• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
    • Privacy Policy
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2024
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Ron DeSantis

Gov. Scott Loses Welfare Drug-Testing Case Again, But Vows to Fight On to Supreme Court

February 27, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said the state had not shown a “special need” for drug testing applicants to the program known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. It upheld a preliminary injunction issued in 2011 by U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven.

In a Coup for Coastal Cloud, Gov. Scott in Flagler Today to Dedicate New IT Company

February 26, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

Florida Governor Rick Scott will join the Flagler County Commission Tuesday morning in the ribbon cutting ceremony of Coastal Cloud, a cutting-edge Information Technology consulting company to be headquartered in Flagler County.

Task Force Stands Its Ground Against Changing Florida’s Castle Doctrine Law

February 25, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

The panel charged by Gov. Rick Scott with reviewing the state’s ‘stand your ground’ self-defense law did not recommend any major changes to the statute, although it did make suggestions for tweaks by the Legislature in the upcoming session.

In Major Shift, Scott Endorses Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion, But Legislature Balks

February 21, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

The announcement was a dramatic move for the Republican governor, who launched his political career as an outspoken critic of President Obama’s efforts to overhaul the health-care system. The announcement also shifts the focus of the contentious Medicaid debate squarely to the Legislature, which would have to approve any expansion.

Gov. Scott Facing Mounting Questions From His Own Party Over Jobs Agenda, and Expenses

February 13, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Gov. Rick Scott’s aggressive economic development effort is getting more legislative pushback as budget committees in both chambers questioned the direction, expense and oversight of the governor’s “jobs, jobs, jobs” agenda.

Gov. Scott, a Big-Spending Liberal? Not So Fast.

February 12, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

As everyone anticipated, the attack on Gov. Rick Scott by liberals has begun. No surprise there, as he is the next conservative in the cross-hairs. But at times it borders on the absurd, argues Lloyd Brown.

Integrity Report Critical of Enterprise Florida as an Obstacle to Job Creation Is Itself Tainted

February 6, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Questionable bonuses, conflicts of interest and a ‘pay to play’ mentality is hampering taxpayer driven economic development efforts, according to a study conducted by Integrity Florida and paid for by Americans for Prosperity/Florida, a conservative advocacy group funded in large part by the Koch brothers.

For Children’s Advocates, Scott’s “Florida Families First” Budget Blurs Reactions

February 2, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Backers of early childhood education and an expansion of Medicaid were disappointed, educators were guardedly happy about raises, and others applauded more money for prevention services to keep youths out of the juvenile justice system, plus $145,360 for juvenile health and mental health.

Week In Review: The Return of Candidate Rick Scott and Other Surprises

February 2, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Rick Scott, the little-known, populist, former tea party politician emerged this week as a sweet-talking alternative to the Rick Scott who got elected in 2010 promising to be stingy and mean, to “Get to Work” at slashing the size of government.

Eyeing Re-Election, Scott Ends Austerity: $4 Billion Extra Spending in $74.2 Billion Budget

January 31, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

Gov. Rick Scott’s $74.2 billion budget proposal unveiled Thursday is the largest in the state’s history and includes a $4 billion spending increase that targets constituencies Scott hopes to win back as he seeks re-election in 2014, among them teachers, environmentalists and what state workers will remain on the payroll.

Gov. Scott Floats $1.2 Billion Boost to Education, Including $480 Million for Teachers

January 30, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

Scott’s $2,500-a-year raise for Florida teachers, costing $480 million, would be included in the $1.2 billion increase for K-12 education, which would add to last year’s $1 billion increase, yet the total, if approved, would still be off the all-time high for per-student education funding.

With Gimmicky Interpretations, Gov. Scott Says 23 Colleges Meet $10K Challenge

January 29, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Shedding light on the gimmickry, one college said it had met Scott’s challenge – as far as students are concerned. The cost of a degree at the school is about $13,700, but is less than $10,000 only when financial aid is taken into account.

Union-Busting’s Tasteless Florida Flavors

January 27, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 28 Comments

Labor union membership has been in precipitous decline since 1980, along with with a decline in job security, workers’ wages and benefits, and Americans’ standard of living. It’s not a coincidence, though the vilification of labor unions continues.

Transparency 101: Rick Scott’s Pay Raise Ploy

January 26, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Florida’s “education” governor wants to give teachers a $2,500 across-the-board raise. Translation: He wants to get re-elected in 2014. He’s not popular. So he’s trying to win votes by any means necessary, argues Rhonda Swan.

Bad News for Counties: Juvenile Detention Costs Would More Heavily Burden Locals

January 25, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Florida’s Juvenile Justice Department, in a case involving 14 local governments and the Florida Association of Counties, filed an order rejecting arguments that its interpretation of the law has improperly shifted extra costs to counties.

As Gov. Scott Calls for $2,500 Teacher Raise, Reactions Are More Skeptical Than Jubilant

January 23, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Even in Flagler County, teachers and the school board chairman reacted to Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal with a mixture of skepticism and guarded optimism, as questions about math, political motives and local control abound.

In a Calculated Shift, Gov. Scott Wants Early Voting Days Decided by Local Supervisors

January 18, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Gov. Rick Scott two years ago signed a law restricting early voting days to eight. His shift back to allow up to 14 days would give local supervisors more choice, but could also be an unfunded mandate: if supervisors don’t have the money to expand voting days, they’ll take the political blame for not doing so.

Public Employees Lose as Florida Supreme Court Upholds 3% Pension Dip

January 17, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 34 Comments

Last Updated: 12:55 p.m. The Florida Supreme Court, in a much-anticipated but very divided 4-3 ruling, today sided with the Legislature, and against public employees, by upholding a 2011 law that requires all public employees to contribute 3 percent of their pay to the Florida Retirement System, a pension fund. In a majority opinion by […]

State Health Agency Corrects Inflated Costs of Obamacare Scott Had Used to Oppose Reform

January 14, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Florida’s costs could be as low as $3 billion over 10 years — a huge drop from the nearly $26 billion figure that AHCA produced in a report last month. Even with the changes, it appears that the Scott administration believes that the state’s final tab over 10 years would be higher.

In Latest Obstacle to Jobless Benefits, Florida Moves to Computer-Only System

January 8, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, nearly 140,000 Floridians were denied benefits, more than double the rate of the same period a year earlier as eligibility requirements have been tightened and obstacles to get unemployment have multiplied.

Quality Concerns as Florida Medicaid Moves Millions of Poor and Elderly to Managed Care

January 3, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Senior said much of the state’s negotiations with federal officials have focused on safeguards to make sure that Medicaid’s new Florida version would be based on providing services in people’s homes and communities and would not be a “nursing home light” system..

Losing “Protection”
In Florida’s Environmental Agency

December 31, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

florida parks dep

Some of the state’s strongest protectors of our natural resources were recently expelled from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Fifty-eight of the most knowledgeable and long-serving employees were let go in order to fulfill the governor’s promise/threat of less regulation.

Florida’s Year in Review: New Districts, New Voting Problems, Renewed Economic Hope

December 29, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

The biggest stories of 2012 ended up being an election and redistricting. A third ongoing story also pervaded the year’s news: The economy continued its long, slow rise from the ashes of the recession, and by year’s end the rebound – while facing the possible stomach-punch of a fiscal cliff setback – appeared to be solid.

Florida’s Own Fiscal Cliff: Gov. Scott Pleads With Obama to Help Avert a Strike at Seaports

December 27, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

Barring an agreement between longshoremen and shippers, Gov. Rick Scott and executives of Florida’s largest ports urged President Barack Obama to use his authority to keep containerized cargo moving while talks continue, saying any interruption would have a ripple effect throughout Florida and across the country.

Bill McBride, Centrist Democrat Who Challenged Jeb Bush in 2002, Is Dead at 67

December 24, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Bill McBride, a powerful lawyer who unsuccessfully tried to unseat then-Gov. Jeb Bush in 2002 and later watched his wife, Alex Sink, also run for governor, has died. He was 67.

Time to Get Serious About
Mental Health in Florida

December 21, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

Magritte, 'Le double secret' (1927). Click on the image for larger view.

Florida ranks near dead last nationally in the level of expenditures for front-end community-based mental health services. Let’s not be penny wise and pound foolish when so many precious lives are at risk, argues Paula Dockery.

Polls: Scott Tanks, Gay Marriage Gains, Pot Wilts, Alternate College Costs Rejected

December 20, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Even a majority of Republicans want an alternative to Rick Scott in 2014. Overwhelming majorities reject charging lower college tuition for science majors, and gay marriage makes a 10-point gain in latest Quinnipiac polls.

Video: From Trayvon Martin to Crist Re-Rising, Florida’s Top 10 Stories of 2012

December 19, 2012 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

The News Service of Florida’s David Royse speaks with Florida Cable Television’s Steve Wilkerson about the state’s biggest stories of the year–from election flubs to the Trayvon Martin shooting to Hispanic voter registration to the return of Charlie Crist.

The Soft-Core Terrorism
Of Florida’s Gun Worship

December 16, 2012 | Pierre Tristam | 63 Comments

Florida’s gun-worship is part of a lethal, juvenile romance for guns and a national disease that doesn’t hesitate to lock and load the words “gun” and “hobby” in the same chamber while vilifying those who’d imply a connection with the consequences.

Obamacare or Bust: U.S. Tells Florida to Either Expand Medicaid or Lose Out on Billions

December 11, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

Under Obamacare the federal government would pay 100 percent of the cost of the expanded eligibility from 2014 through 2016. Florida and other states questioned whether the federal government also would cover the full costs for a partial Medicaid expansion. The Obama administration said no.

Charlie Crist’s Evolution Is Complete. He’s a Democrat. Now What?

December 8, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 33 Comments

Crist’s move to the Democratic Party heightens talk of a run against Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. No clear Democratic front-runner has emerged, though Alex Sink, could run again.

Tallahassee Roundup: Staring at the Fiscal Cliff as Lawmakers Warm Up to Tango

December 8, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Gov. Rick Scott bid hasta la vista to Colombia and to the head of the Department of Economic Opportunity this week as state lawmakers held a meet and greet of their own in preparation for the 2013 legislative session.

Florida Now Has a $437 Million Budget Surplus, But 3% Pension Decision Looms

December 6, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

A decision in the case challenging a 2011 law that required employees to contribute 3 percent of their income to their retirement funds could cost the state around $2 billion if the Supreme Court strikes down the law.

Supreme Court Denies Last Appeal by Manuel Pardo, Cop Turned Executioner Scheduled to Die Dec. 11

December 6, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

Manuel Pardo, 56, is scheduled to die Dec. 11 at Florida State Prison in Starke. Pardo was convicted in 1988 after admitting to nine execution-style murders. He said he should avoid culpability because he believed all the victims to be drug dealers who he said “have no right to live.”

Children in Nursing Homes: Florida Rejects Court Oversight in Dispute With U.S. Justice

November 30, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

The Department of Justice in September threatened legal action over Florida’s violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by improperly placing disabled children in nursing homes and threatened legal action. Florida wants to resolve the dispute but opposes federal court oversight.

Gov. Scott’s Notion of Cheaper State College Degrees Termed “Walmart of Education”

November 26, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Gov. Rick Scott “challenged” state colleges to create $10,000 four-year degrees, a continuation of his low-cost strategy for higher education that Democrats slammed as an attempt to turn the schools into “the Walmart of Education.”

Calling It Flawed and Damaging, Teachers Union Wants Evaluation System Delayed

November 23, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

The state’s largest teachers union is pushing for lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott to delay a new system of teacher evaluations, saying the formula for measuring teachers’ performance is flawed and could wreak havoc on their careers.

In a Shift, Gov. Scott Will Now Talk Health Care Reform, But With Reservations

November 19, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Scott sent a conciliatory letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, but while seeking a meeting, Scott also expressed doubts about whether a key part of the Affordable Care Act would lower health costs.

Florida Republicans Begin to See Fewer Horns on Obamacare’s Evils

November 16, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

After more than two years of fighting the federal health overhaul, Florida Republican leaders say they need to prepare to carry out the law, while Gov. Rick Scott, in a sharp turnaround, said he wants to negotiate with federal authorities.

Don’t Expect Much Change in Stand Your Ground Law as Scott Panel Completes Work

November 14, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

A group tasked by Gov. Rick Scott with reviewing the state’s “stand your ground” self defense law appears unlikely to recommend any major revamping of the statute, although it will make suggestions for additional study by lawmakers.

Incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford Wants 401(k) Plans to Replace State Pensions

November 13, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

Will Weatherford, the Wesley Chapel Republican and new Speaker of the Florida House, is down on the Florida Retirement System, favoring instead a 401-k-like plan for state employees. (Mark Foley)

Calling the current pension system “old and archaic,” incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford said Tuesday he wants to revamp the state retirement program for new employees and make it more like the private sector.

Amendment Shock: A More Tolerant Nation Is By-Passing Smug, Regressive Florida

November 11, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

Many of Tuesday’s 176 popular referendum that passed speak of a more tolerant, more freedom-loving nation. Except in Florida, where the Legislature’s 11 proposals put the state at odds with national trenbds–and the Florida Legislature at odds with the people it claims to represent.

More Charter Schools, and Debit Cards to Teachers, as Scott Unveils Education Agenda

October 29, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

The most controversial element of Scott’s plan could potentially prove to be measures to increase the role of charter schools, removing enrollment caps on existing charter schools and allowing school districts to operate their own charter schools.

Florida Chamber, Countering GOP Allies, Opposing Ban on Cuba-Syria Contracting

October 25, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is asking a federal appeals court to continue blocking a new law that would prevent state and local governments from contracting with firms that have business links to Cuba or Syria. A a Miami federal judge ruled in June that the law likely violates the U.S. Constitution.

Smacked by Local Tax Collectors, State Retreats on License Plate Revamp, for Now

October 23, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Florida highway safety officials are putting on hold for at least a short time a plan to redesign state license plates, and to privatize their distribution, following objections from tax collectors.

Counties Begin Push-Back Against State’s Prohibition of Stronger Gun-Control

October 11, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Circuit Judge John Cooper said during a hearing that the counties can continue suing Gov. Scott over part of the law that would give the governor the power to remove local officials for violations — a provision that Palm Beach and Broward say exceeds the governor’s constitutional authority.

Flagler Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston Criticizes State’s License Plate Rule Changes

October 9, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 19 Comments

The local tax collector's office stocks almost all the state's varieties of license plates. If the motor vehicle department has its way, that'll end in January 2014, when drivers will have to get their plates by mail from Tallahassee. (© FlaglerLive)

Citing a likely drop in customer service and an eventual increase in costs, Flagler County Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston joined tax collectors across the state to criticize parts of Florida’s plans to redesign the state’s license plates and end local residents’ ability to get their plates locally and immediately.

Early Voting War Over as Judge, Citing “Souls to the Polls” Sundays, Refuses Injunction

September 25, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

early voting florida

The war over early voting in Florida ahead of November’s presidential election appeared to wind down Monday, with a federal court refusing to block a portion of the state’s controversial 2011 elections law. In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan denied a request from Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown and other black voters to […]

In a Stab at Human Trafficking, Florida Suspends 81 Massage Licenses

September 19, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

florida massage parlors human trafficking

The massage-therapist crackdown resulted from an investigation into human trafficking in Florida that revealed that some of the massage therapists paid up to $15,000 to get fraudulent transcripts and certificates to get their licenses.

Gov. Scott, Ending Week-Long Education Tour, Speaks of Increasing School Funding

September 17, 2012 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Gov. Rick Scott will push lawmakers to avoid cutting the education budget this year, the governor said following a dinner with union officials late last week. And if there’s enough money, he’ll again push for an increase.

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 22
  • Page 23
  • Page 24
  • Page 25
  • Page 26
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 28
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Susan on Palm Coast Council Deadlocks Over Selling Palm Harbor Golf Club; It May Raise Rates Again and Beg Loopers for a Cut
  • Polly on Sean Moylan Withdraws from Contending for County Attorney, Citing Divided Commission; 2 Applicants Left
  • A Concerned Observer on The Justice Department Is Planning to Strip Citizenship from Naturalized Americans
  • Skibum on The Justice Department Is Planning to Strip Citizenship from Naturalized Americans
  • Pogo on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 12, 2025
  • Pogo on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 12, 2025
  • DaleL on Cancer’s Leading Cause? Aging.
  • Local Dog on Pier Construction Update: Parking Zone for 3 Blocks around the Pier Will Be Eliminated
  • Tony on The Justice Department Is Planning to Strip Citizenship from Naturalized Americans
  • DKWise on Data Center Planned for 2028 in Palm Coast Cloaked in More Secrecy and Undocumented Boasts than Answers
  • Pampers on Judge France Signs Order Against Palm Coast Mayor Norris, Ending Attempt to Unseat Gambaro
  • Joe D on The Justice Department Is Planning to Strip Citizenship from Naturalized Americans
  • Palm Coast Citizen on The Justice Department Is Planning to Strip Citizenship from Naturalized Americans
  • Just Saying on Data Center Planned for 2028 in Palm Coast Cloaked in More Secrecy and Undocumented Boasts than Answers
  • Dennis C Rathsam on Don’t Paint Your House Purple Just Yet: Palm Coast May Reconsider Stricter Color Regulations or Referendum
  • JimboXYZ on Cancer’s Leading Cause? Aging.

Log in