The Electronic Newsletter of the Florida AFL

New Members according to the AFL-CIO Work in Progress
This week's WIP: 12, 876
Year to date: 41,566

Anderson Carter Sr. and Terence Purnell, Wackenhut security officers who were leading an effort to form a union with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) at offices of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington , D.C. , were suspended indefinitely from their jobs in the last several weeks. Click on the link below to ask the company to reinstate these two employees or keep reading.

Both men, who have filed federal labor law charges against Wackenhut, the second-largest private security firm in the U.S., believe they were suspended because of their support and involvement with the union. Firing workers for trying to form a union is illegal and simply inexcusable, but the law is so weak that employers victimize workers with impunity. It takes more than the law to protect workers' rights -- it takes us!

Help Officer Carter and Officer Purnell! Send a message to the IMF and Wackenhut management: Call for Wackenhut to reinstate these two employees and urge the company to honor their workers' fundamental right to join SEIU.

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/Wackenhut/x6uxk6r1dd8tj
Please reach out to your friends and co-workers who care about workers' rights and ask them to send a fax to Wackenhut to reinstate the two workers who were fired after trying to form a union. Click on the link below to send your message.

Disabled funding in limbo
( 03/26/2004 © Bradenton Herald)
MANATEE - Rep. Bill Galvano hopes Merlene Phillips understands his flip-flop on the House budget. He knows her day training program at Manasota ARC is important, but he said he just needs to come up with a better plan to make sure it continues.

Justice calls proposed funding cuts a crisis
(03/25/2004 © Daytona Beach News-Journal)
DAYTONA BEACH -- Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead described the state's courts as being in a state of crisis because of funding shortfalls over the past two years, as well as the governor's proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.

DCF backs bid to cut funds for older kids
(03/24/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Florida's child welfare administrators are working with legislators to slash the living stipend older foster children receive to pay for housing, food and utilities once they turn 18, in a bid to cut costs in a $15.6 million program that state officials say is running out of money.

Foster child assistance may be cut
( 03/24/2004 © Daytona Beach News-Journal)
Lauren Hogan works full-time and maintains a 3.9 grade point average at Daytona Beach Community College . But like a lot of 20-year-olds out on their own for the first time, Hogan needs help to make ends meet. For Hogan -- who spent much of her youth in shelters, group homes and foster homes -- that assistance comes from the state, as part of Florida 's Road-to-Independence Scholarship

Medically Needy on Chopping Block Again
( 03/25/2004 © Capitol News Service)
More than 30-thousand low-income pregnant women and catastrophically ill Floridians could lose their access to medical care under cuts being proposed by the Florida Senate. It's the third year in a row many of these people have had to fight for the services they need to survive.

Mr. Bo Peep Backtracks
( 03/24/2004 © Lakeland Ledger)
Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd has seen the election-year light -- and he has been blinded by it. After two years of supporting a bill allowing telephone companies to stick consumers with the largest rate increase in state history, Byrd said this week that the Legislature should repeal it.

The reverse railroad
( 03/25/2004 © Gainesville Sun)
Byrd wants to repeal the bill allowing phone companies to charge consumers the largest rate increase in state history. lorida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd has seen the election-year light.

Lobbyist corps in flip-flop frenzy
(03/25/2004 © St. Petersburg Times)
TALLAHASSEE - Dozens of dark-suited telephone industry lobbyists crowded into a hearing room in the state Capitol Wednesday to keep a watchful eye on lawmakers they have carefully cultivated for years.

Byrd phone rate repeal plan raises hackles in House
(03/24/2004 © St. Petersburg Times)
TALLAHASSEE - House Speaker Johnnie Byrd's proposal to repeal an unpopular phone rate increase might make him a hero with consumers, but it has strained his precarious relationships with some of his key members.

Crist Applauds Phone Rate Legislation
(03/24/2004 © Capitol News Service)
Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist says he's glad to hear the state legislature is considering repealing last year's controversial law that allowed a big boost in phone rates. House Speaker Johnnie Byrd is spearheading the drive to repeal the law.

Gov. Bush: Phone Rate Bill Repeal Is Unnecessary
(03/26/2004 © Lakeland Ledger)
Gov. Bush: Phone Rate Bill Repeal Is Unnecessary By DAVID ROYSE The Associated Press TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush sent a strong signal Thursday that he doesn't think a bill passed last year that led to approval of phone rate hikes needs to be repealed, saying there's time to study the issue further before any potential rate increases happen.

Bush s involvement to repeal rail raises questions
(03/25/2004 © Florida Today)
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush and CFO Tom Gallagher's embracing of a ballot initiative to derail the Florida bullet train tests the firewall between public office and political campaigns.

Influence question stirs debate
(03/25/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
TALLAHASSEE Two months after he was chosen the next speaker of the Florida House, Rep. Allan Bense's 25-year-old daughter, Courtney Bense, became a lobbyist in Tallahassee.

Malpractice comes back, but the doctors arent in
(03/25/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
It is no coincidence that the Florida House will vote on a medical malpractice bill today, just as the Florida Medical Association rallies at the Capitol to demand relief from malpractice insurance premiums.

Any push to amend may face new rules
(03/24/2004 © St. Petersburg Times)
TALLAHASSEE - Three years ago, no one paid much mind to the quixotic idea of a couple of lawmakers from rural North Florida who were sick of seeing the state's Constitution peppered with special-interest ballot measures like net bans or bullet trains.

University tuition to rise under Senate, House plans
(03/26/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
TALLAHASSEE -- State senators bemoaned another year of tuition increases for university students Thursday as they discussed a budget with hikes of 7.5 percent for undergraduate residents and up to 12.5 percent for out-of-state and grad students.

Pre-K bill on the line
( 03/26/2004 © Miami Herald)
State House members who have authored a stripped-down version of a proposal for universal preschool for 4-year-olds are well-intentioned -- but wrong.

State Senate budget shortchanges S. Florida schools by $40 million
(03/26/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
TALLAHASSEE A $56.5 billion state budget plan that shortchanges South Florida school districts by $40 million sailed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday over the protests of local legislators.

SESSION NOTEBOOK: Bill would adjust state school funds
(03/25/2004 © Jacksonville - Florida Times Union)
The way the state divides billions of dollars spent annually on operations among the state's 67 school districts would be adjusted over eight years under a bill (CS-HB 745) the House Education K-20 Committee approved 26-2 Wednesday.

School funding at risk in S. Fla.
( 03/25/2004 © Miami Herald)
TALLAHASSEE - South Florida legislators conceded Wednesday that they may be fighting a losing battle this year to preserve millions of dollars the state traditionally gives to urban school districts to cover higher living costs.

Voucher school accreditation dropped
(03/25/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
TALLAHASSEE -- Legislation to tighten oversight on the largely unregulated corporate tax credit voucher program passed its first Senate committee Wednesday, but only after Republican leaders scrambled to fend off provisions requiring schools to be accredited.

Senate s pre-K bill to trigger dispute
( 03/24/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Florida 's new pre-kindergarten program should require accreditation, minimum teacher credentials and small classes, according to a recently filed Senate bill.

Tuition increase is likely this fall
( 03/24/2004 © Tallahassee Democrat)
University students can plan on paying at least 7.5 percent more for their fall classes. Proposed budgets in the House and Senate raise tuition for all students.

Bev Kilmer: lowering the education bar in Florida
( 03/24/2004 © Tallahassee Democrat)
In 2002, Floridians voted overwhelmingly for a constitutional amendment that would create a high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten program for Florida 4-year-olds. Voters gave our Legislature a mandate to create a model pre-K program, but if Rep. Bev Kilmer gets her wish, they'll get a hyped-up baby-sitting service instead.

Limit vouchers to established private schools, memo urges
(03/24/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
TALLAHASSEE -- Tired of getting lumped in with new, unaccredited voucher schools in recent headlines, the state's long-established private schools Tuesday called on Republican leaders to limit vouchers to accredited schools only.

High-quality pre-K not for amateur moms
(03/24/2004 © Orlando Sentinel)
Bad enough that the Education Governor won't deliver high-quality pre-kindergarten classes to all children who need it by next year, the date an overwhelming majority of voters embraced to start universal pre-K.

Panel OK s graduation substitute for FCAT
(03/24/2004 © Ocala Star Banner)
TALLAHASSEE - With the backing of the Department of Education, a House subcommittee approved a measure Monday that would give high school students an opportunity to graduate even if they can't pass the state's 10th grade FCAT exam.

Senators move to identify donors
( 03/24/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
TALLAHASSEE -- Legislators could still accept unlimited contributions through controversial fund-raising organizations under a measure approved by a Senate committee Tuesday.

Limits on contributions unlikely to find success
( 03/24/2004 © Miami Herald)
TALLAHASSEE - A push by House Speaker Johnnie Byrd to limit the amount of cash that political groups can reap in Florida appears doomed. Byrd, along with Gov. Jeb Bush and Senate Republicans, wanted to close loopholes in Florida 's campaign finance laws that allow some political organizations to shield the names of their contributors from the public.

Bill would identify campaign-ad donors
(03/24/2004 © Tallahassee Democrat)
A Senate committee voted unanimously Tuesday to put a "face" on the nice-sounding campaign committees that can smear a candidate or make grand promises late in a race.

Senator blocks fundraising limit
( 03/25/2004 © St. Petersburg Times)
TALLAHASSEE - A move by House Speaker Johnnie Byrd to limit the size of contributions to legislative funding groups is dead because of opposition by a powerful senator. Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, the sponsor of a Senate campaign finance bill, said he opposes putting contribution limits only on fundraising groups known as committees of continuous existence.

Letters: Bucher doing what we elected her to
( 03/24/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Re the March 20 article regarding an investigation of state Rep. Susan Bucher: I find the whole thing absurd. Don't we want our legislators to be outspoken and committed to the issues that are of importance to the safety and well-being of their constituents?

House democrats sport stickers backing Bucher
(03/24/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
TALLAHASSEE -- Rep. Susan Bucher stuck close to House Democrats Tuesday, or at least her likeness did. Colleagues sported 'Free Susan Bucher' stickers that included a smiling picture of the Royal Palm Beach Democrat who is in trouble with Republicans for remarks made last week in a Health Care...

gop honchos try to gag outspoken Democrat
( 03/25/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Tallahassee · A few members of the House of Representatives have taken to wearing 'Free Susan' stickers. It's a tongue-in-cheek protest, poking at a heavy-handed move by Republican leaders who look like they want to keep an outspoken Democrat's tongue in check.

Orlando man joins race for House
(03/25/2004 © Daily Commercial)
ORLANDO An open state House seat has attracted a growing number of prospective Republicans that would to become south Lake Countys next representative in Tallahassee. Joe Durek, an Orlando businessman best known for founding Lentek International, is the latest.

Fla. campaigns hit record $89M
(03/25/2004 © Florida Today)
The Republican and Democratic parties in Florida raised a record $89 million leading up to the last election, a report being released today says.

Activist files to oppose Littlefield
(03/25/2004 © St. Petersburg Times)
WESLEY CHAPEL - Longtime gun safety activist Arthur Hayhoe is taking aim at state Rep. Ken Littlefield, R-Dade City. Hayhoe, a Democrat, has filed the paperwork to challenge Littlefield for the District 61 seat, which covers east and south-central Pasco County , as well as a northern pocket of Hillsborough.

Democrat quits District 43 race
(03/24/2004 © St. Petersburg Times)
The only candidate who had stepped forward, so far, to oppose Republican state Rep. Charles Dean announced Tuesday that he is leaving the race for the District 43 seat. Jimmy Carr, who challenged Dean unsuccessfully for the seat two years ago, said he was feeling confident about his knowledge of the issues and the name recognition he had built.

Candidate wants LePore to resign or be removed
(03/26/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
A candidate seeking to oust Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore demanded Thursday she either resign or be removed from office by Gov. Jeb Bush if she does not prepare a plan to fix problems he said were rampant in the March 9 election.

Pollster: Hispanic Vote Holding Steady
(03/26/2004 © Miami Herald)
WASHINGTON - A leading Democratic pollster recently reassured his party that its majority share of the Hispanic vote is holding steady as the presidential campaign heats up. But some in the party aren't so sure.

Cover fire
(03/24/2004 © Daytona Beach News-Journal)
There's a look of shame, a sort of stammer in the voice, that can be observed in people who are doing things they know are wrong and saying things they know aren't true. That nagging guilt was evident on the floor of the state Senate Wednesday during the debate of two noxious gun bills.

Dumb, not stupid
( 03/26/2004 © Gainesville Sun)
ur elected Florida legislators may be dumb, but they're not stupid. Yes, they are dumb enough to authorize stiff fines (of as much as an astonishing $5 million) on police officers who commit the 'crime' of keeping a list of gun owners.

Protect the public
(03/25/2004 © Florida Today)
As if any more evidence were needed to show how deeply the state Legislature kowtows to the National Rifle Association, consider the dangerous bills already passed by the House and now expected to sail through the Senate.

Editorial: Florida Senate proposal is ludicrous
( 03/24/2004 © Ft. Pierce Tribune)
The Florida Senate is considering budget cuts that could end Medicaid coverage of prenatal care for an estimated 7,000 pregnant women. Changing eligibility for prenatal and delivery care from 185 percent of the poverty level to 150 percent would save the state approximately $31 million.

Editorial: Kill NRA s bill
(03/25/2004 © Stuart News)
Probably the most egregious of the nearly 60 open government exemptions proposed so far during the current Florida legislative session is one that would prevent law enforcement agencies and private individuals from keeping a record of firearm owners after 60 days.

Vote on open-file exemption fails
(03/25/2004 © Ocala Star Banner)
TALLAHASSEE - A bill aimed at keeping work papers from incomplete internal investigations by state agencies out of public view failed to pass the House Tuesday.

3 who appreciate sunshine
(03/25/2004 © Orlando Sentinel)
Floridians who hold dear their constitutional right to government information owe thanks to David Simmons of Longwood, Jim Kallinger of Winter Park and Frank Attkisson of Kissimmee.

Secrecy for some inspector general s records fails in House
(03/23/2004 © Miami Herald)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A bill aimed at keeping work papers from incomplete internal investigations by state agencies out of public view failed to pass the House Tuesday. Each state agency has an inspector general's office that does internal investigations of potential wrongdoing in the agency and audits the office's work.

House rejects Sunshine law attack
(03/24/2004 © Orlando Sentinel)
TALLAHASSEE -- A sweeping proposal to make secret many investigations of government agencies, including alleged abuses at the Department of Children & Family Services, was voted down Tuesday in the Florida House.

GOP chief bites bullet on his health care bill
(03/26/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
TALLAHASSEE House Speaker Johnnie Byrd suffered an embarrassing defeat Thursday when he was forced to shelve the bill he is shepherding on behalf of a medical industry lobby supporting his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Byrd, who has received substantial contributions from doctors,

Senate passes bill to allow assistants to give anesthesia
(03/25/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
TALLAHASSEE -- The Senate voted Wednesday to create a new category of health care provider -- anesthesiology assistant -- despite opponents who claim it will put patients at greater risk.

Senate bill would strengthen migrant workers rights
( 03/25/2004 © St. Augustine Record)
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida would strengthen protections for hundreds of thousands of migrant farm workers harvesting crops under bills that advanced through the Senate Wednesday.

Discounts for uninsured patients clear panel
(03/24/2004 © Miami Herald)
TALLAHASSEE - Florida hospitals would no longer be allowed to charge uninsured patients as much as five times what they charge paying patients and would be required to charge them lower rates tied to Medicare under legislation that passed a key House committee Tuesday.

NOW with Bill Moyers PBS Airdate: Friday, March 26, 2004, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings at http://www.pbs.org/now/sched.html)

Even though President Bush's controversial plan for taxpayer-funded vouchers to subsidize private and religious schools was killed in Congress, the Department of Education has filtered $77 million to private, conservative groups promoting the privatization of public education. As millions of children go without basic educational needs, some critics are asking: shouldn't that money have gone to saving

America

's crumbling public schools? On Friday, March 26, 2004, NOW with Bill Moyers looks at how Department of Education's discretionary spending budget has been tapped and funneled into a handful of organizations that are promoting school vouchers and examines these groups' intimate ties to the Bush administration.

Report Says Medicare to Go Broke by 2019
(03/24/2004 © Miami Herald)
WASHINGTON - Medicare will have to begin dipping into its reserves this year and without changes will go broke by 2019 - seven years earlier than expected - because of rising health costs, trustees warned Tuesday.

Official considered leaving Bush administration over Medicare
Sacramento Bee 3/25/04

USATODAY.com - $395B is accurate estimate for Medicare law, budget chief says
USA TODAY 3/25/04

Campaign 2004

As Gasoline Hits Record Price, Bush, Kerry and Democrats Spar Over Policy and Next Move
New York Times 3/24/04

Groups Cut Into Bush's Edge
Washington Post 3/24/04

Bush Faces Dreary Jobs Data in Michigan
AP 3/24/04

USATODAY.com - Democrats showcase party unity
USA TODAY 3/25/04

Miller begins 'Democrats for Bush' - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics
Washington Times 3/25/04

USATODAY.com - Returning to trail, Kerry gets backing of Dean, AFL-CIO
USA TODAY

Kerry to Propose Eliminating a Tax Break on U.S. Companies’ Overseas Profits
New York Times

Poll: Voters Take 2004 Election Seriously
Associated Press (AP)

Bush pokes fun at his weapons of mass destruction claim – families of fallen soldiers not amused

A Bush dinner joke amuses – The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/26/politics/campaign/26HUMO.html

The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24883-2004Mar25.html

The “Show Us the Jobs” national bus tour takes off

There's No Joy Riding on This Bus Journey
Los Angeles Times 3/24/04

Union Movement Hits the Road Over Job Losses
Rueters 3/25/04

FIND OUT MORE -

www.ShowUstheJobs.com

Visit and link to the Show Us the Jobs website.

About the bus riders (www.showusthejobs.com/51stories):

Their stories and photos. Find riders by state or topic (outsourcing, overtime, downsizing, etc.)

· “Blogs”—online journals posted by riders on the tour.

Follow the tour (www.showusthejobs.com/jobstour):

Stories and photos of each day’s highlights.

· Daily video clips of events and riders.

State fact sheets on jobs (www.showusthejobs.com/yourstate/facts):

Facts for every state on job loss, unemployment, wages, health coverage, poverty and bankruptcy.

Action tools:

Petition calling for good jobs for America ’s workers (www.showusthejobs.com).
Speak-out section on jobs and the economy (www.showusthejobs.com/speakout).
Send a personal message to President Bush on jobs and the economy (www.unionvoice.org/campaign/deargeorge).
Activist Toolkit with fliers, fact sheets and more (www.showusthejobs.com/toolkit).

If you have suggestions on how we may improve this online publication or have information you would like to see posted please contact our communications director at (850) 224 – 6926 or at rtemplin@flaflcio.org.

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