Statewide Reports-February 16-28, 2002

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.

2/28/02

	Feeney fends off questions about legislative aide Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney called an extraordinary news conference Wednesday to defend one of his employees against questions about her $55,664-a-year job.
	Governor broke word, critics say - Florida Democrats say Republican Gov. Jeb Bush has broken a promise to forgo campaign fund-raising while the state Legislature is in session.
	Reno wants Service First repeal Janet Reno finished the Panhandle portion of her "listen and learn tour" Wednesday by promising state employees she will work to repeal Gov. Jeb Bush's Service First personnel plan.
	Reno's truck run steps on the gas Two days into her ''Red Truck Tour'' across Florida, Janet Reno took her feistiest swipe yet at the rival who many of her critics say has the best shot at beating Gov. Jeb Bush.
	Bills for military families cleared The Florida House, caught up in the post-Sept. 11 patriotic fervor, passed several bills Wednesday benefiting military families. Bills giving tuition breaks to children of service men and women, and property tax breaks to disabled veterans won easy approval. But a bill expanding Bright Futures scholarships to students attending out-of-state military schools was less easily won.
	Budget shortfall forces Guard to cut drug-fighting troops - Unable to wait any longer for more federal cash, the Florida National Guard announced Wednesday that it will let go of 22 of its drug-fighting troops today.
	Don't Worsen Unfair Policy Florida law includes an unfair, unreasonable and unjust policy. Abolish it; don't make it worse.-- The law now forces taxpayers to pay worker's compensation and retirement disability benefits to firefighters, paramedics and state law officers who get some diseases on the "presumption" that their illness is job-related, without proof that it really is.-- House Bill 5 and Senate Bill 278, now before state lawmakers, extend that presumption to other diseases and to city police officers and county sheriff's deputies and probation officers.
	Legislature in brief Today is the 38th day of the 60-day session.
	Blight control -- Lawmakers eager to do the billboard industry's bidding are a sad sight to behold.
	CELL PHONES AND DRIVING Cities and counties could not create or enforce local ordinances preventing people from using cell phones while driving under a bill unanimously passed by the Senate on Wednesday. The bill, SB 358, also requires the Department of Motor Vehicles and Highway Safety to track traffic accidents caused by cell phones for a year and report the findings next year.
	Driving while dialing: It's a risky combo In these mobile, multitasking times, the cell phone has evolved from status symbol to everyday gadget. As such, it's one more source of distraction for drivers. According to the National Safety Council, cell phone users spend 60 percent of their phone time behind the wheel.
	Sales tax holiday in limbo
	Senate leaders propose wiping out $880 million in exemptions The state Senate is proposing to wipe out $880 million in sales tax exemptions for one year as a way to come up with new money for schools.
	Tax plan turns eye to leisure activities Senators suggest funding education by raising some taxes. The House speaker and governor quickly frown on the idea.
	Indian land may be closed to state Critics say a bill to put Miccosukee reservations under federal law will make them a haven for criminals.
	Senate okays scratch-off bingo Attorney General Bob Butterworth and Gov. Jeb Bush say the measure flouts the state Constitution and exposes charities to victimization.
	Up against building code countdown Builders and homeowners with renovation plans rush to get permits before tougher rules take effect.
	Less judicial secrecy The proposal to open up the dealings of the agency for monitoring Florida's judges is late but important.
	Report: Many graduates not ready for college work The report says 40 percent of high school grads need remedial classes before doing college work.
	Senate heats up tax fight Senate leaders proposed Wednesday to wipe out $878.5 million in sales-tax exemptions and pump the money into education, trying to force Gov. Jeb Bush and the House to choose between classrooms and tax breaks for powerful special interests.
	Sales tax faces Senate fate Florida Senate budget writers will decide today whether to wipe out nearly $1 billion in tax breaks currently enjoyed by tanning salons, professional sports teams, lobbyists, ostrich farmers and other businesses to increase education spending.
	Jeb Bush earns an F for his school reforms ...The percent of the general revenue budget going to education from 2000-01 to 2001-02 actually has gone down under Bush.-- The increase in per-student spending under Bush has amounted to a meager $10.21 over three years, according to a St. Petersburg Times analysis that Bush does not dispute.--- The governor's budgetary shell game is unraveling. Schools are in crisis, losing summer classes, remedial programs and athletic programs. A teacher survey reports classroom crowding is getting worse for a state that ranks 43rd in the nation in that category.
	Painful cuts-- Scarce dollars mean that school districts have to make tough decisions.
	Gov. Bush softens on social promotion Gov. Bush is backing away from a law that bans passing fourth-graders who fail the state's reading test.
	Options offered to get more money to schools By Mary Ellen Flannery, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Senators determined to get more money for schools offered House leaders a choice Wednesday.
	Commission aides given leftover cash Some have received bonuses topping $92,000 during the past five years.WEST PALM BEACH -- In a rare glimpse of how Palm Beach County political patronage works, county commissioners this week quietly formalized a plan for passing out bonuses to their most trusted and valued aides.
	Panther refuge land is bought - A large slice of wilderness in Hendry County was purchased by the state Wednesday as part of a project to buy and protect land important to the Florida panther
	Fatality rate revs up as helmets come off - concerns about Bike Week...
	State agency releases top tags list
	FBI asks labs for anthrax samples By Rebecca Carr, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau The FBI wants sample from labs to find the source of anthrax used in mail attacks.
	Conservation Is the Key Americans have recently been shocked into seeing how dependent we are for energy on oil imported from unstable regions of the world. Soon we'll know which of two distinct paths our national leaders will follow in responding to the problem.
	Judge wants documents on Cheney A judge has ordered the Department of Energy to release Cheney's energy task force documents.
	Moscow wary of U.S. help in Georgia By Margaret Coker, Palm Beach Post-Cox News Service President Bush's decision to send military advisers to Georgia could cause a rift between the U.S. and Russia.

2/27/02

	Doomsday Clock to Be Changed-- first time in 4 years
	Enron gave to those in charge of inquiry Members of a House committee say campaign contributions won't influence their look at pension fund losses
	Will gifts get in the way? Nine of 14 members of a legislative committee investigating Florida's pension fund losses in the Enron scandal have received campaign contributions from the company or one of its subsidiaries.
	State's losses get scrutiny Before Enron's collapse cost the state pension fund $334 million late last year, few Floridians had ever heard of Frank Savage. Now Savage, who simultaneously sat on the boards of Enron and Alliance Capital Management, the firm largely blamed for Florida's losses, has become the lightning rod for speculation that insiders benefited at Florida's expense.
	Bush: Editorial's criticism in Enron case is off base The Post's editorial "Let Butterworth direct probe of Enron losses" (Feb. 13) relies only on supposition to call for my recusal from investigating Alliance Capital Management's oversight of state pension funds.
	We're losing ground because of industry influence Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of today." - Theodore Roosevelt
	Tax plan opposition may cost broadcasters Senate leader John McKay seeks legislative scrutiny of Florida broadcasters' share of tax dollars.
	Speaker Feeney: No new taxes Three weeks ago, the Orlando Sentinel editorial board prematurely criticized me for not allowing members of the House the opportunity to vote on the Senate services-tax proposal.
	Mindless no-tax menu won't serve food safety If everyone continues to eat safely, they can thank restaurant proprietors not politicians.
	Lawmakers seek longer terms Some think eight isn't enough after all. Ten years after voters overwhelmingly approved term limits in Florida, lawmakers in both the House and Senate are looking at measures that would allow voters to extend their terms from eight to 12 years.
	Governor frets over legislative stalemate So far, no substantial bills have reached his desk since the session began last month.
	Legal aid in civil matters is important Florida lawmakers are quickly moving through legislation to provide legal aid for needy families dealing with civil litigation. When indigent citizens get in criminal trouble, public defenders are made available by law. But civil issues involving family law, domestic violence, immigration, financial or housing problems can undermine a person's employment and destabilize a family in short order.
	Patriotism, religion and schools don't mix Patriotism is back. Signs and flags proclaiming "United We Stand" and "God Bless America" have been visible in every town and city across Florida since the tragic events of Sept. 11. Expressing our new sense of patriotism in a secular or a religious manner, particularly in the schools, is one of the hottest topics for public education at the state capital.
	Sneaky slot vote A House committee approved video lottery, the "crack cocaine" of gambling, in a sneaky sell-out to the parimutuel slot machine lobby without even putting it on its agenda.
	State legislator kills annexation package - TALLAHASSEE · Annexation in Broward County is dead for this year, done in by a Key West representative who blocked the measure and then accused Broward's political leadership of incompetence and prejudice.
	Senate may put cell-phone ordinances on hold Bob Paynter will tell you that his office is behind the wheel. The Tallahassee real estate agent said he routinely uses his cell phone while on the road to connect with clients and set up meetings, a growing constant of business.
	Bill could change burial control -- TALLAHASSEE · As state investigators continue compiling evidence that a South Florida funeral home grossly mishandled bodies and graves for years, a new Senate bill would drastically change the way funeral homes and cemeteries are regulated.
	Reno revs up campaign in her red pickup "I'm going to listen to all the people from the Panhandle to the Keys," she says of her 15-day tour
	Reno hits road amid lingering skepticism - Janet Reno set out from the Alabama border on Tuesday for a 15-day cross-Florida tour
	McBride slams Bush on education issues - DAYTONA BEACH -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride called Jeb Bush "the worst governor of our lifetime" on educational issues during a Tuesday visit to Central Florida.
	Bush's reading plan: retrain teachers The governor wants to spend millions retraining teachers in new methods of reading instruction.
	Bush unveils reading plan First-graders need to be taught how to sound out words. Instead, says Florida State University professor Joe Torgesen, teachers often let children learn words by the context of other elements on a page, such as pictures.
	Pay teacher-soldiers If education truly were Gov. Bush's priority, he would ask the Legislature to let the state pay for teacher-reservists.
	Black judge's honor restored James Dean was removed in 1889 after accused of marrying a white man and a black woman.
	Help children by need, not county Gov. Jeb Bush and lawmakers are once again sparring over the "local match" mandate in the Healthy Kids program, and the welfare of Florida's needy children rests on the outcome
	Shuttle astronauts set to sharpen telescope By Nirvi Shah, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Shuttle astronauts will perform a $76 million lens lift on the Hubble Space Telescope in the coming days.
	Thousands decry oil exploration at Big Cypress National Preserve Thousands of letters poured into the headquarters of Big Cypress National Preserve over the past month to protest a plan for a major oil exploration project at the heart of the preserve.
	Contested manatee bill passes Senate panel By Jim Ash, Palm Beach Post Capitol Bureau Writer A Senate panel voted Tuesday to change the way Florida protects its homely aquatic icon -- the manatee.
	Voting a product of where we are Women are more likely to vote than men.
	Blaze destroys school, memories Cedar Key mourns its four-classroom school, an institution in the Levy County island town.
	Officer's pension denied to partner The pension board's 7-1 vote caps hours of testimony on whether Mickie Mashburn should get slain Officer Lois Marrero's benefits.
	Right choice in independent probe The Hillsborough County School Board made the right decision by choosing to have an outside firm investigate a whistle-blower's complaints. An internal probe would have lacked credibility and reflected poorly on the school district's commitment to eliminate any fraud or waste discovered in multimillion dollar school construction contracts.
	Chart new course-- Developing renewable-energy resources is an investment in national security.
	House set to vote on high-speed Internet bill By Marilyn Geewax, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau Critics, which include most consumer groups, say the bill will limit consumers fewer and more expensive choices.
	Guest editorial: Cher's dismay Cher, the actress and singer whose sparsely draped figure in public performances may have raised an eyebrow or two, is steamed, it seems, because of Justice Department plans to make sure a couple of statues are not similarly unclad.

2/26/02

	King's legislation draws fire Dozens of grass-roots activists labeled Senate Majority Leader Jim King "anti-citizen" yesterday at a Jacksonville rally against his bill limiting challenges to state permits used by developers and industries.
	Environmental groups take aim at lawmakers - TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Conservationists said Monday they plan to put more pressure on a Legislature they say favors developers and is unwilling to protect the environment.-- "The natural resources of the state are for sale to the highest bidder and the highest bidder is the developers," said David Ludder, general counsel for the Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation. "It's time the Legislature listens to the people."
	A higher bar Power brings with it greater responsibility. But it occasionally deludes the powerful into thinking that they're above the law. Granted, the parking violations at Tallahassee Regional Airport by five state lawmakers don't qualify as an impeachable offense. Several complained that they were victims of rude police behavior, and suggested they weren't at fault. But their example underscores the expectation that those who write our laws are held to a stricter code of conduct than the average citizen.
	Unit Should Reconsider The 5,000 volunteers who serve on 105 Citizen Observer Patrol units, in cooperation with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, are a special breed....
	Florida's toll enterprise The Department of Transportation's plans to turn tolls into an enterprise offer a reckless and unfair approach to state road planning.
	Editorial: Toll bell for this bill Under the guise of taxpayer-friendly privatization, the Legislature wants to make South Florida turnpike drivers bankroll wasteful projects to the north...
	Suiting up for the regents The University of Florida hasn't been putting a lot of points up on the legislative board. Instead, it's been more politically well-connected schools - like FSU, USF and FIU - that have scored big when it comes to passing out expensive legislative goodies.
	Sheldon confronts Crist in new arena Charlie Crist beat George Sheldon in the education commissioner race. They may square off next for attorney general.
	Political veteran enters AG race
	Butterworth aide vies to become next Florida attorney general
	Feisty politico forges enemies as he tackles the issues Now Phil Handy finds himself unable to attain a routine confirmation as chairman of the new state Board of Education.
	Senate vote on new state education chief is delayed again
	Vote on Handy is again put off
	Big Tobacco is playing a shell game in Florida It's an old trick, but you still see it around: the shell game. You know the routine -
	Gov. Bush finds administration's doors wide open Gov. Jeb Bush discusses Florida issues with the nation's top officials during a Washington visit.
	Reno revs up her pickup to prove herself MIAMI - Six months ago, Janet Reno - former U.S. attorney general, down-home Floridian and all-around straight-talker - was seen as the shoo-in candidate for the Democratic nomination in the Florida governor's race.
	Democrats holding onto their checkbooks As Janet Reno and Bill McBride battle in an increasingly competitive Democratic primary for the chance to unseat Gov. Jeb Bush, some of the party's rainmakers are sitting it out. Wary that neither a politically untested Tampa lawyer nor an overexposed former U.S. attorney general could beat the governor, several big-time fund-raisers who helped propel the past Florida campaigns of Lawton Chiles, Bill Clinton and Al Gore are holding onto their checkbooks and donor lists.
	Florida House, Senate plan Everglades spending Gov. Jeb Bush's budget proposals are more cautious, even though he normally touts Everglades restoration.
	Reapportionment is expensive A decade ago, the fight over redrawing the state's election lines cost taxpayers more than $11 million for legal fees, staff time and computer costs. This year the exercise proves to once again carry a whopping price tag to the benefit political big-wigs, including a former House member who was part of a redistricting lawsuit that earned lawyers $1.28 million in 1993.
	Mark O'Brien: Incumbents have an edge, but fresh political faces will shine, too
	Board moves closer to demise A Senate committee Monday made quick work of a bill that would abolish a troubled public-private partnership charged with helping disabled Floridians find jobs. ... SB 2206 / HB 1825
	Windstorm reform receives boost The battle to reform windstorm insurance rates, stalled in the Legislature last week, gained new life Monday when a House committee approved a bill to cap rate increases and let consumers buy hurricane and homeowners coverage from a new Citizens' Board.
	Bill puts burden on rich homeowners Floridians who own vacation cottages and expensive beach homes will bear the full brunt of escalating windstorm insurance rates under a compromise insurance bill moving forward in the House.
	Deal with homeless Mentally ill and addicted people require more than police and jail cells.
	Providing Legal Aid To The Poor - Terry Russell, president of The Florida Bar, has spent months pushing legislation that would provide state funding for legal assistance for the poor. He makes a compelling case.
	Cast out over Castro A plan to recover fallen comrades' remains at the Bay of Pigs has caused a bitter rift among fellow veterans and relatives who want nothing to do with Castro.
	Internet porn site wins legal standoff The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear an appeal from Tampa officials who want to shut down Voyeur Dorm based on zoning ordinances.
	Study: State has hefty gambling problem ORLANDO - Florida - home to jai alai frontons, casino cruises and a popular state lottery - has a gambling problem, University of Florida researchers say. Floridians are more than twice as likely to be at risk for developing gambling problems as people nationwide, according to findings from Florida's first statewide gambling survey.
	Airport Panel Still Possible A state legislative committee said no, but local officials can still say yes to a sound and sensible idea: Appoint a four-city, two-county advisory committee to offer guidance on noise, safety and other issues involving an airport affecting all those areas.
	Scientists studying beaches for sewage pathogens MIAMI - Scientists have embarked on a two-year study of South Florida's beaches to learn whether warm sand could increase the risk of stomach illnesses, particularly for children playing in the wave-frothed "swash zone."
	Drainage ditch cleanup at $2.6M Ever wonder how often those drainage ditches down the road get cleaned? In some parts of Leon County, it's once every 18 years.
	Corbin's right to shake up FAMU over lab school Affiliated as they are with universities, developmental research schools are expected to be fertile ground for innovation and excellence. But that assumes the universities nurture their lab schools, supplying them with the tools to provide a quality education.
	Blaze site part of breeding history If you wanted to strike at the very heart of Florida horse country, this would be the place to land the blow.
	Horse farm fire not arson OCALA - An investigation into a weekend barn fire at an esteemed thoroughbred stud farm has yet to turn up any indications of arson, state fire officials said Monday. "At this point, we have found nothing suspicious," Florida Department of Insurance spokeswoman Nina Bottcher said.
	Editorial: FPL pledge incomplete Florida Power & Light President Paul Evanson has made a public apology for his company's poor response to rescue Pedro Grave, the West Palm Beach tree trimmer who was shocked for more...
	VerSteeg: State's new welfare queens: Bikers Bare-headed motorcyclists who oppose helmet laws portray themselves as heroes fighting a last stand against government as grandmother. Many are fighting a last stand, it's true...
	Cell-phone figures The proliferation of cell phone use while in an automobile is outlandish. You keep citing figures used in studies of cell phones. The problem is, the largest increase in use of cell phones came from 1998 to the present. The figures used in these studies are from 1995.
	Secret Service's secret security plan for Cheney visit to Olympics left in souvenir store-- SALT LAKE CITY -- Secret Service agents shopping for Olympics souvenirs lost a document detailing security plans for Vice President Dick Cheney's appearance at the closing ceremony, according to The Salt Lake City Tribune.
	Big Cypress fox squirrel denied endangered status- The Big Cypress fox squirrel was rejected for a place on the federal endangered species list Monday, after pro-development groups submitted a study that said the animal still had ample habitat in southwest Florida.
	Editorial: Governments exploiting fear to increase secrecy In an ominous sign of the post-Sept. 11 times, the Pentagon's little-known but well-financed Office of Strategic Influence wants to influence international opinion in the anti-terrorism campaign by planting false stories in the news organizations of friendly and unfriendly countries. In non-denial, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld offered last week that "the U.S. government will not issue false or deceptive news items to the public, but disinformation may be used `strategically' to mislead enemy forces during military operations."
	No excuse for government to spread strategic lies Wasn't this "Ministry of Truth" and "War is Peace" stuff was supposed to arrive 20 years ago? George Orwell predicted a government stamping lies as truth and fighting a war so endless as to assume the monotony of peace. Writing against the early Cold War backdrop, he predicted this grim world to arrive in 1984.
	Bush comes to Big Oil's rescue With the stench of Enron growing more acrid each day, you'd think the last thing President Bush would want is to be seen toadying to another deep-pocketed energy giant. Well, you'd be wrong.
	Yellowstone National Park no place for snowmobiles It seems to us that a reasonable person would have decided snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park had gotten out of hand about the time kiosks at the west entrance had to be outfitted with special fresh-air systems. The noxious exhaust from idling machines was sickening employees. For those who needed an extra dose of persuasion, however, it came last week: Employees were issued gas masks.
	Analysis: Federal courts increasingly impatient with FCC WASHINGTON — Last week's rebuke of the FCC by the federal appeals court over limiting ownership of media outlets was far from unusual — and is unlikely to be the last. Consider another recent case, in which a different panel of the same court pelted a lawyer from the Federal Communications Commission with hostile questions as he tried to defend a significant rule limiting the expansion of media companies within a single metropolitan market.
	Dan K. Thomasson: Vouchers: bad law, bad for public schools WASHINGTON — The weakness in the school voucher system always has been the conflict it caused between church and state where the Constitution mandates never the twain shall meet. The Supreme Court now has the Cleveland choice program under review and whichever way it decides will go a long way to either establishing the credibility of future such programs or discouraging their further creation.

2/25/02

	McKay stays the course on tax plan To make his case, the Senate president will link the tax system to problems in the schools.
	Democrats tiptoe on tax plan Most candidates for governor decline to be specific about the McKay proposal.
	Efforts to close public records prompt outcry
	News from Legislature devoid of evil or mangling Most news about the Florida Legislature can be represented by one of two models.
	A sunset bill for tax reform What often pass for new ideas in Tallahassee are actually old ones that only the lobbyists have been around long enough to remember. "Sunset," as a means of achieving tax reform or any other great goal, is of that category.
	Don't execute retarded It is cruel and unusual punishment to execute a person who is mentally retarded and whose understanding of justice is as limited as a child's.
	Shrinking fees may harm nursing home care Unless Congress acts by Oct. 1, nursing homes will face a $3 billion cut in Medicare payments.
	Legislators' school questionnaire raises union issue Rep. Jerry Melvin, R-Fort Walton Beach, never hesitant to take on teachers unions, raises a dues issue.
	House speaker trains seals to howl By Tom Blackburn, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Feeney kills tax-cut vote. 'I are the rules.'
	Endangering manatees Gov. Bush has said that the manatee is his favorite mammal. Members of his party want to make it their favorite target.
	Manatee debate creates rough seas Boaters and environmentalists intensify battle over plans to tighten protections of sea cow.
	Reed's tie with Enron unholy aspect of scandal The Feb. 17 article "Bush ally offered services to Enron" should cause much concern because it highlights another aspect of the current political-business-lobbyist debate.
	Schools in FCAT overdrive Julia Walker's fifth-grade students returned to Blankner Elementary School after the winter break to find their classroom turned into an "FCAT boot camp."
	Telling the truth -- The United States shouldn't need propaganda to get its message to the world.
	State investigating boy-band director -- ORLANDO · Lou Pearlman, the boy-band hitmaker responsible for the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, has cultivated an avuncular image.
	U.S. to review beating death of prisoner -- The U.S. Justice Department will review whether Florida State Prison guards violated the civil rights of Death Row inmate Frank Valdes, who was stomped to death. Three guards were recently acquitted of his murder by a state jury. Dan Nelson, a Justice Department spokesman in Washington, D.C., confirmed Friday that investigators from the agency's Civil Rights Division would conduct "an independent review of the entire case to decide whether action is warranted."
	Candidacy hinges on pivotal journey Six months ago, Janet Reno -- former star U.S. attorney general, down- home Floridian and all around straight-talker -- was seen as the shoo-in candidate for the Democratic nomination in the Florida governor's race.
	Democratic fundraisers wary of campaign

2/24/02

	University politics The ballot initiative being led by Sen. Bob Graham should produce a serious debate over the proper oversight of Florida's university system.
	Taco Bell should help tomato pickers IMMOKALEE -- We take advantage of their natural kindness and humility. We take advantage of their preference for silence. We take advantage of their love of family. We take advantage of their thriftiness. We take advantage of their immigration status. We take advantage of their ability to survive on next to nothing.
	Mini-med: John Q. and you TALLAHASSEE -- Ten years ago Americans elected a new president whose keystone promise was to deliver what everyone in Europe takes for granted, universal health care coverage. The insurance industry put Harry and Louise on television and that was the end of it.

2/22/02

Sorry, no news posted till 2/25

Audubon's president makes case for 'Glades
Those who hate the environment or don't care about fishing should still support Everglades restoration, Audubon of Florida President and CEO Stuart Strahl said Thursday. South Florida's economy also depends on restoring the Everglades' water flow because it provides freshwater the area needs, Strahl told The Economic Club of Florida at a luncheon meeting in Tallahassee.

Foolish games only erode the public's trust
When done artfully, parliamentary moves can highlight a lawmaker's skill and knowledge of the legislative process. But House Speaker Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, manipulates the rules in ways that are decidedly transparent and counterproductive.

2/20/02

	Budget crisis takes fight out of governor - Most chief executives, including governors, stumble at first, then gain confidence and grow into the job.-- But Jeb Bush seems to be going backwards.
	Democrats: Bush broke pledge Governor says he didn't violate vow not to raise money during session Democrats say Gov. Jeb Bush has broken a promise not to raise money during the legislative session by participating in a $25,000-a-ticket golf tournament and addressing top Republican contributors.
	Enron’s Florida failure: Big plans, big donations, little to show for it Enron Corp. placed a big bet on Florida, showering almost $235,000 of campaign money on its political leaders and launching several projects to crack its energy markets.
	Enron stock buyer still could be sued Even if Florida finds no evidence of illegal activity by a money management company whose ill-timed Enron stock purchases cost the state pension fund $283 million, the state might still sue the firm for failing to fulfill the terms of its contract, the fund's executive director indicated Tuesday.
	Graham decries Florida's direction in education, economy Education is weaker, ill-equipping residents to take advantage of the 21st century economy, says Florida's senior U.S. senator.
	Power Grab Can Hurt System Florida court-bashers are once again rearing their ugly heads in Tallahassee. They deserve to be hammered down hard for a nasty power grab. They are tinkering with the independence of the judiciary and trying to turn the courts into subservient parts of the governor's office instead of a co-equal and separate branch of government.
	Thrasher's horse trading brought expensive results With the economic squeeze on and the state scrambling to find dollars to meet critical needs, such as health care for the poor and under insured, it's a good time to recall the follies of the past.
	State should offset tuition waiver costs In a state work force that is increasingly under duress, the power of employee incentives can't be underestimated. So a move in the Legislature to bring back college tuition waivers for state employees is important and would correct last year's mistake: Legislators replaced a free tuition system with one that pays only for classes related to an employees' current job. The impact has been substantial: So far this year, state officials have approved only 258 vouchers compared with 11,500 in 2000.
	Feeney makes House a weapon Speaker Tom Feeney will make the House into a "committee of the whole" to crush a sales tax proposal.
	Feeney maneuvers against tax plan Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney has cooked up a surprise maneuver that he hopes will spare billions of dollars in tax breaks for businesses, once and for all.
	Feeney calls for tax vote In a move not seen at the Capitol in a generation, House Speaker Tom Feeney is ordering the entire 120-member Florida House to convene today to vote on Senate President John McKay's bid to reform Florida's tax system.
	A taxing authority-- A House vote on tax reform is ill-timed and unnecessary.
	Tax reform gets quick test today Senate president complains of bias The unorthodox political strategy of House Speaker Tom Feeney comes to the fore again today as he uses a procedural quirk not seen in a quarter century to take up - and likely vote down - the Senate's proposed tax overhaul.
	A Handy distraction Phil Handy is a headstrong Winter Park financier and political operative with so few education credentials and such hostility to government that his appointment as chairman of the new Florida Board of Education is, at best, incongruous. But don't mistake the gamesmanship in the Senate Education Committee, which is delaying his confirmation vote, for high-minded principle.
	8 Years Still May Be Enough Almost 10 years ago, 3.6 million Florida voters decided that when it comes to years in political office, "Eight is Enough." But now some state lawmakers believe "Eight is not really enough. Twelve is better."
	Disabled voting bill clears panel Election supervisors worry that the bill would require costly changes to new equipment counties are buying.
	Bills would aid disabled voters One in five Americans and an even greater percentage of Floridians have some kind of disability. This makes them 20 percent less likely to register to vote, and those who do register are 15 percent less likely to participate when election day rolls around.
	Deputies safely detonate bomb found at newspaper HIGH SPRINGS - A weekly newspaper received a bomb in its drop box Tuesday morning, causing the newspaper and surrounding businesses to be evacuated, sheriff's deputies said. Placed in a plastic bag, the device was put in the drop box of the High Springs Herald and brought inside Monday morning by an unsuspecting employee, Alachua County sheriff's Sgt. Keith Faulk said.
	A familiar ring The telephone industry's claims in support of bills to shift customers' costs sound suspiciously like its earlier promises of increased competition.
	Increase in local phone bills on horizon
	Bill ties superintendent pay, pupil performance The school officials would feel it in their wallets if third-graders are promoted without being able to read.
	Future in Florida grim if justices pass vouchers Public school foes plan their backup strategy.
	Supreme Court rules student grading is lawful, helpful The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that students grading one another's work helps students and does not violate federal privacy law, but some parents said the practice is wrong.
	Prosecutor delays decision on cases of 5 other guards STARKE -- After losing a murder case in the fatal stomping of a death row inmate, State Attorney Bill Cervone said Tuesday no decision will be made before next month on how to handle the prosecution of five other guards.
	Judge won't unlock Al-Najjar's cell door MIAMI -- Former University of South Florida instructor Mazen Al-Najjar lost a chance to be freed from federal prison Tuesday when a judge refused to intervene on his behalf.
	Canker-infected trees in Boca Raton cut down
	Minority contracts in question As doubts arise over minority ownership, some ask if the School Board should scrutinize more.
	Weekly Florida newspaper receives bomb-- HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. - A weekly newspaper received a bomb in its drop box Tuesday morning, causing the newspaper and surrounding businesses to be evacuated, sheriff's deputies said.
	Tallahassee mayor announcing attorney general campaign
	Maddox to announce run for attorney general today ... Maddox, 33, is challenging state Sen. Buddy Dyer, who represents parts of Orange and Seminole counties, in the Democratic primary.
	School Board to revamp whistle-blower policy TAMPA -- Hoping to avoid another public relations disaster like the one that occurred recently with whistle-blower Doug Erwin, the Hillsborough County School Board is considering a new policy for employees who report wrongdoing.
	FPL disregarded first call to cut power By Antigone Barton, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH -- While firefighters waited helplessly for Florida Power & Light to turn off electricity that was burning through a man caught in a tree Saturday, their first call to the utility...
	Palm Bay to inject fluoride into its water system
	Court slaps down 2 major TV rules A major victory took place Tuesday for AOL Time Warner Inc. that could accelerate media consolidation.
	Motor voter law may change A measure would require screening of potential jurors Prosecution and defense lawyers, who usually fight fiercely for the tiniest tactical advantage in the law, have struck a rare deal for keeping convicted felons off juries.
	Psychics able to obtain 'proof' Florida's attorney general has challenged TV psychic Miss Cleo to prove she's no fake fortune teller. But how does a psychic prove the power of prognostication? Try a certificate of authenticity.
	State accuses gas mask company FORT LAUDERDALE - The state sued a gas mask company Tuesday, accusing it of cashing in on Americans' safety concerns after Sept. 11. State Attorney General Bob Butterworth filed a complaint against CEO Group Inc. and its president, Scott Joseph, for deceptive trade practices. The Fort Lauderdale company, doing business as Gas Mask U.S.A., formed a week after the terrorist attacks.
	Judge denies injunction for license plate money MIAMI - A federal judge has refused to issue an immediate order changing the way money is distributed from Florida's "Choose Life" specialty license plates. Pro-choice groups are challenging the distribution system because they aren't eligible for any of the money under a state law reserving tag profits for agencies offering adoption services but not abortion services.
	20:02 20/02 2002: A rare numerical palindrome occurs tonight
	Cheney Defends Bush's Remark Keyword:``axis of evil''
	Schwarzkopf doubts U.S. will spread any false propaganda DAYTONA BEACH - Retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf said Tuesday he doesn't believe reports that the U.S. military has plans to spread false propaganda overseas. "We don't deliberately lie to other people . . . That's not America. That's not what we do," Schwarzkopf told 800 people at the annual dinner for the Daytona Beach & Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce.

2/19/02

	Power Grab Can Hurt System Florida court-bashers are once again rearing their ugly heads in Tallahassee. They deserve to be hammered down hard for a nasty power grab. They are tinkering with the independence of the judiciary and trying to turn the courts into subservient parts of the governor's office instead of a co-equal and separate branch of government.
	To the point The state of Florida clings to antiquated and discriminatory laws that deny ex-felons the right to vote. Lawmakers should scrap the laws; but they stubbornly refuse to do so. As a result, the commission charged with restoring ex-prisoners' rights is virtually paralyzed by a backlog of thousands of applications.
	Increase in local phone bills on horizon A proposed law that is moving through the Florida Legislature could increase monthly bills for local phone service $3 to $6.95 per customer over the next five years.
	Florida is rejected as lead Enron plaintiff A federal judge has bluntly questioned Florida's effort to sue Enron and its accountants for securities fraud in the loss of more than $300-million from the state's pension funds.
	Governor speaks of his family's struggle "I know what you're going through." It's a message Gov. Jeb Bush said he and his wife hear dozens of times every day, from friends and strangers at all levels of society. Since their daughter, Noelle, was arrested on a prescription-fraud charge Jan. 29, the governor said his family has heard from hundreds of people who have seen friends, relatives and co-workers struggle with drugs - or who have been there themselves.
	Bush says many suffer because of drug abuse TALLAHASSEE -- Sounding like a father in pain, Gov. Jeb Bush talked Monday about his daughter's drug treatment and the problems faced by other Floridians who have children with drug problems.
	TALLAHASSEE City manager's son sentenced to jail The son of Tallahassee City Manager Anita Favors pleaded no contest Monday to misdemeanor possession of marijuana and paraphernalia charges. Ahmad K. Favors, 24, was found guilty and sentenced to six months in the Leon County Jail, to begin Wednesday. In June, Favors reportedly had marijuana in a backpack when officers stopped to question him about a reported domestic disturbance in a restaurant parking lot. He told police he was dealing drugs because "times are tough," reports said.
	Once again, Bush's pick is put on hold TALLAHASSEE -- A Senate simmering with discontent has decided to let Phil Handy, one of Gov. Jeb Bush's top appointees, twist slowly in the wind for awhile.
	Workers' compensation fund dries up MIAMI - A state fund to retrain injured blue-collar laborers for less physical jobs has dried up halfway through the fiscal year, leaving thousands of workers waiting six months or more for training.
	State worker trust money fizzles
	Budget threatens inspections It hasn't been so long since Jerry Provost made his living checking out hotel fire alarms and restaurant cleanliness.
	Bush peppered on school spending TALLAHASSEE -- Under fire on several fronts for his school spending record, Gov. Jeb Bush's administration sought on Monday to shift the deba