NOTE - 
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9/22/02

McBride's primary victory defies GOP strategists - 
Florida Republicans were convinced last year that they had
masterminded a brilliant strategy to ensure Gov. Jeb Bush's reelection in 2002.- 
Suddenly, that plan isn't looking so bright.- 
The GOP's flash of wisdom came in the 2001 legislative session, when lawmakers eliminated runoffs in state primary elections.- 
At the time, they snickered gleefully to themselves, and some immediately dubbed it the ``Lois Frankel Act.''- 
The nickname was sarcastic, of course, but it carried serious meaning: The elimination of a runoff seemed sure to guarantee that a liberal such as state Rep. Lois Frankel would wind up winning the party's nomination for governor.

Analyzing an unforgettable primary
Random thoughts on yet another exciting election: Conventional wisdom holds that Bill McBride benefited from those attack ads that the Florida Republican Party ran, once the polls indicated Gov. Jeb Bush was probably not going to face Janet Reno in November. Sure, they boosted McBride's name recognition - but they also drove up his negatives. The Bush people have been called a lot of things. Dumb isn't one of them.

Bush vs. McBride offers clear choice
The Democratic primary was a study in similarities. The general election is a tale of stark philosophical contrasts.

Governor’s race pits fame, folksy approach - - TALLAHASSEE -- Only the fifth Republican elected governor in Florida’s 157-year history, Jeb Bush wants to be the first to be re- elected. But standing in his way to a historic second term is Democrat Bill McBride, a political newcomer who pulled a stunning primary victory over Janet Reno to edge his way into the general election.
The candidates are both personable, upper class, middle-aged white men with successful business backgrounds and not a lot of contrast in personality. Neither one lacks for confidence.
But on the stump,they handle themselves quite differently.

Meet Bob Kunst: Not your next governor
Bob Kunst, the other name on the Nov. 5 ballot for governor, says he earns new supporters every time he speaks. 

Jeb Bush: His early values shape his policies
The summer he was 17, Jeb Bush set out west from Texas on a long road trip that led him from the beaches of Southern California to a Nevada brothel to a casino hotel on the Strip in Las Vegas. - But the future governor apparently never surfed, never solicited sex and never sat down to gamble during the two-week tour. He did, at least, stand and cheer at a Vegas performance by Elvis Presley -- the sequined king himself, an indulgent man far weaker in the face of temptation than this disciplined young fan from Houston.

Giving the business to McBride? Bush knows how it feels-- From the street, the race between Gov. Jeb Bush and Bill McBride looks like a nasty fight.-- But this year's public brawl over private business is nothing like the personal bruising that Bush took the first time he ran for governor.-- This time, it is Bush dishing out criticism for the business careers of rival Bill McBride and running mate Tom Rossin.

Rossin steps into the spotlight
Tom Rossin brings a familiar name, if not a very familiar face, to the Democratic campaign.

Rossin's solid record
Like Bill McBride, he believes in investment.

McBride partner offers appeal
Quick - who was Florida's first lieutenant governor of modern times and what happened to him? If you can answer without turning to the end of this story, you're probably an astute student of politics or Claude Kirk. When the constitution was revised halfway through his term, Kirk won the right to seek re-election and the task of picking a second banana for his 1970 campaign.

Election tallies receive positive reviews
Despite a premiere scarred by harried poll workers, angry voters and late- night riffs on Florida's status as the master of electoral meltdowns, the first major test of new election technology after the 2000 debacle was a success -- sort of.

GETTING READY FOR NOVEMBER
Now that the Broward County Commission will oversee the county's Nov. 5 general election, let the posturing and political maneuvering end so the real work can begin.

Ex-Felons And Election Reform - I n an effort to purge Florida voting lists of ex-felons who had registered illegally, at least 1,100 eligible voters were wrongly purged from the rolls before the 2000 election. Many of them had no criminal record and were shocked when they showed up to vote and were told they couldn't.-- 
Although Florida election officials contended they had the problem under control with a new database, in June the U.S. Justice Department ordered the state to delay any purges of suspected felons from local voter lists. As a result, many ex-felons who registered to vote without getting the proper clearance voted in the Sept. 10 primary, and the order may well extend to November's general election.

Florida shedding aversion to taxes
Florida has long deserved its reputation as a land where taxes are low and citizens fight hard to keep it that way. In Orange County, for example, civic and education leaders tried in vain for two decades to raise taxes to save the Orlando area's crumbling schools.

Raise teacher pay, secretary says
Education Secretary Jim Horne focuses on matching the national salary average, not on smaller classes.

A charter to profit
The explosive growth of for-profit charter schools in Florida is diverting hundreds of millions of public dollars to businesses that pervert the program's intent.

Racial learning gap not closing
In Martin and St. Lucie counties, minorities are behind the state in high school or college graduates.

All legislators should be forced to take the FCAT
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida legislators have a bad habit of acting as if they think they're at the head of the class.

Amendment would turn back clock
As chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Florida's Sen. Bob Graham should be focusing on overseeing America's intelligence agencies. Instead, he's taking time away from his Washington responsibilities to sponsor a Florida ballot measure on university education that has no impact on our kids or classrooms.
..... By John Thrasher

'Seamless' system is political ruse
On Nov. 5, Florida voters will make an important decision. They will decide whether they want to allow a handful of politicians to continue to make academic policy in this state or whether they want to get the politicians out of the middle of higher education altogether so that our universities can continue their quest for excellence. If they do, they will vote yes on Amendment 11.
....By Joan Ruffier,

DCF workers perform miracles for children
As Jerry Regier takes over Florida's scandalized Department of Children & Families, not the least of his challenges is salvaging the morale of the caseworkers and investigators who struggle to protect imperiled kids.

Child search may be extended
A program funded by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has made some headway in locating children originally reported missing by the state.

Letters to the Editor: Regier - Rehab clinic obeying law in Noelle Bush case
I must respond to Jac Wilder VerSteeg's Sept. 17 column, "Gov. Bush and drug rehab clinics," in which he criticizes state-supported drug treatment programs, like the one in which the governor's daughter is enrolled.

Just Imagine If These Guys Had Been Trying To Hide -- Take all the time you need to answer this multiple-choice question. This is Florida, after all. So many options, so much incompetence.- 
The following quote refers to what latest embarrassment?
``The system is new, and there were a few glitches in some equipment.''
A) The state's touch-screen voting system.
B) The state's FCAT scoring system.
C) The state's anti-terror alert system.
D) The Bucs offense.
E) All of the above.

Florida tax laws
It's about time. Federal officials are talking about closing the loophole that lets the rich and infamous keep their lavish homes while keeping bankruptcy creditors at bay. It is one of Florida's tax peculiarities, from the time it was a bug-infested swamp scrounging for newcomers. Hiding millions in mansions might become harder by requiring, for example, homeowners to live in those homes for three to four years before claiming creditor-exempt status.

Science on trial
A tempting rescue plan for a dwindling aquifer strained by growth has grown into a heated environmental battle. 

Volusia County's long-term assurance of a plentiful water supply
New Jersey did it, shut off its water supply to new development until its depleted aquifer refilled. Maryland, Virginia and Georgia are doing it. North Carolina, with its coastal aquifer 200 feet below normal, is talking about it. 

Growth management
It is astounding how fast progress can sneak up and overwhelm you. Aptly, a reminder of that emerges from three stories that appeared on the same day in the past week in this newspaper. See if you noticed the same convergence:

Done right, St. Joe projects will benefit the Panhandle
Diane Roberts is a wonderful writer, a native Floridian with great pride in her heritage and a committed environmentalist who has recently written in these pages ("Paradise Sold?", Comment, Sept. 15). The thrust of her column is that the St. Joe Co. is making big plans for the development of the Panhandle that threaten the quality of life that has marked this region.
...By Sandy D'Alemberte

For many, mortgage eats almost half of paycheck
In the apartment where she used to live, the next-door neighbor never stopped complaining. He complained of the noise when her grandchildren came to visit. He complained when she played her radio.

High-speed train still waits for funding
The state has little more than a year to meet a construction deadline for a high-speed rail and find a way to finance its potential $20-billion cost.

Terror arrests could test controversial law
The law allows the arrest of people for 'providing material support or resources to a terrorist orginization.'

Biz fraud goes behind the curtain
The threat from Iraq may or may not be real. The effort to make people forget about Dennis Kozlowski and his brethren is very real.

Washington Today: Bush administration's Iraq campaign includes behind-scenes bartering
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's drive to persuade Congress and the United Nations to authorize military action against Iraq is just the public face of its campaign. Behind the scenes, it's more like "let's make a deal." Russia wants assurances the $8 billion Iraq owes it would be assumed by a post- Saddam Hussein regime and that there will be less criticism about its Chechyna policy. China would appreciate support in its crackdown on Islamic militants in its Central Asia border areas. France would like future access to Iraqi oil fields.

Beattie Cartoon:  George W. Rambo - Rambush!

9/21/02

Critical documentary on Florida 2000 election screened in Miami
MIAMI — Days after some Florida voters confronted balky touchscreen machines set up by untrained poll workers, two Los Angeles film makers are providing a window back to butterfly ballots and dimpled chads. "Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election," a critical look at Florida's previous election woes, premiered this week in Miami. (check here for a showing near you)

Governor's contempt of courts
One of Jeb Bush's least admirable traits is the petulance he displays when the courts don't see things his way. The latest case: the Florida Supreme Court's 6-1 ruling this month that the Constitution doesn't allow the Legislature to slap cost estimates on ballot initiatives such as the class-size and pre-kindergarten amendments. The governor called the decision "incomprehensible."

Bush school-building plan relies on disputed tax increase
Gov. Jeb Bush, who has spent the past month criticizing a class-size ballot measure saying it would force the state to raise taxes or cut programs, is depending on a recent controversial tax increase for his own school-building plan.

Dramatic Plan For Colleges On Hold
TAMPA - Florida Education Secretary Jim Horne acknowledged Friday he will wait until after the Nov. 5 election to unveil politically controversial college proposals, including possible changes to popular Bright Futures scholarships and prepaid tuition plans. ...

Long tax battle ends in state Supreme Court
TALLAHASSEE — The issue that dominated the political landscape in Tallahassee all spring — Senate President John McKay's determination to revamp Florida's sales tax by eliminating dozens of exemptions — ended Friday in the state Supreme Court. In a 5-0 order, the high court refused to overturn a lower court's decision striking the issue from the Nov. 5 ballot.

State wrong to appeal right-to-know rejection
This week, an intrusive Florida law restricting the right of women to choose abortion correctly was declared unconstitutional.-- 
The 1997 Woman's Right-to-Know Act set out new requirements for women seeking abortions. They had to provide written consent that they had received state-produced information from a doctor on the nature and risks of abortion. They had to accept a controversial pamphlet describing the development of a fetus. Supporters, including the Christian Coalition, said the law was a way to provide full information. Opponents called it harassment.

Miami-Dade mayor hires crisis managers to run general election
MIAMI — Miami-Dade County hired crisis managers Friday to run the November general election to avoid a repeat of its botched primary, officials said. Mayor Alex Penelas said he hired the specialists Friday evening in response to a report from the county inspector general that called the county's plans to fix its election system "insufficient and untested."

County sees crisis at polls
Miami-Dade County's inspector general calls polling problems inexcusable and preventable.

Qualified success for Libertarians
Using an election quirk that eases signature requirements, 75 Libertarians are on the ballot. 

Democrats must look for pay dirt in Palatka
It was an unlikely setting for a civics lesson.

Alex Sink releases her tax returns
The wife of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride relents after her husband wins his party's nomination.

NRA, Bush Take Shot At Rossin
TALLAHASSEE - Democratic running mate Tom Rossin's unsuccessful push for a new law requiring trigger locks on guns may hinder Tampa lawyer Bill McBride's hopes to carry the critical Florida Panhandle in the governor's race in November. ...

Jeb? This Is Lawton. Remember Me? Let's Have Some Fun -- But one of the more hysterically funny raps against the Democratic nominee is that (perhaps you might want to remove the children from the room) he is (egad!) a (cue ``The Exorcist'' theme) CORPORATE LAWYER!!!-- 
This sort of sneering reference to McBride's resume would be understandable if Bush were the Green Party candidate for the governorship. But given that the Florida Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated Industries of Florida, the most powerful corporate lobbying group in Tallahassee, trying to tar McBride because of his business ties is like Hugh Hefner getting offended by the back seat limo scene in ``No Way Out.''

Bush holds cash advantage on McBride
By Mary Ellen Klas, Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau
Jeb Bush has $5.4 million to spend campaigning, compared with Bill McBride's paltry $162,568.

Protesters urge Goss to pull support of war with Iraq - 
The woman in the white minivan making the turn from U.S. 41 East onto Airport-Pulling Road on Friday read the sign, wrinkled her brow then leaned on her horn. The two dozen anti-war protesters who lined the northeast corner of the intersection smiled and hoisted their signs higher.

Public Access TV Group Prepares To File Suit Against County - TAMPA - Speak Up Tampa Bay, the nonprofit group operating Tampa's public access cable channel, has lined up an extensive team of lawyers to fight Hillsborough County's decision to withhold $355,000 in funding.

Two out-of-staters finalists for state education chancellor - ``Finding a good leader for our public education system is one of the most important jobs we have to do, and these two individuals are without a doubt extremely prepared to lead our K-12 system.''

S. Florida’s jobless lines grow longer by the day - South Florida’s unemployment numbers released on Friday confirm what those on the unemployment line already know: It’s not getting better, it’s getting worse. ... Nationwide, long-term joblessness of six months or more for professional, managerial and administrative workers is at its highest level in 20 years and accounts for nearly one of every two long- term unemployed.

Caseworker pleads guilty to falsifying records; gets probation
BARTOW — A Department of Children and Families caseworker fired following the death of a toddler pleaded guilty Friday to falsifying records in the case. Erica Jones was sentenced to three years probation and is prohibited from working in any field involving children or the elderly.

Police: businessman tried to have state insurance worker killed
JACKSONVILLE — A businessman has been arrested on charges of hiring a hit on a government employee who had halted work at construction sites because of worker insurance problems. Authorities said the construction projects were being used for money laundering, and the businessman was angered at delays caused by the stop work orders.

No terror, no bombs -- they even paid tolls
Three Arab-Americans originally suspected of being terrorists are now cleared of everything, even a $126 toll offense...

Eavesdrop if you must, but get facts straight - ... When you overhear snatches of someone else's conversation, it's easy to reach a distorted conclusion about the discussion.- I know this because, on Thursday, I went for lunch in the food court of Fashion Square Mall in Orlando. At one table there were two guys talking about needing money. Hmmm. Could they be contemplating knocking over an armored truck?...

Family says Al-Najjar kicked out of Lebanon
TAMPA — A Palestinian professor deported from the United States last month apparently is without a country again. Mazen Al-Najjar, a former University of South Florida engineering instructor, was kicked out of Lebanon Wednesday, where he had been dropped off by U.S. immigration authorities last month, his family said.

State opens Web site after dangerous spider found
WINTER HAVEN — The state established a new Web site about venomous spiders after one of the world's most toxic species was discovered at a central Florida home recently. Sixteen Chilean recluse spiders were removed from the Winter Haven home in July, prompting the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to put up the Web site with photos and information about them and other poisonous spiders found in Florida.
 http://doacs.state.fl.us/~pi/enpp/ento/venomousspiders.htm 

The unheeded alarms
Investigators have shown that U.S. intelligence agencies mishandled years of accumulating evidence that al-Qaida was plotting an attack using airplanes.

People will die, agent warned
By Rebecca Carr, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau
But FBI officials refused to search for two suspects later involved in the Sept. 11 attacks, according to testimony before the House Senate intelligence committees.

Graham accused of withholding information
Sen. Bob Graham is the chairman of the panel investigating intelligence failures prior to Sept. 11.

A climate of denial
Palm Beach Post Editorial
Global warming excised from EPA report. -- The Environmental Protection Agency might as well change its name. Under President Bush, it certainly has changed its mission. -- 
That's what the annual federal report on air pollution trends revealed last week -- not by what the report included but by what it left out. For the first time in six years, the report had no section on global warming, despite the Bush administration's pledge that limiting the growth of industrial emissions, which contribute to rising temperatures, is the priority it was when Carol Browner served as EPA administrator under Bill Clinton.

9/20/02

Primary fallout leads to Broward shakeup, allegations of race discrimination
FORT LAUDERDALE — Broward County's elections chief gave up most of her responsibilities for the general election and civil rights groups claimed thousands of minority voters had problems voting in the latest fallout from Florida's botched primary. Broward elections supervisor Miriam Oliphant, under pressure from state and local officials, including Gov. Jeb Bush, agreed Thursday to let the county commission run the Nov. 5 general election.

Broward official apologizes for voting mess
Ending a standoff, Broward County's election supervisor accepted the blame Thursday for problems with last week's primary and agreed to use up to 1,000 county workers to avoid further problems in the Nov. 5 general election.

Stop the carping
Florida doesn't need Justice Department intervention -- or more partisan sniping from either side -- as it works to ensure a well-run general election on Nov. 5.

State voters don't need Justice's election cavalry
Palm Beach Post Editorial
An obvious conflict of Bush administrations.

Florida state task force says missing foster children figures were overstated
MIAMI — A state task force says a list of almost 400 "missing" foster children is exaggerated, with many now considered chronic runaways and few in any physical danger. In a statewide search of the children listed as missing in August by the Department of Children & Families, 139 out of 393 of the children have been located, the study said.

New DCF secretary gets an earful of gripes from employees -- The pay is lousy, the stress overwhelming, and the only publicity is about the few children they hurt, not the tens of thousands a year they save, social workers told their new boss during emotional meetings on Thursday.-- 
Department of Children & Families Secretary Jerry Regier's monthlong tour of offices around the state continued with stops in Pompano Beach and West Palm Beach. Regier heard many complaints, received a few suggestions, and continued looking for ways to fix an agency with a $3.6 billion budget and substantial problems

Former opponents stump for unity
Bill McBride, Janet Reno and Daryl Jones show a united front for the race against Republican Gov. Jeb Bush.

Bush proposes plan to build new schools
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Jeb Bush is proposing to use growing tax collections to build 300 new schools over the next five years, a plan he said is partially a response to a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce class sizes. Bush, who announced the plan during a campaign stop in Daytona Beach, said he is offering the proposal now as an alternative to the ballot question which will ask voters to limit class sizes.

Governor wants more classrooms - Jeb Bush offers a plan, criticized by Democrats, in the face of a November ballot initiative on class size.-- TALLAHASSEE -- After months of criticizing a popular but costly ballot measure requiring smaller classes, Gov. Jeb Bush on Thursday offered his own plan: a $2.8-billion borrowing program to build 12,000 new classrooms over the next five years.

For-profit education: Bottom line allure in charter schools, vouchers
While public schools are struggling for money, education-for-profit is claiming an increasing share of state and local dollars in Florida. 

UCF pursues future with Daytona Beach Community College
DAYTONA BEACH — The University of Central Florida wants some space on Daytona Beach Community College's new permanent campus in Deltona, and will ask the state for money to make it happen. "We intend to be a partner there," UCF President John Hitt said Wednesday of the campus that opened in May in temporary quarters at Deltona City Hall.

Unknown substance forces evacuation of Indian River CC
FORT PIERCE — Authorities canceled classes and evacuated part of Indian River Community College after three people, including a police officer, suffered reactions to an unknown substance. During a Thursday morning algebra class, a student stuck her elbow into a sticky substance and noticed an irritation and rash, said St. Lucie County Fire Department Capt. Tom Whitley.

FEMA unveils maps of new Pinellas flood zones
The new federal maps help set flood insurance rates and determine which homeowners need the insurance.-- Long-awaited federal flood maps, which identify Pinellas County's most flood-prone areas and affect flood insurance rates and coastal building guidelines, were released this week.-- 
If approved, the maps will be the first update to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Pinellas flood maps in two decades. The agency hopes the maps are more accurate -- and better received -- than the last proposed maps, released in 1997 but held up by appeals while the county and FEMA wrangled over technology used to develop them. (i.e. 1970's aerial maps)...
(For the new ones,) The county paid for high-tech Light Imaging Detection and Ranging, which involved using lasers to measure Pinellas topography from an airplane....

Polio-type paralysis linked to West Nile- The West Nile virus apparently has caused six people in Mississippi and Louisiana to develop poliolike paralysis, heightening concern about the rapidly spreading virus, federal health officials reported Thursday.

West Nile survives in blood
By M.A.J. McKENNA, Palm Beach Post-Cox News Service
The FDA looks at screening blood - once a test is developed.

AMI water was cleaned of anthrax before it was dumped - The water was dumped in the city's sewer system, but only after being tested, neutralized with chlorine, tested again and then disinfected by the city's wastewater treatment plant. That rendered harmless any anthrax spores that were in the water, state and federal officials said.

Conviction in '66 murder overturned
By John Pacenti, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Crucial evidence was withheld about the murder of Sebring millionaire Charles Von Maxcy, a judge ruled.

Tollbooth video: Drivers of both cars paid the toll-- 
An important part of the investigation into the Alligator Alley terrorism scare could be finished within days, Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter said Thursday. "A significant element could be cleared up next week," Hunter said, saying he couldn't disclose any details. On Thursday, a videotape of the Interstate 75 tollbooth was released, showing the drivers of both cars carrying three medical students detained on the Alley on Sept. 13 paying the $1.50 toll.
VIDEO — Watch video from tollbooth

Growing hurricane bears down on Cuba
Hurricane Isidore, destined to commit considerable havoc, focused its wrath on Cuba today. The first squalls arrived Thursday, and forecasters warned Cubans to prepare for nearly three feet of rain, severe floods and damaging wind.

Bush backs alternative for Homeland Security-- WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats and Republicans remained at an impasse Thursday about worker rights in the proposed Homeland Security Department as President Bush endorsed a new alternative.-- 
In a 50-49 test vote along party lines, the Senate fell short of the 60 votes needed to prevent major GOP changes to a Democratic version of the bill. Bush has threatened to veto that version because it does not give him the broad authority he seeks to rapidly hire, fire and deploy the agency's 170,000 workers to respond to terrorist threats.

Molly Ivins: Discussions on invading Iraq
Don't you just hate it when the bad guys agree to do what we want them to? If that's not a good reason to go in and take out Saddam, name one. But our Fearless Leader, not one to be deterred from war merely by getting what he wants, promptly moved the goalposts and issued a new list of demands Iraq must meet, including paying reparations to Kuwait. If you step back and look at this debate, it just gets stranger and stranger. For one thing, all the evidence is that the administration has already made up its mind and we're going into Iraq this winter.

Doug Marlette Cartoon: Make War Not Love

9/19/02

Jeb wrong on FCAT . . .
Palm Beach Post Editorial
Test's flaws undercut claims of improvement.

Jeb wrong on One Florida
Palm Beach Post Editorial
Overall, minorities are actually losing ground.

In Panhandle growth, coalition promotes interests of citizens
The Democrat's Aug. 29 editorial, "Opponents of St. Joe use poor approach," reflects misunderstanding of the potential impacts of major developments in the region. It also misinterprets the Panhandle Citizens Coalition's approach to persuading developers and government officials to take adequate time for complex development planning.

Why We Need Our Sea Cows
Aren't manatees a nuisance? The way they get in the way of our fun, make us slow our boats, make us, of all things, be careful? Oh, sure, they're cute and all, but would it really be so terrible if they just, you know, went extinct? We'd have some fun then, wouldn't we?

Appeals court keeps death amendment on ballot
TALLAHASSEE — A ballot measure that would place the death penalty in the state constitution and narrow Florida's protection against excessive punishments can go to voters, an appeals court ruled Wednesday. Fifteen elections supervisors filed a lawsuit seeking to remove the 714-word proposal from the ballot, warning it was too long and confusing and would cause delays and "ballot accountability problems" on Election Day on Nov. 5.

Tax exemptions knocked off ballot
TALLAHASSEE — An appeals court Wednesday knocked a sales tax exemption measure off the November ballot, ruling that the description of the proposal that voters would read on Election Day was misleading. Several business groups had challenged the proposal, which would have given a special legislative panel the power to eliminate sales tax exemptions worth billions of dollars.

Court ruling kills tax initiative
The measure would have given a legislative panel power to eliminate billions in sales tax exemptions.

State seeks election help from Justice Department
TALLAHASSEE — The state sought the U.S. Department of Justice's help Wednesday to prevent a repeat this November of last week's botched primary election in two South Florida counties. Confidence in the state's efforts to reform its election system has been shaken by the problems in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, Secretary of State Jim Smith said in a letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Florida appeals to D.C. for help with elections
TALLAHASSEE -- Amid relentless criticism from Democrats who blame Gov. Jeb Bush for last week's South Florida voting problems, Bush and the state's top elections official issued a cry for help from the federal government Wednesday.

Oliphant Must Accept Help
Supervisor of Elections Miriam Oliphant apparently doesn't recognize the depth of the hole she has dug for herself because of the botched Sept. 10 election. For the good of the county, and her own political future, she must allow the County Commission and county administrator to help run the Nov. 5 election

Bush, McBride open campaigns as election board certifies primary
TALLAHASSEE — A day after the state's botched gubernatorial primary was finally decided, Democratic challenger Bill McBride introduced state Sen. Tom Rossin as his running mate Wednesday while Gov. Jeb Bush courted Cuban- Americans in South Florida. McBride announced Rossin as his lieutenant governor nominee almost simultaneously with the state election canvassing board certifying him as a narrow winner over former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno in last week's primary. McBride, a Tampa lawyer and political novice, won by about 4,800 votes out of more than 1.3 million cast — one of the closest elections in Florida history.

Democrats get national help in bid to unseat Gov. Bush
Bill McBride’s belated victory in the Democratic primary this week uncorked a burst of national interest in Florida’s race for governor, raising his party’s hopes of toppling President Bush’s brother, Gov. Jeb Bush, in the general election.

On to November
Bill McBride began his general election campaign Wednesday with a promise to be a better boss for state employees. With his new running mate, Senate Minority Leader Tom Rossin, by his side, McBride stood on the steps of the Old Capitol and renewed his suggestion that he and Gov. Jeb Bush "go toe-to-toe" in an old-fashioned series of stump speeches at every Florida crossroads. 

McBride shows white males stick together-- Talk about diversity.- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride, a white establishment lawyer in his 50s, picked Tom Rossin, a white establishment lawyer in his 60s, for his running mate.

Rossin was McBride's first choice
By Marc Caputo, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
The candidate said he was thinking about governing, not the campaign, when he picked his running mate.

Bush team goes after Rossin right away
By Mary Ellen Klas, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
With eight years in the state Senate, he has a voting record for foes to examine.

Governor attacks McBride's choice of running mate
Bill McBride finally broke free Wednesday from the constraints of a botched primary election, campaigning for the first time as the undisputed Democratic nominee for governor.

More problems in black precincts spur anger
By John Lantigua, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Just as in 2000, say black leaders, a disproportionate number of disenfranchised South Florida voters were black.

Janet Reno's homespun campaign didn't connect with voters
MIAMI — Janet Reno learned that 60,000 miles in her red pickup truck, one South Beach dance party and a lot of hand-waving at busy intersections are no match for TV advertising and the party machinery. The former Clinton administration attorney general narrowly lost the Democratic nomination for governor to political novice Bill McBride after entering the race looking unbeatable. After all, she had universal name recognition from her days in Washington, a homespun image formed behind the wheel of her truck, and an unwavering take-me-as- I-am attitude.

In other places, women run at the top
Janet Reno came so achingly close. At the end, just 4,800 votes stood between her and the Democratic nomination for governor.

Reno's graceful concession
From the start, on the porch of her wood-frame Miami bungalow, Janet Reno showed she was not about to run anyone else's idea of a campaign. She rejected the help of her party, drove her red Ford Ranger across Florida and was greeted like a movie star whenever she stopped. Her campaign was surprisingly light on money and television commercials, and her answers weren't always "straight talk," but she was clearly her own woman.

RENO BOWS OUT
There will never be a consensus among South Florida residents on Janet Reno's public record. But one thing just about everyone can agree on is the characteristic individualism behind her public-spirited decision not to challenge the primary election results.

Gore blasts Gov. Bush for election problems in Florida
JACKSONVILLE — Former Vice President Al Gore, who lost his bid for the White House in a bitter Florida recount battle two years ago, blamed the state's latest election problems on President Bush and his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush. During brief appearances in Jacksonville and Palm Beach County, areas that figured in the 2000 election debacle, the former Democratic presidential candidate called last week's botched election "deja vu all over again." "I didn't expect there to be all the problems at the polling booths again," said Gore, who attended a rally and fund-raiser for U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown.

Layoffs mishandled, NASA chief says-CAPE CANAVERAL -- NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe blasted agency managers Wednesday for an "outrageous display of poor leadership" in the way they handled the cancellation of a costly computer upgrade at Kennedy Space Center.

DCF'S ROAD TO REFORM
Jerry Regier, head of the Department of Children & Families, seems poised to lead his troubled agency in the right direction. His intent to pay beleaguered case workers more money is an encouraging indication.

Escambia commissioner avoids jail for 'sunshine' violations
PENSACOLA — A suspended Escambia County commissioner Wednesday avoided jail time for violating the state's open-government "sunshine" law by discussing public business privately with another board member, former Florida Senate President W.D. Childers. Instead of jail or probation, Terry Smith was ordered to pay fines and costs totaling $4,987.64 and perform 250 hours of community service

Panhandle lawmaker gets heat for rapping Cubans, Haitians
FORT WALTON BEACH — Gov. Jeb Bush and fellow lawmakers are criticizing derogatory comments state Rep. Jerry Melvin made about Cubans and Haitians in an e-mail to the governor. The Fort Walton Beach Republican, being forced from the House by term limits, sent the e-mail after losing a Sept. 10 primary challenge of state Sen. Charlie Clary, R-Destin, but the message had nothing to do with his own race.

Troopers in 11 counties weren't notified of terror threat
TAMPA — The Florida Highway Patrol says dispatchers failed to alert troopers in 11 counties along the Interstate 75 corridor that three suspected terrorists could be driving through on their way to Miami. Officials are trying to find out why the alert wasn't broadcast Sept. 12 to troopers in all seven counties in the Tampa region and four of the 10 counties in the Fort Myers region, said Ken Howes, an FHP spokesman in Tallahassee.

Missing children list called `a myth'
Florida's long list of children labeled as ''missing'' by social workers is grossly exaggerated because it includes hundreds of chronic teenage runaways and children who simply walk away from foster homes to live with family and friends, according to a statewide task force set up to find the kids.

Judge closes hearing on Noelle Bush's clinic workers
ORLANDO — A judge on Wednesday closed to the public a hearing to determine whether four drug rehabilitation workers where Noelle Bush is receiving treatment must answer police questions about the governor's daughter. Police officers received a report last week that Noelle Bush had crack cocaine in her shoe, but workers at the Center for Drug-Free Living have refused to cooperate, citing privacy concerns.

Dead anthrax spores got in Boca sewer 
Few knew that decontaminated anthrax runoff was dumped into Boca Raton's sewer system.

Shrimper in closed Florida waters has catch seized
BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. — An Alabama-based vessel had its 1,800-pound shrimp catch confiscated by the U.S. Coast Guard, which stopped the 73-foot craft in South Florida waters closed to shrimping. The vessel, Miss Linda Darlene, based in Coden near the seafood- processing center of Bayou La Batre, was found Monday night by a Coast Guard helicopter and cutter inside the Tortugas Shrimp Sanctuary, about 30 miles northwest of Key West.

Irradiated meats will be sold at Publix-- Publix Super Markets Inc., Florida's largest grocery chain, said Wednesday that it will begin selling irradiated beef and chicken next year in a move that is already bringing protests.

Affordable housing
Bonita Springs confronts head-on the challenge of affordable housing. The mayor and City Council know it will only get harder to house service workers as an increasingly upscale community grows. Officials are lining up sites and money to get the job started. They are eyeing occupational licenses — kind of a user fee — as the funding source.

Shed dollars overnight!
Desperation tends to overcome skepticism, which goes a long way toward explaining why Americans are willing to spend $35 billion a year on weight-loss. Consumers are inundated by ads for weight-loss products — by TV, radio, print and, increasingly, by e- mail. And now the Federal Trade Commission is out with a report that says that an astonishing percentage of these ads are bogus. The FTC looked at 300 weight- loss ads and found that 40 percent of them contained at least one flat-out falsehood and 55 percent made claims that couldn't be substantiated.

Report: U.S. knew attack was imminent
By Rebecca Carr, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
U.S. intelligence agencies knew far more about plans to attack America than has been disclosed.

Report: U.S. Long Knew Of Terror Threat
WASHINGTON - The U.S. intelligence community was told in 1998 that Arab terrorists were planning to fly a bomb-laden aircraft into the World Trade Center, but the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration did not take the threat seriously, a congressional investigation into last year's attacks has found. ...

Iraq, upside down-- 
Recently, I've had the chance to travel around the country and do some call-in radio shows, during which the question of Iraq has come up often. And here's what I can report from a totally unscientific sample: Don't believe the polls that a majority of Americans favor a military strike against Iraq. It's just not true. What is true is that most Americans are perplexed.

U.S., Cuba Exchange Fire Over Charges - WASHINGTON - Fidel Castro's foreign minister on Wednesday accused the Bush administration of fabricating a Cuban plot to disrupt U.S. antiterrorism efforts, even as a State Department official added to accusations against the regime.  ... In remarks to The Tampa Tribune, the State Department official, Daniel W. Fisk, asserted that starting Sept. 11 Cuban agents systematically approached officials at U.S. embassies with false warnings of ``pending attacks on U.S. and other Western interests.'' ... Cuban officials and some Cuban-Americans were livid. They accused the Bush administration of playing politics. Cuban-Americans in Florida are considered important voters and campaign contributors. Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, is in the final months of a re-election campaign. 

9/18/02

Tropical Storm Isidore poses risk of serious flooding
Tropical Storm Isidore continued on a northern path toward western Cuba early Wednesday and could possibly pose a serious flooding threat to South Florida during the next three or four days...

Rossin is McBride's choice for running mate, sources say
TAMPA — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride has picked state Sen. Tom Rossin of Royal Palm Beach to be his lieutenant governor nominee, sources close to the campaign said Tuesday. Rossin, 69, broadens the geographic appeal of the Democratic ticket headed by the Tampa attorney and brings seven years of legislative experience to the job, an important asset for McBride, who has never held elective office...

Rossin brings experience, but draws tepid response
TALLAHASSEE -- Democrat Bill McBride today will introduce running mate Tom Rossin of West Palm Beach in a series of appearances across Florida aimed at appealing to the moderate suburbanites who can be decisive in statewide elections...

Nominee banks on Rossin
Senate Minority Leader Tom Rossin emerges as the safe, if not exhilarating, choice...

McBride's running mate is ultrapolite and bulldog-tough-- TAMPA · Bolstering his campaign's ties to South Florida and guarding against attacks that he lacks political experience, Bill McBride, the Democratic Party's nominee for governor, has picked state Sen. Tom Rossin of Palm Beach County as his running mate...

McBride ready to run
Bill McBride is expected to choose state Sen. Tom Rossin for a running mate today as Democrats try to jump-start their stalled campaign to oust Gov. Jeb Bush...

Lawsuits seek primary election records in Miami-Dade, Broward
MIAMI — Lawsuits are being filed in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties seeking all public records and documents related to the troubled Democratic gubernatorial primary, a self-styled government watchdog group said Tuesday...

Reno to champion election reform as her campaign ends
MIAMI — Janet Reno's quest for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination once seemed unbeatable: she had universal name recognition from her days in Washington, a populist appeal and a homespun image formed behind the wheel of her red pickup...

Insistence on her own way, no 'soft money' hurt effort
Long before the ''Red Truck Tour,'' before Bill McBride's surprising surge and South Florida's Election Day fiasco, Janet Reno made a critical decision that doomed her candidacy from the start...

Voting researchers see improvements in Florida elections
MIAMI — Believe it or not, the cloud hanging over the Florida Democratic gubernatorial primary has a silver lining. Undervotes and overvotes — ballots that had either no clear vote in the major race or too many — were the bugaboos of the topsy-turvy 2000 presidential election...

Against the clock: Florida's elections must reform on the fly
There is no question that Florida voters -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- were turned away from the polls last week. ...

Task force to aid Broward elections chief
By J. CHRISTOPHER HAIN, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Gov. Bush has requested a citizens task force aid Broward County elections supervisor Miriam Oliphant Nov. 5. ...

Broward commissioners to Oliphant: Let us run Nov. election
Broward County's embattled elections chief wants almost $4 million to fix the problems in her office that turned last week's election into a fiasco, but county officials instead told her they want to take charge of November's vote...

Losing Democrats get behind nominee Dyer
TALLAHASSEE — Buddy Dyer, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, picked up the support Tuesday of the three men he defeated in the primary, and then turned his attention toward Republican nominee Charlie Crist. Dyer was joined by Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox and former deputy attorney general George Sheldon at a morning news conference in a show of Democratic unity...

Coziness at the PSC
Another round of meddling by legislative leaders has cast a cloud over nominations for the commission responsible for regulating Florida's utilities...

DCF secretary to ask for $474 million more
TALLAHASSEE — Florida needs to hire more people to investigate reports of child abuse and pay them better, the new head of the state Department of Children & Families said Tuesday. DCF Secretary Jerry Regier said he will recommend that state lawmakers next year boost his agency's $3.6 billion budget by $474 million...

DCF Chief Requests Huge Budget Boost
TALLAHASSEE - Saying the state's child welfare system is ``in crisis,'' the man hired by Gov. Jeb Bush to fix the troubled agency outlined an ambitious repair effort Tuesday that relies on nearly a half-billion dollars in new spending next year. ...

Miami, central Florida DCF directors resign
MIAMI — The director of the state's child welfare agency in the district where 5-year-old Rilya Wilson was missing for 15 months before the agency reported her disappearance announced his resignation Tuesday. Charles Auslander resigned Sept. 2. He will stay in the post until Nov. 15, unless Department of Children & Families Secretary Jerry Regier finds a replacement sooner...

Second suspended Escambia commissioner pleads no contest
PENSACOLA — A second suspended Escambia County commissioner pleaded no contest to political corruption charges Tuesday in exchange for testimony against co- defendant W.D. Childers, a former Florida Senate president. Suspended Commissioner Willie Junior entered his plea Tuesday to 10 felony counts, including bribery, extortion, grand theft and racketeering, and one count of violating the state's open-government "sunshine" laws...

Medical malpractice lawsuits not a problem in Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE — Only one in six medical injuries reported by hospitals in Florida in the late 1990s brought a malpractice claim, according to a study released Tuesday by Public Citizen, which is urging medical malpractice reform nationwide...

Judge strikes down right-to-know abortion law
WEST PALM BEACH — A Palm Beach County judge struck down a state law requiring abortion doctors to discuss with potential patients the possibility of bringing pregnancy to full term and other issues. Circuit Judge Ronald Alvarez threw out the Women's Right-to-Know Act, which hasn't been put into practice since its passage in 1997 because of a temporarily block issued by an appeals court in 1998...

Drug staff fights subpoenas
A circuit judge today will consider if four subpoenaed workers at the drug-rehabilitation center where Noelle Bush is receiving treatment must answer police questions about reports that the governor's daughter had crack cocaine...

Traffic citation:Toll wasn't paid
Kambiz Butt went on "Crossfire" Tuesday and denied he ever ran
the tollbooth without paying.
UPDATE — The same day three medical students involved in a terror scare appeared on live television and denied running through a tollbooth without paying, the Collier County Sheriff's Office produced a copy of the traffic citation that tells a different story. A Tuesday review of the traffic ticket issued to 25-year- old Kambiz Butt (above right) shows a sheriff's deputy issued the citation at 11:30 p.m. Thursday after the officer said Butt failed to pay a $1.50 toll on Interstate 75

Terror alert- Sheriff Hunter is on the right trail
Not so fast there, fellows. So says Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter to three would-be medical students whose behavior riveted police attention Friday until an emergency, all-day investigation ended with their release. That release does not necessarily mean their continued freedom, Hunter says as he makes clear that they and their stories given to officers during a 15-hour closure of Alligator Alley east of Naples remain under investigation. Good. That whole episode seemed to be wrapping up much too quickly as a gigantic Friday the 13th hoax...

3 med students snared by erroneous terror warning get new hospital posts..

Guest editorial: A feverish West Nile reaction
Sen. Patrick Leahy must have been a lot more spooked than anyone realized when he became a target of one of those anthrax-laced letters sent to Capitol Hill last fall. That attack posed a genuine threat to the Vermont Democrat and his staff. But now the senator is seeing terrorist attacks where none exist...

Disorienting headlights
Those blazing bluish-white beams barreling down the highway toward you aren't from an oncoming UFO or a runaway train. But for some drivers, they can be just as disorienting and potentially dangerous...

Canker-infected trees found in West Palm - WEST PALM BEACH · Two grapefruit trees and an orange tree infected with citrus canker were discovered on two properties on Tuesday -- the first time the disease has been detected in this city...

Judges rejects monitor for Everglades pollution cleanup work
MIAMI — A federal judge refused on Tuesday to appoint a special overseer to closely monitor state and federal compliance with Everglades cleanup requirements. U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler gave government attorneys a month to respond to other requests by Miccosukee Indians and environmentalists for enforcement of a 1992 lawsuit settlement...

Guest editorial: Greenspan a disappointment
Alan Greenspan, who has been Federal Reserve chairman for 15 years, seems to have run short of the cautious and rational economic perspective for which he is generally known. Appearing before the House Budget Committee last week, Mr. Greenspan put his continuing imprimatur on the excessive Bush tax cuts while warning Congress of the danger of looming budget deficits, as if the two were somehow unconnected...

DANIEL RUTH: And For All Your Columnizing Needs, Don't Forget ...

Guest editorial: Some things considered
Every devoted radio listener has experienced it at some time or another — a favorite station changes its format. The effect is unsettling. Last year, National Public Radio listeners in Lake Charles, La., experienced something even more alarming...

Paul Krugman: Cronies in arms
In February 2001 Enron presented an imposing facade, but insiders knew better: They were desperately struggling to keep their Ponzi scheme going. When one top executive learned of millions in further losses, his e-mailed response summed up the whole strategy: "Close a bigger deal. Hide the loss before the 1Q."...

Defectors punished for trying to do things right
They were all so happy sharing a meal just a few hours before they would risk their lives, hiding from burly Cuban security men to catch a taxi in Toronto in a mad dash to Canada's border. They put their faith in God, their trust in this nation's humanity to seek freedom in the United States...

Lemon Fizzes on the Banks of the Euphrates -WASHINGTON-- The trap is sprung. The name of the game is containment.
Contain the wild man, the leader with the messianic and relentless glint who is scaring the world.
Surround him, throw Lilliputian nets on him, tie him up with a lot of U.N. inspection demands, humor him long enough to stop him from using his weapons and blowing up the Middle East.
But this time, the object of the containment strategy is not Saddam Hussein, but George W. Bush, the president with real bombs, not the predator with plans to make them....

9/17/02

Source: Rossin Is McBride's Choice For Running Mate - 

Reno Concedes; McBride Is Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee - UPDATE 
Janet Reno conceded the Democratic nomination for governor on Tuesday, after an agonizing week of recounts that for many brought back the ghosts of the 2000 presidential election. Now the race between Bill McBride and Gov. Jeb Bush has begun.

Miami DCF Director Auslander Resigns - UPDATE
He came under harsh criticism when the Rilya Wilson disappearance became public, now Miami's Children and Family Services director has apparently had enough. He submitted his resignation to the new DCF chief Tuesday.

A Crack House Divided - I feel nothing but sympathy and concern for Noelle Bush. Her latest stumble on the rocky road to recovery -- being caught with crack cocaine at a drug rehab center -- shows that she is in desperate need of help. 
As a parent, I can also easily empathize with the anguish Noelle's father, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, must be experiencing. And I'm in total agreement with his insistence that his daughter's substance abuse problem is "a private issue." 
But when I think about the heartless stance the Governor has taken toward the drug problems of those less-fortunate and well- connected than his daughter, my empathy turns to outrage. ...

Gov. Bush and drug rehab clinics
By Jac Wilder VerSteeg, Palm Beach Post Editorial Writer
State supervision, not the governor's daughter, is the issue.

Reno ready for court battle with Bush as her primary bid fades - ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As it becomes more doubtful that Janet Reno will challenge Jeb Bush in Florida's gubernatorial race, the former U.S. attorney general is ready to fight Bush on another front: the courts.-- 
Reno campaign manager Mo Elleithee said Monday that his candidate plans on building a case saying Bush failed to reform the state's election system properly.

Blaming Jeb For Voting Mess Is A Pitiful Democratic Deceit - ...To blame Bush is as preposterous as any suggestion by conspiracy theorists that perhaps the Democratic hierarchy that favored McBride made sure chaos reigned in South Florida to rob the party's favorite daughter. It's a baseless theory, though we suspect the Democratic hierarchy is not altogether unhappy with the outcome down there....

PREPARE NOW FOR NOV. 5
It was clear from the anguish of many voters in Broward and Miami-Dade after the Sept. 10 primary that this time they wanted to get it right. Now, however, voters' disappointment and anger are palpable.

Final voting results are expected today
A week after Election Day, Miami-Dade County officials say they are confident every vote cast will be counted and reported by today's 5 p.m. deadline for state certification.

Reno expected to concede today
By Brian E. Crowley and Marc Caputo, Palm Beach Post Staff Writers
Janet Reno's campaign staff concluded that her bid to overtake Bill McBride has run out of time and votes...

Reno consults electronic voting foe
Rebecca Mercuri of Bryn Mawr College has advised Emil Danciu in his suit challenging a city election...

Voting Machines' Maker Blamed
TALLAHASSEE - With Election Systems and Software's voting machines at the center of confusion in South Florida last week, critics are again scrutinizing the company's use of well- connected lobbyists and an unusual ``kickback'' deal to woo counties to buy its touch- ... Few lobbyists were as well- positioned to help ES&S as Sandra Mortham. A former Pinellas County legislator and Bush's original choice as running mate in 1998, Mortham also oversaw the Division of Elections as Florida secretary of state six years ago. ... Mortham was also a lobbyist for the Florida Association of Counties last year when an unusual ``rebate'' arrangement drew criticism from election officials. - 
The deal gave the Florida Association of Counties a cut of ES&S sales. Critics said the plan gave county commissioners with little knowledge of voting machines a reason to choose ES&S without fully considering their quality. 

Democrats have only themselves to blame
Forget the pregnant chads of 2000. Now we get to blame South Florida voters' dirty fingers -- on smudges they left on the new computerized touch- screen voting machines that replaced old punch-card ballots.

Oliphant relinquishing control of struggling Broward elections office
A group of Broward County political insiders has begun to take charge of running the November election and is drawing up plans to reform Elections Supervisor Miriam Oliphant's office and hold a countywide dry run before the vote.

Official election count due today amid complaints about botched primary
When the official election results are announced today, many a Floridian -- especially those in South Florida -- will view them with a critical eye. During the past week, officials in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties have re-examined votes after some precincts reported zero ballots and residents complained of other complications. 

On to November: Let Florida's priorities define governor's race
It now appears that Bill McBride will be the Democrat to challenge Gov. Jeb Bush -- barring a major surprise today when the final vote is certified. 

Florida officials blame election problems on poor training of poll workers- TALLHASSEE · Florida elections officials who used the same electronic voting equipment as Broward and Miami-Dade counties say insufficient poll-worker training -- not flaws in the technology -- is most responsible for last week's primary election that created chaos almost exclusively in South Florida.

McBride may become Bush's 'worst nightmare'-- TALLAHASSEE -- Now that Bill McBride is ready to claim the Democratic Party's nomination for governor, Gov. Jeb Bush faces a tougher race for re-election than he could have imagined not long ago.- 
"This is Jeb Bush's worst nightmare come true, and he has contributed to it," said state Rep. Bob Henriquez, D-Tampa...

McBride mulls running mates as Reno's hopes dwindle
ST. PETERSBURG — Gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride said he was close to picking a running mate Monday while Janet Reno's chances of overtaking him for the Democratic nomination dwindled with one day left to find enough votes. McBride said he's listed more than a dozen potential lieutenant governor candidates. He declined to give names, but said, "I've almost made my mind up." He said he would not announce his choice until at least Wednesday, the day the state will officially certify the Democratic nominee to take on Republican Gov. Jeb Bush. The deadline for his decision is Thursday...

McBride campaign entwines with teachers union
The unusual interlacing of his campaign and the teachers group is assailed by the governor as an "umbilical cord."

McBride Selects Campaign Manager
TAMPA - With the Democratic gubernatorial primary expected to be settled unofficially today, presumptive nominee Bill McBride announced a new campaign structure and said he wants to unite his campaign with those of his competitors. ...

McBride pick may be South Florida senator
Palm Beach County's Tom Rossin appears to be top choice as running mate, dashing hopes McBride would tap a woman.

If McBride is the nominee, put Reno, Jones to work
Palm Beach Post Editorial
Key is persuading wary South Florida voters.

Abolish This Unnecessary Job
Some politics-watchers are buzzing over who Bill McBride should or will choose as his Democratic lieutenant governor running mate by Thursday's deadline. The likely Democratic governor nominee shouldn't have to make that choice. For future elections, Floridians should abolish the lieutenant governor's job.

Targeted congressional race to draw national figures
BROOKSVILLE — The Republican effort to unseat U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman will bring top GOP members of Congress to the area to campaign and raise money for her opponent, and may lure President Bush. State Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville is running against Thurman, D-Dunellon. The GOP has targeted the seat as one for a possible pickup.

King feels heat for PSC meddling
By Mary Ellen Klas, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Incoming Senate President Jim King now says he goofed when he told a state panel whom to choose.

Bush appoints chief for work force agency
Gov. Jeb Bush named Susan Pareigis to lead the state Agency for Workforce Innovation on Monday. She replaces Tom McGurk, who resigned in July to run for Congress.

Kearney to join FSU's faculty
Kathleen Kearney, the former embattled head of the state Department of Children & Families, will join the faculty at Florida State University this fall.

DCF Agency Didn't Screen Temp-- ST. PETERSBURG - After a few minutes of training on her first day of a new job, a temporary office worker was given access to a confidential 50-page list of abused and neglected children, along with the confidential addresses of their foster homes and shelters, she says.

Florida blacks' median income increased 20%, census shows
Median household income for blacks in Florida shot up 20 percent between 1990 and 2000, more than double the rate of increase for Hispanics and white non-Hispanics, according to U.S. Census data released today.

Who grew richer, poorer
Bordering neighborhoods reflect income gaps in Orlando, region.

City's poorest remain isolated
A decade of economic growth has done little to bridge a divide between haves and have-nots in Jacksonville, census data being released today shows.

3 men still under investigation -- Collier County Sheriff Hunter said he had new information on the trio before the medical students appeared on Larry King Live .
Just hours before the three men who were detained in Collier County on suspicion of carrying explosives appeared on CNN on Monday night, Sheriff Don Hunter said he had new information on the trio, whose alleged joking comments about a terrorist plot ignited fears across America last week. "We believe the information (in this case) is not over because of other uncorroborated information we have at the moment," Hunter said\

Police trace threatening e-mails to hospital where med students were to work - State law enforcement officials said Monday that they plan to investigate threatening e-mails sent last weekend to a Miami-Dade County hospital after three medical students set to work there were accused -- and then cleared -- of plotting a terrorist attack on Miami.

A tough call in the war on terror — how eager should Americans be to serve as tipsters?  First, a high-profile false alarm in Florida; then the arrest of five terror suspects in western New York. Together, the two events raise questions about how zealous Americans should be as tipsters in the homefront war on terrorism.

Alleged terrorist threat prompts another police search in S. Florida-- Royal Palm Beach · Police issued a bulletin Monday morning after receiving a report that six men were overheard discussing plans to travel to the Fort Lauderdale- Hollywood International Airport and "blowing things up."-- 
No government agency reached Monday could confirm the veracity of the report. No arrests or incidents at the airport in Broward County had been reported late Monday.

State will miss 'Glades water quality deadline by years
MIAMI — A former chief of federal Everglades engineering testified Monday that he believes Florida won't meet a 2006 deadline for the quality of water flowing into protected areas until 2013 or 2014. Testimony by Terry Rice, former district director of the Army Corps of Engineers, was offered by Miccosukee Indians to support their claim that the state is violating a court order intended to protect the shallow marsh. Attorneys for the state and water managers say the claim is premature.

Group makes recommendations on volunteer program to help children
TALLAHASSEE — The state needs to do a better job recruiting volunteers to help represent abused and neglected children during legal proceedings and should create a centralized office to oversee the program, a group appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush reported Monday. The Guardian Ad Litem Working Group recommended several ways the state can recruit volunteers, from asking churches to put notices in bulletins to having celebrities tape public service announcements.

Bob Herbert: Paying people to work, but not enough to live
Barbara Ehrenreich, in her book "Nickel and Dimed," showed how difficult it is for a worker in the United States to survive on wages of $6 to $7 an hour. It's almost impossible. And if that worker has a family to support, forget about it. Which is why so many low- wage workers are toiling away at two jobs, or three, or even more.

9/16/02

It's time to tinker with America's outdated election system
What's wrong with politics in America? What explains our abysmal voter turnouts - down, according to one international study, to 138th in the world, sandwiched between Botswana and Chad?

Reno blames Gov. Bush for voting fiasco-- Janet Reno has always lived by the credo: Do it "the right way."- Now she wants the state to do the same with election reform, and she's targeting Republican Gov. Jeb Bush for not getting it right.- He's responsible for Florida's failure to get it right, she said.-- But Reno is poised to challenge not only the new touch-screen voting machines used by voters in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, but also the lack of action by Bush to make sure the primary election went smoothly.-- 
Reno has enlisted the aid of Rebecca Mercuri, a computer science professor at Bryn Mawr College who specializes in the security of electronic voting. Mercuri said problems with the computerized machines are inherent and she hoped Reno's effort would be "a serious attempt to address the kinds of problems with computerized voting that we've been talking about since 1998."

Training shortfall primary downfall
MIAMI -- Eleven other Florida counties had the same kind of touch-screen voting machines used in Miami-Dade. They were being operated by similar crews of mainly elderly volunteers who had worked low-tech elections for years.

Election fight is a matter of duty, law
Janet Reno has again stood tough by refusing to abandon her bid for governor.

Reno says she'll forgo recount - MIAMI LAKES -- As Janet Reno's campaign reported receiving thousands of new votes during a review of balloting in Miami-Dade County on Sunday, Reno said that even if she loses the Democratic primary race for governor by one vote, she will not ask for a recount and will concede defeat to Bill McBride.

Reno Running Out of Time and Votes

Reno lawyer: no recount suit
The Reno campaign lawyer says the gubernatorial candidate won't take the election to court, unless her vote tally somehow surpasses Bill McBride's.

State workers should take control of polls
As we wait to find out who'll run for governor, here's a modest proposal. Why not let state employees run elections? We're told that voting is our most important civic duty. But then we entrust the process to people who may not know what they're doing - who may not even show up, who may quit early

School spending study puts Florida at the low end--  ...But while Florida's students are treated more equally, the money spent on their education remains low compared with other states, the study shows. Districts elsewhere that spend the least per student outpace those in Florida that spend the most....

Voters Facing An `Education Election' Nov. 5 - ...Education truly is a dominant theme as the state approaches Election Day, Nov. 5. Democrat Bill McBride has made it the key to his challenge of Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, and it's a leading issue in legislative races, too. Meanwhile, it has a place in three proposed constitutional amendments.

Detention sours American dream
A LaBelle man says life has been difficult since agents detained him on suspicions he might have ties to terrorism.

From threat to farce-- As the Great Alligator Alley Terrorist Threat began to look more like a great embarrassment, Georgia and Florida officials tried to reassure people that at least "the system worked."

American dream sours
Public reaction to a teen's Arabic name since Sept. 11, 2001, is one of the main reasons his family has left its Tampa home.

Crisis pushing doctors to quit
ATLANTA -- Thousands of tourists from across America who spent part of July in Las Vegas were gambling on more than slots, blackjack and roulette.

Take that, conspiracy geek!Ancient astronaut strikes back
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin is 72, a former astronaut and has been around. Why, he's even walked on the moon. - 
Last week Aldrin punched a guy for saying he hadn't. Good for Buzz. -
The person he punched was a filmmaker from Nashville. Bart Sibrel, 37, was shoving a Bible at him. He wanted Aldrin to use it to swear that he had really, really, really been to the moon. Sibrel said Aldrin was a liar. 

Seminole residents fear loss of lifestyle
The deeper you walk in Frances and Earl Lord's back yard, the wilder it gets.

Reclaimed water teeming with parasites
More than 100,000 lawns and 400 golf courses in Florida are irrigated with treated sewage, a practice the state endorses as a way to reduce lake pollution and conserve drinking water.- 
It may also spread potent germs through sprinklers. Kids play in recycled sewage, golfers walk through it and landscapers are doused by it.=
For two years, state regulators have required sewer utilities to test for the parasites giardia and cryptosporidium. Both bugs, which can cause illness and death, were found in high levels.

Support Bill To Remove Dams
With all that you have on your mind, you may find it hard to work up much concern for the plight of Snake River salmon. But you should. Here's why.

Not a crook; just not very smart
Simon, fellow biz-wiz Cheney, use odd excuse.

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