A great editorial in the Gainesville Sun today, "The insti-crisis": "So this is the way public policy-making works in 'conservative' Tallahassee. Lawmakers spend literally months dithering over the fine details of a medical malpractice 'reform' package that, in the end, may neither lower malpractice insurance rates nor protect victims of bad medicine. And then in the space of just a day or two, the governor requests, and the Legislature quickly authorizes, an additional $66 million for the state prison system. Just like that. Oh yes, and as a sweetener, lawmakers rewarded the Department of Corrections' poor planning by giving officials permission to skip the state's pesky bidding requirements for construction projects. These 2,000 or so new prison beds need to be built quickly - there's simply no time to follow proper procedures and make sure the taxpayers' dollars are being well spent. But not to worry, Bush administration officials crossed their hearts and absolutely promised that there would be no sweetheart deals made as Florida embarks on yet another expensive building boom to keep up with its growing prison population."
Do Nothing Jebbites - "Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment in November creating a Board of Governors to oversee the university system. But with 14 of 17 members picked by Gov. Bush, who opposed the amendment, the meet-little, do-less board has amendment supporters considering litigation to make the group deliver what voters wanted." See "Universities' advocates need to act like them".
Tax Reform - "Two former Republican state lawmakers have joined forces for a truly honorable cause: reform of Florida's overly generous list of exemptions from the state sales tax." See "A call for tax reform".
Bad Decisions - Broward Judge "Aleman has been overturned in three highly publicized cases since being appointed.
"In one case, parents had no car and were forced to take the bus to court. When they were 25 minutes late to one hearing, Aleman took their daughter away in a ruling later overturned by the Fourth District Court of Appeal. The appeal judges also overturned her ruling stopping visitations between a mother and daughter after the mother missed a hearing. The mother, who had a brain disorder, had the support of all other parties in the case. Just last month, Chief Judge Dale Ross overruled Aleman and sent a dying inmate home. Aleman had refused to allow the inmate with terminal AIDS to leave jail."
Broward Dem "Chairman Mitch Ceasar called Aleman, who was appointed in December 2001 by Gov. Jeb Bush, insensitive and a 'right-wing nut who doesn't belong on the bench. I have never opposed a seated judge before and neither has the party, but this judge has to go.'" See "Broward Democrats call judge 'right-wing nut,' plan to oppose her re-election".
Hey, We Elected John Ellis Bush . . . What Are We Being Smug About - "Ridiculous recall".
"Motor Voter Law Is Working" In Florida - "Election supervisors in South Florida, and indeed throughout Florida and the nation, are discovering that the motor-voter law may be too much of a good thing. In registering many thousands of new voters, the 8-year-old law is an unqualified success. Alas, many of the new voters don't actually vote -- a phenomenon that can add millions of dollars in costs for an elections department that has to send out sample ballots, registration cards and other costly mailings to all registered voters." See "Never too many voters".