TALLAHASSEE, FL (AP) -- Facing strong opposition, Florida Democrats on Monday abandoned plans to hold a do-over presidential primary with a mail-in vote and threw the delegate dispute into the lap of the national party.
While the decision by Florida Democrats left the state's 210 delegates in limbo, Democrats in Michigan moved closer to holding another contest on June 3. Legislative leaders reviewed a measure Monday that would set up a privately funded, state-administered do-over primary, The Associated Press learned.
Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen L. Thurman sent a letter announcing the decision.
"A party-run primary or caucus has been ruled out, and it's simply not possible for the state to hold another election, even if the party were to pay for it," Thurman said. "... This doesn't mean that Democrats are giving up on Florida voters. It means that a solution will have to come from the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee, which is scheduled to meet again in April."
Members of Florida's congressional delegation unanimously opposed the plan, and Barack Obama expressed concern about the security of a mail-in vote organized so quickly.
The national party punished Michigan and Florida for moving up their primaries before Feb. 5, stripping them of all their delegates to the party's national convention this summer in Denver. All the Democratic candidates agreed not to campaign in the two states, and Obama was not even on the Michigan ballot.
Hillary Rodham Clinton won both primaries. As her race with Obama has tightened, she has argued the delegates should be seated or new primaries held.
Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who backs Clinton, has suggested one option -- seating all Florida delegates already chosen but only giving them half a vote each. Nelson discussed this idea with Clinton and Obama on the Senate floor last week.
Based on the Jan. 29 results, Clinton would have won 105, Obama 67 and John Edwards 13. Instead they would get half those delegate votes.
Republicans stripped Florida and Michigan of half their delegates as a penalty for early primaries.
The draft Michigan legislation included language that would approve spending privately raised funds for the election, according to a Democratic leader who spoke on condition of anonymity because lawmakers and the campaigns are still considering the proposal.
The campaigns of the Democratic presidential contenders also received copies of the bill Monday.
"A re-vote is the only way Michigan can be assured its delegation will be seated, and vote in Denver at the party's national convention this summer, Clinton campaign aide Harold Ickes said Monday. "If the Obama campaign thwarts a fair election process for the people of Michigan, it will jeopardize the Democratic nominee's ability to carry the state in the general election."
Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor said, "It's pretty apparent that the Clinton campaign's views on voting are dependent on their own political interest. Hillary Clinton herself said in January that the Michigan primary 'didn't count for anything.' Now, she is cynically trying to change the rules at the eleventh hour for her own benefit. We received a very complex proposal for Michigan re-vote legislation today and are reviewing it to make sure that any solution for Michigan is fair and practical. We continue to believe a fair seating of the delegation deserves strong consideration."
The Democrat-led House is scheduled to leave for a two-week vacation Thursday, so any bills to set up the do-over primary need to be brought up quickly. The measure also would have to be approved by the Republican-controlled state Senate. To be given immediate effect, the measure would require a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.
To go forward, any plan also would require the approval of the two campaigns, the Democratic National Committee, state party leaders and Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who is backing Clinton.
The contest must be held by June 10 for the results to count under DNC rules. The draft measure would set up the a fund within the state Treasury to receive up to $12 million in cash and other assets from private donors to cover the cost of the election.
On Monday in Atlanta, federal appeals judges skeptically questioned a lawyer who argued that the national party's decision to strip Florida of its 210 convention delegates was unconstitutional.
Michael Steinberg, a lawyer for Victor DiMaio, a Democratic Party activist from Tampa, said Florida's Democratic voters are being disenfranchised by not being permitted to have their say in the selection of their party's nominee. The action violates DiMaio's constitutional right to equal protection, he argued.
"The citizens of the state of Florida are not being treated equally," Steinberg told the judges.
But Joe Sandler, a lawyer for the Democratic National Committee, said the party has the right to set its own the rules and not seat delegates who refuse to follow them.
"It goes to the heart of the constitutional right of the DNC to determine the best means of selecting delegates to the convention," Sandler said.
Sounding skeptical of Steinberg's equal protection argument, the judges noted in their questions that states select their presidential picks in different ways -- some use caucuses and others primaries -- and on different days. Judge Stanley Marcus suggested at one point that the only way to treat all the states equally, under Steinberg's theory, was for them to all hold their primaries on the same day.
Not so, Steinberg said. He said one solution might be to rotate the states so that each gets a shot at being in the first round.
Source: First Coast News
Exactly right. We already had the primary.
Showing posts with label Life in Florida. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life in Florida. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Murder Suspect Tries to Flee Jacksonville on Cruise Ship
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Investigators say a murder suspect wanted in Atlanta tried to escape the U.S. on a cruise ship out of Jacksonville.
Derron Williams, 29, is accused of murder.
Police say he deliberately ran over a person during an argument at a party earlier this month in Atlanta.
U.S. Marshals say Williams tried to flee the U.S. on board the Carnival Cruise Ship Celebration bound for the Bahamas.
It pulled out of port Thursday night.
The cruise ship made it five miles out to sea before getting stopped by the Coast Guard and U.S. Marshals.
Williams is being held at the Duval County Jail pending extradition to Georgia.
Source:
So if you need to get outta Dodge in a hurry, the cruise ship route is probably not your best choice.
Derron Williams, 29, is accused of murder.
Police say he deliberately ran over a person during an argument at a party earlier this month in Atlanta.
U.S. Marshals say Williams tried to flee the U.S. on board the Carnival Cruise Ship Celebration bound for the Bahamas.
It pulled out of port Thursday night.
The cruise ship made it five miles out to sea before getting stopped by the Coast Guard and U.S. Marshals.
Williams is being held at the Duval County Jail pending extradition to Georgia.
Source:
So if you need to get outta Dodge in a hurry, the cruise ship route is probably not your best choice.
Florida Blackout Blamed on Human Error
MIAMI (AP) -- Florida Power & Light says a power outage that affected more than half a million customers earlier this week was the result of human error.
The electric company released a 2-page preliminary report on the incident on Friday. It says that a field engineer investigating a switch that malfunctioned at one of the power company's substations in west Miami was to blame.
The company says ultimately two nuclear generation units and a natural gas unit at the Turkey Point facility south of Miami shut down. Two other FPL plants were also affected.
Source:
Ooops?
The electric company released a 2-page preliminary report on the incident on Friday. It says that a field engineer investigating a switch that malfunctioned at one of the power company's substations in west Miami was to blame.
The company says ultimately two nuclear generation units and a natural gas unit at the Turkey Point facility south of Miami shut down. Two other FPL plants were also affected.
Source:
Ooops?
Saturday, February 9, 2008
From Contra Rebel to Auto Mechanic in Florida
MIAMI –
At the end of Nicaragua’s civil war, Juan Gregorio Rodriguez traded his life as a Contra rebel for that of auto mechanic in Florida. He kept in touch with other rebels and supported their political efforts, but mostly from afar.That changed in 2006, when the Contras’ nemesis, Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega, was elected president, 16 years after his Soviet-backed government lost power in a vote that ended the guerrilla conflict in which some 30,000 people died.
His return to power has galvanized dozens of former Contras in the United States to plunge back into the politics of their Central American homeland, lobbying for support from the U.S. Congress and joining anti-Ortega movements with former colleagues in Nicaragua. Some even warn darkly that armed resistance is again a possibility.
What really disturbs these former Contras is Ortega’s plan to revive Sandinista neighborhood watch committees, which became his eyes and ears during his first presidency. Rodriguez and some other ex-Contras also feel betrayed by compromises made by their former comrades in arms since the war. Some have even joined the Sandinistas: Ortega’s vice president, Jaime Morales, is a former Contra spokesman.
“Many of our former leaders sold out to the Sandinistas. The leaders in the field were left to help the families of those who fought in the resistance,” said the wiry Rodriguez, who lives in Miami and was once known as Comandante Camilo. Now they wonder how “we’ve lost to the same enemy we fought,” he said.
Today’s Contras are a shadow of the movement the CIA built around a core of former soldiers who had served the dictatorship toppled by the Sandinistas in 1979. With U.S. arms and funds smuggled into Nicaragua from clandestine bases in neighboring Honduras, it grew into one of Central America’s largest guerrilla armies.
But continued support despite a congressional ban damaged the Reagan administration’s reputation, and the Contras disbanded before the 1990 election led to three consecutive anti-Sandinista governments.
Some entered politics. Some continued to fight as irregulars, demanding benefits for ex-fighters or as bandits. Many struggled for jobs in a Nicaraguan economy devastated by years of war and muddled Sandinista policies. And a few left for the United States, even as other refugees were returned home.
The newly energized Contras in Florida say their opposition will be peaceful, but some suggest they could rearm if Ortega attempts to reinstate socialist policies.
“We are trying to focus on civic efforts, to build political leaders,” said Salvador Marin, a surgeon who treated Contra rebels in the mountains during the 1980s. “When we started, we had pistols and hunting rifles and no experience. Through the years, we gained that experience and still have it … A true war would depend on how extreme are the conditions imposed by Ortega.”
But Nicaragua’s army chief, Gen. Omar Halleslevens, says he sees no sign of Contras rearming there.
Source: Miami Herald
I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict he’s probably not a Hillary voter.
I have to agree with Comandante Camilo that restarting the neighborhood spy program is not a good sign.
At the end of Nicaragua’s civil war, Juan Gregorio Rodriguez traded his life as a Contra rebel for that of auto mechanic in Florida. He kept in touch with other rebels and supported their political efforts, but mostly from afar.That changed in 2006, when the Contras’ nemesis, Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega, was elected president, 16 years after his Soviet-backed government lost power in a vote that ended the guerrilla conflict in which some 30,000 people died.
His return to power has galvanized dozens of former Contras in the United States to plunge back into the politics of their Central American homeland, lobbying for support from the U.S. Congress and joining anti-Ortega movements with former colleagues in Nicaragua. Some even warn darkly that armed resistance is again a possibility.
What really disturbs these former Contras is Ortega’s plan to revive Sandinista neighborhood watch committees, which became his eyes and ears during his first presidency. Rodriguez and some other ex-Contras also feel betrayed by compromises made by their former comrades in arms since the war. Some have even joined the Sandinistas: Ortega’s vice president, Jaime Morales, is a former Contra spokesman.
“Many of our former leaders sold out to the Sandinistas. The leaders in the field were left to help the families of those who fought in the resistance,” said the wiry Rodriguez, who lives in Miami and was once known as Comandante Camilo. Now they wonder how “we’ve lost to the same enemy we fought,” he said.
Today’s Contras are a shadow of the movement the CIA built around a core of former soldiers who had served the dictatorship toppled by the Sandinistas in 1979. With U.S. arms and funds smuggled into Nicaragua from clandestine bases in neighboring Honduras, it grew into one of Central America’s largest guerrilla armies.
But continued support despite a congressional ban damaged the Reagan administration’s reputation, and the Contras disbanded before the 1990 election led to three consecutive anti-Sandinista governments.
Some entered politics. Some continued to fight as irregulars, demanding benefits for ex-fighters or as bandits. Many struggled for jobs in a Nicaraguan economy devastated by years of war and muddled Sandinista policies. And a few left for the United States, even as other refugees were returned home.
The newly energized Contras in Florida say their opposition will be peaceful, but some suggest they could rearm if Ortega attempts to reinstate socialist policies.
“We are trying to focus on civic efforts, to build political leaders,” said Salvador Marin, a surgeon who treated Contra rebels in the mountains during the 1980s. “When we started, we had pistols and hunting rifles and no experience. Through the years, we gained that experience and still have it … A true war would depend on how extreme are the conditions imposed by Ortega.”
But Nicaragua’s army chief, Gen. Omar Halleslevens, says he sees no sign of Contras rearming there.
Source: Miami Herald
I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict he’s probably not a Hillary voter.
I have to agree with Comandante Camilo that restarting the neighborhood spy program is not a good sign.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Woman Puts Seatbelt on Case of Beer but not Baby
ST. AUGUSTINE, FL -- Investigators say a woman accused of drunk driving had a case of beer buckled up safely, and a one year old girl sitting in the backseat without a seatbelt or car seat.
On Super Bowl Sunday, a deputy saw a car drive through a red light and swerve back and forth over the center lane on U.S. 1 South.
The deputy stopped the car.
Investigators say the woman, who identified herself as Tina Williams, smelled of alcohol.
According to the report, Williams told the deputy she never had a license and was running out of gas.
The deputy saw a case of Busch beer in the front seat with a seat belt around it, and a baby girl in the backseat.
When asked why the girl wasn't restrained, Williams reportedly told the officer, "I don't know."
Williams told the deputy she had a few drinks. Authorities say she staggered when she got out of her car.
The deputy arrested her for DUI after she failed a field sobriety test.
Authorities also found two silver metal pipes in her purse.
Williams faces charges of driving under the influence, child endangerment, driving without a valid license running a red light and not having a seatbelt or child restraint.
Well, glad to see that she had her priorities in order.
On Super Bowl Sunday, a deputy saw a car drive through a red light and swerve back and forth over the center lane on U.S. 1 South.
The deputy stopped the car.
Investigators say the woman, who identified herself as Tina Williams, smelled of alcohol.
According to the report, Williams told the deputy she never had a license and was running out of gas.
The deputy saw a case of Busch beer in the front seat with a seat belt around it, and a baby girl in the backseat.
When asked why the girl wasn't restrained, Williams reportedly told the officer, "I don't know."
Williams told the deputy she had a few drinks. Authorities say she staggered when she got out of her car.
The deputy arrested her for DUI after she failed a field sobriety test.
Authorities also found two silver metal pipes in her purse.
Williams faces charges of driving under the influence, child endangerment, driving without a valid license running a red light and not having a seatbelt or child restraint.
Well, glad to see that she had her priorities in order.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Ooops! Local Worker Accused of Deleting $2.5 Million Worth of Files--Because of a Help-Wanted Ad
JACKSONVILLE, FL — The target may be high-tech, but the emotion involved is as old as humanity. Spite, anger, and revenge. Police say that’s what filled a woman’s heart after she picked up the classified ads.
When Marie Cooley came across a job that looked like hers in the classifieds, she admits she was certain she was about to be fired.
So police say late Sunday night, she crept into the Mandarin office where she worked at Steven E. Hutchins Architects.
“She decided to go and mess up everything for everybody,” said Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ken Jefferson.
Jefferson says Cooley accessed the company’s server with her own account. And with a handful of mouse clicks and keystrokes, he says she deleted seven years’ worth of architectural drawings.
Seven years of work — gone in seconds.
The company put the value of the vaporized files at $2.5 million.
“She decided to be spiteful and go in and sabotage the records. And she did a very good job of that,” Jefferson said.
According to police, Cooley confessed to the crime. It’s a second degree felony that could lay the blueprints for a five-year prison sentence.
Folks at the architecture firm didn’t want to talk on camera about the disastrous deletion.
The owner did tell First Coast News that he’s paid good money to recover those files and he says he’s now managed to get every deleted drawing back from its digital death.
“The lesson to be learned here is that you can’t depend on having just one set of records or files and having your employees have access to them. You’ve got to have some kind of backup,” Jefferson said.
And here’s the most sobering part: the owner of the architecture firm says Marie Cooley was not going to be fired. He says the job listing was for his wife’s business — not his.
Source:
There may be a moral there somewhere about the danger of leaping to conclusions without supporting evidence. Meanwhile, the lady has gone from valued employee to unemployed woman likely to spend several years in prison.
Business owners, too, may want to think about how trustworthy their trusted employees really are.
When Marie Cooley came across a job that looked like hers in the classifieds, she admits she was certain she was about to be fired.
So police say late Sunday night, she crept into the Mandarin office where she worked at Steven E. Hutchins Architects.
“She decided to go and mess up everything for everybody,” said Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ken Jefferson.
Jefferson says Cooley accessed the company’s server with her own account. And with a handful of mouse clicks and keystrokes, he says she deleted seven years’ worth of architectural drawings.
Seven years of work — gone in seconds.
The company put the value of the vaporized files at $2.5 million.
“She decided to be spiteful and go in and sabotage the records. And she did a very good job of that,” Jefferson said.
According to police, Cooley confessed to the crime. It’s a second degree felony that could lay the blueprints for a five-year prison sentence.
Folks at the architecture firm didn’t want to talk on camera about the disastrous deletion.
The owner did tell First Coast News that he’s paid good money to recover those files and he says he’s now managed to get every deleted drawing back from its digital death.
“The lesson to be learned here is that you can’t depend on having just one set of records or files and having your employees have access to them. You’ve got to have some kind of backup,” Jefferson said.
And here’s the most sobering part: the owner of the architecture firm says Marie Cooley was not going to be fired. He says the job listing was for his wife’s business — not his.
Source:
There may be a moral there somewhere about the danger of leaping to conclusions without supporting evidence. Meanwhile, the lady has gone from valued employee to unemployed woman likely to spend several years in prison.
Business owners, too, may want to think about how trustworthy their trusted employees really are.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Political Talking Heads Versus Breakfast
I got up to cook breakfast this morning, and turned on Fox to see the results of the South Carolina primary. All I wanted to know was first, second, and third in the GOP, and among the Dems, whether Clinton or Obama was victorious (since everybody knew in advance who 3rd and 4th would be).
Sounds simple, doesn't it? I did not want to see the opinions on the various Republican campaigns by the Democratic strategists, or to hear the reasons why Huckabee was finished, Thompson was finished, or Giuliani was finished by the people that didn't have any actual ideas on how to make America better or stronger but could only criticize others that were making the attempt. I did not want to see Hillary Clinton accused of "race baiting". All I wanted to know was the results and not have my intelligence insulted by the various "experts" brought in because I am quite capable of making my own analyses of the various candidates' strengths and weaknesses, thank you very much.
I switched over to the local station and instead of political coverage, learned how to make cookies from a store-bought cake mix. The news morning show website was supposed to have it posted online so I didn't write anything down, but nooooooo. So here's a link to cake mix cookie recipes if you feel the urge to experiment. The cookie recipe given was similar to #3 with the addition of 2 Tbs. of brown sugar and a half cup? of chopped cashews and a (forgotten) quantity of toffee chips. I would use a devil's food or German chocolate cake mix and use pecans, but that's just me.
I haven't actually made a cake since I started getting rounder. Maybe I'm getting rounder because I have not been eating a sufficient quantity of cake (or maybe I'm suffering from a severe shortage of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts). This begs for further research. I need to write a grant. Women everywhere need this information!
No, I did not actually make cookies for breakfast. The political coverage put me off eating entirely so I went back to bed and snuggled in the warm blankets for awhile longer. Hmmmmm. Watching Fox political coverage as the next weight loss strategy? It could work! (And another grant application is clearly in order.)
Sounds simple, doesn't it? I did not want to see the opinions on the various Republican campaigns by the Democratic strategists, or to hear the reasons why Huckabee was finished, Thompson was finished, or Giuliani was finished by the people that didn't have any actual ideas on how to make America better or stronger but could only criticize others that were making the attempt. I did not want to see Hillary Clinton accused of "race baiting". All I wanted to know was the results and not have my intelligence insulted by the various "experts" brought in because I am quite capable of making my own analyses of the various candidates' strengths and weaknesses, thank you very much.
I switched over to the local station and instead of political coverage, learned how to make cookies from a store-bought cake mix. The news morning show website was supposed to have it posted online so I didn't write anything down, but nooooooo. So here's a link to cake mix cookie recipes if you feel the urge to experiment. The cookie recipe given was similar to #3 with the addition of 2 Tbs. of brown sugar and a half cup? of chopped cashews and a (forgotten) quantity of toffee chips. I would use a devil's food or German chocolate cake mix and use pecans, but that's just me.
I haven't actually made a cake since I started getting rounder. Maybe I'm getting rounder because I have not been eating a sufficient quantity of cake (or maybe I'm suffering from a severe shortage of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts). This begs for further research. I need to write a grant. Women everywhere need this information!
No, I did not actually make cookies for breakfast. The political coverage put me off eating entirely so I went back to bed and snuggled in the warm blankets for awhile longer. Hmmmmm. Watching Fox political coverage as the next weight loss strategy? It could work! (And another grant application is clearly in order.)
Saturday, January 19, 2008
More Water Restrictions for South Florida
South Florida Records Two Driest Back-to-Back Years
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, January 8, 2008 (ENS) - The past two years have been the driest back-to-back calendar years in South Florida since rainfall recordkeeping began in 1932, meteorologists at the South Florida Water Management District confirmed today.
The 2006-2007 rainfall total of 83.63 inches district-wide displaces by nearly an inch the previous low of 84.59 inches that fell 50 years ago in 1955-56.
Last year was the ninth-driest year in the 76-year record with rainfall of just 42.88inches, across the district, 82 percent of the historical average,
It followed rainfall of only 40.75 inches in 2006, the sixth-driest year on record.
The combined two-year total is nearly two feet less than the historical district-wide average of 104.5 inches for a typical two-year period.
"The district's rainfall data confirms that South Florida is still in the grips of a severe regional drought, which has led to a multi-year water shortage the likes of which we have never experienced," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Eric Buermann.
"South Florida residents - as well as water managers - must live with limited water supplies this dry season, and we all must practice conservation and follow the one-day-a-week restrictions if we are to successfully minimize the impacts of this water shortage," he said.
All during 2007, the district imposed one new water restriction after another in an effort to conserve scant water supplies.
Now, the most restrictive rules ever imposed in South Florida take effect next week.
In December and for the first time in the agency's history, the district declared an extreme water shortage, and established a one-day-a-week watering schedule for residential landscape irrigation.
Landscape irrigation accounts for up to half of all household water consumption in the state of Florida and totals more than seven billion gallons per day nationwide.
The new restrictions become effective Tuesday, January 15. Enforcement, including issuing of of civil fines and notices of violation will begin on that date. For information on watering days and times, as well as restrictions on specific use classes, visit www.sfwmd.gov/conserve.
Source:
In checking the rain gauge, I found that we had a hair over 7" of that elusive wet stuff in my little area of NE Florida this week.
If you read the article, you will find that Lake Okechobee is at very low levels and you may infer that this is due to the drought, which is not entirely correct. The level was reduced to make room for the record number of hurricanes (and heavy rainfall) predicted for the summer hurricane season (which never materialized) as there were concerns with whether or not the dike would hold.
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, January 8, 2008 (ENS) - The past two years have been the driest back-to-back calendar years in South Florida since rainfall recordkeeping began in 1932, meteorologists at the South Florida Water Management District confirmed today.
The 2006-2007 rainfall total of 83.63 inches district-wide displaces by nearly an inch the previous low of 84.59 inches that fell 50 years ago in 1955-56.
Last year was the ninth-driest year in the 76-year record with rainfall of just 42.88inches, across the district, 82 percent of the historical average,
It followed rainfall of only 40.75 inches in 2006, the sixth-driest year on record.
The combined two-year total is nearly two feet less than the historical district-wide average of 104.5 inches for a typical two-year period.
"The district's rainfall data confirms that South Florida is still in the grips of a severe regional drought, which has led to a multi-year water shortage the likes of which we have never experienced," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Eric Buermann.
"South Florida residents - as well as water managers - must live with limited water supplies this dry season, and we all must practice conservation and follow the one-day-a-week restrictions if we are to successfully minimize the impacts of this water shortage," he said.
All during 2007, the district imposed one new water restriction after another in an effort to conserve scant water supplies.
Now, the most restrictive rules ever imposed in South Florida take effect next week.
In December and for the first time in the agency's history, the district declared an extreme water shortage, and established a one-day-a-week watering schedule for residential landscape irrigation.
Landscape irrigation accounts for up to half of all household water consumption in the state of Florida and totals more than seven billion gallons per day nationwide.
The new restrictions become effective Tuesday, January 15. Enforcement, including issuing of of civil fines and notices of violation will begin on that date. For information on watering days and times, as well as restrictions on specific use classes, visit www.sfwmd.gov/conserve.
Source:
In checking the rain gauge, I found that we had a hair over 7" of that elusive wet stuff in my little area of NE Florida this week.
If you read the article, you will find that Lake Okechobee is at very low levels and you may infer that this is due to the drought, which is not entirely correct. The level was reduced to make room for the record number of hurricanes (and heavy rainfall) predicted for the summer hurricane season (which never materialized) as there were concerns with whether or not the dike would hold.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
State Bans Allstate from Selling New Auto Policies
TALLAHASSEE -- Cranking up the heat, Florida regulators will suspend Allstate's license to sell auto insurance in the state until the company cooperates with an investigation into why its homeowners rates haven't fallen.
It's an unprecedented move for the state Office of Insurance Regulation, which is on the warpath because homeowners' premiums are still high despite passage of an insurance overhaul law in January 2007. The office is seeking information concerning how Allstate sets its rates and pays claims, and the company has refused to provide it.
''This is an ongoing and blatant disregard for the laws of the state of Florida. This can't and won't continue,'' Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said Wednesday.
The move sends a powerful message to the rest of Florida's insurance industry that rates must come down. Already, regulators and a special Senate panel have subpoenaed other insurers, and Gov. Charlie Crist has threatened a class-action lawsuit to compel the companies to provide insurance relief to homeowners.
The state's action against Allstate is expected to cause minimal financial pain for the company, especially if the ban is brief, because existing policies are exempted. Allstate customers can renew, and consumers looking for carriers will be able to find another insurer in Florida's highly competitive auto insurance market.
The biggest losers will be Allstate's agents, who will miss out on lucrative new business. Also taking a blow: Florida's reputation as an industry-friendly state.
''It's a big game of chicken,'' said Jay Brown, a lawyer with Houston's Beirne, Maynard and Parsons who does insurance litigation work. ``The last thing the state or Allstate wants is to lose a carrier from the auto insurance market.''
Joseph Dawson, of Dawson & Finkelstein, whose practice specializes in insurance litigation, said absent a circuit court ruling reversing McCarty's decision, Allstate will have to stop selling new auto policies in Florida.
Allstate is still weighing its options, said Adam Shores, a company spokesman.
The Office of Insurance Regulation's order is effective when it is delivered to Allstate's parent company in Northbrook, Ill. The order was expected to be ready by Thursday morning.
The ban is in effect until Allstate complies with the office's subpoena.
''Our goal is to bring insurers into the state, and so I regret that Allstate put McCarty in this position,'' said Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller, D-Cooper City. ``But we have to show the insurance industry that they are not the ones in charge, and they must comply with the laws of Florida.''
Speaking as somebody who has never had a (house) insurance claim that lives in a relatively safe area from hurricanes but whose insurance has quadrupled anyway, I'd like some answers, please.
It's an unprecedented move for the state Office of Insurance Regulation, which is on the warpath because homeowners' premiums are still high despite passage of an insurance overhaul law in January 2007. The office is seeking information concerning how Allstate sets its rates and pays claims, and the company has refused to provide it.
''This is an ongoing and blatant disregard for the laws of the state of Florida. This can't and won't continue,'' Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said Wednesday.
The move sends a powerful message to the rest of Florida's insurance industry that rates must come down. Already, regulators and a special Senate panel have subpoenaed other insurers, and Gov. Charlie Crist has threatened a class-action lawsuit to compel the companies to provide insurance relief to homeowners.
The state's action against Allstate is expected to cause minimal financial pain for the company, especially if the ban is brief, because existing policies are exempted. Allstate customers can renew, and consumers looking for carriers will be able to find another insurer in Florida's highly competitive auto insurance market.
The biggest losers will be Allstate's agents, who will miss out on lucrative new business. Also taking a blow: Florida's reputation as an industry-friendly state.
''It's a big game of chicken,'' said Jay Brown, a lawyer with Houston's Beirne, Maynard and Parsons who does insurance litigation work. ``The last thing the state or Allstate wants is to lose a carrier from the auto insurance market.''
Joseph Dawson, of Dawson & Finkelstein, whose practice specializes in insurance litigation, said absent a circuit court ruling reversing McCarty's decision, Allstate will have to stop selling new auto policies in Florida.
Allstate is still weighing its options, said Adam Shores, a company spokesman.
The Office of Insurance Regulation's order is effective when it is delivered to Allstate's parent company in Northbrook, Ill. The order was expected to be ready by Thursday morning.
The ban is in effect until Allstate complies with the office's subpoena.
''Our goal is to bring insurers into the state, and so I regret that Allstate put McCarty in this position,'' said Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller, D-Cooper City. ``But we have to show the insurance industry that they are not the ones in charge, and they must comply with the laws of Florida.''
Speaking as somebody who has never had a (house) insurance claim that lives in a relatively safe area from hurricanes but whose insurance has quadrupled anyway, I'd like some answers, please.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The Ultimate Tea Diet
I saw Dr. Ukra (aka Dr. Tea) on Fox today promoting his book “The Ultimate Tea Diet“. What a great idea! Drink 8 cups of delicious tea per day, and those pesky pounds will just burn off and leave a slimmer, trimmer you! If you want to add even more delicious, nutritious, fat-fighting tea to your diet, you can get tea rubs for your meat.
This health tip was really exciting for me. I have just come in from outside inspecting the lambs and doing a little raking of the yard, so I reached for the sweet tea pitcher and am currently working on my third 16 oz. glass. That’s 48 ounces of tea, people! By tomorrow morning, my fat deposits should be packing their bags for a permanent vacation.
Oh, wait. I drink at least 48 ounces of tea every day, chilled for an even higher calorie burn. I must have tea-resistant fat deposits! Perhaps Luzianne tea isn’t expensive enough to burn fat, and I need some of those custom blends that cost dollars per oz. in order to convert my fat to energy. Or something. Yeah, that must be it. I better buy the book and the expensive tea blends so that my fat can start burning off, too, just like those corpulent Hollywood people.
This health tip was really exciting for me. I have just come in from outside inspecting the lambs and doing a little raking of the yard, so I reached for the sweet tea pitcher and am currently working on my third 16 oz. glass. That’s 48 ounces of tea, people! By tomorrow morning, my fat deposits should be packing their bags for a permanent vacation.
Oh, wait. I drink at least 48 ounces of tea every day, chilled for an even higher calorie burn. I must have tea-resistant fat deposits! Perhaps Luzianne tea isn’t expensive enough to burn fat, and I need some of those custom blends that cost dollars per oz. in order to convert my fat to energy. Or something. Yeah, that must be it. I better buy the book and the expensive tea blends so that my fat can start burning off, too, just like those corpulent Hollywood people.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Ahhh, strawberries, the smell of winter.
When SwampMan and I were out wandering around central Florida, we picked up fresh strawberries that had been picked before the freeze. I put them in the fridge in those green bags that are supposed to keep produce from turning into slime mold in the bottom of the veggie crisper, and promptly forgot about them as per usual. I'm not sure if 4 days of forgetfulness is a long enough test, but there was not a spot of mold in sight and the strawberries were as firm and luscious as when I put them in the fridge. I could almost taste them as I got out my favorite old paring knife to slice them. Then the phone rang.
Some of you may know that I'm not a big fan of phones. In this case, the caller ID said that it was an aunt that I had not spoken with in @ 20 years, so I wondered what was up and answered the phone.
She just wanted to call and reminisce about the old days when her kids, my brothers and I, and the other cousins were running wild around her house. She reminded me about the time when my cousin Dale told me to pour some water in a hole and stir because something really interesting would happen (it was a yellow jacket's nest). I remembered when we were getting the nectar out of honeysuckle, my lil' brother told her daughter that to get honey from bees, you catch them in your hands and then sucked the honey out of their butts. The cousin had some huge red bee-stung lips for awhile, and lil' bro had a very sore behind when aunt got through with him. And then there was the time we climbed the tree up onto the garage roof and decided to test capes for their aeronautical ability when we jumped off the roof. As individuals, we had enough good sense that we would have never thought to try something like that, but as a group, we suddenly either got a lot stupider or maybe just waaaay more optimistic about the ability of a small child to defy gravity and land unscathed on concrete when they had my aunt's best towels tied around their neck.
When I try to picture my cousins, I don't remember them as the last time I saw them years ago as young adults with children, and now my aunt tells me that they are grandparents (which shouldn't surprise me, yet it comes as a shock). In my memory, they're out swinging on grapevines in the woods playing Tarzan, shooting BB guns and arrows in a spirited game of cowboys and Injuns, and my lil' brother is telling my gullible littler cousin how you suck chicken butts to get the eggs out.
Now it's 11:30, I have to get up in the morning, and haven't yet fed the livestock, took a shower, cleaned the strawberry juice off the counter, or cleaned the kitchen. Still, I wouldn't have traded my walk down memory lane tonight for any number of household and farmyard chores being done.
Some of you may know that I'm not a big fan of phones. In this case, the caller ID said that it was an aunt that I had not spoken with in @ 20 years, so I wondered what was up and answered the phone.
She just wanted to call and reminisce about the old days when her kids, my brothers and I, and the other cousins were running wild around her house. She reminded me about the time when my cousin Dale told me to pour some water in a hole and stir because something really interesting would happen (it was a yellow jacket's nest). I remembered when we were getting the nectar out of honeysuckle, my lil' brother told her daughter that to get honey from bees, you catch them in your hands and then sucked the honey out of their butts. The cousin had some huge red bee-stung lips for awhile, and lil' bro had a very sore behind when aunt got through with him. And then there was the time we climbed the tree up onto the garage roof and decided to test capes for their aeronautical ability when we jumped off the roof. As individuals, we had enough good sense that we would have never thought to try something like that, but as a group, we suddenly either got a lot stupider or maybe just waaaay more optimistic about the ability of a small child to defy gravity and land unscathed on concrete when they had my aunt's best towels tied around their neck.
When I try to picture my cousins, I don't remember them as the last time I saw them years ago as young adults with children, and now my aunt tells me that they are grandparents (which shouldn't surprise me, yet it comes as a shock). In my memory, they're out swinging on grapevines in the woods playing Tarzan, shooting BB guns and arrows in a spirited game of cowboys and Injuns, and my lil' brother is telling my gullible littler cousin how you suck chicken butts to get the eggs out.
Now it's 11:30, I have to get up in the morning, and haven't yet fed the livestock, took a shower, cleaned the strawberry juice off the counter, or cleaned the kitchen. Still, I wouldn't have traded my walk down memory lane tonight for any number of household and farmyard chores being done.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Bad Mommy
My lil’ 3-year-old grandson gazed soulfully into my eyes, and announced
“Mommy is BAD.”
“Mommy is bad? What bad thing did mommy do, precious?” I inquired, while raising an eyebrow at bad mommy.
“Mommy spank me!”
“She did? BAD mommy! Uh, why exactly was it that she spanked you?”
“I lock baby in room!” he announced proudly.
Aaaah, the old “lock the baby in the room” trick. I remember when my kids used to flee from my retribution after doing something particularly heinous (let’s see what happens if I put the kitty in a ziplock bag!) and locked the doors behind them to keep mom at bay so maybe I would cool off before spanking their lil’ bottoms.
Jake, however, was not fleeing retribution. He, baby, and mommy were playing on the floor of his room when the phone rang, and mommy went to answer it. Jake came out to see who mommy was talking too (after all, it might have been me!) and locked the door behind him from the inside. A door that mommy had explained to him should never be locked, because she could not pick the lock on that particular door from the other side. A door on which mommy’s lockpicking skills would now have to be tested.
Luckily, the incentive of an infant locked on the other side does wonderful things for a mother’s burgling skills and the only harm that arose from that incident was a spanking to reinforce the “do NOT lock the baby in a room” message, since merely telling him not to do so was not sufficient to overcome the joy of being able to lock the little interloper away from mommy.
I asked him if he wanted me to give his mommy a spanking. “NO, don’t hurt mommy”, he said, although he gave her a warning look that said that he might not be so forbearing in the future if she should happen to misbehave.
The kitty in the ziplock bag survived, as I happened to glance out the window and saw the angelic little cherub stuff her into the bag and seal it. I rushed outside and was was able to release poor trusting kitty before all the oxygen was used up. Jake’s mommy did not seal any more kitties into ziplock bags after that spanking, either.
Now was it mommy, or was it her brother that put kitty in the dryer?
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Light Bulbs and Water Pumps
The temperature is plummeting in Florida, which has already caused a state of emergency for the people that supply fresh fruits and vegetables to the nation. Even though the temperature here in NE Florida is still 39 degrees at 4 p.m., the wind chill is in the 20s.
I asked SwampMan while we were in town if we needed to get light bulbs for the pump houses (two). He assured me that he had a plentiful supply of incandescent bulbs that should provide enough heat to keep the pumps from freezing. Shortly after we arrived home, he stuck his head in the office door and asked what I had done with his light bulbs.
"Huh?"
"My light bulbs are gone. What did you do with them?"
I use the screw-in type of fluorescent bulbs throughout the house in lamps, closets, outside lighting on the porch, and even in the barn becauseI'm too lazy to drag out the ladder and change light bulbs every few months they're more energy efficient.
"I don't even go into your shop. It is nasty with (shudder) large bugs in there. Ewwwww."
"Well, SOMEBODY took the lightbulbs AND the trouble lights I used to put on the pumps." This was said with a dark accusatory look at me, as though I had sold his lamps and bulbs on E-bay when he wasn't looking (not a bad idea, come to think of it).
Well, at least I can still go to town and get some incandescent light bulbs to keep the pumps from freezing tonight. Since our electedvillage idiots officials have made various incandescent bulbs illegal over the next few years, I suppose then I'll have to put a politician in the pump houses to keep the pumps from freezing. I'm not sure I have enough composting space for the bullsh** that would accumulate, though.
I asked SwampMan while we were in town if we needed to get light bulbs for the pump houses (two). He assured me that he had a plentiful supply of incandescent bulbs that should provide enough heat to keep the pumps from freezing. Shortly after we arrived home, he stuck his head in the office door and asked what I had done with his light bulbs.
"Huh?"
"My light bulbs are gone. What did you do with them?"
I use the screw-in type of fluorescent bulbs throughout the house in lamps, closets, outside lighting on the porch, and even in the barn because
"I don't even go into your shop. It is nasty with (shudder) large bugs in there. Ewwwww."
"Well, SOMEBODY took the lightbulbs AND the trouble lights I used to put on the pumps." This was said with a dark accusatory look at me, as though I had sold his lamps and bulbs on E-bay when he wasn't looking (not a bad idea, come to think of it).
Well, at least I can still go to town and get some incandescent light bulbs to keep the pumps from freezing tonight. Since our elected
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Bowling for Iraq--Unusual Donation for Troops
When Doyle Claxton of United Bowling in Yulee received an e-mail from a soldier in Iraq asking if his unit could get two bowling lanes, he knew this was a wish he could fulfill.
Master Sgt. Robert Beane of Ft. Riley, Kan., who is currently stationed in Iraq, contacted Claxton through the United Bowling website. In making his request, Beane stated he and his unit rarely get down time, but the time they do get is priceless.
The Army does its best to keep the troops entertained.
"They try to come up with things like karaoke and stuff like that," said Beane in a phone call to the News-Leader from Iraq.
"But unless it comes from the States, a band or a singer, there's not too much else for us to do around here."
Beane, who is a semi-professional bowler back home, said he was kidded by friends who said, "What are you going to do when you get over there, Beane? How are you going to bowl?"
Beane said he'd throw down some plywood and make a lane that way if he had to, but thanks to Claxton, he and the other bowlers in his unit will soon have real bowling lanes.
"It's exciting!" said Beane. "Nothing like this has ever been done before so we're doing a lot of work on this end, trying to make everything happen."
Getting the bowling equipment to the soldiers involves having it delivered to a military base where it will be shipped to the troops overseas.
"We've had this idea for quite some time, but never had much extra time to focus on it," said Claxton, who is footing the bill for the project.
Two lanes normally cost approximately $120,000 installed. Overseas shipments are usually between $4,000 to $5,000, but this will be handled by the U.S. military.
With no professional installer on base, Claxton said he will provide the necessary manuals and documentation to make it as easy as possible for the troops to install the lanes.
"We can also communicate via e-mail for further assistance," Claxton said.
The two-lane bowling alley will be simple to set up and will also have to withstand the harsh desert environment.
"Everything will be old-school, with no complex pin-setting machines or electronic scoring. The pins will have to be set by hand and the score added manually, but it is the most ideal scenario for the circumstances," said Claxton.
Read the rest at the News Leader, Fernandina Beach.
Master Sgt. Robert Beane of Ft. Riley, Kan., who is currently stationed in Iraq, contacted Claxton through the United Bowling website. In making his request, Beane stated he and his unit rarely get down time, but the time they do get is priceless.
The Army does its best to keep the troops entertained.
"They try to come up with things like karaoke and stuff like that," said Beane in a phone call to the News-Leader from Iraq.
"But unless it comes from the States, a band or a singer, there's not too much else for us to do around here."
Beane, who is a semi-professional bowler back home, said he was kidded by friends who said, "What are you going to do when you get over there, Beane? How are you going to bowl?"
Beane said he'd throw down some plywood and make a lane that way if he had to, but thanks to Claxton, he and the other bowlers in his unit will soon have real bowling lanes.
"It's exciting!" said Beane. "Nothing like this has ever been done before so we're doing a lot of work on this end, trying to make everything happen."
Getting the bowling equipment to the soldiers involves having it delivered to a military base where it will be shipped to the troops overseas.
"We've had this idea for quite some time, but never had much extra time to focus on it," said Claxton, who is footing the bill for the project.
Two lanes normally cost approximately $120,000 installed. Overseas shipments are usually between $4,000 to $5,000, but this will be handled by the U.S. military.
With no professional installer on base, Claxton said he will provide the necessary manuals and documentation to make it as easy as possible for the troops to install the lanes.
"We can also communicate via e-mail for further assistance," Claxton said.
The two-lane bowling alley will be simple to set up and will also have to withstand the harsh desert environment.
"Everything will be old-school, with no complex pin-setting machines or electronic scoring. The pins will have to be set by hand and the score added manually, but it is the most ideal scenario for the circumstances," said Claxton.
Read the rest at the News Leader, Fernandina Beach.
Paramedics cruise on Harleys
Firefighter paramedics on Harleys can zip through traffic much quicker than a firetruck, potentially saving lives. And they look cool doing it.
Lt. Charles Perdomo, foreground, and firefighter Johnny Suarez are 'motor medics.'
Traffic in Miami is bad. Really bad. Year after year, the rage-inspiring clogged roadways make headlines. But while driving in South Florida is a chore for the common commuter, for Miami-Dade fire rescue, it's a matter of life and death.
The department has found an answer: pairing up firefighter paramedics, issuing them motorcycles, dressing them in reflective air-bag vests, equipping them with a trove of life-saving equipment and freeing them to roam the streets.
When their radios crackle with word of a crash, a shooting or a heart attack, they weave through cars at speeds ranging from 20 to 90 miles an hour to get there.
The result? The county's four full-time Motorcycle Emergency Response Team members not only beat civilian traffic, they usually trump their truck-riding colleagues, typically by three minutes, sometimes up to five, responding to everything from a child's cut finger to the recent fatal police shooting in Southwest Dade.
It is one of a few full-time programs of its kind in the country.
''There was some apprehension at first,'' said Lt. Charles Perdomo, 38, one of the riders. ``The concept is brand new. It's still in its infancy. But the crews see us now, and we're out there every day -- they've grown to know us and to depend on us.''
Depend they do: On a recent Tuesday, the firefighters responded to a house fire (arriving at the same time as a fire engine), a car crash on the turnpike (beating the fire engines and the Florida Highway Patrol by four minutes) and a heart attack.
Because they were on bikes less than 40 inches wide as opposed to trucks -- the narrowest of which is 10 feet wide -- the ''motor medics'' were able to zigzag through the cars and zip down narrow shoulders.
''We're trying to buy as much time as possible for the patients,'' said Capt. Roman Bas, who runs the program. ``The fire stations have what they call a fixed response. We have a dynamic response. We're already moving. It gives us an advantage.''
``We do things on-duty. We do things off-duty. We have our own sense of brotherhood.''
Read the rest.....
Now if only Miami could decide on which country's traffic laws to obey.....
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