Notes For Tuesday, February 25, 2003

HERE'S YOUR HAT, WHAT'S YOUR HURRY. No surprise here, our Governor - Texas shorewash that he is - has a much bigger agenda than little 'ole Florida in mind. The Miami Herald reports that "Gov. Bush widens sphere of influence - He's silent about his ambition as he works national agenda". In the largely sycophantic piece, John Ellis Bush is referred to as a "legendary policy wonk"; we have no idea who decided to call Bush a "policy wonk", and a "legendary" one at that? His tired and worn ideas are straight out of Herbert Hoover's book; ironically, yesterday Bush spoke "to a sympathetic Hoover audience". We wish John Ellis Bush the best in moving on and out. 7:04 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

JOHN ELLIS BUSH IN HIS ELEMENT. Imagine this: right wing John Ellis Bush, speaking to the right wing Hoover Institution, and the remarks are reported in the right wing Moonie newspaper, the Washington Times. Yes its true - yesterday Governor Bush gave a "speech" about - of all things - "education" policy to his ideological buddies at the extreme Hoover Institution, founded by of all people - Herbert Hoover. The "speech" by Bush was devoid of substance and falsely described Florida's nascent voucher program as "a powerful incentive for academic improvement throughout the state". All this was uncritically reported by the Fox News of print journalism, Reverend Moon's Washington Times. 6:35 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

FLORIDA HISTORY - WHO CARES? NOT OUR GOVERNOR. "Gov. Jeb Bush, who has proclaimed reading a top priority, apparently is moving ahead with plans to break up the 150-year-old State Library and move much of the massive collection from the state capital to a private university in South Florida as a budget cutting move. Despite public opposition, including thousands of petition signatures, Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan, Secretary of State Ken Detzner and Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood, the new secretary of state, are set to announce a deal today to move almost half of the library's 1 million volumes to Nova Southeastern University in Davie." See "Half of state's library to be transferred to Nova". 6:08 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

THE GAMBLING THING. The Florida Times Union notes that "Video slot machines might hit the jackpot this year", and thinks its a grand idea - terming it a "tax on the dumb". 6:08 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

THESE ISSUES CALL FOR A "LEGENDARY POLICY WONK". What's a "legendary policy wonk" to do with issues like these:

"In Florida, unemployment is up 28 percent in two years. Personal bankruptcies are the highest of any state except California. Gov. Jeb Bush's budget squeezes universities and community colleges, even as families struggle to pay higher tuitions and fees. Almost half of Florida's employers face increases in health insurance premiums of 20 percent or more this year. Wal-Mart, Florida's fourth largest employer, now forces new workers to work for months before being allowed to buy into the healthcare plan, a plan many of them cannot afford. Some, like the retired steelworkers of Bethlehem Steel, discover their company is trying to terminate their plans altogether. According to a Chamber of Commerce survey, 76 percent of Florida's employers offered healthcare in 2002, down precipitously from 91 percent only three years earlier."

Surely our Governor will heed these points, well made by AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, in today's Miami Herald. 6:08 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]