A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
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BREAKING THE CYCLE via Josh Kraushaar of National Journal
President Obama’s allies have worked hard to persuade Americans that the economy is heading on the right track. So it was somewhat jarring to hear Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a potential 2016 Democratic presidential contender, argue there was a “crisis of confidence” facing the country. That’s not something seen in the White House talking points.
The comments say as much about the messaging of a future Democratic presidential field as about O’Malley’s own interest in the office. His remarks aren’t reflective of a politician trying to tie himself to the president’s economic record—they sound in anticipation of a future electorate looking for a change in leadership. With the president’s job approval flagging, more Democrats are expressing skepticism that their next nominee will want to run as a third term of the Obama administration.
It’s unusual, as my colleague Jill Lawrence pointed out, for a prominent Democrat to be channeling Jimmy Carter at a time Democrats hold many levers of power in Washington. But it accurately reflects a widespread economic angst in the country, one that Republicans will be trying to exploit as the next presidential election draws closer.
OBAMA TO ADDRESS DISABLED VETS IN ORLANDO via The News Service of Florida
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be in Orlando on Saturday, as the president is scheduled to address the national convention of DAV (Disabled American Veterans). The president is expected to make remarks about noon as part of the opening session for the four-day convention being held at the Hilton Orlando. A central theme of the convention is actions by the Veterans Administration and Congress to eliminate a backlog in delivering benefits to veterans.
SEVEN BEST TIDBITS FROM DAN BALZ’S ‘COLLISION 2012’ via Sean Sullivan in The Washington Post
Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America, a highly anticipated read from The Washington Post’s Dan Balz, is out. The book covers the 2012 election and its aftermath, from Mitt Romney’s decision to run for president through to his post-election reflection on his loss to President Obama. (Many of the most notable passages involve Romney.)
Romney wasn’t always keen on running. The Romney family spent Christmas in Hawaii in 2010, where they held a vote about whether the former governor should run for president again in 2012. Ten of the 12 voted no — including Romney.
Romney didn’t see “self-deportation” as a negative term. Democrats barraged Romney with attacks about the conservative stance on immigration he adopted, pointing consistently to his comments about “self-deportation.” In retrospect, Romney said he didn’t see it at the time as connoting something negative. “I thought of it as being a term that is used in the community of those discussing immigration,” Romney told Balz in January of 2013. “I hadn’t seen it as being a negative term.”
Republican power brokers made a big push to convince Christie to run. A lot of noteworthy Republicans wanted to see New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) run for president. Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger tried to woo him. So did conservative billionaire David Koch. Christie once attended a breakfast meeting he believed would be an intimate gathering, Balz writes. It turned out that 60 people were in attendance, according to Christie’s estimate.
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DENNIS ROSS OFFICE TO HOST MONTHLY MOBILE OFFICE HOURS AUGUST 13
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross’s staff will host mobile office hours the second Tuesday of every month across Florida’s 15th Congressional District. These mobile office hours are scheduled to serve as a convenience to constituents in order to assist with federal agencies, such as Social Security and disability, VA claims, student financial aid, and IRS tax problems. The times and locations are: Plant City, City Hall, from 8:45 – 9:45 a.m.; Brandon, Brandon Library, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.; Temple Terrace, City Hall, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.; and Lutz Library from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
EMILY’S LIST TO SUPPORT GWEN GRAHAM IN RACE AGAINST STEVE SOUTHERLAND
EMILY’s list rolled out its first endorsements for the 2014 election cycle, pegging Florida Democrat Gwen Graham as more favorable to the group’s mission than incumbent Republican Steve Southerland. No shock there.Graham was among six female Democrats running for Congressional seats who were chosen for “the list,” a designation that generally means the candidate will receive training, infrastructure, and funding from the pro-abortion rights group.
These endorsements align closely with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee priority races. Graham joins eight Florida women who earned a seat in Congress with EMILY’s list endorsement: Corrine Brown, Kathy Castor, Lois Frankel, Suzanne Kosmas, Carrie Meek, Karen Thurman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Frederica Wilson. The organization has also supported 17 Floridian women in their successful campaigns for state and local office — including former State Senator Nan Rich, although she is curiously void of EMILY’s List support in her current gubernatorial race.
TED YOHO GOES BIRTHER via Salon
Rep. Ted Yoho told constituents at a town hall meeting that though he thinks questions about President Obama’s birth certificate are mostly a “distraction,” he is supporting legislation to investigate further because if it is true, “we can get rid of everything he’s done.”
Yoho said that he had told Rep. Steve Stockman, a Texas Republican, that he would support Stockman’s bill to again look into Obama’s birth certificate. Though he asked the audience “is that really how we should be spending our time?” he continued that “I’m going to check into that, because in order to have freedom, you have to have economic freedom,” and “if it is true [that Obama wasn’t born in the United States], it’s illegal, he shouldn’t be there and we can get rid of everything he’s done, and I said I agree with that.”
Here’s the audio, via Right Wing Watch.
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THE INVISIBLE NAN via Allison Nielsen of Sunshine State News
Nan Rich made headlines when FDLE shut her out of the Dream Defenders’ weekend protest against Stand Your Ground at the Florida Capitol. But when she actually showed up at the protest, got into the building anyway, the media didn’t really want to know. The media, the donors, the voters never seem to want to know about this candidate who has given her all but gotten so little back. Surely it’s getting near quitting time for Nan Rich. The only officially declared gubernatorial candidate for 2014, Rich had months of time to get publicity on issues she deemed important and months of time to get voters on her side. Yet she remains essentially invisible in Florida politics. Nan Rich served as a senator for eight years, from 2004-2012, and was even Senate minority leader. Yet, she’s still struggling to gain notoriety in a race that is soon to be filled with political giants. Rich has been fighting for recognition since she jumped into the governor’s race more than a year ago. So far, not a single member of her party has joined her to challenge Gov. Rick Scott and despite her effort, not a single Democrat of consequence supports her.
Nan Rich clearly is secondary to Florida Democratic leadership. Even though they put her in a recent poll as ahead of Rick Scott, they mention her only in the context that even she could beat the governor, which appeared just to prove how beatable Rick Scott is, not how valuable Rich is… With diminishing funds and heavy-hitting opponents on the horizon, Rich finds herself essentially invisible, and seems to only be biding her time until she is forced to take herself out of the gubernatorial race.
RIDICULOUS PRESS RELEASE OF THE DAY: “Gov. Scott, the blood of boys is now in your hands!” via Art Rocker
UNDER-REPORTED, PRO-SCOTT STORY OF THE DAY: STATE DEBT DROPS via Lloyd Dunkelberger of the Herald-Tribune
For the third consecutive year, Florida has reduced its debt, dropping a record $1.6 billion in the recently concluded budget year, a state financial official told Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet on Tuesday.
The amount of money Florida has borrowed to pay for roads, schools and other programs declined to $24.6 billion as of June 30 and is $3.6 billion below the peak of $28.2 billion reached in 2010.
… While the debt reduction has strengthened Florida’s finances, there is trade-off. Without more extensive bonding, there is less money for school construction, environmental land purchases and other programs traditionally financed with bonds.
Ben Watkins, director of the state Division of Bond Finance, said the state has reduced its outstanding debt by $3.6 billion over the last three years, with the largest drop of $1.6 billionin the budget year that ended on June 30.
“This basically means we’re paying down more debt than new money issuances,” Watkins said.
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ADAM PUTNAM HOPES SENATE HEARING RAISES AWARENESS OF BAY CONDITIONS via the News Service of Florida
When a U.S. Senate committee comes to Franklin County next week, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam hopes federal lawmakers leave with a better understanding of the plight of people living along Apalachicola Bay. “Anytime you have a Senate field hearing, it raises awareness among the committee staff and it spreads that awareness to senators who are not from Florida,” Putnam said Tuesday. “We want to expand that level of awareness to other senators, particularly those who are on key committees who can help us get the resources necessary to rehabilitate that bay.”
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a field hearing on the impact of reduced water flows on Apalachicola Bay at 11 a.m. Aug. 13 at the Franklin County Courthouse. Florida, Georgia and Alabama have been in a long-running fight about water in the tri-state area. Florida officials have blamed drought conditions and a lack of freshwater flowing down the river for problems that have devastated the region’s oyster and fishing-related industries. “It’s so disappointing that the (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers hasn’t solved the problem, it’s been devastating to the oyster industry, we’ve put a lot of effort into that area of the state,” Gov. Scott said Tuesday. “We need more water flowing through there.” In May, the Senate voted 83-14 to pass the 2013 Water Resources Development Act, but only after deleting a provision backed by Sens. Nelson and Rubio that would have required Georgia to use less water from federal reservoirs for metro Atlanta’s drinking-water supply and release more to the other two states.
APPOINTED: Leonard E. Ireland, Jr. to the Eighth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission.
CDC REPORT: FIREARM HOMICIDES DECLINE IN FLORIDA CITIES BUT SUICIDE ON THE RISE via contributor Karen Cyphers
This week’s edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report” describes trends in firearm homicides and firearm suicides in major metropolitan areas, and suggests that while the homicides rates have declined in major Florida cities, firearm suicides have gone up — in some cases by quite a bit. Between 2006-07 and 2009-10 in Jacksonville, the rate of firearm homicides per 100,000 residents declined from 9.3 to 7.4 among all adults, and from 10.1 to 7.1 among residents ages 10-19.
Likewise in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach, firearm homicides declined from 6.3 per 100,000 to 5.6, and from 7.8 among residents ages 10-19 to 5.8. In the Orlando metro area, firearm homicides fell from 5.7 in 2006 to 3.4 in 2009, with no data available for these rates among younger residents. Finally, in the Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area, firearm homicides declined from 3.5 per 100,000 to 3.1 during these years for the whole population, yet rose from 3.1 to 3.8 among younger Floridians. This was the only region of the state to see such an increase. Yet while the rate of firearm homicides in Florida have declined, firearm suicide rates have not. In Jacksonville, the rate increased from 8.1 in 2006-07 to 10.8 in 2009-10; in Miami, from 5.4 to 5.5; in Orlando from 5.9 to 7.1; and in Tampa/St. Pete from 7.8 to 9.1.
These spikes are not insignificant. In Jacksonville, the increase in firearm suicides represents a rise of 39% in terms of total numbers, and 33% in terms of this number per 100,000 residents. Full blog post here.
DEPT. OF HEALTH FIRED INSPECTOR FOR BEING “TOO GOOD” AT HIS JOB via Health News Florida
As an investigator for the Florida Department of Health, it is possible to be fired for being “gung-ho” at your job?
Two employees — an investigator and his boss — considered by outsiders as particularly adept at discovering illegal activity have left the DOH.
Christopher Knox tells Miami WSVN-TV/7 News was fired because his superiors directed him not to cooperate with the Florida state Attorney’s Office about pharmacies suspected in drug trafficking. Knox, who passed on the illegal activity to police, said that DOH rules are to cooperate with law enforcement. He said the orders he was given were “illegal.”
Knox provided e-mails supporting the claim his agency forced him to break contact with the State’s Attorney office.
Frank Figueredo, Knox’s immediate supervisor, resigned instead of following orders to prevent Knox from working with law enforcement.
When asked to respond, DOH officials denied giving Knox the orders.
EDITORIAL: PENSION REFORM DESERVES ANOTHER TRY via the Tampa Tribune
Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford hasn’t given up on reforming the state pension system, and that’s good news for taxpayers and state employees. Weatherford’s effort to phase out the pension plan for state workers last session failed to win support in the Senate. He plans to try again, and this time we hope the Senate cooperates. As Weatherford points out, the transition to a defined contribution plan is not aimed solely at protecting taxpayers from paying for a defined lifetime retirement benefit, regardless of how the market performs. “About 60 percent of state workers enrolled in the defined benefit plan don’t get a cent,” Weatherford recently told us. The reason? It takes eight years to be vested in the Florida Retirement System. Participants in a defined contribution plan like those used in most private businesses can be vested in a year.
Under this 401(k)-type plan, the state would make an annual per-employee payment, and it would be matched by an employee, with the money invested in the stock market. The fund would be portable, should the employee take another job. Now, state employees essentially lose the benefit if they leave before being vested. A common argument is that state employees won’t be able to effectively manage their money in the market. This is nonsense. As private-sector workers have found, there are numerous safe investments available — and numerous ways to educate yourself about how to pick them. Public workers are no less capable of managing their money than private-sector employees.
FSU STUDY HIGHLIGHTS BEST PRACTICES IN PUBLIC PENSION MANAGEMENT via contributor Karen Cyphers
There are about 500 municipal pension plans published by the Florida Department of Management Services, each of which has a unique configuration of management and funding policies, begging the question of whether best practices in pension management may be identified to improve (or in some cases, save) the health of such plans. Over the past decade, Florida’s municipal pension plans have gone deeper in the red, straining city budgets with returns on investment that are not keeping up with liabilities. Yet according to a report just published by the Florida State University LeRoy Collins Institute, not all of Florida’s municipal pensions are suffering, and to the contrary, many are in good condition and well-funded. The Collins team found that these healthy plans more likely to follow nationally-recognized “best practices” in public pension management — a finding which validates these guidelines and offers various options for struggling plans to adopt.
Plans were rated first based on their ratio of actual pension assets to actuarial liabilities, and were placed into five categories based on their funded ratio. In about equal parts, one-quarter of plans were each funded at less than 60%, 60 to 70%, and 70 to 80%, respectively. About 17% of Florida’s municipal plans are funded at 80 to 90%, qualifying as being in good condition based on US Government Accountability Office standards; and another 9% are funded at greater than 90%, bringing the total to 26% for healthy municipal pensions. Broken down by types of plans, about 30% of general employee and police plans are in good condition, about 25% of firefighter plans, and about 15% of the combined police and firefighter plans. Full blog post here.
POLICY NOTES
Agency for Persons with Disabilities: Director Barbara Palmer will talk about issues from the 2013 legislative session and answer questions during a town-hall meeting in Fort Myers. Wednesday, 10 a.m., First Presbyterian Church.
Gulf Power: The Public Service Commission holds an informal hearing 10 a.m. to discuss a rate increase request by Gulf Power Co. The meeting will be in Room E-140 of the Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee. Docket 130140 can be found here.
Revenue Estimating Conference: The REC will discuss the Public Education Capital Outlay, or PECO, program that helps pay for education-construction projects. 10:30 a.m., 117 Knott Building.
Space Florida Board: The Space Florida Board of Directors is scheduled to meet in Destin on Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., Hilton Sandestin.
Silver Springs Projects: The Department of Environmental Protection will provide updates about a series of issues related to the Silver Springs area, including repairs on the Silver Springs attraction property and a land-management plan for the Silver River State Park and the Silver Springs attraction. Wednesday, 7 p.m., Fort King Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall in Ocala.
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CHRIS SMITH CALLS FOR SENATE PANEL ON ‘STAND YOUR GROUND’ via The News Service of Florida
Minority Leader Chris Smith asked Senate President Gaetz on Tuesday to form a select committee to examine Florida’s self-defense laws, particularly the controversial “stand your ground” law. The laws have come under heavy scrutiny since the July 13 acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teen Trayvon Martin in Seminole County.
Smith referred to an Aug. 2 memo in which Gaetz wrote that no senators had approached him with a specific proposal. “Mr. President, please consider this my specific proposal: First, I respectfully request that you convene a Senate Select Committee to examine Florida’s self-defense laws, specifically as they relate to Stand Your Ground, and whether changes need to be made to better protect our citizens,” Smith wrote in a letter Tuesday. “I would like to serve as a member of that committee.” Also, Smith requested that “stand your ground” bills being drafted for the 2014 legislative session be placed first on the committee’s agenda for a hearing. Gov. Rick Scott and Republican legislative leaders have rejected calls to hold a special legislative session on the “stand your ground” issue.
SPOTTED: Rep. Mike Hill on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Video here. (And check out his strong statement on being an American, not an African American.)
>>>Hill’s appearance will only fuel the rumors of him in the running to be a House Speaker one day.
LUCHA LIBRE! Check out this Lucha poster promoting the debate between Rep. Gaetz and Phil Agnew of the Dream Defenders.
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MIKE FASANO APPOINTED TAX COLLECTOR OF PASCO COUNTY via the News Service of Florida
After years of battling utilities, insurance companies and, at times, Republican colleagues, longtime state lawmaker Mike Fasano is headed out of Tallahassee.
Gov. Scott on Tuesday appointed Fasano as Pasco County tax collector, replacing Mike Olson, who died this year.
Fasano, 55, said Scott called him Tuesday morning with the news of the appointment. The New Port Richey Republican served in the House from 1994 to 2002, in the Senate from 2002 to 2012 and then returned to the House last year.
Reached by phone, Fasano said he had an “unbelievable honor” to serve in the Legislature and said that at times, “we were successful in keeping bad policy from happening.”
HOW IT PLAYED: Miami Herald, “Gov. Scott names Rep. Fasano to Pasco tax collector’s post – replacing the late Mike Olson” … The Ledger, “Scott Appoints Fasano as Pasco Tax Collector – After years of battling utilities, insurance companies and, at times, Republican colleagues, longtime state lawmaker Mike Fasano is headed out of Tallahassee” … Bay News, “Mike Fasano appointed Pasco tax collector – means that the Florida Legislature will lose a veteran legislator who criticized fellow Republicans on their handling of issues such as prison privatization and property insurance” … Sunshine State News, “Frequent Scott critic, Fasano, appointed Pasco Tax Collector – a move the takes a Republican maverick and frequent Scott critic out of the Legislature”… Tampa Bay Times, “Gov. Scott names Rep. Fasano as Pasco’s new tax collector – is an unconventional choice for the position, will hold the office through November 2014, when he will have to run for a new term.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I encourage anyone present and future in the Legislature to have that individual voice and individual thinking — because that’s when you truly represent your constituents,” — Rep. Mike Fasano
REACTIONS
Speaker Designate Steve Crisafulli: “Thank you for your service to the people of our great state.”
Rep. Jimmy Patronis: “Good luck Rep. Fasano! I’m going to mail you a ‘Let’s get to work’ bumper sticker.”
TWEET, TWEET: @stevebousquet: Some Tally GOP’ers glad Rep. Mike Fasano is leaving. Rep. Matt Gaetz calls Fasano “nice man” but as a Republican, “wolf in sheep’s clothing”
WHO MIGHT REPLACE MIKE FASANO IN HD 36?
Earlier I wrote that trial attorney Jeff Lucas might run to replace Fasano, but since that post was published a lot has happened.
Speaker Designate Richard Corcoran tells me he expects Bill Gunter, a pastor at Redeemer Community Church in Pasco County, to run for the seat.
Corcoran indicated he would fully support Gunter. Expect the rest of the Republican legislative leadership to second Corcoran’s endorsement.
With Corcoran and Co. behind him, Gunter will immediately emerge as the front-runner for HD 36. As one political consultant on-the-ground in Pasco describes the situation, “It’s all swen up” for Gunter.
Corcoran described Gunter as the right kind of successor to Mike Fasano because “Gunter will look out for the little guy.”
Gunter has been the pastor of Redeemer Community Church, formerly known as River Ridge Presbyterian Church, for more than ten years, according to a profile of him by Lee Logan of the Tampa Bay Times. Before that, he worked at a church near Dallas for two years and was an insurance claims adjuster.
There’s a profile of Gunter’s ministry to farm workers and prisoners here.
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DAVID SANTIAGO FUNDRAISER SET FOR SEPT. 24
Speaker Designate Crisafulli, Chairman Corcoran and Representative Oliva are hosting a fundraiser benefiting the reelection campaign of David Santiago to his House District 27 seat. The event will be onTuesday, September 24, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Governors Inn, Tallahassee Room. RSVP to Beth Babington at [email protected].
JOHN TOBIA FACES CHALLENGERS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT via Kevin Derby of Sunshine State News
While it’s still early in the 2014 election cycle, Rep. John Tobia is already facing challengers on the left and right. But Tobia has been here before, holding off a primary challenge and winning the general election in 2012. Tobia has already drawn two opponents in Republican primary challenger Timothy Street and Democrat Santa Isabel Wright.
Wright, who ran for county commission last year, said Tobia was not getting the job done in Tallahassee. Pointing to her three decades in health care administration, Wright said she was an active part of the Brevard County community, something she insists the Republican incumbent can’t claim.
Street, a veteran of the Marine Corps who also worked in federal law enforcement, filed his paperwork to run for the Florida House last week. As he makes his first bid for office, Street pointed to his wide array of experience as a sign he is not a career politician. Street said he was a conservative who supported limited government, personal freedoms and stood against abortion. He said he hoped his campaign would galvanize conservatives in the district and across the state.
RICHARD DENAPOLI EARNS EARLY ENDORSEMENT FROM REPS. PILON & MORAITIS
Businessman and Republican Party stalwart, Richard DeNapoli, earned the primary endorsements of Sarasota State Rep. Ray Pilon and Broward State Rep. George Moraitis. In a press release, Pilon touted DeNapoli for his experience in retirement security and financial planning, and Moraitis commended him for being a common-sense conservative. The seat is currently held by term-limited Rep. Doug Holder.
DeNapoli faces fellow Republican Julio Gonzalez for the District 74 seat.
SCOTT STURGILL TO HOLD DISTRICT 30 CAMPAIGN KICKOFF EVENT AUG. 27
Republican Scott Sturgill will host a kickoff fundraising reception in his bid for House District 30. The event will begin 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 27 the Heathrow Country Club at 1200 Bridgewater Drive.
More than 25 local politicians and community leaders are chairing the reception.
Sturgill, CEO of durable Safety Products and elected to Seminole County Soil & Water Conservation District, is running against Longwood City Commissioner Robert Cortes in the Republican primary. The winner goes on to the general election against incumbent Democratic Rep. Karen Castor Dentel. District 3 covers much of Seminole and Orange Counties.
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NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS
George Anderson, Nelson Diaz, Chris Dudley, Southern Strategy Group: Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc.
Roberto Carbonell: Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Frank Tsamoutales, Cameron Yarborough: Solix, Inc.
SPOTTED: My man, Ron Sachs, at the Renaissance Vinoy in St. Petersburg.
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DON’T READ: “10 SECRETS FOR SEDUCING A POLITICIAN” here.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kirsten Borman and Southern Strategy Group’s David Browning.
NATURE OR NURTURE? TWINS TURN TO OUTER SPACE TO FIND OUT via contributor Karen Cyphers
Twin studies are awesome. Twin studies in space? Even better. And now, thanks to two brothers, such plans are in progress. According to Florida Today, astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly came up with the idea themselves: Scott will head to the International Space Station in 2015 for 12 months in space while his identical twin will remain on Earth, both submitting to regular blood, saliva, and other tests with the hope of illuminating the effects of long-term spaceflight on humans. The 49-year-old brothers are the only siblings to have both flown in space. NASA has issued a call for proposals for applied research in support of the project, titled “Differential Effects of Homozygous Twin Astronauts Associated with Differences in Exposure to Spaceflight Factors.” Specifically, NASA is looking for proposals to investigate the differences in “genetic, proteomic, metabolomics, and related functions” in the two twin males associated with their exposure to spaceflight conditions. Full blog post here.
