Foreclosure filings down across state, nation
Foreclosure activity has fallen throughout the country, slowed by paperwork problems rather than an improvement in the market. During the first six months of 2011, 84% of U.S. cities with populations of 200,000 or higher posted declines in new foreclosure activity, according to a study released by RealtyTrac. Florida has fallen off the leader board almost entirely for foreclosure filings. While Florida cities claimed nine of the top 20 spots for cities with the most foreclosures last year, the only city to make the top 20 so far this year is Cape Coral at No. 12. "Florida is the most visible example of the effect of procedural and paperwork delays on the foreclosure market," said Rick Sharga, senior vice president at RealtyTrac. [Source: Wall Street Journal]
Related:
» Florida foreclosures fall in 1st half of 2011
» Affluent buyers reviving market for Miami homes
Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll is making her mark
Since being sworn in six months ago as lieutenant governor, Carroll has spent a lot of time meeting with business leaders, including those specifically seeking to economically empower Black communities. She spoke with the Florida Courier about Black business opportunities, her upcoming trade mission to South Africa, job creation and redistricting. [Source: Florida Courier]
Related:
» Making her part, part 1
Video interviews with Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll:
» The Florida Black Business Investment Board
» The future of Florida's Space Coast
» Upcoming South Africa trade mission and luring Black-owned businesses to Florida
» The firing of foreclosure fraud investigators
Crackdown on pain clinics stirs concern about rising pharmacy robberies
Long considered a safe and sterile environment, pharmacies have become increasingly frequent targets among the growing number of painkiller abusers. And as Florida begins cracking down on pill mills, doctor shopping and prescription fraud, many fear pharmacy robberies will increase. "When those people can't get those drugs through the old methods," said Carrollwood Pharmacy owner Dan Fucarino, "they're going to turn to other means to get them." [Source: St. Petersburg Times]
Citrus Department director will resign
Ken Keck will resign next week as executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus after five years — the victim of, in no particular order, declining orange juice sales, citrus greening, higher taxes and state Sen. J.D. Alexander. Marty McKenna, the new chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission and a Lake Wales-based grower, confirmed Keck "is putting his resignation in" after several discussions between them on his future role. "It's true I'm in good faith discussions on what's good for the future of the Florida citrus industry," said Keck, who declined to confirm or deny his pending resignation. [Source: Lakeland Ledger]
Outsourcing lobbyist registration draws controversy
The Legislature's latest privatization effort is drawing attention from lobbyists and the news media, and for very different reasons.
In a little-noticed action, lawmakers rewrote their rules last session and added a provision to outsource the Office of Lobbyist Registration.
But months earlier, e-mails show, a private, for-profit group, the Florida Press Association, was in informal talks with a key legislative staffer on the subject. The group lobbies on behalf of newspapers, whose reporters are among the most intense lobbyist-watchers in the state.
The lobbyist registration office has only three workers, but its output is monitored closely by everyone who follows state government, because it records registrations of thousands of lobbyists and their clients, as well as compensation reports lobbyists have been required to file since 2006.
[Source: Times/Herald]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› NEA awards grants to Opera Tampa, Dalí Museum
Opera Tampa received some good news this week from the National Endowment for the Arts in the form of a $22,500 grant that will support its New Artists Professional Training Program.
In partnership with VOICExperience and housed at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, participating artists in the program will receive coaching from opera professionals and will have several opportunities to give performances. The money will be used to help pay for expenses associated with the program, such as housing costs and transportation, among other things.
› Miami-Dade starts the summer right for white-collar job applicants
One of the more encouraging numbers from last week's June jobs report was the spike in white-collar jobs in Miami-Dade County.
The category that includes lawyers, architects and computer experts rose 4.4 percent for the second month in a row, compared to 2010. That's a welcome change, since the low-wage categories of restaurants and hotels have driven much of the job growth in the region so far. Read more and see a chart.
› Casino cruise ship will troll for inland customers
A new gambling ship set to launch Friday at Port Canaveral has its eye on inland Central Florida residents and tourists as a source of business in the future.
Victory Casino Cruises, whose maiden voyage is scheduled for 7 p.m., said it plans to establish shuttle bus routes to the port and work with Metro Orlando malls, hotels and time-share resorts to feed patrons to its ship in Brevard County.
The company — the first to offer off-shore gambling cruises from Port Canaveral since 2009 — said it is still negotiating on particular stops in the Orlando area.
› COLUMN: Hey employees...remember "perks?"
In our new reality of pink slips, furloughs and freezes, don't you just want to gather together the youngest employees where you work and amaze them with stories of the olden days?
Once upon a time, you'd say, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and the economy had a pulse, some jobs came with things called "perks." These you got in addition to your actual paycheck.
There were "pensions" and "cost of living adjustments" and "raises" which actually made your paycheck go up, and sometimes bosses even sent employees out of town on "junkets" to learn more about their jobs. It's true. Check Wikipedia.
But that was then and here is now, when many perks are perks we can't afford, like employing a butler when you don't have enough spare change to pay the light bill. Particularly in government work and on the taxpayer dime, every perk deserves serious scrutiny and the potential scalpel.
So why a reprieve for a high-end perk in St. Petersburg?
› Approval of SunRail means more freight trains for Ocala
After years of legislative wrangling and controversy, SunRail, the commuter rail line serving Orlando, has pulled into the station.
That happened last week when U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood formally released almost $179 million in funding for the project.
But SunRail's arrival means additional freight-train traffic through Ocala, beginning two years from now.
› Federal judge rules Florida drug law unconstitutional
A federal judge has declared Florida's drug law unconstitutional, potentially throwing thousands of criminal cases into jeopardy.
U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven of Orlando issued a ruling Wednesday that struck down the state's Drug Abuse Prevention and Control law, saying it violates due process because it doesn't require that prosecutors prove that a person knew he or she possessed illegal drugs.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Florida pool operators sweat it out when inspector comes calling
He approaches the front desk with his backpack on, and his jeans and athletic shirt don't set him far apart from folks who'd be checking in for the weekend.
But the six words Hilton Manuel matter-of-factly says to the clerk Friday afternoon could put a serious damper on the getaway for hotel guests looking to use the pool.
"I'm with the Department of Health," says Manuel, an environmental specialist with the Duval County Health Department, explaining it's time to make sure the pool is up to snuff.
Statewide, about 12 percent of inspections result in a pool being closed.
› Jackson Health System decides not to outsource inmate healthcare
Jackson Health System announced Thursday it is reversing course and will not out-source inmate healthcare — ending two years of planning, hearings and appeals involving a plan once considered a major initiative to turn around the struggling hospital group.
Executives last year were so convinced that out-sourcing would save money that they placed the estimated $8 million savings in the budget for this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
When Jackson's new chief executive, Carlos Migoya, arrived in May, he reviewed the program, which covers 6,000 Miami-Dade County inmates. After the final bids came in earlier this week — the second set of final bids -- he decided the proposals were "notably higher" than what his team thought it would cost Jackson to perform the same service.
› Florida power company says earnings up 39%
NextEra Energy Inc. -- the former FPL Group -- said its second-quarter earnings rose 39 percent, with new wind-power contracts and increased power demand boosting revenue and improving margins.
The Juno Beach-based company plans to spend up to $5.8 billion to build new wind and solar farms over the next three years.
NextEra has seen improved results of late, due in part to recovering power demand and expiring federal renewable-energy subsidies driving utilities to move forward with deals. But adverse economic conditions in Florida remain a concern.
› Lakeland automall sale completed
Lakeland Automall has officially changed hands.
Greg Balasco, who joined the dealership two years ago as general manager and partner, has completed his purchase of the business from Bill Mutz and sister Marcy Mutz-Wickenkamp.
Bill Mutz made the announcement in an email to friends and said he and Marcy will remain affiliated with the dealership through 2014.
"Our expectation was this would be a five- to seven-year transition, but (Balasco) has done such a stellar job and he's like family to us," Bill Mutz told The Ledger.
› Newest UCF business incubator aims to create jobs in Volusia
Volusia County this week unveiled its $1.4 million investment in creating local jobs: a business incubator operated by the University of Central Florida.
The incubator — UCF's ninth in the region — is designed to help entrepreneurs and new businesses survive and thrive in a tough marketplace. County officials hope that the new location, at a former customs office at Daytona International Airport, can offer unique advantages for new businesses, including easy access to the airport and aviation researchers at a federal facility next door.
"We feel confident the program will not only be successful but will grow jobs in Volusia County," said County Chairman Frank Bruno.
› Banks, property managers may have to post contact info on foreclosed properties
Banks and property managers responsible for maintaining thousands of foreclosed homes soon may have to post their names, phone numbers and email addresses on the properties so neighbors can make complaints.
Palm Beach County commissioners will consider a law today that would require notices on the front of all abandoned and foreclosed homes in the unincorporated areas.