This is Our Voice (2001)

Check the new WhoseFlorida for updates

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Bill's only `stimulus' is to incomes of rich

Using the tragedy of Sept. 11 as an excuse, congressional Republicans voted to give billions in taxpayers' money to their masters -- large corporations. Without a single dissenting House Republican vote, and joined by 10 spineless Democrats, the House passed an "emergency bill" to help our crumbling economy.

Unable to find money to ensure health insurance for citizens, unable to find money to lessen the crushing burden of prescription drugs for our elderly, they found $100 billion in tax refunds for: IBM, Ford, General Motors, General Electric, Chevron and Kmart.

These companies will receive this bounty while downsizing in the United States, with little, if any, restrictions on how this huge gift of taxpayers' money can be used.

The same Republicans want capital gains taxes reduced or repealed. The profits garnered by the top officials of companies providing low-cost stock options will be free of taxes -- while earned income for the ordinary worker will be taxed.

ROBERT H. MONZ, West Palm Beach

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African Americans have a close understanding of terrorism

This wisdom was lost on Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal when, shortly after Sept. 11, he said that America's foreign policy had something to do with the terrorists' attacks.

I certainly understand that the Saudi prince spoke what he felt to be the truth. As a Muslim, he was obliged to follow the Quran's dictate to "cover not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth when ye know (what it is)."

My grandmother used to say that the truth hurts but it does not have to be brutal. The timing of the Saudi prince's statement was brutal. However, to many African Americans, his words were truthful.

America must address the root problems that cause human beings to feel such hate for us as a government, that they would sacrifice their life to make the point. Mind you, I did not say hate us as a people. It's our government policies, both domestic and foreign, that must be looked at in terms of their humaneness.

In "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos Or Community," Martin Luther King Jr. wrote: "Among the moral imperatives of our time, we are challenged to work all over the world with unshakable determination to wipe out the last vestiges of racism. As early as 1906, W. E. B. DuBois prophesied that 'the problem of the twentieth century will be the problem of the color line.'

"Now we know full well that racism is still that hound of hell that dogs the tracks of our civilization. Racism is no mere American phenomenon. Its vicious grasp knows no geographical boundaries," King said, adding that racism and its perennial ally, economic exploitation, explain most of the international complications of this generation.

Yet in the year 2001, the key to understanding these complications has not changed.

Martin wrote these words more than 30 years ago when a second wave of "terrorism" was being committed on our "soil." The first had to do with the treatment of people of color, whether Indian or Negro, from the beginning of this nation.

The second wave came with the response of those who no longer believed that America respected a nonviolent, peaceful approach to eradicating racism. In the 1960s, many of us agreed with those who hated our government's policies. We began to understand why they were willing to sacrifice their lives to change things.

It's clear that, after grieving, we must re-examine our government policies as they relate to racism and economic exploitation here and abroad. I am encouraged that President Bush - whether by providence of God or the insistence of Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell - was persuaded to put his gun back in his holster before making America react as the Lone Ranger. Maybe, just maybe, diplomacy and humaneness with a military response will help us bring forth a world that understands violence begets violence.

Maybe, just maybe, we can understand that we cannot wrap ourselves in a flag or religious ideology that protects us from those who are racially and economically oppressed and have no options. Maybe, just maybe, our government and you and I can learn that oppressed people without options will listen to anyone who gives them options.

God bless America, please.

Wilbert Hobbs, pastor of Saint Paul AME Church in Chaires, is a Tallahassee Democrat contributing columnist. email- woh19@polaris.net

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Embarrassed by the special session

Huh? The story is not that there aren't enough statewide politically powerful Democrats to challenge Bush. That is old news. The story is not that Florida GOP Chairman Al Cardenas doesn't think that the Democrats can take advantage of a flawed special session. I could have told your reporter that.

If there is a political story here, it is about one party only. How about the lack of leadership, direction and planning from three leaders who are all from the same party? How about the irony that a state party leadership that wants to run government like a business responds to the current crisis the same way as current failing businesses - with further layoffs and cuts in services?

How about the contrasting challenges faced by a government during a peaceful strong economic era versus. a time of national crisis? It appears that even within a single party, to actually have to build and create something such as a budget during tough economic times is much harder than simply hacking away at the budget year after year during times of plenty.

As a longtime Floridian, I was embarrassed by the special session. Despite Cardenas' rosy political outlook, I am very concerned. I fault the Florida Republican and Democratic parties alike for not providing us with politicians who can provide strong leadership.
...MATT,11/7 

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Bush brothers are bankrupting Florida

If it weren't for gullible voters like Anderson, Jeb would not be slashing state jobs to boost his image before the next election. Jeb and George W. are bankrupting this state and country by slashing taxes during a recession. There will be few reserves left to weather hard times like the economic aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack and the war on terrorism. 
...S. JONES, 10/29 letter to the Tallahassee Democrat

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Very Special Session

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Jeb's Proclamation

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Do we need to listen more?

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. 

Meanwhile, in an editorial in the 10/6/01 Miami Herald: 

"...Bob Butterworth, attorney general of Florida, former sheriff of Broward County, and former mayor of Sunrise. The man with the silver hair and the solid record.
Thursday evening he attended a fundraiser at -- where else? -- the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, for his wannabe successor, Sen. Buddy Dyer, D-Orlando. Then he hosted a Democratic fundraising powwow at his Hollywood home...
They strategized about raising soft money for the Florida Democratic Party, but the usual enthusiasm for going after the green wasn't quite there.
Here's why:...The Sept. 11 attacks have made politics seem frivolous and challenging the governor seem unpatriotic..." 
...Quixote, 10/6

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Rapacious banking industry is conning us into spending

Re: " Shop till you drop - but buy for others, too" by Bill Berlow (Tallahassee Democrat column, Oct. 5).

One of the major problems in America is that we have been conditioned and raised to be conspicuous consumers. Americans, who comprise a mere 5 percent of the world's population, consume one-fourth of its oil and cause one-fourth of its pollution. It's no wonder we are despised in much of the world.

There is currently a new law before Congress - written for the exclusive benefit of the banking industry - that will make indentured servants out of most Americans who file for debt relief. Do you suppose the nice bankruptcy judge will accept the excuse of trying to spend your way into prosperity for the sake of the country?

I have six credit cards in my wallet. The Fed has reduced interest rates six times this year. Guess how many of the nice banks have reduced the interest rates on my credit cards? That's right, none! The greedy banking industry keeps the profits that should be passed on to consumers while encouraging us to spend, spend, spend.

It's time to get smart and understand the difference between true patriotism and sheer stupidity!

GALEN O. BALLARD, Marianna, in Tallahassee Democrat

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TERRORISM: Reflect upon a lesson from history

As Congress considers anti-terrorism legislation, which may grant the federal government greater rights to detain persons suspected of assisting terrorists, and the right to monitor Internet use and e-mail letters without first obtaining a warrant, it needs to reflect upon a lesson from history.

On Feb. 28, 1933, prior to the National Socialist German Workers' party taking power, a Dutch Communist, possibly working alone but more likely working with the assistance of others, set fire to Germany's capitol building known as the Reichstag, destroying it in the process. In the following weeks, arsonists began fires in 28 other buildings.

In order to combat domestic terrorism, an "emergency decree against arson and terrorist acts" was proposed and adopted by the democratically elected German cabinet, using a constitutional provision that authorized such measures in cases of emergency.

Under the emergency decree, the federal government suspended portions of the constitution. Federal law enforcement officials were granted the power to place suspected terrorists and their sympathizers in custody and to temporarily restrict the right of "privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications."

Those arrested were indefinitely detained by the German federal police unless they agreed to emigrate to another country. When the prisons could no longer hold them, internment camps were established in rural areas. The cost of maintaining those camps soon became an excessive burden on taxpayers.

The detainees were put to work in prison industries. Since the camps were a concentration of members of the Communist Party, Jews and gypsies, the camps became known as concentration camps. Ten years later, six camps in neighboring Poland were equipped with gas chambers.

Perhaps it could never happen here. However, the point of the story is that malevolent governments are sometimes democratically empowered in times of crisis when well-meaning people voluntarily surrender their freedoms in the pursuit of security. The lesson from the past is that those who would surrender their freedom for peace shall have neither.
ROD SULLIVAN, in Florida Times Union, 10/1

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Radio censorship wrong step in America

All the reports and stories that have followed the tragic events of Sept. 11 have been frightening, but none more so than the Sept. 19 article by Thom Smith, "Radio censors decree: Nothing makes waves -- unless it's the flag."

We haven't begun to fight the war, and already we are surrendering to the terrorists. If we ban music, as the article says radio programmers are suggesting, next comes books, speech and ultimately thought; then, America no longer exists.

Patriotism has been revived after many years of unpopularity. Since Sept. 11, flying the flag and singing the Star Spangled Banner have become daily events, even in Grand Central Station during rush hour. Let's not display our love for this country while we chisel away at the very core of its greatness. What we need is not censorship, but the kind of freedom we have always enjoyed: the freedom to disagree, to think unpopular thoughts, to speak unpopular ideas, and to sing songs that express our feelings.
...PHYLLIS K. (letter Palm Beach Post 9/27)

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Why Did Jeb Warn of Terrorism in Florida on September 7?

On September 7 - 4 days before Florida-based terrorists attacked the US - Jeb Bush issued an unusual executive order. "Based on the potential massive damage to life and property that may result from an act of terrorism at a Florida port, the necessity to protect life and property from such acts of terrorism, and inhibiting the smuggling of illegal drugs into the State of Florida, the use of the Florida National Guard to support FDLE in accomplishing port security training and inspections is 'extraordinary support to law enforcement' as used in Section 250.06(4), Florida Statutes." Did Jeb know something the rest of us didn't know then - and still don't know now? http://sun6.dms.state.fl.us/eog_new/eog/orders/ 2001/
... demdailynews, 9/25

Thank you Cantor Fitzgerald!

WF, here is a letter that I sent to Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush, Frank Brogan, John McKay,Tom Feeney and several newspapers. ... I do not know if you saw the interview with Howard Lutnick, it was one of many with the WTC coverage. Larry Busby 

 

As with every tragedy, I try to find the good that can come of it. In the case of the world trade towers, It came in the form of Howard Lutnick the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald. His company was literally on top of the world. They were housed on the top floors of the tallest building in a city considered to be the center of trade for the world. He was the apex of the most profitable company in that building.

  I watched him being interviewed on world news, as he broke down in tears. Here was a very wealthy man who had everything a person could wish for. Numbers were his life, 700 employees were lost in the blink of an eye. He no longer sat at the top of the world, he no longer had 700 employees, and all his wealth no longer mattered, the bottom line seemed so unimportant. He had what some might call an epiphany. 

He made the statement that he and his four surviving employees were going to rebuild the business. However this time he would do it differently. He vowed that he was going to put emphasis on taking care of the people that work for him. Why do you suppose he made this statement, I believe he had come to realize that a business cannot function without people, let alone become profitable. I truly hope he lives up to this noble promise.

  In these times of corporate cutbacks and bottom lines I have watched as companies have forgotten about the human element. It has been a generation since companies have shown loyalty to their employees, which in turn as caused employees not to show any loyalty in return. 

There is no such thing as a career employee anymore. By the time an employee learns how to do their job, they are let go, so that a company does not have to pay higher wages and benefits. Or the employee moves on to another company that might offer better wages. Many companies have gone to using part time employees, why, its considered more profitable to have two employees that work less than forty hours a week with low wages and no benefits rather than have one person earning higher wages and receiving benefits. 

Companies have many ways of increasing the bottom line, another such way is to cut staffing all the while increasing their workload. If they do not perform, they are simply let go. Hey there are always some other eager beavers waiting in line to be chewed up and spit out. 

As a result of this CEO bottom line thinking, American workers are perceived as lazy and uncaring. Products and services in this country have taken a back seat to the bottom line. This typical CEO mentality has infiltrated into all aspects of our lives. 

CEO politicians are starting to do the same in state and federal governments, who will suffer as the result. Do you suppose the President may be rethinking some of his cutback thinking now, there are some Governors that have been doing the same to their states as well, look at Florida as an example. A Company or a government is only as good as the people who do the work.

  Yes, this was a very tragic event, unfortunately it often takes tragedies to bring about change. I am one American that prays that other CEO’s and CEO politicians take stock of the people that work for them. Thank you Cantor Fitzgerald for realizing the importance of the people that work for you. With this new found philosophy I believe that your company will come back stronger than the steel and concrete that used to house your company.
.... Larry Busby, 9/18/01

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• Changes we can make for a peaceful future
   
  There are doubtless many steps that could be taken to enhance security in the air.  Such steps might include, for example, enhancing the job status, motivation, training and supervision of ground personnel who are responsible for passenger and cargo security.   However, even if such steps were effective in preventing a recurrence of today's disasters, these steps would be of no benefit against the myriad other potential forms of terrorism, from the release of chemical and biological agents to attacks on nuclear reactors.
   
  The following are some steps we could take to reduce the likelihood of terrorist attacks in general:
   
  1.  Begin working now to end our dependence on petroleum.   A considerable portion of oil reserves lies in countries with unstable and autocratic political regimes.   Both the leaders of those regimes (like Saddam Hussein) and those who rebel against them (like Osama bin Laden) are likely to engage in violence, and they have the resources to do significant damage.  Reducing dependence on petroleum- through conservation and the development of solar energy- will reduce the revenues of these regimes while reducing global warming and enhancing the quality of life of everyone from the world's wealthiest to its poorest people.
   
  2.  Condition support for Israel on its immediate withdrawal from the occupied territories and implementation of an effective right of return (including a right of appeal to an international tribunal) for those Palestinians who have been forced out of their homes and off their land. Continuation of the current U.S. policy of virtually unconditional financial (at least $3 billion per year) and diplomatic support for Israel will almost inevitably continue to antagonize large segments of the Arab and Islamic world.
   
  3.  Reform the international banking system to eliminate havens for criminals.  The United States recently withdrew its support for efforts (initiated by the European Community) to eliminate such havens.  The current system makes it too easy for terrorists and their sponsors to maintain anonymous accounts in limitless amounts.
   
  4.  Osama bin Laden was trained to be a terrorist by the CIA, as were a number of other well-known terrorists.  The Taliban regime that shelters him is also the product of U.S. intervention in Afghanistan during the last days of the Cold War.  We should end our training of terrorists and all other unilateral violent interventions abroad.  We should also end arms sales, which feed violence and drain resources away from basic needs.
   
  5.  Most important, we should conduct our foreign policy in such a way as to reduce the number of  people in the world who are alienated to the point of murder and martyrdom, and who are likely to see us as a major source of their problems.  That means taking the side of those who are impoverished, subjugated and exploited, rather than of those who oppress them.
   
  It is commonly assumed that the rules of morality change at the water's edge, and that our role in the world should be determined by some version of "national interest" in which violence is acceptable as long as it is practiced by us, or by those we support.  However, we live in a world in which our borders no longer insulate us from outside threats, whether those threats take the form of pollution, climate change, the exhaustion of fisheries and other natural resources, infectious diseases or terrorist attacks.  In this new world, the traditional approach will not work any longer.
   
  Our true national interest is in a peaceful world.  However, in the absence of justice, there can be no true or lasting peace, and no real security.  By placing ourselves on the side of justice, we will slowly make the world a better and safer place for all who live in it, including ourselves and our children.
   ...Santiago G. Leon

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• WHY INSPIRE HATRED?
  

  I recall watching films of Daily Life in Germany during the early stages
  of WWII. It was incredible to me to see that the people in quaint
  outdoor cafes, conversing, flirting, and smiling politely to one
  another, deferring to the children and elderly for right of way as they
  mingled about were part of a society engaged in expansionist warfare and
  genocide. Yet, there they were, sipping their favorite beverages,
  enjoying one another's company, walking their pets, winking, blinking and
  nodding.

   

  They had families, friends, loved ones, favorite sports teams, clean
  homes, churches to attend. They worked diligently at various trades,
  professions, and crafts. They laughed, danced, went to theaters, made
  love and picnicked. They were a virtuous people, by in large, in their
  own eyes.

   

  They were also patriotic. Their brothers and sons and fathers were off
  somewhere doing their duty to serve their country. They cried in
  heart-felt grief when news of the death a beloved son, father, brother
  was brought by an apologetic officer. Sometimes they cried tears of
  pride and joy at commendations from a grateful government when welcoming a wounded friend back home.

   

  So do we, modern day Americans.

   

  They bombed! (Think Iraq, Yugoslavia) Enslaved! (Look at the label on
  your clothing.) Tortured! (Think School of the Americas) They saw
  themselves as superior to others! (Listen to AM talk radio.)

   

  I should point out that there were Germans from every walk of life who
  refused to succumb to the propaganda of their leaders. So too, there are
  such Americans. Many are on this list. I am more proud today of being a
  party to this new political party than I've ever been.  ....

   

  You're also savvy enough to know that I'm not comparing today's
  geo-political situation to that of the 40's. What I am pointing out is
  that the face of evil is seldom seen in the cultural mirror. (The
  missing question, still, in the face of 24hr analysis is: WHY does
  America INSPIRE such HATRED around the world?)

  ....JH, 9/15

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• Today, Let Us Dress Wounds

   

  "At this time, let us in the the pro-democracy movement give ourselves to the heart of democracy -- by sharing our best selves with those in pain, in need, in emergencies, and in unfathomable grief. Let us focus in the immediate on the spirit, the deeper soul and body of our nation -- to address, with loving hearts, minds and hands, our physical, moral and spiritual wounds, which wounds are so deep and many tonight. We are all suffering tonight, but others suffer more than we do. Let us help them. Let us suspend our grievances for a brief time, to focus on the well-being of our fellow human beings." So writes Michael Rectenwald, Founder of Citizens for Legitimate Government.
  http://www.legitgov.org/sept11_wounds.html

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• President Bush supports the polluters' wish list

  The Bush energy plan as passed by the House gives away $27 billion in taxpayer subsidies and tax breaks to the fossil fuel, auto and nuclear industries. The House bill would open the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling. At the same time, the House rejected an amendment to increase fuel economy standards for SUVs and light trucks, which would have conserved more than twice the amount that could ever be drilled in the Arctic Refuge.

  President Bush is also considering repealing a key element of the Clean Air Act that forces old and dirty power plants to meet modern pollution standards. In Florida, these old plants produce one-third of all smog-forming pollution and are responsible for 1,740 premature deaths. Without strict government standards, polluting power plants will have no incentive to upgrade their facilities.

  Sens. Graham and Nelson should oppose the polluters' wish list passed by the House and instead support energy policies that promote clean, renewable energy and increased energy efficiency.

  DAPHNE SORENSEN, Field Organizer, Florida PIRG

  flpirg@hotmail.com

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• Did the Administration Violate Laws?

  Gov. Bush allowed his former Chief Technology Officer, the one arrested by the Leon County Sheriff's Office, to remain on paid leave (administrative leave) for a period that exceeded the 20 calendar days allowed by Chapter 60K, Florida Administrative Code.  

  This violation is all too typical in this administration, where the apparent belief system allows those in power to accept, or reject, those laws and rules they choose.  

  Another example is the recent "laundering" of state computer equipment offered for sale to select DEP employees.  This equipment was "donated" to the United Way (whose director later was appointed as director of parks for DEP) and then the same equipment was "auctioned" off to select DEP employees, without the public being given an opportunity to participate in the auction.  

  Chapter 60L, Florida Administrative Code is supposed to regulate such improper transfers, but in this current administration, no one seems to care about laws or rules.  Where's the so-called "investigative reporters" out there? Are these folks blind?  Who enforces the laws when the Executive Office blatantly violates them? 
  ...TallahasseeLaw, 9/3/01

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• We get the government we deserve!

  Everyone knew what the Republican agenda was before the election.  No spending for social services of any kind, with everybody on their own in the myth of the "rugged American individualism," and the rejection of any sort of "government interference" in individual lives, which Americans so naively accept.

   

  Why did we elect Jeb Bush?  Was it his cute face?  Was it his political slogans of "JEB!" and "Protect Freedom, elect Bush!" They must have appealed to the electorate, and they demonstrate the intellectual and political maturity of the voters.  I know poor people, sick people, and even State Employees who voted for him!  We get the government we deserve!  Kaare B. Host, 8/29/01

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• Katherine Harris' overseas spending
  

  It appears that the Governor, the Senate President and the House Speaker will be appointing a committee to evaluate Katherine Harris' international expenditures.  This committee along with the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) will do this review. 
  Personally, I question the objectivity of the appointed committee and OPPAGA in doing this.  When looking at the whole picture, previous news articles have mentioned that Harris is the darling of republicans across the nation. 
  To further my point, Governor Jeb Bush, Senate President John McKay and House Speaker Tom Feeney are all republicans.  These three powerful republicans are personally appointing a committee along with OPPAGA to do this fiscal evaluation of Katherine Harris's spending.  You do the math.

  
  

  To make matters even more questionable, OPPAGA is an Office who is highly influenced (though they would never admit it) by the Florida Legislature who just so happened to be headed by republicans.  I have even heard them with my own ears refer to members of the Florida Legislature as the "Legislature and their infinite wisdom."  To me this within itself presents great questions of biases and unobjective thinking.  This is nothing more than a case of the republicans attempting to evaluate their own spending. A blind person can clearly see this blatant conflict of interest.  This is unfair to all Florida tax payers.  I end my statement by asking these questions: Why aren't the democrats more involved in this investigation?  Exactly, what economic impact does Katherine Harris' visits to other countries have on Florida?

   

  ... The Florida Government Watcher, 8/23/01

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• Cotterell's analysis: mostly fluff, little substance

  By Abe Schestopol
  

  To paraphrase his own title, Bill Cotterell's Aug. 16 column (“In politics, style often beats substance") is full of fluff and contains no substance. He believes that fluff, which he chooses to call "style," will carry the incumbent governor to re-election in 2002. "Visual images of a young, vigorous governor," as he puts it.

  But governors in Florida are not elected by either fluff or style. They are elected by quantitative results as promulgated by the Florida secretary of state. Nowhere in his article does Cotterell address any quantitative considerations whatsoever.

  Here are some quantitative considerations that he fails to take into account:

  Registered voters: There are thousands more registered Democrats in Florida than Republicans. If the Democratic officials in the state do their part, as they did in the recent presidential election against a "young, vigorous" opponent, the incumbent will not be elected.

   

  • The presidential election: If all who voted in Florida during the past presidential election go to the polls and vote the way they did previously, the incumbent will lose the election, provided their votes are counted. If you doubt that, ask Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who voted to stop the counting last December.

    A considerable number of voters, who know from the recent expose in The New York Times that they were cheated out of their victory, can't wait to cast their votes again. Add to the above the many thousands of votes that were thrown out, year after year, in Central Florida and Duval County, as a result of the dysfunctional election process. This time around, the dysfunction will have been eliminated or safeguards will be provided, all to the benefit of the Democratic Party.

  • Education: As pointed out by Phillip Bunnell in his Aug. 17 letter to the editor, most of the people in the teaching profession are not going to vote for the incumbent, and that also goes for most of their spouses and adult family members. If you doubt that, just mention "accountability" and "vouchers" to any teacher. Not that they are against being accountable, but both phrases do not imply any positive contribution, or assistance, to the harried teacher in the classroom.
  • State workers: Again from Bunnell, no state worker is going to vote for the incumbent, and that also goes for spouses, adult family members and any friends who will listen. Here is an e-mail comment that I recently received: "The state workforce is a dedicated workforce that is being auctioned off to the highest bidder. . . . People that work with me are afraid to speak out . . . . It is like living in Russia, and you are afraid to speak out for retaliation. The functions that have been privatized . . . are costing Floridians more money than ever before."
  • Affirmative action: The minority community, en masse, will be voting against the incumbent, notwithstanding what Cotterell tells us about the governor's being surrounded by ethnically diverse tokens in his photo ops.
  • Board of Regents: As Willie Roberts tells us so eloquently in his Aug. 17 My View column: "I predict that this (new) system will remove Florida from the forefront of education in our nation." Although he was speaking directly to FAMU's situation, there are thousands of Floridians who are upset over the elimination of the Board of Regents. Florida's senior senator, Bob Graham, is so upset he is mounting a petition drive to put retention of the Board of Regents to a vote as a constitutional amendment. Thousands who sign these petitions are not going to vote for the incumbent.

    Finally, prognosticating elections, as Bill did, is a dangerous endeavor. In that great graveyard of magazines in the sky are the remains of The Literary Digest, the publication that predicted that Alf Landon would win a landslide victory over Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.

    The reasoning was very similar to Cotterell's. Alf Landon, an agriculturist, spoke like a man of the people. Roosevelt had a nasal, patrician accent that was so thick every aspiring comic made fun of it. The Republican platform stressed accountability and a balanced budget. The Democrats' platform was to help people fight the Depression. Roosevelt won, and The Literary Digest went out of business. Thus, looking at the forthcoming election from the point of view of fluff, or style, is pointless. Only the numbers count. And if you add them up, they don't look too good for the incumbent.

  • Tallahassee retiree Abe Schestopol, who voted Democrat in the 1936 election, can be reached at abe@schestopol.com

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• Editorial: Two scoops of audacity

  The Palm Beach Post  Sunday, August 19, 2001

  The acronym is DROP, which is appropriate, because Florida taxpayers' jaws must drop when they hear about it.

  Several years ago, in an attempt to encourage early retirement among state employees, the Legislature created the Deferred Retirement Option Program. State workers who had 30 years' experience or were at least 62 could sign up and receive a lump-sum payout followed by a monthly pension. The catch was that the employee had to quit five years after signing up.

  Though the public doesn't always think of them that way, elected officials also are state employees. And this year, the Legislature changed DROP to eliminate the retire-after-five-years rule -- but the change applies only to elected officials, not to prison guards, teachers or health inspectors. The change allows politicians who meet the requirements to double dip in the most audacious way. They can collect retirement while still on the job.

  As The Post reported last week, Palm Beach County Commissioner Addie Greene could collect about $350,000 in 2006 if she signs up this year and wins reelection in 2004. She's been on the state payroll for more than three decades. Her colleague, Burt Aaronson, also up for reelection in three years, could get $86,000 in one pop and $1,500 monthly in retirement pay for the job from which he would not have retired. They are Democrats, but to show just how bipartisan the issue is, the change was sponsored by Sen. Locke Burt, a Republican who is running for attorney general.

  Commissioner Greene says she would be "stupid" to pass up such a deal. The public, which is paying for such a deal, might think it's not only "stupid" but greedy for such a deal to exist. The state should take it back.

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• Re: "In politics, style often beats substance" by Bill Cotterell (Capital Curmudgeon, Aug. 16).

  He says that despite the Republican Party's approach, it will win because the public doesn't want substance. I think Bill needs to understand that we, the public, make our decisions about what we want based on the information we get from the press and TV. And what's fed to us is Republican propaganda from Republican-big-business-controlled media.

  Bill is right: Mondale, Dukakis and Gore lost the media battle. They had to because it was so one-sided.

  But when George's cocaine days were brought up, the issue was put away when he refused to talk about it. And his failures in businesses, including bankruptcies, were hardly mentioned.

  So once again, here are our media - in the form of Republican Bill - telling us not to bother, Jeb's going to win anyway. Bill doesn't want to mention that most of the black and Hispanics this state are not going to vote for Jeb. Nor are most of the teachers. Plus, a huge number of the 600,000 state employees and their families and their friends.

  But it was a nice try, Bill. You should be getting a check from Jeb any day now.
  ...PHILLIP BUNNELL, 8/17 (letter to Tallahassee Democrat)

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• Gov. Bush's annoyance is misdirected, it appears

  A story in The Gainesville Sun and other state newspapers (Aug. 1) 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)

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• School Voucher Movement is Fueled by Handful of Ultra-Wealthy Donors and Conservative Front Groups

  If anyone has the idea that the push for school vouchers represents
  some sort of "grass roots" movement, think again. A new report by the
  American Assoc. of School Administrators finds that just three
  bigshot donors and 9 foundations (many of them conservative agenda
  front groups, like the Scaife Foundation) are behind the movement.
  The report concludes: "The public ballot initiatives for publicly-
  supported private school vouchers are financed primarily by a handful
  of very wealthy individual donors." Funds are channeled mostly into
  the foundations, "each of which advocates for the voucher cause and
  spreads its message via the Internet, media campaigns, listserves,
  court challenges and action networks. Given the wealth behind each
  voucher group, we can expect the voucher movement to continue to
  prosper." At the expense, of course, of the average American child.
  http://www.aasa.org/government_relations from demdailynews 8/5/01

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• Media front pages = opinion as News, and headlines don't always tell the story

  Friday's Tallahassee Democrat should finally put to rest any thoughts anyone had about the newspaper being part of the typical liberal media.

  On the front page, the Democrat published an article about President Bush's "victories." The best part is that this isn't even news, it's analysis. That's right folks, it's somebody's opinion. But we're trying to help out the Republican cause here, so it's OK to put it on the front page with all the other extremely important news such as the unending saga of poor Rudy Maloy's travails. What, no Condit news?

  Then the local section has two great articles favoring the Republican cause, one about Gov. Bush gaining ground in popularity. At the end, we read "Overall, Bush's job performance declined slightly since the last poll in February." But for the people who just read headlines, you've done your job.

  Best of all is the article about the Health agency losing key top leaders. Nowhere in this article is the truth even hinted at, and that's where it favors the Republican cause. The truth is that all these people are leaving because they are either being eliminated by Service First or they're going to be in the near future.
  ... Phillip Bunnell, letter to TallahasseeDemocrat 8/4/01

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• "Election 2004" http://www.angelfire.com/my/politics/index.html

   

  I'm in the process of doing some updates and text tweaks to make "Election 2004" more informative and invigorating for voters, and within a few weeks I should have all of my GOP alternatives (meaning Repubs other than Dubya) up and profiled. I wish the Republican Party could scrounge up enough brain cells (I know, oxymoronic when referring to the GOP  ;-P ) to nominate someone other than Bush, because it would really improve the image of their party (I know, no direction to go but up) from a strategic standpoint, plus it would be better for the country as a whole. But who knows? Maybe the Dems' 2002 congressional sweep will actually teach them a thing or two about what it means to be a candidate. At any rate, every little bit helps, so I'm doing my part online. We may not get an ideal president, but at least we can do better than the "choices" *cough!* from the last election.
  One final thing...I just found out about a new virus wrecking havoc on the Internet...it’s called w32.sircam.worm@mm
  Go here to download the tool that will help you detect it in (and remove it from, if need be) your computer, if your computer has been infected.
  http://www.symantec.com/avcenter
  This is NOT a joke! I used this virus-removal tool to successfully delete 64 infected files (which I was unaware of) from my computer, and now my hard-drive is 100% virus-free!!!  :)   I'm just glad I caught it before it got any worse - - I had no idea my hard drive was infected (that's how elusive the nature of this virus is, as it won't show up on regular virus scans) until a friend told me so. Anyway, I'm passing the info along to the rest of you, since from what I understand, this bugger is pretty widespread.

   

  Be sure to install this on your computer...it’s a handy tool to run to fight against the Worm virus.  After you run it the first time, restart your computer in “Safe” Mode by pressing F5 as soon as you turn your machine back on).  Be sure to send this to everyone you know, so they can arm themselves against the Worm Menace.  :-P

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• State workers deserve better!
  Hello.  I am a lifelong Florida resident(44), and though not employed by the State of Florida now, have worked as an OPS worker in the distant past, and I have many friends who are State of Florida employees.  I agree with the statement in the introductory portion of the site, that questions the validity of "my florida" as the title for the current state website ­ and think the title of your website is brilliant!  Florida is currently in the hands of a scary person, one who uses his father's position and techniques to deal behind the scenes in various shady, if legal ways.  The disenfranchised, aka "powerless" among us flee the governmental/elections process out of feelings of frustration and helplessness.  It has become a dirty word to be considered a liberal-thinker in Florida these days.
  It is about time for all people who still believe in using whatever grassroots means are available to us: our hands, our voices, our talents...to fight the machine that is the current Bush/Republican conglomerate.  They have protected their own in large, taxpayer financed compounds for far too long.
  Best of luck with your website!  I will be keeping an eye on it, surely!!  ....MLTM. 8/2/01

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• Bush has abandoned ethical and moral common sense

  The Jeb Bush administration has abandoned ethical and moral common sense in order to appease the tobacco industry, and now it brags about accomplishing a financial coup for the people of Florida.
  This is nothing short of high treason against Florida taxpayers. No amount of income for the state coffers can justify investment in the tobacco industry.
  The people of Florida should soundly condemn this action and Gov. Bush should stop this woeful affront to our health.
  In addition, the Florida Legislature should make it illegal to smoke in all public places, most importantly in our restaurants.
  ...THE REV. THOMAS D. MCMULLEN - letter in Tally Democrat

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• Here are some interesting reports from the Florida PEER archives:
  

  JEB BUSH'S LOADED SURVEY FOR "REFORMING" GROWTH MANAGEMENT IN FLORIDA.1/14/00
  
  Watchdog Keeps Eye on Environment 9/1/97
  Press Release: Jeb Bush's Secret Plan for More Development in Florida
  3/10/00
  PEER Survey: Florida DEP Employees Speak Out 1999
  PEER Report on "Growth Management" in Florida
  http://www.peer.org/press/slapp.html
  http://www.peer.org/action/pr_070997_flwetlands.html
   FL Businessman Threatened for Growth Management SupportJeb Bush Conducts Sham Survey on Development2/00
  http://www.peer.org/action/pr_100997_crimerefferral.html
  Florida DEP Manager Removed -3/98
   Florida Homebuilders Association Spies on Audobon Email
  Florida's Submerged Lands in Trouble
   Florida Environmental Cops Handcuffed

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