PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Is oil leaking from the site of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf?
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Excerpt: Here to talk about the slick in the Gulf is Mark Ferrulo of Progress Florida. The group has put up a website to track the latest news about the oil disaster: Spill Baby Spill.
Inquiries into Koch relationship helped FSU
By Mark Ferrulo
Tallahassee Democrat
Excerpt: The issue that Progress Florida and thousands of other Floridians had with the Koch donation was not the giving of money, but the unprecedented say-so over hiring decisions granted Koch as part of the arrangement.
FEATURED STORIES
Scott, state lawmakers make today a dark day
By James P. Hoffa
Tampa Tribune
As we honor the American worker this Labor Day, there is one "worker" most Floridians are unhappy with. His tenure has resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs and cuts to needed services for working men and women.
Gov. Rick Scott on a mission to repeal 1,000 state rules
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott is on a crusade to repeal more than 1,000 state rules that target everything from dwarf tossing to gambling and real estate licenses.
Developers helped GOP gut Florida's growth act, records show
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
After Florida's business lobby poured tens of millions in campaign cash into electing Republican supermajorities to the Legislature last year, its top wish was clear: dismantling state oversight of the once-massive development industry.
Jim Greer trial may expose Florida Republican party's inner workings
By Adam C. Smith and Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times
When former state Republican party chairman Jim Greer goes on trial next year on charges of fraud and money laundering, plenty of prominent politicians may be squirming as the inner workings of the party are exposed.
Florida should stop fighting health-care law, put people 1st
By Ida V. Eskamani
Orlando Sentinel
You might have thought the war on health care ended in 2009. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act had become law, and insurance companies would finally be held accountable.
EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK
By Andy Marlette
Pensacola News Journal
FLORIDA POLITICS
State spends $80k on renovations for Gov. Rick Scott's office
By Michael C. Bender
Miami Herald
A little more than halfway through Gov. Rick Scott's first year in office, the state has spent $79,805.69 to expand his chief of staff's office and paint walls and replace carpet elsewhere in the first floor executive suites.
Florida studying a possible universal ID for everyone
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Rick Scott is on the prowl for new ways to reduce the cost and size of government.
New chief of staff remakes Gov. Rick Scott's image
By Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
There's a reason Rick Scott has transformed himself from a tea party neophyte mocking the "Tallahassee insiders" who were "crying in their cocktails" at the prospect of his election, to a doughnut-baking, newspaper-reading governor of the people.
Right loses sight of what makes us different
By Dan Gelber
Miami Herald
In a recent speech at the Reagan Library — part of which was excerpted in these pages — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio asserts that the decision of America in this last century to collectively care for those that have fallen behind “actually weakened us as a people.”
GOP fundraiser's development wins big if Wekiva Parkway is built
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
After the Florida black bear, the biggest beneficiary of the planned $1.8 billion Wekiva Parkway could be James Palmer, a prominent Republican fundraiser and Orlando attorney.
Detert criticizes the critics after redistricting hearing
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
State Sen. Nancy Detert couldn’t take it anymore.
Don Gaetz will lead 2013 Florida Senate
By Travis Griggs
Pensacola News Journal
Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, officially will be designated as the next Florida Senate president during a ceremony this month in Tallahassee.
POLITICAL RACES
Republican Roads Lead To Florida in September
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
When Florida will vote in the 2012 GOP presidential primary remains anyone's guess, but the state is already having a dramatic and early impact in determining who will challenge President Barack Obama.
Gov. Rick Scott sounds like Rick Perry fan
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Rick Scott said he intends to stay on the sidelines indefinitely in the presidential race, but it's pretty obvious where his heart resides.
With threat of Rick Perry in the air, Mitt Romney takes on immigration
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Related: Texas Gov. Rick Perry's book 'Fed Up!' full of fodder for his 2012 opponents
With Rick Perry proving to be a serious threat to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, the former Massachusetts governor swung through Tampa on Friday to exploit what some Republicans see as Perry's Achilles' heel: immigration.
Michele Bachmann Sticks By Crazy Everglades Oil Drilling Plan
By Kyle Munzenrieder
Miami New Times
While passing through Florida last week, Tea Party queen and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann made waves by suggesting she'd be open to drilling for oil in the Everglades.
Grayson gears up for comeback run
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Alan Grayson, the former Democratic representative from Orlando who made national headlines for his pointed criticisms of the Republican Party, is running for Congress — somewhere.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
State environmental chief, Gov. Rick Scott shaking up water management districts
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
Six months ago, Gov. Rick Scott's newly appointed Department of Environmental Protection secretary, Herschel Vinyard, sat down for lunch at Tallahassee's Governor's Club with four of his predecessors.
Budget cuts could slow development of new water supplies
By Eric Draper
Palm Beach Post
Last week, The Palm Beach Post reported that after Florida's water management districts' budgets were cut by about 40 percent, Gov. Scott urged more cuts.
Feds step up push to preserve Everglades headwaters in Central Florida
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
Between Central and South Florida are landscapes that, while not unpopulated or unexplored, have largely remained remote or lost to most Floridians who aren't cowboys.
A Storm of Anxiety Over Fresh Oil Batters the Gulf
By Rocky Kistner
National Resources Defense Council
In the Gulf, another maelstrom has hit. But the tropical storm Mother Nature has brewed is not the top concern on some resident’s minds.
LGBT
Bully For You, Jerry Buell
By John Shore
Huffington Post
As you may know, Jerry Buell has returned to work.
EDUCATION
Many makeovers later, FCAT progress hard to measure
By Allison Ross
Palm Beach Post
Related editorial: Insider admits system bogus
Like a washed-up starlet, Florida's writing FCAT keeps going under the knife.
Teachers rally at Lake Eola
By Keith Landry
MyFox Orlando
Teachers just received their first paycheck since enactment of a new state law which requires them to pay three percent into the state pension fund.
Teacher pay, evaluations tied to student data
By Laura Isensee
Miami Herald
More than a grade will be at stake when Jessica Fishbein's 10th-grade students take the reading FCAT in the spring.
Linking Student Data to Teachers a Complex Task, Experts Say
By Liana Heitin
Education Week
As more and more states push legislation tying teacher evaluations to student achievement—a policy incentivized by the federal Race to the Top program—many are scrambling to put data systems in place that can accurately connect teachers to their students.
Rep. Mike Weinstein's bill would set minimum Florida must spend on education
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
A bill aimed at figuring out the exact amount needed to fund Florida's public schools is set to make its second run at becoming law.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Labor Fighting Back
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
Labor Day has been celebrated since 1882, but this year saw efforts to change dues collections and increased pension contributions.
We need unions to protect workers
By Mark Lainer
Orlando Sentinel
On this Labor Day, it is essential to remember that it is a day set aside to honor workers and their sacrifices and to commemorate that they have been a large part of America's greatness.
A Labor Day letter to Gov. Scott: How to boost Florida's low economic confidence
By Robert Trigaux
St. Petersburg Times
Dear Gov. Scott: On this Labor Day weekend, eight months after you took office, your state stands on the brink of another recession.
Tax cuts only for the rich, if you GOPlease
By Robyn E. Blumner
St. Petersburg Times
In Hurricane Irene's aftermath, roads and bridges were washed away, people were stranded in their homes without running water or working utilities, and conservative Republican congressman Ron Paul's biggest concern was that FEMA is too big.
Florida legislature trying to bust foreclosure backlog - again
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
For the third consecutive year, Florida lawmakers will attempt to fix the state's foreclosure court mire with legislation that streamlines the process and, in some cases, gives banks quicker access to repossession.
How budget cutbacks could affect Florida
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
With hopes dimming that a congressional "super committee" can devise a plan to fix the federal deficit, Florida officials already are bracing for $1.2 trillion in budget cuts that automatically would go into effect if policymakers can't reach an agreement by year's end.
Deadline looms for millions of unemployed Floridians
By Kevin Wiatrowski
Tampa Tribune
When President Obama addresses Congress this week about jobs, he'll have Ellen Turner's attention.
Scott derailed an express train of jobs
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
When candidate Rick Scott parked his campaign bus plastered with "Let's Get to Work" slogans at Tampa Steel & Supply in Ybor City last year, he brought the promise of job creation.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Medicaid plan puts poor at greater risk (subscription required)
By Adora Obi Nweze
Tallahassee Democrat
Five years ago, under then-Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida initiated a pilot program to place Medicaid recipient care in the hands of private, for-profit HMOs and HMO-like plans.
Second leg of Medicaid managed care tour kicks off in South Florida
Staff Report
Florida Tribune
A second leg of the Agency for Health Care Administration Medicaid managed care tour has been announced.
Florida nursing home advocacy program riddled with conflicts, federal report says
By Carol Marbin Miller and Michael Sallah
Miami Herald
A statewide volunteer advocacy program for nursing home and assisted living residents has been crippled by conflicts of interest and political meddling by the governor's office and state Elder Affairs administrators, a federal report says.
Neglecting elderly isn't partisan issue — it's moral one
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
All year, I've been writing about troubling developments when it comes to elderly care in this state.
Legislative Budget Commission Rep. Rouson Expects Home Visiting Grant To Pass
By Kimberly Vlach
HealthyState.org
Florida House Representative Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg), a member of the Legislative Budget Commission, expects next week’s vote on the $3.4 million Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program grant to be positive.
State agency warns that it is spending too much
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
The state agency responsible for paying for services for the developmentally disabled warned on Friday that despite cutbacks it will still exceed its current budget on Medicaid services by $55.3 million.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Dream Act Bill Filed in Florida Legislature
By Victoria Bekiempis
Broward New Times
A bill that would make college more affordable for undocumented immigrants has recently been filed in the Florida Legislature.
Welfare drug tests on shaky ground after initital reports show most passed
By Regan McCarthy
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
A new state law requires welfare recipients to pass a drug test.
White House to host Hispanic summit in Orlando
By Jeannette Rivera-Lyles
Orlando Sentinel
Members of President Barack Obama's staff will be in Orlando on Friday and Saturday to host what is being billed as the first White House Hispanic Summit outside Washington.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Awaiting execution, he's 'The Death Row Poet'By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald
From a windowless cell on Florida's death row, Ronald Clark writes for justice. For vanity. For help.
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