Nancy Argenziano reacted strongly when a group called Florida Council of 100 sent a report on state water woes straight to Gov. Jeb Bush and consequently onto front pages of several state newspapers.
"I said, 'who are they?' " the 8-year Florida legislator recalled thinking when the report came out in September, "and, why should we respond to them?"
A senator on the Natural Resources Committee, Argenziano learned quickly what others in Florida's inner circles have known for decades: Florida Council of 100 consists of some of the state's best and brightest CEOs. . . . "It is not a group that is out there trying to increase its membership by looking for media coverage," Executive Director Charles Ohlinger said. "All we are really trying to do is improve Florida."
It has been fairly successful at keeping that low profile. It is a private, nonprofit association that describes itself as non-partisan, member supported, and concerned about major issues affecting Florida's future.
Although the group itself isn't particularly well-known, the people in it are. Its chairman is Al Hoffman, developer of one of the state's largest planned communities. He has donated thousands of dollars in recent years to campaigns of both Gov. Jeb Bush and President George W. Bush and serves, as he did in 2001, as the Republican National Committee's finance committee chairman.
Other members include Sunkist Growers Inc. CEO Jeff Gargiulo, who donated tens of thousands to the Republican Party; newspaper publishers from around the state; and Lee Arnold, a Tampa-area developer who donated a few thousand dollars to the Bushes and the Republican Party and who is chairman of the group's water task force.
Ohlinger said individual members are politically active, but he said the group insulates itself from politics when it comes time to study such issues as education, taxation, and most recently, water
"They all do things through party affiliation, they all have lobbyists," Ohlinger said. "But once they step into council meetings they really are trying to do things that are best for the state as a whole."
Others involved in Tallahassee's ongoing tugs-of-war find Ohlinger's assertion hard to swallow. They point out that Gov. Bush approves new members nominated by the council. Members then pay $3,000 a year to cover staff salaries and riverfront offices in Tampa. "Council of 100 is low-key, but influential".
MED MAL -Today, regulators will publish an eagerly awaited estimate of how much malpractice legislation should reduce insurance premiums. "Doctors wait for insurance prognosis".
UNBELIEVABLE - In "Death row lawyers, state spar over changes in capital appeals", we read that the state is objecting to lawyers expert in capital case appeals representing more than five inmates, even if (1) the same attorneys, while working for the state, handled in excess of five cases, and (2) the attorneys are willing to work for free.
NURSING HOME LEGISLATION -While legislators push various plans, medical examiners say they don't want more work. But abuse or neglect may go undetected. "Oversight proposed in nursing home deaths".
SCRIPPS WAS IN A MONEY JAM-For a nonprofit research center with dreams of expansion, the offer of more than $500 million from Florida taxpayers to open a branch in Palm Beach County could not have come at a better time.
After losing more than $50 million from its investment portfolio during the past three years in a sagging stock market, The Scripps Research Institute now faces a contracting federal budget to fund scientific discovery and a drop in U.S. philanthropic giving that has hit a 12-year low. "$500 million from Florida taxpayers gives boost to tight finances at Scripps institute".
MANATEES - Florida's manatees are in trouble. The problem is very straightforward: More boats are crowding onto Florida's lakes and rivers. More manatees are being hit and killed by boats. They don't breed fast enough to keep up. They're in trouble. . . . So why are so many Florida officials intent on pretending otherwise? "Illogical assault".