With the Supreme Court's decisions on affirmative action this week, "Texas [is] to restore race in admissions". In Texas, "students who graduate in the top 10 percent of each high school are automatically admitted to the state university system." Although "President Bush has touted his home state's 10 percent plan as a model race-blind policy", Texans obviously think otherwise, dumping the Bush program as soon as it was clear they could legally do so.
Which brings us to Florida, where we have a plan "similar" to that in Texas. Should Florida not get rid of the program, just like Texas? There was obviously something wrong with the system for it to be dumped by Texas within days of the Supreme Court rulings.
Of course, "Jeb!" Bush says the "policy will not change in the wake of the high court's decision". That is understandable since to change it would be to concede that "Jeb!" was wrong and such an admission would be harmful to "Jeb!'s" presidential aspitations.
Must Read - Go to "In school grade game, 4th 'R' is for 'Rigged'" now; it begins with this: "Florida's school grades are rigged. No matter how students perform on the FCAT, Gov. Bush wins. New federal rules this year make sure President Bush also wins no matter how students do."
"Think back to the 2000-01 school year. That was a glowing success for Gov. Bush because there were zero F schools in the entire state. None. What a fantastic endorsement for the A-plus plan Gov. Bush inaugurated in 1999."
"Just a year later, there were 68 F schools in Florida. That was a success for Gov. Bush because his school-grading system was setting higher standards to root out lagging schools. Grades for the 2002-2003 school year came out last week, and guess who wins? Gov. Bush is the hero because the number of F schools has been cut almost in half."
"Winners And Losers" - "Each year, the St. Petersburg Times summarizes the fate of major bills at the end of the regular legislative session. The regular session ended in early May, but the summary was delayed while lawmakers held two special sessions. The governor can veto bills, sign them into law or let them become law without his signature. " See "Winners & Losers".
"We Done Good" Say Our Legislators - Steve Bousquet describes our elected officials attempt to spin the "work" they did in the session in "Sessions end with business undone".
Gallagher Wimps Out - "Gallagher taken to task over malpractice silence". After all, Gallagher is "Florida's chief financial officer, [who] has made a political career of regulating the state's insurance market and promoting himself as a consumer crusader."
Insurance Companies Must Be Shelling Out Contributions "Big Time" - "Three days after a legislative special session fizzled without final agreement, Gov. Jeb Bush on Friday officially notified lawmakers he'll keep them in session most of the summer until they approve changes to the state's medical malpractice insurance system. Bush formally called lawmakers back for a eight-day session starting July 9. But in an unusual move, he also alerted legislative leaders in writing of his plans to call the Legislature back every other week through the end of September." Story in the Miami Herald. See also "Frustrated Bush convenes new special session" and "Resolve malpractice or it's OT, Bush says".
Don't Count On It - In "Meetings Must Be Inclusive", the Sun Sentinel urges that the state's economic development strategy should be the result of a "grassroots effort that includes a diverse audience".
Guardian Hipocrisy - "The state is creating legal problems by not providing guardians for about 5,000 developmentally disabled adults who aren't competent to make their own decisions, a panel charged with reforming the guardianship system was told Friday." See "More guardians needed, DCF says". However, in the case of a fetuses within the womb of developmentally disabled, "Jeb!" will intervene personally to ensure the fetus has a guardian; as for the mother, well, that's someone else's problem . . . the state can't do everything.