FLORIDA DIGEST January 23, 2008

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To: Miami-Dade Educators

School Safety and Sexual Minority Issues Course - Feb. 2

REMINDER!!

For ALL M-DCPS Teachers, Counselors and Other Instructional Personnel

FREE -- 12 Master Plan Points -- FREE
(includes 5 hours independent activity)
7 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) -- FREE

Safe Schools South Florida (Formerly GLSEN South Florida) ~ UTD Rainbow
Caucus & M-DCPS Student Services PRESENT

School Safety & Sexual Minority Issues -- 101
Sat. 02/02/08 ~ 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
St. Thomas University - Kennedy Building
16400 NW 37th Ave. ~ Miami, FL
Youth Speakers & Parent Panel
12 Master Plan Points ~ 7 CEUs -- FREE

Register for this course and our other courses on the M-DCPS Employees'
Professional Development Page of the M-DCPS Website - www.dadeschools. net

Please note: This class can be found by instructor (under "L" for "Loupo)or by title under "S" for "Schools Safety & Sexual Minority Issues 101."Due to a technical problem, the course is listed as having 10 slots with awaiting list of 30. This should be the other way around: 30 slots and 10waiting list. Please just sign up on the wait list and we will move you tothe Registered List asap.



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Hundreds Volunteer to Work the Polls on January 29th

The response over the last week to our request for volunteers has beenphenomenal. With hundreds of volunteers signing up in the first week andtens of thousands of new people being reached this week, the Fairness forAll Families campaign has increased it goals to more than 500 volunteers forthis statewide make-or-break day of action. There is a very real chance thatour work that day could keep the deceptively-named "marriage protectionamendment" from reaching the ballot. Be a part of this historic effort.

Not only is primary day one of our best opportunities to educate votersabout the harmful effects of the amendment, it is also one of the last hopesof the amendment's proponents, who need to gather another 22,000 signaturesbefore Feb. 1st in order to put their divisive measure on the ballot. Withyour help we will speak with thousands of voters as they consider signingpetitions for the opposition and let them know just how far this amendmentgoes in banning civil unions and dismantling health care benefits forseniors and municipal workers throughout Florida.

Click Here to Work on Primary Day

Help us make this a decisive demonstration of opposition to the amendment.Work with us at a precinct in the morning (6:45-9:30am) or afternoon(4:00-7:00pm). You will receive training, materials, even a t-shirt. Comewith a friend and double our impact in your community. Together we candefeat this attack on all unmarried Florida families. Click here tovolunteer

Join us and be a part of making history.

*If the above link is not working, cut and paste the following URL into yourbrowser:

http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/primarydayvols2008/details.tcl

Can't Volunteer? Make a Contribution

Can't take a day away from work to volunteer? You can still help by making agenerous contribution to the Fairness for All Families campaign today. Clickhere:

https://secure.ga3.org/01/ballotinitiativec4

SPREAD THE WORD. GET FRIENDS TO JOIN YOU.



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Inside Higher Education

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/01/23/endorse

A University President Backs McCain

Jan. 23

Institutional neutrality is the much-invoked principle by which colleges anduniversities rarely take stands on public issues that don't directly relateto higher education. Presidents - especially at public institutions - tendto invoke the principle in various forms with some regularity, trying not tospeak out on causes bound to offend someone when they want as much supportas possible on college budgets or other measures.

It's that background that explains why many long-time followers of highereducation and politics were stunned to learn that Bernie Machen, presidentof the University of Florida, has endorsed Sen. John McCain's presidentialbid. While the endorsement, released by the McCain campaign, included theexpected "should in no way be construed as an endorsement by the Universityof Florida" line at the end of the announcement, the headline was prettyclear: "University of Florida President Bernie Machen Endorses John McCainfor President."

The lead paragraph of the release noted that Machen "has held leadershippositions at some of America's most prominent institutions of higherlearning over two decades" and the announcement went on to note his previouspositions as president of the University of Utah and an administrator at theUniversities of Michigan and North Carolina. In addition to quoting Machen'spraise for McCain, the announcement quoted McCain praising Machen as "one ofAmerica's most distinguished leaders in education."

Sheldon E. Steinbach, a lawyer in the postsecondary education practice ofthe Washington law firm Dow Lohnes, said he was "stunned" by theendorsement. In Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign and Bob Dole's 1996 campaign,Steinbach was in charge of recruiting college presidents to serve oneducation task forces for the two Republican nominees. Even at points muchlater in the campaign year, post-nomination, Steinbach said that he couldnot recruit a single public university president, even though plentysupported the respective candidates privately.

"Public university presidents specifically expressed the fact that althoughthey'd like to participate, it would be inimical to the best interests ofthe institutions for them to engage in overtly partisan political activity,since it is likely to cause dramatic friction with state legislators andgovernors," Steinbach said.

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Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flfproptax0123sbjan23,0,1613484.story?coll=sofla_tab01_layout

Confused about property tax amendment? You're not alone

By Linda Kleindienst
Tallahassee Bureau Chief
January 23, 2008

TALLAHASSEE

It's longer than the Lord's Prayer, the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution,the Gettysburg Address and the Ten Commandments - combined. And the No. 1issue in state politics now is whether you like it..

Though Gov. Charlie Crist has vowed to make government more understandableto Floridians, voters next Tuesday will decide the fate of a proposedconstitutional amendment to revise Florida's property tax system that readslike an Accounting 101 textbook.

"I think the majority of people are going to be confused and they're goingto be even more confused when they walk into the polls and they see thatballot question," Sunrise Mayor Steve Feren said. "I didn't understand ituntil I read it through four or five times and [voters will] just have aminute to look at it."

It is written in legal-speak, by legislators and their lawyers, and athorough read will show it even raises the specter of a future repeal of thepopular homestead exemption.

The ballot language that voters will see contains 498 words - about half thesize of the Declaration of Independence. And that's just a boil-down of theactual 15-page amendment proposed by state legislators.

more . . . . .



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Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbwomen0123pnjan23,0,1918063.story

Women give Clinton commanding lead in Florida

By Anthony Man
Political Writer
January 23, 2008

Shirley Sumner, 90, hopes 2008 brings something that "never, never, ever"occurred to her as a girl: a female president of the United States.

Even 10 years ago, "I never would have thought it. It was so far back in mymind that I never saw it."

Sumner isn't taking a chance that this opportunity will slip by. At SunriseLakes, the sprawling complex of more than 9,000 mostly retired condominiumvoters, she's coordinating phone banks to get out the vote for HillaryRodham Clinton in the Jan. 29 primary.

Involved in politics for years - she's a vice president of the West BrowardDemocratic Club - Sumner is inspired by Clinton's bid for the presidency.

"There are so many good things about her, I just don't know where to start.She's bright. She's sharp. She's intelligent. She can stand up to anyone andwin her point. Her issues, I don't think there is one of them I can disagreewith," Sumner said. "I admire the woman for coming through all the adversityshe has come through and holding her head up high."

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Florida Today

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/NEWS01/801230334/1006/news01

Crist: Invest in jobs

January 23, 2008

The turmoil in the domestic and international financial markets, the FederalReserve's dramatic action to lower interest rates and President Bush'saggressive push for an economic-stimulus package all are reasons to investin job growth, even in hard economic times, Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday.

Crist made the statement at an afternoon news conference, where he announcedthe awarding of $25 million in state farm-to-fuel grants, an industry thatAgriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson predicted eventually would create100,000 jobs.

"That's why I think it's so important to continue reducing property taxes,so important to continue attracting the biotechnology industry to thestate," Crist said. "It's all tied together."
-- Paul Flemming,
FLORIDA TODAY



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Palm Beach Post

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2008/01/23/m1a_PROP_TAX_0123.html

Property tax initiative trips voters, officials say

By DEANA POOLE
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Voters are confused about the proposed property tax amendment, electionsofficials and property appraisers say.

In particular, they want to be assured that the amendment won't take awaythe Save Our Homes protection now in the constitution that caps increases inthe assessments on their Florida homesteads at 3 percent a year.

"They want proof," said Martin County Property Appraiser Laurel Kelly. "Showme in writing.

"There is a lot of confusion out there. When people are confused onsomething, they're not going to vote for it."

Palm Beach County officials also are getting calls about what the amendmentmeans.

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Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/political-currents/story/389829.html

Cash crunch hits Florida campaigns

BY LESLEY CLARK, TERE FIGUERAS NEGRETE AND MARC CAPUTO
Posted on Wed, Jan. 23, 2008

Time and cash are running out in Florida's high-stakes GOP election, andsigns of it are everywhere on the campaign trail.

Rudy Giuliani and John McCain parked their Florida bus tours Tuesday andzipped to New York for quick cash infusions. Mike Huckabee seriously cutback expenses and travel into Florida and said he couldn't compete in the adwars. Fred Thompson is nowhere. He quit.

And Mitt Romney? The millionaire businessman, who has plowed at least $17million of his own cash into his campaign, stayed on the ground in Florida.He went up with yet another television ad. Now, he's pitching his businessskills as what's needed to repair a slumping economy.

''There will be opportunity for our economic sector to come back, but it isgoing to require action on the part of leadership in Washington to convincethe world that America will come back strong,'' Romney said in Boca Raton.

``There are actions that you can take to prevent what looks like a tippingpoint from becoming a waterfall.''

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Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/23/rocky_fla_economy_altering_political_landscape/

Rocky Fla. economy altering political landscape
Analysts say issue may help Romney against McCain

By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff | January 23, 2008

The Republican presidential field may find the political ground shiftingunder its feet in Florida, where the faltering economy is fast surpassingnational security as the cutting issue in next week's primary, when GOPvoters could clear up the blurred contest for the party's nomination.

Driven partly by a referendum on local property taxes that shares the Jan.29 primary ballot, the economy is changing the political terrain of theSunshine State, according to veteran GOP political operatives who believethat could help Mitt Romney in a crowded primary field where each candidatehas some claim to the state's diverse constituencies.

With its primary open only to registered Republicans, Fred Thompson out ofthe race, and Mike Huckabee pulling back, Florida may be Romney's bestchance to prevent John McCain from breaking away before Feb. 5, a virtualnational primary with contests in 21 states.

"Things have changed dramatically in the last couple of months," saidCharles "Tre" Evers, an Orlando-based consultant. "National security and thewar on terror were for a long time the number one and number two issues, butthe economy and general pocketbook issues have been sneaking up."

That may help Romney, he said, especially in the sprawling Orlando area,"where people are starting to feel the pain."

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Orlando Sentinel

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/local/orl-firefighters2308jan23,0,611966.story

In Orlando, 9-11 firefighters' families say don't vote for Rudy Giuliani

Mark Schlueb
Sentinel Staff Writer
January 23, 2008

Families of firefighters killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the WorldTrade Center rallied in Orlando alongside a 16-foot rat Tuesday, urgingFloridians to vote against Republican Rudy Giuliani for president.

"We're not telling anybody who to vote for. We're telling you not to votefor Rudy Giuliani -- he is no hero of 9-11," said Sally Regenhard, whoseson, firefighter Christian Regenhard, died in the towers' collapse.

The firefighters' national labor union and a group of Sept. 11 familiesbrought the rally to Florida because the state figures prominently inGiuliani's primary strategy. Firefighters and their families vowed to dogthe former New York mayor at all of his Florida campaign stops.

The rally started at the Orlando union hall, where participants posed with a16-foot inflatable rat meant to represent Giuliani, and continued in frontof Orlando City Hall with a mix of local firefighters, New York firefightersand families that had lost loved ones.

Among their complaints: Firefighters who responded to the World Trade Centerwere carrying defective radios and did not hear the order to evacuate.Giuliani knew the same radios had failed during the 1993 Trade Centerattack, they said.

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Florida Today

http://www.floridacapitalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/CAPITOLNEWS/80123004&theme

Legislators invite Democrats to drop state boycott

By Jim Ash
Florida Capital Bureau Chief
Originally published January 23, 2008

TALLAHASSEE -- A group of Democratic state legislators plans a newsconference today to invite their party's boycotting presidential contendersto campaign in Florida for at last two days -- next Sunday and Monday.

State Sen. Ted Deutsch, D-Delray Beach, wrote to state party chairs in Iowa,New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina -- asking them to let candidatesout of the "four-state pledge" that has required them to avoid campaigningin Florida. Last year's Legislature moved the presidential primary date fromearly March to Jan. 29, in violation of national party rules that allow onlythose four states to go ahead of Feb. 5, and the Democratic NationalCommittee has stripped Florida of all 210 delegate votes at the nationalnominating convention next summer.

But Deutsch and other Democratic leaders figure that once the polls close inSouth Carolina on Saturday night, the four states will have accomplishedwhat the party wanted -- giving the candidates an early test in the Midwestfarm country, New England, sunbelt West and deep South. With Florida set tovote on Tuesday, the state Democrats figure it's better late than never forbuilding up turnout at the polls.

"They have had the candidates for five months," Deutsch wrote, "we simplywant two days."

In addition to a news conference planned at noon in the State Capitol,Deutsch sent messages to Democrats all over the state -- urging them tocontact party leaders in the four states, asking that the ban on campaigningbe lifted.

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Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flfproptax0123sbjan23,0,1613484.story?track=rss

Confused about property tax amendment? You're not alone

By Linda Kleindienst
Tallahassee Bureau Chief
January 23, 2008

TALLAHASSEE

It's longer than the Lord's Prayer, the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution,the Gettysburg Address and the Ten Commandments - combined. And the No. 1issue in state politics now is whether you like it..

Though Gov. Charlie Crist has vowed to make government more understandableto Floridians, voters next Tuesday will decide the fate of a proposedconstitutional amendment to revise Florida's property tax system that readslike an Accounting 101 textbook.

"I think the majority of people are going to be confused and they're goingto be even more confused when they walk into the polls and they see thatballot question," Sunrise Mayor Steve Feren said. "I didn't understand ituntil I read it through four or five times and [voters will] just have aminute to look at it."

It is written in legal-speak, by legislators and their lawyers, and athorough read will show it even raises the specter of a future repeal of thepopular homestead exemption.

The ballot language that voters will see contains 498 words - about half thesize of the Declaration of Independence. And that's just a boil-down of theactual 15-page amendment proposed by state legislators.

more . . . . .



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Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/389784.html

19,670 Broward voters cast early ballots in first week

Posted on Wed, Jan. 23, 2008

The first week of early voting brought in almost 20,000 Broward voters lastweek, according to statistics from the Broward Supervisor of ElectionsOffice.

A controversial property tax referendum and a hotly contested presidentialprimary are expected to spur high turnout in the Jan. 29 election, with19,670 Broward voters already having opted to vote early at 17 pollingplaces set up around the county.

''It's been steady,'' said Mary Cooney, spokeswoman for the BrowardSupervisor of Elections Office. ``And our anticipation is it will get busierand busier as the week goes on.''

Broward's early voting sites are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays.

The locations of polling places are posted online at www.browardsoe.org.

Early voting continues until Sunday.


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Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/389836.html

Where will 'Fredheads' turn?

BY BETH REINHARD AND MARC CAPUTO
Posted on Wed, Jan. 23, 2008

Who knew that Florida's hard-fought Republican primary might be decided by abunch of ``Fredheads?''

Fred Thompson's decision Tuesday to quit the presidential race leaves enoughof his fans up for grabs to boost any of his four leading rivals out fronton Jan. 29.

Recent Florida polls showed him with about 7 percent of the vote in a tightcontest between John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

Thompson's religious supporters may turn to Huckabee, a Baptist preacher whohas long opposed abortion and gay rights.

Others may fall to McCain, the newly minted front-runner in statewide andnational polls whose chummy relationship with Thompson, a former Senatebuddy, bodes well for an endorsement.

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Florida Times-Union

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/012308/woo_239063422.shtml

It's what they won't do for you

By MARK WOODS
The Times-Union
January 23, 2008

John McCain came to the Times-Union office Monday, fresh off his victory inSouth Carolina. And to me, the interesting part of a Q-and-A session wasn'tso much what he pledged to do for North Florida if elected president.

Voter's guide, more local and national political coverage at Activote Listof January 29 Duval County polling locations List of Duval County earlyvoting locationscms_sidebox()

It was what he didn't pledge to do.

These days the Republican candidates are all over town. If you haven'tbumped into one, then you're missing an opportunity to be personallypromised the moon and the stars, tax cuts and a balanced budget.

(Note: I'm sure the Democrats would be providing fodder if they were here.But, so far, they have managed to keep an unusual campaign pledge - not tocampaign in Florida.)

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Lakeland Ledger

http://www.theledger.com/article/20080123/NEWS/801230420/1338/NEWS00

Published: Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Advocates: Promote Treatment, Not Jail

By Robin Williams Adams
THE LEDGER
robin.adams@theledger.com

LAKELAND | Mental-health crises can escalate into criminal conduct when thecommunity programs intended to help people with serious mental illnessesdon't have the money to build a strong enough support system.

That's one of the main reasons jail populations keep growing and stateofficials ask for money to build more jails, speakers said Tuesday night ata mental-health advocacy forum put on by the Polk, Highlands and Hardeechapter of Florida Partners in Crisis.

They told the approximately 70 people attending how to lobby theirlegislators for better mental-health funding, following the lead of alengthy report prepared for the Florida Supreme Court on how to reduce theneed for jail and psychiatric hospital beds.

"Florida's mental-health system needs more than a few Band-Aids," saidRobert Constantine, co-chairman of one of the work groups of a statewidecommittee that wrote the report. "It needs some pretty fundamental changes."

The report proposes shifting money now spent on treating people in statehospitals and jails into creating a stronger community system to keep themout of jail. That would let the state get more help from Medicaid.

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Orlando Sentinel

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/southwest/orl-citruspeels2308jan23,0,172804.story?track=rss

Citrus peel in fuel tank? Ethanol's juicy new twist

Kumari Kelly
Sentinel Staff Writer
January 23, 2008

Central Florida's citrus groves could play a key role in filling up yourcar's fuel tank in a futuristic Florida.

A $5.9 million plant planned in Auburndale will produce ethanol from citruspeels with the help of a $500,000 grant as part of the state's "Farm toFuel" initiative, Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services CommissionerCharles H. Bronson announced Tuesday.

In all, $25 million in renewable energy grants were awarded, including thegrant to Southeast Biofuels LLC, a subsidiary of Xethanol Corp., a NewYork-based publicly traded company, for the citrus peel project in PolkCounty. U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers in Winter Haven haveworked for years on the technology.

"Florida is particularly interested in generating renewable fuels frombiomass and cellulose," said Larry Parsons, a professor at the University ofFlorida/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. "Floridahas the climate and land to produce a great deal of biomass."

The ethanol plant, which will lease space from Cutrale Citrus Juices USAInc. in Polk County, will use a 10,000-gallon fermenter and about 67,000pounds of citrus peels per batch. The goal is to have a plant that couldmake 8 million gallons of ethanol a year using 800,000 tons of citrus waste.

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Daytona Beach News Journal

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD01012308.htm

Lawmakers, environmentalists ready for war over river water

By DINAH VOYLES PULVER
Environment Writer
January 23, 2008

For 40 years Floridians have been warned their supply of cheap, fresh waterwas coming to an end.

Now facing deadlines of three to 10 years to find new water supplies toavoid destroying the state's signature springs and wetlands, governmentsacross Central Florida are scrambling for alternatives.

Regional water managers say another 250 million gallons of water a day willbe needed by 2025.

Both the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean could be tapped for freshwater. But local officials say either option will send water costsskyrocketing, multiplying the current cost of treating groundwater anywherefrom three to 10 times.

The proposal to use the ocean is quickly gaining momentum with governmentsin Volusia and Flagler counties, being joined by Marion and Lake counties inexploring methods and costs of treating saltwater.

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Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbwater0122sbjan22,0,1791578.story

Use a lot of water? Broward cities to hit you with surcharges

By Lisa J. Huriash
January 22, 2008

People throughout Broward who continue to use large amounts of water aregoing to pay more.

Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Plantation, Davie and Broward County - whichprovides water to all or parts of a dozen cities - raised their watersurcharges last week. Several other cities will decide soon whether tocharge their customers more for water, too.

"For the longest time, I've been telling people we are not running out ofwater, we are running out of cheap water," said Hank Breitenkam, director ofPlantation's Utilities Department.

The move is two-fold, officials said. The surcharge is meant to ensure thatmoney coming into the water system doesn't suddenly drop off because ofwater-use restrictions. It also discourages wasteful use of water.

Because of drought conditions, the South Florida Water Management Districthas limited landscape watering to once a week for most homes and businessesstretching from Orlando to the Keys. Agriculture and golf courses arerequired to cut water use 45 percent. The new rules began Jan. 15.

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