FLORIDA DIGEST - August 30, 2008

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~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Gainesville LGBT Rights Repeal to go before Voters
The Supervisor of Elections has certified that enough valid signatures werecollected by Citizens for Good Public Policy to put a repeal of civil rightsprotections for the city of Gainesville's LGBT population. The issue willnow go before voters. Last January, the City Council voted to expand theexisting protections in housing and employment to include gender identity(it already included sexual orientation). The Citizens for Good PublicPolicy launched a fear-mongering campaign which seeks to repeal not only thegender identity protections but sexual orientation by tying the city's humanrights law to the protections offered by the state. Florida state law doesnot include either gender identity or sexual orientation in the categoriesthat are protected. Citizens for Good Public Policy said that the mainconcern is the use of restrooms by transpeople in restaurants and otherplaces.
http://florida.bilerico.com/2008/08/gainesville_lgbt_rights_repeal_to_go_bef.php



~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Not So Fast
The state of Florida needs to overhaul its system for restoring votingrights to former inmates.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/opinion/30sat3.html?ref=opinion


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

-Gustav strengthens to Cat. 3; Hanna curls westward
Gustav swelled to a fearsome Category 3 hurricane early Saturday with windsof 115 mph as it approached western Cuba on a track to hit the U.S. GulfCoast three years after Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. National HurricaneCenter in Miami called the storm "dangerous" and said it had reached thestatus of a major hurricane, the second one of this Atlantic season afterBertha in July.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/sfl-hurricane-hanna,0,5749270.story

-Teachers finally win retroactive 2% raise
Palm Beach County teachers would get a 2 percent raise this year under atentative agreement reached Friday by negotiators for the school districtand teachers union. The deal comes nine days after union boss Robert Dowsaid teachers could become angry and "unreasonable" if they toiled in theclassroom much longer without a salary boost.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpteachers0830pnaug30,0,7398998.story

-Four Medicaid health plans withdrawing from Broward County
Patients face insurer, doctor changes
The four largest health plans in Florida's Medicaid reform experiment aredropping out, forcing more than half of 204,000 affected patients to changeinsurers and possibly doctors.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzmedicaid0828sbaug28,0,2496361.story

-Will Sarah Palin play in South Florida?
If Republican John McCain's vice presidential choice of Alaska Gov. SarahPalin is aimed at wooing women voters, a key testing ground will be SouthFlorida.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/columnists/sfl-flawomen0830sbaug30,0,4292368.story

-Fort Lauderdale police officer's pay per year for no work: $110,249
For almost two years, a Fort Lauderdale police officer has collected apaycheck, pension and benefits - at $110,249 a year. He has done no work.Officer Sharif Samer Masri's job since October 2006: stay home, check inwith the police department every day and take no "official police action."He can't wear a police uniform, carry a gun, drive a cruiser or enter thedepartment without an escort, city records show.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbpaidleave0828sbaug30,0,3594448.story



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Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
www.pbchrc.org
Go to the links for the following articles:

-St. Petersburg Times
With his first appointment to the Florida Supreme Court, Gov. Charlie Cristhas picked the most partisan candidate available. Whether Charles T. Canadywill bring his politics to the high court remains to be seen, but Crist hasjust declared his own. In announcing the appointment on Thursday, Cristtried to couch the decision in terms of legal experience and the "fair andjust" rulings Canady has made "throughout his career." But that'spurposefully misleading. Canady, 54, spent 16 years in elected and appointedoffice before Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to the 2nd District Court ofAppeal. His judicial "career" has lasted all of six years, and during meritretention in 2004 the Florida Bar rated his qualifications the lowest amongthe five 2nd DCA judges on the ballot. The credentials that would vaultCanady ahead of the other five candidates for this post are entirelypolitical in nature. He was a litmus-test warrior in the Legislature and inCongress, fighting against school prayer, abortion, gay rights, affirmativeaction and flag burning. He served as a House manager for the impeachment of
President Clinton, decrying the "pernicious example of lawlessness." Doesthis record square with the kind of "wisdom, fairness and humility" thatCrist said he sought? The governor has the extraordinary opportunity toappoint three more justices in his first term, which means he could stillhonor his pledge to "only appoint the most highly qualified'' applicants.His choice of Canady falls short of that standard. Canady is a Yale LawSchool graduate who may rise above his politics when he joins the highcourt, but the reason the Florida Chamber of Commerce and conservativewatchdogs are applauding the appointment is that they are confident hewon't.

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