Statewide Reports-November 16-30,2001

Statewide Reports-November 16-30

NOTE -
If the link to the on-line articles has changed, search the paper's archive section by date and title - Palm Beach Post links are only good for the day posted, and there is a fee to access archived articles. Same is true for some of the others although the time frame varies.

11/30/01

	An easy fix for 3 issues: trim Legislature CAPITOL CORNER Here's a way to cut the budget, promote Gov. Jeb Bush's vision for a streamlined e-government and make next year's redistricting chore a heck of a lot easier. Let's downsize the Legislature.
	Senator wants elections rules panel abolished TALLAHASSEE -- Three weeks ago, Miami Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla was hit with one of the largest fines in Florida history for violating campaign finance laws. Now, he has filed a bill to abolish the commission that fined him.
	The House passes tight budget plan Some social services and schools would be hurting State probation officers would keep their jobs, but schools and social services would have to tighten their belts under a spending plan Florida House members approved Thursday.
	House's budget cuts exceed $1-billion TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida House of Representatives cut more than $1-billion from education, health care and public safety Thursday, inching closer to an agreement with the Senate on final cuts.
	Senate faces tough decisions on state budget cuts - TALLAHASSEE -- South Florida homeowners may still receive compensation for trees felled for citrus canker eradication, but it won't be as much as the Legislature promised last spring.-- Amid a complex, $1.2 billion state budget-cutting plan the House approved Thursday, Rep. Carlos Lacasa, R-Miami, resurrected the controversial program with a compromise: Instead of $100 per tree, Lacasa is proposing that homeowners receive a $100 Wal-Mart voucher for the first one and $55 for each one after that -- the same amount commercial citrus grove owners are entitled to under federal programs.
	Where the cuts are These are highlights of the more than $1-billion in the Florida House's proposed cuts to the current year's state budget. The deepest cuts are in education, which accounts for 53 percent of all state spending paid for with general taxes. The House and the Senate have slightly different approaches.
	House passes budget-cutting plan
	GOP strives for harmony in cutting Florida budget Even as they chop more than $1 billion from schools, social services and other programs, Florida's Republican political leaders are striving hard to be inconspicuous.
	Partisan budget war heating up Laying the groundwork for next year's election-year political wars, Democrats are trying to ignite public anger over education and social-services cuts and are hoping to separate themselves from unpopular cuts by backing alternatives and tax-increase possibilities.
	Official: Security plan nearly ready ORLANDO - The pieces of Florida's anti-terrorism efforts, consisting of enhanced police powers and restrictions on public records, are quickly falling into place, a top state law enforcement official told a security task force Thursday.
	Antiterrorism effort jelling, panel told ORLANDO -- The pieces of Florida's antiterrorism efforts, consisting of enhanced police powers and restrictions on public records, are quickly falling into place, a top state law enforcement official told a security task force Thursday.
	Secrecy can't be tolerated this recklessly Legislators such as Rep. Dudley Goodlette who are in such a hurry to close access to public records need to keep in mind why we are fighting a war in Afghanistan.
	Domestic anti-government groups must be monitored Like other groups on the racist, anti-government, lunatic fringe, the Aryan Nations celebrated the Sept. 11 atrocities.
	State Senate wants list of illegal aliensTALLAHASSEE -- TALLAHASSEE -- As Florida law-enforcement officials scour the state for potential international terrorists, they are missing a key weapon in the fight -- a list to help tell them if suspected terrorists are in the country illegally, officials say.-- Federal immigration officials have refused to provide the list to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the state's newly appointed domestic-security chief told a state Senate committee Thursday.
	Information about missing Haitians sought -South Florida's Haitian community continued its search for answers Thursday on the mystery surrounding the possible loss at sea of more than 200 Haitian migrants attempting to reach Florida in two boats earlier this month.

11/29/01

	Outstretched palms Our position: It's shameful for legislators to be holding fund-raisers during this session.
	The squeaky wheel Florida politicians have decided that it is better for children, the poor, the sick and the elderly to suffer than to run the risk of not being reelected next year.
	War has been declared on the humble sea cow - We need to define just how many manatees you need.'' That revelatory remark was made two years ago by a fellow named Wade Hopping. He's a big-time Tallahassee lobbyist who was speaking on behalf of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which represents makers of boats and outboard engines.
	Senate slicing down budget Panel OKs nearly $1 billion in cuts A Senate committee approved nearly $1 billion in budget cuts Wednesday as a key Republican lawmaker said the Legislature may have to look at "forms of revenue creation" next year.
	Lawmakers resist attempts to raise taxes TALLAHASSEE -- Sen. Betty Holzendorf thought she found a way to help Florida's cash-strapped schools.
	Return pay hikes, Senate panel tells school executives Looking for every spare dime to minimize cuts to public school classrooms, the Senate Appropriations Committee wants school administrators to forfeit their pay hikes — especially in light of raises 21 Broward school administrators just received.
	The new math Our position: Legislators shouldn't punish schools when the state undercounts students.
	Counties feel stiffed by the state County commissioners complain that the Legislature's cuts hand them the bills, not the bucks, for programs.
	Let's not stop investing in teens When high-profile juvenile crimes undermined Florida tourism in 1994, the Legislature poured resources into programs to rehabilitate young offenders and kids on the edge of trouble. Boot camps and counseling services began contributing to what is today a noticeable drop in juvenile crime.
	Lawmakers vow to slash fewer jobs During an October special session that went awry, lawmakers had considered eliminating nearly 700 jobs belonging to probation officers as part of a budget cutting move.
	Housing break for well-off to get second look - TALLAHASSEE -- In the middle of a state financial crisis, a Senate panel voted Wednesday to expand a housing program that provides no-cost loans for low-income families to include those with incomes as high as $75,000.
	Monitoring woes jeopardize federal funds 'High-risk' designation clouds $125 million grant The state board charged with helping disabled people find jobs is not properly monitoring contractors in its transition to privatization, according to the federal agency holding the purse strings.
	Deal costs Florida millions for jobless WASHINGTON -- The House paid for part of the $11-billion in disaster relief it promised New York by taking $142-million in unemployment assistance away from Florida on Wednesday.
	Safety Net To Rescue Unemployed TALLAHASSEE - Floridians who lost their jobs after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks soon could find themselves training for new careers in the fast- ...
	A casualty of war? If it acts in haste to gut public-records protections that took generations to put in place, the Legislature will be chipping away at the foundation of our democracy.
	Senate bill would limit public access State law enforcement officials could clamp a temporary secrecy lid on any public record under a bill approved Tuesday by a Senate committee.
	Give it up Our position: The Florida Senate is making another ill-conceived run against Sunshine.
	Public records bill looks dead But measure to allow secrecy may return next year A measure that would allow the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to delay requests for public records during terrorism investigations appears dead for the Legislature's special session, the bill's House sponsor said Wednesday.
	Editorial: Bad idea, for the record The Palm Beach Post Floridians will not be more secure if the Legislature restricts access to public records in the name of security. Though the special session that began Tuesday is supposed to be for closing a $1.3 billion budget shortage, the Senate Criminal Justice Committee...
	Gov. Bush wants Legislature to OK basic anti-terrorism billsThe committee unanimously endorsed 16 bills Tuesday, many without debate, including measures to allow expanded wiretaps, create a state counter-intelligence computer database, regulate aircraft spraying and broaden criminal offenses of poisoning and terrorism.
	Lawmakers ignite anger over security TALLAHASSEE -- Money is the main issue, but lawmakers called to a special session to balance the state budget appear committed to passing security measures aimed at protecting the state from terrorist attacks.
	Ryce Act funds running on empty- Public defenders from across Florida are asking the Legislature for an emergency cash infusion of $1.3 million to keep Jimmy Ryce cases from stalling in the system because critical psychological experts aren't getting paid.
	Bill would bar local cell phone regulation A Senate panel passes a measure that prevents cities or counties from requiring hands-free equipment.
	For affirmative action, the end is drawing near It's a little early to rank Gov. Jeb Bush among notable leaders of the latest edition of the New South but the coming year will probably demonstrate the foresight of his One Florida initiatives.
	Road projects take off Bush signs law that allows quicker process The six-county Big Bend region is set to benefit to the tune of $3.3 million from an economic stimulus package that Gov. Jeb Bush set into motion Wednesday.
	Governor Bush signs economic stimulus bill - The bill (CS-SB 24B) lets the Department of Transportation combine phases of road construction projects rather than waiting for the right-of-way or design parts of the work to be completed before starting to build.
	Head winds ground cranes Birds halt flight in Suwannee County Head winds in northern Florida on Wednesday stopped a small flock of endangered whooping cranes and its ultralight aircraft es
	City OKs pay raises for top officials A generous Tallahassee City Commission gave more than $26,000 in annual raises and merit bonuses to the local government's four top officials Wednesday.cort from continuing their migration south.
	Graham keeps heat on Everglades plan -WASHINGTON · Sen. Bob Graham said on Tuesday he would continue his hold on a Bush administration appointment until the Department of Interior presents him with a detailed plan for Everglades restoration.
	Editorial: Norton owes Floridians Everglades commitment The Palm Beach Post U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., is correct to hold his ground in a standoff with Interior Secretary Gale Norton over Ms. Norton's decision to close the Everglades restoration office in West Palm Beach. In a meeting with Ms. Norton...
	Syphilis rises in S. Florida- Syphilis rates nationwide fell to an all-time low in 2000 as the result of a push by public health agencies to eradicate the disease from the United States, but in South Florida the sexually transmitted disease is an increasing problem.
	State plays courts off each other on Ryce Act By John Pacenti, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer The Florida Attorney General's Office pitted one appeals court against another Wednesday in an effort to keep three sexual offenders confined under the Jimmy Ryce Act. The 1999 law forces sexual predators...
	Return to deficit spending is forecast through 2005The federal budget will likely remain in deficit for the rest of President Bush's term, bringing a decisive end to the brief era of surpluses, Bush's budget director said.

11/28/01

	Records bills clear a Senate panel - TALLAHASSEE -- Five new terrorism-related exemptions to the public records law won support from a Senate committee Tuesday, but one was so controversial that House Speaker Tom Feeney is unlikely to let it come up for a vote.
	Florida takes a step to seal public records in terror cases TALLAHASSEE -- State police could secretly petition a judge to seal any public records deemed vital to terrorism investigations under a bill a Senate panel approved Tuesday. The vote touched off a fresh round of criticism of a chamber that has already signed off on holding secret meetings of its own members.
	Senators go for secrecy State senators, arguing the need to fight terrorism, quickly moved to deny the public access to a number of public records, including lists of drugs stockpiled to counteract bioterrorism, arrest records and security precautions at hospitals and government buildings.
	Committee OKs security bills Proposal allows FDLE to request restrictions on access to records A Senate committee Tuesday passed a slew of bills designed to improve the state's security and restrict public access to information deemed too sensitive by law enforcement.
	Special session off to clumsy start State officials are determined that the second special session to fix a $1.3 billion hole in Florida's budget won't be as embarrassing as the first.
	Budget-cutting session opens amid confidence -TALLAHASSEE -- Among the signs that Republican leaders already have a plan worked out for solving Florida's budget crisis: Gov. Jeb Bush took time Tuesday to talk golf with Senate President John McKay and comment on House Speaker Tom Feeney's necktie.
	The special session pop quiz Our legislative sessions, special or otherwise, are scary affairs, but they can be even more frightening if you shirk your civic duty and lose track of what our honorables are up to. Knowledge is power. So test your own knowledge of official Florida flapdoodle with this simple current events quiz:
	Bush, Cabinet OK new personnel rules State employees who "just get by" will have to do better under a set of new personnel rules approved Tuesday by Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet. But those who excel can earn more without having to move into management.
	Portion of bay reopens Four counties are ruled disaster area A portion of Apalachicola Bay will reopen today for oyster harvesting, following a one-day precautionary closing due to red tide.
	Protest aims at probation officer cuts The steps of the Old Capitol were swathed in blue Tuesday as several hundred Florida parole officers turned out to protest proposed job cuts to their ranks.
	Lawmakers agree to restore probation cuts - ...Tuesday, the first day of a second special session called to fix the budget. Instead of cutting, they promised to restore the bulk of previous cuts in the number of probation officers.
	State names domestic security chief An ex-Marine officer who strengthened security in ports was named to direct statewide anti-terrorism measures Tuesday.
	State to offer 5 funds for pensions State employees will get a choice between five mutual funds for investing their pension funds beginning next year, the State Board of Administration decided Tuesday. The board, consisting of Gov. Jeb Bush, Comptroller Bob Milligan and Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher, unanimously rejected a staff recommendation that the list of companies offering brand-name funds be limited to three.
	Delayed welfare network scorned Legislators want funding reduced for as-yet-unseen computer system State legislators are asking why Florida government has spent 11 years and more than $230 million but still hasn't finished building a state-of-the-art child-welfare computer system.
	Deep cuts in education spell disaster You may have heard the one about the patron of a greasy spoon restaurant who, upon being served a dreadful meal, complains, "This food is terrible! And the portions are so small!"
	Ladies and gentlemen, start your skepticism Downtown St. Petersburg is alive. Take a walk down Central Avenue on a Friday or Saturday evening, past restaurants and music and wine bars and art galleries that were not there even a couple of years ago.
	Cops target local Mideast men Questions of civil liberties arise as Florida law enforcers prepare to question men with Middle Eastern backgrounds.
	Wave of opponents kills Crow's treated-wood bill TALLAHASSEE -- For nearly a year, state Rep. Larry Crow of Palm Harbor has been trying to ban arsenic-treated wood from Florida's public playgrounds.
	Murder witness admits he lied -He says he identified the man, later sent to death row for a Starke woman's killing, in 1993 to stay out of trouble.
	Migrant farm worker abuse continues LAKE WORTH -- The outpouring of good will following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon has not trickled down to the tens of thousands of laborers who plant, tend and harvest our bounty.
	Emergency funds sought for trial experts in `Ryce cases' - As public defenders from around the state meet today to discuss an impending fiscal crisis that could jeopardize Jimmy Ryce-type cases, the state representative who sponsored the law says emergency measures can be taken to provide more funding.
	THE JIMMY RYCE ACT -- Here's how it works
	Editorial: Give Ryce Act a makeover To the lengthening list of problems the Legislature must deal with next year, add the Jimmy Ryce Act. Lawmakers approved the bill in 1998, three years after a drifter abused, killed and dismembered...
	Graham blocks Bush nominee over Everglades plan - WASHINGTON -- Continuing a standoff over the Bush administration's commitment to restoring the Everglades, Sen. Bob Graham met Tuesday with Interior Secretary Gale Norton, but refused to lift a hold he has placed on President Bush's nominee to head the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. -- Norton, meanwhile, indicated she does not plan to reopen the Everglades restoration office in West Palm Beach, which she closed this month with the transfer of its director, Michael Davis, to a temporary post in the Interior Department's Washington headquarters.

11/27/01

	Senate aims to make deeper education cuts New special session begins today; K-12 classrooms take biggest hit -- State educators knew they were getting off lightly when the Legislature took its first swipe at balancing the state budget last month. On Monday, Senate budget leaders unveiled a new round of figures, carving $591 million out of education - $204 million more than was cut in the first special session. Almost all the new cuts - $250 million - would come from money going directly to K-12 classrooms.
	Public schools to take brunt of proposed state budget cuts - TALLAHASSEE -- Hope that public schools would escape the state's budget crisis without significant cuts officially ended Monday as a Senate panel agreed to shave a total of $591 million from the state's education budget.-- The decision -- over $200 million more than the Legislature agreed to cut a month ago -- all but guarantees many school districts will end up laying off teachers or other staff in coming months, education advocates say.
	Enrollment soars at cash-strapped schools - ...Public schools have swelled with 16,649 more students than expected, the state Department of Education reported Monday. The unexpected students will cost districts an additional $75. million, which officials thought they could spend elsewhere.
	Budget time, again The Florida Legislature is convening again to find ways to make up for the budget's $1.3-billion deficit. Lawmakers should look at each cut they propose very carefully.
	Tax cut, education and health care may take hits to balance Florida's budget -TALLAHASSEE · Advocates for public schools, universities, health care providers and juvenile justice agencies are bracing for the worst as Florida legislators return to the capital today to repair the state budget's $1.3 billion shortfall.
	Budget cuts will spare solicitor general after all TALLAHASSEE -- Even as the ax falls throughout Florida government, one of the state's best-paid lawyers will keep his job after all.
	Welcome back: Show us some statesmanship Old hands in the Legislature must feel a little sheepish about their return engagement here in the capital, where the sequel to last month's special session is now playing. (And we'd like to mean that figuratively.)
	No excuses -- It's irrelevant that other states are facing the same financial problems as Florida.
	Juvenile Justice Defends Priorities TALLAHASSEE - The state Department of Juvenile Justice is scrambling to fend off budget cuts that would delay opening two new detention centers totaling 1,150 beds. ...
	Democrats fret over Capitol office politics TALLAHASSEE -- Republicans in the Legislature promise that the redrawing of legislative districts will be the most open in Florida's history. But what happened Monday didn't make Democrats feel any more confident about that.
	Argenziano ousted from key House finance panel The feisty lawmaker learned of her removal by Speaker Tom Feeney on the eve of a special budget-paring session.
	Hefty gift to Humphries raises eyebrows Wanting to reward outgoing President Frederick Humphries for a job well done, the Florida A&M University Foundation's board of directors voted to give him $100,000 paid over the next five years.
	Process to select president divides FAMU - The first search in 16 years for a president at Florida A&M University, the state's only public predominantly black university, has developed into a contentious debate over influence that may drag out the process longer than expected.
	We're losing to North Carolina in more than sports OK, it does hurt when FSU loses to Florida. But our losses to North Carolina and North Carolina State hurt more. We have taken our lumps in basketball - and now football. But as a state we are taking another really important loss to North Carolina schools that we can prevent: the opportunity to build great research universities.
	Purdom repair a costly one Vapor compressor may cost as much as $500,000 City officials may have to spend as much as $500,000 to rebuild a vapor compressor that "failed catastrophically" in the water treatment arm of the city's newest and most efficient power plant.
	More manatees, but not safe If manatees really are his "favorite mammal," as Gov. Jeb Bush declared in July 2000, here are a couple of suggestions for how he can prove it.
	Mount Dioxin cleanup plan under fire PENSACOLA - A community group and local officials are opposed to a federal proposal for cleaning up the "Mount Dioxin" toxic waste site by mixing contaminated soil with a cement-like substance and then leaving it there.
	Red tide may be rolling back in State again closes Apalachicola Bay Red tide has killed thousands of fish offshore, leading the state Monday to again close Apalachicola Bay to oyster harvesting today.
	Forests losing ground to urban sprawl Millions of acres of Southern forests, including timberland in fast-growing Florida, will be lost to urban sprawl over the next 20 years, according to a federal study released Monday by the U.S. Forest Service.
	Sales pitch of mayor's wife alarms port board TAMPA -- Since Sept. 11 pushed security concerns to the forefront, the Port of Tampa has been deluged with sales pitches from companies peddling everything from surveillance cameras to retina-scanning devices.
	Al-Najjar may go to the United Arab Emirates WASHINGTON -- The federal government is working to secure Mazen Al-Najjar's deportation to the United Arab Emirates following his arrest Saturday on a final deportation order issued two weeks ago.
	As law is tested, many sex offenders may go --One South Florida molester was released Monday as defense lawyers across the state mounted challenges to Florida's controversial Jimmy Ryce law.
	Unsworn testimony frees sex offender--WEST PALM BEACH -- A convicted sex offender walked out of the Palm Beach County Courthouse a free man Monday after a judge refused to detain him any longer under the state's beleaguered Jimmy Ryce Act. Six more sex offenders from Palm Beach County could go free soon if state appeals courts rule...
	Massive tobacco judgment challenged - The nation's biggest tobacco companies on Monday appealed last year's record $145 billion judgment awarded by a Miami jury to sick Florida smokers in the first class action suit of its kind to go to trial.
	Laid-off workers knew months ago recession was here Brian Morris of Lake Mary isn't going to argue if you tell him the United States and Orlando's tourist-dependent economy have descended into recession. He feels it.
	Some noncitizens could face tighter rules to wed It could become harder for some immigrants and visiting foreigners to get married in Florida if laws change to require a valid visa, passport or resident alien card in order to apply for a marriage license.
	Warnings at beach enough?--Santa Rosa County officials plan to review Navarre Beach's surf warning system in the wake of two holiday weekend drownings. The move - which could produce changes as early as this week - comes as rough surf and warm weather once again combine to produce all-too-familiar deadly hazards
	Suspicious activity - Most cities create public parks as pleasant places for people to meet and recreate. Winter Park, on the other hand, seems to think that people ruin the aesthetics of Shady Park, an oak-shaded green space in what once was the heart of the city's black community. The city replaced game tables and chairs with a few well-spaced benches to "discourage congregating" in the gentrified neighborhood's parks.
	Insurance problems keep girl, 14, from life-saving lung transplant - Fourteen-year-old Jenny Hart can barely breath. Her doctor says she's in the end stage of chronic lung disease and quite possibly has cystic fibrosis. A lung transplant would improve her life dramatically, but she may not be able to get one because of problems with the insurance company provided through her mother's work, Foundation Health, of Sunrise.

	Hopeful wings -Forty-one days after leaving central Wisconsin, a flock of whooping cranes takes off Monday morning after an overnight stop in rural Hamilton County near Jennings. The historic ultralight airplane-led migration is nearing the end of a 1,200-mile flight to Citrus County. JOHN MORAN/The Gainesville Sun
	Sign up for finance reform - Florida representatives should sign off on campaign reform
	William Safire: Kangaroo courts As soon as German U-boats put eight saboteurs on U.S. shores during World War II, one of the eight called the FBI to betray the mission but was brushed off as a crackpot. Days later, he called again and managed to persuade the FBI he was an authentic saboteur. Partly to keep this embarrassment of bungled enforcement from becoming known, the eight were secretly tried by a military court inside the FBI headquarters.

11/26/01

	`People Over Politics Day' -Next Saturday is "People Over Politics Day." Petition-gatherers will be out in force, seeking voter signatures supporting two vital state government reform amendments. If they ask you to sign, say yes.-- The day was designated by the League of Women Voters of Florida, Common Cause, Florida's supervisors of elections, the PTA, the Silver-Haired Legislature and other groups. They deserve thanks of a grateful public for jump-starting a stalled amendment campaign to fix problems with a flawed process of redrawing political districts.
	Service First again under microscope Ben Patterson has a list - three lists, actually - raising some questions about Florida's new Service First state personnel system.
	One budget fight remains to be settled in courts Somewhat forgotten, as Gov. Jeb Bush and our Legislature face the state budget crisis this week, is that they were supposed to be facing each other in court.
	Washington, D.C., is taxing Florida Senate President John McKay, R-Bradenton, knows that the federal government can, and will, pick Florida's pocket. He has told anybody who will listen that Congress will cost the state of Florida $4 billion a year pretty soon...
	Florida's sales tax rife with loopholes, breaks for special interests -TALLAHASSEE · It was nearly midnight on the closing day of the 2001 legislative session when the Senate's top budget writer quietly tucked a $300,000 tax break for a hometown water bottler into a must-pass bill.- The beneficiary was the Florida Coca-Cola Bottling Co. The tax break shielded the Dasani brand of water, bottled in Jacksonville, from the state's 6 percent sales tax.
	State salutes thrifty workers State workers honored Tuesday for productivity As Florida legislators convene to cut state spending this week, another group of economy-minded state employees will be honored Tuesday for saving taxpayers nearly a half-billion dollars.
	Unlikely pair to tackle state's budget shortfall-- TALLAHASSEE -- With Florida's top legislators still bruised from last month's budget battle, the job of fixing Florida's $1.3 billion shortfall will go this week to an unlikely, but like-minded, pair of second-tier legislative leaders.
	Budget back on cutting boar Less squabbling and deep, far-reaching cuts are in the forecast for the special session that begins Tuesday.
	Tight state budget a lesson to educators Minimal cuts likely will get worse and schools are being forced to make tough choices on programs and teachers.
	Politicians should quit rationalizing Florida's failures- Politicians seems to be put off by our newspapers doing their jobs and holding the politicians accountable for their actions. Too bad. Rationalization has always been a trait of those in denial, and it appears the politicians who take pride in being cheap are riding their denial higher than ever.
	Budget Shortfall Agenda Criticized TALLAHASSEE - When legislators return to the Capitol on Tuesday to deal with a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Jeb Bush and Republican lawmakers will stick to two guiding principles: cut spending, with no tax hikes.-- But two well-known economists, including this year's Nobel Prize winner in economics, say that may deepen problems for Florida's economy.
	Spare juvenile justice from budget offenses After warning for three years about a rise in juvenile crime that didn't happen, Florida legislators plan to cut programs that have helped to reduce juvenile crime just as the slowing economy makes those programs more important...
	State budget cuts force closure of 4-H camps for kids State budget cuts will hit home next summer for 4-H participants in Leon and 16 other North Florida counties when a summer camp open since 1946 closes its doors.
	For Al-Najjar family, uncertainty returns Fedaa Al-Najjar wonders what to do after her husband's re-arrest by federal agents Saturday.
	FSU puts student films online Site showcases best student productions Want to check out the work of the next generation of filmmakers? Now you can without leaving your living room.
	Navy, officials form prairie plan= Local leaders are stepping up efforts to save the environmentally sensitive Perdido Pitcher Plant Prairie, an effort that could protect Pensacola Naval Air Station from rapid development.
	Winds ground flock of cranes Winds prevented a small flock of endangered whooping cranes, led by ultralight aircraft, from continuing their migration south in Florida on Sunday. The flock reached Hamilton County on Saturday after a 39-mile flight from Georgia. They started their trek in Wisconsin.
	Manatee regulations are disputed-- With the weather turning nippy up north, manatees are again beginning their migration toward South Florida and the warm waters of power plant basins along the way.- The mammals will have some limited new protections as they meander down the coast as well as seasonal slow-speed zones for boaters, which just went into effect in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe and several other counties. But more sweeping measures, such as more than a dozen manatee refuges that would limit or ban humans, remain mired in controversy.
	Man-of-war brings sting back to beach By Robert P. King, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Your next trip to the beach could become a stinging experience. The Portuguese man-of-war are back. Some swimmers in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties have felt the venomous lash...
	Warnings on rough surf slim- Dangerous surf warnings were virtually nonexistent along Pensacola and Navarre beaches over the long holiday weekend, and most visitors said when they did see warnings, they didn't understand them. Surfers and swimmers continued to take advantage of big waves and warm temperatures Sunday despite two drownings over the weekend.
	Rail system is mired in uncertainty Terrorist attacks, finances put bullet trains on shifting tracks ORLANDO - A network of bullet trains spanning the state was promoted as a way to get Floridians out of their cars. But the Sept. 11 attacks may make the proposed bullet train popular with nervous flyers.
	Poverty unwelcome distinction for Miami MIAMI - Miami, whose waterfront refuges for the prosperous and prominent have long shadowed asphalt flatlands filled with the poor and anonymous, now has the highest poverty rate of any large U.S. city, according to new census estimates released Tuesday.
	Faceprint software getting a hard look Most accept scanning technology after Sept. 11 TAMPA - Don't look now, but they're capturing your face. In Florida it takes two seconds. You see that camera perched on the utility pole next to the cigar stand? Look higher, 15 feet above the sidewalk. That camera just swiveled your way and stopped.
	Merging patriotism, religion worries South Florida atheists - Atheists in South Florida have felt more slighted than usual in the past two months, noting that many of their fellow Americans have rashly united both God and country to express their patriotism.
	An alternative reality Most Americans get their news from TV. And what they see is heartwarming — a picture of a nation behaving well in a time of crisis. Indeed, the vast majority of Americans have been both resolute and generous. But that's not the whole story, and the images that TV doesn't show are anything but heartwarming.
	Maureen Dowd: Uncivil liberties? A friend of mine, a liberal editor at a magazine, has been trying to get some of his staffers interested in writing about whether the Bush team's anti-terrorism measures are scorching our civil liberties. It's the sort of topic they'd usually jump at. But not this time.

11/25/01

	It's Graham vs. Bush in battle over regents -Deciding the future of Florida's university system is turning into a titanic clash between the state's two most important political leaders: Jeb Bush and Bob Graham.
	Debt vs. jobs Gov. Jeb Bush is urging the state Legislature to increase the state's borrowing for the specific purposes of creating new jobs at a time when the economy is flat.
	Budget back on cutting board TALLAHASSEE -- Having spectacularly failed once to bring Florida's budget into balance, a more sober and determined Legislature will try again in a second special session beginning Tuesday.
	Waking up - Our position: The Legislature's second time around has no room for error.
	Editorial: Do better by the state in the 'do-over' session The Palm Beach Post When the Republicans who run Florida's government tried to stitch up a $1.3 billion budget gap last month, they broke the rules of arithmetic and constitutionality. This time, they are ready to do business in the right way. Unfortunately, what they want to do right is still wrong.
	Legislators return to trim budget Intangibles tax dispute nearer to resolution Budget cuts, take two. Three and a half weeks after their initial attempt to balance the state budget imploded, lawmakers return to Tallahassee this week to try again - albeit with more of the groundwork completed this time.
	Try These Ideas First State lawmakers need not cut, slash and burn their way toward a balanced budget this Tuesday when they reconvene for their second special session to find $1.3 billion to avert Florida's fiscal crisis.
	Golf attraction gets tax subsidy, we get tourists TALLAHASSEE -- Every year Florida chunks out a $2-million subsidy to the Professional Golf Hall of Fame at St. Augustine, which is the centerpiece of a luxury resort. What didn't seem like a lot of money when legislators approved it in 1993 might look more precious now as they turn again, under the hammer of a budget deficit, to cutting health care and social services for pregnant working women, troubled teenagers and other citizens who need the state's help considerably more than golfers do.
	SouthCom's future role is blurred by war on terror...The Southern Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in almost all of Latin America and the Caribbean, moved from Panama to Miami-Dade County in September 1997. It employs 1,350 people, pumps $167 million a year into local coffers, and brings hundreds of dignitaries a year to South Florida.
	Lower-income Floridians brace for special session
	Florida's fourth grade The Department of Education is rushing its new grade plan, the fourth in four years, into place that feebly measures the learning gains of students.
	Falling down - Our position: The state is not living up to its end of the bargain on nursing homes.
	Fund-raising on back burner Some candidates are holding back following Sept. 11 Gov. Jeb Bush expressed concern recently about campaign fund-raising, even though early in the process he's still way ahead of any Democrats hoping to challenge him.
	After all is said and done, Katherine Harris will win -Forget about Jeb vs. Janet. The nastiest and most-talked-about Florida political event next year might take place in a single Gulf Coast congressional district..... That's where Katherine Harris -- dubbed, depending on one's perspective, a national hero or ``Cruella de Vil,'' the villain in the Disney movie 101 Dalmatians, for her role in declaring George W. Bush president last year -- is riding her fame to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
	Butterworth swings awayTALLAHASSEE -- For the first time since Florida won a landmark settlement with the nation's cigarette makers four years ago, Bob Butterworth is back in the middle of a national controversy.- This time, instead of taking Big Tobacco to court, Florida's attorney general is taking on big-league baseball, recently calling America's pastime an ``arrogant big business'' that cares more about profits than the communities that support its teams. - Butterworth's argument: The league no longer deserves a 79-year-old exemption to the nation's antitrust laws. His actions could bring a test case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
	Battle over the Redland is all about money - If the bankers and land speculators get their way, folks who live in the Redland won't be voting on their own future. There's too much up for grabs. With most of Miami-Dade's open spaces already gobbled and subdivided, the Redland looms as one of the last big prizes for hungry developers.
	Cranes reach Florida A small flock of endangered whooping cranes migrating south from Wisconsin, led by ultralight aircraft, reached Florida on Saturday. Organizers said the flock of seven whooping cranes had covered 1,078 miles and had only an additional 139 miles to reach the final destination, the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in central Florida. They were in Hamilton County on Saturday.
	Palestinian man faces security deportation TAMPA - A Palestinian who was held for 3 1/2 years on secret evidence was arrested Saturday for violating his visa and faces deportation as a threat to national security, the Department of Justice said.
	Al-Najjar Arrested TAMPA - A showdown between the government and a Palestinian researcher imprisoned for years on secret evidence took a new turn Saturday when federal agents arrested Mazen Al-Najjar outside his Tampa apartment and sent him ...
	Without warning, Al-Najjar jailed Jailed for 3 1/2 years on secret evidence, then freed, the former USF teacher's detention is not based on new evidence.
	64,000 Floridians are of Arab descent Census shows growing interest in state's offerings TEMPLE TERRACE - At Al-Aqsa grocery, pita bread still warm from the bakery is stacked high and the perfume of cardamon and turmeric hangs heavy in the air as shoppers crowd around a television blaring the latest reports from Al-Jazeera.
	Affirmative action critics silent on legacy admissions The University of Georgia's modest affirmative action program should not have been so controversial. It was a factor in only 10 to 20 percent of applications, and at its best the program never managed to boost UGA's black student body to more than 6 percent.
	Legal aid to low-income residents The United States is justly proud of being a nation of laws, but with that distinction comes the responsibility of assuring every citizen equal standing before the law regardless of race, wealth or fame. There are public defenders for poor people accused of crimes, but for those victimized by consumer fraud, domestic abuse or simply government red tape, help is inconsistent and too often unavailable.
	Security at highest ever for the shuttle -CAPE CANAVERAL -- The space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to lift off Thursday evening, but few people will see it up close because of unprecedented security backed up by elite forces and tons of weaponry.

11/24/01

	Press responsibility doesn't equal censorship The free-speech police are on High Alert these days, as entertainers, journalists and others get a taste of what's being called "censorship" but which is, in most cases, a short course in free-market economics.
	Legislators fundraising frenzy is getting crowded Seven years ago, the Florida Legislature took a good, hard look in the mirror.
	Specialty plates would tackle terrorism Governor to rule on measure aimed at fighting disaster Gov. Jeb Bush has until the end of next week to approve two new specialty license plates meant to raise money for disaster preparedness and capturing would-be terrorists.
	Retired Marine officer tops list for state security chief TALLAHASSEE -- A retired Marine officer who has been on special assignment in Beirut and Kuwait and who has worked on seaport security in Florida has emerged as the top candidate for Florida's first security czar.
	Guarding history It appears that President Bush wants to keeps presidential records out of the public's hands, except on a need-to-know basis, to protect past administrations, including his father's.
	INS overreacts to student's visa If we have learned anything since Sept. 11, it is that the Immigration and Naturalization Service has an abysmal record of enforcing its own rules for student visas. The INS openly acknowledges that people from other countries coming to the U.S. ostensibly for an education will sometimes never show up for class and that the agency too often has made little attempt to find and deport them.

11/23/01

	Bush and the Legislature must learn to hit the curve In baseball, a good curve can humiliate even a gifted batter - leaving him clumsily contorted as he swings futilely at the spinning sphere.
	More pressure on managers to be scrupulous Bosses and their accusers are getting to be a familiar pairing here in the capital, post-Service First. A feud between Department of Management Services Secretary Cynthia Henderson continues, with the former commander of the Capitol Police saying he was hounded out of his job. She replaced several experienced division directors, too, adding fuel to a storm of charges that "at will" means capricious, irrational and unfair. This week Secretary of State Katherine Harris said that her former inspector general had tried "to extort" a pay increase, and when he didn't get it lied under oath about what he felt was her incompetence and fiscal extravagance in office.
	Oyster harvesters in the red Financial straits follow Apalachicola Bay closure EASTPOINT - Those who harvest oysters from Apalachicola Bay said this week they've been hit hard financially by the closing of the bay for toxic red tide.
	When