So Regier gave up his role in an Oklahoma campaign. "Jeb!" thought it was unseemly, saying Regier's "'focus needs to be on vulnerable children and citizens in our state.' If the [political work] creates a 'perception' that Regier is not fully dedicating his time to Florida, Bush said, 'he shouldn't be doing it.'". Of course, it is perfectly OK for our "Jeb!" to campaign in Kentucky and California in the midst of a so-called malpractice crisis with multiple special sessions wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayers dollars.
After Endorsing "Jeb!" Over McBride, They Now Complain About "Jeb Bush And His Cronies" - The Sun Sentinel editorial board today writes: "Observe the sorry state of education in Florida today: disappointing test scores, painfully crowded classrooms, decaying school buildings, severe shortages of supplies and, at least in Palm Beach County, the impending elimination of teacher aides, seventh-period electives and many high school guidance counselors. In the fourth-largest state in the wealthiest country the world has ever known, how can this be? Misplaced priorities, that's how. Gov. Jeb Bush and his cronies in the Republican-controlled Legislature have made excessive, unaffordable and unconscionable tax reductions the centerpiece of their governance, and if that hurts children, and hurts the state's future by hurting children, well, too bad." See "State Priorities Are All Wrong".
Do Something About It Then, Will Ya - "With political tension building over the U.S. government's decision to ship 12 boat hijacking suspects back to face prison in Cuba, Gov. Jeb Bush took the unusual step Thursday of criticizing his own brother's administration for the negotiations that led to the repatriation." See "Cubans' return 'just not right,' Gov. Bush says".
The Quality Of Debate - "In most debates, facts are the antidote to shrill rhetoric, exaggeration and attack. In Florida, the facts just seem to aggravate adversaries into yelling louder and making cruder threats." See "Sound and fury".
The "Right To Life" Thing - "The 5th District Court of Appeal has agreed to hear arguments on whether the fetus of a developmentally disabled woman from Orlando should have a legal guardian." See "Appeal court takes case of guardian for fetus".
State GOP Loves Children - "Rhonda Pickering's 13-year-old daughter needs six teeth pulled to make way for braces. The substitute teacher was planning to tap her Florida Healthy Kids low-cost insurance to pay for the extractions and orthodontia. But during a recent visit to the dentist, she discovered that state legislators had capped dental benefits to help slash the state budget. Now, only $750 of dental work is covered annually, which rarely covers more than cleanings, X-rays and fillings. . . . Child advocates say it's just one example of how state budget cuts have hurt lower-income and troubled kids" See "Budget cutbacks make children wait for care".
Only The Choir Allowed To Preach At Corporate Voucher "Roundtables" - "Attempting to portray Florida's corporate voucher program as perfectly natural, not weird at all, normal, Education Secretary Jim Horne this week is staging a series of 'round tables' with the voucher scheme's entourage: Namely, the schools that get the money without having to account for it. Today, Mr. Horne puts in an appearance at Redemptive Life Fellowship Church in West Palm Beach, which runs a school that last year accepted 20 students on corporate vouchers. The public can attend the sessions -- which follow the revelation in The Post that $350,000 in corporate vouchers went to an Islamic school in Tampa that was founded by a man under indictment for terrorism -- but only 'stakeholders' are allowed to speak. It's easier to circle the wagons at a round table. In fact, the public that isn't allowed to speak is a stakeholder, since the public ultimately pays for the vouchers." See "Track voucher students to provide accountability". 6:49 AM
[Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]