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People who try to sue BP for damages will find the company’s wallet shut to them. BP can deny claims while people are suing them. The state is asking everyone to work with the company to get claims paid now, because as Whitney Ray tells us, they’ll have three years to make up their mind about a suit… even if they’re taking the company’s money.

BP has paid 17 million dollars to Floridians whose businesses have suffered because of the gulf oil leak… But some people worry about the company’s willingness to keep paying.

Thomas Ruppert, with Sea Grant Florida, says lawyers are cashing in on those fears, holding town hall meetings to build lawsuits.

“Unfortunately what a lot of these people in the meetings get is a real sense of fear about their need to act urgently in order to make claims or jump on the bandwagon for a lawsuit against BP,” said Ruppert.

But if people think they are being treated unfairly and sue BP, then the company can hold back their claims until a judge rules. And that could take years according to Bob Butterworth, a former Attorney General and member of the state’s legal council in charge of keeping BP honest.

“They can pay a lawyer 10, 20, or 30, or 40% which could also keep you tied up in court for maybe ten years and 20 years later, there’s still claims out there,” said Butterworth.

BP is putting 20 billion dollars in a claims fund to help speed up the process. Wednesday BP Vice President of Resources Darryl Willis told state and business leaders the company hopes the fund will help avoid litigation.

“My hope is that we can get a lot of it done with the money that’s been allocated inside of the fund,” said Willis.

But many wonder if 20 billion will be enough to pay all the claims. Willis says if the fund runs dry… they’ll cough up even more cash.

It’s not just fishermen and business owners who are holding off on filing a claim. The state is as well. Florida’s Attorney General Bill McCollum is hoping Florida can be reimbursed without a lawsuit… but he’s keeping his options open.

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association is asking BP for hotel vouchers and gas cards to help reduce the financial damages to the tourism industry. Many panhandle hotels have experienced a slight surge in business, but that’s because they are offering huge discounts and in return not making much money. Hoteliers want BP to offer the discounts. Carol Dover says gas cards would also help give traveler the extra nudge needed to visit Florida.

“We need to get the gas cards as an incentive so people can have their gas paid by BP to come down and stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants. The voucher idea is, you know, many of our hotels are having to cut their room rates down just to get the incentive so people can come. So, you know we feel that that could be on the backs of BP. Let’s get a voucher. Let’s make BP pay for the voucher and let the hotel then get the full amount of the room rate. Let the consumer only pay half,” said Dover.

Dover took her suggestion to BP’s Vice President of Resources Darryl Willis today. Willis says he’ll see if anything can be done in time for the 4th of July holiday weekend.

If BP’s 20 billion dollar fund runs dry, the company says it will still pay claims. BP’s vice President of Resources told state and business leaders at Florida’s Economic Recovery Taskforce Meeting today the claims fund is a floor, not a ceiling. Tracy Wareing with the Department of Homeland Security says the transition to paying claims once the fund runs dry should be flawless.

“At any point in the claim, if the escrow count is insufficient, BP is expected to pay the state and local government claims, find the money to pay the state and local government claims.” Said Wareing.

The fund’s administrator Ken Feinberg is expected to meet with Governor Charlie Crist Friday morning in Miami to discuss paying claims in Florida.

A former Democrat turned independent candidate for governor is ignoring calls from Democrats to drop out of the governor’s race. Bud Chiles, son of former governor Lawton Chiles, entered the race at the last minute, because he says he didn’t like what he was seeing from the candidates. As Whitney Ray tells us, there’s fear among Democrats and cheering among Republicans over the Chiles campaign.

Just days after Bud Chiles announced his intentions to run for governor as an independent, Quinnipiac released a poll showing one in five Florida voters would cast their ballot for the son of former Democrat Governor Lawton Chiles.

But political experts say 20 percent voter approval this late in the race isn’t enough and Chiles doesn’t have a the war-chest to hang his picture beside his father’s outside the governor’s office.

That’s why behind the scenes Democrats are asking Chiles to step aside. They believe Chiles will siphon off enough votes from their candidate Alex Sink to deliver the election to the Republican nominee.

Last week, Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson took his plea public: calling Chiles a spoiler.

“I’m not a spoiler in this race; the system is spoiled by money,” said Chiles.

Sink, who asked Chiles several times to stay out of the race, has now resorted to ignoring him.

“There will be many candidates in the campaign, many candidates names on the ballot in November and I intend to run an aggressive campaign,” said Sink.

But running is one thing, winning is another. Winning takes cash, and Chiles isn’t taking money from lobbyists or any donation over 250 dollars; an ethical stand in a race where 10’s of million of dollars will be spent.

The 20 percent support Chiles received in the most recent Quinnipiac Poll was tallied after Chiles had official been in the race for just four days. The next poll will give a clearer picture of just how popular the Chiles campaign is.

An eight-year old girl’s death in Florida has changed state law and serves as a warning to drowsy drivers. RonShay Dugan was killed in Tallahassee when the school bus she was riding in was hit by a drowsy driver in a cement truck. Today in Tallahassee, RonShay’s family stood beside representative Alan Williams, who helped pass the RonShay Dugan Act to increase awareness of the dangers of driving while sleepy. RonShay’s mother, Cavetta Corbett, says it’s too late for her daughter, but she hopes others can be saved.

“It will definitely make a difference in other people’s lives and hopefully prevent this from happening to others; good kids, adults, or whatever,” said Corbett.

The RonShay Dugan Act designates the first week of September as Drowsy Driving Week.

The roads are a little safer tonight thanks to a program helping seniors adjust their car’s seats, steering wheels and mirrors. The Department of Highway Safety, AARP and AAA are hosting CarFit events around the state. Today in Tallahassee, CarFit volunteers inspected vehicles and instructed drivers. Kim Jones, safety coordinator for the Florida DMV, says the whole car gets a thorough check and it costs the driver nothing.

“We do a check of the whole vehicle; of their lights make sure their break lights are working and everything. A lot of mature drivers live alone and there’s not another person to check them for them,” said Jones.

But it’s not just seniors who need to get their cars checked. CarFit events like the one held in Tallahassee today are for all ages. For more information visit the CarFit website at www.car-fit.org

A nationwide protest will be held this weekend in an attempt to end offshore oil drilling. Hands across the Sand, a Florida environmental group, is organizing the event. The group formed last year after the state legislature tried to lift the state ban on oil drilling. Now Hands across the Sand is going nationwide to convince the federal government to ban drilling and develop renewable energy. Founder Dave Rauschkolb says there are hundreds of events are planned for this weekend.

“All told, we’ve got about 600 events or more than 600 events across the world and about 580 of those events are in America in 48 states in many, many interior cities. There’s even going to be one in St. Louis under the arch,” said Rauschkolb.

In February, 10-thousand people gathered on beaches around the state; joining hands in protest to offshore drilling. For more information or to find an event near you got to handsacrossthesand.org

Florida has a new point man to help speed up the response efforts to the BP oil leak. U.S. Coast Guard Commander Joe Boudrow will work to secure more equipment and help organize beach clean up efforts for the state. As Whitney Ray tells us, his first marching orders… bring more skimmers to Florida.

There are only 20 skimmer boats sucking up oil off Florida’s coast… and for two weeks calls for more have gone mostly unheard.

22 countries are offering their skimmers to help clean up the oil leak, but BP Is ignoring their charity.

US Senator George Lemieux is keeping track of the skimmer situation in Florida; Posting the count on his website and putting pressure on the state Department and BP to bring in more.

Governor Charlie Crist says the state will need a hundred skimmers to adequately respond to the disaster.

“We have to be responsible, and we have to be demanding, and we will continue to do that. And now the secretary is going to request eighty more skimmers. It’s that simple,” said Crist.

And there’s more reason to believe the state’s calls will get louder. Monday Crist announced the newest member of Florida’s Gulf Oil Spill Response Team. US Coast Guard Commanders Joe Boudrow will communicate directly with BP and the federal government on the state’s behalf to help secure more equipment.

“I will be reporting to the unified command in Mobile, Alabama to ensure that we get the proper resources and the support here in the state of Florida,” Boudrow.

More good news Monday, another shift in the wind is expected shift to keep the oil plume at bay a little while longer.

“We’ve got some currents now that going to improve and actually push it also to the west,” said Boudrow.

But while the state waits for the wind… and for more skimmers… tar balls continue to make landfall farther along Florida’s coast. Later this week Governor Charlie Crist will meet with Ken Fienberg, the administrator of that 20 billion dollar escrow account BP is setting up to pay claims. The meeting will be in Miami, where Crist will ask Fienberg to use some of the money to rent skimmers from other areas.

Florida’s Emergency Operations Center is already at a level one activation because of the BP oil leak… and its hurricane season… which means emergency workers maybe asked to deal with two crises at once. Department of Emergency Management Director Dave Halstead says the state is prepared if a storm were to make landfall this week…. And according to NOAA there is a 30 percent chance a system in Puerto Rico could develop into a tropical storm.

“We’ve got a tropical wave out there that has a small chance of a formation as it moves westward. So we have a plan here in the state EOC to run both operations simultaneously if necessary and we’ll be exercising a small portion of that this week as we move forward. So again, as we handle the water rising we can’t lose,” said Halstead.

There still remains the question of what happens if a storm hits the huge oil plumes in the Gulf of Mexico. Some fear the wind and wave would skyrocket the oil to land… others say the chop of the sea would dissipate the oil… allowing it to sink to the sea bed.

Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 11.7 from 12 percent, but the number is misleading. Temporary census jobs account for the 20-thousand job spike in the labor statistics. As Whitney Ray tells us, 4,200 news jobs are now available cleaning up the BP oil spill, but those too are temporary.

Good news on the jobs front; kind of.

“The unemployment rate dropped to 11.7 percent from a month ago rate of 12.0 percent,” said Rebecca Rust, AWI Chief Economist.

The state gained 20-thousand jobs in May, all of them temporary Census jobs.

Still this is the second month in a roll the unemployment rate has dropped. And more people working means more people with cash to spend. Sales tax collections were 46 million dollars above estimates last month.

The increase marks the second time in as many months collections have risen, but the gulf oil leak could change the state’s luck.

The hardship the oil is causing coastal residents isn’t showing up in the state’s labor statistics yet… because many of the effected are taking jobs with BP to clean up the mess.

Friday the state announced 42-hundred new clean up jobs; the impacted get first dibs.

“The workforce system is working very closely in the effected areas to make sure that preference is given not only to Floridians, but people from those communities that are affected,” said Robby Cunningham, AWI Spokesman.

The only question, will the impacted be able to get their old jobs back, once the oil is cleaned up. Without the census jobs, the state might have lost as many as 12-thousand jobs for the month of May.

Environmentalists from across the state are paying close attention to the 2010 election season and hoping the candidates understand the importance of Florida’s coastal health.

The 2010 Ocean Conference was held in Tallahassee today. Environmentalists, political experts, and journalists addressed the changing coastal environment, the impact of the gulf oil leak, and how a new administration might shake up the state’s response and ocean policy. James Murley, the Director of the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University says after the General election… the state’s environmental policy could change drastically.

“We have never had all the governor and cabinet elected in the same November. A total turnover so it’s important that we use this meeting to prepare for that transition and to work together as we have in the past,” said Murley.

The main change the environmentalists worry about is losing the current Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, Mike Sole. The environmentalists are pleased with Sole’s response to the Gulf Oil Spill, but fear a new Governor might appoint someone else to the position.

The most expensive and nastiest Republican primary for Governor took shape today in Tallahassee.  Billionaire political newcomer Rick Scott and veteran Bill McCollum both filed paperwork and paid a qualifying fee to be on the August 24th ballot. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, it did not take long for the gloves to come off.

Rick Scott filed his paperwork first.

“Well, it’s official, I’m a candidate of this great state of Florida,” Scott said.

Bill McCollum missed Scott by just 15 minutes. Both men paid the seventy eight hundred and 16 dollar fee.

“Great, then I’m qualified then,” McCollum said.

This was Scott’s first trip to the capital as a candidate and he made the rounds. A local TV show, then a roast at a  political luncheon.

At each stop, his theme was the same:  less government, more accountability, and change.

“We’ve got to have big change, we can’t just keep electing career politicians and all of the old games that keep going on,” Scott said. “We need to make big changes and keep do the right thing and use common sense.”

McCollum, who Scott portrays as a career politician, brought a Tea Party backer and the incoming Speaker of the House with him, doing nothing to change the insider image. But McCollum was quick to point out Scott’s baggage.

“Here’s a fellow who presided over the largest Medicare fraud in history with Columbia HCA which ripped off the taxpayers,” McCollum said.

“He comes up with attacks,” Scott said. “He’s a desperate politician. So, that’s what happens when you upset the apple cart.”

The latest polls have Rick Scott ahead by double digits, but the election isn’t for another 68 days and anything could happen.

The next two months are expected to be the nastiest and the most expensive GOP primary for Governor in Florida’s history.

Scott dismisses the attacks by McCollum as a desperate politician conducting politics as usual. McCollum says the choice is clear.

BP will put 20 billion dollars in a compensation fund to pay fishermen and business owners losing money because of the company’s oil spill. The fund is being set up under criticism that BP is taking to long to pay claims and fears the company will run out of money. As Whitney Ray tells us, BP’s commitment is encouraging, but confusion remains over who qualifies for the cash and if 20 billion is enough.

Welcome to Joy’s General Store in St. Marks; where you can get groceries, knick-knacks and even a smile.

But smiles don’t pay the bills and ever since oil began gushing into the gulf, business has slowed. Owner Joy Brown says the people in this small fishing community are rationing their money over fears that the oil spill will end their careers.

“If they have any money they are saving it because they know down the road they will have less,” said Brown.

And what hurts the most is, the oil is still a hundred miles away… but tourists have stopped coming. It’s lunchtime in St. Marks and this lot where people park to go to three of the town’s busiest restaurants is practically empty.”

Joy is keeping track of her losses and is in the process of filing a claim. She’s encouraged by news that BP is putting 20 billion dollars in an escrow account.
But there is still confusion about who will be allowed to tap the fund….

Attorney General Bill McCollum says the state will still have to fight to make sure Florida gets its fair share.

“What I don’t know is how that is going to be apportioned among the states or the claimants or whatever. There are going to be a lot of claims and we are going to have to fight to make sure whatever process is there, that Floridians get their fair share,” said McCollum.

BP will put five billion dollars a year into the fund over the next four years… Still most state officials say it won’t be enough. There are still very few details about how the claims process will change in Florida, if at all, but people who have already filed aren’t expected to have to do any extra paperwork, and once the federal oversight system is set up… claims should begin to move faster.

Oil has invaded beaches in the panhandle and has seeped into Pensacola Bay despite efforts to contain the orange gunk. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the state is mobilizing hundreds of law enforcement officers and others to aid in the fight.

Despite best efforts, tar balls are floating in the water at the mouth of Pensacola Bay as two large ships pull boom nearby and a skimmer ship sucks in the oily gunk.

Since Tuesday, the Fish and Wildlife Commission has been trying to close and boom Pensacola Pass on incoming tides.

“We have two of our four Fish and Wildlife vessels in that pass for 24 hours while we close that,” Fish and Wildlife officer Sarah Manning said.

Manning says if more oil shows up in the bay, it is likely the intercostal waterway will be closed to commercial traffic. The closure becomes more likely with each incoming tide.

Ken Manning has been patrolling the waters for the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

“It’s just awful. The consistency of grease,” Ken Manning said.

Manning is getting help.

More than a dozen FWC officers from south Florida have com here to Pensacola to join the fight.

Jorge Pino is a communications officer stationed in Miami.

“We have several large vessels like the one that we’re on right now,” Pino said. “Several small vessels that we brought as well. And we also brought all-terain vehicles that we’re going to use to patrol the beach to make sure if the oil does get onto the beach, we can be ready to direct recovery crews to that area.”

While just small deposits have drifted to inland waters so far…large concentrations are right off shore, and moving closer with every incoming tide.

Other state agencies are also beefing up their presence in Pensacola and increasing overtime to those already there, under the assumption BP will eventually pick up the tab.

The state is holding onto 170 million dollars worth of BP stock and bonds despite their falling value and the financial trouble the company is causing Florida. When the state took on big tobacco in the early 90’s, it sold all its stock in cigarette companies to make a statement against smoking. As Whitney Ray tells us, dropping the stock will be one of the issues discussed when the state’s investment board meets again in September.

When Florida sued the tobacco industry in 1995, the state couldn’t get rid of its cigarette stock fast enough.

Then Governor Lawton Chiles spearheaded the decision to sell; believing it was hypocritical to attack tobacco and still invest in its future.

Lawton’s son Bud, who is running for governor, sees a similar scenario with the 170 million dollars the state holds in BP stocks and bonds. But Bud says the decision to sell should be weighed carefully.

“This is a very uncertain company at a very uncertain time, and it is something that the state should really look hard at,” said Chiles.

One of the state officials charged with overseeing pension fund investments is Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink. Sink says the board should consider selling.

“It should clearly be on the radar,” said Sink.

Adding fuel to the fire is BP’s falling value. The state’s BP stock has lost 67 million dollars worth of its value since the oil rig exploded April 20th.

The State Board of Administration isn’t worried about the falling value, because the state pension is valued at 113 billion dollars… and its investments are long term.

“BP holdings are just a minuscule portion of the overall investments we have in the pension fund,” said MacKee.

Also keeping BP stock allows the state to participate in shareholder meetings, giving Florida a say-so in company’s future. Shortly after the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, Exxon stock fell to 11 dollars a share. Today it is trading around 90 dollars.