Notes For Saturday, March 01, 2003

FLORIDA'S "FILL IN THE BLANKS" LEGISLATURE. "Anyone paging through the hundreds of bills filed in the House and Senate is struck by the large number that state the Legislature's intention to do something - once they figure out what they want to do, and whether Florida can afford it. The 'fill in the blanks' spirit of the 2003 legislative session, which convenes next week, is perhaps best summarized by Sen. Charlie Clary's bill that states, in its entirety, 'The Legislature intends to review laws relating to government operations.' That's what they do every year - tinker with how state agencies run - but SB 372 is just one of dozens of one-sentence placeholders that were filed in time to get assigned to committees, where they will be fleshed out or abandoned during the 60-day session." Bill Cotterell.
6:32 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

THE "ODDS HEAVILY FAVOR" DELANEY TO REPLACE BROGAN. "The odds heavily favor Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney, a moderate Republican with an approval rating that has stayed above 80 percent with no hint of scandal during eight years in office." At least according to Lucy Morgan. 6:12 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]


BAD MOVES. Advocates say that in excess of "16,000 children will be dropped from Florida's most successful delinquency-prevention program under a proposal in the governor's budget that cuts its funding by more than half and moves it to the financially troubled Department of Children & Families." And, "the Florida Department of Children & Families is letting private agencies take over adoption, foster-care and protection services." In the meantime, DCF head Regier claims "Shifting more responsibility for child welfare to local communities doesn't mean the state is 'dumping and running.'" Department of Children & Families chief Jerry Regier said Thursday. "We suppose this all makes sense to the "legendary policy wonk". 6:11 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]


KING PUTS HIS FOOT DOWN. "State Senate President Jim King said Friday that the governor's plan to save money by transferring part of the State Library's holdings to Nova Southeastern University would not happen."
6:11 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]


OUR NEW SECRETARY OF STATE. "In an office strewn with boxes and floral bouquets, Florida's new secretary of state, Glenda Hood, began her first day on the job Friday after a decade as Orlando mayor." See "Hood settles into new position".
6:11 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]


UGLY IS AS UGLY DOES. We agree with Lucy Morgan, "The session will not be pretty." 6:10 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]


THEY DON'T VOTE. Although it is a small thing, it is refreshing to read that a "new campaign to improve the living conditions of migrant farmworkers in Manatee County appears to be gaining support in the community." Inasmuxh as the bulk of these workforce does not vote, politicians rarely pay attention to them, and those that do - like Steve Pajic, who as a legislator unsuccessfully sought to pass a statute protecting farmworker collective bargaining rights - are savaged by the Florida GOP and its reactionary allies. 6:08 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]


WATER WARS. From the Palm Beach Post, Florida "Legislators brace for war over water".

"Environmentalists are particularly worried about a proposed bill by freshman Rep. Baxter Troutman, R-Winter Haven, that would erase a section of Florida law created in 1972, at the height of the environmental movement -- a time when Congress was passing the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act and creating the Environmental Protection Agency. It was also a time when Florida was emerging from a series of paralyzing droughts. Troutman's bill eliminates a single paragraph in the Florida Model Water Code that allows water regulators to deny permits for new development if the water is needed "for the protection of fish and wildlife or the public health and safety."

'That is the single tool that is essential to protecting the environment from overuse of the water supply,' said Eric Draper, a veteran lobbyist for Florida Audubon. 'This is a contest for Florida's water between people who want to do what they've always done, which is take water whenever and wherever they want it, and the need to make sure the environment gets its fair share.'" 6:01 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]


THE FLORIDA GOP, BEREFT OF NEW IDEAS, STEALS FROM THE DEMOCRATS. The Florida GOP in Tallahassee has a prescription drug plan. "No matter that this is a scaled-back version of a plan written by Miami Beach state Rep. Dan Gelber, a Democrat; that it was adopted this year as a Democratic caucus initiative, or that it was introduced on the campaign trail last year by Bill McBride, the Democratic candidate for governor." Peter Wallstein's detailed column on the issue, "Drug plan's a perfect prescription for the GOP", is well worth a read. 5:53 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]


PENALAS TO RUN FOR SENATE. Although hardly a secret, with Graham's campaign now official, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas will run for the U.S. Senate. Penalas "he would file papers April 2 to seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat Bob Graham is vacating, but added he would quit the race if Graham abandons his presidential campaign to run for reelection." 5:45 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]


THE MOST WATCHED POLITICAN OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON? We may have missed this lengthy puff piece about John Ellis Bush in the Washington Post last week. The article notes that "He might be the most closely watched U.S. politician outside Washington."
5:41 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]