Daily Clips for July 13, 2012

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Thousands sign petition against Florida voter purge
By Daily News Staff and Wire Services
Naples Daily News
More than 20,000 people have signed a petition to the Department of Justice, asking the federal agency to halt Florida's voter purge. The petition gathering was done by Democratic-leaning Progress Florida, ColorofChange, Florida New Majority and MoveOn.org.

Thousands petition Department of Justice to ‘protect the vote’ in Florida
Staff Report
Florida Courier
Excerpt: Gov. Scott’s ill-conceived scheme to disenfranchise eligible Florida voters has already met resistance from voting rights advocates, the federal government, and Supervisors of Elections. Add the voices of these more than 22,000 concerned Floridians as well,” said Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo.

FEATURED STORIES

Election confusion looms in Florida
By Howard Simon
Tampa Bay Times
Most Florida voters don't know it, but come the Aug. 14 primary election, the majority of them won't have the same opportunities to cast a ballot as Floridians in five counties because the state is enforcing two different sets of rules.

State recklessly played down tuberculosis outbreak
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Related: Florida Senate leader calls for probe into TB outbreak
Despite protestations by state officials, the Florida Department of Health failed in its mission when the agency kept secret from the general public a tuberculosis outbreak in Duval County.

Is Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll’s former aide seeking vengeance or justice?
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
An attorney for a former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll defended his client’s credibility Thursday, saying the governor’s office had known since November about some of the explosive allegations — including a so-called “sexual escapade” between Carroll and a female staffer in her office.

State No. 1 in blocking voters, study says
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Nearly one-fourth of black Florida adults, and one-tenth of the state's total voting-age population, aren't allowed to vote because of the state's prohibition on voting by former felons, the nation's highest rate of disenfranchisement, according to a study by an advocacy group.

Partisanship Disguised as Charity
Editorial
New York Times
There is little dispute that statehouses across the nation are greatly in the sway of a conservative, pro-business advocacy organization called ALEC, for the American Legislative Exchange Council.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Florida Republican's response to minimum wage question: 'Get a job'
By Laura Clawson
Daily Kos
On Wednesday, Rep. Bill Young (R-FL) showed how much he cares about his constituents and their concerns. Asked by a constituent if he would support a Democratic bill to raise the minimum wage, Young repeatedly told the questioner to "get a job" — even though the man responded that he does have a job.

No Pie For You: Rick Scott, Florida Tanking On Forbes Best Place For Business List
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
Forbes came out with its Best Places For Business list this week, but if you're looking for a city in Florida on it you'll have to dig.

Our Springs Deserve A Stronger Response
By Daily Marion
Daily Marion
When former Governor and Sen. Bob Graham spoke to the large pro-springs rally in Ocala, his biggest applause line was “We’re mad as hell!” about the state of our water and springs.

Rick Scott’s Budget Cuts Have Undermined Florida’s Response To Tuberculosis Outbreak
By Guest Blogger
Think Progress
In April, a Center for Disease Control investigator warned Florida health officials that a Jacksonville tuberculosis outbreak was one of the worst he had seen in 20 years.

Rick Scott and Health Care: Phony Experience
By Kartik Krishnaiyer
The Political Hurricane
Governor Rick Scott never fails to amaze Floridians with his lack of empathy and pure buffoonery. Scott’s handling of the Health Care Law, allegedly his area of expertise is further proof that this accidental Governor will need to be retired in 2014. 

POLITICAL RACES

Documents conflict on when Romney left Bain
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Documents filed by Mitt Romney's former company conflict with the Republican presidential candidate's statements about when he gave up control of the private equity firm Bain Capital.

Bill Nelson slightly ahead in U.S. Senate poll
By Brittany Alana Davis
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson holds a tight lead over his likely Republican challenger, according to a new Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll.

Coalition to March on the RNC granted parade permit for first day of Republican Convention in Tampa
By Seán Kinane
WMNF Tampa
The Coalition to March on the RNC announced today it had received a permit from Tampa to march along the city’s designated parade route on the first morning of next month’s Republican National Convention.

Mystery money corrupts campaign
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court's overreaching Citizens United decision that allowed corporations to spend freely to influence elections, the unhealthy results are clear.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Federal judge OKs Everglades clean-up procedures
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
A federal judge who blasted state and federal regulators two years ago for failing to enforce anti-pollution laws in the Everglades as given his blessing to the agencies to move forward with an $880 million clean-up that would jump-start delayed projects and possibly resolve 20 years of costly lawsuits.

Natural Resources Defense Council releases beach water quality report
By Olivia Kabat
WMNF Tampa
The Natural Resources Defense Council recently released their 22nd annual Vacation Beach Water Quality Report.

Broward League of Cities votes to oppose nuclear cost recovery law supported by utilities
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Broward League of Cities on Thursday voted to oppose a state law allowing utilities to charge customers for nuclear power plants that may never be built, said Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, who urged the group to approve the resolution.

LGBT

After complaint by lesbian lieutenant, Coral Gables on verge of offering domestic-partner benefits to police
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
Following a complaint by a lesbian Coral Gables police lieutenant denied bereavement leave when her partner's father died, the city has tentatively agreed to provide sworn officers with domestic-partner benefits, according to SAVE Dade, the county's largest gay-rights group.

EDUCATION

Return on disinvestment
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
It is not yet clear exactly what Gov. Rick Scott's vision for a revamped State University System will look like.

State board appoints four Florida Poly trustees
By Lindsay Peterson
Tampa Tribune
The state university Board of Governors this morning named four of the 13 people who will serve on the first Board of Trustees for the new Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland.

Florida A&M University President Dr. James Ammons finally walks away amid concerns about a double standard and Gov. Rick Scott’s hidden hand
Staff Report
Florida Courier
Florida A&M University President James Ammons resigned Wednesday amid continuing fallout from the hazing death of Marching “100’’ drum major Robert Champion and other issues facing Florida’s largest historically Black school.

Carol City special needs teacher is Florida Teacher of the Year
By Laura Isensee
Miami Herald
Miami-Dade teacher Alexandre Lopes won top honors in the state for his work with special-needs students.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Unused sick days make a nice parting gift for state workers
By Brittany Alana Davis
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
When Gov. Rick Scott's jobs czar quit in January only six months after taking the position, taxpayers bestowed him a parting gift.

First-time unemployment claims fall in Florida
By Marcia Heroux Pounds
South Florida Sun Sentinel
More Floridians may be holding on to their jobs these days — if figures for unemployment claims are an indicator.

Florida foreclosures rise in first half of 2012
Staff Report
Florida Current
The rate of foreclosure filings – a bank repossession, default notice or auction sale notice – increased 22.54 percent in Florida for the first six months of 2012 compared with the same period last year, according to a report released Thursday by RealtyTrac, a California-based company that tracks distressed properties.

Report: Florida has highest mortgage fraud investigation rate
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Florida had the most mortgage fraud investigations in 2011 compared to the number of new loans, according to a new report.

State lowers slot revenue projections, anticipating Hialeah delay
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Florida economists altered their projections for slot machine tax revenues for the new fiscal year Thursday, saying a new slots facility won’t come online until later than expected.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Obamacare Is No Longer So Unpopular
By Garance Franke-Ruta
The Atlantic
One of the most accurate polling outfits in the country found this week that President Obama's signature achievement is no longer unpopular with the majority of the country.

Times poll: Floridians still oppose federal health care law
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
A majority of Florida voters oppose the national health care law and half want it repealed, a new Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll shows two weeks after President Barack Obama's signature achievement was largely upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Did some FL exchange money go to China?
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Health News Florida
Florida Health Choices, which is building an insurance website for small employers, has switched contractors after accusing the first one of lax security and outsourcing some work to China.

Federal health care law would boost Medicaid payments to Florida doctors
By Jim Saunders
News Service of Florida
In a move aimed at getting doctors to treat more low-income patients, the federal health overhaul likely will lead to increased Medicaid payments to Florida primary-care physicians.

Surgeon Gen. blasts Post article
Staff Report
Health News Florida
A war of words has erupted between one of the state's major newspapers and Dr. John H. Armstrong, who is both Florida's Surgeon General and secretary of the Department of Health.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Sheriff pulls trigger on half-baked NRA quiz
By Daniel Ruth
Tampa Bay Times
It is probably not too far of a stretch to suggest that whatever their skills or shortcomings, no one would accuse any of Florida's sheriffs of being a bunch of lefty-leaning, pinko, Marxist, crime-loving, evildoer-coddling Abbie Hoffmans with a badge.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

State’s drug law constitutional, Florida Supreme Court rules
By David Ovalle
Miami Herald
Florida’s Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s drug law is constitutional, ending a flurry of legal fights that saw scores of felony cases thrown out by lower courts.

Prosecutors release more information in Trayvon Martin case
By Lynn Hatter
WFSU Tallahassee
The State Attorney’s office has released more documents in the case against the neighborhood watchman charged with killing a teenager in Sanford, Florida.