Daily News Clips for October 31, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Early voting attracting large crowds to polling places
Staff Report
Tampa Tribune
It's normally a day we plan well in advance, knowing we have a short window either before or after work, or between classes.

‘Cuban Conundrum’ vexes pollsters, Obama
By Marc Caputo and Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Call it the Cuban Conundrum — a problem for pollsters who find Florida Hispanics are far more Republican than anywhere else in the nation.

Nasty campaign tactic: Voters told they can vote by phone
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
With a week to go until Election Day, the nasty campaign tactics are coming out.

Florida politicians are the real frauds
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Supposedly, our state is getting tough on voting fraud.

Rep. Corrine Brown Calls for Federal Investigation of K12
By Trevor Aaronson and John O’Connor
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting/StateImpact Florida
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, has asked the U.S. Department of Education to investigate K12, a publicly traded online education provider that operates in 42 Florida school districts, including in Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, Orange and Duval counties.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Positive employment outlook touted by Scott, but message clashes with Romney camp
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Gov. Rick Scott's office Tuesday promoted a month-old survey of Florida employers revealing that 18 percent intend to increase their staff levels in the fourth quarter.

Dockery fears for Legislature's future
By Margie Menzel
News Service of Florida
As state Sen. Paula Dockery prepares to leave the Florida Legislature after 16 years, she's been taking a "lap of honor" around her district, which includes Northeast Polk County.

POLITICAL RACES

Hispanic and Black Voters Gaining in Importance
By Gary White
Lakeland Ledger
With less than a week until Election Day, President Barack Obama's hopes of earning a second term seem to depend largely upon two factors: decisively winning the Hispanic vote and getting a high turnout among black voters.

"Women For Obama" Urge Florida Women To Early Vote
By Sascha Cordner      
WFSU Tallahassee
“Women for Obama” groups held rallies all across the state Tuesday to highlight the importance of taking advantage of the last few days of early voting in Florida.

At current pace, early voting totals wouldn’t reach 2008 level
By John Lantigua, Jane Musgrave and Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
A math error on the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Election’s website shorted early voting turnout numbers by 6,806 ballots, but even the corrected totals do not increase the pace enough to beat the 144,454 early ballots cast in the November 2008 election.

Mitt Romney to campaign in Tampa, Coral Gables and Jacksonville
Staff Report
Miami Herald
Mitt Romney is back in Florida on Wednesday for several campaign stops in Tampa, Coral Gables and Jacksonville.

Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Sarasota
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Vice President Joe Biden surprised campaign volunteers here Tuesday with an impromptu visit a day before most expected him to arrive.

Local Dems line up for chance to see first lady
By Derek Catron
Daytona Beach-News Journal
Asked what she's looking for in a second term for President Barack Obama, Tonya Marshall of South Daytona ticked off a list as if she'd been standing at Thomas Jefferson's shoulder on the first Independence Day.

Senator Nelson campaigns at Farmer's Market restaurant in Fort Myers
Staff Report
Ft. Myers News-Press
Related: Senate candidate Connie Mack votes early in south Fort Myers
Sen. Bill Nelson, the two-term incumbent Democrat, capped a three-stop Florida west coast tour today, with a meet-and-greet at the Farmer’s Market restaurant on Edison Street in Fort Myers.

More special interests weigh in to state House races
By Jason Garcia
Orlando Sentinel
A group financed in large part by a big business-lobbying group and the incoming speaker of the Florida House of Representatives is helping state Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, in his virulent and very close race against Democrat Karen Castor Dentel for a state House seat in Orange and Seminole counties.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Amendments Taking on Partisan Slant
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
Eleven constitutional amendments await voters on their ballots. Support or opposition to the amendments appears to be lining up along party lines.

Fight over Amendment 6 traces roots 20 years back
By Ashley Lopez
WLRN South Florida
One of America’s most contested issues has a place on the ballot in Florida on Election Day.

Make voting easier with shorter wording on amendments
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Blame Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher for her office’s latest foul-up — 500 wrongly printed absentee ballots.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Crippled Fla. nuke plant decision being delayed
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
A lawyer for Progress Energy Florida said Tuesday that a decision on whether to repair or shut down a crippled nuclear power plant is being delayed, which could trigger a $100 million customer refund.

Hundreds turn out to argue limits on Chassahowitzka and Homosassa rivers
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
About 200 people turned out Tuesday to tell a state water agency to reject a proposal that would allow up to 15 percent of the natural habitat along the Chassahowitzka and Homosassa rivers to be destroyed.

DEP lays off 15 in Tallahassee as part of ongoing evaluation of positions
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection this week laid off 15 employees in Tallahassee and nine in other offices across the state and eliminated another 24 vacant positions.

Sandy didn't care
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
Hurricane Sandy didn't care that America was in the final days of a pivotal election. 

EDUCATION

Preemption 2013
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
In Florida there is a 15 percent cap on annual tuition increases, but that could change for two of Florida’s top universities.

Florida scuttles deal to build education website
Associated Press
Pensacola News Journal
Florida is terminating a $20 million contract to build a website intended to help students, parents and teachers master new academic standards.

Two more applicants for Florida education commissioner
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
With the deadline still a month off, the search for a new Florida education commissioner continues to draw a handful of interested applicants.

Broward, Miami-Dade schools to compete for federal funds
By Laura Isensee
Miami Herald
Members of Miami-Dade’s teachers union decided Monday to sign onto the district’s efforts to compete for up to $32 million in federal money.

University panel flunks with tuition proposal
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Not only is Florida's latest plan for higher education short-sighted and discriminatory, it is also financially backward.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Fla. consumer confidence remains near 5-yr high
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Consumer confidence remains near a five-year, post-recession high in Florida. The state's employers also are feeling more optimistic.

Florida economy forecast to build steam in 2013
By Marcia Heroux Pounds
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Florida's economy will finally build some steam in 2013, according to a new forecast released Tuesday by University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith.

Florida consumer advocate calls for probe of insurers who deny claims based on credit history
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
The state’s insurance consumer advocate Tuesday called for an investigation into what she called “a troubling new trend” — insurers taking premiums for years but denying claims based on customer credit history.

Disasters need a national response
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
It could take years for many East Coast residents to rebuild their lives in the wake of the monster storm that killed dozens of people and destroyed tens of billions of dollars in public and private property, from roads, bridges and rail lines to businesses and homes.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Florida group amps up fight for children's health
By Mary Shedden
Tampa Tribune
More than a half million children in Florida remain without health insurance, despite subsidized and low-cost offerings available throughout the state.

Medicare sends warning letters
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
In a week or two, seniors enrolled in certain Medicare health plans and drug plans will get a letter from the federal government. It is not good news.

State’s top health official leads ceremony marking closure of TB hospital in Lantana
By Stacey Singer
Palm Beach Post
State Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong led a wistful ceremony Tuesday marking the closure of the A.G. Holley state TB hospital, eulogizing its role in improving tuberculosis care during its 62-year history.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Execution scheduled for former South Florida cop
Associated Press
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott has signed a death warrant for a man convicted of nine murders.

True costs of justice
Editorial
Miami Herald
We depend on the court system to dispense justice — period.