Daily Clips for February 3, 2011

FEATURED STORIES Scott throws up walls to press By Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Show me a man who brags that he doesn't read Florida newspapers, and I'll show you a man who is not well informed about what's going on in this state. Voters unsure of Gov. Rick Scott but like his tax, pension plans By Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Related: Poll: Florida voters like but don't love Sen. Bill Nelson — and want health care repeal In his first month in office, Gov. Rick Scott is barely known and barely liked by voters, yet they approve of his job performance and are optimistic about Florida's future. Unions expect Florida governor to get his way on pensions By Rafael A. Olmeda and Sofia Santana Orlando Sentinel Police officers, teachers and government workers across Florida had harsh words Wednesday for Gov. Rick Scott's plan to have public employees contribute toward their pensions, but the unions representing them expressed little hope that they'll be able to stop it. Officials work against Florida consumers on insurance Editorial St. Petersburg Times By refusing to implement federal health care reform, Gov. Rick Scott and Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty are impeding consumer protections that Floridians are entitled to receive. FLORIDA POLITICS Scott rescinds 154 of Crist's appointments By Michael C. Bender St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday rescinded 154 appointments made by former Gov. Charlie Crist. Scott names former UF trustee Cynthia O'Connell head of Florida Lottery By Katie Sanders St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Cynthia O'Connell, a communications professional with ties to Tallahassee and higher education, is Gov. Rick Scott's pick to lead the Florida Lottery. Governor Rick Scott tries to tame statehouse press corps By Ben Smith and Byron Tau Politico An athletic man like Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist or Rick Scott can make it from the podium to the door in the wood-paneled press conference room in Tallahassee about ten steps. Poll: Most voters waiting to form opinion of new governor By Paul Flemming Florida Capital News Gov. Rick Scott got no honeymoon in the court of public opinion during his first month in office. $10,000 for girl's cake — latest proof the system is broken By Scott Maxwell Orlando Sentinel It was the kind of story you couldn't make up. Ag Chief Putnam Enjoying New Role By Bill Rufty Lakeland Ledger Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam sat in a chair in his office recently for an interview about his new job -- not behind his large desk, but in front of it facing his interviewer, a casual style he has developed during the past 14 years in political office. Heed voters' will: Gov. Scott, others should stop attempts to kill Fair Districts mandate Editorial Florida Today Don’t trample that most sacred pillar of democracy, the will of the voters. POLITICAL RACES LeMieux considers bid for U.S. Senate By Paul Flemming Florida Capital News George LeMieux was Florida's junior U.S. senator for 16 months, and on Wednesday he sounded like a man who would like to go back in a speech to Tallahassee Republicans. GOP leaders primarily watching Florida By Brent Batten Naples Daily News On the one hand, Florida Republicans can hold their presidential primary in January and by doing so risk having some or all of their delegates banned from the party’s national convention, depriving residents of a chance to see the candidates in person and ultimately handing the party’s nomination to someone other than the person Floridians choose. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY State won't block sale of conservation lands By Bruce Ritchie Florida Tribune A Department of Environmental Protection initiative to provide guidance to state agencies on the sale of lands originally bought for conservation appears to have changed course, with DEP officials now saying such guidelines will be only voluntary. Bleak outlook for renewable energy bills By Keith Laing News Service of Florida Environmentalists say they are looking for a renewable energy bill that has a realistic shot at passing the Legislature this year, but measures to create a trust fund for green projects paid for by utility customers are unlikely candidates. US judge: Spill claims czar not independent of BP By Harry R. Weber and Brian Skoloff Associated Press The administrator of the $20 billion compensation fund for Gulf oil spill victims is not independent from BP and must stop telling potential claimants that he is, a federal judge said in a ruling Wednesday that may spur more people to sue rather than settle. BP payout raises doubt on fairness Editorial St. Petersburg Times Of nearly 91,000 claims for final payment for damages resulting from the oil spill following the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, exactly one $10 million payment has been made — to an unidentified Texas firm after BP intervened on the firm's behalf. Man fined, ordered to give up boat after killing manatee By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times The angler recognized the boat roaring past him in the manatee refuge. EDUCATION Civil rights leader Robert Moses seeks equality in education By Julie Brown Miami Herald For five decades, civil rights leader Robert Moses' cause of equality has taken him across the nation -- from organizing voter drives in segregated Mississippi to launching an award-winning mathematics literacy program for students in poor-performing schools. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Can Rick Scott's pension ideas get past GOP? By Mike Thomas Orlando Sentinel A lot of Republicans in Tallahassee probably are wishing Alex Sink won the election. Pasco County firm that tracks sex offenders protests loss of state contract By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Two weeks before Gov. Rick Scott took office, the Florida prison system fired a Pasco County company that has tracked sex offenders for more than a decade and replaced it with one from Colorado. A $3 billion windfall waiting to be had Editorial Miami Herald As Gov. Rick Scott and Florida lawmakers struggle to overcome a nearly $4 billion tide of red ink, they would be foolhardy to ignore the advice of former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and the nonpartisan budget watchdog Florida TaxWatch to seek the state's fair share of federal grants. HEALTH AND SENIORS Scott roils medical board -- again By Carol Gentry Health News Florida Gov. Rick Scott ousted the chair and vice-chair of the Florida Board of Medicine on Wednesday, just two days before they were to lead disciplinary hearings against dozens of physicians charged with wrongdoing. Florida's 'open for business' to creeps at the local pill mill By Carl Hiaasen TC Palm Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi called a press conference last week to ban a new party drug known as MDPV, sold in head shops around the country as "bath salts." Full repeal of health care law fails in Senate By Jennifer Haberkorn Politico Efforts to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law died a quick death in the Senate Wednesday, but the GOP got a consolation prize — a bipartisan fix to a tax-reporting requirement in the law that was widely panned by businesses. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Allen West's comments about another congressman's religion stir controversy By Lesley Clark Miami Herald Allen West has declared he's "neither anti-Muslim nor anti-Islam" in response to a group of national Jewish and Christian organizations that have called on the controversial congressman to apologize for remarks he made about a fellow member of Congress. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Panel wants longer term for Florida chief justice Associated Press Tampa Tribune Florida's chief justice should serve a four-year term instead of the present two years and be selected based on administrative and leadership skills rather than seniority. The Battle For The Judiciary The Progress Report Think Progress Yesterday, White House Counsel Bob Bauer said during an American Constitution Society panel that judicial nominees are caught in a "cold war" of obstructionism.