Daily Clips for February 8, 2011

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS Governor Scott's Budget Plan to Cut $3 Billion in Education (includes video) By Jill Chandler WCTV News Tallahassee Excerpt: Even though Scott says education is one of his priorities, parents worry about his plans to keep Florida afloat. Progress Florida Political Director Damien Filer said, “To take away what little they've got to work with, is unconscionable, I really don't see how we can do right by our kids and not do right by our schools.” Scott's New Budget Causing Concern (includes video) By Whitney Ray Capitol News Service via WCTV News Tallahassee Excerpt: Progress Florida is just one of dozens of groups concerned about the spending cuts. Damien Filer of Progress Florida says, "This budget is an attack on everyone in this state who uses public roads, who has a child in public schools, who has a mother or father or grandfather or grandmother who may be needing senior services." FEATURED STORIES Businesses win; schools, state workers lose under Scott's first budget plan By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Related: View Scott’s budget online In his first budget proposal, Gov. Rick Scott wants to slash more than $4.6 billion from the state's current spending of $70.5 billion by cutting services to the developmentally disabled, whacking per-pupil spending and doing away with nearly 8,700 state worker jobs while giving businesses a $1.4 billion tax break. Gov. Rick Scott unveils budget of deep cuts to spending, taxes By Marc Caputo and Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau At a highly partisan tea party event Monday, Gov. Rick Scott unveiled his first budget proposal to make sweeping changes to state government by slashing billions in taxes and spending. Scott plan would spark 'massive layoffs' and other pain, educators say Leslie Postal and Dave Weber Orlando Sentinel Related: Tea Party activists cheer budget cuts If Gov. Rick Scott's proposed budget were to stand, Florida schools would suffer widespread layoffs and other devastating cutbacks, educators warned Monday. Budget whacks $562M from health By Jim Saunders Health News Florida Gov. Rick Scott released a proposed $65.9 billion budget Monday that would slash hundreds of millions of dollars from health- and human-services agencies and bank on a future expansion of Medicaid managed care. Teachers, police officers and firefighters upset about Scott's pension plans By Tom Marshall, David DeCamp and Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times Megan Allen teaches special-needs students at Cleveland Elementary in Tampa, a tough job under any circumstances. Thrasher would curb union dues used for politics By Kathleen Haughney News Service of Florida A leading Senate Republican has filed a bill that could strip unions of some of their political strength, barring payroll deduction for union dues and prohibiting dues from being used for political activity without written consent. FLORIDA POLITICS Scott's $65.9B 'jobs budget' cuts corporate income tax By Paul Flemming Florida Capital News Related: Highlights of Scott's budget proposals Related: Read the text of Gov. Scott's speech to the Tea Party Gov. Rick Scott's proposed $65.9 billion state spending plan cuts $3.3 billion from education, eliminates 8,700 state jobs, reduces Medicaid health-provider payments 5 percent across the board and does away with much of the Department of Community Affairs. Scott's dinner conversation with J.D., Don Gaetz and Andy Gardiner By Gary Fineout The Fine Print Gov. Rick Scott - after flying to Eustis to roll out his budget proposal at an event set up by Tea Party leaders - spent dinner with Sen. J.D. Alexander, Sen. Don Gaetz and Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner. RNC's former Tampa convention team spent $1 million By Christian M. Wade Tampa Tribune They rented an exclusive waterfront mansion, wined and dined at five-star restaurants and hired family members and friends, all on the taxpayers' dime. Bringing Tallahassee into line Editorial Northwest Florida Daily News We criticized state lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott last week for their reluctance to implement Amendments 5 and 6, the redistricting reform measures that Florida voters approved back in November. POLITICAL RACES Tampa mayoral candidates to meet in live televised debate By Richard Danielson St. Petersburg Times This mayor's race has yet to offer voters a political forum as high-profile as the one tonight at Blake High School. No ruling in Miami-Dade commissioner’s challenge to recall election By Matthew Haggman and Martha Brannigan Miami Herald After more than an hour and a half of testimony and legal arguments, a judge adjourned a hearing Monday with no decision on Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natacha Seijas’ bid to block her March 15 recall election. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Feinberg addresses spill claims concerns By Louis Cooper Pensacola News Journal While oil spill compensation chief Ken Feinberg defended the actions of his Gulf Coast Claims Facility on a visit to Pensacola on Monday, he also pledged to improve the claims process. Scott would reorganize DCA, DEP under proposed budget By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Gov. Rick Scott is warning his supporters that unnamed "special interests" will his attack his 2011-12 budget recommendations and the cuts they include for growth and environmental programs. Legislation would relax deadlines for reducing pollution in Atlantic Ocean By Bruce Ritchie Florida Tribune Two Miami Republicans have filed bills that would allow sewage treatment plants in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties to delay reducing their discharges into the Atlantic Ocean. Cleaning up Florida's waters By Gwen Keyes Fleming St. Petersburg Times For years, the people of Florida have watched as many waterways once used for fishing, swimming and other everyday activities developed a coating of green sludge. Exotic invasion: Pythons back in the Everglades By Curtis Morgan Miami Herald Just over a year ago, a killer freeze dropped iguanas from trees, turned pythons into snake-sicles and left Mayan cichlids and other tropical fish bobbing like bloated corks in lakes and canals. LGBT New Florida DCF Secretary David Wilkins to visit site of children's courthouse; many wonder view on gay adoption ruling Associated Press Miami Herald David Wilkins, the newly appointed secretary of the Department of Children and Families, is expected to attend the groundbreaking of a new children's courthouse in Miami. EDUCATION Scott: $3.3 billion in education cuts are from federal funds By William March and Elaine Silvestrini Tampa Tribune In an unprecedented move, Gov. Rick Scott delivered his budget proposal, with sharp cuts in school funding and a two-year plan for $2 billion in tax cuts, at a Tea Party rally in Eustis Monday. Rick Scott proposes budget for Florida education By Jeff Solochek St. Petersburg Times Overall, there would be less money for education -- 10 percent less per student beyond past years' cuts. Florida teachers union decries new legislation as 'retribution' By Jeff Solochek St. Petersburg Times Florida state Sen. John Thrasher, the Jacksonville Republican who sponsored last year's Senate Bill 6, filed a bill today that would ban payroll deductions that would be used for political activity, including contributions to candidates and tax-exempt organizations. Duval's plan for struggling schools rejected by state By Topher Sanders Florida Times-Union Duval County school system has been notified that its plan for its most struggling schools does not comply with state law. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Scott budget is so skeletal that GOP leaders will bury it By Mike Thomas Orlando Sentinel Related editorial: Forget smooth sailing Rick Scott's budget has been the most anticipated literary release since "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." The Great Big, Fat Lie About Social Security By Dennis Maley Bradenton Times News from the Congressional Budget Office that Social Security will begin running “deficits” this year, five years earlier than previously expected, has renewed debate regarding Social Security reform. Florida should pursue sales-tax cheats, grand jury says By Douglas Hanks Miami Herald Comparing Florida's tax collection apparatus to an "honor system,'' a Miami-Dade grand jury has urged Tallahassee to ease budget woes by going after convenience stores, car dealers and other small businesses holding back sales tax dollars. Lawmakers delay action on property insurance bill By Brent Kallestad Associated Press A Senate committee delayed voting Monday on a proposed property insurance bill designed to crack down on fraudulent or excessive sinkhole claims. The rise and fall of a foreclosure king By Michelle Conlin Associated Press During the housing crash, it was good to be a foreclosure king. Closer watch on banks by SBA needed Editorial St. Petersburg Times If the allegations of a whistle-blower lawsuit prove true, a bank trusted with doing international trades on behalf of Florida's public pension fund fraudulently skimmed money when it exchanged currency. HEALTH AND SENIORS Trial pitting nursing home residents against Medicaid begins By Stephen Nohlgren St. Petersburg Times Marguerite Pace, 48, has a business degree, a law degree and passes her time in a Sarasota nursing home bed. State’s top elderly advocate removed from job By Carol Marbin Miller and Michael Sallah Miami Herald After years of fighting for the protection of nursing-home residents, Florida’s top advocate for elderly people was abruptly canned Monday by Gov. Rick Scott amid longstanding conflict over the group’s role in helping thousands of frail elders. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Personal stories of struggle, discrimination mark immigration hearing By John Lantigua Palm Beach Post Members of the Florida Senate Judiciary Committee, at a public hearing on Arizona-style immigration enforcement legislation in Tallahassee Monday, heard pleas that they reject a hardline stance on immigrants and along the way they also heard lots of stories. Lawmakers come up with more zany gun laws By Fred Grimm Miami Herald Boredom, maybe. What else explains the confounding flurry of gun bills bobbing up in the Florida Legislature? JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Scott’s corrections budget calls for more private prisons By Travis Pillow Florida Independent Gov. Rick Scott’s budget proposal, announced yesterday, would cut the Department of Corrections budget by $82 million, seeking to close two prisons, letting go of thousands of workers, and to “maximize private prison capacity.”