Notes For Saturday, February 08, 2003

BYRD'S OFFICE HOLDS NEWS CONFERENCE FRIDAY ON SELF-PROMOTION EXPENDITURES. The St Pete Times writes that "House Speaker Johnnie Byrd is spending $600,000 in salaries to promote the House at a time when the governor is proposing deep cuts in services. Six of the 13 House communications staffers are former Republican Party operatives."

"The latest details on Byrd's publicity operation were released at a news conference by his staff Friday in response to mounting press requests from reporters for records. Byrd was not at the news conference; aides said he was on his way home to Plant City. The disclosures come as Bush is asking the Legislature to raise college tuition, reduce services for troubled children and shut down the state library." Byrd's excuses are reported here.

See also "Byrd takes flak over new project - Communication program mostly politics, critics say"


7:08 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

ST. PETE TIMES BLASTS BUSH. "It took 150 years to build the collection in the State Library. Jeb Bush, the self-styled 'Education Governor,' may destroy it in a few weeks."

Yes, Florida is dirt poor this year, suffering partly from the tubercular national economy (presided over by the governor's brother), and partly because of tax breaks amounting to at least $1.6-billion, mostly benefiting corporations and the rich. Jeb Bush and the Legislature have bled the state white over the past four years and things aren't improving: Bush's budget for this year includes a further $200-million in tax breaks largely for the already-affluent. The state library is the repository of Florida's cultural wealth, open to everyone. Yet Florida can't scrape up $5-million to keep it open?" See "Bush winces at price tag on state history".

7:02 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

ORLANDO MAYORAL CANDIDATE IN DENIAL MODE. "Did Pete Barr, a candidate for Orlando mayor, use the n-word in a conversation with city Commissioner Patty Sheehan last year? . . . Mr. Barr said that he has not used the word since he was a first-grader and his family's black housekeeper told him that the expression is offensive." The Sentinel editorial is here and an article on the latest developments is here.

6:47 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

TAMPA MAYORAL CANDIDATE IN CONFUSING MODE. "Tampa mayoral candidate Frank Sanchez has issued a clarification of his earlier clarification in an effort to clarify, once and for all, exactly what his clarification was in the first place! Is that perfectly clear Read Daniel Ruth's column "Politics Is Not Always As Easy As It Looks, Is It, Frankie?"

6:44 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

OUR GOV. DOESN'T LIKE TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO. Yesterday we echoed columnist Ron Littlepage's complaint that the new statewide board to govern Florida's public universities -- "f"illed with Bush appointees who shared Bush's opposition to the amendment -- has thumbed its nose at the voters and given those powers back to the local boards of trustees just as Bush wanted all along." Today's Tampa Tribune editorial, "Thwarting Intent Of Voters On State University System" reviews the issue in detail, finding it "troubling that Gov. Jeb Bush and his appointees refuse to honor the voters' will on higher education." 6:41 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

EXPECT "LOUSY IDEAS" AND 'SPECTACULARLY POOR LEGISLATION" IN THE UPCOMING SESSION. Barbara Peters Smith in writing about the Governor's attempt to dismantle Florida's Division of Library and Information Services, observes: "Unfortunately, this legislative year will be one in which lousy ideas stand a better than average chance, because of all the ideology floating around. We have a governor who has no real belief in government and a Legislature that has no vision for it; what they have instead is a lot of faith in their own political and ethical values. That makes for some very good individual people, perhaps, but it usually also makes for spectacularly poor legislation." 6:28 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

MORE ON SPEAKER BYRD. "Millions of Floridians may soon have the privilege of meeting [Florida House Speaker Johnnie] Byrd -- whether they like it or not -- when he transmits recorded phone calls to their homes touting the work of the state House under his leadership. This is the marketing of Speaker Byrd, an obscure, relative newcomer to politics who now occupies one of the most powerful posts in Florida government and seems intent on getting noticed far beyond the Capitol halls -- much to the amazement of Democrats and even some Republicans, who consider it strange and potentially an abuse of taxpayer dollars by the very man who loathes big government spending and preaches the gospel of 'living within our means.''' See Peter Wallsten's "Byrd looks to boost his profile" in the Miami Herald..

Florida Blog has additional links on the Byrd fiasco here. 6:10 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]