Scott touts drop in unemployment, though raw numbers show little to celebrate

Gov. Rick Scott celebrated his job-creation record Wednesday, with a new chart showing Florida’s unemployment rate has fallen faster than any other state over the last 21 months.

As presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney reminds voters that Florida has one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates and job creation here is lagging the national pace, Scott’s message remains markedly different. The two will both give primetime speeches during the Republican National Convention next week, and Scott said he doesn’t plan to change his optimistic messaging about Florida during his speech.

“Since December 2010, Florida’s unemployment rate has dropped 2.3 percentage points, more than any other state in the nation,” Scott’s office said in a release. “At 8.8 percent in July 2012, the rate is down from 11.1 percent in December 2010 just before Governor Scott was inaugurated.”

Scott, Romney and Pres. Obama all have a stake in the messaging around Florida’s economy, and each offers a different take on how the state is doing, and who deserves the credit/blame. 

Thankfully, we have data to help parse through all the rhetoric.

Thousands frustrated by Florida's new unemployment compensation laws

When 65-year-old Raymond Togyer isn’t polishing his resume or cold calling potential employers, he’s spending hours trying, unsuccessfully, to navigate Florida’s labyrinthine unemployment compensation system.

Togyer — who was laid off for the first time in his adult life from a high-paying civil engineering job in June — has spent the last seven weeks sending and resending letters, staying on hold for hours and checking state websites, all to no avail.

He is one of hundreds of thousands of out-of-work Floridians flummoxed by what has become the most tightfisted unemployment compensation system in the nation.

“They told me that I was eligible and that I was going to be getting $275 a week,” said the Togyer, ofFort Lauderdale . “That was seven weeks ago. To this day I have not received anything. I’m draining my savings to pay my bills.”

Critics say Gov. Rick Scott and Florida’s Legislature are behind a multipronged effort to restrict payments to eligible Floridians. A required 45-question “skills review” and an online-only application system have combined to restrict thousands of applicants from receiving aid. The U.S. Labor Department is investigating the complaints. A spokesman told the Herald/Times that Florida is cooperating with their inquiry, but they would not comment further.

Read more here: 

 

State attorney accused of using crime databases for personal, political use

TALLAHASSEE  -- State Attorney Robert “Skip’’ Jarvis of Live Oak has reached an agreement that will allow him to avoid prosecution for using law enforcement data bases to research his political opponents and others.

Jarvis was due to appear before a Leon County grand jJury this week in an investigation prompted by complaints from a former assistant. At the last minute Jarvis decided to drop out of the race to win re-election as part of an agreement to avoid prosecution.

Earlier this year Gov. Rick Scott appointed State Atty Brad King of Ocala to investigate Jarvis after former Assistant State Atty Michael San Fillipo of Madison filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. King, in a memo to Scott released Wednesday, said Jarvis agreed to leave office at the end of his term next January and will no longer be allowed access to the state and federal databases his office uses. In return King has agreed to take no further action against Jarvis.

Scott 'closely tracking' Tropical Storm Isaac ahead of RNC

Gov. Rick Scott today released the following statement on Tropical Storm Isaac.

“Although Tropical Storm Isaac is still far from Florida’s shores, we are closely tracking the potential for the storm to impact part or all of the state, including the Tampa Bay region during the Republican National Convention.  Florida’s state emergency management team and local emergency teams have been working closely with convention officials and have been planning for this event for more than a year, and the possibility of a hurricane hitting the convention has been part of that planning process.
 
“I am confident in our preparation, and the decision process in place to ensure the safety of both our residents and visitors during the convention.
 
“As Florida’s governor, I’m urging everyone across the state to monitor the storm track, and use the next several days to prepare for a potential storm.  As we know, storms this far from land are still unpredictable and everyone should be vigilant and prepared.”  

@Britt_alana

VP candidate Ryan, Jeb Bush, McCain and Bondi to speak at RNC on Wednesday night

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus announced the line up of speakers for the third night of his party's convention on Wednesday, Aug. 29. And the speeches will center on the theme, "We Can Change It."

Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan will give the keynote address. Also on the speakers list: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, former Republican Presidential candidate John McCain, Puerto Rican Gov. Luis Fortuno and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"We want to remind Americans that we don't have to settle for four more years of high unemployment, low pay and deep debt," Priebus said via a news release.  "We will devote Wednesday night to showing the country that Mitt Romney's 'Plan for a Stronger Middle Class' will restore our country as the best place in the world to find a job, start a business or hire a worker."

Here is the full schedule for the session scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 (speakers and times subject to change):

Vendors: Congressman David Rivera aided Democratic ringer candidate, used cash-stuffed envelopes

Fueled with $43,000 in secret money, Republican Rep. David Rivera helped run a shadow campaign that might have broken federal laws in last week’s Democratic primary against his political nemesis Joe Garcia, according to campaign sources and finance records.

As part of the effort, a political unknown named Justin Lamar Sternad campaigned against Garcia by running a sophisticated mail campaign that Rivera helped orchestrate and fund, campaign vendors said.

Among the revelations: The mailers were often paid in envelopes stuffed with crisp hundred-dollar bills.

Rivera and Sternad have denied working together in his campaign, which ended Aug. 14. But Hugh Cochran, president of Campaign Data, told The Herald this week that Rivera contacted him in July and requested he create a list of voters who were ultimately targeted in the 11 mailers sent by Sternad’s campaign.

“David hired me to run the data,” said Cochran, who is a retired FBI agent.

Cochran said he spoke numerous times with Rivera, produced the lists of targeted voters and emailed it to Rapid Mail and Computer Services in Hialeah, which mailed the fliers. Cochran cc’d the owner and Rivera in a July 29 email, which he provided to The Herald.

When contacted by the Herald for comment, the Rivera campaign responded via email Tuesday night: “Congressman Rivera has never met or spoken to Mr. Sternad and knows absolutely nothing about him or his campaign.”

More here

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/21/2962351/campaign-vendors-say-republican.html#storylink=cpy