All Stories | Sunshine State News | Florida Political News

No More Money for State Tourism Right Now, BP says

Submitted by Kevin Derby on July 14, 2010 - 12:36pm

BP has rejected Gov. Charlie Crist's request for an additional $50 million in marketing money to promote the state's tourism industry as it struggles to counter bad press about the efffect of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on Florida shores.

Speaking about the company's decision at a round table discussion in St. Petersburg Tuesday, Crist said he was considering bringing in lawyers to try to secure the money.

"We're trying to force them to do the right thing, like they say they're doing in their commercials," Crist told the St. Petersburg Times Tuesday.

Comments are now closed.

Jeff Greene Campaign Team Change Gets National Attention

Submitted by Kevin Derby on July 14, 2010 - 11:31am

Think Jeff Greene has not made an impact at the national level? The billionaire financier, who is running against U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race, had a bit of a shakeup in his campaign team on Wednesday -- and CNN picked up the story.

Comments are now closed.

BP Testing of Stopgap Spill Cap Delayed

Submitted by Kevin Derby on July 14, 2010 - 11:13am

BP is pushing back its plan to test a cap that could contain the oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico until the company completes a permanent solution next month. The company was predicting Tuesday that it would that day start testing a tighter cap on the Macondo well that has unleashed as much as 60,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf daily, according to estimates by the U.S. government. But National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen later said the project "may benefit from additional analysis" before testing occurs.

Comments are now closed.

Marco Rubio Campaign Team Goes After Charlie Crist on Special Session

Submitted by Kevin Derby on July 14, 2010 - 10:40am

While all eyes will be on Tallahassee next week for the special session of the Legislature to forward a proposed constitutional amendment to the November ballot to ban oil drilling in state waters, Gov. Charlie Crist will not be able to escape the close battle he is waging with likely GOP candidate Marco Rubio for the U.S. Senate.

The Rubio camp took another shot at Crist on Wednesday morning for calling the session.

Comments are now closed.

Political Bits and Pieces

Kevin Derby

July 13, 2010 - 6:00pm

Even though the 2010 elections are still being waged, speculation has already begun about which Republicans will look to challenge U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. The venerable national opinion journal The New Republic ran a piece on energy bills in the Senate and offered an aside building up current U.S. Sen. George LeMieux possibly taking on Nelson. With his recent letter to Nelson on national issues, buzz is building that incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, could also be looking at running for the U.S. Senate come 2012 ...

Retail Sales Dropping, but Nation Still Doing Better Than Last Year

Submitted by Kevin Derby on July 14, 2010 - 10:07am

National retail and food service sales fell a half-percent in June, producing $360.2 billion.

It's the second drop in sales in as many months, the U.S. Census Bureau reports. The May estimate showed that sales had dropped .6 percent from April.

Comments are now closed.

Craig Miller Releases 2nd Quarter Financial Report

Submitted by Kevin Derby on July 14, 2010 - 10:04am

Running in a Republican primary to take on U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, former Ruth's Chris CEO Craig Miller announced on Wednesday morning that he had raised more than $272,000 in the second quarter of 2010 and has more than $325,000 in the bank.

Comments are now closed.

Far Outpacing GOP Challenger on Money, Alcee Hastings Appears Headed for Another Term

Submitted by Kevin Derby on July 14, 2010 - 9:09am

Veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings appears headed for another term in Congress.With financial figures in from the second quarter of 2010, Hastings has raised more than $610,000 and has slightly less than $300,000 in the bank.

Comments are now closed.

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton Calls for 9 Percent Property Tax Increase

Submitted by Kevin Derby on July 14, 2010 - 8:38am

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, who came to office in 2003 calling himself a conservative and pledging not to raise taxes, will present to the City Council a proposal to raise property taxes by 9 percent on Wednesday. While Peyton is cutting back on library hours and city employee salaries, he is also looking to keep public funds going to after-school programs, arguing that they have helped reduced crime in Jacksonville.

Comments are now closed.

Arizona-Style Immigration Bills Filed for Special Session

John Kennedy News Service of Florida

July 13, 2010 - 6:00pm

With the push for an Arizona-style immigration law already playing a central role in the Republican primary for governor, a pair of Florida legislators Tuesday sought to add the issue to next weeks special session on oil drilling.

Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, and Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, unveiled measures that would make it a crime for aliens in Florida not to carry registration documents required by federal law, while authorizing state and local law enforcement officials to question the immigration status of residents.

Pages