FLORIDA DIGEST DECEMBER 04, 2006

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The Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-04forum12dec04,0,1566053.story?coll=sfla-news-opinion

VOTING

Sarasota controversy shows need for paper

By Ben Wilcox

December 4, 2006

Once again, Florida has become the epicenter in the world of elections goneawry. Many problems -- ranging from attempts to deceive black voters inMaryland to hours-long lines in Denver to voter identification hassles inMissouri and Georgia -- occurred during this 2006 election.

But nothing really compares to the missing 18,326 votes in Sarasota's tightcongressional race. And nothing more dramatically demonstrates theinadequacy of thousands of the nation's new electronic voting machines.




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The Miami Herald


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/16157914.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp


Posted on Mon, Dec. 04, 2006

POLITICS

Florida may get early primary
Florida, California and Michigan are among the large states jockeying forearlier presidential primaries in 2008.
BY BETH REINHARD
breinhard@MiamiHerald.com



Florida's new political leaders are ready to move up the state'spresidential primary, a tack that would roil the 2008 campaign and granteven more bragging rights to the nation's biggest battleground state.

Currently, the presidential nominees are a foregone conclusion by the timeFlorida's March primary rolls around. For decades, small states like Iowaand New Hampshire have hosted the make-it-or-break-it votes in January.

House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami says a state as big and diverse asFlorida should have its say immediately afterward.

''From immigration to agriculture to Israel, virtually every issue the nextleader of the free world is going to be asked about will be asked inFlorida,'' Rubio said. ``Florida is the largest and most relevant state thathas no voice in the electoral process.''



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Palm Beach Post

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2006/12/04/a14a_blackburncol_1204.html

Why didn't they vote? Why not ask?
By Tom Blackburn

Palm Beach Post Columnist

Monday, December 04, 2006

This is not Boolean algebra or Kantian metaphysics, folks. It's simple. Ifyou want to know whether voters are skipping a race, ask them.

A line saying "None of these candidates" would have let 18,000 voters inSarasota County tell election officials, candidates and the whole world thatthey were not voting in the race for Congress, if indeed they were choosingnot to vote. It's their right. Instead, for lack of that line on the screen,election officials, party officials, touch-screen vendors and ordinarycitizens are hypothesizing about whether they did it.



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Gil Martin's Angels Art Exhibit Opens December 4th


Arts United will present artist Gil Martin's "Angels" paintings at theStonewall Library and Archives from December 4 through 30, 2006. TheStonewall Library and Archives is located at 1717 North Andrews Avenue inFort Lauderdale. The exhibit opens with a reception to meet the artist from6:30 to 8:00 PM on Monday December 4th. The exhibit and reception are freeand open to the general public during normal library hours.

Fresh off his debut exhibit in October, Gill Martin will showcase anexpanded display of his acclaimed "Angels" paintings just in time for theHolidays. Born in New Jersey, Martin's family moved to Florida when he waseleven. His parents did not have enough money to buy toys, so Gil began tomake his own toys and draw on paper bags. In elementary school when theclass had contests to determine who the best artist of the class was, hewould always be chosen.



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http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061118/OPINION01/611180308/1006/OPINION&template=printart



Article published Nov 18, 2006
Misguided

Group's homophobia is the problem

David Caton, the executive director of the socially conservative FloridaFamily Association, has a long record of supporting discrimination againsthomosexuals and opposing what he calls the "radical homosexual agenda."

In the early 1990s, Mr. Caton proposed a constitutional amendment to forbidany state or local laws protecting gay people in housing and employment. Sixyears ago, he opposed Leon County's anti-discrimination housing ordinance,saying that "adding 'gender identity' as a protected category will givecross-dressing the same legal status as race."

Now Mr. Caton is at it again. He is trying to rally opposition to a questionproposed for inclusion on a Florida Senate panel's checklist for topappointees of Gov.-elect Charlie Crist. If included, the question would askif applicants had ever been accused of "workplace misconduct." This includessexual harassment or job discrimination based on race, age, gender or sexualorientation.



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