Privatization Gamble - State personnel work has been privatized in a massive "seven-year, $278 million contract Bush pushed through last year's legislative session." The fear is that "if Convergys botches the privatization of state personnel services, Florida government will have to pay whatever it takes to set things straight". Not to mention the 500 state employees on the street, or now working for Convergys without the benefit of FRS. See "Personnel transition inspires concern".
Byrd House - In "House divided against Florida", the News Journal opines that "[u]nder the leadership of Speaker Johnnie Byrd, Florida's 120-member House of Representatives has become a one-man show. As of last week, he's apparently trying to run the Senate, too. Under Byrd's leadership, the House has pretty much wasted six weeks of the annual nine-week session."
Ye Reap What Ye Sow - "The specter that the state's largest transplant facility might turn away Medically Needy participants alarmed or surprised legislative leaders this week -- but there was no promise of a remedy." See "State budget cuts threaten transplant patients"
Janet (Rehnquist) and "Jeb!" Update - This from Associated Press on the ongoing investigation of Janet Rehnquist: "Janet Rehnquist, the inspector general at the Department of Health and Human Services, received a government handgun and law enforcement credentials even though she was not legally entitled to them, an internal investigation concluded. The daughter of Chief Justice William Rehnquist was guilty of 'administrative failures,' the investigation found. The Justice Department reviewed the findings and said it would not prosecute." The other aspects of the several pending"investigations", which not surprisingly (particularly with this latest development), are beginning to look like a whitewash, presumably include Rehnquist having "intervened to delay an audit of Florida's pension money at the request of the office of Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's brother."
Malpractice Lawsuits Bad, Property Owner Lawsuits Good - "A measure making its way through the state Senate could virtually eliminate local governments' ability to manage growth and would hit taxpayers hard. Legislators should take great care. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Ken Pruitt and Steven Geller, is intended to strengthen the state's `Property Rights Protection Act,' removing local governments' sovereign immunity that protects government from lawsuits. The goal is to allow landowners to sue governing bodies that restrict the use of their land." See "Lawmakers Should Be Wary Of Weakening Growth Controls"
Bush Hipocrisy - A Palm Beach Post editorial today observes that "Bush outlined the workers compensation law he wants from the Legislature. One item stands out like a burka at the beach: Cut insurance rates by 15 percent."
"Where did that come from? He didn't have a rate cut in his proposals for medical malpractice insurance. There wasn't one in the malpractice bill the House passed. The Senate is near a vote on a malpractice bill with a 20 percent rate rollback, but Gov. Bush and the House show no interest in rolling back malpractice premiums. Still, if the state could do it for workers comp, why not for medical malpractice?"