Notes For Saturday, February 15, 2003

A GREAT COLUMN. Steve Bousquet reminds us that "[d]emocracy was agonizingly slow in coming to Florida. This state had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into supporting the idea of one man, one vote. It took the U.S. Supreme Court and a string of special legislative sessions in the mid 1960s to restrain the treacherous "Pork Chop Gang" of rural lawmakers and force them to redistribute power and give fair representation to all parts of the state. Until 1967, Miami had one senator and Monticello had one, though Miami's population was many times greater."

"The days of pork chop rule are gone. Or are they?" In, "A 'Pork Chop Gang' kind of idea", Bousquet goes on to compare the one man, one vote implications of legislation currently being considered in Tallahassee.
5:50 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

BROGAN'S APPOINTMENT ELEVATES POLITICAL CONNECTIONS OVER SUBSTANCE. Palm Beach Post columnist Stebbins Jefferson has some cutting insidhts on the Brogan appointment:"The lieutenant governor's appointment to the highest position in an institution of higher learning informs both students and teachers that, except for learning the fundamental skills of readin', 'ritin' and 'rithmetic, education has no substantive correlation with worthiness to assume the highest positions of responsibility, not even in the academic arena."

"Apparently, our society demands minimal standards as determined by whoever has powerful leverage. Mediocre academic preparation and lack of specialized experience need not be a hindrance to advancement. So if you choose the lowly profession of education, know that the general perception is that anyone in any other field of endeavor can do what you do as no specialized training is needed to direct our most important institutions."

The editorial board is blunter: "Having done nothing for FAU, for example, Mr. Brogan will get nearly $100,000 more than his predecessor". See "Having taken, now give".

5:39 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

DOING IT "ON THE CHEAP". "The bright promise of having state government pay to operate the court system is giving way to an ugly reality. Florida is strapped for money, so lawmakers are talking about doing the job on the cheap." See "Justice Can't Be Done Cheaply".

"The changeover comes on July 1, 2004. The timing couldn't be worse. State leaders are grappling with a budget shortfall of $4 billion. The counties also face financial difficulties as they attempt to hold the line on raising fees and taxes to meet a growing demand for local services. The outlook for improved state services is dim. Gov. Jeb Bush repeatedly has declared that all state agencies should focus on their 'core services,' which could lead to the dismantling of ancillary but still crucial court programs."
5:32 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

THIS IS NOT A JOKE. "The Palm Beach County elections supervisor who many blame for Al Gore's loss in the 2000 presidential election has decided to run for reelection. "Theresa LePore quietly filed paperwork with her own office Thursday stating her candidacy. She made no formal announcement. It was her infamous butterfly ballot that had people with magnifying glasses fighting over whether the divots of punchcard paper were 'pregnant' or 'hanging' chads." 5:24 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

"DON'T FALL FOR THIS ONE". Our "too deep" for the rest of us Governor is at it again.

"Giving more money to private schools is not the way to deal with class size. A lot of ideas are floating around Tallahassee right now about how to pay for the pricey amendment requiring smaller class size. One of the most misguided would direct more money to unregulated private schools. For a year now, corporations have been able to receive dollar-for-dollar tax breaks in exchange for contributing money to private scholarship programs for needy children. Last year, $50 million that Florida could have received in taxes to support public schools, law enforcement, health care or the like went instead to private and religious schools. Now advocates of the program want to double its size -- a move they say will help reduce class size."

"That sounds so tempting. If only the plan weren't so irresponsible." See the Orlando Sentinel editorial, "Don't fall for this one". 5:17 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

GENERAL BUSH LEADS THE WAY. John Ellis Bush, who recently reminded us he is the "Commander in Chief" of the Florida National Guard, has been dazzling Floridians with his leadership in the face of terrorism. Bush will be leading trade delegations in the face of terrorist warnings (larded down with "80 business leaders" (that is GOP contributors)), and has stepped forward as our terrorist safety guru (use plenty of duct tape). Courageous acts for someone who missed the Vietnam War due to his service as a student at the the University of Texas.

More here: "stock up on duct tape". 4:58 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]