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http://www.indynews.4t.com/0320/oped2.html
Today's Date:October 5, 2006
The Independent Social Club
From the Editor
By Michael James
MJames@OurIndy.com
Tired of trying to meet people in the bar scene? Exhausted of sortingthrough thousands of on-line profiles hoping that the person is telling thetruth? Many people have expressed frustration in the fact that in SouthFlorida it is next to impossible to meet friends.
The Independent Gay News, in association with Mark Eagle, is organizing theIndependent Social Club. The Club evolved out of the desire to meet friendsthat have similar interests. Over the past few months, many people haveexpressed their frustration in meeting potential friends that do not haveulterior motives. They stated that too often the people they meet on-lineand at clubs and bars act the role of being friendly only the find that they'rereally only interested in getting them in bed.
While this is a general problem with the GLBT community at large, it isparticularly frustrating for younger people, for they generally wear theirheart 'on their sleeve' thus making them potentially vulnerable.
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http://www.indynews.4t.com/0320/local3.html
Today's Date:October 5, 2006
By Donald Cavanaugh
DCavanaugh@ourindy.com
Twelve adults and seven children gathered in classrooms at SunshineCathedral in Fort Lauderdale for the first meeting of the Broward GLBTFamilies Group being jointly sponsored by SunServe and South Florida FamilyPride (SFFP).
"We had a very successful and enjoyable first meeting," said Jim Lopresti,director of the Center for Community Services and Family Development atSunServe. "We began to talk about what kinds of things we want to address inthe group. But above all, it was a great opportunity for mutual support."
The kids gathered in a separate room under the supervision of trained childsupervisors Colleen Cullen and Kelly Miller and had a great opportunity tomake some new friends.
There were parents with small babies and pre-school and school-age children.One man had adult children from a previous marriage and is supporting hispartner who wants to adopt. "It's going to be strange going through thatagain but I think I can bring experience to help us both be good parents,"he said
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http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/05/news_pf/Hernando/183_289_for_school_dr.shtml
$183,289 for school drug tests
But the federal money would come with limits, and the board is already divided over random testing.
TOM MARSHALL
Published October 5, 2006
BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando County schools can have $183,289 in federal moneyfor a random drug-testing program - if they want it.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson's office said Wednesday that both Hernando and Citruscounties have won part of the funding they sought this summer to randomlytest high school students for drugs.
But with a School Board that's evenly divided on the question of randomtesting, and strong community voices on both sides of the issue, it's not atall clear whether the program will go forward.
And two groups of students the district hoped to test - students who driveto school and those in noncompetitive extracurricular activities - cannot beincluded in the program, federal officials said.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-celxhastings05oct05,0,6413787.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
Republicans try to demonize Hastings in bid to defeat Democratic candidates
By Anthony Man
Political Writer
October 5, 2006
Conservative pundits and the Republican National Committee have been usingthe prospect of U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings taking over the House IntelligenceCommittee in an attempt to scare voters away from Democratic congressionalcandidates.
They're reaching back to the events that propelled Hastings, D-Miramar, tonational prominence decades ago: in 1983, Hastings was acquitted ofconspiracy to solicit a $150,000 bribe while a federal judge; six yearslater, Congress took up the issue, concluded he lied in his trial, andimpeached him after 10 years on the bench.
Despite that background, Hastings, 70, is popular in his district, whichtakes in parts of Broward, Palm Beach and several other counties. Firstelected in 1992, he is typically re-elected by overwhelming 3-to-1 margins.Some years, including 2006, Republicans fail to field a candidate againsthim.
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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2006/10/05/a8a_davis_1005.html
Presidential hopefuls rally around Davis
By S.v. DÁte
Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau
Thursday, October 05, 2006
TALLAHASSEE - Democratic governor hopeful Jim Davis got both a plug for hiseducation plan and some help with campaign cash Wednesday from formerVirginia governor and potential 2008 Democratic presidential candidate MarkWarner.
Warner said Davis' "Achieve Florida" plan to restructure Gov. Jeb Bush's"A-plus" education program reminded him of the changes he undertook toimprove Virginia's schools during his four-year tenure.
"You live in a great state," Warner said during an appearance with Davis atFlorida State University's football stadium. "I believe that this plan willhave a world-class education system - the kind of education system that thisstate deserves."
Davis' plan would de-emphasize the annual FCAT test, which is used to grade schools based on how well its students score.
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http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/05/news_pf/Worldandnation/Democrats_hop_on_Fole.shtml
Democrats hop on Foley scandal
Across the nation, their campaigns are attacking Republican incumbents with any ties to House leaders who are under fire.
WES ALLISON and ADAM SMITH
Published October 5, 2006
That didn't take long.
Days after the e-mail scandal ensnared Rep. Mark Foley and raised questionsabout how House Republicans handled it, Democrats across the country haveworked the matter into campaign ads, debates and political attacks aimed atdepicting Republican leaders as more interested in protecting their own thanin serving voters.
From Tampa Bay to the Midwest to the West, Democratic challengers aredemanding that their Republican opponents return money Foley donated totheir campaigns and denounce House Speaker Dennis Hastert for his office'shandling of the matter.
"Call congressman Young at (727) 893-3191, and demand he stop the coverup.The answer is arrests, resignations and a new congressional leadership,"said a recorded message hitting St. Petersburg area homes in the district ofRep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores.
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http://www.indynews.4t.com/0320/local1.html
Today's Date:October 5, 2006
Curtains for Gay Teacher
Man Booted for Playing Gay Character in Play
By Paul Harris
PHarris@ourindependent.com
An eighth-grade teacher was effectively forced out of his teaching positionbecause in his spare time he worked as an actor and has played gay roles.Dominick Giombetti had been asked to choose whether he wanted to continueteaching at St Andrew's Episcopal School in Boca Raton, where he had onlyrecently started teaching six weeks earlier, or continue performing in thetheater in his spare time where he would most likely be asked to play gaycharacters. At the school he had been responsible for teaching eighth gradeEnglish, seventh and eighth grade Drama, as well as coaching the high schoolCross Country team. He has two degrees from the University of Miami.
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GLCC NEWS FOR THE WEEK OCT 4, 2006
Please contact us at rays.list@comcast.net if you would like the GLCC news.
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The Independent Gay News
Opinion
No More Glib Platitudes
Are gays and lesbians the new African-Americans as far as the DemocraticParty is concerned? Are our votes going to be taken for granted just likeour black brothers and sisters' votes have been for the last generation andmore?
You are not going to believe this but "The Independent" has asked aDemocratic Congressional candidate the same question five times eitherdirectly or through his press liason, Brian Welsh, without getting ananswer. In another instance a gay voter sent a letter to a Democraticgubnatorial candidate, Jim Davis, three months ago asking some verypertinent questions and in spite of sending the letter to the candidatetwice and having it run in this newspaper he is STILL waiting for areply....
The question to State Senator Ron Klein was a VERY simple one... "Given thatyou have declared yourself to be in favor of equality and opposed todiscrimination, and also given that you are opposed to granting gays andlesbians the right to marry, PRECISELY how will you as a Congressman seek tomake sure that gay and lesbian couples receive ALL the same rights that gayand lesbian couples have?"
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The Independent Gay News
Mark Foley and "Coming Out"
For years most people in political circles in South Florida knew that MarkFoley, the Fort Pierce Republican Congressman who lives in Jupiter, was gay.Sometimes he even attended public events with his partner when he feltsufficiently comfortable. There were also widely circulated rumors that he'played the field' during the week in Washington DC. He though regarded anyquestions about his private life as impertinent and distasteful. He oncesaid that stories about him being gay were "revolting." Well, guess what? Hehas been caught writing emails and rather lurid IMs to 16 year old boys. Itwould be easy to gloat about this self-hating man who voted in favor of theDefense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996. He even got himself made chairman ofthe House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children to help create the 'rightimage' for himself.
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CONTACT: Stephen Gaskill
954/524-0492 office
202/257-9298 cell
October 4, 2006
KEECHL PICKS UP KEY ENDORSEMENTS
SEIU, NWPC Support Change for District 4 Commission Seat
Fort Lauderdale - Democratic Broward County Commission candidate Ken Keechl picked up two key endorsements in his hard-charging campaign against incumbent Commissioner Jim Scott: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 11, and the National Women's Political Caucus (Gwen Cherry Chapter - Broward County).
"I'm pleased to accept the endorsement of these key organizations, which each speak for historically underrepresented communities," Keechl said. "Unionized workers and women are having a tougher time finding affordable housing, paying their rising property taxes, and affording hurricane insurance due to the budgetary decisions made by the Broward County Commission. I'll be a watchdog for their hard-earned tax dollars."
Service Employees International Union is the largest and fastest growing union in North America, focused on uniting workers in key service sectors to improve their lives and the services they provide. SEIU is the nation's most diverse union: 56 percent of SEIU members are women, and more than 40 percent are people of color.
"Workers are having a tough time because of the lethal combination of low wages, rising property taxes, and increasing insurance costs," said Hiram Ruiz, deputy director of SEIU Local 11. "Our members want Broward's government to practice the fiscal discipline they have to follow everyday."
National Women's Political Caucus was formed to increase women's participation in the political process, to win equality for women, and to support candidates who support their goals. Among NWPC's priorities is protecting reproductive freedoms. The Gwen Cherry Chapter of NWPC rarely endorses male candidates, although it often "recommends" them.
"We decided Ken Keechl's election was worth a change in the rules," said Patti Lynn, president of the Gwen Cherry Chapter of NWPC. "The Commission is out of touch with what's happening to the people of Broward County. It's time for a change."
Ken Keechl supports lower property taxes, putting the brakes on overspending by Broward's elected officials, slowing down the burgeoning development in the County, and preserving our disappearing green spaces. For more information about Ken, check out www.keechl2006.com.
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