FLORIDA DIGEST - July 10, 2008

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~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Ft. Lauderdale - Dolphin Democrats

-The Dolphin Campaign Committtee would like to thank and congratulate ourmembers who stepped forward to run for precinct committeeman andcommitteewoman in Broward County . 47 of our members applied to run forthese positions in the Broward Democratic Party, which serve as leadershippositions within their precincts and within our party. 24 of our memberswill be automatically elected because they are running unopposed and 23 ofour members' names will appear on the August 26th primary ballot in theirrespective precincts. Be sure to get out and vote on August 26 and supportthe Dolphins running in your precinct!

-Dolphins who have been elected with no opposition and their precincts:
Michael Rajner (C002) Suzanne Boisvenue (D001) Patti Lynn (J009) BarbaraStuart (L001) Gloria Stein (M011) Daniel Friedman (M011) Harry Boreth (N012)Justin Flippen (P005) Gretchen Hasselkus (R009) Alan Silva (R013) MitchWeisbrot (R015) Ted Adcock (R016) Dick Rogers (R022) Mike Lockwood (R024)Bill Vayens (R027) Shelley Walker (R029) Steve Shires (R032) Julie Bruno(R041) Michael Albetta (R088) Dean Trantalis (R090) Ron Mills (R114) GaryHensley (T008) Phyllis Kessler (T035) Joe Kessler (T035)

-Dolphins who's names will appear on the August 26 ballot and theirprecincts:
Bishop S.F. Ma-Hee (D007) Robin Bodiford (D009) Barbara Strugar (D009) AmyRose (F002)
Nadezda Martinez (L022) Phyllis Boreth (N012) Vince McStay (P001) JayFeldman (P003) Tom Green (P003) Timothy Ross (P004) Alfred DiMaio (R007)Colin Wright (R010) Laurie Watkins (R011) Gwen Handelman (R015) RonaldCatena (R023) Ann Perley (R028) Percy Johnson (R037) Ron Gunzburger (R048)JD Camp (R048) Adam Sanders (R067) Tom Runyan (R115) Philip Busey (T027)Josh Cazares (V009)


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Invitation: Adriane Reesey, for the Broward County Supervisor of Elections
I encourage you and your family / friends to come to my house and meetAdriane Reesey, a candidate for the Broward County Supervisor of elections.You will have an opportunity to meet her, learn about her ideas and plans,as well as take an important step in the democratic process. July 13 from 1PM to 2: 30 PM. Yes, please forward this message to your friends andcolleagues.
954-594-3363 - info@votereesey2008.com
Miriam Rodriguez
1716 NE 8th St.
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33304


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From Steve Shires
The 8th Annual Starving Artist Competition and Exhibit
Please join me Sunday, July 20th, 2008 at Broward County Main Library
100 S. Andrews Ave - downtown Ft. Lauderdale - 1:00 to 4:30 pm.
This will be a fun day - The theme is a Sock Hop! THERE WILL BE ROCK ANDROLL, BEATNIKS AND BONGOS, SINGERS, AND OF COURSE THE AWARDS. The MeltingPot will bring the chocolate! Guests are welcome to bring and share a sweettreat as well as dress in period. (not necessary to attend) This is analcohol free event. I would be honored by your presence - - Steve Shires Shirespics@aol.com


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Palm Beach Human Rights Council
www.pbchrc.org

-Next month, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council begins our 21st yearof working to secure equal rights and opportunities for the gay, lesbian,bisexual and transgender community.

-To expand GLBT rights statewide, the Council has enlisted the help of twoDemocratic state legislators from Boca Raton - Senator Ted Deutch andRepresentative Kelly Skidmore. During the 2007 and 2008 legislativesessions, these two influential lawmakers introduced legislation to ensurethat our community is protected from discrimination in employment, housingand public accommodations.

-Since 1991, the Council has repeatedly requested the School Board of PalmBeach County to amend the School District Policy on Equal EmploymentOpportunity (Policy 3.05) to prohibit discrimination against members of ourcommunity. Despite county ordinances prohibiting discrimination based onsexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, the School Boardand the superintendent continue to refuse to conform the policy to complywith the law. (To view Policy 3.05, go to:
www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/policies).

-Thanks to the Council's lobbying efforts, three of Palm Beach County'selected constitutional officers - the Property Appraiser, the Tax Collectorand the Supervisor of Elections - currently extend the family medical leavebenefits not only to employees with spouses, but also to employees withdomestic partners.

-Moving on to higher education, the Council continues to work with PalmBeach Community College administrators on domestic partner benefits. Lastyear, there were not enough votes on PBCC's Board of Trustees to permitemployees to purchase health insurance for their domestic partners. At thetime, Trustee Carolyn Williams expressed "philosophical uneasiness" withdomestic partner benefits. Her vote was instrumental in killing theproposal. (Interestingly, Williams is married to School District GeneralCounsel Gerald Williams).


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Population drops in 26 of 31 Broward municipalities
Broward's at a loss. Twenty-six of the county's 31 municipalities lostpopulation and three of them - Hollywood, Coral Springs and Pembroke Pines -made the Top 10 list of fastest-shrinking large cities from 2006 to 2007,according to U.S. census estimates released today.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbpop0710sbjul10,0,2267636.story

-I-95, Southern Blvd. projects coming to an end in Palm Beach County
The end is near. More than five years of major construction on some PalmBeach County roads finally is wrapping up. By September, drivers will saygoodbye to many of the orange-and-white barricades dotting the county'sroadside landscape.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flproadsdone0710sbjul10,0,1270820.story

-Palm Beach County schools update policy on 'inappropriate' books
The Perks of Being a Wallflower can be found on the shelves of 18 middle andhigh school libraries in Palm Beach County. But the copy of the 213-pagebook at Seminole Ridge High in The Acreage recently came under scrutiny.Just before the end of the school year, a parent of a ninth-grader filed aformal challenge to remove Stephen Chbosky's 1999 book from the library,contending some of its language and content is inappropriate for students.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-710books,0,2058294.story

-Lake Okeechobee's levels rising thanks to rain
Lake Okeechobee's water levels are up thanks to recent rains. LakeOkeechobee's level was at 10.02 feet Wednesday, half a foot higher than amonth ago.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-79lakeo,0,431395.story

-American Airlines cutting jobs, flights in Fort Lauderdale
American Airlines is cutting 79 jobs and six of its 16 flights from FortLauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The Fort Worth, Texas-basedcarrier says it's responding to rising fuel costs that have hurt theindustry in recent months.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzamericanbrief0710sbjul10,0,1230608.story

-State college system has potential
ISSUE: Legislators create a state college system.
A bachelor's degree via a community college may not be the norm, but itcould soon lead to more students earning four-year degrees in Florida. Thestate's foray into a "state college system" comes just in time to offset theclosing of higher education opportunities at Florida's public universities,where thousands of students are being rejected due to higher admissionstandards and pricier tuition rates.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editajjdegreesbjul10,0,6042415.story


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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Prisons trying to get cell phones out of cells
Corrections officials across the country are trying to get cell phones outof prison cells. Maryland and Virginia have become the first states totrain dogs to sniff out phones hidden in socks and books and undermattresses. Other states have passed bills to punish guards and visitors whoprovide them to inmates.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/599870.html

-State must not abandon foster teen
OUR OPINION: POOR SOCIAL SERVICES PUT THIS BOY, THOUSANDS MORE, AT RISK
The plight of a disabled foster-care teenager in Central Florida is redolentof the ills of the state's welfare system. As an infant, the now 15-year-oldboy was taken from his crack-addicted mother and placed with relatives.There he stayed until a year ago, when they were no longer able to care forhim. The boy is in the advanced stages of liver disease and needs atransplant. He is developmentally disabled and has behavior problems.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/598212.html

-Shunning ill foster child is just barbaric
He's yours, you know, that pathetic foster child with an impaired mind and adiseased liver. If you live in Florida, he's your kid. That makes it yourethical responsibility to make sure he doesn't die.
http://www.miamiherald.com/548/story/599706.html

-In Florida, deportations are on the rise
Deportations in Florida jump by almost 50 percent, setting a pace thatlikely will surpass last year's total and exceed a 10-year high mark.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/599752.html

-BEATING DEATH: Boy, 12, takes deal in tot's beating death
A Broward boy pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in the death of histoddler cousin -- escaping a possible life sentence. A 12-year-old BrowardCounty boy accused of beating his toddler cousin to death with a bat wassentenced to 18 months in a high-risk juvenile treatment facility Wednesdayafter pleading no contest to a second-degree murder charge.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/599712.html

-REAL ESTATE: Housing market recovery picking its spots
Commute length, level of investor interest and diminished desirability are afew reasons home sales in some neighborhoods are sinking, while other areasare stabilizing in the housing downturn. Although it was the first openhouse she had hosted at the West Kendall home, real estate agent Ana Escotosensed her chances of snaring a buyer were more than a little slim.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/599726.html


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Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Health-care coverage opened to include more working poor
A little-known source of cheap health-care coverage got a big boostWednesday from the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. EffectiveOct. 1, an individual making as much as $31,200 could qualify for insurancecoverage starting at just $51.86 a month. A family of four with a householdincome of $63,600 could pay less than $200 a month under the newly expandedVita Health program.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/health/content/business/epaper/2008/07/09/c1a_health_district_0710.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-THOMPSON: The Crist tryst ...
McCain: Don't even think about it
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is on John McCain's vice-presidential short list.Talk-radio host Glenn Beck has predicted that Mr. McCain would tap Mr.Crist. Mr. McCain would be hard pressed to make a worse choice.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/10/the-crist-tryst/

-Wasserman Schultz proposes universal health care
Hoping to fulfill a long-standing personal dream, Congresswoman DebbieWasserman Schultz introduced a bill in the House today to requirehealth-care coverage for all Americans.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/dcblog/2008/07/wasserman_schultz_proposes_uni_1.html

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