Questions seeking Responses Check the new WhoseFlorida for updates

• Recently, I learned that my father (deceased for two years), had written a letter years ago to the governor about some improprieties of the Okaloosa Island Authority, (now defunct) in re holding secret meetings, etc. 
   
  My father's letter prompted an investigation, which according to my source, resulted in the first "sunshine" law to be written. 
   
  How would I go about finding a copy of this letter and/or information on this event?  I am guessing that this was circa 1967, but I don't really know. 
   
  The letter was written by Wiley Benjamin Hill, Jr. of Okaloosa County, (my dad), and I really would like to know more about this for sentimental reasons.
  Thank you, 
  Margaret M. Harris
  Researching Family History One Leaf at a Time 8/28/02
  http://margmariehome.homestead.com/

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• Indy filmmaker globalvision.org seeks footage of Florida election 2000.
  

  I am looking for footage of election day in 2000. We at globalvision.org are in the final stages of editing a documentary film about voting rights in the 2000 election.

  We're looking for additional footage showing some of the problems voters encountered with the voting process. 

  If you can help us get in touch with any independent media source (ie camera person, local tv, etc) who may have captured relevant scenes, it will be so much appreciated!  Please reach me at production@globalvision.org  My name is Dan. Thanks so much.

  Update 7/11/02:

  Get over it? Not this filmmaker
  Documentary reviews the 2000 election.
  Even with the presumption of inevitability that many news organizations deservedly were criticized for promoting, the record-breaking $100 million that it took to buy the White House almost wasn't enough. "We have a president who owes his election more to a dynasty than to democracy," said Chairman Julian Bond at the NAACP's 93rd annual convention this week.- Presidential candidate George W. Bush had wooed that group before he lost the November 2000 popular election by more than a half-million votes nationwide. He would have lost Florida's popular vote -- and the presidency -- had all the ballots that voters cast been registered.- 
  For Americans who consider it a patriotic duty to ensure that every citizen has an equal opportunity to vote and to have his or her vote counted, restoring confidence in the electoral process means looking first at Florida. That's what Faye Anderson has done as producer of Counting on Democracy....

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• Request for Analysis
  
  Am interested in analysis of the DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program).
  
  The January 2002 issue of The Florida Commerce Credit Union includes an advertisement titled "DROP outs welcome at Florida Commerce."    The advertisement includes the statement "The conditions of your employment don't change when you choose to enter the DROP program."   
  
  On page 8 of the Deferred Retirement Option Program bulletin published by the Division of Retirement, Legislative Affairs, Policy & Communications, November 1998, the following question and answer appears:  
  
  "Am I guaranteed employment if I am enrolled in DROP?
  
  "No, your employment status is not changed by DROP participation.   You may quit or your employer may terminate you in the same manner as before DROP participation."
  
  Are these statements (one from a private company) accurate?    Have some agencies of statement government begun using participation in DROP as a way to retire "retired" employees?    Do procedural requirements for termination apply to DROP participants or have DROP participants agreed that they no longer are covered by agency policy?  CATRONJ@aol.com 
    
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• State Responses to Tight Fiscal Conditions

  Short-Term Fixes May Backfire if the Economy Does Not Soon Recover; Cyclical Downturn Masks Structural Problems in Some States
  "....When revenue growth declines, state policymakers are forced to make tough choices about how to balance their budgets. They can reduce spending, raise taxes, spend down reserves, or rely on short-term fixes.  Each of these choices has implications for the public who rely on government programs. 
  If decisions about revenue and spending are not made in a thoughtful way, the consequences can be especially severe for low-income and other vulnerable populations who are often the hardest-hit by a slowing economy...."
  ... More (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

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• Can Oppaga truly be an independent body?
  
  I have reviewed the work of OPPAGA over the years and am perplexed by what seems to be a lack of true scientific methodologies when the agency conducts performance reviews of state agencies.

   

  As a researcher, this frightens me to know that some key decisions will be made based upon research that is not research.

   

  I also have to question whether OPPAGA, which is an office of the Legislature, can truly be objective in its reports.  From information that I've gathered from former employees of OPPAGA, it seeks input from the Legislature on projects.  This is good as the Legislature is a major stakeholder, but what concerns me is whether or not OPPAGA reports what is rather than what wants to be heard.

   

  OPPAGA also claims to to seek cost savings and reports that it has saved the state millions of tax dollars over the past 6 or so years.  Where is the money that this agency has saved?  Have tax rates decreased as a result of OPPAGA studies?  Have agencies improved efficiency and effectiveness? 
  This remains to be seen.
  ...Florida Government Insider, 8/21/01

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• Why not use the site and cooperating links as a means to create an internet citizen's committee?

  
  To Whom This Concerns:

   

  I have enjoyed reading and participating in the work of your website.  It presents great opportunities to define, direct and energize ideas which could help restore and renew the public's confidence in the workings of state and local government.

   

  That said, I have a proposal for you.   Why not use the site and cooperating links as a means to create an internet citizen's committee?  The work of the committee would be to identify and measure public opinion on a variety of topics.  A market research survey instrument, similar to the ones routinely used by PIRG, would be employed to determine potential voter interest and response to  SPECIFIC issues such as environmental policy and growth, conflict of interest and ethical standards, the role of nolo contendere judgments in civil cases, the internet disclosure of campaign contributions by all elected officials whoever they may be, etc.

   

  The political, if not clinical destination, of this initiative is to develop a means of making public the all too private practices of elected officials, to develop specific voter referendums and resultant state and, potentially, federal legislation.

   

  The motivation behind this is painfully simple.  While everyone knows the Founding Fathers were all landed developers of one kind or another, they invented a remarkably public enterprise, defending their creation and its ideals with their lives. 

   

  Today, their local equivalents simply exploit them--meeting after meeting, contribution after contribution--cynically structuring their public policies and practices around the repayment and enrichment of themselves and their political base.  Jokes about GW as King George stopped being funny when he was governor.

   

  Unlike 1776, modern Florida neither has the land nor the time to repair itself.  We are, I feel, in the last Great Taking of this state.  And there have been many.  From Columbus to Jackson to Flagler to Merrick and Plant, they have come.  And they are coming still.  It is not all paved over yet, though the Georgia line is now in sight.

   

  Amidst the centuries of destruction,  there is--however thin--still hope.  But to undo and otherwise right the many wrongs that have and are still being done, the course has to be smart and deliberate and sure.  Otherwise, political reaction will surely destroy what is left--come the next election, if not before.  WhoseFlorida.com can tangibilize that hope and be an agent for great and positive change.
  ....Joel B. McEachern, 7/23

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• How many gubernatorial appointments has Gov. Bush made?

  
  I am interested in finding out exactly how many appointments Gov. Bush is responsible for making. The number should include everyone from the Secretary of State to the numerous boards and committees created to advise and supervise everything from early childhood education to elderly care, from environmental issues to the work force. I would also like a comparison number of appointments made by Gov. Chiles during his last full year in office.

  The point of this exercise is two fold. First, to determine how much "local control" the Republicans have given back to communities. Of course, I am being facetious here. The "local control" is in the hands of the cronies he appoints to these positions. In addition, he has shunned the knowledgeable individuals that have dedicated a lifetime to learning and growing in their respective professions. Further, he (with the help of his legislative worshipers) has succeeded in giving any reigning governor complete control over every aspect of Florida life by being able to appoint those who think like him/her to positions in which they can make the same decisions that he/she would make. I have come to the conclusion that the only time our Republican legislature is concerned about "local control" is when they want to dodge responsibility for their negligence, abuse and ignorance of any given issue they are trying to "fix."

  Second, I am curious as to the percentage of the population that is now elevated by these "prestigious" gubernatorial appointments. (Ever notice the root word there? But, I digress.) I wonder if anyone has ever considered the term "feudalism" in connection with current Florida politics. Webster defines the word this way (the italics are mine); the economic and social system in medieval Europe, (Florida) in which land, (money and power) worked by serfs, (those of us who have to work for a living) was held by vassals (political party donors or affiliates and corporate bigwigs) in exchange for military and other services (what our government is suppose to be providing in exchange for our tax dollars) to overlords.--(Say it with me--JEB!)

  Now that I have detailed why I seek this information, is there anyone that may be able to help me find it?
  ..... jacque, 7/19

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• What's up at Dept of Community Affairs?
  Other than Emergency Management Services (disaster relief planning), will there be any Department left after July1, 2001?
  Will there be anyone left to oversee the remains of Florida's Growth Management Plan?
  Is 2001 heralding the swan song of "Old Florida?" -  the final lap into "Land Developer's Heaven?"
  How much money has St Joe / Arvida made during the JEBush  tenure?
  They have 800,000 acres to develop in North Florida, and Disney trained directors...
  Will theme parks replace reality in Florida? Is Key West really in Orlando?
  ... where's the outrage?, 6/7/01

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• Now that the legislative session is over we should be watching how it all plays out.  Some questions we might be looking at:
  
  
  • Who's getting the big state contracts resulting from the privatization of our jobs?  On any of the state services?
    • Was there competitive bidding on the contract?
    • Did the money stay in Florida, or go out of state?
    • Lines of political influence in the legislation related to this service or in the award of the contract?

       

  • Is the same level of service being provided by the contractor as was provided by the state?  If so,
    • Is it costing us more?
    • Are more or less Floridians being served?
    • Are people benefiting more or less from the service?
    • Are we satisfied with the results?
    • Are the reported performance measures accurate reflections of the unit's performance or skewed to look good?

     

  • As the 25% state job cutback (the "exercise") unfolds, what is the impact on the remaining workers?
    • Is there an increase in workload?
    • Are services being scaled back?
      • How essential are these services?
    • How many positions is your unit short? 
    • Is your agency/division/bureau able to monitor contracted services satisfactorily?

   

  • We need first of all to establish benchmarks for comparison
    • The agency section  can house reports from the governmental side of the equation
    • As the regional pages go up, they can reflect the impact on the live of people living in that area. 
      
      
  • Please email us with 
    • any groups, websites, media outlets, etc. that you think WhoseFlorida can partner with in this effort 
    • additional lines of research
    • any other ideas or suggestion you may have

     

• If the files from the CD containing the "7000 emails the governor received from workers about service first" are posted in their entirety, as they are claimed to be, what happened to the rest?
  

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MORE: (please scroll down)

• I saw an item about the Legislature voting itself a pay raise, in connection with Service First. Not doubting it, but where's that? I clicked on the underscored link and nothing happened. there was one non-serious amendment by Skip Campbell that said the legislative salary would be equal to that of a parttime legis analyst in Dept of Education (in other words, Struhs' wife's salary, $35,000) But except for the 2.5 percent everybody else got Nov. 1, I was unaware of any legislative pay raise. Wudn't put it past 'em tho ... bc
  • This is the posting referred to (the link worked for us, but the rest of the information needs to be posted once you're there - WhoseFlorida did not find the amendment # 920804 listed):
    
    The legislature just added a pay raise for themselves, equal to Jeb's Advisors sister who just got the job with Department of Education..  session-Bills Online Sunshine.htm 
    S466    GENERAL BILL/CS by Governmental Oversight and Productivity; Garcia; (COSPONSORS) Sanderson; Bronson; Sebesta  SENATE AMENDMENT Bill No. CS for SB 466  Amendment No. ___ Barcode 920804    5/1/01
    
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• Hello, WhoseFlorida:
   
  This is Joe Humphrey at The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. I'm looking for any feedback regarding to 2001 budget, which eliminated the funding for tuition waivers for state employees.
   
  In the past two years, the state has given $9.5 million to help pay the costs associated with educating state employees. This year, the State University System sought that $9.5 million plus an additional $7.7 million to cover the remaining costs of the program, which was created in 1979.
   
  But in the budget, approved last week, there is no money allocated for this program. News of that has been overshadowed by the Service First news, but I figured I would run this by you to find out what you think. I would suspect that state employees, as a rule, are not happy about this.
   
  Joe Humphrey The Florida Times-Union 904-359-4619 ~ FAX 904-359-4478 jhumphrey@jacksonville.com ~/~/~
  

   

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