 |
|
NOTE -
If the link to the on-line articles has changed, search the paper's archive
section by date and title - Palm Beach Post links are only good for the day
posted, and there is a fee to access archived articles.
6/15/01
Florida Republicans Angry at Shrub, Fear Jeb Will Lose in 2002
"Republican lawmakers from Florida are furious at the White House,
saying it bungled opportunities to cultivate a state that has a
high-profile governor's race next year and is vital for President Bush's
electoral fortunes in 2004. These Republicans said they feared that
President [sic] Bush was jeopardizing his party's position in Florida as
resentment here over the disputed presidential election united and
energized Democrats. While Republicans cited many concerns, they said
their frustration boiled over last week when Mr. Bush traveled to the
Everglades National Park... 'It was a missed opportunity by the White
House not to reach out properly,' said Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL). 'If I
worked at the White House, the sign above my desk would say, "It's
Florida, stupid," and everything else should flow from there. They
have to get their act together. Jeb Bush's election is on the line - and
you have 2004.'" Yeah - without Jeb in the State House, Bush won't
be able to steal the White House.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/14/politics/14FLOR.html
(demdailynews)
Pentagon Accused of Suppressing Key Adverse Data on Missile Defense
Program
Rep. John Tierney, D-MA has demanded that Donald Rumsfeld explain why
the Pentagon refuses to release last August's National Missile Defense
Deployment Readiness Review to the public. The report was an expert
evaluation of the NMD. Among the hazards pointed out in the report is
the very real possibility that interceptors could be erroneously
launched, then interpreted by an adversary as a hostile first strike,
thereby provoking an undefended return attack. Tierney says if Shrub
plans to have the system in place in 3 years, as he is pushing to do,
he'd best begin allowing such flaws in the scheme to be investigated
NOW.
 | Tallahassee Democrat - GOP
hires adviser to eye 2002 race
Worried about Gov. Jeb Bush's re-election prospects next year, the
Republican National Committee has hired veteran political consultant
Randy Enwright to keep an eye on the state.
 | Bush
to reveal FAMU trustee appointments
But many details of new higher ed system are still up in the
air |
|
Disney workers reject contract
LAKE BUENA VISTA - Workers from six unions at Walt Disney World
overwhelmingly rejected a contract proposal Thursday that they say
falls short of their demands on wages, pensions and health
insurance. |
| Jeb
Bush strives to restore felons' voting rights
The state Thursday changed the rules for felons to restore their
right to vote, cutting back on the paperwork all applicants must
fill out and making more eligible for expedited review. |
| Comair,
pilots reach tentative deal
Agreement, if approved, would end pilots' 2 1/2-month walkout
Comair and its striking pilots reached a tentative contract
agreement Thursday to end a 2 1/2-month walkout that has shut down
the nation's second-largest regional carrier. |
| Sprayfield
spurs dispute
Residents want to maintain a buffer between properties
Federal environmental officials and water quality professionals
have recognized the city of Tallahassee for spraying its
wastewater on crops rather than piping it into a river or lake,
where it can feed unwanted plant growth. |
|
| St Petersburg Times - Bush
vetoes huge transportation bill
The omnibus bill required headgear for kids on motorized scooters
among its nearly 200 changes to current law.
|
|
Orlando Sentinel - Bush
may slash budget by up to $350 million
Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to veto a record number of
programs and projects today from the state`s $48.3 billion budget --
an attempt, he says, to keep Florida from stumbling into a money
crunch that might have been fostered by his own tax-cutting ways.
| Control
over billboards to stay with cities
Calling it a bloated example of last-minute
lawmaking at its worst, Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed a massive
transportation bill Thursday -- and in the process dealt a victory
to Orlando's efforts to curb billboards. |
| Kick
it up a notch
If Central Florida harbors any hope of relief
from gridlocked roads, regional leaders had better get moving. And
they had better move fast. |
|
| Palm Beach Post - Gov.
Bush favorite snares top post in water district
It took months of internal turmoil to remove South Florida's water
boss, but just 25 hours to replace him with the man Gov. Jeb Bush
supported. Water managers offered their executive director's job
Thursday to the only candidate...
| Senate
approves education package
WASHINGTON -- The Senate overwhelmingly passed its most
far-reaching education reform package in 35 years on Thursday,
including President Bush's signature proposal to use annual math
and reading tests to improve public... |
| Lawmakers
worry about Bush's vetoes
|
| Foley
warns president not to forget Florida
Miffed that he was not invited until the last minute by the White
House to attend President Bush's recent tour of the Everglades,
U.S. Rep. Mark Foley complained Thursday that the administration
is not paying enough attention to... |
| Editorial:
Cut canker rancor
The state Department of Agriculture began its canker eradication
program last year with inadequate explanation and an overbearing
attitude. Residents received little or no real notice before their
citrus trees were destroyed. The state didn't bother to make a
convincing case for the scientific basis it uses trying to contain
the disease... |
|
| Miami Herald -
Veteran state water manager to lead board
|
| Gainesville Sun - Paynes
Prairie looks 'like battle zone'
The south
end of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is abuzz with tree-slicing
equipment and log trucks, as thousands of pine trees infested with
Southern pine beetles are cut and removed.
|
6/14/01
| Palm Beach Post - Tax
cut on stocks, bonds to cost Fla.
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush gave wealthy Floridians a $177 million
tax cut Wednesday, admitting the move exacerbates the budget crunch
the... |
| Orlando Sentinel -700,000
say 'Bye' to intangibles tax
Just two days after he warned lawmakers that
declining tax dollars could force him to veto scores of programs and
projects, Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday signed into law a $150 million
tax break for Florida’s wealthier residents.
| DCF
boss suspected in theft of cash, toys
Candice Fiore, the Department of Children &
Families supervisor suspected of killing a co-worker, was stealing
thousands of dollars in cash, electronics and toys intended for
foster children, Brevard County investigators said Wednesday. |
|
| Miami Herald - Senator
contests election charges -Diaz de la Portilla could face big
fine --
TALLAHASSEE -- Facing a record $800,000 fine, Sen. Alex Diaz de la
Portilla went before a judge Wednesday to defend himself against
charges of campaign finance violations in his 1999 Senate campaign,
including an allegation that he misled the public and his opponent
about how much money he had raised.
|
| St. Pete Times - Case against
senator nears end - TALLAHASSEE -- State Sen. Alex Diaz de la
Portilla arrived four hours late Wednesday for a hearing on charges
that he failed to report campaign cash on time.The Miami Republican,
accused of more than 300 elections violations, faces about $850,000 in
fines.
| Senate
leader urges overhaul of tax structure - ST. PETERSBURG --
Calling Florida's tax structure a "horse-and-buggy"
approach to a technological age, Senate President John McKay on
Wednesday made his long-shot pitch to overhaul the system. |
| Diane Roberts - President
Bush's thoughts on his travels
TUESDAY: The other day the Dadmeister says, 'Son, being president
of the United States of America is a big honor to many people, so
when you go visit our allies who live in foreign countries and so
are not as American as you and me, it would be good for future
historians of the past if you kept a journal of your
experientations." |
|
| Naples Daily News - Embattled
water district head Finch steps down
Low morale, a lagging Everglades restoration project and pressure from
the state prompted a shake-up in administration and the governing
board of the South Florida Water Management District Wednesday
morning. Embattled Executive Director Frank Finch (right) resigned as
head of the 1,800-employee agency in charge of setting water policy
for heavily populated South Florida. |
| Pensacola news Journal -Gas
pipeline blast turns local car lot into inferno
Blast injures 10, causes $1 million in damage
|
| Tallahassee Democrat - Bookkeeper
charged
A former bookkeeper for the Florida Coalition Against Domestic
Violence has been arrested on charges she embezzled more than $15,000
from the organization. .
| Judge
denies release of Earnhardt autopsy photos
DAYTONA BEACH - A judge ruled Wednesday that Dale Earnhardt's
autopsy photos cannot be made public under a new state law that
restricts access to autopsy images. |
|
Court
upholds plan for women firefighters
MIAMI - A federal appeals court has upheld an affirmative action
plan to boost the number of women firefighters in Miami-Dade
County but warned the county to move faster or risk having its
policy erased soon. |
| Lawmakers
fear vetoes will wipe out projects
Nobody in Pensacola or Key West is clamoring for their taxes to be
spent to widen State Road 434 in Seminole County. Most Floridians
never drive on it. But Rep. David Simmons went to Gov. Jeb Bush on
Wednesday to urge the governor not to veto $500,000 in this year's
state budget to widen that state highway. |
| Mobile
home bill signed
Gov. Jeb Bush signed bills Wednesday designed to help residents of
mobile home parks. The new mobile home law provides financial help
to people who face eviction because the parks they live in are
going to close. |
|
6/13/01
| Tallahassee Democrat - Vote
OKs tobacco investment
State Board of Administration decides to reverse 1997 decision
After a four-year hiatus, Florida's $100 billion state employee
pension fund is once again ready to invest in tobacco.
| Jeb
Bush ready to veto projects
Signaling what may be another bloody spring on the veto block,
Gov. Jeb Bush has asked legislative leaders to help him fix
problems he sees in the budget lawmakers passed last month. |
| Brogan
eyes the competition
Contenders in 2002 race are tough, he says
With the Republican ticket all set for the 2002 campaign, Lt. Gov.
Frank Brogan said Tuesday the Democratic contest for governor
looks like a North-South struggle with vastly different rules.
|
| City
board opposes 'another Chicago'
No skyscrapers in the historic districts. That's the message the
Tallahassee-Leon County Architectural Review Board sent to city
commissioners Tuesday. |
| Medicaid
changes to bring state more money
Florida received approval from the federal government for changes
in its Medicaid program that will mean $32 million in extra money
from Washington, Gov. Jeb Bush announced Tuesday. |
| Execution
limits signed into law
Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill Tuesday designed to protect mentally
retarded killers from death sentences. The new law does not
specify a set IQ level but uses a definition that considers
below-normal intellectual functioning and behavior. |
| Patients'
lawsuit survives challenge
MIAMI - A federal judge refused Tuesday to drop a proposed
nationwide class-action suit by patients against seven leaders of
the managed care industry but decided some claims must be revised
to survive. |
|
Allison's aftermath
Even the Weather Service was surprised by the slow-moving storm
Dozens of homes and businesses were flooded, up to six tornadoes
touched down and a Tallahassee man died in a slow-moving storm
that soaked the Panhandle and dumped more than 10 inches of rain
on the capital in 24 hours. |
| Storm
moves through Big Bend, causes many anxious moments
Terrified Franklin County Courthouse workers watched a
gigantic water spout seemingly swallow the sky, and children at a
summer camp in Madison County crammed into the bathrooms for
safety as the remnants of Tropical Storm Allison crept across the
Panhandle.
|
|
| Sun-Sentinel - Enron
cancels power plant before Pompano can vote
Facing hostile neighborhoods and skeptical city commissioners, Enron
Corp. on Tuesday withdrew its application to build a power plant in
Pompano Beach.
|
| Miami Herald -
State tobacco stock ban falls
|
| Palm Beach Post - Tallahassee
pressuring manager to resign
South Florida's top water manager is on the verge of losing his job
after months of internal turmoil at the agency in charge of restoring
the Everglades, preventing floods and protecting the region from
drought. Frank Finch, executive director of the...
| Delray
man arrested trying to save his citrus
DELRAY BEACH -- A half-dozen neighbors held signs and chanted as
preschoolers riding a packed yellow bus screamed, "Save our
trees!" Alexander Christopher listened Monday and became the
first person arrested in Palm Beach County for defying a court
order... |
| Bush
to pursue new global warming studies
WASHINGTON -- President Bush, unconvinced by science, on Monday
announced new studies of global warming while defending his
opposition to the Kyoto Protocol aimed at battling it. Bush said
"reasonable people" cannot back the unratified 1997
treaty... |
| Editorial:
Water district turmoil
The South Florida Water Management District needs a new board --
and some new thinking in Tallahassee -- before it hires a... |
|
| Gainesville Sun- Bicycle
(un)friendly?
Even without large-scale infrastructure improvements, it should be
possible to improve the climate for safe bicycling in this university
community.
| Saving
'Tree City' -- For the sake of the forest, the city should try
to ensure that the pine beetle infestation is not used as an
excuse for indiscriminate cutting of healthy trees. |
|
| Tampa Tribune - Rising
cost of health a pain for seniors
TAMPA - A study shows that drug costs are rising far more than the
consumer price index.
|
| Orlando Sentinel - License
plate touches off OUC flag flap
Randy Clyde Jones' boss gave him 30 minutes to get
his truck out of the Orlando Utilities Commission's parking garage.
The problem: The pickup bears a decorative Confederate-flag license
plate.
| Bush
stands firm in face of European opposition |
| Unfortunate
ruling
In the rush of emotion that followed the death of
NASCAR racing icon Dale Earnhardt, state lawmakers passed a law
that had nothing to do with protecting the public's interest and
everything to do with comforting a grieving widow. |
| Doff
the arrogance
As President George W. Bush began a tour of
Europe on Tuesday, he talked about his administration's friendship
for that region. Yet his attitude toward many matters near and
dear to Europeans has been anything but friendly. |
|
| Naples Times - Sheriff's
SWAT team leader fired
The leader of the Collier County sheriff's SWAT team has been fired
after tipping off his brother to an upcoming drug raid in East Naples,
internal affairs reports say. Gene Davis, 52, a sheriff's lieutenant
who joined the agency in 1983, was fired May 14. |
| Pensacola News Journal - U.S.
House campaigns ready to go
The deadline has passed, and 11 candidates line up for Joe
Scarborough`s seat.
|
6/12/01
| Tallahassee Democrat - State
might invest in tobacco
In 1997, Florida leaders stopped investing state money in tobacco
companies, worried that their own lawsuits against cigarette makers
could come back to burn them. Today, lured by those companies'
resurgent strength, officials are set to pick up the habit
again.
|
Judge
upholds autopsy law
DAYTONA BEACH - A judge upheld a new Florida law Monday that was
crafted to seal autopsy photos of racing legend Dale Earnhardt,
rejecting arguments that it unfairly prevented access to public
information. |
|
Moratorium on death penalty is appropriate
Illinois Gov. George Ryan, a conservative Republican who supports
the death penalty, imposed a moratorium on it in his state in
January 2000. Although the Tallahassee Democrat editorially
supports capital punishment for the most heinous and proven
crimes, we believe it is time for Florida to follow suit and
initiate a moratorium. A pause in imposition of this penalty must
be, however, for a time certain and with specific goals leading to
recommendations to the Legislature on how to make sure the process
is as utterly fair and beyond rebuke as humanly possible. |
| Nation
driving wedge in globe
WASHINGTON - President Bush came into office promising a
"humble" foreign policy, yet his administration has
managed to irritate friend and foe alike. |
|
| Miami Herald -
Water district to discuss firing executive director -...The
chairman of the South Florida Water Management District's governing
board, Nicolás Gutiérrez, plans to push for Finch's removal as
executive director at meetings this week, an effort with influential
support in Tallahassee. David Struhs, secretary of the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection, called Finch last week and
urged him to resign.
|
| Palm Beach Post - Charter
schools found to have run afoul
By Kimberly Miller, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Poor record keeping and a lack of district supervision at eight of
Palm Beach County's charter schools resulted in legal violations,
including employees who were... |
| St Petersburg Times - Gov.
Bush warns of dour fiscal prospects - TALLAHASSEE -- With the
deadline looming for budget vetoes, Gov. Jeb Bush warned legislative
leaders Monday that Florida's financial picture isn't as rosy as it
was last month when they earmarked millions of dollars for pet
projects.
| Seminoles
may have lost millions - TAMPA -- An audit of finances at the
Seminole Tribe of Florida has raised questions about tens of
millions of dollars that may have left the country secretly for
Nicaragua and gone down the drain in risky Wall Street
investments. |
| Reporter
involved in spat is witness - TALLAHASSEE -- Seven months have
passed since a spat between two journalists covering the
presidential recount sent one to the hospital and the other to
jail. |
| Election
report merits a response 6/10/01
The credibility of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is
compromised when its chairman and other members become actively
involved in partisan politics. Still, much of the substance of the
commission's report on Florida voting irregularities in last
November's presidential election has merit. |
| Endangered
funding
People who care about wild places and their animal inhabitants won
a small victory when a House committee preserved the public's
ability to bring lawsuits that place plants and animals on the
endangered list. But our ability to protect the country's natural
heritage is still undermined by the budget cuts that remain in the
bill. |
|
| Sun-Sentinel - Residents
want noise-reducing walls on expanded turnpike in Palm Beach
|
| Orlando Sentinel - New
state office will coordinate local grants to serve homeless - A
Florida law that takes effect July 1 will create a State Office on
Homelessness and a Council on Homelessness to better coordinate public
and private attempts at solving one of the state's toughest
social-service problems.
| POLITICS:
It continues -- The extent of the scam Democrats ran
after the 2000 presidential election is becoming clearer by the
day. Al Gore lost Florida and the election. It is irrelevant that
he apparently had a slightly higher share of the popular vote
nationwide. |
|
| Naplesnews.com -Airport
authority asks for workshop over allegations
The Collier County Airport Authority, stung by allegations of
mismanaging money and deceiving county officials, has asked to hold a
public workshop with the office of the Collier County Clerk of Courts.
| Investigations:Here
is a complete index of our coverage of Stadium Naples, A.S.
Goldmen, Norris, Constantine and Mobley. |
| Smart
to review growth again?
Smart growth. Those are buzz words around the nation for new plans
to steer development. Though their meaning is vague, they are
creeping into Southwest Florida too with campaigns under way first
in Lee County and now in Collier. Both feature representatives of
the development industry and its traditional watchdogs from the
environmental camp. The movement hits a snag in Lee, where
normally pro-growth commissioners balk at investing about
one-third of a million tax dollars in sponsoring and legitimizing
the effort. |
|
| Pensacola News Journal - Pond
Creek shows stormwater problem
The closure of Pond Creek outside Milton to swimmers due to the
presence of worrisome levels of fecal bacteria is a clear
representation of the stormwater problems facing Santa Rosa County.
| Outlook:
A special place, a crucial time (3/01)
A special report on our area's economic outlook. Northwest
Florida, particularly Pensacola and the rest of Escambia County,
is at a crossroads. The question: Which road to take to ensure a
viable economic future, one that will keep up with the growth of
nearby Florida counties? (overview of area history, growth,
economy... ) |
| Hidden
Hazard (2/01)
Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are known for their unspoiled
beaches and the Gulf of Mexico's emerald-green waters. But
quietly, largely unnoticed, our area has gained another
distinction of deadly dimensions: toxic pollution. (collection of
articles)
|
|
6/11/01
| Tallahassee Democrat -State
cuts funds for bus routes
The Leon County School District will have to dig in its own pockets to
come up with bus fare to transport more than 100 students across some
of Tallahassee's busiest roads, such as Capital Circle and Thomasville
Road.
| Bill
Cotterell: In rule 407-P, we know what P stands for. . .
In the dozen years since Gov. Bob Martinez implemented his
"drug-free workplace" program, the topic of drug testing
has been a sore point for a lot of state employees. |
| Recent
rains big help in dousing fires
MIAMI - The onset of Florida's summer rains brought relief Sunday
from weeks of wildfires all over the state, but firefighters were
keeping a cautious vigil against the storms' downside - lightning. |
| Group
pushes for drug treatment measure
NAPLES - A California group supported by billionaire financier
George Soros wants Florida voters to approve a measure that would
require courts to offer treatment to certain drug offenders. |
|
| Orlando Sentinel - Coke
gets a break on state's sales taxToward midnight on the final
night of this year's legislative session, the Senate's top budget
writer (Sen. Jim Horne, R-Orange Park), quietly tucked a $300,000 tax
break for a hometown bottler into a must-pass bill. - (wait till we
see Sped Bump hit Education) |
| St Pete Times - Bridge
inspectors unscathed -- Builders of a $53-million span are fined
for illegal dumping, but not the inspectors accused of looking the
other way. |
| Gainesville Sun - Fatal
attraction
In a three-year span, there were 565 crashes involving bikes and cars
in the county. |
| Palm Beach Post - Editorial:
With new state board
With a certified public accountant and a business deal-maker in charge
of a "seamless" education system from kindergarten through
college, Florida will get the sort of... |
| Florida Times Union -Hospital
quotas raise likely errors, doc says
Too many Florida doctors operate on the wrong body part or wrong
patient.
| Horne
education deal looks bad, smells even worse
.. Sen. Jim Horne being tapped by his political crony, Gov. Jeb
Bush, to be the top dog in the state's newly revised education
system...Horne co-sponsored the Senate bill that abolishes the
State University System's Board of Regents on July 1 and opens up
his new job. The bill did not include minimum qualifications
for the new position. Horne was one of several senators who argued
that none were necessary. |
|
6/10/01
| Online-Journal - Bush
Subverts the First Amendment
During the Presidential campaign, Bush declared "there ought
to be limits to freedom." It looks like this is one campaign
promise he intends to keep! His recent appearance in Tampa was a
completely PUBLIC event - but elderly members of the public were
arrested for holding signs that read "Florida Votergate" and
"June is Gay Pride Month." It's time for the ACLU to take
the Bush administration to court for suppressing dissent in America.
(from democrats.com) |
| Tallahassee Democrat - Letter - Governor
explains why fire towers are no longer necessary (from 6/9/01)
|
| St Pete Times -Senior
aid group told to trim costs
Neighborly Senior Services workers who help the elderly have been laid
off while top administrators enjoy nice perks, a government agency
says.
|
| Sun-Sentinel - Governor's
travel draws watchful eyes -
As Bush kicks off his campaign, his travel schedule and every
decision he makes over the next 17 months will be scrutinized for
evidence that it is a campaign ploy masquerading as official business. |
| Orlando-Sentinel - Environmental
jewel seen as treasure for developers
Locals call it the "Palmetto Curtain," a
Cold War-inspired nickname for the imaginary line that politically
divides Volusia County into east and west....Loose regulations and
growth-planning loopholes have made it easy for developers to slice up
and sell off hunks of rural, wooded land to make a quick buck. Fifty
of those developments now cover roughly 25,000 acres. More and more
people are moving in -- fast -- settling in everything from trailers
to quarter-million-dollar homes.
| Brother's
battle casts shadow on governor's re-election bid
When Jeb Bush first ran for governor in 1994, he
campaigned with star-quality charisma, no record in public office
and a family name evoking warm feelings. He lost the closest
governor's race in Florida history. |
| Gov.
Bush brings out big guns
- A day after announcing his re-election bid, Gov. Jeb Bush
ignited the fund-raising machine of the Florida Republican Party
on Saturday with Vice President Dick Cheney and a raft of state
party luminaries in tow. |
|
| Miami Herald -
Cheney stumps for Bush
|
CARL HIAASEN
(6/10/2001)
Tobacco's big lie is biting back
- All those decades of shameless lying have come back to haunt
the tobacco companies. The latest blow occurred last week in
California, where Philip Morris was ordered to pay more than
$3.5 billion to a once-loyal, now-dying customer.
|
|
6/9/01
| Tallahassee Democrat - Governor
seeks 2nd term
MIAMI - Standing outside a Miami-Dade public school on the mend, Gov.
Jeb Bush announced his candidacy for re-election Friday and declared
there was "unfinished business" in Florida - from
educational reform to environmental protection to tax relief for small
businesses.
| At
last, troopers will get laptops
Everyone went home happy Friday. State troopers will start getting
their patrol-car laptops this summer, three companies wanting the
business all got a share and taxpayers got another $82,000 lopped
off the $16.6 million purchase price. |
|
Injunction
for Choose Life tag rejected
Circuit Judge Nikki Clark has denied a request for an emergency
court order recalling the state's optional "Choose Life"
license plates, but did not kill the case outright. |
| Union:
Bribes bought 'no' vote
A union that recently lost a representation election among city of
Tallahassee employees on Friday challenged the result of that
election, saying city officials bribed workers to vote against the
union. |
| State
behind in long-term care
TAMPA - Florida's long-term care system has backtracked in the
past 15 years and will need $50 to $60 million a year indefinitely
to bring it back to the 1985 level, a specialist on aging said
Friday. |
|
| St Petersburg Times - Not
all budget 'turkeys' unworthy
|
| Miami Herald -
Florida governor's race a test for Bush brothers
|
| Orlando Sentinel - Brother's
battle casts shadow on governor's re-election bid
- When Jeb Bush first ran for governor in
1994, he campaigned with star-quality charisma, no record in public
office and a family name evoking warm feelings. He lost the closest
governor's race in Florida history.
| State
may grade its teachers
The controversial student tests used to grade
Florida's public schools could now be used to rate teachers'
performance under changes approved for the next school year. |
| Purge
of gun records blasted
The state's top lawyer strongly disagreed Friday
with a decision by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to
purge a statewide pawnshop database of gun records. |
| Melbourne
testing for algae toxins in its drinking water - City
officials became concerned about the purity of the water after
learning of a state study showing that algae toxins can linger
even in treated drinking water if the source of the water is a
lake or river. |
| Turkey’
label disputed |
|
| Palm Beach Post - Elections
oversight urged for Florida
WASHINGTON -- With its two Republican-appointed members dissenting,
the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights harshly condemned Florida Friday
for violating the Voting Rights Act and called on the Justice
Department to help prevent future abuses. The commission voted 6-2 to
approve a report concluding that the state's black voters had their
ballots discounted far more often than...
| Group's
impact on state's drink tax not only win
TALLAHASSEE -- This spring, when the Florida Restaurant
Association couldn't persuade the legislature to approve an $8
million tax break for its members, it turned to some old friends
-- Gov. Jeb Bush and the Department of Business and Professional
Regulation. With Bush's backing, the department granted the tax
break on alcoholic drinks unilaterally, only to back down... |
| Jeb
Bush makes it official
MIAMI -- He's in. And Jeb Bush says that he likes the odds that he
will be reelected governor. Standing in front of Coral Park
Elementary School, Bush said he spoke with his wife, Columba, and
she encouraged him to run for a second term. It will be one of the
most closely watched campaigns in the nation next year. Florida's
43rd governor faces a serious challenge from a newly
invigorated... |
|
| Gainesville Sun - Bush
to make re-election bid
Gov. Jeb Bush announced Friday that he will seek election to a
second four-year term next year.
| Sinkhole
test shows signs of bad water -The bacteria is believed to be
linked to waste from fish and other animals in the lake, which has
shrunk from 12,700 acres in 1999 to perhaps as few as 1,000 acres
today. The waste has become more concentrated in the process. |
| Jeb's
education camel
Beware state's voucher approach to educational opportunity, as
private schools are not held accountable under the plan |
|
| Sun-Sentinel -
Bush
rolls out platform for 2002 re-election bid - To his supporters,
Bush has lived up to the promises he campaigned on in 1998: smaller
government, education reform, tax cuts and tougher crime laws. To
critics, there's a dark side to his every initiative: schools that
focus too much attention on tests, cuts that have brought more
politics into state government, tax breaks that benefit the wealthy at
the expense of critical services for the needy and the loss of
affirmative-action programs.
|
Florida
vote probe to go nationwide - WASHINGTON -- The head of the
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said Friday that the group planned
to expand its investigation beyond Florida's troubled election to
other states, opening an unprecedented study of voting that could
continue through Election Day 2002. |
| Frankel
unfazed about governor talk
All that talk about Janet Reno and the governor's mansion does not
faze Lois Frankel. |
|
6/8/01
| Tallahassee Democrat - It's
time to trim budget turkeys
A week before Gov. Jeb Bush must sign the state budget passed by the
Legislature, a government watchdog group identified more than $288
million in so-called "turkeys" it wants the governor to cut
out.
| |