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The Miami Herald
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15447805.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Posted on Wed, Sep. 06, 2006
GOVERNOR
Davis to face Crist in governor's race
The contest to replace Gov. Jeb Bush will pit two Central Florida
politicians, Democrat Jim Davis against Republican Charlie Crist.
BY BETH REINHARD, MARY ELLEN KLAS AND GARY FINEOUT
breinhard@MiamiHerald.com
Jim Davis, a mild-mannered Democratic congressman from Tampa who campaigned as a Tallahassee outsider and weathered ferocious attacks from one of the state's most powerful industries, won his party's nomination for governor Tuesday.
Davis will face Republican Attorney General Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg, who easily extinguished the career of one of Florida's longest-serving politicians, Tom Gallagher.
The Democratic race was more suspenseful, with the latest polls and early vote returns showing state Sen. Rod Smith of small-town Alachua closing in. Backed by a multimillion- dollar advertising blitz by front groups for sugar growers, Smith hit hard at Davis for opposing compensation for two wrongfully convicted black men and for missing votes in Congress.
But the offensive may have hurt Smith more than Davis by anchoring him to an industry vilified by environmentalists. ''With all the talk of sugar in the news, let me just say, how sweet it is,'' Davis told his cheering supporters in Tampa. ``Florida's working families were heard above the din of special interests.''
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The Miami Herald
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15447413.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Posted on Wed, Sep. 06, 2006
BROWARD SCHOOL BOARD
Gottlieb vote stings Carter
Darla Carter appeared to have lost her long-held countywide School Board seat. Two other incumbents sailed to victory; a third faces a November runoff.
BY HANNAH SAMPSON AND NIRVI SHAH
hsampson@MiamiHerald.com
Broward School Board veteran Darla Carter was apparently ousted from office Tuesday by former teacher Jennifer Gottlieb.
Gottlieb's win, based on early returns, was an upset but not a complete surprise.
She had raised more than twice as much money as Carter, received a key endorsement from the Broward Teachers Union -- which previously employed her as government relations manager -- and had support from two of Carter's colleagues on the board.
''I had a tremendous amount of support from across the whole entire county -- community support, parent support, teacher support,'' said Gottlieb, 34, of Hollywood. ``It was really just a great grass-roots campaign and people were ready for a change.''
Carter has served on the School Board for 10 years, during which she ruffled some feathers but wasn't afraid to take officials to task when she felt it was necessary.
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The Miami Herald
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15451427.htm
Posted on Wed, Sep. 06, 2006
Broward board to vote today on $2,050 teacher raises
By HANNAH SAMPSON
hsampson@MiamiHerald.com
Broward School Board members are set to vote today on a contract that would give the district's teachers a minimum $2,050 raise.Under the contract, starting salaries will jump to $37,000, among the highest in the state.
If board members approve the contract today as expected, changes will be retroactive to July 1.
The school district and the Broward Teachers Union announced the agreement in early August. Nearly 10,000 teachers voted on the contract last month, with more than 9,200 of them approving. The contract vote is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorial/sfl-editafcitizenstakeoutsep06,0,2136761.story?coll=sfla-news-editorial
Insurance
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
September 6, 2006
ISSUE: Another flaw in state program exposed.
The insurance mess is costing Floridians a lot of money and heartache. We don't need a bad law to make things even worse.
The unintended consequence is embedded in the "takeout program" geared tomove policies out of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Owing to higherreinsurance costs, the private insurers in the program charge even higherpremiums for coverage when they take Citizens customers under theirumbrella.
You think landing in Citizens, and getting charged top-dollar because of it,was a rough deal? Wait until you get transferred back to a private insurer,and the new company jacks the premium even higher.
And here's what makes the financial pain even more unpalatable. Consumershave no choice in the matter. State law prohibits a Citizens customer beingtransferred to a private company from choosing to remain with Citizensrather than getting nailed again by another enormous premium increase.
That part of the law must be changed so consumers have a choice. And theCitizens takeout program ought to be frozen until lawmakers take correctiveaction, preferably during a special session this fall, if one is called.
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The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR2006090500686_pf.html
Rep. Harris Wins GOP Primary For U.S. Senate Seat in Florida
By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 6, 2006; A05
MIAMI, Sept. 5 -- Shunned by party leaders and battered by repeated campaign controversies, Rep. Katherine Harris nonetheless held on to enough support from the state's Republican voters Tuesday to win Florida's Senate primary convincingly over three little-known candidates.
It was in many ways an embarrassing result for state GOP leaders: They had urged the former Florida secretary of state, a polarizing figure since her role in the 2000 presidential election recount, not to run.
Harris now faces Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in a race that strategists have said may be impossible for her to win. Polls have shown Nelson with a lead as wide as 30 percentage points.
Harris told supporters Tuesday night her victory shows that they together can "courageously beat the odds.""We shall be victorious this November in sending Bill Nelson home," she
promised.
"The die-hard Republican voters, they love her," said Jennifer Duffy, editor of the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election newsletter. "They think she got a bum rap in 2000."
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15451575.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
The Miami Herald
Posted on Wed, Sep. 06, 2006
Pastor who insulted Islam is replaced on political panel
BY DARRAN SIMON
dsimon@MiamiHerald.com
Gov. Jeb Bush has appointed a Parkland man to succeed the Rev. O'NealDozier, on the Seventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, which screenscandidates for the bench in Broward County.
Dozier resigned amid controversy after calling Islam a ``cult.''
Bush appointed Clarence V. McKee, 63, a principal with Ruden McCloskyConsulting, to the vacant seat on the nine-member panel.
Bush announced the appointment last week. McKee's term began on Aug. 31 and expires on July 1, 2007.
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The Miami Herald
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15447545.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Posted on Wed, Sep. 06, 2006
CAMPAIGN 2006
Primary washout: sorry turnout on soggy day
Stormy weather put a crimp in Broward's primary Tuesday, leading to extremely low turnout and few political surprises.
BY ERIKA BOLSTAD
ebolstad@MiamiHerald.com
An all-day rain washed out Broward elections, keeping turnout at a dismal 10 percent, but offering few political surprises in the contests for School Board, legislative and judicial seats.
The biggest upset of Tuesday's primary may came on the Broward County School Board, which saw 10-year veteran Darla Carter possibly losing to an energetic and well-financed opponent, Jennifer Gottlieb.
''I'm looking forward to doing the best job that I can, listening to the constituents, being inclusive, working well with the other board members, building consensus, being the best School Board member that I can be,'' said Gottlieb, 34, a former teachers' union leader.
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The Miami Herald
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15447413.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Posted on Wed, Sep. 06, 2006
BROWARD SCHOOL BOARD
Gottlieb vote stings Carter
Darla Carter appeared to have lost her long-held countywide School Board seat. Two other incumbents sailed to victory; a third faces a November runoff.
BY HANNAH SAMPSON AND NIRVI SHAH
hsampson@MiamiHerald.com
Broward School Board veteran Darla Carter was apparently ousted from office Tuesday by former teacher Jennifer Gottlieb.
Gottlieb's win, based on early returns, was an upset but not a complete surprise.
She had raised more than twice as much money as Carter, received a key endorsement from the Broward Teachers Union -- which previously employed her as government relations manager -- and had support from two of Carter's colleagues on the board.
''I had a tremendous amount of support from across the whole entire county -- community support, parent support, teacher support,'' said Gottlieb, 34, of Hollywood. ``It was really just a great grass-roots campaign and people were ready for a change.''
Carter has served on the School Board for 10 years, during which she ruffled some feathers but wasn't afraid to take officials to task when she felt it was necessary.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-celxsklwrap06sep06,0,7215168.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
Broward voters appear to oust outspoken School Board member Darla Carter
By Jean-Paul Renaud, Akilah Johnson and Douane D. James
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Education Writer
September 6, 2006
The atmosphere on the Broward County School Board will likely change, after voters appeared to oust longtime member Darla Carter, often considered a divisive force among her colleagues. Voters also sent another sitting member, Marty Rubinstein, into a runoff election.
Former teacher Jennifer Gottlieb, who raised two times more money andreceived support from some of Carter's board colleagues, appeared to takethe seat from the 10-year incumbent with no need for a runoff election,according to preliminary Tuesday results from Broward's Supervisor of Elections Office.
While Carter was running in the countywide seat, three other board members were running in smaller districts. Rubinstein, who faced three opponents, will head for a runoff in November against Phyllis C. Hope, while boardmembers Stephanie Kraft and Carole Andrews were re-elected to help lead the School District for four more years.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-felxgov06sep06,0,847754.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
Jim Davis, Charlie Crist to face off in governor's race
By Linda Kleindienst and Mark Hollis
Tallahassee Bureau
September 6, 2006, 12:51 AM EDT
Republican Charlie Crist and Democrat Jim Davis emerged the winners in Tuesday's gubernatorial primaries, the most expensive in state history.
Crist, the state's attorney general, cruised to an easy victory in theRepublican primary, beating Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, who wasmaking his fourth bid for the state's highest office.
Gallagher conceded the race at 10:07 p.m.
"I am enormously grateful to the people of Florida," said Crist, addressingseveral hundred supporters at a St. Petersburg hotel. "It's wonderful,wonderful news. It's just the first half and there's a long way to go."
Davis reveled in his victory over Alachua state Sen. Rod Smith, which became apparent at about 11:20 p.m.
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