The Bush hubris never seems to end as we read that, "[u]ndeterred by the controversy over school testing, Gov. Jeb Bush has asked a politically connected Texas company to do a computer analysis on the state's FCAT scores and suggest more changes to Florida schools." We can't begin to guess the results of the so-called analysis by "politically connected Texas company" with "strong Republican ties." We also look forward to an "analysis" on how cuts to the intangibles tax has spurred job growth.
What A Joke - "It was the second of eight hearings around the state. Secretary of State Glenda Hood, along with the heads of Florida Enterprise and the state's workforce innovation agency, will complete the plan by year's end. Gov. Jeb Bush will release it in January. Politics wasn't far beneath the surface Friday. Speakers pointed out Republican legislators in the crowd of 200. Bush administration officials noted that state has achieved 15 straight months of job growth and an unemployment rate below the national average since March 2002." See "Florida casts for its future". Job growth? We all know what kind of jobs we're talking about here.
And Good Luck To You Too - "Florida's high school juniors can breathe a little easier: Presidents of the state's 11 public universities on Friday backed away from the notion of capping their enrollment growth. Instead, they decided to back the state Board of Governors' request to the Legislature for a $157 million increase in the $2 billion higher education budget. They say that would make caps unnecessary. About $50 million of the increase would pay for students whose slots were not completely funded in the 2003-04 school year and $30 million would pay for new students expected to enroll in the fall of 2004." See "College presidents seek budget hike".
Who Knew? - "A state team that reviews abuse and negligence deaths of Florida children said Friday that the Legislature should broaden the scope of its work so better solutions can be found." Who knew that "Florida is one of only several states that do not have comprehensive guidelines for investigating child deaths statewide . . . ." See "Team wants wider scope to investigate child abuse".
This We Knew - "Florida and six other states have no minimum wage, meaning the state's lowest-wage workers must rely on Congress for any raise. And Florida has 14 percent more minimum-wage workers than the national average, according to ACORN, which is comprised of community, church and social service organizations. To get the question on the November 2004 ballot, the group must collect the required 490,000 signatures by next August and the amendment itself must pass muster with the Florida Supreme Court." See "A buck more at bottom".
Elderly Costs To Explode - "A coming boom in Florida's elderly population must prompt a reallocation of government resources to meet their needs, Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Terry White said Thursday." See "Seniors need funds, official says".
It's Only Water - "Agri-giant Lykes Bros. Inc. wants to sell the state a "conservation easement" for 24,000 acres of land near Fisheating Creek, but an environmental group charged Friday that the real estate deal defies the meaning of conservation. The proposed $23 million transaction for two parcels of land west of Lake Okeechobee would preserve the company's ability to exploit the property, part of the creek's watershed, more than it would preserve nature, said David Guest, managing attorney for the group Earthjustice in Tallahassee." See "Critics assail land use plan".
And Where Is Our Enviromental (Photo Op) Governor? "Who would have thought the Kissimmee River revival project could become an afterthought? Unfortunately, it's easy to reach that conclusion as this major reclamation project continues to run into roadblocks. Work on the project's second phase is five years behind schedule. Also lagging by two years is the restoration of the river's headwaters farther north. That work is needed to deliver a continuous water flow and inundate adjacent wetlands of the restored river." See "Stop Delays On Kissimmee Work".
Touch Screen Trouble - "Florida elections officials say their confidence in electronic voting hasn't been shaken by a Johns Hopkins University report that claims a touch-screen system used in other states is vulnerable to fraud and hackers. The July 23 report -- which focused on a Diebold touch-screen system and is disputed by that company -- has heated up the national debate among elections administrators, voting machine makers and academics over the trustworthiness of computerized voting." See "Election officials dismiss report on touch screens".
Pols Dis The Voters - "What do higher court fees and three-year high school diplomas have in common? Floridians must deal with them because the Legislature ignores the public" See "Voters? Who are they?"