Daily Clips for December 30, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Scott calls on Panhandle base for support By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Gov.-elect Rick Scott appealed to his Panhandle base Wednesday to keep pressure on Tallahassee insiders to reduce the size of government, slash bureaucratic regulations and produce new jobs for Florida. Grand jury calls for reform, citing pervasive government corruption By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Saying corruption is "pervasive at all levels of government,'' a statewide grand jury released a report Wednesday calling for reforms to combat "mismanagement and theft'' by public officials. 2010 election gives Fla. many new faces in office By Brendan Farrington The Associated Press Florida's representation in government underwent a huge change in 2010 and voters can either blame or thank former Sen. Mel Martinez, depending on how they feel about it. Jeb Bush's Influence on Education Policy Spreads By Sean Cavanagh Education Week Three years ago, Jeb Bush left the Florida governor’s office with a legacy of having brought sweeping changes to his state’s education system, through hard-edged policies that gave parents and students more choices and demanded more of schools. BEST OF THE BLOGS As Transparent as Corporate America By Jake Rantings from Florida Government in the Sunshine. The concept is at the core of Florida government perhaps more than any other single philosophy, and something which has historically made us the pride of the nation among open records advocates. When The Goin’ Gets Tough, The GOP…Go To Disney World! By Inkberries Beach Peanuts If you’ve just been elected as Governor of a state that has an unemployment rate of 12% and state revenues $3.5 billion less than last year’s $70 billion budget, what is the first thing you would do before being sworn into office? Good and Bad in DJJ Transition Report, Part 1 By Bruce Seaman Daily Marion The 200+ page report from the Scott Transition team looking at the Department of Juvenile Justice lists 20 recommendations, many of which are worthy, but can also often seem disconnected from reality, or just nit-picky. Paul Phillips on the state of the RPOF Chair race By Paul Phillips St. Petersblog 2.0 The RPOF will pick a new chairman next month and every Republican in Florida is praying we do not end up with another complete assjacket like Jim Greer – who led the RPOF into a quagmire of money laundering, fraud, theft, and enough lawsuits to employ several attorneys for years. FLORIDA POLITICS Economy, missteps sank Crist's political career By Brendan Farrington The Associated Press Outgoing Gov. Charlie Crist will linger in some short-term memories for his failed independent Senate run and his pardon of singer Jim Morrison. Grand jury: Get tougher with crooked elected officials and government workers By Paula McMahon South Florida Sun-Sentinel A statewide grand jury investigating public corruption in Florida issued its first report late Wednesday, calling for tougher punishments and better laws to crack down on crooked elected officials and government employees. Gov.-elect Rick Scott gets a hero's welcome in the Panhandle By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Rick Scott returned to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs Wednesday: the staunchly Republican Panhandle that played a important role in his winning election as Florida's next governor. Gov.-elect Scott vows to streamline regulations The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Gov.-elect Rick Scott told supporters Wednesday that if they support his agenda to create a more business-friendly climate in Florida, then they can't just wait until the next election to let people know. Crist's Future By Tom Jensen Public Policy Polling There hasn't been a lot of good news for Charlie Crist this year but as he prepares to leave office here's a little piece of it: he's actually finishing up with the best approval numbers PPP has found for him all year. Poll: Scott ‘the most unpopular newly elected Governor in the country’ By Luke Johnson Florida Independent Public Policy Polling released a new survey showing that Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott’s favorability numbers remain in the low 30s, though fewer view him unfavorably. Bondi Names Ex-Hillsborough Prosecutor Nick Cox To Be Statewide Prosecutor By Kathleen Haughney News Service of Florida Incoming Attorney General Pam Bondi has tapped a former co-worker at the Hillsborough state attorney's office to be the next statewide prosecutor. Bill would reduce Florida's contribution to elected officials' retirement funds By Keona Gardner TC Palm Florida taxpayers could be spending less money on elected officials' retirement funds, if a state senator has his way. Haridopolos' judgement Editorial Orlando Sentinel What on Earth was Senate President Mike Haridopolos thinking when he hired a firm with ties to a legally compromised consultant — to advise him no less on reforming the Florida Retirement System? ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Rig owner refuses to honor oil spill subpoenas By Harry R. Weber The Associated Press Related: BP will survive the oil spill The owner of the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico is refusing to honor subpoenas from a federal board that has challenged the company's involvement in monitoring the testing of a key piece of equipment that failed to stop the oil spill disaster. Where Things Stand: Gulf Oil Spill Claims By Sasha Chavkin ProPublica After the blowout of the Deepwater Horizon well triggered the largest oil spill in United States history, BP vowed to “Make it Right” for Gulf Coast residents affected by the spill. Fuel efficiency is the common-sense solution to oil addiction By Sarah Bucci Tampa Tribune Looking to Florida for a quick and easy fix is as old a scheme as the Fountain of Youth. FPL sued over program aimed at saving energy By Julie Patel South Florida Sun-Sentinel Florida Power & Light reimbursed contractors to paint thousands of homeowners' asphalt shingle roofs white to reflect sunlight – against the advice of the federal government and major roofing manufacturers. Keep pushing to clean up Everglades Editorial St. Petersburg Times The effort to restore the Florida Everglades is closing out the year with a flourish. EDUCATION A look back gives insight for future of Florida education news By Jeff Solochek St. Petersburg Times Some say the past is preview and prologue for the future. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Where Things Stand: Foreclosure Paperwork Scandal By Marian Wang ProPublica Some struggling homeowners are currently getting a temporary reprieve from foreclosure sales and evictions during the holiday season, but that doesn’t mean all foreclosure cases have stopped moving through the courts — and it doesn’t mean we’re done covering the developments in the foreclosure scandal either. Florida is No. 3 in nation for slow pace of foreclosing on delinquent homeowners By Kimberly Miller Palm Beach Post The average Florida homeowner who went into foreclosure in November hadn't paid his mortgage in 10 months. Freeze Brings Growers Challenges By Kevin Bouffard Lakeland Ledger Agricultural producers won't know for weeks the full extent of their damage, but some, particularly citrus growers and tropical fish farmers, already worry about the long-term battering their industries may sustain following two major freezes this month. Florida's insurance pain set to deepen By Paige St. John Sarasota Herald-Tribune Florida homeowners' insurance woes are poised for a further upset. As gas prices go up, so does unease By Yvonne ayala McClellan Ft. Myers News-Press Gas prices keep climbing at a rapid rate and the sting is already being felt in Southwest Florida. HEALTH AND SENIORS Huckabee aligns with scam artist on ‘Repeal it Now’ anti-health care reform campaign By Brett Ader Florida Independent Think Progress has discovered that recent television commercials featuring Florida resident and former Gov. Mike Huckabee rallying viewers to sign a repeal petition against Obama’s health care reform measures are part of a campaign managed by 949 Media Group, a firm run by a notorious scam artist known for bilking struggling homeowners seeking to renegotiate their mortgages. Ruling may hinder pain clinic prosecutions By Bob LaMendola South Florida Sun-Sentinel An appeals court has thrown out drug trafficking charges against two Broward County men who obtained excessive amounts of pain pills by visiting multiple doctors, a ruling that law enforcement says may hinder the battle against rogue pain clinics. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Florida again among top five states for law enforcement fatalities By Robert Napper Florida Independent Florida has the dubious distinction of being among the top five states in the nation for the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty for the third year in a row.