FLORIDA DIGEST - July 14, 2008

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~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Ft. Lauderdale - Dolphin Democrats
http:\\www.dolphindems.org

-Please join us on Wednesday, July 16 from 7pm to 9pm to honor Wilton ManorsCommissioner Joe Angelo
At GLCC - Andrews Avenue

-August 13 Candidates Speak
Due to the number of county wide candidates invited to speak to our group,we will be starting our meeting at 7:00 pm Wednesday August 13th 2008. Group1 speakers will begin at 7:00 and Group 2 at 8:00. See below invitedcandidates and their group. To view the candidates list and questionaire CLICK HERE. http://dolphindems.org/candidates.html


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

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

-Sugar industry likely to remain potent political force: Industry may wieldmore clout after land deal
U.S. Sugar Corp.'s plan to sell its land to clear a path for Evergladesrestoration signals the decline of a major political player that has shapedstate and national policy for decades. U.S. Sugar and its allies in thesugar cane and sugar beet industry have poured millions into politicalcampaigns, boosted or cut short political careers and made their imprint onCongress and the Florida Legislature.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flasugarpolitics0714sbjul14,0,1106456.story

-Land involved in the U.S. Sugar deal - Map
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-701sugar,0,3218345.graphic

-Ft. Lauderdale: Cafe Europa on Las Olas Boulevard moving on
Italian eatery forced out by Riverside Hotel expansion
After 18 years at the corner of Las Olas Boulevard and Southeast EighthAvenue, Cafe Europa closed Sunday night. The popular Italian eatery, withits covered patio and replica of the Statue of Liberty, is being pushed outto make way for the expansion of the historic Riverside Hotel. It is one ofeight storefronts to be torn down for the upgrade.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbeuropa0714sbjul14,0,3354136.story

-Disney firing sets stage for battle between gun rights and property rights
ISSUE: Stage set for a three-ring circus pitting property and gun rightsagainst each other. Walt Disney World probably put itself in the legal cross hairs of America'sgun lobby this week when theme park officials fired a security guard whosought the law's protection but violated company policy in doing so.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editdldisneygunssbjul14,0,3548722.story


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

-Free pass for porn
OUR OPINION: LEGISLATURE SHOULD FIX ITS FIX OF THE SEX-OFFENDER LAW
With all the lawyers in the Legislature, one would think they might producean intelligible statute. But no. A 50-word section of a law that sought toprohibit sex offenders from possessing porn has tied up two state appellatecourts in conflicting opinions and led to an opinion by the state SupremeCourt with two dissents that stretched for 66 pages. Good grief.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/603851.html

-How secure is Citizens Property Insurance?
In less than four years, Citizens Property Insurance went from being atemporary fix for Florida's troubled insurance market to the state's largestinsurer of homes, condos and apartments. Along the way, it has paid outnearly $5.9 billion in 313,237 claims from eight hurricanes. It ramped upoperations to handle catastrophes practically as the storms raged. Its staffhas gone from fewer than 100 to more than 1,000. And it took on some 300,000policies practically overnight when three insurers failed two years ago.
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/603228.html

-FLORIDA'S IMAGE: Time magazine revisits Florida's problems
Time magazine is tackling a familiar topic in a story reminiscent of itsclassic Paradise Lost article. Paradise has gone missing again. Says who?Time, that's who.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/603860.html

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