The Justice Department memo on targeting U.S. citizens references a “broader concept of imminence,” which it holds “does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future.”
All Else
With “Twilight,” Rodney King Riots Transform Palm Coast Stage Into a Rap of Revelations
“Twilight,” the new play opening at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre, is a violently exuberant recreation of the world of the 1992 South-Central riots into a unique theatrical experience that manages to coil hope, humor and grit out of despair.
From Guernica to Who Gives a Damn: Modern Warfare’s Droning Savagery
There was a time when people could actually be shocked by the slaughter of civilians during a war. No more. We kid ourselves that our warfare is moral and clean and good and that it’s the other guys who commit the war crimes. Don’t believe it, argues Donald Kaul.
In a Blow to Workers and Home Rule, Florida Moves to Forbid Living-Wage Ordinances
The proposal would expand on legislation passed a decade ago to prevent cities from enacting their own minimum wage levels for private employers doing business within their jurisdictions. The proposal would also extend the ban to other employee benefits such as paid sick leave.
Radiation Sickness: Florida Republicans Tiring of Up-Front Utility Rates for Nukes
Four Republican senators said Thursday they will try to revamp a controversial 2006 law that has led to utility customers paying hundreds of millions of dollars for nuclear-power projects — but stopped short of calling for a total repeal.
It’s Not Just Hotels: Flagler Seeking to Collect Bed Tax From Booming Short-Term Rentals
The Flagler’s Tourist Development Council is spearheading an effort to make sure landlords who rent homes or condominiums on a short-term basis, defined as less than six months, pay the 4 percent tourist development tax.
In Major Shift, Scott Endorses Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion, But Legislature Balks
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.
ACLU Sues Sheriff Manfre Over Jail Policy Restricting Incoming Mail to Postcards
Beginning in January 2011 under Sheriff Don Fleming, inmates at the Flagler County jail have been forbidden from receiving mail other than small postcards, or from writing letters longer than two pages. Judges have generally not endorsed the restrictions, which also apply to inmates awaiting trial, who are presumed innocent.
Online Booking Companies’ Tax Evasion Fleeces Flagler Tourism and Florida Dues
Online booking companies like Expedia and Hotels.com are short-changing Flagler and Florida of millions of dollars in sales and bed taxes, and unfairly competing with local hotels, argues Milissa Holland, yet the Legislature is looking to give those companies more tax breaks. It’s not the way to go.
Rubio’s Rebuttal: A GOP Disaster Reminiscent of Romney, With Hispanic Hues
The performance by Florida’s junior senator following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union was an epic failure, argues Rhonda Swan. If Marco Rubio is the savior of the Republican Party, members of the GOP should start looking for their lifeboats.
Not in Florida: Civil Union Bill Falters Ahead of a Vote That Would Have Killed It
A measure that would allow for civil unions, granting legal relationship rights to people who aren’t married, stalled Tuesday in a Senate committee in the face of a likely defeat if it had gone to a vote.
Bill Would Let Counties Tax for School Security
County voters could decide to levy a special property tax to pay for public school security under a measure filed Tuesday in the House. The measure, HB 873, would allow a county commission to establish a special taxing district to pay for school security and mental health services.
Palm Coast Approves 17.6% Water-Rate Hike, Pleasing Bond-Holders More Than Residents
Palm Coast residents will see their water bills jump 8 percent in April, 4 percent in October and another 4 percent in October 2014 as the city grapples with a combination of debt and capital obligations for its utility.
Florida Among States Where Out-of-Pocket Health Costs Exceed Reform Law’s Cap
Even when deductibles are included, 36 percent of policies offered to individuals on the private market exceed the new health law’s allowable limit. Once the cap is enforced, consumers may see higher premiums instead.
Answering Palm Coast, Thrasher Will Pitch Internet Cafe Bill, But Reach May Be Limited
Palm Coast officials want state lawmakers to either ban or more strictly regulate and possibly tax gambling parlor-like internet cafes. Sen. John Thrasher is proposing a moratorium on the parlors, which may not match local demands, as a moratorium was already executed in Palm Coast.
Short Skirts, and How Fatherhood Is Changing My Politics
Since having a baby, Peter Schorsch finds himself agreeing more with Rick Santorum and less with Beyoncé, whose short-skirt performance at the Super Bowl left his tongue hanging, but not out of desire. He has a daughter to think about.
Pork’s Other End: Lobbying of Florida Legislature Tops $120 Million in 2012
Lobbyists collected at least $120 million to represent businesses and other clients before the Florida Legislature in 2012, with companies such as AT&T and the gambling industry spending heavily
For the Unemployed in Flagler, Fewer Training Dollars and More Obstacles in Benefits’ Way
The rush for demand has all but sapped funding for worker training training from a Flagler County agency this fiscal year, even as Flagler continues to have Florida’s leading unemployment rate. It was 11.2 percent in December.
Zero Dark Thirty’s Tortured, Losing Premise
Zero Dark Thirty is a movie the CIA wants you to see. Torture is illegal under U.S. and international law and it is utterly immoral. It doesn’t “work,” but that’s beside the point to the movie-makers, argues Chris Toensing. The result is disturbing for all the wrong reasons.
Early Morning Shooting in Palm Coast’s P-Section Sends One Man to Hospital
A man was shot in the chin in Palm Coast’s P-Section, on Pine Hill Lane, early Sunday morning at the end of what had reportedly been a loud party. The shooter is still at large. The victim, Johnnie Thomas Jr., 19, of Bunnell, went with friends to Florida Hospital Flagler. This is the same Johnnie […]
Women of Ireland Bring Rhythms Of Strength to the Flagler Auditorium
One thing Jesuits and mystic-searching hippies are likely to agree on is the fact that the Irish produce good music. Another is that they also produce strong women, which brings us to the Women of Ireland, who performed at the Flagler Auditorium Sunday.
This Is London: Of Returning to England After 34 Years of Happy Exile
Making a return trip to England to celebrate a brother’s 50th birthday, after a 34-year absence, is occasion for reflection about the meaning of time, an unlikely vacation and the most seductive sounds of a train announcer anywhere in the world.
At Investiture of County Judge Melissa Moore Stens, A Few Tears, Some Advice and Pride
Melissa Moore-Stens, Flagler County’s first county judge not named Atack in 34 years, marked her investiture at the Flagler Auditorium Friday with family, friends and the counsel of judges, now her equal colleagues, including a few words on the etiquette of peeing as a judge.
Bipartisan Bill to Repeal Red-Light Cameras Advances in Florida Legislature
A bi-partisan proposal would repeal the three-year-old Florida law allowing cities to install spy-and-snap cameras. The repeal, if enacted, would again crimp the revenue of local governments such as Palm Coast, which use the cameras’ ticker revenue to supplement their general fund.
Named Chamber President, DeLorenzo Vows Openness and Redirected Focus on Businesses
The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce and Affiliates appointed Rebecca DeLorenzo its permanent president on Thursday, ending a three-month interim since Doug baxter’s abrupt departure in November.
Readying for Showdown With Residents, Palm Coast Nudges Slightly on Water Rates
Rather than impose a 22 percent water-rate increase over the next three years, the Palm Coast City Council might scale that back to 16 percent, but only by shifting increases to later years. The council is scheduled to approve a plan on Feb. 19 as public opposition builds.
Ending American Agriculture’s Unhealthy Journey Toward the $4.99 Bag of Potato Chips
We can’t begin to reduce our surging healthcare costs in this country without addressing affordability and accessibility to healthier foods, by not educating the users of the system on personal responsibility and choices, and by moving toward more locally grown food, argues Milissa Holland.
Man Killed, Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Injured in SR100 Collision Just West of Bunnell
A man was killed and a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy injured this morning in a collision on State Road 100, just west of Bunnell, that also involved a special-needs school bus heading to Indian Trails Middle School.
Gov. Scott Facing Mounting Questions From His Own Party Over Jobs Agenda, and Expenses
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.
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.
Cut-and-Paste: Holmberg Beach Study Falls Short of City Commissioners’ Expectations
A 42-page report by Dick Holmberg analyzing the Flagler Beach shoreline for potential installation of his “undercurrent stabilizers” to rebuild the beach’s sands drew severe criticism from city commissioners, who called it lacking, and not reflective of a $50,000 job, which the city was to pay for with county dollars.
Despite Setbacks, Florida Tea Party Activists Aren’t Ready to Hear Their Eulogies Yet
In light of November 2012’s electoral setbacks, some are ready to write off the “tea party” as a movement whose time has come and gone, but don’t tell that to Florida’s grassroots activists.
As One Candidate Withdraws, Jane Mealy and Steve Settle Are Re-Elected in Flagler Beach
With the withdrawal of Oceanside Grill owner John Lulgjuraj, Jane Mealy and Steve Settle were automatically re-elected to the Flagler Beach City Commission, making the March 5 election unnecessary.
In Fischer Hit-and-Run Case, Prosecution Ties 11-Hour Silence to Criminal Behavior
That Jamesine Fischer stayed at the scene of the fatal accident that took the life of 76-year-old Françoise Pécqueur in November 2011, the prosecution argued in court today, doesn’t diminish the fact that she never reported the accident to authorities until 11 hours later, a fact central to the prosecution’s case as it was revealed today.
Thomas Gilmore Masse, Formerly of Yale, Is Stetson’s New Dean of Music
Thomas Gilmore Masse has been named the next Dean and Professor of Music of Stetson University School of Music. Masse joins Stetson from Yale University where he serves as Associate Provost for the Arts.
Ten Tenors Rekindle Flagler Love Affair With Two Shows at the Auditorium
The Ten Tenors, an Australian group that’s been coming to the Flagler Auditorium for years, is among the rarest of acts that commands two shows locally. The Ten Tenors will perform Feb. 11 and 12.
John Fischer’s Hate Speech
In twice calling for a return of school prayer in the last three weeks, Flagler County School Board member John Fischer did so not from good will but out of angry resentment for “special interests” and “political correctness” that he claims are standing in the way of “our rights.” He is offensively wrong, and the school board should resist his call to prayer.
Partisan Vote Approves 401k Plan for State Workers’ Retirement as Showdown Looms
The measure passed the House Government Operations Subcommittee after a contentious and at times emotional three-and-a-half-hour meeting. The bill would require all employees who begin working for the state on or after Jan. 1 to join a “defined contribution” plan.
Light, Poetry, Action: Hollingsworth and Art League’s New Shows Look to Raise Roofs
The Flagler County Art League opens its second annual Art & Poetry Show this evening as Hollingsworth Gallery opens its fourth annual Members’ Show. Both events, near each other, are free and feature a wine and cheese reception from 6 to 9 p.m.
Rather Than Allow Middle School Gay-Straight Alliance, Lake Board Plans Ban on All Clubs
A group of students at Carver Middle School in Lake County, Fla. have tried to establish a GSA, saying the student-led club is needed to address name-calling, bullying and harassment in school. In response to the students request, the Lake County School Board has begun the process of banning every non-curricular club at every school in the district rather than follow their legal obligation to recognize the GSA at Carver Middle School.
Sheriff Seeking Public’s Help to ID Theft Suspect
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who used a stolen credit card at a local tire store. Two images are provided. A reward of up to $1,000 is offered.
Three-Year Effort to Abolish Death Penalty in Florida Fails in 9-4 Justice Committee Vote
The rare vote to kill a bill in committee, rather than just bottling it up never to be heard, gave death penalty opponents their first chance to extensively argue for a repeal, following several years in which the measure’s sponsor, Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, has been unable to persuade Republican leaders to put the bill before a committee.
The Missing Link in Ever-Rising Health Care Costs: Personal Responsibility
Car insurance costs go down when drivers drive responsibly for a few years. A similar approach to health care could help bring costs down, but first, Milissa Holland argues, people must take responsibility for their own health and lifesrtyles–and the way they seek out medical help: the ER is usually not the answer.
County and Bunnell Buy Plantation Bay Utility for $5.5 Million in Hurried Late-Night Deal
The two governments late Wednesday evening jointly voted to buy the troubled Plantation Bay utility, a wreckage of a 28-year-old water and sewer system serving about 1,600 customers, most of them in Volusia County, plunging Flagler County in the utility business.
Drones Among Us: Florida Police Want Video Surveillance Power Over Big Sports Events
Bill sponsor Sen. Joe Negron and police couldn’t agree on the use of drones as extra eyes in the sky at large-crowd events, such as a football game, with Negron saying monitoring crowds goes too far – and that he’d vote against his own bill (SB 92) if it were changed to allow that.
Drinking On the Job Aside, Investigation Finds a Broken Flagler Beach Fire Department
Four Flagler Beach firefighters, including the fire chief, broke the city’s zero-tolerance policy on drinking on the job, but the independent investigation broadened to find a severely dysfunctional fire department riven by cliques, lacking authority and pointing tio disturbing acts such as record falsification.
DNA Leads Back to Two Men Wanted for 2009 Armed Robbery of Palm Coast Bank
Four years after their armed and violent robbery of Floridian Bank on Palm Coast’s Boulder Rock Drive, Antonio Clark and Antonio Aviles, both 27, were arrested thanks to DNA evidence from clothing they’d discarded after the robbery. They’d stolen $1,661.
Integrity Report Critical of Enterprise Florida as an Obstacle to Job Creation Is Itself Tainted
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.
Coastal Cloud, a Next-Generation Computing Management Firm, Unveils Plan for 100 Jobs
Coastal Cloud is a newly-formed subsidiary of Graphene LLC, a computing consultancy, that will provide cloud-based data management services while hiring locally some 100 jobs over three years, at an average wage of $46,500, the company announced to the county’s economic development council today.
Palm Coast Council Heavily Criticized Over Planned 22% Water Rate Hike
The Palm Coast City Council Tuesday evening weathered a verbal barrage of questions and criticism from 15 people upset at the city’s plan to finance $78 million in water and sewer charges over the next five years, in part by raising water rates 22 percent in the next three years. But little change is expected.