Peter Schorsch
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Mitch Perry and Jim Rosica.
Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto and Rep. Jim Boyd, two Republicans representing southwest Florida, will file bills today to combat opioid abuse in the Sunshine State by limiting first-time painkiller prescriptions to a three-day supply.
The proposal mirrors one Gov. Rick Scott made earlier this year and is also similar to a plan backed by a drug manufacturers trade group that would limit new scripts to a weeklong supply.
“Now is the moment we have to take strong action. The opioid epidemic continues to cause pain and death in our communities every day. I am proud to work with Governor Scott and Representative Boyd as part of the solution to the terrible problem that plagues so many individuals and families across the State of Florida,” Benacquisto said.
“We will work hard to pass a bill that truly helps stem the tide of addiction to opiates, helps folks move toward recovery, and provides new helpful tools for doctors when prescribing these drugs.”
Benacquisto’s announcement was accompanied by a video that opens with a mother, Elizabeth Pine, describing her now-deceased son, who was prescribed 300 milligrams of OxyContin for an injury.
“It seemed like a lot for such a simple injury, but that’s what they gave him,” she said. “Then he got addicted to that. Those little pills got expensive, so he turned to heroin.”
Pine’s story mirrors those of thousands of other parents whose sons and daughters have fallen victim to what public health officials call the opioid epidemic: A small injury is met with a quick fix, leading to a costly addiction and a deadly end.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate 142 Americans die from opioid abuse daily, and the most recent full-year report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Medical Examiners Commission found that opioids — both prescribed and illicit — were the direct cause of 3,781 deaths in 2015.
That number continues to grow, too, with FDLE’s 2016 interim report showing sharp increases in opioid-related deaths in the first half of last year. The same report shows fentanyl, the opioid that became a household name after it killed singer Michael Jackson, was the No. 1 deadliest drug in Florida during the first half of last year.
Fentanyl and its analogs caused 853 deaths during that time span, more than double that of alcohol, which placed behind not only fentanyl but cocaine, morphine and heroin as well.
“He had a job, he had a career, he was happy, he had a life — he had things — he had a life. The drugs stole his life,” Pine said of her son.
Following Pine in the video was Charles Johnson, who works as the emergency department medical social worker at Lee Health.
“We’re seeing a lot of people who are giving — given — pain medicine, including opioids and synthetic opioids during the acute phase of an illness,” he said. “But for long-term use, it’s not that effective, and what it’s creating is people who have become addicted.”
Those addicted to opioids are not only hurting themselves, but others through an increased propensity to turn to crime as a way to fund their habits according to Carmine Marceno, undersheriff at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Pine, Johnson and Marceno all gave Benacquisto’s bill their stamp of approval in the video, followed by a title card reading “It’s time to limit prescription opioids.”
“As a human being, you cannot hear what’s going on and the pleas for help and stand on the sidelines,” Benacquisto said in the video.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
— @RealDonaldTrump: Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as President, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened.
— @BallardFirm: Some of us know both Gen Kelly and Rep Wilson God bless Gen Kelly. True patriot American hero.
— @CarlosGSmith: 1 month later, death toll up, 74 possible leptospirosis cases. 30% no water. 90% no power. Trump says 10/10!
— @Fineout: .@LizetteNYT interviewed Irma victim in SW Fla who met & shook hands with @FLGovScott who promised help. He’s still waiting
— @SenBillNelson: More reports of long lines for emergency food assistance. Unacceptable. I’ve asked USDA for assistance. FL should have been better prepared.
— @FloridaStorms: Hurricane season isn’t over, and there’s a chance of new tropical development in the #Caribbean by the end of the week
— @RichardCorcoran: Florida’s unemployment rate at record low 3.8%. Hats off to @FLGovScott. Tax cuts & balanced budgets work. Time 2 pass @POTUS tax reform.
— @RonLittlepage: Politicians attacking the media is all the rage these days. They hate exposure.
— @Tim_Linafelt: Jimbo Fisher to fans: “We ain’t quitting on you. Please don’t quit on us.”
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— CAPITOL INSIGHT —
“Senate withholding secret emails linked to website” via The Associated Press — The Florida Senate is refusing to turn over dozens of emails involving a state budget website shuttered despite taxpayers paying $5 million for it so far. The contractor that built the website has sued the Senate for a final payment of $500,000. While the case moves along, attorneys for both sides are arguing over what information should be turned over in the case. Attorneys representing the Senate are withholding more than 50 emails sent between Senate employees, as well as some Republican senators.
“House leaders seek KidCare waivers” via the News Service of Florida — Five top-ranking state House Democrats sent a letter to Scott and the Agency for Health Care Administration, urging the administration to waive premium requirements in the Florida KidCare program for families living in counties hardest hit by the massive storm. The state has agreed to extend the deadline for impacted families to pay the October premium until the end of the month, but House Democrats said that doesn’t provide enough leeway for low-income families forced to make two premium payments by the beginning of November. “We believe that AHCA should live up to its commitment that `the state will do everything in our power to help these families in the wake of Hurricane Irma,’” the letter reads.
“After stalling, bill requiring public to be told of rights before search may be back this year” via Sascha Cordner of WFSU — Under current law, there are circumstances where law enforcement officers are able to conduct a search, without a warrant. “For example, where an officer is in fair of his safety, if he believes there may be a weapon present that could harm him, if he’s in imminent harm him, if he or she feels there may be evidence that could be destroyed, if the search is not conducted immediately,” said Sen. Gary Farmer. “Those are already allowed under the law without consent.” But, Farmer asks, “what about situations where officers require the person’s consent, yet they don’t have it? And, do people know they have the right to decline a search in those cases?” Farmer says he filed a bill to remedy that. “Senate 262 would establish a requirement that law enforcement officers advise officials of their rights, particularly that they’re able to refuse a consent of their vehicle” … Still, his measure has received some pushback from lawmakers, like Sen. Dennis Baxley. He says instead of creating a legislative fix, he feels the bill is creating a problem and places an added burden on law enforcement.
“Paul Renner, Travis Hutson lend an ear to Flagler’s funding and legislative pleas” via Matt Bruce of the Daytona Beach News-Journal — Hutson set the tone for the meeting early, saying state lawmakers will be faced with a $120 million deficit during the upcoming legislative session, according to projections from the Senate’s appropriations committee. “So the budget is going to be pretty lean this year, but we certainly want to keep fighting for any dollar that is needed for both pre- and post-hurricane cleanup, but also other areas that our local governments need help and relief from,” he said. Flagler County commissioners unveiled their list of priorities, but Commissioner Donald O’Brien asked Renner and Hutson to help Flagler with $5 million in funding for dune restorations as well as $1.5 million to help build a stormwater drainage system to flood-prone areas of The Hammock. Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland petitioned for the city’s part, asking for help in getting $5 million to widen portions of Old Kings Road North, a project that was once included in Florida Department of Transportation’s 5-year plan. “It’s a safety issue in a part of our community that’s desperately needed,” she said. “It was taken out of the five-year plan, we’re asking for that funding.”
Correction: In the Oct. 20 Sunburn, we referred to Ambassador Carlos Trujillo as a “former state Representative.” He is still in the Legislature, in addition to serving in the U.N.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
“Bill Nelson has $6.3 million on hand after Q3 report” via Florida Politics – Nelson added nearly $1.8 million in the third quarter according to a new report filed with the Federal Elections Commission. That amounts to a net gain of about $1.17 million for the campaign, which had about $5.14 million in the bank at the end of Q2 … the big-picture numbers show $1.43 million of the Q3 money came in from individuals, while $243,550 came from political committees. The campaign also brought in another $78,450 funds transfers from other authorized committees and received $2,000 from political party committees, with rebates, refunds, dividends, interest and other miscellany making up the rest of the balance.
“Adam Putnam, Carlos Smith clash on guns, then sit, talk, listen” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Putnam came to the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida to talk hurricane response as Agriculture Commissioner and political policies on topics ranging from education to economic development … Inevitably there were questions from the broad-political crowd about hatred and white supremacy espoused in Gainesville by neo-Nazi Richard Spencer, and about Putnam’s unabashed support for the National Rifle Association after the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando killed 49 and wounded 53, including Javier Nava … Nava was there Friday with state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat who has sponsored tough gun law reform bills including proposed bans on semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. How, Smith challenged Putnam, could he call himself an “NRA sellout” as he did this spring, and not have it come off as insensitive to those in Orlando community devastated by the Pulse massacre? “That’s an example of what I’m talking about,” Putnam responded. “Let’s not confuse hatred for fellow man with a heritage and culture and a lifestyle that includes respect for fellow life but also an outdoor recreation that involves firearms that have been central to our country’s identity since its founding,” Putnam said. “I’d be honored to meet with Javier.”
Adam Smith’s “Loser of the week: Andrew Gillum” via the Tampa Bay Times — Thanks to an FBI probe into Tallahassee City Hall, the Tallahassee mayor and Democratic candidate for governor has struggled for months to convince people that he remains a viable contender. Tallahassee faces a serious violent crime problem, including shootings last weekend that hospitalized six people. Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor had a valid question: “Why is our mayor running for governor and our communities need our mayor right now? … Stop running for governor and just be our mayor for the next month or so.”
“C’est magnifique: Miami Beach mayor to be awarded French Legion of honor” via Patricia Mazzei of the Miami Herald — President Emmanuel Macron has bestowed France’s highest civilian honor to an unlikely subject: Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. Because of Levine’s “outstanding contribution to our French-American friendship and commitment to raise awareness about climate change,” said Clément Leclerc, consul general of France in Miami, according to a statement from Levine announcing the occasion. Gérard Araud, the French ambassador to the U.S., will present Levine with the Légion d’Honneur insignia Tuesday in Washington.
Tweet, tweet:
If there’s one thing u hear over and over from Floridians, it’s “we need a Gov who has been awarded the French Legion of Honor.” https://t.co/rtrg0spt8W
— Brian Hughes (@GoMeteoric) October 20, 2017
“Jeff Greene not ruling out run for governor” via George Bennett of the Palm Beach Post — Greene — ranked 62 spots higher than Palm Beach neighbor Donald Trump on the latest Forbes 400 list — says he’d like to be Florida governor and thinks he’d be effective in the job. “It would be a blast. I think I could really make a difference,” Democrat Greene said of the governorship. He said he’ll make a final decision by the spring. “If it was just my wife and me, I would do this in a minute,” said Greene, who has three young children.
“We might have an AG race: Frank White snags more endorsements” via Florida Politics — The freshman state Representative from Pensacola just got two more endorsements, from his fellow House Republicans Cyndi Stevenson and Cord Byrd. Meantime, Jacksonville state Rep. Jay Fant, the only other GOP contender, had to pump $750,000 into his coffers just to stay viable. White’s nascent campaign could shake up the this-one’s-in-the-can mindset of Ashley Moody, the former Hillsborough circuit judge. What’s notable is that the latest endorsements challenge Moody in the tough-conservative territory she’s attempted to cordon off for herself. “Frank White is a principled conservative who will stand up and fight for our shared values while always upholding the rule of law,” Stevenson said. “I’m proud to endorse his campaign and looking forward to helping him be our next attorney general.”
>>>Look for White on Monday to add Rep. Ralph Massullo to his list of supporters.
“PAC tied to Javier Manjarres’ possible CD 22 bid raised $89K” via Florida Politics — America First Agenda started up in April and through the end of the third quarter had raised $88,706, with $13,458 of that money in the bank at the end of the reporting period. Most of that income isn’t itemized, which the Federal Elections Commission allows for contributions of $200 or less, including multiple contributions by one donor … Manjarres, who runs The Shark Tank blog and is a contributor to Breitbart News, said over the summer he was mulling a run in CD 22, which has a sizable Democratic lean. The potential congressional bid is viewed by some as an attempt to bury headlines about his rap sheet — including an arrest for attempted murder last year — as well as a way to drum up direct mail business. The committee’s expense report does indeed include plenty of mailer-related payouts.
“Richard Corcoran denies taking sides in House primary” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — From the outside, it looked a lot like Corcoran was working hard to swing the Republican primary in House District 58 to Lawrence McClure over Yvonne Fry. McClure got heavy contributions from political committees of legislators in Corcoran’s legislative team, plus political allies, clients and co-workers of Corcoran’s lobbyist brother, Mike Corcoran. An independent committee formed to attack Fry still hasn’t revealed its funding sources, and McClure’s campaign manager, Anthony Pedicini, who has ties to House leadership and the state Republican Party, has been linked to use of anonymous, “dark money” committees in the past. But Corcoran denied it in an interview this week. “I had nothing to do with it,” he said. Asked about his brother’s involvement, he said, “My brother roots for the Cowboys. I root for the Bucs.”
Race to watch – Look for Democratic candidate Margaret Good to announce Monday that she has raised $102,370 in one month for her campaign for Sarasota-based House District 72. The impressive fundraising figures come following a raft of major local endorsements for Good, including from Vice-Mayor Liz Alpert, City Commissioner Hagen Brody, School Board Member Shirley Brown, former Mayor Suzanne Atwell, and a host of local Democratic volunteers and activists.
Voting authorities flag possible Catch-22 with law — At a rule-making workshop Friday, election officials questioned how they could get omitted voter registration data — specifically “unit numbers” from those living in apartment complexes, mixed-use housing and college dorms. HB 541, passed in 2016, mandates county supervisors of elections to make “all reasonable efforts” to retrieve voter registration applications that do not include unit numbers. Supervisors fear this might be troublesome because the law also says that voters’ omission of a unit number can’t prevent them from voting. The burden lies with local authorities to find such data. Florida’s Division of Elections will host another rule development workshop on the matter. Information differentiating one residence from another must be completed by July 1, 2022.
“Democrats eying possible takeover of Orange County in 2018” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — The Orange County Board of County Commissioners and the mayor’s office are officially nonpartisan, but the two main parties in Orange County don’t see it that way. So, while voters have the chance to vote strictly by the candidate, behind those candidates the Democrats and Republicans are pushing their own, and seeking to hold on to or take control of Orange County’s agenda. Currently, Republicans hold the mayor’s office [Teresa Jacobs] and four of the six county commission districts. This time last year they held five of the six commissioner seats, or six of seven votes including the mayor’s vote. Next year, Democrats are projecting they would take the mayor’s office and wind up with four, maybe five, of the six seats on the board of commissioners. “That is the plan,” said Orange County Democratic Chair Wes Hodge. “Too soon to tell … I think we’ll be OK, actually,” said his counterpart, Orange County Republican Chair Lew Oliver.
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— D.C. MATTERS —
“Former presidents call for unity at hurricane aid concert” via Will Weissert of The Associated Press — Democrats Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and Republicans George H.W. and George W. Bush gathered in College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M University, to try to unite the country after the storms. Four of the five former presidents — Obama, George W. Bush, Carter and Clinton — made brief remarks that did not mention Trump. The elder Bush did not speak but smiled and waved to the crowd. They appealed for national unity to help those hurt by the hurricanes. “The heart of America, without regard to race or religion or political party, is greater than our problems,” said Clinton. “It’s certainly a triple, if not a home run, every time,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political-science professor at the University of Houston. “Presidents have the most powerful and prolific fundraising base of any politician in the world. When they send out a call for help, especially on something that’s not political, they can rake in big money.” But Rottinghaus said ex-presidents are seen as less polarizing than the current president. “They can’t get away from the politics of the moment,” he said of current White House occupants. “Ex-presidents are able to step back and be seen as the nation’s grandfather.”
“Frederica Wilson accuses White House chief of staff of ‘character assassination,’ calls for apology” via The Washington Post – “Not only does he owe me an apology, but he owes an apology to the American people,” Wilson said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “AM Joy,” during which she also accused Kelly of “character assassination.” The pointed words came on another day of sparring between Wilson and the White House after her criticism last week of Trump’s call to the widow of one of four service members killed in an ambush in Niger. The president took to Twitter morning, again attacking Wilson as “wacky” and calling her “the gift that keeps on giving for the Republican Party” and “a disaster for Dems.” “You watch her in action & vote R!” Trump wrote. During an appearance in which he defended Trump’s calls, [Chief of Staff John] Kelly called Wilson an “empty barrel” and falsely asserted that she had claimed credit in a 2015 speech for securing funding for a federal building. Wilson instead has pushed legislation to name the building for two slain FBI agents. During her interview, in which she was asked about Trump’s repeated characterization of her as “wacky,” Wilson said, “That’s the way he is. I’m sick of him giving people nicknames.”
— “CBC women: John Kelly must apologize” via Brent Griffiths of POLITICO
— “Frederica Wilson vs. Donald Trump and now John Kelly? Easy — go with Wilson” via Joy-Ann Reid for The Daily Beast
“Amid political controversy, hundreds attend as Miami Gardens soldier is laid to rest” via Elizabeth Koh of the Miami Herald — Sgt. La David Johnson was a family man first and foremost, and Saturday that was how the Miami Gardens soldier was remembered before he was laid to rest. The 25-year-old serviceman drew national attention after a condolence call from Trump to his grieving widow sparked controversy. But Saturday was about him and his Miami roots as nearly 1,000 mourners gathered at a funeral service in Cooper City. The controversy over Trump’s words was still fresh when people gathered in the rows of Christ The Rock Church for the second day in a row to honor Johnson. But there was no mention of the president from any of the speakers, including U.S. Rep. Wilson. Instead, she focused on Johnson and the composure of his widow, Myeshia, who Wilson said had moved the nation to tears when she greeted her husband’s remains at Miami International Airport … “His vow of courage and patriotism will be remembered for generations to come,” she said. There was only one nod to the circumstances of Johnson’s death, in an opening prayer that asked for “clarity for the circumstances surrounding his death.” Wilson … was among several local and federal officials who attended the service, including Cooper City Mayor Greg Ross, Miami-Dade commissioners Barbara Jordan and José Diaz, and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.
“Marco Rubio mum on his cosponsorship of controversial opioids bill” via Ledyard King of the News-Press.com — The Florida Republican was one of four senators (three Republicans and one Democrat) to co-sponsor the legislation written by Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, known as the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016. A report by The Washington Post/60 Minutes interviewed a number of DEA officials who said the measure authored by Hatch in the Senate and Pennsylvania Republican Tom Marino makes it harder for the DEA to halt drug shipments that posed an “imminent danger” to the community. The bill passed without opposition in both chambers and was signed by President Obama into law. The report prompted several lawmakers to assert they would try to repeal the bill. Marino, President Trump’s choice to be White House drug czar, promptly withdrew from consideration amid growing resistance to his nomination. Rubio has not publicly talked about the bill since the controversy erupted. His office did not respond to requests for comment.
“Backlog of immigration cases stymies immigrants in Florida” via Tony Marrero and Laura Morel of the Tampa Bay Times — According to recent federal data, 637,000 cases are pending in the nation’s immigration courts. Florida has more than 42,000 of those cases, fourth highest behind California, Texas and New York. In the Tampa Bay area, there are more than 2,100 pending cases. As the logjam grows, the average wait time for a hearing has also climbed, with some cities seeing court dates set as far ahead as 2022. In Miami, one of Florida’s two main immigration courts, some immigrants won’t get their day in court until November 2018. In Orlando, it’s late 2019. The delay is frustrating lawyers, judges and activists on both sides of the immigration debate who say the clogged system is deferring due process for hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have valid claims to remain in the country.
“Tampa Democrat joins DNC’s executive board” via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times — Former Hillsborough County Democratic Chairman Alan Clendenin was elected yesterday as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Southern Caucus. Clendenin also will serve on the DNC’s coveted Executive Board. The Southern Caucus represents Alabama. Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Democrats abroad.
— STORMS —
“Still waiting for FEMA … in Florida after hurricanes” via Manny Fernandez, Lizette Alvarez and Ron Nixon of The New York Times – According to interviews with dozens of storm victims, one of the busiest hurricane seasons in years has overwhelmed federal disaster officials. As a result, the government’s response in the two biggest affected states — Texas and Florida — has been scattershot: effective in dealing with immediate needs, but unreliable and at times inadequate in handling the aftermath, as thousands of people face unusually long delays in getting basic disaster assistance. FEMA has taken weeks to inspect damaged homes and apartments, delaying flood victims’ attempts to rebuild their lives and properties. People who call the agency’s help line at 1-800-621-FEMA have waited on hold for two, three or four hours before they even speak to a FEMA representative. One of the most significant problems FEMA has had in Texas and Florida is the backlog in getting damaged properties inspected. Contract inspectors paid by the agency must first inspect and verify the damage in order for residents to be approved for thousands of dollars in aid. FEMA does not have enough inspectors to reduce the backlog, and the average wait for an inspection is 45 days in Texas and about a month in Florida, agency officials said.
“With 4,000 families possibly losing health insurance after Irma, state may ask for help” via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald — Florida Healthy Kids, the agency that operates the KidCare insurance program, will call a special board meeting next week to explore asking the federal government for a waiver to help families still financially stressed from the hurricane. The proposal would allow taxpayers to cover the premiums for low-income families who have lost jobs and homes or are facing other financial hardships because of Hurricane Irma. The cost to Florida: an estimated $240,000. The cost to the federal government: about $6.2 million. The state of Texas successfully sought a similar waiver after Hurricane Harvey. “We will not allow ANY family to lose their insurance coverage due to Hurricane Irma,’’ wrote Mallory McManus, a representative for the state Agency for Healthcare Administration, which oversees the program, in a statement. The decision is an about-face for Gov. Scott and KidCare officials who, for the past two weeks, have resisted requests from child health advocates and Democratic lawmakers urging them to seek the waiver that would allow the state to cover less than 4 percent of the estimated $6.4 million cost of the monthly premiums for two months. If approved, federal disaster funds would pick up 96.25 percent of that cost.
“Gov. Scott demanded Irma debris plans, then state took no action on them” via Tia Mitchell of the Florida Times-Union — Scott told Florida counties to submit “detailed, debris pickup plans.” That directive, which required an estimated date of completion, was tied to reimbursement for related costs. “Let me be clear — debris removal is a function handled and directed at the local level, and following a storm like Irma, it is my expectation that every county immediately and aggressively begins work to clear debris in its communities,” Scott said Sept. 18, a week after the storm went through northern Florida. “That is what Florida families and businesses expect.” … Scott’s office now says he never planned to take any action based on last month’s directive other than to make sure the documents were available.
“Food aid fiasco taught Florida lessons” via Skyler Swisher of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The federal government has given Florida permission to conduct phone interviews instead of in-person interviews for people applying for regular food stamps. But those who don’t normally get food stamps must line up at relief sites to receive assistance after a disaster. The requirement is intended to cut down on fraud, but it has also led to huge crowds that make it difficult for people to get help. Applicants can “preregister” online to expedite the process, but they or an authorized representative must appear in person at designated sites to collect the benefit, which state officials have branded Food for Florida. The crowds were massive. Officials estimated that 50,000 showed up at the location at Tropical Park in Miami. The benefit — officially called the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP — is available only to people who don’t receive food stamps. Recipients of food stamps affected by Hurricane Irma had extra funds put into their accounts through a separate process. Some local governments and charities in 2016 warned of the problems that could be created by face-to-face interview requirements when the federal government solicited comments on the rules.
“Florida offers recovery loans for citrus growers” via the Lakeland Ledger — Florida citrus growers impacted by Hurricane Irma are eligible for short-term, interest-free capital loans as part of a $25 million Florida Citrus Emergency Loan Program activated by Gov. Scott. The program, which is a subset of the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, is open to citrus businesses that experienced damage during the storm. The loans are intended to bridge the gap between Hurricane Irma and longer-term recovery funds, which could include federal disaster assistance. Hurricane Irma impacted growers in every citrus-producing county with losses ranging from 30 percent to 70 percent. Citrus groves in Southwest Florida were hit the hardest, with some growers reporting 100 percent fruit loss and uprooted trees. The USDA estimated a Florida Orange crop this season at 54 million boxes, 27 percent lower than 2016-17. Many growers project even lower production this season.
“Buyers beware: Irma flooded 215K Florida cars” via Charles Elmore of the Palm Beach Post — In the same season Hurricane Harvey is smashing records for vehicle insurance claims, a report says Hurricane Irma has generated a hefty number of its own in Florida — more than 215,000. More than 422,000 claims in Texas include massive numbers of vehicles taken to lots to be auctioned off for parts or scrapped, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. That blows past vehicle claims from Hurricane Katrina (about 300,000) and Superstorm Sandy (250,500), says the Des Plaines, Illinois-based nonprofit organization funded by the insurance industry. But Irma is not far behind with more than 215,000 vehicle claims in Florida, whether from flooding, windblown debris or other causes, the group says. What does this mean for consumers? One issue to watch is flooded cars making their way to used-car lots or classified ads, NICB says.
“Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith to headline hurricane benefit at Civic Center” via the Tallahassee Democrat — As Buffett sang on his 1974 album “A1A,” it hurts your brain when “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season” … Buffett is returning to Tallahassee with pals Chesney, Keith and the Coral Reefer Band in tow Nov. 19 for a special “Trying to Reason …” benefit concert in The Tucker Civic Center. Proceeds will go to help communities in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean islands that were battered by storms. The tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 27. There is a limit of eight tickets per customer. Call 850-583-7841 or visit www.tuckerciviccenter.com. Lobbyists Jeff Sharkey and Taylor Biehl, are coordinating the concert; for many years, the pair has represented Buffett, who they call a good friend. Over the years, Sharkey and Biehl have brought Buffett to Tallahassee for Everglades Day environmental rallies (the last was April 2015) as well as a Get Out the Vote concert for Gwen Graham in her congressional bid.
“’People think we’re the lowest.’ Puerto Rico drug users get less help after the storm” via David Ovalle of the Miami Herald — The toll of Hurricane Maria has added another layer of misery for the tens of thousands of opioid users who dwell in Puerto Rico’s underbelly — and for the small number of dedicated groups who try to help them get clean, stay safe and emerge from the shadows. For Mountain Point, which serves the poor towns west and south of San Juan, conditions post-Maria mean employees have scaled back their trips and the number of needles they give out. They have only enough to last two more months, and no new shipments have arrived from the mainland. Fuel is expensive, and the budget is stretched to the breaking point. Vials of sterile water, usually given out so users can cook the drugs without contamination, ran out after days after the storm. “In Puerto Rico, right now, most of the water is contaminated,” said Victor “Panamá” Alba, a Bronx-raised outreach worker for Mountain Point. “If it’s not safe to drink, it’s certainly not safe to inject yourself.”
“Anguish, relief, fear, hope: relief efforts serving thousands of Puerto Rico storm refugees” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Rene Plasencia sees it in the faces of countless Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria refugees when he or someone else says, “we’re here to help you” … It’s happening hundreds of times a day at Florida’s Puerto Rico Disaster Relief Centers at the Orlando and Miami airports, the Port of Miami, and at LatinoLeadership as well as other local nonprofits reaching out to help people arriving from Puerto Rican homes who are not necessarily looking for a fresh start, but just for a place to live. “It would blow you away,” said Plasencia, a Republican state Representative from Orlando with Puerto Rican roots. His family runs LatinoLeadership, a social services center in Orlando that is helping about 150 Puerto Ricans walking in each day seeking help, and taking hundreds of calls a day. He’s spending a couple of hours a day there himself, and helping at Orlando International Airport, in the state’s official Disaster Relief Center there. “It gives me both a sense of hope in humanity, and it also gives me a sense of despair,” he said, “because people have so much need for help.”
“What Hurricane Maria taught me about the people of Puerto Rico” via Patricia Mazzei of the Miami Herald — After Hurricane Maria, the people of Puerto Rico were generous … were desperate … were dispossessed … were kind … the government of Puerto Rico was overwhelmed. Crushed by debt and slammed by two back-to-back storms, Puerto Rico’s ability to return to any semblance of normality appeared months and months away. Yet, during my six days on the island, the people of Puerto Rico remained characteristically sunny. In the San Juan neighborhood of Miramar, outside a convenience store that opened soon after the storm, Melanie Pérez poked fun at the salt-ridden shopping choices and wondered aloud if the hurricane would help her finally quit smoking. “Why spend 10 pesos on cigarettes?” she asked. “What I want to do is help. I want to know where I can show up and be most useful.”
— STATEWIDE —
“Florida unemployment drops despite jobs lost to hurricane” via The Associated Press — Florida’s unemployment is dropping again despite losing more than 127,000 jobs in the wake of Hurricane Irma. State officials announced the unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in September, down 0.2 points from the month before and lower than the national rate of 4.2 percent. There were 383,000 jobless Floridians out of a workforce of 10.1 million people. Okaloosa and St. Johns counties had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.7 percent, followed by Franklin, Wakulla and Walton counties at 2.9 percent. Hendry County had the highest unemployment rate at 8.6 percent, followed by Hardee County at 6 percent and Glades County at 5.3 percent.
Assignment editors: Gov. Scott will make a budget announcement regarding investments in Florida’s environment. Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Rd W, Naples. 12 p.m.
“Gov. Scott raises Volunteer Florida concerns after administration ally gets $12K bonus” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — Scott sent a letter expressing concern about employee bonuses paid by Volunteer Florida, including one taken by a longtime ally as he was leaving the state … Scott specifically called out the organization’s former CEO, Chester Spellman, an administration veteran who in August was appointed by Trump to lead AmeriCorps in Washington. “It has recently come to my attention that Volunteer Florida employees have received bonus compensation, including a large bonus paid in July to the former Chief Executive Officer,” Scott wrote in his letter to Sam Seevers, the chair of the organization. Spellman received a $12,163 bonus a month before leaving his post. It’s the only 2017 bonus, but in 2016 the agency paid $32,865 in bonuses and $15,695 in 2015. Overall, the organization has paid Spellman $32,371 in bonuses over that time. Vivan Myrtetus, now the group’s CEO, said they would work to add more transparency.
“After Herald series on abuses, juvenile justice chief enacts a reform” via Carol Marbin Miller of the Miami Herald — Florida juvenile justice administrators will appoint an in-house ombudsman, reporting directly to the agency’s secretary, to “amplify” the voice of youths in state custody and their families. The ombudsman will lead what is being called the Office of Youth and Family Advocacy, a unit that will be housed within the office of Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Christina Daly. Although no one has been appointed to the post yet, Daly [said] she had “a couple of people in mind.” Daly said that, while her agency had initiated a series of reforms over the last half-decade, “we struggled with family engagement. We want families and kids to feel like this system is one that will advocate for them.”
“Nursing home providers quarrel over quality payments” via Christine Sexton of the News Service of Florida — The latest skirmish happened this week at a meeting where both sides of the tug-of-war were supposed to be trying to draw up a detailed blueprint for a revamp of how nursing homes get paid under the state-federal health care program. The meeting devolved into a tense exchange when Scott Hopes, a health care consultant, snapped at a fellow member of the work group for not answering what he said was a “simple, yes or no question.” It’s not surprising that those involved in the nursing home industry are closely watching the workgroup, since long-term care remains one of the largest expenses in the Florida’s $26 billion Medicaid program. The state set up a nursing home prospective payment work group earlier this year following a contentious battle during the 2017 session over a push by some nursing homes to alter how they are reimbursed. A prospective payment system is a reimbursement system in which rates are determined in advance of payment and considered final upon payment. Currently, the state reimburses skilled nursing facilities on a cost-based rate and rates are generally retrospective in nature. The Florida Health Care Association pushed the Legislature to approve a prospective payment system, but LeadingAge Florida said the new calculation system didn’t make quality a top priority.
“Vacation rental owners, hotels battle over beds” via Mary Shanklin of the Orlando Sentinel — In a mounting turf battle over Florida’s tourists, some vacation-rental owners say they want the right to rent out their houses or rooms as they see fit, while the hotel industry says such home sharing is a big business that needs more oversight. State and local lawmakers are considering proposals that include limiting the number of short-term rentals a person or company can own. The powerhouse-backed business has gained traction throughout Central Florida. In early 2016 in Osceola County, vacation rentals outpaced traditional hotels for tourist-tax collections. Tax collections from Airbnb properties in Osceola, Orange, Lake and Seminole counties generated $34 million during 2016, according to the company. Researchers from commercial real estate firm CBRE say the business affects hotels by creating competitive pressure that forces hotels to lower daily rates, particularly during peak seasons or big events. Some researchers estimate that vacation rentals account for about 10 percent of lodging in leading tourist destinations. The traditional lodging industry has started pushing back against vacation rentals. When short-term rentals become a “year-round party house,” consumers and neighbors have little recourse and “unscrupulous landlords” can continue operating, said Carol Dover, president of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.
“The Gateway Center that almost wasn’t: Anatomy of a deal under FBI scrutiny” via Jeff Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat – Twice in the same year, the Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency came close to canceling the $1.8 million in taxpayer-backed incentives approved for the project. And twice, Gateway’s owners scrambled to fix things at the eleventh hour, preserving their public funding and completing the construction of the four-story office building that had been in the planning stages for four years. Emails received in a public records request for materials given by the city of Tallahassee to the FBI as part of a public corruption investigation show Gateway’s origin story as a blurry shell game of shell corporations moving the same piece of real estate back and forth. They also demonstrate just how far the city went to keep the deal together. The emails show that CRA staff stretched a 45-day deadline by seven months to give the developers a chance to get their finances together and straighten out land title issues. If not for staff and commissioner intervention, the project would not have gotten off the ground. “I was bothered by the fact that they were not getting their finances together quickly enough,” City Commissioner Gil Ziffer said in a recent phone interview. “All of a sudden they got bogged down to nothing.”
“FPL proposes replacing two Broward units with clean energy center” via the News Service of Florida — Florida Power & Light filed a request Friday to replace a power plant in Broward County with a more modern and powerful clean energy center that will cost an estimated $888 million to build. The Juno Beach-based company submitted a petition for a determination of need to the Florida Public Service Commission with plans to build a “combined cycle generating unit” that will rely primarily on natural gas at its Lauderdale power plant in Dania Beach. The new unit is projected to cut primary air emissions by 70 percent and, over its projected 40-year life, to be $337 million less expensive than continuing to use two existing units at the plant … The new facility, planned to open in 2022, is projected to produce 31 percent more power than the two facilities that would be shut down in 2018, if utility regulators approve the proposal.
“Tampa Tiger Bay Club debates charter schools” via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics — A debate on traditional public schools vs. charter schools took front and center Friday at the Tampa Tiger Bay Club. For 68 minutes, a group of education leaders from various backgrounds discussed the issue at the Ferguson Law Center. Speaking out most prominently for charters was Doug Tuthill, the president of Step Up For Students, the nonprofit group that administers most of the tax credit and Gardiner scholarships in Florida. He said when it comes to charter schools, the public is voting with its feet, referring to the explosive growth of his program, where there were 28,000 students on Step Up for Student scholarships in 2008, and 115,000 in 2017.
“Two Jacksonville lawyers ordered to forfeit $9.2 million over frivolous tobacco claims” via Ben Conarck of the Florida Times-Union — A panel of federal judges say Norwood Wilner and Charlie Farah filed at least 1,250 frivolous cases as part of litigation against tobacco companies. The scathing, 148-page order said Wilner and Farah filed claims in 2008 on behalf of hundreds of people who had not authorized them to do so and people who had never smoked. More than 500 of the people were dead. The defects were discovered in 2012 only after the court sent questionnaires directly to plaintiffs over the attorneys’ objections and insistence that there were no issues with the claims, according to the order. “It was this obstructive, deceptive and recalcitrant behavior that, in combination with the hundreds of frivolous complaints, compelled the court to initiate sanctions proceedings,” the judges wrote. “It is hard to overstate the strains Wilner and Farah placed on the court’s already-stretched resources,” the order said.
“There’s so much trash in Miami canals, you can see it from space” via Brittany Shammas of the Miami New Times — After getting a call from someone about trash piling up in a Miami canal, environmentalist Dave Doebler turned to Google Maps to get the GPS coordinates. What showed up on the screen shocked him: The massive clump of trash could be seen in satellite images. “It blew my mind,” says Doebler, founder of VolunteerCleanup.org, which organizes shoreline cleanups around South Florida. “I was completely floored that this much trash was visible from a satellite circling the Earth.” Randy Smith, a spokesman for the South Florida Water Management District, which oversees the canals, [says] a “routine maintenance program” has been in place for years to deal with the issue. He says very little trash gets through the booms. But Doebler points to a photo he took showing garbage that clearly made it past a boom and collected in front of a dam. “That trash doesn’t go backward,” he says. “Once those gates open, that trash flows out with the water.”
— BOOMTOWN —
As the fastest-growing city in the United States, Cape Coral was built on a bedrock of “total lies,” suggests Michael Grunwald in POLITICO Magazine’s “The Boomtown That Shouldn’t Exist.”
Advertised to Northerners in the 1960s as a paradise with no winters, Cape Coral was billed as America’s land of tomorrow, a “Waterfront Wonderland” with no winters and no state taxes.
But those who moved to the city-in-the-making quickly discovered “in some ways, nature had not been so lavishly generous to Cape Coral,” a previously uninhabitable swamp vulnerable to severe weather. “The thing is,” Grunwald writes, “the hucksters were right, and so were the suckers.”
— Cape Coral captures the essence of Florida as a “precarious civilization engineered out of a watery wilderness, a bewildering dreamscape forged by greed, flimflam and absurdly grandiose visions that somehow stumbled into heavily populated realities.”
— To create the city, swamps were drained (employing an “astonishing” 400 miles of canals, the most of any city on earth) at a great ecological cost of ravaged wetlands, estuaries and aquifers.
— Cape Coral was also poorly planned, with only residential plats and lacking the necessary infrastructure of water or sewer pipes, shops or offices.
— Nevertheless, people came in droves. Grunwald notes the non-ironic title of a memoir by a Gulf American secretary: “Cape Coral: Lies That Came True.”
— Now the largest city in America’s fastest-growing metropolitan area, Cape Coral has grown from fewer than 200 residents in the early 1960s to about 180,000 today.
— As Florida recovers from Hurricane Irma, closely following the path of Hurricane Donna six decades earlier, Grunwald writes that much of the country is asking: “What the hell 20 million people are doing in a flood-prone, storm-battered peninsula that was once the nation’s last unpopulated frontier?” … “Cape Coral is the ultimate microcosm of Florida.”
— MOVEMENTS —
Ethics board OKs lobbying opinion — The Florida Commission on Ethics approved a staff-written legal opinion allowing the state’s former top gambling regulator to lobby his former department. But some commissioners, who met Friday, were concerned that the opinion for lawyer Tony Glover was too narrowly drafted. The opinion says Glover can lobby the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, despite the state’s 2-year lobbying ban on former officials, so long as he doesn’t lobby the specific divisions he once worked for. Glover, who now has his own law firm, was deputy director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT) and most recently headed the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, which regulates gambling. The ethics commission has interpreted the ban to mean “one’s agency is not necessarily one’s entire department, but rather the lowest departmental unit within which one’s influence would exist.” But some on the panel think the ban should cover an entire department.
New and renewed lobbying registrations
George Anderson, Southern Strategy Group: Airbnb, Boyd Development, MMI Development
Gregory Black, Cameron Yarbrough, Gunster Yoakley & Stewart: Notarize
Michael Corcoran, Jeffrey Johnston, Anita Berry, Matt Blair, Amanda Stewart, Corcoran & Johnston: FRS Environmental Remediation d/b/a The FGS Group
Martin Fiorentino, Joseph Mobley, Mark Pinto, The Fiorentino Group: Eastland
Carly Hermanson: Allstate Fire & Casualty Company, Allstate Indemnity Company, Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Property & Casualty Company, Castle Key Indemnity, Castle Key Insurance Company
Deno Hicks, Southern Strategy Group: City of Palm Coast
Tim Meenan, Meenan: Brighthouse Financial
Nancy Black Stewart, Nancy Black Stewart PA: SanSone Industries
“Florida Power Light building $3.9M Tallahassee office” via TaMaryn Waters of the Tallahassee Democrat — Proposed for South Duval and West Jefferson streets, the building could cost about $3.9 million and be completed by fall 2018. The first floor will be primarily parking and storage. The second and third floors are designated for office, conference and meeting space. Plans call for permanent workspace for about 10 Tallahassee-based FPL employees who will relocate from leased office space downtown, said Mark Bubriski, a company spokesman. FPL’s project is the latest office development taking shape in downtown Tallahassee. Other projects include the nearly complete Ballard Building by lobbyist Brian Ballard on Park Avenue and South Monroe Street. Capital City Consulting’s new modern two-story office building — 124 W. Jefferson St. between Adams and Duval streets — is scheduled for a summer 2019 completion.
Spotted in Ron Littlepage’s T-U column: Brian Hughes, referred to as Jax Mayor Lenny Curry’s “top political adviser … who has a well-known nasty streak a mile wide.” Hey, as Mickey Cohen once said, “I didn’t kill anyone that didn’t deserve killing in the first place.”
Happy birthday belatedly to Gunster’s Cameron Yarbrough. Celebrating today are Brian Rimes and John Sowinski.
