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     Nationwide is not on the side of tens of thousands of Florida property owners.  Next month, the major insurer is dropping more than 40,000 policies.  As Chris Casquejo tells us, state leaders are confident that other companies will fill the void.

Here it here:  Nationwide Drops 40,000 Florida Customers 

     Nationwide Insurance paid out more than $1 billion in hurricane claims in 2004 and 2005.  Sam Miller is with the Florida Insurance Council, a trade group representing insurers.  He says many factors go into a company’s decision to drop customers, including its own bottom line.
     “How much exposure can it maintain in Florida and be certain that following a major hurricane in Florida it can still pay all its claims,” Miller said.
     Nationwide customers could start receiving cancellation notices as early as next week, as the company continues its move out of the Florida property market.
     Most of the 40,000 homeowners who won’t have Nationwide will have another option, transferring their policies to a smaller insurance company, Security First.  Governor Charlie Crist does not seem too concerned about Nationwide cutting and running.
    “If these companies who want to overcharge want to leave the state, fine with me,” Crist said.  “We want to have companies that want to compete, that want to give lower rates, that want to do what’s right for Floridians.”
     Since the 2004-2005 hurricane seasons, 27 new companies, mainly smaller insurers like Security First, have entered the Florida property insurance market to pick up the customers the bigger companies are leaving behind.
     Nationwide will focus on auto insurance polices and financial services in Florida.  It will still have 176,000 homes insured in the state.

     Even as the state struggles with hacking more than a billion dollars from its budget, Governor Charlie Crist says he’d like to see Major League Baseball and leaders in South Florida strike a deal soon on a new Florida Marlins stadium.
     “I think it’s an economic stimulation to our state.  The more entrepreneurial opportunities we have for jobs and job creation and economic stimulus, that’s all good for Florida,” Crist said.  “We’re so fortunate to be in the sunshine state where things are better than they are in other parts of the country.  We just got to keep it going.  So I would support it.”
     The Marlins’ lease agreement at Dolphin Stadium expires after the 2010 season.

     Despite a veto by Charlie Crist, Florida college students could be facing a tuition increase next semester. Back in the spring, lawmakers approved a five percent hike that was wiped out by the governor’s veto pen. But the tuition plan could be revived to help deal with a billion dollar budget shortfall.  Chris Casquejo talked with students and school leaders about the financial flip-flop.

Hear it here: Tuition Hikes 

     Students at Florida State University are back in class, hitting the books. But come January, families of those who attend the state’s 11 universities may feel a hit in their checkbooks, as much as 5 percent.
     “I think increasing tuition when we’re already here is completely unfair and that you would have an immense number of dropouts,” said FSU first-year student Laura Been.
     Many students at FSU are on financial aid, but they still will feel the pain of a tuition hike.
     “Financial aid probably won’t change,” said Carl Bellefleur, a first-year student.
     That means he will have to spend more time trying to make money and less time to focus on getting good grades.
     “I need to be focused on one thing, school.  I can’t work and go to school.  It would be too much things on my mind,” Bellefleur said.
     But University of Florida President Bernie Machen says even a tuition hike won’t be enough.
     “We are woefully short of faculty to teach students,” Machen said.
     Governor Charlie Crist hopes universities can wait a year.
     “I’d rather have them not go up.  I had talked to them about waiting until 08,” Crist said.
     But lawmakers may not be able to wait. They have a billion dollar hole in the budget and raising tuition in January would be one small way to help bridge the gap.
     Florida’s universities rank near the bottom in tuition rates nationally.

The largest tax relief package in the history of the state is on its way to the governor. State lawmakers have approved a series of bills rolling back taxes to last years levels. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, with the legislative work done, debate on the most controversial aspects of the tax change is just beginning.

Hear it here: Tax Reform Plan

Florida voters will have to decide if they like their current homestead exemption or want to switch to something different. After lengthy debate, lawmakers are offering the choices of a so called super-sized exemption, which is 75 percent of the first 200 thousand dollars of a home’s value. Sen. Mike Haridopolus says the break is small on higher dollar homes “And from 200 thousand dollars and above to 500 thousand dollars, 15 percent would be exempted… the idea being that we want to help those people who have been hardest hit.” says the Brevard County Senator.

But if homeowners decide they like the current save our homes cap…they can keep it instead. Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller called the idea the biggest cut to education, police and fire service in the state’s history. “There have been too many politicians telling the voters they can have deep, deep tax cuts and that it will not in any way affect services. That is not an accurate statement.”

Only lukewarm applause greeted the 25-12 vote.

These votes…rather than being the end of the debate… will be just the beginning. Before any change can take effect, voters will have to say okay. Alex Villalobos says everyone should check with their accountant before deciding how to vote. This is your home… and your tax situation. And if this changes, is it gonna be better or worse?” says the Miami Senator.

The plan doesn’t help those who were screaming the loudest… renters and the owners of second homes.

Hundreds of firefighters converged on the state Capitol today in opposition to pending tax cuts which they say will affect public safety. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the GOP lead legislature is turning a deaf ear to the firefighter’s concerns and is moving ahead without much debate.

The chorus of firefighters is growing louder each day.“I say no. What do you say?” NO!
Was the chant in the Capitol courtyard. Under the tax cut plan, some districts will lose scores of personnel. Harold Schaitberger from the International Association of Firefighters read a list of counties facing cuts  “This is about Broward County… 50 members less to respond to the next disaster on the highway.”

One jurisdiction says even the fear of pending cuts is already having an effect.
Bert Williams is from Pinellas Park. “We’ve lost an inspector, a district chief and three lines guys that aren’t out there protecting us or the citizens.”

While there’s plenty of noise being made outside the capitol, it doesn’t appear as though anyone inside is listening.

Inside, the GOP led legislature told Democrats if they even offered an amendment to the tax cut plans, they would never have their idea heard. Steve Geller says he has never seen anything like it. “This is it… take it or leave it… and if you offer and amendment and its defeated, we probably won’t even consider it later.” says Geller.

But the governor is holding strong, calling the firefighter’s bluff by saying services won’t be cut. “You know, the people of Florida want their money back and they deserve to have tax cuts. And we’re gonna give it to ‘em.” says Crist.

In the end, there may be enough votes to pass the tax cut plan, but not enough to have a special election on the tax cuts in January, which will delay some of the relief for another year.  The House of Representatives is meeting tonight to begin debating the tax cut plan.

Since its launch, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test has been a clashing point for students, educators, lawmakers, and parents. Now, As Mike Vasilinda reports, problems with scoring the test could affect what grades schools get later this month.

School grades from the state are going to be late this summer… yet another bump in the state’s controversial standardized testing system known as the FCAT. Other problems include a new science test in which students did poorly and a problem grading some portions of the 3rd grade version of the test which inflated test scores for nearly 200-thousand students.

“I would have to give the grade “F.” says John Due, a member of the Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform. And with 4 grandchildren just starting in public school,  he’s worried about problems that effect school grades and how student performance is measured. “I’m concerned about them taking any kind of standardized test which really doesn’t measure whether they are learning or not.”

The Department of Education is hoping that school grades, which range from F to A, will be out by the end of June. That’s two weeks later than normal. DOE spokesman Tom Butler told us “We… we stand by the FCAT. I think if you look through the long term gains that have been shown by the FCAT, the performance measures that have been in place and the accountability that the FCAT has brought to the education system here in Florida, I think you know we’re very happy with how the way the FCAT has performed.”

Next week an advisory committee is scheduled to meet and examine the options for fixing the inflated test scores and possibly rescoring the portions of the 2006 3rd grade test. School grades are expected to drop this year because of the addition of the science test and lower grades could mean fewer dollars for those schools.

Initial reports are that many of the more than 1000 gas stations along evacuation routes which were supposed to be generator ready on June first are not. Inspectors are visiting the stations this week, issuing notices of non compliance where appropriate. Mike Vasilinda went along with inspectors and tells us some stations are just ignoring the law.

Leonard Wood and Roberta Johnson’s job is to make sure gas stations along hurricane evacuation routes are generator ready. We weren’t allowed to take pictures at this Fast Track station, but the station was sited for non-compliance after the clerk told the inspector Johnson she didn’t know anything. “Tried to get a hold of the owner and we couldn’t get an answer so we gave them a non-compliance because nobody could give us any information.” Johnson told us. Johnson was also told nothing happens when the power goes off.

The clerk in this store was able to get a hold of the corporate owners to deny us permission to shoot inside, but when the state wanted to talk to those same owners about generators, they weren’t available.

Across the street, it was a completely different story. Owner Jerry Grubbs took the new law seriously. “What did that cost you?” we asked. “20 thousand dollars.”
“What do you think of that investment?” “It’s a very poor investment. I’ve been out of electricity two hours in 40 years.” says Grubbs.

Jerry’s 30 KW generator exceeds what the law requires says Inspector Leonard Wood
“They don’t have to have a generator on site. If they don’t have it on site, they have to have a physical address where I can find it. It has to be within 250 miles. They have to be able to get it here within 24 hours.”

The generators do guarantee the pumps will operate…but there is no way to make sure every station with a generator will have gas in the ground to pump.

Stations given a notice of non compliance have ten days to prove they are following the law. Failure to comply is a criminal violation.

Today in Tallahassee, State lawmakers held their last public meeting before a special session on property taxes set for next week. They say there is substantial agreement on a course of action, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, some big decisions, like how much you’ll save, are still up in the air.

Hear it here: Property Tax Negotiations

Police and fire officials from around the state came in droves. Mike Brown of the North Naples Fire District says they are worried about cuts to local governments and to needed services “We’re funded strictly by property taxes and there’s no place to cut other than fire protection.” says Brown.

At a last hearing before a special session that begins next Tuesday, negotiator Dean Cannon of Winter Park painted a picture of agreement. “The agreement has been reached that we will endeavor to get immediate relief to the taxpaying citizens of Florida this fall.” Cannon told fellow lawmakers.

The certainties are that local governments will see cuts in revenue, homes will be assessed as a percentage of their value, there will be a cap on future tax increases, but when it comes to dollars and cents, there is only a big question mark.

Don’t look to see how much you’ll save after this last pre-session hearing. No one really knows and the numbers are not set in stone. House negotiator Dean Cannon says it is a matter of deciding policy first, then plugging in the numbers. “We’re really doing what we said at the beginning… which is building all of the architecture of the plan first, then we’ll be able to calculate the numbers. That will be the last thing decided.”

Expect to vote on what’s approved here the same day you choose your favorite for President… January 29th. The governor has said taxes must drop like a rock. But so far, the numbers are in limbo. The special session on property taxes begins next Tuesday and is scheduled to last 11 days.

     House Speaker Marco Rubio and Senate President Ken Pruitt have agreed on a plan to resolve the major issues involving property tax reform.
     The plan calls for local governments to roll back their property taxes based on a formula of how much they have increased taxes in recent years. Tax growth will also be capped, but local governments could exceed the cap with an extraordinary vote. Future homestead exemptions will be based on a percent of the property’s value.
     Local governments have the most to lose under this plan so Christopher Holley at the Florida Association of Counties says they’re still waiting for details.
     “The concepts that they’re working on are moving in a good direction, so I want to be positive about the work that’s being done,” said Holley. “But the devil is in the details and there are none at this point.”
     The rollback would cover city and county governments, but public schools will not have to reduce taxes.
     House Minority Leader Dan Gelber (D-Miami Beach) also has some concerns about the lack of specifics regarding “the deal.”
     “I am pleased that my colleagues have reached preliminary agreement on delivering property tax relief. However, I remain concerned that there are many other aspects of tax relief that are unaddressed. Unfortunately, there continues to be more questions than answers on the impacts of this tax relief agreement,” said Gelber.
     Several issues remain to be discussed at a June 4th meeting of state lawmakers… including tax relief for low income seniors and affordable housing.
     The special session on property tax reform is scheduled to begin on June 12th.

Full text of the letter outlining the deal: propertytax.pdf

2007 is poised to be the driest year on record. Rainfall across north Florida is more than 13 inches below normal. Many farmers are foregoing planting crops until it rains, and as Mike Vasilinda reports, those who have planted corn or other crops face big losses.

The earth is cracked at what used to be the bottom of this livestock pond.  Fields are dry and there is little if any grass left for cattle to eat. Some fields have been plowed, but farmers are waiting for rain before sowing cotton, peanuts or soy. Agricultural official Patricia Sorensen says the clock is running out on this planting season.

“On corn, I think it’s too late to plant. Soybeans and peanuts, I don’t think its too late.. or cotton… but the time is running out. This corn is dying. And in fields like this where there’s no irrigation, if it doesn’t rain soon, this corn is going to be gone.

Today was the deadline for planting peanuts. The clock runs out on Cotton June 10th,
Soybeans – June 15 and Grain Sorghum, around June 10th in Jefferson County.

Mac Finlayson is a sixth generation farmer. This is the driest he’s ever seen it.
“It’s rough right now. We’re looking for some rain at the end of the tunnel instead of… some light…

Mac is feeding his cattle expensive and hard to find hay.  Grass that his cattle would normally be eating at this time of year is non existent. “Our expenses are probably up 50% for this time of year over what they would be in a normal year.”

The higher costs mean smaller profits and eventually, smaller crop yields could raise prices at the supermarket, but for now, the impact will be mostly felt in the local economy.

Timber farmers across North Florida are also afraid the drought will aggravate the wildfire season and wipe out a crop that takes years to grow.

Beginning this fall, every new freshman at Florida State will be required to have health insurance. Students who don’t will have to buy a 14 hundred and 40 dollar a year policy before being admitted, as Mike Vasilinda tells us existing students will be grand fathered in, but the goal is for everyone to be insured.

Hear it here: Collegiate Coverage

When school starts August 24th, FSU will be the first and only public university in Florida to require all incoming freshmen and transfer students to have health insurance. Mary Colburn, the Vice President for Student Affairs says the goal is to eventually have everyone covered. “They think they are invincible and nothing will ever happen to them… they’re not going to get ill. So the example of an accident is the best one. This student was just riding his bicycle to class and ended up having 30 thousand dollars plus of hospital cost.”

FSU says only those students who really need insurance because they are sick are the ones buying it, driving up losses and making the cost prohibitive. FSU estimates that 10 percent of the incoming freshmen don’t have health insurance… but for grad students, that number goes to almost one in three.

Senior Alexis Alvarez of West Palm Beach is one of those ten percent. “You do not have health insurance?” we asked. “No.”

So we asked “How do you… I saw you coming out of the health center. How do you deal with medical expenses?” Alexis responded. “I hope not to get sick (laughter) and then if I do… call daddy.”

And like tuition, not everyone wants to be paying higher fees, including Phillip Weems of St. Petersburg “Shouldn’t that be a personal decision for the student?”, he asked.

Officials say the insurance requirement will help keep kids on their medications and prevent high medical bills from forcing some to drop out. The newly required policies will sell for 14 hundred and forty dollars and can be paid for with student aid or loans. A task force is meeting this week and may recommend the mandatory insurance requirement be adopted by all of the state universities.

The family of a 14 year old who died after being roughed up in a boot camp will receive five million dollars from the state. Governor Charlie Crist today signed the bill approving payment, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the death has brought about major changes in the Juvenile Justice arena.

Hear it here: Anderson Bill Signing

The day NASA enhanced video became public…showing even more clearly how badly 14 year old Martin Lee Anderson was roughed up by his jailors, all while a nurse stood by… Charlie Crist had had enough. He met with the parents and brokered a 5 million dollar settlement. “It’s simply the right thing to do. You know, enough is enough.” Crist said on March 14th.

Crist and Martin’s parents prodded lawmakers, and fought back attempts to cut the amount. With the stroke of his pen, the governor made the settlement a reality. And it came with an apology. “We will never know… what you have endured and what you’ve had to go through and we are so sorry for your loss.” Crist told Gina Jones and Robert Anderson just before signing the claims bill. Robert responded “ “So I want to pay homage to  God  on this day… and I want to personally thank Charlie Crist.”

The family had little to say except to thank the governor. Afterwards, their attorney, Ben Crump, spoke for them. “We’re happy that it ended today with this good visit… this is sending a message to the future for the young people of the state of Florida.”

More than anything, this settlement is a testament to a mother who just wouldn’t accept the official version that her son’s death was unavoidable. And everyone involved with the settlement hopes that a message that brutality by officers carries a hefty price tag.
As a result of Anderson’s death, boot camps as they existed at the time have been closed.

For the first time in the state’s history, the actual number of children in public schools this past year will be down from the year before.  New data released today at the Tax and Budget Reform Commission shows fewer families with children are moving to Florida and as Mike Vasilinda reports, more families with kids are leaving the state.

 Hear it here: Family Unfriendly

Fewer families with school aged children are coming to Florida. Those with kids are leaving in droves, and young adults are either delaying starting a family or they are also leaving.  The high cost of housing is getting the most blame. High property taxes and insurance rank right up there as well. Researcher Amy Baker told a state budget committee that they don’t yet know how permanent the trend will be.

“We don’t have proof yet as to why we… we’re looking at several economic factors.” says Baker.

Forecasters thought 48 thousand new children would enroll in Florida schools last September. Just 477 new kids did. With all the kids that have left since fall, this is expected to be the first year there are fewer kids in school now than there were a year ago.

Alan Levine runs a south Florida hospital. He says keeping staff who have families is difficult. “The problem they’re having is the cost of living, property taxes, insurance, the value of their home. In many cases, the reason a lot of ‘em aren’t leaving is the cost of their house.”

Forecasters still expect Florida to grow, but at only half the rate of the last few decades. They say in 2010, Florida will surpass New York to become the third largest state.

Florida lawmakers passed an insurance reform bill in January and they meet in special
session next month to deal with the high cost of property taxes… but there’s not much they can do about the high cost of housing.

11 days and 120 thousand charred acres later, the giant Bugaboo fire in North Florida is 65% contained tonight. Mike Vasilinda went into the site today and tells us firefighters are taking a crucial step to get the blaze under control.

Hear it here: Bugaboo update

Deep in an inaccessible bay to the right of this road, the Bugaboo fire is burning out of control. The response from firefighters: a controlled burn designed to rob the flames of any more fuel.
At the same time, air tankers are waging a relentless battle to keep the other side of the road from burning. Steve Ripley of the state Forest Service says success here is crucial.

“So we’re actually doing a prescribed burn around this bay, so that as it throws chunks of flaming material into the air, it can’t get away from us.” says Ripley.

Tanker after tanker worked to dampen the unburned area and keep it from igniting.
While most of this ground vegetation is all burnt, firefighters are worried about all these trees that are still standing. They’re worried that they’ll provide fuel is the fire jumps the line.

At a morning briefing, a few raindrops fell… but firefighters had much bigger hopes. Bugaboo has also earned a dubious distinction, says Jim Caldwell of the Forestry Service.  “We have dropped more water, water retardant in Florida than ever before. This will continue because it is helping a great deal.”

After burning 11 days, firefighters say it will take at least another 11 days if not longer to mop up the scene. 730 homes are under evacuation orders near the Bugaboo wildfire and more evacuations are possible… but so far no homes have been lost to the huge wildfire.

College students at the states three largest Universities ( FSU, UF, and USF) could find them selves paying up to ten percent more next year. State lawmakers have sent two different tuition hikes to the Governor, but as Mike Vasilinda reports, the governor is appears to be leaning against allowing the hikes.

Hear it here: Tuition Hike

Students at FSU, USF and Florida could face a double whammy. Lawmakers passed a 221 dollar tuition differential for the three schools. That’s on top of a five percent tuition hike for every university and community college.

The governor says he’s hearing plenty from the university community. “I’ve been lobbied on issues before but this is ridiculous, ” Crist told reporters during a briefing Tuesday.

At FSU, reaction was mixed. Students facing tough times already hate it.
“It sucks.” “I have a hard time paying tuition as it is.” “I really can’t afford it.” “I don’t like it.” are just some of the random reactions.

Under the plan, students with prepaid college tuition won’t have to pay the higher fee… but Bright Futures students will. The tuition differential is supposed to be used to hire more professors, advisors, and generally improve the caliber of education. That strikes some, like student Jeremy Duff of Pensacola, as a good thing. “We should be charging more just so that we’ll have more money to better the university so it is top-notch.”

And parents Like Chris Roden visiting for orientation from Port St. Lucie say it could do more to make students safer. “ I mean, when you look at the police department here and it’s staffed at 62 or 65 and they should be at 80 or 85 then yeah, we should do something about that.”

A decision from the governor is still several weeks away. Governor Crist says he doesn’t want prices to go up… but he hasn’t ruled it out.