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

Senate President Mike Haridopolos said he would consider imposing a sales tax on Internet sales in the Sunshine State, as Florida TaxWatch has recommended. However, he would prefer a national standard to keep a level playing field for all retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by residents. At the end of the day, youre going to want to have that compact set up with all of the states to have uniformity, Haridopolos said, as it should be with tax issues or term limits. If its not uniform, youre going to have problems.

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas announced his leadership team for the Republican Party of Floridas (RPOF) Presidency 5 (P5) event in Orlando later this week, which includes some of the heavy hitters in Florida politics. Perry will be taking part in a straw poll at P5 on Saturday. Perry announced that Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, would serve as a chairman of his efforts in the Sunshine State along with a host of Republican officials and conservative leaders as co-chairmen.

Restaurant owner Karen Harrington was the Republican nominee who challenged South Florida Democrat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in 2010 and is hoping for a rematch in 2012. Harrington has been on the attack in recent months and slammed Wasserman Schultz, who is chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, on campaign finance reform in a statement releasedTuesday.

Republican presidential hopeful former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico took aim on Monday at President Barack Obamas call to combat the federal deficit by raising taxes. In a statement, Johnson dismissed Obamas plans to cut federal spending as inconsequential.