Crist - Gallagher III

The third debate between Charlie Crist and Tom Gallagher looked alot like the second debate. Except this time, Crist parried Gallagher's attacks with pops of his own. If the debate were a fight, this would go to the cards - where it would be called a draw. Why? Gallagher was able to continue drawing the distinction between he and Crist on those issues that are often important to the socially conservative Republican base. Crist was able to attack Gallagher on trust and taxes, issues important to the more libertarian Reagan Republicans. The question will be, what kind of voter base will turn out on September 5th? Like the other debates, there were a series of questions from a panel. While these questions were slightly better than the first debate, they clearly were not as good as the second GOP debate. Both Crist and Gallagher had similar answers on questions relating to the FCAT, death penalty, a state income tax, protecting Lake Okeechobee, and allowing Southwest Florida residents to have their voice heard on the insurance reform debate (the Task Force is not meeting in SW Florida). Here is a quick summary of other issues raised by the panelists, taken out of order: Continuing Jeb's Legacy and GOP Unity Both candidates want to continue Jeb's legacy, but along different issues. Gallagher mentioned the social issues he has hammered Crist on for several weeks (abortion andcivil unions) and talked about how Crist opposed Jeb on the class size amendment. Crist mentioned that he has always supported Jeb, while pointing out that Gallagher ran against Jeb in 1994, calling Bush too conservative. Top 3 Priorities Gallagher's priorities are resolving the insurance crisis, continuing education reforms by improving high school graduation rate and reforming the high school curriculum, and to organize the state so it operates more efficiently. Crist's priorities are focusing on education, keeping Florida safe and secure, and holding the line on taxes and spending. On their top priorities, Gallagher would work to cut premiums 20% during his first 100 days, while Crist would work to give pay raises to teachers. Closing Achievement Gap To improve the achievement of minorities, Crist would focus on reading while Gallagher would give principals greater autonomy to focus on programs that work. Both candidates would continue programs that have already been successful. Save our Homes Both reiterated their positions. Gallagher wants to make the cap portable while limiting local government spending. Crist wants to allow portability statewide and double the homestead exemption. The real fireworks came out when the candidates were allowed to ask each other questions. Unlike the last debate, the candidates did not have the chance to rebut the other's answers. However, Gallagher avoided answering Crist entirely and chose instead to rebut Crist's answers to the questions put to him. Crist's questions to Gallagher: • Quoted as being conservative in the 80's, moderate when you last ran for governor, how can the voters trust your recent conversion? • How can you compare Jeb to Fidel Castro? • Can you explain why you day traded $13 million worth of stock, including stocks you regulated, from your government office? • How can you solve the insurance crisis when your last attempt turned out so bad? Gallagher's questions to Crist. • If Roe v Wade is overturned, would you sign a bill to ban abortions? Yes or No? • How will you pay for the class size amendment and your spending plan? • Should you support the [U.S.] Senate [immigration] bill without securing our borders first? • What is the difference between a civil union and same sex marriage? Here are Crist's positions on these issues, since Gallagher failed to even attempt to answer any of Crist's questions: Abortion Crist again sidestepped the question, instead declaring himself to be pro-life. Crist wants to focus on creating a culture of life and promoting abortion. Gallagher's rebuttal was that Crist's answers sound pro-choice. Civil Unions Crist stated he believes marriage is between one and one woman, and has defended that position nine times in court. Crist also said that Gallagher was raising these issues instead of property insurance, property taxes, or other issues also important to the voters. Class Size Crist again said that he believes the people have spoken. He also attacked Gallagher for failing to trust the voters. He did make an attempt to answer how it will be paid for, but ran out of time. Ethics Gallagher dismissed questions about daytrading and ethics as attacks from Crist because the polls are slipping. In all, I would say that Cirst was more deft at fending off Gallagher's attacks tonight. But Gallagher was a little to strong on the attack. Instead of picking the right time for solid punches, it appeared that Gallagher was trying to wail away at Crist, coming off as more desperate than distinguished. That being said, this is a debate for the Republican nomination. The conventional wisdom is that candidates need to be more conservative to win the nomination, and Gallagher was able to draw greater distinction than Crist on issues traditionally important to the conservative base. Of course, the State of Sunshine is not convinced that these issues will drive turnout this year. So it appears that both Crist and Gallagher were 1-1-1 in the debates. Now it's time to wait for September 5th.

Most Endorsements Are Out... Time to Vote

The state's newspapers have weighed in on primary races affecting us here in Tampa Bay. Some of the interesting statistics involve the state-wide races: • Charlie Crist swept all endorsements. Gallagher received zero. • Rod Smith took more nominations than Jim Davis, including all three South Floirda papers. • Leroy Collins received the most endorsements for the US Senate nomination; Kathering Harris' hometown paper endorsed no one. • Randy Johnson managed to steal three endorsements from media darling Tom Lee, including the Florida Times Union (Florida's most conservative newspaper). To view the list of endorsements, you can check out my updated post. Once you have done that, you can check out the lists of candidates websites: O'Blog has a list for statewide and state legislative candidates, I have a list for Tampa Bay county commission and school board candidates. Once you have researched the candidates, remember you don't have to wait until September 5th to vote. Early voting locations are open in all counties. Check back for State of Sunshine predictions later this week, and an analysis of the results on September 5th.

Democratic Debate, Redux

Like the second Republican debate, this second debate between Demoratic candidates Rod Smith and Jim Davis was more interesting than the first one. Davis didn't sound as angry, so both men came off almost affable. It is harder to analyze this debate, as this (new) editor is also a Republican. However, it would appear that Rod Smith won this one. He was more articulate than Davis, who kept reminding us that US Sugar has pumped a million dollars into Smith's campaign. Here is a breakdown of the positions on issues asked by the panelists, taken out of order: Public Schools & Class Size Both feel the FCAT should only be a diagnostic tool. Smith was able to hit the bumber sticker line that Florida schools have become "FCAT prep centers," and that the state needs to do a better job of helping kids that fall behind. Smith also said the state has the money if it had the will to implement the class size amendment. Davis said that he has led the effort to reduce class size since his bill in the Legislature in the mid-90's that created a pilot program for K-3rd grades. Davis said that public schools give kids the chance to experience diversity. To pay for class size reducation, Davis would veto tax cuts and end privatization contracts. Higher Education Both disagree with the abolition of the Board of Regents (Davis' only mention of Bob Graham's endorsement). Smith said that Florida needs to invest more resources in universities, research and development, and professors salaries. Davis said that it's about investing in our students. Gun Control While it will be a surprise to many, both Jim Davis and Rod Smith would support a "carefully-defined assualt weapons ban." Davis would need to study a bit further with community leaders to see if recent spikes in gun violence are related to Florida's gun laws. Smith says that part of the problem is the lack of adequate prevention and intervention programs before criminals escalate their crimes. Property Insurance Smith was able to tout his plan and claim that it would lower rates by ending Citizens as it exists now, use the new tax dollars generated by post-hurricane spending as a trust fund for future rate relief, increase competition for re-insurers, and create an independent commission. Davis would appoint an "Advocate General" to be a consumer watchdog over insurance issues. Davis would also work to reinstate the a provision that would prevent insurance companies from denying claims because the damage was from flooding in a hurricane not wind. With this "loophole," Smith and the Legislature ended a 100 year practice. Historic Preservation In response to a questions submitted by a voter, Rod Smith said he would ensure his appointments to local growth management boards had knowledge about the negative effects of growth on Florida's historical and archeological resources. Davis would reinstate the historic preservation board to leverage public and private funds to preserve Florida's history. Elections & Voting Both want a paper trail. Both want to allow felons who serve their time to have their civil rights automatically reinstated. Immigration Both feel the current policy ('wet-foot, dry-foot') is too discriminatory. Both would work to change that policy. Both support earned citizenship. Davis noted that we need a national policy to supercede actions being undertaken by local governments (like Avon Park and "Palm Harbor" - um, you mean Palm Bay). Smith noted that Florida's open border is our shoreline and we need to secure it. Working With Republicans The question was asked how would you pass intangibles tax reinstatement (Smith) or close insurance loophole (Davis) given the Legislature will be overwhelmingly Republican. Smith talked about how he has done that ever since he was first elected, and touted a number of votes that brought Republicans and Democrats together (most notably the class-size repeal in 2006). Davis basically side-stepped the question, but did infer that he would use public pressure to compel the legislature to act. Everglades Cleanup & U.S. Sugar Smith said the legislature acted not to delay the cleanup, but provide a more realistic schedule. He noted that Florida has provided $2.3 billion, while the federal government has not. Davis implied the federal government is not happy with the legislature's act to delay clean up. Davis also mentioned, one time among many, that U.S. Sugar has pumped $1 million into Smith's campaign. Smith pointed out that U.S. Sugar is acting independently. Davis claimed that U.S. Sugar wrote the Everglades clean-up bill. This issue also came up in the portion of the debate where the candidates were able to quiz each other. Unlike the Republican debate, this portion was actually dual-sided. Smith's questions of Davis: • Why have you missed so many votes? • Why did you oppose President Clintion's effort to get 100,000 teachers into the class room? • Why did you vote against a claims bill for Wilbert Lee and Freddie Pitts? Davis' questions of Smith: • Why won't you condemn the U.S. Sugar, who put $1 million into your campaign, advertisement? • Why did you vote twice for a bill that would raise telephone bills then vote to repeal it? • Why won't you support efforts to end abuse by developers of Florida's Greenbelt law? Okay - these may be some hyperspecific questions, but they raise some interesting issues: Missing Votes Davis said that he didn't miss many votes before running for Governor, but even so - he hasn't been avoiding the work; Davis touted his efforts to find a solution to the oil drilling legislation in Congress. Smith said that missing votes is not what the constituents wanted. Independent Expenditures Davis noted that Smith had condemned 3rd party ads in his first Senate race, but won't do so now. Smith countered that the ads in that race were personal and untruthful. He said that from what he and his staff could see, the U.S. Sugar (they put $1 million dollars into my opponent's campaign) advertising was not personal or untruthful. Smith would condemn any third-party ad against Davis that was personal or was untruthful. Developers vs Agriculture Davis claimed that some developers are "renting cows and putting them in parking lots" to get property tax breaks provided under the Greenbelt law. He said Smith would not bring a bill to end this abuse in front of the committee Smith chaired. Smith countered that he did bring the bill before the committee and even asked for an interim project to study the issue in greater detail. When the project was denied, Smith sent a stern letter protesting the denial. Davis countere that property owners don't want projects or letters, they want action; inferring that failure to end this abuse is causing higher property taxes. Telephone Rates Smith noted that the bill referenced by Davis didn't actually raise rates, but it allowed the Public Service Commission to approve rate increase requests that were revenue neutral -- raising basic rates must be offset by a reduction charges elsewhere. Davis used this question to say that he would fight special interests, inferring that Smith is not only tied to phone companies, but U.S. Sugar (Everglades bill) and insurance industry (flood/wind loophole) as well. Like Lt. Cdr Joanne Galloway, Davis pushed a little too hard on the U.S. Sugar (they put $1 million dollars into my opponent's campaign) issue. Yes, he needed to mention it once get it on the record, mention it three times and his efforts look like "fancy politician tricks" [Side bar: Who doesn't love the movie A Few Good Men??]. Interesting that someone who is supposed to be the front runner had to go on the attack so hard. Smith also seemed to have more specific answers to the questions. He clearly understand issues from a Tallahassee perspective. Davis seemed to talk in broader generalities, and doesn't seem interested in trying to work with Republicans (although he didn't say they needed adult supervision this time). In the end, Rod won this one. Will it be enough? Will Democrats turn out? Stay tuned and watch what happens on September 5th.

Crist-Gallagher Debate Round 2

The second debate between Republican candidates Tom Gallagher and Charlie Crist aired tonight. This debate was FAR better than the last one, primarily because the panelists asked relevant questions. Not to mention that the gloves finally came off - from word one Gallagher pounced all over Crist... and Charlie barely held on. In the end, while the State of Sunshine generally supports (but has not endorsed) Crist, this was a solid win for Gallagher. Here is a bit of a summary of their answers on important issues - taken out of order from the debate. These were brought up by the panelists during the first and third parts of the debate: Property Insurance Both want to reduce the level for triggering the catastrophic fund. Crist wants to eliminate the ability for national companies to set up Florida-only subsidiaries that use Florida losses to justify significant rate increases. Gallagher said the subsidiaries were Nelson's fault and we are stuck with them. Gallagher also mentioned that, while reducing the cat fund treshhold does make all homeowners liable for the higher risk properties along the coast, it is the less expensive than buying reinsurance on the international market. Property Taxes Gallgher wants to reduce taxes by forcing budgetary constraints local governments, thus giving relief to all property owners - helping small business and apartment renters in addition to homeowners. Crist wants to allow the exemption to be portable state-wide and allow counties to double the exemption by referendum. He also mentioned he would revisit the impact on new residents as the inequity is shifted to first-time homebuyers. Gallgher pointed out that Crist's plan transfer the burden to commercial and rental properties. Class Size Amendment In their standard answers, Crist said he opposed it at first and supported early efforts to repeal it - but now its time to continue implementing the plan, pointing out that $7 billion has already been spent. He also said the cost is $1 billion per year, not the $5 billion per year Gallagher claims. Gallagher updated his standard answer, that the amendment needs to be repealed or amended to give districts more flexibility and pay teachers more, by saying that he would go the initiative route if necessary to repeal it. Oil Drilling Both oppose oil drilling. Gallagher would support a permanent 125-mile boundary, as first proposed by Jeb Bush. Crist doesn't want to jeopardize Florida's coastal environment because of it's link to the tourism industry. Illegal Immigration Both want to secure the borders. Both oppose illegal immigration. Crist, who's grandfather was a legal immigrant, believes people should be able to earn citizenship. He supports the position of President Bush and Senator Mel Martinez. Gallagher believes we should close the borders first. Gay Adoption Both agree that adoption should be by traditional family - Gallagher used the term 'normal homes' at first. Crist gave more specifics about his plan to promote adoption by creating an office within the Governor's office. Gallagher talked about working with faith-based organizations. Stem Cell Research Gallagher opposes all stem cell research, but would not act to prevent private sector research. He believes that because taxpayers have varying opinions, tax dollars should not support such research. [Interesting side bar here: if taxpayers have varying opinions of vouchers, should tax dollars support vouchers? But we digress...] Crist supports stem cell research to cure diseases like diabetes or macular degeneration. However, when the two candidates had the chance to ask each other questions, Gallagher talked about the main issues where he and Crist differ while Crist lobbed softballs to Gallagher. Crist's questions: • How would you reinvigorate the Space program? • Why do you oppose doubling the homestead exemption? • Will you unify the party after the primary? Gallagher's questions: • If you support civil unions because they are just contracts, what is the difference between civil unions and gay marriage? Why not just allow for contracts for health and funeral arrangements? • You voted for a rental car tax similar to a bill Jeb vetoed. Would you veto such a bill in the future? • If Roe v Wade is overturned, would you sign a bill banning abortion? That is quite the difference in the approach each candidate took... and Crist fumbled. Let's look at the main issues raised during this part of the debate: Abortion Gallagher is clearly pro-life, and endorsed by Florida Right to Life. Crist, on the other hand, professed to be pro-life without specifically about abortion. His answer was basically (paraphrasing) we should change hearts and minds, not the law. Crist wants to promote a culture of life and support the adoption process. Civil Unions & Gay Marriage Gallagher both opposes gay marriage and civil unions. Crist signed the petition to ban gay marriage, but is okay with civil unions because they allow people to form a 'contractual relationship' to visit a hosptial or make funeral arrangements. Crist's philosophy is not truly support, but one of tolerance - he quoted Abraham Lincoln: "With charity for all, with malice toward none." New Taxes Crist's claims that he never supported a new tax were explained in better detail in that a "new tax" would be one imposed directly through legislative act. Legislation that included a referendum would not, in and of itself, be a tax. Also, it would appear that surcharges paid by a select group of people are fees and not taxes. Incidentally, Gallagher pointed out that the tax he supposedly supported, Pennies for Prisons, was also by referendum - so Gallagher has also never supported a tax. (Crist later commented that Gallagher supported a 'payroll' tax, without giving any details). The one saving grace for Crist is that he was able to point out that Gallagher was on the attack, raising these issues, because he knows he is way down in the polls. Crist held on, but could not really fend off the efforts of Gallagher. But Gallagher was not able to deliver a real knock out blow. The places where the candidates differed were the same issues on which Gallagher has been hammering away -- so there was really nothing new Gallagher can use in commericals or mail pieces. In the end, the State of Sunshine can not say for certain if this debate will have any real impact on the election. The 20-30 point lead Crist had in many polls was always far larger than anyone can expect on September 5th - so it may not be fair to say that this debate made the race closer. That was going to happen anyway. Less than two weeks now. Remember you can vote early!!

Bush Affirms: Iraq Not Responsible for 9/11

President Bush today answered point blank a question about the ties between Iraq and the 9/11 attacks. He indicated that Iraq had "nothing" to do with the attacks. Some people are now saying that Bush lied. I would ask you or anyone else to find a new source that quotes the administration official as saying there was any link between Iraq and 9/11. It has never been said - not Bush or Cheney or Powell or Rice or Rumsfeld or any other administration official. No. This is how the story worked. 1) Terrorists trained in Afghanistan planned and carried out attacks on September 11, 2001. 2) They were able to train and plan because the Taliban government permitted them to do so. In fact, there is widespread belief that the Taliban and al Queda had very close times. 3) In response, the United States started Operation Enduring Freedom to topple the Taliban and install a democratic government in Afghanistan. 3) Looking around the world, President Bush and others recognized that permitting governments to have close ties to terrorist organizations opens the door for future attacks. Iraq, Iran, North Korea - the so-called Axis of Evil - are governments that support or are believed to terroist activities. 4) It is only a matter of time before terrorists operating in and/or funded by those governments will attack the United States. 5) Therefore, attacking Iraq was not because of September 11, 2001. It was to prevent a similar attack from occuring in the future. 6) Moreover, Iraq supposedly possessed weapons of mass destruction. If the Taliban had these, 9/11 might have been far worse than we could imagine. While this was proven untrue, Iraq did have them in the past and had used them in the 1990s; it is not beyond belief that Saddam Hussein would try to get them again after kicking the inspectors out -- he just hadn't had time before the US invaded. --- So, based on this same theory, why haven't we attacked Iran? It is well known that Iran funds groups like Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad. These groups routinely conduct terrorist activities, mostly in Israel. However, it is possible they could attack the United States, either at home or abroad. So why not attack Iran to prevent this? The answer for that involves a number of critical issues. First, the United States is spread fairly thin. The number of forces needed to invade Iran is probably larger than the number needed for Iraq and Afghanistan. That would probably mean a reinstatement of the draft, because there are not enough forces, even including reserves and guard units. Second, while Iraq can produce large amounts of oil, most of it's production was not on the open market. Thus, attacking Iraq did not have a large disruption in the oil markets. Iran, on the other hand, is a significant supplier of oil to other nations. Attacking Iran would have a tremendous effect on oil prices, probably reaching $120 to $150 per barrell. Third, Iran may fund terror organizations, but these organizations generally do not operate in Iran. Hezbollah, for example, is based in Lebanon and receives help from Syria. Finally, it is possible that Iran could quickly have nuclear weapons. While they won't be able to launch an ICBM, the use of tactical nuclear weapons on American forces could have a significant impact. --- August 31st is the big day for Iran - when they have to respond to the U.N. offer. It appears that they will reject the offer and continue with their nuclear program. The cease fire in Lebanon is barely holding; but it's holding. If it falters, things could change for the worse again. North Korea has been fairly quiet since the July 4th missle tests; however, Kim Jong Il does not like to be out of the limelight for long. A return to the six-party talks is not on near horizon. The Democrats may like to focus on Iraq, but the bigger picture is still fairly serious... and it could have ramifications in this year's elections.

More Endorsements Came Out ...

Today was a big day for endorsements... Charlie Crist continued to sweep the editorials... Jim Davis picked up his first, including his home town paper... Rod Smith picked up a South Florida paper and his home town paper... Leroy Collins received the Miami Herald's endorsement... Check out the complete list of endorsements for statewide and Tampa Bay candidates, updated through today.

Letter to Readers: Jim on 'Hiatus'

Dear Readers: I have taken a temporary position that requires me to take a 'hiatus' from the blogosphere. Don't worry, I will still be around writing stories on some issues from time to time. In the meantime, a good friend of mine will be writing stories for The State of Sunshine. He wants to remain anonymous, so I have changed the profile for this blog to "Sunshine Editor". If I do write a story, I will sign it. Otherwise, you can thank "Sunshine Editor" for the great stories that will appear over the next couple of months. I appreciate all of my readers and look foward to getting back in to action. Sincerely, Jim Johnson

A Possible Use for the Urban League Building

Let me start by saying that it is a shame the Tampa chapter of the Urban League had to fold. The Urban League is a great organization that helps lower-income African-Americans enter the economic and social mainstream. Other good programs will step in and fill the void, but few have the history or national network of the Urban League. Background As you may recall, the Urban League was forced to disband in part because of the debt associated with its renovation of the Centro Español de West Tampa building in 1999. The issue that remains is what to do with the building. At first, the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce expressed an interest. The Chamber's lease at the Channelside complex ends in April, so they are hunting for a new home. However, the debts associated with the building and the signicant insurance bill could pose significant hurdles for moving the Chamber. Now, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has said the City of Tampa is interested in purchasing the building for use in a civic function. The Tampa Tribune said:

Iorio wouldn't say how she would like to see the building used but said she "wants it to be a positive use for the community."

So I have an idea. The Proposal: Center for Non-Profit Assistance The Centro Español building could be used to provide a number of services to non-profit or not-for-profit organizations. The larger organizations, such as United Way or Metropolitan Ministries or The Children's Home would not need these programs; however, smaller groups such as the Tampa Jaycees, Ad 2 Tampa Bay, or even neighborhood organizations could use new programs. First, the Center for Non-Profit Assistance would function like the Small Business Development Center does for small businesses. The Center would offer classes on a wide aray of topics such as recruiting and retaining members, fundraising and financial management, public relations and marketing, or even grantwriting and administration. Second, the Center could provide office space at below market rates for smaller organizations. Perhaps the only 'office' would be enough room for a desk and file cabinet, but that is more than many organizations currently have. Finally, the Center could be used to provide low-cost meeting space to many organizations. There is a clear need for meeting space from small 'board rooms' to larger audience events. While I do not know the interior layout of the facility; therefore I can not predict what the cost would be to accomodate this option. I had thought this would be a good use for the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory - however the size and scope of that project necessitate additional commercial uses. So that is my idea. I will be sending this to the Mayor as a suggestion. Hopefully there could be some interest.

Is Light Rail Finally Building in Tampa Bay?

Over the years, the idea of light rail as mass transit in Tampa Bay has been viewed with varying degrees of cynicism and scorn by most of our elected leaders. To be sure, there have been leaders like former County Commissioner Ed Turanchik who understand the importance of "intermodal" transportation. This is one of my major issues on the blog, as I have written about this topic several times. (Paving Paradise to Put Up a Parking Lot, Another Post on Traffic Issues, "We Can't Keep Building Lanes" -- Florida DOT Rep, A quick update on the light rail issue, and Tampa's Light Rail... or lack thereof "Intermodal" means having a transportation system that consist of different forms: cars, buses, rail, etc. Think about getting around in a major city outside of Florida and you get the idea. Let's fast forward to 2026. The Tampa Bay area will be more than 4 million people. Hillsborough County alone will be close to 1.5 million people. Areas like Odessa, Durant, Gibsonton that are fairly rural now will look like Westchase, Fishhawk, and Tampa Palms. To help, our leaders have come up with the brillian conculsion that the answer lies in building a beltway from Port Manatee through eastern Hillsborough to Wesley Chapel and on to New Port Richey. $2 billion or more. 70 to 100 miles. Finally, in today's Tampa Tribune there were two stories addressing this that make me think things are starting to change. The first was a guest column by Ed Turanchik. His arguments are as persuasive as any I have read:

Furthermore, the reconstruction of the interstate is only now catching up with growth that occurred in the last 20 years, and these improvements will be overloaded as soon as they are finished. Worse, the Achilles' heel of the system - the convergence of interstates otherwise known as Malfunction Junction - won't be built to its 10-lane design in the next 20 years because it is so expensive that it can't be funded. Huge increases in the cost of road construction materials have aggravated this serious funding shortfall.

All of this is aggravated by the disproportionate number of commuters who live outside of major employment centers but commute to the city each day. Statistically, Tampa has the third-highest daily influx of people in the country, with its daytime population swelling by 47 percent each workday. Only Atlanta and Washington, D.C., have higher influxes.

Amazing. I wrote earlier that Atlanta, a city that has a sales-tax-funded light rail system, will be expanding I-75 to 23 lanes wide. But we can't make Malfunction Junction 10 lanes wide because of the cost.

So where does this leave us? With short-sighted leaders unable or unwilling to understand how failure to do something now will cause significant problems in the not-too-distant future. Ah, there's the rub. The second story in today's Trib actually says that our leaders are talking about rail again. It is taking leadership from the state level, from outgoing State Senator Jim Sebesta (R-St. Petersburg) and State Representative Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton).

Behind the scenes, business interests worried about escalating gas prices and suburban sprawl are getting behind light rail. Among the backers is Al Austin, a developer with deep political ties to Republicans. Austin recently endorsed rail and other mass transit initiatives as a way to ease congestion on Tampa Bay roads and help businesses attract and keep workers. Also on board is the Tampa Bay Partnership, an economic development group that is supporting rail as part of a package of regional transit options. Galvano wants to create a regional authority to raise transportation dollars and oversee projects. The plan has the partnership's blessing. Sebesta is using a law passed in the early 1990s to create the Tampa Bay Commuter Transit Authority. He's holding off organizing the authority until after Galvano holds a transportation summit Aug. 28. Why all this talk about rail? It's an easy question for Dewey Mitchell, chairman of the Tampa Bay Partnership. All you have to do is look around, he said, and then think back to two years ago. "Our circumstances are different now," he said. "We have more people, and housing affordability is a bigger issue than two or three years ago. Gas prices are higher and people have to drive farther and farther out to find affordable housing."

That is the most important thing to understand. Failing to include mass transit in any future plans has significant economic impact - which means people will decide NOT to live or work in tha Tampa Bay area. Orlando will be building light rail... and if things don't change soon, they will be leaving Tampa Bay still sitting in traffic.

Homeowners Insurance & Elections

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the potential impact of a single issue on the election this fall: homeowners insurance. In recent days, a few articles have come out showing how important it is. The St. Petersburg Times noted:

Across the state of Florida, rising frustration over high insurance premiums has taken center stage just four weeks before the primary election. In races up and down the ballot, voters are asking and candidates are answering, as best they can, hard questions about a crisis that reaches beyond income level or party affiliation. What’s remarkable about the insurance crisis as a political issue is that it may be too complicated for the campaign trail, or maybe even the voting booth. Dig deep into nearly any candidate’s insurance reform plan and none offers near-term relief for property owners. Ask candidates to guarantee lower insurance rates, and they decline.

And the headline from two stories today - in different parts of the state - show it again: In race, no escaping the insurance question (Pinellas County, House District 51) and District 91 race focuses on insurance (Broward County). The problem is that this 'crisis' has come while Republicans have been in control. I am afraid that Republican leaders who have been unable or unwilling to find a viable solution in recent years could have given Democrats the thing they need to reverse a trend. It has been 24 years - 12 elections - since the Democrats gained a seat in the Florida House of Representatives; and 2006 could be the year the pendulum starts to swing back. Only time will really tell. Adding to this issue is a finding from a St. Petersburg Times poll.

Kellyanne Conway of the Polling Co. noted that , even as Republican Hispanics and women were "happier" with the president than other GOP groups, white Republican men may express their displeasure with Iraq by not showing up at the polls this fall. That could spell trouble for Republican incumbents, especially those in federal office.

"Yessir there's trouble. Right here in River City."

Remembering 2,996

Next month, on the fifth anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on this country, bloggers across the United States are honoring the victims of 9-11. A website has been set up to coordinate these tributes, with each of the 2,996 victims being honored by a different blogger.

The idea is simple, but powerful: have a special tribute for each victim of 9/11, with each tribute being created by a different blogger. We started 2,996 Project to coordinate the creation of the tributes, and that's what this site is all about. Here you can sign up to make a tribute yourself, on your blog (we'll randomly assign a victim to you). You can also browse or search through either the victims that have already been assigned, or those that have not -- and you can get pointers to more information on all of them.

I am fortunate to say that I did not personally know any of the victims or their families. However, to honor their memory, I am participating in this project. I have been selected to honor Laura Angilletta, a 23-year-old clerk for Cantor Fitzgerald. If you are a fellow blogger, please consider checking out the 2,996 website and signing up. Not every victim has a blogger to honor their lives.

Newspaper Endorsements

Here is a link to Tampa Bay area newspaper endorsements for primary elections -- some editorials contain multiple candidates. This post will be updated daily as more endorsements come out. [Key: BH = Bradenton Herald; LL = Lakeland Ledger; SH = Sarasota Herald-Tribune; ST = St Petersburg Times; TT = Tampa Tribune -- Click on the newspaper abbreviation to read their editorial. Additional papers are included for state-wide races.] United States Congress (Republican Primary): Senate: Leroy Collins, Jr (ST, TT, LL, NDN, MH, GS, FTU*); Will McBride (BH, OS); Peter Monroe (SFSS, PBP, FTU*, DBNJ); None (SH) House 9: Gus Bilirakis (ST, TT) House 13: Nancy Detert (SH) United States Congress (Democratic Primary): House 5: Rick Penberthy (ST, LL) House 11: Kathy Castor (ST, TT); Les Miller (BH) House 13: Christine Jennings (SH); Jan Schneider (BH) Governor & Cabinet (Republican Primary): Governor: Charlie Crist (BH, LL, SH, ST, TT, DBNJ, PBP, NDN, GS, FTU, OS, SFSS, MH, TD) CFO: Tom Lee (SH, ST, TT, LL, BH, SFSS, GS, MH, DBNJ, PBP); Randy Johnson (NDN, OS, FTU) Governor & Cabinet (Democratic Primary): Governor: Jim Davis (BH, TT, FTU, OS, TD); Rod Smith (ST, LL, SH, DBNJ, PBP, NDN, SFSS, GS, MH) Attorney General: Skip Campbell (TT, SH, ST, LL, BH, NDN, PBP, SFSS, GS, OS, MH, DBNJ) Florida Legislature (Republican Primary): Senate 10: Sandy Murman (TT, ST, LL) Senate 16: Kim Berfield (TT, ST) House 44: Robert Schenk (ST) House 48: Peter Nehr (ST) House 50: Ed Hooper (ST) House 51: Dottie Reeder (ST) House 52: Angelo Capelli (ST) House 54: James Frishe (ST) House 69: Laura Benson (SH) House 70: Michael Grant (SH) House 71: Rory Dubin (SH) Florida Legislature (Democratic Primary): Senate 18: Arthenia Joyner (ST, TT) House 52: Bill Heller (ST) House 53: Rick Kriseman (ST) House 59: Betty Reed (TT, ST) House 70: David Shapiro (SH) County Commission - Hillsborough (Republican Primary): District 1: Rose Ferlita (TT, ST) County Commission - Hillsborough (Democratic Primary): District 3: Chloe Coney (TT, ST) District 4: Lisa Rodriguez (TT, ST) County Commission - Manatee (Republican Primary): District 6: Carol Whitmore (SH, BH) County Commission - Polk (Republican Primary): District 2: Betty Hill (LL) District 4: Bruce Parker (LL) County Commission - Pinellas (Republican Primary): District 4: Susan Latvala (ST) County Commission - Pinellas (Democratic Primary): District 2: Calvin Harris (ST) School Board - Hillsborough: District 2: Candy Olson (TT) District 4: Jennifer Faliero (TT) District 6: Ken Allen (TT) School Board - Hillsborough: District 2: Candy Olson (ST) District 4: Jennifer Faliero (ST) District 6: April Griffin (ST) School Board - Manatee: District 1: Barbara Harvey (SH, BH) District 3: Jane Pfeilsticker (SH, BH) District 4: Bob Gause (SH); Joe Miller (BH) District 5: Walter Miller (SH, BH) School Board - Polk: District 5: Kay Fields (LL) School Board - Pinellas: District 2: Nancy Bostock (ST) District 3: Peggy O'Shea (ST) District 6: Linda Lerner (ST) District 7: Mary Brown (ST) School Board - Sarasota: District 1: Carol Todd (SH) District 2: Caroline Zucker (SH) District 4: Shirley Brown (SH) District 5: Kathy Kleinlein (SH) Judges - 6th Circuit: Group 9: Christine Helinger (ST) Group 32: Pat Siracusa (ST) Group 45: Jack Day (ST) Judges - 10th Circuit: Group 27: Ernest Jones (LL) Group 28: Nathaniel White (LL) Judges - 12th Circuit: Group 13: Lee Haworth (SH, BH) Group 16: Donna Berlin (SH, BH) Group 21: Rochelle Taylor Curley (SH, BH) Judges - 13th Circuit: Group 25: Robert Foster, Jr (TT, ST) Group 32: Bernard Silver (TT); Caroline Tesche (ST) Group 43: Paul Jeske (TT); Kimberly Fernandez (ST) Group 44: Emily Peacock (TT, ST) Group 45: Gary Dolgin (TT, ST) Judges - Polk County: Group 3: Steve Pincket (LL) Group 10: Dan Ratterree (LL) Judges - Pinellas County: Group 16: Lorraine Kelly (ST) Group 17: Nat Kidder (ST)

The U.S. Senate -- Can the Democrats Take Over?

In 2005, many Florida Republicans were looking forward to the 2006 Senate race with the thought of beating a vulnerable Bill Nelson. He hadn't done anything remarkable as a Senator, and Florida was trending more and more to the Red. Ah, the good ol' days. Nelson really hasn't done anything spectacular since then. No, he's benefitted from the fact that he will be facing a fairly unpopular Republican: Katherine Harris. Sure, on paper Harris has the gravitas to be a Senator. She's been in public office for more than a decade. She's been in Congress for four years, even skipping a chance at the Senate two years ago. She's run and won statewide. She is most certainly the most qualified candidate currently in the race. Well, I don't need to go into details about what has happened. You've all read it in the MSM enough. Suffice it to say that she's trailing Nelson badly in the polls. To top it off, Nelson has managed to amass the second largest warchest of all Senators, trailing only Hillary Clinton. Thus, it would appear that Nelson will win re-election. (Stranger things have happened, but if I were a betting man this is how I would bet.) And failing to beat one of the few Red-state Democrats could change a lot in Washington. The Republicans hold a 55-45 lead right now, but it looks like they will be losing a few: In Montana, Republican incumbent Conrad Burns is losing ground to state Senate president Jon Tester. Tester's lead has grown from 4 points to 7 points in recent polling. Burns also has the unique distinction of being the largest benefactor of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In Missouri, Republican incumbent Jim Talent trails Democratic state auditor Claire McCaskill by 3 points. While this is narrower than previous polls, Tallent has been trailing since at least the beginning of the year. In Pennsylvania, Republican incumbent Rick Santorum has narrowed the gap against Democratic auditor general Robert Casey, but still trails by six points. The interesting thing is that the Democratic Governor Ed Rendell has built a 15 point lead over Republican challenger, and former NFL star Lynn Swann. In a move reminiscent of Bob Roberts, Santorum will be doing "Keep Up the Fight" bus tours across Pennsylvania. In Rhode Island, Republican incumbent Lincoln Chafee has a slim lead over City of Cranston's Republican Mayor Stephen Laffey in the Republican Primary, and trails fomrer Democrat attorney general Sheldon Whitehouse (sidebar: is there a better name for a presidential candidate??). Conservative Republicans are lining up against Chafee, despite the fact that he is one of the few Blue-state Republicans. In Ohio, Republican incumbent Mike DeWine is having a tough fight against Congressman Sherrod Brown. Polls have ranged from DeWine up by ten points to Brown up by nine. So, if the GOP manages to lose all five races, there would be another 50-50 split in the Senate. The Dems would also need to hold on to New Jersey, where Democratic incumbent Robert Menendez is neck-and-neck with Republican state senator Thomas Kean. The only reason Kean is even competing in New Jersey is because Menendez was appointed by unpopular Senator-turned-Governor Jon Corzine. The Dems are trailing, but could pick up the open seat in Tennesee, where Democratic Congressman Harold Ford trails Republican Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker by 13 points, but one in five voters are undecided. Thus, we may all be able to thank Katherine Harris for the GOP losing control of the United States Senate. And to think, if it weren't for Jeb Bush and Al Cardens talking Tom Gallagher out of running for Senate in 2000, we might be talking about re-electing Senator Gallagher this year and keeping control of the Senate. These next few months will indeed be fun!!

County Mayor Petition Is Dead for 2006

The controversial initiative to create an elected Hillsborough County mayor has died for 2006. The Tampa Tribune is reporting that the Taking Back Hillsborough County Political Committee has failed to submit enough valid signatures to get their measure on the ballot.

Taking Back Hillsborough Political Committee fell 3,034 valid signatures short of the required 37,202 to put the question on the November ballot, said Buddy Johnson, Hillsborough’s elections supervisor. Mary Ann Stiles, the Tampa lawyer who has pushed for the new position, vowed today to pursue the issue for a future ballot.

I hope when Mary Ann Stiles and her supporters bring the issue back, that it is designed better and more well thought out. As I have written before, there were some problems with the current proposal. The 2008 version will be interesting to see.

Vote Early (Since You Can't Vote Often) - Starting August 21

Did you know that you can vote well before election day? Starting August 21st, you don't have to have a reason, you just have to know where to go. You can also vote by absentee ballot. Again, you don't need a reason - you can just request a ballot and mail it back in. Here are some details for Tampa Bay area early voting - click on the county name for information on absentee voting: Hernando Supervisor of Elections Offices - Mon-Sat 8:00am-4:00pm Brooksville Office (Courthouse) - 20 N. Main St., Rm. 165 Spring Hill Office (Westside Government Center) - 7473 Forest Oaks Blvd. Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Offices - Mon-Sat 9:00am - 5:00pm County Center - 601 East Kennedy Blvd., 26th Floor Robert L. Gilder Elections Service Center - 2514 North Falkenburg Road Public Libraries - Mon-Sat 10:00am-6:00pm Austin B. Davis Public Library - 17808 Wayne Road Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library - 2902 West Bearss Avenue Lutz Branch Library - 101 Lutz-Lake Fern Road, West Upper Tampa Bay Regional Public Library - 11211 Countryway Boulevard West Tampa Branch Library - 2312 West Union Street West Gate Regional Library - 7606 Paula Drive Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library - 3910 South Manhattan Avenue New Tampa Regional Library - 10001 Cross Creek Boulevard North Tampa Branch Library - 8916 North Boulevard College Hill Branch Library - 2607 East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library - 1505 Nebraska Avenue Temple Terrace Public Library - 202 Bullard Parkway Thonotosassa Branch Library - 10715 Main Street Bloomingdale Regional Library - 1906 Bloomingdale Avenue Riverview Branch Library - 10509 Riverview Drive 78th Street Community Library - 7625 Palm River Road Ruskin Branch Library - One Dickman Drive SE Plant City City Hall - Mon-Sat 9:00am-5:00pm Plant City, City Hall - 301 West Reynolds Street Manatee Supervisor of Elections Offices - Mon-Sat 8:30am-4:30pm Main Office - 321 15th Street West Elections Center Annex - 600 301 Blvd. W., Ste 100 (Across from the DeSoto Square Mall) Pasco Early Voting Locations - Mon-Fri 10:00am-6:00pm - Sat 9:00am-5:00pm East Pasco Government Center - 14236 6th St, Dade City West Pasco Government Center - 7530 Little Rd, Suite 110, New Port Richey David "Hap" Clark Professional Center - 4111 Land O' Lakes Blvd, Rm 105, Land O' Lakes Village Market of Wesley Chapel - 5325 Village Market, Wesley Chapel Hudson Regional Library - 8012 Library Road, Hudson South Holiday Branch Library - 4649 Mile Stretch Drive, Holiday New River Branch Library - 34043 S.R. 54, Zephyrhills Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Offices - Mon-Fri - 10:00am-6:00pm & Sat - 8:00am-4:00pm Courthouse Office - 315 Court St, Room 117, Clearwater Election Service Center - 13001 Starkey Rd, Largo St. Petersburg Office - 501 1st Ave N, St Petersburg Public Libraries - Mon-Fri - 10:00am-6:00pm & Sat - 8:00am-4:00pm Dunedin Public Library - 223 Douglas Ave, Dunedin James Wheldon Johnson Library - 1059 18th Ave S, St Petersburg Oldsmar Public Library - 101 State St W, Oldsmar Palm Harbor Public Library - 2330 Nebraska Ave, Palm Harbor Pinellas Park Public Library - 7770 52nd St, Pinellas Park Seminole Community Library @ St. Petersburg College - 9200 113th St N, Seminole Town/City Halls - Mon-Fri - 10:00am-6:00pm & Sat - 8:00am-4:00pm Indian Shores Town Hall - 19305 Gulf Blvd, Indian Shores Tarpon Springs City Hall - 324 E Pine St, Tarpon Springs Polk Early Voting Locations - Mon-Sat 9:00am-5:00pm Bartow City Hall - 450 North Wilson Ave, Bartow Davenport City Hall - Community Center, 5 Allapaha Ave, Davenport Lake Wales Library - 290 Cypress Garden Ln, Lake Wales Lakeland Branch Courthouse - 930 East Parker St, Lakeland Larry R. Jackson Library - 1700 North Florida Ave, Lakeland Winter Haven Branch Courthouse - 3425 Lake Alfred Rd, Winter Haven Sarasota Supervisor of Elections Offices - Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm - Sat 9:00am-1:00pm - Sun 1:00pm-5:00pm Sarasota County Terrace Building - 2001 Adams Lane, Sarasota Biscayne Plaza - 13640 Tamiami Trail, North Port R. L. Anderson Administration Building, Rm 114 - 4000 Tamiami Trail S, Venice Other Locations- Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm - Sat 9:00am-1:00pm - Sun 1:00pm-5:00pm North County Library - 2801 Newtown Blvd, Sarasota Fruitville Library - 100 Coburn Road, Sarasota Gulf Gate Library - 7112 Curtiss Ave, Sarasota North Port City Hall - 4970 City Hall Blvd, North Port

Local Candidates' Websites Updated

I have been contacted by several campaigns since I first posted the list of Tampa Bay area candidates for County Commission and/or School Board. The list can be viewed here or at the link in the right hand column. As always, if I am missing a website, please contact me and let me know.

The Debates are on Tampa Bay on Demand

Okay, as promised the debates between Jim Davis & Rod Smith and between Charlie Crist & Tom Gallager are available on Tampa Bay on Demand. At least Bay area voters have another chance to watch these debates.

Media Blogs Fill Niche in 24/7 News Environment

The reporters at Florida's major papers have blogs that focus on Florida political issues. There are four that have multiple reporters posting and post multiple stories every day: St. Petersburg Times: The Buzz Orlando Sentinel: Central Florida Pulse Palm Beach Post: Q - The Florida Politics Blog Miami Herald: Naked Politics The Tampa Tribune's Political Safari does not serve the same purpose, yet - but it could if William March and the Tallahassee bureau would post there; right now Laura Fiorilli does a good job. The Herald Tribune has Political Insider, but the posts are infrequent and the feed has problems. A brief scan of the other Florida newspapers' websites do not find any reporters blogs on most, and those where reporters blog do not cover politics. So make sure you have these four on your list!!

State of Sunshine Gets Pub on PEER Review FL

Another great blog has noticed State of Sunshine! Thomas Croom, a political consultant in Tallahassee, has "the" Florida conservative blog: PEER Review. Several other people post there as well, including Scott Wachholz - who recently shut own his own blog (On Point). I have PEER Review in my feed reader, and I read them every day. I suggest you do the same. PEER Review recently posted some kind words for fellow blogger, JaxGOP, and mentioned that State of Sunshine is among the new favorites. Thanks to PEER Review for the kind words.

Crist - Gallagher Debate -- Fails to Live Up to Potential

The Polk and Osceola County Republican Executive Committees hosted a candidate forum tonight. Normally I would not blog about that, but - thanks to Bay News 9 - I watched it. My overall impression is that Gallagher obviously a policy wonk. He sprinkled details throughout his answers, but he often bogged down in the minutae a little bit. Crist is clearly more polished and charismatic, but he was able to hit some details here and there. I must say that I was surprised at the pathetic questions asked of these candidates: immigration, global warming, off shore drilling, English as a national language, changing dates of the primary elections, gun rights. Many of these questions are really federal issues, or the candidates really didn't have much to say that set them apart. The only really good questions were on property insurance, smaller schools, and coping with growth. What about some of the red-meat Republican issues: taxes, abortion, gay marriage, public safety?? Man talk about a wasted opportunity here. Okay, so how did the candidates do on the three good questions? Here is what I got from them -- I might have inadvertently missed something. Property Insurance Charlie Crist was a bit more general here. He did talk about two specific proposals: First, we would force companies to sell property insurance here if they a) sell it other places and b) sell other policies here in Florida. Second, he would work with the legislature to reduce the level that will allow insruance companies to access the catastrophe fund. He did pledge that, if nothing is done before the election, he would bring a panel of experts from all over the country to provide solid recommendations before the 2007 Legislative Session. Tom Gallagher game some specific detials, "$30 billion in 15 months" and talked about his experience with insurance, all the way back to Hurricane Andrew. His ideas were to activate a "Commerical JUA" to help businesses get insurance and reduce the level that will allow insruance companies to access the catastrophe fund. Gallagher closed by saying that we need more competition. Class Size The question was really would smaller schools help kids, but it was a way to get the class size discussion started. Tom Gallagher said we would like to see smaller classes and schools, but the amendment as established is a "major problem". It's $20 billion cost between now and 2010 is a problem. He said that Gov. Bush, incoming Senate President (Ken Pruitt) and House Speaker (Marco Rubi0) also agree that the amendment should be amended. There are only two ways to get that money cut something or increase taxes. Gallagher has asked Crist, Smith, and Davis what will they cut, what tax will they add?. Finally, by talking about his son, Gallagher mentioned that the amendment will have an impact on teacher quality. Gallagher was able to return to this topic, thanks to a weak question. He thinks they would reconsider if they knew the facts, and used the bullet train as proof Charlie Crist said he was opposed to class size amendment when it first came up, even voted against it as a voter. But the people voted for it. He believes that since the legislature was unable to do anything, it may be time to accept the voters and move on. However, he is willing to talk about an innovative plan to put before the people; and wouldn't oppose such a plan if someone brought it before him. Growth Management The question was how would you control growth until the infrastructure was in place, and there isn't much of a difference. Tom Gallagher said that with 1,000 people a day moving to Florida, it's hard to keep up. He said we must work to get roads built, that there should not be development without water, and that growth needs to keep up with schools. He also said we need to maximize the dollars we have by offering more public/private partnerships, allowing private sector to own and build toll roads. Charlie Crist corrected Gallagher, the Governor told him it was 1,200 per day, which is a curse and a blessing. Growth is good for economy - state budget grew from $7 billion to $74 billion in 30 years - and growth means government doesn't have to raise taxes (jab at Gallagher with "I have never supported tax increase."). On roads, Crist woul give more authority to local expressway authorities (Greenway, Sun Coast Parkway) and work for more public/private partnerships. Closing Jabs Gallagher closed by poking Charlie's "I've never voted for a tax increase" commercial by pointing out that Crist voted for the sugar tax (which Charlie calls a fee), a rental car tax, and is in favor of repealing some exemptions. To be fair, both the sugar tax and rental car tax required action by voters or local governments, so Crist's vote did not actually increase taxes. Crist also pointed out that Gallgher supported a "pennies for prisons" tax in 1994 that would have been the largest tax increase in Florida's history. Gallagher also talked about his family and Crist talked about the anti-murder bill in their respective closing statements. In all, it was not that thrilling of a debate. I don't think it swayed anyone, primarily because of the terrible questions. I hope that a future debate is televised and actually gets into some real issues. I will also be interested to see what other bloggers think about the debate. (NOTE: Bay News 9 has said both this debate and the Democratic debate will be available on the Tampa Bay on Demand - Channel 340 on Bright House networks - starting tomorrow.)

Kim Berfield's First Commercial

Sitting here catching up on some blogs, watching Fox TV, and saw my first Kim Berfield for State Senate commercial. It was sandwiched between the pro-Gallagher, Coalition to Protect the American Dream commercial and a Charlie Crist commercial -- can you tell Fox News is what Republicans watch? So, the commercial isn't too bad. It starts three quick cuts: an older woman saying "What a relief", a middle-aged man saying "She never's gives up", and a thirty-ish woman saying "Kim is amazing" The cuts are intersperced with a very quick shot of Kim's logo 'whooshing' at you. It then shows a hurricane blowing, with a cut out on screen showing "Hurricanes Drown Funds: Florida's Catastrophe Fund Facing Shortfall... Needs Cash!" attributed to The Sun Sentinel March 2006.¹ The voice over says, "When four hurricanes wiped out Florida's catastrophe fund..." Switch to shot of Kim walking down the street talking with another lady, with another cut out showing "Berfield to Citzens Property Insurance: We are holding you accountable!" attributed to the Select Committee on Hurricane Insurance April 2005. The voice over continued, "Kim Berfield helped put it back in business,"... switch to shot of state capital... "and the state insurer on notice." The we see Kim on a neighborhood street, off-center on the screen, saynig "We've got to be prepared and ready." The graphic for this says "Representative Kim Berfield" in small print below her, with "Prepared & Ready" in larger print to her right. The scene then shows Kim talking with a group of people, with a cut out "Tax Relieve: Billions Returned to Taxpayers!" attributed to the Florida House of Representatives. The narrator says, "The same Kim Berfield who worked for tax relief time and again.." switch to show Kim having a discussion in the House chamber and a new cut out that reads "Berfield Votes Against Phone Rate Hikes: Phone Companies Hikes Rejected" attributed to the St. Petersburg Times. The narrator continues, "new consumer protection and new law to law to stop the waste." The scene changes to the old capitol again, with a graphic on the bottom: in quotes "A Bold Conservative Leader" but not attributed to anyone. Kim says "So government lives within its means..." switch to a closeup of Kim... "just like the rest of us." The next scene shows Kim's logo, with her and the woman walking and talking. "A Jeb Bush Conservative" is below the logo, along with her website (www.berfield2006.com). The narrator says "A Jeb Bush conservative, Kim Berfield for Senate." The final scene is a young boy saying "Go get 'em Kim!" It's a good commercial - looks like Adam Goodman's work. I couldn't find it on her website, so I don't know if it's there. I'm not sure if I would have used the image of Kim on the house floor talking with her colleagues. It might remind the voters of this news report from Tampa Bay's 10. I look forward to seeing Frank Farkas and Charlie Justice commercials in this race. Neither of them have commericals on their websites either. This will be an interesting race, and since I vote in this district, one that I will be watching closely. ¹The attributes are hard to read, so I may have them wrong here.