And more mandatory reading from the Daytona Beach News Journal:
In most states, felons lose the right to vote once sentenced to prison (Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and Utah are the exception). In most states, the right is restored immediately on release, or once the ex-felon is clear of probation or parole. In nine states, the right to vote is revoked almost permanently unless the ex-felon goes through a punishingly difficult restoration process. Ex-felons have to be done paying restitution to their victims before winning back their voting right. They then have to apply to their state's clemency board, a challenge that may require the help of lawyers and cash for the legal bills. In the overwhelming majority of cases, rights are not restored even then.
Voting is only one of the rights ex-felons are denied. They are also barred from holding civil service jobs, whether as police officers, firefighters or teachers in public schools. They may own homes; they must pay their taxes, of course. But they're second-class citizens.
The process is unjust and outdated, a hold-over of 19th century laws with racist overtones. According to Human Rights Watch, more than 3.9 million Americans -- or 2 percent of the population -- have lost the right to vote. Among blacks, the proportion is 13 percent.
Florida is the worst offender. With 7 percent of adults ineligible to vote because of their prison record, Florida leads the nation with disenfranchised ex-felons. It doesn't matter whether the individuals have completed their supervision requirements or not. More than 525,000 ex-felons still can't vote. Of those, more than 204,000, or close to 40 percent, are black men. The clemency board in Florida is made up of Gov. Jeb Bush and members of his cabinet. About 95 percent of ex-felons who apply to the board to have their voting rights restored are denied.
When Daytona Beach plastic surgeon Carl "Rick" Lentz became president of the Florida Medical Association 10 days ago, he took over during a tumultuous time for the state's doctors.
Throughout this year, doctors in white lab coats trolled the Capitol hallways and meeting rooms to push for strict limits on medical-malpractice lawsuits. But when lawmakers finally passed a bill last month, it gave doctors only a fraction of what they wanted -- and left many skeptical that it would reduce skyrocketing malpractice-insurance rates.
Enter Lentz, a former Air Force surgeon who worked his way up through leadership posts in county and state medical groups. Lentz will be the 16,000-member organization's point man in the coming months as it renews a fierce political battle over medical malpractice.
That battle could play out during next spring's legislative session and during a multimillion-dollar ballot fight next fall. For Lentz and doctors, the target will be clear: trial lawyers, whom they blame for lawsuits that have driven up insurance rates
We read that "Bush will make a four-hour visit to the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Resort [in Broward County] for a $2,000-a-person fund-raiser." And "Republicans hope to raise another $1 million earlier in the day in Jacksonville." See "President Bush aims to raise $1 million in 4-hour Broward visit".
But if teachers and parents want to know who really is responsible for aides exiting the classrooms, the real answer is: Gov. Bush. His education budgets haven't kept up with growth and inflation. He's given away billions in new tax breaks and refused to consider closing loopholes in an antiquated sales-tax-based system that exempts more sales than it taxes.
So if Gov. Bush is going to go around delivering bonus money to schools, I think he also should have to personally take away the things his inadequate budgets are forcing schools to cut.
The next TV news clip featuring the governor I want to see will be broadcast from Miss Richards' kindergarten class. Miss Richards supervises as the kids sit on the floor, coloring workbooks. In the corner, Mrs. Phillips, the grandmotherly aide, comforts a child who is crying because she still isn't used to being away from Mommy and Daddy.
The door opens, and in strides Gov. Bush. "Hi, kids!"
"Hello, Governor Jeb!" The tykes are so excited.
"I'm here today for a special reason."
"Hurray!" They eye him expectantly.
The governor grabs Mrs. Phillips by her snow-white hair and drags her out, leaving behind a room full of stunned kids. "Good-bye," one kid says.
But Gov. Jeb has moved on. Mrs. Mendez, the aide next door, has locked herself in the bathroom. It will take some doing, but she's no match for a determined governor.
That's Not Entirely Accurate - The media has been in a quandry since 2000 about how to describe how Dubya managed to "receive" Florida's electoral votes. Some reporters describe it more artfully than others, but we think Buddy Nevins - in the article about Bush's gross fundraising we link to in the above - kinda misses it here with the following:
Bush has made Florida a priority since winning the state by just 500 votes after a month-long recount and court fight.
Thay's a bit misleading. Why not simply say that "Bush received Florida's electoral votes after the U.S. Supreme Court granted Bush's emergency request to stop counting the ballots in Florida "? 6:43 AM
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