|
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.
5/31/01
 | Miami Herald - U.S.
indicts School Board's Demetrio Pérez - He's accused of
overcharging low-income tenants, lying under oath in civil deposition
 | Ex-union
head Lark acquitted in drug trial - Port Everglades at center
of probe |
| Crime
decline of '90s over? Latest drop-off in Florida almost nil -The
nationwide crime decline of the 1990s appears to have ended with
the decade itself: Statistics reported Wednesday by the FBI show
violent crimes increased a tenth of 1 percent last year.
In Florida, the trend hasn't ended yet. Here, in every category
except murder, criminal activity decreased in 2000. Murders were
up -- 890 of them statewide, after a '99 total of 856. Miami-Dade
County did better than the state. The unincorporated area, with a
million-plus population significantly larger than the biggest
cities, reported only 99 cases last year, an 8 percent decrease. |
| Racial
incident costs bar $15,000 and liquor license - The owners of
a bar in Perry that awakened bitter memories of Florida's
segregationist past when a black Maryland legislator was asked to
sit in the back have agreed to a revocation of their liquor
license, Gov. Jeb Bush announced Wednesday |
| American
attendants: No arbitration -Possible strike deadline is now
July 1- A walkout could come the week of the busy July 4 holiday
and cause massive disruptions at Miami International Airport,
where American dominates with about 50 percent of the passenger
volume. |
|
| Tallahassee Democrat -
Officials fear a long road ahead
Firefighters are working wearily for containment
MAYO - For drama, you had to be here Tuesday. Or Monday. Or last
Thursday. But the hard, unglamorous work of containing Florida's
biggest wildfire - the Mallory Swamp fire - continued Wednesday with
the wearying realization that the work may last for weeks
| State
employees to put on a happy face
Y'all be nice, now. In his continuing quest to inject a
spirit of competition into state government, Gov. Jeb Bush signed
a "customer service standards act" Wednesday that will
require Florida's public employees to treat taxpayers like they
could take their business across the street. |
| Maloy
charged with felonies
Theft, misconduct charges stem from reimbursements
The scandal that has surrounded the Leon County Commission for
more than four months took a turn Wednesday, when Commissioner
Rudy Maloy was charged with theft and official misconduct for
allegedly receiving improper travel reimbursements. |
| Perry
tavern loses license
'The law has spoken,' says man who alleged racial discrimination
A barroom incident that drew national and state civil rights
activists to the Big Bend will cost a Perry liquor store its
license, under a legal settlement announced Wednesday. |
| Candidates
step up for House job
PENSACOLA - A financial writer who switched parties to run as
a Democrat and a Republican who spent 10 years as an aide to a
Democratic congressman are running to succeed retiring U.S. Rep.
Joe Scarborough. |
|
| St Petersburg Times - 'Other'
voucher plan to unfurl
Vouchers will be available this year for about 340,000 disabled
schoolchildren.
|
| Gainesville Sun - Firefighters
get some help
The National Guard joins the effort to contain the Mallory Swamp fire.
| When
it rains.... While nobody would wish misfortune on ones
neighbors, it's long past time to put the brakes on the National
Flood Insurance Program. |
|
| Orlando Sentinel - State
likes NRA's idea to purge gun details
Florida's Department of Law Enforcement plans to
create a statewide database of pawnshop transactions to make it easier
for police officers across the state to track stolen property and
other crimes.
| Tobacco
stocks again tempt Florida
Florida officials were poised Wednesday to begin
buying lucrative tobacco stocks again, eyeing profits over the
moral objections of anti-smoking and health groups. |
| Mica's
brother works as oil lobbyist -
WASHINGTON -- The only Florida lawmaker who backs drilling off the
state's shores has a brother who is a lobbyist for the oil and gas
industry.... But Rep. John Mica and his brother, David, said
Wednesday there is no conflict of interest. |
| Governor
defends autopsy statute - Florida's new law restricting access
to autopsy photos properly balances the public's right to open
records and the privacy rights of survivors, Gov. Jeb Bush said in
legal arguments filed Wednesday.
Bush filed a friend-of-the-court brief in defense of the Earnhardt
Family Protection Act, which is being challenged in Volusia
Circuit Court by the Independent Florida Alligator newspaper in
Gainesville. |
|
| Florida Times Union - River
water in use in homes
Some people are using water from the St. Johns River to wash their
clothes and dishes. |
| Tampa Tribune - Report
card roller-coaster
Florida's system of grading schools takes educators on another wild
ride.
| City
quit study of toxins in water
TALLAHASSEE - Tampa's withdrawal from the state study leaves
unanswered whether toxins from algae are coursing through
customers' water taps. ... |
| Patients
wait at failed clinic to get records
RUSKIN - More than 200 people, most of them senior citizens, stood
in the morning heat for up to three hours Wednesday trying to get
medical records from the closed Sunpoint Diagnostic Clinic. |
|
5/30/01
| Tallahassee Democrat -
500 fighting the fires
-
A second fire adds to the task in North Florida
.
The afternoon rainstorms that swept through Tallahassee on Tuesday
barely dappled the Mallory Swamp fire, as the blaze continued into its
third week.
| Mallory
Swamp wildfire still burning out of control
(5/27/01)
MAYO - Firefighters hampered by the ongoing drought and
strong winds were battling a 54,000-acre wildfire Saturday that
forestry officials warned could soon threaten at least three
communities.
 | Florida's
fierce fire
(5/26/01)
High winds fanned fast-spreading flames
STEINHATCHEE - An insatiable blaze in a north-central Florida
swamp continued to gorge itself Friday, spreading to more than
50,000 acres and threatening hundreds of homes. |
|
| Past
catches up with Kleman Plaza builder
Stawicki resigns after bad debts, conviction discovered
The man hired to supervise construction of a $70 million hotel and
entertainment complex at Kleman Plaza resigned Tuesday after
evidence surfaced that he has a criminal conviction and bad debts
in South Florida. |
| FAMU
pharmacy opens to public
The Florida A&M University Health Department Pharmacy,
which provides free medications to low-income residents, will be
open to the public today from 10 a.m. to noon for its grand
opening. |
| County
may raise tax to pay for poor's health care
The Leon County Commission is willing to assess an additional
property tax to pay for better health care for the county's
low-income residents. |
| Spaniard
won't face death penalty
TAMPA - Prosecutors said Tuesday they are no longer seeking
to execute a Spaniard whose original sentence sparked an
international protest of the death penalty. |
| 5/28/01 - Central,
North Florida fires continue to blaze
Heavy smoke leads to problems on the roads
Heavy smoke from a wildfire is being blamed for a string of
accidents today on a main road to Disney World. |
| 5/28/01 Southwest
counties find toxins in drinking water
ORLANDO - Algae have left cancer-causing toxins in drinking
water that goes to nearly 185,000 people in West Palm Beach and
three southwest Florida counties, a newspaper reported Sunday. And
biologists don't know how to get the poisons out. |
| Tradition
rules at Florida Folklife Festival
WHITE SPRINGS - Wounded Indian warriors came to the sacred
waters of White Springs after battle to bathe and drink for
rejuvenation and healing. Centuries later, folks from around the
state make the annual pilgrimage to revive their spirits,
gathering beneath moss-covered live oaks to carry on folklore
traditions at the annual Florida Folklife Festival. |
| Seminole
activist fights to preserve ancient remains
ST. AUGUSTINE - Tourists and schoolchildren may think of St.
Augustine as a historic place with its old Spanish fort,
cobblestone streets and colonial architecture. But to Bobby C.
Billie it's just one more Florida strip mall.
|
| 5/27/01 - Optimism
afloat in river plan
Florida on Friday proposed a water-sharing plan that state
representatives say will help ensure there is enough water for
oysters and fish in Apalachicola River and bay in the future. |
| 5/27/01 - Safety
board's power limited to persuasion
WASHINGTON - Thirty-eight years have passed since a Pan
American jet crashed into a Maryland cornfield, killing all 82
people on board and prompting federal safety investigators to call
for nonflammable gas in fuel tanks. |
|
5/26/01 - 'Super
termites' take root in town
Formosan termites - "super termites" known for
their destructive, billion-dollar appetites and their ability to
penetrate asphalt and lead to find wood - have established a
presence in Tallahassee. Experts urge caution and concern, not
panic. |
| 5/26/01 Representative
resigns in midterm
PENSACOLA - Florida Rep. Joe Scarborough, a charter member of the
Republican Revolution of 1994, wiped away tears Friday as he
announced he would resign to spend more time with his two sons,
one suffering from diabetes. (see
story on laptop bid) |
| 5/26/01 Gov.
Bush signs child porn, painkiller bills
Prosecutors will be able to go after out-of-state
pornographers under a bill Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law Friday.
The governor also signed a bill designed to make it easier for
people to get access to the painkiller hydrocodone. And he said he
would sign a bill giving him more control over judicial
appointments. |
| 5/26/01 Ex-mayor
sentenced to 4 years
TAMPA - The former mayor of Belleair Beach has been sentenced
to more than four years in federal prison for his role in a
multimillion-dollar money laundering scam that stunned residents
of the small city he ran for nearly 11 years. |
|
| Orlando Sentinel - Watch
where you buy gas
Visitors to Central Florida's world-famous tourist
area often pay a 30-cent per gallon premium for the privilege of
gassing up in the shadow of Mickey or Shamu.
| Reno
named in bias suit - MIAMI -- An immigration agent who played
a bit part in the seizure of Elian Gonzalez sued former Attorney
General Janet Reno and a dozen other government officials for $25
million Tuesday, alleging that they retaliated against him for
exposing an atmosphere of "anti-Hispanic prejudice and
hatred" in Miami`s immigration office. |
| Algae
toxins spread alarm
Florida residents drinking water laced with algae
toxins jammed telephone lines to public officials and a private
laboratory Tuesday as word spread across the state about the
contamination. |
|
| Gainesville Sun - Second
fire joins blaze in swamp
The Mallory
wildfire is holding steady at 60,732 acres, with the hottest areas
concentrated away from homes and other structures. |
| St
Petersburg Times - Federal
aid opens doors
With a narrow reading of a 1998 law, Secretary of Education Rodney
Paige is blocking the road to a better future for thousands of young
people. The law denies federal financial aid for education to anyone
convicted of any drug offense -- though arsonists, murderers and armed
robbers still may apply. |
| Miami Herald - Hundreds
battling year's biggest fire -
A large number of smaller fires were concentrated in Central Florida,
which over the weekend was the site of several smoke-caused traffic
accidents.
| Repeated
rain lifts aquifer -- Afternoon thunderstorms and runoff from
the Caloosahatchee River, near Lake Okeechobee, have slowly
started refilling the lake, the center of South Florida's water
supply system that remains 4.58 feet lower than it should be. |
| Crews
battling fires in 59 spots in Florida -- Hundreds of
firefighters dropped water from the air, sprayed foam from trucks
and bulldozed more fire lines Tuesday around Florida's largest
fire of the year, which has grown to almost 61,000 acres. |
|
| Sun Sentinel - US
announces proposed no-fishing zones along Florida's East Coast -
In a massive effort to restore ocean environments off the southeastern
United States, the federal government has released a list of dozens of
sites in which fishing and other activities may be sharply
restricted. (But oil rigs are OK???) |
5/29/01
| Special thanks to "volusia" for the following:
. . but, where
do citizens take their business when JEB's "Service Worst"
scheme fails?
|
-- wonderful, however, the state and local politicos are fast
scheming to make tallyland zachary like miami. |
| the phosphate and the rock miners must have major
support, doncha think? meanwhile, the inevitability of a
water war pitting north florida against south becomes a promise. |
|
Ole! We must thank Mr. Hiller for the perspective.
However, I'm afraid the blasting, scraping, and clear-cutting
still rule the roost. Put it together and you get more of
the ruined version of Miami/Dade, Broward, Palm Beach,
Jacksonville than the more enlightened sites, he cites.
Bibbity, Bobbity, Boo!
|
| Vouchers, instead of a
public education system. |
|
5/25/01
| Miami Herald - GOP
dominates top spots in Herald's 15th annual
ranking of legislators -- TALLAHASSEE -- Republicans, led by
Senate President John McKay and House Speaker Tom Feeney, held fast to
the top spots in The Herald's 15th annual rankings of state lawmakers,
while a host of fresh new faces in the House landed at the bottom of
the list.
|
| Gainesville Sun - Mallory
fire has 'zero containment'
Winds blew
smoke from the Mallory Swamp fire as far away as Tampa. |
| St Petersburg Times
- Tribal
Council ousts chief
Chief Billie is indefinitely suspended as chairman of the Seminoles
and taken off the tribe's payroll.
| Cheney
vows push for rigs off Florida
The White House is lobbying fellow
Republicans to support drilling off Florida's coast, a
controversial move sure to widen a gulf between President Bush and
his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. |
| State
goes t0 war against beetles - Central
Florida's drought claimed new victims Thursday as state foresters
began cutting trees in Wekiwa Springs State Park and Lake George
State Forest to stop the spread of Southern pine beetles |
|
| Tallahassee Democrat - State
agency lawyer not licensed
She's married to lobbyist, golf buddy of Jeb Bush
She's married to lobbyist, golf buddy of Bush A lobbyist's fiancee
topped in-state candidates to become the lead attorney for one of the
state's biggest agencies, even though she's not licensed to practice
law in Florida.
| City's
blue-collar workers reject union
But 'violations' may be grounds for challenging vote
City of Tallahassee blue-collar workers rejected the Union of
Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees on Thursday, voting
overwhelmingly against the union that could have represented them
in collective bargaining. |
| Rains
surge hope into wildfire battles
ORLANDO - As fire crews battled a 20,000-acre blaze in
northern Florida on Thursday - enveloping parts of the state in
haze - hopes were buoyed by heavy rains in the south. |
| State
panel keeps shark-feeding dives
PALM BEACH GARDENS - A state panel refused Thursday to ban
shark-feeding dive excursions, but said it wants guidelines for
the practice popular with tourists off Florida's coast. Opponents
of shark-feeding scuba dives told the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission that the feedings make sharks more
aggressive and place swimmers, surfers, boaters and other divers
in danger of being bitten. |
| State
to pay $58 million for prison kitchens
Florida will spend $2.36 a day - less than the price of a
frozen dinner - to feed each of the state's inmates next year in
keeping with Gov. Jeb Bush's push to shrink government.
("Prison food is delicious?") |
| State:
Insurance agents sold 'unregistered investments'
TAMPA - Florida filed administrative actions Thursday against
eight insurance agents accused of selling unregistered investments
issued by Chemical Trust that promised returns up to 15 percent. |
| Doctor
sentenced for extortion attempt
OCALA - An abortion doctor convicted of trying to extort at
least a $1 million from Marion County by falsely accusing an
official of bomb threats received a three-year, 10-month prison
sentence Thursday. |
| Activists
call for stricter enforcement of water act
TAMPA - Environmental activists said Thursday that scores of
Florida companies are violating the Clean Water Act and some are
doing so repeatedly. The Florida Public Interest Research Group
said a study of federal data shows 68 Florida companies violated
clean water standards during a 15-month period.
|
|
5/24/01
| Tallahassee Democrat - Multitasking
in our e-government
Here in Tallahassee, for example, where e-government rules with an
iron mouse, some of the $90,000-a-year thirtysomethings who are the
backbone and brain trust of Jeb Bush's administration, apparently
developed the multitasking mentality early.
This may help explain the administration's craving to be big audacious
doers , and unwillingness to spend enough time reflecting on
the consequences of what they're doing or considering the experience
and intelligence that's come before them. (Sunday 5/20)
| City
to sell part of Kleman Plaza
City commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to sell choice
property at Kleman Plaza to a developer who wants to build a
complex including an 18-story hotel, restaurants and condominiums. |
|
Jeb Bush signs child support bill
ORLANDO - When Lisa Settle's ex-husband dropped all contact
with their two teen-age children in 1999, she says he did more
than just deprive them of a father - he also skipped out on almost
$14,000 in child support |
| Prominent
Democrats look at governor post
All of a sudden, prominent Florida Democrats are stampeding
toward decisions on a possible challenge to Republican incumbent
Gov. Jeb Bush. |
| Regents
meet for last time in Tampa
TAMPA - The Board of Regents, which has governed Florida's
universities for 36 years, gavels its business to an end today as
the state begins to decentralize the burgeoning education system. |
| Hearing
set for 1992 Reno investigation
Democrats draw link to her possible bid for governor
MIAMI - A Congressional committee will hold a hearing next week to
delve into the investigation nine years ago of a former Miami-Dade
County commissioner by the local state attorney's office, which
was then headed by Janet Reno. |
| Beetle-infested
pines to be cut down in parks
State environmental officials will cut down pine trees
infested with southern pine beetles starting today in an area
north of Orlando to prevent spread of the destructive bugs. |
| Panel
approves rules to help manatees
PALM BEACH GARDENS - A state panel created new manatee
go-slow zones in Brevard County on Wednesday, the first step in a
lawsuit settlement to protect the endangered marine animal. |
|
| St Petersburg Times - Coalition:
Ban treated wood -- The groups also want a new study to see
how much of a risk the arsenic-treated lumber poses to children.
|
| Miami Herald - S.
Floridians among dozens held in e-fraud - The FBI arrested more
than 60 people who bilked customers out of $117 million through
Internet scams.
|
| Florida times Union - Hospital
Q&A: Plans could change health care in Duval - Recent
announcements proposing two new area hospitals and the purchase of an
existing hospital are still in the planning stages but could change
how Jacksonville receives its care in the future. |
5/23/01
| Miami Herald - State
sees water crisis get worse - Next few weeks will be critical
| Environmental
agency's overhaul raises concerns about its future -An ongoing
overhaul at Miami-Dade County's environmental agency has activists
worried that somebody, namely County Manager Steve Shiver, may be
trying to muzzle the watchdog |
| Dumping
case clouds deal -County officials have placed the $609
million South Terminal project at Miami International Airport in a
holding pattern once again -- this time because the top-ranked
contractor failed to disclose its role in polluting the waters off
the coast of Pensacola. |
| Displaced
state workers to get help, Bush says -
TALLAHASSEE -- With dozens of janitors at state buildings in Miami
and elsewhere fearful of losing their jobs to privatization, Gov.
Jeb Bush said Monday the state has a duty to help displaced
workers find new jobs elsewhere in state government, and he cited
cutbacks among Florida newspapers as proof that cutbacks are a way
of life.
Bush reiterated that privatization, or ``outsourcing'' as he and
his aides call it, will not happen unless it improves efficiency
and saves money. But he said that as governor his biggest priority
is to give ``the most efficient service to the people of this
state |
| Names
submitted for education trustees boards -
More than 800 names have been submitted for seats on the new
boards of trustees that will govern Florida's restructured system
of public education, the Education Governance Reorganization
Transition Task Force was told Tuesday. |
|
| St Petersburg Times- Numbers
prove it: Florida getting older
Despite a large increase of children in the state, growing numbers of
retirees and Baby Boomers raise Florida's median age.
| Regulator
taps friend for deputy DEP chief
The state's top environmental regulator has chosen a longtime
friend with no experience in Florida as the new deputy secretary
of the Department of Environmental Protection. |
| Diplomat
planning a run for governor
Ex-Florida congressman Pete Peterson intends to resign as
ambassador to Vietnam and challenge Gov. Jeb Bush. |
| Floridians
warn against more standardized tests
President Bush's plan to require testing for millions of public
schoolchildren survived a challenge in the House on Tuesday, but
only after Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa warned against expanding
Florida-style testing across the nation. |
|
| Orlando Sentinel - New
lease on life as renters increase
In little more than a decade, the Orlando area has
gone from being a national model for achieving the American Dream to
becoming the land of the renters.
| Death
of estate tax could hamstring state budget
Florida faces a traumatic $465 million loss to
the state budget at a time when lawmakers already are struggling
to make ends meet. |
| Protect
the manatee
Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission shouldn't hesitate to impose speed limits on certain
waterways in Brevard County when it meets today to consider a
manatee-protection plan. |
|
| Tallahassee Democrat -
Peterson in governor's race
Vietnam ambassador will resign, Democratic Party leader says
Former Big Bend Congressman Pete Peterson, the ex-prisoner of war who
is American ambassador to Vietnam, is coming home to run for governor.
| Judge
ends ban on rezoning
Circuit Judge Kevin Davey set the stage for the County
Commission to vote Thursday on a proposal to eliminate growth
policies in Bradfordville. Davey on Tuesday denied claims by
homeowners groups that the county had violated a court agreement,
and he lifted a remaining ban on rezoning in the Bradfordville
area.
|
| AFSCME
files complaint against Jeb Bush
Union argues for right to meet in state buildings; charges
retaliation
-
The union representing most state employees filed an
unfair-practices complaint against Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday,
claiming that his administration is trying to stifle protests
against the new Service First plan. |
| State
attorney orders review of murder cases
The Miami-Dade State Attorney has ordered a full review of
the murder and rape cases against a man who has served 21 years in
state prison. |
| Environmentalists
ask for Bushes' help on water rule
Environmentalists on Tuesday asked Gov. Jeb Bush and his
brother, President Bush, to prevent the adoption of a state
regulation they contend would remove pollution controls from many
water bodies and set a national precedent. |
| Panel
recommends offshore drilling again
Gulf Coast named one of likely areas for consideration
WASHINGTON - A subcommittee of an Interior Department advisory
panel is recommending the government consider resuming gas
development in some coastal waters that have been off limits for
more than a decade. |
| Zero
tolerance applies to honor student
FORT MYERS - A National Merit Scholar was sent to jail and
will miss graduation after a kitchen knife was found in her car
and officials invoked a policy that forbids weapons on campus. |
| Education
overhaul can't start
Governor needs to appoint oversight boards, commissions
WINTER PARK - Educators are waiting to implement an overhaul of
the state's education system but can't move ahead until key
appointments are made, a task force supervising the transition was
told Tuesday. |
| Labor
leader dies in boating accident
JACKSONVILLE - John Bryan, a northeast Florida labor leader
and a force in area politics, was killed in a boating accident. He
was 54. Bryan was killed when his 17-foot motor boat struck a dock
in the St. Johns River in northern Putnam County about 9:10 p.m.
Sunday, authorities said. |
| On
the air and on the block
John Wiggins closed the deal on his purchase of radio station
WTAL on Tuesday afternoon. Then he acknowledged that the station
was up for sale. |
|
| Sun Sentinel - Editorial,
May 23, 2001
Dreaming of starting a new business? Something that
offers a competitive chance against established rivals? The
educational testing industry may be your dream come true.
|
5/22/01
| Tallahassee Democrat-
Child welfare only slightly better
Florida has gained a notch in national standings on how well
states treat their youngest citizens, moving up from 36 to 35 in a new
report on child welfare. But that's nothing to brag about in a state
ranked 19th in wealth, child advocates say.
| Zero
tolerance for domestic abuse
Florida's tough new domestic violence law is about to hit
home. Modeled after the state's hugely successful 10-20-Life law
for gun-related crimes, a bill promoting zero tolerance for
domestic abuse was signed into law Monday by Gov. Jeb Bush. It
includes mandatory jail time and fines for those who strike out
against spouses, parents, children or other loved ones in the
home. It takes effect July 1. |
|
Don't
be fooled by 'normal' storm season
WASHINGTON - Storm experts forecast five to seven hurricanes
to threaten the East and Gulf coasts this year and urged Americans
to be prepared: "Don't wait for the hurricane to come
knocking on your door." |
| Crist:
FCAT scorer must go
State to terminate NCS' contract
-
A year after fining the company responsible for grading the FCAT
for running late with the scores, Florida education officials plan
to end the company's contract early. |
| Jeb
Bush: Opponents won't affect election decision
Whether it's former Attorney General Janet Reno or someone
lesser known, Republican Gov. Jeb Bush said Monday his possible
opponent in 2002 won't have any effect on his re-election
decision. |
| Miami
activist a familiar sight at Bush appearances
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - As President George W. Bush returned to
his alma mater to receive an honorary degree, Miami resident Bob
Kunst was there, peddling anti-Bush buttons and stickers. Kunst,
58, also has been just about everywhere else Bush has been since
Nov. 7 - Monday's protest at Yale University marked the
professional protester's 114th vigil against the president. |
| State
emergency director steps down
A familiar face on television during hurricanes, fires and
other Florida disasters is leaving his post. Joe Myers said Monday
he is stepping down as Florida's director of emergency management,
a post he has held since 1993. |
|
| Orlando Sentinel - Gov.
Bush ready for another run, confidants say
Gov. Jeb Bush shrugged off talk of former Democratic
U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno challenging him next year, saying
Monday that his decision to run for re-election will not be based on
the moves of others.
| Districting
plan draws ire - While
other governments have appointed committees to handle the
politically controversial job of redrawing voting districts,
Orange County School Board members have decided to do it
themselves -- a move some Hispanics argue will cut them out of the
process. |
| Gators
go on prowl as lakes shrink |
| Beaches
make case -- As
debate intensifies over whether to allow oil and gas exploration
in the Gulf of Mexico, some Washington power brokers have groused
loud and long about Florida's vehement opposition to the plan. Why
should Florida get preferential treatment when other Gulf Coast
states allow and encourage offshore drilling? Floridians depend
upon oil and gas to meet their energy needs -- just like the rest
of the nation. |
| Be
realistic, Mr. Crist - If
Education Commissioner Charlie Crist knows anything, it's how to
grab headlines. He grabbed plenty this month when he glibly
predicted that public-school teachers will earn "over
$100,000" a year by 2010. |
|
| St Petersburg Times - Bakker
sets up camp in Florida
The venture aimed at youths is the latest for the former TV
evangelist.
| Reno's
baggage -- Despite her distinguished career, if
Janet Reno were to run for governor, Floridians would end up
rehashing her involvement in past crises instead of focusing on
what's good for the state. |
| Some
strikes unfair
The nation's public housing authorities hold a heavy club over
innocent tenants. Residents suspected of crimes can be thrown onto
the street -- convicted or not. Even ones the police brand as a
nuisance can lose their homes. Guilt-by-association not only
violates due process rights; it's a sloppy way to fight the drug
trade. Local housing authorities should offer tenants more
protection if the federal government fails to act. |
|
| Sun-Sentinel - Audit
says state program fails to help Medicaid patients, save money -
Touted as a way to save taxpayers millions and improve the health of
chronically ill Medicaid patients, Florida’s disease management
program is failing at both and may actually cost the state money, a
new audit showed on Monday.
| Secret
deal would let Medicaid drugs bypass Florida’s review process
-- State health care officials have secretly been negotiating a
deal that would guarantee the nation’s largest drug company
millions in future sales to Florida’s Medicaid program.
The proposal assures that Pfizer Inc.’s drugs will be included
on a list of Medicaid-approved medicines without going through a
special review process required under a bill expected to become law
on July 1.( posted 5/16/01) |
| State's
plan would benefit drug company handsomely - A proposal
that would assure millions of dollars in state Medicaid sales to
Pfizer Inc., the nation’s largest drug maker, also gives the
firm a no-bid contract for a major share of a new line of health
care business. ... It’s not even a sweetheart deal. It’s
the whole candy store,” said State Sen. Walter “Skip”
Campbell, D-Tamarac, a member of the health care committee.
(posted 5/20/01) |
| Editorial,
May 22, 2001
What were state health officials thinking when
they entered into a troubling deal that would pump millions of
dollars of Medicaid money into the coffers of Pfizer Inc.? |
|
| Palm Beach Post - Editorial:
Stay firm on grove land
People who want to pave land in Florida have a built-in advantage over
people who want to preserve land: "You can build" is a final
answer; "You can't build" always comes with... |
5/21/01
5/20/01
| Miami Herald - Florida
divided over Reno
Janet Reno taking on Jeb Bush fascinates and confounds an
electorate accustomed to surprises.
|
| Palm Beach Post - Reno's
possible governor run disrupts rest of field
Janet. It is a first name that could rival Jeb. It is a first name
that gets the kind of publicity that Pete, Jim, Bill, Lois and all the
other lesser-known political figures who want to be...
|
| St Petersburg times - Heavy
hitters line up for trustee posts
Amid a promise of diversity, many applicants for the school-governing
boards are politically connected or have made big donations to the
schools. ... Gov. Jeb Bush says he will fill the 139 open seats on the
boards by June 30, an act that will complete the Republican-led
overhaul of Florida's university system.
| Editorial: Squeezing
Universities - Through their inadequate funding and
inappropriate meddling, Tallahassee lawmakers are doing an
injustice to Florida's education system. Today, we look at the
effects of the past legislative session on the state university
system. Monday, the focus turns to our public schools. |
|
| Tallahassee Democrat - No
one doubts Bush will run again
White House intervention, scrutiny of the nation predicted
The Florida Republican Party mailed out a fund-raising letter last
week with a unique little souvenir tucked inside - a bright red bumper
sticker emblazoned "Keep Up the Good Work, Jeb!"
| Residents
fear hazard cover-up
The St. Joe Co. in the 1940s and '50s dumped potentially
hazardous boiler ash from its paper mill in Port St. Joe on nearby
land that would become a neighborhood, documents show. |
| Hire
this man for bike trail coordinator
John Harvey was an outlaw, then he had a dream and went
legit. But, oh, what an incredible gift Harvey gave Tallahassee
when he was still an outlaw - which is now giving him a shot at
his dream. |
| Wind-driven
seas tear up South Florida's beaches
MIAMI - Weeks of unrelenting winds and high waves have
severely eroded South Florida's beaches, leaving behind cliff-like
dunes, rocks and weeds where expanses of sand stretched just last
month. Mother Nature has taken a big bite out of the coastline,
including Hollywood Beach, John U. Lloyd State Park, Sunny Isles
Beach and Miami Beach. |
|
| Orlando Sentinel - Power
shifts to billboard industry
Bill Brinton can envision the first time a local
government sits down with a billboard company under the rules passed a
few weeks ago by the state Legislature.
| |
