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Governor Charlie Crist says the state’s battles with property insurance companies are paying off. Property Insurance rates have fallen 16 percent and 30 new companies opened up shop in Florida over the last 20 months. A law that went into effect in 2007 made reinsurance cheaper for the industry and required the insurers to pass those savings on to their policyholders. Over the past two years Governor Crist has threatened the industry with a class action lawsuit and the Office of Insurance Regulation has denied frequent requests from insurance companies to raise rates.

“We’ve essentially kicked out the bad actors. By refusing the outrageous rate increases that they have asked, Commissioner McCarty has done, I think, an extraordinary job in protecting the consumers in the state of Florida with the encouragement of my fellow cabinet members, so credit to them as well,” said Crist.

Crist wouldn’t say whether or not he will continue to pursue a class action lawsuit against insurers.

Thursday night the GOP and Democratic V.P. candidates will square off in a nationally televised debate. Republican nominee Sarah Palin has taken a lot of heat for mistakes made in recent on camera interviews. Just a few months ago Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist was in the running for the second spot on the GOP ticket. Crist was asked how he thinks Palin will do in the debate.

“Do you think she’ll do well tonight,” asked the reporter.

“I certainly hope so. I believe she will. I think she will exceed expectations,” Crist answered.

The debate is the second of four debates leading up to Election Day and the only debate between the Vice Presidential candidates.

While Washington lawmakers were warring over what to do about Wall Street, a 26 year old congressional ban on offshore oil drilling expired. President George Bush lifted an executive ban on drilling this summer, about the same time Governor Charlie Crist changed his tune on the issue. The expiration of the ban doesn’t mean you’ll be seeing oil rigs off the coast of Florida anytime soon. The Gulf Coast is still protected under legislation passed in 2006, and states will still have to approve any new drilling. Governor Charlie Crist said he’s ready to start looking at his options.

“I have consistently said that I would be for it as long as it’s far enough clean enough and safe enough for Florida and our beaches, and I do think it would end up helping our tourist industry because if people can’t drive to Florida, they’re not going to visit it, and I want them to be able to afford to drive here and visit Florida. It’s a beautiful place. They ought to keep coming,” said Crist.

The ban could be reinstated at a later date, and it could take years before oil companies can obtain the leases they need to start drilling.

Florida A & M University is going pink. Victoria’s Secret’s popular clothing line, “Pink” will sell a Florida A & M themed wardrobe. The tee-shirts, shorts, and pajamas with carry the FAMU logo. Thirty-Five FAMU marketing students will work with Victoria’s Secret to help promote and sell the clothes. FAMU President James Ammons said the clothes will help promote the college and raise money for higher education.

“This is going to place merchandise with our logos in area stores and provide access to a larger audience through online purchases. This will generate revenue that we can use to enhance the operations of the university,” Ammons said.

FAMU is just one of just 5 historically black colleges nationally selected by Victoria’s Secret. The clothing line will go on sale in December.

One of 30 new state laws taking affect today will offer Floridians some protection against predatory lending. The Foreclosure Fraud Prevention Act gives borrowers three days to back out of a refinancing agreement and as Whitney Ray tells us, it requires lenders to encourage borrowers to work with their bank before signing a new deal.

Hear it Here: New Law Offers Protection Against Foreclosure Fraud

This is a typical Florida neighborhood, brick homes evenly spaced apart, cookie cutter mailboxes, and for sale signs on each side of the road. Florida has the second highest foreclosure rate in the country. Last year more than 240,000 Floridians lost their homes.

Florida also has the highest mortgage fraud rate. Attorney General Bill McCollum said Floridians are being scammed.

“We’re having too many people trying to scam people out there and citizens of Florida,” said McCollum.

A new state law on the books Wednesday produces extra hurdles for scam artists who claim they can save a home from foreclosure. The law gives borrowers three days to back out of a foreclosure rescue loan. It also requires lenders to tell borrowers about other options.

“They’re going to have to tell them that they recommend highly that they go see their loan officer, the bank or mortgage company that loaned them the money to see if they can’t renegotiate that, before they take up the rescue teams proposal,” said McCollum.

Governor Charlie Crist said the new law can be effective.

“It’s great to have laws on the books that are affective, that strive to help people, especially in these hard economic times. But you’ve got to enforce those laws,” said Crist.

When asked if more could be done to help people facing foreclosure, the Governor suggested more immediate relief needs to come from Washington. The new law requires the three day cancelation period and the recommendation that borrowers can seek other options, be written into the new agreement in large bold font.

Floridians looking to cash in on scrap metal are going to have to produce extra identification. A new state law requires scrap metal buyers to get sellers’ thumb prints, home and work phone numbers and addresses, as well as vehicle information. Jose Gonzalez, Vice President of Government Affairs for Associated Industries of Florida, said the extra identification measures will help police track copper thieves.

“The additional information, thumb prints, actual descriptions of individuals, their weight, I think all the transactions are recorded via video and pictures are taken of the items that are taken into these recyclers, so it really does create a trail that law enforcement needs to track down these individuals,” said Gonzalez.

Metal dealers who don’t record all the extra information are subject to felony charges.

Governor Charlie Crist announced his second selection to the state’s highest court today. Crist appointed appellate judge Rickey Polston to replace retiring justice Kenneth Bell. Polston has served seven years on Florida’s First District Court of Appeals. He teaches law at FSU and has adopted six kids. Crist will appoint two more justices over the next few months. He said he’s looking for scholars and people of faith to fill those positions.

“The Florida Supreme Court will be a diverse group of individuals, scholars, people of great integrity and compassion who care deeply and as Mr. Polston just expressed a sense that the people come first and they serve them and first and foremost God. And I hope that’s what the supreme court will be,” said Crist.

Crist’s first two selections were both white men. Crist says he hopes more women and minorities seek the two remaining spots.

The state honored two domestic violence shelters today for their work to help abuse victims. Governor Charlie Crist presented awards to representatives from Sunrise of Pasco County and Harbor House of Central Florida for programs aimed at preventing domestic violence. Last year more than 150,000 people called abuse hotlines in Florida. New Secretary of the Department of Children and Families George Sheldon said DCF needs to focus its efforts on teaching prevention.

“While we need to focus and protect children and victims of domestic violence, we also need to get back up front and figure out why that’s happening in the first place. We have got to bring all the resources of this department to bare on domestic violence and child abuse.”

October 1st, marks the start of domestic violence awareness month.

Financial stress is being blamed for a 25 percent increase in domestic abuse calls to the state’s hotline. The abuse hotline is receiving more than a thousand calls a day. The Department of Children and Families is looking into all calls, but with such an increase the department is focused on responding to the most urgent reports. DCF Secretary George Sheldon blames the failing economy and the state’s skyrocketing unemployment rate for the increased call volume.

“This is a tough time for folks, they’re uneasy, they’re losing their jobs. They’re trying to figure out how to take care of their family. Too many times they turn to alcohol or substance abuse and they wind up doing things that, under other circumstances they may not,” said Sheldon.

To report abuse call 1-800-96ABUSE that’s 1-800-962-2873.

The number or people applying for food stamps in Florida has skyrocketed. Each drop of the Dow brings a new round of applications. As Whitney Ray tells us, the state is working over time to keep up.

Hear it Here: Food Stamp Applications Flood DCF Office

Sharonda Coleman has a 3 year-old daughter with epilepsy. She takes care of her daughter fulltime and relies on a food stamp debit card to eat.

“It gives me ample time to spend with her and recognize you know when she’s sick and when she’s not sick,” said Sharonda.

Sharonda is just one of a growing number of Floridians who rely on food stamps to feed their families.

At the food stamp application processing center the phones are ringing off the hook. The call volume has risen to 120,000 a day, 40,000 more than a year ago. The number of Floridians using the program is up more than 20 percent statewide and more than 60 percent in some areas.

Derrick Riggins interviews food stamp applicants. He talks to a lot of people who never would have thought they’d need help.

“The story I hear the most is, I didn’t want to have to come this route but because of the economy this is the route I have to come,” said Riggins.

For many this is the first time they’ve been unemployed. Florida’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed above the national average. Last year more than half the people who lost their jobs worked in the construction industry.

Lee Ann Godwin has helped dozens of unemployed construction workers apply for food stamps. She says sometimes it’s hard to do her job.

“I hear stories and as much as I want to sit down and cry with some of my people I have to continue getting their information in,” said Lee Ann.

The state is paying the overtime to keep up with all the calls. The food stamps are paid for by the federal government.

Two out of every five Florida adults can’t name the three branches of government and more than half can’t name one of their US Senators. Tuesday the State Cabinet approved an initiative to improve civics education. The Florida League of Cities is heading the charge. The league will help bring online public resources to the classroom and create civic clubs in schools. League President Carmine Priore said teaching people about government will help build a stronger Florida.

“I firmly believe that if we follow the principles that our forefathers build around us, the principles of civics, things will be much better off,” said Priore

The initiative doesn’t just focus on teaching students. Citizen Academies will also be set up statewide to help educate adults about city government.

The state’s Chief Financial Officer is taking steps to protect seniors against financial fraud. Tuesday in Tallahassee, CFO Alex Sink unveiled the “Safeguard our Seniors” or SOS Task Force. Sink said the recent Wall Street woes have motivated some people to prey on seniors who rely on stocks and bonds are part of their income. Sink said the task force will look for larger penalties for people who rip off seniors.

“The taskforce will be making recommendations regarding better legislation and enforcement activities to go after these people,” Sink said.

The task force will hold its first meeting in early October.

The man who has been serving as the interim director of the Department of Children and Families for the past six weeks got the job permanently Tuesday. Governor Charlie Crist named George Sheldon to the post. Sheldon has worked for the department since January of 2007. Since then he has seen unprecedented improvements in the department’s performance. Sheldon said the challenge is to keep improving the department with a tighter budget.

“This is a tough budget year we recognize that so what we have to do is be more efficient in the agency. For instance we are overhauling our hotline protocol to make sure that those things that are referred for investigation in the field are the more critical,” said Sheldon.”

Sheldon, 61, served in the state legislature from Tampa from 1974 to 1982. He ran unsuccessfully against Charlie Crist in 2000 and again in 2002.

Florida’s senior U-S Senator, says he is unhappy with parts of the Wall Street bailout package proposed by the White House. Senator Bill Nelson has been in Florida campaigning for Barack Obama and cut the trip short to return to the nation’s Capitol. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, Nelson wants to make sure CEO’s aren’t getting a golden parachute.

Speaking to a room of seniors and Barack Obama supporters, US Senator Bill Nelson blamed the current financial meltdown on the Bush Administration. He told the crowd a lack of oversight was the problem. After wards, he sited three problems with the Bailout: it doesn’t revive the housing market, Executives aren’t penalized, and there is no limit on the money going to foreign banks…all items that doomed the plan in the House.

“Put me down as highly skeptical, but willing to continue to work and try to improve the package. This is no fooling time for America”, warned Nelson.

To say seniors in the room who have seen their savings diminished are unhappy is an understatement.  Betty Lendway says she has had enough of the rich getting richer.

“I’m very angry, and I know a lot of other people are angry. It’s time it stopped”, says Lendway.  Chris Walker says the current system is just helping top of the economic ladder.
“We don’t need to reward those people whoa re running Wall Street, getting those big bonuses at the end of the year”, says Walker

With the failed vote in the House, its clear there is much work to do convincing voters the rescue is the right thing to do. And until voters are convinced, or the bottom falls out of the economy, Congress is not likely to act…at least before the election.

Nelson returned to the nations Capitol while the House was still debating the financial package.

Two Florida A and M University students were the victims of a racially motivated break in at their apartment over the weekend. The students came home to find KKK pained on the wall in a red dye, their belongings ransacked, and dye thrown across the Tallahassee apartment.  Landlord Bill Wannell says he has never had a problem before. “It was probably the worst thing I have ever seen as far as being a diverse neighborhood and being FAMU, FSU and TCC. We’ve never had a problem like that, and I just can’t imagine something like that happening”.

Initial indications are that nothing was taken in the break in.