In one year, we painfully learn lessons for a lifetime
This is the end of 2001. It is never a good idea to be ungrateful for a year -- honestly, would you rather not have been around for it? -- but still, this one did not exactly have a carefree ring.

Thanks, and please keep sending in tips
One day last spring, I logged on and reached for my coffee cup, idly chatting with other early arrivals in the newsroom, when I was stopped short by four messages on my e-mail screen - all slugged "SB 466."

Lawmakers ready for new session
TALLAHASSEE — Elder care, security and health will dominate the agendas of local lawmakers who have already filed many of the bills they will champion during the upcoming legislative session. Moreover, delegates from Collier and Lee counties hold key chairmanships and will find themselves in the middle of many hot-button issues during a session that could be underscored by debate over whether to fold Collier County into a coast-to-coast congressional district.

Judge: Justify changes in state workers' rules - TALLAHASSEE · A judge ordered Gov. Jeb Bush's administration to justify changes to disciplinary rules and layoff preferences for state workers.

Switch off power play
Our position: Florida Power needs more than a public-relations firm to fix its image.

Chad theories continue to pile up
What if they held the most talked-about election in American history and a year later, when no one seemed to care anymore, you thought you had found the smoking gun? ... Jones found he could create an impenetrable jam with just 317 punches on a Votomatic. It took him longer, 668 punches, to create a logjam on the Data Punch machine, the king of under-votes in Palm Beach County.

Editorial: Plan to purge voters deserves close scrutiny
The U.S. Justice Department has approved all but one part of 

Florida's reformed election law: the new voter rolls, which will be compiled from a statewide database that purges felons...

Growth Brings Pluses, Minuses
New U.S. Census Bureau estimates should raise the consciousness of Floridians that population growth is both a blessing and a challenge.

Tampa desalination plant drawing international attention - TAMPA -- Officials from Singapore to California are closely watching the construction of a desalination plant that will make Tampa the first in the nation using converted sea water as a primary source for drinking water.

State must justify changes in rules for government workers - TALLAHASSEE -- A judge ordered Gov. Jeb Bush's administration to justify changes to disciplinary rules and layoff preferences for state workers. 
The union that represents state government workers sued Bush in August to challenge changes in job protections he signed into law earlier this year. Circuit Judge Kevin Davey on Friday gave attorneys for Bush 20 days to justify those changes, which were made without union negotiation.

Documents shed light on Conoco-- A review of court documents has revealed some new twists and turns in a Pensacola attorney's legal battle with Conoco Inc. over two toxic plumes polluting Bayou Texar and dozens of irrigation wells: Conoco denies the plume has hurt anyone. An allegation of false reports about the plume has surfaced. And an outside judge might be appointed to hear the case because of conflict-of-interest issues.

'Truth' ads suffer from budget cuts
From months of negotiations, Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth recalls one hard-fought victory against Big Tobacco in particular.

Drought over, but water crucial issue
Officials predict woes, stress the need to find other sources WEST PALM BEACH - Florida's three-year drought is over, and lakes and rivers are brimming again, but water managers warn of a different story beneath the surface.

Kids die as DCF sticks to 'formula for disaster'
By Bill Cooper, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
The criticism had a familiar ring: State child abuse investigators failed to do their jobs -- despite multiple warning signs -- and a child is dead. The response from...

Enron Bankruptcy May Bring Reform
Enron filed for bankruptcy and Republicans and Democrats both want to place blame. But both parties are equally guilty.

Rosie O'Donnell stumps for Janet Reno at Miami fund-raiser - O'Donnell played host to a $250 per person fund-raiser on Sunday for Reno, the former U.S. attorney general and a Democratic candidate for governor in Florida.

Judge tosses parts of union suit
A circuit judge threw out parts of a lawsuit against the Service First personnel plan Friday, but he told the state to justify elimination of employee bumping rights and changes in disciplinary rules.  

Service First lawsuit clears first hurdle -     TALLAHASSEE –On Friday, Dec. 28, Circuit Judge Kevin Davey approved three counts of AFSCME Council 79's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Service First law. Judge Davey threw out four of the counts, but AFSCME believes the great majority of its case remains intact. The judge intends to hold another hearing in the case in February.
Council 79 Statement on Ruling-- "Although we would have liked all seven legal arguments to go forward, we are happy with the issues that the judge has retained because they contain 80 percent or more of what we wanted," President Wynn said.

Tax plan may burden budgets
A plan designed to expand the state's tax base could put a crimp in city and county budgets. Senate President John McKay earlier this month unveiled a constitutional amendment that would eliminate a host of what he considers illogical exemptions to the state sales tax. He said the state's budget is too dependent on tourism dollars and could use some of the additional $23 billion wrapped up in those exemptions, which include everything from hiring a lawyer to feeding your ostrich.

Turning up the heat on tax reform dreams
They don't call it the Governor's Club for nothing.

Former Bush aides fight against McKay's tax plan
Opponents of a state Senate proposal to overhaul Florida's tax system are banding together in an effort to defeat the plan. Among those who will be helping the business community fight the plan are some former advisers to Gov. Jeb Bush, raising questions about whether the governor also will oppose it.

Bush files court brief in suit over autopsy law--Gov. Jeb Bush has renewed his support for a law exempting autopsy photographs from Florida's public-records law.

Butterworth undergoes surgery
FORT LAUDERDALE - Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth had surgery Friday to unclog a blocked heart artery. Doctors performed a balloon angioplasty to clear Butterworth's artery and implanted a tiny wire mesh, or stent, to keep it open, said Dr. Zachariah P. Zachariah, his cardiologist.

State knew about misplaced bodies
WEST PALM BEACH - State officials found out three years ago that bodies were buried in the wrong places at a Palm Beach County cemetery but didn't fully follow up on their own inspection reports.

Foundations' founder yet to donate $67-million
Last July, a Palm Beach billionaire philanthropist pledged to give an estimated $67-million worth of stock to charity in response to questions about his unusual stewardship of two tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.

Federal money to bolster science at Stetson, DBCC -Two Volusia County colleges are set to get an infusion of cash from the federal government to help local students prepare for careers in science and technology.

Everglades restoration draft skimps on details
WASHINGTON - A Bush administration draft of rules for a $7.8 billion restoration of the Florida Everglades maps out a broad strategy to save water but contains no deadlines or timelines demanded by environmental activists.

Rescue brings turtles by thousands to St. Lucie
By Teresa Lane, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
For 23 years, Al and Jacquie Weinberg have guarded their elaborate turtle-raising farm as a well-kept secret in St. Lucie County, safe from...

Nursing home requirements top list of new laws
The frailest people in Florida - the 74,000 who live in nursing homes - are supposed to get more care under a new law taking effect Tuesday. The health of the state's nursing home industry was a leading issue when state lawmakers held their annual session last spring.

Frosty weather threatens coveted wasp
LAKE ALFRED - Florida citrus growers usually worry about killer freezes this time of year, but now many also worry about the survival of three species of nearly invisible Caribbean wasps.

Devices for security tried out in Orlando
ORLANDO - Orlando International Airport will be a guinea pig for the testing of next-generation airport security devices meant to stop attacks on airplanes. The National Safe Skies Alliance will install five new devices next month at a single security checkpoint at the airport to see whether they can be implemented around the nation. Airport visitors who pass through the new devices will be volunteers pulled from the other security checkpoint lines.

Unwelcome prayers
While Duval County succeeded in keeping prayer in its high school graduation ceremonies by casting it as free speech, it is clearly a way to impose the majority's faith.

Minimum wage solution is beyond simple rhetoric
Every pol in Washington gave lip service to raising the minimum wage in 1999 and 2000. As millions of low-paid workers know, it didn't happen. Now nobody's talking up the issue amid recession and war.  

Editorial: Broadhead rewired FPL
For decades, a change of chief executive at an electric company was hardly noteworthy. The outgoing CEO would hand on a company bigger but basically the same as the one he found...

Miami sent Henry back to dugout Instead of building a new baseball stadium in Miami, Florida Marlins owner John Henry is buying a large piece of the Boston Red Sox. He's doing it with his own financing and his own money -- money he wasn't willing to spend for the stadium that he insisted was crucial to the Marlins' survival.

What we don't know
Senior citizens already wield a great degree of political influence by virtue of the fact that they vote in higher numbers than Floridians of other age groups.

Lobbyists plan war on new tax proposal
TALLAHASSEE -- For three hours Thursday, more than a dozen influential lobbyists laid the groundwork for an all-out campaign to defeat Senate President John McKay's tax reform plan.

Bush aides huddle to fight tax plan - TALLAHASSEE -- Several of Gov. Jeb Bush's closest political advisors are helping map strategy to defeat a sweeping sales tax reform plan introduced by Senate President John McKay. -- The governor has not taken an official position yet on McKay's proposal, which would eliminate billions of dollars in tax breaks to businesses and lower the sales tax from six to four cents on the dollar, but the participation Thursday of three key Bush advisors in a war room of business lobbyists sent the strongest signal to date of where the governor stands.

Enron donated to Democrats just before bankruptcy-- WASHINGTON - A week before filing for bankruptcy protection, energy giant Enron Corp. donated $100,000 to the Democratic Party committee that helps Senate candidates, campaign finance reports show.

Enterprise Florida's claims questioned
Audit says EFI takes credit for more jobs than it creates. The public-private partnership guiding Florida's economic development takes credit for creating more jobs than it really adds to the state economy, according to legislative auditors.

Bush growth plan is back for a new try
The governor again pushes a bill to make classroom availability a consideration for approving development.

State to rehire tardy FCAT grader-- State Education Commissioner Charlie Crist is poised to rehire the grading company that has been late returning FCAT scores two years in a row -- with a 50 percent price increase.--
Crist agreed to extend NCS Pearson's current $69 million deal through 2005 for $105 million, spokesman Adam Shores acknowledged Thursday.

Webster concedes Senate’s top spot - TALLAHASSEEE -- State Sen. Dan Webster of Winter Garden has pulled out of the race to become the next president of the Florida Senate, likely throwing the prize to Jacksonville Sen. Jim King.

Fla. knew of burial mix-ups 3 years ago
By Joel Engelhardt, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
State inspectors found evidence three years ago that bodies were buried in the wrong places at Menorah Gardens cemetery, allegations that mirror those in...

Menorah Gardens executive kills himself
By Alice Gregory, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Distraught about staggering allegations against his company that generated universal disgust, a Menorah Gardens executive committed suicide in his...

Board ratifies FAMU's interim president
The Florida Board of Education on Thursday ratified the selection of Henry Lewis III as interim president of Florida A&M University. But Lewis has not been waiting until his Jan. 1 start date to begin work as the temporary leader of the state's only public historically black university.

Shifts in leadership shape state's higher education
For higher education in Tallahassee, 2001 was a year of eras beginning and ending. At Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College, longtime leaders stepped down, touching off searches for their replacements.

Editorial: More tech for high tech
To the shamefully long list of what the Legislature refuses to provide but the schools desperately need, add computers that are up to date and well-maintained. With tech support lacking in the Palm Beach County...

From July to December, there's much to remember
The year in review, Part II:

Hillsborough judge Bonanno quits as inquiry about to start
TAMPA -- Before the investigations began two years ago, three judges formed a powerful triumvirate at the Hillsborough County Courthouse.

Bonanno's calculated dodge
Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Robert Bonanno could have saved taxpayers a lot of money and the judiciary a lot of grief had he resigned before Thursday over what clearly were unethical acts that ruined his credibility as a judge and public servant. By clinging to the privileges of power so long, Bonanno brought additional disgrace to the judiciary by revealing the weaknesses of Florida's system for holding unfit judges accountable.

Muck farms caused lupus, some suspect
Farmworkers who once toiled in the pesticide-laced muck farms off Lake Apopka have complained for years of common symptoms: unusual rashes, swelling and arthritic conditions.

The salmonella threat
An appeals court has ruled that USDA cannot shut down plants that have failed three series of tests for salmonella. The basis for that ruling: That consumers can avoid salmonella poisoning by normal cooking practices.

Forgotten Florida
The decision to eliminate the salaries of the festival's two full-time coordinators would seem to fly in the face of Gov. Bush's bullish efforts to attract more tourists to help bail out Florida's anemic economy.

2001 meant change for state workers
For state employees, 2001 will be remembered as the year that everything changed.

State politics in 2001 ranged from partisanship to peace

Evictions soar as jobs plummet - Evictions in Central Florida are soaring. Landlords in Orange, Seminole, Lake, Volusia and Osceola counties are kicking out tenants at the highest rate in years.

State files reveal little on tampered grave sites

Editorial: Mob rule at university
In the first hard test of academic freedom for the state universities' new governing boards, the University of South Florida's board flunked. It played to the mob. With summary justice, the board fired...

Teenage girls riot at Okeechobee juvenile prison

Historic Wright house slips into disrepair
The only Florida home designed by the renowned architect needs 

work. But the owner doesn't want help.

Who Will Fill Cultural Void?
South Florida fans of classical music got a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings and a loud "Bah, humbug!" from the Scrooges who own and program radio station WTMI (FM 93.1).

National ID cards would be ripe for abuse 
In the next two years, about 4 million identification cards will be issued to soldiers, sailors and airmen on active duty, selected reserves, civilian Pentagon employees and military contractors. The cards, which feature two photographs, two bar codes, a magnetic stripe and computer chip embedded in the plastic, will be nothing like old military ID cards or dog tags. They will plug in to multiple agencies and databases, authorize access to secure rooms, encrypt the holder's e-mail, and enable him to purchase food and supplies. If a private first class should check into her base hospital, the card will summon all available medical records.

Graduates create an ugly scene
At a recent winter graduation ceremony for students at Cal State Sacramento, the commencement speaker was booed off the stage when she raised questions about the extent to which we should give up our civil liberties in our quest for security. The young people responsible for that ugly scene may have college degrees, but they are utterly ignorant of the traditions and values of individual freedom that define us as a nation.

Florida department under fire  Keywords: Department of Business and Professional Regulation, State Technology Office,  privatization

Environmental abuses may cost firms permits
State Sen. Rod Smith, D-Alachua, is pushing a bill again that would penalize companies with bad environmental records when they apply for new permits.

A year later, Apalachicola's fate remains uncertain
When it comes to deciding the future of the Apalachicola River and Bay, 2001 is ending somewhat like 2000.

Everglades plan equity is sought
There are many voices guiding the Everglades restoration. Those shaping the project are taking extra steps to hear from one voice that is especially at risk of being lost in the din of special interests: South Florida's minority communities.

Mosquito-borne virus infected 11 this year
Floridians had a new disease to worry about in 2001 - the West Nile virus. 

News items you might have missed during 2001
A review of selected statewide and Tampa Bay area events from 2001, some of them true, Part I:

Former President Bush, family to visit Gulf Coast
BOCA GRANDE - Former President Bush, his wife, Barbara, Gov. Jeb Bush and other family members are prepared to spend a vacation in this tiny but wealthy community on the Gulf Coast for the fourth straight year.

Editorial: Another dead child, another DCF failure
The Palm Beach Post
The Florida Department of Children and Families has one of Palm Beach County's toughest jobs: keeping children safe in homes that are far from the Ozzie-and-Harriet variety. Still, it is their job...

Open records watchers scurrying since attacks
The group went on the alert to lawmakers' "knee-jerk" attempts to block media access.

Controversy isn't commission's first
Critics say conflicts of interest are rife on a commission that handles training for the disabled.

Jobless spurt taxes social agenciesTAVARES -- As Lake County's unemployment rate continues its steady climb, local social service agencies say the demand from laid-off workers is high.-- "We have seen a lot of first timers," said Harriet Mann, longtime executive director of the Leesburg Food Bank. "People just don't have the money with the layoffs and cutback in hours. Some of them are just barely making rent."

Barrage against Gov. Bush? Fellow Republicans provide shield -As Gov. Jeb Bush suits up for a re-election campaign, his fellow Republicans are providing welcome cover.

Florida Folk Festival funding cut - TALLAHASSEE -- Months before the Florida Folk Festival's 50th anniversary, state lawmakers cut its $36,000 budget, leaving the celebration's future in doubt. -
Between 10,000 and 20,000 people attended the Memorial Day festival each year to listen to bluegrass, Appalachian, Cuban or Cajun music at a state park on the Suwannee River. -- The festival was run by the Secretary of State's office until funding was cut in the final moments of the Legislature's special session. Lawmakers trimmed more than $1 billion from the state budget earlier this month.

Budget cut may doom folk festival
Tallahassee · It has played host to the Bellamy Brothers, fiddle great Vassar Clements and country stars such as Billy Dean and John Anderson, but a 49-year tradition of Florida folklore and music could be coming to an end.-- 
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of one of Florida's oldest and most cherished summer events, state officials have pulled the plug on the Florida Folk Festival -- the victim of a last-minute cut that saved the state $36,000 out of a $48 billion budget.

State slashes services for low-income AIDS patients - ST. PETERSBURG · A special Medicaid program for 6,000 of the state's sickest AIDS patients is facing a $10 million cut, nearly half its funding.-- 
Project AIDS Care is losing its funding as part of the more than $1 billion cut from the state budget. The program was designed to save the state money by allowing poor patients with full-blown AIDS to continue living, and to die, in their own homes, rather than in nursing homes or hospitals.

Teens in adult prisons fare poorly - In the latest challenge to the nation's get-tough laws against young criminals, a Columbia University researcher has found that teens prosecuted in adult court are more likely to continue with violence than peers routed to juvenile programs for the same crimes.-- The study examined cases in New York and New Jersey, but it carries significance for states like Florida that aggressively prosecute juveniles. It comes as Florida readies to slash millions for juvenile programs, cuts that could prompt courts to ship more teenagers to adult court systems.

The threat of a national ID
A device is now available to help pet owners find lost animals. It's a little chip implanted under the skin in the back of the neck; any animal shelter can quickly scan lost dogs or cats and pick up the address of the worried owner. That's a good side of identification technology. There's a bad side: Fear of terrorism has placed Americans in danger of trading our "right to be let alone" for the false sense of security of a national identification card.

Guest commentary: Yes, Virginia, there is a Dick Cheney
I take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time my great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of the newspaper.
Dear Mr. Henry, I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Dick Cheney. Papa says, "If you see it in the Post-Gazette, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Dick Cheney? — Virginia O'Hanlon

Florida falls short in attracting minority students to college - Gov. Jeb Bush's claim that his Talented 20 program would draw hundreds more minority students to Florida's public universities has fallen far short of his projections, an analysis of state admission records for 2000 and 2001 shows.

Sticking to tradition may set precedent - There are seven words that can make Gov. Jeb Bush and Republican legislators close their eyes, shake their heads and heave a heavy sigh.-- When sweeping change is proposed, just say, "But we've always done it this way." Depending on whether they like you, the response may range from being ignored to getting fired. --- But now a state hearing officer has ruled that the state must respect tradition in assigning employees to work shifts, locations and duties. The case arose in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission...

Minorities scarce in city's top posts
Blacks hold four of West Palm's 63 top-paying jobs; a Hispanic holds one.

Puerto Ricans in Fla. carry clout as new swing group in state, national elections

Howard Troxler - Christmas sing-along for the politically irreverent

Birding's popularity soars with young nature lovers
The minute Aaron Colburn stepped out of the car, still groggy as the pale light of dawn filtered through the piney woods, he heard a distant bird call.

Working side-by-side behind closed doors with Gov. Jeb Bush and led by Bush's own campaign finance chairman -- they are driven by the conviction that what's good for Florida business must be good for the rest of the state. ...

Is clemency process unfair to blacks?
Officials say race isn't a factor, but requests by blacks are disproportionately denied.-- During the past five years, Florida restored the civil rights of more than 8,400 people who would otherwise never again vote, serve as jurors or hold certain jobs because of their criminal records. Only 25 percent of them are black.

Rules became harsher with anti-crime trend
By Gary Kane, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Florida wasn't always so tough on lawbreakers and their voting rights. In 1975, the state automatically restored the voting rights of people convicted of felonies...

Critics of law point to roots in racism
By Scott Hiaasen and Gary Kane, Palm Beach Post Staff Writers
It's not surprising that laws stripping the voting rights from people convicted of certain crimes have a huge impact on black voters. In some states, that's exactly what they were originally designed to do...

Florida's folly
One might consider it sheer folly to be contemplating a major new investment in public transportation such as a high-speed rail system when the state can't even pay for its basic services.

McKay takes the heat
What makes McKay's idea politically palatable is that the vastly broadened sales tax would expand more quickly than the existing tax in coming years.

Editorial: McKay's bold tax plan would give state a boost
The Palm Beach Post
Senate President John McKay's tax plan is well-conceived, fair to taxpayers and good for the state. His sponsorship is also bold. The idea frightens his peer group...

UCF trustees content with small budget cut
University of Central Florida officials are revising their budget to absorb 2.8 percent cuts this year following state budget reductions approved by the Legislature in November. UCF's Brevard campuses will only get a 1.7 percent cut

Schultz: Raising bar of politics in education
Floridians could believe the claims that have come out of Tallahassee since 1999 if reality didn't keep debunking those claims. When Gov. Bush and the Legislature cut taxes...

Officials fight plan to reduce class size
TALLAHASSEE -- It seems like something parents and teachers could love as much as apple pie: a constitutional amendment limiting the number of students in each class.

State's commitment to education gets no more than lip service
TALLAHASSEE -- Throughout the go-go 1990s, Florida education instead went-went in the opposite direction, compared with the rest of the nation. -- Florida's per-pupil spending, a recent study found, went from 21st in the country in 1990 to 38th in 2000. Our ranking regarding high school graduates who go on to college fell from 35th to 43rd. We are now dead last among the 50 states in the percentage of scientists and engineers with doctorates in our population.

Parents upset over diminishing aid for special needs students
Although Brevard County's population of special needs students has grown by 12 percent in the past five years and Florida has seen a 21 percent increase overall, Congress again this year has refused to pay its full share of the cost of educating them.

New Florida laws haven't halted rise in abuse of children - Deaths and abuse of Florida's most vulnerable children have continued to increase despite new state laws intended to improve their protection

With a blush, church accepts strippers' collection of gifts
TAMPA -- In the end, it came down to the children.

Nuclear waste must be moved for ultimate disposition
At present approximately 43,000 metric tons of spent fuel is being stored temporarily in water pools and concrete casks at more than 100 nuclear plant sites around the country. Such sites include the Crystal River, Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear plants in Florida.

Controlling ozone no longer a luxury -The new university study in California pointing to ozone as a possible source of birth defects adds urgency to efforts to cut emissions that create the conditions that lead to ozone forming in the air.-- The Escambia/Santa Rosa area suffers from the worst ozone levels in the state. That makes the new findings of intense interest to everyone here.

Rising star earns kudos
David Struhs, DEP head, winning with new approaches

Year has been eventful for DEP

Ousted cable firm worker says she blew the whistle
JACKSONVILLE - AT&T Broadband is being sued by a former employee who claims she was fired for revealing alleged practices of falsifying reports about outages and customer service. Kelli McAnany, who oversaw service outages for the cable company, accuses AT&T of giving Jacksonville city officials false information about the number of employees answering customer-service calls, the number of calls answered within 90 seconds and the number of outages.

Airport jobs at risk - Rose Mervil supports her 3-year-old daughter on $6 an hour, working as a security agent checking passengers' tickets and identification at Miami International Airport.

Tiny Tim revisited
Although Scrooge calls it, "picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December,'' he does allow Bob Cratchit to take Christmas Day off with pay. That is more than state of Florida OPS workers get.

School officials optimistic on new grading
Tougher state criteria, federal reform cause uncertainty Area school officials, while unsure and uneasy, think they will be able to maintain most of their school grades next year despite the state's plan to toughen the criteria

Editorial: Free state universities from Legislature's grip
For obvious reasons, Florida's 11 state university presidents are lining up against U.S. Sen. Bob Graham's proposed constitutional amendment that would restore an independent board of governors...

Statewide memorial recalls homeless deaths - Shelters across Florida know of 89 homeless people who died last year, their lives cut short by exposure, violence or lack of medical treatment. --But that number is probably just a fraction of the true total, an advocate said Friday, the first day of winter and the state's first Homeless Persons' Memorial Day.

Activists take day to remember homeless
(this is the same AP article as the one above - but what a difference a headline makes!)

Vigil participants pay respects to homeless
A glowing circle of candles lit the chilly night air Friday at the downtown community plaza in memory of the Gainesville homeless people who have lost their lives.

Foley wants feds to investigate cemetery
The headline goes here WEST PALM BEACH - U.S. Rep. Mark Foley asked federal officials Friday to investigate "sickening" claims against a cemetery company accused of desecrating graves. Foley, R-Fla., sent letters to the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission asking the agencies to determine whether Menorah Gardens and its Houston-based parent company had violated federal laws.

Miami regains financial reins
The headline goes here MIAMI - Gov. Jeb Bush gave this city its financial independence back Friday, dissolving a one-of-a-kind oversight board created five years ago to get it out of a long-obscured debt.

Police dismiss attack on 98-year-old as her imagination
HOLLY HILL -- A 98-year-old woman says police did not take her seriously after she was choked and left for dead in her home.

Critics of Al-Arian firing see parallels to segregation
We've heard this logic in the past, academic freedom advocates say of labeling Sami Al-Arian a disruption.

Clearwater will set up a people feeding zone -CLEARWATER -- A new "public feeding area" is to be designated near City Hall. Not for pigeons or stray cats -- for people.-- The new policy, which will be written by City Manager Bill Horne, would ban anyone from feeding homeless people in public areas except for the designated meal zone below City Hall, 112 S Osceola Ave.

One for the bears
A U.S. District Court order will oblige the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take another look at the plight of the Florida black bear.

The charity of strippers embarrasses church - ...For nearly five hours, a steady stream of cars delivered more than 1,000 toys, including bicycles and Barbie cars, as strippers flashed customers in the parking lot. Mallan said the church did not know that is how the toys were being gathered until told by a reporter Friday night.

Inmate toy program in trouble - To contribute materials or to make a donation to Santa Rosa Correctional Institution's Toys for Tots program, call 983-5986 between 7 a.m. and l p.m. Monday through Friday.

Serious mistakes
The state seriously mishandled the Aisenberg case, and someone should be held accountable.

Editorial: Serve public, not union
A bill that does a political favor for the Police Benevolent Association has become a bit better with age, but it still isn't palatable. During this year's...

This column brought to you by . . .
Pardon me, but weren't government and business two separate entities not that long ago? Not only were they separate, but they were even frequently at odds, over everything from regulation to tax breaks, in particular which business should get the least of the former and the most of the latter.---
 But not anymore. Now, all around us are public-private partnerships. Run government like a business, they say, but most times they mean by a business. What's conveniently forgotten is that most businesses fail in their first four years.--- 
Another often overlooked fact: There's a reason government does the low-margin work such as helping the state's neediest citizens get a break in life. Businesses exist to make a profit. Government, at least at the state level, is merely expected to come out even. The federal government doesn't even have to do that.

Newnan's deadheads
It's not worth the risk of damaging artifacts - which belong to the people of Florida - just for the sake of harvesting logs for private profit.

More conscience in redistricting
Democratic voters still outnumber Republicans in Florida, 43 percent to 39. Democrats easily won the last two U.S. Senate races. They carried Florida for their presidential ticket in 1994 and fell only 535 votes short of doing the same in 2000. Yet they hold barely a third of the seats in the state House, the state Senate, and the congressional delegation. The disparity is not coincidental.

Nursing homes on brink of crisis
BRANDON -- If he wants, Bill Detellis can buy $1-million in lawsuit insurance for his St. Petersburg nursing home. The premium will cost him $1.25-million, he says, but he may have to bite the bullet and pay.

East coast rail route may return
TALLAHASSEE -- With air travel struggling three months after the terrorist attacks, Florida and Amtrak will restore passenger train service between Jacksonville and Miami after a 33-year absence.

USF's charade
The flawed logic of the university's case for firing controversial professor Sami Al-Arian sets dangerous precedents for USF's future governance.

USF Examines Academic Freedom
TAMPA - In firing an outspoken professor, the University of South Florida took a stand on practical and legal ground but tried to walk lightly where the turf gets tender: academic freedom. ...

Fire is latest blow to construction firm
White Construction already is facing fines for work not completed on time.

Argentina reels as chaos swells
President Fernando De la Rua resigned Thursday amid bloody protests over the moribund economy that brought thousands of demonstrators into the streets and killed at least 22.

Anthrax investigators focusing on strain from military facility- Federal anthrax researchers are attempting to match the strain that killed a Boca Raton man and four others to a weaponized strain secretly manufactured at a U.S. military facility in the Utah desert, according to sources familiar with the probe.

NASA reverses cut in asteroid program
By Jeff Nesmith, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Thursday hurriedly reversed a decision to cut money for a program that tracks newly discovered asteroids...

Editorial: More airline delays
The Palm Beach Post
Airlines pleaded desperation after the terrorist attacks, lobbied fiercely and flew off with a $15 billion recovery package, courtesy of taxpayers. With that money, the deal went, the industry not only could survive but would improve security. Congress set a 60-day deadline by which carriers had to screen every checked bag or search it for explosives.

Editorial: Save campaign reform
The Palm Beach Post
Republican leaders in Congress have said that disclosing donors' names is the best way to keep big money from corrupting politics. So why have they tried to give secret donors a place to hide? Last year, big majorities in both houses of Congress...

House orders audit of terrorism numbers
WASHINGTON - Key congressional leaders called Wednesday for an investigation of whether the Justice Department is inflating the number of cases it calls terrorism to make itself look good.

Sugar subsidy leaves a sour taste
Not even terrorism threats and the bombing of Tora Bora can distract the U.S. Senate from its basic trade of taking care of its friends and contributors. Under the cover of wartime preoccupation, the Senate last week voted for early renewal of one of the country's most outrageous political scams - the sugar program.

Escambia gets $850,000 more for toxic fight - Florida's congressional leaders have succeeded in doubling the money allocated to study the health impacts of pollution on residents in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. House and Senate negotiators in Washington agreed Wednesday to set aside another $850,000, bringing the total to $1.7 million.

Schools struggle to trim budgets
The chief administrator of the Clay County school system has scoffed at "the powers that be in Tallahassee" for insisting recent budget cuts would not come at students' expense.

Leaders won't back petition
University presidents against return of regents The presidents of Florida's 11 state universities won't be signing U.S. Sen. Bob Graham's petition to restore the Board of Regents. The State University Presidents Association issued a statement Wednesday saying the system Gov. Jeb Bush pushed through the Legislature last year - creating boards of trustees for each campus - should be "given an opportunity to work." The presidents, who met Monday and asked Florida Atlantic University President Anthony James Catanese to draft their position statement, said the Legislature should improve funding and give the autonomous boards full policy-making authority at each university.

USF will fire Al-Arian
USF's president ties the firing to breach of contract and insubordination, not academic freedom.

Campaign money machine restarts -- on high
After a pause following the terrorist attacks, politicians are sticking their hands out to fund 2002 races.

Most of new election law approved
Questions about a controversial statewide voter list have led federal authorities to delay final approval of Florida's sweeping election reform law, enacted to erase the embarrassing stigma of the 2000 presidential election.

State's election reforms on hold - TALLAHASSEE -- Questions about a controversial statewide voter list have led federal authorities to delay final approval of Florida's sweeping election reform law, enacted to erase the embarrassing stigma of the 2000 presidential election.

Tax break for private health clubs proposed
TALLAHASSEE -- A day after Senate President John McKay called for wiping out billions of dollars in business tax breaks, a House committee voted to create a new exemption for all private health clubs in Florida.

Two Southwest Florida prisons are expected to close in June, leaving nearly 200 employees to look for work elsewhere within the state prison system — some jobs as far away as North Florida where most of the prisoners they guard are expected to be sent.

Juvenile caseload increase expected
Juvenile probation officers can expect to see caseloads increase as the Department of Juvenile Justice announced layoffs this month, the bulk in the agency's probation services, because of Florida's budget crunch.

Restoring self-respect
Senate President John McKay's tax reform plan would expand the tax base and rely not on state tourism but on investment and pride of its citizens.

These aren't among the media's proudest moments
It's not a merry season for those who cling, against all evidence, to the idea that liberal bias in the news media is just a figment of the fevered imagination of the vast right-wing conspiracy.

State auditors advise: Abolish commission
A private group overseeing vocational training of the disabled has not fulfilled its mission, an official says.

Encephalitis alert to end
The state plans to lift its encephalitis alert for 53 counties on New Year's Eve, but health officials cautioned Wednesday that the West Nile virus still might be lurking in Florida.

NRC has pills for nuclear neighbors
The agency wants to give irradiation tablets to people near nuclear plants, including Crystal River's.

Freedom sought for Al-Najjar
WASHINGTON -- Lawyers for Mazen Al-Najjar on Wednesday challenged the Immigration and Naturalization Service's authority to label him a national security threat and keep him in jail pending the outcome of his deportation case.