Florida's poverty rate matched the national rate, and median income declined more, to $38,533. That's after four years of Gov. Bush's self-touted economic success based on his business experience. The day the census report came out, he told the leisure industry not to fret that more tourists are coming to Florida but are spending less. They are driving, which hurts airlines and car rentals, and which, in turn, cuts the state's tax take. "The fact that we have less tax revenue doesn't bother me," he said. Smaller incomes accompany less tax revenue, but that shadow never crossed his sunny outlook. "Poor returns on tax cuts".
DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH - The Orlando Sentinel argues that it's "up to Gov. Jeb Bush to fix flaws in school-voucher program." See "Governor's role".
GOOD QUESTION - ["Jeb!"] Bush has made no secret of his support for privatizing public education. He has made Florida a leading state in the use of education vouchers that funnel public money to private schools.
Thus it is appropriate to look askance at the investment by the Florida state pension fund in the company that is the largest provider of private education services - one that has been a financial loser through most of its 10-year history. The pension fund, which covers retired state employees, including teachers, through its New York investment adviser purchased Edison Schools Inc. for $182 million. . . . The company, which operates 150 schools in 23 states, has not lived up to its billing. Its stock, publicly traded, has fallen from a high of $36.75 a share to $1.70 as of last week. It showed a profit in only one quarter, that attributed largely to sale of an asset.
The question is why, of all possible investment opportunities, Florida's state pension fund would choose this vehicle into which to pour such a substantial chunk of its funds. Perhaps Bush is enjoying the irony of the pensions of teachers - who make up half of the state retiree mix - being invested in a company that wants to put the public schools out of business. "Odd investment".
SPEAKING OF "SELF-RIGHTEOUS" - "Jeb!", in a meeting closed to the public, "told community college presidents Monday that the state must find a better way to pay for the huge increase in students expected over the next decade." Not surprisingly, "Jeb!" had no idea what that funding source might be. When reporters complained out the meeting being closed to the public, he self-righteously complained, "wouldn't you like to know about the meeting maybe instead of all this self-righteous stuff?" See "Bush, community colleges discuss funding woes".
COME ON, YOU CAN TELL US -A leading Republican legislator Monday blasted what he said was Florida's "faltering commitment" to education and pledged to travel the state to drum up support to protect Bright Futures scholarships and the prepaid tuition program. State Sen. Ken Pruitt, the top budget-writer in the state Senate, criticized other state leaders, saying they were not putting enough money into education. Pruitt wouldn't name the leaders but the state Senate has battled with the state House and Gov. Jeb Bush this spring over the state's $53 billion budget. "GOP lawmaker blasts state for lack of education support".