DaniellaL.com

State of the State

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Mon, 09 May 2011 02:03:00 +0000

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/07/2206750/legislatures-zaniness-pales-next.html

Carl Hiaasen explains how the power of money has taken over the soul of the state legislature.

Election May 2011

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Mon, 09 May 2011 00:24:00 +0000

After a recall petition drive easily garnered the signatures needed to oust Mayor Alvarez from office, only 8% of those registered to vote actually voted to support the initiative (a startling 88% of those voting). Now we have a special Mayoral election and Charter Reforms in the Special May 24 Election. Thanks to Mr. Braman for creating a renewed interest in county government and paving the way for some important reforms. While the proposed Charter Reforms do not go as far as he would like, they do provide some important improvements to the status quo.

I provide recommendations for the Mayor, District 7 County Commission seat and the Charter Reforms. Read below and pass the word.

Early voting starts May 9, and May 24 is the final election day.

Happy voting!

Daniella L.

District 7: We Endorse Julio Robaina

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Mon, 09 May 2011 00:11:00 +0000

This is the OTHER Julio Robaina, not the Mayor of Hialeah who would be Mayor of Miami-Dade. This Julio Robaina is the former State Rep who also served as mayor of South Miami. He is a moderate Republican with a strong record of support for the needs of working people. He is balanced, open and community-minded. He will be a strong and reasoned voice on the Commission that is already suffering from Katy Sorenson's departure.

Join his campaign as a donor and volunteer at http://www.juliorobainaforcommissioner.com/

The other candidate in this race, Xavier Suarez, has a troubled record from his days as City of Miami Mayor. He was investigated for voting irregularities and was generally viewed as erratic. While Robaina's record is not totally untarnished thanks to inside politics in South Miami (although these allegations should not inhibit your support), he is by far the better equipped for this office.

Miami's New Mayor: We Endorse Gimenez

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Sun, 08 May 2011 23:48:00 +0000

It is a crowded field. Several are very thoughtful and have a strong vision for our county's future. However, in the reality of Miami-Dade's contentious politics, the top runners are the ones I will focus on. Of the three, Gimenez, Llorente and Robaina, Gimenez is the best prepared to lead. He has a strong record of integrity and serious governance. He understands the county government and county needs better than any of the other candidates. He is straightforward, accessible, transparent.

Despite my support for Commissioner Gimenez, I hope that he will not allow the anti-tax sentiment to further erode basic health and human services. Healthcare and social services are part of our critical infrastructure just like roads and water. Rolling back the millage would indeed be "pennywise and pound foolish".

Allegations swirling around Julio Robaina raise concerns that have not been resolved. He has not been forthcoming about these concerns. Llorente has a promising future, but is not best prepared for this position. Gabrielle Redfern is the most well-spoken candidate with a command of the issues. Let's hope she plays an active role in policy advocacy from another perch.

To learn about all 11 candidates and their stands on the issues, see
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/07/2205518/the-candidates-and-the-issues.html

Charter Reforms

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Sun, 08 May 2011 23:27:00 +0000

I agree with Merrett Stierheim and disagree with Norman Braman. Essays by each of them, published in the Miami Herald, are provided below. Former Commissioner Katy Sorenson, now head of the Good Government Initiative hosted at University of Miami, also supports the Stierheim view and presented that in several forums.

In summary, I recommend to vote NO on #1 and YES on the others. Reasons below in Stierheim's commentary. Essentially, while 2-6 are not perfect and in many cases do not go far enough, they are a good start and improve citizen involvement and transparency.

Stierheim's view
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/04/v-print/2201367/most-proposed-charter-changes.html

Braman's view
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/05/2203188/braman-why-im-voting-no-to-all.html

Miami Herald News Coverage
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/08/2206152/miami-dade-charter-reform-is-something.html

Election May 2011

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Sun, 08 May 2011 23:18:00 +0000

8% of the registered voters supported the initiative that Norman Braman funded, and now we have a special Mayoral election and Charter Reforms. I provide recommendations for the Mayor, District 7 County Commission seat and the Charter Reforms. Read below and pass the word.

Early voting starts May 9, and May 24 is the final election day.

Happy voting!

Daniella L.

Daniella's Picks 2010: General Election

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:00:00 +0000

Print out this guide as a handy pdf and bring it with you to the polls!

DANIELLA’S PICKS: NOVEMBER 2, 2010

My recommendations are highlighted in yellow.

I urge you to send campaign contributions; those marked with ** are my priorities for donations.

Jump to:
State Representative Races
State Senator Races
Other State Offices
Governor
Attorney General
CFO
US Senator
US Representatives
State Supreme Court Justices and other Judicial Races
School Board, County Commission, and Community Development Districts
Constitutional Amendments

Video: I remember the Republicans

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:20:00 +0000

Can't see the video? Click here.

Election Day Humor

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:06:00 +0000

Forwarded from a friend...

HEAVEN AND HELL

While walking down the street one day a Corrupt Senator was tragically hit by a car and died.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the Senator

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven.. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really? I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the Senator..

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

NIFTY way to look at the candidates in the news

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 23:14:00 +0000

Try it here with Alex Sink vs Rick Scott--all the Twitter news and posts about them over a timeline beginning about a week ago. Then you can go to the main page and play with it to look at other candidates!

Election Day is tomorrow; going forward with the blog

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:43:00 +0000

There's not much more to be done besides wait and watch for the results tomorrow...and do a little last-ditch GOTV work!

I very much hope every reader of DaniellaL.com gets to the polls (if you haven't already done so), and inspires someone else to go too. In past election cycles Daniella and I have stopped updating the blog after election day, and our readers have trickled off over time. This year, with over 100 hits a day we want to continue to use the blog as a platform to explore ideas and issues, candidates and causes. Daniella will continue to occasionally post political issue and representative analysis. I will begin a series of posts on a cause near and dear to my heart, environmental issues, especially as they intersect with the themes of grassroots politics and social justice that drive the work of my mother. Rachel will also be posting about data-driven analysis and the unheralded and non-obvious ways that legislation and politics shape our lives, and how we shape politics.

Please continue reading, subscribing, sharing, and commenting! If you are a regular reader who would like to share the platform as an occasional or regular commentator, please contact Daniella directly or leave a comment on this post with your name and email address (your contact information will NOT be published on the blog).

Yours,
Eliza

Now THIS is scary --Lisa Lesperance

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:58:00 +0000

Halloween in Florida: A Nightmare on Main Street

By: Lisa Lesperance, Esquire

Be afraid. Be very afraid. This is very scary!

1) Over one million Floridians are out of work.

2) 50,000 people have left Florida. People staying cannot afford to have children.

3) 44% of Florida voters reported their personal finance has worsened.

4) There is more Medicare fraud in Miami-Dade than in anywhere in the country.

5) High school dropout rates in Florida are among the highest in the country.

6) Miami is rated #99 for places to raise children (rated one of the worst).

7) Foreclosures in Miami-Dade have increased 777%.

8) Nearly 4 million people in Florida are uninsured.

9) Child abuse, domestic abuse and elderly abuse are on the rise, yet the Legislature has cut vital programs to protect people who need help.

10) The Legislature has raised college tuition, making it unaffordable.

11) Property taxes, "user fees", and windstorm insurance rates drastically increased by the current Legislature are crushing families.

12) Florida faces another multi-billion dollar budget shortfall.

13) Current State leaders have no plans and no new ideas to change course.

Fwd: Take action: Stop the blatant lies! (about amendments 5 & 6)

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 01:04:00 +0000

Forwarded message from Fair Districts Florida
Subject: Take action: Stop the blatant lies!
------------------------

This morning I woke up to emails from across the state telling me about blatant lies that are being spread by politicians about Amendments 5 and 6.

A Congresswoman in Central Florida sent an email (from her public Congressional account) which absolutely misrepresents the truth. She said that under current law "congressional districts must be drawn 'fairly', be 'as equal in population as feasible', and use 'city, county, and geographical boundaries.'" She also said, "our state already uses fairness and natural geographical features as the primary tools to determining where district lines fall," and claims that 5 and 6 will do away with these standards when in reality they will create them. She is telling people the reverse of the truth.

Blatant lies. Shame on her. This is a typical politician's trick to try to confuse voters on the weekend before the election. The language of 5 and 6 will CREATE THESE STANDARDS FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!! You know that. I know that. But many voters still do not.

Broward New Times: Anatomy of the Gelber Attack: from Amway to Huizenga

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:26:00 +0000

Bob Norman of the Broward New Times writes in reference to last weekend's attack ads on attorney general candidate Ed Gelber:

Sometimes, negative campaigning lives up to its bad name.

The weekend attack on Florida Attorney General candidate Dan Gelber is a perfect example of the kind of sleazy negative campaigning that should make your skin crawl.

In the ads sent out this weekend to heavily Jewish neighborhoods, Gelber was called "Toxic to Jewish Education" in red Halloween font. Why? Because he doesn't support education vouchers.

Read the rest of the article here.

Don't Sit This One Out

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 04:09:00 +0000

Dear Friends:

This is it. The final chance to close the "enthusiasm gap". Turn out could be the difference between:

A governor with integrity and concrete plans (Sink) versus one with record of deceit and greed (Scot);
A state constitution that creates districts that are fair (Vote Yes on 5 and 6) versus one that is gerrymandered into fiefdoms where incumbents never lose;
An attorney general with a vision and intelligence to tackle our challenges (Gelber), versus one that steals people's dogs and will turn the clock back on equal rights (Biodi).

These are just a sampling of the critical choices we face in Florida.

Friends won't let friends sit this one out.
Vote.
If you already voted, take someone to the polls.
Volunteer for a candidate and Get Out the Vote efforts.

Celebrate our democracy and help make it strong.

Thank you!

Daniella

Another reason to get to the polls

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:32:00 +0000

Did you know that everyone's voting history is public? Some people are very surprised by this fact, since we so frequently talk about the privacy of the voting booth. But this doesn't mean that anyone can find out who you voted for, just whether you voted.

Here's an interesting story about an organization in Virginia using this information for get-out-the-vote.

In some states, including FL, it takes a bit of doing to find this out (in some states, such as NC, there's a website where you can look this up yourself), but you can bet that everyone running for or serving in office has some targeting guru who's done the research. When politicians combine this data with census data, they know exactly how many black people voted, exactly how many young people voted, exactly how many manatee trainers voted, etc. So by not voting, you're essentially telling your reps, "you don't have to worry about people like me". If a rep notices that young people make up 20% of her constituency but only 5% of the people who vote, she might be more likely to cut scholarship money than she would if 15% of the voters were college-aged. In this sense, it doesn't really matter who you vote for, or whether you go into the voting booth and draw a cartoon of a chicken on your ballot*. You just have to show up and go in. If the people who represent you see that people like you don't vote, they just won't care as much about people like you.

*I do not advocate drawing a cartoon of a chicken on your ballot. Daniella and others have provided some great information about the candidates. Please read it and actually cast a valid ballot!

--Rachel

Welcome Rachel to the blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:22:00 +0000

Rachel is Daniella's daughter-in-law. She is a PhD student in computer science, studying political issue analysis. She will be posting occasionally about the intersection of data and politics, in Florida and nationally. To see her posts gathered into one place, take a look at the "Numbers" post category.

The Future of Florida

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 03:06:00 +0000

A message from the Alex Sink campaign:

In last night's debate, Alex showed clear command of the issues facing Florida and outlined her plans to get our state moving again. Rick Scott, as usual, said little more than tired sound bites and showed why we have to win this election.

This is the last week of early voting and we have to bank votes now to win. Our campaign headquarters has been taken over this week by volunteers who are making sure we get as many people as possible to turn out. They're getting involved because this race truly is about the future of our state.

Today we released a new ad that highlights what Alex will bring to the Governor's office and captures the energy we're seeing on the ground. We wanted to make sure you were one of the first to see it.

Can't see the video? Click here to go directly to it and find your early voting site.

Click "read more" to see the rest of the Sink campaign's message.

Three things Floridians need...

noreply@blogger.com (DaniellaL) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 02:59:00 +0000

From an email from Progress Florida that arrived today:

About Those Judges... Many of you have contacted us wondering about all those appeals court judges and Florida Supreme Court justices on your ballot. We don't endorse judges but here's this editorial by the Orlando Sentinel that discusses the issue.

Our Ballot Guide: As high as 32% of likely voters are still undecided on the six constitutional amendments on their ballot¹. Our ballot guide includes Progress Florida's recommendations in addition to those of ten other progressive groups. Click here to see the 2010 Progressive Ballot Guide.

Early Voting Locations: Don't wait until November 2nd to vote, vote today! Every county in Florida has set up early voting locations. Click here to find the early voting location closest to you.

¹According to a recent poll by the St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9.

SAVE Dade PSA: Don't Vote

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:27:00 +0000

A fabulous video about why you should "not" vote in Miami-Dade.

If you can't see the video, click here for the direct link.

Final Gubernatorial Debate in 30 minutes on CNN!

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 22:29:00 +0000

Alex Sink will debate Rick Scott for the last time before the election on CNN at 7 pm. If you see this in time, go take a look!

Governor's Race Forecast Update from fivethirtyeight--it's tight!

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:39:00 +0000

The fivethirtyeight pollsters at NYTimes.com have this to say about the Florida governor's race:

Here are the candidates for governor who find themselves in a materially stronger position from earlier this week.

We yet again have a new leader in Florida, and it’s the Republican Rick Scott, although by about the slimmest possible margin: our program currently projects him to win by one-tenth of a point, which could trigger another recount in a state that has had a few too many of them. There appears to be a fairly large enthusiasm gap in Florida, while there are also a goodly number of voters who have tepid views of Mr. Scott; that may be what’s driving some of the disparities in the polling, as recent surveys show everything from a 6-point lead for Mr. Scott to a 7-point edge for his opponent, Alex Sink.

You can read the rest of the post, with analysis of other states as well, here.

A message from a friend about the Florida legislature and Amendment 9 (opting out of the "Health Care Reform Act")

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 13:56:00 +0000

The Florida legislature (of all people) sought to put a Constitutional Amendment, Amendment 9, on the ballot which failed to comply with legal guidelines for an Amendment to be placed on the ballot. (Amendment 9 would have allowed the State of Florida to opt out of the "Health Care Reform Act" that was passed by Congress). The trial court found the proposed Amendment failed to abide by the required legal standards and struck it from this November's ballot.

On appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, the proponents of the Amendment admitted it did not meet the legal criteria to be on the ballot. But, the proponents asked the Supreme Court to re-write the Amendment so it could be put on the ballot. The Supreme Court voted 7 to 2 to strike the Amendment from the ballot stating it could not constitutionally re-write a bill that needed to be passed through both houses of the legislature. Two of the Justices in the majority of the seven, Justice Labarga and Justice Perry, are up for merit retention in this year's election and have been targeted for a no vote on retention.

A group of special interest supporters of the Amendment have started a campaign to vote no on the Supreme Court Justices who simply followed the law and acted with integrity. Supreme Court Justices need to hear all the facts, follow the law and not be persuaded by public opinion when making their decisions.

Do not let radical special interest groups destroy the independence and integrity of our judicial system.

VOTE YES FOR MERIT RETENTION OF THESE TWO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES AND RETAIN THE INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM

Should Rick Scott divest? A message from a thoughtful friend and blog reader

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 13:51:00 +0000

One of the reasons people give for voting for Scott is that he is so rich no one can buy him, and he will not need to give anything to any special interests. However, I understand that Scott is still in the health care business as the owner of at least two companies: Solantic (urgent care clinics) and Pharmaca (a drugstore specializing in herbal remedies) and perhaps other companies. As governor, would he not have the opportunity to influence state decisions that would benefit his businesses? As an indication of what he might have at stake, one could look into what lobbyists his companies have hired, on what issues, and also on what issues either company has been involved in business dealings with the state or in litigation (he might wish for a change in the law or the judges that would enhance his position in court).

I found a Wikipedia article on Scott:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Scott

The article made me think of a couple of things:

1. Solantic has been involved in employment litigation- I do not think of the state as being particularly involved in employment rights or remedies especially in Florida, but perhaps I am missing something.

2. Solantic markets to some degree to people who do not have insurance. Scott thus would seem to have a business interest in making sure people do not have insurance.

3. Does the state contract with urgent care clinics? If so, would not the fees paid be of interest? If not, would Scott like it to do so? Same goes for the drug stores.

4. Pharmaca sells herbal remedies. One common reason for buying herbal remedies is because you can't afford prescription medications. Again, a business reason to promote uninsurance.

Perhaps there is nothing here, but I think it is all worth a look. Perhaps, since the State is so involved with the health care business in so many ways, someone should propose that Scott sell his health care interests.

--A friend and reader

A message from a friend and reader about Dan Gelber, candidate for Attorney General

noreply@blogger.com (Eliza) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 13:50:00 +0000

To my friends:

I am very concerned about the outcome of one particular race in this election and I am contacting you in the hopes that you will "spread the word" to others. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, liberal, or conservative, I am urging you to vote for and to tell your friends to vote for my former colleague, Dan Gelber, Florida State Senator, and candidate for Attorney General, I am stunned to learn that the race between him and Pam Bondi, a tea-party candidate endorsed by Sarah Palin, is very close. Dan's public service background is first-rate, he was involved in high-level public corruption cases in our office and was counsel to a Senate subcommitte investigating terrorism. If you want a sense of the person he is, please take a look at this very short video from his "little brother" in the Big Brothers program, who Dan has mentored for the past 21 years: http://tinyurl.com/travislb.

His whole life has been dedicated to helping others. As minority leader in the Senate and for 6 years before that in the State House, he has proven himself to be a real champion for everyday Floridians and a good government advocate. Bondi, a Fox News correspondent, formerly an assistant state attorney in Tampa, has been for the past 10 years, a "public information officer" for that office. All of the newspapers throughout the state recognize Dan's superior qualifications and have endorsed him. Some examples are listed below. You can also learn more at his website at www.dangelber.com and read some newspaper quotes by clicking the "read more" link below.

Read more »