Statewide Reports-December 1-15,2001

Statewide Reports-December 1-15

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. Same is true for some of the others although the time frame varies.

12/15/01

	Ethics law lets foxes guard the henhouse Florida is one of only two states in the nation that doesn't allow its Ethics Commission to initiate investigations of public officials.
	University leaders press to get power Florida State University President Sandy D'Alemberte has taken the lead in asking lawmakers to let state universities control their own tuition and fees.
	Still waiting -- Chair Jim Handy said Florida's Board of Education may be ready to deal with the tuition issue by the middle of 2002, and take it to the Legislature in 2003. In other words: Wait 'till next year.
	Noncitizens find new rules to get permits Long lines Checks, copies made of papers MIAMI - Scores of immigrants seeking driving permits or ID cards waited in long lines Friday as state officials expedited anti-terrorism rules restricting how noncitizens obtain Florida driver licenses.
	New driver's license rules kick in early After being swamped by immigrants trying to beat the clock, the state switches to the new rules ahead of schedule.
	For some, license is a long drive away -Concerned with anti-terrorism regulations that link immigrants' driver's licenses to their visas, civic leaders and immigration advocates say the policy will further disenfranchise noncitizens living in the state.
	Board of Education tests limits of control Having given universities more autonomy this year, the state wants a say in presidents' salaries.
	FedEx main mover of anthrax, pathogens By Sanjay Bhatt, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Whenever the U.S. Army wanted to ship a paste of live anthrax germs from a Utah compound to a Maryland base, it called the same shipper that...
	Energy chief won't rule out more drilling off Fla., Forum Club told By Brian E. Crowley, Palm Beach Post Political Editor Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham declined to rule out future drilling for oil and natural gas off Florida's coast Friday but said existing drilling has...

12/14/01

	Bush agrees to cut $1-billion in budget Dismissing criticism from opponents, Bush says the cuts are fair. Some, however, say tax breaks should go first.
	Bush signs off on nearly $1 billion in cuts Budget battle an 'intense effort,' he says Officially closing out a strange and difficult fall, Gov. Jeb Bush on Thursday signed into law close to $1 billion in cuts to the state budget brought on by a recession made worse by terrorism's effect on Florida tourism.
	Gov. Bush approves $1 billion in cuts - Governor portrays spending reductions as `responsible' -- TALLAHASSEE -- Three years of economic bliss officially came to an end for Florida on Thursday as Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law $1 billion in spending cuts for schools, social services and other state programs. Bush used a brief news conference to portray the cuts as ``responsible'' in the midst of ``very difficult times.''
	Bush signs $1B spending cut Gov. Jeb Bush signed budget cuts of about $1 billion into law Thursday.
	Ethics boards and politics often at odds "There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you." Will Rogers said that about comedians, but it could just as easily apply to reporters. How hard can it be to be a reporter when so many government officials try to do what is right but often settle for what is convenient? And when a few - not that many but enough to keep a whole lot of reporters employed - seem to be out only for themselves, and the heck with the people who voted them there?
	Airport to use face-scanning surveillance Unnamed airport to use system; some legislators are concerned TAMPA - An unnamed Florida airport will deploy a computer system that scans faces in the crowd for known terrorists and criminals, one of the system's inventors told a legislative panel Thursday.
	Security isn't cheap, say law officers Terrorism response and prevention are costly, say leading officers, and most are just beginning.
	Bush campaigns to keep Southern Command in state Gov. Jeb Bush is lobbying the Pentagon to keep a key military command in South Florida, citing Latin America's strategic importance to the United States. The governor's push comes as the Department of Defense weighs the future of the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in the Caribbean and all of Latin America except Mexico
	School panel ponders code changes It plans to suggest legislators cut by 25 percent the state's body of school laws. But hot-button issues are off-limits for now.
	UF trustees approve fee for freshmen GAINESVILLE - Incoming University of Florida students would have to pay a $200 deposit to hold their place in the freshman class under a plan approved Thursday. The university's board of trustees approved the fee, which would cover student services provided by the office of admissions and the university registrar, Florida Provost David Colburn said. The fee will now be considered by the Legislature.
	FIU chief gets hefty raise Florida International University in Miami plans to raise its president's pay from $202,000 a year to $285,000, topping the salaries of presidents at the state's other universities. The raise for longtime FIU President Modesto "Mitch" Maidique was expected to raise questions during the two-day meeting of the new state Board of Education, which started Thursday and ends today.
	Leaders seek out regional solutions About 200 leaders from throughout Central Florida gathered Thursday in Kissimmee, vowing to solve virtually all of the region's woes -- from crowded and low-performing schools to clogged roads and an economy dominated by low-paying jobs.
	Stretch of S.R. A1A to be heavily guarded When State Road A1A finally reopens in January, it won't look like the same stretch of historic highway it once did.
	Experts ponder mystery of crocodiles washing up on S. Florida beachesIn the past three weeks, four crocodiles have been pulled from Spanish River, Jupiter and Hillsboro beaches and from the Intracoastal Waterway in Tequesta. Two males and one female are recovering and under observation at Busch Wildlife Center in Jupiter. Another female is at Miami Metrozoo.
	Videotape inspires outrage at Tampa cafe Men gathered at a meeting place for area Muslims express anger over bin Laden's "in the name of Islam" assertions.
	Baseball keeps squeeze play on Forget contraction. Consider baseball's contradictions. Major League Baseball spat tobacco juice in Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth's eye Thursday, ignoring a deadline to turn over financial records that might support the league's supposed need to downsize.
	Requests for Florida license raised no flags Many of the men who commandeered planes Sept. 11 had little or no trouble getting Florida drivers' licenses.
	New rules send noncitizens rushing for driver's licenses - Swamped with immigrants rushing to obtain driver's licenses before new regulations go into effect, the state hurried to immediately impose the new rules Thursday.
	A little bit of currency, a big lesson on rights In honor of Bill of Rights Day, which is Saturday, let's talk about an idea started a few years ago by a group of middle school children in Virginia.
	Left and right, old ideologies are being challenged War is meant to clarify and simplify. Right and wrong, good and evil stand out in stark contrast. But war also forces reappraisal of automatic assumptions. As in one of those paperweight globes of bucolic scenes and faux snow, conventional perceptions are furiously shaken by war.
	Editorial: Waiting for Norton Despite words of support for Everglades restoration from Interior Secretary Gale Norton, her actions have been less reassuring. After prodding from Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., Ms. Norton this week at least is showing some interest...
	Editorial: Indefensible scrapping of anti-ballistic treaty Secretary of State Colin Powell needs an anti-missile system, but he doesn't have to ward off attacks from rogue states. Mr. Powell needs protection from the diplomacy-busting rockets coming at him from within the Bush...
	Editorial: Prevent the next Enron Kenneth Lay took time out from money-making last spring to advise Vice President Dick Cheney privately on energy policy, but he was too busy filing for Enron's bankruptcy Wednesday to share his thoughts with a House committee...
	U.S. lawmakers press for answers on Enron Congress pushed hard on Thursday for explanations of the stunning downfall of Enron Corp. (ENE.N) as one committee set a hearing on the affair, another chased after records, and a third talked privately with high-powered attorneys for the fallen energy trading group.

12/13/01

	Gore in Florida for fundraiser on anniversary of concession MIAMI -- Al Gore returned to Florida on Wednesday to speak at a Democratic fundraiser on the first anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended his quest for the White House.
	Nurses want to expand roles Group lobbies for power to prescribe Go to a doctor's office and there's a good chance the person tending you will be a nurse practitioner. But that person can't prescribe medicine to ease your pain.
	College leader's raise: $83,000 - TALLAHASSEE -- Florida International University in Miami intends to boost its president's pay from $202,000 a year to $285,000, leapfrogging the salaries of presidents at the biggest and most prestigious state universities.
	For sale: My job security I hate to admit it, but the recession is really no big deal to me.As a tenured professor at Valencia Community College, my job security does not fluctuate with the business cycle or the index of leading indicators
	Bright Futures rules debated Critics say using ACT, SAT tests hurts minorities A group of education and minority advocates Wednesday called on Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida lawmakers to revamp the way the state gives out Bright Futures scholarships.
	Budget cuts pass the buck to local schools Local districts are pawing through programs, looking for nickels and dimes as they trim for leaner days.
	Two Democrats could vie for attorney general bid The race heats up as the Tallahassee mayor says he might seek the Democratic nomination.
	Year-end show has sun, moon and meteors in cosmic cast The next few days are enough to make an astronomer's pulse race.
	Officer raised an alarm on `blacked out' patrols- Six weeks before the head-on collision that killed two Florida wildlife officers patrolling in the Everglades with their lights off, another officer sent a memo to her supervisor raising concerns about having to patrol ``blacked out'' in a rural wooded area without adequate radio contact
	Battle over water use is looming- South Florida's water managers are beginning to do something they've never done -- figuring out exactly how much water there is and setting rules for how to divvy it up in the future.
	Lawmakers Criticize Enron Execs
	Letter: Harris: State acted to save taxpayers from 'gouging' The Palm Beach Post The Post's Dec. 7 editorial "Purging election reform" is replete with inaccuracies, distortions and half-truths. The Post lets no fact stand in the way of its left-wing political vendetta. The Post cannot bear to print the comments from state elections supervisor...
	Immokalee farmworkers - Advocates for farmworkers failed Tuesday to win the Collier County Commission's support for big farms in Immokalee to bargain on better wages. A majority of three commissioners saw the request as more than a plea for a dialogue between bosses and migrant fruit and vegetable pickers.
	Editorial: War protest Against the backdrop of Sept. 11, protests of America's war against the mass murderers hiding out in Afghanistan are hard for most of us to fathom. That goes double when the organizers are public school teachers right here in Naples and some of those who sympathize with them are their young students.
	Guest editorial: Betraying the helpless A much-awaited report issued last week by New York's chief judge, Judith Kaye, documents the degree to which unchecked patronage practices have corrupted the state's system for safeguarding the finances of the elderly and infirm. Rather than a program to protect the helpless, the report depicts a jobs program for politically connected lawyers who drain the estates of the vulnerable clients they are supposed to defend.
	Guest editorial: The battle over special education The leaders of the House and Senate reached formal agreement Tuesday on a groundbreaking education bill. But Republican leaders, with the support of the White House, defeated an attempt by Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa to dramatically increase financing for special education. The Bush administration argues that the issue should

12/12/01

	Juvenile Justice cuts will bring crime increase, advocates fear - Millions of dollars of budget cuts ordered for the state Department of Juvenile Justice will mean an increase in juvenile crime and victims, and more kids sent to adult courts, child-welfare advocates said Tuesday.== In Miami-Dade County, where 32 probation and community corrections staff positions are slated for elimination, caseloads will increase and children will have fewer options to help them get their lives back on track, they charge.==In Broward County there is a fear that any reduction in probation officers would encourage the department to recommend placing more children in lockdown programs.==``It's going to be a disaster,'' said Mindy Solomon, the assistant public defender who supervises juveniles in Broward.
	State plans to sue Enron Pension fund had 9.7 million shares Florida soon will add its name to the growing list of states suing fallen energy giant Enron, officials with the state Board of Administration said Tuesday.
	Congress demands records, briefing from Enron A congressional committee demanded on Tuesday that Enron Corp. hand over financial records and meet with committee staff within 10 days, intensifying a push on Capitol Hill to shed more light on the stunning collapse of the former energy trading powerhouse.
	Enron could use Warren Buffett Enron Corp., the once-high-flying energy trader that has made a potentially fatal crash landing in a Manhattan bankruptcy court, was the toast of corporate America only a year ago. Now Enron appears to be just . . . toast.
	Enron's collapse hits state Florida's employee pension fund could be out more than $200-million because of the energy trader's meltdown. The state will sue, an official says.
	Gov. Bush endorses tough anti-pollution rules for Everglades-- State environmental officials and Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday endorsed a strict pollution limit sought by environmentalists for the Everglades.- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection told the state's Environmental Regulation Commission in Tallahassee that water entering the Everglades should contain no more than 10 parts per billion of phosphorus.
	Gubernatorial race cranks up Florida's gubernatorial race moved forward Tuesday with Gov. Jeb Bush announcing county campaign leaders, challenger Janet Reno naming a campaign manager and candidates in both parties saying they will resume fund-raisers.
	Congress delays drug issue FORT LAUDERDALE - America's seniors, hopeful of getting significant help with soaring prescription drug costs when Congress convened last January, will not get it - at least not this year.
	Lawmakers say prescriptions cheaper by mail Having Medicaid patients order drugs could save money, but pharmacists say they would lose customers.
	Group warns of long-term care bill America is aging fast, but few people know how much it costs to stay in a nursing home or assisted living facility, or who picks up the bill, the AARP warned Tuesday.
	Residents want ride off horizon CELEBRATION - Residents of Disney's North Village community here aren't getting much of a thrill from a new ride at Osceola County's Old Town attraction. The Slingshot is a vertical accelerator, a tall pair of metal towers that launch the adventurous 365 feet in the air. If the height isn't enough to grab the eye, the rainbow of neon lights might do the trick.
	State leads in vacated sentences Florida led the nation last year in death sentences being overturned, the latest report compiled by the U.S. Department of Justice shows. Fifty-eight death row inmates across the country last year had their sentences overturned in 2000, including nine in Florida, according to the statistics released Tuesday.
	Butterworth brings big bat to this game of monopoly We are not allowed to form illegal monopolies.
	The Capitol Police When Gov. Bush decided the Capital Police would be taken out from under the Department of Management Services and placed under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ...
	The jetport is dead; long live the parks - The Air Force has hammered another nail in the coffin of the misbegotten Homestead jetport, and even Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas is kicking dirt on the grave. After a seven-year fight, the insider deal to top all insider deals finally appears dead.
	Bush to Pull Out of 1972 ABM Treaty -

12/11/01

	Enron fallout hits state pension fund Florida's pension fund for teachers, state employees and county workers bought 7 million shares in Enron Corp. before the energy company filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving the retirement fund facing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
	Bush funds roll in again Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign fund raising, suspended since Sept. 11, will resume next week with a party hosted by a restaurant association that has backed the governor and won his support for tax cuts.
	Pink slips go out to 400 workers Staff trimmed at Department of Juvenile Justice-- Layoff notices are going out to about 400 employees in the Department of Juvenile Justice, the state agency hardest hit by workforce reductions sparked after lawmakers cut $1.3 billion in spending last week.
	When smaller means bigger The state budget, now balanced by reducing it by more than a billion dollars, is larger by nearly $60 million than it was before the special 10-day session started.
	11 laws boost state's powers Citing "legitimate constitutional concerns," Florida Law Enforcement Commissioner Tim Moore said Monday he will not push a controversial plan to allow police to jail people for 48 hours without charging them with a crime.
	Bush commission aiming to reduce Social Security benefits - Washington- ...the commission is offering three private investment proposals, and two of them would reduce benefits for retirees — even those who do not choose a private investment option.
	Editorial: Still secret; still wrong The Palm Beach Post The temptation is to say, "It's OK, because they're not Americans," but what is happening to Mazen Al-Najjar and many other immigrant detainees is most un-American and highlights the principle that if it can happen to one, it can happen to anyone..
	U.S. threw out man who put China in space Despite a stellar rocketry career, the U.S. branded Tsien Hsue-shen a communist and expelled him to China -- a move that would help change the global balance of power forever.
	Insurance a problem for nursing homes Most of Florida's nursing homes will be able to meet new legislative requirements on the staff/patient ratio by the Jan. 1 deadline, according to the Florida Health Care Association. However, of the homes that responded to a recent survey, one in five won't make that same deadline for getting liability insurance, an association official said Monday.
	State meeting smaller this year Budget cuts keep contingents slim - Restrictions on state travel are having a limited effect on the state's own convention, which kicks off today in Tampa and expects around 1,000 employees to attend.
	Treatment considered for ballot Constitutional proposal would allow alternative in drug cases A campaign to let low-level drug offenders avoid jail time by opting into treatment programs meets the criteria for getting on the ballot, a lawyer told the Florida Supreme Court.
	High-speed rail panel releases outline ST. PETERSBURG - Less than two years before construction must begin on Florida's high-speed rail system, a panel charged with overseeing the massive project produced its first outline Monday. In a draft report to Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Legislature, the High Speed Rail Authority called for the first leg of the bullet-train system to be built from Tampa to Orlando at a cost ranging from nearly $1.2 billion to more than $6 billion, depending on how high-tech and fast the train is.
	Franklin County suffers another blow CARRABELLE - Things keep going from bad to worse in Franklin County: Fire gutted the IGA Grocery Store in Carrabelle early Monday. The fire puts 55 people out of work just two weeks before Christmas - on top of the hundreds of seafood workers already unemployed because Apalachicola Bay is closed to oyster harvesting by red tide.
	'Evil' isn't so clear-cut when it's ours-- Arianna Huffington President Bush has made one thing clear: The war on terror is us vs. them. He's taken every opportunity to brand the terrorists and the Taliban as "the evil ones" - the unmistakable contrast in this theological tableau being that we Americans are the "good ones."
	All able-bodied Americans are on active duty-- Chris Matthews It's now official: Everyone boarding an American jetliner joins the front lines in the war on terrorism. It comes down to a personal test of courage between you and the hijacker.

12/10/01

	It's a bad fall to the bottom of the pay range In the upper-right corner of the state job application, a form many employees are becoming grimly reacquainted with, is a line that says "Minimum Acceptable Salary." That's a reasonable thing for a potential employer to ask, a common question in any company. But with state government cutting back, with layoff letters going out and hiring freezes setting in, even a routine question can have ominous overtones.
	Presidents say power must reside on campus Now that the Legislature is done trimming the state budget, Florida's 11 public universities plan to start lobbying intensely for their top priority -- winning more independence and possibly gaining control over tuition and financial aid.
	UF wants more international students The University of Florida's plans to make its campus more international could be hampered by Congress tightening rules on student visas.
	Hot line offers legal advice ACLU targets those contacted by authorities A toll-free hot line offering legal help became available Sunday for individuals sought by Florida authorities for questioning about terrorism. The 24-hour, toll-free phone number provides advice to people of Muslim, Arab and South Asian descent targeted for questioning about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
	Experts worry about woodpecker, manatee 1 Manatee- and bird-watchers want the state to toughen rules protecting the manatee and red-cockaded woodpecker, contending both could be extinct before getting any protection from existing regulations. In the past three months, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has agreed to consider lowering the protected status of the manatee and red-cockaded woodpecker.
	Black-on-black poll could inspire healthy dialogue So it seems there's this new poll that contains sobering assessments and harsh criticisms of black people.
	A lack of respect outrages tabloids American Media's CEO says its anthrax agony was met with officials' and neighbors' disregard.
	McBride's campaign pitch rests on statewide appeal Democrat Bill McBride wants you to know he's got the goods to beat Gov. Jeb Bush in the general election, even if his campaign is a work in progress.
	Bush, challengers: Let campaigning for governor begin - The campaign for governor, pushed aside by terrorist attacks, a crumbling economy and two special sessions of the state legislature, is about to begin, and no one seems more eager to get started than Jeb Bush and the four Democratic candidates who want to take his job.
	Editorial: Bush uses bad math; schools got bad deal The Palm Beach Post Gov. Bush and his lawmaker friends must believe that anyone who is not dead is healthy, anyone who is not broke is wealthy, and anyone who can speak is wise. Otherwise, there's no accounting for their good cheer...
	The burden of slippery matters gets a slight shift On March 4, 1995, a woman named Evelyn Owens clocked out of her job in the bakery of a Publix supermarket in Osceola County, and decided to do a little grocery shopping.
	Mental illness deserves parity in health care plans Our leaders in Washington are debating issues of enormous importance to our security and well-being. Yet while many of these issues have made front-page news, a little-noticed provision in a spending bill for the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services could help millions of Americans suffering from mental illness.
	Ashcroft's contempt Attorney General John Ashcroft's performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week was stunning for its arrogance and its contempt for the democratic process. The hearing was convened by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the committee chairman, to question the Justice Department's tactics in investigating terrorism. The session was a legitimate and responsible exercise of congressional oversight authority. But Ashcroft, in dismissive fashion, suggested that any inquiry into his controversial antiterrorism policies was an act of disloyalty.
	Anniversary rally: Bush 'appointed' By George Bennett, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Enough rallying behind the commander in chief, the leader of the Florida branch of the National Organization for Women says. Democrats and groups who opposed President George W. Bush before Sept. 11...
	Go After Those Responsible Two recent tragedies in the Florida Straits underscore the need for an aggressive crackdown on human smuggling.
	Moscow checkmates its new best friend Many Americans, grown cynical of government pronouncements, have been asking whether the real war goal of the United States in Afghanistan is to gain access to Central Asia's oil and gas. The answer: no and yes.
	Anti-war protest meets veterans - Three-hour protest was peaceful as war opponents, supporters squared off at Naples location. Anti-war demonstrators mostly made up of Collier County schoolteachers and students faced off against Vietnam and Korean war veterans Sunday afternoon, with each side armed with the symbols of their philosophy — protest signs and American flags. The confrontation was peaceful, and although police were on the scene no one was arrested during the three-hour protest.
	Guest editorial: A stimulus not worth passing If President Bush truly wants an "economic stimulus" package on his desk this year, he needs to do more than exhozt Congress to get moving. He and the Republican leaders in the House and Senate should drop the pretense that tax-break giveaways to corporations and the wealthiest Americans are the key to reviving the economy.

12/9/01

	Budget problems aren't over by a long shot Florida lawmakers last week solemnly celebrated surmounting a $1 billion hump in the state budget. Unfortunately, the speeches and handshakes lay in the shadow of a taller peak on the horizon.
	The sound of spin Despite efforts in Tallahassee to portray last week's scaled-down budget in the best possible light, the cuts will hurt, leaving unmet many of the state's needs.
	Dáte: Florida, Oceania sister states By S.V. Dáte, Palm Beach Post Capitol Bureau TALLAHASSEE -- When is a budget cut actually a budget increase? When it threatens your outlook for reelection.-- Such seems to be the collective realization of most Florida Republican officeholders in Tallahassee who, in the waning days of the just-finished special session, have adopted Ministry of Truth tactics from George Orwell's 1984. There, the rulers of Oceania decreed that war was peace, freedom was slavery and ignorance was strength. Here, the rulers of Florida similarly decree that a smaller budget is actually larger, that less money per student is more, and that, even if it were less, less actually is more...
	Watching the Legislature, our troops shouldn't be proud TALLAHASSEE -- Words that failed Florida as a tourist slogan, ". . . The rules are different here," now fit the current management of our House of Representatives, where venerable rules and traditions are ignored at the whim of the leadership.
	Schultz: Bush 'plan' for tourism not working When President Bush visited Orlando last week to tell unemployed tourism industry workers that he felt their pain, the news was everything but the news. Reporters wrote that the president said, "I hurt, coming into the holiday season...
	Watch out Legislators should leave well enough alone on open government.
	. . . Feeney's stand The House speaker can make a huge difference in stemming the assault.
	Farmworkers want Taco Bell at table during wage talks When Collier County commissioners decide Tuesday whether to encourage talks between Immokalee farmworkers and growers, they'll only be addressing two-thirds of a plan by farmworkers to improve their collective lot. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers also wants fast-food giant Taco Bell to take a seat at the table. Commissioners in the past haven't supported encouraging such talks.
	As it turns out, no sale was best Shielded, for now, from power industry's woes Four years ago, Tallahassee city officials were talking about how to survive deregulation of the electric industry. They were bringing up the issue of selling the city utilities. And several names were coming up as potential bidders if Tallahassee chose to sell. Among those names was that of energy giant Enron.
	Species' endangered status at risk First, a proposal by the state's wildlife agency to lessen the level of protection for a controversial woodpecker set the feathers flying among bird experts.
	Editorial: To cleanse Everglades, make standards tough The Palm Beach Post On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will announce a number that should be no more than 10, as in 10 parts per billion. That figure should be the maximum amount of phosphorus -- found in runoff from cities...
	Official supports phosphorus limit MIAMI - The state's top environmental official is endorsing a stringent limit to ecology-wrecking phosphorus pollution in the Everglades, falling in line with recommendations from environmentalists and scientists. The move comes as the state prepares to propose a limit to the amount of phosphorus pumped into the fragile Everglades.
	Tallahassee's bad example In the state Capitol, no recycling program exists, even though the law mandates it. Even worse, the money in the waste-reduction program trust fund has dwindled over the years as the state backed away to its commitment.
	Maybe there is no good bridge plan The debate over how and where to build a new Pensacola Bay Bridge illuminates a sad truth: As much as we don't want to "be California," it might be too late. The automobile and geography have created dilemmas that might have no acceptable solution. Barring some wild innovation yet to be presented, the best we can do is make the most of a bad situation.
	Start Improving Agency Services Making noticeable improvements in Florida's foster-care system would be a far more impressive feat for the state's social services agency than holding off a bunch of determined trial lawyers in federal court.
	Restaurant kicks out officials after fee hike INDIALANTIC - The owner of a beachside restaurant and ice cream parlor, upset over a hike in city fees for nearby parking, is telling town officials and employees that their business isn't welcome.
	Industry rules every aspect of life CLEWISTON - In a place that bills itself as "America's Sweetest Town," plunging prices last year forced the town's largest employer, U.S. Sugar Corp., to lay off 300 workers to cut costs - a major blow in a community where nearly every business is tied to the green fields of cane and the huge mill beyond the railroad tracks.
	School voucher campaign raises objections The use of a black mother in an ad by voucher supporters brings criticism by foes who say it doesn't accurately depict the movement.
	Black candidate can't take black vote for granted- But even more interesting than the mere color of state Sen. Daryl Jones' skin is the character of this primary campaign: Jones is not necessarily the anointed choice of Florida's black electorate just because he's black.
	Remembering a chess master- The achievements of Cuban legend Jose Raul Capablanca will be remembered with his upcoming induction into the World Chess Hall of Fame in Kendall. But for many local chess aficionados, Capablanca's honor has deeper significance.
	Gun lobby's interests before public safetyThis is some wacky war on terrorism. Incredibly, the U.S. Justice Department has forbidden the FBI from checking its own records to see whether any of the 1,200 persons detained since Sept. 11 had bought guns.
	Access to information is declining after Sept. 11 The document seemed innocuous enough: a survey of government data on reservoirs and dams on CD-ROM. But then came this past month's federal directive to U.S. libraries: "Destroy the report."
	Drug help for seniors on hold this year - America's seniors, hopeful of getting significant help with soaring prescription drug costs when Congress convened last January, will not get it -- at least not this year. Nor will HMO members get help in dealing with their health plans.

12/8/01

	Session tackled other issues Lawmakers focused on terrorism, a building code and their own pay cut as well as the budget.
	Turkeys survive budget crunch Many member projects are able to keep their funding while education and health care programs take cuts to plug the deficit.
	State backs low level for Everglades phosphorus By Robert P. King, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Thirteen years after being dragged into federal court, the state is finally endorsing a tough pollution limit for the Everglades. -- But state regulators don't know how many extra hundreds of millions of dollars it will cost to meet that strict standard. Or who will pay. Or when the cleanup will be done -- except it probably won't be completely finished by the state's legal deadline of December 2006.
	Court hears case on personnel files Nursing home lawyers asked skeptical Florida Supreme Court justices Friday to let companies seal personnel records in liability lawsuits by invoking their employees' privacy rights. But attorney Ken Connor, who has won several large judgments against long-term care facilities, said corporations should not "hide behind" the broad privacy guarantee that people have in Florida. Unlike the federal Constitution or most state charters, Florida has an amendment assuring every "natural person" - not companies - a fundamental right "to be let alone and free from government intrusion into his private life."

12/7/01

	Failing readiness test A society that fails to adequately invest in its people will be caught off guard for social and economic challenges. That's why social service and education advocates are so alarmed by lawmakers' budget cuts this week. National rankings in both place Florida in the middle of the pack at best, in some cases close to the bottom. The ramifications include a populace unready, as one recent report noted, to compete in the 21st-century knowledge economy, and a growing gap between the haves and have-nots. Until we make a sincere commitment, our preparedness in those areas - as in fighting terrorism - will continue to be lacking.
	A little maturity required - Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, that he is grown so great? -- William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar.-- Somebody needs a spanking, but it's not over football this time. Now that Florida's Capitol Police are finally in a professional command, the improved security is too much for Speaker Tom Feeney and some other spoiled darlings in the House of Representatives.
	Editorial: Purging election reform The Palm Beach Post Legislators who studied the 2000 election looking for ways to avoid another national embarrassment saw the need to overhaul the state's flawed voter database. So lawmakers gave the secretary of state $2 million and instructions to work with one...
	State cuts $1-billion TALLAHASSEE -- Teens won't learn as much about the perils of smoking. Juvenile probation officers will have to monitor more kids. County school districts and health departments must get by with less help from the state.
	State OKs balancing act Florida lawmakers voted to cut $1 billion in state spending Thursday, closing out a 10-day special budget session but failing to dispel dark clouds over the state's economy.
	With budget healed, campaigning begins TALLAHASSEE -- As state lawmakers applied a $1-billion tourniquet around a bleeding budget Thursday, the face of Florida's political future was plainly visible.
	Miami-Dade schools face budgets cuts of more than $81 million The sobering impact of the state budget cuts jolted the Miami-Dade school district as the superintendent unveiled options to save $81.2 million in the midst of a school year.
	McKay ready to push reform of sales tax Other Republicans indifferent about plan With the budget-cutting session behind him, Senate President John McKay on Thursday asked his Republican colleagues for help in tackling his next challenge - rebuilding the state's tax system.
	Republicans unite as special session ends HOW LOCAL LAWMAKERS VOTED Rep. Loranne Ausley , D-Tallahassee - N Rep. Will Kendrick , D-Carrabelle - Y Rep. Bev Kilmer , R-Quincy - N Rep. Curtis Richardson , D-Tallahassee - Y Sen. Al Lawson , D-Tallahassee - N Sen. Richard Mitchell , D-Jasper - N
	Everglades on hold? With projections for next year's budget revenues looking equally as bad, if not worse, than the current ones, nothing will be safe from the Legislature, including Everglades funding.
	DEA chief pushing education More treatment options needed to fight addiction -The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration said Thursday he favors more drug prevention education and broader treatment options for addicts. "That's something we're pushing nationally," said Asa Hutchinson, standing outside the DEA's northeast Tallahassee office. "I really believe that Florida is representing itself across the nation as a model of drug prevention."
	Prosecutor considers moving trial of guards In a county where prisons dominate the economy, nobody expected it would be easy to find impartial jurors for the trial of prison officers charged with murdering a death row inmate.
	Examining our rights, considering what's right Does the U.S. Constitution protect the rights of non-citizens? It's not only a national issue, but also relevant to us locally, with the case of Mazen Al-Najjar and the interviews being done by local police to help out the feds.
	Cuts send USF classes to mall TAMPA -- The University of South Florida will soon be holding some classes inside nearby movie theaters -- a consequence, officials said Thursday, of the state's deep and painful budget cuts.
	Courthouse mural's Klan image draws fire - The mural was supposed to hang prominently and proudly in the lobby outside a shiny new courtroom, showing visitors 6,000 years of North Florida history in glorious, full color. -- Instead, a brewing battle over one small panel of that mural -- depicting three hooded Ku Klux Klan riders -- might force officials in tiny Baker County to put the painting in a vault.

12/06/01

	Privatizing the purge Lawmakers were quite specific about how the state Division of Elections should go about the job of establishing that an accurate voter registration. But, that didn't stop Florida Sec. of State Katherine Harris.
	Bush's tax cut wins delay despite several GOP nays TALLAHASSEE -- Lawmakers handed Gov. Jeb Bush the delay he sought in a controversial tax cut Wednesday, but it came without the support of some of the House's most conservative members.
	House delays intangibles tax cut House Republicans rallied behind Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday and delayed their prized cut in the taxes Floridians pay on stocks and bonds. The action, which passed 102-17, is one of several measures to patch a $1.3 billion hole in the budget.
	Editorial: Stiffing the schools The Palm Beach Post Three area legislators made their choice Wednesday: Another tax break for the wealthiest 4.5 percent of Floridians matters more than $130 million for school districts. The House voted 102-17 to delay the third cut...
	State's $1 billion budget pinch could get tighter For all the pain local schools and state agencies may feel from the $1 billion in cuts Florida lawmakers are expected to approve Thursday, consider this: It could get worse.
	A vote for a new tax As promised, the Legislature has voted to delay the previously approved intangibles tax cut, thereby saving $128-million to apply to the budget deficit. The margins of 37-2 in the Senate and 102-17 in the House were impressive, considering that it could be called -- as some did -- a vote for a new tax.
	House passes security bills Florida lawmakers voted Wednesday to make it easier for police to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists' conversations and harder for terrorists to target the food, water and medicine supply. In its first major legislative response to the law enforcement questions raised by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the House passed a package of bills aimed at making it easier for law enforcement to target and convict people of planning terrorist activities. The bills included the first definition of terrorism in the state's criminal law.
	Audit blasts lapses at civil rights agency Slow case work and misuse of funds top the problems state auditors find at the Commission on Human Relations.
	Environmentalists push to block development Nearly 200 bids roll in for leases to offshore petroleum tracts NEW ORLEANS - The federal government opened bids for offshore petroleum leases off the Florida coast Wednesday, but opponents promised additional action to keep the sites from being developed.
	State fines 53 gas stations Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson sought fines totaling $86,000 from more than 50 filling stations Tuesday for jacking up gas prices when terrorism raised fears about fuel supplies.
	State seeks fines for post-attack gas price gouging Retailers accused of raising prices as much as 50 cents a gallon could face fines of up to $10,000.
	Capitol recycling buried in inaction State officials toss their trash, marking a retreat from a program lawmakers mandated in 1988.
	State will remove plant's acidic water BRADENTON -- State officials have agreed to clean and remove millions of gallons of acidic water from the abandoned Piney Point phosphate plant.
	Florida tightening rules for licenses TALLAHASSEE -- State officials are tightening the rules for getting a driver's license and seeking a change in the law to make future licenses available only to Florida residents.
	Chad, make way for touch screens The county will buy the paperless machines, though not everyone is a fan of them.

12/5/01

	Schools seek flexibility in funding Districts want to spend earmarked money as they see fit to ease the strain of budget cuts. Lawmakers think they can help.
	Another Tallahassee deal If the Legislature has a deal, it isn't a good one for the universities, schools, the elderly, prisoners trying to kick a drug habit and people who have had their citrus trees eradicated as part of the state's citrus-canker program.
	State Budget Reductions Will Exacerbate Social Needs - The shifting of resources and tapping of trust funds may blunt the impacts for a time, but these cuts ultimately will be harshly felt. Schools, health care, law enforcement, transportation, programs for the elderly and many other state services will be affected. The budget is certain to become a major campaign issue next year.
	Protecting pork If there was any doubt that legislators view the State University System, first and foremost, as a lucrative source of pork and patronage, Senate President John McKay, R-Bradenton, certainly dispelled it this week.-- Florida Senate President John McKay used the power of his office to block plans by IFAS to close an outdated research facility in his district.
	Caucus bristles at Bush's tax deal The loosely organized Freedom Caucus tightens ranks against a delay in the intangibles tax cut, which the governor engineered.
	Security bills up for final vote A slate of bills designed to improve the state's ability to fight terrorism and restrict public access to potentially dangerous state records sailed through its last committee Tuesday, headed for a final House vote today.
	House, Senate at odds over the Capitol Police Safeguarding thousands of state employees, politicians, lobbyists and tourists in Florida's Capitol is one thing. Easy access to after-hours watering holes on Adams Street is something else.
	Bill addresses union disputes Apparently still stinging from having their actions questioned by a circuit judge last year, lawmakers are rewriting the rules covering how they handle disputes with the unions representing state employees. The House State Administration Committee created a bill (PCB SA 02-01) on Tuesday that would give the Legislature more freedom to jump into a dispute between state workers and the governor much sooner than they are now allowed.
	Reserve fund created for crises like this It's reassuring that legislative leaders and Gov. Jeb Bush realize that another fiasco like last month's special session is simply not acceptable. So, relatively speaking, their pending agreement to cut the state budget by about $1 billion and assault education spending a litt