In this editorial about using excess lottery money for - hold the presses - education, the Sun Sentinel reminds us:
Florida ranks last among the states in per-capita funding for education. For the nation's fourth-largest state, that's a disgrace. It's also a serious threat to Florida's continued economic vitality, for no matter how attractive the state's tax structure is, blue-chip companies won't locate in areas with inferior schools.
Instead of courageous leadership on this issue, we gaet tax cuts and dopey ideas like this.
Thousands of Floridians walked away from community college campuses last month after learning that the classes they needed were full or had been cancelled due to budget cuts.
Thousands more discovered this month that they were facing overflowing classrooms, overburned instructors and a lack of resources to help them in their struggle for a better life.
And what a slap in the face it was to those Floridians to hear Education Commissioner Jim Horne leap on the chance to exploit their frustration by blaming the whole mess on the constitutional amendment limiting the size of public school classes.
We wonder when, or if, Floridians will ever wake up to this, and so much other damage done to the state by the Jebbites.
RANKS OF THE UNINSURED TO GROW -Faced with an "unsustainable situation" of rising medical costs, Gov. Jeb Bush said Monday top state employees - including himself and legislators - might have to start paying for health insurance. "Bush: State workers may pay for insurance".
AS IF THERE ALREADY WEREN'T FAR TOO MANY UNINSURED IN FLA -An estimated 3 million Floridians have no health insurance. And between 2001 and 2002, the number of employees in small businesses with insurance coverage dropped by 13.2 percent; the number of covered employees in larger businesses dropped 6.1 percent, according to a state analysis. The two groups combined represent 322,513 people who lost coverage in one year's time. "Health insurance crisis hurting more, panel told". See also "Health insurance panel awakened to woes".
WE'RE SURE THERE IS SOME LOGIC TO THIS . . . WELL, MAYBE NOT -Florida's controversial $4.8 million experiment to save money by allowing elementary school students to learn at home via the Internet is serving children who have never attended a public school, contrary to a state law and legislators' wishes. "Wrong students in virtual schools". The Tampa Trib believes an "Audit Of Voucher Program Is Justified And Overdue".
"JEB!"'S MAN AT DCF -First came the huge cost overruns and time delays, then its disastrous public debut. Now the trouble-laden child-welfare computer system is being blamed for a dangerous increase in the number of callers to Florida's child-abuse hotline who hang up after being kept on hold too long. Department of Children and Families Secretary Jerry Regier needs to get the new "HomeSafenet" system running right and soon, before children get hurt or lost in all the snafu. "DCF hotline hangups".