Monday's Daily Pulse

› Editorial: Time for Vision on High-Speed Rail, Not Penny-Pinching [SOURCE]
Florida's Republican political leaders are fond of saying they want to run government like a business. They have a strange way of showing it. Gov. Rick Scott, Senate President Mike Haridopolos and House Speaker Dean Cannon seem to be more concerned about the politics of high-speed rail in Florida than the impact the system could have on the state's economy and future. There is nothing wrong with protecting the state against unforeseen financial losses. But this is a time for vision, not for politicians to score points by pinching pennies at the expense of long-term investment. The federal government has committed $2.4 billion toward the $2.6 billion estimated cost of a high-speed line between Tampa and Orlando. Scott wants to wait on a new study examining ridership and costs before moving ahead. He sent mixed messages during last year's campaign, first suggesting the state would forgo the line unless it was fully funded by the federal government, and later softening to insist that the line show an unexplained "return" to taxpayers. The governor needs to keep an open mind and not stall the project. Floridians and the business community see a tremendous opportunity that should not be short-circuited by political posturing.

› Prepaid College Plans: Yes or No? [Gainesville Sun]
For families interested in paying this year's prices for a prepaid plan, there's a little more than a week left to do so. The current enrollment period ends on Jan. 31, before starting back in October under new and higher rates. Since the prepaid program's inception in 1987, more than 1.4 million plans have been bought for nearly 957,000 children. With Florida tuition being near the lowest in the country for years, the program has offered an even more affordable way to start paying those costs early. But fewer parents are buying prepaid plans, with some looking to options that are riskier but potentially a better investment, such as 529 savings plans.

› Jacksonville Churches Fight for Right to Feed Homeless [Florida Times-Union]
The chili and corn bread the church ladies brought were getting cold. The homeless people were eyeing the police suspiciously, and getting hungry. It was meant to be a regular service project, an extension of an Eastside church's mission to minister to the homeless at least once a month. Members of In the Word International cooked enough food for 200 people and hauled it to Hemming Plaza on Saturday morning because they know that's where the homeless are. They popped open their trunks to start distributing clothes, blankets and meals. But the group was told it was violating city ordinances and shut down - despite the existence of another ordinance that explicitly gives churches permission to feed the homeless. Karmen Williams, called Lady K by her church members, had two carloads of food and plenty of hungry mouths in sight. The preacher's wife argued that her group was doing nothing wrong, but the officers didn't leave. Neither did the church members. A standoff began.

› Brevard Economy's Opportunities, Threats [Florida Today]
Know thyself. To the ancient Greeks, following this aphorism was key to a successful life. What applies to people also can apply to groups of people. Companies, sports teams even geographic regions can all benefit from the self-analysis of their strengths and weaknesses and identifying opportunities and threats based on those. In that spirit, FLORIDA TODAY asked nearly two dozen businesses leaders to perform a SWOT analysis of Brevard County's economy. For those not familiar with the term, that stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. A SWOT analysis, first conceived by Stanford University professor Albert Humphrey in the 1960s, is a key tool in strategic planning.

› Casselberry May Spend $1M on Restaurant to Stimulate Growth [Orlando Sentinel]
Casselberry officials are considering spending almost $1 million to help develop a restaurant that they hope will kick-start economic growth. The move is an attempt to bring the chef who originally proposed the project, Keith Keogh, back to the bargaining table. Keogh told commissioners recently that he didn't think the project could work, in part because of the high cost of drainage work and other site preparation. The topic is up for discussion on Monday's City Commission agenda. After learning that the chef had reservations about the project, the city's Community Redevelopment Agency proposed an outright investment of $920,000 in place of an earlier deal, which was a grant-and-loan combination of the same amount. City Manager Barbara Lipscomb said that should the restaurant not pan out, the city would still own the land and could welcome other projects for the site, which is in a rundown section of U.S. Highway 17-92. Keogh told the Orlando Sentinel that he had heard about the new offer but wants to wait and see what happens Monday before he makes any decisions.

› Key West Fishes for Workers [Miami Herald]
Down the tourist drag of Duval Street, the pretty Argentine hostess at Hard Rock Café is on a student visa and the frail man who sells cigars he rolls himself came from Cuba on a “bad boat.” And inside a tacky T-shirt shop, the Romanian who operates the cash register is working under the table. International workers have long been a necessity — dating to the 19th century when Bahamians filled jobs as wreckers and spongers — to supplement the limited local labor pool. What may be surprising is that remains the case today, despite an unemployment rate of 7.9 percent in Monroe County in December — lower than most of Florida but an incredibly high number for the island located 130 miles from the mainland. Just three years ago jobs were so plentiful in Key West that landing one often required simply filling out an application and showing up sober.

› USF Poly Hire Spurs Question of Nepotism [Lakeland Ledger]
Did family connections lead to a $50,000-per-year job for the son of University of South Florida Polytechnic chief Marshall Goodman? USF Poly officials say they were careful to avoid official nepotism violations when the university hired Goodman's son, Robert, as a full-time partnership liaison in late August. But hiring documents provided by USF show that Robert Goodman, 26, was hired to the liaison post in a "temporary assignment" less than a year before the university interviewed candidates for the full-time position. The documents indicate Goodman's status as the "incumbent" in the position gave him an advantage over other candidates vying for the full-time job. "It is not uncommon for someone who is on temporary assignment to apply for regular positions at the university," Judith Ponticell, senior associate vice president for USF Poly, told The Ledger. Ponticell says USF Poly Campus Executive Officer Marshall Goodman was not involved in the candidate search for the full-time liaison job, and notes that Robert Goodman works for USF's Blue Sky business incubators, not at the main campus with his father. "In terms of nepotism, one of the things we are usually careful of is the person who is employed is not directly supervised by the person they are related to," Ponticell said.

› The Miami City Club Has Succumbed to Dwindling Membership [Miami Herald]
One of the last vestiges of the old Downtown Miami social scene is coming to an end. The Miami City Club in the Wachovia Financial Center closed Friday and will be converted into office space. Real estate firm Optima Ventures has signed a lease to move into the space on the 55th floor of the iconic building that is the tallest office tower in Florida. It's not a huge shock. Membership at the Miami City Club had dwindled to about 280 members from nearly 900 in its heyday. Most days lunchtime crowds were thin. An experiment as a private cigar club failed and the club went back to its roots in 2009. Recently, they were offering monthly memberships with no initiation fee to lure members. Most learned of the closing in an e-mail sent Friday. ``We are writing to inform you that effective today, January 21, 2011, we will be shutting down the operations of the Miami City Club,'' the letter said. ``In spite of every effort made by our management team and the continued support of the building's ownership, we are no longer in a financial position to maintain operation of the Club.'' The only other private club remaining in the downtown area is The Bankers Club of Miami in One Biscayne Tower. At one time there were about a half dozen of these private clubs in Downtown Miami. Their lunchtime buffets were the hot gathering spot for downtown professionals to network or take a business client. But the world has changed.