Bill Nelson's camp calls Connie Mack out for oil-drilling flip flop

 Sen. Bill Nelson's adviser, Dan McLaughlin, declined all day and night to comment on yesterday's story about challenger Connie Mack's pipeline-petition plan, but the Republican's last quote in the story provoked the Democrat to comment in an email with the headline "come on ...":

Nelson is staunchly opposed to offshore drilling ... .  Mack has a different view.

“I have always said that I would be for drilling,” Mack said. “But I think that’s an issue the state should have a say in — in determining how far it’s going to be off the coast of Florida. We ought to allow the state to have a say in that decision.”

Previous Mack quotes:

“We all understand that America must find new sources of energy. But drilling off Florida’s sensitive coast won’t solve the nation’s current energy challenges and it won’t put us on a path toward achieving energy independence."

“Make no mistake, drilling for oil and gas off Florida's fragile coastline is a risky scheme that jeopardizes our environment and our economy. It won't reduce the price at the pump and it won't reduce our dependency on foreign oil. That's why the 285-mile buffer has been in place for years and why it should remain intact for many more years to come.

North Miami to reconsider stadium-rental policy after mayor's soccer club played for free

Two days after it was revealed that North Miami’s mayor and a group of his friends were getting free use of the city’s stadium, the city says it may make the same deal available to most everyone else.

Since 2010, the city has had a policy of waiving the fees for city parks only for non-profit groups and only once a year. But The Miami Herald reported Tuesday that Mayor Andre Pierre used the North Miami Athletic Stadium free 78 times since 2009, while the North Miami Taxpayers Soccer Club, of which Pierre is a member, used it free 29 times since August.

The city normally charges $250 per 90 minutes for use of the stadium.

On Wednesday, city manager Stephen Johnson said the city should not have charged anyone except organizations who charge admission or generate revenue at the stadium or want to exclude the public for a period of time.

He said he hopes the city will change its policy to reflect that view. More from Nadege Green here.

Miami-Dade mayor backed lifting ban on new cities

For the record, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez is glad the county has lifted its nearly five-year ban on new cities.

Gimenez was absent from Tuesday's meeting where commissioners, with an 11-0 vote, did away with the moratorium on city incorporations. Gimenez voted for the ban in 2007, meeting minutes show, but he requested a report on the effects of incorporation to be presented to the commission within 90 days.

"I'm happy that the moratorium has been lifted," he said. "People should have a right to determine what kind of government they want to have. I've also said that they need to get all the information, without any filters, so that they can make an educated decision."

Still, Gimenez said that he would prefer it if unincorporated clusters of the county joined one of Miami-Dade's 34 existing cities rather than create new municipalities. "I would rather have more annexations," he said.