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Social Media Explodes With Florida Teacher Protest Chat

February 20, 2011 - 6:00pm

Inspired by large protests in Wisconsin, government workers are setting the social-media network aflame with plans for public demonstrations in Florida on March 8.

"Category 5 starting in Miami-Dade County and it will not stop!" Mike Medina, a member of the Miami police union, wrote on Facebook.

"March 8 Tallahassee -- greet the governor and legislators on opening day to let them know that you will not stand for changing our laws in favor of special interests," urged Paula House Eisenhart in another posting.

Rick Scott Wants to Make Florida First for Exports by Focusing on Latin America

Submitted by Kevin Derby on February 21, 2011 - 11:44am

State leaders are crowing over Florida being ranked as the fourth largest exporter state in the union -- but think there is room to improve.

The U.S. Department of Commerce released statistics showing the Sunshine State is behind Texas, California and New York, in that order, in exports.

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Florida No. 1 in Auto Insurance Fraud; Industry Groups Urge Repair

Submitted by Anonymous on February 21, 2011 - 11:11am

Calling Florida the epicenter of an auto insurance "fraud epidemic," industry groups called for legislation to crack down on scam artists who are driving up motorists' premiums.

Floridians need to know that our state, unfortunately, continues to have the highest number of questionable, or staged, auto accidents of any other state in the country," said William Stander, assistant vice president for Property Casualty Insurance Association.

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Associated Industries of Florida Backs Plan to Impose Fee on Dosal Cigarettes

Submitted by Anonymous on February 21, 2011 - 10:54am

Siding with Big Tobacco, Associated Industries of Florida wants the Legislature to place a 40-cent-per-pack fee on Miami-based cigarette maker Dosal.

In a statement issued Monday morning, AIF said it supports "legislation that would require all tobacco manufacturers that sell cigarettes in Florida to pay their fair share toward the states burgeoning Medicaid costs."

Under the state's 1997 Tobacco Settlement Agreement, the major manufacturers agreed to pay the state hundreds of millions of dollars annually to help defray some of the states health-care costs.

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Ander Crenshaw Praises GOP Congress for Cutting Costs

Submitted by Kevin Derby on February 21, 2011 - 10:35am

Republican U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, who represents the First Coast and parts of North Florida in Congress, praised the U.S. House for passing a continuing resolution on Saturday that will keep the federal government running till the end of September -- and noted that the new GOP majority helped trim its cost.

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Cliff Stearns: 'U.N. Must Learn Fiscal Discipline'

Submitted by Kevin Derby on February 21, 2011 - 10:28am

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns weighed in late last week after the House backed an amendment he filed on cutting federal funding for renovations of the U.N. building on Friday night.

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Florida Congressional Delegation Helps Keep Fed Funds for Radio and TV Marti

Submitted by Kevin Derby on February 21, 2011 - 10:18am

A bipartisan coalition in Congress helped beat back proposed amendments to eliminate federal funding of Radio and TV Marti, the stations broadcast to Cuba.

Members of the Florida delegation -- including Republicans U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, U.S. Rep. David Rivera and U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Democratic colleagues such as U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz -- helped keep the funding in place.

Rivera sent a letter to his fellow freshmen in Congress, urging them to keep backing Radio and TV Marti.

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Mike Fasano: State Should Seize Pain Mill Operator Assets

Submitted by Kevin Derby on February 21, 2011 - 10:06am

Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, is looking to subject the assets of convicted pain mill operators to the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act.

If the rules and regulations that Florida has put into place have not scared off pill mill operators, passage of this law will, said Fasano on Monday.Failure to register as a pain clinic will allow law enforcement to impound all assets of the pill mill. Without the building, land and equipment needed to operate, the pill mill operators will shut down and leave the state.

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Tea Partiers to Rally Outside Sen. Nelson's Orlando Office Monday Afternoon

Submitted by Anonymous on February 21, 2011 - 8:38am

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.

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Risky High-Speed Rail + Failed Stimulus Program = Bad Deal for Florida

Nancy Smith

February 20, 2011 - 6:00pm

Tallahassee or Washington, they both share the same nutty, inside-the-Beltway-logic:

When you're in a hole, keep digging.

The country is flat broke. It's borrowing money -- make that more money -- to pay for President Barack Obama's sea-to-shining-sea, high-speed rail fantasy. Just because the money "is out there anyway," just because if Florida doesn't take it someone else will, does that mean the governor and the principled leadership in the Florida Legislature should help him keep digging America in deeper?

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