Ed. Note - We had to lose the introductory graphic on the site because our host, Lycos, was forcing ads on the "iframe" pages, in addition to popup adds.
Please read Martin Dyckman's excellent column today, "Sticking it to state workers" about how how our "Jeb!" has come up with "one more way to pack the government with ideological carpetbaggers who know little and care less about Florida's history and values."
Byrd, What A Sweetheart -The term "sweetheart deal" may be losing some of its meaning to political overuse, but thank Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd for reviving it almost singlehandedly. A sweetheart deal is when a House speaker hands a hometown friend and political supporter an open-ended, no-bid, no-contract government deal that ultimately costs taxpayers more than $3-million.
Ollie And "Jeb!" Sitting In A Tree . . . - If for some strange reason you want to know what Ollie North thinks about "Jeb!"'s educational policy, go here.
And Don't Forget Who Makes Committee Assignments And Can Kill Bills -An early test of House Speaker Johnnie Byrd's strength as a U.S. Senate candidate is how many of his colleagues will rally behind him. Byrd is working on that. But he won't name names, and he's playing catchup. Long before Byrd entered the race, U.S. Rep. Mark Foley of West Palm Beach grabbed endorsements from 26 of the 80 House Republicans. Foley nailed down most of that support in the spring, when Byrd was insisting he had no plans to run. Times have changed, however. At a casual supper a few weeks ago at his Tallahassee home, Byrd asked some lawmakers to sign pledge cards to formalize their support of his candidacy. Some did, but others aren't taking sides or are endorsing someone else. "Byrd takes straw poll of House supporters - The House speaker is asking colleagues for their backing, but some have made other plans".
Doctors, Lawyers: Now Its Personal - The Florida Medical Association decided Saturday it would press for a change the state's constitution to make certain that medical malpractice victims collect a larger share of the court settlements they win.
If the proposed amendment were to pass, patients would receive 70 percent of the first $250,000 awarded and 90 percent of the rest of the award. Trial lawyers usually receive 30 to 40 percent of malpractice awards, the medical association said.
But the cap would make it virtually impossible to try medical malpractice cases, said Neal Roth, a malpractice attorney who has been one of the trial bar's chief lobbyists. Roth told the Associated Press that attorneys are paid only if they win, even though they may spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on each case.
''This is a method by which they believe they will never be held accountable when they commit even egregious malpractice,'' Roth said. "Doctors: Slash lawyers' cut from suits".
News Flash: The Jebbites On The Florida Elections Commission Give "Jeb!" A Pass On 2002 Violations - "Election controversy ends quietly".
Will The FDLE Forgive And Forget? - A South Florida company seeking a multistate law enforcement contract announced Friday that its founder, former drug smuggler Hank Asher, has resigned from its board of directors.
Asher's resignation from the Seisint Inc. board comes after Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials questioned his background during contract negotiations with the company. Seisint, a computer technology company, hopes to win an information sharing contract with Florida and a dozen other states. "Ex-drug runner steps aside: The resignation of Hank Asher from the Seisint board removes one obstacle to a contract with the FDLE, state officials say". 7:27 AM
[Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]