A round-up of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers

A round-up of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers:

Tampa Bay Times — Reasonable standards needed for rideshare companies

Hillsborough County and the rideshare companies Uber and Lyft have a common interest in ending a yearlong standoff on passenger service. Uber and Lyft are increasingly popular, and they aren’t going away —but they also cannot be allowed to thumb their noses at local regulations and operate at will in violation of reasonable safety standards. The ideal fix would be for the Florida Legislature to create a level playing field statewide for the taxicab industry and rideshare companies. But in the meantime, Hillsborough and the rideshare companies should seek a resolution that promotes the interests of both consumers and public safety.

Uber and Lyft began operating in Hillsborough in April 2014, without obtaining permits or submitting to the inspection and insurance requirements by the county’s Public Transportation Commission. The firms say that because they connect riders and drivers through a smartphone app — rather than employ drivers directly and field a fleet of taxis, they fall outside the jurisdiction of the PTC, which regulates for-hire vehicles in the county such as cabs and limousines.

The rideshare argument is a distinction without a difference. How they process payments is not the issue; what matters is the service they provide. And these companies make money using the public roadways to ferry paying passengers around town. That’s a for-hire vehicle, and Uber and Lyft are obligated to adhere to the regulations the PTC has been delegated by the Legislature to enforce. That includes ensuring that acceptable insurance is in effect, background checks for drivers, and vehicles have passed safety inspections.

Here is where a statewide fix comes in. The Legislature should require that rideshare drivers statewide submit to the same background checks Hillsborough applies to the taxi industry, which require drivers to appear in person and to be fingerprinted. Likewise, the personal vehicles that rideshare drivers use should be inspected by a certified mechanic. The rideshare companies have lower-level background and vehicle inspections now, claiming that anything more vigorous would dampen the pool of affiliated drivers. But convenience should not trump public safety.

The rideshare companies are also stymied by existing state law in complying with insurance requirements. The state Office of Insurance Regulation has found the rideshare insurance policies legally binding and sufficient. But state officials — despite many requests over more than a year — have failed to offer clear guidance on whether the policies fully meet state laws on which insurance carriers may issue liability policies.

The Bradenton Herald — Dysfunctional Florida state government reigns supreme

The political dysfunction in Tallahassee, already epic, continues to devolve.

The House and Senate remain at loggerheads over court-ordered congressional redistricting after failing to agree on a map during the two-week special session that ended last week. Baring a miracle, that dumps the political boundary decisions onto the courts.

That stumbling, fumbling, bumbling mess followed another special session after the two chambers could not find common ground on a state budget during the regular session.

With another special session on tap to reconfigure state Senate districts ruled illegal, expectations could not be lower. One wonders if the two chambers could even agree on which way is up.

Then this comes along, but some background first. Gov. Rick Scott did a slash and burn on legislative priorities in the budget, some vetoes very deserving, others not so much. That ticked off certain legislators.

Scott’s recent tantrum over the Legislature’s cut of his slush fund for business recruitment seems more than comical given the governor’s whacking of lawmaker projects. He lost his political capital with his budget axe, now he expects allegiance to his agenda? What he got was a reverse quid pro quo.

Besides, Scott hasn’t spent what’s already in his nest egg. Senate spreadsheets show Enterprise Florida, the public-private organization in charge of economic development efforts, is still flush with money. Most of the tax dollars allocated since Scott took office in 2011 remain unspent.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal — Consolidate county ad authorities

The Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority continues to be a troublesome appendage to county government. Instead of constantly treating the symptoms of dysfunction, Volusia County should lop it off.

In the latest episode that occurred Aug. 20, SVAA Interim Executive Director Renee Tallevast fired two staff members, operations manager Sherry Hendershot and marketing specialist Myriah Chandler, after an audit found that they were scheduled to receive substantial pay raises. At a County Council meeting earlier that day, County Manager Jim Dinneen had characterized the salary increases as “abnormally high” and had recommended the council delay approving the ad authority’s budget.

Hendershot was originally set to receive a 13.2 percent raise in the upcoming budget, while Chandler was approved for a 29.3 percent increase. Hendershot’s salary would have gone from $26.50 to $30 an hour, while Chandler’s would have jumped from $19.50 to $25.21 an hour. The raises had been approved — without the consent of the SVAA board — by former executive director Carl Watson before he resigned in June.

Dinneen said Hendershot and Chandler should have known the raises were way out of line. The two women counter that they and other SVAA employees had received similar raises in the past. That, however, bolsters Dinneen’s argument that the SVAA is in need of more oversight.

Actually, SVAA actions in recent years already made a compelling case for that.

In 2012, the county fired Executive Director Nicole Carni after it launched an investigation into $47,000 in missing funds, including her pay and credit card expenditures for personal expenses. In February of this year, Carni pleaded no contest to a felony fraud charge stemming from allegations she used ad authority funds to overpay for services and pocketed the refunded amount. She was given three years’ probation and ordered to pay a $5,055 fine.

The Florida Times-Union — Citizens can partner with police to fight crime

The secret sauce in real community policing is to partner with the residents.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has long used its citizens advisory councils, called Shadcos, to foster better partnerships with citizens.

The monthly meetings held throughout the city are meant for police to report on crime, what they are doing about it and to take questions and proposals from residents. The meetings work best when there are engaged, active citizens.

It’s all about communication, transparency, accountability and partnerships.

One citizen battling a gang can feel vulnerable. A neighborhood partnering with police is empowered.

The August Shadco meeting for Zone 5, Sector M, offered a rousing example of the partnership at its best.

The meeting was held at the Schell-Sweet Community Resource Center at Edward Waters College.

A new assistant chief was in charge, T.K. Waters. He got an earful from a mother who has been living around illegal drug trade and gunfire.

When bringing her daughter home from the hospital in July at 4:30 a.m., a bullet struck the trunk of her car.

She said that after patrol officers leave, the drug dealers simply return.

Waters said that JSO is working on a long-term solution, that the citizen should not give up and should continue to report illegal activities.

Waters shared the mother’s frustrations but tried to convey the importance of building a case.

Officers told residents that many burglaries and auto thefts are crimes of opportunity, such as cars not locked with valuables left in plain sight.

Florida Today – Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs up to the Brevard Zoo, which has proposed building a major aquarium as part of the Cove development at Port Canaveral. Zoo director Keith Winsten said the nonprofit envisions both indoor and outdoor exhibits, with a focus on marine life on the Space Coast, Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River. It would have alligators and otters, but no dolphins or killer whales. The biggest challenge would be the cost to build it, expected to top $30 million. But it would be the only full-scale aquarium on Florida’s East Coast. Winsten estimated it would draw 400,000 visitors a year — about the same as the zoo — with tickets priced at $20 dollars.

Thumbs down to the water bill controversy flowing in Titusville. Residents have received bills for many times more than what they’re used to paying — in some cases, 10 times more. This at the same time the City Council is considering a 3 percent water bill increase. People told the council about inconsistent billing and meter readings, old and perhaps faulty meters and dissatisfaction with customer service. The city’s water resource director says problems and issues will be handled individually. Although the rate hike is modest, it seems only right to delay it until the city stems the flood of concerns over the cost of basic water service.

Thumbs up to presidential candidate Marco Rubio, who got some good news from a recent poll of Republican primary voters in three swing states. In Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, our junior U.S. senator ranked as the most likeable among 17 Republican candidates, a Quinnipiac University poll found. Rubio’s “net favorability” — the number of voters who like him minus those who dislike him — topped former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, in their home states. Rubio ran third overall in the poll behind the leader, businessman Donald Trump. But Trump also had poor overall favorability ratings.

Thumbs down to Florida House and Senate leaders who ended a special session to redraw Congressional redistricts without agreeing on a new map. The stalemate likely punts back to the courts a decision on the shape of Florida’s 27 seats in the U.S. House. Which is rich, considering that Republican House and Senate leaders trashed the courts as “overreaching” when judges struck down a number of gerrymandered and politically skewed districts, forcing an emergency session. “If there was truly an avenue where we could find any sort of middle ground, I would consider it,” House redistricting chairman Jose Oliva said.

The Gainesville Sun – Cheers and jeers

When it comes to his actions involving Florida hospitals, Gov. Rick Scott is either clueless or shameless about his complete hypocrisy.

Our bet is on the latter. Scott should be self aware enough to realize he’s accusing hospitals of things that pale in comparison to his actions as a hospital executive.

Jeer: Scott, for his hypocrisy in auditing Florida hospitals to ensure they haven’t committed Medicaid fraud. This comes from a governor whose tenure as CEO of Columbia/HCA hospitals led to the company being fined a then-record $1.7 billion for Medicaid and Medicare fraud. Scott pleaded the Fifth Amendment 75 times in a deposition to avoid discussing the case.

On Aug. 3, Scott ordered audits on 29 hospitals that failed to meet an Aug. 1 deadline for providing information on their Medicaid contracts. As The Sun reported this week, he has now added another 100 hospitals — including North Florida Regional Medical Center and several run by the University of Florida — to the list because he was unsatisfied with their responses.

Hospitals receiving public money should be scrutinized, but this seems like a politically motivated witch hunt. Scott has been on the warpath against hospitals since they sought state funding to supplement the federal aid lost due to the failure of Scott and the Legislature to expand Medicaid.

Cheer: Dr. Nancy Hardt, for her work as medical director of the UF Mobile Outreach Clinic and other service to our community. As The Sun reported last week, Hardt recently retired after 34 years with the UF College of Medicine.

The Lakeland Ledger —Pigskin problems — Start college football to end the focus on its woes

Pigskin-starved fans can rejoice that college football season is so close to cranking up. The kick-off, so to speak, is a slate of games scheduled for Thursday, with many of the heavy hitters expected to compete for the national championship going into action over the Labor Day weekend.

But the sport has undergone some important happenings recently that go beyond who’s a Heisman candidate, which underclassmen may enter the NFL draft early, or the fact that there will be 42 bowl games year, a delight for fans that almost assures poor performance will be rewarded because teams with losing records will likely be needed to participate.

For example, many fans are griping that they want video-game maker Electronic Arts, better known as EA Sports, to bring back its popular college football game. The game was discontinued last year after the NCAA reached a settlement with former college basketball and football players who sued, claiming that the governing body of college athletics had improperly licensed their likenesses and helped EA Sports prosper, while denying the same privilege to the players themselves. Andrew Sharp of the online sports publication Grantland wrote last month that a judge had ordered a $60 million award to the players in the case. Meaning they would get payments of between $74 and almost $7,000.

The Miami Herald — No jail for child immigrants

The shouting and bickering over immigration policy in the Republican campaign, featuring derogatory terms like “anchor babies” and wacky ideas like rounding up millions of undocumented immigrants and booting them out, has captured headlines this summer.

The spectacle on the campaign trail represents a phony debate that offers Americans a load of unrealistic baloney instead of a well-thought-out policy about a very real problem. In the end, as long as common sense and the Constitution prevail, mass deportations on a scale envisioned by demagogues like Donald Trump are highly unlikely.

And while the public is distracted by this political sideshow, real news has been developing in the nation’s courts that demands attention because it affects actual government policies that don’t reflect well on the Obama administration: The Department of Homeland Security has been skirting the law by acting too harshly in treating children caught in the immigration snare at the border.

Earlier this month, a federal judge in California slammed DHS for its failure to uphold the terms of a 1997 court-ordered settlement governing the treatment of unaccompanied children — minors who tried to enter the country illegally without a parent. That settlement, which now also applies to immigrant children in detention who are accompanied by a parent, requires the rapid release of children and their parents caught crossing the border illegally. This is believed to affect roughly 1,400 children and their parents who are in detention awaiting asylum hearings.

An order by Judge Dolly M. Gee, of the Federal District Court for the Central District of California, also prohibited the administration from holding children in secure facilities that are not licensed to care for minors. The prisons to which these children have been transferred are run by private prison contractors, not by agencies licensed to care for children, as the legal settlement requires.

The federal judge also ordered the department to upgrade the “deplorable” conditions in its border stations, where the children are held at first, and said the new measures must be in place by Oct. 23.

The Orlando Sentinel — Don’t forget pets in storm planning

With tropical weather threatening to strike the Florida Peninsula soon, hopefully you’ve long since made preparations for your family and your home.

If you’ve lived in Florida any length of time, you know the drill. You know what to stock up on at the grocery and hardware stores. You know about having your important papers in a dry place.

But what about your pets? Fido and Fifi can’t prepare themselves, so you have to do it for them.

For your dog or cat, make sure you have plenty of extra pet food and water, along with any medications. Have all your leashes and muzzles handy, if needed.

Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with an ID tag, and if your pet has a microchip, make sure it is up-to-date. It’s also important to have proof of rabies vaccination on hand.

In case you have to evacuate, think about a pet-friendly hotel or motel, since pet-friendly shelters and space can be limited. If you do have to evacuate, whatever you do, don’t leave your pets behind.

Once the storm passes, you still need to pay proper attention to your animals.

You don’t know what kind of mess is in your area; you don’t know what kind of dangerous items could be on the ground. So don’t just let the dog out of the back door. Have him on a leash. Don’t let him lap up standing water.

A lot of the preparations, obviously, are similar to what you would do for your family. But a lot of people consider their pets to be part of the family, so treat them that way.

Make your pet preparations now. Fido and Fifi will thank you.

The Ocala StarBanner — When redistricting is too political

The Florida Legislature’s inability last week to adopt a new, constitutional map for congressional districts underscores the need for an independent commission to take over reapportionment.

This isn’t the first and only failure on redistricting.

In 2012, the Legislature created congressional districts that didn’t comply with the Fair Districts Amendments approved in 2010 by 63 percent of Florida voters. Those amendments forbid the Legislature from creating redistricting plans or individual districts with the “intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.”

In July, the state Supreme Court ruled that the Legislature violated the amendments when it created the districts for the U.S. House of Representatives. The court ruled, 5-2, that the congressional “redistricting process and resulting map” were “tainted by unconstitutional intent to favor the Republican Party and incumbents.”

Republicans are in charge of both chambers of the Legislature.

The court ordered the Legislature to redraw eight congressional districts, four currently represented by Republicans, four by Democrats. The court gave the Legislature “guidelines and parameters” to ensure impartiality and transparency, and an Aug. 25 deadline.

House and Senate leaders agreed to have a select group of legislative staffers create a “base” map for consideration. The House approved that map. The Senate wanted changes. The House refused to negotiate and the Legislature’s special session ended in an impasse — as the annual regular session did.

The Pensacola News-Journal — Thanks to citizens’ scrutiny

It wasn’t pretty, but the recent scrutiny and vigilance of city residents has produced some real change in our city government. It’s only a start, but citizens should be proud and keep the pressure on public officials.

The PNJ’s Will Isern reported last week that “the mayor’s office has posted job openings for two assistant city administrator positions on the city’s website.” One position is policy focused and the other centers on day-to-day operations.

The policy position requires eight years in government or public service with a master’s degree in public or business administration highly preferred. The operations position requires a minimum seven years of experience, including three years of managerial experience in a position equivalent to deputy chief administrative officer, with a master’s in public administration preferred.

The clear experience and education requirements are notable, particularly in the aftermath of former Chief Operations Officer Tamara Fountain’s resignation. After the PNJ reported that Fountain’s education qualifications were not what the mayor said they were, reporters learned that there was no résumé, education or prior work history in Fountain’s official city personnel file. Fountain eventually provided a résumé, which revealed virtually no work experience prior to joining Mayor Hayward’s staff.

Despite the significant lack of qualifications, Hayward had promoted Fountain to oversee half of city operations and granted her a 35 percent pay increase in less than two years. Needless to say, citizens spoke out and were less than enthusiastic about Fountain’s rapid and undeserved rise to authority. Soon after, she rightly separated from the city.

It seems absurd that it wasn’t the case all along, but we’re glad to see there are now clear standards of experience and qualifications for Mayor Hayward’s top officials. The city will run more efficiently and professionally because of it, and the mayor has taxpayers to thank for raising that bar. Citizen scrutiny resulted in real change.

The Palm Beach Post — Erika’s approach sharpens Katrina’s lessons for Florida

Most people think that life in South Florida was made possible by air conditioning. The AC is important, no doubt about it. But what has truly enabled development here is the region’s extensive network of canals, levees, pumps and water storage areas.

As Tropical Storm Erika approaches South Florida on this, the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, it’s important to remember that the devastation and loss of life in Louisiana was as much a man-made disaster as it was a result of the Category 3 hurricane that struck on Aug. 29, 2005.

The winds hit 125 miles per hour in New Orleans that day, but it was the over-topping and breach of levees that caused the real devastation. The death toll hit 1,353, mostly due to drownings. Floodwaters reached 15 to 20 feet and covered 80 percent of the city. Over 275,000 homes were destroyed, causing an estimated $80 billion in property loss.

South Florida is no less dependent on engineered water control.

But the South Florida Water Management District’s governing board recently did something highly unusual. Under pressure from Tallahassee small-government advocates, it reversed a vote to hold its tax rate steady, which would have allowed it to reap the extra tax revenues made possible by rising property values. In an unprecedented degree of interference in local governance, Gov. Rick Scott’s pick to head the Department of Environmental Protection, Jon Steverson, insisted that board members hold a special budget meeting for the specific purpose of undoing their previous decision.

Thus, an agency that had already had its $400 million annual budget slashed by $134 million since 2011 — one that had lost 20 percent of its staff, including top Everglades restoration experts — loses another $21 million a year and goes into the next hurricane season in a weakened position, for a mere $2.91 of tax savings per $100,000 property.

At the special budget meeting, water management district staff made it clear that the tax cuts require it to adopt a deficit budget that eats into reserves. Understand, this region’s water control system is massive and costly, and much of it is over 50 years old and in need of maintenance.

Some $13 billion worth of infrastructure interlaces and connects the low-lying land stretching between Lake Kissimmee in the north and Biscayne Bay to the south.

The Panama City News-Herald — Is government addicted to Shell Island intervention?

There is nothing like a little government intervention to mess up a perfect good time.

It seems that government, too often, is prone to one of the following actions: intervening where it is not needed or where it is not wanted; intervening where a small problem might exist in an overwhelming and unnecessarily harsh manner; or intervening while at the same time doing a poor job of communicating its reasoning, methodology or goals clearly and openly with the public.

As The News Herald’s John Henderson reported on the front page of Tuesday’s News Herald, “Boaters blast Shell Island proposal,” St. Andrews State Park officials, as part of their 10-year update of the park’s management plan, are discussing updated rules that have left Shell Island enthusiasts angry.

Stephanie Somerset, who heads up Friends of Shell Island and sits on an advisory committee that met last week with park officials, said proposed rules being floated include extending the area where state park rules would apply by as much as 150 feet out into the Gulf waters surrounding the western half of Shell. There might be a new restricted area encompassing much of the island’s western half.

“The rules would be that you could walk in this area but not sit, stand or lay out a towel or cooler,” Somerset said. “This takes miles of Shell Island’s shores away from us and would allow the park to unleash rangers on ATVs to harass those who try to enjoy these beaches.”

Park rules that already prohibit the consumption of alcohol would theoretically reach 150 feet into the water, as would the ban on dogs.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel – Airport parking improving? Yippee!

It’s stressful just to think about airports and air travel.

What was once a pleasurable activity is now something that must be tolerated at best, loathed most of the time.

When you consider the long lines at check-in counters, the extra fees for everything except the air, the way-too-tiny seats, the lack of food or snacks (except for a price) on most planes, and the general feeling of being treated like cattle, it’s enough to make your blood pressure rise.

On top of all that comes the difficulty of finding a parking place at an airport that handled a record 24.6 million passengers last year.

Hopefully, the new $5 million parking upgrade at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which will start to roll out soon, will relieve a bit of the stress.

“The last thing you want to do is waste your time circling around and trying to find a parking space,” Doug Wolfe, the airport’s chief financial officer, told Sun Sentinel reporter Mike Turnbell.

So true. Right now, it’s a regular sight to see cars going up and down every lane in the airport’s Hibiscus and Palm parking lots, their harried drivers desperately trying to find a space in time to make their flights.

And we haven’t even mentioned the terror that descends days later, upon your return, when you can’t remember where you parked your car.

So it’s good to hear about the airport’s planned upgrades, which will include a parking guidance system that features LED lights and cameras on every aisle. Green lights will alert you to an available space.

The Tallahassee Democrat – Are you ready for some football?

Well, let’s be honest — we live in Tallahassee so the advent of football season does not come with the crisp smell of fall in the air. The leaves aren’t turning anytime soon. And, frankly, it’s still hot as hell outside.

But who cares? It’s football season!

The clichés of the arrival of fall might be a couple months away from usefulness, but the ones about how Tallahassee becomes electric during football season are right on point.

So today, we preview three of Tallahassee’s great passions – football at FSU, FAMU and area high schools.

Florida State

For FSU, there is something counter-intuitive about the prospect of losing games being something to look forward to, but that’s the way it feels.

2014 was a siege, in many respects. The target on the Seminoles’ back was so big it became as much an albatross as a badge. Narrow victory after narrow victory and all the off-the-field issues took a toll.

Winning is always more fun than losing, but last season it seemed like a lot of the joy was sucked out of winning.

2015 feels different – tons of youth; lower expectations; loads of talent.

The target is and will probably always be on the backs of Seminole jerseys (and thank goodness for that). And to repeat, winning is more fun than losing. But entering a season knowing that anything shy of undefeated isn’t necessarily a disappointment certainly adds a new level of anticipation.

That’s not to say the Noles will be running a bunch of walk-ons out there to play. The roster is stocked with 5-star talent and exciting new faces like Derwin James, George Campbell, Josh Sweat and others will give fans a glimpse into what is surely a promising future.

But while those youngsters are learning the ropes, maybe this is a season where Seminoles fans can once again fully savor wins with cheers and celebration, rather than with sighs of relief.

The Tampa Tribune — Tampa citizens review board for police conduct a positive step