POLITICAL HEADLINES FROM LOBBYTOOLS

~With occasional articles from other sources~

Most recent posts are first...

Political Headlines for Friday April 4, 2008
>
>
> Bradenton Herald

> Florida students doing OK on national writing test
> Florida students are holding their own in writing
> against their national counterparts, according to
> scores released today by the National Assessment of
> Educational Progress. In 2007, the assessment te...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12348165
 
> Miami Herald

> Deep cuts in store for S. Florida
> TALLAHASSEE -- Short on cash and options, Florida
> lawmakers approved rival versions of the state
> budget Thursday that all but guarantee a record $4
> billion to $5 billion in wide-ranging cuts, from
> hea...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12345850

> Sarasota Herald Tribune

> Democrats complain over budget
> Democrats accused majority Republicans of attempting
> to balance the state's budget on the backs of the
> poor, sick and working-class Floridians as
> committees in the House and Senate approved sharp
> spen...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12348110
 
> St. Petersburg Times

> DCF introduces 6th circuit leader DCF introduces 6th
> circuit leader
> Former state Rep. Bob Henriquez was introduced
> Thursday as the new circuit administrator for the
> Department of Children and Families in Pasco and
> Pinellas. His job will be to oversee the
> department's...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12347992

> Tallahassee Democrat
 
> Council approves Florida state budget for House
> floor vote
> House money managers Thursday approved a $65.1
> billion state budget that Democrats called "ugly"
> but Republican leaders said is the best Florida
> taxpayers can afford in hard times. The party-line
> vote...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12346981

> Tampa Tribune
 
> House, Senate Cut Spending
> Democratic lawmakers argued in vain on Thursday
> against slashing medical care for poor seniors,
> reading coaches for schoolchildren, hospital care
> for transplant patients and other programs affecting
> F...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12348121

> Justice Budget May Be Slashed By $200 Million
> Florida's courthouses, prisons and law enforcement
> agencies would be dealt a major blow under House and
> Senate budget plans that would cut more than $200
> million in funding for the state's criminal ju...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12348123

Political Headlines for Tuesday April 1, 2008
 
> Miami Herald

> Ballot issue has schools worried about future
> funding
> If Florida voters decide in November to do away with
> most of the local property taxes used to fund public
> schools, most South Florida educators simply don't
> believe legislators will make up for the lo...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12325655

> Orlando Sentinel

> Health care for poor at risk of cutbacks
> Katherine Diaz is so worried about how she'll make
> ends meet that she ended up at the doctor's office
> with shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat. It
> turned out she was having an anxiety attack. D...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12326668
>
> Budget crisis prompts Volusia board's OK to close 7
> elementary schools
> The Volusia County School Board will close seven
> schools in three years in an attempt to avert a
> budget crisis. The five board members overwhelmingly
> voted to close the schools, saying they had no
> cho...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12327004
 
> Budget ax hangs over jobs at schools
> Orange, Seminole and Volusia schools are making
> plans to eliminate hundreds of teaching positions
> and other jobs in the wake of a proposed House
> budget released Monday that calls for sharp cuts in
> edu...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12326982
 
> St. Petersburg Times
>
> Tampa Bay area legislators work to get funding for
> local projects
> Even in lean times, some Tampa Bay lawmakers have
> found ways to carve favored projects into spending
> bills. The only question, in a year of sharp
> spending cuts, will the local projects survive
> negotia...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12326487

> Sun-Sentinel

> Budget-balancing legislators to raid Palm Beach
> County schools for funds
> TALLAHASSEE - South Florida this year may be forced
> to absorb more than half of the public school
> spending cuts being proposed by the state House in
> part because the region is losing students faster
> t...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12326598
>
> Broward schools face biggest cuts in state from
> legislators
> TALLAHASSEE - South Florida this year may be forced
> to absorb more than half of the public school
> spending cuts being proposed by the state House in
> part because the region is losing students faster
> t...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12326622

> Tallahassee Democrat
 
> Our Opinion: Budget hostages
> We are "unraveling our sense of community in this
> state," a seasoned lobbyist observed, looking over
> some $700 million in House and Senate budget cuts
> currently aimed at health and human services. For...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12326998
 
> Tampa Tribune
>
> Budget Plan Would Allow Crist To Tap Reserves
> Under a $65.1 billion budget plan unveiled Monday by
> the Florida House, the state would continue
> providing hearing aids and other health care
> services to the poor and Gov. Charlie Crist could
> tap up t...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12326957

Political Headlines for Friday March 28, 2008
>
>
> Daytona Beach News Journal

> House proposes deep cuts in health spending
> TALLAHASSEE -- Nearly 20,000 people with
> catastrophic illnesses would no longer have hospital
> care paid for by the state. Ten thousand inner-city
> Miami school kids wouldn't see a doctor as often.
> Cou...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12304942
>
> Panel won't pursue class-size changes
> TALLAHASSEE -- A proposal to have voters revisit the
> 2002 state constitutional amendment limiting school
> class sizes stalled in the Florida Taxation and
> Budget Reform Commission on Wednesday. The prop...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12304280
 
> Florida Today

> Our view: Dying for help
> Health care is a basic human right, not a commodity
> that should be given only to those lucky enough to
> afford it. But that's the way the system works in
> America, and more people are winding up dead. T...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12304216
 
> Miami Herald
>
> Stay tough on crime -- by preventing it
> In a year of the steepest budget cuts in Florida
> history, some state-funded operations will actually
> get more tax dollars. These would be private-prison
> operators and prison-construction companies. Th...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12304203
>
> After child-porn arrest, deeper DCF lapses found
> The lapses in hiring, background screening and
> computer security that allowed a Department of
> Children & Families press secretary to allegedly
> lure teenagers into child pornography are
> widespread...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12302902
>
>
> Orlando Sentinel
 
> Florida lawmakers face tough cuts in services for
> poor, seriously ill, elderly
> Dentures and hearing aids for the poor. Money for
> hospitals and nursing homes caring for the frailest
> Floridians. Payments to group homes. Even health
> coverage for those awaiting lifesaving organ tran...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12305150

> Palm Beach Post

> Lawmakers hope to scale back juvenile cuts
> Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Key state legislators
> backed away from deep budget cuts to juvenile
> justice programs Thursday, saying they want to
> preserve successful programs that keep kids out of
> troub...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12304452
>
> School rewards, teacher bonuses targets
> TALLAHASSEE Rewards for A-rated schools, teachers'
> classroom supply funds and bonuses for teachers
> mentoring other teachers will be partially or fully
> wiped out in a Senate budget proposal that cuts $...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12304456

> St. Petersburg Times

> Foster kids, frail seniors among losers in budget
> plan
> TALLAHASSEE - As Florida lawmakers slash spending,
> their proposed cuts will hit people who need help
> the most, including foster children, frail seniors,
> organ transplant recipients and victims of cat...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12305309
 
> Sun-Sentinel
 
> Florida Senate passes plan to de-emphasize FCAT in
> grading schools
> TALLAHASSEE - Florida's controversial school grading
> system a remnant of the Jeb Bush era may be headed
> for its first major revamp, one requiring that high
> schools be rated on much more than how their...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12304632
>
> Agency offers e-mail alerts when sex predators move
> to an area
> TALLAHASSEE - Florida residents can now receive
> e-mail alerts when a sexual offender or predator
> moves into their area. The system gives Floridians
> the information they need to track sex offenders
> in...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12304640

> Tampa Tribune

> Cuts May Claim Some Teacher Bonuses
> Florida public school teachers working toward
> national certification would receive fewer bonuses
> under an education spending plan proposed by Senate
> lawmakers Thursday. The plan, which calls for
> slash...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12305371

> Proposed Cuts Would Strangle Health Care
> No more hospice for dying Medicaid patients. No more
> standards for staffing nursing homes. No more
> dentures or glasses for poor seniors, or hospital
> care for chronically ill patients who need organ
> tr...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12305304

Political Headlines for Thursday March 27, 2008

> Daytona Beach News Journal

> Panel won't pursue class-size changes
> TALLAHASSEE -- A proposal to have voters revisit the
> 2002 state constitutional amendment limiting school
> class sizes stalled in the Florida Taxation and
> Budget Reform Commission on Wednesday. The prop...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12298302
>
>
> Florida Times-Union

> Public Schools: Cheating the kids
> While the Duval County public school leaders are
> trying to manage their budget in a deliberate way,
> they are being whipsawed by proposals from the
> Florida Legislature. Good management was on display
> M...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12298344
 
> Gainesville Sun

> Education cuts less than feared
> The Associated Press 1:52 pm, March 26, 2008
> TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida's education and judicial
> systems got good news Tuesday as lawmakers released
> anticipated spending cuts that were less than
> fear...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12297991

> Orlando Sentinel

> Florida Senate plan would cut programs for medically
> needy
> Health programs serving Florida's poor, elderly and
> critically ill face a staggering $803million in cuts
> under a Senate plan aimed at helping to close a
> $3billion state budget shortfall. As many as 24...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12298409
 
> Tampa Tribune
>
> Pro-Vouchers Bill Clears Panel
> The first of two proposals aimed at overriding a
> court decision against school vouchers is headed for
> the November ballot, over objections from those who
> likened the measure to a Pandora's box of lega...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12298490

Political Headlines for Wednesday March 26, 2008
>
>
> Bradenton Herald
>
> Letters to the editor
> Child abuse gets worse as economy struggles Recent
> media reports around the state have been checkered
> with stories of horrific child abuse and neglect: In
> Brevard County, 3- and 7-year-old children su...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12290993
>
> Proposed education, court spending cuts less than
> feared
> Florida's education and judicial systems got good
> news Tuesday as lawmakers released anticipated
> spending cuts that were less than feared. Various
> budget proposals envisioned by lawmakers include
> high...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12291090
>
>
> Florida Times-Union

> School officials consider lawsuit on budget cuts
> During a news conference where they lamented state
> budget cuts, Duval County public school officials
> left open the possibility of suing the state if it
> fails to provide relief from the local school sy...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12291364
>
>
> Miami Herald

> Prosecutors, public defenders worry about impact of
> budget cuts
> With the state Legislature poised to slash the
> budgets for state attorneys across Florida,
> prosecutors fear they will be forced into the dire
> position of having to choose what crimes to
> prosecute and...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12291242
>
> Orlando Sentinel

> Florida Legislature suggests cutting state spending
> for public schools
> For the first time in almost four decades, Florida
> public schools would absorb a year-to-year reduction
> in state dollars under grim budget proposals
> released Tuesday. Struggling to close a $3billion
> b...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12291212
>
>
> Palm Beach Post
>
> Schools' budgets take hit; Bright Futures whole
> Public schools and universities took their third cut
> in funding in two years under preliminary budgets
> released Tuesday by the House and Senate. Florida
> college students would pay a 6 percent tuition...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12291306
>
> Sarasota Herald Tribune
> Schools squeeze in exercise after governor says so
> Every morning before hitting the books, Alexandra
> Gutierrez does a little dance. It is not enthusiasm
> for the latest Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
> drill that gets the Garden Elementary first-g...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12291287
>
>
> Southwest Florida's News-Press

> Lee schools face big cuts in budget
> Hundreds of jobs, transportation employees' overtime
> and most field trips among other Lee County School
> District services are on the chopping block for next
> year as it faces cuts of up to $30 million...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12291347
>
>
> St. Petersburg Times
> Florida House, Senate have conflicting budget
> strategies
> TALLAHASSEE - The Florida House and Senate are
> advancing starkly different strategies to patch a
> $2.5-billion shortfall in tax revenue for next year.
> The House wants to minimize cuts to schools and
> he...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12291390
>
> Sun-Sentinel

> Schools face 1.2 percent budget cut in House plan
> TALLAHASSEE - For the first time in almost four
> decades, Florida public schools would absorb a
> year-to-year reduction in state dollars under grim
> budget proposals released Tuesday. Struggling to
> close...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12290239
>
> Tallahassee Democrat
>
> Bill would extend Florida Forever
> House and Senate committees this week are
> considering draft bills to extend the Florida
> Forever land-buying program without committing the
> state to spending money that it may not have in the
> future. M...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12291421

Political Headlines for Tuesday March 25, 2008
 
> Florida Today

> Brevard budget woes may force layoffs
> Before tackling cuts to next year's budget, Brevard
> County commissioners must balance a projected $4.2
> million shortfall in this year's spending plan. The
> state's slumping economy is generating less i...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12284666
>
>
> Miami Herald
 
> Budget cuts put drug addict's lifelines on the line
> A year ago, Esther Guzman wanted her crack pipe more
> than her kids. In her heart, she hoped to come clean
> for her children's sake, but her cocaine addiction
> lured her to the rock. Guzman got high just...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12284722

>
> Orlando Sentinel
 
> Tax hike in air for smokers
> For nearly two decades, while almost every state has
> raised its tax on cigarettes, Florida's has remained
> the same: 34 cents a pack. Now there's a renewed
> effort, spearheaded by South Florida Democrat...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12284458

> St. Petersburg Times
>
> Florida drug treatment programs may get cut
> Priscilla Bush gave birth to her third child just
> hours after she was arrested for violating probation
> on drug charges. Bush faced 18 months in prison, but
> fought to get into treatment for her prescri...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12284806

Political Headlines for Monday March 24, 2008

> Daytona Beach News Journal

> Program aims to prevent child abuse
> DAYTONA BEACH -- Jessica Rudy heard horror stories
> from friends about their babies' constant crying,
> the joys of temper tantrums and the terrible twos.
> She was 20 years old, not yet married and a soon...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12278523
>
> Marco Island Eagle

> Florida Legislature to look at providing affordable
> health care plans
> TALLAHASSEE Citing the needs of nearly 4 million
> uninsured Floridians, a pair of Florida lawmakers
> are again looking at ways to offer bare-bones health
> insurance through the private market for under $...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12276339
>
>
> Miami Herald

> Ex-lawmaker starts job in juvenile justice
> Former state Rep. Gus Barreiro, the lawmaker who led
> the charge to shut down boot camps after the death
> of Martin Lee Anderson, will start a new job Monday
> at t...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12277641

> Palm Beach Post

> Fewer addicts, less crime
> The savings state legislators are seeking from cuts
> to the Florida Department of Corrections budget are
> not worth the threats to public safety they would
> produce. The Florida Parole Commission has pro...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12276793

> St. Petersburg Times

> Florida legislators debate where to make next budget
> cuts
> TALLAHASSEE - Layoffs of state workers. Shuttered
> driver's license offices. Fewer seats in
> prekindergarten classes. Parole for more nonviolent
> criminals. Less help for injured manatees. Hundreds
> of c...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12278699
>
>
> Sun-Sentinel
 
> With economy slowing, legislators grim about cutting
> Florida's budget
> TALLAHASSEE - Florida legislators return to work
> this week, their budget-cutting knives sharpened,
> poised to pare up to $3 billion in state spending.
> It's too early to tell what programs may be
> elimin...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12277658

Political Headlines for Wednesday March 19, 2008

> Florida Today
 
> Fiscally constrained counties look to state for
> promised funds
> Bradford County is studying the possibility of
> opening its courthouse only four days a week and
> taking more sheriff's deputies off the streets,
> Commissioner John Cooper said. Florida voters on
> Jan. 29...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12248718
 
> Gainesville Sun
 
> School funding shake-up is feared
> TALLAHASSEE - Already reeling from a 2 percent
> budget cut this year and looking at a billion
> dollars more in reductions next year, Florida's
> school leaders awoke Tuesday to the possibility that
> the v...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12250710

> Jupiter Courier

> Bob Sharpe: Dare to be great: Support mental health
> funding
> Gov. Charlie Crist recently outlined his priorities
> for the 2008 legislative session before a joint
> session of the Florida House and Senate. The details
> of his plans, however, were overshadowed by the...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12247688
>
>
> Lakeland Ledger
 
> Public Schools See Money Upheaval
> TALLAHASSEE | Already reeling from a 2 percent
> budget cut this year and looking at a billion
> dollars more in reductions next year, Florida's
> school leaders awoke Tuesday to the possibility that
> the v...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12250729

> Orlando Sentinel

> Lawmakers seek to calm 'FCAT frenzy' in schools
> Lawmakers want to quash the " FCAT frenzy" that
> grips Florida schools every year in the form of pep
> rallies, giveaways, practice tests and the
> abandonment of regular studies to prepare for the
> high-st...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12250727

> Sarasota Herald Tribune

> Schools feel a pinch, and anticipate pain
> Sarasota school officials presented $20 million in
> potential budget cuts on Tuesday, changes that would
> reach every classroom and affect every student in
> the county. Cut $187,000 by eliminating summe...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12250808
>
> Education advocates skeptical of tax plan
> Already reeling from a 2 percent budget cut this
> year and looking at a billion dollars more in
> reductions next year, Florida's school leaders awoke
> Tuesday to the possibility that the very structure
> t...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12250800

> Southwest Florida's News-Press

> EDITORIAL: Cut justice system funds, deny justice
> Justice is a core responsibility of state and local
> government, along with emergency services, education
> and roads. If the court system isn't adequately
> funded, justice gets delayed, and denied. Last...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12250000
>
>
> St. Petersburg Times

> Pickens glum on '08-09 schools money
> Don't look to Palatka Rep. Joe Pickens for Charlie
> Crist-like optimism and sunshine, not when it comes
> to next year's budget. He opened up the Schools and
> Learning Council meeting this afternoon with...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12249114
 
> Star-Banner

>  Education tool is a 'mat'-rimony of math and
> exercise
> Nine-year-old Amir Haridi and Amy Mitchell like to
> do math on their big bright blue mats. Along with
> other students, they jump around on a dial-pad
> painted on the mats, sing songs and do a little
> dan...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12247724
>
> Crist advocates low-cost health plans
> TALLAHASSEE - Florida's 3.8 million residents
> without health insurance could have the option to
> purchase state-approved coverage from private
> insurers at almost half the cost under a plan
> advocated b...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12247714
 
> Sun-Sentinel

> Florida legislators urged to act on insurance
> coverage for autistic children
> Daniel Barta knows his name and age. For most
> 4-year-olds, that's no big deal. But for the
> Pembroke Pines boy, who was diagnosed with autism
> last year, it has taken months of intensive
> behavioral and...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12250837
>
> Florida's $9.6 billion tax-cut plan could cost you
> money
> If Florida voters pass the sweeping property tax cut
> headed for the November ballot, it could cost you
> more to hire a lawyer, get a haircut or go to the
> opera or race track. The constitutional amendme...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12250796
>
>
> Tallahassee Democrat

>  Schools to become model for civic education
> Leon County Schools will enter into a partnership
> with the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship to
> become a leader in teaching students about civic
> education and leadership. The plan was announced
> Tue...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12249383

Political Headlines for Tuesday March 18, 2008
 
> Miami Herald

> Prison policies in need of an overhaul
> Gov. Charlie Crist should know better. He has been
> involved in Florida politics long enough to know
> that the Legislature's 20-year binge of anti-crime
> laws and new prison construction is wasteful and...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12243080
>
> Proposal to loosen class size limits fails, will be
> reconsidered
> A ballot proposal that would have loosened class
> size reduction requirements failed Monday, but the
> state's tax commission agreed to keep it alive for a
> possible revote next week. The proposed state c...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12241011
 
>
> Palm Beach Post
>
> Extend Florida Forever
> Today is Florida Forever Day in Tallahassee, but
> there's nothing permanent about Florida Forever. So,
> environmental groups are urging Gov. Crist and the
> Legislature to reauthorize the state's land con...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12242151
 
> Schools chief lowers sights on teacher raises
> Facing what could become a $60 million budget
> shortfall next year, Palm Beach County Schools
> Superintendent Art Johnson said teacher raises next
> year will be far less than in the past. 'We can be
> look...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12242131

 
> Sun-Sentinel

> Legislative panel proposes $9 billion tax cut --
> from schools
> Florida voters are poised to get a second, beefier
> bite at property tax cuts this year. The state
> Taxation and Budget Reform Commission voted 21-4
> Monday to ask Floridians to decide whether they
> want...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12244054

 Commission: Cut property tax, raise sales tax for
> schools
> The state Taxation and Budget Reform Commission will
> ask voters in November to cut one-fourth of
> Florida's property tax for schools and make up the
> revenue with a higher sales tax. The powerful
> panel...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12244091
 
> Tallahassee Democrat

> Florida residents to get say on property taxes
> Voters will get to decide in November if they want
> to cut their property taxes by an average of 25
> percent and swap them with a penny sales tax
> increase, state budget cuts, closing sales tax
> loopholes...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12244069
>
>
> Tampa Tribune

> Commission Rejects Bid To Keep Class Sizes Flexible
> The state Taxation and Budget Reform Commission on
> Monday voted against a plan to ease class-size
> requirements for schools, but agreed to return to
> the proposal later this month. Voters passed
> strict...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12244182

Political Headlines for Thursday March 13, 2008
>
>
> Bradenton Herald

> Lawmakers eye expanding school grade criteria
> TALLAHASSEE -- More than a year after Jeb Bush left
> the governor's office, Florida lawmakers are moving
> ahead with some of the most significant changes to
> his education reforms since they were first p...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12214497

> Miami Herald

> Lawmakers look to lessen schools' reliance on FCAT
> TALLAHASSEE -- More than a year after Jeb Bush left
> the governor's office, Florida lawmakers are moving
> ahead with some of the most significant changes to
> his education reforms since they were passed...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12213879
 
> Orlando Sentinel
 
> The Governor's Fitness Challenge: Too much for the
> masses?
> Gov. Charlie Crist announced this morning that
> nearly 130,000 elementary students at 294 schools
> had signed up...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12214517
 
> Lawmaker wants schools to buckle down on loose pants
> TALLAHASSEE - Orlando Sen. Gary Siplin's push to ban
> low-riding pants worn at school won a preliminary OK
> Wednesday from the Florida Senate. But the debate
> was not without a few hitches. Sen. Dave Aro...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12213206

> Pensacola News Journal

> Disability Council heads to capital
> The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council Inc.
> will host its 2008 Developmental Disabilities
> Awareness Day in Tallahassee on Tuesday. The goal is
> to educate lawmakers on the importance of maintai...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12211451

> Sarasota Herald Tribune
 
> Legislators cut into current budget They trim $512
> million, required by the contracting economy and
> less revenue
> Like a household struggling to pay the bills after a
> family member gets a pay cut, state lawmakers on
> Wednesday voted to cut back plans for what it will
> spend this year on just about everything, from...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12215338

> St. Petersburg Times
 
> Gov. Crist on Gaetz: 'Education wizard'
> Talk about a good day. A Senate committee today
> approved Sen. Don Gaetz' proposal to tweak the way
> public Florida high schools are graded. And shortly
> after, the governor called him an 'education wiza...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12214701
>
> PACE program for troubled girls takes budget wallop
> By David DeCamp and Steve Bousquet, Times Staff
> Writers Published March 13, 2008 TALLAHASSEE - Among
> the losers as Florida lawmakers cut the state's
> budget Wednesday: troubled teenage girls in the
> Tam...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12213228
 
> Sun-Sentinel

> Florida House panel: Let workers keep guns in cars
> A Republican-controlled House council struggled with
> a pair of competing GOP principles Wednesday: the
> right to bear arms and the rights of private
> landowners to control their property. In the end,
> th...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12215249
>
> Legislature approves $512 million in budget cuts;
> votes follow party lines
> South Florida Democrats on Wednesday voted against
> $512 million in state budget cuts, saying they would
> hurt the state's most vulnerable residents, children
> and the poor. But the Republican-dominated...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12215310

> Tallahassee Democrat

> Lawmakers look to next year's budget cuts
> After slashing $512 million from the existing state
> budget on Wednesday, lawmakers today begin the
> painful process of cutting as much as $3.7 billion
> from next year's nearly $70 billion spending plan...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12213798

> 2008 Legislature roundup
> The Florida Legislature is in session through May 2.
> The key issues yesterday and what's coming up:
> BUDGET WHAT HAPPENED: House and Senate gave final
> approval to $512.1 million in cuts to spending be...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12215458

> Tampa Tribune
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------
> Senate May Crack Down On Droopy Pants
> Sen. Charlie Justice and other lawmakers couldn't
> help but poke fun at the bill that bans droopy
> pants. Justice, D-St. Petersburg, urged lawmakers
> Wednesday to do their homework before considering
> Sen...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12215447

Political Headlines for Wednesday March 12, 2008
>
 Florida Today

> Legislators consider bill to ban school bullying
> A bill to ban school bullying unanimously passed its
> first House committee hearing Tuesday, with
> supporters expressing optimism about its chances.
> The bill (HB 669), sponsored by Rep. Nick Thompson,
> R...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12207180
 
> Lakeland Ledger

> Siplin's Baggy Pants Act Gets a Bigger Audience
> For the past three years, state Sen. Gary Siplin's
> proposal to ban the wearing of saggy pants has been
> a joke around the Capitol, in headlines and among
> students. The first time Siplin suggested outla...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12207778
>
> Fla. Economic Tunnel Darker Until 2010
> Florida's gloomy economy will not fully rebound
> until 2010, state officials predicted Tuesday, with
> total tax revenue down a historic 10 percent since
> 2006. House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, sa...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12207769
 
> Palm Beach Post

> Convicted gang members face tougher penalties under
> bill
> TALLAHASSEE Gang kingpins could face life in prison
> and gang members would face stricter penalties than
> other criminals under an anti-gang proposal the
> House policy and budget committee approved Tuesd...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12207735
 
> St. Pete/Tampa Ch 10 News

> Women Hall of Fame
> Tallahassee, Florida -- Three women entered Floridas
> Hall of Fame, including one Tampa Bay area inductee.
> Dr. Pallavi Patel is President and CEO of State Care
> and Bay Area Primary Care Association. Th...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12204629
 
> Sun-Sentinel

> Florida legislators are urged to slash budget
> TALLAHASSEE - State economists on Tuesday painted a
> bleak picture of Florida's declining revenues,
> predicting they will dip almost $2 billion below
> expectations in the next budget year enough to
> build...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12207160

> Legislators still discussing freeze on Medicaid
> prices
> TALLAHASSEE - Florida legislators will continue
> talks this week on a money-saving strategy that
> would freeze how much Medicaid pays hospitals,
> health clinics and nursing homes. The Senate passed
> a bil...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12206993

> Tampa Tribune

> Lawmakers, Advocates Balk At Health Plans For
> Uninsured
> Gov. Charlie Crist's proposal to provide health
> insurance for the state's 3.8 million uninsured has
> prompted at least one other plan this session, but
> neither lawmakers nor health care advocates are...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12207965

> State's Spending Crisis Requires A $512 Million Fix
> Florida is likely to take in about $3 billion less
> in tax collections this fiscal year and next than
> previously expected, foreshadowing a brutal session
> in budget-chopping during the coming weeks. Hig...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12207941

Political Headlines for Monday March 10, 2008
>
>
> Bradenton Herald

> New bill targets reading teachers
> Some state lawmakers are trying for a second time to
> slash training requirements for reading teachers who
> work with students learning English, although
> scarcely a third of those students read at grade...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12194359

> Pensacola News Journal

> Lawmakers prepare to slash $500M
> From harried prosecutors and public defenders to the
> most frail nursing home patients, Florida's budget
> crisis looms like a dark cloud. The skies grow
> darker this week when lawmakers give final approv...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12194617

> Sun-Sentinel

> Legislators battle over tapping Florida's reserves
> to balance budget
> Florida has more than $5 billion stashed in the
> bank. Is now the time to spend it? With the state's
> worst budget deficit in years looming, Gov. Charlie
> Crist and Democrats from South Florida want to d...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12194612

> Tallahassee Democrat

> Test time, stress time: The FCAT is here
> Ready or not, it's go time for nearly 2 million
> Florida students who are taking the FCAT, which
> begins Tuesday and goes through March 24. Leon
> County teachers have been drilling the state's
> standards...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12194576

Political Headlines for Friday March 7, 2008

> Sun-Sentinel

> $500 million budget cut receives Florida Senate
> approval
> The Florida Senate approved roughly $500 million in
> cuts to the state's $70 billion budget Thursday,
> capping a grim opening week for a Legislature facing
> even more reductions to next year's spending p...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12179266

> Tampa Tribune
 
> House, Senate Leaders Agree On Budget Cuts
> House and Senate leaders agreed Thursday to slice
> more than $500 million from the current state budget
> but remain polarized over an aggressive Senate plan
> to freeze Medicaid payment rates for nursing...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12179314

Political Headlines for Friday February 29, 2008

> Orlando Sentinel
>
> FCAT scores, grades to be late, state says
> Florida will release FCAT scores and A-F school
> grades later than usual this year, according to the
> Florida Department of Education. The state may start
> releasing scores from the 2008 Florida Comprehe...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12137591

> Sun-Sentinel
>
> Florida's taxation commission has come up with a
> budget idea that works
> ISSUE: Florida's budget reform panel comes up with a
> winner. It took a while, but the Taxation and Budget
> Reform Commission stepped up to the plate with an
> idea that deserves prompt consideration and...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12137565

> Tampa Tribune
>
> Chancellor: no changes to Bright Futures
> scholarships this year
> Bright Futures scholarships, which give top high
> school graduates a free ride to Florida
> universities, won't be targeted for change this
> year, the state's top university system official
> said Thursday....
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12137574

Political Headlines for Thursday February 28, 2008

> Florida Times-Union

> Schools, higher education on Legislature's new hit
> list
> I was just getting over the fact that January was
> gone and now February is about finished, which means
> March is near, which means the Legislature is about
> to convene. When that happens on Tuesday, it'...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12131016
>
> FCAT delay has ripple effect
> Last month, the state Department of Education
> announced that Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
> results will be delayed as long as a month this
> year, upsetting the planning of parents, students
> and...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12130781
>
>
> Miami Herald
 
> Coalition pressing growers, chains for better
> migrant wages
> Figuring out how much tomato workers earn in
> Immokalee or elsewhere around Florida depends on how
> you do the math. The issue of migrant wages is at
> the heart of an attack by the Coalition of
> Immokalee...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12129823
>
> Schools need more cash for state goals
> TALLAHASSEE -- If Florida has any hopes of seeing
> its education system spin out the talent needed for
> a stronger economy, it better step up with some
> cash. That is the stark conclusion of the former
> t...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12129803
>
>
> Orlando Sentinel

> Palm Beach Post

> Gang grand jury targets activity in North Florida
> The state Wednesday announced the indictment of
> seven alleged North Florida gang members on charges
> of racketeering and narcotics sales, part of an
> effort to dismantle criminal street gangs all over
> F...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12130896

> Southwest Florida's News-Press

> DCF supervisor received warning
> Records released Wednesday show that Lance Morgan, a
> Florida Department of Children and Families
> supervisor who oversaw abuse investigations of Zahid
> Jones Jr. and Joshua Jenkins and still works for
> D...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12130792
>
> Crime out of control
> You want outrage? I got your outrage right here! In
> the past two years of living here in Lehigh Acres,
> the amount of crime has skyrocketed to the point
> that two of our neighbor families, each with sma...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12127079

> Sun-Sentinel

> Crist again eyes trust fund money to balance budget
> Money paid into trust funds for specific purposes
> ranging from enforcing condo laws to providing
> affordable housing would be diverted to routine
> government expenses under terms of 's proposed $70
> bill...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12129886

> Don't change Bright Futures scholarships, officials
> told
> Florida's most expensive scholarship program is
> proving to be one of its most untouchable. Some
> state officials say it's time to rein in the
> lottery-funded Bright Futures program, especially
> since the...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12130859
>
> Florida's class war has ended and our students lost
> As a faculty member at , I cannot let BCC President
> David Armstrong's assertion that Jeb Bush's policies
> have improved Florida education go unanswered.
> President Armstrong worked for Jeb Bush as the F...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12127225

> Tampa Tribune

> Governor Kicks Off Fitness Challenge
> When Gov. Charlie Crist kicked off a statewide
> fitness challenge Wednesday at Bellamy Elementary
> School, 800 students clapped and cheered. They were
> ready to do the broad jump, 300-yard shuttle run,
> 4...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12130875

Political Headlines for Wednesday February 27, 2008

> Lakeland Ledger

> Treat Mental Illness Outside Prison
> Annually, as many as 125,000 people with mental
> illness requiring immediate treatment are arrested
> and booked into Florida jails. And on any given day,
> more than 70,000 individuals with serious menta...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12124409
>

> Miami Herald

> Schools to take another hit
> TALLAHASSEE -- State lawmakers are poised to slash
> more than $350 million from schools -- forcing
> layoffs in some districts before the end of the
> school year in June -- in an effort to balance the
> cur...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12122905
 
> Governors want kids' insurance expanded
> WASHINGTON -- Three Democratic governors told
> Congress on Tuesday that the Bush administration has
> made it virtually impossible for them to expand
> health insurance coverage to more moderate-income
> chi...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12120091

> Orlando Sentinel

> Florida K-12 likely to bear brunt of lawmakers'
> budget cuts
> The Florida Legislature is shaping plans to slash
> more than $500 million from this year's $70 billion
> budget shortly after the 2008 session begins next
> week. "This isn't a good year for education, or...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12124083
 
> Sarasota Herald Tribune

> State budget cuts could mean less CSI workers
> The head of the Florida Department of Law
> Enforcement says budget cuts being contemplated by
> state lawmakers could lead to cuts in crime scene
> analysts. FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey said
> during a C...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12124230
>
> State panel turns to education issues
> TALLAHASSEE Several measures that could revamp the
> way Florida's public schools are funded advanced
> Monday over the objections of education lobbyists as
> a panel that has the ability to offer changes t...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12120915
>
>
> St. Petersburg Times

> Gov. Crist urges Florida legislators to dig into
> reserve funds
> TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Charlie Crist signaled Tuesday
> that he doesn't like legislative leaders'
> half-billion-dollar plan for cutting this year's
> state budget, saying they should use reserves to
> avoid educ...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12123746
 
> Star-Banner

> School funding may get overhaul
> TALLAHASSEE - Several measures that could revamp the
> way Florida's public schools are funded advanced
> Monday over the objections of education lobbyists,
> as a panel that has the ability to offer change...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12121524
>
>
> Sun-Sentinel

> State of Florida desperate for new revenue sources
> ISSUE: Budget woes cloud the Sunshine State.
> Florida's budgetary problems are fast becoming a
> crisis that can no longer be blown off as simply the
> result of a bloated bureaucracy or the product of
> was...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12124137
 
> Tallahassee Democrat

> Governor urged to protect job-training, education
> programs
> FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAU POLITICAL EDITOR Black
> business executives urged Gov. Charlie Crist Tuesday
> to protect job-training and education programs as
> state lawmakers cut state spending in the 2008
> legi...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12123526

> Committee reviews privacy laws for students
> The mental-health committee of Florida's Board of
> Governors recommended a change to state law Tuesday
> regarding the privacy of college students' records.
> In a conference call, committee members said t...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12124118

Political Headlines for Monday February 25, 2008
 
> Lakeland Ledger

> Florida People, Officials Differ On Immigration
> Second in a series of stories on major issues facing
> the Florida Legislature, which convenes March 4. By
> CAROL E. LEENYT Regional Media Group Two-thirds of
> Florida voters say they want tougher governm...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12112055
 
> Palm Beach Post

> Pare inmates' diets to save money, lawmaker urges
> 'Prison life has never been particularly easy, but
> legislators' proposed budget cuts could make doing
> hard time a lot harder.'; TALLAHASSEE Prison life
> has never been particularly e...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12111547
 
> St. Petersburg Times

> Short term budget: The crunch is in the here and
> now, this time
> Florida runs on growth, and when growth grinds to a
> halt, the state can't balance its checkbook. That's
> the crux of the spending squeeze that will force
> legislators to cut $2-billion from the budget w...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12111939

> Tallahassee Democrat

> Mental-health reform has human, fiscal urgency
> As many as 125,000 people with mental illnesses
> requiring immediate treatment are arrested and
> booked into Florida jails every year. And on any
> given day, more than 70,000 people with serious
> mental il...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12111840
>
> Lawmaker hopes to wipe out $9 billion in school
> property taxes
> Former Senate President John McKay faces a crucial
> vote today in his years-long struggle to reform the
> state's tax structure. The Bradenton Republican's
> constitutional proposal to close...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12111839

Political Headlines for Friday February 22, 2008

> Miami Herald

> Time-saving tech to aid welfare caseworkers
> Though child-welfare caseworkers have among the most
> difficult and high-stakes jobs in Florida, they work
> largely with the same tools they used decades ago:
> pens, notepads and paper maps. Thanks to a...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12095903
>
> Fla. to track child welfare workers
> MIAMI -- Florida's much-maligned child welfare
> workers will soon begin carrying handheld devices,
> like the ones delivery companies use to track
> packages, that show whether they really are checking
> in...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12094154
>
> Southwest Florida's News-Press

> DCF caseworkers to use GPS devices
> MIAMI - Florida's child welfare caseworkers will
> soon be testing handheld GPS devices to
> electronically update case information during home
> visits. Gov. Charlie Crist and Department of
> Children &a...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12095388
>
>
> St. Petersburg Times
 
> The sad truth on universities
> It is not surprising that Senate President Ken
> Pruitt wants to marginalize the appointed board in
> charge of Florida's public universities. He has been
> agitating for months against tuition increases, a...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12094860

> Budget leader says courts failed to heed warnings to
> cut spending
> Budget leader says courts failed to heed warnings to
> cut spending TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Judges and
> other judicial system officials who say impending
> state spending cuts could force Florida's court...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12093606
 
> Sun-Sentinel
 
> Courthouse employees face cost-saving staff
> furloughs
> Judges, lawyers say cost-saving plan would have
> disastrous impact By Tonya Alanez and Nancy L. Othn
> | South Florida Sun-Sentinel 1 The business of
> justice in courthouses across Florida could be
> dramat...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12095332
 
> Budget cuts could have 'catastrophic' effect on Palm
> Beach County courts
> The business of justice in courthouses across
> Florida could be dramatically altered in coming
> weeks. Civil matters would take a back seat to
> criminal cases. Parents involved in child-support
> dispute o...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12097392
>
> Tallahassee Democrat

> Attend today's infant-mortality meeting virtually
> The public may listen to and participate in the
> ongoing discussion of the area's infant-death
> problem at today's meeting of the Infant Mortality
> Coordinating Council. The meeting will be accessible
> by...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12097327
 
> Tampa Tribune

> Bright Futures Devouring Lottery
> The growth of Florida's popular Bright Futures
> scholarship is far outpacing increases in lottery
> education money that pays for the award. For the
> past seven years, Bright Futures payments have grown
> b...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12097337

Political Headlines for Thursday February 21, 2008
 
> Miami Herald

> Felons may get job-search help
> TALLAHASSEE -- Like tens of thousands of people who
> have cycled through the criminal justice system,
> Destiny Coleman dreads this job-application
> question: Have you ever been convicted of a felony?
> Say...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12089299


> Palm Beach Post

> Fla. Senate's gang bill clears panel
> A bill aimed at fighting gang violence in Florida
> cleared its first hurdle in the state Senate on
> Wednesday, but not before facing questions over
> protecting rights of suspected gang members.
> Lawmaker...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12090857

> St. Petersburg Times

> Cost-cutting may close courts
> Judges across Florida say the state's budget crunch
> will shutter courthouses for weeks this spring as
> thousands of court employees are sent home without
> pay. At risk, they say, is a halt to all civil...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12090824
>
> Contractor, state officials blamed for FCAT problems
> Lawmakers questioned why state education officials
> haven't sought compensation from a vendor for a
> flawed standardized reading test that was used in
> 2006 to help rate schools and decide which
> children...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12090618

Political Headlines for Wednesday February 20, 2008

> Lakeland Ledger

> Child Pornography Victims May Soon Be Able to File
> Lawsuits
> People who distribute or even download child
> pornography could soon face civil action on top of
> criminal charges. Florida's attorney general
> announced a bill Tuesday that would allow victims of
> child...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12084122

> Orlando Sentinel

> Florida Senate leader pushes for voters to determine
> who sets college-tuition rates
> TALLAHASSEE - Senate President Ken Pruitt wants
> voters to settle the fight between lawmakers and the
> state university system's governing board over who
> sets tuition rates for public colleges and unive...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12083938
 
> St. Petersburg Times
 
> Evolution joins curriculum
> TALLAHASSEE - Science won Tuesday. But not by
> knockout. Over the objections of religious
> conservatives, a sharply divided Florida Board of
> Education adopted new science standards Tuesday that
> embrace...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12082654

> Pruitt wants state to return to elected education
> chief
> By Jennifer Liberto and Shannon Colavecchio
> Van-Sickler, Times Staff Writers Published February
> 20, 2008 TALLAHASSEE - A decade after Florida voters
> did away with an elected education commissioner,
> Se...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12082669
>
> Health care plan a catchall
> By Steve Bousquet and Kris Hundley, Times Staf
> Writers Published February 20, 2008 TALLAHASSEE -
> Gov. Charlie Crist will ask the Legislature to help
> millions of Floridians who have no health
> insurance...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12082661
>
> Sun-Sentinel

> Gov. Crist says health insurance is his No. 1
> legislative priority
> Teachers' pay, energy credits on agenda WEST PALM
> BEACH - Pushing beyond his political battles over
> property taxes, Gov. Charlie Crist now is touting a
> legislative agenda that focuses on establishing...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12082616

Political Headlines for Tuesday February 19, 2008
 
> Miami Herald
 
> Make education state priority
> The continued economic vitality of South Florida and
> its educational progress are inextricably linked.
> Our local economic growth drives prosperity for the
> entire state. These are important facts for s...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12077580
 
> Orlando Sentinel

> Students excel on AP exams, thanks to FCAT
> Other countries want what we have. They want the
> modern society, the high-paying jobs and the
> prosperity. Such things evolve from one place:
> schools. Forget the arms race. The education race
> will dete...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12078041
 
> Tampa Tribune

> Child Porn Victims Bill Studied
> Florida lawmakers and state Attorney General Bill
> McCollum this morning will discuss legislation
> designed to help child pornography victims. The bill
> would grant victims rights in court proceedings
> an...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12078193

February 18, 2008

Op-Ed Columnist

Poverty Is Poison

By PAUL KRUGMAN

“Poverty in early childhood poisons the brain.” That was the opening of an article in Saturday’s Financial Times, summarizing research presented last week at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

As the article explained, neuroscientists have found that “many children growing up in very poor families with low social status experience unhealthy levels of stress hormones, which impair their neural development.” The effect is to impair language development and memory — and hence the ability to escape poverty — for the rest of the child’s life.

So now we have another, even more compelling reason to be ashamed about America’s record of failing to fight poverty.

L. B. J. declared his “War on Poverty” 44 years ago. Contrary to cynical legend, there actually was a large reduction in poverty over the next few years, especially among children, who saw their poverty rate fall from 23 percent in 1963 to 14 percent in 1969.

But progress stalled thereafter: American politics shifted to the right, attention shifted from the suffering of the poor to the alleged abuses of welfare queens driving Cadillacs, and the fight against poverty was largely abandoned.

In 2006, 17.4 percent of children in America lived below the poverty line, substantially more than in 1969. And even this measure probably understates the true depth of many children’s misery.

Living in or near poverty has always been a form of exile, of being cut off from the larger society. But the distance between the poor and the rest of us is much greater than it was 40 years ago, because most American incomes have risen in real terms while the official poverty line has not. To be poor in America today, even more than in the past, is to be an outcast in your own country. And that, the neuroscientists tell us, is what poisons a child’s brain.

America’s failure to make progress in reducing poverty, especially among children, should provoke a lot of soul-searching. Unfortunately, what it often seems to provoke instead is great creativity in making excuses.

Some of these excuses take the form of assertions that America’s poor really aren’t all that poor — a claim that always has me wondering whether those making it watched any TV during Hurricane Katrina, or for that matter have ever looked around them while visiting a major American city.

Mainly, however, excuses for poverty involve the assertion that the United States is a land of opportunity, a place where people can start out poor, work hard and become rich.

But the fact of the matter is that Horatio Alger stories are rare, and stories of people trapped by their parents’ poverty are all too common. According to one recent estimate, American children born to parents in the bottom fourth of the income distribution have almost a 50 percent chance of staying there — and almost a two-thirds chance of remaining stuck if they’re black.

That’s not surprising. Growing up in poverty puts you at a disadvantage at every step.

I’d bracket those new studies on brain development in early childhood with a study from the National Center for Education Statistics, which tracked a group of students who were in eighth grade in 1988. The study found, roughly speaking, that in modern America parental status trumps ability: students who did very well on a standardized test but came from low-status families were slightly less likely to get through college than students who tested poorly but had well-off parents.

None of this is inevitable.

Poverty rates are much lower in most European countries than in the United States, mainly because of government programs that help the poor and unlucky.

And governments that set their minds to it can reduce poverty. In Britain, the Labor government that came into office in 1997 made reducing poverty a priority — and despite some setbacks, its program of income subsidies and other aid has achieved a great deal. Child poverty, in particular, has been cut in half by the measure that corresponds most closely to the U.S. definition.

At the moment it’s hard to imagine anything comparable happening in this country. To their credit — and to the credit of John Edwards, who goaded them into it — both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are proposing new initiatives against poverty. But their proposals are modest in scope and far from central to their campaigns.

I’m not blaming them for that; if a progressive wins this election, it will be by promising to ease the anxiety of the middle class rather than aiding the poor. And for a variety of reasons, health care, not poverty, should be the first priority of a Democratic administration.

But ultimately, let’s hope that the nation turns back to the task it abandoned — that of ending the poverty that still poisons so many American lives.

Political Headlines for Friday February 8, 2008
 
> Orlando Sentinel

> Senate Forecast Stormy For Crist's Budget
> Gov. Charlie Crist is calling his plan to pump $1.1
> billion of reserves into the $70 billion budget to
> avoid deep program cuts this election year a 'bridge
> to a brighter future for Florida and to be a...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12016265

> St. Petersburg Times

> Savvy chief at child justice
> By ALEX LEARY and STEVE BOUSQUET, Times Staff
> Writers Published February 8, 2008 TALLAHASSEE -
> State Rep. Frank Peterman, a St. Petersburg Democrat
> long involved in child welfare issues, will be
> named...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12017251
 
> Tallahassee Democrat

> More tax-cutting on Chamber's, Crist's agenda
> TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Florida's top business leaders
> told state officials today that voters are ready to
> limit revenue collections, as a means of reining in
> government spending. The Florida Chamber of Co...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12014264

Political Headlines for Thursday February 7, 2008
>
> Florida Today

> Our view: Juvenile injustice
> The rising number of juvenile offenders on the Space
> Coast and throughout Florida is a vexing problem,
> but lock 'em up and throw away the key isn't the
> answer. Neither are misguided zero tolerance po...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12009547

> Gainesville Sun

> Bill to help dating violence victims
> TALLAHASSEE - A bill that would treat victims of
> dating violence similar to victims of domestic
> violence cleared a House committee on Wednesday.
> Continue to 2nd paragraph The legislation, sponsored
> b...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12011559

> Sarasota Herald Tribune

> Florida to rewrite abusive-teacher rules
> A bill introduced Wednesday in the Florida Senate
> would rewrite the way Florida investigates and
> punishes licensed teachers, increasing parental
> oversight and establishing minimum punishments for
> seri...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12011368

 
> Sun-Sentinel

> All public employees could lose pension under
> teacher ethics bill
> TALLAHASSEE - Any public officials or employees, not
> just teachers, would lose their state pensions if
> convicted of raping or molesting children under an
> education ethics bill introduced Wednesday by...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12009662
 
> Tallahassee Democrat

>
> Fight over tuition in Florida continues
> The fight over who has authority to change tuition
> at Florida's public universities is now back before
> a judge. Former Florida Sen. Bob Graham and other
> dignitaries filed an amended lawsuit over the t...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?12011390

Political Headlines for Monday February 4, 2008

> Lakeland Ledger
 
> Florida's Budget Mirror
> Forgive us this "the emperor has no clothes" moment.
> But despite Gov. Charlie Crist's sunshiny image and
> 70 percent-plus approval rating, it must be pointed
> out: His proposed budget paints a differen...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11992236
 
> Orlando Sentinel

> Posey to run for Congress
> ROCKLEDGE - State. Sen. Bill Posey says he's running
> for Congress. Posey, a Republican, announced his
> candidacy Saturday before 250 supporters in
> Rockledge. Posey is running for the House seat being
> v...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11991728
>
> Crist budget draws boos from the House
> Gov. Charlie Crist drew headlines as a big-time
> power broker after smartly betting on a couple of
> long shots -- John McCain and Amendment 1 -- that
> paid off Tuesday. But it looks like a lot of
> legisla...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11989400

> St. Petersburg Times

> Housing crisis looms in affordable rentals
> Legislators concerned about affordable housing
> options for their constituents shouldn't stop their
> efforts simply because voters approved property tax
> breaks for themselves under Amendment 1. Housing...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11992134
 
> Sun-Sentinel

> Lawsuits against Department of Children & Families
> cost state $2.26 million
> Lawsuits accusing the Department of Children &
> Families of mishandling reports that a foster parent
> was molesting young girls will end up costing the
> state almost $2.26 million. The child welfare...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11991729
>
> DCF to study policies on hiring after arrest
> TAMPA - The Department of Children & Families is
> reviewing its policies on background checks for
> prospective employees after an agency press
> secretary was charged with child pornography, DCF
> Secre...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11991104

> Tallahassee Democrat

> LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Has public education really
> come to this?
> Re: 'Crist, Graham team up to prevent 'civics
> illiterates'' (news article, Feb. 1). It is a sad,
> sad day when it becomes necessary to teach teachers
> civics. BARBARA REVELL Carrabelle Civics taught
> me...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11990813

Political Headlines for Friday February 1, 2008
>
>
> Bradenton Herald
 
> House approves version of Jessica's Law
> With the father of a murdered 9-year-old Florida
> girl looking on, the House unanimously approved a
> measure Thursday that would lock up certain sex
> offenders for at least 25 years. The Utah proposal
> is...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11978014

> Daytona Beach News Journal
>
> Standards for safety
> For many Florida parents, staying home with their
> children constitutes a luxury they can't afford. But
> many low-income working families find child care
> barely affordable, as well. So parents find thei...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11976521

>
> Door-to-door health care proposed for poor
> Health or social workers would visit some of the
> state's poorest neighborhoods looking for uninsured
> people to help them get medical attention or get
> enrolled in government he...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11974984

> Sun-Sentinel

> What's in the budget
> $60.6 million to enroll an additional 46,000
> uninsured children in KidCare, a low-cost
> health-care coverage program that now serves about
> 260,000 $100 million to fully fund the state's share
> of Everg...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11977501
>
> Gov. Crist proposes $70 billion budget, with $300
> million in cuts
> Children, the uninsured and the environment would be
> big winners in a $70 billion spending package
> unveiled Wednesday by Gov. Charlie Crist. Crist's
> budget recommendations to the Legislature call
> for...
> http://www.lobbytools.com/article.cfm?11977878

> Tallahassee Democrat

> Crist unveils new $70B state budget
> State spending plan depends on reserves, money from
> gambling By Jim Ash FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAU CHIEF
> Print Subscribe Gov. Charlie Crist rolled out a $70
> billion budget recommendation today that reflec...
> http://www.lobbytools.