After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton

You probably can't imagine how much fun I've had at Sunshine State News over the last 10 years. I don't think anybody could.

By Nancy Smith

November 1, 2019 - 6:00am

Florida Continues to Flow Down History's River

By Kevin Derby

November 1, 2019 - 6:00am

Vacation Rental Giant on Winning Streak in Florida Courts

By JOHN HAUGHEY THE CENTER SQUARE

November 1, 2019 - 6:00am

Only You

By Henry Payne

November 1, 2019 - 6:00am

Politics

For Obama, 2014 is His Number

By George Will

SOS to Allies

Hasner May Be a Candidate for Patrick Murphy to Fear

By Jeff Henderson

RPOF Vice Chair Blaise Ingoglia: Count Me in the House District 35 Race

By Jeff Henderson

RPOF Lines Up Early Behind Re-election of Cabinet

By Jeff Henderson

Nine Things You May Not Have Known Were in the Budget

By David Royse News Service of Florida

Hertz Rental Cars Moves to Florida, Business Community Credits Rick Scott

By Eric Giunta

Nation's CEOs: Florida No. 2 Best State to Do Business in

By Sunshine State News

Are You (Fill in the Blank) Enough?

By Kathleen Parker

Running From Trouble

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Tea party groups will rally in front of Sen. Bill Nelson's Orlando office Monday afternoon in support of Gov. Rick Scott's budget. Rick Scott and other courageous governors, like Chris Christie of New Jersey and Scott Walker of Wisconsin, get it," said Ron McCoy of the West Orlando Tea Party. And they need to know that we stand with them and support them in their work to get us out of this mess.

Wisconsin Teachers Have Protest Company: Scott Walker Tea Party Cavalry Arrives

By Nancy Smith

Tea Party to the rescue for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker! The governor's Lipton-loving best friends arrived by bus, by car, by taxi from throughout the region Saturday, nearly matching the number of teachers, students and public-service employees protesting Gov. Walker's controversial proposal to trim benefits and curtail collective-bargaining rights for many of Wisconsin's unionized workers.

NEA Ranking of Florida Teacher Salaries Hugely Misleading

By Nancy Smith

If you listen to the National Education Association, Florida teacher pay has fallen to No. 37 among 50 states and the District of Columbia -- and it's falling further. The average teacher salary in the Sunshine State last year was $46,708; the national average, $55,202. Poor Florida teachers, the union laments. An NEA report released last week estimates Florida's average 2010-11 teacher salary will drop to 47th on the list, behind every state in the Southeast and ahead of only Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah. But, wait a minute here.

House Aims Ax at High-Speed Rail; a Florida Rail RINO Charges On

Voters in Florida's 7th Congressional District should count out their representative, John Mica, when it comes to voting down high-speed rail funding. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers wants to rescind $7.25 billion in unspent HSR-stimulus money as part of an ongoing federal budget reduction. But Mica, an old-guard Republican who heads the House Transportation Committee, is going in the opposite direction with a plan to circumvent Gov. Rick Scott's rejection of $2.4 billion in HSR-stimulus funds.

Paging Eric Buermann ... Helllooo, SFWMD ... Still Waiting, Mr. B

By Nancy Smith

After leaving a comment at the end of my Monday column challenging its accuracy, South Florida Water Management District Chairman Eric Buermann invited me always to get "accurate and meaningful" info from him. Directly. From him. Right there he made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

Gov. Rick Scott Explains High-Speed Rail Decision in Weekly Radio Address

By Kevin Derby

In his weekly radio address, Gov. Rick Scott laid out his reasoning for rejecting $2.4 billion in federal funds for a high-speed rail line that would have connected Tampa to Orlando. He cites costs overruns and overly optimistic ridership studies in his decision, and says he wants to improve existing ports, highways and rails infrastructure, but does not say how much state money he is willing to spend on such improvements. Here is the text of his address:

Union Directs Teachers to Contact Senators 'For the Next Five Days'

The Florida Education Association (aka "teachers' union") on Friday directed its members to contact members of a Senate committee "today and for the next five days" to oppose two pension-reform measures. Ahead of Tuesday's scheduled meeting of the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee, the FEA e-mail states, "It is extremely URGENT that we begin a full court press to contact the Senate committee members, TODAY, AND FOR THE NEXT FIVE DAYS,especially those who live in your own area."

Nurses Group Pushes Pill Database to Gov. Rick Scott

By Kevin Derby

Michael Steighner, president of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists, sent a letter to Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders Friday urging him to reconsider his position on eliminating the state's prescription drug database designed to help doctors track patients' prescriptions.

Gov. Rick Scott Welcomes Mike Haridopolos on Board Anti-High-Speed Rail Line

By Kevin Derby

Gov. Rick Scott applauded the decision of Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, to reject $2.4 billion in federal funds for a high-speed rail project that would have connected Tampa to Orlando:

House Members Question Claims Czar Kenneth Feinberg

By Kevin Derby

Members of the House Economic Affairs Committee lodged their complaints Friday with oil spill claims head Kenneth Feinberg. Feinberg acknowledged problems with transparency and responsiveness within the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, but stated that the system was working. He disputed claims that he is deliberately delaying or denying claims in an attempt to pay out the least amount of claims as possible, pointing to a report from BP, the oil company that caused last year's spill in the Gulf of Mexico, alleging he has been too generous in paying claims.

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After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton

Florida Continues to Flow Down History's River

Vacation Rental Giant on Winning Streak in Florida Courts

Only You

Politics

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