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Registration Deadline

July 25th, 2008 by flanews

Monday is the last day to register in order to be eligible to vote in the August Primary. More than 300,000 Floridians have registered to vote since January. About 200,000 registered as Democrats. Secretary of State Spokeswoman Jennifer Davis said the deadline isn’t just for people who haven’t registered; it’s also for people who want to change their party affiliation.

“In Florida we have a closed primary, so if you’re registered as a Democrat you’re going to get the democratic ballot. If you’re registered as a Republican, you’re going to get the Republican ballot. If you’re no party, you’re going to get the non-partisan races only, so make sure your party is registered the way you want it for the ballot,” said Davis.

Voter registration drives will be held across the state this weekend. The Primary is on Tuesday August 26th.

Posted in Elections, State News, Voting | 1 Comment »

350 Percent Water Rate Hike Request

July 25th, 2008 by flanews

If a Florida water company gets its way some people could see their water bills skyrocket by 350 percent. The Attorney General’s office is asking the Public Service Commission to deny Aqua Florida’s request to raise rates. The AG’s office says the company has been selling customers dirty waters. Some people in the Orlando area claim the water has made them sick. Charlie Beck is representing Aqua Florida customers. Beck said the water quality has gotten so bad some people won’t drink it.

“We’ve had seven hearings in the past month around the state and in some places there’s just been a real outcry from customers about the quality. In some cases people were afraid to brush their teeth with the water. And people were occurring 40 and 50 dollar a month bills just for bottled water because they’re afraid to drink the water,” said Beck.

The Public Service Commission will review Aqua Florida’s rate increase at its meeting in Tallahassee next Tuesday.

Posted in Health, State News | No Comments »

Fostering Hope from Former Foster Kids

July 24th, 2008 by flanews

Kids who become adults in foster care know more about the system than anyone, so their former caretaker, the Department of Children and Families is hiring some former charges. As Whitney Ray tell us, DCF hopes the new employees can help improve how kids in the states care are treated.

Hear it Here: Fostering Hope from Former Foster Kids

The state took Derrick Riggs from his parents when he was 13 years old.

“My dad put a knife to my stomach and threatened to kill me and I called the police and they came out and were like, I can’t stay here,” said Riggs.

Now Derrick works for the Department of Children and Families helping people get food stamps. Derrick hopes his work at DCF will help foster kids.

“You plant the seed today, and tomorrow you have a beautiful flower,” said Riggs.

Kennisha Scadlock also grew up in foster care

“It was rough,” Scadlock said.

Despite her struggles Kennisha has returned to the DCF as an employee. Kennisha and Derrick are two of the lucky one. Many people who become adults in the system have a hard time finding work.

Kids who grow up in foster care are more likely to end up homeless when they are adults, than other kids. DCF hired 100 former foster kids to work in offices across the state. The department hopes the private sector will follow their lead.

“We are going to make a major initiative of trying to get employers to really begin to look at foster kids, former foster kids as a work force,” said George Sheldon, the Assistant Secretary of Operations at DCF.

DCF’s new employees can offer wisdom and advice to their bosses and the people they’ve been hired to help.

“It makes me feel a lot better knowing that something that I’ve done can help someone else not have to go through the things I went through in the system,” said Scadlock.

DCF has certainly planted seeds. They hope their new hires can help the department blossom. Not only has DCF hired a hundred former foster kids. They also found jobs for about 50 others who came through the system.

Posted in Children, State News | No Comments »

PSC Wants Floridians to Save Wasted Energy

July 24th, 2008 by flanews

You could be using more energy than you have to and paying extra on your electric bill. The Florida Public Service Commission is asking people to get an energy audit on their house to cut energy cost. Today a PSC Commissioner offered up her home to an inspector. Inspector Dan Ard used an infrared camera to find heat sources. Ard said people can save money in the long run if they spend some up front.

“That’s the thing the educational process needs to be better at, is to show people, that you might spend a little bit more up front, but you’re going to save in the long run,” said Ard.

Inspectors say leaving a ceiling fan on in an unoccupied room wastes electricity and does little to cool down a home. They also say black and dark colored shingles make a home harder to cool.

Posted in Environment, State News | No Comments »

Mortgage Regulator Defends Office

July 24th, 2008 by Mike Vasilinda

The man who regulates mortgage brokers in Florida is defending his office tonight against claims thousands of felons were allowed to work in the mortgage business. A 40-page report highlights problems with published reports, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, it may not be enough, soon enough, to save the regulators job.

Following published reports that more than 4 thousand felons were licensed as mortgage brokers by the state, Don Saxon, the regulator under fire, is fighting back.

A 40-page report by the office of Financial Regulation admits the agency made mistakes. Among them, not conducting federal background checks as required by law.

The office also says it has no authority to conduct a background check when mortgage licenses are renewed every two years and that crimes may have been committed after initial licensing.

After requesting and interview and not hearing back, we went to the agency’s office.

CFO Alex Sink said earlier this week she lost confidence.

“Leaders ought to know whats going on within their departments,” Sink said.

And now the AARP says new leadership is needed to protect seniors who might be buying a home.

“Some of these people have backgrounds that you wouldn’t trust them walking your dog,” AARP spokesman Dave Bruns said.

The fate of the agency leadership is now in the hands of the Governor and three Cabinet members who could vote as early as next week on whether to make a change.

Posted in Housing, State News | 2 Comments »

Office of Financial Regulation Response

July 24th, 2008 by Mike Vasilinda

Here’s the 40 page response of Don Saxon on why the OFR did or did not do its job when it came to licensing mortgage brokers. OFR Response

Posted in Business, Cabinet, Charlie Crist, State News | No Comments »

Raw Deal

July 23rd, 2008 by flanews

The recent tomato scare cost Florida tomato farmers more than a 100 million dollars in lost crops. Tomatoes were never linked to the 1,200 Salmonella cases nationwide. As Whitney Ray tells us, tomato farmers say they got a raw deal.

Hear it Here: Raw Deal

Dustin Ford has lunch on his mind.

“You’ve got to have a tomato on a cheeseburger,” said Ford.

But not long ago Dustin was eating his burgers without tomatoes.

“I got scared of buying tomatoes from anywhere,” said Ford.

The Food and Drug Administration named tomatoes as a possible source of the salmonella outbreak. Days into the scare the FDA said Florida tomatoes were okay.

Despite being placed on the safe-to-eat list, people bought other produce instead, and millions of Florida tomatoes rotted on the vine. Florida’s Department of Agriculture says in some cases farmers were losing money by harvesting crops.

“It’s cost effective, as unbelievable as it sounds, to let them rot on the vine, instead to spend six or eight dollars a box to pick them, pack them, ship them, if you’re not going to have a buyer,” said Department of Agriculture Spokesman Terry McElroy.

Tomato farmer and packaging plant operator Graves Williams says farmers at his plant lost more than 12 million dollars.

“We couldn’t give them away,” said Williams.

Williams is calculating his losses. He’ll give his findings to US lawmakers who will ask Congress to compensate Florida’s farmers who says they got a raw deal.

“I’m used to hurricanes, I’m used to pests. I never thought the federal Government would be the pest that put me out of business,” Williams said.

Williams fears if something isn’t done, some farmers will have to sell their land. US Congressman Allen Boyd will meet with the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and tomato farmers Monday.

Posted in Health, State News | No Comments »

Tax Watchdog Calls Amendment 5 Bad Bet

July 23rd, 2008 by flanews

A state tax watchdog says a plan to cut property taxes by 25 percent could result in an overall tax increase for Floridians. Florida TaxWatch held a news conference today in Tallahassee, to discuss their research on Amendment Five. The proposed constitutional amendment would cut property taxes by at least 25 percent, and raise sales tax by a penny. A one cent sales tax increase wouldn’t plug the hole left by the property tax cut which is set up to fund schools. Lawmakers would have to find different ways to fill the budget void. TaxWatch President Dominic Calabro said the proposal comes at a bad time.

“It leaves an 11 billion dollar hole. It takes funding from local government and dumps it without reasonable time frame all at one time and at the worst time in the state’s economic history since the Great Depression,” said Calabro.

The Florida Association of Realtors says Amendment Five could boost Florida’s failing real estate market. Sixty percent of voters will have to cast ballots for the amendment in November in order for it to become law.

Posted in Property Taxes, State News, Taxes, Voting | No Comments »

A Reason to Cheer for High Gas Prices

July 23rd, 2008 by flanews

There’s finally some good news surrounding the record high gas prices. Since gas hit four dollars a gallon… fewer people have died on Florida roads. According to the National Safety Council deadly car wreck are down 11 percent through May of this year. Nationwide fatal wrecks are down by about 9 percent. A recent study shows that Floridians are driving less and driving slower on the interstate can save gas. Florida Highway Patrol Lieutenant Ken Ellis credits statewide safety campaigns for the decrease in road fatalities.

“Our traditional campaigns and enforcement waves this year, we feel that’s probably the root cause of the decline in the number of fatalities, so as the population in Florida keeps increasing so its good news for us that the traffic fatalities have decreased,” said Ellis.

There was a similar decline in traffic deaths during the 1970’s energy crisis.

Posted in Gas Prices, Health, Highways, State News, Transportation | No Comments »

School Funding in Limbo

July 22nd, 2008 by flanews

A controversial tax swap plan is causing a stir across the state. Tuesday the Florida Association of Realtors announced a million dollar effort to pass Amendment Five. The amendment would cut property taxes and raise sales and other taxes. As Whitney Ray tells us, teachers say the amendment would short change schools.

Hear it Here: School Funding in Limbo

In November Floridians will be asked to change the way public schools are funded. A proposed tax swap plan would eliminate the portions of property tax earmarked for schools. The idea is to replace 25 percent of your property tax with a penny sales tax increase.

The tax cut would save home owners about nine billion dollars, but a one cent sales tax increase would only raise Three billion, leaving state lawmakers looking for ways to keep schools open.

“The one penny sales tax is just an option. There are another menu of options to make up the difference. We’re not trying to short change schools at all. We’re going to fund them but we’re going to fund them with a much more dynamic economically strong activity,” said Republican State Representative Frank Attkinsson.

The Florida Education Association said the plan leaves schools in limbo.

“It’s one of those things were, they’ve left the commitment as vague as possible,” said FEA spokesman Mark Pudlow.

The Florida Association of Realtors has vowed to spend a million dollars campaigning for Amendment Five. Realtors spent a million dollars pushing Amendment One, which passed in January and promised to save the state’s housing market.

“This is Amendment one on steroids. This is Amendment one times five or six,” said Florida Assocaition of Realtors spokesman John Sebree.

Realtors credit amendment one for the recent increase in statewide home sales, but sales are down when compared to last years numbers. At least 60 percent of voters will have to vote for the state constitutional amendment in order for it to pass. State Senator Mike Haridopolos is touring Florida this week, campaigning against Amendment 5.

Posted in Children, Education, Legislature, State Budget, State News, Taxes | No Comments »

State Holds Eight Million Dollars in Unclaimed Property

July 22nd, 2008 by flanews

Since our story about unclaimed property aired last week more than 120,000 people have visited the state’s website, crashing it at one point. More than 16,000 people have filled out paperwork to claim property or money. The Florida Bureau of Unclaimed property has about 8 million dollars worth of cash and items that people have left in safety deposit boxes. Next month the state will auction off some of the property. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink oversees the unclaimed property bureau. Sink said the department tries to find the owners before they put the property on the auction block.

“We have, of course, abandoned safety deposit boxes, and of course recently we returned a purple heart to a family, but there are many many other treasures left in safety deposit boxes. We make an effort for couple of years to try and find the owner,” said Sink.

The state will auction off half a million dollars worth of property on August 2nd at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.

Posted in State News | No Comments »

Mortgage Showdown Imminent

July 22nd, 2008 by Mike Vasilinda

A showdown over who runs the office that licenses mortgage brokers could occur as early as next week. Calls for the resignation of Don Saxon are growing over reports that felons have been licensed despite their convictions. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the state’s Chief Financial Officer says she isn’t getting the answers she needs.

Deep within this state office building, regulators decide who gets a mortgage license and who doesn’t. Since this decade began, over 4 thousand former felons were licensed, while an investigation found just 28 people were denied because of their criminal past.

Florida CFO Alex Sink is calling for an immediate end to licensing any felons. She’s asking but not getting answers on how those felons could have gotten a license.

“Cocaine dealers and bank robbers and fraudsters have been permitted to apply for mortgage brokers licenses and get them, and then proceed to go out and defraud more people,”Sink said.

Sink is also calling for the resignation of the key regulator, saying she has lost confidence in leadership. The nationwide community organization ACORN is also calling for a change.

“Minorities are seen as targets for a lot of these people that seek to game the system on both sides, both lending and the borrowers side, and what they did was criminal,” Jason Roth with ACORN said.

Trouble for a lot of people begins here in the phone book because one of every ten of these outfits could be a fraud artist.

Phone books list dozens of companies known as mortgage originators. They are unlicensed people that help prepare loan paperwork.  Lawmakers have refused to license the originators before, but the call for more regulation is going out again.

Posted in Housing, State News | 2 Comments »

Fines Target Non Profit Groups

July 21st, 2008 by flanews

Groups hosting voter registration drives could soon become subject to stricter penalties for turning in applications late or not at all. As Whitney Ray tells us, non-profit groups could be hit with thousands of dollars in fines.

Hear it Here: Fines Target Non Profit Groups

Voter registration drives may be the most convenient way to sign up to vote, but they could also be risky. The Florida Secretary of State is drafting rules for stricter penalties and deadlines for groups that host registration drives.

“We have had times in the past where some of these drives have turned in the applications after Election Day or have turned them in with bad information,” said Jennifer Davis, a spokeswoman with the Secretary of State.

Florida’s League of Women Voters is suing, calling the new rules unfair. League President Marilyn Wills says a thousand dollar penalty for late applications would discourage registration drives and keep some people from casting ballots.

“There are some groups who are registered mostly through third party registration, like you’re Hispanic voters and your black voters,” said Wills.

The rules come at a time when record numbers of Floridians are signing up to cast ballots in this year’s presidential race.

Three hundred thousand people registered to vote already in Florida this year. About 200,000 of them registered Democrat. Some election supervisors say the new rules could kill the momentum.

“To actually chill people’s first amendment right to register people to vote by threatening them with erroneous fines is really nothing more than a gambit to suppress voter registration in Florida,” Ion Sancho, the Leon County Supervisor of Elections.

Florida is already below average when it comes to signing people up to vote. The new rules are expected to go into effect in August. Third party groups say they’re rushing to collect voter applications before the rules change. The deadline to sign up to vote in the August primary is July 28th

Posted in Elections, State News, Voting | 3 Comments »

No Lowe’s In the Everglades

July 21st, 2008 by flanews

Development plans to build a Lowe’s near the everglades were shot down by the Florida Department of Community Affairs. Earlier this year the Miami-Dade County Commission approved plans to build past the urban development boundary, which is set up to protect the Everglades. Environmental groups gathered 2,000 signatures in less than a month asking Governor Charlie Crist to intervene. Damien Filer works with Progress Florida, the group that fought the development and hosted the petition signing. Filer said his group couldn’t have stopped the development without help from Floridians.

“People made their voices heard, they said we already have over a hundred Lowe’s in Florida, we only have one Everglades, it’s a national treasure and we want to protect it. Thousands of people made their voices heard. The state of Florida listened and they paid attention,” said Filer.

Filer expects Lowe’s to appeal the decision. Filer set up a link on Progress Florida’s website (www.progressflorida.com) directing people to send an email to the President of Lowe’s. So Far more than a hundred people have participated.

Posted in State News, Wildlife | No Comments »

Mortgage Originators Cause Concern

July 21st, 2008 by Mike Vasilinda

The state’s Chief Financial Officer is calling for the resignation of Florida’s top mortgage regulator. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the resignation is being sought after a report that as many as 10 thousand felons have been working in Florida’s mortgage industry.

Hear it Here: Mortgage Originators Cause Concern

The investigation found that one in every 12 loan originators or just over 10 thousand people had a criminal history. Despite their records, over 4 thousand passed criminal background checks giving them access to sensitive credit card and social security information.

Many work in fly-by-night offices. We opened the phone book and got a message saying the call could not be completed as dialed.

In many ways, it’s the fox guarding the hen house.

Florida’s Banking Industry says there may be a reason a bank turned you down and if someone else’s deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

“A bank wants to put you in a home but it wants to put you in a home you can afford to keep,” Pam Ricco with the Florida Bankers Association said. “And it doesn’t help anybody if people have to be foreclosed on or if they lose their home. It doesn’t help anybody.”

The mortgage industry says it has worked for years to ban those with criminal records with no help from state lawmakers.

“Our association is definitely in favor of licensing all originators, whether they be mortgage brokers which of course are licensed already or unlicensed originators, and that includes all unlicensed originators,” Mortgage Broker’s Association President Elect Valerie Saunders said.

The fraud has cost millions of dollars, helping Florida achieve a dubious honor. It has the highest mortgage fraud rate in the country.

The state and national mortgage industry has been asking Florida lawmakers to license all lenders since 2002,but no action has been taken.

Posted in Business, Housing, State News | 2 Comments »

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