest sales-tax loopholes around. HEALTH AND SENIORS Next agriculture chief stops state's push to bar flavored milk in schools By Denise-Marie Balona Orlando Sentinel Adam Putnam, who will soon take over as Florida's agriculture commissioner, has put a halt to the state's effort to ban chocolate milk and most other high-sugar drinks in Florida schools. Medicaid tightens its grip on funding By Mackenzie Ryan Florida Today On a recent morning, Tony Lento turns toward his grandmother Ann DeMaria, who is raising him. His grin widens when she says his name. State's war on pain clinics sidetracked By Scott Hiaasen Miami Herald Over the past two years, Florida lawmakers have waged war on storefront pain clinics, passing a succession of laws to rein in a rogue industry feeding a black market in prescription painkillers. Don't deny Floridians benefits of health reform Editorial St. Petersburg Times Health care reform is about to deliver to consumers one of its most valuable benefits so far. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Dream Act's immigrant supporters awaken to loss, but vow to press GOP for path to citizenship By John Lantigua Palm Beach Post When the Senate refused to pass the immigration bill known as the Dream Act last week, a bunch of undocumented young people in South Florida found themselves on the wrong side of the nation's contentious political divide. Activists beg U.S. to allow faster entry for Haitians By John Lantigua Palm Beach Post South Florida Haitian community leader Marlene Bastien is hoping for a big Christmas present this season from President Obama. Educating or fear-mongering? The controversy over ACT! By Deirdre Conner Florida Times-Union When ACT! for America's Jacksonville chapter began attacking a local Muslim scholar this year, it might have appeared to be the isolated action of a fringe group. Arizona-like immigration bill a distraction for Florida Editorial South Florida Sun-Sentinel With as much as they have on their plate, it makes no sense for lawmakers in Tallahassee to distract and divide themselves with an Arizona-style crackdown on illegal immigration. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS State expands foreclosure probe By Kimberly Miller Palm Beach Post The Florida Attorney General's Office has expanded its investigation of alleged foreclosure misconduct by law firms, adding companies to its initial list of four, according to an attorney for one of the original firms.