|
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
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6/30/01
 | Another
mission in Vietnam is nearly over
-
HANOI, Vietnam - America's first postwar ambassador to Vietnam says he
won't make a hasty decision whether to seek the Democratic nomination
for governor of Florida. But his words suggest an eagerness to run |
| Judge
approves plan to settle class-action suit against state
MIAMI - A federal judge gave preliminary approval Friday to a plan for
settling a class-action lawsuit by requiring the state to improve how
it cares for the mental health needs of children and juvenile
offenders in state custody. |
6/29/01
| Wells
contain carcinogens - Potentially
cancer-causing chemicals have been detected in drinking water from
three city wells and at a nearby private well used by Siemens Corp.,
city and state officials confirmed Wednesday. |
| Corrections
chief to stay put for now
Michael Moore had been a finalist for Texas prison post
Corrections Secretary Michael Moore won't be leaving Florida right
away, after the Texas Criminal Justice Board on Thursday hired someone
else for its top post. |
| Counties
billed for insurance program
Gov. Bush wades into budget battle over Healthy Kids plan
Counties will have to continue coughing up money for a low-cost
children's insurance program, even though the program has a $28
million surplus and the Legislature eliminated the counties' share for
the fiscal year that begins Sunday. |
| Gov.
Bush takes on Legislature
Gov. Jeb Bush took the Legislature to court Thursday, charging that
Republican leaders in the House and Senate included unconstitutional
wording in the state budget that takes effect Sunday. |
| McKay
mulls special session
Senate President John McKay said he's been asked by the Manatee County
Commission to seek a special session to override Gov. Jeb Bush's
budget vetoes. |
| Veto
puts authority in dire straits
MILTON - A toll bridge authority has a new executive director working
for $1 a year and may have to fire its secretary, close its office and
sell the furniture in an effort to stave off financial collapse. |
| Crotty
focuses on social services
When Orange County Chairman Rich Crotty unveils plans
for his first budget this morning, he is expected to highlight an
agenda that pumps more money into neighborhoods and health care for
the poor -- with tax rates remaining the same. |
| Landfill
will stay in spite of smell - ORANGE CITY -- The controversial GEL
Corp. landfill, called Mount Trashmore by neighbors, will get a permit
allowing it to stay open at least until 2006.
The landfill's owners and Orange City officials got word of the
approval during a closed-door meeting in Orlando earlier this week,
said Vivian Garfein, the top state Department of Environmental
Protection official in Central Florida. |
| Graham
tries to give seniors drug benefits - WASHINGTON -- Sen. Bob
Graham introduced legislation Thursday aimed at helping millions of
elderly Americans pay for prescription drugs. |
| UF
trustees named
Four women and nine men make up the UF board in the state's historic
education reorganization. |
| UF's
new board - Not surprisingly, Bush's appointments are largely
drawn from the corporate world. By contrast, virtually none of the
trustees hail from academia. |
| Prison
chief won't go to Texas -TALLAHASSEE -- Florida prison chief
Michael Moore was passed over Thursday for a job as head of the Texas
state prison system |
| Vote
device deal raises questions - The counties' lobbying group backs
a company's machines and will get some of the profits. |
| New
trustees mostly GOP businessmen - Fewer than two dozen of Gov. Jeb
Bush's choices for university boards are academics. |
| Possible
candidate Reno attracts cheers, jeers in Miami Beach - MIAMI BEACH
· Former Attorney General Janet Reno received a politician's welcome
at the latest of her public speaking appearances throughout South
Florida: shouting protesters outside the building, standing ovations
inside. |
| Editorial,
June 29, 2001 - Did state health officials do
the right thing in trying to cut Medicaid drug costs by striking a
unique agreement with the drug company Pfizer Inc.? Unfortunately,
after midnight Saturday, the public will have no way to know. |
| Drilling
opponents lose a battle in the House - WASHINGTON — Florida's
drilling opponents lost a legislative battle in the House on Thursday
against lawmakers eager to see more drilling in the eastern Gulf of
Mexico. But on the same day, Florida lawmakers led a successful fight
to kill a measure that would have forced local governments to pay more
for beach renourishment.
|
6/28/01
|
Audit slams Enterprise Florida
EFI says criticisms revolve around paperwork
Florida's economic development agency, often cited as an example of
how government can run like a corporation, treats its top executives
to bonuses and lavish travel - while making grants to businesses whose
officers sit on its boards, according to a state audit.
|
| FSU
meets its new trustees
John Thrasher the likely pick for chairman
.
They walked down the center aisle as the sun shone through stained
glass windows of Dodd Hall's Werkmeister Room and vowed to put their
best foot forward for Florida State University.
|
|
FSU trustees reflect influence and insight
More than just centers of learning and research, modern universities
must raise huge sums of private money while also keeping happy the
politicians who control their tax dollars. By those standards, the
appointment Wednesday of Florida State University's first board of
trustees should serve FSU's interests well. |
| Gov.
Bush names 12 to Florida's board of trustees
On the list is the widow of former UF president Stephen O'Connell
GAINESVILLE - Marshall Criser, former president of the University of
Florida, and Cynthia O'Connell, widow of ex-president Stephen
O'Connell, were named Wednesday to the university's board of trustees. |
| Woman
says she blew the whistle, was fired
A former lobbyist for one of the state's biggest insurance companies
is crying foul, saying she was fired this month after voicing concerns
that another of the firm's outside lobbyists was supplying drugs to
state lawmakers and their staffs. |
| Broward
delays new power plants
FORT LAUDERDALE - The Broward County Commission imposed an 11-month
moratorium on the construction of new power plants in the area. |
| Commissioners
spar over election report
WASHINGTON - Members of the nation's Civil Rights Commission called
each other liars. Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris accused
the Democratic chairwoman of focusing on her state simply because Al
Gore lost. |
| Ashcroft
pledges drug court funds
Grants part of $31.4 million feds promised
ORLANDO - U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft pledged almost $2
million to Florida's drug courts Wednesday for programs that will help
nonviolent drug offenders kick their addictions. |
| Veto
slashes cash to stop youth smoking
A state program to crack down on underage smoking has been slashed by
Gov. Jeb Bush - a move that anti-tobacco forces fear could reverse the
downward trend in cigarette use by Florida teens. |
| Gov.
Bush slashes funds for anti-smoking program -
TALLAHASSEE · A state program to crack down on underage smoking has
been slashed by Gov. Jeb Bush -- a move that anti-tobacco forces fear
could reverse the downward trend in cigarette use by Florida teens. |
|
Boise
Cascade trying to take out environmentalists
AUSTIN, Texas — Now here's an interesting development: The Boise
Cascade Corp. is targeting Rainforest Action Network (RAN), the
environmental group that has gotten Home Depot, Lowe's and other major
companies to stop buying wood from the remaining old-growth forests. |
| Nelson
puts nominee on slow track - U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., wants
to stop the Bush administration from opening the Gulf of Mexico to
more offshore drilling. To make his point, he puts Bush's deputy
Interior secretary nominee on hold. |
| Biting
bugs swarm in again - It's pest season; gnats, mosquitoes and
flies are out in droves. Tropical Storm Allison and the rain that
followed are believed to be contributing factors to the increase in
the pesky critters, but insects in the summer also are a fact of life
on the Gulf Coast. |
| Change
how state funds Healthy Kids
In health care, just as in anything else, there's no such thing as a
free lunch - or a free doctor's examination. Ignoring the health needs
of low-income children accomplishes nothing but creating a high-cost
system we all have to pay for... |
| Developers
oppose plan for 'Glades - Builders reacted sharply Wednesday to a
suggestion by Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Cabinet that strict state
oversight might be needed for environmentally sensitive acres east of
the Everglades. |
| Broward
plan to save green space is challenged by pro-development cities |
| UF,
FSU boards have big names |
| Meet
Gov. Bush's picks for UF, FSU |
| Cuffing
free speech in Key West -The police chief didn't like what a
newspaper was saying about his department, so he arrested the editor.
While such abuses of power happen frequently in banana republics, you
don't expect them in Florida. |
| Dem chairman now has salary of
$100,000
Saying that it needs a full-time commander as it engages in a battle
to win back the governor's mansion, the Florida Democratic Party gave
Chairman Bob Poe a pat on the back and a sizable raise. |
| Big
changes for UF sports?
The Knight Foundation Commission suggests many changes that could
alter the way UF teams would be able to compete and pay coaches. |
| UF's
new board - Not surprisingly, Bush's appointments are largely
drawn from the corporate world. By contrast, virtually none of the
trustees hail from academia. |
| Wells
contain carcinogens - Potentially
cancer-causing chemicals have been detected in drinking water from
three city wells and at a nearby private well used by Siemens Corp.,
city and state officials confirmed Wednesday. |
| On
the right road -- Thanks
to U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, the pressure is on for elected officials in
Lake and Seminole to decide the future of State Road 46. Will it look
like most other major thoroughfares in the region, with strip malls,
curb cuts and parking lots every few feet? Or will the road truly be a
natural and rural gateway to the Wekiva River basin, one of the most
pristine environmental jewels in all of Central Florida? |
| Lab
says West Palm drinking water safe
By Michael Van Sickler, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
WEST PALM BEACH -- City drinking water is safe despite trace amounts
of a blue-green algae toxin linked to cancer, microbiologists hired by
the city say. The Wisconsin State Laboratory of... |
| Hanif:
PC monster neither micro nor soft
|
6/27/01
| Alternate
energy funds get axed
A state office that disburses money to develop solar power and other
alternative energy technologies has been left high and dry. Gov. Jeb
Bush vetoed the distribution of $3.6 million in funds for renewable
energy projects. |
| Psychiatric,
AIDS drugs on 'limited' list
ORLANDO - In a move that stunned mental health and AIDS advocates,
Florida's Medicaid program said Tuesday it will include psychiatric
and HIV drugs on a new list designed to limit the brand-name
medications available to patients. |
|
NEW UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES - Gov. Jeb Bush named the following people
to the first boards of trustees at Florida International and Florida
Atlantic universities Tuesday... |
| Orientation
for USF's new-look curriculum - Howard Troxler -
THE NORTH TAMPA OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE COLLEGE OF BIDNESS AND
MONEY-RAISIN' |
| Frivolous
lawsuits may now go to highest bidder -Robert Trigaux -A new
industry cropping up in Florida boasts Las Vegas roots and gives a new
twist to the phrase legalized gambling. It's called advanced
litigation funding, which is a fancy way to say specialized businesses
are starting to invest in pending personal injury lawsuits. |
| Black
leaders criticize USF list of trustees -Some view Bush's picks as
a further indication of his insensitivity. |
| Message
to Bush - Even members of Congress who do not consider themselves
"green" can read the polls. And they understand that Bush's
"drain America first" policy is not being well received. |
| State
grants Gate lease to dock ships on St. Johns
Gov. Jeb Bush and the state Cabinet have agreed to lease 23 acres of
the St. Johns River to a Jacksonville company despite objections from
Little Marsh Island residents. |
| Wetlands
protections ineffective
A select panel of scientists says the government's ``no net loss''
policy on wetlands is not working. ... |
| Florida
not likely to restrict cellphone use
TALLAHASSEE - The state's initial data on the impact of ``driver
distraction'' clashes with national studies. ... |
| Broward
deputies apologize for using K-9 units on festival crowd- Top
administrators with the Broward Sheriff’s Office on Monday evening
publicly apologized for their deputies use of police K-9 units to
disperse a crowd after this city’s popular Mango Festival on June
17. |
| UWF
on cusp of trustee management |
| County
gives ambitious recycling plan green light
In a series of 4-0 votes, county commissioners gave the go-ahead to
staff to look into options that would answer the solid waste question
for years to come. |
| Swartz:
Gov. Bush doesn't pick pickets - More than 40 teachers from
Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties didn't know Gov. Bush
already was inside as they picketed... |
| Editorial:
The stealth developer -Lobbyist Hugo Unruh's involvement in an
issue or project often raises a red flag. Now, Mr. Unruh is raising
that warning flag over the Northern Palm Beach County Improvement
District, which is... |
| Editorial:
Build-up, borrow-up - The defense secretary's expansive military
build-up would be easier if it weren't for the president's expensive
tax cut. That was true of Caspar Weinberger and Ronald Reagan in 1981
and can be said about...
|
6/26/01
| Bush
names USF trustees
The 13-member panel draws praise, but some raise questions of
diversity -- political and ethnic. |
| University
of South Florida trustees |
| USF
debuts brain trust
TAMPA - Meet Jeb Bush's new face of leadership for the University of
South Florida: a dozen people united largely by influence, corporate
success, Republican politics and a passion for the school. |
| Editorial:
HMOs' bill of goods - For five long years, Congress has debated
the details of a patients' bill of rights. That's long enough, Senate
Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said last week. Pass
patient-protection legislation this week, he told... |
| Gov.
Bush announces FAU's first board of trustees - STUART -- Gov. Jeb
Bush on Tuesday announced the 13-member board of trustees that will
set policy for Florida Atlantic University under the state's new
educational reorganization plan. |
| Key
West journalist arrested after publishing article -KEY WEST -- A
newspaper editor and publisher was arrested after publishing an
article alleging a cover-up in an internal probe of an officer, police
records show. |
| International
Paper to cut U.S. work force
Effect on local jobs at Cantonment mill uncertain for now |
| eFlorida
introduced as new marketing strategy
Seeking to boost Florida's high-tech image, Gov. Jeb Bush and
Enterprise Florida have launched eFlorida, a technology-oriented
marketing strategy. |
| Trustees
for UF are set to be appointed
University of Florida employees will find out who their new bosses are
on Wednesday.
|
6/25/01
| Bill
Cotterell: Privatization puts focus on 'core mission'
What privatization means in human terms is summed up in four large
stacks of three-ring binders and file folders at the Department of
Management Services. |
| Editorial:
What's killing reefs? -Gov. Bush made an error in judgment when he
vetoed a $1 million grant to pinpoint sources of nutrients feeding
reef-killing algae along Florida's east coast and... |
| Editorial:
Private school set-aside - A charter high school being considered
at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton would guarantee
tuition-free slots to private prep-school students. That's no way
to... |
| Editorial:
Costco not neighborly - Corporations who move into communities to
do business become another neighbor in the neighborhood. The community
will judge them according to how they behave and what they contribute.
They can be... |
| SLOWING
THE DRILL -- The House issues a bipartisan message.
The size of the U.S. House of Representatives' bipartisan vote to
delay the opening of more of the Gulf of Mexico for gas and oil
exploration carries a strong message: President Bush's haste to
reverse or change course on environmental policies is unwise. The rush
to ramp up oil drilling and coal excavation should be tempered by
careful examination of environmental impacts, continued research into
alternative fuels and conservation in energy use. |
| LET
PRISON INMATES TYPE = It's highly unlikely that the $50,000 saved
by getting rid of typewriters used by Florida prison inmates to file
legal motions will be used to hire additional courtroom clerical
staff. |
| DAVID
S. BRODER Democracy on Earth --The United States has
important lessons to teach. SALZBURG, Austria -- They came from 34
different countries, drawn to the baroque Schloss Leopoldskron, for a
conversation on the topic of ``sustaining democracy in the modern
world.'' |
|
Canker reminds of coconut palms’ ruin |
| Elections
chief fights for new voting system - Commissioners said they are
still committed to election reform but don't like the price of
Oliphant's plan. They argue the county can't afford a top-of-the-line
product when the state is giving only $2.3 million in aid to make the
changes. |
| Ashcroft
pledges police support = It was Ashcroft’s first visit to South
Florida since his confirmation, and the crowd was friendly. The
association was the first law enforcement group to support his
nomination for U.S. attorney general. |
| Peterson
in no hurry to start campaign - TALLAHASSEE · With the patience
of a onetime prisoner-of-war and delicacy of a diplomat, Pete Peterson
is making a slow, deliberative assessment of whether to run for
governor. |
| Children
could be kicked off state health care soon - TALLAHASSEE -
Although Gov. Jeb Bush didn't veto a provision in the budget that
would help Florida counties insure children's health, local
governments, health-care providers and children's advocates say it
amounts to the same thing. |
| State
task force to identify voting barriers - TALLAHASSEE - Secretary
of State Katherine Harris is forming a task force to examine barriers
to ballot access for the disabled in the wake of an equal- access
lawsuit. |
| Toxic
toads return with the rain - Wildlife experts, local veterinarians
and residents who have had close calls in recent weeks say the Bufo
marinus toad is nothing to take lightly -- especially for pet owners. |
| the
floridareport - On Tuesday morning, Governor Bush and his Cabinet
will arrive in Stuart to do a "Capital for A Day".
County officials are hoping the Governor leaves knowing that local
County residents have a good feeling about the direction Florida is
headed. However, many local businesses and area teachers plan on
a different type of welcome committee.
|
| A
balancing issue
The simple act of people praying together is none of
the government's business. |
6/24/01
|
$15 million GOP Fundraiser Hosted by Tobacco Industry Lobbyists to
Guarantee Bush Fixes Settlement Case the 'Right' Way --
On the very day that newspaper headlines delivered news of the
Administration’s plans to settle the federal suit against the
tobacco industry out of court, industry lobbyists are organizing a
GOP fundraiser next week expected to haul in $15 million for the
party. Shrubmeister will be the guest of honor at this 'black tie
and [jack]boots' gala. Shrub has intentionally impeded the federal
case against the industry, and is expected to broker a
"sweetheart deal" for these shameless pushers. But what do
you expect? Shrub's already scooped up $7 million from big tobacco
in 2000. (from DemDaily news) http://tobaccofreekids.org
|
| Attorney
general in Florida this week
MIAMI - Attorney General John Ashcroft will meet with law enforcement
officials, Cuban Americans and other immigrants during a four-day trip
to Florida beginning today. The former Missouri senator is making his
first trip to Florida since his appointment by President Bush as
"part of an ongoing effort to learn and meet with the various
components of the Justice Department," said spokesman Dan Nelson. |
| Most
of missing FCAT tests are found
VENICE - More than 50 missing FCAT exams taken by Venice High School
students have been found - in Iowa and Texas. Most of the lost Florida
Comprehensive Assessment Tests were discovered 1,050 miles away in
Austin, Texas, where the testing company has an office, said Sarasota
County School Superintendent Wilma Hamilton. |
| Democrats
converge for meeting
They take an early look at prospective candidatesfor governor MIAMI
BEACH - Florida Democrats intent on defeating Republican Gov. Jeb Bush
gathered Saturday at an annual party fund-raiser touted as the opening
act of next year's high-profile governor's race. |
| Famed
lawyer takes on Supreme Court's election decisionDELRAY BEACH --
Remember those Palm Beach County voters who said that the infamous
butterfly ballot confused them, causing them to cast a vote for Pat
Buchanan instead of Al Gore?
Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz remembers. He returned to ground
zero to talk about it and his new book: Supreme Injustice: How the
High Court Hijacked Election 2000 |
|
Ashcroft begins state tour with talk to sheriffs |
| Editorial:
Budget cuts threaten premier truancy effort
The Palm Beach Post
Few law-enforcement initiatives have been so universally heralded as
Palm Beach County's Truancy Interdiction Program. Police, prosecutors,
school officials and parents are... |
6/23/01
| Medicaid
execs ink deal with drug giant
Please see DRUG, 2B After months of quiet negotiations, state Medicaid
officials Friday said they had reached an agreement with the nation's
largest drug manufacturer to help reduce the state's skyrocketing cost
to provide medicine to the poor. |
| Davis
mulls run for governor Davis mulling governor's run, friends say close
to getting in
U.S. Rep. Jim Davis said Friday he is "increasingly
distressed" by the direction Florida is heading, particularly in
education, and is giving serious thought to seeking the Democratic
nomination for governor. |
|
Reno defends Waco, Elian decisions
JUPITER - Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, considering a run
for Florida governor, on Friday said her actions involving Elian
Gonzalez and Waco show she can make tough decisions as a leader. |
| Veto
may spell doom for Sports Hall of Fame Governor's veto may spell doom
for Florida Sports Hall of Fame
LAKE CITY - Gov. Jeb Bush's veto of a $250,000 appropriation may mark
the end of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, which holds memorabilia of
nationally known figures ranging from Heisman Trophy winner Steve
Spurrier to champion dragster Don "Big Daddy" Garlits. |
| USF
president offers criticism of new system -ST. PETERSBURG --
University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft mildly criticized
the governor and Legislature on Friday for tearing apart the state
university system's governance system without having a replacement
ready. |
| Pfizer
deal aimed at savings - TALLAHASSEE -- To cut costs, Florida's
Medicaid agency Friday struck a unique deal with Pfizer Inc. that
promises millions in savings to the state in exchange for giving
preferred status to 23 drugs made by the company. |
|
State's blasting plans inspire protest -TALLAHASSEE -- Florida is
poised to set new, statewide regulations on rock mining -- and some
Miami-Dade County homeowners who live on the quarries' edges say the
rules don't do enough to protect their homes from ground-shaking
blasts. |
|
State GOP: Democrats are backing unlawful practice - TALLAHASSEE
-- The Republican Party of Florida on Friday charged Democrats with
placing potential Democratic gubernatorial candidates in the position
of breaking the law by asking them to raise money in exchange for
speaking at tonight's Democratic fundraiser. |
|
Gubernatorial hopefuls to take center stage - Next year's
governor's race kicks off tonight when 1,500 Democrats from around
Florida gather in Miami Beach for the first audition of the four men
and two women who are gearing up to challenge Gov. Jeb Bush. |
|
Governor's veto hits courts - The Broward County Courthouse faces
an estimated $1.2 million budget cut, while Miami-Dade County is
bracing for a $6 million loss in state aid because of Gov. Jeb Bush's
vetoes. |
|
DEPT. OF JUVENILE JUSTICE - Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed 32 programs in
Broward that would have sent $5,198,900 more to the county from the
2001-02 state budget, according to a final analysis released Thursday
by the legislative delegation budget analyst. |
|
Florida's
deal gives Pfizer special status
After months of secret negotiations, Florida health officials
announced on Friday they have reached a unique deal with Pfizer Inc.
that they say guarantees the state at least $33 million of savings in
health care costs in the Medicaid program during the next two years. |
| No
automatic entry - U.S.
military academies might produce fine soldiers, but nothing in their
curriculum warrants giving their graduates automatic entry into a
medical school. |
| Governor's
veto felt across Pasco - ...Bush has always made it clear
that he would cut so-called turkeys - lawmakers' pet projects - from
the state budget. His general philosophy, a good one, is a project
must have statewide impact to survive a veto. Still, his vetoes of
certain Pasco proposals conflict with his criteria and are
disappointing and confusing. And the same can be said of some of the
projects he approved. |
| Governor's
vetoes serve environment - The debate
continues to rage over Gov. Jeb Bush's vetoes, and some clearly were
questionable. We are particularly concerned about the cutting of
programs aimed at steering troubled children from a life of crime. But
Bush also spared taxpayers many ignoble expenses. And his vetoes were
especially helpful to the environment. |
| Power
to pollute
GRU's Deerhaven plant leads the county in producing dirty air.- It
dwarfs the proposed Watson Construction asphalt plant in size and in
the amount of air pollution it produces. It's the county's largest
single source of air pollution - spewing out far more than the
controversial Florida Rock cement plant...But Gainesville's city
commissioners and staff aren't always eager to take on the Deerhaven
power plant - because they own it. |
6/22/01
| Tallahassee Democrat - Moore
may soon head Texas prisons
...Moore said Thursday that he made the decision rather quickly
"after much soul searching." Spokeswomen for both Moore and
Bush had denied Moore was considering the job when the Tallahassee
Democrat, acting on information from within the prison system, asked
him about it just over a month ago.
 | Jeb
Bush blocks academy move
Transfer of FHP center to Quincy put on hold
With the stroke of a pen, Gov. Jeb Bush has pushed back plans to
move the Florida Highway Patrol's training academy to the Pat
Thomas Law Enforcement Academy near Quincy. |
| Court:
Wealthy debtors can shield their assets
Wealthy debtors can shield their assets in homes, even if they do
it purposely to cheat creditors, the state Supreme Court ruled
Thursday. In a 6-1 decision, Florida's high court said the
provision in the state constitution that shields homesteads from
foreclosure and forfeiture also protects homes bought by debtors
"with the specific intent to hinder, delay, or defraud
creditors." |
| Project
survives Bush veto
A Republican tactician who will play a key role in efforts to get
Gov. Jeb Bush re-elected got a last-minute no-bid contract into
the state's $48 billion budget.... Bush said Enwright's
representation of the company had no bearing on his decision not
to veto the project. |
| Drilling
in Gulf runs dry in U.S. House
Oil, gas leases off coast voted down
WASHINGTON - The House voted Thursday to deny Bush administration
efforts to explore for oil and gas in environmentally sensitive
areas, including a tract in the Gulf of Mexico that pits Florida's
Republican governor against his brother, President Bush. |
|
|
St Pete Times - 3-week
stint guarantees state pension
Former Judge Bonnie Newton endured sharp criticism, then lost an
election. Now two judges help her sweeten retirement.
| Prison
chief sets sights on Texas - TALLAHASSEE -- Michael Moore,
whose 2 1/2 years as Florida corrections secretary have been
marked by turmoil ranging from the beating death of an inmate to
allegations of racism in the ranks, is seeking to run the prison
system in his native Texas |
|
| Miami Herald - Five
Democrats aim at governor's raceThey are paying $10,000 for the
privilege of speaking to the party faithful Saturday night.
|
| Palm Beach Post - P.B.
firefighters might form union despite pay increases - PALM BEACH
-- The town council may give nearly all its employees raises next
month to keep up with the Boca Ratons and the Wellingtons of the
municipal world, but the extra pay may not prevent firefighters from
forming a union. The pay hikes will keep town workers in the top 25
percent in pay of area municipal... |
| floridareport.com - NO
BIDS - NO DEBATE - NO PROBLEM! - A last
minute non-debated item that awards a no-bid contract to TSI was
placed into the Florida budget by Randy Enwright and has survived
Governor Bush's veto pen. The contract allocates up to two
million dollars for an anti-smoking project that Randy Enwright's
client... |
6/21/01
| Tampa Tribune - Governor's
veto felt across Pasco - ...His general philosophy, a good one, is
a project must have statewide impact to survive a veto. Still, his
vetoes of certain Pasco proposals conflict with his criteria and are
disappointing and confusing. And the same can be said of some of the
projects he approved.
| Restore
federal conservation funds - ...The budget of President Bush,
who enjoyed widespread support among hunting and fishing
enthusiasts, cut conservation funding by more than a third. His
budget also would divert conservation funds for other uses. |
|
| Miami Herald -
Energy firms accused of overcharges -WASHINGTON -- California Gov.
Gray Davis demanded Wednesday that electricity generators refund $9
billion to his state and urged U.S. senators to pressure federal
regulators to order those refunds.
|
| Naples Daily Times - Lois
Frankel to run for governor
TALLAHASSEE — If there is any doubt about state Rep. Lois
Frankel running for governor, there won't be any after the Democratic
Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson fund-raiser Saturday in Miami.
"I haven't planned my speech yet, but I'm going to make it pretty
obvious I'm going to be running," Frankel said Wednesday. |
| Orlando Sentinel - UF
med school disputes state's admissions rule
The state’s largest medical school will defy a
newly enacted law requiring it to automatically admit military academy
graduates -- a measure that could help the son of a prominent Orlando
lobbyist and Republican fund-raiser.
| Stargazers
will see red during close encounter
Tonight’s the night to get your best view of
Mars in years. |
| Toxins
show up in water -MELBOURNE -- Studies of the city’s
drinking water released Wednesday showed small traces of
cancer-causing algae toxins that are turning up in a growing
number of Florida lakes. |
| Conflicts
cited in DCF dealings - TAVARES -- A year after the Lake
County Boys Ranch ceased operations under a cloud of criminal
indictments, the state Commission on Ethics says two former state
employees who went to work for the ranch probably violated the
state ethics code. |
| Faulty
crib logic - Gov.
Jeb Bush's logic for vetoing a crib-safety bill that garnered
near-unanimous legislative support this spring just doesn't wash.
|
|
| Tallahassee Democrat - Racial
profiling law gets nod from Jeb Bush
Agencies say they're already watching
Sheriff's offices and police departments will have to develop plans
for making sure their officers don't stop motorists simply because of
their race, under a bill signed by Gov. Jeb Bush.
| Bush
vetoes Leon's $1M
District was to be reimbursed for academy
Already faced with a growing building-needs deficit, the Leon
County School District will also not receive money for losing
Lively Technical Center's law enforcement program two years ago |
|
E-mail encourages blackout
Turn off lights tonight as a protest, message says
An anonymous e-mail message sent around the Internet in recent
weeks urges people to turn off their lights and appliances tonight
- on the first day of summer - to show support for energy
conservation. |
| Democrat
hopefuls pay for chance to speak
The price of democracy is going up Saturday for a handful of
Democratic Party gubernatorial hopefuls wanting to speak to the
big money folks looking for a favorite among the group. |
| Court
allows state to cut healthy trees
WEST PALM BEACH - After seven months of quiet chain saws, the
state can return to cutting down healthy trees in Broward County
as part of its battle against citrus canker, an appeals court
ruled Wednesday. |
|
Give governor credit for veto of bridge bailout
It took years longer than it should have, and a new
administration, but Gov. Jeb Bush has dealt a crippling financial
death blow to a toll span over eastern Pensacola Bay - on that
should never have been built in the first place.
|
|
| Pensacola News Journal - Perdido
Bay`s health to perk up
International Paper's plan to stop dumping wastewater likely to be
environmental boost for South Escambia waterway |
| St.Petersburg Times - Lawmakers
deflect beach costs - WASHINGTON -- A House subcommittee has
rejected a Bush administration proposal that would have forced state
and local governments to pay a larger share of beach nourishment
projects
| House
member changes job rules for state pensions administrator -
State Rep. Mike Fasano and state pension board administrator Tom
Herndon don't always see eye to eye.... So few who follow the
board were surprised to see a last-minute amendment pushed by
Fasano, R-New Port Richey, in May that could make it more
difficult for Herndon to keep his job as executive director of the
state Board of Administration. ...Gov. Jeb Bush signed
that bill in a ceremony Wednesday, saying the other good elements
in the bill outweighed the controversial part. |
|
| Sun-Sentinel - NRA-backed
law makes it difficult for police to trace pawned guns - A new
statewide database of pawnshop records will help police track stolen
property and solve crimes across county lines. |
6/20/01
| Tallahassee Democrat - Jeb
Bush rearranging his senior executive staff
With the legislative session behind him and a re-election campaign
ahead, Gov. Jeb Bush is rearranging his senior executive staff, with
some young, politically experienced aides taking on powerful new
positions.
| Bush
signs judicial nomination bill
Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill Tuesday that gives him the power to
pick the people who choose finalists for judgeships. The governor
also vetoed a bill that would make hotels and motels use cribs
that meet federal safety standards, saying there was no evidence
it was needed and would give the industry protection from
lawsuits. |
| Broward
not sold on voting system
FORT LAUDERDALE - Broward County commissioners are cool to the
idea of spending $20 million for touch-screen voting systems, even
with the supervisor of elections pledging they are 100 percent
accurate. |
|
| St Petersburg Times - Education
laws seem to oppose Bush priorities - In his first 21/2 years as
governor, Jeb Bush made clear a few education priorities: private
school vouchers to rescue kids where public schools failed them, an
end to social promotion, higher standards for all kids and
accountability....In recent weeks though, Bush has quietly signed into
law some bills that seem -- at least at first glance -- out of step
with some of those priorities.
| Lobbyist's
medical school ploy made law - TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush
signed a health care bill Tuesday that contains a provision sought
by a single influential lobbyist, loosening admission standards at
Florida's medical schools to guarantee slots to military academy
graduates. |
| Crib
safety bill gets veto - TALLAHASSEE -- This year, safety
advocates convinced the Florida Legislature that kids younger than
16 should wear bike helmets when they zoom around on motorized
scooters.
They also got lawmakers to pass a bill saying that kids should
ride in car booster seats until the age of 8. And they crafted new
legislation to keep babies out of older, unsafe cribs.
Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed all of them. |
| Yellow
River dam is vetoed - Gov. Jeb Bush delighted environmental
activists by vetoing $250,000 the Legislature approved for
planning a dam for the Yellow River in the Panhandle. |
| Mining
threat
The Department of Environmental Protection is too permissive in
allowing phosphate mining that could put the Peace River and
Charlotte Harbor at risk. |
|
| Palm Beach Post - Blue
Cross accused of harassing doctors
By Sanjay Bhatt, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
The Florida Medical Association accused the state's largest health
insurer of "strong-arm tactics" in dropping contracts with
doctors, and is asking the Insurance Commissioner to investigate. Blue
Cross Blue Shield...
| Editorial:
Bush has to cut turkeys
Gov. Bush vetoed another $290 million worth of the Legislature's
budget this year, bringing his three-year total above $900
million. That must be historic. It also makes fun of the way... |
| No.
2 in charge at DCF resigns, cites frustration
By Stephen Kiehl, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Ray Liberti, the second-in-command at the Department of Children
and Families in Palm Beach County, resigned Monday, as a grand
jury is on the verge of releasing a report criticizing ... |
| A
cosmic buffet for stargazers
Mars and the Earth are converging at 22,000 mph! Day suddenly
turns to night in Africa! It's the longest day! Thursday's sky is
just chock full of... |
| Cuban
friendship rally doesn't take flight
By Bill Douthat, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
WEST PALM BEACH -- A dove released as a symbol of peace crashed in
a puff of white feathers. The peace rally also bombed, drawing
less than a dozen people interested in... |
|
| Tampa Tribune- Feds
to avoid trial in tobacco lawsuit
WASHINGTON - The attorney general surprises tobacco companies by
announcing plans to try a settlement. ... |
6/19/01
| Floridareport
- rules for whistle blowing - Most whistleblowers do not start out by
saying I am going to blow the whistle on this whole mess. They
mostly do what they think they ought to do. This is true to a
higher degree in professional people, who when acting within
acceptable guidelines and ethics of their profession find themselves
to be labeled as a whistleblower. |
| Tallahassee Democrat -
It's official: TCC president leaving
College could have new chief by next May
For six months, T.K. Wetherell has questioned his tenure as president
of Tallahassee Community College. Monday, the former House speaker
made final his decision to leave, without committing to what he will
do next.
| Bay,
river proposal may hurt wildlife
Plan would give Florida less water
Florida's water-sharing proposal for the Apalachicola River system
wouldn't provide enough water for Florida, says a coalition of
environmental groups and an Apalachicola business group.
|
| Group
marches for Rebel flag
Bob Hurst put on his Confederate general's uniform early Monday
and carried Florida's Civil War flag at the head of a small band
of protesters who loudly but futilely urged Gov. Jeb Bush to
restore the Rebel banner to the Capitol. |
| Hearing
on position misuse at a standstill
A fight over whether the Ethics Commission gets to see the
contract between a former top state official and the company he is
| | |
