Welcome to

The state’s Public Counsel says Progress Energy customers are due anywhere from 111 million to 143 million dollars in refunds on fuel supplies purchased over the past ten years. Three days of hearings began in Tallahassee this morning and consumer advocates argue that Progress bought expensive coal from companies it controlled, and then shipped it in barges owned by the company instead of using cheaper coal more readily available. Public Counsel Joe McGlothlin says the highest overcharges were in recent years.

“2005 only, the difference between the fuel burned and what should have been burned had they been taking advantage of PRV Coal and using the 50/50 blend the units were designed to burn was 29 million dollars. For 2004, standing alone… 21 million dollars. For 2003, standing alone… 15 million dollars.”

Progress Energy disputes the charges, saying the time to question what it paid for coal in previous years has come and gone. Attorney Joe Burnett says the company has done nothing wrong.

SOT: Joe Burnett / Progress Attorney

“The evidence in this case will show we made reasonable and prudent decisions that saved customers… not cost, saved customers hundreds of millions of dollars from 1996 to 2005.”

If a refund of the full amount is ordered, it would be about 84 dollars for each of Progress’s 1.7 million customers. It would likely be spread out over the course of a year and come in the form of a credit against a current bill.

Nationwide Insurance stunned state regulators today at a public hearing when it asked for increased profits while seeking to drop 26 hundred dwelling fire policies. The company wants to raise rates an average of 70 percent statewide, with some areas seeing hikes of 90 percent. Regulators also questioned why the company did not include savings from recent changes in state law, why the company buys reinsurance from primarily from its parent company. Deputy Insurance Commissioner Belinda Miller questioned the company’s motives in increasing its profit margin.

“Why all of a sudden do they need a 15% level of profit when in past years they certified… the actuaries certified… that 3.4% produced an adequate rate… an actuarially sound rate.”

Nationwide has until April 6th to submit new information to the state. A decision on the rate hike will be made sometime this month.

The halls of the state capitol are flush with chuckles over legislation to require restaurant inspectors to determine if there is an adequate supply of toilet paper in rest rooms. But despite the bathroom humor, Mike Vasilinda tells us the bill is rolling on.

We’ve all been there… the restaurant bathroom that is so disgusting you’d rather suffer than do your duty.  Under legislation rolling thru the capitol, the same people who inspect restaurant kitchens would also have to examine the bathrooms.  Kim Hicks hopes the idea doesn’t stall. “If I go into the rest room and I don’t feel comfortable in the restroom, it’ll make you think twice about the food.”

The cheeky idea was floated this past summer after State Senator Victor Crist and his family had an unpleasant experience. The legislation hopes to wipe away a potential serious problem. For Crist, it is priority number 2.  “I was in a rest room over the summer…at a restaurant. Not only did the water not work, but there wasn’t any toilet paper and the toilets didn’t function. In walks the chef, uses the… goes into the stall, comes out of the stall and goes back into the kitchen.” says Crist.

There is soft opposition from the Restaurant Association over government going too far. But café manager Dave Rainey says most will have nothing to fear. “I think it’s just a reflection on the restaurant overall and says something about the cleanliness and the performance of the restaurant and their staff.”

And for the few establishments that don’t keep up the new standards… well, their ranking from health inspectors will go down the drain.

In the last year, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation has logged 262 bathroom complaints.  If the bill passes, the agency will be responsible to make sure toilet paper is stocked, the water works and there is soap and something with which to dry your hands.

Either your cable bill is going to do down, or cable customers will get the shaft say the two sides of most hotly lobbied bill in Tallahassee this year.  As Mike Vasilinda tells us, Legislation allowing telephone companies to deliver tv services without local control is about to clear the state house.

On every floor, in every corner, across the capitol, a phone company or cable tv lobbyist is bending someone’s ear about House Bill 529. It’s open warfare.

The bill would cut local governments out of approving cable tv franchises and it would let phone companies deliver tv services across the state.

The phone companies say competition will drive down rates. The cable guys say the giant phone conglomerates will only serve the rich customers, leaving minority neighborhoods in the dark. Sponsor Trey Traviesa disagrees. “Today, with video services rates… cable rates being 15 – 41% higher than they would be with competition, who gets that shaft? The people who can least afford those higher rates… the poor people.” says the Tampa lawmaker.

The phone companies have 98 lobbyists on their payroll, cable just 35. Having so many lobbyists can only mean on thing. There is a pile of money at stake. And Charles Dudley, who represents the cable industry. says money is the point. “The bill is about people trying to get unfair advantages in the marketplace here and that could be worth billions of dollars to some of these companies.”

A consumers group has joined the cable side and is running ads asking viewers to call the  governor with the message  “and tell them they are the consumer’s last hope.”  Charlie Crist says he’ll wait to see if it passes, but says “You know, when they hire than many people to advocate a cause, it has to make you wonder.” But in fairness, Crist says he hasn’t made up his mind yet.

The only sure thing is that the cable TV bill can rightly be called the Lobbyists Relief Act…because that’s who’s making the money now.

Governor Charlie Crist’s three year quest to pass anti-murder legislation is nearing fruition. The measure will require judges to assess a parole violators potential for violence and allow the violators to be sent to prison. The bill has been blocked for the last two years over concerns of cost, but as Mike Vasilinda reports, lawmakers have no decided the cost of not acting is too great.

The quest for the so-called anti-murder legislation began with this videotaped kidnaping and subsequent murder of Carlie Brucia in Sarasota. Killer Joseph Smith had recently violated parole by testing positive for drugs.

Governor Charlie Crist began pursing the legislation shortly after the Brucia murder and while he was still attorney general. He was in the Senate Chamber when it became the first bill debated this year.

Sponsor Paula Dockery says the legislation will save lives. “Can we save everybody? Probably not. But you can go home tonight feeling very secure in the fact that you are going to save lives in the state of Florida… make it a better place to live.”

Several senators questioned potential costs to local governments, but none dared vote against the idea.  “40 yeas, 0 nays Mister President” says the reading clerk “So the bill passes”

The legislation is expected to clear the house this week and be on the governor’s desk by Friday. Afterward, the governor left no doubt he would sign the bill once he gets it.

“I mean, there was Sarah Lundy, there was Carlie Brucia, there was Jessica Lunsford… the Deltona Six. I mean, it became obvious to me that this is exactly what we had to do.” says Crist.

Once signed into law, at least 5 percent of the 150 thousand people on parole at any one time are expected to be sent back to prison.

Florida is strong and optimistic declared Governor Charlie Crist in his first state of the state address today. The governor hopes to build on the successful insurance special session to achieve property tax relief for most Floridians. As Mike Vasilinda reports, even democrats are giving the governor high marks.

Hear it here: State of State Speech

on his 64th day as Governor, Charlie Crist has concluded: “That the state of our state is strong and promising.” The State of the State address is the governors chance to give lawmakers his laundry list of things he wants. On the top: property tax relief. The Governor says he doesn’t care how it gets done…just that “It must be comprehensive. It must bring real relief to people.”

The governor also wants a “Children’s Cabinet” to address kid’s issues, because he says “Our children need a voice. They need to be at the table. Because soon, it will be their table.”

And after invoking the names of slain children Jessica Lundsford, Sarah Lunde, and Carlie Brucia, Crist called on lawmakers to send parole violators back to prison. “I have witnessed firsthand the unimaginable limits of human grief when a parent loses a child to violent crime.”

The Governor is also calling for a return back to paper ballots before the next election.
Bipartisan reaction to the speech afterwards was one of optimism. Even most Democrats, including Arthenia Joyner of Tampa are applauding “I feel that the door is open. I know that you can talk to this man. And that is miles away from where we’ve been over the last several years.” says Joyner.

59 days remain in the legislative session. After today, the honeymoon will start to tarnish in the details of lawmaking. Lawmakers wasted no time heeding the governor’s call for passage of the anti-murder bill. It was debated in the state senate this afternoon and could be approved by lawmakers before the end of the week.

Governor Charlie Crist is winning high marks from Democrats and Republicans alike. Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller of Hallandale Beach was praised by Crist for his handling of the insurance crisis a month ago. Today Geller returned the praise saying Crist is championing many things Democrats have pushed for years, including an end to touch screen voting machines, a children’s cabinet, and support for smaller class sizes.

 “You know, I think that Governor Crist is moving more towards where the people of the state of Florida are… which is a difference from what we’ve seen in prior administrations. What we’re gonna have to see is whether or not the Republican Party is gonna be following Governor Crist to the center.”

Crist was interrupted by applause numerous times during his state of the state. When he announced his support of funding for smaller classes, it appeared only Democrats did the applauding.

Smokers may feel the pinch after this legislative session. Bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate to add a dollar to the cigarette tax. The money would raise more than 800 million dollars and much of it would be used to cover the costs picked up by the state for sick smokers. Senate Sponsor Al Lawson also says the higher fee will go a long way toward keeping kids from starting to smoke.

I don’t consider cigarette tax that much of a tax increase as I consider it a prevention increase, you know, for the people and especially our teenagers who’ve been involved in smoking a great deal.”

The money would also help fund a 57 million dollar program ordered by voters this fall for the state to resume funding of smoking prevention and cessation efforts.

While the Governor says he just wants property tax relief and doesn’t care how it’s done, as long as it is meaningful, state lawmakers are wrestling with the details of how to lower taxes and not bankrupt local governments.  Sen. Mike Haridopolos of Brevard County has been traveling the state listening to residents in more than a dozen public hearings and he says the devil will be in the details.

“How would smaller cities and smaller counties be affected by this? Would they see a dramatic hit like we have concerns about doubling the homestead exemption to 50 thousand dollars? Those numbers just aren’t in yet.”says the Brevard County Senator.

The house has proposed raising the sales tax and eliminating a good portion of property taxes. The senate says it will have its plan out in a couple of weeks.

Dr. Charlie Crist, father of Florida’s 44^th Governor and his wife watched as their son delivered his first state of the state address today. The St. Petersburg physician says his son hit all of the right notes and never ceases to come up with surprises. He says his son has always been someone to seek consensus.

“He’s always been a very inclusive type of person. I think during one of the debates, in fact, he said ‘I’m a live and let live kind of guy.’ And I think that says a lot about Charlie. It’s him.

The Doctor says his son is also winning rave reviews from all of his neighbors.

Governor Charlie Crist spent the weekend at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington pushing the idea of a national catastrophic fund. The Governor met with President Bush and the speaker of the house as well as Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid. As Mike Vasilinda reports, it is the first time a Florida governor has asked the president to push for such a fund.

Hear it here: CAT Fund

During his 8 years as Governor, Jeb Bush never personally talked to his brother, the President about a nation catastrophic fund to cover large scale disasters. Charlie Crist brought the topic up again and again over the weekend while in Washington. “Whether its earthquakes in California or tornadoes in Arkansas or blizzards in New York State… whatever it might be, everybody has a vested interest in this I think.” says Crist.

A national cat fund would cover large disasters and make insurance more affordable to average consumers by making reinsurance less expensive to insurance companies. Crist also pushed and got a resolution for the cat fund from the Southern Governors Association on Sunday. CFO Alex Sink says it is a step in the right direction.

“I think it’s something we have to keep working on. We can’t just go and make one trip to Washington and get the door slammed in our face as we have in the past.”

Unfortunately for some homeowners, insurance rate increases are showing up in their mailboxes. But Charlie Crist says hold on: relief is on the way.

“Some of the increases that people may see in their mailboxes probably were approved prior to the special session or at least prior to the cabinet ruling that was to freeze the rates.” says Crist.

The governor says the national fund is crucial to making insurance affordable.

     The governor and cabinet are paying tribute to an Army Sergeant and his wife who helped rescue a teenage boy in Iraq.

     Master Sergeant Dan Hendrex is a 16 year Army veteran who did two tours of duty in Iraq. He’s also the author of A Soldier’s Promise, a critically acclaimed book documenting his relationship with a 13-year-old Iraqi boy who received political asylum and now lives in the U.S.

     “When it was found out that when he had helped us, his family was targeted, he was targeted for death. And so when he lived with us, weeks turned to months and over a four month period is where it became personal. Because at the end of the day, he’s still a young boy, 14 years old… 13 going on 14 at the time and this is where all the cultural issues start coming in. You get to know him personally,” he said. 

     Hendrex and his wife will be at Florida State University tomorrow to speak with students and receive the “Sprit of Pepper” award for their humanitarian service. The award is named in honor of the late Florida congressman Claude Pepper, who was a champion of senior citizens and human rights.

A panel reviewing what went wrong with the December execution of Angel Diaz is expected to recommend only minor changes when it issues its report later this week. As Mike Vasilinda Reports, the Governor’s Commission on the Administration of Lethal Injection has also concluded the condemned man did not suffer.
execution-report-due-thursday.mp3

Angel Diaz was the 20th person executed by lethal injection in Florida. His December execution took almost twice as long as previous executions. Rodney Doss represents the Attorney General on the panel studying what… if anything… went wrong.

“I think that there was a deviation from the established protocol which may have led to the prolonged execution, and by that I mean a 34 minute execution as opposed to three, to five or six minutes, “ Doss says.

During the review, the panel heard the disguised audio testimony from the executioner.
Who told the panel in an eerily disguised voice “I’ve participated in approximately 84 executions. I serve as a resource in five states.”

Published reports suggest Diaz may have felt pain. The panel says it doesn’t think so… but admits it has no way of knowing. During an execution, sound from the death chamber is turned off so witnesses don’t know what’s being said in the room. The ACLU’s Larry Spalding says one way to have better answers in the future is to make the process more open.

“We don’t know what happened to Angel Diaz. If the press had greater access, the questions they can’t answer may have been answered.”

The panel will recommend better written procedures for future executions… it will not indict the execution process. The final report from the lethal injection commission is due on the governor’s desk by Thursday .

The news just keeps getting weird. A news release arrived this afternoon telling reporters to disregard a phony order from a Los Angeles Court.

Read it here.
23-2007_losangelescourtspressrelease.doc

Many in Tallahassee are questioning if the Tax Reform plan announced yesterday by state House leaders is serious. The plan completely eliminates property taxes for homesteads, but raises the sales tax for everyone. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, advocates for the poor are hoping the dialog is just beginning.

Hear it here:Tax Plan Concerns

A group of retirees from the Villages in Central Florida spent the day touring the state capitol. They don’t know much about the latest plan to ease property taxes. They are willing to listen, but Carol Strutz has some concerns about paying higher sales taxes.

“I’ll tell you what it did in Canada for us. We didn’t buy anything because their sales tax is 25%. So I think as far as tourists are concerned, it’s going to discourage them from buying anything in Florida.”

To lower property taxes, the plan raises the sales tax by two and a half cents. That would mean higher gas prices. So while no one at the capitol says they’re opposed to lower property taxes, many have concerns. Some businesses could end up paying more of the burden after an initial roll back. Democrat Jack Seiler wants more discussion.

“I would like to see a review of all sales tax exemptions. I think it ought to be part of the proposal. Secondly, I’d like to see us look at sales on the internet.” says Seiler.

And the have-nots… say social service workers like Karen Woodall will get hit the hardest “Who are the losers under the plan?” she was asked. “Well, I thing that the entire state of Florida would be losers under this plan.” says Woodall.

The full plan is yet to be reduced to writing, but initially it appears that anyone who depends on property taxes, such as water management districts or large public hospitals, will also suffer if the plan is enacted as explained.

The legislature convenes in less than two weeks and the property tax is expected to the dominant issue of the two month session.