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http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/oct/03/editorial_rep_mark_foley/?print=1
naplesnews.com
Editorial: Rep. Mark Foley
A non-person in just 3 days
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
Even veteran Washington observers familiar with the capital's cold-heartedways were astonished at how fast Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley became anon-person. The once- popular GOP insider and generous fundraiser resignedabruptly Friday in a scandal involving sexually explicit e-mail exchangeswith 16- and 17-year-old male congressional pages.
His name was taken off the door, his office locks changed, his congressionalWeb site taken down and, by Monday, a replacement candidate named for hisseat. Foley himself was out of sight in an alcohol rehab clinic.
The White House was demanding a criminal investigation.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois was demanding both federal and state criminal
investigations. Uncharacteristically, House Republicans unanimously joinedwith Democrats in calling for an ethics-committee investigation.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15664726.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
HOUSE DISTRICT 16 RACE
Democratic candidate rich, confident
Successful Boca Raton businessman Tim Mahoney has gone from a political nobody to a congressional contender practically overnight.
BY TODD WRIGHT
twright@MiamiHerald.com
Tim Mahoney owns a multi-million investment business during the week, buttrades in his business suit and tie for a cowboy hat and a pair of boots onthe weekends.
The transformation is almost as jolting as the political upstart going fromunknown underdog to prohibitive favorite for a House seat practicallyovernight.
In Mahoney's mind, his versatility is what already had him on the cusp ofwinning the election -- despite what experts say.
He'll tell anybody that. And on Monday, he did just that -- on radio shows,in television interviews, in phone calls he had from reporters representingmedia all over the country.
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http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/03/news_pf/State/New_candidate_faces_c.shtml
New candidate faces challenge
Joe Negron will run for Mark Foley's seat, even though Foley's name will appear on the ballot.
By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published October 3, 2006
ORLANDO - If nothing else, Republican Joe Negron showed optimism as he begana bizarre and tough campaign to succeed Mark Foley in Congress.
"This election is not about Mark Foley. Mark Foley is not an issue in thiselection," Negron declared, moments after state GOP leaders tapped him toreplace Foley as their Republican congressional candidate.
Even with a strongly Republican south-central Florida district, state Rep.Negron, R-Stuart, will have a tough campaign in a race that will helpdetermine whether Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House.
Foley, who resigned from Congress Friday amid revelations that he sentsexually explicit computer messages to teen pages, will be the name on theballot, because it's too late for a change. The Negron campaign thereforemust persuade voters to mark their ballotsfor a pedophilia suspect and in so doing elect Negron to Congress.
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http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/CD/20061003/CAPITOLNEWS/610030344/-1/capitolnews&template=printart
October 3, 2006
Davis opens offensive in governor's race
Property taxes, education his issues of choice
By Bill Cotterell
FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAU POLITICAL EDITOR
Trailing badly in polls and fundraising in the race for governor, Democrat Jim Davis today begins running two television advertisements promising a $1 billion cut in property taxes and a change in how Florida schools usestandardized testing.
The Tampa congressman, who has a fundraising reception with running-mateDaryl Jones scheduled in Tallahassee tonight, told reporters Monday hesenses "a mood for change" in the final five weeks of the campaign. Davissaid he is not worried about Attorney General Charlie Crist's wide leads infundraising and polls.
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http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD01POLF100306.htm
October 03, 2006
Education divides governor candidates
By JIM SAUNDERS
Tallahassee Bureau Chief
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush has spent the past eight years tryingtooverhaul Florida's public schools.But as Jim Davis and Charlie Cristcampaign this fall to become the nextgovernor, they are battling aboutwhether to continue someof Bush's most-controversial policies.
Davis, the Democratic candidate, calls for making major changes suchasscrapping Bush's system of grading the performances of schools. Healsowants to reduce emphasis on the high-stakes Florida ComprehensiveAssessmentTest, which has been a centerpiece of Bush's policies but whichhas drawncriticism from many educators and parents.
"I think I am standing up for millions of parents who want this changedanddon't want to stay the course" on the FCAT, Davis said.But Crist, theRepublican candidate, wants to continue moving forward withmany of Bush'sideas. That includes relying on the FCAT to measure theperformances of schools and students.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15664299.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
COUNTY COMMISSION
Big bucks flow to 3 in commission race
There's big money in the Broward County Commission races, even though they're not seen as especially competitive contests.
BY AMY SHERMAN
asherman@MiamiHerald.com
Two incumbents on the Broward County Commission and a former state lawmakerrunning for an open seat have each raised more than $100,000 in races wherethey're heavily favored to win.
As incumbents, Commissioners Jim Scott and Kristin Jacobs have put togetherhealthy war chests in their bids to hold on to their seats. So has StacyRitter, a former state representative who is seeking an open seat on theCounty Commission.
Jacobs, Scott and Ritter all have received donations from well-knownconsultants, attorneys, business owners or developers who have had businessbefore the Commission in the past or could in the future.
For example, Jacobs received money from Jesse Gaddis, who owns the majorityof Broward's taxi fleet. Scott received money from AshBritt, a disastercleanup firm that has managed dump sites for the county. Ritter receivedmoney from contractor JamesCummings, who is running the campaign urging voters to approve a penny salestax increase for transportation projects.
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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2006/10/03/m10a_davised_edit_1003.html
Davis gets at least a B
Palm Beach Post Editorial
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
During nearly eight years in office, Gov. Bush engineered an educationsystem that is a gaudy, overbuilt shrine to School Grades and Private-SchoolVouchers.
Congressman and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis knows thatFlorida needs to dismantle that shrine and replace it with a system thatserves students rather than a voucher ideology. Florida Attorney GeneralCharlie Crist, the Republican candidate, wants to enlarge the shrine.
Last week, Rep. Davis released an education plan - he calls it "AchieveFlorida" - that essentially is a tool box for dismantling the shrine thatJeb built. Like most campaign documents on education, it is long on conceptand short on details. When Jeb Bush was a candidate, his education proposalswere the same way. But the key point of Rep. Davis' plan, listed as the No.1 step, is to "fundamentally change the way the FCAT is being used." Thatgoal alone is enough to make Rep. Davis' education plan for changepreferable to Mr. Crist's more-of-the-same promise.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15664710.htm
The Miami Herald
Posted on Tue, Oct. 03, 2006
MEDIA
Herald publisher will resign
The publisher of The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald will step down today and reverse recent firings of writers at El Nuevo Herald.
BY MARTIN MERZER
mmerzer@MiamiHerald.com
Jesús Díaz Jr. will resign today as president of the Miami Herald Media Co. and publisher of The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald.
The action comes amid a widening controversy over payments accepted by some El Nuevo Herald journalists for participating in U.S.-government broadcasts on Radio Martí and TV Martí.
The move, which ends a challenging and sometimes tumultuous 14 months as head of one of South Florida's most visible and influential institutions, is effective immediately. David Landsberg, who served as general manager, takes over today as company president and publisher of both newspapers.
In a letter to readers, Díaz said the company is reversing course and will grant ''amnesty'' to two El Nuevo Herald reporters and a freelance contributor who were dismissed Sept. 7 when The Miami Herald reported that they received payments under contracts with Radio Martí and TV Martí.
He also said that an internal probe determined that six other employees of the Spanish-language El Nuevo Herald received payments from Radio Martí and TV Martí during the past five years. No disciplinary action will be taken against them.
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GLSEN SOUTH FLORIDA BOARD MEMBER MAKES THE NEWS
GAY ISSUES -- MIAMI HERALD SEP. 30, 2006
Teen activist heads a business
BY STEVE ROTHAUS
srothaus@MiamiHerald.com
Boston businesswoman Colleen Morneweck's website was a mess until she called upon Joshua Delsman, a Broward Web designer with a growing company called Voxxit.
''He waved his magic wand and made everything run smoothly,'' said Morneweck, an attorney and new mom who began an online business selling hair bows for babies. ``What we ended up with was way better than I could ever hope for.''
Started in December 2004, Voxxit now has about 50 clients and generates more than $100,000 a year in revenue.
Voxxit is run out of Josh's bedroom in his parents' home in Plantation.
Josh is 17.
''You must be joking,'' Morneweck said when told Josh's age. ``It all makes sense now. He's so available, except for mornings.''
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