Much of the legislation that passes through the sausage factory in the state Capitol is related to internecine warfare between various business interests.
Thus, lawyers and insurance companies, doctors and pharmacists, optometrists and ophthalmologists, bankers and credit unions always are tussling for a greater share of the profits.
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Last week the state government succeeded in ducking an attempt by the federal government to impose water rules that would give Florida residents a real hosing.
The subject is numeric nutrient criteria, the bureaucratic way of describing...
Gov. Rick Scott might as well accept the facts of life: He can’t buy respect from the left.
In a nod to political correctness, he decided to throw a billion dollars at education next year.
But if he thought that was going to get him kudos, he was dead wrong. All it got was jeers from the left....
Privatization: It’s a word that causes a liberal’s gorge to rise.
What it means is allowing the private sector to do work now being done – more or less – by government workers.
So, an attempt by the Florida Legislature to go a bit further in that direction has the left wing in a dither....
Last week’s Republican candidate’s debate in Jacksonville probably changed no one’s mind.
First, it was only theater, as most political debates tend to be. Newt Gingrich, in a follow-up attack, even called Mitt Romney’s part “the most blatantly dishonest performance by a presidential candidate I’ve ever seen.”
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One of the basic rights in the U.S. Constitution is the right of people to redress grievances with their government.
But when some people exert that right in the state Capitol, they are portrayed in the media as evil “special interests” out to line their pockets.
As a general rule, anyone seeking to...
It appears the Florida Legislature is going to get through the bloodletting over redistricting earlier than usual.
After each Census, legislators must redistrict and reapportion the legislative and congressional political boundaries. While this is boring to most Florida residents, it is meat and potatoes for politicians and political junkies.
For about 50 years, Democrats held the Legislature and...
Public school “advocates” in Jacksonville were ecstatic last week at the good news that local schools are showing marked improvement.
Nine of the city’s high schools saw grades rise in 2011. Overall, 16 of 19 high schools scored A, B or C grades.
School Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals said proudly: “In addition, decreasing the number of lower performing schools (D or F) from 11 to three...
There is a long list of things I’m not an expert in, but near the top would be psychology. So, I’m thinking of calling Dr. Phil and asking him why Florida liberals hate Gov. Rick Scott so much.
When people drive around in cars festooned with hot-pink bumper stickers saying “Pink Slip Rick,” it indicates a certain level of passion, although not necessarily rationality.
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Amid the wailing about "underfunding" public schools is lost the fact that since reforms by the GOP legislature and Gov. Jeb Bush, education has been improving.
Bush looked beyond the failed effort to improve the schools by throwing money at them. Although education funding increased during his term, he viewed it as “the oil for the reform machinery.” Previous governors had sought to increase inputs (money) as if that were the measure of success....
