Check the new WhoseFlorida for updates
Destroying theocracy in Afghanistan, creating one herePresident Bush did what he had to do with the security information made available to him before the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. The attack gave him the support he needed from the American people and Congress to generate the war on terror that consumed our budget surplus and Social Security funds. If the devastating Sept. 11 attack had happened during President Clinton's term, there would have been a cry for impeachment and more special prosecutors. Court-appointed President Bush came out a hero smelling like a rose. Why? In addition to World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and a number of other military engagements, we now have domestic wars on poverty, drugs and terrorists. The war on poverty increased the number of unwed mothers and welfare recipients. The war on drugs generated a need for more prisons to house our confiscated youth without stopping the flow of drugs or hurting the wealthy drug lords. The war on terrorism has turned this nation into a police state. President Bush used our armed forces to
eliminate bin Laden's evil Taliban theocracy
in Afghanistan. However, he is busy creating
one.
|
 | Be a mentor to a girl in your local community. Help a young woman create a safety plan for all kinds of potential violent situations. Include a list of emergency contacts and telephone numbers. |
| Volunteer at the local juvenile justice programs including detention centers and become an advocate for girls. |
| Promote community safety by raising state and local awareness of the underlying factors that place girls at risk of involvement in the justice system. |
| Identify, promote, and support girl responsive, developmentally sound and culturally competent practice with girls. |
| Email this story to a friend. Lets make a commitment today to take action on the needs of girls. |
| JOIN FLORIDA'S CAMPAIGN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
TODAY. Visit www.iamforkids.org
, e-mail us at flcampaign@aol.com
or call 850-425-2600 for more information on
how you can help. For more information
contact: Roy Miller Jason Zaborske Children's Campaign Champions for Children Electronic Network FLCampaign@aol.com |
Citrus Canker in Naples' Golden Gate
Just thought you might be interested in the
removal of our trees which started last Monday.
The people removing the trees (Asplugh) is not
wearing protected clothing, dragging and
shredding the trees and not sanitizing their
equipment. I am more upset about the way their
are doing this than losing my trees and I AM MAD
AS HELL about that. We were told three weeks ago
about 1 infected tree, but after careful
searching, I found evidence that 4 trees were
found on two properties. We were given 3 weeks
before they removed the trees to respond,,,if we
had $250.00 to go along with our waiver. How
convenient! I think the People of Golden Gate
(working class) has been dealt a serious
travesty. If this was in a more affluent area
such as Marco Island or even 5th Avenue in
downtown Naples....this would not have happened
(My opinion).
Nancy Beaver, Homeowner, Golden Gate
5/13/02
Raping Northwest Florida
This proposed rape and pillage is reason enough for a new Governor. This scheme clearly falls into the
Jeb rewrites the script to
ge/t ending he wants
Last Saturday afternoon, Gov. Bush told supporters at a campaign rally in Fort Pierce that he deserves the "education governor" title he has bestowed upon himself. Speaking of his ideas for schools, Gov. Bush said, "We will not step back when Democrats start harping that these changes are not making a difference."
Last Sunday afternoon, state Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, told a gathering in his hometown that it would take a public "uprising" to get more state money into the schools and raise Florida's dismal ranking in education financing.
Two politicians from the same party spoke in the same county one day apart and saw the same issue quite differently. Why? Because Sen. Pruitt, who has four children in the public schools, lives in the real world, and the governor, who has a son in private school, lives in JebWorld.
In the real world, Florida school districts are cutting back, in large and small ways, because of December budget reductions the Legislature passed and Gov. Bush signed after the governor refused to consider ending tax exemptions for such necessities as stadium skyboxes. In the real world, spending for public schools barely will have increased in real dollars since the governor took office in 1999. Meanwhile, hassles for teachers and students have increased because the governor insists on misusing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test as a means to grade schools.
In JebWorld, he will run for reelection on giving education another $1 billion for the budget year that begins July 1, even if that $1 billion comes from raising local property taxes and moving money around. In JebWorld, there are no credible critics of him or the condition of Florida's public schools. When dissenting news comes, as it did when the Florida Chamber of Commerce reported dismal conditions and recommended that the state spend more money, Gov. Bush and his people ignore it, dismiss it or try to edit it away.
So when a potentially embarrassing issue rears its head, Gov. Bush tries to rewrite the script. Ten days ago, the Florida Supreme Court approved the language for a constitutional amendment that could be on the November ballot with the governor. It would set limits for all public school classes: 18 in kindergarten through third grade, 22 in fourth grade through eighth grade, and 25 in high school. Sen. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, is leading the effort to get the citizens' initiative before voters.
If the measure passes, school districts don't have the money to pay for it. The state would have to come up with several billion dollars to help them. It's there, but the priority of the "education governor" has been tax cuts for the wealthiest Floridians and protection of special-interest tax exemptions. Yet how could the "education governor" not be for smaller classes in an election year? Problem.
So days after the court ruled, the "education governor" expanded the agenda of the current special session to include consideration of legislation that would attach a cost estimate to any citizen initiative. He might have a good idea. You wonder why he didn't suggest it two years ago, when a citizens' initiative put the high-speed rail boondoggle into the state constitution. Only someone from the real world, however, could suggest that Gov. Bush acted to avoid having to show his real priorities.
Those priorities have become clear during the special session that will last through this week. As the schools and social-welfare agencies seek money for essential services, the governor sends groups of business people to lobby lawmakers for corporate tax breaks that would cost Florida nearly $300 million immediately, would cost more than $400 million over three years, and might never return the investment.
The breaks, which the Senate passed Friday, would come from Florida "coupling" the state's tax code to match what Congress did in March to the federal code. As part of the economic stimulus bill, lawmakers accelerated the rate for depreciating assets. At least 20 states, however, have declined to piggy-back their tax laws or may not do so. Many have Republican governors, who say their states need the money.
In JebWorld, however, criticism of another Bush is intolerable. Last month, when the National Governors Association criticized the federal plan as unhelpful to states, Gov. Bush whined in a letter to the NGA that it was acting "in opposition to the president and his agenda... "
To sell the plan, the governor touted the findings of a conservative think tank -- on whose board he once served -- that the state would gain 10,000 jobs. The think tank's numbers, however, were based on the federal tax break. When the Legislature's respected chief economist said Florida should spend the money on public investment, the governor threw a tantrum, saying Ed Montanaro "needs to get out in the private sector and see how the real world works."
What world is Gov. Bush in?
.... msd, 5/6/02
School prayer is already protected no amendment needed
Voters beware. A grassroots campaign is now under way to persuade your local government to endorse a confusing and misleading
school prayer amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The campaign started in Washington County, Pa., and has spread to counties and cities throughout the nation. So far some 30 local governments have called for Congress to pass the amendment, according to news reports.
Don't be fooled. Supporters claim that they just want to give kids the right to pray. But if that's all they want to do, we don't need to amend the First Amendment. Under current law, students have the right to pray in public schools, alone or in groups, as long as they don't disrupt the school or interfere with the rights of others.
The real agenda behind this effort is to return to the days of organized prayer in public schools. And the impact of the amendment would be to allow students or adults to impose their religion on others in a school setting.
At first blush, the wording of the amendment introduced by Rep. Ernest
Istook, R-Okla. sounds innocuous enough:
To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor any State shall establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and other traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed. The United States and the States shall not compose school prayers, nor require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity.
But take a closer look. Does the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs in schools mean that students, teachers, or even outside adults have the right to pray at school events or set up religious displays in the school lobby? It would seem so.
As long as the prayer isn't composed by the government (and people can opt-out), the amendment would appear to allow anyone and everyone
- Christians, Hindus, Wiccans and so forth - to promote their religion in front of a captive audience of young, impressionable children.
If you're worried about religious conflict now, just wait until this amendment passes.
Maybe the drafters of the amendment imagine that only prayers they find
"acceptable" will be prayed at school events. But the wording of the amendment would open school events and property to religious expression of all varieties. (Not surprisingly, the amendment's sponsors are unconcerned about the rights of non-believers.)
The Istook amendment appeals to people who (mistakenly) believe that the Supreme Court has
"kicked God out" of the public square and the public schools.
But last time I looked, Billy Graham (or his son) was still praying at the presidential inauguration. And kids were still praying before math tests.
Which would you rather have?
Under the Istook amendment, we could have rotating prayers from scores of religious groups in public school classrooms every morning. We might also see religious displays of all kinds in the school lobby and adults from religious groups handing our literature to kids in the hallways. The Ten Commandments might be posted in all classes, but so would passages from the Gita, the Quran, the Book of Mormon, and many other scriptures. The Istook amendment would appear to mandate that the
"people's right" to do all of this in a public school couldn't be infringed.
Or would you rather have what is currently permitted under the First Amendment? Right now in public schools across the nation, students are praying around the flagpole before school, forming religious clubs in high schools, sharing their faith with classmates, giving out religious literature in school (subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions), giving their religious views in class assignments, and gathering to pray between classes and at mealtime.
Here's the difference.
The Istook amendment appears to open the door to organized prayers and to religious activities and messages of all kinds before captive audiences of kids in public schools.
The First Amendment guarantees freedom. Freedom to pray, as long as the rights of others aren't violated. Freedom to attend school without having any religion imposed on you. And freedom from government involvement in religion.
Tell your city council or county commission to think carefully about this difference before they vote to ask Congress to amend the First Amendment.
And if you're really concerned about the religious-liberty rights of students in the public school, urge your school board to adopt policies that guard all of the rights that are already guaranteed under the First Amendment.
The First Amendment has served us well for more than 200 years. It doesn't need amending.
When I spell-checked this article, the computer
instructed me to change Istook to mistook.
Exactly.
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=16129
...By Charles Haynes Senior scholar, First Amendment Center Tuesday, April 30, 2002
(Top)
To Re-elect or Not to Re-elect Jeb, that is the question?
There are some of us moderate republicans that are truly disgusted with Jeb Bush and his republican controlled legislature. Yes believe it or not some republicans do still care about good government. Look no further than the St. Pete Times article regarding some affluent Republicans that are supporting Democratic candidate Bill McBride. I plan on voting for whom ever runs against Jeb (even if it means voting for Janet Reno) and against all republican candidates in my district.Manatee Springs issue resurfacing
Hi, I'm Layne Redmond, and you posted my original plea to save Manatee Springs. You were right, the fight is not over yet. Luther White is now mining without a permit. Plus the racketeering charges were just dismissed against Luther White, his son and his grandson. We are writing a new alert and would truly appreciate it if you can replace the old alert. We should have it in a few days as we compile the facts. Thanks so much, Layne
STRANGE WAY OF CROP REPORTING!
It is the beginning of April and the season's pre harvest citrus crop value has been published.
The figures are interesting. The total citrus crop is less than in the previous year. It is expected to be only 920.7 million dollars - 170 million dollars less than before (it was 1.1 billion dollars).
The strange thing is how this is reported. After the published figure of 920.7 million dollars crop value, the Department immediately adds "ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT 9 BILLION DOLLARS". Nowhere else in the world is shown in any statistical report or any article or scientific paper the "economic impact" of any crop, citrus, grain, fruit, vegetable or any other farm product.
To include this first time such
"fantasy" figures in a crop report could
only be an explanation that false statements by Jeb
Bush, Bronson and the press of "Florida's 9
billion dollar citrus industry" must be in some
way fed to the public and that the inflated value
trumpeted about the citrus industry should not be
immediately be recognized as totally untrue.
....Peter Harsany,D.Sc. (doctor in agricultural
economics)
First Hand Account of This Weekend's Florida Democratic Convention
April 15, 2002
Have you ever stood in line for 25 minutes to check into a hotel and been happy to do it? Welcome to the Wyndam Hotel in Orlando, Florida this past Friday. It was so great to talk openly with other Democrats about getting rid of Jeb, that the long line was a pleasure to wait in.
A record number (over 2,600) of Democrats gathered in Orlando last weekend and the collective energy was compared to the mood at the '92 Democratic Convention, where excitement was mounting that the Clinton/Gore ticket could unseat a different Bush.
However,
coming from Palm Beach County, I was led to believe by
the media that everyone else had "moved on."
Not so, my fellow Democrats. Lake County Democrats
were fired up! St. Lucie County Democrats were fired
up! Orange County Democrats were fired up! I could go
on and on. And don't get me wrong...this wasn't going
to be a weekend moaning about the past, it was quite
clear that we all still had a fire in our bellies that
we could harness to get rid of one Bush and, as Gore
said, then we'd only have one to go! (More)
.....from Buzzflash, 4/15/02
This is MY Florida.....not Jeb's!
I am a native Floridian and state employee for over 27
years. I never supported Jeb Bush as I knew from
the beginning that he was only concerned about his
friends and business partners.
From what I've seen, I don't think Jeb is even a good
business man. He started out years ago with the
Saving's & Loan fiasco.
He certainly doesn't care about the people of Florida
and obviously not state employees. Jeb and his
supporters are stuck in the mind set of privatizing
state government, but who care's if those contracted
agencies due a lousy job.
Who's going to insure that those contracts are
complied with and who's going to fix the problems when
they don't. Obviously, Jeb doesn't care about
that. Most of us state employees have already
seen the mediocre and in some cases, pathetic attempts
by these private agencies to take over our state
government's business. This is MY
Florida.....not Jeb's!
....BevE, 4/15/02
GOP not in lockstep with JEB's slash and burn political ways
Offering below in case you didn't see it. I say *wow*.
best,marye
McBride appeals to moderate Republicans
By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 14, 2002
CLEARWATER -- For all the noise Democrats are making this weekend at their state convention in Orlando, Gov. Jeb Bush should be a lot more worried about the folks who attended a quiet reception at Ruth Eckerd Hall last week.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride of Tampa drew more than 200 people eager to write checks and hear him talk of "our collective responsibility" to invest more in schools and put aside partisanship. More striking than the size of the affluent crowd, though, were the number of Republicans there embracing a Democrat.
"There's a real lack of leadership in Tallahassee, and it's pitting party member against party member," said Fred Fisher, a Tarpon Springs businessman and philanthropist who was a Republican in Florida long before the GOP took control of the capital. "This man (McBride) has a long-term vision for the future of Florida."
Fisher, who donated $6.5-million to the University of Florida and has an accounting school there named after him, fretted about how the state is lagging behind the rest of the nation in countless areas, particularly education. He even urged fellow Republicans to temporarily switch parties to help McBride in his primary against former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno so he can take on Bush in November.
Nearby stood Republican Alan Bomstein, a prominent Clearwater businessman and community leader equally fired up about McBride.
Bomstein backed Bush for governor in 1998 but has been disappointed in how "very political" Bush has been in office. "Bill's the real deal, and I honestly believe he won't put his politics above the welfare of this state," said Bomstein.
And the Republican-controlled Legislature? "It disgusts me," said Bomstein.
Polls show Bush sitting pretty as he campaigns for a second term. But last week's Ruth Eckerd Hall gathering highlights an undercurrent that makes Bush vulnerable if any Democrat manages to ride it.
The Jeb Bush who campaigned four years ago as a moderate, unifying force for Florida increasingly looks out of step with many Florida voters.
A recent St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald poll found half of Florida voters unhappy with his efforts to improve schools, and education is by far the top priority of voters. And while Bush has aligned himself with the fervently antitax leaders of the state House, nearly six in 10 voters are willing to see taxes raised to benefit public schools.
When the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation released a draft report showing school funding near the bottom of 50 states and students ill-equipped to compete in the modern economy, Bush largely dismissed the findings. He scoffed at critics whom he said were seizing upon it to push "statist, high-tax policies that would cripple the progress Florida has made over the last several years."
That antitax view goes only so far even in Sarasota County, a Republican stronghold where only 18 percent of the households have children. Last month, voters there decided by a 2-to-1 margin to raise their property taxes for schools.
The Republicans mingling with McBride last week were of the Pinellas stripe: moderates who occasionally cross party lines for the right candidate. These are the constituents of Republican state Sens. Jack Latvala of Palm Harbor and Don Sullivan of Seminole. The senators have given Bush heartburn by advocating the overhaul of Florida's tax system to better meet Florida's needs.
"The bottom line is I don't like the direction that the state of Florida is taking. We are Republicans, but we'll be damned if we're for Republicans who aren't for good government," said Clearwater lawyer Lou Kwall, former chairman of the Pinellas Republican Party. "In all the issues that came up (in the Legislature) that were disputed, when did the governor really express an opinion and show leadership?"
These Republicans complain Bush has politicized the university system by abolishing the Board of Regents and the selection of judges by taking full control of the appointments to the judicial nominating commissions. They also are concerned about Florida's schools and what several described as the "embarrassing" Legislature.
So far, Bush's personal popularity appears to overshadow whatever misgivings many Floridians have about his record or philosophy. But the Pinellas Republican voices speaking so enthusiastically about McBride may point to the start of a Republican backlash against Bush and the party's conservative wing. More important, they show the potential for peeling off Bush's support among the kinds of swing and independent voters who decide elections.
The real question is whether any of Bush's challengers are capable of capitalizing on it. McBride, former head of Florida biggest law firm, impresses a lot of Tampa Bay's business leaders. They like his business experience (and that of his wife, former NationsBank Florida chief Alex Sink) and his background as a decorated Marine.
McBride is largely a stranger outside his Tampa Bay home turf, though, and remains a long shot to survive the Democratic primary against Reno. The former U.S. attorney general's message is similar to McBride's. But she is mainly campaigning among Florida's basic Democratic constituencies. She has yet to show broad appeal among moderate, swing voters outside South Florida.
When prominent Republicans start popping up at Democratic receptions outside of Tampa Bay, we'll know we have a real race on our hands.
How DCF Chief Kathleen Kearney did the impossible and made a terrible situation worse
The link http://www.nccpr.org/reports/lengtheningshadow.htm
is to a long white paper by The National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, a non-profit foundation funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Open Society Institute, a part of the Soros Foundations Network.
The paper could be re-titled "How DCF Chief Kathleen Kearney did the impossible and made a terrible situation worse". In a nutshell, the paper is an indictment of Florida's child welfare policies. as I am sure you know, Kearney is a former Broward County District Court Judge who was known as the "terminator" because she was quick to terminate parental rights at the first hint of abuse. Her reputation as an advocate of "take the child and run" child welfare policies was the reason JEB Bush appointed her head of Florida's DCF.
Jibbering at the news
Today in Tallahassee a bunch of people met at the Meyers Park Community Center and kids put on skits and sang songs in support of cleaning up an old landfill and some sort of old fuel oil plant that have polluted a string of slopes along a natural stream-an area ironically named Cascades Park. Were it still so beautiful as that. To community members and their children it can be, sentiments certainly supported by the local and county school leadership, certainly by a strong, active PTA. The very sentiments stimulated by a full century's worth, and more, of environmental fervor.
But, this story wasn't meant to be about the simple hope stemming from the dreams of childhood. What triggered me to get tapping this keyboard was the result of my stopping by the Whose Florida site April 1, the Day of Fools. Yes, the stalwart web master, never faltering at the task, faithfully pulling together a full load of daily news accounts and commentaries, coaching clumsy contributors, such as yours truly, and maintaining anonymity and very high standards the while, we frequenters owe you thanks.
What I saw in the clips on Fools Day nearly set me a' jibbering.
Chaos! The world turned upside down
Talk about your terrorists! The triumvirate of DuPont (St. Joe Co,Arvida), the Committee of 100 (AKA Associated Industries), and Big Oil (JEB-GWB-GPB owners) are the only strong enough to have engineered the horrors portrayed by newspapers across the state.
There was a real scary story about Black Water around the tip of the peninsula killing everything. The suggestion was that dirty water flushing out of the nasty farming that has been killing the Everglades is killing the fishing grounds. Pictures in an article out of Naples showed the dying coral. JEB's paid flacks tried to put a lid on this one, but, it's too scary to fade away as the day he hopes to be reelected gets nearer and nearer, a hope shared by his keepers and brother George.
Who will profit most? Who will lose?
Another story, this one in an editorial out of Miami, had the locals howling against a scheme by this very clumsy gang to use toll road revenues from South Florida to build new toll roads through the relatively pristine Panhandle.
You see, it isn't as though millions are eager to get from Jacksonville to Pensacola who can't already get there via Interstate 10, no, the essence of the scheme is to use the new roads to open up the land for more urban-sprawl development, with incentives for building at intersections with other highways.
Guess who owns more acreage in the Panhandle than any other? Yep, Katy's mentioned this before, DuPont/St.Joe. Do I have to tell you who will lose? Naw, it goes way beyond just the people of Florida.
What do you bet that JEB will sign the legislation?
The editorial--and remember this was out of Miami where they ought to know him-- opined: "Gov. Bush should veto it (the legislation) as a stern message to lawmakers to curb the cynical practice of linking awful laws with good ones." Hey, these sleazy games long have characterized the Florida political scene. JEB certainly isn't the first sleazoid to prostitute himself and the state. But, boy is he eager to make a large, bloody mark on our fragile Florida in the time he has to do it. Let's hope his time ends next January.
The editorial writer seems to have missed the target a mile and a half. He aimed at the cheap shenanigans of the politicians and the monitory toll revenue losses from South Florida, when the elephant of a paved over Panhandle seemed to be of lesser concern.
We'd better get with the kids.
I say we'd better get with the community groups, the PTAs and PTOs, get with the kids. Let's write some jingles and set up competitions for the best schools and classes, and volunteers and moms and dads. Bake sales to buy the kiddies team uniforms for when they march for more spending on restoration and beauty and less spending for development and devastation.
And, although I can't claimed to have had these thoughts first, I do claim they came to me before I read of the real, life example that took place in Meyers Park of my Home Town, Tallahassee, this day.
Thank you folks.
Katy Bar The Door, 4/3/02
(thank You, Katy -- WF)
Tax Break for rich but leave the middle class out
H97 GENERAL BILL/CS by Fiscal Responsibility Council; Kilmer; (CO-SPONSORS) Bean; Hogan; Harrington (Similar CS/S 0214, S 2186) Residents' Tax Relief Act of 2002; specifies period during which sale of clothing, certain other items, & school supplies shall be exempt from tax on sales, use, & other transactions; provides definitions; provides exceptions; provides for rules. APPROPRIATION: $200,000. EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon becoming law. 03/22/02 SENATE Died in Committee on Commerce and Economic Opportunities
S214 GENERAL BILL/CS by Commerce and Economic Opportunities; Cowin; (CO-SPONSORS) Crist (Similar CS/H 0097, S 2186) Florida Residents' Tax Relief Act; specifies period during which sale of clothing, wallets, bags, & school supplies shall be exempt from such tax; defines terms "clothing" & "school supplies" for purposes of exemption; provides that exemption does not apply to sales within certain theme parks, entertainment complexes, public lodging establishments, or airports; provides requirements re proof of Florida residency; provides for rules. APPROPRIATION: $200,000. EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon becoming law. 03/22/02 SENATE Died in Committee on Finance and Taxation
S2186 GENERAL BILL by Wise (Similar CS/H 0097, CS/S 0214) Florida Residents' Tax Relief Act; specifies period during which sale of clothing & school supplies is exempt from tax on sales, use, & other transactions; defines terms "clothing" & "school supplies" for purposes of exemption; provides for rules. APPROPRIATION: $200,000. EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon becoming law.
03/22/02 SENATE Died in Committee on Commerce and Economic Opportunities
NOTE: The Intangibles tax was postponed in the last session (I believe). It was delayed by one year but not stopped. I believe the Gov. said something like: "Now is not the time add to tax" when it was proposed to stop the Intangibles tax from continuing...
So the wealthy get a break but the working family pays tax on school clothing???? ..... noname, 3/27/02
To the Governor and members of the state legislature: When are you going to start living up to your promises?
For 3 years state workers have heard how the Governor plans to attract the best and the brightest through higher pay and incentives. So far we have only seen our workload increase and our staffing decrease.
Last year our pay raise was decreased from 3% to 2.5%, and we are still waiting for those meager one time $150.00 (average) bonus's that only a few will get.
The Governor was proud to announce that OPS and employees who make a moderate income of $90.000 or more a year will not get a pay raise. I paid taxes on $21,000 dollars last year, if he considers $90,000 a moderate income, what am I considered, an indentured servant.
I work at a facility were my boss was given a position upgrade (complete with a pay raise) because it was recognized that managing this facility has been grossly underrated. He has also received two significant awards, one of which he has been asked to meet with and give a speech to the Governor, his cabinet, our agency secretary and our division director. These awards recognize his achievements in managing such a difficult facility with only one FTE (full time position), that would be me.
I have given 200% to this facility and my boss because I enjoy my work, and it is truly a pleasure to work for this highly respected manager. He has been an excellent mentor who sets a very high standard of excellence. He only asks of me only what he would do himself. He also recognizes that he did not achieve these accomplishments alone. He has fought to get my position upgraded as well, our division was due to get 6 position upgrades of the type he put me in for. However the Governor has put those positions back on the chopping block and we will likely not see them materialize. That was my boss's only mechanism to reward me for my hard work, that helped make him look so good.
For the first time in my 7.5 year employment with the state I am considering joining AFSCME and for the first time in 24 years I am also considering changing my political party affiliation to DEMOCRAT!
When are you folks going to start living up to your promise's. Do not just think of us as 600,000 state employees, rather you should think of as 600,000 voting constituents that have the power to influence our families, friends and in some case's the general public. You figure the math!
Very Respectfully, LB , 3/23/03
|
Certainly, by no means can one compare any of Florida's
elected officials to Osama bin Laden and his ilk in terms of
beliefs towards terrorism and violence. On the other
hand, while bin Laden hides in caves, on the run from the
light of international justice, Florida's legislators are
creating their own bunkers and fortresses in which to hide.
Instead of coming to terms on a budget, reapportionment or tending to the other constitutionally mandated tasks before them, they have been avoiding doing the business of governing by gradually, inappropriately and stealthily repealing Florida's Sunshine Laws. And this did not just begin in the current session or in only the Legislative branch. Just as bin Laden, al Queda and the Taliban don't want their actions known except to those in their own inner circles, so too it seems our public servants prefer their own levels of secrecy. In this election year, a good place to start shedding light again on our good state is at your local voting precinct.
Jacob Lerner, Tallahassee, 3/22/02
Here's the Tallahassee Democrat version:Let's shed some light on secrecy in Legislature Instead of coming to terms on a budget, reapportionment or tending to the other constitutionally mandated tasks before them, lawmakers have been avoiding the business of governing by gradually, inappropriately and stealthily repealing Florida's Sunshine Laws. And this did not just begin in the current session or in only the legislative branch.
It seems our public servants prefer secrecy. In this
election year, a good place to start shedding light again on
our good state is at your local voting precinct. .... Jacob, 3/23/02
|
Students often show us the way
I am disappointed that Steven Uhlfelder publicly scolded FAMU's student body about not choosing to have Gov. Bush speak there at commencement, saying "the students should listen." I am proud of the current FAMU student body for speaking out and showing themselves to be political activists. They feel Gov. Bush has not listened to them.
FAMU has a great legacy of political activism. The students
there led the way toward bringing civil rights to public
awareness in the 1960s. It took great acts of courage on the
parts of individuals and collective student vision to do this.
We cannot silence the students in this town. They often lead us
where we need to go.
MJ R, letter to Tallahassee Democrat
Agricultural Commissioner Bronson's propaganda activity
Now, that Bill 1926 is before the Senate, Mr.Bronson is writing to newspapers trying to justify the need for extended citrus canker eradication program.
He is trying to justify that all healthy trees should be eradicated within 1900 feet from an infected tree.
Mr.Bronson wrote that scientific proof justifies the 1900 feet cuttings: "The data from this research (he Gottwald report) has been peer-reviewed and confirmed by scientists around the word. There is nothing questionable about this data."
Is Mr. Bronson so naive that he believes hat only one field test can be scientific proof? Is he so naive that he believes that "peer review" (reading a piece of paper) is equivalent with repeated researches on the field?
Is he so naive that if the findings of this theory (even
if it would be acceptable) concludes that it can be only
95% effective, is enough to stop an epidemic?
Mr.Bronson is maybe really naive, To a complaint about
squandering public money for the program he wrote in the
newspapers that it is not so: Florida does not pay all the
expenses, It is shared with the US Department of
Agriculture.
Is that not all public money?
Maybe Mr.Bronson jus