Compromise Drilling Proposal

WASHINGTON — A Republican proposal to lift federal bans on oil drilling would not affect Florida's Gulf coast but could impact its Atlantic Coast, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez said today.

Under the plan introduced today by 43 Republican senators, state governments would have the option of allowing oil and gas drilling 50 miles from their coastlines along the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Palm Beach Post

Offshore drilling gains new Fla. GOP supporters

WASHINGTON - Opposition to offshore oil and gas drilling, once a virtual requirement for any Florida politician, is evaporating in the state's 16-member Republican House delegation.

The crumbling opposition comes as the average price of gas tops $4 a gallon and after three high-profile Republicans disavowed previous opposition to offshore drilling.

Gainesville Sun

State's jobless rate is worst in five years

Florida's jobless rate rose to 5.5 percent in May, the highest since January 2003, according to a state report released Friday.

The rate, which is adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, means more than a half million workers statewide are out of work. Palm Beach and Broward counties' unemployment numbers also rose last month, according to the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation.

Sun Sentinel

No New Taxes in Jacksonville

Click here to see the local ABC/NBC news coverage of the defeat of Mayor Peyton's $250 million tax increase.

Peyton won't ask for tax increase

RICK WILSON / The Florida Times-Union

Mayor John Peyton talks to journalists after saying that funding for Jacksonville Journey would not come from a tax increase.

"This is a tremendous day for Jacksonville taxpayers," said Adam Guillette, the group's state director.

Florida Times Union

With Oil's Rise, Floridians Shift on Drilling

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. -- Neighbors Jo Ellen Sharp and Kristin Jenkins stood beside each other after a day on the beach of this barrier island, divided by the thought that Florida's corner of the Gulf of Mexico could some day be dotted by gigantic oil rigs.

Wall Street Journal

Debate over Gulf drilling splits Florida coast residents

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — Forget hurricanes. Never mind business cycles. In two decades of running scuba diving boats for tourists, Jerry McLendon has never seen a bigger challenge to his business than the current high price of gasoline.

Palm Beach Post

Crist's climate change summit kicks off in Miami

MIAMI — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist plans to speak about green technology at a summit on climate change.

Florida power companies also plan to introduce a solar initiative at the two-day conference. It kicks off in Miami on Wednesday.

Herald Tribune

Jacksonville Mayor Peyton's Tax Increase Proposal is Struggling to Gain Support

Mayor John Peyton said Thursday he will not compromise on his Jacksonville Journey anti-crime plan but acknowledged it has been a tough sell partly because the $36.2 million plan could require a tax increase.

Times Union

Urgent: House Democrats call for nationalization of refineries

House Democrats responded to President's Bush's call for Congress to lift the moratorium on offshore drilling. This was at an on-camera press conference fed back live.

Among other things, the Democrats called for the government to own refineries so it could better control the flow of the oil supply.

Fox News

Florida's Incoming House Leader No Fan of Drilling

Unlike Gov. Charlie Crist, incoming House Speaker Ray Sansom said Wednesday that he's not changing his mind about offshore oil-drilling -- he still opposes it.

Orlando Sentinel

Jeb's oil alternative: drill but preserve the buffer

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, who negotiated the federal-state compromise to keep drilling away from Florida shores, said in an email to the Miami Herald that he supports drilling off Florida with restrictions. His suggestion: reviving the 2006 compromise to create a deep buffer around Florida while lifting the moratorium on domestic oil and gas drilling.

Miami Herald

Rubio: Explore drilling but don't fool public

House Speaker Marco Rubio agrees it makes sense to explore "every natural resource we have" to ensure energy independence. "If people can show us we can drill off the coast of Florida and we can do it safely without harming the environment," he told the Buzz, "then we should do that."

Tampabay.com

Crist Veep-O-Meter drops

We're not at all buying some of the national press Buzz that John McCain may have mortally wounded himself in Florida over his new drilling stance, but it's so far not helping Charlie Crist's national image. The Hotline today even questioned whether Crist's support for McCain's position had sunk his VP chances.

Tampabay.com

Crist says federal ban on offshore drilling should be lifted

Gov. Charlie Crist said a tourist state like Florida should be willing to consider lifting a federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling as one long-term solution to soaring fuel prices that are sending shock waves through the nation's economy.

Tallahassee Democrat

FL Chamber: We're with you, Charlie

The Florida Chamber of Commerce just issued a statement siding with Gov. Crist on oil drilling, and possibly providing some cover as he draws fire for what some see as a flip-flop.

St. Pete Times

67% Support Offshore Drilling, 64% Expect it Will Lower Prices

Most voters favor the resumption of offshore drilling in the United States and expect it to lower prices at the pump, even as John McCain has announced his support for states that want to explore for oil and gas off their coasts.

Rasmussen Reports

Crist likes McCain's drilling plan, wouldn't rule it out for Florida

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist tells Buzz that he loves Sen. John McCain's idea to lift the federal moratorium on off-shore drilling and let individual states decide whether to allow oil and gas exploration. He also said he wouldn't rule out letting Florida opt to drill off-shore.

Tampabay.com

Gingrich: "Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is jumping aboard the GOP-led push to open up more of the US coastline to oil and gas exploration with an online petition.

Miami Herald

McCain: Allow offshore drilling

Sen. John McCain today said he will call for lifting the two-decade old federal moratorium on gas and oil exploration that covers most of the U.S. coast and let states decide whether to allow drilling.

St. Pete Times

Rubio on veto: It's going to cost drivers more

House Speaker Marco Rubio sent out the following statement regarding the governor's veto of turnpike bid language he inserted into the budget:

“Today's veto will result in a government contract being awarded to benefit a single vendor. Combining the state’s fuel and food contracts along the Florida Turnpike limits the competitiveness of the procurement to only two companies, squeezes out all other potential bidders, and guarantees that we will not have an open, competitive, and transparent procurement process. The end result of this decision will be increased costs to Florida’s motorists.”

Miami Herald

New Evidence on Government and Growth

In the early 1980s, Ronald Reagan embraced the ideas of a small group of economists dubbed "supply-siders." They argued that lower taxes and slimmer government would stimulate growth, enterprise, harder work and higher levels of saving and investment. These views were widely ridiculed at the time, dismissed as "voodoo economics."

Wall Street Journal

Hometown Democracy Heads Back to Court

Florida business groups thought they stuck a stake through the heart of Florida Hometown Democracy earlier this year, but the slow-growth ballot initiative keeps finding new ways to spring back to life.

Orlando Sentinel

Rubio pummels Obama, liberal media

Looks like Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, perhaps in preparation for a role as a political commentator, had a captive crowd at the Boca Raton Republican Club late last month.



Palm Beach Post

Crist vetoes $251 million from budget and won't take questions about it

Gov. Charlie Crist quietly signed the state's $66.2 billion budget Wednesday, vetoing three items totalling $251 million from the state spending plan which is a record $6 billion less than the budget he signed last year.

Miami Herald

Crist To Sign Budget

Breaking with tradition -- and a signal that the volume of vetoes will be modest -- Gov. Charlie Crist plans to sign the state's $66.2 billion budget Wednesday without a public signing ceremony.

Orlando Sentinel

Goodlette sets sights on Supreme Court

Former state Rep. Dudley Goodlette, a moderate Republican from Naples, confirms that he'll apply for one of four upcoming vacancies on the state Supreme Court. A 60-year-old board certified real estate lawyer, Goodlette would be a rarity on the court. He has never served as a judge and he held partisan political office. But he's viewed as an ally of an independent judiciary and devoted much of his lawmaking to support of the court system.

St. Pete Times

Online Poll on Jacksonville's $250 Million Tax Increase

A community-wide anti-crime initiative, The Jacksonville Journey, will make recommendations to the city later this month about how to deal with crime in Jacksonville. Mayor John Peyton is considering raising property taxes in his budget to pay for the recommended moves.

Should Jacksonville raise taxes?

Click here to vote

Tax-relief measure starting to kick in

The tax-relief package passed in January means 49,000, about two-thirds, of all Lee County businesses will not be taxed on equipment. That's one way Amendment 1, the once hotly debated tax-relief plan, is saving homeowners and businesses, but cutting millions in tax dollars from government.

News Press

AIF releases annual voting scorecard

Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville, and Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, cast the most pro-business votes in the 2008 session, according to the annual survey by Associated Industries of Florida. But the trade group is worried that the Legislature's overall score of 85.5 percent fell three points from last year.

St. Pete Times

Above the fold: Tax savings could vanish

The property tax cut that the state’s voters overwhelmingly decided to give themselves this year will not result in significant savings for most homeowners, Palm Beach County leaders warned Monday.

Palm Beach Post

School Vouchers Okay When Tied to Spending; Crist Still Strong, Poll Shows

Florida voucher supporters apparently struck gold with voters when they tied a proposed constitutional amendment allowing public money to flow to private schools with another provision requiring that at least 65 percent of school budgets be spent in the classroom.

Orlando Sentinel