Statewide Reports June 8-15,2002

Statewide Reports -June 8-15,2002

NOTE -
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Weekend 6/15-16/02

	As a father, I wonder if Florida will provide a future for my kids-- Here I am, the father of two Floridians, feeling duty-bound today to explain something about the promise of life for which their state stands.-- Ensnared, day after day, in the political debate of this grand state, we too easily lose sight of the purpose. It is simply this: the preservation of all that is precious about Florida and perfection of the imperfect.
	The term limits problem The push for term limits in the 1990s has resulted in a raft of unintended consequences, many of which are just beginning to be felt.
	Graham, Nelson increase wealth in 2001-- Florida's two U.S. senators, both millionaires, saw their wealth increase during 2001, according to financial disclosures they filed Friday.
	GOP disk portrays Florida's race as real President Bush's political advisers have conceded that Florida offers a "possible pickup" for Democrats in this year's governor's races.
	White House election gurus break the news: Jeb, you're vulnerable -A mysterious computer disk discovered in a park outside the White House carried some surprising news for the president's brother: The Florida Governor's Mansion could go to a Democrat in November.
	Gubernatorial candidates better make their mark When are we going to see something resembling a real Democratic primary contest for governor? By that, I mean candidates debating issues, drawing differences among themselves and answering questions that so far they have avoided asking each other. The candidates tell us to be patient, that they'll show us more closer to the Sept. 10 primary.
	United Auto Workers endorse Reno for governor ORLANDO — The United Auto Workers endorsed former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination Friday, saying she was the best challenger to Republican Gov. Jeb Bush.
	McBride reasserts commitment to organized labor LAKE BUENA VISTA — While reasserting his commitment to labor, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride told members of the state's largest union Saturday that he needs their help to get his name out to the electorate. "All the other candidates, everybody knows them already, and (the voters) are locked in," McBride said at the Florida AFL-CIO's candidate endorsing convention.
	McBride banking on labor for support While reasserting his commitment to labor, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride told members of the state's largest union Saturday that he needs their help to get his name out to the electorate.
	Business lobby shuns McKay INSIDE POLITICS Hell hath no fury like a lobbyist scorned. In its annual ranking of state lawmakers, big-business representative Associated Industries of Florida showed its continued annoyance at Senate President John McKay, R-Bradenton, for his efforts to repeal sales tax exemptions.
	Senate campaign chests filling up Candidates for the state Senate won't qualify to run until next month, but both parties are already deep in fund-raising mode. Senate Republican Leader Jim King of Jacksonville said Friday that he already has collected $4 million of the $7 million party officials want to have on hand for GOP races in the Senate.
	Testimony in lawsuit politically charged As few as two of Florida's 25 congressional districts could be considered safe for either party looking ahead, an expert hired by Republican defenders of the plan testified Friday in a redistricting trial.
	Arrogance in education The state has organized its educational policy around the results of one standardized test, and then has set itself up as the only gauge of public school performance.
	Poverty's no excuse-- Struggling schools need a grading system that's more than a guessing game.
	Law: All FCAT scores to count - Some Florida schools could have a tougher time earning good grades from the state in coming years because of a federal law that says all tested students' scores must count.
	Poll: About half of state voters doubt Bush's education plan - MIAMI — Almost half of Florida's voters don't think Gov. Jeb Bush's education plan has improved the state's public schools, according to a new poll.
	FCAT Scores Prove Progress Critics of Gov. Jeb Bush's "A-Plus" education reform program are at it again. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial)
	State offers schools advice , little cash Struggling schools appreciate the help, but would like more money to hire teachers.
	Records: 22 dead in DCF care since 2001 The children who died -- 16 in 2001, six more this year -- had been noted in previous reports on abuse or neglect.
	Records show 16 children died under DCF care in 2001 FORT LAUDERDALE — Sixteen children died of abuse or neglect in 2001 while under the care of the Department of Children & Families, according to child welfare agency records. An additional six children have died this year, the agency records show. The records were released at the request of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel after the June 8 beating death of 21-month-old Briyonna Jean-Noel of Miami.
	Besieged DCF fires workers - A high-ranking administrator with the Department of Children & Families Miami-Dade office said Saturday she was one of at least six DCF employees fired or asked to resign last week.-- She called the firings "a bloodbath" conducted by officials desperate to make the agency appear proactive since the disappearance of 5-year-old Rilya Wilson of Miami.
	DCF's front-line workers find solace in mission despite criticism MELBOURNE — Rae Weir leaned forward, rested her arms on her knees and stared intently at the 15-year-old boy. "Has anyone — an adult — ever touched you on your privates and made you uncomfortable in any way?" Weir asked gently. The boy, sitting two feet away in a cramped office at the Department of Children & Families, looked down. "No, ma'am." After interviewing the teen for about 20 minutes, Weir didn't suspect any abuse. It was the kind of judgment call she makes every day as she juggles dozens of cases as a child protective investigator.
	Arrests of DCF workers revealed Agency officials are shocked by the past arrests, and said all workers are screened.
	Critics: DCF workers set up to fail Caseloads for child-abuse investigators in Central Florida are among state's heaviest.
	DCF denial - Despite what the DCF head says, there still are missing kids.-- Department of Children & Families Secretary Kathleen Kearney lives in denial, and that doesn't bode well for Florida's abused and neglected children.
	Support, Fund Guardians Gov. Jeb Bush wants to find ways to improve the state's Guardian Ad Litem program. Changes to the court's child advocacy service are essential to help children in foster care, but any real fix must start with the Florida Department of Children & Families.
	Escambia investigation includes road builder Anderson Columbia-- PENSACOLA — A grand jury investigation that led to indictments against four suspended Escambia County commissioners has been expanded to include Anderson Columbia Co., one of the state's largest road builders.-- Auto salesman and political fund-raiser Mike Murphy told prosecutors he was paid $150,000 and lent $60,000 by Anderson Columbia partly to help it get back on Escambia's bid list. The county had dropped the Lake City-based company for doing poor work.
	This is nothing to smile about -- Claude Godwin, a dentist who practices in Daytona Beach, was upset the other day when he received the letter from the state Agency for Health Care Administration.-- The letter said that as of July 1, the state will no longer pay for denture work and many other treatments for adult Medicaid patients.
	Central Florida hepatitis A rash worst outbreak in 10 years
	Passion for wetlands The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does little more than rubber-stamp wetlands permits. In the past four years, the Corps approved something like 8,300 permits in Florida and denied one.
	No more dredging Gov. Jeb Bush joined the other members of the Florida Cabinet this week in approving a resolution that calls on Congress to halt dredging operations in Florida's Apalachicola River.
	Oyster: On this Florida bay, the world threatens their oyster's enemy APALACHICOLA — The anchor is made from the crankshaft of a junked car, the hull is stained with bottom muck, but the big Johnson outboard motor is brand new. Chugging softly, it pushes the narrow oyster boat over Apalachicola Bay, gently intruding on the white egrets that slip like paper airplanes just overhead, and the jumping mullet that belly-flop with a sharp clap into steel-gray water.
	Oyster: Oysters fit for the finest restaurants, and a discriminating dog APALACHICOLA — Food critics and restaurant owners from Miami and New Orleans say Apalachicola Bay oysters are among the finest in the world, if not the finest. Chefs at fancy restaurants in Charleston, S.C., where mediocre seafood will be sent back, prize them above oysters from their native coast. Even some Easterners prefer their taste to oysters from the waters of Chesapeake Bay and Long Island Sound.
	Lawmakers fight sale of huge private utility-- KISSIMMEE ... State Rep. Frank Attkisson, R-Kissimmee, is trying to block the proposed purchase of Florida Water Services, which operates in Osceola and 26 other counties, by the Florida Governmental Utility Authority for $520 million.-- The deal would affect 260,000 people statewide, including 19,000 customers in Osceola and 59,745 throughout Central Florida. -- Attkisson said if Florida Water Services is bought he will push legislation to ensure accountability because residents will have no protection from excessive rate increases.
	The perfect lawn The pursuit of Florida dreams fouls our precious water supply.
	Off-road supporters off base-- Big Cypress rules deserve backing of off-road vehicle enthusiasts.
	Land buys disrupt Glades project For four years, South Florida's water managers have been negotiating to buy a sizable hunk of West Miami-Dade County for a key Everglades restoration project.
	An exercise in freedom shouldn't put it at risk Asking for a public record can be hazardous to your freedom in various parts of Florida.
	Evacuation of 600 at Florida hotel - A squirt of pepper spray and a bottle of fingernail polish remover sent four people to the hospital, forced the evacuation of 600 others from a South Orlando, Fla., hotel and briefly closed an emergency room Sunday morning.
	Our say is missing in missile defense TALLAHASSEE -- It is time to be nostalgic for the good old days when there was nothing to fear but global thermonuclear war. That the prospect was so hideous was the beauty of it. We knew that no national leader could be so insane as to bring it on.
	The U.S. Senate prepares to release the nuclear genie -- When the United States leads, other nations follow. This is precisely why our country should not lead the way in building a new generation of nuclear weapons even as we retire the old ones.-- As the world agonizes at the prospect of nuclear war in South Asia, some otherwise-rational scientists and elected officials here speak calmly of "usable" nuclear weapons. But, we must always remember that nuclear weapons are the ultimate weapons of mass destruction; they destroy homes, medical facilities and all life in their path. There is no such thing as a "usable" nuclear weapon.
	Ashcroft's control looks like the political witch hunt of yesteryear Attorney General John Ashcroft has loosened the reins on the FBI, easing controls that have served to balance security with liberty for the last 26 years. The FBI is once again free to investigate the political and religious life of Americans without a scintilla of evidence of criminality or terrorism.
	Our Constitution is being sacrificed in war's name-- Several Republicans in Congress, including Sens. John McCain and Arlen Specter, are now voicing their concerns about President Bush's anti-terrorist strategy, much of it engineered by Attorney General John Ashcroft, to spare the nation from another atrocity. It's not just the whiny liberals or the lawyers we love to hate who are raising objections.-- Americans can be detained without charges, without even a judge's perusal. Where are the checks and balances inherent in our democratic government?-- Never mind that, Bush administration officials are telling us, as our constitutional rights get ignored in the name of our own protection.
	Analysis: New guidelines on surveillance cause concern about past abuses WASHINGTON — Consider the following situation: Using the new guidelines for fighting terrorism, an FBI agent visits a mosque and hears an imam declare that U.S. policies are starving children in Iraq or killing children in Palestine and that people need to "do something" about it.- Is this constitutionally protected speech or something that could become part of a domestic intelligence dossier that remains in the files forever?
	Phil Lewis: Peeling away curious layers of U.S. press Those poor newspaper editors in China. They are just now cutting their teeth on limited press freedoms allowed by a Communist government that has found it harder and harder to control the flow of information now that the Internet exists. Fair, accurate, objective reporting of the news is a foreign concept after decades of hardline state control.
	Paul Krugman: Plutocracy and politic Kevin Phillips' new book, "Wealth and Democracy," is a 422-page doorstop, but much of the book's message is contained in one stunning table. That table, in the middle of a chapter titled "Millennial Plutographics," reports the compensation of America's 10 most highly paid CEOs in 1981, 1988 and 2000. - In 1981 those captains of industry were paid an average of $3.5 million, which seemed like a lot at the time. By 1988 the average had soared to $19.3 million, which seemed outrageous. But by 2000 the average annual pay of the top 10 was $154 million. It's true that wages of ordinary workers roughly doubled over the same period, though the bulk of that gain was eaten up by inflation. But earnings of top executives rose 4,300 percent.
	Census tells tale of 2 ways of living-- In one corner of Lake County, children run across dirt-covered front yards, shirts and towels dry on clotheslines and workers churn up dust to pave sandy roads.-- About 30 miles away, children ride mowers across expansive lawns, workers prune shrubs into perfect squares and company executives and doctors go home to mammoth screened-in swimming pools.
	'Living wage' debate hits Central Florida-- When Orange County Chairman Rich Crotty took the stage at his State of the County speech last week, he talked about Central Florida's desperate need for higher-paying jobs.-- He didn't say anything about Rayshell Foster.-- Foster isn't high-paid at all. At $8.11 an hour, she makes just $16,868 a year. That's less than the federal government's definition of poverty: $18,100 a year for a family of four.-- Yet Foster -- a wife, mother of four, 40-hour-a-week employee and aspiring homeowner -- works for Crotty.
	Analysis: White House is red-faced as 2002 election analysis becomes public WASHINGTON — Who lost Karl Rove's slide show? That was the mystery Thursday at the White House, where an administration that prides itself on secrecy was in a minor uproar over an intern who apparently dropped a computer disk in Lafayette Park containing a confidential and unvarnished analysis of the coming 2002 elections. The disk was then picked up by an enterprising Democratic Senate staff member, who made sure that its most embarrassing points were made public.
	This is no way to fight a war, Mr. President NEW YORK -- Lyndon B. Johnson wrecked his presidency and the nation's economy by hiding the moral and financial costs of his war in Vietnam as long as possible. Rather than acknowledge the enormous burden he had undertaken in their name, Johnson kept Americans in the dark about Vietnam and helped foster a generation of cynicism about government.-- George W. Bush's fiscally relaxed approach to paying for the war on terrorism risks repeating some of Johnson's mistakes. By pretending that Sept. 11 changed everything except his tax-cutting priorities, Bush ventures onto the path of well-intentioned deception traveled by his Texan predecessor.
	Washington Today: GOP sees emphasis on homeland security as boost WASHINGTON — Republicans say the emphasis on the war on terrorism will boost their chances in this year's congressional elections by drowning out debate on traditional Democratic issues like Social Security, health care and prescription drug costs.- And the GOP has been emphasizing that theme across the country — from Georgia, where a GOP Senate challenger says he's best suited to work with the president in the war against terror; to Kentucky, where a Republican House challenger campaigns on his military background; to South Dakota, where Republicans questioned a Democratic senator's record on defense spending.
	White House Watch: The over-reaching John Ashcroft -- WASHINGTON — It's started. The tentacles of the dump-John-Ashcroft movement are snaking out across the country, snaring members, searching for a theme song, eager for results.-- There's something about attorneys general. John Mitchell. Ed Meese. Janet Reno. They start out well. They mean well. They're politically shrewd. Well, usually. They have high foreheads. They think of themselves as principled, not ideologues.
	Bush gives CIA more power to oust Iraq's Saddam Top congressional leaders Sunday applauded a move by President Bush to let the CIA conduct covert operations to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and urged further action if such efforts fail.
	Outrage understandable, lack of restraint is not-- Last week brought a vigorous debate, among both readers and journalists, of newspapers' responsibility in keeping people informed -- punctuated by something that happened in Boston.-- Should newspapers provide readers with everything available, unfiltered? Or should they take into account readers' sensitivities in deciding what to publish -- and where?
	U.S. denies crucial funds to help Haiti Children lie sick and dying this morning on Haiti's central plateau, which will surprise no one familiar with the wretched conditions there.
	A Knight Ridder featured editorial: (your comments appreciated...) Re-examining the liberal consensus The one overriding concern of the Founding Fathers was to create a nation steeped in liberty, open to peaceful change and tolerant of diverse views. This might be called the liberal agenda for America.

6/14/02

	American terror suspect to be held indefinitely
	Grades renew voucher debate With students at 10 schools now eligible for vouchers, Democrats ratchet up criticism of the program.
	FCAT scores bring bucks Schools that saw their grades rise this week when the state issued annual report cards can expect more than bragging rights -- now they're looking forward to real money.
	School morale matters, too We can't say they didn't warn us. Even before school grades based on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test were released Wednesday, education officials said tougher grading criteria would result in more failing schools. Sure enough, 68 schools received an F, including Tallahassee's Leonard Wesson Elementary School.
	McBride: Bush stuck in education rut The Democratic candidate for governor says Bush has good intentions but a bad plan in A-Plus.
	Make state's 'big test' give meaningful grade More about education, less about politics.
	3,200 Palm Beach County students now quality for private-school vouchers
	Voters cool to Bush's A+ Plan, poll says Nearly half of the state's voters have doubts about Gov. Jeb Bush's A+ Plan for Education, the program that grades public schools on the basis of students' FCAT scores and allows children at failing public schools to attend private schools using taxpayer money, a statewide poll released Thursday shows.
	New director hired for voucher office By Jim Ash, Palm Beach Post Capitol Bureau Just before Florida announced expansion of its school voucher program, Education Commissioner Charlie Crist quietly shuffled key staffers.
	Mayfield: Coastal development will lead to hurricane disaster MIAMI — The United States could be hit with a major hurricane disaster — potentially causing more than $80 billion in damages — because of increased development on the coasts, warned Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center. Mayfield — who has watched the development of Florida's coasts during his 30 years at the hurricane center in Miami — said Thursday that local officials will continue encourage development because it enlarges the tax base.
	Broward judge lets stand warrants for citrus canker WEST PALM BEACH — Homeowners fighting to keep agriculture workers away from their citrus trees lost one fight in a Broward County courtroom Thursday, but their efforts have forced delays in the state's program to destroy citrus canker. Mark Fagan, a spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture, said the ongoing legal wrangling and recent stormy weather are hurting the efforts to rid Florida of canker, which causes lesions on fruit and weakens citrus trees.
	State's take on canker just a little bit cantankerous Please understand that I started out in a friendly posture toward our state Department of Agriculture. I accepted, and still accept, the state's goal of eradicating the disease of citrus canker in Florida through the removal of infected trees. I wrote a column last week saying so.
	Canker dispute bounces between 2 courts Once again, the state's citrus canker eradication program is in limbo. Dueling court hearings Thursday in Broward County left canker crew workers and canker crew haters guessing about the fate of thousands of citrus trees in South Florida.
	FIND A CANKER SOLUTION The South Florida canker war has gone from lime groves and backyards to the Internet and the state Legislature. Now the fight is in the courts -- and with a vengeance. Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson said this week that the department will appeal a Broward judge's decision outlawing the canker-eradication program -- as well it should.
	7,402 warrants OK’d for canker searches in north Broward
	Candidate forum strikes a minor key Several alternative candidates for governor describe their views Thursday at USF St. Petersburg.
	Election 2002: Poll shows Democratic primary tight; Jeb favored in governor's race TALLAHASSEE — While Bill McBride is steadily gaining on Janet Reno for the Democratic Party's nomination for governor, neither of them would beat Republican Gov. Jeb Bush if the general election were held now, a new poll shows. Reno would get 53 percent of the Democratic primary vote over McBride's 25 percent, but the Tampa lawyer has almost doubled the 13 percent support he had in January, according to the June 7-11 poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. in Washington.
	Bush's popularity up in poll Gov. Jeb Bush's popularity has risen slightly since he started his re-election campaign - despite trouble with the Legislature, criticism by Democrats and controversy in Florida's foster care program.
	Poll Shows Support For Bush At Odds With Education Issues TAMPA - Florida voters give Gov. Jeb Bush high marks for his performance and his devotion to public schools, yet many don't side with him on the education issues of the day, a new poll shows. ...
	Election 2002: Reno praises Panhandle kids' program Bush vetoed NICEVILLE — Janet Reno heaped praise on a center that helps child crime victims although it didn't receive $600,000 in state money over two years due to line-item vetoes by Gov. Jeb Bush. Reno, running for the Democratic nomination to oppose the Republican incumbent's re-election bid, stopped short, however, of promising to restore those dollars Wednesday.
	McBride hopes to be 'governor' for 2nd time In 62 years of Boys' State, the annual American Legion-sponsored convention on civics and patriotism for high-schoolers, Bill McBride is the first former "governor" of the boys to run for the real governor of Florida.
	Election 2002: Daryl Jones proposes corporate tax credit for gifts to nonprofits -- TALLAHASSEE — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Daryl Jones wants to give tax credits to companies that make donations to nonprofit organizations that get state funding.
	Campaign Cash Is Flowing In For Harris' Run At Congress Katherine Harris, Florida's celebrity secretary of state who is running for Congress, has raised more money than all but half a dozen candidates in the nation, according to federal election officials. ...
	Deutsch: GOP plan decides Congress for 2002 MIAMI — Masterful redistricting by Republicans created a state where this year's congressional races have already been decided, Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch testified Thursday at a redistricting trial. "This is a major victory if this plan is adopted for Republicans nationally," said Deutsch, who sued for boundary changes. "This is determining who is going to control Congress."
	Money connection growing stronger -- Auto salesman Mike Murphy testifies he gave commissioners cash, favors--- A prominent Pensacola car salesman has admitted doing numerous favors for suspended Escambia County commissioners, ranging from giving an $8,000 cash payment to Willie Junior to covering a $1,895 bill for Terry Smith. Mike Murphy, who also is a key fund-raiser for local politicians and claims friendships with numerous judges and law enforcement officers, made the admissions during an interview with State Attorney Curtis Golden about possible corruption involving county government.
	GOP, Democrats spar in court The redistricting plan crafted by the Republican-controlled Legislature was designed to assure the GOP a majority of the state's 25 congressional districts, U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch told a three-judge federal panel on Thursday.
	Deutsch: Our map also was partisan As one of the most talkative congressmen, U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch has never been accused of failing to speak his mind. But as the Broward County Democrat took the stand Thursday in U.S. District Court in Miami to attack a Republican-drawn congressional map, from his party's standpoint, he might have talked too much.
	Election 2002: Democrat quits West Palm congressional race; alleges conspiracy WEST PALM BEACH — Ken Eggleston, the sole Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, dropped his bid for Congress Thursday, alleging that Foley and his former boss conspired to make him quit. Eggleston also filed suit in federal court against his former employer, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ed Bieluch, seeking in excess of $1 million in damages.
	Feeney hit with conflict of interest complaint ORLANDO — A top Volusia County Democrat filed an ethics complaint Thursday against Republican Tom Feeney, alleging he used his influence as Florida House Speaker to shield a legal client from an investigation. The complaint was filed with the Florida Ethics Commission in Tallahassee by Richard Martinez, vice chairman of the Volusia County Democratic Party. Martinez lives in District 24, the new congressional district that Feeney helped create and is running in this election. The new district covers parts of Brevard, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.
	Feeney accused of conflict of interest House Speaker Tom Feeney is accused of interfering in an investigation of a client of his law firm.
	Gov. Bush's veto of methadone money may send addicts back onto streets - A decision by Gov. Jeb Bush to veto a $1 million appropriation for three South Florida methadone clinics could affect more than the patients who depend on their daily dose of the heroin substitute, critics say.
	Father of 5 among 20 rounded up by INS in W. Volusia sweep PIERSON -- Linda Hernandez admits that her husband made a mistake seven years ago.-- Jose Hernandez, 35, was convicted of drug trafficking and served almost two years in prison. Since then, his wife said, he has worked at a local fernery to provide for the couple's five young children.-- On Tuesday, his past came back to haunt him.-- Federal authorities arrested Jose Hernandez outside his Pierson home while his children looked on.
	Duo posing as DCF workers attempt to abduct child MIAMI — A man and a woman impersonating Department of Children & Families workers appeared at a woman's home and demanded that she hand over her 4-year-old daughter, police said Thursday. It was the second such abduction attempt reported in the last month. Maria Chavez told police she answered a knock on her door Tuesday evening to find a man and a woman flashing identification cards and a letter containing personal information about the child, her father and the DCF worker assigned to the family's case.
	DCF denial -- Despite what the DCF head says, there still are missing kids.
	DCF head reminds offices to shred files before disposal-- LEESBURG, Fla. - The Department of Children & Families has reminded all of its employees to destroy confidential files before discarding them, following incidents where documents on abused children were disposed without being shredded.
	Florida rivers could save Gulf sturgeon By Jeff Nesmith, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau Seven rivers are proposed as refuges to help save the fish from extinction.
	Everglades area in Palm Beach to stay under federal protection - WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - An Everglades wildlife area in southern Palm Beach County will be under federal protection for the next 50 years.-- The South Florida Water Management District voted unanimously Thursday to extend the federal government's lease of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge
	Agency sued over wetlands -- DAYTONA BEACH - Two environmentalist groups have filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, alleging the agency ignores its guidelines in issuing thousands of permits to fill wetlands.-- Floridians for Environmental Accountability & Reform and Wetlands Alert filed the lawsuit last month in U.S. District Court in Orlando.-- The suit states that since 1989 the Army Corps has approved more than 27,000 permits with minimal oversight.
	Natural defense: Army Corps' record on wetlands is pitiful The numbers pretty much speak for themselves. And they are eloquent. In the past four years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved 8,300 permits to fill or drain wetlands in Florida. It denied one.-- It is simply impossible to imagine that all but one of those 8,300 permits should have been granted, especially in the light of current scientific research clearly demonstrating the value of wetlands. Wetlands provide habitat for birds, fish and plants. They also filter water that will eventually end up in rivers or streams -- or the state's drinking-water supply. Wetlands provide a crucial anchor for the state's multi-billion dollar ecotourism, hunting and fishing tourism industries.
	Judge rules closed Panhandle paper mill owes $2 million PORT ST. JOE — A judge has ruled Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. owes nearly $2.7 million to Gulf County in 2000 property taxes for a defunct paper mill that once was this Florida Panhandle city's biggest employer. Circuit Judge Glenn Hess on Wednesday ruled for County Property Appraiser Kelsey Colbert, who had valued the mill's equipment, machinery and other taxable personal property at nearly $111 million.
	Dredging helps shippers, hurts river, taxpayers Judging by its greatly diminished economic benefits and the environmental harm it inflicts, dredging of the Apalachicola River should have gone the way of the whaling industry.
	Medical resident work weeks will be capped at 80 hours The new standards may leave some hospitals that depend heavily on residents to handle the workload scrambling to schedule staff to cover the demand.
	West Nile virus may spread farther west West Nile virus, which has killed 18 people along the East Coast since it surfaced in this country three years ago, will probably continue its westward march this summer, health officials warned Thursday.
	Miami fumigation company charged in connection with man's death TALLAHASSEE — A Miami company is accused of failing to follow state fumigation rules after a 52-year-old man and his pet cat were found dead in an apartment, officials said Thursday. Al-Flex Exterminators and employee Jose Quinones have been charged with 18 counts of violating label directions and state fumigation guidelines, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The department also is seeking to fine the company and remove its license.
	Gulf oil lease case moves closer to trial A battle over oil and gas leases in the Gulf moved a step closer to a Sept. 30 trial Thursday when Judge Ralph Smith denied the state's motion to dispense with the trial and rule from the bench. At issue is whether - and how much - the state should pay Coastal Petroleum Co. for denying Coastal the use of leases it has held since 1941 giving it exclusive drilling rights along a 440,000-acre area from just off Apalachicola to just northwest of Tampa Bay. The state contends the leases are invalid, and...
	State Supreme Court rejects 4 appeals on death sentences-- TALLAHASSEE · Four Death Row inmates lost appeals Thursday in the Florida Supreme Court. Gov. Jeb Bush has not signed death warrants for any of the men, so their executions are not scheduled.
	Reducing drug costs By closing loopholes pharmaceutical companies use to delay competition with generic drugs, Congress could help Americans save billions of dollars a year.
	Bob Herbert: It's time to start an inquiry on 9/11 Eventually, almost certainly, a distinguished bipartisan commission will be convened to examine the conditions that led to the catastrophe of Sept. 11. The Bush administration doesn't want this. And Republicans in Congress are fighting to prevent it. But it will happen. The American public remains largely in the dark about the terrorist threat that is still out there, and the nation's preparedness to deal with it.
	FEC's rules draft on 'soft money' criticized Campaign law sponsors say the agency's draft rules would undermine the goal of the legislation.
	Guest commentary: A case of mistaken identity Next week, John Dean will reveal the identity of "Deep Throat." For those of you who weren't alive or were sleeping through the '70s, Deep Throat was the mysterious informant who helped Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein expose the Watergate conspiracy and eventually force President Richard Nixon to resign.
	Bush clean air proposal flayed Environmentalists say the changes to 'new source review' would reward big campaign contributors.
	Utilities Score Major EPA Victory WASHINGTON - The Bush administration Thursday proposed changing air pollution rules to allow utilities to upgrade power plants without being required to improve their pollution-control equipment. ...
	Sensitivity waving: Confederate flags and the sanitizing of history The NAACP was right to push for the Confederate battle flag to be removed from atop the capitol dome of the South Carolina Legislature two years ago, where it had flapped below the Stars and Stripes and the South Carolina state flag. The symbol of the confederacy, hoisted in 1962 as a solitary echo of George Wallace's "segregation forever" rants and kept there like a lost cause defying the winds of change, was an embarrassment to South Carolina's "New South" status and an insult to the notion of state unity. The flag was finally removed in July 2000.
	Guest editorial: Making a secret of missile defense The Bush administration is determined to push ahead with a missile defense system, and now it is proposing to do so without a whole lot of scrutiny from Congress, the press, the program's skeptics and even from within the Pentagon.
	Guest editorial: Tax-cut cynicism At a time of terrorism anxiety and scarce budget resources, Congress is increasingly in the grip of a bad case of warped priorities. Were Americans to be asked if they wanted to cut taxes for the wealthy just now, the answer would be no. Yet that is what President Bush and Republican congressional leaders are seeking.
	Molly Ivins: The vocabulary of consumer protection In the Most Chilling Quote category, consider this gem from Mitchell Daniels, director of the office of Management and Budget, concerning the administration's ongoing campaign to deregulate everything in sight: "We must learn to speak the vocabulary of consumer protection." Oooo, Grandma, what big teeth you have!
	Cuba's sugar mills fall silent-- ... Rock-bottom sugar prices, disappointing harvests and fuel shortages are forcing the cash-strapped Cuban government to close almost half the island's aging sugar mills. ... With $2 billion in annual revenues, tourism has replaced Cuba's king crop as the island's top moneymaker. Sugar produces about $550 million a year.
	First Earth-like solar system discovered Astronomers searching for worlds around distant stars announced the discovery Thursday of the first Earth-like solar system, boosting hopes that there are other habitable spots in the universe.
	Bush lays foundation for potential attack on Iraq

6/13/02

	Dissolved panel claims foul play Angry directors of a $21.6 million state purchasing program that gives jobs to handicapped workers asked Comptroller Bob Milligan on Wednesday to investigate a "coup" in the final days of the legislative session.
	Making the grade: Florida fails to support its schools For three and a half years, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Legislature kept public schools on a starvation budget and pushed for laws that made it easier for private entities to carve themselves a chunk of education funding in the form of vouchers.
	More schools earn failing grade A voucher program giving students the option to enroll in private schools will grow as a result of the low marks.
	Increase in voucher-eligible students may fuel governor's race The announcement Wednesday that 10 Florida public schools have twice failed under Gov. Jeb Bush's A+ Plan for Education marks the biggest expansion of the governor's controversial school voucher program.
	Voucher program must be subject to accountability Gov. Jeb Bush's controversial school voucher program made headlines again this week, but not the way proponents would have liked. Pensacola mother Tracy Richardson - a choice advocate who became nationally known as the "voucher mom" - was quoted in news stories as being critical of the plan.
	'Voucher Mom' has not changed her mind about choice Bad news travels fast, but I'm finding that wrong news travels even faster. The Associated Press circulated an interview with me that ran in newspapers statewide under headlines like "Voucher Mom Changes Her Mind" (News story, June 11).
	Using vouchers might be tough No local private schools have state approval and those that are have limited openings. That's for starters.
	School Grades: State releases school grades; 10 now eligible for vouchers TALLAHASSEE — Ten Florida public schools failed their second state evaluation in four years, meaning their 8,900 students will be eligible for private school vouchers this fall, the state announced Wednesday. Five of the voucher-eligible schools are in Miami-Dade County, three in Palm Beach County and one each in Orange and Escambia counties. Overall, 68 of the state's 2,515 schools received an 'F' on this year's evaluation. About 60,000 students attend the failing schools, which are in 19 counties. Four of the state's biggest districts — Miami-Dade, Duval, Orange and Palm Beach — account for 44 of the 68.
	State flunks 68 schools Orange County's school grades were among the worst in the state, with 11 schools earning F's.
	Florida's failing schools multiply More than 60 percent of Leon County schools received an A or B when state officials released the 2002 school grades Wednesday. But the county also received its first failing score as Leonard Wesson Elementary came up short under beefed-up grading criteria.
	Tuition to rise for USF students The trustees' executive committee agrees on the increases, which must be approved by the full board to take effect.
	Speaker-to-be weighs in on state taxes, education "We pay enough taxes already," state Rep. Johnnie Byrd says.
	Candidates nibble edges of notoriety Far Left and Far Right? Meet far out. They're not big names, but they have big ideas. And they're running for governor.
	Reno stumps on turf of GOP-- DEFUNIAK SPRINGS · Democrat Janet Reno brought her campaign for governor to enemy territory Wednesday, beginning a two-day swing through the Republican-rich Florida Panhandle where she was greeted by well-wishers, skeptics and the occasional protest.
	McBride cuts into Reno's lead Bush still holds solid leads among most Florida voter groups.
	McBride gains on Reno in new poll Democrat Bill McBride, a political unknown fighting for attention in a campaign of titans, is gaining in his bid to be the Democratic nominee for governor, a new poll shows.
	Bush: 'No lead is secure' Challenger Bill McBride is gaining on Janet Reno in their race for governor, but neither Democrat stands much chance against Gov. Jeb Bush, according to a new statewide poll.
	Bush wins poll, competitors' criticism Gubernatorial challengers Janet Reno and Bill McBride criticized the governor's school reforms. Meanwhile, he remains more popular.
	President Bush to visit Orlando on June 21-- WASHINGTON -- President Bush will visit Orlando on June 21 to raise money and to talk to the elderly about fitness. ... It will be the president's 10th official visit to Florida, a key electoral state for him as well as the home of his brother Gov. Jeb Bush, who is running for re-election.
	Bush signs bill creating chief financial officer position TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Jeb Bush signed a Cabinet reorganization bill Wednesday creating a chief financial officer to pay the state's bills and help regulate Florida's financial industry. The measure (HB-3E) merges the offices on insurance commissioner and treasurer, creating a powerful political base for the new CFO.
	Workers reassured in Cabinet merger Officials pledged Wednesday that no state employee will be "put out on the street" in the merger of two Cabinet agencies creating a constitutionally mandated chief financial officer.
	Auto insurance rates rising as much as 18 percent in S. Florida Florida drivers are paying more for auto insurance nearly a year after legislation went into effect that lawmakers promised would lower rates.
	DCF workers to be fired for falsifying records ORLANDO — A Florida Department of Children & Families supervisor and a counselor were fired and the agency plans to dismiss two other counselors for falsifying records and failing to track down a family, agency officials said Wednesday. A fourth DCF counselor has resigned, said Robert Morin, administrator of DCF's District 7, which covers east central Florida.
	Lawmaker urges DCF senior services probe - WPB - A state lawmaker called Wednesday for an investigation into the practices of the Department of Children and Families' division that provides services for vulnerable senior citizens in the county.
	Bush, Cabinet call for end to dredging project For years, environmentalists have complained that Florida's mightiest river -- the Apalachicola -- is being ruined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
	Bush, Cabinet ask feds to stop dredging Apalachicola TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet approved a resolution Wednesday to ask Congress to stop spending $20 million a year dredging the Apalachicola River, saying it's a waste of taxpayers' money. "It's incredibly expensive," said Bush, who proposed the resolution. He said the annual expenditure figured to approximately $30,000 per each barge that uses the river. The river is dredged by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain a channel nine feet deep for the vessels.
	Water levels hit record lows: Summer rain predictions mixed Water levels in two Central Florida lakes fell to record lows at official monitoring stations in May and groundwater levels dropped 2.5 feet in Volusia County.
	Florida's orange crop forecast up by 2 million boxes LAKELAND — Florida's orange crop forecast has increased by 2 million boxes to 228 million, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday. If the forecast holds, this would be the third-largest crop on record. The 1997-98 crop, at 244 million boxes, holds the record.
	Escambia judge cites Supreme Court ruling in clearing builder PENSACOLA — A judge cited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended federal regulation of isolated wetlands in reversing the conviction of a prominent builder accused of bulldozing a construction site in violation of local codes. Escambia County Judge David Ackerman on Tuesday overturned a jury's guilty verdict against Rick Faciane, 52, former president of Building Industry of West Florida, who had faced up 60 days in jail and a $500 fine on each of two counts.
	Escambia commissioner to get separate trials PENSACOLA — A judge has ruled suspended Escambia County Commissioner Mike Bass should be tried separately on misdemeanor open-government "sunshine" law charges and more serious corruption counts including bribery and racketeering. Circuit Judge G. Robert Barron on Tuesday rejected a motion by Bass to try the misdemeanor and felony charges together, finding they were unrelated.
	First Eastern Equine Encephalitis case in Volusia County TALLAHASSEE — State officials confirmed Wednesday that a horse euthanized in Volusia County with encephalitis symptoms had Eastern equine encephalitis, the first case in that county this year. The 9-year-old mare showed symptoms of the disease April 25 and was diagnosed with the disease two days later.
	Florida concentrating problem inmates with mental conditions STARKE — Florida State Prison and three other state lockups will soon become home for problem inmates with treatable mental health conditions, officials said Wednesday. The inmates being moved are those who may benefit from mental health treatment but whose behavior is so bad they must be held in "close management," officials said. Concentrating the treatment programs in the four prisons will let them cut costs, they said.
	Suit: Tribe defrauded of millions The Seminoles want a judge to order that all assets wrongfully diverted be placed in a trust for the tribe's 2,800 members.
	Review leaves Al-Najjar scant hope He finds he can't get out of prison unless he finds a country to take him, but he can't find one while still in prison.
	Attorney: INS walks out on review of imprisoned Palestinian TAMPA — An Immigration and Naturalization Service official walked out of a review of the detention of an imprisoned Palestinian academic Wednesday, signaling to his attorneys the government has no intention of releasing him. Attorney Joe Hohenstein said the four-hour review of the case ended abruptly with an INS officer from Washington accused Mazen Al-Najjar of not cooperating. Al-Najjar is being held in solitary confinement at the federal prison in Coleman, Fla., on a deportation order.
	Judge dismisses lawsuit against USF professor TAMPA — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a former U.S. Justice Department attorney that accused a suspended university professor of laundering money for terrorists. Former prosecutor John Loftus filed the wide-ranging lawsuit against University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian in March, saying the academic's charity, the International Committee for Palestine, helped fund terrorists that may have taken part in the Sept. 11 attacks.
	FBI informant says he infiltrated Pembroke Pines mosque FORT LAUDERDALE — A man says he was dumped by the FBI as an informant after leading the agency to a Pakistani Muslim who was eventually arrested on charges of plotting to bomb electrical transformers, a National Guard armory and Jewish businesses. Howard Gilbert said he infiltrated the Darul Uloom Institute in Pembroke Pines for more than a year as part of an FBI-sanctioned effort to expose Islamic militants.
	Maureen Dowd: Summer of all fears WASHINGTON — Washingtonians are well known for being hypersensitive to the elements. A dusting of snow or a heat wave can shut down schools. A Code Red unhealthy air alert, as we had here on Tuesday, leaves the streets deserted. So you can imagine the panic spread by the prospect of radioactive mist settling on monuments, and uranium-laced, cell-mutating gamma rays ricocheting down Pennsylvania Avenue.
	Guest editorial: Full faith and credit The federal government is again running on borrowed money and if the government can't borrow money, it — in theory — can't run. Congress gives the U.S. Treasury the authority to borrow more by raising the cap on the federal debt, currently $5.96 trillion. This is a chore it hasn't had to do since 1997, when the government began running in the black.
	Washington Today: Bush becomes a convert to nation building overseas WASHINGTON — President Bush seems an unlikely candidate to be a backer of nation building, the process whereby wealthier countries use money, expertise and encouragement to achieve good governance where it is lacking. During the 2000 presidential campaign, Bush said the Clinton administration had gone overboard on nation building, a view shared by many fellow Republicans.
	Senate Democrats roll out drug plan Plan would cap out-of-pocket expenses at $4,000 to start.
	Democrats stop attempt to repeal tax In a daylong debate on Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats, GOP clash over federal estate taxes.
	Bureaucratic shuffle The nice thing about blaming the bureaucracy is that it allows living, breathing human beings - namely, politicians and public officials in high places - to escape accountability. --- President George W. Bush has been in office long enough to know that when the going gets tough, the tough blame the bureaucracy.

6/12/02

	Analysis: Detention raises troubling legal issues For a nation still finding its way in the fight against terrorism, the case of Jose Padilla, also known as Abdullah al Muhajir, poses a host of legal questions. Padilla, who is accused of planning to explode a radioactive device, is an American citizen. He has been in custody since May 8 but has not been charged with a crime. He is, instead, being held as an "enemy combatant."
	Guest editorial: A citizen's rights The FBI and CIA are to be congratulated for their work in the nabbing of Jose Padilla, suspected of plotting with al Qaeda to set off a so-called "dirty bomb" that, by spewing radioactive materials for blocks after a non-nuclear explosion, could create widespread panic. What is especially troubling is that Padilla is a U.S. citizen. There are two major issues flowing from that fact.
	Civil-liberties groups worry about accused-- WASHINGTON -- The decision to move "dirty bomb" suspect Jose Padilla to a military prison leaves the Bush administration in a murky legal situation, raising constitutional questions that can be answered only by the courts.
	New fears The 'dirty-bomb' arrest is encouraging, but rights can't be ignored.
	PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION José Padilla, Yasser Esam Hamdi and John Walker Lindh are U.S. citizens. The three are suspected terrorists and enemies of the United States. But only Mr. Lindh is being afforded the due-process protections granted citizens by the U.S. Constitution.
	Fear is the key The manner in which the Bush Administration has handled al Muhajir's arrest and confinement has raised profound issues involving due process.
	Attorney says terror suspect being held illegally
	Florida House Speaker refutes allegations In response to the Sunday article in the Daytona Beach News-Journal ("Feeney's role in contract dispute questioned.")
	Investment firm answers