Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Mitch Perry, Ryan Ray, and Jim Rosica.
There isn’t a name for the period of time before the calm before a storm.
For now, let’s call it “last committee week of the year.”
It, of course, includes a surplus of fundraising, which lawmakers can do during committee weeks but not during legislative sessions.
A contingent of the Capitol Press Corps will take a field trip across Monroe Street to the county courthouse on Tuesday.
That’s when a judge is scheduled to hold the first of two pre-trial hearings in the state Senate redistricting challenge.
Power struggles will come to rest.
Now that Republicans Joe Negron and Jack Latvala have buried the hatchet, Negron’s designation as Senate President for 2016-18 will happen Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Senate chambers.
Thursday will bring another batch of Supreme Court opinions. Will the justices finally opine in the congressional redistricting case, causing yet another tectonic tremor in state politics?
Meantime, legislative panels will do their usual grind, talking taxes, guns, (medical) pot, high school athletics, and even a few confirmation hearings.
On Friday, the Capitol rests. Unless you count the all-day webinar thrown by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on the next-wave “public safety broadband network.”
EXTENSIVE ENTERPRISES MEDIA HIRES JENNA BUZZACCO-FOERSTER
Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, a 10-year veteran of the Naples Daily News, is leaving the paper to join Florida Politics’ growing lineup of writers.
She will continue to write on regional and statewide politics and policy from her Southwest Florida base.
“Jenna’s been on my must-read list since she began covering Florida politics,” said Peter Schorsch, publisher of Florida Politics, part of the Extensive Enterprises Media family of news websites. “Her reporting and writing is infused with intelligence, enthusiasm, and compassion.”
Buzzacco-Foerster was most recently the Daily News’ political writer, but also has covered higher education, schools, local government and general assignments at the Collier County paper.
“I’m happy to join the team next month, and I’m looking forward to a fascinating ride to November 2016,” she said.
She’s been a regular presence in Tallahassee the past few years during legislative sessions. Furthermore, she’s a whiz at computer-assisted reporting, including creating and maintaining databases.
Buzzacco-Foerster rejoins her former colleague, Jim Rosica, then the Tribune’s capital reporter, now also with Florida Politics.
Follow Jenna on Twitter at @Jenna_Buzzacco.
MEANWHILE … Jeffrey Schweers is leaving the Gainesville Sun to join the Tampa Tribune as its capitol reporter.
COMING TOMORROW: THE INFLUENCE 100 — THE TOP INFLUENCERS IN FLORIDA POLITICS
The 100 most influential Floridians in state politics will be revealed Tuesday in the latest edition of INFLUENCE Magazine
From lobbyists and major donors to academics and journalists, the INFLUENCE 100 will set a new benchmark for recognizing Florida’s political elite. Think Fortune 500 just for Florida’s influence industry.
Look for a link to the fall edition of INFLUENCE Magazine in tomorrow’s Sunburn.
DAYS UNTIL: Hanukkah: 6; Fourth GOP presidential debate: 15; Debut of Star Wars: The Force Awakens: 18; Christmas: 25; First day of 2016 Legislative Session: 42; Iowa caucuses 62; Super Bowl 69: 104; New Hampshire primary: 71; Nevada caucuses: 81; South Carolina primary; 88; Super Tuesday: 91; Florida’s presidential primary: 105.
***Today’s SUNBURN is brought to you by Bright House Networks for Business, your trusted provider of industry leading communications and networking services for any size business – from startup to enterprise, and everything in between. We offer a full portfolio of products and services, including Business Phone and cloud-based Hosted Voice, Business Internet at speeds up to 325 Mbps to fiber-based Dedicated Internet Access, several tiers of high quality HD Video programming, and an array of advanced cloud and managed IT services. Our solutions are customized to fit your business, your budget, and your industry. We own, manage and maintain our network, which means we are 100% accountable; and we’re locally based, which allows us to be immediately responsive to our customers. Find out why so many businesses in your area trust their communications needs to Bright House Networks. Learn more.***
THE LATEST POLLS – A Economist/YouGov Poll finds Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential field among likely primary voters with 36%, followed by Marco Rubio at 14%, Ted Cruz at 12%, Ben Carson at 10% and Jeb Bush at 6%. A Reuters poll finds Trump leading with 31%, followed by Carson at 15%, Rubio at 8%, Cruz at 8% and Bush at 7%.
PLAN A FOR GOP DONORS: WAIT FOR DONALD TRUMP TO FALL. (THERE IS NO PLAN B.) via Matea Gold and Robert Costa of The Washington Post – [O]ne reason wealthy donors are holding back: a widespread conclusion that it is futile to try to dislodge the New York billionaire … “I’m not sure someone wouldn’t do better to take their money and throw it off a tall building,” said Henry Barbour … After conducting two focus groups of Trump supporters this fall, GOP consultant Frank Luntz said he has concluded that there is no political issue or stance that will turn off his supporters. … none of the messages tested swayed them – including his past support for universal health care or fond words about Bill and Hillary Clinton. “They’re incredibly angry, and he’s the first guy in their mind who speaks to that anger in a visceral way” … Trump’s nontraditional campaign has left his opponents rattled. … Some Republican campaign veterans are puzzled that no clear opposition … has formed. The only significant effort was mounted by the conservative Club for Growth, which spent more than $1 million on ads in Iowa attacking the real estate tycoon. … Republicans familiar with [the Jeb super PAC] Right to Rise … said [Mike Murphy] is willing to eventually make ads that contrast Bush with Trump, but at the moment is concentrating on consolidating Bush’s support among traditional Republicans.
SARASOTA GETS FULL TRUMP EXPERIENCE via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune – a free-wheeling discourse in which [he] slammed the media, hammered his rivals and engaged in an extended series of boasts about how his business prowess would translate into “so many great deals” … “This is a movement … We’re tired of stupidity … I think it’s going to be an easy campaign, Florida, because I’m leading by a lot already.” [Trump] received a series of ovations for campaign pledges that ranged from building a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico to negotiating stronger trade deals and beefing up U.S. military operations against ISIS … talked about taking oil from Iraq to compensate families of service members killed in action and wounded veterans … make the U.S. tax system so simple that “we’re going to put H&R Block the hell out of business” … urged Republicans not to fear pushing for a government shutdown over the national debt, saying the blame would fall on President Barack Obama.
TRUMP STAFFING UP IN FLORIDA via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune – Jennifer Locetta will serve as Deputy State Director, Ken Mayo has been named Director of Field Operations, John Ross Pughe is joining as the Southeast Regional Field Director, and Craig Bachler will serve as Director of Coalitions.
CAN’T WAIT TO READ: “The Wilderness: Deep Inside the Republican Party’s Combative, Contentious, Chaotic Quest to Take Back the White House” by McKay Coppins. Excerpt here.
MARCO RUBIO BETS THE GRAND OLD PARTY IS READY FOR HIS YOUNGER FACE via Jeremy Peters of the New York Times –There is nothing particularly flashy about the endorsements that have been rolling in for … Rubio … A handful of Republican members of Congress, mostly junior and not terribly influential … But upon closer inspection, there is something they share … almost all are young. In their efforts to disparage … Clinton … Rubio campaign researchers have combed over hours of footage searching for clips that make her sound like a relic. One discovery … Clinton in New Hampshire recently compared taking questions from the audience to ‘The Gong Show,’ a game show popular in the 1970s. … Bush‘s campaign has rolled out its own endorsements. Two of the highest-profile ones so far have come from the former senator Alan Simpson, 84, and [Bob] Dole, 92
— “Marco Rubio straddles line between insider, outsider” via Patrick O’Connor and Byron Tau of the Wall Street Journal
TED CRUZ, RUBIO LINE UP TO STEAL AWAY JEB BUSH SUPPORTERS via Eli Stokols of POLITICO – When the Republican contenders audition this week before more than 600 deep-pocketed, security-focused donors, it might seem like they’re playing for the home crowd. But the annual Republican Jewish Coalition gathering carries serious risk for candidates not fluent on the issue … certainly the case for Rubio and Cruz, but for Bush, this event is an exercise in damage control. Many of the RJC board members scheduled to attend have already committed to a candidate, and some are now shopping for a plan B, especially those who threw their support behind Bush early on.
— “Jeb Bush hires top Mass. operative” via Frank Phillips of the Boston Globe
BUSH: TRUMP “SCARY,” TOO “UNINFORMED” TO BE PRESIDENT via Florida Politics – “The simple fact is that he’s been wrong on Syria and on the refugees pretty consistently,” Bush said [on CBS’s “Face the Nation”] “And no one’s holding him to account. He first said we had no interest in being involved in Syria. And then he said let the Russians take out ISIS. And then he said let ISIS take out [Syrian President Bashar] Assad” … “Back and forth it goes … And the net effect of this is in these really serious times he’s not a serious leader … Let me just be clear about that … But I have great doubts about Donald Trump’s ability to be commander in chief. I really do.”
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Bush will be in both Miami and Panama City for private fundraising events before heading to Iowa.
NEW HAMPSHIRE UNION LEADER ENDORSES CHRIS CHRISTIE – “For our safety, our future: Chris Christie for President … We don’t need another fast-talking, well-meaning freshman U.S. senator trying to run the government. … Gov. Christie is right for these dangerous times.” Read the editorial here.
DONORS GAVE A SUPER PAC $6 MILLION. CANDIDATES ACTUALLY GOT ABOUT $140,000. via Joseph Tanfani and Maloy Moore of the Los Angeles Times – Before he entered the race … Carson signed on to … American Legacy PAC, an organization with ties to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. With Carson as the face of its Save Our Healthcare campaign, American Legacy raised close to $6 million in 2014 – and spent nearly all of it paying the consultants and firms that raised the money. Just 2 percent was donated to Republican candidates and committees … There’s no rule that says political committees can’t burn up contributions on costs. Federal election law says only that candidates can’t spend campaign money for personal use. And even that rule doesn’t apply to independent committees, says Kenneth Gross, an election and ethics lawyer who served as chief enforcer at the Federal Elections Commission. “A political committee has no fiduciary duty to its donors,” Gross said. “If I have a PAC and want to spend it on a trip to Atlantic City, that’s fine,” as far as the law is concerned.
HAPPENING TONIGHT: Houston Mayor Annise Parker will headline the Duval County Democratic Party “Blue Duval Gala,” scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Hilton DoubleTree, 1201 Riverplace Blvd. in Jacksonville.
FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT AND MD. SENATE CANDIDATE DAN BONGINO SAYS HE’S THINKING OF ENTERING FLORIDA GOP SENATE CONTEST via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics – … will probably make up his mind by the beginning of 2016. Bongino moved to Palm City earlier this year, which immediately led to speculation that he was interested in the open 18th Congressional District seat … held by Patrick Murphy, who is running for the Senate … “There’s not a lot of excitement out there … We’re a year away … In political dog years, that’s right around the corner and, we have people polling in the single digits here” … basing that opinion on his trips around the state as a public speaker.
NOT NEWS: “Florida projected to gain a congressional seat but …” via Ledyard King of FLORIDA TODAY on 11/29/15; FLASHBACK: “Florida to gain another congressional seat from 2020 Census?” via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics on 11/3/15
FORMER U.S. REP SANDY ADAMS PAUSES CAMPAIGN via Jennifer Edwards-Park of the Daytona Beach News-Journal – Adams was the frontrunner. That leaves two Republicans … Adam Barringer and … G.G. Galloway, to vie for the U.S. Rep seat, and Democrat Richard Paul Dembinsky, according to the state Supervisor of Elections. Adams posted the announcement on her Facebook page … “I recently discovered a significant health issue that demands my focus and attention … Over the next several weeks, I will be focusing on my health and will reassess my campaign to determine if I can give it a 100 percent commitment. I owe that to my family and to the residents of the 6th District.”
SAVE THE DATE: Republican Justin Grabelle is holding a fundraiser to support his bid for Florida’s 11th Congressional District Thursday, Dec. 3, beginning 5:30 p.m. at the Silverthorn Country Club, 4550 Golf Club Ln. in Brooksville. The event is hosted by Congressman Rich Nugent, who Grabelle is hoping to replace. RSVP to Caroline Engeman at [email protected] or (321) 460-0410.
HAPPENING TONIGHT: Democratic State Rep. Alan Williams is hosting a fundraising reception in support of his bid for Leon County Supervisor of Elections. Event begins 5:30 p.m. at Clyde’s & Costello’s, 210 South Adams St. in Tallahassee. Maximum requested contribution is $250. RSVP at [email protected] or (850) 212-7042.
HAPPENING TUESDAY: Republican state Reps. MaryLynn Magar and Kathleen Peters are hosting a joint fundraiser for their re-election efforts in House Districts 82 and 69, respectively. The event begins 5 p.m. at the Governors Club Private Dining Room, 202 South Adams St. in Tallahassee. RSVP to [email protected].
SAVE THE DATE: Republican candidate Tom Goodson is holding a fundraiser Tuesday, Dec. 8, to support his bid for House District 51. Among the hosts are House Speaker Steve Crisafulli Speaker designate Richard Corcoran and state Rep. Jose Oliva. Event begins 5 p.m. at River Rocks, 6485 N. U.S. 1 in Rockledge. RSVP to [email protected] or (321) 631-5523.
REDISTRICTING CHALLENGERS AMEND FILED MAPS, WITHDRAW PLAN THAT DOES NOT CROSS TAMPA BAY via Mary Ellen Klas of the Tampa Bay Times – In an effort to “narrow the issues for trial,” the challengers to the Senate’s redistricting efforts … withdrew two maps that contained a black majority district that do not cross Tampa Bay and made two changes in North Florida … argued that the Legislature should have updated its voting data to include the primaries of 2012 and 2014 which would have helped to show the strength of black voting performance in the districts. They presented the Legislature with a map that was based on the primary data, but it was rejected by the House and Senate as inaccurate and incomplete.
COURT FILING: PLAINTIFFS FAVOR SENATE MAP THAT GIVES BIG BOOST TO DEMOCRATS via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida – Under the plan preferred by the plaintiffs … Obama would have won 21 state Senate districts in 2012, which represents a significant shift from the chamber’s current political composition. In court documents, plaintiffs say that Republican advantage is an artificial byproduct of a “shadow” redistricting process that unconstitutionally helped the GOP majority … proposed plan also creates a fourth Hispanic-performing district in South Florida, two that perform for Republicans and two that would be political toss-ups. Historically, there are three Hispanic-performing state Senate seats in the region, all of which remain under the Senate’s plan.
TWEET, TWEET: @MCIMaps: Those. Idiots. Anyone who says they are partisan can’t now. They are allowing republicans to gerrymander St Pete
BOTH SIDES MAKE CONSPIRACY ACCUSATIONS IN FLORIDA’S REDISTRICTING FIGHT via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald – The knock-down fight over the political future of the Florida Senate entered its third round this week as lawyers for the coalition of voting groups accused Republican lawmakers of conspiring again to protect incumbents, while the Legislature’s lawyers accused opponents of “operating in the shadows” to help Democrats … while the Legislature argues in its brief that its Senate map should be given preference, its lawyers do not defend how they drew it or why, instead focusing their argument on attacking the plaintiffs’ map, its map drawers and the process. They accuse the plaintiffs of “insisting on an open and transparent process free from partisan intent,” but they then failed to record their telephone conversations and they withheld their final maps until the Legislature’s special session had adjourned.
OKALOOSA GOP SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON MATT GAETZ via Tom McLaughlin of the NWF Daily News – One thing needs to be made perfectly clear … The Okaloosa GOP did not “blast” … Gaetz … Okaloosa County’s Republican Executive Committee … wanted it made clear that when … Wayne Harris and Nathan Boyles endorsed Gaetz’s opponent in the race for the 1st District state Senate seat, it did not constitute the GOP blasting, bashing or even endorsing, anyone. “We are the true political party,” said OCREC Vice Chairman Laurie Bartlett. “They are not even members of the political party.”
RICK SCOTT ADMINISTRATION HELPED KEEP SCATHING EPA PIPELINE REPORT OUT OF LEGAL CHALLENGE via Bruce Ritchie of POLITICO Florida – The Sabal Trail pipeline, a joint venture of Spectra Energy, Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light Co.’s parent company, would extend 515 miles from central Alabama to Osceola County. The project, which covers more than 260 miles in Florida, faces a legal challenge to a state permit in Florida from an environmental group named the WWALS Watershed Coalition. John Quarterman, president of the WWALS Watershed Coalition, [said] that the permit never should not be issued because of concerns about the project. “It would be nice if they [DEP officials] decided on their own to not issue the permit … I can’t say I’d be exactly holding my breath for that to happen.”
DEP DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR LACKS ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCE via Craig Pittman of the Tampa Bay Times – Three months after … Scott named Jon Steverson the new secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, Steverson hired a man with nearly zero environmental experience to serve as one of his top administrators … Gary F. Clark had no prior experience working for DEP, or for any other state agency, much less managing Florida’s state park system … He holds a bachelor’s degree from an online university in business administration, not biology. He has been vice president of a rural electrical cooperative, director of a bank, co-owner of a dozen Subway sandwich shops, a college trustee and chairman of the Washington County School Board. He has seldom traveled far from his Panhandle hometown of Chipley (population: 3,600). But Clark, 47, does own and operate what’s billed as “Northwest Florida’s premier bobwhite quail hunting preserve.”
TALKS CONTINUE OVER HOW TO LIMIT — BUT STILL EXPAND — GAMBLING IN FLORIDA via Mary Ellen Klas of the Tampa Bay Times – Among the issues: the prospect of another slots casino in Miami, slot machines in Palm Beach and Fort Myers, a requirement that future gambling licenses get statewide voter approval, and the promise of $3 billion in gaming proceeds directed into the state treasury over the next seven years. “We’re still talking, still hashing,” said Sen. Rob Bradley … the Senate’s lead negotiator who, along with the House’s negotiator … Jose Felix Diaz … has been meeting with the governor’s general counsel, Tim Cerio, and lawyers for the Seminole Tribe. “We know that the money is important to the governor … We know the constitutional amendment to limit gaming in the future is important to the House. We know that local requests are important to the Senate, because they need to pick up votes. But since there’s been no big agreement, everything has been in flux.”
COUNTIES FIGHT FRACKING PUSH via the Associated Press – … 20 counties and nearly 40 cities in Florida have passed regulations banning fracking … [representing] about 8 million people or 43 percent of the state’s population. Two Republican legislators … state Rep. Ray Rodrigues … and Sen. Garrett Richter … have proposed bills that would give the state authority to regulate oil and gas exploration, production, processing, storage and transportation. Local leaders say the move wrongly takes away their right to regulate activities in their areas and that fracking could harm the environment and hurt Florida’s tourism economy. The Florida Association of Counties’ general membership voted unanimously in November to oppose the legislation. The association also voted in favor of a moratorium on fracking until independent and comprehensive studies on fracking are completed.
FILM INCENTIVE PROGRAM FIGHT OUGHTA BE A MOVIE: DEATH STRUGGLE via John Kennedy of the Palm Beach Post – “We know it’s pretty much do or die time for us,” said Gus Corbella, a Tallahassee lobbyist and chairman of the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council, which has been pushing to get new dollars into the program. “We’ve been losing productions to other states. With them, go good-paying jobs which are part of a real creative economy. Now that the program sunset is hanging over us, we know we’re at the end of our rope.” But such claims don’t quiet critics …“We just don’t think that government should be a bank,” said Skylar Zander, deputy Florida director of Americans for Prosperity. A problem with the current program is that tax credits were granted on a first-come, first-served basis, leading to the program quickly running through all the available dollars.
FLORIDA’S ORANGE INDUSTRY IS IN ITS WORST SLUMP IN 100 YEARS via Marvin Perez of Bloomberg Business – The harvest for the state’s signature fruit could plunge to 27 million boxes by 2026 … That’s an 82 percent drop from 149.8 million boxes in 2005, the year the bacterium that causes Huanglongbing, better known as citrus greening, was found in southern Florida. The current harvest will shrink to 74 million boxes for the season that began Oct. 1, down 24 percent from a year ago and the lowest since 1964, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Nov. 9. The forecast signals the fourth consecutive seasonal decline, the longest slump since at least 1913, state data show. A box weighs 90 pounds (41 kilograms).
TWEET, TWEET: @AdamPutnam: We will not give up.
STAFF FOR FLORIDA UTILITY REGULATORS SAY HEDGING WORKS DESPITE $6 BILLION LOSS via William Levesque of the Tampa Bay Times – Staff for the Florida Public Service Commission is siding with utilities by recommending commissioners meeting Dec. 3 continue the practice allowing utilities to hedge much of the natural gas they buy to fuel power plants. This comes even as utilities estimate hedging losses in 2015 alone will be $789 million … probably ensures commissioners will reject a call to end the controversial practice say officials at the Office of Public Counsel … which represents consumer interests before the PSC, had asked the PSC to discontinue hedging.
GOP LAWMAKER PROPOSES PLAN TO OPEN SOLAR MARKET IN FLORIDA via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald – State Rep. Fred Costello … filed a bill last week to open the state’s energy market to solar energy competition — by allowing homeowners and businesses to lease their rooftops to companies that generate solar power and sell it back to the grid … seemed like the logical thing for a free-market Republican to pursue. “I believe in innovation and competition because that’s how we get better” … The current system imposes hurdles to competition and hurdles to innovation, he said. “That’s not what the free market is all about.” If it succeeds, it would create a crack in the powerful utility monopoly in Florida that allows only regulated power companies to distribute energy to others.
SOLAR ENERGY AMENDMENT DISCUSSED via Legislative IQ powered by Lobby Tools – A solar-energy amendment to the Florida Constitution proposed by Consumers for Smart Solar will be examined by the Financial Impact Estimating Conference beginning 9 a.m. in Room 117 of the Knott Building.
HAPPENING TODAY: Florida League of Cities will host a roundtable discussion to outline issues facing municipalities in the upcoming 2016 Legislative Session. Meeting begins 10 a.m. at the Florida League of Cities, 301 South Bronough St., Suite 300 in Tallahassee.
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GAY PRIDE POLE IS ONLY CAPITOL HOLIDAY DISPLAY SUBMITTED SO FAR via James Rosica of Florida Politics – South Florida blogger Chaz Stevens had submitted the only application for a holiday display. Even then, there’s no guarantee his offering for this year — a rainbow-colored pole with a disco ball on top — will make it inside the Capitol. “His application is being processed,” DMS spokeswoman Natalee Singleton wrote.
CAPITOL POLICE HIT WITH AGE, SEX DISCRIMINATION LAWSUITS via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics – Woodrow Kerce and Carissa Beck filed their complaint in Leon County Circuit Civil court … sued under the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 and the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act … Kerce … was 46 when he applied in December 2013, intending on a second career after early retirement from the Tallahassee Police Department … He said one of his interviewers “started to ask (him) a question and instead just stopped and laughed and said that he was sorry the questions were so far below Kerce’s level of experience.” He later passed a physical examination. But months later, Kerce was told he wasn’t being hired because “all (the) positions had been filled.” a public-records request in June 2014, [found] that “all of the applicants that were hired were young, mostly under 30 or very close to 30.” Beck – who is claiming sex and age discrimination – also applied for an officer position in December 2013, was interviewed and passed a physical examination … months passed before she received an email in June 2014 “informing her that she had not been selected for any of the positions” … Only one female officer had been hired and she was 25; Beck was 30 when she applied.
JEFF GREENE IS CONTINUING LIBEL SUIT AGAINST TIMES, HERALD via James Rosica of Florida Politics – … after a court-ordered mediation in the case didn’t result in a settlement … The new filing “amplified his allegations of a joint venture by the Times and Herald to derail Greene’s Senate candidacy.” Greene has claimed that the newspapers derailed his Senate campaign their reporting alleged fraudulent real-estate deals and wild parties on his 145-foot yacht. Democrat Kendrick Meek, a former state senator, went on to win the Democratic primary.
FEWER COMPANIES ARE THROWING OFFICE HOLIDAY PARTIES via Jena McGregor of The Washington Post – [T]he Society for Human Resource Management [said] 30 percent of the H.R. professionals [in an annual survey] said their companies do not usually have year-end parties for all employees. That’s the largest percentage … since the organization started doing the survey in 2009. … 59 percent [said they would serve alcohol. 71 percent of those] planned to offer drink tickets to regulate employees’ consumption … compared to 57 percent in 2012
FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD TO ARRIVE AT THE SCHORSCH HOUSE: Michelle and Mike Ertel. Runner-up: The (Ryan) Wiggins family.
WRITE IT DOWN so you don’t have to email me: The Schorsch Family, 8707 Silverthorn Road, Seminole, FL 33777.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PULSE via Ralph Russo of the Associated Press – The College Football Playoff selection committee is set up to have a pretty easy championship weekend. Clemson [12-0] is in with a win [ACC championship against Chapel Hill on Sat.]. Alabama [11-1] is in with a win [SEC championship against Florida on Sat.]. The winner of the Big Ten championship game [on Sat.] between Iowa [12-0] and Michigan State [11-1] gets in. And Oklahoma [11-1] pretty much sealed up its spot on Saturday night with a 58-23 win at Oklahoma State …
PROJECTING THE NEXT PLAYOFF RANKINGS: 1. Clemson 2. Alabama 3. Oklahoma 4. Iowa 5. Michigan State 6. Ohio State 7. Stanford.
PROJECTING THE NEW YEAR’S SIX BOWLS: Orange Bowl, semifinal: Clemson vs. Michigan State; Cotton Bowl, semifinal: Alabama vs. Oklahoma; Rose Bowl: Stanford vs. Ohio State; Sugar Bowl: Baylor vs. Ole Miss; Fiesta Bowl: Iowa vs. Notre Dame Peach Bowl: Florida State vs. Houston.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY from the weekend to my friend Ben Pollara, Ann Yarko, and Mark Zubaly. Celebrating today are Eddie Borrego, Phil Compton, former Rep. Keith Fitzgerald.
