WATCHDOG WIRE - FLORIDA 10/29/2013

TOP STORIES ON WATCHDOG WIRE - FLORIDA: FLORIDA’S STUBBORN REBOUND: A BUDGET SURPLUS IN AN ELECTION YEAR Florida’s economic rebound has yet to reverse a stubbornly high poverty rate or grow household incomes pinched by the Great Recession, according to the latest Census Bureau data. Figures show median household income and poverty levels were flat statewide during 2012 compared with the previous year. Florida’s poverty rate of 17.1 percent in 2012 remained among the highest in the nation. Meanwhile, household income declined 10 percent locally during the recession and has yet to bounce back ... READ MORE . . .     WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ISSUES ON THE 2014 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE AGENDA? Florida lawmakers return to Tallahassee this week for their first in a series of weekly meetings leading up to the 2014 legislative session next spring. It will be an election-year session with Governor Rick Scott, three state Cabinet members and many lawmakers keeping an eye on their electoral fortunes as they wade through the 60-day session that begins on March 4, 2014. With a slowly recovering economy producing more state revenue, lawmakers will have an easier path to passing a new state budget. But they face plenty of complicated challenges, ranging from increasing pressure to fund and expand Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor and disabled, to an ongoing debate over education standards, testing and school grades. As lawmakers begin their first session of committee meetings this week, here are some of the major issues on the 2014 legislative agenda ... READ MORE . . . WHY DID THE FLORIDA DELEGATION VOTE TO STUFF THE CONSTITUTION IN THE WASTEBASKET? On October 16, 2013 the majority of the Florida delegation voted to pass the US Senate Budget Agreement. Senator Bill Nelson voted for the agreement and Senator Marco Rubio voted against it. The US House delegation vote on the agreement was 16 for, 10 against and one abstention. The US House vote breakdown is as follows: Democrats — Brown, Y; Castor, Y; Deutch, Y; Frankel, Y; Garcia, Y; Grayson, Y; Hastings, Y; Murphy, Y; Wasserman Schultz, Y; Wilson, Y. Republicans — Bilirakis, Y; Buchanan, Y; Crenshaw, Y; DeSantis, N; Diaz-Balart, Y; Mica, N; Miller, N; Nugent, N; Posey, N; Radel, N; Rooney, N; Ros-Lehtinen, Y; Ross, N; Southerland, N; Webster, Y; Yoho, N; Young, X. The Florida Congressional delegation is lead by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R – FL District 16) and Rep. Alcee Hastings (D – FL District 20) ... READ MORE . . . MIAMI-DADE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP SHOWS POOR TRACK RECORD WITH WHISTLE-BLOWER Due to whistle-blowing activities and the fact Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials lack the legal means to transfer me, they resorted to a new low on Thursday morning: adverse action of removing me from the school site under the guise of public safety and giving in to bullies in the process. On September 16, 2013, district officials tried to transfer me, but when confronted with state law and a USDOE OIG letter, they backed down. Though my union organizer was slated to attend, no one from the union showed up. On October 4, 2013, school administration tried to blow an instance of me enforcing school rules in terms of tardiness out of proportion; when confronted with evidence and a supporting student statement, they backed down ... READ MORE . . . WHY IS THINKPROGRESS BULLYING EX-GAYS? Progressives embrace the ideals of tolerance, choice and diversity. These ideals, it appears, do not apply to ex-gays and those who support them. Zack Ford from ThinkProgress reports, “July [2013] was recently declared ‘Ex-Gay Pride’ month, but now it seems that the big public events that were supposed to highlight the visibility of the ex-gay community have been moved to an undisclosed location and postponed until September. Some apparent ‘anti-ex-gay extremism’ caused ‘several security threats’ that required the change, but now September will also be ‘Ex-Gay Awareness Month’.”… READ MORE . . .