Was Redistricting Gerrymandered?

I am not shocked that former Florida House Speaker used a private email account to dodge Florida's Sunshine law.

But some emails show legislative employees exchanging information with these same consultants. In one example, a top aide to then-House Speaker Dean Cannon used a personal email account to send a consultant a link to a congressional district map. The aide, Kirk Pepper, did not respond to a phone call or email requesting comment.

There is good reason Republicans didn't want the emails. made public. Gary Fineout reports that party officials and lawyers had strategy sessions on redistricting.

The emails show that in December 2010 Republicans set up a meeting to "brainstorm" with nationally-known attorney Ben Ginsberg along with several party employees, party political consultants, two lawyers advising the House and Senate on redistricting, the staff director of the House committee redrawing lines and an aide to the chairman of the Senate committee overseeing the process.

The League of Women Voters, La Raza and Common Cause is now considering legal action. At issue is the voter approved fair district amendments that are now part of the Florida Constitution. The amendments were created to end gerrymandering. President Barack Obama won Florida but Republicans still hold both chambers of the legislature. Districting isn't entirely the reason that Democrats are in the minority. The Florida Democratic Party has been disorganized and has failed to field candidates for races.

Progress Florida v. Dean Cannon

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon is using tax dollars to get the fair district amendments 5 and 6 out of the Florida Constitution. Voters overwhelmingly approved both amendments with 60 percent of the vote. The legal challenges to remove the fair district amendments by Cannon have failed in court. Progress Florida is running an online petition to get Cannon to drop the legal action against fair districting.

The Upcoming Jim Greer Trial

The trial next year of former Republican Party of Florida chairman will be fascinating. The trial will shine a light on the blatant corruption of Greer and his fellow Republicans. Greer knows he is likely going down. He is likely to take the reputations of several past and present elected officials with him. Greer's wife Lisa is firing shots at George LeMieux on Facebook.

"Thanks for the many posts, emails and calls of support after the TV Special. Of course it has been met with some false responses issued in press releases by those who want to protect their own contracts and careers. To those who remain committed to destroy Jim no matter what the cost to my family, we stand firm with the truth on our side and will continue to reveal your corruption. By the way George, the only wrong turn my husband made was trusting in folks like you he believed to be honorable. The former handpicked Senator of Charlie Crist is desperately courting the support of the grassroots activists in distancing himself with a web of lies. He must have forgotten that he told Jim and I on a number of occasions that the Republicans only win elections in spite of the REC's and grassroots activists, not because of them."

We learn that former Gov. Charlie Crist contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after receiving two messages from Greer.

"It was a little cathartic and he was able to vent," Greer attorney Damon Chase said of the voice mail and text messages Greer left for Crist. "But there's not a single threat in there anywhere. It's merely: 'I don't want to be friends anymore, stop calling and pretending you're my friend.' "

How pissed is Greer? Remember this public statement he made about his fellow Republicans.

"They just destroyed my life for no reason," a tearful Greer said of the legislative leaders last week on WTSP-Ch. 10.

Greer is no saint. A person does not have a shredding machine truck came to the RPOF office on Greer's last day to destroy documents. That is the act of someone with nothing to hide.

What I want the trial to reveal is how Greer and other Republicans were living off their party American Express cards. The RPOF is a nonprofit organization. It is illegal to use its funds not related to paying staff or operations. Which makes the the use of the credit card use more disturbing.

Greer - $500,000
Speaker Marco Rubio - $110,000
Indicted Speaker Ray Sansom - $173,000
Speaker-designate Dean Cannon - $175,000
Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos - *$2,347
Rubio Chief of Staff Richard Corcoran - $70,000
RPOF Executive Director Delmar Johnson - $500,000
Jr. Party Staffer Melanie Phister - $1,258,000

The credit cards are the key to the corruption. This is why Marco Rubio has refused to discussed what he used his party credit card for. The secret severance package Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos negotiated with Greer is potentially explosive. As Ray Samson and Jim Norman has shown us. The Florida political system is seriously corrupt. Nothing will improve in the state until corruption is dealt with.

Rod Smith Wants Hearing Over Lost Gov. Scott Emails

Florida Democratic Party chairman Rod Smith is asking the Florida legislature to hold hearings on Gov. Rick Scott's transition team losing emails. There is zero chance of Senate President Mike Haridopolos and House Speaker Dean Cannon of taking their oversight duties seriously. This is why elections matters. If one chamber of the Florida legislature was Democratic hearing could be held.

Smith's letter is under the fold.

Read more »

Profile in Courage: Dean Cannon

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon didn't show up to the redistricting hearing in his own district. That might have something to do with Cannon ordering the House to file a lawsuit against the Fair Districts amendment that were approved with 60 percent of the vote. Voters are irked that Cannon is using tax dollars to fight against ending gerrymandered districts.

One speaker Wednesday said he was disappointed Cannon “didn’t have the guts to show up” for the hearing to explain himself.

Orange County League of Women Voters President Charlie Williams, who lives in Cannon’s district, also said he was disappointed the speaker wasn’t present. He also read from court filings the House’s outside counsel, GrayRobinson, had filed stating the Legislature had a “substantial interest” in invalidating Amendment 6.

“This is not acceptable this must stop. Let’s move forward.”

There have been questions by voters on why the Florida legislature has refused to show early maps of the districts. There are also questions about the software being used to draw the districts. Cannon's no show act doesn't inspire confidence.

Rick Scott's Education Flip Flop

Gov. Rick Scott proposed Draconian to education. Now Scott is saying that the Florida legislature could restore those cuts in a special session. Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon and Sen. Mike Fasano say when did Scott start caring about education? It is bad when Republican elected official are saying the a Republican Governor doesn't care about education.

Cannon

“What is more surprising is the Governor’s sudden emphasis on K-12 education. The budget we sent him funds education at a higher level than the Governor recommended just a few months ago, when he proposed a 10% cut to the FEFP. The Governor communicated numerous priorities during session, and we did our best to accommodate him. It would have been helpful if the Governor had shared this new found emphasis with us before the budget was finalized.

“It is the Governor’s constitutional authority to veto line items in the budget, and I respect his decisions. The vetoes of general revenue appropriations will further increase the more than $2 billion the Legislature set aside in our state’s reserves, which will help protect our bond rating and ensure that we have ample reserves in the event of an emergency.”

Fasano calls Scott's bluff.

"When did Governor Scott all of a sudden care about our teachers? It's a bit disingenuous when he says we should have put more money into helping our teachers when the budget he presented to the Florida Legislature in January cut education almost twice as much than what the legislature finally passed. I guess he read his poll numbers yesterday. If he truly wants the Florida Legislature to take the vetoed dollars and put them in to our educational system he should immediate call the Legislators back for a special session so we can avoid teacher layoffs."

Boy, I wonder if Fasano likes Scott. What do you think, dear reader.

Don't hold your breath for Scott calling a special session. Scott is just posturing and very badly at that.

Update: The Republican budget criticism continues. Sen. Paula Dockery takes Scott to task on Twitter for vetoing St. Johns River restoration.

can it get worse for FL env?“@bruceritchie: Gov Scott vetoes $305M for land buying (if land is sold) and $10M for St Johns River restoration

Republican Power Play On OPPAGA

The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) serves the Florida legislature the same way the Congressional Budget Office does Congress. The OPPAGA provide unbias, nonpartisan analysis of legislation. Unsurprisingly, Republicans in the legislature want to eliminate funding for the OPPAGA.

One little-discussed budget approved by lawmakers was what could amount to the elimination of funding for OPPAGA, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, reports the News Service of Florida. Lawmakers eliminated direct spending on the auditing and review agency and put its budget into a discretionary account controlled by legislative leadership.

Translation: if the OPPAGA doesn't provide analysis slanted in favor of the wishes of the Senate President and House Speaker then kiss funding goodbye. This is a power grab. This also shows the lack of faith Republicans have in their own policy ideas. If Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos really believed that their ideas would create jobs, boost the economy and not have a negative impact they would be more than willing to vet legislation through the OPPAGA. They aren't so never take them seriously when they say they believe their ideas are better. Haridopolos and Cannon have forever lost credibility that they believe conservative ideas are superior. They are the intellectual equivalent of someone who says he can kick ass and then backs of of a fight.

Bless Paula Dockery for stating the obvious.

“It is unfortunate that the Legislature can’t have/fund a truly independent auditing entity that can be honest without fear of political retribution,” Dockery told the Sentinel. “While Oppaga has done some good in-depth analysis, it became clear that due to the political climate, the response to brutal honesty was pink slips.”

Side note: why does a Republican have to say this. Is there a single Democrat in Tallahassee that knows how to engage the media?

Word 'Uterus' Can Not Be Used on Florida House Floor

Republicans in the Florida legislature Scott Randolph, D-Orlando, was making a point about how the so-called less government Republicans have no problem legislating the rights of women's reproductive system. Yet, these same Republicans strip regulations for their corporate interests. Randolph used the word "uterus" during his House floor speech. The mock police rushed out to protect sensitive ears. What is the politically correct term for uterus. Seriously.

House GOP spokeswoman Katie Betta said this.

House GOP spokeswoman Katie Betta: "The Speaker has been clear about his expectations for conduct on the House for during debate. At one point during the debate, he mentioned to the entire House that members of both parties needed to be mindful of decorum during debate.

"Additionally, the Speaker believes it is important for all Members to be mindful of and respectful to visitors and guests, particularly the young pages and messengers who are seated in the chamber during debates. In the past, if the debate is going to contain language that would be considered inappropriate for children and other guests, the Speaker will make an announcement in advance, asking children and others who may be uncomfortable with the subject matter to leave the floor and gallery."

Betta would have us believe adults would be offended by the word uterus. Has anyone meant a teen that was offended by the word uterus. The only person who was offended was Speaker Dean Cannon. Apparently, Cannon didn't like Randolph pointing out Republicans hypocrisy on regulations. Cannon decided to act like a baby who just came of of a place that would offend the Speaker's ears.

Florida Republicans Plan to Cut Medicaid

The Florida government is running a $3 billion budget deficit going into the new legislative session. The Florida constitution demands that the budget be balanced. Which is why Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon called tax cuts a "top priority."

We also asked Cannon about how the Legislature can afford to approve tax cuts or incentives for businesses this year after news this week that the state's budget shortfall is $3 billion or more.

"It is something that is literally the top priority," Cannon said. "Finding out where to make those cuts and how to make those policy changes to support them is the biggest item, I think, in the windscreen of the Legislature right now."

Incoming Florida Gov. Rick Scott has made the campaign promise of a 19 percent property tax cut. Property taxes have become regressive in Florida. Reform is needed. It is hard to see how Scott can pull off that big of a tax cut when the budget shortfall. It weren't work, but I have no doubt Scott and the Republicans in the Florida legislature will push for tax cuts. Damn the consequences.

Cannon and other Florida Republicans are planning to pay for the tax cuts by cutting Medicaid. There is nothing Democrats in the Florida legislature can do about it. Sen. Joe Negron is planning $2 billion in Medicaid cuts.

Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, who chairs the Senate health budget committee, said he expects to have to trim $1 billion to $2 billion in healthcare costs. He said he is targeting ``soft'' services, such as payments to consultants who don't provide direct care to patients.

Administrative costs do eat up a portion of health care funding. I doubt Negron is going to find $2 billion in savings. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer cut Medicaid costs by refusing to cover transplant surgery. Brewer has refused to call a special session to address the issue. Brewer's policy has placed the lives of people needing transplants at risk. Brewer dismissed the complaints of patients to Think Progress.



Brewer is incorrect about only bone marrow patients not being able to get transplants. Randy Shepherd is in need of a heart transplant. Tiffany Tate fears that if she doesn't get a transplant she will die.



This is the kind of Medicaid we are going to get in Florida if Republicans have their way. J.D. Alexander makes the debunked argument of trickle down economics.

``It's too early to speak to that, one way or the other,'' said Senate Budget Chairman JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales. ``Clearly, putting more money in people's pockets helps them to grow business and feed their families. But, that said, we are facing a fairly challenging economic situation.''

Florida has a tax system that provides tax cuts for stadium luxury suites and yachts. Yet Floridians will see Medicaid cut by Republicans that have long made their contempt for government health care well known. People should be very worried. I'm sorry, but Rick Scott and Dean Cannon are the last two people I want to be making decisions on health care.

Democrats In Florida Legislature Know Bipartisanship is Phony

Apparently, Democrats on the Florida state level are finally figuring out Republicans aren't serious about partisanship.

"Everybody talks about bipartisanship," said Rep. Elaine Schwartz, D-Hollywood. "I think 'bipartisan' means 'do it my way or here's the door.' I don't think that I or the [minority] caucus will be effective, except to try to communicate, and let everyone know what's really happening here."

In a speech, Dean Cannon made it clear bipartisanship is not on the horizon.

During Monday evening's House Republican caucus meeting, new House Speaker Dean Cannon discouraged members from playing to the political middle, "whatever that is."

In past years, "Many Republicans … abandoned their principles," he said. "Some of them followed an appeasement strategy with liberals, forgetting that surrender is never a good strategy for winning any battle, especially the battle of ideas."

Previous House Speakers, such as Johnnie Byrd, Tom Feeney, Ray Sansom and Marco Rubio were big fans of putting pork in budgets. Is this the conservative value Cannon speaks of?

Nan Rich announced Democrats in the Florida Senate will have their own legal council. The Senate's general council would fall under President Mike Haridopolos. Shari Kerrigan will serve as legal council for Senate Democrats. It is refreshing that Democrats in the Florida legislature aren't making Obama-style statements on bipartisans that come off as delusional.

Questions to Dean Cannon

Dean Cannon fed the conservative base an anti-government tirade from the Florida House floor. Never mind that Cannon is in government.

In his opening speech to members, Cannon criticized ``government run amok'' in Washington and blasted Congress for ``taking over banks and financial institutions . . . socializing medicine . . . and trampling the property rights of citizens and the sovereignty of states.''

Cannon doesn't like the bailouts? Would Speaker Cannon have supported letting investment banks with commercial arms lose the financial savings of millions of Americans?

Would Cannon supported letting AIG fold not not being able to pay the banks that were owed money on 440 billion they owed investment banks?

Would Cannon have preferred hard-working Americans who placed their life saving in these banks just lose their money because of the mistakes of others?

Does Cannon realize a Republican-controlled Senate and President Bush passed and signed TARP?

Cannon doesn't support regulations? The free market failed and the American economy has still not completely recovered. Can Cannon propose policies that are devoid of bumber sticker slogans and addresses the problems of the financial syetem?

If Cannon can do none of these things then there is no reason anyone should take him seriously. My patients for economic illiterates is at zero.

Republican Super Majorities In Florida House & Senate

This is what happens when the Florida Democratic Party let's Republicans run unopposed and not being able to recruit good candidates when GOP candidates are challenged. Gary Fineout tweets on the blood-letting that was the Florida legislature races.

GOP now has a veto-proof majority, 28 in Sen, 81 in House, says Cannon and Haridopolos

Short answer: the few Democrats left in the legislature won't be able to defeat any bill.

Quote of the Day

"Well my friends, let me tell you that I have an issue with believing what Republicans say. They also said they weren’t going to raise our taxes. And yet we walked out of session a couple years ago with $2 billion in new taxes. So I have trouble believing them."

"To me, the pledges that the Republicans have taken are written on toilet paper. And we all know what you can do with toilet paper."

Franklin Sands, Florida House Democratic Leader

Sands was referring to incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon's promise that he will abandon his attempt to lift the offshore drilling ban. As I noted before, Cannon's campaigns have mostly been paid for by lobbyist money. Follow the Money shows Cannon is a lobbyist's best friend. Cannon raised $68,900 from individuals and $198,779 from institutions. Progress Energy and Florida Power & Light are major contributors. I have a hard time believing that Cannon will forget the energy industry that helped put him in office.

Jim Greer Lawyers Up

Former Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer's lawyer J. Cheney Mason may call Dean Cannon, Bill McCollum, Mike Haridopolis, John Thrasher and Charlie Crist to the stand. Greer has been indicted on one count of organized fraud, one count grand theft and four counts of felony grand theft. I am not sure what Mason's strategy is but powerful Republicans being summoned by the defense cannot be good for the Florida GOP establishment.

Mason is seeking to have the charges against Greer dismissed.

"I believe we'll be able to prove Jim Greer is not guilty whatsoever," said Mason.

That doesn't explain why Greer spent 41,421.31 of RPOF money in Las Vegas. The RPOF is a nonprofit and subject to nonprofit regulations.

Mason will ask a judge to Office of Statewide Prosecution. The Attorney General office run by Bill McCollum oversees the OSP.

Crist Changes Offshore Drilling Position

After the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Gov. Charlie Crist his backtracking from his support of offshore drilling.

After a 90-minute plane flight Tuesday above the spill, which was spreading in an 80-mile by 42-mile blob, Crist said, "Clearly it could be devastating to Florida if something like that were to occur. It's the last thing in the world I would want to see happen in our beautiful state.''

He said there is no question now that lawmakers should give up on the idea of drilling off Florida's coast this year and in coming years. He has said previously he would support drilling if it was far enough from shore, safe enough and clean enough. He said the spill is proof that's not possible.

"Clearly that one isn't far enough and that's about 50 to 60 miles out, it's clearly not clean enough after we saw what we saw today — that's horrific — and it certainly isn't safe enough. It's the opposite of safe," Crist said.

House Speaker Dean Cannon is sending a moderate message on offshore drilling. Considering that Cannon has been the biggest legislative cheerleader for offshore drilling, I don't believe Cannon to be sincere.

Where Has Republican Party of Florida Money Gone

Here is a breakdown of RPoF money spent on American Express credit cards. Much of the RPoF money is still unaccounted for.

Percent Of RPOF AmEx Spending Detailed31.25%
Percent Still Unknown68.75%

RPOF Individual Spending On AmEx Cards

Speaker Marco Rubio - $110,000
Indicted Speaker Ray Sansom - $173,000
Speaker-designate Dean Cannon - $175,000
Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos - *$2,347
Rubio Chief of Staff Richard Corcoran - $70,000
RPOF Executive Director Delmar Johnson - $500,000
Jr. Party Staffer Melanie Phister - $1,258,000
Total Charges Made Public - $2,286,000

[Sources: Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times, 4/11/10, Orlando Sentinel 4/12/10 ]
*Haridopolos only had AmEx card for 2 months, during period of intense media scrutiny before it was taken away.

Meet Speaker Dean Cannon

Incoming Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon is aggressively pushing for drilling off the coast of Florida. Cannon went as far as to tell Visit Florida, the state agency to promote tourism, that offshore drilling will not hinder tourism. If you really believe that then find ten people who went to to beach in Houston, Texas.

Board member Robert Skrob put a damper on Cannon's sale pitch.

An underwater pipeline owned by Shell leaked 58,000 gallons of crude oil. The spill occurred 30 miles off the Louisiana coast.

"We don't see it (offshore drilling) as safe within 30 miles of the coast," said Skrob, executive director of the Tallahassee-based Florida Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.

If we are to take Cannon's proposal seriously (which we should not) then it would take five to ten years to build rigs and start production. The gas and crude oil would be sold all over the world. The gas would not be sold at the local service station and magically lower prices. Cannon isn't even talking about how to collect revenue from oil companies. It makes no sense to have offshore rigs and not place a tax on the industry. The Florida government would collect no revenue and be financial liable for any spill.

Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University found there are only 4 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the Gulf of Mexico. 90 percent of Gulf of Mexico's oil has already been recovered. Other oil is too deep for drilling. What the companies want are the offshore leases. Companies can huckster people buying shares for speculative oil trading. Finding oil won't be necessary to make money.

Cannon's obsession with offshore drilling is noteworthy. Follow the Money shows Cannon is a lobbyist's best friend. Cannon raised $68,900 from individuals and $198,779 from institutions. Lobbyists paid for Cannon's seat. The Speaker can hardly say he was placed in his position by the people.

Will Crist Veto Offshore Drilling Bill?

Gov. Charlie Crist gave his usual dodging of whether he would sign or veto HB 1219.

Q: Concerned about the environment?

Crist: “That is my concern.... I’m sympathetic to the notion that we might be more independent in terms of weaning off our dependence on foreign oil, and having the opportunity to have more diver energy resources. But the lateness of the hour within it was brought up with in the session and the closeness, the proximity to Florida’s shores concern me greatly.”

Florida Energy Associates hired Florida's 20 best lobbyists to help push offshore drilling through the legislature. FEA is a LLC formed by self-employed Daytona Beach attorney Doug Daniels. Ron Sachs Communications is handling FEA's PR campaign. Sachs is best known as the host of the internet political show Power Play. I'm curious if FEA wrote Charlie Van Zant's bill.

Daniels said his group filed the original Van Zant bill earlier this year. That bill (H1219) would have directed the Department of Environmental Protection to come up with a plan for developing offshore oil reserves. That bill was expanded last week with an amendment filed by Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park.

The backers of FEA are unknown. "There is a lot more suspicion about this than there should be," Sachs insisted told the Miami Herald. "These are Americans who hope Florida will allow oil and gas exploration." The suspicion comes from these oil industry people hiding in the shadows. Their citizenship (thanks to Sachs) is the only thing we know.