LEMIEUX LOSES MOST-JUNIOR STATUS
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchins appointment Friday of Carte Goodwin, his former general counsel, to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy left by the death of Sen. Robert Byrd, pushes Florida Sen. George LeMieux off the perch as the chambers youngest member. Goodwin is 36; LeMieux, 41.
But the parallels clearly dont end there. Like Goodwin, LeMieux, a former Gov. Charlie Crist chief of staff, was appointed on an interim basis. And like Crist, Manchin plans to run for the seat held by his appointee in November. Manchin, though, is a Democrat and appears likely to stay one. Crist was a Republican, now running as an independent after that whole U.S. Senate thing got complicated.
FMAP LOOKING BLEAK AS SUMMER RECESS NEARS
As lawmakers consider a return to Tallahassee as early as next month for a proposed special session on economic issues resulting from the Gulf oil spill, an unrelated but as yet unresolved Medicaid budget issue still looms over the state budget. Congress this past week failed again to take any action on extending enhanced federal Medicaid payments to states, known as FMAP, past December 2010. Washington pundits are now saying the chances appear unlikely that the extra money will be approved before Congress August recess. Florida badly needs the money -- about $1 billion in expenditures and reserves in the current budget is contingent on the extension of the Medicaid money.
ECONOMISTS: FLORIDA HITS RECESSION BOTTOM AND STAYS THERE
Floridas economy has hit bottom in the recession but appears likely to continue scraping along with the states housing market still serving as an anchor, state economists said Friday. The states Economic Estimating Conference concluded Floridas unemployment rate is on track to continue what has been a three-month improvement from a 12.4 percent peak, with manufacturing and health-care industries now hiring. But the construction industry, which has lost 28,000 jobs over the past year, is forecast as facing another slowdown because of the deepening housing slump. Tim Campbell, an analyst with the states Economic and Demographic Research Office, said housing has been staggered by a steady 50,000 foreclosures a month combined with tightening credit markets, resulting in a 14 percent decline in home construction through 2010s first quarter. Its really a recession within a recession, Campbell said. I think Florida has essentially hit bottom. But were at a flat part at the bottom of the recession. Economists conceded they still dont have a good handle on the Gulf oil spills impact on the states economy. While much of the tourism decline is concentrated in the Panhandle, analysts conceded it is having a ripple effect across the state. Along with the spills effect on tourism, the weak economy globally is reducing the pace of visitors to Florida from Europe and Japan. Were seeing a slight reduction in the number of visitors coming here, and thats having a major impact, said Clyde Diao, an economist with Gov. Charlie Crists office.
POLITICAL BRIEF
MCCOLLUM CAMP CRITICIZES SCOTT OVER DEBATE BALK
Republican Bill McCollums campaign for governor is critiizing GOP opponent Rick Scott for declining to participate in the only debate set so far that would be seen by a statewide television audience. Scott and McCollum will debate at least twice, once in South Florida and once in Orlando, but both will be televised locally. Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association planned a debate in Orlando that would be televised in nine TV markets around the state, but while McCollum has agreed, Scott balked, with his campaign saying he wants the third debate between the two to take place in North Florida, particularly in Jacksonville. McCollum campaign spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said Scott is all talk and no show up.
"It would be a disservice to Floridians for him to not agree to the one debate that will be seen by residents across the state, Campbell said in a message to the News Service.
