FLORIDA SUNDAY EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Today's editorial in the Lakeland Ledger reminds us that legislative leaders have only had mixed success in running for higher office. As everyone knows, Senate President Tom Lee (R - Brandon) has announced he is running for State Chief Financial Officer, and House Speaker Allan Bense (R - Panama City) is considering a run for the U.S. Senate.

In Northwest Florida, the Pensacola News Journal lauds Governor Bush for his efforts to bring stormwater regulation and wetlands protection in the area to the same level as the rest of the state, and calls on the Legislature to approve the Enviromental Resource Permitting programme to come to Northwest Florida.

Meanwhile, several hundred miles in South Florida, the Miami Herald focuses on Iraq, and says "Enough of the spin." The idea is that the Bush administration's failure to speak candidly about the level of insurgency in Iraq is eroding public confidence in our military mission there. And the Herald is not the only newspaper editorializing on the subject; this morning's Gainesville Sun says it's time for an exit strategy before the issue of Iraq tears the nation apart in a way not seen since Vietnam.

In Fort Lauderdale, the South Florida Sun Sentinel looks at the action this past week regarding the USA Patriot Act, and says that the legislation should be reviewed to spot provisions that protect Americans and those that do not "based on hard facts and the best advise available."

Today's Palm Beach Post criticizes the governor for his signing into law this past week measures that limit early voting to a maximum of eight hours daily during weekdays and eight hours total on weekends, shifted more power over elections from the independently elected county supervisors of elections to the Secretary of State's office, and raised significantly the spending cap for statewide races.

Up the coast still to Melbourne, the editorial board at Florida Today calls on Congress to scrap the President's idea to basically privitaze Social Security and consider possibilities to make the retirement programme solvent, such as raising the cap on wages that can be taxed, raise the wage tax, and putting all state and local workers into the system.

Moving up I-95 further, the Daytona Beach News-Journal opines that more needs to be done to protect the security of consumer records, especially when looking at recent events where credit card and other records were apparantly stolen.

In Jacksonville, the strongly conservative Florida Times-Union stands against a proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit desecration of the American flag. It says that the proposal is one example that "the worst of legislation springs from the best of intentions." The St. Petersburg Times editorial board also weighs in, saying that "Forcing respect for the flag through law, which is the aim of the Flag Desecration Amendment, is the way of repressive regimes. America's promise has always been that allegiance would never be forced and political dissent would be protected, even in its most offensive forms. That is our nation's greatest legacy." (emphasis mine)

The Tallahassee Democrat is concentrating on a local issue in it's editorial today, criticizing Leon County commissioners from communicating discreetly among themselves during meetings, which --- if it has to do with public business --- is technically a violation of the Government in the Sunshine Law.

Also focusing on a local issue is the Fort Myers News-Press, which notes that irresponsibility by owners is fueling a growing problem in Lee County: The wild cat population there has blossomed to between 250,000 and 400,000, according to animal control officials, presenting a potential health problem.

The Naples News editorial this morning laments the fact that "Immokalee registeres an HIV/AIDS rate three times the norm for Florida, and six times that of Collier County as a whole."

A congratulatory word and praise for a local legislator is the opinion expressed in today's Ocala Star-Banner. It lauds State Representative Larry Cretul (R - Ocala) for his efforts for focusing on more local issues. He was one of six receipants of the "County Champion Award" given by the Florida Association of Counties.

The Orlando Sentinel opinion is that gubernatorial candidates would be wrong to oppose the governor's A+ plan for Florida schools, and made special note for the three major Democratic candidates by mentioning that GOP candidates Charlie Crist and Tom Gallagher --- both former education commissioners --- have voiced strong support for the governor's policies.

The editorial in today's Sarasota Herald-Tribune notes that the idea of due process protections for prisioners being held at the military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is long overdue, and that Congress is shirking it's duty by defying the Supreme Court...which has ruled that foreign prisoners being held there are entitled to access to the U.S. court system.

And the Tampa Tribune laments the recent announcements that Greyhound Bush Lines and Amtrak would discontinue service to a number of smaller towns across Florida, saying that the decisions hurt those small towns and many working class people who depended on those options for affordable long distance travel.