Governor Bush as CEO -
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Jeb
Bush is to Florida as Ken Lay is to Enron
It seems Gov. Jeb Bush spends most of his time these days running
from one place to another to refute analyses, reports and polls
that show his lack of leadership has run Florida's economy into a
ditch and broken the back of our public education system - reports
from such left-wing think tanks as the Florida Chamber of Commerce
that is.
A good CEO must:
Avoid the appearance of any conflicts of interests or other
shady dealings
- Gov. Bush is linked to firm in fraud case
TALLAHASSEE - Seven times during his reelection bid, Gov. Jeb Bush climbed aboard a private jet owned by National Century Financial Enterprises of Ohio, the once-high-flying health financing group now under federal investigation for multibillion-dollar fraud, campaign finance records show.
Bush also raised money at the tony Port Charlotte estate of National Century's former chief executive and founder, Lance
Poulsen, 59. 11/26/02
-
Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan and the Bush
administration may have to face the
serious ethics questions that continue to
follow Florida House Speaker and
candidate for Congress Tom Feeney. According
to today's Daytona Beach
News-Journal, Feeney sponsored a meeting
between Yang Enterprises that
included Lt. Gov. Brogan and Roy
Cales, the former head of the State
- Wal-Mart director is top giver to Bush effort--
TALLAHASSEE -- Billionaire John Walton, son of the late Wal-Mart Stores Inc. founder, Sam Walton, has emerged as Florida's biggest individual political donor of this campaign season, last month giving $325,000 to Gov. Jeb Bush's re-election effort.--
A major financier of the private-school voucher movement backed by Bush, Walton also sits on the board of directors of the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailing giant giant, which has had an exclusive, multimillion-dollar government contract for the replacement of trees destroyed under Florida's canker eradication effort.--
Since 1998, when Bush became governor, the Florida Department of Agriculture has overseen at least two tree-replacement programs that have dispersed $52 million in state and federal funds for consumers to spend only at Wal-Mart stores...
9/25/02
- Bacardi's political mix
Palm Beach Post Editorial
Pour donations to GOP, shake the governor.-- The sequence of events is suggestive: A liquor company gives $25,000 to the Republican Party of Florida; Gov. Bush intervenes with a federal agency on the company's behalf; the company gives $50,000 to the GOP.
-- The company is Bacardi-Martini USA. The agency is the Patent and Trademark Office....
9/23/02
- Investigation
clears water management staff of wrongdoing
WEST PALM BEACH — South Florida's public water managers have
been cleared of wrongdoing on a $1.9 million deal to buy water
pumps from a company (MWI Corp) run by a former business partner of Gov.
Jeb Bush.
But the contract requirements were drawn so narrowly that
other companies may have been unfairly prevented from
competing, the inspector general of the South Florida Water
Management District concluded Friday.
Take responsibility for company decisions - "the buck
stops here"
- Gov. Bush is setting up state voters to take the fall for his party's mismanagement of their money.
This newspaper has been saying that the state will have a $1 billion to $2 billion hole in next year's budget just to stay even. That estimate is based mainly on the $1 billion in one-time money the Legislature budgeted this year for ongoing operations, basically by raiding trust funds. The private group Florida TaxWatch blew the whistle on that even as lawmakers did it. The Tampa Tribune took soundings in the hole last week and came up with $4 billion in a $50 billion budget.
10/1/02
- Shift blame in elections from voters--
"What is it with Democrats having a hard time voting? I don't know," Jeb Bush said Tuesday.--
What is it with Jeb Bush having a hard time being serious about voting? I don't know.
9/15/02
- JEBush whines on TV the morning after the primary election
that he's going to be blamed for the election screw-ups.
"They're going to blame me for this; that's the amazing
thing!"
Why should he take responsibility - he's only the Governor?
He only had 2 years to get it right.
For that matter, his Secretary of State Kathryn Harris isn't
taking responsibility either - she won her primary race for
the US Congress. 9/11/02
And, JEB and Kathryn just signed the following
settlement:
- Florida, counties settle NAACP suit over 2000 election
MIAMI — Ending a dispute over the 2000 presidential election, the state and two counties filed papers Tuesday to settle a lawsuit from civil rights groups over widespread voting problems. Hillsborough and Orange counties, as well as the state, were the only other remaining defendants in the case, which ended without trial. Five other counties settled earlier.
9/4/02
- Lawmakers
ask why state bought Enron
The inquiry could be risky for Gov. Jeb Bush, who is
a trustee of the pension agency.
- Jeb's Proclamation - I was appalled, as lifelong Republican, when I saw
the Governor’s proclamation to convene a special legislative session.
He used the WTC tragedy as the sole reason for this special session.
That was just the bullet in the head, Florida was in a serious economic
downward spiral long before Sept.11th. Legislators from both parties
were calling for a special session prior to this horrible act of
terrorism. This was truly an obscene gesture in an attempt to hide his
poor management of Florida State government .He would have gained my
loyalty and respect by simply saying that he made a mistake and we are
going to fix it, a little humility goes a long way. I would like to
apologize to the family and friends of the victims, for our Governors
morale bankruptcy. For those that care to see the proclamation in his
own words go to MyFlorida.com, Governor’s Office, Laws, Exec. Orders
or see this direct link. http://sun6.dms.state.fl.us/eog_new/eog/orders/2001/october
.... larry,10/22
- A story in The Gainesville Sun and other state newspapers (Aug.
1,2001)
noted that Gov. Jeb Bush is "annoyed" at
"liberals" who criticized his tax cuts because they want
expansion of state programs, and just "would have spent" the
money anyway had the cuts not been imposed.
May I urgently remind the governor of three points:
- One, some of the most significant increases in the state budget,
especially in education and other social services, in Florida history
took place during the first years of his tenure
- Two, conservative Republicans in the House
and moderate Republicans in the Senate, not liberals, have
been firmly in control of the Legislature - the ultimate
arbiter of the state budget - since he assumed office
- Three, some of the earliest and most
vigorous critics of his tax cuts during this past legislative
session were Republicans, not liberals; most especially Senate
President John McKay.
It appears that Gov. Bush's annoyance is misdirected....Richard K.
Scher, Gainesville, 8/11/01 (letter
to Gainesville Sun)
- JEB appoints Jerry Regier head of troubled Dept of
Children and Families - to bring back "biblical
punishment"?
- Florida's new child welfare chief, who denied last week writing a controversial 1989 essay that condoned spanking even if it produces bruises or welts, wrote another article for a magazine that encouraged the use of ''manly'' discipline, and quoted from the Bible: "Smite him with the rod.''
- The article, which bears Jerry Regier's name alone, appeared in the July- August 1988 issue of Pastoral Renewal, a religious magazine no longer published. The article is titled "The Not-So-Disposable Family.'' ...
Regier, a former Oklahoma cabinet secretary, acknowledged Thursday that he did write the 1988 article, which espouses some views similar to the ones in the World View essay.
- Earlier Regier article had same message - He acknowledges sole authorship
- MWO suggested no one should believe Regier's denials following reports on the original essay that started the controversy, including that he did not advocate childbeating or that women should not be considered equals in the workplace and at home. Anti-family, anti-American fundies regard such lies to be permissible, if telling the truth means sacrificing political power.
- The article argued for a restoration of family values based on ''biblical norms,'' and listed principles intended to establish "clear roles for fathers and mothers.'' In the article, Regier says that husbands must have authority over their wives, who should not work outside the home unless it is financially necessary. ...
- In his interview with The Herald Thursday, Regier said it was important to distinguish between a ''theological'' discussion of issues and a public policy discussion. He denied ever attempting to implement, for example, a law or public policy meant to discourage women from working.
- But last March, he told the Family Outreach Conference at Brigham Young University's Provo campus: "One of my passions, for the last 21 years, has been to bring God's voice, in a sense, to public policy.'' ....
- Katie Muniz, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jeb Bush, reiterated Thursday that Bush did not see Regier as out-of-step with mainstream Floridians.
- ''Mr. Regier, and we, would never apologize for him being a conservative,'' Muniz said. "Unquestionably, he is a man of deep religious faith.'' ...
- There you have it. Childbeating and wife abuse are signs of "deep religious faith" according to Jeb Bush.
- At one point in the article, Regier likens the biblical restrictions on sexuality to modern-day traffic laws: ''If there were no laws, no stop signs, no traffic lights or parking restrictions, chaos on the streets and in our cities would result,'' he wrote. "If there are no stop signs related to sex, cultural chaos results.''
.... from MediaWhoresOnline,
8/25/02
- Gov.
Bush stays mum on future of prisons chief-- PBA leaders on
Thursday touted Bush for backing additional pension benefits for law
enforcement officers during his time in office and said he had been
the "ultimate governor for law enforcement." But other union
officials have complained in the past about Bush's choice to run the
prisons and have said that many rank-and-file correctional officers
remain angry with both Moore and Bush.... (more)
- Bush
technology chief quits after check-forging charge- TALLAHASSE -- A
rising star in the administration of Gov. Jeb Bush resigned Thursday
after being charged with grand theft in the forging of a signature
to obtain a $35,000 bank loan in 1996.
Roy Cales, head of the state technology
office, surrendered to Leon
County deputy sheriffs and was released to await trial. Cales had
been on leave from the state since last month, when his name first
surfaced in the investigation, which was unrelated to his state
employment.
Bush brought Cales into the administration shortly after he took
office in 1999, and this spring pushed the Legislature to merge all
state computer purchases under the state technology office. 8/31/01
- State's
tech guru resigns amid controversy
Roy Cales arrested as plans founder for consolidated technology office
-
A plan to consolidate the state's 1,760 technology employees and a
$600 million budget under one office suffered a serious setback with
the resignation and arrest Thursday of its architect, Roy Cales.
8/31/01
- Companies
with questionable state contracts gave campaign money
TALLAHASSEE — At least five companies whose state
contracts were questioned recently in an audit of the
State Technology Office have given money to the Republican
party and various political candidates.
- Tech
office undermines Bush & Co.
The governor was definitely green when his head was turned
by a computer wizard on his 1998 campaign staff, a man who
fixed his laptop and talked his way into a whopper of a
new job: chief information officer for the State
Technology Office. 5/15/02
- State
tech office blasted in audit, accused of breaking law
TALLAHASSEE — The new state technology office paid for
work with no proof it was completed and contracted outside
firms for expensive jobs with only oral agreements, an
audit released Tuesday in draft form shows. The technology
office also shifted some work to a quasi-private company
that may have broken the law, the audit by state
Comptroller Bob Milligan's office also showed.5/15/02
- State
Technology Office broke law, audit finds
TALLAHASSEE -- The state agency responsible for spending
$763-million on new information technology illegally
solicited money from businesses with state contracts,
failed to adequately account for expenditures and may have
paid for services that were not received, an audit has
found.5/14/02
- Comptroller
blasts tech agency
An agency created to oversee Florida's approximately
half-a-billion dollars a year in technology purchases has
mismanaged money to the point of breaking the law,
according to the state's top financial watchdog.
- Tech
firms donated to Republicans
Five companies whose contracts were questioned by
Comptroller Bob Milligan in a scathing audit of the State
Technology Office donated $44,800 to the Florida
Republican Party and candidates poised to make decisions
about technology purchases. 5/28/02
- Tech
companies face contribution analysis
Florida's contracts with five computer companies have
caught the eye of Comptroller Bob Milligan, who has
released an audit questioning whether the
multimillion-dollar deals serve the best interest of the
state.5/28/02
- DMS
chief sidesteps rules violation, panel finds
A state agency leader didn't violate legal rules "but
came real close" by hiring a general counsel who was not
yet admitted to The Florida Bar, a disciplinary committee
decided Monday.
- Kathryn Harris acted
as if her position as Secretary of State was ambassador at
large and left a trail of chaos behind her as she left: (see
also DOS)
- One
squirms on hot seat, the other just shrugs -
Katherine Harris, who resigned Thursday as Florida's secretary
of state in typically bizarre fashion, should never have been
in statewide office. ... .... The motto of her four years in
office might as well be: Harris Could Not Be Reached For
Comment. -- The end of her press conference Thursday was
perfect: a flustered Harris, sheltered by aides hustling her
out of the room, knocking over microphones and tape recorders
to get her away from having to explain herself any
further..... 8/2/02
- Harris
muffs another
Ending her inept career on an appropriate note.-- ... When
the controversy broke, Ms. Harris not only was out of
town, she was conveniently out of touch, in her own
undisclosed location. Her staff stressed that she was back
in the office Friday -- "the critical day for her to
be here." What a relief. She thus was in place to ask
Gov. Bush to extend the qualifying deadline for a day
because of the "emergency" caused by the plane
crash. This would be the same Katherine Harris who saw no
"emergency" when a virtual tie in the Florida
presidential race demanded that counties get time to count
as many legal ballots as possible. 7/30/02
- Many people
said that JEB's choice for Education Secretary, Jim Horne, was
purely political and that he did not have the experience for
the position. He conducted a secret search for the head
of Florida's K-12 and came up with 2 out of state finalists.
- Two
out-of-staters finalists for state education chancellor - ``Finding a good leader for our public education system is one of the most important jobs we have to do, and these two individuals are without a doubt extremely prepared to lead our K-12 system.''
9/21/02
- Schools chancellor candidate is in feud--
One of the finalists for Florida's new chancellor of K-12 public schools was bought out of his contract as superintendent in Rochester, N.Y., last month, and the city's mayor said the school board should have fired him outright for problems ranging from poor fiscal management to failing student performance.
- A
lesson not learned
Sentinel's position: The search for an education chancellor shouldn't have been done in secret.
- JEB loses a good one:
- Legislative
economist resigning in August
One of the Legislature's leading economists, who has twice this year
bumped heads with Republican leaders, said Wednesday he intends to
step down next month after almost 25 years with the state. 7/25/02
- During the recent Legislative session, Montanaro punched
a giant hole in the centerpiece of the $300 million in
"economic stimulus" tax breaks so beloved of GOP
lawmakers. Instead of invigorating the economy, the cuts
would probably result in a slight reduction of jobs,
Montanaro said. Gov. Jeb Bush promptly blew up, saying the
economist "needs to get out in the private sector and
see how the real world works."
http://www.news-journalonline.com/2002/Jul/29/OPN2.htm
- Economist's
candor will be missed
The indispensable employee in any state capital is the one whose duty
is to tell the governor and the Legislature what they don't want to
hear. In Florida, that role has been filled, faithfully and fearlessly
for 16 years, by a good-humored economist (yes, there is at least one)
named Ed Montanaro. His resignation as director of the Legislature's
Office of Economic and Demographic Research is the worst news to come
out of Tallahassee this summer. 8/1/02
- And another: Andrew McMullian, the director of
the state Division of Retirement, was forced to resign two
years ago when he criticized a plan to divert state employees'
pension funds into riskier stock investments (advice that, in
retrospect, seems pretty good.) http://www.news-journalonline.com/2002/Jul/29/OPN2.htm
Keep a sharp eye on the bottom line - be fiscally responsible
- Budget Alarm Rings In Florida
TALLAHASSEE - While Gov. Jeb Bush and Democratic candidate Bill McBride woo voters with promises of more money for education, state economists are warning of an unprecedented budget crisis that might force tax increases solely to meet the no-frills needs of the state. ...
9/28/02
- Even
Republicans find budget troubling
The budget relies on one-time money sources, raising concerns
about large shortfalls next year.5/20/02
- National
labor leader criticizes Gov. Bush on Enron, state job cuts
- TALLAHASSEE -- AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka
criticized Gov. Jeb Bush's ties to energy giant Enron, his tax
cuts and his slashing of state government in a speech to a
labor conference Sunday.
- Bush
says enough taxes are enough
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush lowered the boom on the Senate's
controversial tax plan Thursday, calling it "flawed" and
saying Florida's taxes are adequate to meet the state's needs.
- Florida - and Jeb - are Bankrupt, but contemporary wisdom
says it's "unpatriotic to challenge his
governorship"
"Some prophets wait a lifetime or longer to be
vindicated. For Larry Fuchs, Florida's former chief tax
collector, it took merely two years. Fuchs said in the summer
of 1999 that Florida was 'functionally bankrupt' and that the
next inevitable recession would swiftly prove it. Though some
leaders listened, it was mostly to laugh -- none more
raucously than Florida's new governor, Jeb Bush, who boasted
just a few months ago that he and the Legislature were on
track to cutting taxes by a cumulative $6-billion before the
end of his term... Now the Legislature must return to
Tallahassee to cut this year's already lean budget by at least
$1-billion, with even greater reductions looming for fiscal
2003." So writes a stinging editorial
in the St. Petersburg Times.
- National
Guard antiterrorism program controversial, costly -...The
guard teams also may be slow off the mark, unless they happen to
be based very close to where terrorists strike. The Florida team
is stationed at Camp Blanding, more than 350 miles from Miami,
even though teams are supposed to be within 250 miles of major
cities...
- No
way of knowing how funds to fight terrorism being spent
-...For the price of posting a 22-member National Guard
anti-terrorism team - $3.5 million for equipment and salaries -
more than 2,300 hospitals or fire stations could be equipped with
basic decontamination facilities, according to the nonprofit Henry
L. Stimson Center, which specializes in national security issues.
- Increasing prison
sentences but decreasing allocations to DOC is short-sighted
and dangerous:
Bush
signs bill to raise prison terms in law enforcement deaths
GAINESVILLE — Maximum prison sentences will be doubled for
those convicted of killing police or emergency officials under
a bill signed by Gov. Jeb Bush. The Officer Scott Baird Act,
named for a Gainesville police officer killed last year, was
signed Monday by Bush and only applies to officials killed in
the line of duty.5/9/02
Act decisively, but be thoughtful and thorough
- On the Special session to balance the budget:
- Do
you care, Governor?
(link does not work)
Our position: Voters should be concerned
about the indecision displayed by Jeb Bush. ... 11/2/01
Orlando Sentinel Op/Ed
- Editorial:
Jeb's no Casey Jones
Where was Jeb Bush? The Legislature just had a train
wreck, and the state's chief engineer was in New York,
lecturing Congress. "Train wreck" is lawmakers'
pet metaphor for what happened Tuesday. Mostly, they use
the possibility as a threat until they...
- Bush
keeps low profile, draws criticism -- Many lawmakers
are questioning the governor's hands-off approach to the
budget crisis.
- Governor backs
popular Earhardt bill , but...
- Sentinel:
Earnhardt photo law interferes
Attorneys for the Orlando Sentinel are
arguing that a new state law blocking access to autopsy
photos is hindering the search for truth in criminal and
civil cases and jeopardizing advances in science and
public safety.
- Gander
at crisis should goose Jeb-- Wars conveniently divide
politicians into hawks and doves, but there are other avian
species in politics. Everyone claims to be an eagle, but most
are geese. A few are unmasked as vultures. Some geese grow
into wise, old owls.- And then there are ostriches. - Which
brings us to Gov. Bush the Youngest, in full cry last week
croaking that "there's no evidence that our current tax
structure is dysfunctional."- Hello? Where was he when
the Legislature cut $1.3 billion out of this year's budget
because the state was running short?
- Insurance
market still in tumult
The state's growth policy and insurers' practice of limiting
risks make it difficult to reach 'equlibrium.
Keep Florida moving forward
- Florida
slips back a notch in national child health ranking
TALLAHASSEE — Florida slipped back a notch after years of
gains in a national ranking of child health and care issues.
Florida is 36th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in a
national report that ranks states on 10 indicators of child
health and well-being. Last year Florida was ranked 35th after
making steady gains. 5/23/02
Be flexible and open to
new ways of thinking about old choices that are no longer working
- Schultz:
Death Row is convicted once again
It's scary to know that Florida's legal system has come so
close to killing innocent people. It's scarier to know that
those who wield power over the legal system seem unwilling to
admit...
- Editorial:
Use delay in executions to change state's rules
No one in the Governor's Mansion, the Legislature or the attorney
general's office wants to acknowledge it, but a death-penalty
moratorium exits in Florida -- and it's about time. Late Tuesday
afternoon...
- Editorial:
Death Row loses again
Florida's supposedly flawless judicial system lost another
tire last week when Juan Roberto Melendez left Union
Correctional Institution. Fortunately, the victim of this most
recent blowout...
Not say stupid things like: Privatization will be good for Florida - trust me!
- This
Edison no genius
Reality exposes myth of school privatization.
In 1991, entrepreneur Chris Whittle claimed that his Edison
Project could reinvent American education by operating schools
on a contract basis. Since 1995, school districts have placed
more than 130 schools and 75,000 children in 22 states under
his company's management. Such privatization, parents were
assured, would be a good thing for everyone. The company
promised to deliver better educational results for no more
money than public districts were spending, and Edison would
perform this miracle while having enough money left over to
pay shareholders a dividend after the company went public in
1999.--
Those who believe that government can't tie its shoes while
private business never stumbles may have bought into Mr.
Whittle's theory, but realists knew it was mostly hype. So it
was no surprise, as Education Week reported, that in
Wichita, Kan., the school board -- citing sharp enrollment
declines, constant teacher turnover, and disappointing student
achievement -- voted last January to take back two of the four
schools Edison operates in that city and hinted that it also
would take back the other two. There is similar
dissatisfaction from Baltimore to Inkster, Mich. 5/21/02
- Bush's
blind spot
The attraction of privatization is the presumption that excellence
can be more cheaply purchased in the marketplace. But to date it
remains more of an attractive theory than proven fact. 2/14/02
- Privatization's
lesson: No reason to rush
When state efficiency czar Ruth Sykes resigned last May to protest a
rush into privatization, she said the process of determining which
state services should be out-sourced, and how companies were selected
should be much more deliberate. 2/13/02
- Bush
throws in the towel on privatizing
Gov. Jeb Bush gave up on privatizing state personnel services
Thursday. Barely 24 hours after a Senate committee chief came out
against the seven-year, $278 million deal, the administration withdrew
the plan. That means about 800 state employees who work in 30
departmental human-resources offices won't be changing jobs soon - and
Bush will budget millions of dollars to keep the state's 20-year-old
personnel computers cranking out payrolls and crunching employee data
for another year.
- Bush
pulls plan to privatize office
Under his proposal to privatize state personnel services, 1,287
positions would have been lost.
- Plans
to privatize face snag
Senator says job cuts may not benefit state - A Senate committee
chairman Wednesday set up what could be a major roadblock to Gov. Jeb
Bush's $278 million plan to privatize state personnel services.
- Privatization
program hits snag
Watchdog group pans state program for disabled - A legislative
watchdog agency says Florida's attempt to privatize job
training for disabled residents has caused costs to increase
dramatically while services deteriorated.
-
Rehabilitation commission misused its funds, state says--
The agency overseeing the shift to privatization of a
state program that puts disabled people in jobs is paying
$343,000 in rent for a building it does not use and paid
$830,000 last year for services it could not show were
``reasonable or necessary.''
- Audit
slams Enterprise Florida
EFI says criticisms revolve around paperwork
Florida's economic development agency, often cited as an example of how government can run like a corporation, treats its top executives to bonuses and lavish travel - while making grants to businesses whose officers sit on its boards, according to a state audit. 6/28
- Pull
the plug
One problem with privatization is that it becomes easier to
play the favoritism game when passing out tax dollars to
contractors.
- Ticketmaster
sets up camp
The company, the subject of consumer complaints, is hired by
Florida to handle reservations at state parks.
- Privatization
chief scrutinized - The Florida Police Benevolent
Association asked State Attorney Willie Meggs on Tuesday to
file criminal charges against the head of a state agency that
oversees privately operated prisons, saying he attempted to
dupe investigators with falsified documents.-- The Florida
Commission on Ethics last week found probable cause that C.
Mark Hodges, executive director of the Florida Correctional
Privatization Commission, had violated several ethics laws
over the past six years by blending his official position with
his private consulting business. The commission released its
official report Tuesday.
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