Rick Scott's education road show was nice, but advocates want specifics

It will take more than a listening tour to convince education advocates across Florida that Gov. Rick Scott is on their side.

They are wary, skeptical even, of the man they've mostly seen as an adversary for the past two years. Now, they wait to see what kind of policies Scott proposes for the 2013 legislative session and budget and whether his decisions reflect their advice.

"We were actually thrilled when finally he realized that we are the right persons to go to when you're asking about parents," said Eileen Segal, president of the Florida PTA, who met with the governor a couple of weeks ago. "We're hoping that this is only the first of many conversations."

Segal said she is willing to trust Scott but is waiting to see what he does.

"We're watching," she said. "That's all I can say; we're watching."

Read more about how education advocates are responding to Scott's listening tour here.

Sternad talks to FBI: David Rivera called 'The Gangster,' secretly behind campaign

Justin Lamar Sternad, whose failed congressional campaign became the subject of a federal grand-jury investigation, has told the FBI that U.S. Rep. David Rivera was secretly behind his run for office, The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald have learned.

Sternad, 35, also told authorities that his campaign manager, Ana Sol Alliegro, acted as the conduit between the campaign and Rivera, who allegedly steered unreported cash to the Democrat’s campaign, according to sources familiar with the investigation and records shared with The Herald.

Sternad said Alliegro referred to the congressman by his initials, “D.R.,” and called him by the nickname, “The Gangster.”

“We will respond when these so-called ‘sources’ are willing to go on the record,” said attorney Michael R. Band, who represents Rivera. “We are not going to respond to unfounded rumors and innuendo. My client is in the middle of an election and it’s unfair for us to be shadow-boxing with unnamed sources.”

Sternad’s account to federal authorities supports what two campaign vendors told The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald: that the congressman was the driver behind a botched attempt to plant a candidate in the District 26 congressional primary.

More here

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/25/3021207/rivera-ran-secret-campaign-sternad.html#storylink=cpy

Consumer confidence: Gov. Scott highlights improving economic indicators

Florida received some good news about the economy Tuesday, and Gov. Rick Scott pointed to signs of growing consumer confidence as "evidence that our state is moving in the right direction."

The University of Florida consumer confidence index ranked Florida at a five-year high on Tuesday, finding that more and more consumers see their finances and the overall economy as headed in the right direction.

The news came on the same day that Case-Shiller found that home prices in South Florida were up 5 percent over last year. 

“While we still have more work to do, we see that our economy continues to improve. Last week, we learned that 28,000 more Floridians found jobs in the private sector in August and are now able to provide for their families,” Scott said in a statement. “The fact that Florida’s consumer confidence is at a five-year high is more good news and evidence that our state is moving in the right direction.”

“While we still have more work to do, we see that our economy continues to improve. Last week, we learned that 28,000 more Floridians found jobs in the private sector in August and are now able to provide for their families,” Scott said in a statement. “The fact that Florida’s consumer confidence is at a five-year high is more good news and evidence that our state is moving in the right direction.”

While the improving sentiment about the economy may help improve Scott's image, it also could help Pres. Obama, who has seen a bump in recent Florida polls specifically on his ability to improve the economy. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has focused much of his Florida messaging on painting the state as a foreclosure-ridden, job-losing, poverty-plagued state on the decline.

As Romney's ads point out, there are still several problems with Florida's economy (e.g., a nation-leading long-term unemployment problem, a high foreclosure rate, etc.), but the rising consumer confidence could signal brighter days ahead for the state.

@ToluseO

 

Duval health director at center of TB outbreak retires

Dr. Bob Harmon, chairman of the Duval County Health Department, announced his retirement today. Harmon and other state Department of Health officials have been criticized in recent weeks for their response to a deadly tuberculosis outbreak among the state's homeless population.

His resignation comes after a series of stories from the Florida Times-Union and Palm Beach Post that criticized the state and Duval County officials for failing to notify the public of the outbreak or respond to inquiries about how it was being handled.

harmon's last day is Wednesday. Volusia County Health Department Director Dr. Bonnie Sorensen will serve as interim health director for Duval County.

Here is the statement from Florida Surgeon General John Armstrong announcing Harmon's retirement:

Obama plays the 47% card against Romney in new ad

The Obama campaign announced a new ad today that plays up Mitt Romney's caught-on-camera remarks disparaging the 47 percent of people who don't pay income taxes. The ad, which suggests Romney is waging class warfare on cops and the elderly, compares the remarks with Romney's newly released tax records showing he paid 14 percent of his income. "Romney paid just 14 percent in taxes last year," a narrator says. "On over 13 million in income. Almost all from investments."

From the Romney camp: “President Obama’s policies have devastated the middle class. And his tax increases on middle-class families and small businesses will only make things worse. Mitt Romney will help middle-class families by lowering tax rates across the board, spurring growth and investment, creating 12 million jobs, and finally getting this country on the right track again.” – Jeff Bechdel Romney Spokesman

PPP and WaPo polls: Nelson expanding lead over Mack

Two Democrat-leaning polls, Public Policy Polling and the Wasington Post, are out with new polls today showing U.S. Bill Nelson widening the margin against Congressman Connie Mack IV. Just as the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times poll of last week showed, Mack's odds of unseating the incumbent Democrat are slipping away.

Download PPP_Release_FL_925

From the Washington Post:

Attorney for Miami-Dade commission chairman, property appraiser contesting elections files to withdraw, citing conflict of interest

Two cases challenging last month's election results for Miami-Dade mayor and property appraiser were scheduled to be heard before a Miami-Dade judge next week. But now it appears the hearing may get delayed, because the attorney representing both plaintiffs has filed to withdraw from the case.

Stephen Cody, who represents Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Joe Martinez and Property Appraiser Pedro J. Garcia, cited an undisclosed conflict of interest in the motion he filed Tuesday.

"The conflict developed, and I need to withdraw," Cody said in an interview, declining to elaborate. "I cannot ethically stay in the case and represent the parties."

Cody is scheduled to appear on the motion before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Rosa I. Rodriguez on Thursday. If she grants his request, it seems likely that Monday's hearing would be pushed back, to allow Martinez and Garcia to find a new lawyer to get up to speed on the case. The discovery in the case was supposed to be filed Tuesday.

Martinez and Garcia sued separately, asking the court to throw out the Aug. 14 primary election results because of concerns over absentee-ballot fraud. The court later consolidated the cases to be heard together.

Lame-duck Miami state lawmaker applies for Florida education commissioner gig

State Rep. Ana Rivas Logan, who lost her reelection bid in a bitter primary against fellow Miami Republican Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, is among the 16 people who have applied to become Florida's next education commissioner. Logan is a former Miami-Dade school board member.

But the Florida Board of Education is not happy with the candidates and has extended its application deadline until Nov. 30.

"You've seen the list of names submitted,” vice chairman Roberto Martinez of Coral Gables told the Tampa Bay Times after the board's four-minute morning conference call. "I don't see any names on that list that rise to the very high standard I am looking for."

More here.

UPDATE: Logan says she was asked to apply, but would not say who did the asking. "I meet all the qualifications of someone who has state and national education policy experience," she said in a text message.

The headline to this post has been updated to reflect the fact that although Logan lost her reelection bid last month, she remains in office until Nov. 6.

Florida pushes early voting with TV public service spots

Two weeks before the voter registration deadline in Florida, the state on Tuesday unveiled three new public service TV spots to promote voting and early voting in particular -- the first time the state has promoted early voting on TV since it began nearly a decade ago.

Secretary of State Ken Detzner played the three 30-second spots at a press conference where he was accompanied by Steve Wilkerson of the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association and Jessica Lowe-Minor, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Florida.

"Democracy is not a spectator sport," Lowe-Minor said. "Be ready to vote this fall."

The League of Women Voters has been highly critical of Florida's decision to impose stricter hurdles on third-party groups that register voters (struck down by a court in a case in which the league sued Florida) and to purge rolls of suspected non-citizens (suspended once but about to resume). In addition, the league suspended its voter registration efforts for months in Florida for fear of facing steep fines.

The TV spots can be viewed at www.knowyourvotecounts.com. The ads, to be seen on ESPN, SunSports and other cable channels, encourage people to register to vote, to vote early because of the unusually long ballot and to study a sample ballot before voting.

The historically long ballot includes the full text of some of 11 constitutional amendments placed on the ballot by the Legislature. Some large counties' ballots will be 10 pages long in five two-sided ballot pages.

"The message is that the ballots are going to be longer than usual, and to prepare themselves in advance so they won't have to wait in line," Detzner said. "Any advance voting will diminish the lines that are likely to be predicted for the general election. Voting early means no standing in line. Voting early means the convenience of voting from home with an absentee ballot."

Early voting in the Aug. 14 primary was up 52 percent over the same election in 2008, Detzner said.

The three TV public service ads, plus separate versions in Spanish and for radio stations, were produced by Ron Sachs Communications at a cost to taxpayers of about $30,000, Detzner said. The last day to register to vote to be able to cast a ballot in the presidential election is Oct. 9.

Asked why the publicity campaign is beginning two weeks before the voter registration deadline, Detzner said: "Sports are seasonal. Elections are seasonal. I think we're now entering a period of time where people are really focusing on the candidates. The conventions are over."

-- Steve Bousquet

Running theme: Ian Whitney slams Scott's 'property insurance hikes' in new ad

Ian Whitney, a Democratic candidate for the Southernmost district in the Florida House (District 120), is out with a new ad tying Gov. Rick Scott to unpopular property insurance hikes.

Whitney is running for the seat of Rep. Ron Saunders, a Key West Democrat who served as the minority leader in the House but lost a Senate primary race to Rep. Dwight Bullard.

Whitney faces Saunders' former aide, Holly Merrill Raschein, who is a Republican. Raschein, who has also been an aide for Republican Ken Sorensen, said she is "socially moderate and a fiscal conservative."

Raschein has far outpaced Whitney in fundraising, but the Democratic party is airing ads to try to hold on to the seat.

In his ad, Whitney, 32, says Tallahassee politicians "don't have our best interests in mind."

Like the ad out yesterday in the District 112 race, Whitney's spot says he will "fight Rick Scott's property insurance hikes."

In the Florida Keys (part of District 120), Citizens Property Insurance is virtually the only insurer available, so increasing rates affect nearly every homeowner within the district.

Ad:

 

@ToluseO