Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, Mitch Perry, Ryan Ray, and Jim Rosica
THE STATE OF FLORIDA POLITICS, AS VIEWED THROUGH THE GASPARILLA CHILDREN’S PARADE
Robert and Nancy Watkins may be the two most essential players in Florida’s political universe. Through their South Tampa accounting firm moves tens, if not hundreds, of millions in political contributions and expenditures. Nancy is the treasurer for dozens of candidates and committees, including Conservative Solutions PAC, the most prominent super PAC supporting Marco Rubio’s bid for the White House. Among her too-many-too-name Florida clients are several A-list members of Congress and the Florida Legislature.
There is probably no adviser, consultant, or vendor with more direct connections to Florida politicians than this power couple. Their services are not cheap. In 2009, Florida Trend cited several campaign finance reports to determine that the accountants charge federal campaigns north of $2,500 to keep the books. But candidates gladly pay because there are few people in the country who know more about campaign finance. More important, the Watkins are known for their ethics and integrity in an industry that faces constant scrutiny.
Each year, the Watkins host parties during Gasparilla Season at their stately waterfront home. Gasparilla is an annual celebration that began in 1904. Held each year in late January or early February and hosted by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla and the City of Tampa, it celebrates the apocryphal legend of José Gaspar (Gasparilla), a mythical Spanish pirate captain who supposedly operated in Southwest Florida.
Gasparilla isn’t Mardi Gras, but it is the third largest parade in the country and a helluva good time.
Saturday was the Children’s Gasparilla Extravaganza, an alcohol-free event, celebrating the return of the pirates to Tampa Bay. My wife, daughter, and I gladly accepted an invitation to view the parade from the Watkins’ Bayshore Boulevard home. And while Ella Joyce was there for the beads and the floats, I was there for the politics as the party draws many of Tampa Bay’s leading politicos (at least those fortunate enough to receive an invite from the Watkins.)
Because I had a Bloody Mary in hand for most of the day, the conversations I had with those in attendance are not for attribution, but, taken together, they do offer a telling glimpse into the state of Florida politics.
Many in the crowd — former House Speaker Will Weatherford among them — are supporters of Jeb Bush for president. Despite Bush’s low standing in most polls, they are not ready to throw in the towel on the former governor. There is a great deal of hope that Bush can rebound in New Hampshire.
One thing was clear about these Bush supporters: if there guy loses, they are not getting in line behind Marco Rubio. They, like much of the Republican establishment, will scatter.
The crowd at Watkins’ home, by and large, does not like Ted Cruz. And while they don’t understand the appeal of Donald Trump, they’re not as repulsed by him as they are by Cruz. Some see in Trump what they saw in Rick Scott. In fact, one of the partygoers there, Scott Hopes, a gubernatorial appointee to the state executive of the Republican Party of Florida, made this point to me.
It wasn’t just Iowa and New Hampshire that the parade-watchers were discussing. The up-until-now sleepy race for the U.S. Senate was widely discussed. Many guests were asking about Carlos Beruff, the Manatee developer thinking about throwing his hat in the ring. Several others in the crowd, many of whom are major donors to Republican causes, repeated the rumor that beyond Beruff, there is another gazillionaire thinking about jumping into the wide-open race. But the star of the party may have been David Jolly, buoyed by a twenty-point lead in the latest poll. With Laura, his lovely new wife by his side and a week of earned media behind him, Jolly was a man in full at the party. Has Jolly finally found his stride?
Down-ballot races were also on full display at the Watkins party. And what was happening there can serve as a microcosm of what’s taking place throughout the state.
Redistricting has reshaped Tampa Bay’s state Senate districts, like it has throughout the rest of Florida. There’s now a seat open that encompasses much of south and west Tampa. It’s almost tailor-made for state Rep. Dana Young, who announced this week that she’s running for the seat. With that domino falling, her battleground state House seat is up for grabs and is being eyes by several serious candidates, including Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman and Tampa City Councilman Harry Cohen. If those two run, their seats will be up for grabs. And so on.
It’s Peak Chaos in Florida politics and it’s creating a parade of candidates longer than then one outside the Watkins’ home on Saturday.
ALSO SPOTTED at the Gasparilla Children’s Parade: Bob Buckhorn, Joel Brown, Kevin and Melissa Dempsey, Liz & Adam Goodman, Mike Griffin, Bob Henriquez, Merritt & Rick Lindstrom, Mark Proctor, Sydney Ridley, Drew Weatherford.
DAYS UNTIL … Final GOP debate before voting begins: 3; Iowa caucuses: 7; final GOP debate before the New Hampshire primary: 12; Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California: 13; Date Florida’s elections supervisors mail domestic ballots: 15; New Hampshire primary: 15; “SEC primary”: 36; Conservative Political Action Conference: 37; Florida presidential primary: 50; Debut of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice: 60; the Republican National Convention in Cleveland: 175; the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia: 1082; Florida primary: 218; Election Day: 288.
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MUST READ #1 – “Easy there, Marc Caputo” via Florida Politics
POLLS GALORE #1 – A new Fox News poll in Iowa finds Trump leading the GOP field with 34% among likely Republican caucus-goers, an 11-point bump from two weeks ago. Cruz is now at 23% and Rubio is at 13%.
POLLS GALORIE #2 – A new Fox News poll in New Hampshire finds Trump is way ahead of the GOP field with 31%, followed by Cruz at 14%, and Rubio at 13%.
EVEN AS JEB BUSH’S PROSPECTS BRIGHTEN, HE FACES CALLS TO QUIT via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times –The most important day in Bush‘s presidential campaign is Feb. 9 … when New Hampshire residents vote and Bush’s precarious campaign finally fizzles out or when he resurfaces as a leading candidate after months of teetering on the brink of irrelevance. Even more than Iowa’s caucuses in just over a week, the Granite State primary should provide clarity to a contest that has defied prediction and long-held assumptions about presidential politics. “It’s the first real inflection point,” said Al Cardenas, a top Republican fundraiser and Bush supporter from Miami. “For some people, it’s the definitive last stand. For some people it may be a course alteration.” For others, out of money and momentum, it’s sure to be the end.
NO HOME-COURT EDGE FOR JEB BUSH, MARCO RUBIO IN FLORIDA via Ledge King of FLORIDA TODAY – Two polls out this week show that … Bush and Rubio … also are lagging in their home state ahead of Florida’s March 15 primary. A Florida Times-Union poll … showed Trump leading with 31 percent among likely GOP primary voters, followed by Cruz (19 percent), Bush (13 percent) and Rubio (12 percent). A Florida Atlantic University poll … carried even worse news for the two Sunshine State candidates. Trump dominated the field at 48 percent, followed – distantly – by Cruz (16 percent), Rubio (11 percent) and Bush (10 percent). But all is not lost for the home-state candidates, despite deep support for Trump in every age group and ideological category, said Matt Towery, founder of InsiderAdvantage. “It should be noted that (Bush and Rubio) are pulling a combined 25 percent of the vote, which suggests that if one of them takes a solid lead over the other in earlier states, that candidate might be a significant player in the Florida primary.”
BUSH SAYS IT’S “NOT APPROPRIATE” FOR SARAH PALIN TO BLAME BARACK OBAMA FOR SON’S ACTIONS via Andrew Kaczynski of BuzzFeed – Palin’s son, Track, was arrested on domestic violence charges … stemming from altercation in which he allegedly hit his girlfriend while drunk. The former Alaska governor in a speech … said President Obama didn’t do enough for veterans, citing her son. “I don’t know the details of it, but I do know that we have a problem of post-traumatic stress,” [Bush] said on Kilmeade and Friends. “It’s a serious problem and that the Veterans Administration needs to do a better job of creating centers of excellence to deal with veterans … Our communities need to rise up to help veterans … We have homeless veterans, we have people that are suicidal and who have committed suicide. It’s a national tragedy, all of us I think have a responsibility to roll up our sleeves — I don’t think blaming the president is appropriate.” Still, Bush said, Obama can be blamed for the dysfunction at the VA.
MARCO RUBIO NABS ENDORSEMENT OF IOWA’S LARGEST PAPER via Alex Jaffe of NBC News – Rubio won the coveted Des Moines Register endorsement … giving him a boost from the state’s largest newspaper just over a week before voters make their presidential pick in the Iowa caucuses. “Sen. Marco Rubio has the potential to chart a new direction for the party, and perhaps the nation, with his message of restoring the American dream. We endorse him because he represents his party’s best hope,” the newspaper’s editorial board wrote … [Touting] his ability to “welcome new people to the [Republican] party” and that he can “inspire the base with his ideas on improving the economy, education system and social programs” … during meetings with the editorial board, “the whip-smart senator displayed an impressive grasp of public policy detail,” and tout his policy proposals to spur innovation, reign in regulations and promote vocational training, among others.
— “The Des Moines Register’s endorsements of Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio aren’t game changers” via Harry Enten of FiveThirtyEight.com
WHY THE ESTABLISHMENT HASN’T BACKED RUBIO via Taegan Goddard — Rubio isn’t an establishment candidate at all. Writing in The Guardian before the 2014 midterm elections, Harry Enten suggested that plotting lawmaker voting records on liberal vs conservative grid wasn’t as useful — especially for Republicans — as measuring how often they bucked the leaders in their party. By using this measure, Rubio is actually more anti-establishment than 88% of Republicans in Congress. In fact, Rubio’s voting profile more closely resembles the House Freedom Caucus than it does a mainstream Republican.
RUBIO MAY OPPOSE COMMON CORE BUT HAS SUPPORTED THE IDEAS BEHIND IT via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times – Rubio has been attacking Christie over Common Core and … went after Bush, saying the former governor was ‘nowhere to be found’ when Republicans were fighting Obama‘s agenda and ‘spent most of his time traveling the country trying to push’ the education standards.” But, Rubio has supported tenets of Common Core in the past. “I think that’s a good idea,” Rubio said in 2009. He did stress, however, that he felt “education is a state function, best regulated and governed at the state level.”
EMAIL INSIGHTS: RUBIO CAMPAIGN HOPING TO RAISE CASH OFF #RUBIOCRIMESPREE via Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster of Florida Politics – Rubio’s campaign is hitting back after a Washington Post story reported the Florida senator was arrested in 1990 for being in a park after closing time. In a fundraising email to supporters … the campaign decided to come clean with a few other offenses: He colored outside the lines as a kid, double dips his chips, and once took 11 items through the 10-item express lane. “Marco’s survived $22 million in attacks from the Establishment already, but more is coming,” the email said. “Our opponents wouldn’t think twice before putting ‘Caught in Municipal Park After House at 18 years old’ on billboards all around Des Moines. Will they send videos of him double-dipping his chips to opinion leaders in key early states?”
SILVER AIRWAYS OFFERS FREE FLIGHTS IN FLORIDA IF JEB BUSH OR MARCO RUBIO WIN IOWA via Frances McMorris of the Tampa Bay Business Journal – Silver Airways said: “You may think there’s only a snowball’s chance but if one of our Florida candidates — Marco or Jeb — pull off the win in the Iowa Caucus and don’t get ‘Trumped’, you’ll receive a free flight* between any of Silver Airways’ 10 Florida destinations.” The airline’s promotion states that if either Rubio or Bush win the Iowa Caucus, Silver Airways will give away free flights, and the taxes and fees will be included. In its the promotion the airline states: “To jump in on this deal, vote for your favorite Republican or Democrat candidate today at the Silver Caucus. While voting, be sure to give us your name and email address and if Marco or Jeb win the Iowa Caucus Feb 1, 2016 — we will send you a voucher redeemable for your free flight.”
WHY RUBIO THINKS HISTORIC BLIZZARD IS THE ‘BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO THE REPUBLIC IN QUITE A WHILE’ via Kate Scanlon of The Blaze – “In Washington right now, they are being buried in this snow blizzard,” the Florida senator said. “Which means that federal agencies were not able to work all day yesterday at issuing new regulations … Apparently Barack Obama’s executive order pen has frozen … Come to think of it, that’s probably one of the best things to happen to the republic in quite a while.”
EMAIL I DIDN’T OPEN: “HOT TIP: Marco Rubio was “hanging out” with a gay porn baron when arrested in 1990″
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DONALD TRUMP WELCOMES A SENATOR, BASHES GLENN BECK’S SUPPORT OF TED CRUZ via Jill Colvin and Steve Peoples of the Associated Press – Trump is so confident about the loyalty of his supporters that he predicted … they would stick with him even if he shot someone. The front-runner bashed Glenn Beck‘s support of Cruz and welcomed a figure from the GOP establishment, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, in rallies nine days before the Iowa caucuses open voting in the 2016 campaign. “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” Trump told an enthusiastic audience at a Christian school, Dordt College. “It’s like incredible.” Beck campaigned for Cruz and held little back in going after Trump. “The time for silliness and reality show tactics has passed,” Beck charged at a Cruz rally. He warned that a Trump victory in the Feb. 1 caucuses could have lasting consequences: “If Donald Trump wins, it’s going to be a snowball to hell.” At his Sioux Center event, Trump called Beck a “loser” and “sad sack.” Beck was one of nearly two dozen conservative thinkers who penned anti-Trump essays for National Review magazine — a hit Trump referred to repeatedly at the rally.
MAJOR GOP DONOR LAUNCHES PRO-DONALD TRUMP SUPER PAC via Alex Isenstadt of POLITICO – William Doddridge, the CEO of the Jewelry Exchange, one of the country’s largest jewelry companies, [says he] decided to start TrumPAC, an outside group focused on helping the real estate mogul win the White House. … Working alongside Doddridge will be Amy Kremer, a key leader in the tea party movement who formerly served as chairman of the Tea Party Express and will serve as TrumPAC’s spokeswoman and co-founder. The group’s attorney will be Dan Backer … who represented GOP activist Shaun McCutcheon.
TOP FORMER MITT ROMNEY AIDE LAUNCHES ANTI-DONALD TRUMP SUPER PAC via Alex Isenstadt of POLITICO – The group, which is called Our Principles PAC, is founded by Katie Packer, a veteran Republican strategist who served as deputy campaign manager on … Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. This week, the group sent out mailers to Iowa voters attacking Trump … In a filing with the [FEC], the group has reported spending nearly $45,000 on mailers. Additionally, the super PAC has reserved more than $3,000 in spending on Iowa radio stations … Packer has spent months in talks with Republican donors and operatives to gauge financial interest in an anti-Trump campaign.
MEANWHILE … MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, SENSING AN OPENING, REVISITS A POTENTIAL WHITE HOUSE RUN via Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman of The New York Times – His advisers and associates said he was galled by … Trump’s dominance of the Republican field, and troubled by … Clinton’s stumbles and the rise of … Sanders … on the Democratic side … the billionaire former mayor of New York City, has in the past contemplated running for the White House on a third-party ticket, but always concluded he could not win. A confluence of unlikely events in the 2016 election, however, has given new impetus to his presidential aspirations. His aides have sketched out a version of a campaign plan that would have the former mayor, a low-key and cerebral personality, give a series of detailed policy speeches backed by an intense television advertising campaign. The ads would introduce him to voters around the country as a technocratic problem-solver and self-made businessman who understands the economy and who built a bipartisan administration in New York.
AS BLOOMBERG WEIGHS WHITE HOUSE RUN, IOWA VOTERS ASK, ‘WHO?‘ via Julie Pace of the Associated Press – Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s latest flirtation with a White House run set the political world aflutter … But in Iowa, some people wondered, who? “I don’t know anything about him,” said Leslie McCreery, a 70-year-old Hillary Clinton supporter. Asked whether she was familiar with the three-term New York mayor, Clinton supporter Beverly Williams, 55, said, “No, I’m not.” Bloomberg, a longtime Democrat who became a Republican, then switched to independent, is said to be strongly considering a bid if the general election becomes a contest between Sanders and Donald Trump. Among Iowa voters attending campaign events … there were few Bloomberg fans. “The communist? The anti-2nd Amendment mayor?” asked Claudia Springer, 63, of Bloomfield, Iowa, who was attending a rally for Cruz.
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TEAM IN PLACE IF CARLOS BERUFF RUNS via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune – The team is in place and ready to go if Manatee County homebuilder … Beruff decides to run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican … has been meeting with top political consultants, said Sarasota County GOP Chairman Joe Gruters, who had lunch with the homebuilder last week. “He told me he’s 85 percent in,” Gruters said. Beruff’s success in the race may depend, in part, on whether he has the kind of wealth to give his campaign an edge over the four other Republicans already running … Medallion Home, the company Beruff founded in 1984, had more than $100 million in sales in 2013. It was the region’s 87th-largest privately held company at that time.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN ENDORSES SUSANNAH RANDOLPH FOR CONGRESS –The National Organization for Women PAC is the latest progressive organization to endorse Susannah Randolph in the race for Florida’s 9th Congressional District, citing her lengthy record of fighting for reproductive rights, wage equality, paid time off and affordable, quality child care. “There are few congressional candidates who have fought for and lead on the issues that directly affect women. Susannah has worked to ensure women’s equality in every realm and has been a key ally to NOW,” said Meredith Ockman, the Southeast Regional Director of NOW. “We are confident she will continue to represent the best interests of women, and ultimately everyone, when she goes to Congress. We are proud to endorse a candidate who has stood with us and encourage people to support Susannah Randolph to ensure she wins.”
SAVE THE DATE: Republican Justin Grabelle hosts a fundraiser to support his campaign for Florida’s 11th Congressional District. The reception is Monday, Feb. 8 beginning 5:30 p.m. at Bascom’s Chophouse, 3665 Ulmerton Road in Clearwater. Special guest is U.S. Rep. (and Senate candidate) David Jolly. To RSVP, contact Berny Jacques at [email protected].
IS ERIC LYNN EXAGGERATING HIS ROLE IN ’08 OBAMA CAMPAIGN? Via Charlie Frago of the Tampa Bay Times – Lynn advised … Obama on national security issues during the president’s 2008 campaign. But was he “an adviser” or “the adviser?” The answer to that question may seem to be of interest only to status-conscious political insiders or, perhaps, to his opponent, but a Lynn campaign flier appears to leave little room for interpretation. “He served as the candidate’s national security adviser,” the flier reads. Lynn’s campaign dismissed any speculation that Lynn is exaggerating his record. “Any casual political observer knows that every presidential campaign has more than one national security adviser,” said Bill Burton, who is advising Lynn on his bid to win the 13th Congressional Seat. “It’s not in dispute that he was one of those advisors.” Burton served as a spokesman for Obama’s 2008 campaign.
DEMOCRAT SEEKING JUPITER U.S. HOUSE SEAT GIVES TO GOP 2-1 OVER DEMS via George Bennett of the Palm Beach Post – Randy Perkins … who switched his voter registration from no party to Democrat a week before announcing his candidacy in November, has directed more than $1.6 million in contributions to Republican candidates and committees around the U.S. since 2001 and about half that much to Democrats. Perkins is founder and chief executive officer of disaster-recovery giant AshBritt Environmental, which deals with elected officials around the country as it vies for cleanup work after hurricanes, wildfires and other calamities. “From a pure business standpoint, it’s my job to know every governor in this country — not just know them; they’ve got to know me” … Perkins or AshBritt have contributed to current and former Republican Govs. Scott, Rick Perry and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California as well as Democrats Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and Eliot Spitzer of New York. Perkins has personally given $309,275 to Republicans and $141,250 to Democrats since 2001.
CONSUMERS FOR SMART SOLAR CLAIMS IT HAS ENOUGH SIGNATURES TO QUALIFY FOR BALLOT via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics – gathered 695,376, more than 11,000 beyond the required 683,149 valid petitions to get on the November ballot. “Not only did we reach the required valid petitions milestone, we have also now met the petition threshold in 14 congressional districts to certify the amendment to the ballot,” said Jim Kallinger, co-chair of Consumers for Smart Solar. “Because of the support of hundreds of thousands of Floridians from across our state, Florida voters will have the opportunity to approve an amendment that is good for consumers, good for the environment and good for Florida.”
GEORGE GAINER, MATT GAETZ NOW RUNNING FOR SENATE DISTRICT 2 via John Henderson of the Panama City News-Herald – They no longer are vying for District 1 — and you wouldn’t necessarily know it by looking at current state records. Court-mandated redistricting shifted the Senate lines, essentially flip-flopping districts 1 and 2 and landing the two candidates in District 2, which now encompasses much of Okaloosa County and all of Bay, Holmes, Jackson, Walton and Washington counties. Both Gainer and Gaetz said the state Division of Elections office’s website, which is being updated by state officials in the wake of the redistricting decision, paints an inaccurate picture of the upcoming Senate races … records show Gainer running for state Senate District 2, but the department’s website shows Gainer has two new listed opponents other than Gaetz, against whom Gainer has been campaigning.
DWIGHT BULLARD AND ANITERE FLORES HAVE DEAL; FLORES MOVES TO D39, BULLARD STAYS IN D40 via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald – Bullard … will stay in District 40, while Flores will move to the now-open District 39, which includes her mother’s home and Westchester which is in her current district, Flores said … “Dwight and I had an opportunity to talk early this week and while we’re from different parties, we’ve been colleagues a long time,” she told the Herald/Times. “It was the best decision for us and for my family. It’ll be fun and different, and a challenge to get elected to a new area.”
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ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Gov. Scott will talk jobs during a 10 a.m. press conference at JL Audio, 10369 N. Commerce Parkway in Miramar. Scott will hold a second press conference to announce new jobs at 2:30 p.m. at RADISE International, 4152 West Blue Heron Blvd., Suite 1114 in Rivera Beach.
THE TAX CUT RICK SCOTT CAN WIN via Lloyd Dunkelberger of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune – With a new revenue forecast showing state lawmakers will have $400 million less to spend on the new budget … The new revenue estimate casts doubt on Scott’s plan to completely eliminate the corporate income tax for Florida retailers and manufacturers, which carries a hefty price tag in the range of $800 million. There does seem to be significant support for Scott’s plan to permanently eliminate the sales tax that manufacturers pay on equipment and machinery. Lawmakers approved a temporary elimination of the tax beginning in 2014. But that three-year tax break will expire at the end of April 2017 if lawmakers don’t act before then. The tax exemption can be extended at a much lower cost ($77 million) than the more ambitious plan to eliminate the corporate income tax. That scenario supports Scott’s argument that the tax breaks aimed at manufacturers will help Florida diversify its economy as well as create higher-paying jobs.
BOB BUCKHORN TO JOIN LWV IN SPEAKING OUT AGAINST OPEN CARRY GUN LEGISLATION via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics – Tampa Police Chief Eric Ward, State Attorney Mark Ober, and Patricia Bingham, chair of the League of Women Voters Committee on Gun Safety, are also scheduled to speak … Buckhorn has always been a supporter of gun-control legislation … “Back in the late 1990s, I was one of the guys that led the effort around the state to pass the constitutional amendment that required three-day waiting period, in the aftermath of two of our detectives having been killed … As a mayor, I see the carnage … I mean I’m a gun owner. I’ve been a gun owner my entire life, I have no problem with the Second Amendment.”
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MUST READ #2 – “Takeaways from Tallahassee – the ‘What’s Steve Crisafulli thinking?’ edition” via Florida Politics
RED-LIGHT CAMERA BAN CONSIDERED via Lloyd Dunkelberger of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune – Momentum is building to ban the use of red-light cameras in Florida. With a new state report showing crashes at intersections with cameras have increased by nearly 15 percent, the House Economic Affairs Committee … voted 13-3 for a bill (HB 4027) that would prohibit the cameras starting in July 2019. Rep. Frank Artiles … who is sponsoring the House measure, said the December report from the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles underscores his argument that the cameras are more of a revenue source for the local cities and counties than a safety program. The state report also showed rear-end crashes at the red-light camera intersections increased by 10 percent, crashes with serious injuries increased by 29 percent and crashes involving bikes and pedestrians increased by 16.75 percent. “The purpose of red-light cameras is not about safety. It’s about money,” Artiles said. “We finally have the proof we need.”
LEGISLATURE EXPLORING CHANGE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS BY CITY via Kristen Clark of the Tampa Bay Times – Rep. Matt Caldwell … and Sen. Jeff Brandes … are proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow citywide school districts, instead of the countywide oversight the Florida Constitution requires. The Constitution empowers lawmakers to create and dissolve cities and special districts, and Caldwell said that should extend to school boards, also. He argued the proposal (HJR 539/SJR 734) would increase local control over neighborhood schools. “When you look at our larger school districts, parents don’t feel they’re able to have the kind of impact they want to. It’s an impracticality of a large district,” Caldwell said. School superintendents said the system of countywide districts works well and saves taxpayers’ money. They said increasing the number of school districts statewide would cause administrative costs to skyrocket, without actually improving student outcomes.
COURT CLERKS ARE HOPEFUL OF BUDGET HELP FROM LEGISLATURE IN 2016 via Daphne Duret of the Palm Beach Post – Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller Sharon Bock said she believes [legislators] are finally listening to clerks statewide who have been struggling over the years under the weight of increasing budget cuts. “Now they are starting to get a better feel for the fact that the way that they are funding us that is simply not going to work,” Bock said … “I think we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.” Bock last year said the state’s 67 clerks collected $1 billion a year in fines, fees, documentary stamps and other court fees and submit them to the state, which then returns a portion to clerks for their budgets. But those budgets have been increasingly cut, and if projections from the state Revenue Estimating Conference stand, clerks across the state this year will be facing a collective $42 million budget shortfall.
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FUN READ — ETHICS COMMISSION OPINES ON ROMANCE via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat – A Leon County School Board member who happens to be dating an attorney whose law firm works for the district must abide by Florida’s gift law. That’s what the Florida Commission on Ethics decided … in a unique case involving School Board member Alva Striplin. “Far be it for me to say that they should not have a relationship,” said Ethics Commission Vice Chair Matthew Carlucci. “I just think they need to have this relationship under the confines of what this law says. And I wish them the best in their relationship.” Striplin asked the Ethics Commission for an advisory opinion involving her relationship with George Smith, whose firm, Bryant Miller Olive, has provided bond counsel to the district for many years. Specifically, Striplin asked whether she would run afoul of the gift law if she and her boyfriend traveled together and split expenses or exchanged Christmas and birthday gifts. Ethics Commission staff opined that Striplin may not solicit any gift from Smith or his firm and cannot accept any gift from him or his firm over $100. The couple can, however, equally split the cost of travel, meals, lodging or entertainment. Ethics commissioners voted unanimously to affirm the staff opinion.
FIRST IN THE INFLUENCER (Peter Schorsch’s new column in the Tallahassee Democrat about the governmental affairs industry) — FSU FOUNDATION HIRES THE MAYERNICK GROUP, the husband-and-wife lobbying duo with a reputation as expert navigators of the House and Senate’s byzantine appropriations process. The Mayernicks are also close to Senate President Designate Joe Negron, so it’s little wonder a veteran former lawmaker like Thrasher tapped them to shuttle between Tallahassee’s two most important institutions. Landing FSU as a client is a high-profile signing for The Mayernick Group, which should expect to do well under Negron and beyond.
NEW AND RENEWED LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS
Matt Brockelman, Deno Hicks, Southern Strategy Group: Aviation Systems Engineering Company’ Aviation Systems Engineering Company
Christopher Carmody, Christopher Dawson, Robert Stuart, Jr., GrayRobinson: LifeLink Foundation
Jorge Chamizo, Floridian Partners: Florida Hospital Association; Seminole Tribe of Florida; Uber Technologies
Jon Costello, Rutledge Ecenia: Manheim Auctions
Greg Erath: American International Group
Erik Kirk, Kirk Consulting Group: FPL Fibernet
Heather Martin: Department of Environmental Protection
James Massie: Reinsurance Association of America
Joanne McCall, Luke Flynt, Fedrick Ingram: Florida Education Association
Carl Mikyska: Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council
Steve Schale, Schale Communications: Epilepsy Foundation of Florida
Tiffany Stanfield, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney: Fairness in Taxation
Abigail Stoddard: Prime Therapeutics
Todd Sumner: UAVSIC
Alan Suskey, Suskey Consulting: Solar Sanitation
PERSONNEL NOTE: TRAVIS KEELS TO DBPR FROM JMI via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics – Keels says he’s leaving the James Madison Institute for the press secretary gig at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. His time there “allowed me the opportunity to grow in my career as well as meet many of you,” he said in an email sent to FloridaPolitics.com. “I am grateful for my time at JMI and wish the Institute nothing but the best.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Senator (and part-time game show host) Aaron Bean and lobbyist and raconteur Gus Corbella.
