FLORIDA DIGEST - September 20, 2008

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~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Mark's List brings you our weekend bar and club guide on one nice neat page.
If you prefer to look at what's going on in specific clubs or events, please use the links below. To read our party guide, please click on the following link or copy and paste it into your browser:
http://jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/friday/2007/021607.htm


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A note from Waymon Hudson
I was hoping to get your help on spreading the word about a contest the "Say No 2" Campaign against Florida's "Marriage Protection" Amendment. It's a contest to get young, web-savvy voters involved in the campaign by making their own youtube commercials for the campaign. I've attached a link below to a story I am running on Bilerico-Florida about it. If you could please help us get the word out, that would be great! Thanks!
http://florida.bilerico.com/2008/09/say_no_2_campaign_launches_make_your_own.php


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From GLCC - Ft. Lauderdale
Your entree into Greater Fort Lauderdale's gourmet scene
Join us for the most tasteful event of the season, as American Express presents the 2nd Annual Dine Out Lauderdale, a six-week celebration of the area's top restaurants, chefs and cuisine. From October 1 through November 14, a selection of Greater Fort Lauderdale restaurants are offering specially-created, three-course menus at a $35 fixed price. Enjoy the very best of Greater "Fork" Lauderdale and discover the mouthwatering ingredients that make dining here so LauderLicious. Check out the 2008 Dine Out Lauderdale event as featured on WFLA-TV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21CxyUSnfaA


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

-Thwarted Foley investigation
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement ran into several roadblocks investigating whether former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley violated state law by purportedly sending sexually explicit e-mails to a 17-year-old former congressional page in February 2003. Investigators were unable to retrieve copies of the e-mails from computer servers or Foley's congressional computers.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpfoleyside0920sbsep20,0,217649.story


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St. Petersburg Times
http://www.tampabay.com/

-Undecided voters key to gay marriage ban
A proposal to ban gay marriage in the Florida Constitution is within striking distance of success, according to a new poll. The St. Petersburg Times/Bay News 9 survey shows 58 percent of voters approve the proposal to define marriage as between a man and woman.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article819091.ece


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Charlotte Sun
http://www.sunnewspapers.net/

-'What have you done for your marriage today?'
The Diocese of Venice in Florida has posted billboards along Interstate 75 in Southwest Florida asking residents, regardless of their faith, to consider a question aimed at making them think: "What have you done for your marriage today?"
http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/llnews.aspx?articleID=8855&bnpg=0



~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

From Adam Ruben - MoveOn.org
Time is tight, so I'll be quick: Can you come to a MoveOn for Obama party at 5:00 PM on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale and make some calls to help Barack win? Click here for all the info:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=72747&id=13916-5533006-.RiSUkx&t=1


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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Florida Could Again Muddle Election
New voting laws and untested voting machines suggest that Florida could again muddle the presidential election.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122185985239258235.html


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

-Plantation men face 40 years to life for homeless killing - rampage with with baseball bats
For the teens, it was a night of sick fun. For the jury, there was enough depravity, hatred and evil intent to judge it second-degree murder.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbhomeless0920asbsep20,0,6866672.story

-Lifestyles of Boca's rich and famous ... mostly insulated from nation's layoffs, inflation and severe financial downturn
The list of residents reads like a who's who of the local - and national - elite. Richard Egan, a former ambassador. Christine Lynn, a local philanthropist. Greg Norman, golf legend. Their massive homes stretch across acres, meet manicured greens and kiss sparkling waters. Here, in some of the most expensive communities in the country, the rich are insulated from the struggling economy, as if by their security gates.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/bocaraton/sfl-flprichpnsep20,0,314375.story

-Broward Democrats poke fun at Sarah Palin
Get a room full of Democrats, and they can't resist poking fun at Sarah Palin. It's not exactly the message that the Barack Obama campaign wants to exude - preferring to act as if the Republican vice presidential candidate doesn't get them ruffled - but Palin is just too rich a target for loyal Democrats.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbpalinhumor0919sbsep20,0,3416290.story

-Economy tops voter concerns in Florida poll
Find out who Florida voters favor for president in Sunday's editions of the SunSentinel. And learn more about what Floridians think about the economy in Monday's editions. Jobs and the sluggish economy are the most important issues for Florida voters, a statewide poll conducted for the SunSentinel and Florida Times-Union found this week.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-0919-florida-election-poll-story,0,5562875.htmlstory

-Enrollment at Broward schools dips for a 4th year
It's four straight years of declining enrollment for Broward County public schools. Enrollment decreased 3,167 students this year, or just under 1 percent, a dip comparable to last year's loss of 3,752 students, according to district figures released Friday. Broward now has 255,738 students attending public schools.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flbenrollment0920sbsep20,0,5707691.story

-Judicial race ballots to be mailed out today with Dijols' name
The legal merry-go-round over who's still a candidate in a Broward judicial race continued Friday, as the hours dwindled before some ballots must be put in the mail. The ballots will go out today, county Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes insisted.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flbjudges0920sbsep20,0,4360148.story

-Palm Beach: Recount in judge race heads into second day
Election staff moves carefully after miscounts
With no deadline set and wanting to ensure they do it right this time, Palm Beach County workers plodded methodically through most of the 102,700-plus ballots in a recount of a tight judge's race that has become the litmus test of new voting machines.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flprecount0920pnsep20,0,3140324.story

-Florida Supreme Court backs search restrictions
Gun possession conviction thrown out
Police cannot stop and search people based solely on anonymous tips, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed, but the justices said that does not mean officers cannot respond to those kinds of reports.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flfcourt0920sbsep20,0,2648164.story

-For South Florida to draw vibrant work force, lifestyle issues need fixing
South Florida, according to recent news articles, is losing population, and its work force. Enrollment in our public schools is also down, and while that may ease school crowding, it too reflects a loss of potential employees.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-jobs18forumsbsep18,0,3217377.story


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

-Drilling favored, Crist dips in new poll
High gas prices have more Floridians giving a thumbs-up to oil drilling, while Gov. Charlie Crist finds his luster fading, a new poll shows. Rising partisanship and a sinking state economy are taking a toll on Gov. Charlie Crist's once-stratospheric popularity, but Crist's support for offshore oil-drilling is striking a chord with voters, according to a new survey. [...] Crist's fortunes seem to be falling in tandem with the state's job losses, which lead the nation.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/front-page/story/694114.html

-$275,000 salary for Dade schools chief Alberto Carvalho
New Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho will earn less than former schools chief Rudy Crew if his proposed contract is approved.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/top-stories/story/692559.html

-UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Obama audience at University of Miami was mixed lot of hope, skepticism Barack Obama's rally at the University of Miami on Friday drew at least one hard-core group of youthful supporters, pumped up on Red Bull and awake since the wee hours, while others remained undecided as they waited for a first-hand look at the Democratic presidential nominee.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/694117.html

-Expert: Michael Hernandez was psychotic before he killed classmate
A defense expert testified Friday that Michael Hernandez is a paranoid schizophrenic who was psychotic and out of touch with reality when he killed 14-year-old classmate Jaime Gough four years ago at Miami-Dade's Southwood Middle School.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/694089.html

-Broward closer to have first black county administrator
Following a $23,000 nationwide search for a new county chief executive, Broward commissioners appear poised to promote from within and offer the job to interim county administrator Bertha Henry. [...] Henry, who earns $244,000 a year as interim administrator, has held the interim post since the abrupt resignation of Pam Brangaccio in October 2007. Henry is expected to be offered about $300,000 to take the job permanently. Henry will oversee a county government that's shrunk about 10 percent in the past two years. Next year, the number of county employees will be capped at 5,895 under a motion to be voted on Tuesday.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/694126.html


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

-Poll: 43% of Florida voters feel their economic situation is worse
If you think you've had it rough, you're not alone. The tumultuous economy has 43 percent of Florida voters reporting that their personal economic situation has gotten worse in the past two years, while another 43 percent say it has stayed the same, according to a new Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times/Bay News 9 poll.
http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/693602.html

-Florida unemployment keeps rising, at 13-year high
Florida's unemployment rate climbed to 6.5 percent in August, its highest level in more than 13 years, state officials said Friday. That means 606,000 employable Floridians are jobless. The rate jumped by 0.3 point in just one month and 2.3 points in a year. It hasn't been this high since January 1995.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/693106.html

-I-4 a lifeline for candidates
Presidential, vice presidential hopefuls zero in on Florida
It's no coincidence that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will campaign today in Daytona Beach.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/EastVolusia/evlHEAD01EASTPOL092008.htm

-2 percent of Florida's vote can spark a battle
Four little words are generating a lot of noise in Florida. It's another sign of how high the stakes are this election year. The words: "No match, no vote."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article819159.ece

-Nader will be on Florida ballot in November
Ralph Nader is back. The perennial presidential candidate will be on the Florida ballot in November. Nader's name is anathema to many Democrats in Florida becuase they blame him for President Bush's 2000 election. They argue that the votes he siphoned from Gore made Bush the winner in the state.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/09/nader_will_be_on_florida_ballo.html

-Obama speaks to rabbis for Rosh Hashana
Barack Obama's campaign is pushing hard to win support in the Jewish community, a traditinal Democratic voting base in which he's struggled, and one that's vital to his hopes to win Florida. He's been bringing lots of surrogates to South Florida, as has Republican John McCain, who's making a big play for Jewish votes.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/09/obama_speaks_to_rabbis.html

-ID-match law unfair, undermines voting
OUR OPINION: UNINTENTIONAL OR NOT, VOTING RULE TARGETS MINORITIES
There are many ways to undermine democracy, none more insidious than preventing a citizen from voting. You would think that after the state's debacle in the 2000 presidential election, where Floridians' votes for president were essentially usurped by the U.S. Supreme Court, the right to vote here would be paramount. Yet, the Florida Legislature sometimes appears more interested in curtailing Floridians' right to vote.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/694122.html

-GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin arrives in Orlando
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin arrived in Orlando early Friday evening, her first stop in Central Florida before a scheduled Sunday afternoon speech at The Villages. Palin's plane, Straight Talk Air II, touched down at Orlando International Airport about 6 p.m. She was greeted immediately with hugs and kisses from family members: husband Todd Palin; daughters Piper, 7, and Willow, 13; and son Trig, age 5 months.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-palin-orlando-091808,0,314790.story?track=rss

-Bailout may stabilize house prices
Rescue plan could reshape troubled loans
Home prices. That's what the Bush administration's historic Wall Street bailout is really about. Falling home prices in the U.S. have acted like dominoes, knocking homeowners into foreclosure and taking down lender after lender, until the entire global financial system was in jeopardy.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080920/BUSINESS/809200310/1003/business

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