FLORIDA DIGEST February 11, 2007

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US ATrays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


=


From: Robert Bernhardt
To: Dolphin Post

Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2007 10:31 AM

Subject: [TheDolphinDemocrats] Contact Gov. Crist to Support Civil RightsRestoration

The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition has launched a letter writingcampaign to to the Executive Clemency Board to support rights restoration.Below is an e-alert. For more information visit www.restorerights. org. TheExecutive Clemency Board is meeting March 1st so get your letters in now!


*TAKE ACTION*

Contact Governor Crist and Cabinet Members

Support Civil Rights Restoration Reform

Reform can happen now! Let’s make our voices heard!


=


The Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-clocaltax11xfeb11,0,904149,print.story?coll=sfla-news-broward

State considers tax limitations, but local officials say restrictions wouldhurt

Local officials claim restrictions would force service cuts
By Anthony Man
Political Writer

February 11, 2007

Responding to an angry public, the state may impose sharp restrictions onthe authority of counties, cities, towns and villages to raise propertytaxes, setting up a ferocious battle with the politicians who run localgovernments.

Broward County and its municipalities have taken in an extra $1.4 billion inproperty taxes since 2001, causing critics to question whether thegovernments have spent their money wisely.

Local leaders say they've been good fiscal stewards. And they're gearing upto fend off the proposal many fear more than any other: prohibiting taxincreases greater than what's needed to keep up with inflation andpopulation growth.



=

The Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flhistory0211feb11,0,6622969,print.story?coll=sfl-news-browardcomm

Two Black History Month exhibits at the ArtServe Gallery and BCC showcasediverse experiences.
By Beth Feinstein-Bartl
Special Correspondent

February 11, 2007

George Gadson can't be in two places at once, but the same rule doesn'tapply to his art.

His photographs, sculptures and paintings are being displayed at twoexhibits celebrating Black History Month in Fort Lauderdale.

The "African Diaspora Experience" runs through Feb. 23 inside the ArtServeGallery on Sunrise Boulevard.

"Bearers of Culture" runs through March 9 at Broward Community College'sWillis Holcombe Downtown Center on Las Olas Boulevard.

"I would like people to walk away with a greater appreciation of the diversetalent in South Florida and a better understanding of the soul and spirit ofpeople of African descent and how they contribute to the quality of life inAmerica," said Gadson, of Tamarac, who is chairman of the organizingcommittee that put together the African Diaspora.



=

The Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flwmcityhall0211feb11,0,5305365,print.story?coll=sfl-news-browardcomm

Manors rejects costly City Hall design

By Elizabeth Baier
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

February 11, 2007

Wilton Manors · Worried that a proposed design for the future City Hallcomplex was too trendy and costly for the Island City, commissioners haveasked their architecture consultant, HDR, to return with a scaled-downversion.

HDR's proposal called for two buildings -- one for City Hall, the other forthe police station -- at the southeast corner of Wilton Drive and Northeast21st Court, adjacent to the current City Hall and Hagen Park. The design hadeach building as two stories, and one with a glass frontage and an overhangfacing Wilton Drive, according to J.P. Perez, an architect with HDR.

Together, the buildings would have accounted for about 37,386 square feet,or 3,000 square feet more than the initial plan, he said.



=

Floridatoday.com

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070211/OPINION/702110317/1004&template=printart

February 11, 2007

Our view: Covering all kids

Enrolling eligible children in state's KidCare insurance program must begoal

Consensus is growing that America's health care system is broken andrequires a major overhaul, such as a national health coverage plan.

But while politicians and analysts debate options, real people, including anestimated 750,000 Florida children, are uninsured for basic medical needs.

That won't be solved overnight, but here's one measure Florida lawmakers cantake to quickly improve the childrens' health:

Build back enrollment at KidCare, the subsidized health insurance programfor lower-income working families, to cover all eligible children across thestate -- a half-million by some estimates.



=

Tampabay.com

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/11/news_pf/Opinion/Crist_crime_bill_goes.shtml

Crist crime bill goes too far
A Times Editorial
Published February 11, 2007

As attorney general, Charlie Crist failed to persuade state lawmakers toapprove his misnamed "antimurder" legislation because of legitimate concernsabout the high cost of arbitrarily cracking down on felons accused ofviolating probation. As governor, he probably will have better luck eventhough the cost suddenly has more than doubled. It's far too high a pricefor taxpayers to pay to fulfill a simplistic campaign promise that wouldlimit judicial discretion, further overcrowd county jails and require morethan 2,500 new prison beds.

At Crist's request, the Senate Criminal Justice Committee last weekunanimously voted to beef up last year's version of the bill by expandingthe types of felons who would be automatically jailed on alleged probationviolations until a judge decided whether to revoke the probation. Ifprobation was revoked, the possible prison sentences would be dramaticallyincreased. It even would be possible to lock someone up for a term longerthan the maximum sentence for the original crime.

No wonder the projected cost over five years has ballooned, from more than$118-million last year to more than $268-million now. Roughly two newprisons would be needed just to house the additional number of felonsexpected to be returned to prison for probation violations. That's moneythat could be better spent on other priorities such as health care andeducation.



=

The Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flcmpwireless0211feb11,0,352234,print.story?coll=sfl-news-browardcomm

Wireless project could cover county

`OneBroward' signal would link police, schools, hospitals.
By Jean-Paul Renaud
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

February 11, 2007

A glimpse of the future: An ambulance rushing through traffic instantlytransmits a patient's vital signs to a hospital, letting doctors know whatto expect before paramedics arrive.

Police officers monitor a hostage situation on a public bus by tapping intoa camera inside the cabin from the safety of their squad cars.

Maintenance workers doing inventory of city supplies order more materialsfrom the convenience of a handheld wireless device tucked in their pockets.

That future may not be so far away. The Broward School Board agreed Tuesdayto work with eight other government agencies and private universities aswell as several cities to blanket the county with a wireless signal in aproject called OneBroward.



=

Subject: FW: Send Liz Campbell to Tallahassee in Florida House District 3

Just wanted to make sure each of you was up to date on this race and toencourage you to send something to your lists.

We managed to get a recommended diary up on dKOS (www.dailykos.com) today,which isn’t an easy task and it has managed to get a lot of interest in thiscampaign on from the blog world. So much so, that the response hasoverwhelmed Liz’ web site/contribution page. So we want to keep the momentumgoing. If you want to link to the dKOS article, which has a lot ofinformation about the race, here’s the link:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/9/123453/5564
Thanks for all you do.



[ Send your comments about any of the articles in Ray's List Digest toRays.List@Comcast.net ]

#####