Category — Florida
Gator Faculty Bites Bush
CNN says: University of Florida squabbles over snub to Jeb Bush
University officials said they could not recall any precedent for the Senate rejecting the nominees put forth by the Faculty Senate’s Honorary Degrees, Distinguished Alumnus Awards and Memorials Committee. The committee determines whether nominees deserve consideration according to standards that include “eminent distinction in scholarship or high distinction in public service.”
“The committee endorsed him,” [UF President] Machen said. “It is unheard of that a faculty committee would look at candidates, make recommendations and then [those candidates] be overturned by the Senate.”
No one could have imagined that faculty members would be annoyed with the problems that face the state’s higher education system and do something about it.
The problem is that John Ellis Bush has done nothing particularly good for the University of Florida, and a few things that many people consider bad. If you don’t pass the test, you don’t get the degree, just like JEB’s reliance on the FCAT, which he has shown he can’t pass.
March 24, 2007 3 Comments
Passing the Plate
March 18, 2007 2 Comments
The Stupidity Never Ends
Over 140 years later and we still have to deal with this crap because some people can’t figure out that it was treason, an armed rebellion against the elected government, and their ancestors lost. They are not going to get their “property” back, and they are not going to receive reparations.
In a report from Tallahassee [the Florida capital] we are told there is a controversy: Confederate Flag Hung From Noose Draws Ire. An artist built a gallows and hung a battle flag of the Confederate Army of Tennessee from the gallows.
Those upset with this are bringing up the stupidity of Florida law, specifically Chapter 256, of Title XVIII, on flags.
The law covers: “the flag or emblem of the Confederate States, or any flag or emblem used by the Confederate States or the military or naval forces of the Confederate States at any time within the years 1860 to 1865”.
256.10 Mutilation of or disrespect for Confederate flags or replicas.–No person shall publicly mutilate, deface, defile, defy, trample upon, or by word or act cast contempt upon the flags of the Confederacy, or replicas thereof, for crass or commercial purposes; provided however nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent or prohibit the use of such flags for decorative or patriotic purposes.
The Supreme Court has already ruled that such laws are violations of the first amendment to the US Constitution, so any action is going nowhere, but that doesn’t mean that people aren’t going to waste time and tax dollars making something out of nothing.
March 17, 2007 4 Comments
Passing the Plate
March 11, 2007 Comments Off on Passing the Plate
Tax Dodges
The Associated Press reports: Cows Slow Rush-Hour Traffic In Miami.
Why are there cows wandering around on I-75 – because if you put domestic live stock on your property it is assessed at the special low agricultural rate, rather than the unimproved land rate. There’s probably a franchised Rent-A-Holstein to provide them with the cattle. They probably receive Federal farm subsidies in addition to the reduced property taxes.
March 9, 2007 1 Comment
Alert
Hide the dogs and arm the women – for the next 60 days the Florida legislature is in session.
The local public radio stations usually carry Capital Report during the annual two-month spasm of political opera. Willing suspension of disbelief is helpful in listening to the foolishness foisted upon the citizens of the state by its part-time lawmakers.
March 6, 2007 2 Comments
Passing the Plate
March 4, 2007 4 Comments
Why You Should Never Trust Republans With Money
Via Robert at Interstate 4 Jamming, a Lakeland Ledger editorial, Don’t Sell The Cash Cow, about a suggestion that the state sell the Florida Lottery to a private company.
The Florida Lottery has been a generally stable source of revenue for the schools, and for college scholarships. It has been making money for years and all of the infrastructure, rules, and regulations are in place. It has been shown over the years that whenever the Republans get a large, one-time infusion of money, they slash taxes, which are a steady, long-term revenue source. The Lottery was sold as providing money for school enhancement, but it quickly became an excuse to cut funding to schools.
The Republans keeping telling people that government should be run like a business, but when they are in charge they act like they want to make it target for a hostile take-over by selling off the profitable segments of the “business.” They keep out-sourcing functions which end up costing the state more than they had before and delivering less.
The simple fact of the matter is, Republans don’t understand how to operate a profitable long-term business because they are only interested in short-term get-rich-quick schemes.
Next we’ll hear that the move to get rid of property taxes will work because of the money infusion coming from a Nigerian business deal.
February 25, 2007 5 Comments
Passing the Plate
February 25, 2007 6 Comments
Nice Guys
Robert at Interstate 4 Jamming notes that the Republan Party of Florida is not only not going to have a straw poll, but they intend to charge candidates $100K to debate at a forum co-sponsored by Faux News.
This is a bit outrageous and jacks up the cost of the election. I don’t think it’s illegal, because parties can pretty much do what they want within their own ranks, but requiring this kind of money to get heard in a state like Florida that is already expensive to campaign in, is not a high point in the democratic process.
Update: Robert reports that today the Republans reversed their fee decision. Apparently a lot of people complained after reading the newspaper report.
February 20, 2007 Comments Off on Nice Guys
Passing the Plate
February 18, 2007 Comments Off on Passing the Plate
Why?
On the local news they reported that four F-15C Eagle aircraft assigned the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB will participate in a fly-over at the start of the Daytona 500 stock car race.
Who is paying for this, and are they paying for the entire cost of this 700 mile round trip?
This isn’t just a matter of jet fuel wasted with the resulting increase in greenhouse gases, but the cost of the crews that will fly, launch, and recover the aircraft on a Sunday during a three-day weekend, the wear and tear on the aircraft.
February 15, 2007 2 Comments
Passing the Plate
February 11, 2007 Comments Off on Passing the Plate
Passing the Plate
February 4, 2007 3 Comments
