FLORIDA DIGEST - October 25, 2008

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~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Sunday! Early Voting Rally with Matt Damon,
Alicia Silverstone and Kerry Washington
South Beach North Shore Bandshell - 6pm
73rd Street & Collins Avenue
On Sunday, October 26, at 6pm, as part of Vote Fest '08, Matt Damon, Alicia Silverstone and Kerry Washington, will participate in an Early Vote Rally on Miami Beach, sponsored by the Miami-Dade Democrats. It would be great to have a big turnout from the GLBT community in South Florida. For folks who can't get there on Sunday, Matt Damon will be in South Beach on Monday, participating in one of our 27 Marches for Change being held throughout Florida - 27 Marches on October 27 for 27 Florida Electoral Votes that Barack will win on November 4. The march will begin at 21st and Collins and end at the Early Vote Center at Miami Beach City Hall. The march begins at 2100 Collins at 5pm.


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Join us Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. for a
Wine and Cheese Social with National Obama Surrogate Jared Polis (D-CO). After the Social, join us again as we walk with Jared down Wilton Drive, stopping at some of the social hotspots to announce early voting! Jared stands to be the 3rd openly GLBT member of Congress, following in the footsteps of Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).


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Tell Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida -
"We Have Your Back"
When the largest and oldest health insurance provider speaks out against Amendment 2 people listen. And Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBS-FL) has been speaking out against the deceptively named "marriage protection" amendment quite a bit. Their clear and public stand has earned them high points for courage and integrity but it has also earned them the animosity of the far right backers of Amendment 2.
Link: Write to BCBS-FL today and tell them how much we appreciate their principled stand.
http://ga4.org/campaign/BCBS


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Stonewall Library and Archives - Ft. Lauderdale
http://www.stonewall-library.org/

-Heritage Gala
Saturday, November 15
Design Center of the Americas [DCOTA]
The Stonewall Heritage Gala is promising to be not only this year's signature event for The Stonewall Library but probably one of the most memorable GLBT events in Ft. Lauderdale history. Congressman Barney Frank is scheduled to receive our Heritage of Pride award and with the pending opening of our new library, I know you don't want to miss it. For tickets!
http://www.stonewall-library.org/payment_gala.html


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GLCCSF - Ft. Lauderdale
IRON LADIES ANNUAL GOLF TOURNMENT
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008
Palm Aire Country Club, 2600 Palm Aire Drive North, Pompano Beach, Florida. A fun filled day on the greens of Palm Aire Country Club in Pompano Beach benefitting the SMART Ride. Iron Ladies will take place October 25, 2008 and will attract 100 professional women from around South Florida. Golfers will play 18 holes on the Cypress Course at Palm Aire and then head over to New Moon in Wilton Manors for a festive cocktail party, buffet and awards ceremony. To Play or Volunteer contact: Carol@newmoonbar.com.


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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Wilton Manors: Gym's demise leads to business blues
Shop owners report general slowdown after Main Street Gym was closed
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-23/news/localnews/5188.cfm




~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

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

-While McCain Looked Away, Florida Shifted
John McCain, who once had a commanding lead, is in a neck-and-neck race for a state vital to his hopes of victory.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/us/politics/25florida.html?hp


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

-Despite the ailing economy, home sales in South Florida were way up in September
Broward home sales jumped last month, a sign of plunging prices. Analysts say it's still not clear whether the housing market has hit bottom. Home and condo buyers are scooping up South Florida bargains, priced low to sell by desperate homeowners and banks overwhelmed with foreclosure properties.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-fla1ahousingheadline1025sboct25,0,3128851.story

-Plantation man gets 30 years in beating death of homeless man
The second of two Plantation men learned his prison sentence today in the beating death of a sleeping homeless man. Brian Hooks was sentenced to 30 years behind bars, a day after his co-defendant, Thomas Daugherty, 19, received life behind bars for his role in a trio of Jan. 12, 2006 unprovoked attacks against homeless men, one of which was captured on videotape.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-1024homelessbeating,0,5170475.story

-Home sales: 52% INCREASE
Year over year increase in home sales in Broward County between September 2007 and Sept. 2008
25% DECREASE
Year over year decrease in the median price for Broward County over the same period
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flzhousingbox1025sboct25,0,4632760.story

-Median prices, home sales for Broward, Palm Beach counties Multimedia
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/broadband/theedge/sfl-edge-homesales,0,275221.flash

-Map: Foreclosures, subprime loans in S. Florida
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/sfl-edge-foreclosures08,0,1456063.flash

-Sun-Sentinel Endorsements
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/


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

-Miami Herald Endorsements
http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2008/10/19/19/recommend.source.prod_affiliate.56.pdf

-Find Waiting Times at Poll Locations
http://www.miamifly.net/maps/earlyvote/

-ELECTION 2008: Democrats have the edge so far in early voting
Early data show Democrats lining up more frequently for early voting than Republicans, balancing out the GOP's absentee-ballot advantage. The crush of early voting in Broward and Miami-Dade counties is leaning decidedly to the left, with Democrats lining up at the polls more than three times as often as Republicans, according to Democratic Party numbers.
http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/740827.html


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If there's one thing we learned from 2000 and 2004, it's that Republicans don't hesitate to fight dirty.
Here's the best way to stop them from stealing this election... WIN IT BY A LANDSLIDE.
Obama may be ahead in the polls right now, but to neutralize right-wing voter suppression we need to win really big. And that means coming together to make sure everyone who supports him gets out to vote. At 7 PM on Monday, October 27, please join Palm Beach County members of Democracy For Americaand MoveOn who are gathering at the Koffee Okee, 271 NE 6th Avenue in Delray Beach, to learn how to Vote Naked and for a screening of "STEALING AMERICA:
Vote by Vote" and find out how you can help to protect the outcome of this election. Will you join them?
http://stealingamerica.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/show/11766
Other members of Democracy for America and MoveOn in your area are already getting involved--click here to sign up and join them on Monday, October 27:
http://stealingamerica.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/show/11766
YES WE CAN!!!
Rick Neuhoff
www.RickNeuhoff2008.com
Co-Chair Palm Beach County DEC - Web & Technology Committee
Palm Beach County DEC - VOICE Committee
Palm Beach County DEC - Legislative Committee
United South County Democratic Club - Legislative Committee
Boynton Beach Democratic Club - Legislative Committee
Palm Beach County Democracy For America - Co-Secretary
Phone 561.358.0830
Email DishNetTV@aol.com
Obama for President
www.barackobama.com
The Democratic Party
www.democrats.org
The Palm Beach County Democratic Party
www.pbcdemocraticparty.org



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

-Sink predicts hard times for state
Don't expect economic hard times to begin turning around in Florida for at least a year, the state's chief financial officer said yesterday. "We are in for a hard ride here in Florida," Alex Sink told several dozen members of the Space Coast Tiger Bay Club at a luncheon meeting. That hard ride already has included a $9 billion reduction in the state budget from two years ago, with additional cuts still likely this year as revenue collections likely aren't matching earlier predictions.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081024/NEWS01/810240334/1006

-Florida: By County - Absentee and Early Voting Reports
http://doe.dos.state.fl.us/fvrscountyballotreports/FVRSAvailableFiles.aspx
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-poll2408oct24,0,3000967.story?track=rss

-Poll: 56% favor ban on gay marriage
Love it or hate it, most Florida voters have made up their minds about a ballot amendment to ban same-sex marriage. And most likely, a new poll shows, they'll vote to insert a definition of marriage into the state's constitution. Two other ballot proposals, intended to protect conservation lands and give tax breaks to waterfront businesses, also have a fighting chance.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-poll2408oct24,0,3000967.story?track=rss

-Political races' effects on Amendment 2 unknown
The proposed gay-marriage ban Florida voters are deciding now could be the electoral chicken to the presidential race's egg. Which came to the polling booth first, opponents of Amendment 2 or supporters of Sen. John McCain? Proponents of the marriage amendment or backers of Sen. Barack Obama? Neither. Or both. Maybe.
http://floridacapitalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081024/CAPITOLNEWS/810240334


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