With members of the Legislature watching Waiting for Superman on Tuesday and holding a panel discussion afterward, two members of the House who will be on the panel offered their initial thoughts -- and the need for educational reform.

Florida's revenues were already facing a $2.5 billion deficit, but legislators received more bad news Tuesday during a budget committee meeting, where a state economist said general revenues dropped further than expected.

Amy Baker, coordinator for the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, told state Senators that general revenues as of October were $136.1 million less than was projected, with another $100 million likely to fall in November. Those forecasts do not include the effects of the oil spill in the Gulf earlier this year.

With 2012 looming on the horizon, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took aim at President Barack Obamas economic policies and argued that the federal government shouldn't send bailouts to the states.

Gary Bauer, best known for his leadership of the Family Research Council and his bid for the Republican presidential nomination back in 2000, hammered U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas in an e-mail to supporters sent out late Monday.

President Barack Obama announced a compromise tax package Monday evening, but it is still unclear if it will pass both lame-duck chambers of Congress.

Democrats and Republicans each gave up something in the deal, which looks like this:

-- Bush-era tax cuts extended for two years for all income levels.

-- Unemployment benefits extended for 13 months.

-- A 2 percent employee payroll tax cut in 2011.

-- Businesses may write off investments in 2011.

-- The estate tax, or "death tax" held at 35 percent, above $5 million.

The state will be lowering flags to half mast on Tuesday to remember the 69th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, leading to U.S. intervention in World War II.

Gov.-elect Rick Scott released a video Monday detailing his strategy for the upcoming "Let's Get To Work" tour.

He talks about his 10-cities-in-five-days tour, during which he will talk to military and business people across Florida to make sure his "seven-step plan to 700,000 jobs" will work and "get the state back to work as soon as we can."

View the video below.

Rabbi Michael Lerner wrote an op-ed that appeared in the Washington Post over the weekend, calling for a progressive candidate to challenge President Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries.

During a speech at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches Monday, U.S. Sen. George LeMieux announced he will be releasing personal papers and effects to Palm Beach Atlantic University.

The documents, estimated to be in the thousands, consist of correspondence between LeMieux and other leaders and staff members in Washington over the last 16 months. These types of documents, like memos, policy briefings and letters, are considered public documents in Florida's government, but at the federal level they are considered personal and don't have to be released to the public.

At the 2010 Baseball Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista on Monday, Gov. Charlie Crist, who was an attorney for Minor League Baseball, praised the sports role in Florida life.

I thank Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball for choosing our state as the location for the annual tradition of the winter meetings, said Crist. Professional baseball means nearly $1 billion annually to Floridas economy, and this event puts a nice ending to a year that saw the economic outlook brighten.