Statewide Reports July 23-31,2002

Statewide Reports -July 23-31, 2002

forums Fl gov't JEB agencies environment groups regions election '02

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.

7/31/02

	Bush reveals income for 9 years - TALLAHASSEE -- Strictly in business terms, these are not Gov. Jeb Bush's best years. His pay as governor, $120,514 last year, pales in contrast to what he made in real estate. .... Bush insists he made no money from a U.S. government-backed sale of water pumps to Nigeria in the early 1990s, when he was a partner in Bush-El Trading with businessman David Eller. Bush says his earnings came from work in other countries, but declines to say how he made $648,000 on Bush-El from 1989-94
	Bush may be called in suit - A man suing a one-time business partner of Gov. Jeb Bush's in a Nigeria water-pump sale that went awry amid allegations of bribery wants to call Bush as a witness in the case whenever it goes to trial, an attorney confirmed Monday.-- In a related development, the governor said Monday he does not want a federal judge to seal records in the case, as his former business partner, J. David Eller, is seeking.
	No real federal-state dialogue about priorities and revenues - .... While Washington continues to dangle tax cuts and boost both defense and domestic spending, dissipating the promised surpluses and running up a deficit for next year conservatively estimated at $165 billion, state and local governments are raising taxes and slashing vital services in order to balance their budgets.-- The paradoxes do not seem to bother Republicans, who have used their control of the White House and their leverage in Congress in ways that cause headaches -- and bring political vulnerability -- for their embattled governors. While President Bush was urging Congress to stay the course on the upper-bracket tax cuts scheduled for coming years and to make them permanent, his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, signed a budget that cut 37,000 low-income Floridians out of Medicaid-financed basic dental care.
	S. Florida food banks running out of supplies to feed hungry So many people around South Florida need help feeding themselves and their families these days that local soup kitchens and food pantries are having a hard time meeting the need.
	Positively wrong Governor's first ad highlights a problem. -- To start his reelection campaign, Gov. Bush plunged from his corner with elbows and knees flying in the first attack ad of the dismal election season. The man who always promises a high-level campaign, then never delivers, starts this one flailing wildly.-- His Democratic opponents, the ad claims, are squishy on the death penalty and evasive about the grades he gives to schools. Oh, really?
	Payday loan firm to sign up voters In the quest to sign up more voters for this year's election, voting-rights organizations are taking all the help they can get. The People for the American Way Foundation and Arrive With Five announced Tuesday that they are teaming up with Advance America, a payday loan company that is currently under investigation by the state Attorney General's Office.
	Sheldon trying to pick up where Butterworth left off George Sheldon hopes Attorney General Bob Butterworth's coattails are extra long. They need to stretch from Tallahassee, where just about everyone's heard of Sheldon, all the way to Miami, where he's far from a household word.
	Reversing the trend of rising juvenile crime in Florida Juvenile crime is a double tragedy in our society. As with all crime, our hearts first go out to its victims, and our efforts must be focused first on protecting the safety of our law-abiding citizens.
	Yet another DCF fiasco - The Department of Children & Families' latest incident illustrates its problems.-- How many fiascoes will it take at the state Department of Children & Families before Gov. Jeb Bush concedes that problems at that agency run a lot deeper than a few bad employees? The source of many of the agency's problems rests with its leaders.
	DCF visited Panhandle child three days before her death PENSACOLA — A Department of Children & Families counselor visited a Crestview toddler three days before the child was found dead from blunt force trauma, an agency official said Tuesday. It was a routine visit that gave no indication that 19-month-old Kayla Regine Mays or her four siblings, including a twin brother, had been harmed or were in danger, said Betty Hooper, spokeswoman for the department's district headquarters in Pensacola.
	Pre-K amendment has necessary signatures; headed for ballot TALLAHASSEE — A proposal to provide free pre-kindergarten for Florida's 4-year-olds became the eighth constitutional amendment to qualify for the November ballot, state elections officials said Tuesday. The secretary of state's office said amendment supporters had collected 512,184 signatures, exceeding the 488,722 they needed.
	Feud Over Class Size Outgrows Florida TALLAHASSEE - More than half the nearly $1.1 million raised so far by the group seeking smaller class sizes in Florida public schools has come from out-of-state contributors, campaign finance records show. ...The proposed constitutional amendment, which is expected to be approved as early as today for the November ballot, has heavy backing from two national teacher unions, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and People for the American Way. All oppose Gov. Jeb Bush's school voucher program.
	Our state government is home to fiascos, intrigue - All of those folks hoping that the fiasco of 2000 won't be repeated in this fall's elections have to be swallowing hard right about now.- Qualifying candidates to run for office should be a cut-and-dried affair: Fill out the paperwork and pay the filing fee before the deadline.- Even that simple task was bungled last week.--
	GOP and voter trust Florida's Republican Party shouldn't squelch all criticism in the primary.
	Former Graham consultant files new ethics complaint He challenges a deal in which tax-deductible donations to a nonprofit result in cost cuts for Sen. Graham's drive to restore statewide university governance.
	Elect commission with character The big issue in Hillsborough County Commission elections this year will not be parks or taxes or fire stations or how often residents may water their lawns. The issue is electing people with character -- candidates who have the know-how and integrity to lead and work together. Nothing more unites people from Carrollwood to Sun City Center than the shared embarrassment of being represented by a board that collectively is defined by meanness, pettiness and paranoia.
	PENSIONS RECALCULATED Miami commissioners made a prudent decision to correct the way pension benefits are calculated for elected officials. In the bargain, they've added fairness to a skewed process. Commissioners' preliminary approval helps to ensure that officials don't retire with pensions that exceed their maximum full-time earnings.
	Broward County uses touchscreen voting for first time SOUTHWEST RANCHES — In her first experience with Broward County's new touchscreen voting machines, Joanne Mitchell wasn't sure Tuesday which button to push to complete her ballot, which replaced the controversial punchcard system she'd used before. "It was a little bit confusing," said Mitchell, who eventually figured out that she needed to press the flashing "vote" button. "I thought when you press the candidate it goes to vote. I didn't know you had to push another button on the machine."
	Campus newspaper asks Supreme Court to take Earnhardt case TALLAHASSEE — The publishers of the Independent Florida Alligator newspaper in Gainesville are asking the state Supreme Court to consider whether the law restricting access to autopsy photos is constitutional. In papers filed earlier this month, Campus Communications asked the high court to review a lower court's decision that the law barring public access to autopsy materials was constitutional.
	FCCJ begins contract talks with educators, new union After months of finger-pointing, Florida Community College at Jacksonville administrators and union officials met for the first time yesterday to begin collective bargaining.
	Panhandle doctor arrested in patient abandonment case PORT ST. JOE — A doctor has been charged with neglect of a disabled person for allegedly abandoning an apparent stroke victim at a rescue mission in the Florida Panhandle, Gulf County Sheriff Frank McKeithen said Tuesday. Dr. Vincent Ivers, an emergency room physician, was arrested Monday and released on his own recognizance. He could face up to five years in prison if convicted of the third-degree felony.
	Pharmacy owner, employee charged with fraud The state attorney general's office says they bilked Medicaid out of $1.7 million.
	Insurer builds big profit on denial of needed care I read the July 21 Business article "In health insurance, size builds clout, profits," about Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida, and I felt sick to my stomach. My family is on the other side of this equation.
	Money crisis stuns Daytona It would take a couple of hands to point fingers at all the reasons why this famous beachside city is facing a budget crisis that may take dozens of police off the street and produce the biggest tax increase in recent memory.
	90 students now have no school - SANFORD -- A Seminole County charter school abruptly announced Tuesday it won't open this school year, leaving district officials scrambling to find alternative placements for its emotionally disturbed students before classes begin next week.
	Rival accuses Catalfumo of illegal lobbying A rival to builder Catalfumo Construction says the firm engaged in questionable lobbying practices.
	Audit critical of city code division About half of Jacksonville code inspections aren't done on time, $6.2 million in fines remain uncollected and reporting deficiencies make it difficult to track if problems are corrected, a city audit found.
	Environmental group sues over discharges into Lake Okeechobee FORT MYERS — A nonprofit environmental law firm sued the South Florida Water Management District on Tuesday, alleging it has done little to prevent Lake Okeechobee from being regularly polluted with pesticides, oil, grease and other contaminants. Earthjustice said the South Florida Water Management District was given more than 60 days notice about violations to the Clean Water Act but made no changes.
	Wildlife Federation sues agency for pumping polluted water into Lake Okeechobee - The Florida Wildlife Federation accused the district of violating the federal Clean Water Act in the operation of its drainage canals along the lake's southern rim.
	Advocates for manatees force showdown today - Environmentalists fighting federal officials over manatee protections are willing to delay creating new manatee refuges and sanctuaries until December, as long as federal permits for new boat slips and marinas are halted until then.-- That is one way environmentalists, who filed this announcement Monday in federal court in Washington D.C., hope to keep a landmark court settlement intact. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to abolish it.
	County aims to buy lake bed Leon County applied Tuesday for a $6.6 million state grant to help buy the dry upper Lake Lafayette lake bed to prevent development.
	The nature of plantations The plantation culture of the South has a harsh human history that may never be completely forgotten or forgiven. But these extraordinary tracts of land, which contribute so greatly to the beauty of our countryside, also represent a largely untainted environmental and agriculture history that's well worth sustaining.
	Keep homes away from state park Good for animals, and good for development.
	As homeowners battle toxic mold, state holds hearing on insurance coverage -- In the meantime, insurers, builders and homeowners are battling in the media and in the courtroom.-- The Florida Department of Insurance held the first of a trio of meetings Tuesday to hear comments from consumers and the industry about who should pay for mold. Dozens of South Florida residents told harrowing tales of the effects of mold on their lives.- In Florida, insurers are only required to pay for mold cleanup if it resulted from an event that the insurance company covers, such as a pipe or water heater bursting.-- Other states require insurers to cover mold no matter what.
	Turnpike neighbors plead for noise help - WEST BOYNTON · Unwilling to surrender to blaring noise, suburban residents beseeched state Department of Transportation officials Tuesday night to reconsider sound walls for their communities, even though studies already disqualified 10 of 15 communities along Florida's Turnpike.
	Future grim for historic home A year ago, Orange County commissioners agreed to spend up to $500,000 to save historic gardens at a turn-of-the-century home once owned by pioneering horticulturist Henry Nehrling.
	200 Haitians in Miami rally for equal treatment - MIAMI · A passing cabby pumped his fist and another motorist honked rhythmically as a sudden burst of music roused 200 protesters denouncing the government's treatment of Haitian asylum seekers Tuesday evening.
	Haiti's poor caught in aid crisis - PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti · Sonia Jean-Pierre's life is one of apocalyptic misery. With hardly any food or work, her only refuge is a concrete cell. The searing sun is blotted out by cardboard pasted over the windows. On the wall by her bed, she has scrawled, "Jesus Christ is coming soon," like a promise of salvation to greet her every morning.-- Jean-Pierre and hundreds of neighbors live as squatters inside the old Fort Dimanche Prison, once the brutally efficient killing chamber of the Duvalier dictatorships. A prison no longer, it has been renamed, hopefully, Village Democratie. ... ... Nearly eight years after the United States led an invasion of Haiti to oust a military junta and restore President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power, Village Democratie is just one measure of this country's despairing slide. ... Increasingly exasperated with Aristide's government, which has yet to resolve a 2-year-old deadlock with its opposition, the United States and European countries have blocked about $500 million in aid, hoping to encourage greater democracy. Critics say the decision has merely eroded the hopes and deepened the poverty of this country's 7 million or so people.
	Paul Krugman: Today the states, tomorrow ... New Jersey has always been a good state for scandals, and last week provided two. One, the case of Web-snooping by a Princeton admissions officer, which involved a total of 11 applicants to Yale, was the subject of front-page stories across the nation. (Disclosure: I'm a Princeton professor.)
	Extortion by another name Extortion is happening, even as we speak, right here in the middle of our newly vigilant, corruption-probing capital city. But don't bother calling the corruption-fighters. Because they will just tell you it's all legal. And they should know. Because they are the law-makers and reg-makers. And also they are the ones who are doing the legalized extorting. ... But here is what is really happening: Members of Congress get lists of the corporations or other special interests (such as trial lawyers and labor unions) that their specific committees regulate — and telephone the corporations or special interests they regulate and ask for money for their upcoming reelection campaigns. (Some have their political operatives make the call.)
	What's behind our high tolerance for the sin of greed? I had to laugh when reading the results of a poll posted Friday on the Internet site Beliefnet.com, asking readers which of the seven deadly sins they were most guilty of committing.
	Economy slows; recession worse than believed The U.S. economy lost momentum in the second quarter of this year, growing at an annual rate of just 1.1 percent. New figures today also showed that last year's recession was worse than thought, with the economy shrinking in three quarters of 2001.
	Reviews are in — Let military be military The Bush administration said the threat of catastrophic terrorism requires a review of the Posse Comitatus Act, and the reviews have been pouring in. Coming from left, right and in between, they have a message that can be summed up in two words: Forget it.

7/30/02

	Lack of candidates blow to voter choice Nearly half the state Senate was elected Saturday. Nearly one-third of Florida's congressional delegation earned office that day, too, including one candidate who had never before run for Congress. Additionally, Tom Gallagher will become Florida's chief financial officer -- a brand new Cabinet post -- without having to make a single campaign stop.
	Roberts' finale anything but dull So much for a quiet, dignified end to Clay Roberts' tenure as Florida's elections chief. Only days after discovering that the Division of Elections was charging legislative candidates too little for qualifying for election, Roberts had to deal with chaos Friday when a cargo plane crashed just hours before the qualifying deadline, destroying some candidates' paperwork.
	Harris muffs another Ending her inept career on an appropriate note.-- ... When the controversy broke, Ms. Harris not only was out of town, she was conveniently out of touch, in her own undisclosed location. Her staff stressed that she was back in the office Friday -- "the critical day for her to be here." What a relief. She thus was in place to ask Gov. Bush to extend the qualifying deadline for a day because of the "emergency" caused by the plane crash. This would be the same Katherine Harris who saw no "emergency" when a virtual tie in the Florida presidential race demanded that counties get time to count as many legal ballots as possible.
	State senate stint would pad pension If he wins a Senate seat, Bob Butterworth would take a pay cut. But his pension would still grow.
	Attorney general candidate fires back at Republican leader TALLAHASSEE -- Republican attorney general candidate Tom Warner took exception Monday to party boss Al Cardenas, who criticized Warner for saying another GOP candidate is unqualified. "Since when is it not a legitimate campaign issue to question another candidate's qualifications?" Warner asked. "I thought the purpose of the primaries was to test the candidates and to make sure we had the best and strongest candidate to represent the party."
	One destination, two distinct paths Walter Dartland is a latecomer to the race for attorney general, but he's no stranger to the office. Dartland, 67, was a deputy to Attorney General Bob Butterworth for two years after losing to him for the top spot in 1986. He served another four years as a special counsel starting in 1996.
	Recognition, endorsements, funds fuel Dyer powerhouse Sen. Buddy Dyer's got the biggest endorsements, the fattest campaign chest and the highest statewide name recognition of any of the four Democrats running for attorney general.
	Bush creates commission to attract retirees to Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Jeb Bush announced Monday the formation of a commission to help attract retirees to Florida. Long known for being a haven for retirees, Bush said more seniors are considering settling in other states. "I think the conventional wisdom is that seniors somehow are a burden when in fact they are providing a net benefit to our economy," Bush said. "Seniors are wealthier and in many cases they are healthier."
	University of Florida stymied in its efforts to attract blacks Recruiters of black students to the University of Florida continually battle its reputation as a predominantly white institution with admissions standards so high that it is nearly impossible to get into.
	Bush says class size amendment is too costly ORLANDO — Gov. Jeb Bush repeated Monday his opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment that would limit the number of students per class in Florida's schools. He said it would cost too much. "It benefits lower class size, no question about it, but to mandate either higher taxes or cuts in services to achieve it is something I will not support," Bush said.
	Up to 500 FCATs missing, some students may have to retake exams - TAMPA, Fla. - Between 100 and 500 of the state's student assessment tests are missing, according to the Florida Department of Education. -- The missing Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests, among the 3.5 million graded this year, could be misplaced, said department spokeswoman JoAnn Carrin. -- "They could be packed away in a closet or in a wrong box," Carrin said. "We're finding tests every day, and I'm confident we'll find these tests."
	Gay GOP candidate makes waves Patrick Howell is seeking conservative Rep. Allen Trovillion's state House seat.
	Yet another DCF fiasco The Department of Children & Families' latest incident illustrates its problems.
	State wants U.S. to take part of dam The Legislature has not provided money to tear down a dam on the Ocklawaha River.
	A thirsty region still gulps down development To reach the Kings Point clubhouse from the parking lot, you have to cross a small footbridge over what appears to be a drainage ditch posing as a creek. The ditch is dry and full of grass.
	State Environmental Agency Wise To Reject This Idea T he state Department of Environmental Protection nearly handed Gov. Jeb Bush's Democratic opponents some powerful campaign ammunition. - The DEP lawyers recommended the agency seek attorney fees from an environmental group that fought a state plan that would have allowed a Georgia-Pacific paper mill to dump wastewater into the St. Johns River. -- The move would have served to intimidate citizen groups from challenging destructive projects. -- Fortunately, DEP Secretary David Struhs decided not to pursue the legal fees. The controversy also raises questions about the state's pollution rules. - As the Tribune's Mike Salinero found, the state has never adopted dioxin standards, even though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers it one of the most deadly chemicals on its list of toxic substances.

	State is losing battle with beach erosion PENSACOLA — Florida's beaches are eroding at an alarming rate despite elaborate regulations and millions spent on restoration, say scientists, engineers and environmentalists. Of the 825 miles of sandy shores surrounding the state, almost half — 328 miles — are being eaten away to the point of threatening buildings and recreation although taxpayers have spent more than $886 million on beach nourishment since 1923.
	Emus loose in Florida since market for their meat vanished CRESTVIEW — Emus, although native to Australia, have been running wild in Florida since the bottom fell out of the market for their meat in the mid-1990s. An Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy last week shot one of the flightless birds of unknown ownership after it had harassed some dogs in nearby Baker, a rural community in the Florida Panhandle. Emus and their relatives, rheas from South America and ostriches from Africa, had been touted as a lowfat alternative to red meat in the 1980s.
	The NRA poster boy Attorney General John Ashcroft wants information that would keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, fugitives and illegal aliens purged after a day.
	Molly Ivins: Hard to tell which story is the parody AUSTIN, Texas — The New Yorker magazine published an amusing parody on recent business scandals last week, including this gem: "Mr. Cheney called for an end to innuendo about his activities in a now bankrupt Pitcairn Island firm that sold itself the air rights to a million acres of West Texas flatlands, deducted the transaction from its taxes as an entertainment expense, then borrowed $14 million interest-free from the Liechtenstein bank it owned, using its assets of company-acquired Callaway golf clubs as collateral, to finance the purchase of gifts for some Bessarabian oil prospectors who were then passing through Dallas."
	Scandals yield defiant arrogance instead of shame Responding to the bombshell revelation that senior bankers at Citigroup actively helped Enron hide billions in debt, Enron Lawyer of Last Resort Robert Bennett deftly summed up the real reason for the current economic crisis: "Most of the problems - not all of them - are things that have been legal and acceptable."
	Don't extend credit Congress revives bad bankruptcy bill.
	GOP extremists overrun Powell Any hope that Secretary of State Colin Powell could moderate the right-wing impulses of George Bush must now be abandoned. And perhaps Secretary Powell should abandon the Bush administration, as well, before it ruins his reputation.

7/29/02

	New plan: Raise funds from the newly laid off Nothing personal, but Noel Crick probably won't be filling out his "Critical 2002 Personal Endorsement" form or sending a campaign contribution to Gov. Jeb Bush.
	Roll Back Increase Leave it to the Florida Legislature to turn their salaries into a political issue during an election year.
	The Florida pipeline: Bush brothers using pork to plunder votes With George W. Bush in the White House, little brother Jeb in Tallahassee, and Florida as the once and future swing state in W.'s electoral fortunes, no one expected propriety to replace pork as the defining bond between the two Bushes. Both have plenty to gain from each other. W. needs Florida to win again in 2004. And to get reelected this November, Jeb needs every federal dollar, legate and favor he can get to paint himself as a friend to all those things he's been plundering in his first term education, the environment, workers' rights.
	Reno joins anti-plant group Virginia Seacrist still has the souvenir baseball cap Gov. Jeb Bush gave her on a canoe trip down the Ichetucknee River in 1999 - back when state officials were first deciding whether to allow the Suwannee American Co. to build a cement plant a few miles from the stream.
	Unbiased analysis: Chief economist served state well as straight shooter Truth and politics can be nervous bedfellows. Maybe that's why Ed Montanaro, the Legislature's chief economist, sometimes looked and sounded uneasy. In his 16-year tenure with the state, he often had to deliver bad news. Despite what must have been powerful temptation to whitewash or distort the truth, Montanaro's reputation as a straight shooter remains untarnished.
	Courts may clarify 'sunshine' law after Escambia convictions Convictions of two suspended Escambia County commissioners could lead to appeals that clarify what officials can or cannot discuss in private under the state's open-government "sunshine" law. Lawyers spent hours before and during both trials arguing what is permitted under the open-government law, but Okaloosa County Judge T. Patterson Maney had little case law to help him resolve the issues.
	No place for wordiness It was a mistake for legislators to allow themselves overly long ballot questions.
	Candidates face identity crisis Top cop or consumer advocate? These two visions of the state attorney general are taking shape as a crowded field of candidates vie for their party's nomination. The three Republican candidates tend toward the tough-on-crime side, while the four Democrats are saying the state's No.1 lawyer must be foremost an advocate for the people.
	Butterworth's surprising step down doesn't mean that he's out Bob Butterworth, our state attorney general, certainly could have become a justice of the Florida Supreme Court, if only he had asked the last Democratic governor to appoint him.
	Butterworth's Senate bid triggers scrutiny by GOP Attorney General Bob Butterworth's decision to run for a state Senate seat in South Florida is still under review by Republicans.
	GOP plan for state Senate seat could backfire Republican leaders in the Florida Senate congratulated themselves two weeks ago when shifting district boundaries prompted one of their own, state Sen. Debby Sanderson, to announce her retirement rather than seek reelection.
	Democratic primary could be a bore Three candidates for Florida governor are light on specifics -- and funds.
	District 90 voters set terms By Jim Ash and John Murawski, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer A politically savvy Democratic bloc gets the representation it wants or cleans House.
	For $1,500, you can be local doctor's VIP During the last 10 years, Dr. Jason Mercer found himself in a dilemma that was becoming worse. As his practice grew, he felt pressured by health insurance companies to spend less time with patients.
	Better health in 'Glades With hospital sound, there's extra money.
	Proposed rules adding up to a lot of 'buts' for the state In its proposed blueprint for how the Everglades should be restored, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers speaks broadly about setting goals, monitoring progress, planning projects, and the role of each agency. But, there are a lot of buts. The Corps of Engineers last week released its proposed regulations for the $7.8 billion replumbing of the Florida Everglades. The proposed rules will be subject to two months of public comment before the Corps of Engineers makes a final decision.
	Protect treasure - The governor should name a group to protect the Wekiva and build a road.-- Gov. Jeb Bush has before him a prime opportunity to protect one of the state's premier environmental jewels, promote responsible growth and solve one of Central Florida's most intractable transportation woes.
	Residents Hemmed In By Government LITHIA - More than ever, Florida families buy slices of the American dream in subdivisions with sidewalks, deed restrictions and homes with common architectural themes. But some still pursue that dream where homesteads are measured in acres and people wake to a rooster's crow instead of rush-hour traffic. ...
	Waste Water Flows To Bay Today PORT MANATEE - Millions of gallons of treated phosphate waste water are ready to be dumped into environmentally sensitive Bishop's Harbor, just south of the Hillsborough-Manatee county line. ...
	County links flooding to CSX - Vaughn Williams' parking lot is producing bubbles as floodwater seeps into cracks in the asphalt.-- The parking lot, which surrounds a 60,000-square-foot building Williams owns on Central Florida Parkway, is submerged in more than one foot of water for the fifth time since he purchased the building in 1995.
	An abuse of law enforcement Troopers have no business pulling aside motorists for a high-speed-rail survey.
	Survey shows state is No. 1 nationwide in murder-suicides TALLAHASSEE -- Florida has the highest number of murder-suicides in the country, but only a fraction are committed by women over 55, state records show.
	Bowden and Zook hit it off Will an amicable meeting lead to a kinder, gentler Florida-FSU rivalry?
	Healing with touch Patients and doctors in mainstream hospitals are coming to rely on therapeutic touch.
	Program provides coverage for uninsured Some uninsured Jacksonville residents went home from Memorial Hospital Jacksonville Saturday with something they could not afford before -- health coverage.
	Bad meat business The meat industry, faced with its second largest recall for contamination, should clean up its act and embrace reforms that will make meat less hazardous to your health.
	Unheralded hard drives a catalyst for better gadgets Next to semiconductors that keep screaming more and more gigahertz, there's a quieter catalyst for ever more powerful and shrinking high-tech gadgets: hard drives.
	Guest editorial: The secret history of judges When a judge is nominated to a Court of Appeals, one of the powerful courts a level below the Supreme Court, the confirmation process should include a careful review of his or her past rulings. The trouble is that judges are not required to have their opinions printed in official court publications, and Senate procedures make it easy to miss troubling unpublished cases from a nominee's past. The nomination of Judge Dennis Shedd to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Va., demonstrates the flaws in the current system. The nomination is now pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
	Election ruling stirs debate - A recent court decision has opened up debate over what judicial candidates can and can't say during elections.-- And that, some say, could translate into more dynamic judicial elections where voters will get more information out of candidates.-- Others argue the issue politicizes the judiciary and opens judges to attacks, based on what they have said, that could force their recusal on certain cases.
	Make travel to Cuba no longer an illegal trip Palm Beach Post Editorial Senate should follow the House's lead.
	BACK-DOOR CUBA POLICY WHY ENCOURAGE LAWBREAKING? Misguided congressional attempts to ease restrictions on U.S. travel and sales to Cuba are bad public policy.
	U.S. Policy Needs Reform The U.S. House has voted to open Cuba to American tourism and trade, while the Senate is expected to take similar action soon.
	BREAK THE IMPASSE More than two years have passed since Haiti's ill-fated election of May 2000. Yet fallout from the election has been like a noose around Haiti's neck that has strangled its economy and politics -- and could precipitate its descent into total anarchy.
	Bush should help drug debate WASHINGTON -- President Bush is too clever for me.-- When I heard he was going to North Carolina last Thursday to talk to doctors about medical malpractice, I was baffled why he would do such a thing.- Many health care issues were being debated in Congress, but medical malpractice was not one of them.
	Guest editorial: A bankrupt bill It was probably expecting too much to think that Congress' stand-up attitude to big business would last until the weekend. A little more than a day after passing tough corporate-governance legislation, lawmakers rushed to approve an ill-advised overhaul of the nation's bankruptcy laws long sought by credit card companies and other creditors. The House seemed on the verge of approving the bill early Saturday morning, and the Senate is expected to vote on it next week.
	Thomas L. Friedman: In oversight we trust Several years ago an Indian journalist friend of mine, who was working in Indonesia, remarked to me that corruption in the Indonesian bureaucracy was so endemic that when he paid a bribe to renew his residency permit, the Indonesian official he paid off actually gave him a receipt for his bribe so my friend could be reimbursed by his newspaper. For anyone who has worked abroad, such stories are not unusual. But they are also a useful prism for examining the epidemic of corporate cheating now wracking America.
	No security in secrecy Keep public disclosure in homeland agency.
	MORE INSPECTIONS NEEDED The national debate about transportation security embodies an inexplicable illogic. There is a sharp contrast between how much lawmakers and the media have focused on aviation security and how little on other transportation modes, namely water freight.

7/28/02

	A 'real town' revolt As it grows, Celebration is feeling the same pressures older towns do. Now some residents, the "Celebration Patriots," are fighting Disney's plan to add more hotel rooms.
	Frozen in time Disney now wants to build several hotels and a luxury resort, and double the number of hotel rooms in the middle of the Celebration development. Residents, including one who develops real estate for a living, are mad.
	State is on wrong side in protecting the St. Johns Environmental groups fighting to protect the health of the St. Johns River spent much of last week locked in battle with a state agency that's supposed to represent the people but has a record of being chummier with industry and big business instead -- the state Department of Environmental Regulation.
	Jeff Lytle: 'Growth pay for growth' has been politicians' mantra for years Collier County can stop growing now. We are killing the beauty, environment and quality of life that wooed us here in the first place. We've reached and even surpassed the magic population figure of 250,000. If we need anything new we can just redevelop the old. Right. Like that's going to happen. But that was the plan nearly three decades ago in a little-known countywide referendum on growth. For some reason the results of the straw ballot never come up in historical perspectives.
	State pension plan hit by market woes - TALLAHASSEE - When Gov. Jeb Bush first proposed changing the state's pension plan two years ago, he promoted it as a way for the state to help out its workers and give the state an ability to attract eager employees who otherwise may avoid public service. -- But the steep declines on Wall Street have scared away many state workers from switching to this new Florida Retirement System ''Investment Plan.'' Four and a half months into the largest ever public pension plan change in the United States, only about 3,000 state workers and other public employees have chosen to give up their traditional pension plan that guarantees them benefits when they retire.
	Controversy over state's 2000 ballots hangs on They were hauled across the state; counted and recounted. With leadership of the nation at stake, they were perhaps the most scrutinized pieces of paper in American history. Now Florida must decide whether to preserve them or throw them in the garbage
	Political pitches reflect those of donors A handful of donors to House Speaker Tom Feeney's early congressional campaign later benefited in the state budget or had their interests promoted by the Oviedo Republican during the last legislative session, an examination of campaign finance reports and budget documents shows.
	Let the races begin Qualifying has closed for Florida elections, and, in far too many races, so have the voters' options. Improved election machinery doesn't mean much when a candidate, unopposed, is elected without a vote. - TALLAHASSEE -- Florida's presidential debacle produced eternal truth in a hot-selling T-shirt that said, "It's not your vote that counts, it's how your vote is counted."-- For 2002, here is a sequel: "There's no vote that counts if you have no vote to be counted." --- When it comes to electing our Legislature this fall, nearly half of us will have no vote to be counted. ---Anybody who claims Florida is a democracy is, to put it kindly, being disingenuous.
	Bush ad tap-dances around accuracy - ... The ad uses humor to deliver a harsh message. It also is clearly misleading.
	Democrats Begin To Diverge TAMPA - For many Florida Democrats, the biggest question about the governor's race is not which Democratic candidate they like best, but which one has the best chance of beating Gov. Jeb Bush. ...
	Party tries to rebuild image TALLAHASSEE -- As Democrat Daryl Jones entered the state elections office last week to qualify for the governor's race, he shouted to reporters.
	Candidates make most of extension Twenty more qualify to run after Gov. Bush extends the deadline. A plane crash Friday had destroyed several candidates' paperwork.
	Election 2002: Libertarians say state lost 12 candidates' petitions FORT LAUDERDALE — A dozen Libertarian candidates seeking state offices say their names might miss the November ballot because the state has lost their qualifying forms, a party official said. The third-party candidates have had trouble getting proof that they've sent the required 445 signatures supporting their candidacy, said campaign coordinator Mark Eckert. "We've already lost 12 candidates because the Division of Elections lost the forms," Eckert said. "And the candidate swears up and down they sent it."
	Election 2002: Four petition drives waiting on signature verification TALLAHASSEE — Elections supervisors are still verifying thousands of signatures but the writing is pretty much on the wall: Voters are likely to face 11 proposed constitutional changes this fall. The issues range from the death penalty to tax exemptions to the protection of pregnant pigs. And four years after declaring education to be a paramount duty of the state, voters will have a chance to give state lawmakers specific directions on education from pre-kindergarten to post-secondary. Six of the 11 constitutional amendments were put on the ballot by state lawmakers and are assured of a spot.
	Guest commentary: Florida taxpayers deserve real reform Florida TaxWatch has been among the strongest and most vocal champions of meaningful tax reform for the past decade and a half. The Florida tax code is in need of serious and thoughtful reform and modernization to ensure that our citizens and businesses are competitive and that our economy is sound and healthy. However, there are good and bad ways to go about it — and the proposed constitutional amendment to create a tax reform commission sets the stage for disaster.
	Close gate on taxation demagoguery Rarely has a city official in this area placed ambition so high above responsibility.West Palm Beach began defending itself last week in a complicated lawsuit over whether the city illegally blocked private development of a city-owned marina. If the city loses, taxpayers could be on the hook for millions. The city might have to sell bonds to pay damages.
	Living wage isn't commie thinking -- it's justice - We cannot continue to pay working people so little without extracting a huge cost on our society. In Central Florida, where one in four kids grows up poor, often with parents working two jobs to survive, we see the consequences of our cheapskate service and tourism economy. It costs our public schools more to help those children, it costs the court and prison system more to deal with the wayward ones, and it even costs businesses more in lower productivity and higher turnover among those low-paid workers... ... Here's what the 1990s corporate machinations wrought: Executive pay jumped 571 percent while the average worker's pay rose only 37 percent over the same decade -- 34 percent in Central Florida. During that same time, the S&P rose 297 percent and inflation crept up by 27.5 percent, according to the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy.
	Glover helps voice plight of working poor, immigrants It's a little after 10 a.m. and actor-turned-activist Danny Glover, who flew into town on a red-eye, is tired. Though lack of sleep is haunting him, there's no time -- not when you have 400 voices chanting in Spanish, English and Creole, ``Yes we can.''
	Front Porch program changes little noticed, but important to some TALLAHASSEE — Lizzie Simmons' apartment is just a few blocks from the governor's mansion. But in the Frenchtown section of the capital, it might as well be a world away. Once the proud center of Tallahassee's black community, this is now one of the poorest parts of the city. On a stifling summer morning, Simmons sits in front of a fan in her neatly kept apartment at the Ebony Gardens public housing complex. Forgotten greens and pork are going bad on the kitchen counter. Frail and 88 years old, Simmons has outlived three of her children and though she doesn't like to admit it, needs help just to get through the day.
	Fired DCF worker had past run-ins More than a year before former Department of Children & Families caseworker Mirla Pronga was fired ''for behavior that endangered a child,'' agency officials were told by a Miami lawyer that Pronga had been abusive to a teenage foster child, according to a children's advocate.
	`This Is A Hard Job To Do,' According To DCF Worker TAMPA - It's a long drive to the day's first case in Gibsonton, giving child abuse investigator Michael Mahoney a chance to talk about the tough times in his 2 1/2 years with the Department of Children and Families. ...
	Breaking point Officials say the temporary transfer of state Department of Children & Families workers to the Orlando and Miami areas means more cases for already overworked DCF investigators in North Central Florida - where five children under agency care have died in the past seven years.
	Workers say most cases not clear-cut The atmosphere in the small Department of Children & Families' office became tense as protective investigator Laura McCormick, who was ready to go home after having put in hours of overtime, checked her voice mail and found a message from a school counselor reporting a student afraid to go home.
	Illegal telephone tape entangles prosecutors Authorities use an illegal recording as leverage in a case. The defense says that pushed them over the line into breaking the law themselves.
	Al-Arian Firing Likely At USF TAMPA - University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft widely is expected to fire Professor Sami Al-Arian next month, possibly by unveiling a broader case for dismissal to draw in the Palestinian's alleged ties to terrorism. ...
	Greyhound groups mark Alabama shooting deaths in Pensacola PENSACOLA — Two greyhound protection groups held memorial gatherings across the nation Saturday to draw attention to the shooting deaths of up to 3,000 of the racing dogs whose remains were found in nearby Lillian, Ala. Robert Rhodes, 68, a former security guard at Pensacola Greyhound Park, was charged with animal cruelty in Alabama after the remains were uncovered on his property in May. "It's tragic that these beautiful animals were killed simply because they were no longer profitable at the racetrack," said Susan Netboy, founder of the Greyhound Protection League, based in San Francisco.
	Everglades restoration: Don't switch priorities Proposed rules are too vague on commitment.-- Even before work has begun on the first project of the $8.4 billion state-federal effort to restore what remains of the Everglades, the restoration is under assault. -- Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which will build the structures to retain, redirect and store water, released the final draft of its blueprint for repairing the Everglades. The rules are supposed to specify details of the most ambitious environmental restoration in the country's history, but they still are too vague. They don't require that 80 percent of "new" water supplied through restoration be sent to the Everglades, with 20 percent reserved for public utilities and farms. That percentage has been the objective since work on the plan began. The rules don't list interim goals, to make sure the plan is working, and they fail to give the Interior Department a strong enough role. The rules lack standards that would make them enforceable.
	On the bubble: Volusia must get serious about water woes Volusia County sits on an aquifer -- an ancient bubble of fresh water trapped in the limestone layers that lie under much of the county. That bubble provides the water that comes out of taps and showers. It provides the water to irrigate ferns in northeast Volusia and lawns in New Smyrna Beach. It provides the water that sustains wetlands and flows through springs.
	The body toxic - The newest water-pollution threat starts with a simple cup of coffee, a smoke break, a spray of cologne, a few headache pills or some cholesterol-lowering medicine.- Thousands of man-made chemicals and drugs are designed to soothe, clean and heal the human body. But when we wash off the remnants in the shower or flush them out of our bodies into the toilet, the byproducts of our individual habits can accumulate to corrupt our common water sources, new research suggests.
	The grapefruit of wrath The rest of the country now gawks at Florida the way it used to gawk at California: with dread, fascination and there-but-for-the-grace-of-God gratitude for living at a safe remove from all the accumulating strangeness, sleaze and hazards to our health.
	Judges, lawyers grapple with humor "If this were a sci-fi melodrama, it might be called Speech-zilla meets trademark Kong."-- That's what the judge wrote. Judge Alex Kozinski of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. I did not make up the quote. If I were making it up, it would be called satire.
	Florida estate becomes airstrip for the rich and famous OCALA — Movie star John Travolta's new $2.5-million getaway in Central Florida will look like a small airport, hangars and all. To get there, he won't fuss with the gated entrance enclosing pastures once home to African elephants, 3,500 crocodiles and a gorilla. He can swoop down in one of his jets and land on a private runway as big as those at some public airports. He can taxi to his back door. Pretty cool. Travolta is the latest fascination in a classic Florida story that's a dash Miami Vice, a hint Disney plus a bit Hollywood.
	Corporate contributions tarnish the best of them It's hard to be virtuous when you can't stay away from the bordello. That's the problem Democrats have in trying to seize the political high ground on the influence of corporate money on American politics. They have been almost as compromised by corporate dollars as the Republicans. The main difference is that Republicans enter the corporate money bordellos through the front door, while the Democrats sneak in and out of the back door.
	Arrest CEO, buy stocks, watch Dow Jones go up Last Wednesday, after the Dow Jones Industrial Average shot up 488 points, the TV news was crawling with Wall Street analysts eager to explain the phenomenal rebound.
	Bill puts political spin on religion A bill before Congress seeks to undo a large part of a President Lyndon Johnson amendment by freeing churches -- but not other charities or nonprofit groups -- to participate in campaigns.
	The threat of mothers disrobing prompts action After the recent victory of village women in Nigeria over oil-giant Chevron Texaco, one can't help but wonder what things would be like if more "mamas" of the world took matters into their own hands more often.

7/27/02

	Former Bush partner wants records sealed in business deal MIAMI — A Broward County company headed by Gov. Jeb Bush's former business partner wants to seal records in a lawsuit accusing the firm of bribing Nigerian officials as part of a water pump sale. The records could include any pretrial deposition given by Bush about his role in Bush-El Trading Corp., a company he once owned with J. David Eller.
	No excuse: Manatees and Floridians deserve better It's not common to see the federal government foul up this badly, this publicly.
	Reno, Harris point to an intriguing election Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno answered questions for more than an hour during a town meeting this week at Tallahassee City Hall.
	GOP has landslide without a vote cast - TALLAHASSEE -- The Republican Party has anchored its hold on Florida state government, offering Democrats few chances for significant gains in November.
	FedEx plane crash snags political races Chaos and confusion coursed through what was to be Friday's close of an already bizarre week of filing for Florida political candidates.
	FedEx crash puts candidates in a tailspin By S.V. Dáte, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Gov. Bush extends the qualifying deadline as candidates scramble when their paperwork burns up in Tallahassee.
	Bush backs Harris' extension request By Jim Ash, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Governor Bush's election qualifying deadline extension has some Democrats crying foul.
	Election 2002: Cabinet races set — barring jet crash-affected candidacies TALLAHASSEE — Unless a surprise 11th-hour opponent emerges before Saturday's 5 p.m. extended deadline, Republican Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher will become the state's first chief financial officer. Gallagher, one of the GOP's best vote-getters, had no opposition through Friday's original qualifying deadline. Gov. Jeb Bush gave candidates affected by a cargo plane crash at the Tallahassee airport Friday an extra day to submit qualifying papers.
	Reno searches for Democrats By Brian E. Crowley, Palm Beach Post Political Editor Janet Reno serves meals at a cafe for the homeless during a campaign swing.
	McBride rallies support in area - When McBride showed up at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers' hall for his local "campaign kickoff," he drew a standing room-only-crowd - which event organizers estimated at between 200 and 300 people.-- But just who showed up, and why, may be more important than the numbers. Polls have consistently shown former U.S. attorney general Janet Reno ahead of both McBride and state Sen. Daryl Jones in the race for the Democratic nomination. But in Gainesville, McBride's campaign has drawn support from both prominent Democrats and others outside the party.
	Election 2002: Supreme Court to hear arguments over amendment price tags TALLAHASSEE — The state Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether voters must be told the cost of some of the constitutional amendments they might see on November's ballot, it was announced Friday. Lawmakers in May passed a law requiring state analysts to prepare statements spelling out the likely cost of citizen initiatives.
	Public help also sought in Miami's 2004 bid That city's pursuit of the Democratic convention envisions more taxpayer support than does Tampa's courtship of the GOP.
	DCF inaction blamed in neglected man's death WEST PALM BEACH -- An internal investigation into the death of an elderly man found unconscious with rats eating at him has led to the resignation of a supervisor and a shakeup in the embattled state Department of Children and Families.
	Hearing officer upholds firing of Panhandle prison guards WEWAHITCHKA — A hearing officer has recommended upholding the firings of three guards accused of abusing an inmate caught with a contraband radio at the state's Gulf Correctional Institution. Hearing officer Jack Ruby accepted testimony accusing Lt. Carmen McLemore, who is also a Gulf County commissioner, and Sgt. Chris Wood of handcuffing the inmate to a tree and then taunting and teasing him in violation of Department of Corrections Policy.
	DCF aide is found drunk, cops say A Department of Children & Families caseworker was charged with drunk driving and felony child neglect Thursday after Coral Gables police found her slumped over in her parked car -- with a 7-month-old foster child crying in the back seat.
	Bush names retired Marine McPherson acting director of veterans affairs TALLAHASSEE — Col. Warren "Rocky" McPherson was named Friday by Gov. Jeb Bush to serve as acting executive director of the Fl