Obama: "Why are you yelling?!"

Regular Buzz readers know dignified political discourse isn't always our specialty, but tonight was something else. Barack Obama's campaign rejected our request for three minutes of his time before raising money in St. Pete tonight. That pledge to party leaders in IA, NH, SC, and NV allows him to raise FL money but not actually campaign in America's biggest swing state. So here was tonight's absurd exchange, as Obama left a waterfront mansion in St. Pete after a $1,000 per person fundraiser. Shouting at the top of my lungs from the street maybe 100 feet away, as Obama walked to his vehicle:

Me: "Senator, what's your position on a national cat fund!" (No Response) Senator, can we talk to you about the Everglades!. (No response, only uncomfortable silence from everyone in shouting distance) Senator! If you'll only talk to people writing $1,000 checks, why should Florida Democrats support you?! (More silence) Will you take any questions!?"

Obama (shouting back): "Why are you yelling?"

Me: "Because you won't let me talk to you! Will you talk about a national cat fund!?"

Obama: "I'm not allowed to talk to the press, guys!"

Me: "Isn't it up to you?!"

Obama: "Nope!"

Me: "Aren't you the guy trying to lead the country?!"

Obama: "I signed a pledge!"

Me: "Why?! (Silence) Why!?"

And then Barack Obama hopped in his SUV and departed from his final fundraiser of the quarter, en route to Miami for more money-raising.

With Florida in a budget hole, stop digging

Former governor and Sen. Bob Graham provides advice for lawmakers set to embark on a special session to cut more than $1-billion from the budget. In an op/ed for the St. Petersburg Times today, he offers several points:

The first is to heed the adage that when you're in a hole, stop digging. Earlier this year, the Legislature put a proposed constitutional amendment to slash local property taxes. That may look good on the surface, but consider the fine print. Under that amendment, Florida public schools would lose $7-billion over the next five years.Last week, teachers and students won a reprieve when a Florida circuit court struck the amendment from the ballot. Rather than spending more taxpayer dollars to appeal the decision or using valuable time in the October special session to revise the amendment, the Legislature should defer it to a better fiscal climate or at least develop a credible plan to hold public schools harmless from its impacts.

The case against Hometown Democracy

Times columnist Howard Troxler looks at the issue today:

The argument being made against Florida Hometown Democracy by big-money groups translates to: AAAAHH! AAAAH! AAAAH! If you vote for Hometown Democracy, your tongue will turn purple. Florida will sink into the sea. Evil people who smell bad are behind it. Only an IDIOT would vote for it. ...

Even though I'm perfectly okay with Hometown Democracy, there are arguments against putting voters directly in control of growth decisions. Here are just a few:

-This is a republic, not a mob-ocracy. We elect leaders to study, consider and make complicated decisions. We don't decide them based on the whim of the crowd.

-Land use is technical, not political. Deciding what should go where involves many judgments ranging from infrastructure, traffic and water usage to the impact on schools and fire departments.

Continue reading here.

Florida Dems: We'll demand our own pledge

If IA, NH, SC, and NV can pressure the Democratic presidential hopefuls to sign a pledge boycotting FL's presidential primary, why can't Florida flex similar muscle? The state party is talking seriously about challenging the candidates to pledge that, should they win the nomination, they'll restore FL's 210 delegates to the party. Buzz isn't sure what the threat is, though, as the candidates have already willingly snubbed FL voters. That millions of FL Democrats will rise up against a candidate unless they're assured Janee Murphy and George Maurer get seated at the convention?

Speaking of the always colorful Monroe County state committeeman Maurer, , he wants to oust Karen Thurman over all this. It won't happen.

Meanwhile, as the deadline passes for Fl to come into compliance with the DNC calendar, the state party is pushing the DNC to strip the delegates from IA, NH, and company for also violating the official calendar. The full letter is in the jump.

Prison chief looks for better answers

Jim McDonough runs a growth industry: the Florida Department of Corrections. In the 18 months since he replaced the fallen James Crosby, the number of prison beds has jumped from 87,000 to 93,000, and it keeps climbing.

"You're the fat cat," Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, told McDonough at a recent budget-cut session.

All Crist meant was, the bigger the agency, the bigger the cut. The words hurt McDonough, despite the retired Army colonel's image as a no-nonsense infantryman ready to charge the next hill.

Steve Bousquet's column is here.

Bye Bye RNC Chair Martinez?

Robert Novak: "Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, who was named general chairman of the Republican Party only nine months ago, has advised associates that he will leave the post as soon as somebody clinches the party's presidential nomination. That probably will come after the Feb. 5 primary elections next year.

"When Martinez took the party post Jan. 19, it was expected he would stay on through the 2008 elections as the GOP's principal national spokesman. Many Republicans now grumble that Martinez has been ineffective in that role, partly because he has been drowned out by the many presidential hopefuls.

"Kentucky lawyer Mike Duncan, who came on board with Martinez as chairman of the Republican National Committee, is expected to remain running day-to-day operations at national party headquarters for the balance of his two-year term."

Huckabee's mo

OCALA - As a Southern Baptist minister, Mike Huckabee should have long ago delivered the closing prayer for his own presidential campaign. He has been outspent by millions. He barely registers in national polls. Where other candidates are household names, he is, at best, that fat guy from Arkansas who lost all the weight.

But against political convention, Huckabee is shedding a different burden: the label of hapless underdog. With newfound confidence, the former Arkansas governor brought his campaign to Florida recently in hopes of building on a surprise second-place finish in the Iowa straw poll last month and standout performances in recent debates.  More here.

The toughest ballot rival of all?

How would you like to be running against "New Election"? St. Pete residents will choose between city council incumbent Jamie Bennett and "New Election," since Bennett's opponent Chris Kelly dropped out of the race citing exhaustion. And if New Election wins? Yup, there'll be a new election.

Wall Street Journal: Is Florida Over?

The lead story of today's Wall Street Journal could well send palpitations across Florida's political and business elite. The article doesn't strike the death knell for Florida's longtime growth (and therefore, its economy), stating simply, "But for Americans on the move, Florida has become a less appealing destination."

But it does compile all the compelling demographic evidence that Florida isn't the bargain or attraction it used to be -- higher property insurance, a two-tier property tax system, stagnant school enrollment and the fact moving companies are reporting far fewer moving trips into Florida than ever before. Oh and there's the anecdotes of those folks who'd moved here and are now moving out.

We can't link to the story because of the Journal's subscription-only website, but here's a tease from the writer's 1,000-foot assessment: "Florida's reality has always been seamier than its sun-kissed image (referencing real-estate schemes, the drug trade and the state's lenient bankruptcy laws)...But growth has transformed Florida from an agricultural backwater to a key player on the national stage."

All those special elections cost money

Call Secretary of State Kurt Browning an optimist if nothing else. At a time when state agencies have to cut spending, Browning wants more money -- as much as $2-million more, though the exact total hasn't been determined.

The money isn't for the Department of State, but for county election supervisors who had to hold special elections for six vacant seats in the Legislature. Two more will be held in coming weeks, to replace Rep. David Mealor of Lake Mary, who resigned, and Rep. Mike Davis of Naples, who died.

You can bet those supervisors are going to be sending invoices for those election costs, since many of them say the state hasn't ponied up enough money for replacement optical scanners. Look here for the county-by-county invoices for special election costs.

You're SCHIP-ing me!

When Buzz returned to D.C. after meetings in Florida this week, we were surprised to find this name on the list of Nay votes for reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP: Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, one of the program's biggest supporters, who had led the debate in favor of the bill when the House first considered it.

YouTubing Fasano

Florida Consumer Action Network is smacking John Legg and Mike Fasano over their sinkhole policies.

Inmate No. T29027

Michael Scionti, D-Tampa, has some competition for his bid for re-election to the District 58 Florida House seat. Jose Vazquez filed last month to run against Scionti. The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office website lists no phone number for Vazquez, but it does list an inmate number and the address of the Bay Correctional Facility in Panama City. Vazquez, a Democrat, began his stay at the institution in May for a felony conviction of driving with a revoked license. He's slated for release in March 2009, but with gain time and other credits, may be out in time for the November 2008 election. Vazquez also filed to run against Scionti in 2006, but dropped out of the race. 

Echoes of 2000

Something about this sounds familiar: Florida Democrats have picked Kendall Coffey, the Miami attorney who took the lead for Al Gore during the 2000 recount, to challenge the Democratic National Committee's decision to relieve the state of its delegates at the 2008 presidential convention.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, Florida's top House Democrat, say they plan to file suit next week to force the DNC to recognize Florida's Jan. 29 presidential primary. The DNC voted last month that Florida must forfeit its delegates because the primary will be held before the allowed date of Feb. 5.

Nelson said the suit raises questions involving due process, equal protection, freedom of speech and the Voting Rights Act. Because the state Legislature voted to move the primary, Nelson said he believes it’s unconstitutional for the DNC to fail to recognize it.

"I believe the case law in our complaint will show that that supersedes the right of the party to dictate who does what," Nelson told Buzz this afternoon.

But wait ... Rubio wants property taxes, PIP

House Speaker Marco Rubio has sent a letter to Gov. Crist asking him to use his "constitutional authority" to require the Legislature to take up property taxes before the end of October and add PIP to the special session call.

Read it here.

Also, see the jump for a letter from Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, the lead PIP negotiator, in which she blames the Senate's "hardline" approach. And a statement from Senate President Ken Pruitt.

Session: budget only, no PIP, property taxes

Ken Pruitt, President of the Florida Senate, and Marco Rubio, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, by virtue of the authority vested in us by Article III, Section 3(c)(2), Florida Constitution, and Section 11.011, Florida Statutes, do hereby proclaim:

Section 1. That the Legislature of the State of Florida is convened in Special Session at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, the 3rd day of October, 2007, for a period of 10 days, ending at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, the 12th day of October, 2007.

Section 2. That the Legislature of the State of Florida is convened for the sole and exclusive purpose of considering: legislation making adjustments to fiscal year 2007-2008 appropriations; legislation providing for the redirection of trust fund revenues and balances to the General Revenue Fund; legislation making adjustments to user fees; legislation to conform Florida law to such adjustments and redirections; and legislation narrowing the definition of "municipality of special financial concern" created by Section 8 of Chapter 2007-321, Laws of Florida .

Section 3. That the committees of either house of the Legislature are authorized to consider legislation within the purview of this proclamation from this date forward.

More bad news for property insurance customers

Allstate is the latest major property insurer to hike its rates, despite the Legislature and governor's work earlier this year to try to get insurers to cut rates. OIR has been denying such increases; so we'll see if this rate hike gets to customers.

Allstate says it must increase rates statewide: an average of 42 percent for Allstate Floridian Insurance, which is concentrated in South Florida, and 28 percent for Allstate Floridian Indemnity company.  The increases will impact nearly all Allstate customers, which number between 350,000 and 400,000.

Crist, Greer appear on Fox News

Gov. Crist and Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer are scheduled to appear on FOX News Channel today in an interview with Martha MacCallum, host of "The Live Desk with Martha MacCallum." They will discuss Presidency 4, the RPOF/FOX News debate, and Florida’s role in the 2008 presidential election. The interview is scheduled to air live from 1:10 to 1:15 p.m.

UPDATE: While mostly a glorified commercial for the Fox debate, Crist addressed Democrats' troubles over the Jan. 29 primary, saying the national party is "unfairly punishing" voters in Sunshine State.

"I'm a Republican," Crist told the national TV audience. "I want the next president to be a Republican. But I also understand that if it turns out not to be, then my heart bleeds for the Democrats in the state of Florida. I want to make sure their vote counts. That we count every vote. That they have an opportunity to be heard as much as the Republicans are. And so I think it's a misguided step, at least, by the national Democratic party. "

Crist courts Democrats on property taxes

Gov. Charlie Crist, who is lending his popularity to passage of the Legislature's "super-sized" homestead exemption plan, is reaching out this week to Democrats in the Senate and House to ensure the Jan. 29 vote goes on.

Democrats could scuttle an effort to put a clarified amendment back on the ballot because it would require a three-fourths vote of the Legislature. (The House may challenge that authority, however.) Since taking office in January, Crist has amassed considerable currency with Democrats through a number of appointments and policy decisions.

"He asked if we can try and do something on property taxes," said Steve Geller, the top Democrat in the Senate, who got a call from Crist on Thursday. "I was polite and told him I like him and we’re happy to work with him, but I don't see any possibility of it getting done by special session. It's just so controversial."

Voter "caging" on the Fl GOP agenda?

McClatchey: " Ohio and Florida, which provided the decisive electoral votes for President Bush's two razor-thin national election triumphs, have enacted laws that election experts say will help Republicans impede voting by Democratic-leaning minorities in 2008.

"Backers of the new laws say they're aimed at curbing vote fraud. But the statutes also could facilitate a controversial Republican tactic known as "vote caging," which the GOP tried in Ohio and Florida in 2004 before public disclosures foiled the efforts, said Joseph Rich, a former Justice Department voting rights chief in the Bush administration who's now with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights." More here.

Pip and the Special Session Call

It's not looking like PIP will be included in a special session call made by the Senate President and House Speaker. But if that's the case, the governor may make a PIP special session call.

Despite the negotiated agreement worked by Sen. Bill Posey and Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, there's not enough consensus on PIP in such a short and complicated special session, said Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller.

"There was only an agreement to do PIP, as long as there was an agreement. But the attorneys are still opposing it. The auto insurers are still opposing it. You’ve got a lot of the legislators, with Sen. Alexander and Sen. Aronberg, saying they want see something else. Everybody is still all over the world on this. Unless it's a life or death matter, and candidly PIP is not a life or death matter, you don't go up to special session without a general agreement, and there's not a general agreement," Geller said.

Neither Sen. Posey nor the Senate President's office could say Friday morning whether PIP is in or out. However, several House members told the Buzz they've heard that PIP is out of any call made by Legislative leaders.

However, Rep. Julio Robaina added that he has heard that the governor might make a PIP special session call, if lawmakers don't. Buzz may know more later on today, so stay tuned.

Presidential debates at FAU

The Florida Press Association, Leadership Florida and NBC/PBS announced that their planned 1/23 and 1/25 presidential debates will be at Florida Atlantic University in Boca. No word yet on candidate commitments, though. Those debates potentially violate the pledge most of the leading Democrats have signed not to campaign for Florida's Jan. 29 primary.

UPDATE: Speaking of which, Steve Geller argues those four states may be violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965: " Floridahas five voting rights counties, Hillsborough, Hendry, Hardee, Collier, and Monroe. The four states have conspired together to intimidate the Presidential candidates to ignore Florida, such that a minority voter in a Federally protected Voting Rights county will have no opportunity to see a Democratic Presidential candidate during October, November, December, or January, unless they pay for this privilege.  I believe that this is a clear violation of the Voting Rights Act, and I expect a federal Judge will agree. "

Certified to play Katherine Harris

The Buzz got scooped -- but the good news is, it's by our sister blog, The Juice, which reports actress Laura Dern was cast to play Katherine Harris in the upcoming HBO movie Recount, based on the 2000 election. Take a look (sixth item). Now, who will play Mac Stipanovich? Clay Roberts? Bob Crawford? Barry Richard? The justices of the Supreme Court?

Dept. of (up)dates

From tbt* editor Neville Green: "Our bachelor governor is going to keep us guessing, it seems. We at tbt* must report we got a little carried away in an item Tuesday when we speculated about Jennifer Santiago, the TV reporter who accompanied Charlie Crist to a Yom Kippur service in Miami last Friday night. They are simply friends, it turns out. You want confirmation of that? She’s engaged — to a professional photographer. But there is a very newsworthy connection between Santiago and Crist. Just the day before the Yom Kippur service, Crist and his cabinet had granted a full pardon to Richard Paey, the Pasco County man who had  been sentenced to 25 years for drug trafficking, essentially for trying to treat his own chronic pain. Where did the governor learn of Paey’s plight? From my reporting, Santiago tells tbt*."

Sunshine for the Legislature?

Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, the House Democratic leader, said Thursday he thinks the time has come to consider subjecting the Legislature to the same "sunshine" law cities and counties live with.

The law makes it a crime for local elected officials to discuss public business in private, but lawmakers are exempt. They routinely discuss public business in back rooms, on the telephone, e-mail, wherever. (Only certain discussions among multiple legislators, where subsequent action is anticipated, must be public).

The minority Democrats are routinely closed out of major decisions and they are seething, as Gelber made clear at his press conference. "I hate it," Gelber said of the backroom nature of lawmaking in Tallahassee. "When so much of these decisions are being made behind closed doors, at the end of the day, the public doesn't know who's responsible."

He said the two huge mistakes in the property tax debate -- the omission of Miami from the statutory rollback and a ballot proposal that a judge said was too misleading to put on the ballot -- show what happens when important decisions are made by a few people in private.

    

Democrats flex veto muscle on property taxes

House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber suggested today that Democrats will oppose a revised property tax proposal (assuming the current one does not meet court muster) unless it fully preserves Save Our Homes, provides some measure of portability and does not cut into education or health care budgets.

Democrats feel like they hold power because putting a constitutional amendment on the Jan. 29 special election ballot requires a three-fourths vote. Whether that higher standard is necessary, though, is certain to be a matter of dispute and House staff is already researching the question.

The Democratic caucus has not taken an official position, but Gelber's veto threat matches what Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller said earlier this week. "Jan. 29th," he told the Times on Tuesday, "isn't going to happen."

Bill McBride endorsing Clinton

Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBrideis endorsing Hillary Clinton. He's part of Clinton's national veterans and military retirees campaign committee.

"I'm really excited. I'm going to work really hard on her campaign,'' said the decorated Vietnam vet. "She'll be a fabulous president. I think she's acquited herself really well on the campaign and in the Senate. She's shown she knows how to win, and this is an extremely important election for America."

And McBride's wife, CFO Alex Sink? Still uncommitted, but "I'll lobby her hard,'' McBride said.

How efficient!

As the Legislature combs through a slew of budget-cutting proposals, Democrats are attacking a Republican idea they say is truly nutty: wiping out a little agency called the Office of Efficient Government, whose job is to monitor those outsourcing deals from the Bush administration.

Wiping out the council and its 10 positions (six vacant and four occupied) will save $1.4-million, said Rep. Frank Attkisson, R-Kissimmee, and it makes sense because "these are excess dollars that have never really been utilized." Said Rep. Jack Seiler, D-Wilton Manors: "It's unbelievable when you think about it."

Rich Ramos saw this coming. Ramos, who worked for Charlie Crist when he was attorney general, was director of the Office of Efficient Government, until today. Ramos, a former executive director of the Broward County Republican Party, is leaving state government to start his own business development firm, Global Strategies Consulting, LLC. 

Rubio shares Democrats' pain

House Speaker Marco Rubio, who led the charge for the Jan. 29 presidential primary, says he's disappointed by the mess it has created for Democrats.

"It was never our intention to make that happen. I really wanted Democrat and Republican candidates to have to come here and address Florida's issues. I feel bad for the Democrats in this state," the Miami Republican said today in an interview to be seen later on the Florida Channel. "From a partisan standpoint, perhaps some people are taking glee. I'm not. I think it's bad for Florida. I hope they can figure it out. I'll do anything I can to help them ... I'm not sure I can."

UPDATE: The video is up here.

Tuition Hiked by 5 percent

The state university system's Board of Governors voted unanimously on Thursday to raise tuition at all Florida  universities this spring by 5 percent. They did so while setting a recommendation that the schools should try to use some of the revenue to help poorer students with need-based financial aid.

The Legislature, which had approved a similar increase last year, which the governor had vetoed, doesn't think the board has the authority to raise tuition.

You write the caption

 

SC Dem Chair: I'm no terrorist

  Had a nice chat today with Carol Fowler, the South Carolina Democratic chairwoman who played a key role in enacting especially stiff DNC penalties for state parties violating the primary calendar and in drafting the "four-state pledge" presidential contenders signed promising not to campaign Florida. "I like Florida, and I love to go there, but I'm afraid to go down there right now. I'm afraid people might shoot me,'' she laughed, noting in her soothing Southern drawl she's being likened to a terrorist.

That's a reference to state Senate Majority Leader Steve Geller, who in what would not be called a soothing Southern drawl, criticized in today's Palm Beach Post the "four terrorist states. You know the Axis of Evil ... the terrorist rogue states? Well, I think the rogue states here are Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina." "

PIP Draft Out

Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff released a copy of a draft of legislation that resulted from the PIP agreement she had negotiated. Check out the draft.

Another stab at revamping redistricting

Does it make sense for Florida to have contorted congressional districts that wind through half a dozen counties? Not to the government watchdog group Common Cause, which last year spent more than $3-million trying to revamp how Florida political districts are drawn but couldn't even get the matter on the ballot.

Now Common Cause is trying again, only much more cautiously - for the 2010 ballot. Unlike 2006, when advocates proposed creating a supposedly nonpartisan commission to draw districts, this time Common Cause is merely trying to mandate that lawmakers draw compact districts without trying to help or hurt any political party. Separate ballot questions would cover legislative districts and congressional districts. More here.

Dumb Democrats?

Gail Collins in the New York Times: "All the major Democratic candidates for president have signed a pledge promising they will only go to Florida or Michigan when they want to raise money. Among the really bad ideas in the history of the Democratic Party, this ranks somewhere between butterfly ballots and William Jennings Bryan." More here.

Bureaucracy slows felon voting rights

Nearly six months after Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet made it easier for some felons to regain their civil rights, the system is choked by a backlog of more than one hundred thousand cases awaiting review. Tensions between two state agencies that screen ex-offenders, the Department of Corrections and the Florida Parole Commission, are exacerbating the delay because of disagreements over which inmates qualify for review. More here.

McCain coming to Florida

Sen. John McCain will be in Florida next month for three fundraising events. Tuesday, he'll be in Tallahassee for a lunchtime fundraiser hosted by Brian Ballard, Marty Fiorentino, Kevin McCarty, Kathleen Shanahan, Jim Smith, Mac Stipanovich, Cory Tilley and others. On Oct. 19, McCain will head to south Florida for a reception at the home of former Burger King chairman John Dasburg and a barbecue hosted by Republican strategist Ana Navaro as well as Mario Diaz-Balart, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Grrrl power

Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno will be the featured speaker at the sold out annual convention of the Democratic Women's Club of Florida that runs Thursday through Sunday in Tampa. About 200 people are expected to attend the event, which includes speeches by Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and Sarasota's Christine Jennings. Carrie Wadlinger, convention co-chair and president of the Demoractic Women's Club of Upper Pinellas said Hillary Clinton's presidential bid has the state's clubs feeling energized, even though they don't endorse candidates in primary elections. "Because there's a woman running for president, there is a lot of press about that, not to mention that women love Bill, we are getting a lot of people interested in joning the clubs," she said. True, women have run before. "But Hillary is the front runner," she said. "It's real different."

They're in trouble now

The Hillsborough County District 47 Democrats at their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday voted to approve a resolution to impeach President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Group member Nancy Greenlees said the symbolic vote is not "partisan or vindictive" but intended to restore the country to the "traditions of our representative democracy" and stop the "unconsitutional usurpation of power by the executive branch." Plans call for sending the resolution to other Democratic organizations in the hopes that they will add their names to it and forwarding it to Congress.

Gelber V. Martinez

A preliminary shot in a 2010 Senate race? Dan Gelber sent this missive to Mel Martinez over the senator's opposition to expanding the children''s health insurance program, SCHIP:

"...As Chairman of the Republican National Committee, I recognize your role and responsibility to defend and endorse President Bush’s legislative agenda, including his opposition to the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan.  However, the rhetoric of “entitlements” and “socialized medicine” seems designed to fire up the President’s political base rather than honestly helping your colleagues figure out how to fix a system that has left more than nine million American children without health care.   Ironically, your position hurts Florida more than nearly any other state as only Texas has a higher percentage of uninsured children than we do. .."

Martinez's statement: "I support SCHIP. I support the program with the original mission of covering low income children who do not have health insurance...It is bad policy to take a program designed to help poor children and creat a new entitlement for familie making $80,000 a year."

Film your candidate question

Want to participate in the YouTube politics revolution, but don't have access to a camera? Let the Times help.

From now until mid-November we will be filming your questions for the Republican presidential candidates and submitting them to YouTube for consideration in the November 28 St. Pete debates.
We will be available, camera in hand, at public events across the Tampa Bay area.

Look for our first YouTube question station on September 26 at Pinellas Park High School just before the county School Board's Community Impact meeting.

When: September, 26 at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Pinellas Park High School, 6305 118th Avenue N, Largo

Football Vs. Budget: Football Wins

One reason the Legislature may have to take a break late Friday through early Sunday: lawmakers and staff are hard-pressed to find hotel rooms, because of the FSU-NC State game. That game starts at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 6th and practically every room in town is booked on Friday and Saturday nights.

State appeals property tax ruling

Secretary of State Kurt Browning said moments ago that he will appeal the court decision striking the proposed constitutional amendment on property taxes from the Jan. 29 ballot. The appeal was filed the 1st District Court of Appeal. 

"I have every confidence that this is the appropriate decision for this important ballot initiative," Browning said in a statement. "I look forward to resolution of this initiative either through the judicial process or other avenues determines by the Florida Legislature."

Said Gov. Charlie Crist, "While we have great respect for the judiciary, we're going to seek a second opinion. Today, an appeal has been filed on behalf of the Secretary of State to allow the people to vote to cut their taxes."

No surprise given Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio have already called for the appeal. But the fate of the property tax plan remains an open question with Pruitt and Rubio at odds over whether to address the issue during the special session next week.

As is standard with the property tax saga, the appeal reveals yet another twist. Paul Hawkes, a member of the 1st DCA, is father of House lawyer Jeremiah Hawkes.