A reliable estimate of the amount of money needed to satisfy cash assistance and Food Stamp requests from Florida families in dire straits because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill wont be known for months.

As head of the Florida League of Cities, Michael Sittig strives to ensure that municipal leaders are given the respect and authority to do their jobs well. Since the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Sittig has been responsible for ensuring the groups members, who cover most of the states 410 cities, get the information and money they need to keep their beaches clean.

Northwest Florida residents are suing property appraisers in three counties because they want to know now whether the oil spill in the Gulf has devalued their properties.

For property appraisers and those attempting to calculate the economic cost of the spill, the owners are asking for too much, too soon.

I think its totally unreasonable, said Okaloosa County Property Appraiser Timothy Pete Smith, one of the appraisers named in the suit. We dont have enough data to make any decisions at this time.

The federal government is touting progress made on the presidents goal to double national exports in the next five years, and a prominent Florida business advocate says that the state could be following suit if it makes the right choices.

I think its certainly possible, said Barney Bishop, president and CEO of major business advocacy organization Associated Industries of Florida. Whether that can happen is going to depend on the economy of the world and the ability of Florida and the nation in general to remain competitive.

The state attorney general is pushing the federal government to give his office improved access to Florida Medicaid claim files so it can detect fraud.

Attorney General Bill McCollum thinks the best way to move forward with job creation and business growth in Florida is to replace the state office that oversees economic development.

If elected this fall, the Republican gubernatorial hopeful has plans to overhaul and rebrand the governors Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development (OTTED). It was a subject that came up in a big way as McCollum campaigned Tuesday morning at the Danfoss Turbocor factory in Tallahassee.

A $10 million state economic stimulus plan created by Gov. Charlie Crist has generated just 45 new jobs in its unfinished first year.

Last January, as he announced the Economic Gardening Business Loan Program, the governor expressed confidence it would produce a large number of new sustainable jobs while planting the seeds that our homegrown businesses need to flourish.

Northwest Florida resorts, hotels and vacation rental properties are dusting off their best discounted rates and special offers in hopes they can fill properties with Fourth of July tourists.

A survey published Thursday by the American Automobile Association revealed that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has triggered a rise in the number of travelers who have canceled or otherwise changed their plans to visit Florida's Gulf Coast.