Senate Panel Expands Waterfront Property Tax Protections

By MICHAEL PELTIER
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Published: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 11:54 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 11:54 p.m.


TALLAHASSEE | A Senate panel charged with carrying out a state constitutional amendment to protect working waterfronts made last-minute changes Thursday to expand the amendment's scope and protect it from likely legal challenges from local cash-strapped local governments...

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Health News Florida: Sen. Gaetz: FL will resist feds

By Christine Jordan Sexton
1/12/2010
Health News Florida

TALLAHASSEE—Florida’s Republican-controlled state government is gearing up to fight federal health care reform even before the law passes...

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Toward clean water

Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
November 24, 2009

A federal judge was right to step in last week and clear the way for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish limits on pollution in Florida's lakes, rivers and bays. The state has sat on its hands for 11 years while runoff from farms, sewer plants, golf courses and homes has put the environment, public health and the tourist economy at risk. State officials should be embarrassed for sticking by such major polluters as paper, pulp and phosphate manufacturers and for tarring the cleanup as a back-door tax. The deal should help reverse the deterioration of Florida waters and prod the state and private industry to adopt sustainable business practices...

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Forever isn't political

Orlando Sentinel
October 30, 2009

The gist: Lawmakers should bridge differences to support state's land preservation program.

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Oil Drilling Axis Targets Florida's Offshore

Oil's money men lubricate efforts to open up state's waters to drilling

by David Guest
unEARTHED
Earthjustice
September 15, 2009

News that "a secretive group of powerful legislators, business groups and Texas oil companies has been laying the groundwork" to open Florida's shores to oil and gas drilling should make all of us sit up and pay attention.
A story by St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald delves into the machinations of the "Florida Energy Associates," a shadowy group that "identifies itself only by saying it is financed by a group of independent oil producers."

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Oil spills still a threat

Editorial
Pensacola News Journal
September 4, 2009

One of the arguments made by those who favor offshore drilling for oil near Florida's coastline is that modern drilling equipment is so advanced, safe and effective that oil spills from rigs are virtually a thing of the past, so there's no real risk to Florida's beaches.

Oops.

A drilling company today is fighting a spreading oil slick — it had covered about 1,800 square nautical miles of surface by earlier this week — in the Timor Sea near Australia. The rig responsible for the leak is reported to be one of the most modern in the world...

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Florida's Gov. Crist accused of 'cronyism'

by David R. Sands
Washington Times
August 29, 2009

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist on Friday selected his closest political confidant to serve out the term of retiring Republican Sen. Mel Martinez for 16 months, until the Republican governor himself hopes to take over the seat.

In the choice that quickly brought Democratic charges of cronyism, Mr. Crist ended a long and very public selection process by naming former chief of staff George LeMieux - a self-described "Charlie Crist Republican" - as the state's next senator.

The Broward County lawyer and Republican Party official has formed a tight bond with his former boss, who once called Mr. LeMieux the "maestro" of his winning 2006 gubernatorial campaign...