Archive for September, 2009
The Hill: Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) might not want to hear this one, but it sounds like national Democrats aren’t all that keen on his ability to beat Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) in that state’s Senate race.
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on Tuesday sat down with reporters to go over the 2010 Senate campaign outlook. He talked about the challenges the GOP has, when he offered this:
"I'd hate to be the Republicans with six open seats — four in which we have candidates we think can win up and running."
Well, Democrats don’t yet have a candidate in Kansas, where Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) is running for governor. And the only other open-seat race Menendez could reasonably have excluded from that group of four is Florida, where Crist is a strong favorite but Meek is raising good money as well. All four of the other open-seat races are generally considered to be toss-ups at this point.
A spokesman later said Menendez misspoke.
Two more individuals sent applications to Gov. Charlie Crist to apply for an interim appointment to the Broward School Board to replace suspended member Bev Gallagher.
The new applicants as of today were Sallie B. Tillman-Watson, who works in the field of tax consulting, and Veda Bailey, an AIDS educator.
Crist is not expected to appoint anyone to replace Gallagher or suspended county commissioner Josephus Eggelletion this week. Both politicians were suspended last week amid separate federal corruption probes.
At the county, it's unclear if FBI agents have expanded their probe beyond Eggelletion and the county's transportation department — the only offices where federal officials have paid a visit. Officials who work at the county's aviation department, Port Everglades, purchasing, and construction management say that they have not been questioned by the FBI.
In his effort to distance himself from the government healthcare he has supported, Gov. Charlie Crist this morning on CNN both defended the KidCare health program for children and made it seem as if he had little to do with it.
"It’s for children. It’s a program I inherited," Crist said. "It’s one that’s already here."
Why is it here? Why did he inherit it? Well, Gov. Crist can thank, among others, Sen. Charlie Crist in 1998. He along with the rest of the Senate co-sponsored the legislation that established KidCare. Crist then joined the Senate in unanimously voting for it. Kendrick Meek, running against Crist for U.S. Senate, cosponsored and voted for it, too.
But he did more than vote for it. He offered an amendment designed to clarify tax remittances. It's here if you're bored: Download Hb4415e1654222. And, of course, this year he signed legislation to expand KidCare enrollment.
What an inheritance.
Charlie Crist is against a public-option for health insurance, but he's for a public-option when it comes to homeowners insurance. And he's for public health-insurance when it's called Medicaid, Medicare or KidCare. (See stories here and here for more background. And check out the KidCare video below)
According to Crist, everyone else who doesn't have coverage should sign up for his Cover Florida Health Care program. Except for Crist. Though married to a millionaire, he gets free health-insurance premiums paid by taxpayers, along with all the legislators and thousands of other top state workers (not the rank and filers). And when asked about it today by our erstwhile colleague Gary Fineout, Crist got a little testy as he tried to shift the focus back to Cover Florida. He fell back on the ole Cover Florida cover when CNN's John Roberts asked him about the contradictions.
For the record: Cover Florida has now signed up about 4,129 people since February. In that time, an estimated 3,560 people lose coverage weekly. The Crist equation four steps back + one step forward = success. An argument can be made that KidCare is not government run, but is merely government financed.The managed-care companies technically run the insurance program, though the KidCare board is selected by government officials. And the Legislature sets the parameters of the program. Crist avoids all this complexity.
Here's the transcript from this morning
Are you suggesting KidCare was already here, so you don’t support KidCare?
Crist: I didn’t say that
Well you said KidCare was there before I got there…
Crist, interrupting: “..that’s also true.”
Well, I guess my point is I you pushed to expand the enrollment in KidCare. It’s not like you tried to dismantle it or didn’t think it was a good idea
Crist, interrupting…”also true. So what’s the confusion?”
The confusion is, then, your criticism over government run healthcare when KidCare is government run healthcare, which is what they were asking you about this morning.
Crist: It’s for kids, I like it.
Do you get free health insurance premiums like other Florida state officials?
Crist: I think we have a good set up right now. We ought to continue to do I think what our administration is trying to do for the uninsured in Florida through the Cover Florida Health Care plan and give people an opportunity who don’t have insurance or who have recently lost a job to go to coverfloridahealthcare.com and have an opportunity which I think a compassionate society ought to provide — and that is to get health-insurance coverage. I think Florida’s done it the right way. We’ve reduced the cost from an average of about $900 a month to about $150 a month. No government mandates. No tax dollars involved. I think it’s the right way to go. That’s what I believe.”
But do you pay for free health insurance yourself?
Crist: “I don’t. You know I don’t. I’m aware of that.”
Gov. Charlie Crist called the decision by the Public Service Commission to postpone a decision on Florida Power & Light's $1.3 billion rate case from December until after the new terms of two commissioners in January "intriguing."
Does that decision make him feel as if he's being painted into a corner on his decision to choose between two incumbents and four newcomers "No because we still have the opportunity to make these selections on behalf of the people.''
He said he will be interviewing today the former Bradenton Herald editorial board director David Klement, who is currently the director of the Institute for Public Policy & Leadership at the University of South Florida.
Crist said he's been watching the commission "it's a lot to sort through,'' and has "not predetermined" whether he will choose incumbents Matthew Carter or Katrina McMurrian but doesn't have any reservation about putting a newbie on the commission. "How's that going to work? Well, let's see. If they do happen to be new, I imagine they will study up."
Crist said that he's looking for "people of good intellect, great integrity, care and concern and compassion for the people that are in tune with the economic challenges that the people face right now.''
He said "How they feel about diversifying our energy resources is important too.'' He acknowledged that the PSC is considered more utility friendly than "people friendly. Strange, huh?" And added: "They have to strike a balance that's what's important. I want people that understand that a balance needs to be struck
Do the current commissioners understand the challenge of balancing being either utility-friendly or consumer-friendly? "I think some do,'' he said. "You never know until the end of the day.''
CFO Alex Sink speaks with urgency about her desire to expand and better train the board that oversees Florida's pension fund, but the governor and the attorney general running against Sink for governor opted this morning for a slower, more measured approach.
The tussle at Tuesday's Cabinet meeting offered a glimpse of the unfolding 2010 race for governor, which will play out most visibly on the Cabinet dais, where Sink and attorney General Bill McCollum will debate and vote on myriad issues over the next year.
"I'm of the adage that if it ain't broke don't fix it," McCollum said of Sink's proposal. "Our SBA governance might be different from some other states, but it doesn't mean it's broken."
Sink, the former (Democrat) Bank of America executive running against (Republican) McCollum for governor, wanted the Cabinet to recommend that the Legislature expand the board of trustees of the State Board of Administration by at least two people. The SBA board now consists of just three of the four Cabinet members: Sink, McCollum and Gov. Charlie Crist.
Sink's proposal would add at least one person with financial expertise, and one person who participates in the pension fund. Also, all trustees would get financial training, and there would be regular external audits of the pension's management and performance.
"Right now we have a board with three people, none of whom are required to have financial experience," Sink said. "That might have been good for 1885, but it's not good for the 21st century. If we have a board managing a $110-billion investment fund, it just seems to me the board should have some kind of training and knowledge."
Sink sought a vote on her proposed recommendation Tuesday, but McCollum and Crist agreed to wait until December's Cabinet meeting for a recommendation from SBA director Ash Williams and the SBA advisory group. McCollum questioned whether the Legislature even has the power to change the SBA structure without a constitutional amendment.
"I would like to thank the CFO for presenting this, but I think we ought to reflect on this," McCollum said. "I would be reluctant to support something like this until we get the advisory board's thoughts."
Crist agreed.
Sink has been advocating for SBA changes since taking office, and more urgently over the past year as the pension fund fell to a low of $87-billion and questions arose over its management. A recent SBA survey of 15 other state's funds found Florida is unique in its small governance structure, especially considering it is one of the nation's largest pension funds.
Also, the survey found Florida is the only state whose governor and attorney general help oversee the fund. Some ethics watchdogs say the attorney general's service on the board is a potential conflict.
After Cabinet, Sink said she is "disappointed" about the delay until December but she'll keep pressing on.
"Regardless, I am going to approach members of the Legislature myself to ask them to do this," she said, and then disputed McCollum's legal argument. "In further reviewing the legality, we believe the Legislature can expand the board statutorily and without a constitutional amendment."
The Cabinet just named Col. Julie Jones, chief of law enforcement for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to lead the Division of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles — one of the state's largest and most high-profile agencies.
"These are dedicated individuals, this is a good agency," Jones said of DHSMV. "I really appreciate this."
Jones, 52, will replace Electra Bustle, who earlier this month announced her plans to resign the post for a job in the private sector. Bustle has not disclosed where she will work, saying she wants to wait until she officially ends her tenure at the DHSMV.
She originally planned to leave the DHSMV Sept. 15 but agreed to stay an extra two weeks because only one person — Bustle's chief of staff Larry Ringers, former chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp — had applied for the job overseeing 4,500 employees and a budget of nearly $400 million.
Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson lauded Jones, saying she has long had a stellar reputation.
"I want to commend her for the outstanding service she has already given to the state of Florida, and I hope it continues to take you to great places," Bronson said.
Sen. Bill Nelson was so silent on healthcare this summer that activists from his own party rallied outside his offices and public appearances. At one overheated rally, an activist was knocked to the ground. Still, the always-cautious Nelson had more to say about pythons than public options as the debate raged on.
But the senator has been more outspoken in recent weeks, stepping into the role of a champion of Medicare recipients eager to duke it out with the insurance companies. Story about his entry into the healthcare debate is here. Nelson's column today in USA Today is here.
The City of Miami Bicycle Master Plan has been completed. The City Commission will have a chance to vote on this landmark legislation on October 8th. Results of the vote will be posted. If you would like a chance to see the Bicycle Master Plan, you can download the full copy:
2030 Bicycle Master Plan [PDF] 25.2 MB
Almost 7 years ago Shirley Gibson stood before the County Commission and asked them to approve incorporation of Miami Gardens. Miami Gardens had tried to incorporate for several years. Like other incorporation efforts, she was subjected to all the reasons why incorporation would not work for Miami Gardens. But Shirley is smart; she knew her community better than any County Commissioner. She had
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