Welcome to The Dean's List -- an Ed Dean-style look at who Florida's political achievers were (and weren't) in the last seven days. What you see here is strictly my opinion, not necessarily the editor's or the rest of the staff at Sunshine State News.
THOSE WHO MADE THE LIST
GOP Consultant Rick Wilson. Just after the “People’s Governor” Charlie Crist opened the door to running for Congress, Wilson laid out the stakes. Wilson said Crist had to win the race to “stay in the game” and will end up as John Morgan’s errand boy if he doesn’t pull this one off. It’s a spot-on assessment from one of the sharpest minds in Florida politics.
Seminole County and Brevard County Public High Schools. According to the rankings compiled by Florida State University physics professor Paul Cottle, Seminole County public schools led in Florida when it came to science and math, followed by Brevard County. Walt Griffin, the Seminole school superintendent, said one of the reasons why the district is doing well is because business leaders are looking for employees that have science and math degrees.
The Lakeland City Commission. The City Commission is trying to get its financial act together and said no to a fire fee tax. In order to raise revenue and balance the budget, the commission is laying off 47 employees which will save the city $3.4 million. They also voted to reduce the budget from $112 million to $106 million and the city hopes higher property values and other revenue will help them weather the storm. The Lakeland City Commission had some tough choices to make but it was wise to avoid raising taxes.
Orlando Chief of Police John Mina. With police shootings in the news, Mina penned an op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel where he offered a timely reminder. “Don't rush to judge police officers who use force,” Mina wrote. “Our police officers are the thin blue line between good and evil. They protect our lives and our property, and keep our streets safe while we rest peacefully in our beds at night.”
THOSE WHO DIDN’T MAKE THE LIST
U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla. The Florida Republican voted against the “Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act” which would cut off federal money from the U.S. Department of Justice to states and cities that refuse to enforce current immigration laws.
Florida Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Cutler Bay. This liberal senator has filed bills seeking to increase the state minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and none of his proposals ever made it across the finish line. Bullard now wants to raise it to $15 an hour. He’s filed a bill for the upcoming 2016 session.
U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla. Despite the Senate candidate polling well, he is deservedly starting to draw fire from the right. Conservative groups behind U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., such as the Senate Conservatives Fund, Club for Growth and Conservative Review, insist Jolly is a big-spending liberal. They're hitting him for supporting the death tax and saying he is worthless on economic issues and supports same-sex marriage. Jolly will have to brace himself from conservatives' attacks, which have proven very effective in Republican primaries across the state in recent years.
Ed Dean, a senior editor with SSN whose talk-show can be heard on radio stations across Florida, can be reached at ed@sunshinestatenews.com. Follow him on Twitter: @eddeanradio.
