Miami Bush Brothers Protest

The Bush Brothers Visit to Miami

 

First of all folks, I must remind everyone that the City of Miami Police, the Coral Gables Police and the Secret Service did not divulge President's Bush travel itinerary to Miami's residents - AT ALL! Not even on the day that President Bush visited Miami!

 

I was able to retrieve some information via my contacts in the Coral Gables police department and folks who forwarded me information that they had retrieved one way or the other.

 

Also, my contacts in the Miami Herald newspaper told me that that not even the Miami news media was provided with Bush's itinerary AND the Secret Service ended-up placing them along side us during our Coral Gables fundraising protest!  Now that was different.

 

The only function which we definitely knew was going to take place was the Republican fundraiser held in Coral Gables Estates, the home of super Cuban right-winger, Armando Codina.

 

Do you all know that President Bush ended-up using every single police officer in all of Miami and then some, during his visit?  Roads to every event in which Bush showed-up was blocked for hours before and after he arrived!

 

The main roads leading to and from our protest on LeJeune Road and U.S. 1 was stopped to a "stand-still".  I saw many people getting out of their cars and just walking around.  They were NOT happy to say the least.

 

Our many African-American and Haitian-American protestors who reside in the North Miami area, were unable to get to our Gables protest, due to the fact that the main roads were blocked.  No one could get immediately through!

 

And in spite of everything, including the rain and the fact that the Miami-Dade Democrats were having their elections for a new Chairman, ( http://www.miami.com/mld/miami/3308513.htm  ), approx. 130 folks showed-up to protest the Bush brothers at Ingraham Park. And were we ever loud, colorful, and vocal!!  Lol.

 

My husband and I in our efforts to try to get to the Miami-Dade Democrat election meeting, quite by accident, saw President Bush and his entourage of mostly police and Secret Servicemen, pass right by us, leaving to go back to Miami Int'l. airport.

 

Folks, our taxpayer's money went to pay for President Bush's 24-car, 45-motorcycle presidential motorcade!!

 

BUSH, WHAT WERE YOU SO AFRAID OF THAT YOU NEEDED A TOTAL OF 69 TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES TO PROTECT YOU WHILE YOU TRAVELED TO AND FROM YOUR MIAMI DESTINATION(S)?

 

Btw, the media in their reports counted African-Americans and Haitian-Americans as one group. Our wonderful Haitian community being the largest group there.  That's the 100 folks they mentioned in their news reports.  The rest (approximately 25-30 folks) were Janet Reno supporters, Democrats, and Union people. Oh, and there was a Cuban man at our protest who made it a point to tell the news media that not all Cubans supported Bush.

 

Btw, I would like to thank NAACP President, Dr. Brad Brown; Haitian-American community leaders Marleine Bastien & Jean Robert LaFortune; ACLU Attorney's Cheryl Little & David Skovholt, ASCFME members & Janet Reno campaign supporters, Tangela & Chanel; March for Justice President, Nidal Sakr; Deborah Dion and Terry Gavalda of We-ALL-Count, and Monica Russo of the Unions, just to mention a few, for their tremendous support and participation in our protest.

 

Oh and another thing, the James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami seats 5,000.  The Republicans were only able to fill approx. 4,000 seats.  They couldn't even give away the tickets!  Now, why wasn't that reported in the news??

 

Oh, and I have one last thing left to say:

 

Hasta La Vista, Jeb!!  Because You are THROUGH in 2002!!

 

Vilma Fox :) 5/22/02

Contact information of Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections David C. Leahy. PLEASE everybody and this includes all of you who reside outside of Florida, let Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor David Leahy know how you feel!! Because bottom line, we were ALL disenfranchised. Our votes weren't counted no matter what skin color we happen to be. And it looks like it may happen again come November! And we certainly do not want to end up with a Bush again!! Thank You. Vilma Fox 

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/3251223.htm  


Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections 
David C. Leahy 
Stephen P. Clark Center 
111 N.W. 1 Street, Suite 1910 
Miami, FL 33128-1906 
Tel. 305-375-3150 or 305-375-3151 
FAX 305-375-2525 
E-mail: grs@miamidade.gov 
Web-Site:  www.elections.metro-dade.com 

     

 

STOP THE U.S. WAR AGAINST AFGHANISTAN!

Bob Kunst will be in front of the Wyndham Hotel at 16th and Biscayne

Blvd. in Miami at 8 AM on Tues., Dec. 4, 2001 when Cruella speaks at

a breakfast for the Trade Promotion Authority. He writes:

"JAIL TO THE THIEF-KATHERINE HARRIS-WHO STOLE THE ELECTION" will be one of my signs.

If any of you can join with me that would be terrific. It's #186

protest/event since Nov. 7, 2000.

I intend to follow her with this message as she runs for Congress and

to be a consistent reminder that Gore won this State and the Election

and Bush is illegitimate."
.... Bob Kunst, 12/3

Forum: The war against Afghanistan and US foreign policy - Anti-war perspectives. 

 

Broward antiwar coalition 

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Alerts:

Everglades `polluter pays' concept is endangered TALLAHASSEE -- In 1996, nearly two-thirds of Florida's voters endorsed a constitutional amendment to force polluters to pick up the tab to clean up Florida's fabled River of Grass.--But five years later, the revolutionary ``polluter pays'' provision is nothing more than words in the state Constitution, and homeowners in the Everglades watershed -- from Orlando to Key West -- continue to pay most of the costs that environmentalists say Big Sugar should bear.

Storm watchers keep eyes on 'Hebert Box'
MIAMI - It's the heart of the hurricane season and here's a tip for the faint of heart: If you want an early and generally reliable indication of whether a storm in the Atlantic is destined to bang on your front door as a major hurricane, keep an eye on the Hebert Box 8/26

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• Federal Judge Denies Injunction; Environmentalists Hope That Decision Is Final Blow For Homestead Airport
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    CONTACT: Monday, May 9, 2001 Jonathan Ullman, Sierra Club 305-860-9888 (o) 305-283-6070 (c)
  
  Washington ­ Supporters of a commercial airport proposed for the site of the former Homestead Air Force Base, 25 miles south of Miami and less than 8 miles from Biscayne and Everglades National Parks, were dealt a huge blow today when Judge Paul L. Friedman of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia rejected their request for an injunction.
   
  The three environmental organizations, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Sierra Club, and the Tropical Audubon Society, that had intervened in the lawsuit consider the opinion a “home run” for such an early point in the legal battle.  “The airport isn’t quite dead yet, but it’s only being kept alive by life support,” said Bradford H. Sewell, senior project attorney for NRDC. “It’s time for Miami-Dade County to stop wasting taxpayer dollars and abandon the lawsuit, just as the City of Homestead has urged.”
   
  “Today’s decision is one more victory for common sense.  An airport with 600 flights a day over the Everglades was an abomination,” said Jonathan Ullman with the Sierra Club.  “Now we will need to make sure whatever is developed at Homestead protects the national parks and is consistent with Everglades restoration."
   
  On January 16, 2001, the Air Force issued a “Record of Decision,” ruling against the proposed Homestead airport and supporting use of the base property for mixed commercial and residential uses.  Although environmentalists had requested a direct transfer to the U.S. Department of Interior for which the federal government would have received mineral rights in exchange in exchange for allowing mixed use development of the property, the Air Force rejected that request and ruled that Miami Dade County would be given the property for free, but only for mixed use redevelopment.  The City of Homestead has already expressed its support for the mixed use project.  Supporters of the airport, including the Homestead Air Base Developers Inc. (HABDI) and Miami-Dade County, filed suit in Washington seeking to reverse the Air Force’s decision.  The lawsuit included a request for an injunction that would postpone deadlines contained in the Record of Decision while the lawsuit was under consideration.  These deadlines related to when the County would need to submit its plans for a mixed-use development.
   
  “The Judge completely rejected the County’s arguments on the merits,” said Paul Schwiep, an attorney for the Sierra Club, NRDC and Tropical Audubon Society.  “At every turn, the judge cast doubts on the County’s case and therefore denied the injunction.  Although the case isn’t over yet, the County’s claims have been dealt a near fatal blow.”
   
  The federal court rejected the plaintiffs’ request for such an injunction because they had failed to show a substantial likelihood of prevailing in the litigation.  Specifically, the court ruled, the Air Force’s decision to reject the airport was “reasoned” and demonstrated that the Air Force had attempted to “balance the goals of economic development and environmental protection.”  In addition, the County and prospective airport developers failed to make the necessary showing that they would be “irreparably” harmed from proceeding with both the litigation and the mixed use development application process.
   
  Because Miami-Dade County must submit plans to the Air Force on how it intends to construct a mixed-use development at the air base by October 2001, continuing with the lawsuit will place the County in the difficult, albeit not “irreparable,” position of fighting the very development it is planning for.  For such reasons, in addition to the quite clear pronouncements by the federal court that the lawsuit was a losing proposition, environmentalists hope that the denial of the injunction request and the accompanying opinion will end the airport crusade.
   
  “The County’s back is against the wall,” said Don Chinquina from the Tropical Audubon Society.   “The public and now the court have sent a very strong message.  It’s time to admit that the idea of an airport in one of America’s most treasured locations is dead.”
  Contacts:
  ? Bradford H. Sewell, Natural Resources Defense Council, 212/727-4507,cell 718/219-0493
  ? Paul J. Schwiep, Esq., Trial Counsel to NRDC, the Sierra Club, and Tropical Audubon Society 305/858-2900 x33 (office), 305-495-3833 (cell) 
  ? Frank Jackalone, Sierra Club senior Florida field representative,
  727/804-1317 (cell) or Jonathan Ullman, Sierra Club regional field representative, 305/860-9888, cell 305/283-6070
  ? Don Chinquina, Tropical Audubon Society, co-chair of the Everglades Coalition, 305/666-2842
  ? Kevin Collins, National Parks Conservation Association, 202/223-6722

  
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  Sarasota Alliance for Safe Foods

  I would like to tell you about a grassroots group I've co-founded in Sarasota.  Sarasota Alliance for Safe Foods (SASF) is educating our community about the human health and environmental hazards of genetically engineered (GE) foods.

   

  Please see our web-site at:
  http://www.protectorganic.org/sasf/index.htm for more information.

   

  Florida, due to its powerful axis of quasi-public research universities, is one of the key research centers for this so-called technology.  SASF is hoping to create a genuine statewide effort to help educate people about the hazards of GE foods and to achieve a marketplace removal of GE foods from the grocery shelves.

   

  We are part of a national coalition called the GE-Free Supermarkets Coalition; we are the Southeast regional representative.  Our regional grocery target is Publix Supermarket.  We have formally asked Publix to remove GE foods from its own brands.

   

  Please see:
  http://www.protectorganic.org/sasf/publixreport.htm for more on this campaign.
  Note: I'll be adding more content about the Publix campaign in the next few days.

   

  I would be most grateful if you would consider adding a link from your site to the SASF site.

   

  Thank you very much.

   

  Jason Boehk
  co-founder, Sarasota Alliance for Safe Foods
  member, Sarasota County Green Party

   

  Sarasota Alliance for Safe Foods
  PO Box 21511
  Sarasota, FL 34276-4511
  (941) 921-3330
  www.protectorganic.org
  admin@protectorganic.org 

   

  League of Women Voters Ethics&Accountability: Campaign finance vote Tuesday, April 23 

  
  
  BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS VOTES TOMORROW (APRIL 23) ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTING
  
  Commissioner Jimmy Morales has proposed to the Board of County Commissioners an ordinance which would contain the following language:
  
  "Each candidate for the Office of Miami-Dade County Mayor, the Office of Commissioner of Miami-Dade County, the Miami-Dade County Fire Board and Miami-Dade County Community Council shall include in his or her Campaign Treasurer's Report, as required by section 106.07, Florida Statutes, and Section 12-17 of the Code the following additional information: THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF EACH CONTRIBUTOR'S EMPLOYER [emphasis supplied] where the contribution is one hundred dollars ($100.00) or more."
  
  The proposed ordinance will be before the Board for a final vote TOMORROW, APRIL 23. The meeting will begin at 9:30. To find out when the ordinance will come up, call Comr. Morales's office at (305) 375-5680.
  
  The ordinance has been forwarded to the Commissioners with an unfavorable recommendation by the Ways and Means Committee. In support of the unfavorable recommendation (i.e., voting against the ordinance) were Commissioners Rolle, Barreiro and Alonso. Opposed to the unfavorable recommendation (i.e., voting in favor of the ordinance) were Commissioners Carey-Schuler and Margolis. The committee recognized that the ordinance would close a loophole in the present law (see discussion below), but three members of the committee voted against it anyway.
  
  LET YOUR COMMISSIONER KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. ALL THE COMMISSIONERS CAN BE REACHED THROUGH THE SWITCHBOARD, (305) 375-5124.
  
  WHY THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT
  
  The Board of county Commissioners has acted to prohibit contributions of more than $250 and contributions by corporations. Among the purposes of this legislation is to eliminate the impropriety that arises from contributions by businesses that may derive an economic benefit from their dealings with the County. Unfortunately, a corporation that wishes to support a candidate can still manage to do so by letting it be known to key employees that contributions to the candidate would be welcomed. Contributions collected in this way are commonly "bundled" and submitted as a group. The total amount of the "bundle" is essentially unlimited. In this way, the corporation can sidestep the intent of the legislation.
  
  Contributors to the campaigns of candidates for federal office are required to disclose information such as would be required by the proposed ordinance, but under state law, which applies in Miami-Dade County unless the County imposes more stringent regulation, disclosure is not required. In the absence of such disclosure, it is easier for corporations to channel resources to the candidates of their choice without the public being aware of what they are doing.
  
  For those who are interested in ascertaining the corporate interests that are supporting a candidate, the identity of the contributor's employer is extremely important. In the absence of such information, it is much more difficult to identify corporate support.
  
  SUMMARY: The Board of County Commissioners should vote for the Morales ordinance requiring contributors to disclose the name of their employer so as to make more effective the prohibitions against corporate contributions, and contributions over $250, which are already on the books. Again, the Commissioners' switchboard number is (305) 375-5124. 

  News Clips

  Broward County commissioners vote for minimum wage of $9.57 an hour
  Broward County commissioners backed new rules Tuesday that require the county government to pay more than the federal bare minimum to its workers so they can earn more to keep their families above the poverty level. 10/9/02

  S. Florida feeling toll of tougher daily lives
  We South Floridians are generally happy with where we live, but tougher daily struggles just to work, play and pay our bills are turning us into an increasingly disgruntled lot, a survey shows. 10/7/02

  Group aims for bigger paychecks in Miami-- MIAMI -- A campaign that would include the passage of a living-wage ordinance to help struggling residents of the poorest large city in the United States is under way, officials said Tuesday-- 
  The Greater Miami Prosperity Campaign was launched just a few months after the 2000 census gave Miami the distinction of being the nation's poorest city. 9/25/02

  S. Florida’s jobless lines grow longer by the day - South Florida’s unemployment numbers released on Friday confirm what those on the unemployment line already know: It’s not getting better, it’s getting worse. ... Nationwide, long-term joblessness of six months or more for professional, managerial and administrative workers is at its highest level in 20 years and accounts for nearly one of every two long- term unemployed. 9/21/02

  Noisy plane at Boca airport? Track it via Internet - Hear a noisy jet overhead at 3 a.m.? Tracking down the offender is as simple as pulling up the Web site and clicking on the icon to get information about the airplane and its altitude. The tracking system is available at www.bocaratonairport.com , under the "Flight Tracks" label near the top of the home page. 9/13/02

  Voters keep Miami-Dade's gay rights law- MIAMI — Miami-Dade County's gay rights ordinance withstood a challenge from Christian conservatives, as voters rejected a proposal to repeal the law. The county's political and business leaders had pushed for the ordinance's retention, fearing a boycott from gay and liberal groups and the rejection of the region's bid to hold the 2004 Democratic National Convention. 9/12/02

  Both President Bush and Gov. Jeb Bush  in Miami on May 20 - report of protest 

  NAACP vs. Katherine Harris - NOT looking good 5/13/02

  S. Florida food banks running out of supplies to feed hungry
   So many people around South Florida need help feeding themselves and their families these days that local soup kitchens and food pantries are having a hard time meeting the need. 7/31/02

  LA RAZA'S TIMELY REMINDER
  One of the nation's premier civil-rights groups is meeting in Miami Beach this week, and it's timing couldn't be better. For 34 years, the National Council of La Raza has worked to improve opportunities, reduce discrimination and advocate for Hispanics in this country. Now, in the wake of Sept. 11, it faces great challenges in the way our government is changing its approach to immigrants, including Hispanic communities. 7/23/02

  Butterworth seeks Senate job
  By S.V. Dáte and Jim Ash, Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau -- Bob Butterworth seeks a state Senate seat drawn for a Palm Beach County Republican. 7/26/02

  House votes to end travel ban to Cuba
  The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to allow Americans to travel freely to Cuba and to authorize private financing of food sales to the government of Fidel Castro, underscoring the growing rift between Congress and President Bush on U.S. policy toward the island. 7/25/02

  Business leaders support Miami-Dade's gay rights rule
  MIAMI — A group of business leaders voiced support Wednesday for Miami-Dade County's ordinance banning discrimination against gays, saying the efforts to repeal the rule in September could drive away businesses and tourists. The "Business Says No to Discrimination" committee praised the economic impact of the county's 1998 law that bars discrimination in housing, employment and finance based on sexual orientation. 7/25/02

  Investor ally? Foley's account doesn't add up
  He'll need good auditors to hide his prodigious political debt.As companies across the country are "restating" their finances to please investors, politicians across the spectrum are "restating" their positions on corporate reform to please their own investors, also known as voters. Case in point: U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-West Palm Beach. 7/21/02

  Both sides of gay rights issue brace for a bitter battle in Miami-Dade -Miami-Dade County’s bid to host the 2004 Democratic national convention has focused national attention on the battle over the county’s human rights amendment and jump-started what is expected to be a divisive battle for public opinion. 7/18/02

  Jury acquits Miami state senator of campaign finance violations - MIAMI -- A jury has acquitted state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla of 216 counts of violating campaign finance laws after less than two hours of deliberations. 7/19/02

  Editorial: Conservancy keeps vigil on ill-sited condo project
  Plans have been rattling around Collier County government offices for a year to erect high-rise condos next to one of the area's most cherished nature preserves, Rookery Bay. Vigilance by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a natural, especially since the ecological organization runs a public wildlife attraction nearby. 7/18/02

  More Than One Fence To Mend
  Fort Lauderdale may have fixed the fence around Lincoln Park, but city officials need to mend fences with area residents who still question whether the neighborhood park is a major health hazard. 7/12/02

  Children play amid toxins in NW Lauderdale park - FORT LAUDERDALE -- A park in the black community that’s under consideration for inclusion on the Superfund toxic site list continues to be a playground for children, because the city failed to keep it closed. 7/11/02

  Army engineers can't force homeowners from Glades area, judge rules
  A Miami federal judge dealt a new blow to the massive Everglades replumbing project, ruling on Tuesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lacked authority to force out 102 homeowners living in a key flood plain in the 8 ½ Square Mile Area. 7/10/02

  Princes of politics have a lot in common
  The Bushes aren't the only dynasty making big political waves in Florida.-- U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, that Democratic icon who spent 23 years in Congress and the state Legislature, announced her pending retirement amid tears and hugs at an African-American church in her hometown of Miami. Her timing, just two weeks before candidates must qualify to run for the district, was choreographed to hand her seat to her anointed successor: her son, state Sen. Kendrick Meek. 7/14/02

  Son follows mother's footsteps
  Kendrick Meek will run for the U.S. House seat held by his retiring mom. 7/8/02

  Rep. Meek won't be going quietly-- MIAMI -- U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Miami, the first black person from Florida elected to Congress since Reconstruction and a powerful voice for blacks, immigrants, women, seniors and the poor, has decided to retire at the end of her fifth term. 7/8/02

  Carrie Meek to retire
  U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, a pioneering figure in Florida politics, will announce this morning that she is retiring from Congress at the end of her current term. 7/7/02

  U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek announces plans to retire after current term
   MIAMI - U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, the granddaughter of a slave who has helped bring national attention to allegations that black voters' rights were trampled in Florida during the 2000 election, announced Sunday that she will not seek a sixth term in Congress. 7/7/02

  Outspoken Frankel eyes mayor's post
  She's always outspoken, sometimes outrageous, never afraid. She can lecture 119 legislators like they were school children, face off against the likes of James Baker III on national TV and be brought to tears by a constituent's story.7/7/02

  Secret weapon work in Boca recalled
  A former Army sergeant tells of biological warfare work at the Boca Raton Air Field. 7/7/02

  Slow fixes at Palm Beach schools keep mold and mildew lingering- WEST PALM BEACH - Even while students and teachers complain of mildew and mold, the Palm Beach County School District is lagging in its efforts to repair faulty air-conditioning systems.7/5/02

  Key Largo group sponsors count of fish species off coast
  CHARLESTON, S.C. — A Key Largo group has agreed to sponsor a monthlong fish count off the South Carolina coast. The count, sponsored by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation of Key Largo, Fla., has compiled more than 40,000 surveys in the last 10 years but never one in South Carolina, said Alex Score, the group's education and outreach coordinator. 7/4/02

  Scientists surveying habitat and species throughout Florida Keys
  DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK — In the crystal blue waters that straddle one of the continent's most remote national park, schools of yellow-tailed snappers and dark chubs mix with yellow and black-striped sergeant majors along the sea grass beds and coral reefs. Scientists studying fish stocks in the Florida Keys say the pinch of overfishing continues to hamper the region and reinforces the need to properly manage the waters, considered some of the most fertile fishing spots in the hemisphere. 7/4/02

  Ex-lawmaker Willie Logan settles ethics case
  TALLAHASSEE — Former state Rep. Willie Logan has agreed to be publicly reprimanded and pay an $8,000 fine for wrongly using state money as part of a settlement with the Florida Commission on Ethics. The proposed punishment would end an inquiry whether the Opa-locka Democrat broke the law by misusing the state money he was given to run his legislative office in South Florida.6/30/02

  RTA Proposal Clears A Hurdle
  There may yet be hope for South Florida. The region still has an ever-worsening problem with transportation gridlock, but at least the political gridlock seems to be easing.6/27/02

  Bright lights could confuse Florida's sea turtle hatchlings
  SARASOTA — Sea turtles have begun hatching along Florida's coasts, so it's time to dim the lights. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking residents and visitors along the shore to turn down their lights at night until the hatching season ends in early fall. Baby turtles hatch in the sand at night. They instinctively head toward light, which to them, signifies the ocean. 6/27/02

  SAVE THE CORAL REEFS
  The results of a new study on what's killing elkhorn coral in the Keys produced an answer that surprises no one. The study by University of Georgia scientists looked for the cause of the ''white pox'' disease that is decimating the once abundant elkhorn coral that ranged like forests across vast expanses of tropical sea bottom. 6/26/02

  Challenges to Everglades cleanup back in court
  MIAMI — Everglades pollution got an airing before a federal appeals court Tuesday as environmental activists question whether lofty cleanup goals will be achieved in the endangered South Florida marshland. The Friends of the Everglades, a group founded by the late Everglades champion Marjory Stoneman Douglas, was in court to challenge findings made by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1999. 6/26/02

  First draft needs tweaks on content, facts, title
  (An absolutely true news item: Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, now a candidate for Congress, is writing a book about her controversial role in the 2000 presidential election.) 6/10/02

  A Political Opponent To Give Katherine Harris Paws -- ...To be sure, all manner of pundits and political insiders have concluded Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris' bid to succeed U.S. Rep. Dan Miller, R-Bradenton, is more of a certitude than Fidel Castro being elected to another term....After all, she successfully bought her state Senate seat and purchased that secretary of state gig, too. She already has raised enough money to buy the title of Sultaness of Brunei if she wanted....
  So it was that surreal fundraising pace that ultimately encouraged Percy Genther to throw his bowl in the ring as the only real conservative alternative to a woman who has staked a claim on this job as if it were a matter of Manifest Destiny.--
  Percy, who is 35 in human years, is a 5-year-old border collie/German shepherd mix, ...``I wanted her to know you are in a political race, not a coronation,'' Genther said.6/21/02

  Off-road supporters off base--  Big Cypress rules deserve backing of off-road vehicle enthusiasts 6/15/02

  Election 2002: Democrat quits West Palm congressional race; alleges conspiracy
  WEST PALM BEACH — Ken Eggleston, the sole Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, dropped his bid for Congress Thursday, alleging that Foley and his former boss conspired to make him quit. Eggleston also filed suit in federal court against his former employer, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ed Bieluch, seeking in excess of $1 million in damages.6/14/02

  EMPOWERMENT PLANS SLOWED
  One day after the U.S. Census released its report showing that greater Miami is the poorest big city in the nation, Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed legislation that would have helped revitalize the area's poorest neighborhoods.6/12/02

  Builders grab prime land, crippling Broward preservation plan - A small strip of coastal dunes became the latest piece of environmentally sensitive land to be saved in Broward County, but its purchase Tuesday also marked the recognition by county officials their preservation effort will not be as successful as hoped.--
  With only four parcels of pristine land saved since voters agreed to a $400 million bond issue in November 2000, county commissioners began shifting money away from the purchase of such tracts to buy more of the most basic open space — vacant lots with no special environmental value.6/12

  Editorial: Immokalee area growth plan
  People who choose not to learn from the past are doomed to repeat its mistakes. When our elected leaders are the ones ignoring the past, you know who pays — dearly — as we are on roads and utilities today. Thus the stakes are high as Collier County commissioners confront a long-range growth plan for a 300-square-mile area that forms a doughnut around urbanized Immokalee.6/11/02

  Scientists want to develop plan to keep invasive plants out of S. Florida - With its swamps-turned-forests of melaleuca, shorelines shaded by Australian pines and lakes matted with hydrilla, South Florida is awash in runaway exotic plants.-- 
  Government and natural-land custodians spend hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars trying to eradicate or arrest the spread of the leafy and tendriled invaders, species that ecologists brand "noxious weeds." 6/10/02

  Report: Airport partners unduly earned $14.6 million-- MIAMI - Four partners of a venture that runs airport duty-free shops have earned more than $14.6 million despite having performed no work, according to a report by the Miami-Dade County inspector general.
  The joint venture won a contract at Miami International Airport, and the four partners were brought in to satisfy a requirement for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program....
  Under the program, these partners were picked: Sergio Pino, a major political fund-raiser and tract-home builder; Carole Ann Taylor, a former aide to ex-Commissioner Maurice Ferre; Jorge de Cardenas, a longtime lobbyist who later served time in federal prison for his involvement in a Miami kickback scandal; and Maria Argudin, an assistant city clerk in Miami.

  Chess team defeats odds
  An inner-city Miami school consistently mints champions and busts stereotypes.5/25/02

  Editorial: Stadium Naples case
  Courts belong to the people. Courts are to conduct the people's business in the best interests of the people. Courts do not belong to judges and lawyers. Principals in the all-important Stadium Naples corruption case, Circuit Court Judge Lauren Miller and Special Prosecutor Michael Von Zamft, both from Miami prior to their local assignment, need to be reminded of that.5/23

  Waste Management cited for violating county law on oil dumping SARASOTA — Waste Management Inc. withdrew from negotiations with Sarasota County for a $100 million trash hauling contract after the county cited the company for mixing used motor oil with trash.5/19

  Hospice of Naples
  In less than a month Collier County loses a trusted asset for the terminally ill who had few other places to turn. Hospice of Naples is closing its six-bed Hospice House to make way for a 16-bed facility for short-term stays and an outpatient pain clinic.

  Senate District 27 pushes the line
  Somewhat to his surprise, Frank Mann, a former House member and senator from Fort Myers, is running for the Florida Senate again. The surprise is that the Supreme Court upheld the redistricting plan that created the seat he hopes to win.

  Deal steers $16 million to S. Florida transit-- TALLAHASSEE · Some $16 million in new transit projects for South Florida was approved in a late flurry of deal-making Thursday, as legislators raced to complete a state budget of nearly $50 billion.

  Planned budget is windfall for water projects
  More than $50 million for water projects is poised to flow to South Florida from the state Capitol next year once state lawmakers approve the state budget as expected Monday.

  Florida Legislature
  Southwest Florida's top three priorities for the 2002 Legislature were roads, ethics and redistricting. We aimed for: a fair return of state taxes to keep up with growth, especially on Interstate 75; the closing of loopholes for slippery politicians' gifts and conflicts of interest; and reapportionment that protects our clout and sense of community. Let's see.

  Beach limits lobbyists on fees
  Miami Beach passed a package of new laws Wednesday to limit the influence of lobbyists, becoming the first city in the state to require that lobbyists disclose how much they are being paid.5/9/02

  Naples Municipal Airport
  It appears so straightforward. Measure areas where noise is worst at the end of Naples Municipal Airport's runways, and draw lines around their boundaries. Then make the properties inside the lines advise future buyers that the airport is nearby or make them install noise-muffling insulation. The aim is peaceful co-existence.

  Rising numbers of uninsured strain S. Florida 's health-care system
  The medical safety net that treats indigent and uninsured people is starting to strain under the weight of increasing numbers of people without coverage.

  Growth management
  No letup in sight. That is the word on growth from the latest batch of data from the U.S. Census. From April 2000 through July 2001, the rate of population expansion in Collier and Lee counties continued to rank among the highest in Florida and the entire nation.

  Conflict questions raised on regulators' ties
  By Robert P. King, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
  Starting this week, seven people you probably never heard of will decide an issue that could cost South Florida taxpayers nearly a billion dollars: How much polluting phosphorus should the state...

  One-third of Miami's residents live in poverty
  Miami has the highest poverty rate of any large U.S. city … 32 percent of residents, according to Census estimates

  Federal Judge Denies Injunction; Environmentalists Hope That Decision Is Final Blow For Homestead Airport  
  Maybe not.  Read this:
  Shadow Dwellers by By Jim DeFede -- Is Miami-Dade County Manager Steve Shiver a lying little weasel? Absolutely, absolutely

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