Newspaper Endorsements Nearly Complete

With the election now 10 days away, most of Florida's newspapers have printed their recommendations / endorsements on most races. A few have yet to endorse in the gubernatorial race. We here at the State of Sunshine have compiled a list for all races in the Bay area for which there have been endorsements, including links to the endorsements. Robert C at Interstate 4 Jamming also has a list of major races. A few of the notable findings thus far:

• Bill Nelson has swept the US Senate endorsements.
• Eric Copeland only received one endorsement, from the Daytona Beach News Journal -- even the liberal Palm Beach Post and St. Petersburg Times endorsed Republican Charlie Bronson for Agriculture Commissioner.
• There was a significant split on the Constitutional Amendments.

Newspaper recommendations can be another source of information about candidates, so we at State of Sunshine wanted to provide them to you. Remember, 10 more days. Please vote on or before November 7th.

Amendment Profiles: # 6 & # 7

There are two anti-tax amendments on the ballot: Amendment 6 would allow local governments to double the homestead exemption; Amendment 7 would provide a property tax cut to partially disabled veterans equal to their degree of disability, if the disability is combat-related. Given the building fervor over increasing property taxes, these amendments will probably pass. Amendment 6

Proposing amendment of the State Constitution to increase the maximum additional homestead exemption for low-income seniors from $25,000 to $50,000 and to schedule the amendment to take effect January 1, 2007, if adopted.

There are big problems with this proposal. When additional property is exempt from local taxation, it reduces the amount of taxes available to local governments. While proponents would argue that effect is a good thing, we at the State of Sunshine realize that governments never reduce overall funding. To the contrary, that money will be replaced. Some Local governments will raise local millage rates, something that has not been done in parts of Florida in over a decade. Moreover, commercial property owners and rental property owners will not have this protection, so their annual appraisals could be larger - raising property taxes and making it more expensive to run a business or rent an apartment. Additionally, when people purchase a new home, they could see also see a larger increase in the appraisal of the newly purchased property. The Save Our Homes amendment caps the annual increase in appraised value unless the property is sold. Because of the hot real estate market, homes that are being sold after more than a decade under the cap, already see a big bump in appraised value. That bump will be even larger if this amendment passes. This applies to people who upsize or downsize their existing homes, as well as first-time home buyers. Therefore, the State of Sunshine recommends voting NO on Amendment 6. Amendment 7

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to provide a discount from the amount of ad valorem tax on the homestead of a partially or totally permanently disabled veteran who is age 65 or older who was a Florida resident at the time of entering military service, whose disability was combat-related, and who was honorably discharged; to specify the percentage of the discount as equal to the percentage of the veteran's permanent service-connected disability; to specify qualification requirements for the discount; to authorize the Legislature to waive the annual application requirement in subsequent years by general law; and to specify that the provision takes effect December 7, 2006, is self-executing, and does not require implementing legislation.

At first glance, it seems fair to provide this benefit to those who sacrificed their abilities to protect our freedoms. Veterans disabled by combat-related injuries bear the scars of their sacrifices, living with them for the rest of their lives. Every veterans who sacrificed and placed themselves in jeopardy to fight for our freedom also deserve our thanks and undying gratitude. This includes those fortunate veterans who returned without a combat-related injury. Moreover, police officers, fire fighters, and other emergency response personnel place their lives on the line to protect us here at home. Teachers, especially those in lower socio-economic areas and failing schools, make significant sacrifices to heed the call to educate our future generations. By singling out disabled veterans for this special benefit, we are ignoring large numbers of other Floridians. Therefore, the State of Sunshine recommends voting NO on Amendment 7.

Amendment Profile: # 4

In 1998, Florida began the Florida Youth Tobacco Control Program which spawned the "truth" commercials, funded with the proceeds of the settlement of the state's lawsuit against tobacco companies. Media reports have shown that these edgy commercials have helped curb youth smoking. We at the State of Sunshine think they are great. Over the years, for whatever reason, the funding for the program was cut so dramatically, from an average of $47 million down to $1 million each year, that supporters of the program feel it can not be as effective. After three years of failing to increase funding in the Florida Legislature, the supporters decided to go directly to the voters, requiring 15% of the settlement money - about $54 million - go to this program.

To protect people, especially youth, from addiction, disease, and other health hazards of using tobacco, the Legislature shall use some Tobacco Settlement money annually for a comprehensive statewide tobacco education and prevention program using Centers for Disease Control best practices. Specifies some program components, emphasizing youth, requiring one-third of total annual funding for advertising. Annual funding is 15% of 2005 Tobacco Settlement payments to Florida, adjusted annually for inflation. Provides definitions. Effective immediately. View Full Text (PDF)

This amendment is perhaps the best intentions of all on the ballot: preventing youth from smoking. The Legislature should be funding this program, but competing interests have winnowed away the funding. That is a shame. However, putting this program directly into the Florida Constitution would be a bigger shame. Floridians for Youth Tobacco Education should do more to build grass roots support for their efforts and continue lobbying the legislature. That is where this fight belongs. Therefore, the State of Sunshine recommends voting NO on Amendment 4.

Blogosphere on the Crist-Davis Debate...

We at the State of Sunshine posted our thoughts on the debate. Crist won, but barely - only because he came across a little more hopeful and friendly. Robert C at Interstate 4 Jamming was disappointed that Crist and Davis spent more time attacking each other than answering the questions posed to them. Mark Lane at Flablog thinks neither candidate won, but both improved from their primary debate performances. Laura Fiorilli at Political Safari says the candidates were prepared and not too stiff. Mustang Bobby at Bark Bark Woof Woof called the debate a "Cliche Festival" because both candidates stayed so well on message. Kate Robinson at Out in Left Field, a proud and avid Davis supporter, called the debate a clear win for Davis. Alan Setelius at Hernando County Concerned Citizens, on the other hand, called the debate a clear win for Crist. Over at In Theory, they provide what Laura Fiorilli called "a stream-of-consciousness" review of the debate - which is what happens when you live blog. Alachuapolitix called it a draw and started an open thread. Interesting to see how bloggers view this debate.

The First Crist Davis Debate

Tonight was the first of two gubernatorial debates between Republican Attorney General Charlie Crist and Democrat Congressman Jim Davis. (Reform Party candidate Max Linn was denied participation by an appeals court earlier today.) Although both Davis and Crist seemed to provide some decent substance, Crist's affable style and charisma might be the only way to give either candidate the edge. Much like Governor Jeb Bush, Charlie's optimism is his biggest strength; and tonight it showed. We at the State of Sunshine know that we are not the first to say that these evens should not really be "debates" when they are really a procession of oft-repeated sound bytes and talking points. How many times could Charlie Crist mention that Davis has missed votes? How many times could Jim Davis say that Crist wants to "stay the course?" Davis kept saying that Crist's plan for property tax relief would take four years, that he would stand up to insurance companies, that some special inerests have given money to his opponent. Crist repeated that rhetoric must match records. Okay, we get it, you're staying on message. So what were the messages? In education, Davis wants to end the FCAT - it is causing schools to underperform and lowering our graduation rates and SAT scores. Charlie supports it - measuring schools to make sure students get a year's worth of learning in a year's time. Both want to raise teacher salaries and increase funding. On property taxes, Crist wants to double the homestead exemption and allow the Save Our Homes cap to be portable. Davis wants to give property owners $1 billion next year. Crist thinks that local governments have grown too much, and Davis thinks that special interest groups need to pay their share. On property insurance, Davis' plan would lower premiums next year, but he never said how. He said Crist's plan would take time to work. Crist said Davis' plan would be on the back of taxpayers, while he wants to end the cherry picking and shell game insurance companies play. Still, there were areas where they actually agreed. Both candidates support bringing drugs from Canada and negotiating with drug companies for lower prices. Both candidates also support Senator Mel Martinez' plan on illegal immigration. Although on these issues, Davis and Crist used different verbage to say the same thing. There were two questions about conservative issues that drew interesting responses from Charlie Crist. On the question of Terri Schiavo, he said government should not intervene - that it was an issue between the family and God. Moreover, Crist said that he would not advocate changing current abortion laws despite his pro-life position. In a year where turnout could help decide a lot of races, the Christian Conservative based of the Republican party have to be feeling left out. In the end, Davis came across a bit strong - if only because Crist was working to come across as the more positive candidate. Crist mentioned that Davis wasn't happy, but that he himself was "a happy lawyer, an optimist." Their persona and attitude's tonight provided a clear difference to the way each of them would approach the job as governor. Finally, Crist said that he wants to be the people's governor. Anytime we hear "the people's" anything, we can't help but think about "The People's Champion" - a Universit of Miami grad - The Rock. Now he would be interesting to have in a debate. Maybe then people would actually watch. Instead, next week we get Chris Matthews.

Prediction: Democrats Will Take Over U.S. House

As we noted earlier, this is not a good year for Republicans. Yet, somehow, the GOP faithful just don't see it. Let's look at the United States House of Representatives. In early August, the State of Sunshine wrote about the prospects for House takeover. At the time, we noted that Florida could be a battleground state. In preparing this analysis, the State of Sunshine uses the Rothenberg Political Report, the Cook Political Report, and the New York Times' Election Guide. While Congressional Quarterly's proejctions were not used, it largely agrees with the other three sources. In the House, Republicans hold a 230-202 majority. Democrats need to flip 15 seats. Rothenberg is predicting a "...Democratic gain of 18-25 seats, though we think that a significantly larger Democratic gain, in excess of 30 seats, is quite possible." Rather than analyzing every possible seat, Cook shows 27 Republican "Toss Up" seats, Rothenberg has 15 and the New York Times has 16. All three agree that 11 seats are pure toss up seats. None of the sources show any Democrats as toss ups or leaning Republican. However, Cook, Rothenberg and the New York Times show four Republican seats leaning to Democrats -- one of them is Mark Foley's seat, Florida 16. Six of Cook's 27 seats are shown by both the Times and Rothenberg as leaning Democratic. Four more of Cook's 27 are shown to be leaning Democratic by either the Times or Rothenberg. Only six of the 27 seats are shown to be leaning Republican by either the Times, Rothenberg or both. This puts Democrats just a handful seats away from a majority in the U.S. House. Starting with the fifteen-seat minority, add the four seats that all three sources believe will switch, and add the six seats where two of the three sources believe there will be a change, and the Democrats are only five seats down. Let's explore the four seats shown to be a toss up by two sources and the elevent seats defined as toss ups by all three sources. 1. Connecticut 2 - Incumbent Republican Congressman Robert Simmons faces Democrat Joseph Courtney for the second time in four years. In 2002, Simmons won 54-46 but recent polls show the race a dead heat. Less than three weeks before Election Day, the poll by UConn's Center for Survey Research and Analysis gives Simmons a 2 point lead over Courtney among likely voters, 46 percent to 44 percent. The poll's margin of error is 3.5 percentage points. The numbers are especially ominous for Simmons, a three-term incumbent from Stonington who beat Courtney by 8 percentage points in 2002. This time, only 50 percent approve of the job he's doing and nearly 70 percent believe the country is on the wrong track. (Hartford Courant) 2. Connecticut 4 - A few years ago, incumbent Republican Congressman Chris Shays was known as an independent thinker. Now he faces a 2nd challenge from Democrat Selectwoman Dianne Farrell, whom he beat 52-48 in 2004. (Sidebar: Selectwoman is a local government office). The race between incumbent Republican Chris Shays and Democrat Diane Farrell for Connecticut's 4th Congressional District is now tied and is being driven more than ever by the war in Iraq, according to a new poll commissioned by The Courant. The poll found each candidate with 43 percent support among likely voters, reflecting a gain of 2 percentage points for Farrell and a loss of 3 percentage points for Shays since a similar poll in early October when violence in Iraq began to escalate. (Hartford Courant) 3. Illinois 6 - Republican Congressman Henry Hyde is leaving his seat. Republican State Senator Peter Roskam is fighting Democrat Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran. A recent Chicago Tribune poll showed Roskam, a state senator, leading Duckworth 43 percent to 39 percent, but 17 percent of those surveyed still were undecided. ... A conservative state senator from Wheaton, Roskam has cast himself as the local choice for voters and has complained about Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran, being the hand-picked candidate of Clinton White House operative and Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel, the chairman of the DCCC. (Belleville News-Democrat) 4. Minnesota 6 - Republican Congressman Mark Kennedy is Democrat Patty Wetterling, who became a child safety advocate after her son was kidnapped, is challenging Republican State Senator Michele Bachmann. DFLer Patty Wetterling leads Republican Michele Bachmann 48 to 40 percent in the hot race for Congress in Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District, according to the latest Star Tribune Minnesota Poll. ... The poll, conducted Oct. 6-12, may have been influenced by the Mark Foley congressional page scandal, which brought attention to Wetterling because of her work as a child-safety advocate. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) 5. New York 26 - After the Mark Foley scandal, Republican Conressman Thomas Reynolds, head of the Republican Conressional Campaign Committee and chair of the House Page program, found himself in trouble. Democrat Jack Davis, who lost to Reynolds 44-56 in 2004, has found new life - a recent Zogby poll has him up by 15 points. [Canisius College political science professor and local political talk radio host Kevin] Hardwick argues that the Foley scandal brings about an odd dynamic for the veteran politician. Typically, powerful politicians like Reynolds, who chairs the committee charged with overseeing the re-election efforts of all GOP congressmen occupy “safe” districts and have access to corridors of power and wield influence that can benefit their home district. (The Amherst Record) 6. New York 24 - Republican State Senator Raymond Meier is facing Oneida County Democrat District Attorney Michael Arcuri for outgoing Republican Conressman Sherwood Boehlert's open seat. Experts who follow congressional elections regard the contest between Democrat Michael Arcuri and Republican Raymond Meier in New York's 24th District as a tossup. But just how close is it in a race that could help determine control of Congress in the Nov. 7 election? Internal polling by the candidates early in the campaign hinted that a tight race for the central New York seat was indeed developing. (Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin) 7. North Carolina 11 - Republican Congresman Charles Taylor is facing Democrat Heath Shuler for this western North Carolina district. Yes, Florida Gator fans, the same Heath Shuler who played quarterback at the University of Tennessee. Taylor, seeking a ninth term representing a conservative district in the state's western mountains, is being challenged by moderate Democrat and former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler. Even though many observers call the race a toss-up, that Bush wouldn't travel to Asheville to stump for Taylor may not be all that surprising. Taylor generally avoids reporters from outside his district and has never made a point of being seen with the president. (Greensboro News-Record) 8. Indiana 9 - Republican Congressman Mike Sodrel is fighting off former Democratic Congressman Baron Hill are in their third contest since 2002. That year, Hill held onto his seat by more than 9,400 votes. Sodrel defeated Hill by fewer than 1,500 votes out of 287,000 cast in 2004. With 49.5 percent of the vote, it was the year's smallest winning percentage among congressional candidates.Polls show Hill leading Sodrel in their third rematch... (Fort Wayne News Sentinel) 9. New Mexico 1 - Incumbent Congresswoman Heather Wilson, a Republican, is in a tough battle from Democrat Attorney General Patricia Madrid. Democratic challenger Patricia Madrid and incumbent Republican Heather Wilson are about even in the race for New Mexico's 1st Congressional District seat, according to a new poll. The survey of 503 registered voters in the district who said they are likely to cast ballots in the Nov. 7 general election found 45 percent support Madrid, the state's attorney general, while 42 percent favor Wilson. Another 9 percent said they are undecided and 4 percent said they would not vote for either candidate, the Albuquerque Journal reported Sunday in a copyright story. (Santa Fe New Mexican) 10. Wisconsin 8 - In the race to succeed outgoing Republican Congressman Mark Green, Democrat Doctor Steve Kagen is challenging Republican Assembly Speaker John Gard. The most closely watched political race in Wisconsin outside of the state is for Congress in Wisconsin's 8th District, and one proof of its importance was McCain's visit to a downtown Appleton hotel Tuesday to stump for Assembly Speaker John Gard in his bid to keep the seat in Republican hands. Democrats think they can recapture Congress in November, and the open seat in northeastern Wisconsin is one of their top targets. Polls show an extremely close race between Peshtigo resident Gard and Democrat Steve Kagen, a millionaire allergist from Appleton. ... A poll conducted last week by the Washington, D.C., consulting firms RT Strategies and Constituent Dynamics found that 48 percent of the 983 voters polled favored Kagen, while 46 percent favored Gard, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. (Madison Capital Times) 11. Pennsylvania 6 - Republican incumbent Jim Gerlach is facing trouble from Democrat Lois Murphy for the second time. The race, one of the most competitive House contests in the country, is a rematch of 2004, when Gerlach narrowly defeated Murphy. Voters in the district supported Democratic presidential candidates Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004. ... Recent independent polls have shown Gerlach and Murphy running neck-and-neck. ... Last month, a Keystone Poll conducted by Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster showed 44 percent of likely voters supporting Gerlach and 41 percent supporting Murphy. Since the 3-point difference was within the poll's 5-point sampling error margin, it was considered a tie. (Wilkes Barre Times-Leader) 12. Ohio 15 - Like other Ohio Republicans, Congresswoman Deborah Pryce is in a struggle with her Democratic opponent, County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy. Pryce, who represents most of Columbus and who ranks fourth in the House GOP leadership, was forced to respond to criticism that she didn't do enough to stop Foley because she once said in a magazine interview that he was one of her close friends in the House. ... Polls show that Pryce, a moderate who was first elected in 1992 and won with 60 percent of the vote in 2004, is now fighting for her political life. (Houston Chronicle) 13. Virginia 2 - Virginia Beach Democract Commissioner of Revenue Phil Kellam is challenging Republican Congresswoman Thelma Drake. [Second] thoughts about Iraq have helped make traditional Republican turf like Virginia's 2nd District an unexpected battleground in the November 7 elections, when Democrats must pick up 15 seats to claim control of the House. First-term Republican Rep. Thelma Drake and Democratic challenger Phil Kellam are running neck and neck in polls in the conservative district that President George W. Bush won easily with 58 percent of the vote in 2004. (Washington Post) 14. Florida 22 - Democrat State Senator Ron Klein is fighting Republican incumbent Clay Shaw, but Shaw may be pulling back ahead. Incumbent Shaw was favored by 48 percent of respondents while Klein was chosen by 43 percent, according to a poll for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The poll, conducted by telephone on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Undecided voters may hold the key to the race. Eight percent of those polled reported they had not decided who to vote for. Republicans represent the highest percentage of undecided voters at 12 percent, while only 4 percent of Democrats and 7 percent of independents reported not having made up their minds, according to the poll. (Florida Times-Union) 15. Florida 13 - In the race to replace Republican Congresswoman Katherine Harris, Republican car dealer Vern Buchanan is facing Democratic banker Christine Jennings. The race for Congress has become so unexpectedly competitive that even President George W. Bush is trying to step in to prevent Democrats from winning a seat many thought a year ago was a lock for Republicans. Bush is scheduled to come to the Sarasota-Bradenton area Oct. 24 to headline a rally for Republican Vern Buchanan, who concedes he is trailing Democrat Christine Jennings in his own internal polling by 3 percentage points, with early voting starting in less than a week. (Sarasota Herald Tribune) These are the fifteen races we believe are the true battleground races. As these go, so goes Congress. The State of Sunshine predicts the Democrats will take at least the fifteen seats needed to take control of the House. The final margin is still unknown, but could be anywhere from one to twenty seats, or more.

Prediction: Democrats Will Take Over U.S. Senate

This is not a good year for Republicans. Yet, somehow, the GOP faithful just don't see it. Let's look at the United States Senate. In early August, the State of Sunshine wrote about the Senate prospects. At the time, we noted that Florida appears safe for the Democrats because the Republican nominee was Katherine Harris. In preparing this analysis, the State of Sunshine uses the Rothenberg Political Report, the Cook Political Report, and the New York Times' Election Guide. Consider that the Republicans currently hold a 55-45 margin in the Senate. That means the Democrats need to take six seats away from the GOP to take the majority. It would appear likely. There are eight states that seem to be the ones to watch, seven held by Republicans and one by a Democrat. The State of Sunshine is ready to predict that three of them - Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Montana - will flip. In Pennsylvania, incubment Republican Senator Rick Santorum remains well behind Demcratic Auditor General Robert Casey. A Morning Call poll showed a 5% gap at the beginning of October, but a more recent McClatchy-MSNBC poll has the gap at 11%. PA: Cook - Toss Up | Rothenberg - Likely Takeover | NY Times - Leaning Democratic Stories out of Ohio erroneously reported that, but RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman denied this. This may be based on polls showing incumbent Republican Senator Mike DeWine trailing far behind Democratic Congressman Sherrod Brown. Quinnipiac and New York Times polls showed Brown ahead by 12% and 14% respectively. OH: Cook - Toss Up | Rothenberg - Lean Takeover | NY Times - Leaning Democratic Out west, in Montana, incumbent Republican Senator Conrad Burns is losing ground to Demoratic State Senate President Jon Tester. Polls have gone from 48-45 (Gallup) in August to 47-40 (Mason Dixon) in September to 46-35 (Montana State University) in October. MT: Cook - Toss Up | Rothenberg - Lean Takeover | NY Times - Leaning Democratic Rhode Island was a different picture in August, but incumbent Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee was able to beat a more conservative Republican opponent in the primary. He now faces former Democrat Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse. The MSNBC poll shows Whitehouse leading by 5 points, it was 3 points earlier this month, and 11 points in a Gallup poll a month ago. RI: Cook - Toss Up | Rothenberg - Lean Takeover | NY Times - Leaning Democratic Incumbent Republican Senator James Talent in Missouri is facing a stiff challenge from Democratic Auditor Claire McCaskill, with a recent MSNBC poll showing him trailing her by 3 points, 48-45. Gallup showed the race also 3 points (48-45) at the beginning of October had the race at 43-43 in late September. The controversy over Rush Limbaugh's response to actor Michael J. Fox appearing in a commerical for McCaskill should make this race interesting. MO: Cook - Toss Up | Rothenberg - Toss Up | NY Times - Toss Up The race for outgoing Senator Bill Frist's seat in Tennessee is getting interesting, because Republican Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker is attacking Democratic Congressman Harold Ford for attended the 2005 Super Bowl party hosted by Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner. Still, polling in this race has been erratic. In late September, Middle Tennessee State had the race for Corker (43-42), but Mason Dixon (43-42) and Gallup (50-45) had the race for Ford. A more recent poll shows the race at 45-42. PN: Cook - Toss Up | Rothenberg - Toss Up | NY Times - Toss Up Republicans didn't expect to have a problem in Virginia, until incumbent Senator George Allen put both feet in his mouth, repeatedly using a slur to describe an operative of Democratic challenger Jim Webb's campaign at a campaign appearance this summer. Now, polls show the race very close narrowing from 48-32 in July, to 43-43 in late September. Recent polls have shown Allen recovering slightly, to a 47-43 lead over Webb. VA: Cook - Toss Up | Rothenberg - Toss Up | NY Times - Toss Up The New Jersey Senate race is one of the few bright spots for the Republicans. Incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, appointed to fill an unexpired seat is facing Republican State Senator Tom Kean, who is also the son of a popular former governor. Polls have widely varied giving Menendez a lead of anywhere from 4% to 9%. The latest poll has Menendez up by only 3 points, but with 11 percent still undecided. NJ: Cook - Toss Up | Rothenberg - Toss Up | NY Times - Toss Up By this analysis, we at The State of Sunshine have the Senate divided with 48 Republicans and 47 Democrats. On Election Night, we will be closely watching the races in Missouri, Rhode Island, Virginia, Tennessee, and New Jersey. Remember, late undecided voters tend to break more for challengers than incumbents. The State of Sunshine predicts the Democrats will take Missouri, Rhode Island, and Tennessee as well as hold New Jersey - taking back the Senate by a margin of 51-49.

Amendment Profile: # 1

Senator Tom Lee, current candidate for Chief Financial Officer, began talking a few years ago about the lack of long-term budgeting by the state of Florida. He felt that, given the cyclical nature of Florida's economy, budgeting year-to-year causes significant problems when tax revenues decline during periods of economic downturns. The result, the Florida Legislature put Amendment 1 on the ballot by votes of 39-0 in the Senate and 115-2 in the House.

Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to limit the amount of nonrecurring general revenue which may be appropriated for recurring purposes in any fiscal year to 3 percent of the total general revenue funds estimated to be available, unless otherwise approved by a three-fifths vote of the Legislature; to establish a Joint Legislative Budget Commission, which shall issue long-range financial outlooks; to provide for limited adjustments in the state budget without the concurrence of the full Legislature, as provided by general law; to reduce the number of times trust funds are automatically terminated; to require the preparation and biennial revision of a long-range state planning document; and to establish a Government Efficiency Task Force and specify its duties. (Full Text PDF)

Senator Lee is correct that Florida's budget does not factor future needs or resources. However, there are some problems inherent with this proposal. First, the Amendment requires the preparation and biennial revision of a "long-range state planning document. This document will be prepared by the Joint Legislative Budet Commission (see below) and will include forecasts for the "future needs and resources" for the state. Essentially, this will become a multi-year budget document. This opens future legislators to attacks similar to those that occur in Congress. The Federal government uses a multi-year budget document for long-range planning. When revisions to that document are made that reduce future projections for some programs, opponents call these revisions budget "cuts". While a real "cut" is an actual reduction in the appropriation from one fiscal year to the next, a "D.C. cut" is a reduction in the future appropriation increase for a given subject area. So passing the amendment would bring this rhetoric from Washington DC to Tallahassee. Second, Amendment 1 codifies into the Constitution the Joint Legislative Budget Commission, composed of legislators from both houses of the Legislature. The current version of the Commission is used to approve small changes to agency budgets; however, the new Commission will also produce the long-range planning document as noted above. While the existince of the Commission is not a problem, it should not be codified into the Florida Constitution. Next, Amendment 1 also creates a permanent Government Efficiency Task Force, composed of public officials and private citizens, to recommend ways to improve governmental operations and reducing costs. Not only can the Legislature do this on it's own, it already has the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability which analyzes government programs. The creation of yet another committee, let alone placing it permanently in the Florida Constitution, is wholly unnecessary. Finally, the only benefit Amendment 1 would provide is a limitation of spending "non-recurring" revenue on "recurring" expenses. Think of this as sound financial advice, you don't spend money that comes in one time only (as a gift, or perhaps a small lottery prize) on expenses that will continue after the money has run out. The Legislature has done this quite often, requiring these "recurring" programs to find new money when the "non-recurring" funds are not available in subsequent years. If the Amendment were limited to this provision only, it would be virtually impossible to oppose the measure. Most Florida newspapers support passage of the Amendment. The Tampa Tribune feels the government efficiency task force is the best part of the amendment. The St. Petersburg Times thinks the amendment can help put an end to "budget games" in Tallahassee. The Palm Beach Post, while preferring to have a general law, likes the budgetary discipline the Amendment could provide. The Miami Herald believes the Amendment could easily have unintended consequences, and therefore opposes it. Other than the newspapers, there aren't any organized support or oppose groups. Polls have shown that because the amendment is complex, voters may be more inclined to vote against it. The intentions are certainly laudable; but the details of this Amendment cause some concern, especially placing them permanently in the Florida Constitution. Therefore, the State of Sunshine recommends voting NO on Amendment 1.

Blogosphere Reports on Harris - Nelson Debate

The State of Sunshine thought Harris won the debate. Mustang Boggy at Bark Bark Woof Woof has a live blogging post, calling it a toss up. Mr. G at PEER Review Florida was impressed with Harris. Laura Fiorilli at The Politial Safari called both Harris and Nelson stuffed shirts. Michael Hussey at Pushing Rope agreed with Mustang Bobby's assesment of Nelson's vote on the detainee bill. Robert C at Insterstate 4 Jamming called the debate a draw. Given that this was on at 8:00pm on Monday night on Public Television, the ratings were probably not that high. Hopefully there weren't too many people who dying of the pure boredom that was this debate. Thankfully, there are only 14 days left until election day.

Tomorrow's Gubernatorial Debate: Crist, Davis, and Linn ??

From William March's Blog on TBO.com:

A Broward County judge has ruled that Max Linn, Reform Party candidate for governor, must be admitted to Tuesday night’s gubernatorial candidate’s debate between Republican Charlie Crist and Democrat Jim Davis. It isn’t clear at the moment exactly what that means. According to one spokesman for Leadership Florida, one of the debate’s sponsors, the organization still has a chance to appeal the ruling and will do so.

This will indeed be interesting if Linn survives the appeal. In most cases, a stay of an order is automatically granted when the judgment is appealed. The question will be if the appeal can take place in time for the debate to start. More on this subject tomorrow as it is reported.

U.S. Senate Debate - Nelson v Harris

Tonight was the U.S. Senate debate between incumbent Democrat Senator Bill Nelson and challenger Republican Congresswoman Katherine Harris. The strange thing is, despite the widespread image of Harris as "off-center", we at the State of Sunshine believe she won the debate. Although in this case, that is not a heck of a lot to brag about. First, she came off a little more personable - by moving around the stage and getting out from behind the podium. Second, she answered questions with specificity while Nelson talked in generalities or trailed off on a tangent. Take Iraq, perhaps the most divisive issue in the country today. She talked about the conditions necessary to safely withdraw American troops, leaving behind a unified, democratic, and peaceful nation. She also towed the party line that "cutting and running" could be even more dangerous. Nelson said that the answer is to divide Iraq into three parts, getting the international community to help support and pay for the division of Iraq. On the subject of North Korea, Nelson talked about using China and South Korea to apply pressure - but his answer was a bit disjointed. Basically he came off as saying a nuclear North Korea is a bad thing. Well, duh! Harris talked about the history of the issue, and the importance of keeping all options on the table. Both Harris and Nelson could not speculate if or when military action would be required. On immigration, specifically the "wet foot, dry foot" policy. Nelson gave the better answer when he noted that when Cuba falls, there will be a 'mass exodus' to the United States. Harris talked about how the embargo will ultimately succeed in a free Cuba. (Sidebar: Given the fact that Cuban immigration has not been an issue for a while, why didn't the panelist ask about Mexican immigration?) When asked about the trade deficit with China, Nelson noted that the United States should somehow use our position of weakness as leverage with China to help with North Korea. He briefly mentioned the problem with the valuation of the yuan (renminbi), but did not explore this issue further. Harris talked about how China does not enforce American intellectual property rights. Clearly, neither of these candidates have a grasp of international economics. When asked about oil drilling, Harris talked first about becoming energy independent through alternative energy solutions, as well as opening the Article National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. Nelson correctly noted that the United States can not drill its way to energy independence, and also supports exploration of alternative energy solutions. Both noted the limitations on drilling each support: Harris 324 miles in the Gulf and 125 miles on the Atlantic, Nelson 300 miles in the Gulf. When asked about solutions to global warming, Nelson proceed to explain what global warning was. Thank you, professor. Harris talked again about her support for alternative energy programs. In the transition portion of the debate, Nelson asked Harris about the transfer of arms to rogue nations. Harris hit the softball by saying she opposes the transfer of arms to rogue nations. Apparently there was an issue where she voted for it and then voted against it. Harris asked Nelson why he blocked John Bolton's confirmation as US Ambassador to the United Nations. Nelson said he didn't deserve it based on his job performance as arms control negotiator for the five years previously, pointing out that North Korea and Iran are pursuing nuclear programs. The debate turned to domestic issues. Nelson asked Harris what she would do to end partisan bickering. It is a great question. Unfortunately, Harris was unable to give a great answer. She talked about working with Democrats during her tenure in the state senate as well as in Congress. She also pointed out that her family are Democrats, as she was until a few years ago. Harris then asked Nelson why he opposes caps on medical malpractice cases. He indicated that the problem is insurance companies are not part of solutions that pit doctors against attorneys. He also noted that while he was Insurance Commissioner, he fought against rate decreases malpractice insurance companies proposed during the 1990's - because he knew they would raise rates again when investment income decreased. On the role of the federal government in natural disasters, both candidates support a national catastrophe fund. Nelson would work with Florida to limit coastal development, to convince the rest of the country to support a national fund. Both said that FEMA needed to be overhauled, and Nelson pointed out that it now has professional managers rather than political appointees. Good point, Senator. The debate transitioned to discussion of property insurance. Harris read from a St. Petersburg Times article that said Nelson allowed insurance companies to set up Florida-only subsidiaries. Nelson mentioned establishing tax savings accounts to off-set the cost of insurance. Both support a national catastrophe fund to help reduce insurance premiums. The rest of the domestic questions didn't have the same punch as these. Nelson had a decent, if liberal, answer for the problems the Medicare "doughnut hole" is causing; while Harris simply said the problems are not that bad. (Huh?) Harris sidestepped a question on Terri Schiavo, while Nelson said that he supported access to the federal courts to bring a speedy solution. Both candidates said that, despite receiving contributions from less-than-ethical lobbyists or corporations, they can both be trusted. Harris noted that despite being a 'polarizing figure,' she could represent all of the people. Nelson said that "no one person has ever influenced my vote by a contribution" and managed to note that he has 16 newspaper endorsements. All in all, if the voters ONLY see this debate, Harris comes off as qualified and capable. Nelson came off as a little "out of it". Yes, we think Harris won this debate. But that isn't saying much. Winning this debate was like winning the Florida Atlantic-Florida International football game. Oh, Mr. Bense, can you tell us again why you didn't run? You would certainly have our vote. We don't think we're alone with this one.

Battleground USA Coverage on MSNBC

In September, MSNBC broke from it's usual coverage to go in-depth into various races across the country. We wrote about this effort at the time. Tomorrow, Tuesday October 24th, MSNBC will do it all again. The State of Sunshine will be watching the coverage, and will be blogging about the national picture - and how Florida ties in to the national mid-term elections.

Amendment Profile: # 8

In June of 2005, the United States Supreme Court decided, in Kelo v City of New London (PDF), that state and local governments could use the eminent domain process to take property from a private owner and transfer it to another private owner as part of a comprehensive economic redevelopment project. Economic redevelopment, it turned out, is a permissible public use under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, because an improved economy and larger tax base benefits everyone. The outcry after this ruling spread far and wide. Local governments passed ordinances making it harder for themselves to take land. State governments started passing laws to clearly spell out the definition of "public use" under which local governments can take real property. Florida is no different. Section 73.013, Florida Statutes, provides specific uses under which a local government can take land through the eminent domain process:

• Transit systems;
• Roads;
• Toll-road facilities, including 'turnpike system' rest-stops;
• Electricity, natural gas, water, swere, stormwater, and telecommunications facilities;
• Public infrastructure;
• Leasing an 'incendental part' for selling goods or services to the public; or

Section 73.014, Florida Statutes, specifically prohibits the taking of land as part of a redevelopment project. Governments can still purchase the land from sellers willing to sell, but they can not take the land using the eminent domain process. All of this is prelude to Amendment 8:

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to prohibit the transfer of private property taken by eminent domain to a natural person or private entity; providing that the Legislature may by general law passed by a three-fifths vote of the membership of each house of the Legislature permit exceptions allowing the transfer of such private property; and providing that this prohibition on the transfer of private property taken by eminent domain is applicable if the petition of taking that initiated the condemnation proceeding was filed on or after January 2, 2007.

The amendment would say that the Florida Legislature could not change Sections 73.013 or 73.014, Florida Statutes, without passing the bills by a 3/5 vote of the membership of each house. Three-fifths of the membership of the Florida House is 72, and of the Florida Senate is 24. The Amendment was placed on the ballot by the Florida Legislature, by votes of 115-0 in the House and 38-2 in the Senate. This amendment has not received much play in the blogosphere, but several Florida newspapers have provided their opinion. Almost all of them recommend voting against the amendment. The Miami Herald said that it is not necessary, because the legislature already acted. The Tampa Tribune said that the three-fifths requirement would be difficult to overcome. The St. Pete Times called it "legislative showboating." Only the Naples Daily News supports it, by saying it would help protect property owners. The Florida Legislature did a great job in responding to the Supreme Court decision by passing the most stringent eminent domain law in the country. The taking of private property should be limited to truly public needs. However, there are always unforseen circumstances. In those cases, a small minority of 49 members of the Florida House or 17 members of the Senate should not be allowed to block changes designed to respond to the future needs of the people of Florida. Therefore, the State of Sunshine recommends voting NO on Amendment 8.

Amendment Profile: # 3

The State of Sunshine will be giving some analysis of the various amendments on the ballot this year, to give readers a little more information before voting. We're starting with what we think is the most controversial, Amendment #3.

Proposes an amendment to Section 5 of Article XI of the State Constitution to require that any proposed amendment to or revision of the State Constitution, whether proposed by the Legislature, by initiative, or by any other method, must be approved by at least 60 percent of the voters of the state voting on the measure, rather than by a simple majority. This proposed amendment would not change the current requirement that a proposed constitutional amendment imposing a new state tax or fee be approved by at least 2/3 percent of the voters of the state voting in the election in which such an amendment is considered.

The full text of the amendment can be viewed from the Division of Elections website in a PDF format. Florida Tax Watch, a supporter of the Amendment, provides a thorough - if biased - analysis of the amendment (PDF). Two groups have been organized on this Amendment: Protect Our Constitution, in support, and Trust the Voters, in opposition. Both websites give their spin on the issue, making it a challenge to get a clear picture on this amendment. We at The State of Sunshine do not portend to have the best analysis, but we want to provide some additional points to consider. Quite simply, many special interest groups do not like the way initiatives have passed in recent years. The 'poster child' for bad amendments is the so-called "pregnant pig" amendment from 2002. Others such as the since-repealed High Speed Rail amendment, the class-size reduction amendment, the voluntary pre-kindergarten amendment, and the smoke-free workplace amendment are also listed as problems with the initiative process. Here is the crux of the issue. Constitutions are designed to be, according to some, the overarching guiding document that embodies the will of the people to institute governments that protect our rights. The structure of our governments and the express rights of the people -- these are the kinds of things that belong in a Constitution. Proponents say that anything beyond these limited areas should not be in our Constitution.

We, the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution.

- Preamble to the Florida Constitution

We at the State of Sunshine have a different perspective. Bearing in mind that the sovereignty of the state is vested in the people of Florida. By establishing a constitution, they vest some of that sovereignty into a republican form of government. However, the existence of a representative democracy does not mean the people do not retain any sovereignty. To the contrary, the people have spelled out exactly how they can exercise that sovereignty in the Constitution, by electing representatives or by amending the Constitution. Of those newspapers who have written their opinion on this issue, only the Florida Times Union has supported passage of the Amendment. The Tampa Tribune, St. Petersburg Times, Naples Daily News, Palm Beach Post, Miami Herald, Sarasota Herald Tribune, and the Treasure Coast/Palm Newspapers all oppose the amendment. (Links to the editorials can be found in The State of Sunshine's General Election Newspaper Endorsements post). In addition, both Charlie Crist and Jim Davis oppose the amendment, saying the Constitution belongs to the people (Crist) and that majority rule is fundamental to our democracy (Davis). In the blogosphere, Change in Tallahassee and Pushing Rope both oppose the amendment as well. Although they oppose the amendment for purely political grounds, rather than philosophical grounds, they raise some additional points to consider. The fact that so many people oppose the amendment should give voters reason enough to question those who support the amendment. The supporters almost all come from the business community - including a large number of Chambers of Commerce. Another reason to think strongly before voting on this amendment. One last point, The State of Sunshine understands that some provisions clearly do not belong in the Constitution. However, we firmly believe that passing Amendment 3 will abdicate too much of the people's rights. If the Legislature had the courage to include a "Statutory Initiative" process while limiting the amendment process, we would wholeheartedly support both amendments. The initiative process allows the people to get around an unresponsive legislature held captive by a small minority. Raising the standard allows that minority to broaden their control to include the initiative process as well. That is not a good thing. The Legislature needs to re-think this proposal and come back with one that protects the rights of the people better than this. Therefore, the State of Sunshine recommends voting NO on Amendment 3.

Democrats: Nattering Nabobs of Negativity

Over at Pushing Rope, Michael took issue with our recent post on the anger of Democratic candidates:

Ofcourse, Fox News and conservative talk radio are just calm and rational. ... Now let's pit [sic] the angry Democrat talking points to rest.

We never said that conservatives were "calm and rational" ... just that the Democrats sound angry in person this year, something that is lost when translating into direct mail pieces, MSM stories, and campaign commercials. The State of Sunshine believes that pushing the anger button will work well at the federal level, where enough Americans are angry about the war in Iraq. It's part of why the Democrats are reasonably poised to gain control of both houses of Congress. Our real issue is the Democrats' obsessant pessimism -- things may not be perfect, heck from some points of view things could be awful -- but why remind the voters of how bad things are? It's not a good message when you sound like a nattering nabob of negativity (kudos to Bill Safire for coining the term used by Spiro Agnew during Watergate). Optimism works. See Clinton, Bill. Pessimism doesn't. See Kerry, John.

Democrats: Mad As Hell And Not Gonna Take It Any More

Over the course of an election, many groups invite candidates to visit them, giving them a podium and a microphone. These events provide a clear picture of the differences between the Republican and Democratic candidates -- a distinction people can not get from MSM coverage, glossy mail pieces, 30-second television commericials. Last week, Mr. GOP at PEER Review Florida called the Democrats the "Seinfield" party - you may recall the hit show that was about, well, nothing. Mr. GOP said:

We've seen this before. In 2002 the Democrat's message was, "get back at em for 2000". In 2004 it was, "Bush sucks. I'm not Bush. Vote for me", Now it's, "Republicans suck. We're not Republicans. Vote for us". And that friends is the extent of it.

But we would go further than that -- especially here in Florida. When we hear a Democratic candidate for office speak, it's much less the friendly, funny sitcom. To us, a Billy Joel song comes to mind: Angry Young Man:

There's a place in the world for the angry young man With his working class ties and his radical plans He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl and he's always at home with his back to the wall. He's proud of the scars and the battles he's lost He struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross And he likes to be known as the angry young man. Give a moment or two to the angry young man With his foot in his mouth and his heart in his hand He's been stabbed in the back, he's been misunderstood It's a comfort to know his intentions are good He sits in a room with a lock on the door with his maps and his medals laid out of the floor And he likes to be known as the angry young man. I believe I've passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage, I've found that just surviving was a noble fight I once believed in causes too, had my pointless point of view Life went on no matter who was right or wrong. And there's always a place for the angry young man With his fist in the air and his head in the sand He's never been able to learn from mistakes He can't understand why his heart always breaks His honor is pure, and his courage as well he's fair and he's true, and he's boring as hell And he'll go to his grave as an angry old man.

This last stanza really hits the mark about the Florida Democratic Party. They rail against Republicans for the FCAT. They rail against Republicans for property taxes. They rail against Republicans for property insurance. They rail against Republicans for health care problems. They've been railing for years. Second verse, same as the first. Never able to learn from mistakes, can't understand why their heart always breaks. This is not to say that they should change. Quite the contrary, their failure to adapt to new situations has enabled Republicans to gain more and more and more control here in Florida, providing consistent conservative leadership at the state and local levels. The problem is that very few voters ever see this side of the candidates. Political spin doctors are able to mollify some of this anger. Direct mail pieces tend to be less vitriolic. Television commercials don't have the same fervor. Quotes and soundbites in the MSM don't come across as bitter. If more voters saw the real face of the Democratic party, Republicans would win in a landslide.

General Election Newspaper Endorsements

Here is a link to Tampa Bay area newspaper endorsements for the General elections -- some editorials may contain multiple candidates. The State of Sunshine had previously compiled a list of Primary Endorsements. This post will be updated daily as more endorsements come out. [Click on the newspaper abbreviation to read their editorial.] U.S. Congress Senate: Bill Nelson (PBP, DBNJ, TCP, SH, SPT, TT, GS, NDN, SFSS, BH, LL, MH, FT, TD, FMNP, PNJ, FTU, OS) / Katherine Harris () House 5: Ginny Brown-Waite (SPT, TT, LL, OS) / John Russell () House 9: Gus Bilirakis () / Phyllis Busansky (SPT, TT) House 10: Bill Young (SPT) / Samm Simpson () House 11: Eddie Adams () / Kathy Castor (SPT, BH, SH) House 12: Adam Putnam (SPT, TT, LL) / Joe Viscusi () / Ed Bowlin () House 13: Vern Buchanan (BH) / Christine Jennings (SH) Governor & Cabinet Governor: Charlie Crist (BH, NDN, MH, OS, TT, FMNP, FTU, LL, SFSS, TD) / Jim Davis (PBP, DBNJ, FT, GS, SPT. PNJ) / Neither (TCP) Chief Financial Officer: Tom Lee (TT, TCP, FMNP) / Alex Sink (DBNJ, PBP, MH, NDN, OS, SH, GS, BH, SFSS, FTU, SPT, FT, TD, PNJ, LL) Agriculture Commissioner: Charlie Bronson (PBP, TT, MH, NDN, TCP, SFSS, SH, FT, FTU, SPT, FMNP, OS, LL, PNJ, GS) / Eric Copeland (DBNJ) Attorney General: Bill McCollum (TT, NDN, OS, FTU) / Walter "Skip" Campbell (PBP, DBNJ, TCP, MH, SH, SFSS, BH, GS, SPT, TD, FMNP, LL, PNJ) Constitutional Amendments Amendment 1: Yes (TT, NDN, SPT, FTU, PBP, TCP, LL, SFSS, BH) / No (MH, SH, FMNP, OS, FT) Amendment 3: Yes (FTU, LL, SFSS) / No (TT, SPT, NDN, PBP, MH, SH, TCP, FMNP, OS, BH, FT) Amendment 4: Yes (NDN, SH, LL, FTU, FMNP, PBP, SFSS, BH, SH, FT) / No (TT, SPT, MH, TCP, OS) Amendment 6: Yes (NDN, GS, LL, FMNP, FTU) / No (TT, SPT, MH, SH, TCP, PBP, OS, SFSS, BH, FT) Amendment 7: Yes (NDN, GS, FTU, LL, FMNP) / No (TT, SPT, MH, SH, TCP, PBP, OS, SFSS, BH, FT) Amendment 8: Yes (NDN, FMNP, FTU, BH) / No (TT, SPT, MH, SH, TCP, LL, PBP, OS, SFSS, FT) Florida Legislature Senate 10: Ronda Storms () / Stephen Gorham (TT, SPT) Senate 12: Victor Crist (TT, SPT) / Burt Linthicum () Senate 16: Kim Berfield (TT) / Charlie Justice (SPT) Senate 18: Arthenia Joyner (TT, SPT, BH) House 44: Robert Schenck () / Glenn Claytor (SPT) House 45: Tom Anderson (SPT) / Chris Hrabovsky () House 47: Kevin Ambler (TT, SPT) / Daniel Suarez () House 48: Peter Nehr () / Carl Zimmerman (SPT) House 50: Ed Hooper (SPT) / Candice Jovan () House 51: Dottie Reeder () / Janet Long (SPT) House 52: Angelo Capelli () / Bill Heller (SPT) House 53: Thomas Piccolo () / Rick Kriseman (SPT) House 54: James Frische () / Betsy Valentine (SPT) House 56: Trey Traviesa (TT, SPT) / Lee Nelson () House 57: Faye Culp (SPT) / Deborah Cope (TT) / Brian Becker () House 58: Alfred Ruiz () / Michael Scionti (TT, SPT) House 59: K.C. Bowick () / Betty Reed (TT, SPT) House 60: Ed Homan (TT, SPT) / Karen Perez () House 61: Will Weatherford (TT, SPT) / Donovan Brown () House 62: Rich Gloriosi (TT, SPT) / Jeremy Zelanes() House 63: Seth McKeel (TT, LL) / James Davis () House 69: Laura Benson () / Keith Fitzgerald (BH) Judges - Supreme Court & 2nd DCA Retention Vote: Yes (SPT) Judges - 6th Circuit Group 9: Christine Helinger (SPT) / Glenn Martin () Group 32: Pat Siracusa (SPT) / LeAnne Lake () Judges - 10th Circuit Group 27: Ernest Jones (LL) / David Carmichael () Judges - 12th Circuit Group 21: Rochelle Taylor Curley (SH, BH) / Preston DeVilbiss Jr () Judges - 13th Circuit Group 32: Bernie Silver (TT, SPT) / Betsy Hapner () Group 43: Paul Jeske (TT) / Kimberly Fernandez (SPT) Group 44: Emily Peacock (TT, SPT) / Samantha Ward () Group 45: Gary Dolgin (TT, SPT) / Ashley Moddy () Hillsborough County Commission District 1: Rose Ferlita (TT, SPT) / Mary Mulhearn () District 3: Ken Anthony (TT, SPT) / Kevin White () District 4: Al Higginbotham () / Lisa Rodriguez (TT, SPT) District 5: Jim Norman (TT, SPT) / Joe Redner () / Yamel Arronte () District 7: Mark Sharpe (TT, SPT) / Tom Scott () Manatee County Commission District 6: Carol Whitmore (SH, BH) / Sarah C. Meaker () Polk County Commission District 2: Randy Wilkinson () / Robert Conners (LL) District 4: Bruce Parker () / Jean Reed (LL) Hillsborough County School Board District 6: Ken Allen (TT) / April Griffin (SPT) Hillsborough Soil & Water Conservation Board Seat 1: Doyle Carlton (TT) / Tammy Harman () Manatee County School Board District 4: Bob Gause (SH) / Joe Miller () Hillsborough Referendum Sex Business: Yes () / No (TT, SPT) Pinellas Charter Amendments Question 1: Yes (SPT) / No () Question 2: Yes (SPT) / No () Question 3: Yes () / No (SPT) Question 4: Yes (SPT) / No () Question 5: Yes (SPT) / No () Question 6: Yes (SPT) / No () Question 7: Yes () / No (SPT)