And the normally responsible Mark Silva is wrong to claim "Governor acts on beliefs, not to win political backing". The Peter Wallsten piece today (excerpted below) makes clear that there are political calculations involved here. More importantly, if "Jeb!" were so committed to his religious beliefs, how does he rationalize the death penalty?
YOU DON'T THINK . . .
By injecting themselves into the life-or-death drama of Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman whose fate has become a cause celebre for the nation's Christian conservative movement, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Republican-led Legislature are reflecting the wishes of a constituency that could be critical to GOP success in next year's elections. "Decision could aid GOP at the polls".
CHARTER SCHOOL SCAM -Two private companies with incestuous business ties and no experience in opening or running a classroom have peppered the state with applications to enter the multimillion-dollar charter school business. This venture looks more like an attempt to capitalize on a business opportunity than an effort to serve an unmet need in public elementary and middle schools. "No mystery schools".
WILL IT BE MORE THAN WINDOW DRESSING?A Senate committee grilled Florida's pension fund director on Wednesday about the state's decision to buy a money-losing school management company. "State pension fund purchase examined".
FLORIDA AND ALABAMA, TWO PEAS IN A POD -Like Florida, Alabama is one of the most tax-regressive states in the nation: Poorer people carry a bigger tax burden than wealthier people, relative to their income. In Alabama, the poorest 40 percent of taxpayers pay twice the share of the their income in taxes than do the top 1 percent. Taxable income is low to begin with. So state revenue has been anemic, but not so the demand on state services. Unlike Florida, Alabama is not a high-growth state. It cannot depend on a continuing influx of people to generate new money for government services. Consequently the state has some of the nation's lousiest schools, its stingiest social services and its shakiest infrastructure. "We dare defend our rights" is Alabama's boastful state motto. "You get what you pay for" would be more accurate. "Starving the beast".
SOON TO BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG -A state senator has asked Florida's auditor general to investigate a Miami Beach conference where members of the Public Service Commission partied with the help of companies urging them to raise local phone rates. "Regulatory panel's party draws scrutiny".
THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY -a freshman Republican from Dunedin, broke ranks with Gov. Jeb Bush, House Speaker Johnnie Byrd and most of his party, voting against an emergency bill that called for reinserting a feeding tube into Schiavo. "Legislator sidesteps GOP on Schiavo".
VOUCHER BAIT AND SWITCH - "Voucher money may go to public schools". It is almost funny to see the Florida Legislature pull a bait nad switch on the corporate private school voucher contributors.
NO GUTS?Florida lawmakers didn't have the guts to fix the Bright Futures scholarship program earlier this year. They fed the illusion that Florida can continue to afford college scholarships that reward neither real merit nor need.
Lawmakers can't continue to play that risky financial game in the next session. Bright Futures has trapped Florida into low-balling university spending. "Make Bright Futures brilliant".