Buzz: Superintendent Malcolm Thomas is set to release March 24 the findings of his investigation on how he, his school district administration and Tate High School handled the alleged March 1 sexual…
From head of Minutemen Project
Got this gem from a Tea Party email blast: Steve Eichler, J.D. Executive Director of the Minuteman Project/MinutemanProject.com and Executive Director of the Tea Party/TeaParty.org calls for Minutemen and the Tea Party…
Move over Wisconsin, Florida union bashing begins
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that state lawmakers have proposed several bills that are nearly identical to those proposed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: SB 830, sponsored by Sen. John Thrasher, R-St….
Haridopolos stalls Senate ethics bill
Last year Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos co-sponsored a bill that would have cracked down on legislative voting conflicts of interest. This year, he had the bill pulled from the agenda of…
A few questions
GREETING JURORS: Have the federal judges surveyed their jurors to see if they were swayed by Sheriff Morgan thanking them for their service at the trolley stop at 6 a.m.? Has a…
Buzz: Townsend wants out-of-district nominee
The Pensacola City Council is appointing its redistricting committee. Each current district should be represented on the committee that will decide the boundaries of the seven council districts. Townsend has made it…
State budget cuts could hurt local economy by $35.1 million
Rick Scott’s proposed budget eliminates the Medical Needy Program and reduces hospital Medicaid rates. Sacred Heart Health System, the largest Medicaid provider in Northwest Florida, stands to lose $21 million if the…
Badlands Part 3
Press release: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and The Cottage Hill Neighborhood Watch, along with several other agencies, will conduct an “Operation Clean Sweep†event on Thursday, March 24, 2011. The clean-up…
DOE Secretary resigns
Statement from Eric Smith who announced his resignation as the Secretary of the Florida Department of Education: This past weekend, I informed the members of the State Board of Education of my…
Education is the target for state budget proposals
In Escambia County, County Administrator Randy Oliver has got his board eyeing the Sheriff David Morgan’s budget as a way to balance their budget. In Tallahassee, Education is the target. Gov. Scott…
GOP double-talk
I find it ironic that Gov. Rick Scott professes that his budget cuts will create jobs and revive our economy, yet most local officials will tell you that they expect their revenues…
Arrests Made in Turner Homicide
Press Release: A year-long investigation into the death 20 year old Donald Diego Turner has led to two arrests on the anniversary of the crime. 25 year old Jarvis Lamar Jessie and…
NPR sting producer refused to be videotaped
James O’Keefe, the conservative activist known for his hidden-camera videos that attacked ACORN and National Public Radio, refused last week to let a local newspaper videotape his speech to the Bayshore Tea…
Answers to teacher merit pay questions
Orlando Sentinel put together this Q&A on the merit pay bill that recently passed the Florida Senate. My favorite: Does research show merit-pay plans boost student performance? Not necessarily. Several studies, most…
Blog stats still strong
This blog has had more visitors – both unique and total – for the first 19 days of this month than all of March 2010. Year-to-date the blog traffic is up 70…
Who guides Gov. Rick Scott
The St. Pete Times reports that Gov. Rick Scott is guided by three conservative think tanks: Cato Institute, Reason Foundation and Heritage Foundation. If you read the article, you will that big…
Truth about state pensions
Gov. Rick Scott wants the public to believe that teachers, law enforcement, firefighters and other public employees are getting rich off their pension benefits. The Miami Herald punctured that baloney in its…
Time for whistleblower policies
Daily News reports that in response to the bonus kickback scandal that led to the arrest of its sheriff and several high-ranking officials in his office, Okaloosa County officials have developed a…
Why did people move from Escambia to Santa Rosa?
Louis Cooper at the daily wants to know. Santa Rosa’s total population is 151,372, according to the 2010 census. In 2000, Santa Rosa’s population was 117,743—a growth rate of nearly 29 percent….
Weak editorials
I grew up in Greenville, Miss.–a town known for two things, cotton and its daily newspaper, The Delta Democrat Times. The paper’s owner, publisher and editor, Hodding Carter II, was known for…
