OCEA Reporter

Sine Die and the Last Minute Shenanigans

2012-03-10T18:52:00.001-05:00

Please do not forward this e-mail using your school computer or any school owned equipment. Even though this information has been sent to your work email address, it is important to not spend work time reading or responding to this message. You can forward your personal email to FEA <http://feaweb.org/contact> by clicking this link.

Sine Die and Watching the Last Minute Shenanigans During the Final Hours of Session

The 2012 Legislative Session has concluded.

It has been a tense 24 hours as FEA lobbyists have kept a close watch on the bills flying across the floor from one chamber to the other and certified for Governor Scott. This is the period when a lot of legislative shenanigans are played out. We saw this last night with the "Parent Trigger" or so-called Parent Empowerment bill. It failed in the Senate with a 20-20 tie vote, but that didn't stop efforts to push it through.

Apparently prior to the vote, former Governor Jeb Bush was on the phone with senators trying to shore up votes. After the measure failed, according to published reports, Bush targeted one legislator, Senator Hays, to get him to reconsider his vote. Come on-REALLY- changing the tally after votes have been taken and recorded. Bush and his Foundation for Florida's Future have been behind many of the recent policy shifts and education reforms.

Please take a moment out of your busy schedule to thank the senators who voted in support of students, teachers and public schools. Click here to see the senate voting record on the failed Trigger Bill.

There is still a lot of work left to be done. During the coming weeks, the FEA staff will scrutinize the bills sent to Governor Scott to sign into law or veto. Governor Scott also has the option to not take action on the measures sent to him. If he does nothing, those bills will automatically become law after March 23^rd.

Along with defeating trigger, we were able to stop prison privatization and the PEN protection bill. Thank you for your help and calls to your legislators. Your voices were heard, and it made the difference.

Redistricting

It is not over yet! Lawmakers will head back to the Capitol in the coming weeks to complete its work on redistricting. The Florida Supreme Court has approved the House redistricting maps, but found the districts drawn by the Senate unconstitutional.

Week 9 Frontline Video Update

Working the budget around the clock during the final days of session; a historic decision rules in favor of the FEA and your pension; and parents against parent empowerment are some of the headlines topping the final week of the 20-12 Legislative session. President Ford has the final update for the Frontline Video Report.

If you are having trouble viewing this video, please copy this link and paste into your browser:
http://associationstudios.com/Publisher/Preview_Video.aspx?VideoId=3291

Here's an update on a few other bills heading to the Governor's desk:

Budget: the House and Senate finalized a $70 million dollar spending plan that eliminates thousands of jobs, shortchanges public education and includes hundreds of millions of dollars in exemptions. Click here to view FEA President Ford's response to the final numbers.

Corporate Tax Scholarships or Vouchers: if signed into law by the Governor, the bill would expand unaccountable vouchers by increasing the tax credit cap to $229 million. Nearly 39,000 students receive voucher scholarships. The Senate vote was 32-8.

Virtual Learning: an expansion of virtual learning passed the senate 36-3. The bill removes a requirement for students to spend a year in public school before enrolling in online classes. The Florida Virtual School would be allowed to offer online classes to kindergarten through third graders.

During the coming weeks, FEA will analyze the outcome of the 2012 session. Watch for the FEA End of Session Report and more video updates. Don't forget to participate in the membership meeting coming to your local. Make sure to share the FEA Frontline Video Report with your friends and colleagues. Again, thank you for your support.

Florida Education Association
213 South Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.FEAweb.org
Stay United With the FEA: http://fightforflorida.com

Fwd: Senate Redistricting plan rejected by courts!

2012-03-09T14:24:00.001-05:00

Senate redistricting plan rejected by court; House proposal OK'd

by John Kennedy | March 9th, 2012

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled unconstitutional the Legislature's plan for redrawing the Senate — a decision that will bring lawmakers back into a special session later this month.

Justices upheld the House maps. But the Senate plan was ruled lacking in the way senators drew minority districts and relied on "communities of interest," in its determination of compactness, required under the constitutional amendments 5 and 6.

"We recognize that the Senate did not have the benefit of our opinion when drawing its plan. However, it is clear from a facial review of the Senate plan that the pick and choose method for existing boundaries was not balanced," justices wrote in their unanimous decision.

The ruling is here:

http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/sc12-1.pdf

Judge Rules in Favor of FEA Pension Lawsuit

2012-03-06T19:19:00.001-05:00

We are happy to announce that today (March 6, 2012) in Tallahassee, Circuit Court Judge Jackie Fulford ruled in favor of the Florida Education Association (FEA) in its lawsuit on public employees' mandatory pension "contribution" and reminded Governor Rick Scott and the extremists in charge of the Legislature that a promise is a promise.

Last year, FEA filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the 3 percent tax on teachers, school employees and other workers imposed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Gov. Scott. The judge's ruling confirms that the Florida Constitution requires the state to live up to its promises, including those made to the public workers by the state itself.

Florida law has provided for nearly four decades that pension rights are contractual rights that may not be ignored or abridged. If the Legislature wants to make changes to the pension system, it must do so for employees who come to work after the change in the law. Employees should not dedicate their livelihoods to public service with a contractual expectation of retirement benefits only to have that expectation wrongly taken from them.

We are pleased by today's decision. It once again will stop the Florida Legislature from overstepping its authority by ignoring the state's constitution. We urge the governor and leaders in the Legislature to embrace this decision and abide by the judge's ruling. If they decide to prolong this case with an appeal, FEA is prepared to continue fighting for the rights of middle-class families who make our state a better place.

Last year, legislators made the choice to balance the budget on the backs of teachers, law-enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses and other public service workers so they could give corporations yet another round of tax giveaways. Now the governor and legislative leaders need to "get to work" and address the budget shortfall the right way: by closing tax loopholes and repealing some of the multibillion dollar tax giveaways for corporations and billionaires that they have passed over the last decade.

We took this action because we believe that we have to do what is right for the public employees, taxpayers and the rule of law of this state. It is of the utmost importance to us that we protect the constitutional rights of our members. That is what we fight for every day: to protect our members' rights. However, this goes even further. Florida's political leaders cannot be allowed to continue to disrespect working people and their families – and those that teach our children, keep our streets safe and risk their lives for us every day. We have to be examples for our children to fight for the rule of law.

Teachers and other school employees have taken smaller salary increases – or no salary increases – over the years to protect their retirement benefits. Retirement plans are every bit as much a part of their compensation package as salaries. Just because CEOs of big corporations have broken promises to their employees – and enriched themselves beyond imagination in the process – does not mean that our state government should do the same. We believe that a promise is a promise and the state of Florida should abide by the promises it makes.

Today's ruling is at the circuit court level. Appellate courts, including the Florida Supreme Court, will probably make the ultimate decision. Any final ruling may be months away. The state has known for months that if the courts order the return of the money to employees it will have to comply with that order and it should be planning ways to do so. In the meantime, the FRS can continue its effective operations while this lawsuit works its way through the courts. The state assured the court it would be able to return the money. We are confident that at the end of this legal battle, the money will be returned.

Fighting for the rights of working families is always the right decision. Public employees were being forced to pay an income tax – whether they could afford it or not. This income tax on our teachers, law-enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses and others who provide vital public services that help everyone in the state, comes after years with little or no raises. You are faithfully performing your duties and helping all Floridians despite the fact that you often struggle to make ends meet.

In the end, we knew we had to take up this fight. The battle is not over today, but we have every confidence that this lawsuit will prevail in the end.

Thank you for your support,

Andy Ford
FEA President

Florida Education Association
213 South Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.FEAweb.org
Stay United With the FEA: http://fightforflorida.com

2012-03-06T17:19:00.000-05:00

FEA President Andy Ford

State has already signed another $300,000 contract to appeal pension ruling

Florida legislators say they haven't decided if the state will appeal the pension ruling against them today by Judge Jackie Fulford but they're already ready to spend $800,000 in taxpayer money to do it.

Fulford ruled that the state unconstitutionally breached its contract with state employees when legislators cut salaries 3 percent last year in an effort to have employees pay into their pensions without renegotiating their contracts.

But after spending $500,000 to hire the Atlanta-based law firm of Alston and Bird last year, the Department of Management Services in December entered into a second contract to spend up to $300,000 on defense of the case.

The firm, which has ties to Gov. Rick Scott, exhausted the $500,000 retainer the state paid for the initial defense, said Kris Purcell, spokesman for the Department of Management Services.

The contract says that the state "agrees to provide legal advice and representation to the agency for the duration of one appeal, and the fees to the agency will not exceed $300,000 even if the contractor spends time on the appeal that would result in charges over $300,000."

FEA Wins Lawsuit Against State

2012-03-06T17:14:00.000-05:00

Florida AFL CIO President Mike Williams on today's pension ruling:

“Last year, the Florida Legislature imposed the first income tax in the state’s history for all of Florida’s public employees. This income tax has already had detrimental effects on workers economic stability, many of whom have not received a raise in over six years. Today, the Circuit Court ruled in favor of Florida Education Association (FEA) and these working families. We are pleased to see that justice was served and that the Florida Retirement System will continue to remain one of the best public pension plans in the world. Workers stood united and knew their time to plead their case would occur. It is time for the Legislature to look towards closing special interest tax loopholes, corporate giveaways, and exclusive private contracts to balance the budget instead of using the retirement security of Florida’s public employee."

Elections

2012-03-04T16:36:00.001-05:00

Please remember to vote in the election of officers for OCEA if you are a member. The site is listed below. Your user name is your first initial and last name as one word. Your password is your school ID number.

Voting closes at 4:30 pm on Friday, March 9, 2012.

https://eballot4.votenet.com/ocea/login.cfm

Working for you

Apryle Jackson

OCEA President

FEA Legislative Alert: Pull the trigger on this bad bill and FEA challenegs VAM: Wk 8 Frontline Video

2012-03-04T16:00:00.001-05:00

The email includes a FEA Call Action Alert. It is important to remember that all correspondence with your legislator should not occur during school time or when using school equipment. If you have not forwarded your personal email address to FEA, please forward this email to your home email before contacting your legislator. You can forward your personal email to FEA <http://feaweb.org/contact> by clicking this link.

In addition to this week's Frontline Video Report, this email includes a Take Action Alert and FEA responses to recent actions by the Florida Department of Education that impact your students, school and your future. The following update highlights changes to the school grade rule and the FLDOE rulemaking on the value added model.

TELL YOUR SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON SB1718: THE "PARENT TRIGGER BILL"

The Florida Senate is poised to vote on SB1718 – the so called Parent Empowerment bill. It is actually a "parent trigger" bill, similar to the controversial California legislation that has pitted parent groups and students against one another. This bill is seen by education experts as a devious and underhanded attack on your local public schools and hardworking teachers.

Every credible parent group in Florida, including the PTA is opposed to this bill because it will ultimately hurt students. In fact, this bill will only help private education companies and corporations that who want to force taxpayers to pay them to run "for-profit" unaccountable charter schools. These schools are not held to the same standards as public schools.

Even worse, the corporate lobbyists who are promoting for this legislation were caught misleading the public and legislators by saying parents support this bill. That is a lie. Again, every parent group in Florida opposes this "parent trigger" bill SB1718.

Please call your senator today. View this list of Senators, or click this link to enter your address to find your Senator. Tell your Senator to protect our public schools, our students and our teachers. Tell your Senator that we don't want corporate for-profit schools and their "parent trigger" scam. Get more background and key points on this bad bill.

FEA has filed a legal challenge to DOE proposed rule on Florida's Value Added Model.

Beginning July 1, 2011, SB 736 became law and significantly altered the way teachers are evaluated, rated and, eventually, paid. According to the new statute, a significant part of every teacher's evaluation will include students' performance on FCAT or similar measures. Many teachers, even those who teach courses that do not require FCAT testing and non-classroom teachers, may have FCAT scores included in their evaluation. The Commissioner of Education approved the Florida Value-Added Model (VAM) to calculate the "impact" a teacher and school have on each student's learning.

Extensive research on VAM measures question the reliability and validity of these types of formula, and, since Florida's VAM is untested and untried, there are many problems and unknowns with Florida's VAM. Nevertheless, Florida's law requires that VAM scores or similar measures be included in every teacher's evaluation used to make high stakes decisions on employment and pay.

FEA has filed a legal challenge stating that the DOE and SBOE have gone beyond the scope and intent of their statutory authority in the adoption of the Value Added Model rule. Here's why –

Under Florida law, proposed rules are to be drafted in readable language. The rule, as adopted by the BOE, is complicated, highly technical and not easily understood;
The rule creates "a common school component". The statute does not authorize this component in determining the overall VAM score for a teacher;
The rule sets student growth performance level standards for personnel evaluation on a summative basis not authorized by the statute;
Proposed rules are found to be invalid if they enlarge, modify or violate the implementing law. We believe the rule violates the law because it includes a maximum of two years of historical data in the aggregate value-added score for each teacher rather than the three years required by the statute;
The rule fails to establish a procedure to review the class roster for accuracy and correct mistakes relating to student identity.

Basically, the Florida Education Association is challenging the now adopted rule based upon vague, inadequate standards and because it gives unbridled discretion to DOE.

At this time, the rule challenge will be considered by an administrative law judge with the Division of Administrative Hearings. We will keep you posted as this legal challenge moves through the process.

Week 8 Frontline Video

A tougher FCAT and higher benchmarks could hurt your school grade and your evaluation, an effort to pull the trigger on a bill that targets public schools and aims for private takeovers, and redistricting goes to court. These are some of the headlines topping week 8 of the FEA Frontline Video Report. FEA vice president Joanne McCall has this week's update.

If you are having trouble viewing this video, please click this link

http://feaweb.org/frontline-video-report-week-8

Changes to the school grade rule

On Tuesday, February 28, the State Board of Education (SBOE) voted to permit school grades to plunge – without changing anything but the school grade formula. The new grading system doesn't simply "raise the bar"; the new statistical calculations shove more schools into the "C", "D" and "F" categories.

The public outcry over the proposed changes prior to the meeting pushed the Board to amend the rule so that implementation is postponed this school year. FEA President Andy Ford sent a letter to the Commissioner of Education, Gerard Robinson, detailing our opposition to the proposal. Please click this link to read the letter.

Schools will feel the full impact of the rule change in their 2012-13 school grades.

At the meeting the SBOE hearing room was filled to capacity with school superintendents, parents, and teachers, including FEA's vice president, Joanne McCall. Speaker after speaker opposed the school grading rule changes, particularly the calculations for ESE and ELL students. As a result, the SBOE established a taskforce to discuss a more equitable method of including ESE and ELL students' scores in school grade calculations. The Board will rule on the taskforce's recommendation at their next meeting, March 27.

The SBOE also relaxed the rule that required a school to receive an "F" if 25% of the students did not perform at grade level in reading. The adjusted rule now demands that these schools be docked one letter grade if their students do not hit the 25% threshold.

The new school grading process varies by school level and contains numerous, complicated adjustments. For a complete listing of the changes presented to the SBOE, use this link: http://www.fldoe.org/board/meetings/2012_02_28/gradepres.pdf

Although the grading rule is inexplicable, the effect on Florida's schools is clear. According to the Florida Department of Education's own computations:

2011 School Grades	Current number	Using new grading system
A Schools	1,636	1,047
B Schools	684	541
C Schools	537	858
D Schools	143	369
F Schools	38	222

In other words: 732 schools will move from being "A" and "B" schools to the "C", "D", and "F" categories - simply by a change in the rules.

The new school grading rule, along with the additional "rigor" of the new FCAT 2.0 tests, and last month's SBOE approval of significantly higher cut scores used to determine students' achievement levels will label many more students and their schools as failures. These "reforms" seem deviously designed to undermine the public's trust in their traditional public schools.

Florida Education Association
213 South Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.FEAweb.org
Stay United With the FEA: http://fightforflorida.com

Religious Freedom Lawsuit

2011-07-20T14:05:00.001-04:00

Florida Education Association
July 2011

In our latest effort to combat the destructive actions of this year's Florida Legislature, we have gone to court once again. Last month, we challenged the 3-percent pay cut that was pilfered from our members and all other public workers and their families so that Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders could balance the budget without asking their corporate cronies and those who have been lavished with tax breaks over the past dozen years to pay their fair share.

Today, FEA joined with other groups that support public education and several individuals from the religious community to file a lawsuit against Amendment 7, which was added to the ballot this spring during the legislative session. This constitutional amendment, which is slated to be on the November 2012 ballot, would significantly alter the no-aid provision in the Florida Constitution.

We believe this is backdoor attempt to allow school vouchers to everyone. Some of the proponents of the measure said as much during the legislative session. Legislative leaders know they would never get approval of vouchers if they labeled them as such, so they've come up with an amendment titled "Religious Freedom." That's misleading and so is the summary of the amendment that is scheduled to appear on the ballot.

The constitutional amendment, labeled Amendment 7 by the office of the Secretary of State, would substantially alter the no-aid provision of the Florida Constitution, which has been in effect for more than 125 years. The no-aid provision protects the religious freedom rights of all Floridians by barring taxpayer-funded aid to religious institutions.

We are joined in the lawsuit by the Florida School Boards Association, the Florida Association of School Administrators and a half dozen members of the clergy from throughout the state.

The lawsuit also challenges another piece of legislation passed by the Legislature this year that provides that the state attorney general may rewrite a ballot title or summary if the court removes it from the ballot. The lawsuit says that under the Florida Constitution, the Legislature may not delegate its expressed duties to another branch of government.

Stay tuned because we'll be turning to the courts once again to challenge another unfair and unproductive action of the Florida Legislature. FEA will continue to stand by you and work to turn our great state around.

Thank your for your support.

Sincerely,
Andy Ford

President, Florida Education Association (FEA)

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Florida Education Association | 213 South Adams Street | Tallahassee | FL | 32301

FW: News from Florida Education Association

2011-06-20T15:22:00.000-04:00

FYI

From: Florida Education Association (FEA) [mailto:e-advocate@floridaea.ccsend.com] On Behalf Of Florida Education Association (FEA)
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 9:40 AM
To: Donato, Kathy
Subject: News from Florida Education Association

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

Florida Education Association Newsletter

Keeping You Informed
June 2011

Dear KATHERINE,

FEA Legislative Challenge

I know that most of you have been interested in how FEA will react to some of the repugnant legislation that came out of the Legislature this spring. You know we have been looking over all of the bad legislation and figuring out which measures to challenge in court. Today, we have filed our first challenge.

During the session, the leadership of the Republican Party produced a budget and other actions that make the state of Florida a colder and harsher state. Instead of reacting to the highest unemployment rate in the nation and working to fix an economy that is stumbling in its attempts to recover from the economic downturn, Governor Rick Scott, Senate President Mike Haridopolos and House Speaker Dean Cannon made things much worse. The sour economy was caused not by the people, not by the employees, and certainly not by our children. Our near economic collapse was caused by the greed and poor judgment of the CEOs of the nation and the timid action of our political leaders. Instead of trying to help the people, the employees, and especially the children, Governor Rick Scott and the leaders in the Legislature helped the CEOs, the corporations and the special interests.

Today, we announce the first in what is likely to be a series of judicial challenges to some of the reckless legislation that was dreamed up by the legislative leaders and heartily endorsed by the governor. We are challenging the 3 percent pay cut on teachers, school employees and other workers imposed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Scott.

Our lawsuit asserts that the Legislature enacted legislation that was unconstitutional when that body required that 3 percent of the salaries of active members of the Florida Retirement System be taken from such employees to serve as "contributions" toward their retirement benefits. The lawsuit further contends that the actions by the Legislature to reduce the cost-of-living benefits of those employees were also unconstitutional.
This pay cut was used by legislative leadership to make up a budget shortfall on the backs of teachers, law-enforcement officers, firefighters and other state workers. It is essentially an income tax levied only on workers belonging to the Florida Retirement System. It's unfair - and it breaks promises made to these employees when they chose to work to improve our state.

While the state of Florida may make the policy decision to ask future employees to contribute to their retirement, it may not unilaterally change the covenant it made with current employees.

Just because CEOs of big corporations have broken promises to their employees - and enriched themselves beyond imagination in the process - does not mean that our state government should do the same. We believe that a promise is a promise and the state of Florida should abide by the promises it makes.

This income tax on our teachers, law-enforcement officers, firefighters and others who provide vital public services that help everyone in the state, comes after years with little or no raises. They are faithfully performing their duties and helping all Floridians despite the fact that they are struggling to make ends meet. Like far too many of us, they feel the American dream slipping away. And it makes me angry that it is our elected officials who are working against us, not helping the people of our state hang on to the American dream.

We do not undertake this effort lightly and we know we're making ourselves a target. This past legislative session, FEA and public education were fully in the crosshairs of legislative leaders with SB 736, which will upend the teaching profession, massive budget cuts to our schools and a spate of bills designed to put our union, and other public-sector unions, out of business. But the importance of doing the right thing and protecting the constitutional rights of our members trumps the fears of legislative payback.

On our website, www.feaweb.org, you will find plenty of material prepared for you to use in talking with your colleagues and your friends and neighbors in your community.

I expect I'll be sending you similar messages about further legal action later this summer. We will not accept unconstitutional and unsavory attempts to inflict pain on our members, our students and our communities.

Andy

Contact Information phone: 850-201-2800

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Florida Education Association | 213 South Adams Street | Tallahassee | FL | 32301

FW: Thursday news report

2011-06-16T14:26:00.000-04:00

FYI

From: Pudlow, Mark
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 8:41 AM
To: _FEA Presidents-Clean; _FEA Gov Board-Clean; _FEA Locals Staff; _FEA Staff; _Crisis Workgroup
Cc: tom@utd.org; Charles@utd.org; freida@utd.org; hiralda@utd.org; Cahoon, Cecil; Lemon-Cusack, Arlethia; Mitchell, Melanie; Campen, Sara [NEA]; Wofford, Cory; Wilk, Valarie; maritsa@utd.org; robert.morgenstern@aft.org
Subject: Thursday news report

Public education: Focusing on the big picture
http://www.nea.org/home/44635.htm

Brookings report offers misleading advice on class size and research

http://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/review-class-size-brookings

Frustrated educators aim to build grass-roots movement
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/06/15/35activists_ep.h30.html?tkn=XMPFvC9IlTqvoPSoM8oPC%2FXxcTXnRWmqW7FW&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1

Hernando teachers union makes concessions in talks with district
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/hernando-county-teachers-union-makes-concessions-in-talks-with-district/1175517

http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2011/jun/15/HANEWSO1-budget-confusion-halts-union-talks/

District calculations bleak for Duval’s intervene schools
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-06-15/story/district-calculations-bleak-duvals-intervene-schools

Miami-Dade superintendent gets contract extension
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/15/2268746/miami-dade-schools-superintendent.html

Bay union chief negotiator reacts to possible pay freeze
http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/Teacher_unions_chief_negotiator_reacts_to_possible_pay_freeze_123951974.html

Action on Monroe furloughs needs a do-over
http://www.keysnet.com/2011/06/15/349377/union-action-on-furloughs-needs.html

Pembroke Pines finds money for charter schools
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/15/2268854/pines-finds-money-for-charter.html

Pasco charter school already has two backers in the Legislature
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/pasco-charter-school-idea-already-has-two-backers-in-florida-legislature/1175523

First-year teacher: I was naïve
http://jacksonville.com/community/clay/2011-06-16/story/first-year-teacher-goes-awry-i-was-naive

Why is my paraprofessional classroom work valued so low?
http://www.nea.org/home/42307.htm

The high cost of scrimping on pre-K
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/the-high-cost-of-scrimping-on-pre-k/1175469

14 school districts asked to investigate possible FCAT cheating
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23404780

http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/06/16/fcat-algebra-exams-under-review-for-possible-cheating.html

New recruit in homework revolt: the principal
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/education/16homework.html

Academic freedom sold off cheap
http://neatoday.org/2011/05/26/for-sale-academic-freedom/

States want more in pension contributions
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/business/16pension.html

Broad coalition of Wisconsin unions files federal lawsuit to block anti-worker bill
http://www.nea.org/home/44811.htm

http://leadernet.aft.org/news/article_detail.cfm?ArticleID=3286

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/sharply-divided-wisconsin-supreme-court-lets-polarizing-union-law-pushed-by-gop-to-take-effect/2011/06/15/AGcpJaVH_story.html

Why the Republican war on workers’ rights undermines the economy
http://robertreich.org/post/6538345540

Broward police union to host “party to leave the party”
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wfsu/news.newsmain/article/4046/0/1815996/State.News/Broward.police.union.to.host

Weingarten keeps ESEA priorities on the table
http://leadernet.aft.org/news/article_detail.cfm?ArticleID=3284

Van Roekel urges regulatory relief without strings attached
http://www.nea.org/home/44740.htm

New staffer will head AFT’s educational issues team
http://leadernet.aft.org/news/article_detail.cfm?ArticleID=3285

Weingarten on NAEP history scores
http://www.aft.org/newspubs/press/2011/061511.cfm

Jeb’s education wrecking crew hits Michigan
http://detnews.com/article/20110615/POLITICS02/106150383/Jeb-Bush-shares-ideas-from-Florida-school-reform-with-Lansing

http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/jun/15/jeb-bush-to-testify-on-education-changes-today-ar-237479/

Broad superintendents academy criticized as destructive force in districts
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/calif-based-broad-superintendents-academy-criticized-as-destructive-force-in-districts/2011/06/14/AGNHZgUH_story.html

Ann Scott has a new title: chief child advocate
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/ann-scott-has-new-title-chief-child-advocate

Department of Corrections cuts 111 Tallahassee jobs
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/department-of-corrections-cuts-111-tallahassee-jobs/1175456

Environmental politics
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110610/OPINION01/110609437/1076/opinion?Title=Editorial-Environmental-politics

Everglades restoration takes big budget hit
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/fl-house-cuts-everglades-funding-20110615,0,707087.story

Core prices rise faster, causing fears of stagnant economy and inflation
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-inflation-cpi-20110616,0,1039338.story

As number of Medicaid patients goes up, their benefits are about to drop
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/health/policy/16medicaid.html

Negron encourages tea party participation at Medicaid overhaul hearings
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23394655

Federal investigators circling Sansom
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/federal-investigators-circling-ray-sansom/1175393

Grand jury subpoenas employment records of Norman’s aide
http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/grand-jury-subpoenas-employment-records-of-state-sen-jim-normans-aide/1175449

Financial disclosure forms released for Nelson and Rubio
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/financial-disclosure-forms-released-for-sens-bill-nelson-and-marco-rubio/1175443

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-congress-wealth-20110616,0,4615262.story

Romney talking economy in Tampa today
http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/jun/15/1/romney-talking-economy-in-tampa-on-thursday-ar-237583/

Romney widens his lead in poll
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/57085.html

Rooney endorsing Romney
http://www.postonpolitics.com/2011/06/rep-tom-rooney-endorsing-mitt-romney/

FW: Wednesday news report

2011-06-15T09:42:00.000-04:00

FYI

From: Pudlow, Mark
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 9:38 AM
To: _FEA Presidents-Clean; _FEA Gov Board-Clean; _FEA Locals Staff; _FEA Staff; _Crisis Workgroup
Cc: tom@utd.org; Charles@utd.org; freida@utd.org; hiralda@utd.org; Cahoon, Cecil; Lemon-Cusack, Arlethia; Mitchell, Melanie; Campen, Sara [NEA]; Wofford, Cory; Wilk, Valarie; maritsa@utd.org; robert.morgenstern@aft.org
Subject: Wednesday news report

Driving off teachers
http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2011/jun/15/MEOPINO1-driving-off-teachers-ar-237337/

Look not to Florida’s Capitol for schools’ salvation
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/look-not-to-floridas-capitol-for-schools-salvation/1175257

The education of Rick Scott
http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_education_of_rick_scott
http://swampland.time.com/2011/06/15/the-inscrutable-mr-scott-americas-least-popular-governor/

Duval School Board OKs furloughs and program cuts
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-06-14/story/duval-school-board-oks-furloughs-balance-new-budget

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-06-15/story/whos-being-affected-duval-school-board-budget-decisions

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/article/207621/3/Duval-School-Board-Tackles-More-Budget-Cutting-

Broward schools close budget gap by cutting teachers, arts classes and phys ed
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/14/2266789/broward-schools-close-budget-gap.html

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/fl-broward-schools-budget-20110614,0,5422389.story

85 teachers laid off in Okaloosa, most could be rehired
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/teachers-41035-year-school.html

Palm Beach School Board weighing student survey on teachers
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/board-to-weight-student-survey-1540061.html

Bay School Board approves salary freeze
http://www.newsherald.com/news/bay-94462-schedule-changes.html

http://www.wmbb.com/Global/story.asp?S=14908563

http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/Bay_School_Board_approves_salary_freezes_changes_middle_school_start_time_123894514.html

After 26 years, Leon Fowler steps aside
http://www.keysnet.com/2011/06/15/349020/after-26-years-union-chief-steps.html

Unions face uphill battle in Brevard
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110612/BUSINESS/110610022/Unions-face-uphill-battle

U.S. students remain poor at history, tests show
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/education/15history.html

Florida must invest in its universities
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/wednesdays-letters-florida-must-invest-in-its-universities/1175244

Florida in-state tuition creeping up again
http://www.tampabay.com/incoming/florida-in-state-tuition-creeping-up-again/1175331

Bright Futures students face new financial requirement
http://www.flanews.com/?p=12587

Wisconsin court reinstates law slashing union rights
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/us/politics/15wisconsin.html

Jeb’s traveling ed-policy show hits Idaho and Michigan
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/14/2266321/ex-govs-help-launch-idaho-education.html

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/fl-bush-goes-to-michigan-20110615,0,3319330.story

British teachers vote to strike over 3-percent pay cut for pensions
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/14/teachers-vote-to-strike-over-pensions

Groups urge Legislature to stop fighting Fair Districts
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23379601

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/groups-call-for-florida-lawmakers-to-speed-up-1539726.html

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/fl-redistricting-hearings-challenged-20110614,0,3918096.story

http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/jun/14/slow-redistricting-process-could-hamper-elections--ar-237360/

http://floridaindependent.com/33911/fair-districts-redistricting-maps-gag-order

http://floridaindependent.com/33768/redistricting-transparency-public-hearings

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/groups-call-for-florida-lawmakers-to-speed-up-1539726.html

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/06/haridopolos-respond-to-redistricting-criticism-slams-critics.html

Scott signs bill reducing unemployment benefits
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/sfl-unemployment-bill-scott,0,9695.story

Florida lawmakers can’t be trusted to keep their hands off designated trust funds
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/jun/15/editorial-florida-lawmakers-cant-be-trusted-to/

Patients in Florida’s last Medicaid experiment issue a warning about the next one
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23380743

http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2011-06-15/story/medicaid-recipients-weigh-changes

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/health/lawyers-warn-of-granny-dumping-at-medicaid-hearing-1539831.html

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/pb-palm-medicaid-hearing-20110614,0,691068.story

Welfare drug test’s effects feared
http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/jun/15/menewso1-welfare-tests-effects-feared-ar-237463/

Why didn’t the Bush tax cuts create jobs? Republicans have no answer.
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2011062414/cnn-asks-right-question-republicans-have-no-answer

Reports point to lower food prices, more hiring
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/personalfinance/reports-point-to-lower-food-prices-more-hiring/1175316

Central Florida Puerto Ricans have front-row seat for Obama visit to island
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-obama-puerto-rico-reaction-20110614,0,7626463.story
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/floridas-puerto-ricans-ponder-obamas-rare-presidential-trip-1539846.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/us/politics/15obama.html

Democrats are desperate for candidates with pizzazz
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-scott-maxwell-sorry-dems-061511-20110614,0,5528955.column

In first Senate speech, Rubio ties America’s immigrant past to his own
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/in-first-senate-speech-marco-rubio-ties-americas-immigrant-past-to-his-own/1175254

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/text-of-marco-rubios-first-senate-speech/1175255

Romney campaigns in Boca Raton
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/romneys-first-2012-campaign-visit-to-florida-makes-1539753.html

FW: News from the past few days

2011-06-14T15:06:00.000-04:00

FYI

From: Pudlow, Mark
Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2011 9:55 AM
To: _FEA Presidents-Clean; _FEA Gov Board-Clean; _FEA Locals Staff; _FEA Staff; _Crisis Workgroup
Cc: tom@utd.org; Charles@utd.org; freida@utd.org; hiralda@utd.org; Cahoon, Cecil; Lemon-Cusack, Arlethia; Mitchell, Melanie; Campen, Sara [NEA]; Wofford, Cory; Wilk, Valarie; maritsa@utd.org
Subject: News from the past few days

“Somehow or another we end up still being the most successful and the most profitable economy in the world, built by people who were in the bottom of the international test rankings. … And the highest performing state in the country is Massachusetts, which is 100 percent union. And … Finland is the highest performing nation and it’s 100 percent union. I don’t think unions cause high performance, probably cause higher spending because they insist that people get paid a decent wage, but I don’t think they’re a barrier to high performance.”

Diane Ravitch, speaking to The St. Petersburg Times.

“I think it’s just another effort to cut teachers down and make it easier to fire more experienced teachers because they cost too much and bring in new teachers. You could find a lot of different conflicts in educational research … and it’s hard to find consensus. The one thing where you can find consensus is that the least effective teachers are in their first two years. The least effective year for teachers is the first year because they don’t know what they’re doing and most of them are poorly prepared to begin with. Most by their third year, they figure out how to handle a class and how to connect with kids. Right now, the push is on to get rid of the older teachers because they cost too much, it’s a cost cutting measure, it’s not an educational improvement measure, it’s a cost cutting measure.”

-- Ravitch, on eliminating tenure.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/diane-ravitch-speaks-times-editorial-board

A standardized path to school ruin (by Diane Ravitch)
http://www.tampabay.com/news/perspective/a-standardized-path-to-school-ruin/1174500

Ravitch speaks to Times Editorial Board
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/diane-ravitch-speaks-times-editorial-board

Budget decisions show Florida not invested in kids, education
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/commentary/commentary-budget-decisions-show-florida-not-invested-in-1530217.html

A school reformer gets real
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/a-school-reformer-gets-real/2011/06/09/AGcNWvNH_blog.html

A top quality education doesn’t come cheap
http://www.chronicleonline.com/content/top-quality-education-doesn%E2%80%99t-come-cheap

How much do teachers matter?
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/how-much-do-teachers-matter

The year school budget cuts went straight to the classroom
http://stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=580740

Education commissioner approves teacher evaluation model
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/10/2260216/fla-education-chief-oks-teacher.html

Schools still have room to improve
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110612/COLUMNISTS0302/110619885/1112/NEWS05?Title=Schools-Still-Have-Room-to-Improve-

Manatee teachers take brunt of proposed budget cuts
http://www.bradenton.com/2011/06/12/3266779/teachers-take-brunt-of-proposed.html

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110613/ARTICLE/110619769/2062/NEWS?Title=Manatee-school-district-weighs-deeper-pay-cuts

Pay changes drive more Hillsborough teachers to retire
http://www2.tbo.com/news/education-news/2011/jun/10/6/pay-changes-drive-more-hillsborough-teachers-to-re-ar-236506/

Lee ESPs approve contract
http://www.news-press.com/article/20110610/NEWS0104/110610027/1006/

Palm Beach teachers seek $500 raises and no furloughs
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-palm-beach-teacher-raises-20110613,0,6244379.story
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/cta-counterproposal-would-give-teachers-500-raise-1537302.html

Think tank to help Palm Beach schools chief search
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/fl-palm-superintendent-consultant-20110610,0,7247112.story

Let Palm Beach students evaluate teachers?
http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2011/06/12/let-pb-students-evaluate-teachers/

Okaloosa School Board considers cutting resource officers
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/school-40971-board-cutting.html

Broward schools’ challenge
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/12/2261120/broward-schools-challenge.html

Amid Hillsborough budget woes, parents plead for after-school programs
http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/amid-hillsborough-county-budget-woes-parents-plead-for-after-school/1175146

Orange school’s turnaround shows how it’s done
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/views/os-mike-thomas-rosemont-test-scores-020110611,0,7238687,full.column

A quiet farewell for Eric Smith
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/education-stakeholders-praise-outgoing-education-commissioner-1532502.html

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/quiet-farewell-eric-smith

Monroe superintendent reflects on his short tenure
http://www.keysnet.com/2011/06/11/348046/burke-reflects-on-short-keys-tenure.html

Pasco student makes plea to governor on education cuts
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/mitchell-high-student-makes-plea-to-gov-rick-scott-about-education-cuts/1174732

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/pasco-superintendent-responds-rick-scotts-stance-local-school-budget-cuts

More Hispanic students entering college
http://www.news-press.com/article/20110613/NEWS0104/106130329/Hispanic-student-numbers-rise

At Tampa Bay area high-school graduations, girls outperform boys
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/college/at-high-school-graduations-girls-rule/1174705

Cash for Pembroke Pines charters dwindling fast
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/12/2263439/cash-for-pembroke-pines-charter.html

Is that my teacher? Run!
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/09/2260897/is-that-my-teacher-runnnnnn.html

Lake school service employees approve contract
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/os-lk-services-union-20110610,0,5290084.story

AFT publication outlines bold plan for teacher preparation
http://leadernet.aft.org/news/article_detail.cfm?ArticleID=3282

Jeb Bush still has most Florida Democrats wearing dunce caps on education
http://www.bradenton.com/2011/06/14/3271136/bush-still-has-most-fla-dems-wearing.html

FSU president: University must preserve academic standing
http://www.newsherald.com/news/standing-94163-city-university.html

Machen proposes UF employees trade raises for benefits
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110610/ARTICLES/110619986/1002/news01?Title=Machen-proposes-UF-employees-trade-raises-for-benefits

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110614/OPINION/110619874/1076/opinion?Title=Editorial-The-alternative

UF trustees give tuition hike the thumbs up
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/uf-trustees-give-tuition-hike-thumbs

Tampa architect named chairman of UF trustees
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/prominent-tampa-architect-named-uf-trustees-chairman

Daytona State College considers tuition hike
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/06/11/daytona-state-college-considers-tuition-hike-end-to-pbs-programming.html

Shanker Institute meeting looks at the war on unions
http://leadernet.aft.org/news/article_detail.cfm?ArticleID=3283

Unions face uphill battle
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110612/BUSINESS/110610022/Unions-face-uphill-battle

Hundreds rally in Miami to demand jobs, criticize corporate greed
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/10/2262490/hundreds-rally-to-demand-jobs.html

National labor leaders warn Democrats to stand up for collective bargaining
http://www.politickernj.com/48466/national-labor-leaders-warn-democrats-stand-collective-bargaining

Duncan may agree to NCLB waivers
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/education/12educ.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/duncan-pledges-no-child-relief-for-states/2011/06/10/AGOrJ2QH_story.html

NAACP on defensive as lawsuit on charter schools splits group’s supporters
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/nyregion/naacp-on-defensive-for-suit-against-charter-schools.html

New Jersey governor proposes privatizing some struggling school districts
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/christie_proposes_private_firm.html

Michigan House targets teacher tenure
http://www.detnews.com/article/20110610/POLITICS02/106100382/House-targets-teacher-tenure

Texas school districts look at increase in tax rates
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/us/12ttdistricts.html

Voters demand recall of Arizona Senate president
http://www.thenation.com/article/161049/arizona-turns-tide-voters-demand-recall-russell-pearce

Fixing Florida will be fun to watch … as a fan (Howard Troxler’s last column)
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/article1174623.ece

To save quality of life, Floridians must act
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/to-save-quality-of-life-floridians-must-act/1174665

As state jobs depart, communities suffer
http://www.floridacapitalnews.com/article/20110613/COLUMNIST03/106130303

Florida’s growth rate has dropped sharply during recession
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23363408&

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110613/ARTICLES/110619877/1002/news01?Title=Florida-s-growth-at-its-lowest-in-60-years-UF-study-finds

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_CENSUS_FLORIDA_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-06-13-15-15-29

Manpower survey: Florida employment weakest in nation
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110613/ARTICLES/110619833/1002/news01?Title=Manpower-survey-Fla-employment-weakest-in-U-S-

Declining tax revenue cripples states
http://www.tampabay.com/incoming/declining-tax-revenue-cripples-states/1175177

Many states show no clear link between tax cuts, jobs
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/many-states-show-no-clear-link-between-tax-1534310.html

Corporate tax repeal likely won’t spur economic boom
http://www.yoursun.com/sunnews/desoto/2557337-452/sunnewspaperscorporatetaxrepealbringsbackmemories.html.csp

Experts: Early voting law could face legal challenge
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110611/NEWS/106115013/-1/NEWS99?Title=Experts-Early-Voting-Law-Could-Face-Legal-Challenge

Fair Districts: Hold them accountable
http://opinionmatters.flatoday.net/2011/06/fairdistricts-hold-them-accountable.html

Scott prices public records out of the market
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110611/OPINION01/110619970/1076/opinion?Title=Editorial-A-king-s-ransom

State’s refusal denies health care to the needy
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/floridas-refusal-denies-health-care-to-needy/1174672

Advocates decry Florida budget for children
http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/Advocates_Decry_Budget_For_Children_123550669.html

Cutbacks leave pregnant women and infants without subsidized care
http://m.naplesnews.com/news/2011/jun/10/Healthy-Start-Coalition-pregnant-women-collier-lee/

Medicaid reform gets rough reception at public hearing
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23333058
http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/jun/11/disability-elder-advocates-fear-impact-of-medicaid-ar-236572/

Independent pharmacies raise concerns about Florida Medicaid overhaul
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/health/independent-pharmacies-raise-concerns-about-florida-medicaid-overhaul-1532621.html

http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2011-06-13/story/medicare-law-worries-jacksonville-home-care-industry

http://www.pnj.com/article/20110613/NEWS01/110613028/Pharmacists-slam-state-Medicaid-reform

“Utterly insane” health insurance situation (by Carl Hiaasen)
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/11/2262207/utterly-insane-healthcare-insurance.html

Medicare saves money
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/opinion/13krugman.html

Florida adding jobs, despite Scott
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-capview-column-deslatte061211-20110610,0,1808397.column
http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/jun/10/3/is-scott-the-jobs-governor-he-promised-to-be-ar-236263/

Scott’s actions could prove to be a boon for political foes
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/fl-scott-policies-prompting-backlash-20110610,0,5592452.story

Don’t count Scott out
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/amid-bad-publicity-over-job-hype-dont-count-scott-out-just-yet/1175100

Scott’s water grab
http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2011/jun/11/MEOPINO1-scotts-water-grab-ar-236542/

Things are worse than you thing (by Nancy Argenziano)
http://www.chronicleonline.com/content/things-are-worse-you-may-think

Police officers, fed up with Scott, leave the GOP
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2011/06/police_benevolent_association_leave_the_party_republicans.php

Latvala is nobody’s lackey
http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2011/jun/14/MEOPINO1-sen-latvala-is-nobodys-lackey-ar-237116/

46 percent of mortgages statewide are “underwater”
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110607/ARTICLE/110609663/2416/NEWS?Title=Almost-42-percent-of-local-mortgages-are-underwater-

Property insurers seeking major rate increases
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110613/ARTICLE/306139998/2416/NEWS?Title=Property-insurers-seeking-major-rate-increases
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/columnists/in-florida-property-insurance-now-a-rigged-game-1517440.html

Oil drilling off Florida seeing a revival
http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2011/06/09/drill-baby-drill-nearer-florida/

Senators stand up for banks, not consumers
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1174670.ece

Kriseman to Bondi: Make travel giants pay
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tourism/legislator-to-pam-bondi-make-online-travel-giants-pay/1174693

Corporate tax cheats cost Florida millions
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/corporate-tax-cheats-cost-florida-millions/1175096

Biotech firm gives up on Florida
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_thebottomline/2011/06/biotech-jackson-labs-gives-up-on-florida.html
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/lab-leaves-taking-jobs-with-it/1174664

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/jun/13/don-bauder-florida-overpays-for-promise-of-jobs/

New laws dishearten pro-choice advocates
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110611/NEWS/106115012

Having to work while ill is sick policy
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/having-to-work-while-ill-is-sick-policy/1174465

Scott declares wildfire, drought emergency
http://www.pnj.com/article/20110613/NEWS01/110613022/Scott-declares-wildfire-drought-emergency

In an era of one-party rule, Republicans pass sweeping state agendas
http://stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=580741

The swamp of Washington and the morass of the economy
http://robertreich.org/post/6457609487

Gridlocking the lives of the jobless
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gridlocking-the-lives-of-the-jobless/2011/06/12/AGJIIESH_story.html

Republicans’ tax-cutting fantasia
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/opinion/12sun2.html

State Democrats start to gear up for 2012 elections
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/chairman-of-florida-democratic-party-vows-changespp/1174921

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/at-democratic-gathering-rick-scott-gets-most-of-the-attention/1174878

http://floridacapitalnews.com/article/20110611/CAPITOLNEWS/106110310&theme=

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/with-focus-still-on-2012-florida-democrats-size-1537440.html

Obama hits Miami fundraisers; historic Puerto Rico trip next
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/president-obama-hits-miami-fundraisers-historic-puerto-rico-trip-is-next/1175091

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/13/2264819/obama-set-to-arrive-in-miami-for.html

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/obama-rallies-supporters-raises-funds-in-south-florida-1537783.html

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-06-13/news/fl-obama-fundraising-miami-20110613_1_obama-camp-obama-s-florida-kirk-wagar

It’s all about Florida as Obama heads to Puerto Rico
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/its-all-about-florida-as-obama-heads-to-puerto-rico/1174999

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-puerto-rican-political-power-20110612,0,5594868.story

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56787.html

Democrats losing favor with some Latinos
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-latino-democrats-20110611,0,5901833.story

Obama has challenges in Florida
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110611/D9NPI3103.html

How Republican governors could help Obama in 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-republican-governors-could-help-obama-in-2012/2011/06/08/AGSXtFPH_story.html

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorials/fl-nncol-republicans-2012-nikpour-06120110612,0,3099201.column

Axelrod on Florida’s significance
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/david-axelrod-floridas-significance-rick-scott-and-charlie-crist

So far, no contenders commit to join Florida’s GOP shindig
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/gubernatorial/so-far-no-contenders-commit-to-join-florida-gops-shindig/1175051

South Florida likely to lose clout in redistricting
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-clout-districts-south-florida-20110611,0,7666632.story

In debate, GOP hopefuls turn wrath on Obama, not each other
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/in-debate-republican-presidential-hopefuls-turn-wrath-on-obama-not-each/1175163

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/la-pn-gop-debate-wrap-20110613,0,4287504.story

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/us/14repubs.html

Bachmann files paperwork to run for president
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/michele-bachmann-files-paperwork-to-run-for-president/2011/06/13/AGPaXlTH_story.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-bachmann-announce-20110613,0,5617771.story

Bennett drops bid for Congress
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/state-sen-mike-bennett-scraps-congressional-bid/1175074

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23362519
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110613/WIRE/110619802/2416/NEWS?Title=Bennett-pulls-out-of-congressional-race

http://www.bradenton.com/2011/06/14/3270923/bennett-drops-out-of-district.html

Redistricting questions leave Castor’s opponents uncertain
http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/jun/13/redistricting-questions-leave-castors-opponents-un-ar-236509/

FEC closes its case against Buchanan

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/fec-closes-its-case-against-us-rep-vern-buchanan/1175160

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110613/ARTICLE/110619773/2062/NEWS?Title=Buchanan-was-target-of-federal-investigation

Some stumbles from LeMieux
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/orlando_opinionators/2011/06/some-stumbles-from-senate-candidate-lemieux.html

With eyes on the U.S. Senate, Hasner boldly bails on clean energy
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/cerabino-with-eyes-on-u-s-senate-seat-1537564.html

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/gop-senate-hopeful-adam-hasner-says-cap-and-1535104.html

Hasner says he’s no moderate Republican
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/the-buzz-senate-hopeful-hasner-says-hes-no-moderate-republican/1175049

Putnam endorses Haridopolos
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110613/NEWS/110619773/1049/YOURTOWN01?Title=Putnam-Endorses-Haridopolos-for-U-S-Senate

Haridopolos logs time in Fort Myers
http://www.news-press.com/article/20110604/COLUMNISTS01/110603052/Parker-Politics-U-S-Senate-hopeful-logs-time-Fort-Myers

Rubio teaching post at FIU draws scrutiny
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/u-s-sen-marco-rubios-teaching-post-at-1535754.html

Rubio to speak of “a new American century”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56896.html

Redistricting offers few gains nationally for Republicans
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/us/politics/12redistrict.html

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_138/Redistricting-Bottom-Line-Might-Surprise-You-206422-1.html

In wake of Abramoff scandal, Norquist is stronger than ever
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/166219-in-wake-of-abramoff-scandal-norquist-is-stronger-than-ever

FW: Your friend, Kathy Donato, has sent you a message

2011-06-14T09:41:00.000-04:00

Subject: Your friend, Kathy Donato, has sent you a message

Hi -

As a member of the NEA, I know that one of the most important things we can do for our schools and our children is speak up for public education in Washington. And you can help strengthen the NEA's voice by making a contribution to my GO NEAFund page. Your gift will also go a long way towards helping me meet my fundraising goal, helping the NEA stand up for educators in D.C., and helping our state affiliate have a strong showing at this year's RA.

Here is the link to my personal page: https://www.NEAFund.org/go/KathyDonato

Thank You,
Kathy Donato

The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education (NEA Fund) collects voluntary contributions from Association members which are used for political purposes, including, but not limited to, making contributions to and expenditures on behalf of friends of public education who are candidates for federal office. Contributions to the NEA Fund are voluntary; making a contribution is neither a condition of employment nor membership in the Association, and members have the right to refuse to contribute without suffering any reprisal. A member may contribute more or less than the suggested amount, or may contribute nothing at all, without it affecting his or her membership status, rights, or benefits in NEA or any of its affiliates. Contributions to the NEA Fund are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.

FW: Florida's Value Added Model selected and decision on the "school effect"

2011-06-10T14:35:00.000-04:00

FYI.

_____________________________________________
From: Monroe, Michael
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 11:59 AM
To: Sweat, Jackie; Adams, Dustin; Altobello, Chris; 'Anderson, Jan'; Armstrong, Sandra; Baxter-Jenkins, Stephanie; 'Belekis, Charles'; Bennett, Dan; Bernier, Mike; 'Betts, Imani'; Black, Kim; Boehme, Cathy; Breakall, Kathy; Brooks-Evans, Tammie; Burdette, Paul; Burtnett, Pam; Butler, Sandra; Caldwell, KT; Calkins, Sande; Capoziello, Marianne; Castellano, Mark; Chavers, Rhonda; Ciadella, Jim; Clements, Jean; Cooper, Pam; Dawson, Angela; Donato, Kathy; Dorrington, Adriane [NEA]; Falvo, Dianne; Fischer, Steve; Ford, Andy; Gentile, Tony; Grady, Rich; Grassel, B; Gray, Barbara [TN]; Gray, Roger; Griffis, Kelly; Gundlach, Kathi; 'Gutheridge, Rich'; Ham, Craig; Hoffman, Barbara; Hummell-Gorman, Holly; Joseph, Jason; Kurak, Beverly; Littlefield, Lee; Magid, Marcy; Martinez, Mirta; Matrille, Jim; Matulaitis, Joe; McCann, Karen; McClaren, Charley; Mitchell, Ed; Mutzenard, Donna; Ogletree, Marshall; 'Pfeiffer-Herman, Melissa'; Picklesimer, Steve; Pittman, David; Reeves, Andrea; Roach, Beth; Roach, Cindy; Rogers, Tracy; Rudd, Suzan; Tuttle, Jonathan; Vanderley, Michelle; Vargas, Will; Vincent, Bill; Vitalo, Joe; Wazlavek, Tom; 'Wilhelm, Debra'; Worrell, David
Cc: _FEA PPA; _FEA Presidents-Clean; _FEA Professional; _FEA Locals Staff
Subject: Florida's Value Added Model selected and decision on the "school effect"

On June 1, 2011, Commissioner Eric J. Smith announced his conditional approval of the recommendations for Florida’s new value added student growth model; however, as part of his conditional approval, Commissioner Smith requested further clarification on the Committee’s “school component/school effect” recommendation.

In response to the Commissioner’s request, the Committee met on June 7, 2011, to clarify and finalize its recommendation on the “school component/school effect” aspect of the model. The Committee considered the proportion of the school component that should be attributed to the teacher. You will remember from the video (May 20, Part 2) showed at the Bargaining Boot Camp that a value closer to “1” means schools effects (school leadership, hiring practices, extended day programs, mentoring, parental involvement, etc.) have a greater impact on student learning that a value closer to “0”. Based on their discussion, the Committee recommended including 50 percent or “.5”of the common school effect in a teacher’s value added score. This recommendation recognizes that some portion of an independent school component may have an impact on student learning, outside of the teacher’s direct control. By accounting for this, a teacher’s performance is evaluated at least partially within the context of the school. With that portion clarified, Commissioner Smith fully accepted the committee’s recommendations on a value added model to measure student learning growth on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) on June 8, 2011.

The Student Growth Implementation Committee recommended a model from the class of covariate adjustment models. This model begins by establishing expected learning growth for each student. The expectation is estimated from historical data each year, and represents the typical learning gains seen among students who have earned similar test scores the past two years, and share the other characteristics enumerated below. Those characteristics (i.e., covariates or variables) are used to establish the expected learning growth for students. The variables recommended by the committee are:

• The number subject-relevant courses in which the student is enrolled

• Up to two prior years of achievement scores

• Students with Disabilities (SWD) status

• English Language Learner (ELL) status

• Gifted status

• Attendance

• Mobility (number of transitions)

• Difference from modal age in grade (as an indicator of retention)

• Class size

• Homogeneity of entering test scores in the class

The inclusion of these control variables should establish expected student scores based on typical learning growth among students who share similar characteristics.

The teacher’s value added score reflects the average amount of learning growth of the teacher’s students above or below the expected learning growth of similar students in the state, using the variables accounted for in the model. For example, if a teacher’s value added score is 10, that means students taught by that teacher, on average, demonstrated learning growth of 10 points higher than expected for similar students in the state. In the model recommended by the committee, the teacher’s value added score is expressed as a sum of two components: one that reflects how much the school’s students on average gained above or below similar students in the state (a “school component/school effect”), and another that reflects how much the teacher’s students on average gained above or below similar students within the school (a “teacher component/teacher effect”).

A full summary of their recommendations, taped footage of each meeting and a list of the Committee’s members can be found at http://www.fldoe.org/committees/sg.asp.

FW: Friday news clips

2011-06-10T10:42:00.000-04:00

From: Pudlow, Mark
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 8:46 AM
To: _FEA Presidents-Clean; _FEA Gov Board-Clean; _FEA Locals Staff; _FEA Staff; _Crisis Workgroup
Cc: tom@utd.org; Charles@utd.org; freida@utd.org; hiralda@utd.org; Cahoon, Cecil; Lemon-Cusack, Arlethia; Mitchell, Melanie; Campen, Sara [NEA]; Wofford, Cory; Wilk, Valarie; maritsa@utd.org
Subject: Friday news clips

Better teacher evaluations may not help much
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/better-teacher-evaluations-may-not-help-much/2011/06/07/AGEK1OLH_blog.html

Preschool benefits last well into adulthood, study says
http://www.tampabay.com/incoming/preschool-benefits-last-well-into-adulthood-study-says/1174562

Where does all the lotto money go?
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/state/florida-lottery-money-060911

Last day of school is the last class for Broward teacher
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/miramar/fl-teachers-last-day-20110610,0,4124272.story

Four-day school weeks may not happen in Marion
http://www.ocala.com/article/20110609/ARTICLES/110609654/1001/NEWS01?Title=Four-day-school-weeks-may-not-happen

Franklin School Board weighs shorter school year
http://www.apalachtimes.com/news/school-9528-year-days.html

Pinellas School Board wants to air concerns about superintendent
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/pinellas-school-board-wants-to-air-concerns-about-superintendent-janssen/1174527

Interesting tidbits on Florida’s algebra end-of-course exam
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/interesting-tidbits-floridas-algebra-end-course-exam

Panel of UF trustees OKs 15 percent tuition hike
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110609/ARTICLES/110609445/1002/news01?Title=Panel-of-UF-trustees-OKs-15-tuition-hike-

Tenure shouldn’t shield unethical acts at USF
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/tenure-shouldnt-shield-unethical-acts-at-usf/1174461

Bright Futures recipients must fill out more paperwork
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/CD/20110610/NEWS01/106100332/Bright-Futures-scholarship-recipients-must-fill-out-more-paperwork

Nearly 100,000 state workers will get their pension pay cut early
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23325657

Florida progressives get fired up
http://cltampa.com/tampa/sleep-no-more/Content?oid=2296519

2011 legislative session a far cry from the golden era
http://www.fcfep.org/attachments/20110609--Chair%27s%20Perspective,%20Post-Session%202011.pdf
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/406107/tonyaa-weathersbee/2011-06-09/did-lawmakers-worsen-condition-already-ailing

Associated Industries gives highest marks to Alexander, lots of House members
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/06/aif-gives-highest-marks-to-jd-alexander-and-lots-of-house-members-.html

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23316261

Where are the jobs, governor?
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110609/EDIT01/110609346

Scott and the Legislature trampling on the rights of Florida voters
http://www.thewestsidegazette.com/News/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=109254&sID=16&ItemSource=L

Veteran South Florida elections official named to run state elections division
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23316253

Agency gets grilled over looming budget cuts
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23316248

http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/Advocates_Decry_Budget_For_Children_123550669.html

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2011/06/apd-struggles-with-budget.html

Southwest Florida food stamp usage surges
http://www.news-press.com/article/20110610/NEWS01/106100412/Southwest-Florida-food-stamp-use-surges

Florida may privatize campsites in state parks
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/state/os-privatizing-florida-campgrounds-20110609,0,6974451.story

Florida restaurants projected to lose jobs
http://jacksonville.com/business/daily-briefs/2011-06-09/story/florida-restaurants-projected-lose-jobs

Meetings on Florida Medicaid overhaul to begin today
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/09/2258566/meetings-on-fla-medicaid-overhaul.html

A shakeup at major Tallahassee lobbying firm
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23313504
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/smith-ballard-powerhouse-lobbying-firm-breaks-up-replaced-1529886.html

Bush tax cuts have failed in every conceivable way
http://www.slate.com/id/2296578

New Jersey governor’s anti-union bill would restrict collective bargaining
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/08/chris-christie-union-bill-new-jersey-collective-bargaining_n_873636.html

Do more on jobs, Democrats tell Obama
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/165731-do-more-on-jobs-dems-tell-obama

Wasserman Schultz has rocky DNC start
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56666.html

Hasner attacks opponent for supporting cap-and-trade plan he helped write
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/republican-senate-candidate-attacks-opponent-for-supporting-cap-and-trade-plan-he-helped-write.php

Romney says no thanks to Florida presidential straw poll
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/romney-says-no-thanks-to-florida-presidential-straw-poll/1174504

Gingrich aides quit en masse over conflicts
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/us/politics/10gingrich.html

FW: news clips.doc

2011-06-09T15:05:00.000-04:00

FYI

From: Pudlow, Mark
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 9:32 AM
To: _FEA Presidents-Clean; _FEA Gov Board-Clean; _FEA Locals Staff; _FEA Staff; _Crisis Workgroup
Cc: tom@utd.org; Charles@utd.org; freida@utd.org; hiralda@utd.org; Cahoon, Cecil; Lemon-Cusack, Arlethia; Mitchell, Melanie; Campen, Sara [NEA]; Wofford, Cory; Wilk, Valarie; maritsa@utd.org
Subject: news clips.doc

Broward schools say goodbye to 1,400 teachers
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/07/2257676/broward-schools-says-goodbye-to.html

Some Collier teachers hired on contingency contracts could be fired
http://m.naplesnews.com/news/2011/jun/08/some-collier-teachers-hired-contingency-contracts/

Palm Beach teachers, employees would escape furloughs if union accepts no raises
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-teacher-salaries-palm-beach-20110608,0,4853076.story

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/school-district-offers-two-take-it-or-leave-1526935.html

Hillsborough’s teacher evaluators eager as they train for Gates Foundation initiative
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/hillsboroughs-teacher-evaluators-eager-as-they-train-for-bill-amp-melinda/1174312

PCTA: District “recovered” $4.7 million; furloughs may be reduced
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/pcta-district-recovered-47-million-furloughs-may-be-reduced

Pinellas superintendent’s plan for school has some worried
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/janssens-plans-for-melrose-elementary-has-some-worried/1174315

New applicants step forward as Winn’s back on an interim basis
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/new-applicants-step-forward-as-john-winn-named-interim-state-education/1174204

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-education-commissioner-interim-20110608,0,1155575.story

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23297438

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/08/2257586/former-ed-commissioner-returns.html

http://floridacapitalnews.com/article/20110609/CAPITOLNEWS/106090311

Already a front-runner for education commissioner?
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/already-front-runner-florida-education-commissioner

Misplaced emphasis: Test scores alone shouldn’t define learning
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/CD/20110609/OPINION01/106090305/Our-Opinion-Misplaced-emphasis

Ravitch battles the system she helped to build
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/educator-and-author-diane-ravitch-battles-the-system-she-helped-to-build/1174369

FCAT focus takes away from well-rounded education
http://m.tcpalm.com/news/2011/jun/08/russ-lemmon-fcat-focus-takes-away-from-well/

Algebra end-of-course exam results released
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/algebra-end-course-exam-results-released
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/08/2257604/florida-rolls-out-algebra-i-results.html

Palm Bay charter school faces scrutiny
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110609/NEWS01/106090324/Palm-Bay-charter-school-scrutinized

UF gave inaccurate data to magazine for rating
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110607/ARTICLES/110609584/0/FRONTPAGE?p=1&tc=pg&tc=ar

USF trustees approve tuition hike, arena renovation
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/college/usf-trustees-approve-tuition-hike-sun-dome-renovation/1174218

New rules let for-profit schools off the hook
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/new-rules-let-for-profit-schools-off-the-hook/1174265

Raise expectations of education, South Florida college leaders tell chamber
http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/110609/story7.shtml

Florida tax collections on the rise
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110529/COLUMNISTS0302/105295021/1112/NEWS05?Title=Florida-Tax-Collections-On-the-Rise

State asks Justice Department to sign off on new elections law
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/florida-asks-u-s-justice-department-to-sign-1527697.html

State voting system pretty lousy for young people
http://floridaindependent.com/33354/rock-the-vote-florida-voting-system-pretty-lousy-for-young-people

Hold lawmakers accountable to draw fair state districts
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110609/OPINION/110608017/Our-views-s-your-democracy-June-9-

Signing ceremony was no place to forbid protest
http://www.floridacapitalnews.com/article/20110609/COLUMNIST03/106090309

Scott takes credit for business expansion that started before he took office
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/corporate/gov-rick-scott-takes-credit-for-business-expansion-that-started-before-he/1174313

http://www.wmnf.org/news_stories/gov-scott-re-announces-canada-companys-100-job-move-to-boca

Scott administration backtracked on federal grant for the disabled
http://www.healthnewsflorida.org/hnf_stories/read/scott_administration_backtracked_on_grant_for_disabled

Moonlighting Rubio and Scott’s unpopularity contest
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-rubio-teaching-job-060911-20110608,0,3707783.story

Judge under fire for courthouse fights back against charges
http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/judge-paul-hawkes-files-motion-to-dismiss-taj-mahal-charges/1174285

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23308022

Taxpayers chipping in for Tampa Bay Bucs’ luxury suite renovations
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tourism/taxpayers-chipping-in-for-tampa-bay-bucs-luxury-suite-renovations/1174325

The American public’s great depression
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/the-american-publics-great-depression/2011/06/08/AGbtm6MH_blog.html

Economy’s woes shift the focus of federal budget talks
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/us/politics/09fiscal.html

Obama prods employers to invest in displaced workers
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-jobs-20110609,0,2811222.story

We can’t cut our way to prosperity
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2011062308/we-cant-cut-our-way-prosperity

Republicans unveil yet another anti-jobs plan
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/06/07/982616/-Republicans-unveil-yet-another-anti-jobsplan

Getting past the paralysis on jobs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-deepening-jobs-crisis/2011/06/08/AGKQZQMH_story.html

What the GOP didn’t learn from the Bush tax cuts
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/what-the-gop-didnt-learn-from-the-bush-tax-cuts/2011/05/19/AGXlyHLH_blog.html

Some inconvenient truths on federal debt (by Jack Carbone)
http://www.apalachtimes.com/articles/federal-9501-debt-trillion.html

AFL-CIO urges recess appointment for Warren
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/165523-afl-cio-urges-recess-appointment-for-warren

Idaho education firestorm sparks attempt at repeal
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EDUCATION_FIGHT?SITE=FLPAP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-06-08-16-02-36

In Wisconsin, legislative urgency as recall threat looms
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/us/politics/08wisconsin.html

Democratic rule remakes Connecticut Legislature
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/nyregion/democratic-rule-remakes-connecticuts-legislative-face.html

Buchanan dogged by allegations in FEC contributions case
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-influence-industry-buchanan-dogged-by-allegations-in-fec-contributions-case/2011/06/07/AG88mUMH_story.html

Obama loses bin Laden bounce; Romney on the move among GOP contenders
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-loses-bin-laden-bounce-romney-on-the-move-among-gop-contenders/2011/06/06/AGT5wiKH_story.html

Crist vs. Scott in 2014?
http://www.thebradentontimes.com/news/2011/06/09/state_government/charlie_crist_vs._rick_scott_in_2014/

FW: E-Messenger 6/7/11

2011-06-08T12:20:00.000-04:00

06/7/11

E Messenger

The Electronic Newsletter of the Florida AFL-CIO

http://www.flaflcio.org

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Thank you!

We want to thank the thousands of activists and freedom fighters who attended Saturday's Festival for Florida's Future! This Festival was the first step in creating a working families movement in the state of Florida and together, united, we will make our voices heard!

A Big E-Messenger Congratulations to both NALC Branch 1477 and Branch 599 for being the Top Two NALC Branches in the Nation for the NALC Food Drive!

Letter Carriers' Annual Food Drive Once Again a Success for the Hungry

With Hunger Rising, and School Food Programs Ending, Effort Will Help Feed Needy Families in All 50 States

In another successful nationwide food drive, the National Association of Letter Carriers collected 70.2 million pounds of food on May 14, at a time when hunger is a growing problem. The NALC's annual one-day drive, largest in the nation, is held on the second Saturday in May in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. This was the 19th annual NALC Food Drive to stamp out hunger. "Six days a week, letter carriers see first-hand the needs in the communities they work in, and we're privileged to be able to help the needy and to lead an effort that brings out the best in so many Americans," NALC President Fredric Rolando said. Non-perishable donations residents left near their mail boxes were collected by the nation's 230,000 letter carriers as they delivered mail.

This was the eighth consecutive drive surpassing 70 million pounds. Last year's record collection of 77.1 million pounds pushed the total past the one-billion-pound mark, and the total since the drive began in 1993 now stands at 1,130,000,000 pounds. The slight downturn this year is related to the tough economy which makes the drive all the more important. About 50 million Americans including 17 million children now live in families that lack sufficient food. With most school lunch programs suspended during summer months, millions of children must find alternate sources of nutrition. "This drive allows letter carriers to help revitalize food banks during difficult summer months when children have no school breakfast or lunch programs to count on," NALC's Community Service Coordinator Linda Giordano said.

The top five local NALC branch collections: Branch 1477 West Coast Florida Merged (1,770,814 pounds), Branch 599 Tampa, FL. (1,729,382), Branch 458 Oklahoma City, OK (1,485,118), Branch 3 Buffalo, NY (1,383,220), Branch 1100 Garden Grove, CA (1,112,083).

Carriers around the country brought the food from their routes on Saturday May 14 to local food banks, pantries or shelters, including many affiliated with Feeding America, a national partner in the drive.

Assisting 1,400 local NALC branches were rural letter carriers and other postal employees, plus members of other unions and civic volunteers.

Other national partners were Campbell Soup Co., the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, Valpak, the U.S. Postal Service, United Way Worldwide, the AFL-CIO and Uncle Bob's Self Storage.

Fight for Florida
Fight for Florida is an online action hub for working Floridians fighting back against the assault on Florida's middle class by Gov. Scott and Tallahassee politicians. We work to organize people from all backgrounds and walks of life to take action in meaningful, effective ways that make a difference in the lives of all Floridians.

Through online petitions, letter writing, call-in campaigns, and other actions, we make the voices and interests of working people heard in the halls of power in Tallahassee and throughout the state.

We are fighting for Florida's middle class, and we will be heard.

Click here to go to the Fight for Florida website

Click here to watch an important message from Fight for Florida.

Are you ready to mobilize?!

The working families of Florida are under attack and it's time to stand up and fight back!

In order to keep you and your brothers and sisters informed of what is occurring in your state, please take a few minutes and fill out our Activist Contact Information Survey by clicking here.

A quick look at the coverage from the Festival for Florida's Future!

(This is by no means all of the press that covered the Festival but these links helps provide a snapshot of an incredible day of collective power and solidarity!)

Opposition organizes as legislature begins planning for 2012 session
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times
Excerpt: Susan Smith, a long-time active member of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party, is now organizing a Tampa chapter of Awake the State, a group launched just four months ago to fight the Republican led legislature. Awake the State will have a booth at the festival, and host a workshop.

Orlando Hosts "The Festival For Florida's Future"
By Q. McCray
WFTV News Central Florida
Related video: Thousands Gather For "The Festival For Florida's Future"
Thousands of people invaded the Central Florida Fairgrounds on Saturday to learn how to take their complaints to Tallahassee.

Liberal, labor groups gathering in Orlando, thanking Rick Scott
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
Excerpt: Mark Ferrulo of Progress Florida, which will be leading some of the workshops, said watching the 2011 legislative session and Scott's first five months as governor unfold is helping to create "a new generation of civically engaged Floridians some of them for the first time. We've never seen this level of progressive energy," he said. "And Rick Scott has been a catalyst for that."

Rally Against Legislature
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Excerpt: Damien Filer of Progress Florida says, "It's a recognition that people are not going to rest now, the mentality that was behind these attacks on the middle class are going to continue."

More from the AFL-CIO Now!

From the blog at www.aflcio.org/blog.

Not a Happy Anniversary: 10 Years of Bush Tax Cuts

Today is the 10-year anniversary of President Bush's tax cuts that went mostly to very rich individuals and big corporations. According to the rosy economic scenario Bush and the Republicans painted, the nation today should be figuring out to what to do with a $5.6 trillion budget surplus and just how to fill the tens of millions of new jobs that were supposed to generate new wealth for all of us.

How's that worked out? There's no trace of the $5.6 trillion surplus. Instead we have a record budget deficit.

Jobs? Job creation under Bush, even when the economy was expanding between 2002 2007, was dismal, barely keeping pace with population growth and the worst performance in the post-World War II era, says the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

We're not sharing the wealth either. In fact, the top 1 percent of earners pocketed 65 percent of the income growth during those years, widening even further the income gap between the rich and the rest of us.

Even scarier: Despite all the evidence that the tax cuts not only didn't work and the outcome was even worse than opponents predicted, congressional Republicans and presidential candidates want to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. That would be a terrible blow to the economy, says the new EPI Policy memo, "Tenth Anniversary of the Bush-Era Tax Cuts: A decade later, the Bush tax cuts remain expensive, ineffective, and unfair."

If made permanent, these tax cuts would still fail to generate strong employment and wage growth, and they would cost many more trillions of dollars, crowding out other budget priorities.

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) finds that the Bush tax cuts, along with two unpaid wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are by far the main drivers in the projected budget deficits over the next eight years.

Just two policies dating from the Bush Administrationtax cuts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistanaccounted for over $500 billion of the deficit in 2009 and will account for $7 trillion in deficits in 2009 through 2019.

The price tag for making the Bush tax cuts permanent is not just in trillions of dollars aded to the deficit, says EPI:

If continued, they will crowd out budget priorities such as economic security programs and investments in education, infrastructure, research, and health.

The EPI policy memo outlines the top 10 worst outcomes of the Bush tax cuts. Here are just a few.

The Bush tax cuts disproportionately benefited the wealthy.
The Bush tax cuts did little for low-income families
The Bush tax cuts never trickled down.
The Bush tax cuts did little for long-term job and economic growth.

Click here for the full EPI memo and here and here for more on the Bush tax cuts from the Center for American Progress (CAP).

http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/06/07/not-a-happy-anniversary-10-years-of-bush-tax-cuts/

Huffington Post

www.huffingtonpost.com

Black Unemployment Crisis: Loss Of Government Jobs Hurts African Americans Hardest

Kenneth Mathis is the kind of man who values stability.

More than three decades ago, when he was 19, Mathis was hired by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a government position that seemed to confer assurance of middle class comforts.

As an African American, he figured a job with a government agency would be a way around "the good old boy networks" that seemed to preclude his employment at many private businesses. He reckoned that a government job would spare him from the volatility faced by private companies, meaning his paycheck would continue through good times and bad.

Mathis later took a job that kept him at home in Houston, joining the city's Housing and Community Development Department, a position that he figured would last until retirement.

But his vision of a steady career culminating in a farewell cake and a pension came to an abrupt end last August, when his boss summoned him into his office, closed the door and told him that his job was being eliminated.

Within minutes, a pair of plain-clothes police led Mathis to another office, where he was forced to surrender his government identification card and city-issued-cell phone. He grabbed his bag and a picture of his wife before being escorted to the elevator door.

"Working for the government was supposed to have been the safe route," said Mathis, 55. "Somehow, I fell through a trap door."

Such a sentiment has echoed throughout the nation, as the red ink left in the wake of the Great Recession prompts federal, state and local government agencies to pare down payrolls and eliminate positions that have sustained middle class dreams for decades. Since the beginning of 2008, some 375,000 government jobs have been eliminated, according to the Labor Department.

The cuts fall with marked impact on African Americans such as Mathis. Nearly 21 percent of the nation's working black adults hold government jobs, as compared to some 17 percent of white workers and 15 percent of Latinos. Public agencies are the single largest employer for black men, and the second most common for black women.

The disproportionate vulnerability of African American employees to the impacts of government budget cuts helps explain why black workers have fared so much worse than other slices of the population since the recession's end. In May, the unemployment rate among black Americans reached 16.2 percent, up from 15.5 percent a year earlier. By contrast, white unemployment was eight percent, an improvement from the 8.8 percent level of a year earlier.

The loss of government paychecks erodes one of the great equalizing forces at play in the American economy for more than a century. A government job has long offered a pathway for American Americans to sidestep discrimination that has impeded progress in the private sector, where social networks often determine who has a shot at the best jobs, say experts.

The 1987 film Hollywood Shuffle embodies the crucial importance of government work for black families. In one scene, a struggling black actor is reminded by his grandmother that he can always get work at the post office.

"Something similar but maybe less pronounced can be said about a lot of government agencies," said Philip Rubio, a labor historian at the University of North Carolina A&T State University, who took that movie scene as the title for an academic book on the subject, "There's Always Work at the Post Office."

African Americans first gained employment in the postal service in the 1860s, in the wake of the Civil War. Two decades later, the post office began hiring through the civil service exam, creating equal access to jobs and equal pay regardless of race or gender. And civil service protections allowed postal workers to get involved in controversial issues such as the earliest stages of the Civil Rights Movement without risking their jobs.

By 1940, 14 percent of the black middle class worked for the postal service, according to Rubio. In the decades since, other government departments, from housing to public works to sanitation, became major employers.

But now, with the broader economy stuck in a deep rut and working opportunities chronically lean, those government jobs are diminishing, too.

"Many of the black people you don't hear about on the news, the black people who own homes, who can afford to send their children to college and have modest savings, many of them worked for some branch of government before the recession began," said Steven Pitts, a labor economist at the University of California, Berkeley's Center for Labor Research and Education. "There is good reason to be very concerned about what will happen when this work disappears."

Houston does not, at first glance, seem like the sort of place where workers would be suffering. A sprawling metropolis defined by big oil, big malls and big freeways, the Texas city seemed impervious to the forces of decline that have beset so much of the country in recent years.

"To explain that I just need one word: oil," said Mike Valant, survey chairman with the Houston branch of the Institute for Supply Chain Management, who issues a monthly report on Houston's economy monitored closely by the Federal Reserve. "Oil hasn't taken much of a hit. Also the health care industry just kept growing."

The Houston area's roughly two million residents - about 23 percent of them black - work largely in three industries: oil, health care and government.

But like every major American metropolitan area, Houston suffered the end of the speculative frenzy in real estate. By the end of 2010, some 12 percent of the city's housing sat vacant, according to Census data. With so many houses empty and real estate transactions stagnant, the city saw its revenues decline as development fees fell off, along with sales and property taxes.

By March it became clear. The city faced a budget shortfall of $130 million, and given that Houston is legally required to balance its budget, cuts became virtually unavoidable. The majority of Houston's government workers are black, so those cuts would almost certainly fall heavily on the African American community.

Mathis was among 60 city government workers who lost their jobs in the course of department consolidations during 2010. A similar fate now confronts 750 additional municipal employees who will be laid off on July 1.

Most major American cities have been eliminating government jobs. Local governments have shed 446,000 employees since employment in the sector hit its peak in September 2008. They plan to cut nearly 500,000 more over the next two years, according to a national survey of governments.

The impact of those cuts seems certain to fall disproportionately on African Americans, exacerbating already extreme rates of joblessness. It's no coincidence, some black union activists say. Many think the preponderance of African Americans in the government workforce makes them a useful target for some politicians - particularly Republicans, cognizant that the black vote trends overwhelmingly Democratic.

"In some states I think it's a power play, pure and simple," said Lee Saunders, secretary treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, a public sector union, and the son of a union bus driver. "In some sort of sick way, some of these ultra conservatives think that if you hurt African Americans and they are laid off and can't find work that there may be negative implications for the 2012 presidential election. If you have a lot of people who are frustrated, maybe it is going to be very hard to get your base out to vote."

The first time Cassandra Marshall walked though the doors at 640 Temple Street in downtown Detroit, it was the early 1970s. A 19-year-old welfare mother, she was summoned to answer her social worker's questions.

More than a quarter-century later, in 2009, Marshall worked in the very same office as her social worker. Now a manager with a master's degree, she earned $62,000 a year and had a six-figure balance in her 401(k) retirement account. Her two children had nearly completed college.

But in March 2009, Wayne County executive Robert Ficano announced the need to reduce its payroll as the local government contended with a projected budget deficit of at least $90 million. The cash-strapped county would first offer buyouts. If that didn't close the gap, layoffs would follow.

Marshall absorbed this news and realized that she might wind up on the layoff list.

"There are still office politics when you work for the government," said Marshall. "I really had to think about my odds, my needs, where I was at. I realized I had accomplished what I set out to do - put my babies through school. So I didn't have to keep fighting to hang on."

So, on June 1, 2009, she reluctantly accepted a buyout. She traded in her career for about $3,000 in severance, plus the assurance that she would be eligible for unemployment benefits while she looked for work.

The next day, Marshall suffered what she refers to as her first panic attack.

"I absolutely could not breathe," she said. "I was like, 'What have I done? This is Wayne County.' If you aren't UAW (a United Auto Workers union member), Wayne County is the absolute best you are going to do, especially if you are a black woman who came up when I did. I was 56 years old and really thinking, 'where in God's name am I am going to work?' I was in uncharted waters."

Today, Marshall's children are college graduates with careers. She works for a private social service agency, a federal government contractor, operating a prisoner reentry program. She loves her work, she says, calling it, "The job I was born to do." Yet it pays nearly $20,000 less than her old job with Wayne County.

"I'm living a life I never would have imagined," Marshall said, and not for the first time.

For Marshall, the lost income means that she may not be able to hold on to her home. She is already underwater and the payments are difficult to make. But Marshall said she is at peace with whatever comes next. And she is thankful to have once worked for Wayne County.

"That allowed a single mother like me to build a retirement," she said. "If I had never worked there, the plan would be that I would work until I die. That's how important that job was."

In Houston, Mathis still struggles to adjust to a life shorn of the stability he had always sought and mostly known.

He feels the burden of financial responsibility, a house to maintain and two cars. He and his wife, who works as a placement agent at a staffing company, were accustomed to a household income of $90,000 a year. Mathis' paycheck made up more than half that income. The cuts to the city's budgets triggered deep cuts in their own spending.

"I can honestly say that this is the first time since probably my 20s that I've had to monitor my lights," said Mathis. "We are watching our pennies."

Mathis tried to use his job loss as a chance to focus on gaining new skills. He resumed studies toward an MBA, graduating in January. Since then, he has applied for all sorts of jobs: public and private positions, jobs in the financial industry, in insurance and in sales.

Two weeks ago, Mathis landed a contract accounting job with Houston's health department. The job is set to end July 31 but could be extended, Mathis has been told. He's also in the running for another contract job with a private company. Neither job comes with any benefits, a major loss for a 55-year-old man.

In February, Mathis also started up a trio of online retail businesses, selling essential oils and gifts over the Internet. Mathis says they are moving along "slowly." They have not turned a profit yet, but the contract work has given him a bit of money to help promote the sites.

That puts Mathis in at the edge of a new trend. Depending on your perspective, he's a man who has lost the safety net of a public sector job and now scrambling to replace the income, or a reluctant yet eager fledgling member of the business world.

"Probably, many more of us who are going to have to become entrepreneurs," he said. "Pray, let it ride, and see what happens."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/07/black-unemployment-government-jobs_n_872168.html

From Alternet

http://www.alternet.org/

9 Signs That We May Be Living Through Another Depression

Three in 10 Americans say we're living through another depression -- are they right?

A poll released this week found that a majority of Americans are experiencing so much anxiety over the state of the economy that they're losing sleep, experiencing relationship issues and getting angry. Two-thirds of those polled by Newsweek and the Daily Beast even said they were "angry at God." Pollster Douglas Schoen concluded that "reality is beginning to break down Americans' normally optimistic attitude."

Another poll found that three in 10 Americans believe we're living through a depression rather than a recession.

Yet the reality that's breaking down Americans' sunny optimism is obscured by reports that the economy is in recovery, and has been since June 2009. That's a technical determination that does absolutely nothing for tens of millions of people living through the worst economic pain since the 1930s.

A little-discussed aspect of this downturn is that many Americans never fully recovered from the last one before the crash hit. In 2000, before the dot-com bust, a person right in the middle of the economic pack took home $27,833 inflation-adjusted dollars, and since then, that same person has only earned more in one year 2006 (Excel). By 2008, the median income was a thousand bucks less than it had been in 2000, and then in 2009 and 2010 we saw the largest two-year drop in wages and benefits since 1962-'63.

Depressions don't always unfold in the same way. The bleak period following the 1929 stock market crash has come to be known as the Great Depression, but it was not the first brutal downturn to be characterized as such. Between 1873 and 1896, the big industrial powers went through what was then called the Great Depression, and has since become known as the Long Depression.

The Long Depression never reached the grinding severity of the 1930s downturn; in fact, it was actually two severe recessions that bookended a period of rapid growth in the 1880s. Today, having "lost" much of the past decade, and with the economy looking like it may well head into a second period of recession or at best a gradual, drawn-out road to economic health historians may well come to view this period as another kind of Long Depression.

Consider how bleak the 2000s were relative to past decades. According to the Economist, "In the years between 1940 and 1999 the number of Americans employed outside farming grew by an average of 27 percent each decade," but the 2000s saw the employment rate actually fall by around 1 percent.

And nobody seems quite sure what the next great engine of economic growth might be, assuming one will arrive. Consider these worrisome signs that we may be living through a new depression.

1. During periods of recovery from past recessions, we've seen rapid job growth as the economy catches up. Last month, the US economy added only 54,000 jobs, the worst in a series of anemic job reports. This graphic, prepared by the New York Times, puts the current "recovery" in perspective relative to past downturns since the 1970s. Note that it took four years of growth following the early 2000s recession to return to the employment level that preceded it.

2. The unemployment rate today is lower than at the height of the Great Depression, but the average length of unemployment is far higher than at any time since they began to track that data the current record beats the one previously set in the early 1980s by around 17 weeks. As I've noted before, long-term unemployment has a long-term impact on those who suffer through it and even impacts their children's earnings.

3. We've now seen declining home prices in 59 consecutive months. In January, the Zillow Home Value Index was off by 26 percent from its 2006 peak, a drop larger than that seen during the Great Depression. Prices have continued to fall, and economist Dean Baker says that "it seems virtually certain that prices will continue to decline at least through the rest of the year."

4.The foreclosure rate remains sky-high. With an inventory of 1.9 million properties, it would take the banks three years just to unload what they already own, according to RealtyTrac.

5. As economist Paul Krugman notes, "public debt is not our only problem in fact, it's not the core problem. The key problem is, instead, the overhang of private debt."

6. With so much private debt and bad home loans, banks are writing off 3.4 percent of their outstanding loans, exactly the same rate that occurred in 1934, at the peak of the Great Depression.

7. The Guardian reports that "overdrawn American cities could face financial collapse in 2011, defaulting on hundreds of billions of dollars of borrowings and derailing the US economic recovery." European cities aren't faring better; Florence, Barcelona, Madrid and Venice are all in deep trouble.

That's leading to cuts, which is only making matters worse because our core problem remains a lack of consumer demand, and cuts take dollars out of people's pockets.

8. Add in high gas prices, which also cuts into consumer spending. Last week, CNN reported that Walmart's "core shoppers are running out of money much faster than a year ago due to rising gasoline prices, and the retail giant is worried."

9. US exports are up somewhat, but don't expect an export-led boom. China's economy is now slowing down, and the European financial crisis threatens to break up the "Euro-zone."

It's a grim picture, but it doesn't have to be as bad as it looks today. Economist Paul Krugman called this bleak situation "a continuing tragedy," and noted that "in a rational world bringing an end to this tragedy would be our top economic priority." Yet "instead of a determination to do something about the ongoing suffering and economic waste," he writes, "one sees a proliferation of excuses for inaction, garbed in the language of wisdom and responsibility."

When historians look back on this era, they'll marvel at the degree of delusion that led lawmakers and the media to focus relentless energy on the deficit while turning a blind eye to the economic pain being felt by a majority of our citizens. Economists will write PhD theses detailing how this long, somewhat shallow Depression was nurtured by insane contractionary policies Congress enacted in the middle of a pummeling downturn.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/151170/9_signs_that_we_may_be_living_through_another_depression/?page=2

From Truth Out

http://www.truth-out.org/

Make Companies' Political Spending Transparent

President Obama is mulling an executive order to force big government contractors to disclose their political spending. He should issue it immediately. But he should go further - banning all political activity by companies receiving more than half their revenues from the federal government.

Consider Lockheed Martin, the nation's largest contractor. It has received more than $19 billion in federal contracts so far this year. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Lockheed has already spent more than $3 million lobbying Congress this year.

Lockheed supports a platoon of Washington lawyers and lobbyists dedicated to getting more federal contracts. Sixty-four of Lockheed's lobbyists are former congressional staffers, Pentagon officials and White House aides. Two are former members of Congress. As such, they used to be on the public payroll, representing us. Now we continue to pay them, indirectly, through the government contracts Lockheed gets. But their job is to improve Lockheed's bottom line.

Lockheed also has been spending more than $3 million a year on political contributions to friendly members of Congress. On top of this, Lockheed gives money to the Aerospace Industries Association to lobby for a bigger defense budget and to support members of Congress who will vote accordingly. But we don't know how much because it's secret. We don't even know how much Lockheed is giving the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to lobby against the president's proposed executive order requiring disclosure of its political activities. That's secret, too.

Don't we have a right to know? After all, you and I and other taxpayers are Lockheed's biggest customer. As such, we're financing much of this lobbying and donating. Lockheed's political activities are built into its costs. So when Lockheed contracts with the federal government for a piece of military equipment, you and I and other taxpayers end up paying for a portion of these political activities.

It's one of the most insidious conflicts of interest in American politics.

Lockheed is hardly alone in using taxpayer money to get fatter contracts from taxpayers. All of the 10 biggest government contractors are defense contractors. Every one of them gets most of its revenue from the federal government. And every one uses a portion of that money to lobby for even more defense contracts.

That's one reason the defense procurement budget keeps expanding. Next year's expected drawdown of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq is supposed to save money. But Lockheed and other giant defense contractors have made sure all anticipated savings will go to new weapons systems.

Lockheed recently delivered a budget bombshell with a proposed tab of more than $1 trillion for a fleet of F-35 joint-strike fighter jets. That doesn't even include $385 billion that the Defense Department will spend to buy 2,500 of the stealth planes.

Tom Burbage of Lockheed acknowledged that the "T" word, as he gently put it, "causes a lot of sensational reaction ... because no one ever dealt with 'T's before in the program." That's an understatement. Congress is nonetheless willing to fund these mammoth projects as if the nation didn't have a long-term budget crisis.

Brace yourself. In the wake of last year's Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, there's no limit on what Lockheed and other defense contractors can spend on politics.

But why should you and I and other taxpayers pay Lockheed to lobby for the trillion-dollar F-35 and support politicians who will vote for it? Why should we pay for the political activities of Northrop Grumman and Boeing to come up with even more aerospace weapons systems? Or for Raytheon and General Dynamics to procure more high-tech weapons? Or for Blackwater and Halliburton to procure more private military contract workers?

The answer is, we shouldn't.

Over half a century ago, President Dwight Eisenhower warned of the dangers of an unbridled military-industrial complex, as he called it. It's now a military-industrial-congressional complex. And after Citizens United, it's more unbridled than ever.

That's why the president shouldn't stop with an executive order requiring government contractors to disclose their political contributions. He should ban all political activities by corporations getting more than half their revenues from the federal government. Put an end to this increasingly expensive conflict of interest.

http://www.truth-out.org/make-companies-political-spending-transparent/1307384236

From Paul Krugman

Noble Laureate, Working Family Advocate and America's Smartest Economist

Vouchercare Is Not Medicare

What's in a name? A lot, the National Republican Congressional Committee obviously believes. Last week, the committee sent a letter demanding that a TV station stop running an ad declaring that the House Republican budget plan would "end Medicare." This, the letter insisted, was a false claim: the plan would simply install a "new, sustainable version of Medicare."

But Comcast, the station's owner, rejected the demand and rightly so. For Republicans are indeed seeking to dismantle Medicare as we know it, replacing it with a much worse program.

I'm seeing many attempts to shout down anyone making this obvious point, and not just from Republican politicians. For some reason, many commentators seem to believe that accurately describing what the G.O.P. is actually proposing amounts to demagoguery. But there's nothing demagogic about telling the truth.

Start with the claim that the G.O.P. plan simply reforms Medicare rather than ending it. I'll just quote the blogger Duncan Black, who summarizes this as saying that "when we replace the Marines with a pizza, we'll call the pizza the Marines." The point is that you can name the new program Medicare, but it's an entirely different program call it Vouchercare that would offer nothing like the coverage that the elderly now receive. (Republicans get huffy when you call their plan a voucher scheme, but that's exactly what it is.)

Medicare is a government-run insurance system that directly pays health-care providers. Vouchercare would cut checks to insurance companies instead. Specifically, the program would pay a fixed amount toward private health insurance higher for the poor, lower for the rich, but not varying at all with the actual level of premiums. If you couldn't afford a policy adequate for your needs, even with the voucher, that would be your problem.

And most seniors wouldn't be able to afford adequate coverage. A Congressional Budget Office analysis found that to get coverage equivalent to what they have now, older Americans would have to pay vastly more out of pocket under the Paul Ryan plan than they would if Medicare as we know it was preserved. Based on the budget office estimates, the typical senior would end up paying around $6,000 more out of pocket in the plan's first year of operation.

By the way, defenders of the G.O.P. plan often assert that it resembles other, less unpopular programs. For a while they claimed, falsely, that Vouchercare would be just like the coverage federal employees get. More recently, I've been seeing claims that Vouchercare would be just like the system created for Americans under 65 by last year's health care reform a fairly remarkable defense from a party that has denounced that reform as evil incarnate.

So let me make two points. First, Obamacare was very much a second-best plan, conditioned by perceived political realities. Most of the health reformers I know would have greatly preferred simply expanding Medicare to cover all Americans. Second, the Affordable Care Act is all about making health care, well, affordable, offering subsidies whose size is determined by the need to limit the share of their income that families spend on medical costs. Vouchercare, by contrast, would simply hand out vouchers of a fixed size, regardless of the actual cost of insurance. And these vouchers would be grossly inadequate.

But what about the claim that none of this matters, because Medicare as we know it is unsustainable? Nonsense.

Yes, Medicare has to get serious about cost control; it has to start saying no to expensive procedures with little or no medical benefits, it has to change the way it pays doctors and hospitals, and so on. And a number of reforms of that kind are, in fact, included in the Affordable Care Act. But with these changes it should be entirely possible to maintain a system that provides all older Americans with guaranteed essential health care.

Consider Canada, which has a national health insurance program, actually called Medicare, that is similar to the program we have for the elderly, but less open-ended and more cost-conscious. In 1970, Canada and the United States both spent about 7 percent of their G.D.P. on health care. Since then, as United States health spending has soared to 16 percent of G.D.P., Canadian spending has risen much more modestly, to only 10.5 percent of G.D.P. And while Canadian health care isn't perfect, it's not bad.

Canadian Medicare, then, looks sustainable; why can't we do the same thing here? Well, you know the answer in the case of the Republicans: They don't want to make Medicare sustainable, they want to destroy it under the guise of saving it.

So in voting for the House budget plan, Republicans voted to end Medicare. Saying that isn't demagoguery, it's just pointing out the truth.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/06/opinion/06krugman.html?ref=paulkrugman

From David Sirota (one of the E Messenger's favorite columnists)

Cutting Kids' Health Care Will Make Deficits Bigger

In the name of curtailing deficits, politicians across the country are hacking away at programs that aim to make children healthier. In Congress, for example, House Republicans are spearheading a budget that eviscerates funding for food assistance and effectively defunds the wildly successful Children's Health Insurance Program.

Similarly, from Texas to California, state lawmakers are chopping children's' health programs in the face of budget shortfalls. In all these initiatives, the rhetorical leitmotif is "fiscal responsibility."

Like clockwork, this has set off the now-standard ideological debate over values, with liberals arguing that it's immoral to deny health care to today's kids and conservatives countering that it's even more immoral to saddle the next generation with debt. But as highlighted by a new National Bureau of Economic Research report, both sides are ignoring the most important non-ideological fact: Any so-called "deficit reduction" plan that cuts child health programs is almost certain to increase deficits.

The NBER study compared British and American illness rates, controlling for both demographic differences and risk factors like smoking and drinking. It found that a) we have "much higher" childhood illness rates than our English counterparts, b) "the transmission rates of higher rates of childhood illnesses into poor health in (adults is) higher in America compared to England" and therefore, c) "the origins of poorer adult health among older Americans compared to the English traces back right into the childhood years."

In other words, America's broken private health care system allows kids' medical afflictions to become far worse in adulthood than they become in England a nation with a government-sponsored universal health care system.

Remembering that experts say diabetes alone could be a $3 trillion health-cost time bomb in the United States, the NBER study's underlying message should be clear: If we reduce our country's minimal efforts to make kids healthier, we will be all but guaranteeing even more deficit-exploding medical problems down the line.

Those problems, of course, are often more expensive to therapeutically treat in adults than to pre-emptively address in kids.

That means any short-term savings achieved by cuts to children's health care will likely be wiped out by much bigger costs as those less-healthy kids enter adulthood. And don't forget those additional marginal costs are everyone's concern because they often end up being paid by Medicare (aka taxpayers).

The NBER study is quick to point out that access to children's health insurance universal in England, but not in America may not be the "primary" factor in the discrepancy between our two nations' health stats. However, it's possible that health services for pregnant women are acutely involved.

It's also possible the results reflect not just differences in health services, but also larger incongruities in everything from food safety regulation to consumer products safety laws to environmental protection. This would suggest that it's not only ignorant for self-described deficit hawks to cut children's health programs, but also absurd for them to cite deficits as reason to cut enforcement of public-interest laws.

As obvious as these lessons may seem, appreciating their significance requires a serious attitudinal shift in America. It requires us to take the longer view of our deficit challenges, to see certain expenditures as investments in future savings and to remember that adage about "cutting off your nose to spite your face." Because while we certainly can get the deficit under control, we cannot achieve such a goal by denying kids health care.

Doing that will spite the whole country and make the budget picture far worse

http://www.creators.com/liberal/david-sirota/cutting-kids-health-care-will-make-deficits-bigger.html

From Fernando Rendon member of IBEW 606 and Blogger for Florida Today

Festival for Florida's Future a success!

On Saturday thousands of activists, union members and their families gathered at the Central Florida Fairgrounds in a show of solidarity for all working Floridians. Along with music, food and a carnival atmosphere, there were a number of workshops available for those attending. The workshops were on everything from consequences of the recent legislative session, to how to run for public office. I was so pleased to see so many union members and their families having fun and at the same time showing politicians in Tallahassee that their anti-worker policies will not be tolerated. Politicians are fixated on numbers and the number of workers who attended the rally on Saturday are a bellwether for the next election.

http://opinionmatters.flatoday.net/2011/06/festival-for-floridas-future-success.html

STATE NEWS

Elections/Voting

The State Department's rationale for the rush to implement elections overhaul
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
As House Bill 1355 made its way through the Legislature, critics railed against provisions that would impose new regulations on groups that register voters, reduce the number of days of early voting and require voters who move between counties to vote by provisional ballot.

State Sen. Mike Bennett files papers to run for Congress against Kathy Castor
By Craig Pittman and Caryn Baird
St. Petersburg Times
Mike Bennett successfully pushed to make voters work harder to get to the polls.

A step toward fair districts
Editorial
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The proponents of fair congressional and legislative districts including almost two-thirds of the Floridians who voted last November got good news last week from the U.S. Department of Justice: The agency found no reason why the Legislature should not use two new state constitutional amendments to guide it in redrawing Florida's political map.

Wasserman Schultz: GOP 'war on women' big help for Obama in 2012
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
President Obama and the Democratic National Committee have begun courting female voters for the upcoming presidential election.

Ironically, Fair Districts Act Could Aid Bennett's Congressional Run
By Dennis Maley
Bradenton Times
Though he vehemently opposed Amendments 5 and 6, which required that legislative districts be drawn according to counties and defined municipalities whenever possible (rather than for political purposes), Florida Senator Michael Bennett may now benefit from the new voter-driven referendums which were cleared by the Department of Justice this week.

LeMieux fares better than Haridopolos on conservative talk show
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Despite differences of opinion, U.S. Senate candidate George LeMieux managed to stay on the air with conservative talk-show host Ray Junior this evening, unlike one of LeMieux' GOP primary opponents, Senate President Mike Haridopolos.

Pasco Republicans prepare for presidential event
By Geoff Fox
Tampa Tribune
Almost 90 Pasco County Republicans will have the opportunity to speak face-to-face with the GOP's 2012 presidential hopefuls at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Sept. 22 to Sept. 24.

The Legislature/State Government

Political payback? GOP donors enjoy huge tax breaks
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
The biggest tax break created by Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican-led legislature will let the average homeowner in Palm Beach County knock about $28 off his or her property tax bill next year.

Former governor/senator Bob Graham 'concerned' about Florida's direction
Staff Report
Florida Courier
Former Gov. Bob Graham avoided taking a direct swipe at Gov. Rick Scott during a visit to Tallahassee on Monday, but the former Democratic governor said he has some qualms about where Florida's ruling Republicans are steering the state.

With corruption, timing is everything
By Daniel Ruth
St. Petersburg Times
It's often been said that the one thing politics and stand-up comedy have in common is that timing is everything.

'I'm too busy' is not an option
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
My father, who died in 2008, was a welder.

Martin County to host a redistricting public hearing
By Jim Turner
TC Palm
Martin County will host one of the public hearings on state legislative and U.S. Congressional redistricting now scheduled throughout Florida.

Price Tag Impedes Access to Florida Public Records
By Bobbie O'Brien
WUSF Public Radio Tampa
Florida has long been known as a leader in the nation for accessibility to public records and meetings.

Lawmakers told to pay for summer trips out of their own pocket
By Gary Fineout
The Florida Current
State lawmakers who want to head to this summer's two main legislative conferences will have to pay their own way.

Florida Economy/Housing

If so many Americans can't raise $2,000 in 30 days, what lies ahead?
By Robert Trigaux
St. Petersburg Times
Better send some anti-depressants to the folks at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Jackson Lab quits effort to expand in Florida
By Michael Sasso
Tampa Tribune
Jackson Laboratory, a prestigious biomedical institute from Maine, has pulled the plug on its Florida expansion, the company said Friday.

This fight's not over yet
Editorial
Miami Herald
It's remarkable how little some members of Congress have learned from the economic meltdown that produced the Great Recession.

Health Care

Doctors sue over new state gun law
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
Pushing back against the National Rifle Association, a group of physicians on Monday filed suit in a Miami federal court to nullify a controversial measure prohibiting health practitioners from routinely asking their patients if they own guns and have them properly stored.

Growth Management/Environment

Florida's new growth law could produce 'scattershot' rules
By Adam Playford
Palm Beach Post
With the state suddenly handing control over growth to counties and cities, local officials who work on planning say one likely result is a patchwork of regulations, with the rules governing new development changing every time you cross a city's border.

Growth may be more than they can bear
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
Apparently, things are looking up for Florida's black bears.

Putnam: Florida has to 'get out of the litigation business' when it comes to environmental policy
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Calling it the "base of a Floridian identity," Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said that Florida's water was a "limited precious resource" that citizens are "burning through at too big a rate" during Friday's 2011 Water Forum, held in Orlando.

Florida beach nourishment gets funded after all
By Steve Huettel
St. Petersburg Times
A program prized by Pinellas tourism businesses escaped Gov. Rick Scott's veto pen.

Energy

Education

FCAT scores in science increase but remain low
Staff Report
Florida Tribune
New Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results released on Monday show small increases in science scores that still remain low, while math scores are slightly down in the state.

Third-grade FCAT scores mostly flat as test changes
By Tom Marshall
St. Petersburg Times
Third-grade scores on this year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test appeared little changed from last year as the state moves to a tougher set of academic standards.

State looks into parents' Edison Prep complaints
By Melanie Payne and Dan DeLuca
Ft. Myers News-Press
Related editorial: Edison Prep should close
A private Fort Myers high school, operating on city property without legitimate accreditation and owned by a headmaster with a felony record, received almost 25 percent of its tuition fees last year from a taxpayer-funded state scholarship program.

Flagler schools may sue state over funds
By Annie Martin
Daytona Beach News-Journal
The Flagler County School Board is expected to meet today with a Tallahassee attorney to discuss suing the state of Florida.

Oil Spill

Feinberg says no claims filed on cleanup illnesses
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The attorney overseeing the payments from a $20 billion compensation fund for victims of the massive BP oil spill said Monday that he hasn't seen any claims filed suggesting that the cleanup has caused medical illnesses.

Rail

Immigration

If you have suggestions on how we may improve this online publication or have information you would like to see posted please contact our communications director at (850) 228-9841 or at janijar@flaflcio.org.

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06/7/11

E Messenger

The Electronic Newsletter of the Florida AFL-CIO

http://www.flaflcio.org

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Thank you!

A Big E-Messenger Congratulations to both NALC Branch 1477 and Branch 599 for being the Top Two NALC Branches in the Nation for the NALC Food Drive!

Letter Carriers' Annual Food Drive Once Again a Success for the Hungry

With Hunger Rising, and School Food Programs Ending, Effort Will Help Feed Needy Families in All 50 States

Assisting 1,400 local NALC branches were rural letter carriers and other postal employees, plus members of other unions and civic volunteers.

Other national partners were Campbell Soup Co., the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, Valpak, the U.S. Postal Service, United Way Worldwide, the AFL-CIO and Uncle Bob's Self Storage.

Through online petitions, letter writing, call-in campaigns, and other actions, we make the voices and interests of working people heard in the halls of power in Tallahassee and throughout the state.

We are fighting for Florida's middle class, and we will be heard.

Click here to go to the Fight for Florida website

Click here to watch an important message from Fight for Florida.

Are you ready to mobilize?!

The working families of Florida are under attack and it's time to stand up and fight back!

In order to keep you and your brothers and sisters informed of what is occurring in your state, please take a few minutes and fill out our Activist Contact Information Survey by clicking here.

A quick look at the coverage from the Festival for Florida's Future!

(This is by no means all of the press that covered the Festival but these links helps provide a snapshot of an incredible day of collective power and solidarity!)

STATE NEWS

Elections/Voting

The Legislature/State Government

Florida Economy/Housing

Health Care

Growth Management/Environment

Energy

Education

Oil Spill

Rail

Immigration

SUBSCRIBE

Union members may subscribe to the E Messenger by visiting our website at www.flaflcio.org.

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If you would not like to receive future copies of this newsletter please let us know at janijar@flaflcio.org

FYI

From: Joshua Anijar [mailto:janijar@flaflcio.org]
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 3:58 PM
Subject: E-Messenger 6/7/11

Welcome Brothers and Sisters to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s E-Messenger. In today’s newsletter you can:

· See the different articles about last Saturday’s Festival for Florida's Future!

· Read about the Black Unemployment Crisis!

· Read about the 9 Signs That We May Be Living Through Another Depression!

· Read about how Vouchercare Is Not Medicare!

· And much more!

Joshua Anijar

Florida AFL-CIO

Communications Director

850-224-6926 (Office)

850-228-9841 (Cell)

janijar@flaflcio.org

Find us on Facebook

FW: NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen in Florida!

2011-06-01T13:22:00.000-04:00

This is great news. Lily is a great speaker!!

From: lhedgepeth@nea.org [mailto:lhedgepeth@nea.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 1:12 PM
To: Clements, Jean; Henjes, Nelly; Cahill, Mike; Humphreys, Bill; Donato, Kathy; Parker, Gay; Grassel, B; Jackson, Apryle; Pfeiffer, Melissa; Altobello, Chris; Neaveill, Jerry; Black, Kim
Cc: Ford, Andy; Wright, Jeff; McCall, Joanne; Cook, Clara; Ham, Craig
Subject: NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen in Florida!
Importance: High

Hey folks. Hope to see you and many of your members at the "Festival for Florida's Future" this coming Saturday, June 4th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. NEA Vice President, Lily Eskelsen will be speaking at approximately 11:00 a.m. so let's turnout a big crowd of FEA members to support her!! Thanks for the help. See you all on Saturday.

;*******************************************************************

Only the individual sender is responsible for the content of the

message, and the message does not necessarily reflect the position

or policy of the National Education Association or its affiliates.

FW: Friday news report

2011-05-27T11:27:00.001-04:00

FYI

From: Pudlow, Mark
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 10:09 AM
To: _FEA Presidents-Clean; _FEA Gov Board-Clean; _FEA Locals Staff; _FEA Staff; _Crisis Workgroup
Cc: tom@utd.org; Charles@utd.org; freida@utd.org; hiralda@utd.org; Cahoon, Cecil; Lemon-Cusack, Arlethia; Mitchell, Melanie; Campen, Sara [NEA]; Wofford, Cory; Wilk, Valarie; maritsa@utd.org
Subject: Friday news report

Scott cuts big swath in budget
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/gubernatorial/gov-rick-scott-signs-budget-vetoes-615-million-in-spending/1171958
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/scotts-record-615-million-in-budget-vetoes-eliminates-1501061.html

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-gov-scott-signs-budget-1-20110526,0,2857189.story

http://www.theledger.com/article/20110526/NEWS/110529510/-1/NEWS99?Title=Governor-Cuts-Lean-Budget-615-Million-Slashed

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23139284
http://www.news-press.com/article/20110527/NEWS0107/105270427/Gov-Scott-cuts-big-swath-budget

Scott panders, veto pen in hand
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/gov-scott-panders-veto-pen-in-his-hand/1172006
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/editorials/new-governor-not-hardly-1500904.html

Scott’s budget scene scripted down to who could attend
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/gov-rick-scotts-budget-scene-scripted-down-to-who-could-attend/1172016
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/state/os-lk-rick-scott-signs-budget-the-vil20110526,0,2935162.story

Cannon takes umbrage at Scott’s “new found emphasis” on education
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/05/cannon-calls-out-scott-for-new-found-emphasis-on-k-12-education.html

Floridians spend least on education, Census says
http://www2.tbo.com/news/education-news/2011/may/26/6/floridians-spend-least-on-education-census-says-ar-232791/

Schools struggle to recover amid years of cuts
http://www.marconews.com/news/2011/may/25/financial-crisis-blue-collar-education/

Pinellas School Board spares librarians, counselors and assistants
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/pinellas-school-board-spares-librarians-counselors-and-assistants/1172037

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/may/252019/Pinellas-schools-cuts-may-include-furlough-days

Santa Rosa schools to give raises to 38 administrators amid cuts
http://www.pnj.com/article/20110527/NEWS01/105270321/Santa-Rosa-schools-give-raises-38-administrators-amid-cuts

Broward School District pays former custodian $108,000 a year to teach janitors
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/fl-broward-schools-votech-20110526,0,1600575.story

Marion bus drivers: We’ll take 2 percent pay cut if everyone else does
http://www.ocala.com/article/20110525/ARTICLES/110529846/0/news04

Scott signs pension changes into law
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/gubernatorial/gov-rick-scott-signs-pension-reform-into-law/1172027

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23148899

More than a dozen apply to become next education commissioner
http://www.tampabay.com/news/more-than-a-dozen-apply-to-become-floridas-next-education-commissioner/1172033

Third-grade FCAT scores mostly flat as test changes
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/third-grade-fcat-scores-mostly-flat-as-test-changes/1171925

Who needs a bulky textbook?
http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2011/may/27/who-needs-a-bulky-textbook/news/

Change looms for vending machines at public schools
http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2011/may/25/251851/change-looms-for-vending-machines-at-public-school/news/

At FSU, ask the faculty
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110526/OPINION01/110529657/-1/entertainment?Title=Editorial-At-FSU-Ask-the-faculty

Report shows education choices expanding nationwide
http://www.newschief.com/article/20110526/APA/1105260505

New education grant competition offers $500 million for preschool
http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2011/may/25/new-education-grant-competition-offers-500-million-ar-232687/

Judge strikes down Wisconsin law shackling unions
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/us/27wisconsin.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-wisconsin-unions-20110527,0,5729406.story

http://leadernet.aft.org/news/article_detail.cfm?ArticleID=3266

Montana unions fight to preserve state employee pay plan
http://leadernet.aft.org/news/article_detail.cfm?ArticleID=3264

Medicare and Mediscares
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/opinion/27krugman.html

Unclog stimulus funding
http://www.news-journalonline.com/opinion/editorials/n-j-editorials/2011/05/27/unclog-stimulus-funding.html

Report shows nearly a quarter of nation’s foreclosures are in Florida
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/report-shows-nearly-a-quarter-of-nations-foreclosures-are-in-florida/1172054

DCF to cut 500 positions, says children will not be affected

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-dcf-layoffs-20110526,0,434515.story

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/pb-dcf-layoffs-plan-20110526,0,5147478.story

Scott ticks off environmentalists by cutting water districts, vetoing Florida Forever
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23139233

Department of Juvenile Justice closing several facilities
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23139283

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/state-closes-controversial-boys-school-in-marianna/1171919

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/long-overdue-end-to-dozier-school-for-boys-legacy-of-abuse/1172007

It took a court decision, but state minimum raise to rise
http://floridaindependent.com/31567/minimum-wage-increase

This gimmick unwanted
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/editorials/this-gimmick-unwanted-1500916.html

Obama’s approval ratings jump in Florida
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/obamas-approval-ratings-jump-in-florida/1171913

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/poll-floridians-warm-to-obama-in-u-s-1500319.html

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23134236

http://www.crowleypoliticalreport.com/2011/05/is-rick-scott-helping-obama-win-florida-in-2012.html

Pawlenty fills out Florida team
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55782.html

FW: Thursday news report

2011-05-27T11:27:00.000-04:00

FYI

From: Pudlow, Mark
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 9:34 AM
To: _FEA Presidents-Clean; _FEA Gov Board-Clean; _FEA Locals Staff; _FEA Staff; _Crisis Workgroup
Cc: tom@utd.org; Charles@utd.org; freida@utd.org; hiralda@utd.org; Cahoon, Cecil; Lemon-Cusack, Arlethia; Mitchell, Melanie; Campen, Sara [NEA]; Wofford, Cory; Wilk, Valarie; maritsa@utd.org
Subject: Thursday news report

Sources: Scott budget veto minimum … $350 million and counting
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/05/source-rick-scott-budget-veto-minimum-350mand-counting.html

http://www.ocala.com/article/20110526/APN/1105260580

The job-killing governor
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/the-job-killing-governor/1171788

Don’t hurt teachers even more
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/thursdays-letters-dont-hurt-teachers-even-more/1171840

Pinellas School Board to vote on budget cuts with 400 jobs on the line
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/article1171815.ece

Miami-Dade teachers union opts for job security over pay raise
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/25/2235391/dade-teachers-union-opts-for-job.html

Dozens of Orange schools lack art, music teachers
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-no-art-music-in-schools-20110525,0,3336702.story

State officials deny waiver to allow Okaloosa schools to start early
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/state-40502-gaetz-waiver.html

Budget poll: Voters don’t like it
http://www.flanews.com/?p=12479

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-scott-poll-budget-20110525,0,7335504.story

Loophole lets theme parks cut tax bills
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-vacation-package-taxes-20110525,0,6216745.story

State mental hospitals inform employees of layoffs
http://floridacapitalnews.com/article/20110525/CAPITOLNEWS/110525014&theme=

Cuts for prison health-care agency under fire
http://www.newsserviceflorida.com/cgi/as_web.exe?rev2011+D+4900428

Awake the State organizer previews major statewide rally in Orlando
http://www.wmnf.org/news_stories/awake-the-state-organizer-previews-major-statewide-rally-in-orlando

http://festival.fightforflorida.com/

Brookings report on teacher evaluations falls short, independent review finds
http://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/passing-muster-fails-muster

Delaware pushes to meet Race to the Top promises
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/05/25/32delaware_ep.h30.html

New York City teachers counter Waiting for Superman with a film of their own
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/24/inconvenient-truth-behind-waiting-for-superman_n_865962.html

PSRPs mobilize communities to secure kids’ futures
http://leadernet.aft.org/news/article_detail.cfm?ArticleID=3262

13 applicants for education commissioner and more could follow
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wfsu/news.newsmain/article/4086/0/1807684/Education/13.applicants.for.education.commissioner..and.more.could.follow

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23123382

State to release third-grade FCAT scores
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/26/2235521/state-to-release-third-grade-fcat.html

Film depicts hardships, dedication of the American teacher
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2011/05/the_struggles_of_the_american_teacher.html

Obama aims to boost early learning programs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/obama-aims-to-boost-early-learning-programs/2011/05/25/AGa1JHBH_story.html

Growth in education spending slowed in 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/education/26spending.html

The three Rs, plus coal
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-scholastic-20110526,0,7006718.story

Wisconsin districts asked to release names of protesting teachers
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/05/24/431188wiwisconsinproteststeachers_ap.html

The disgraceful interrogation of L.A. school librarians
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0513-tobar-20110513,0,3002882.column

More teachers turning to part-time jobs
http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2011/05/18/430893_ap.html

Don’t let new law stop votes
http://www.pnj.com/article/20110524/NEWS01/105240307/Reginald-T-Dogan-Don-t-let-new-law-stop-votes

http://orlandoadvocate.com/j15/opinion/22682-deja-vu-new-florida-law-hinders-voting-rights-of-blacks-poor

Questionable voting practices seen in state Senate
http://www.wftv.com/news/28010311/detail.html

Response to Scott in rules case: “Supreme executive power” still subject to Florida law
http://floridaindependent.com/31325/response-to-scott-in-rules-case-supreme-executive-power-is-still-subject-to-florida-law

Florida unwisely repeals its growth laws
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/florida-unwisely-repeals-its-growth-laws/1171755

Feds back study on sick fish in the Gulf
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/feds-back-sick-fish-study/1171829

UCF scientist: Dolphins impacted by BP oil spill
http://today.ucf.edu/ucf-scientist-dolphins-impacted-by-bp-oil-spill/

“Grass-roots” group that boosted GOP financed by only 11 checks
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/grass-roots-group-financed-by-only-11-checks/2011/05/25/AGXeXUBH_story.html

Republicans seek to block disclosure requirements for political gifts
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-congress-defense-20110526,0,1113098.story

“Super PACs” could test campaign finance law
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-influence-industry-legality-of-super-pacs-a-test-for-campaign-finance-law/2011/05/25/AGFfxUBH_story.html

Obama court nominee withdraws after GOP filibuster
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-0526-goodwin-liu-20110526,0,1856836.story

Poll: Scott one of the nation’s least popular governors
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/poll-rick-scott-one-of-the-nations-least-popular-governors/1171680

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/rick-scott-the-most-unpopular-politician-in-florida/2011/05/25/AGv5aQBH_blog.html

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=23118223

http://floridacapitalnews.com/article/20110526/CAPITOLNEWS/105260312

Experts mixed on whether Scott’s low ratings will hurt GOP
http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2011/may/25/9/florida-poll-rick-scott-approval-rate-hits-new-low-ar-232504/

Scott: Salesmanship, not my bad poll numbers, key to 2012 election
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/05/rick-scott-salesmanship-not-my-bad-poll-numbers-key-to-2012-election.html

Obama’s approval up in Florida; Nelson has big Senate lead
http://www.postonpolitics.com/2011/05/bin-laden-bounce-obamas-approval-up-in-florida-nelson-has-big-senate-lead/

GOP Medicare plan emerges as a flashpoint in Florida Senate race
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/05/gop-medicare-plan-emerges-as-a-flashpoint-in-florida-senate-race.html

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/health/florida-pols-wary-as-medicare-concerns-sweep-ny-1498181.html