Is St. Petersburg mayoral candidate Deveron Gibbons in the predatory loan business?
OK that last one seems a little sad.
Des Moines Crazy
for Divorces; 52
Split in 2 Days
Des Moines, July 4.—(UP)—A divorce craze apparently has hit Des Moines.
In the past two days 53 divorces have been granted here, during which time no suits have been refused.
Tuesday was the banner day, when 28 couples severed their marital ties, and yesterday 24 more couples called it "quits."
In yesterday's actions, one woman was granted a divorce because her "husband insisted on dolling up every night and leaving home," while a man was declared victor when he testified that his wife "pulled my hair and scratched me."
A policeman won his suit for separation when he said that his wife was too hardbodied.
(...)
Yes, it’s true. Governor Sarah Palin, at a hastily called press conference this morning, has announced that she will be stepping down from office on July 25, and turning the reins over to Lt. Governor Sean Parnell “for the good of Alaska.”
(...)
Of course, those who have been follwing the Alaska blogosphere closely are aware of the rumors bubbling up that there’s something big…something really big that’s headed her way; the iceberg that’s headed for the S.S. Palin. We’ll see."
(...)
Okay, I’ve now been able to get independent information from multiple sources that all of this precedes what are said to be possible federal indictments against Palin, concerning an embezzlement scandal related to the building of Palin’s house and the Wasilla Sports Complex built during her tenure. Both structures, it is said, feature the “same windows, same wood, same products.” Federal investigators have been looking into this for some time, and indictments could be imminent, according to the Alaska sources.
My response:
Sunny said...Thanks for the update, although such a response likely indicates Dr. Levenson did very much make an impact.
Levenson does not stand alone with her research, which causes me to believe you didn't bother to click open the links on this blog's sidebar. I extend the invitation, with No Easy Answers and Enhancing Child Safety & Online Technologies to be my first recommendation to you.
This has already proved to be an issue in Mr. McCollum's campaign for governor, per the use as his "cybersafety" PSA as a "veiled" campaign commercial, paid for with tax payer dollars.
And it will likely come up in the FL AG race as 80 citizens remain living under the Julia Tuttle Causeway with no place to live due to residency restrictions in Miami.
Froggers, it's 90 degrees outside at 10:00 AM this July 4th.
Imagine living under a bridge, day after day, under those conditions because the City of Miami has segregated persons from their community.
It's about time the ACLU got busy in Florida....
Soon to be gone...but for how long?
I have no more idea than anyone else, but hey: what's the point of blogging if not to amass a record of your unfounded speculations so that you can go back and see how wrong you were? My unfounded speculation: I do not believe for a moment that this is about taking time off to prepare for 2012. Nothing I know about Sarah Palin leads me to believe that she would give up power voluntarily, let alone for something that is such a long shot, and in such a transparently self-destructive way.Stay tuned.
I think that there's something we don't know about: either a serious health problem or a serious scandal. In either case, it would, I think, have to be a really big deal to make her react in this way. She has shown herself to be more than capable of brushing off smaller scandals, national embarrassment, and a whole host of other things. She did not step down from the governorship when she gave birth to a child with special needs, or when she was asked to be McCain's running-mate. She did not decline McCain's offer because of the potential embarrassment, either to her or her family, of her daughter being unmarried and pregnant. She is no shrinking violet.
[...]
I await further news with fascination. I'm also taking bets on who the next imploding Republican Presidential hopeful will be.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
Greetings good citizen,
Sometimes it’s just too funny! Didn’t I go off the rails in the day before yesterday’s post on the issue of ‘access’ and today we have this story which I assume I’m not alone in being totally ignorant of until it was scrubbed…
So, once again, I fall victim to ‘foot in mouth disease’…you CAN get ‘access’, all you need is a quarter of a million bucks and a politically ‘neutral’ issue.
Or have I been ‘spared’ the humiliation of being ‘wrong’ because the Washington Post has withdrawn its ‘pay to play’ offer (which, PS, by the way, wasn't extended to you, the 'average' individual?)
WaPo cancels paid White House-Congress-lobbyist hook up
Submitted by Edward Harrison of Credit Writedowns. read more »
00:01 Independence Day » Why Now?
The Declaration of Independence IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to [...]
00:00 Happy 4th of July » Discourse.net
I’m out today. via SFDB Ecard Of The Day by South Florida Daily Blog Politically correct update: It’s been suggested to me that the message of the card above is the pernicious “wouldn’t it be a shame if women didn’t strip down to bathing suits on a winter holiday” rather than what I innocently took it to be, which was, “isn’t it nice to be able to go to the beach.” I’m guess I’m just naive....
Fri 03 July, 2009
23:59 Happy Birthday, America » The Spencerian
Have a save and enjoyable Independence Day, everybody.
22:33 Some Fact Checking » Why Now?
The Miami Herald reports on an interview with a Top Honduran military lawyer: We broke the law In an interview with The Miami Herald and El Salvador’s elfaro.net, army attorney Col. Herberth Bayardo Inestroza acknowledged that top military brass made the call to forcibly remove Zelaya — and they circumvented laws when they did it. … Inestroza described [...]
20:52 Palin's sudden resignation draws Greer compliment » The Buzz: Florida Politics
RPOF Chairman Jim Greer, who caught heat for his critical assessment of Sarah Palin's campaign skills alongside John McCain, still managed to toss her a compliment after today's announcement she was resigning as Alaska governor. “On behalf of the Republican...
20:36 RedState: A Liberal Blogger's Best Friend » Incertus
When I got the news alert on my Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that Governor Sarah Palin was not just not going to run for re-election, but was resigning her current post, my second reaction was "I wonder what RedState is going to do with this. My first was to wonder if she actually said "they're not going to have Palin to kick around anymore" or if she'd just leave that between the lines.
Well, RedState didn't disappoint:The political pundits who are saying she couldn’t take the heat, so she got out of the kitchen, may have found a winning cliche to apply, but then no one has faced the heat Sarah Palin has been subjected to, largely at the hands of the political pundits now dragging out that cliche.No one? Really Erick? You can't think of another woman in the political arena who was the butt of cruel, sexist, misogynist jokes, and whose daughter was also subjected to those jokes while a minor (as opposed to being an adult and advocate for a social cause)? You don't remember the t-shirts and bumper stickers from the 2008 campaign that said things like "Wanna see Hillary run? Throw rocks at her!"?
Oh, that's right--it's only sexist when it's one of yours who endures the attacks, not when your side is doing the attacking. I see so clearly now.
Anyone who reads this blog knows where I stand on sexist attacks--they're always crap, no matter who's being attacked and who's doing the attacking. I even defended Sarah Palin late last September because the press kept focusing on her sexuality instead of her positions on issues. But come on--Governor Palin has been in the national spotlight for what, a year and a half at best? Secretary of State Clinton has been dealing with this nonsense at the national level since 1992, and she wasn't even a candidate at the time. Let's have a little perspective here.
19:49 Good Advice for Edgy Demos in Talks: Be Patient » Discourse.net
This guest posting ex-cypherpunk mordaxus at Emergent Chaos gets how judges think. And uses the word “gedanken” properly. Must be someone I know. The “gedanken” limits the field some too. Emergent Chaos: The Punch Line Goes at the End Last year, the big cancellation was the team of MIT students who broke the Boston MBTA Charlie Card system. There was a legal injunction put against them that spoilt their presentation. The fault, in my opinion went to them for naming their talk, “How To Get Free Subway Rides For Life.” Imagine that you are a judge who is interrupted from an otherwise pleasant Saturday by panicky people who want an injunction against a talk with such a dramatic NAME, you ll at least listen to them. You decide that sure, no harm to society will come from an injunction from Saturday til Monday, and you d be right. No harm came to society, DefCon was merely a little less interesting. Now imagine that you are the same judge and you re asked for an injunction against the talk, A Practical Cryptanalysis of the Mifare Chip as Implemented in the MBTA. That one can wait until Monday, and the talk goes...
19:12 Bruce Marsh’s Riverwall In Tampa » The Ybor City Stogie
Downtown Tampa’s Riverwalk gained a public art cornerstone recently with the installation of Bruce Marsh’s Riverwall– a 40-foot long mural composed of photographic images of the Hillsborough River.........more
19:02 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-03 » Deep Something
TV Pitchman Billy Mays was found dead in his home here in Tampa this morning according to TBO.com # Slow quiet weekend is over. On vacation this week, but lots of personal chores to get done. # Working on some design changes to http://deep.mastersfamily.org # Looks like lots of rain in Tampa today, but coming in very short [...]
18:06 Good Luck Brian Blair » The Ybor City Stogie
To Reunite With Family In The Keys.
18:06 News from the Past - July 3, 1929 » Stupid Enough Unexplanation
This is from the Clovis New Mexico Evening News Journal - a very depressing newspaper.WINNIPEG EXPLOSIONAlmost every other story involved death, so this is relatively upbeat.
A MYSTERY OF NIGHT
(By The Associated Prigss)
WINNIPEG, Man., July 3 - A violent explosion, which, shook nearby buildings, caused injury to two persons and damage to the basement of the Jewish orphanage on Matheson Avenue, North Winnipeg last night.Children at the orphanage escaped injury.Family of Six Wiped Out In An Ax MurderOK that last one wasn't so bad.
Two Found Dead On a Kentucky Highway Today
Two Plunge Off Mountain Ledge To Their Death
Houston Youth Slain; Companion Seriously Hurt
Firemen Killed in Crash With Train
Engineer Falls To Death From His Locomotive
CITY MANAGER URGES CO-OPERATION OF CLUBS
17:16 Not Good Enough » Why Now?
Lambert has a YouTube video of Loudon Wainwright III singing his song, The Krugman Blues, which is a fitting lead in to Krugman’s latest column, That ’30s Show. The White House didn’t do enough to even slow the slide, much less start the recovery. Along with the job losses wages are heading toward deflation, so [...]
16:59 Same Old Story » Why Now?
California has a Republican governor who can’t convince Republicans in the legislature to stop blocking the state budget, so the fiscal year starts with IOUs. I saw it under George Dukmejian and Pete Wilson when I lived in California, so why should it be different for Arnold. They all talked about fiscal responsibility [...]
16:56 Sarah Palin Resigns! » Anarchy in the AM
We have some video coming in from Alaska:
16:17 Biker Latino King Judge » Tampa's Back Door Ways ... (OR...)
Follow da Money.
This is why the pizza man was robbed and a woman was strangled and how a fucking COP OR FIREMAN can get away with shooting at people.
AND, how a person can traffic cocaine, carry a gun, rat out his best friend AND a hundred grow houses, threaten neighbors, harass people, flatten their tires, fuck with their children ....
THIS, incidentally is ALSO how 35 latin king members got their wifeys in the paper defending them and then this judge did drop the charges and admonished the FBI.
Yes, this man is enabling the danger on the streets of tampa.
The BIKER JUDGE.
BUT NOT BY HIMSELF. He has plenty of help.
It's even possible he's a good and fair judge.
DOUBTFUL.
After all he's got a state's attorney PROSECUTING PEOPLE who her husband has been PAID TO DEFEND in the past.
Tampa's so fuckin sleezy ya gotta grease yo way through the streets.
I wonder if he was peter's judge, too?
Wow. that would be a slippery set of coincidences, huh Mr. Tome?
That would make almost one hundred PERCENT of the people you and shooter have had fucking with my family IF THEY EVER GET CHARGED WITH CRIMES .. before the same judge.
How interesting.
See, you think you're having fun. You laugh to yourself and paddle your pudd with your boytoys. fucking with his car his head his life .. you go ahead ...
All along you coulda just been a MAN about it.
WHAT THE FUCK EVER.
Fake and the fat man.Truth about Tampa. Send this to everyone you know who loves the TRUTH~~!! Truth is violated by falsehood, but it is outraged by silence. - Henri Frederic Amiel Vote in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll http://www.usalone.com/blogvoices.php?Cheney%20Impeachment%3F
16:08 An Idea That is Growing on Me » Discourse.net
As I prepare next year’s lecture notes, this idea keeps growing on me. But if it failed, it would fail horribly…. One of my favorite professors in college was a self-confessed liar. I guess that statement requires a bit of explanation. The topic of Corporate Finance/Capital Markets is, even within the world of the Dismal Science, a exceptionally dry and boring subject matter, encumbered by complex mathematic models and obscure economic theory. What made Dr. K memorable was a gimmick he employed that began with his introduction at the beginning of his first class: “Now I know some of you have already heard of me, but for the benefit of those who are unfamiliar, let me explain how I teach. Between today until the class right before finals, it is my intention to work into each of my lectures … one lie. Your job, as students, among other things, is to try and catch me in the Lie of the Day.” And thus began our ten-week course. This was an insidiously brilliant technique to focus our attention - by offering an open invitation for students to challenge his statements, he transmitted lessons that lasted far beyond the immediate subject matter...
16:00 child molestor or COP » Tampa's Back Door Ways ... (OR...)
i'm going to start posting some pictures here soon that my cousin is taking. I will want people to guess whether they are child molesters or cops. Now, due to the fact that they get to SHOOT AT PEOPLE AND GET AWAY WITH IT (so they think LOL hey fat man and tome'. I'm getting real sick of training your fucking lil gangers. I'm pissed anyway so ... just wait until I come up with a creative peaceful way to pay you back will have them pissing their pants down at the kangaroo courthouse) LOL LOL.
I got your wet for ya baby.
Anyway .. when the pics come they LOOK LIKE CHILD MOLESTERS but considering the fact that we demonize child molesters and these guys are running around loose with guns I'm going to say they are rapists or cops.
Same difference.
Ask that dude slithering around my house from Beaumont way .... and all matched up with the 44 DOUBLE Ds.
(love ya sis)
What is it about cop cars ending in FORTY FOUR?????
What's up with that freakin ho of his smiling at my cuz all da time???
Tome .. you see how they trying to pretend you all runnin in a pack?
Yeah .. only GUESS WHOSE NAME IS ON EVERY LIL THANG??
That's why YOU TWO are in a pudding pack all your own.
Now, fuck with me.
Cause I'm ready.
All this time I figure that fuckhead wants his license back but maybe not. I"m sure they won't be so forgiving when murder is attached.
Anyway .. I'm kinda being cute with the child molester thing but you get a look at these folks and see whether you'd want them around your child or shooting at you ... LOL.
Oh and mr reinaldo ... could you NOT find bigger fucking thugs to move in over there with the chicgo boys??
The david gee gangers want folks to believe that there are so many different gangs running that they can't keep track BUT THE TROOT IS ...
it ain't so at all. Not a whit.
IF you were to believe that all these gangs exist then you would have to be running one yourself.
I'm not.
Some of you aren't.
WHO'S LYING SHERIFF????
Yeah got your childish helicopter >>> L O FUCKING L>
You sending that army boy after him like he's a motherfuckin job.. see? I'm coming home first person I want to see is MY MAMA. You git git git that??
Yeah.
Dumb fuckers.
You lettin that lil blond snatch tell you what to do, right?
I so git that.
OH MY GOD and sarah palin is resigning what kind of responsible person LEAVES THEIR JOB in the middle of it/?? Well, Pam Iorio but once she got wind that it wasn't a GOOD THING and/or some covering up still needed to be done ...... BACK SHE WENT TO SOE ... WHAT WAS PHYLLIS BUSANSKY LOOKING AT???????????? WHAT???
Anyway.. some of these megaphones for the GOP actually speculate that the dumb whore could be planning a run at the white house.
That actually would be fine with me.
L O L.
One big tampa TAMPERICA.Truth about Tampa. Send this to everyone you know who loves the TRUTH~~!! Truth is violated by falsehood, but it is outraged by silence. - Henri Frederic Amiel Vote in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll http://www.usalone.com/blogvoices.php?Cheney%20Impeachment%3F
15:48 Controversial GOP Governor Announces Resignation - And It’s Palin, Not Sanford? » Pensito Review
Pundits have been filling the airwaves over the past week speculating about if and when South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, the latest family values-touting Republican to admit to adultery, might be forced to resign. Some pundits even suggested he might resign over the July Fourth holiday weekend. The holiday has come and the resignation of a [...]
15:16 Sarah Palin Resigns » Political Bloviation
Palin to Resign as Governor of Alaska – The Caucus Blog – NYTimes.com. She’s obviously positioning herself for a presidential run in 2012. Let the fun begin! How will she top the proud ignorance and narscism of the last run? I hope the Sarah sideshow remains a big part of GOP politics for many years to [...]
14:14 Pictures of the Week (7/3/09) with Michael Shaw/BAGnewsNotes.com » Florida Progressive Coalition Blog
Pictures of the Week [...]
12:36 Mahmoud and Dick, together at last » Reidblog [The Reid Report blog]
Apparently, the government of Iran is waterboarding detainees. From the Huffpo's Jason Linkins comes the sad irony:[h/t; The Daily Dish] From ABC News' Lara Setrakian, comes this tweet:
Tehrani source close to those detained says some have been beaten heavily and waterboarded with hot water #iranelectionIn my younger years, I would simply expect this news to be greeted with universal outrage, knowing that the techniques being described had long been deemed to be well across the Bridge Too Far. Now that I've lived through the Bush administration, however, I am forced to contemplate the possibility that Iran is merely taking legitimate steps to obtain critical information in their nations' vital national security interests. One mustn't preclude the possibility that many of those being waterboarded are privy to information about "time bombs" that may, at this moment, be "ticking." ...
Thanks, Dick.
Meanwhile, Andrew Sullivan tries for balance (I'll leave it to you to decide if he succeeds.)
More on Ayatollah Khameini's application of The Cheney Method here.
12:36 Flores reports $150k haul » Naked Politics
Miami Republican Rep. Anitere Flores is sending out an email to supporters, etc., boasting that she raised $150k in three weeks*** in her race for Sen. D-38. Not a bad haul. But now that there's no legislative session (during which...
12:36 Crist administration handles stimulus "dismally" » Florida Politics
The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: Smart Growth America "released a report on how states spent the first portion of the $787 billion stimulus package Congress approved in February."Forty of the 50 states and the District of Columbia spent wisely -- devoting 60 percent or more of the money on repairing existing roads and bridges, which puts more people to work quickly and addresses a
11:40 Florida Political News: July 3, 2009 » FLA Politics - Front Page
Our digest and commentary on today's Florida political news and punditry follows.
Crist administration handles stimulus "dismally"
The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: Smart Growth America "released a report on how states spent the first portion of the $787 billion stimulus package Congress approved in February."Forty of the 50 states and the District of Columbia spent wisely -- devoting 60 percent or more of the money on repairing existing roads and bridges, which puts more people to work quickly and addresses a serious need. Some states did poorly, devoting about 40 to 50 percent of the stimulus money on new road construction. And some states, Florida among them, did dismally.Imagine that, even with the Obama handing Florida billions to backstop years of RPOFer gutting of Florida's public finance infrastructure, the RPOFers who run Tallahassee manage to do "dismally" with the cash.
Here come the Crist administration excuses:The Florida Department of Transportation says it didn't spend more money on repairing infrastructure because it's done a good job of keeping up the state's roads and bridges. True, just 24 percent of state roads are in poor condition, but adding capacity to existing roads is less of a priority than improving mass transit systems that reduce capacity overall in Florida. Stimulus money was also eligible for mass-transit spending. But Florida devoted just 4.4 percent to that category.Read it all here: "State slow to spend transportation stimulus".
Another fine Jebacy
"Demand is soaring at Miami-Dade and Broward community colleges, but the cash-strapped schools can't add enough classes." "Demand soars at S. Florida community colleges, but not enough classes".
Kosmas gets another lightweight RPOFer challenger
"State Rep. Sandy Adams, R-Orlando, said today that "there's a high probability that there's truth to" the rumor she plans to run against freshman Democratic Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas."Adams could face a primary fight against Winter Park Commissioner Karen Diebel and Kenneth John Miller, who have already filed paperwork to run. Diebel has already taken some hits from Democrats, who've cited her "erratic behavior" at a council meeting and during a 911 call from her home. Still, national Republican campaign groups have spoken favorably about her candidacy."Rep. Sandy Adams likely congressional candidate". See also "Sandy Adams v. Suzanne Kosmas?".
According to the most recent reports posted on-line, Kosmas, of New Smyrna Beach, had about $230,587 in cash on hand at the end of March.
Sansom watch
The recent Republican Party of Florida's Speaker of the House had been dubbed the "'kingpin' in airport deal".
Just doing business in Tally
"A federal corruption unit is trying to find out if top Florida officials were solicited to tank a state probe into a fraudulent Fort Lauderdale life-insurance company."The U.S. Justice Department is investigating corruption allegations made by an indicted Fort Lauderdale insurance executive who, in a bid for a favorable plea deal, has named lawyers, lobbyists and fundraisers he claims plotted with him to thwart a state crackdown on him and his industry."Feds probing whether top Florida officials were asked to kill insurance fraud investigation".
Justice officials have convened a federal grand jury to pursue the claims of former Mutual Benefits Corp. chief Joel Steinger. The wealthy businessman contends that he orchestrated a campaign to stifle a 1999-2000 statewide grand jury probe by attempting to improperly influence public officials, three knowledgeable sources have told The Miami Herald.
Will a Florida "journalist" ask Greer ...
... whether the RPOF agrees with "The top Republican on the Senate committee that will consider Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination", who says "Sotomayor had ties to extreme group"Florida's hispanics may be interested in the answer.
"Crist got a crack-back block"
Paul Flemming: "Crist got a crack-back block from The Wall Street Journal for his veto of what's not to be called The State Farm bill."The dead proposal would have allowed big insurance companies to sell homeowners' policies regulated in every way save one: Eligible companies, State Farm among them, could have charged whatever rates they wanted."Insurance veto gets panned by critics".
Proponents said it would attract private insurers, State Farm among them, back into Florida and reduce the number of policies covered by government-run Citizens Property Insurance.
It's not the first time the Journal's editorial pages, reliably to the right of Vlad the Impaler, have chastised the moderate Crist.
The best they can do?
"Radio Iowa reports there have been robocalls in the state asking which Republican candidate do they prefer for the 2012 presidential race. The candidates were [get this] Michael Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Newt Gingrich and Jeb Bush." "Jeb Bush Robocalls".
"Something appears fishy" with Vern
The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board:When a Democrat who is broke and has never made a campaign contribution gives the maximum to the re-election campaign of Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, something appears fishy. The two-term congressman from Sarasota disavows any breach of campaign finance laws. But there is a swirl of allegations that contributions made to Buchanan's campaign have been illegally reimbursed. A federal investigation should be launched if one is not already under way."Investigate Buchanan campaign".
"'A handful of gimme and a mouthful of much obliged'"
"Florida residents and business leaders told federal lawmakers that the rising cost of property insurance is hitting state residents and the economy hard, and called on Congress to pass legislation for a "catastrophe fund" to help local homeowners." "Floridians ask Congress to pass 'catastrophe fund' legislation".
Whenever fiscally irresponsible, low tax states like Florida beg for federal handouts, it reminds us of RJ Eskow point that Southerners "love to preach about fiscal responsibility and lower taxes, but they keep dipping their beak into the Federal trough. I believe the applicable Southern phrase is 'a handful of gimme and a mouthful of much obliged.'"
"Circular firing squad"
More from Flemming:Leon County Democrats this week formed anew its circular firing squad and commenced squeezing the trigger. Leon Democratic Executive Committee Chairman Rick Minor quit his party post and filed to run against the incumbent for House District 9."Dems eat their own".
Minor said he didn't think state Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda represented the core values of Democrats in the district, mentioning, with a straight face, her failure to support the Equal Rights Amendment.
Minor's stunt makes it more likely Republicans will be able to steal an otherwise safe Democratic district. In 2008, Rehwinkel Vasilinda took 48.6 percent of the vote, winning by 430 votes out of more than 42,000 cast in a race against a well-funded, high-profile Republican opponent. No doubt the GOP will gun for this seat again in 2010.
Don't be so sure that Minor doesn't pull it off.
Speaking of "circular firing squads"
"The race for Florida attorney general may be one of the state's hottest contests in 2010, but the presumed Republican frontrunner has yet to step in the ring."Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, a former legislator from North Fort Myers, promised an announcement at the end of June. Kottkamp was in his Fort Myers office on Thursday and could not be reached for comment."Benson for top cop?".
As his supporters wait, and the Ethics Commission weighs a complaint about his use of state airplanes, the name of a potential primary opponent has surfaced: Holly Benson, secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration and a former lawmaker from Pensacola.
Pension checks for Florida's Confederate "losers"
Mark Lane:I was stuck in traffic recently behind a six-wheeled pickup with a Confederate flag sticker that said "heritage not hate." As if "heritage" and "hate" were two utterly separate things. Sadly, like "tastes great" and "less filling," these qualities are not mutually exclusive."In praise of ditching the past" (emphasis original).
But we as a people don't dwell on that kind of thing.
Only 20 years after the Civil War, the state of Florida started paying pensions to Confederate soldiers. In how many countries do the losers in insurrection movements get government checks? But within two decades of the nation's bloodiest war, we were so far along in moving to other things that people on both sides of the conflict could unite in the common goal of getting retirement money from the government.
We're that kind of country.
And that's why when we hear explosions in the distance, Americans look up in the sky rather than drop and roll.
Happy Fourth of July.
Gambling
"Crist and the Seminole Tribe of Florida began negotiating a new gambling compact Wednesday that would bring revenue to the state in exchange for the tribe's right to a monopoly on some of its casino games." "Gov. Charlie Crist resumes gambling talks with Seminoles".
Sounds like a plan
Jac Versteeg:So, what did Mr. Hernandez do? Basically, Mr. Dow says, he reclassified hundreds of "teachers" as "coaches." Not athletic coaches but academic coaches in areas such as math, science, reading and language arts. The coaches, most of whom will focus on struggling schools, will spend part of the time teaching teachers and part of their time working directly with students. The federal stimulus program, which supposedly focuses on innovation, will pay for those coaches but not for ordinary teachers."Bend rules, save teachers".
Is it really better for students to have those teachers working as "coaches" than it would be to have them still in the classroom full-time? I don't know. I think it's definitely better to have them with the district in some capacity than to lay off hundreds of teachers.
Judicial appointments
The Florida Supreme Court "ruled Thursday that Crist must make a judicial selection from the all-white list of six names for the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach."''While we applaud the governor's interest in achieving diversity in the judiciary -- an interest we believe to be genuine and well-intentioned -- the Constitution does not grant the governor the discretion to refuse or postpone making an appointment to fill the vacancy on the Fifth District Court of Appeal,'' Justice Jorge Labarga, a Crist appointee, wrote on behalf of the court.What's good for the goose apparently was not good enough for Labarga. After all, "Labarga, a Cuban American, was a key player in Crist's controversial efforts to bring more diversity to the bench."
Indeed,last year, after a Supreme Court nominating commission forwarded Labarga's name to Crist, the Republican selected him to sit on an appeals court, instead. Crist then asked the commission to send him more diverse candidates for the Supreme Court seat. After a contentious late-night phone conference, the commission nominated Frank Jimenez, another Cuban American and a U.S. Navy attorney who had worked for both Jeb and George Bush.
A group of high-powered lawyers protested the process. Some critics said it had become too political. Crist, now a U.S. Senate candidate for the 2010 election, denied the charge. He then elevated Labarga to the Supreme Court seat vacated by [the grandson of Cuban military dictator Fulgencio Batista] Raoul Cantero, the state's first Hispanic justice."Florida Supreme Court rejects Gov. Charlie Crist's judge-picking plans". See also "Pick a name from the list, Crist told", "Court: Crist must choose from current judicial nominations" and "Florida Supreme Court rules against Crist in judicial spat".
Kos: "Not very Republican-y of you, Charlie".
Try taxing sky boxes next time
"Smokers fuming over cigarette tax hike".
RPOFer family values
When his son "returned to the kitchen to get something to drink, witnesses said [former professional wrestler, Hillsborough County Commissioner, and all purpose wingnut Brian] Blair continued to yell at him, pushed him, punched him once in the face and then put him in an arm lock. Bradley jumped on his dad and began hitting him before being pulled off by his mother and the two friends. Witnesses said Blair hit Bradley with a closed fist on his head for punching him." "Blair will be allowed to reunite with family".
"A conservative Republican who stressed family values, Blair was elected to the county commission in 2004 but lost a heated election last year to Kevin Beckner." "Blair released from jail on child abuse charges".
Too much water?
"Another wet month has erased water supply concerns across South Florida, but all the rain will raise flooding concerns if a tropical storm hits." "South Florida water shortage ended".
10:17 Poll Shows Eroded Support for American Ideals » Pensito Review
An interesting poll from Rasmussen shows that the founding fathers might be in trouble if they were trying to get that Declaration thing going today. 89% of American adults agree that “we are all endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” while 7% disagree 74% agree that [...]
Sources
- the 13th juror
- Abstract Appeal
- Bark Bark Woof Woof
- The Buzz: Florida Politics
- Discourse.net
- Doomed Generation
- Empirical Polk
- Flablog
- Florida Kossacks
- Florida Politics
- Florida Progressive Coalition Blog
- In Theory
- Infomaniac: Behind the News
- March On Politics
- Naked Politics
- Out in Left Field
- PEER Review FL
- Pensacola Beach Blog
- Pensito Review
- Political Buzz
- Political Safari
- Pushing Rope
- Q: Florida Politics
- Reidblog [The Reid Report blog]
- Sayfie Review
- Smashed Frog
- South of the Suwannee
- Stateline.org RSS - Florida
- Steve Koppelman's Catalogue of Poorly Catalogued Things, Otherwise Known as "hatless.com"
- Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog
- Stuck on the Palmetto
- Kartik's world
- The State of Sunshine
- litbrit
- The Mike Thomas Blog
- Blast Off!
- FLA Politics - Front Page
- Aikane Leo
- Anarchy in the AM
- Ander Alert
- BeThink - Front Page
- becoming change...
- The Bill Young Dispatch
- The Buchanan Record
- Cant Keep Quiet!
- The Case Against Cliff
- Change In Tallahassee
- Conceptual Guerilla - Central Command in the War of Ideas
- Deep Something
- Eye on Ileana
- Florida Cabinet Watch
- Florida Citizens for Science
- Florida House Watch
- Florida Netroots
- FLORIDA POLITICS
- Florida Senate Watch
- Focus on Feeney
- GinnyWire
- A Grand Illusion
- Grassroots Brevard
- GusWatch
- Governor Weaver Blog
- IMproPRieTies
- Incertus
- The Jeff Miller Chronicle
- Kick Out Keller
- Left Side Out
- Art Levine Confidential
- The Lincoln Observer
- Local Politics is All
- Mack Must Go
- The Mel Martinez Bulletin
- Stupid Enough Unexplanation
- Miami-Dade Dems
- MicaNotes
- Morning Martini
- The Penile State: A blog about Florida*
- Political Bloviation
- Poor Richard's Anorak
- Praxis
- Say No to Mario
- The Seminole Democrat
- spacebawl (the blog)
- The Spitfire's Grill
- The Spencerian
- Tampa's Back Door Ways ... (OR...)
- Watching Weldon
- Why Now?
- The Ybor City Stogie
- Palm Bay Buzz
- Florida Speaks
- Talk to Me
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Obviously you didnt attend the task force meetings. I doubt "thoughtful examination" would be the words to express this debachle. Dr. Levenson was surely outgunned on this issue along with her cohort, Bill Schoolman Browards infamous ACLU attorney who's only contribution was his threat of litigation used as every punch-line when members questioned and or disagreed with him.. In as much as Dr. Levenson would like to add this Task force to her resume' she should probably forego that detail in her overall accomplishments. She behaved dismally when her "studies" were brought into question and responded with all the decorum of a spoiled child who had her candy taken away.
I have followed Dr. Levenson's studies, quotes and opinions on sex offender issues for many many years. These so-called studies consist of the same very tired arguments with a new date. Dr. Levenson's title as the go-to person on this issue for the State of Florida has worn itself thin and her contributions at this point are as half-empty as her contribution to this task force. The fact every sex offender in the country considers her the "Golden Guru" on the trials and tribulations of their "tales of woe", should be a red flag that Jill Levenson just might not be the person to look at this issue with fresh eyes. From what I observed, Dr. Levenson is way past her prime on this problem. Her only solutions seem to be on the verge of "Invite an offender to Dinner" campaign, rather than look at this States failure to predict and prepare for events that are taking place as I write this. Times have changed and for Dr. Levenson its easier to try and push the ever increasing amount of offenders right back on the very people they prey off of. She consistantly ignores the fact that the Department of Corrections, our Judicial Powers lack of will and budgetary ills will always be factors in the discussions and ultimate legislation effecting all the Parties involved. Dr. Levenson's career has been woefully disappointing in this arena. For her to be obtaining one dollar of the states resources for her "scientific opinions" at this juncture is pure theft. Her past performance is proof positive that her time has come and gone. The State of Florida has never been more critical or in as much crisis than it is now. Obviously we havent gotten our monies worth from Dr. Levenson and her abundant "studies".