Why did Johnnie Byrd hire a lawyer, the "managing partner of Broad & Cassel's Tampa office and head of its technology litigation group . . . at $250 an hour to salvage the House computer system"? "Byrd's friendly computer deal turns ugly" relates a saga of wasted public resources, gonzo privatization, and GOP shills fighting each other over whose client gets to eat more at the public trough . . . you know, a typical day in GOP run Tallahassee.
But It's Not A Tax Increase -Verizon and Sprint, two of Florida's primary local phone companies, filed plans with the state Wednesday to increase their local service rates. The move is the first of many anticipated consequences of a bill signed by Gov. Jeb Bush in May. Bush said the law was intended to increase competition and ultimately give the public access to new technology. This legislation was merely a sham for shifting the revenue responsibility for the quickly declining access fee pot of money to the much more stable source of residential customers," said Mike Twomey, president of Florida Utility Watch, which opposed the bill. "Verizon, Sprint apply to increase local phone rates under new law". See also "Phone charges may rise by $3.50" and "Phone bills could go up".
"Nothing Requires A Fifth Special Session" - Florida lawmakers get nine weeks every spring to pass an annual budget and tend to the state's priorities. It never seems to be enough. But with four special sessions already, they're setting records for ineffectiveness this year. The first was forced when lawmakers failed to accomplish their sole constitutional duty to pass a budget. Two were failed attempts to deal with a non-crisis in medical malpractice insurance, while the last produced a worse-than-useless compromise on the same issue. Now there's talk of a fifth session in October. Only one item on the agenda -- a crackdown on state corporate-voucher handouts -- would be justified. The state has been handing out money to educational organizations blindly, and that must stop. "Empty agenda".
God Help Us - Hundreds of Central Florida employees who work for the state's child-welfare agency are being taught the importance of meekness, deference and obedience through aprogram with biblical roots. "DCF training questioned".
Dem Defections?Increasing numbers of young Jews and blacks are leaning toward the Republican Party, and Democrats need to bring them back, U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings said Wednesday. "I am disturbed by the 35-and-younger blacks and Jews who are trending to the Tom DeLays of the world," said Hastings, D-Miramar. "Hastings: Traditional Democrats defecting".
Corporate Vouchers =Florida's education commissioner has ordered an investigation into how his department approved the scholarship funding organizations that distribute millions in school voucher money. The investigation comes after Commissioner Jim Horne cut off funding to one of the organizations because he was unable to determine what happened to more than $400,000 in tax credits. "Voucher worries lead to inquiry". See also "Scholarship program seems mishandled".
Glenda's Big Moment -A veteran elections worker who was fired after her bosses said she tampered with campaign finance records made the changes because she was trying to spare Florida some additional embarrassment and was not conspiring to help individual candidates, her attorney said Wednesday.
Rather then risk more damaging headlines for a department that was severely criticized in the 2000 presidential recount, Evans altered a computer tracking system to prevent the late notices from being sent to the candidates, said attorney Ron Meyer of Tallahassee. "Her initial thought was that this was going to be an embarrassment to the department," Meyer said. Meyer disputed a public announcement by Secretary of State Glenda Hood that Evans was fired for alleged misconduct that "involved altering dates on late-filed campaign finance reports from the 2002 election cycle." "Fired elections worker tried to shield state, lawyer says". See also "Ex-records chief was 'unwise', lawyer says". 5:59 AM
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