Florida Politic

Florida Forever Needs Your Help

Florida Politic — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:40:35 +0000

As the legislative session approaches in Tallahassee we are again reminded of the importance of large-scale land conservation to protect Florida’s water, wildlife, ecosystems, public well-being, and economy. At the same time as thousands of Floridians volunteer their time and energy to the Florida Water and Land Legacy Campaign to make sure that land conservation funding exists for a new generation of Floridians, there are those in our government that seek to rollback our State’s hard won progress, returning public lands to private ownership and placing unwise restrictions on the purchase of new lands.

Florida Black Bear

Florida Panther

Fortunately, Florida has the Florida Forever Coalition, among other dedicated groups, working to assure funding for Florida Forever continues now and into the future. The FCC encourages all of its members to learn more about the Florida Forever Coalition, and how you can get involved, by visiting their website.

Best,

Ryan Smart
FCC – Florida Conservation Coalition

Making Juicy Jim’s Florida Citrus Nectar

Florida Politic — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:17:36 +0000

One of my favorite Florida pastimes is picking and squeezing oranges to give out to friends and family. This year I made orange juice from the fruit of the Pineapple Orange tree. For maximum sweetness, I always wait until the very last minute to pick these oranges. Last year they were ready at the end of February and this year they were ready in the middle of February.

The Pineapple Orange originated from seedlings planted about 1860 near Citra, FL. Pineapples are medium large, somewhat flattened on both ends, with a moderately thick, smooth peel. Pineapples mature about Thanksgiving and get sweeter the longer they hang on the tree until late February.

I planted the trees 13 years ago and and fertilized them with citrus stakes for the first 8 years. I have used no fertilizer or pesticides on the trees during the last 5 years. The trees have always produced good fruit and last year they began producing the sweetest fruit – and lots of it.

I started picking the fruit on February 16 and began juicing it right away. I filled gallon and half-gallon sized containers for family. I put the rest in quart-sized Ball jars for gifting. I made some labels in the tacky tradition of weird Florida kitsch.

Here are the pictures I took during the process of making Juicy Jim’s Florida Citrus Nectar (2013 batch).

Pineapple Orange Tree

Pineapple Oranges On The Tree

Pineapple Oranges Have A Beautiful Color

The Juice Is A Good Color

It Took 3 Days To Juice All Of The Oranges

I Made Some Kitschy Labels For The Juice Containters

I Packaged The Juice In Quart Sized Ball Jars

Juicy Jim’s Florida Citrus Nectar Is Ready To Distribute To Friends And Family

If you want some of Juicy Jim’s Florida Citrus Nectar, you will have to wait until next February.

By: Jim Weeks

Florida Conservation Coalition – Speak Up Wekiva is here!

Florida Politic — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:01:41 +0000

Speak Up Wekiva is here! This Saturday, February 16^th, join Senator Bob Graham and Seminole County Commissioner Lee Constantine from 10-4 at Wekiwa Springs State Park, located approximately 20 minutes north of Orlando, for Speak Up Wekiva. Environmental groups and individuals from across Florida will rally together to raise awareness about the need to restore the impaired Wekiva River, the troubled springs that feed it, and all of Florida’s treasured waterways.

Speak Up Wekiva features over 30 exhibitors and artists, live bluegrass music by The Ashley Gang, hot food, animals from the Central Florida Zoo and Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, kayak demonstrations by Greg Stamer, guided nature hikes, and presentations by Florida artist Jim Draper and writer and filmmaker Bill Belleville.

Senator Graham, Commissioner Constantine, and other notable speakers will take the stage beginning at 11am so arrive early and plan to stay for a great day of environmental education and activism.

Normal park entry fee applies. For more information on the event see SpeakUpWekiva . com.

We hope you will join Senator Graham and conservationists from around Florida to Speak Up for the Wekiva this Saturday.

Click here to visit the Florida Conservation Coalition

Crystal River nuclear plant permanently shuttered

Florida Politic — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:15:07 +0000

Duke Energy to retire idle Crystal River nuclear plant

From: MiamiHerald.com

By David Bracken

Charlotte Observer

Duke Energy announced Tuesday that it will close Progress Energy’s idled Crystal River nuclear reactor in Florida.

The company is reviewing alternatives to replace the power produced by the plant, including possibly constructing a natural gas-fueled plant to meet the needs of its Florida customers. Duke is evaluating several potential sites for the project.

The Crystal River plant has been shut down since 2009 after a botched component-replacement project cracked concrete in its reactor containment structure. Duke had been mulling over whether to repair the plant, at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion to $3.4 billion, or retire it.

“We believe this decision to retire the nuclear plant is in the best overall interests of our customers, investors, the state of Florida and our company,” Duke CEO Jim Rogers said in a statement. “This has been an arduous process of modeling, engineering, analysis and evaluation over many months. The decision was very difficult, but the right choice.”

Duke also announced Tuesday that it has reached a solution with the insurer, Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited, known as NEIL, about claims to be paid as a result of the damages that occurred at Crystal River. Under the terms of a mediator’s proposal, NEIL will pay $530 million in addition to the $305 million it has already paid. Duke said the $835 million payout is the largest in NEIL’s history.

The troubles at Progress’ Crystal River reactor were cited by Rogers and other Duke board members as one of the reasons that Duke moved to fire Progress CEO Bill Johnson just hours after Duke and Progress completed their merger last summer. Johnson had been slated to lead the combined Duke after the merger, but Duke’s board said Progress’ poor nuclear performance in recent years reflected badly on his leadership.

Duke’s board became particularly concerned about missed deadlines and rising costs at Crystal River after the merger between Duke and Progress was proposed, Duke’s lead director Ann Maynard Gray said during testimony before the N.C. Utilities Commission.

Duke reported in November that subsidiary Progress Energy Florida would record a $100 million charge against third-quarter income from its Crystal River nuclear plant.

An agreement the Florida Public Service Commission approved in February triggered the expected $100 million charge. Progress agreed to refund to customers $40 million in 2015 and $60 million in 2016 if repairs don’t begin by the end of this year – the money paid for replacement power while Crystal River was not operating.

Guide To Florida’s 2012 Proposed Amendments

Florida Politic — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:39:24 +0000

(Tampa Bay Online) Florida voters will go to the polls on Nov. 6, and be hit with a long, wordy list of proposed ballot amendments. Here is a guide to what the measures would change if enacted. And, there is no Amendment 7. That one was removed by the Legislature.

1. Health care

This amendment would prohibit laws or rules from compelling anyone or an employer to purchase, obtain, or otherwise provide for health care coverage. Read more:Ruling takes the teeth out of health care.

2. Homestead exemption for disabled veterans

This amendment would expand the property discount on homesteads to combat-injured veterans who were not Florida residents at the time of their injury.

3. Government revenue limit

Under this amendment, state revenues collected in excess of the revenue limitation will be added to the budget stabilization fund until the fund reaches its maximum balance. Then, the money will be used for public schools by reducing the financial effort required from districts for participation in a state education finance program. Read more: Cap aims to end budget boom, bust. Opinion: Tribune editorial says No. 3. would hurt economy. Read it here.

4. Property tax and values

This amendment specifies that assessed value of homestead property may not increase if the market value is less than it was the preceding Jan. 1. The amendment would also reduce from 10 percent to 5 percent the limitation on annual changes in assessments of nonhomestead real property. Read more:Tax breaks mean unintended consequences. Tribune editorial is against No. 4. Read it here.

5. State court oversight

This amendment would let the Legislature repeal rules on how the judiciary operates with a simple majority instead of a two-thirds majority. This amendment also would require Senate confirmation of a governor’s nominee for Supreme Court justice. Read more:Measure seeks to rein in courts.

6. Public funding of abortions

This amendment would deny public funds for any abortion or for health coverage that includes the procedure. The prohibition does not apply to any coverage required by federal law. Read more:Proposal rekindles debate on limits.

7. This amendment on religious freedom was removed by the Legislature.

8. Religious freedom

This amendment would delete the prohibition against using state revenue directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination or in aid of any sectarian institution. Read more:Amendment reignites school voucher debate.

9. Tax relief for a surviving spouse

The amendment authorizes the Legislature to totally or partially exempt from property taxes the homestead property of a surviving spouse of a military veteran or first responder who died in the line of duty.

10. Expanded homestead for seniors

This amendment would provide an exemption from ad valorem taxes on tangible personal property if the assessed value is greater than $25,000 but less than $50,000.

11. Expanded homestead for low-income seniors

This amendment would allow an additional homestead tax exemption to a property owner who has lived there for 25 years, is 65 years of age and has a low household income.

12. Student representation on Board of Governors

This amendment would require the Board of Governors to create a council of state university student body presidents and name the chair of that council as the student member of the board, replacing the Florida Student Association president. Read more: FSU connection to ballot measure.

By Lawrence Sullivan – Link to Article

Watchdog: Florida’s utility regulators ‘most dysfunctional’ in the South

Florida Politic — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 19:00:01 +0000

(Tampa Bay Times, September 26, 2012) The executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, a non-profit, nonpartisan energy watchdog group based in the Southeastern U.S., spoke out about Gov. Rick Scott’s recent reappointment of Public Service Commissioner Lisa Edgar today at a meeting with The Miami Herald editorial board. He had some harsh criticism.

Edgar’s reappointment was “very disappointing,” said Stephen Smith, the group’s director. Of the seven Southeastern states the group works with, he said, “the Florida PSC is the most dysfunctional.”

He said that Florida’s PSC operates “in lockstep with the companies they are supposed to regulate. We have not seen the Florida PSC this bad in the years I have been involved. I think that is an area where consumers are being poorly served by the appointments on the commission now.

“I think they are largely uninformed about many positions, and they are way too cozy with the companies they are supposed to regulate.”

Smith’s organization is suing the state for what it calls the unconstitutional statute passed in 2006 that has allowed Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy Florida to collect millions from customers to build nuclear power plants that may never be constructed. SACE argues that the PSC has allowed the utilities to shift the definition of what is allowed under the law so that they can continue to collect money from customers when the need for nuclear power plants has diminished.

The Florida Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the case Oct. 4.

Read it at The Buzz

Texas seeks to learn lessons from West Nile virus “disaster”

Florida Politic — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 20:53:41 +0000

(Reuters – September 27, 2012) – When Dr. Robert Haley spotted a dead blue jay lying in his neighbor’s driveway early this summer he became suspicious. When he saw another blue jay dead in the birdbath at his Dallas home the next morning, he knew it was a bad omen of disease.

What he could not predict at the time was that the bird corpses heralded one of the worst U.S. outbreaks of West Nile virus on record, with nearly 40 percent of cases in Texas alone.

“It’s unusual to see dead birds lying in the open,” said Haley, chief of epidemiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “Typically, birds die in some out-of-sight place or they are carried off by animals if they die out in the open.”

West Nile is transmitted from sick birds to humans and other mammals by mosquitoes and was first detected in the United States 13 years ago, in New York City. Texas declared a state of emergency last month after seeing the worst toll from West Nile this year, which has reached 3,545 total cases and 147 deaths nationwide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other states with large outbreaks include Mississippi, Michigan, South Dakota, Louisiana, Oklahoma and California.

“From the beginning, I thought it could be a bad year,” said Haley, who spent 10 years working for the CDC and now lives in the epicenter of the outbreak. “But it turned out to be much worse than anyone imagined. It was a public health disaster.”

Experts hope the outbreak has peaked as cooler weather sets in and widespread pesticide spraying takes effect. Now is the time to learn the lessons for the future.

GOOD WEATHER FOR BUGS

Five counties within the Dallas-Fort Worth area – the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country – recorded 28 of the 63 deaths and 869 of the 1,429 cases reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services by Tuesday. Dallas County alone has recorded 16 deaths and 371 cases, according to county authorities.

CDC and state officials believe a year’s worth of record high temperatures and intermittent rainfall this past spring contributed to the severity of the epidemic by affecting bird and mosquito populations. Following a record hot summer and drought conditions in 2011, Dallas-Fort Worth had a warm winter with fewer than normal freezes followed by bouts of rain in the spring, officials said.

“One of the things we are closely looking at is the effect of weather on this year’s outbreak,” said Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases. “West Nile outbreaks tend to be difficult to predict. Why it occurred in Dallas more than other areas is a matter of speculation at this point, and it’s something that we’re going to be looking at very carefully.”

In addition, health officials in the region have witnessed an especially large number of neuroinvasive cases, the more severe form of the disease that often leads to meningitis and encephalitis.

Haley estimates that about 25,000 people likely were infected with West Nile in Dallas County this summer. Of those, about 80 percent showed no symptoms at all, while many of the remaining residents came down with West Nile Fever, a mild form of the disease that is largely under-reported and only sporadically tested. State figures show only that Dallas County recorded 168 West Nile fever cases and 154 neuroinvasive cases.

HOPES FOR A RESPITE

Haley and others say the worst should be over in terms of new infections, but more cases are expected to be reported due to the lag time between infection, testing for the virus and reporting to state agencies and the CDC. The death toll is also likely to rise as it can take weeks to months for patients to deteriorate.

In the meantime, Dallas residents are still coming to terms with the ravages of the outbreak, which dwarfs the four deaths seen in the region in 2006.

With no vaccine to prevent West Nile in humans, the only defense is prevention – wearing insecticide outdoors and pesticide spraying by ground and air.

Dr. Don Read, a surgeon in Dallas, who was infected by neuroinvasive West Nile in 2005 while walking in his Dallas neighborhood and now runs a support group for survivors, said people tend to think they are invincible. “I didn’t think I would get it until I did. It only takes one mosquito bite.”

Read, who was infected at age 63, spent almost five weeks in the intensive care unit. He now wears braces on his legs due to polio-like paralysis, but considers himself lucky to be alive.

The sound of a plane buzzing overhead spreading insecticide in the suburban community of Southlake was a welcome sound to Ann Dachniwsky, 47, who spent much of the summer so fatigued from neuroinvasive West Nile that her only activity was “going from the bed to the couch back to the bed.”

At the height of her illness, her husband and three children took turns waking her up every few hours to force her to drink.

“My balance and sight were affected so I could barely work or see. I was flat on my back for weeks,” she said. “I was a healthy, active person. I’m getting better but I can barely manage one activity without needing to lay down afterwards.”

Dachniwsky’s family had pleaded with the Southlake City Council to allow aerial spraying of pesticide for the first time since an encephalitis outbreak nearly 50 years ago. Dallas and nearby Denton counties conducted aerial spraying missions in August. Southlake, which is partially in Denton and Tarrant counties, was sprayed. Officials in Tarrant County, home of Fort Worth, chose to spray only by ground.

As the outbreak has slowed, Dallas County health officials continue to be criticized both for not moving fast enough to start spraying and also for going too far in the breadth of the aerial spraying program once it started.

“We had a protocol in place and we followed it,” said Zach Thompson, director of the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services. “We started with public education, followed by localized ground spraying, then enhanced ground spraying and finally aerial spraying.”

As research and analysis of the outbreak continue, Thompson said officials will work diligently to avoid a repeat of history.

“We were surprised by the magnitude of the outbreak this year but we feel that our response was appropriate,” Thompson said. “Hindsight is 20/20.” (Editing by Michele Gershberg and Claudia Parsons)

Link to article on Reuters

PSA: Voter Registration Deadline

Florida Politic — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:06:14 +0000

If you want to vote in the General Election and haven’t already registered, you better register soon. The deadline to register to vote in the November 6, 2012 General Election is October 9, 2012.

Your Registration Date:

For new applicants, your registration date is the date your completed application is postmarked or hand delivered to any Supervisor of Elections’ office in the state, a driver’s license office, a voter registration agency, including an armed forced recruitment office, public library, or the Division of Elections.

How To Register To Vote In Florida:

Fill out the Voter Registration Application online (click here for Spanish version). If you wish, you can print the application and write your information in with a black ballpoint pen.
Print the application out.
Verify that all of the information on your application is complete. The office where you register, your decision not to register, your Social Security Number, your Florida driver’s license number and your Florida identification card number will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes.
Sign your application. The application requires an original signature because you are swearing or affirming to an oath.
Place the application in an envelope with a first class stamp.
Mail the application to your county Supervisor of Elections. You may also opt to mail or hand deliver the application to any Supervisor of Elections’ office in the state, a driver’s license office, a voter registration agency including an armed forces recruitment office, public library, or the Division of Elections.
If your application is complete and you qualify as a voter, the Supervisor of Elections will mail you a voter information card as official notification that you are registered to vote. Make sure all of the information on your card is correct. If you do not receive your card within 2 weeks, or if you have any questions, call your Supervisor of Elections.
You must be registered for at least 29 days before you can vote in an election.

If the information on the application is not true, the applicant can be convicted of a felony of the third degree and fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 5 years.

All Information From: Florida Division Of Elections – Please Visit Their Website for Additional Information

For Local Supervisor Of Elections Locations And Contact Information: Find Your Supervisor Of Elections Map

Florida Conservation Coalition: A Day At Rainbow Springs State Park September 22

Florida Politic — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 18:28:04 +0000

A message from the Florida Conservation Coalition:

On Saturday, September 22nd, we invite you to join Florida Conservation Coalition Charter Organizations, Affiliates, and Members for a terrific day of speeches, guided nature activities, education, live music, and fun at Rainbow Springs State Park.

Visit Rainbow Springs State Park for an incredible day of intimate tours and educational speeches by some of the people working to save and protect Rainbow Springs. Listen to inspiring speakers, visit educational booths from agencies and organizations working to make a difference, take a hike to see restoration and preservation in progress. Or, rent a kayak or tube for some on your own fun and take a swim in the crystal clear waters that have sustained humans for 6,000 years! Many tours and workshops are RSVP only, so register today! Park admission is $2/person, children 6 and under are free. More information is available at FloridaStateParks . org. Keep your eyes peeled for more details-There will be some incredible opportunities for our visitors including:

- Everyone can swim, hike, picnic, visit the butterfly garden, rent canoes/kayaks, rent tubes, listen to music & educational speakers, visit booths of organizations working toward environmental preservation and restoration, meet Smokey Bear, and participate in guided programs.
- There are also some great special tours that require an RSVP.
- Please visit FloridaStateParks.org/RainbowSprings for more info.
- Brought to you by: Rainbow Springs State Park and Southwest Florida Water Management District.
- Sponsored in part by Marion County Springs Festival, the Friends of Rainbow Springs, and Florida Yards and Neighbors
- This event is held in conjunction with Citrus County Save Our Waters Week and in recognition of National Public Lands Day.
- Come learn what is worth protecting!

Best Regards,

Ryan Smart
FCC

We’re Back From Vacation!

Florida Politic — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 22:59:33 +0000

We are back from taking some time off. It was a well deserved and relaxing vacation. We missed a lot while we were gone but we’re ready to get caught up with new content.

While we were gone, the Republicans held their nominating convention in Tampa and the Democrats held theirs in Charlotte. With less than 60 days before the general election, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan still can’t decide where they stand on any issue so not much has changed.

A hurricane went through New Orleans and the city was spared the damage like they experienced after Hurricane Katrina. The levees held because we built that…the government and the tax payers built that.

Bin Laden is still dead and General Motors is still alive. But things change fast these days so stay tuned…