The St. Pete Times doesn't practice political activism? Hmmm.

On one of its blogs today, a reporter runs a headline, "Crist backs union-busting education bill."

"Union-busting" -- odd term to portray SB 6 as it makes its way to Gov. Crist for a signature. Union-busting is a term with a long and controversial history. All negative. It implies that the bill has a goal of twisting arms, cracking skulls -- figuratively speaking, anyway -- and forcing unions to disband.

Call it the beginning of a firestorm. A bill that could render Gov. Charlie Crists August 2009 compact with the Seminole Indian tribe null and void because it never was voted on or ratified by the Legislature moves to a Senate committee workshop early Wednesday morning. Sen. Dennis L. Jones, D.C., R-Seminole, chairman of the Regulated Industries Committee heads up the workshop on SB 622 at 8:30 in Senate Room 110.

Now, I'm second to none in my admiraton of Florida's talented young people. But here are our senators on the first day of the 2010 session, with only 60 days to make some $3.2 billion in cuts to the budget -- and get that budget passed -- while deciding on oil drilling, casino gambling, and taxes, to say nothing of figuring out how they're going to get 1 million Floridians back to work ... and what are they doing? How are they starting? With 20 minutes of show tunes. Little Jennie Moen, age 14, from Bradenton, and Maria Wirries, 12, from Myakka City even brought their instruments.

Today I feel like a kid again wide-eyed, heart thumping, ready to get the show on the road. Its as if the whole family is climbing aboard a bus and starting a journey thats been in our head for as long as we can remember.