Without net neutrality, the Web would look a lot like cable, with the most popular content available only on certain tiers or with certain providers: Imagine AT&T as the exclusive home of Netflix and Comcast as the sole source of YouTube.
Economy
Palm Coast Mayor Declares State of Local Emergency as Tornado Details Emerge
The state of local emergency does not release state or federal aid dollars, but it gives the city more freedom and authority to address the storm’s aftermath such as expediting permitting, scheduling more debris and trash removal than normal and applying for state support.
White Christmas in Bunnell: Snow Falls And Hearts Soar as City Caps Centennial
Bunnell marked the end of its centennial year Friday evening with the biggest Christmas celebration of its hundred years, including free barbecue, greetings with Santa, three musical groups and a surprise blanketing of snow.
Blogger Peter Schorsch Resigns from Florida Press Association After Objections Are Raised
Dean Ridings, press association president and CEO, said Peter Schorsch, creator and editor of the influential SaintPetersBlog, which is followed by many journalists, politicians and lobbyists across the state, was advised of the objections and that he “offered” his resignation.
Longing For Stormin’ Norman: How Obama’s Smugness Is Crippling His Leadership
There are leaders out there. The Obama administration administration has let us down by failing to find them. As a result, the task Barack Obama has left himself is to convince us that the Affordable Care Act is a winner, not a clunker.
Palm Coast’s Ambitions for More Parks Soar, But Development Tax to Fund Them Declines
Palm Coast’s park impact fees levied on new construction are about to decline by a few hundred dollars, though the city’s ambitious plans for new parks and recreational facilities over the next few decades are unchanged.
Employers Would Be Barred From Using Applicants’ Credit Reports or Firing Pregnant Women
The Florida Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee gave support to both proposals on Monday, even though a number of senators expressed concern about limiting an employer’s ability to use a credit history when judging a potential new hire for a non-financial or non-managerial role.
Palm Coast Unveils Design for a Spruced Up Community Center, With Premium on Visibility
The Palm Coast Community Center on Clubhouse Drive and Palm Coast Parkway would potentially more than triple its current 5,800 square feet (to close to 20,000 square feet), and accommodate up to 200 people, starting with a $430,000 design in 2014 and first-phase construction in 2015.
Flagler Youth Orchestra’s 300 Musicians Take Concert Stage Wednesday at Flagler Auditorium
The Flagler Youth Orchestra performs its first concert of the 2013-14 season on Wednesday, December 11, at 7 p.m. at the Flagler Auditorium in Palm Coast. Conductor Sue Cryan and fellow teachers of the FYO will lead five orchestras with more than 300 string musicians.
56-Year-Old Man Accused of Cigarette-Burning a 9-Year-Old Girl in Inappropriate Beach Encounter
Thomas Checchio, a 56-year-old resident of 612 John Anderson Highway in Flagler Beach, faces a charge of felony child abuse after he reportedly “flirted” with a 9-year-old girl at the beach before he claims to have tripped her, causing her to burn herself on his cigarette.
Extra State Revenue Could Top $1 Billion As Legislature Approaches Spring Session
State economic forecasters added $324.3 million to expected tax revenues during the current budget year, which ends June 30, and the fiscal year that begins the next day. Because lawmakers have already passed a budget covering this year, all of the new money should be available for the spending plan that starts in July.
Unemployment Falls to 7%, Lowest Level in 5 Years, as Economy Adds 203,000 Jobs
The national unemployment rate fell to 7 percent in November, the lowest level since December 2008, when it was 6.8 percent. The economy added 203,000 jobs over the month, continuing relatively strong growth since summer despite the 17-day government shut-down in October.
Two Years In, Tourism Director Georgia Turner Is Leaving Flagler For Native Alabama
Georgia Turner, the county’s radiant tourism director who oversaw Flagler’s and Palm Coast’s realignment as niche sports destinations, a steady rise in tourism-tax revenue and a first-ever working coalition of local arts groups, is leaving after just two years on the job. Personal, not political, reasons led her to the decision.
Another Obamacare Surprise: Married Couples Not Eligible For Subsidies Given Single Filers
For middle class married couples who don’t have children, the subsidy cutoff is $62,000. If one spouse makes $30,000 and the other $40,000, they are ineligible for a subsidy when combined. But if they were just living together, each would be eligible for a subsidy.
Flagler Technical Institute:
Registration Open for Winter Term
Flagler Technical Institute is now accepting registrations for its career and technical programs for the Winter Term. Most classes will be held in the Flagler Technical Institute building at 1 Corporate Drive in Palm Coast.
Medicaid Gap: A Reporter Who Covers Obamacare But Doesn’t Qualify For It
The Supreme Court allowed states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, as Florida did, but the law didn’t include subsidies for people in those states who earn less than the federal poverty level to buy coverage through the exchanges. They were supposed to be covered under Medicaid. And Medicaid is not there for them.
FPL Customers Will See Power Bills Increase 5% Starting in January, Adding to Other Local Utility Hikes
For Palm Coast residents, the rate increase compounds steeper utility rate increases as the city raised its water and sewer rates 8 percent in April, another 4 percent in October, and will raise them again 4 percent next October. The typical combined annual price increase: $175.
School Enrollment Stabilizes But Remains Below Last Year’s, With Decreases Projected
As of the end of November, the district had 12,794 students. The good news is that the district saw enrollment rise for the past two months, but the number is still 100 students below last November’s, with projected declines of 1 to 2 percent between January and May, which may have ripple effects on the economy.
Florida Lawmakers’ Bugsy Fixation
We have become a nation of people who sue each other and serve each other hamburgers. Are we also to become a nation of croupiers and cocktail waitresses? Sadly, that seems to be the message our politicians are delivering as they bet more of Florida’s future on gambling.
With 3 Weeks To Go, Consumers Fear Ending Up Without Health Coverage On New Year’s
The next three weeks are critical for consumers keen on getting health coverage as soon as the health law allows it on Jan. 1. People who desire coverage by then need to sign up in the new marketplaces no later than Dec. 23. Consumers can still enroll up to the end of March, but their coverage will begin later.
Don’t Slash Government Spending. Increase It.
One of the biggest common misunderstandings is that governments are like households, which need to tighten their spending when times are tough. Actually, governments and households work in opposite ways. Governments can and should spend more when times are tough.
Dawn to Starlight: Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and the Hammock Warm Up Christmas Parades
Palm Coast’s annual Starlight parade is scheduled for Dec. 14. Flagler Beach’s Holiday at the Beach Parade is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 1 p.m., and businesses in the Hammock will be lighting up A1A with special events, lights and Christmas cheer for the first two week-ends of December.
Robyn Anderson, Daytona State Graduate, Joins Flagler Dental as Hygienist
Flagler Dental Associates has hired Robyn Anderson as its new hygienist in the practice’s Palm Coast North office on Park Drive. Anderson also works in the Palm Coast South office one Wednesday evening per month, when the office stays open until 8 p.m. to accommodate patients’ scheduling needs.
State Website for Florida’s Unemployed Still Plagued By Flaws, Delaying Urgent Checks
Claims by jobless people that are flagged for investigation or are under appeal continue to be a major hurdle to correct. The Department of Economic Opportunity’s goal is to complete the remaining conversion issues by Dec. 20.
Despite $51 Billion For the Taking, Florida Unlikely to Expand Health Coverage in 2014
Consumer groups, hospitals and insurers are clamoring for Florida to take the $51 billion in federal funds that have been offered to the state over the next decade to provide health coverage to the working poor. But those who are tuned in politically — even those who desperately want it to happen — say it’s very unlikely in 2014.
Flagler’s Unemployment Down to 9.4%, But Labor Force Is Shrinking; Florida’s Rate at 6.7%
Flagler’s lower unemployment rate is not being driven by an increase in the number of people with jobs, but by a significant decrease in the labor force, which has shrunk 4 percent over the year. The number of Flagler residents holding jobs declined by 343 between September and October, and by 821 people over the year.
Needed Or Not, Lawmakers Seek 2-Week Tax Holiday for “Hurricane Preparedness”
A big factor in how much of the cuts or tax holidays make it into the next fiscal plan depends in part on the state’s economic outlook that the economists will update prior to the legislative session early next year.
Flagler Playhouse Pleasing Faithfuls With Mainstream Theater But Looks to Broaden Appeal Beyond Retirees
Aside from “Urinetown,” its last play of the current season, the Flagler Playhouse’s offerings hew to traditional crowd-pleasers, which keeps seats filled, though the community theater’s leaders are interested in experimenting beyond their comfort zone.
Palm Coast Council Votes 5-0 For New City Hall in Town Center, With Move-In by End of 2015
In the face of intense opposition, but also just as intense support, the Palm Coast City Council Tuesday said Yes to a new city hall. The 5-0 vote followed three hours of presentations, public comment and discussion before an overflow crowd at the Palm Coast Community Center, the largest crowd to turn up for any issue in recent memory.
The Time Will Come For a New Palm Coast City Hall. This Isn’t It.
Landon and the council want their $9 million city hall the way petulant children want a new toy. But there’s a lot more arrogance than prudence in the city’s approach. So it’s pretty simple. If the city is convinced that this is a good thing for itself and for residents, just ask residents what they think. That’s a yes or no question all of us would welcome.
Burdens and Costs Pile Up for School Board’s Ex-ITT Building on Corporate Drive, Disrupting Community Education
The board bought the 54,000 square-foot building for $3.5 million in 2001 and housed the Flagler Technical Institute’s community education classes and offices there, but the building must be evacuated either by January or by summer and either rebuilt and renovated at costs approaching $5 million or demolished even as the district continues to pay $445,000 in annual debt service on it.
Palm Coast Again Pitches New City Hall, No Referendum, as Chamber Orchestrates Support
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon on Tuesday choreographed a presentation focused on a $9 million city hall in Town Center he said can be built mostly with existing dollars–and without a referendum–as the Flagler Chamber of Commerce and the Palm Coast Observer worked on a letter-writing campaign to sway council members, who may vote on the plan next week.
At Hollingsworth Gallery:
Christine Sullivan, Artist of the Year
The works of Christine Sullivan, the 2013 Gargiulo Art Foundation Artist of the Year, convey an intimate connections with a sense of place and memory while exploring the pleasures of solitude. Sullivan;s exhibit opens at Hollingsworth Gallery Nov. 9, running through Dec. 3.
What Government Shutdown? U.S. Economy Adds 204,000 Jobs, Beating Expectations
The three-month tally of 605,000 jobs is the best three-month total in almost two years, though the unemployment rate still went up by a decimal point, to 7.3 percent as the labor force shrank by 720,000 in October, a reflection of the government shutdown.
A Little Less Stingy, a Lot More Conditional: Palm Coast Approves $25,000 in Culture Grants
Eleven cultural organizations applied and all 11 got cultural grants from Palm Coast government, but with many strings attached even though none of the grants exceeds $2,370, and the total awarded is still a far cry from the $40,000 budget of six years ago.
The Other Disastrous Government Website: Florida’s Unemployment Portal Still Kicking Users
The state’s new, but troubled $68 million unemployment website, intended to provide a more modern, user-friendly method of access for people who receive benefits, has instead been a nightmare for many of its 200,000 users and may have a few months to go before it’s fixed.
Palm Coast Heating and Air Conditioning Earns Top Performer Status for North Florida Region
Palm Coast Heating & Air Conditioning earned a Top Performer status for the North Florida territory for the month of October. A total of ten dealers, out of about 750 North Florida Trane dealers, received a Top Performer status for October.
Palm Coast Getting Fleeced of Red-Light Camera Dollars, Harming Local Economy
In September, the 43 red-light cameras in Palm Coast generated $255,740 in fines, what would work out to an annual total of $3 million. The state and ATS, the private company running the system, took more than seven times the revenue share left Palm Coast, which means that the overwhelming majority of the money is leaving the local economy.
School District, County’s Largest Employer, Starts Health Clinic Experiment With Florida Hospital Flagler
The $288,000 annual contract with Florida Hospital Flagler’s Prompt Care Clinic will allow 1,400 of the school district’s 1,700 employees to seek out primary care at no cost, but with some restrictions. The district hopes it will lower the annual increases in premiums that employees and taxpayers have been bearing.
Fall Kills Roofer Roberto Martinez, 43, As He Worked on a New Plantation Bay House
Flagler County had seen a deep lull in construction-related injuries and fatalities since the end of the housing boom in late 2006. But construction activity has picked up significantly this year. Roofers have the fourth-most dangerous job, going by fatality rates in the industry–after loggers, fishers and aircraft pilots and engineers.
Unearned Audacity: On Economic Development, Flagler Tells Voters to Drop Dead
State law requires Flagler County to ask voters permission in a referendum, every 10 years, to give new companies tax subsidies. The Flagler County Commission wants to trash that law and let a supermajority of four commissioners make the decision for voters instead. It’s the latest example of a commission more enamored of its power than in tune with voters.
Kiss Your Tax-Free Amazon Orders Goodbye: Company’s I-4 Warehouses On the Way
The confirmation by Amazon.com that it will build a pair of massive “fulfillment” centers along the Interstate 4 corridor means that sometime in the next two years Floridians will have to start paying sales taxes on purchases from the online retail giant.
Pantry Alert: Cuts in Food Stamps Benefits Will Affect 3.6 Million Floridians Staring Nov. 1
Florida’s food hardship rate is more than 21 percent, meaning that one in five Florida households reported that in the past year they struggled to buy enough food for the family. The state is one of the hardest-hit for food security.
Always Up For Strange Cases, City Repertory Theatre Does Halloween With Jekyll and Hyde
With “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” which opens at 7:30 tonight for a two-weekend run, Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre at Hollingsworth Gallery is back to its dark delights with a scary, profound and edgy play of the Robert Louis Stevenson Classic.
Flagler Beach Again Punts on Mobile Food Vendors, Opting to Redraw Looser Regulations
In their latest wrangles over whether to allow mobile food vendors or not, Flagler Beach commissioners appeared confused about who would be allowed where, and how to balance the rights of property owners with the rights of business owners and entrepreneurs to freely compete, without the city’s interference.
Nothing Flagler Can Do About Divisive Vacation Rentals, Attorney General Bondi Confirms
The expedited Attorney General’s opinion cited Flagler County’s own absence of regulation of vacation rentals before 2011 as one reason the county’s hands are tied in controlling what has become a center of conflict for permanent residents of the Hammock. Since 2011, a state law prevents local governments from imposing new regulations.
School Board Members Don Aprons and Wait Tables in All-Day Fundraiser at Bob Evans Today
Until 9 tonight, 15 percent of sales attached to the Flagler school district’s fundraiser at Bob Evans in Palm Coast will go to a special fund for needy students. School board members, the superintendent and other top district staffers are participating in hopes of drawing patrons.
State Rakes In Cash From Seminole Casinos and Rethinks Gambling Landscape
Under the current deal with the Seminoles, which ends in 2015, the tribe makes the payments to the state in exchange for having the exclusive right to offer banked table games, such as blackjack, along with a monopoly on all slot locations outside of Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The Seminoles agreed to pay a minimum of $150 million in each of the first two years, $233 million in the third and fourth years and $234 million in 2015.
Shutdown-Delayed Unemployment Report: Rate Down to 7.2% But Only 148,000 New Jobs
The September unemployment report due on Oct. 4 was released only at 8:30 this morning, delayed by the 16-day government shutdown. But it could have been predicted, as it follows the pattern of most reports of the past three years: anemic job growth, very slow decline in the unemployment rate, and checkered signs of improvement (or retreat, depending on your point of view) ahead.
Taking Competition Seriously, FPC Focuses Its Own Promotional Video on Economic Impact
An eight-minute promotional and marketing video about Flagler Palm Coast High School, produced by students, reflects the intense competition even public schools now face to stay relevant, and is catching the eye of economic development officials, who see it as a means of broadening the county’s story and potential to prospective residents and businesses.