Who Owns Florida?
Arrayed in row after row of tall, skinny slash pines, vast tracts of timberland have dominated the triangle between Jacksonville, Lake City and Gainesville for more than a hundred years.
 [Photo: Jon M. Fletcher] |
Senate plan lets utilities raise rates for renewable energy efforts
The Florida Senate unveiled its plan Monday to allow Florida's electric companies to raise average customer bills $1.40 to $2.60 a month to build solar and biomass energy plants for the next five years. But because the measure also allows the electric monopolies to control the renewable energy market by earning as much as $377 million a year in additional revenue, the proposal drew warnings that it will stifle jobs and hurt customers over time. "We will go out of business,'' said Scott McIntyre, president of Solar Energy Management of St. Petersburg. "The Senate bill will not attract renewable energy to the state of Florida. It will not employ people." By contrast, Josh Kellam of Global Energy United, a Virginia-based solar panel manufacturer, said his company will employ 250-300 people at its Rivera Beach plant if the bill passes. [Source: Times/Herald]
Legislative Roundup:
» Bill exempting airboat operators stalls in Legislature
» Florida poised to put growth control in local hands
» Bill would end tenure at Florida community colleges
» Port deregulation, refinancing bills sailing through Legislature
» Effort to decriminalize sexting as a first offense advances
» Legislature wants to privatize prisons, probation officers
After inflation, gas prices pass 30-year record high
Gasoline prices at the pump are running above the inflation-adjusted record for the month of March set 30 years ago — and the summer driving season, when prices traditionally are higher, is still months away. According to the American Petroleum Institute, the $1.417 a gallon average that motorists were paying at the pumps in March 1981 would be equivalent to $3.464 a gallon today once adjusted for inflation. AAA's ongoing price survey showed prices were averaging $3.578 a gallon nationwide and $3.579 across Florida by Monday morning. The highest gasoline prices traditionally occur during the summer, when demand increases. The March record set this month, while high, still would pale next to the summer record from 2008, when the national average price for regular/unleaded gasoline topped $4 a gallon. [Source: Gainesville Sun]
Publisher's Column: Spending Wisely
I traveled to Naples last month for the Celebration of Reading, an event produced by Jeb Bush and family to promote literacy training and raise several million dollars for the cause.
 Andy Corty, Publisher |
Scott creates statewide drug task force on prescription drugs
Saying he wants to "change the direction of what's happening in drug policy" in Florida, Gov. Rick Scott today announced a new statewide strike force to combat abuse of prescription drugs, mainly oxycontin.
Scott said $800,000 in unused federal law enforcement grant money will pay for overtime for local law officers.
In addition, said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey, "scores, I would say 100" state workers will be assigned to work full-time on the effort.
Scott announced the initiative at a news conference Monday, joined by Bailey, Attorney General Pam Bondi and more than a dozen police chiefs, sheriffs and prosecutors, including two representatives of the Tampa Police Department, Pasco County's sheriff and Brooksville's police chief.
Scott said he favors proposals to forbid doctors who prescribe the drugs from dispensing them, or operating pharmacies, with "appropriate exceptions."
He also reiterated his opposition to plans to begin a database to track oxycontin prescriptions.
While Scott cites privacy concerns, other state officials and many law officers favor it, including Bondi.
[Source: Tampa Tribune]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› American Express' electronic wallet Serve has St. Petersburg core
Visa and PayPal are about to get served some competition in the online and mobile payment industry thanks to technology coming out of St. Petersburg.
American Express launched an online platform Monday called Serve, billed by the company as an electronic wallet that can be funded by linking with a checking account, debit card or credit card.
Serve, whose core operations are based in downtown St. Petersburg, had its genesis in Revolution Money, a St. Petersburg startup that American Express bought in late 2009 for $300 million.
Bankrolled in part by AOL co-founder Steve Case, Revolution Money was built as a combo low-fee debit or credit card along with a digital money transfer business. By the time American Express bought Revolution, the company's reach had expanded to about 1 million companies.
The launch of Serve takes the concept to a new level, creating a platform that is integrated into the American Express network. It's accepted everywhere American Express is accepted as well as at all ATM machines. Both iPhone and Android applications were also released Monday, with a BlackBerry app anticipated soon.
› Aerospace company moves headquarters to Palm Beach Gardens
Chromalloy, an international aerospace company based in Orangeburg, N.Y., announced today Palm Beach Gardens will be the new home for its corporate headquarters.
"There is a wealth of talented engineers in your area. We plan on tapping into that talent," said Andrew Farrant, vice president of marketing for the company that employs about 4,000 people in 17 countries.
Chromalloy should bring about 70 jobs paying about $88,000 each. About 30 employees will be from Chromalloy's other offices, with the rest locally hired, Farrant said.
"We are moving the brains of our company to (Gardens). There could be expansion in the future," he said.
Noting an uptick in her own business, Chromalloy's move is another indication that the local economy is bouncing back, said Rebel Cook, a north county commercial Realtor who was not involved in the deal.
» Chromalloy is on a Building Binge
› Vacant homes in South Florida nearly double over past 10 years
The number of vacant homes in Broward and Palm Beach counties nearly doubled during the past decade, as the devastating housing collapse led to record foreclosures.
Broward had 124,341 vacant homes last year, up 44 percent from 2000, according to U.S. census figures released this month. Palm Beach County's vacancies rose 46 percent to 120,367.
The vacancies far outpaced the increases in housing stock across the two counties.
While the countywide vacancy rates are in the mid-teens and rose only a few percentage points, that still represented tens of thousands of housing units. "A substantial number of these are foreclosure homes that the banks haven't yet put back on the market to sell or they've listed them at unrealistic prices," said Brad Hunter, chief economist with the Metrostudy research firm in Palm Beach Gardens.
Some real estate agents say they're surprised there aren't even more empty homes in South Florida. In 2000, bank-owned properties were nowhere near as prevalent.
"Now they're a way of life," said Bill Richardson, a real estate broker for 25 years and president of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches. "Virtually every community has a vacant home or two or five or 10."
› Bus line benefits from Miami airport fire
A bad day for airlines last week gave a welcome boost to a fledgling intercity bus service. A fuel tank farm fire at Miami International Airport forced American Airlines had to cancel more than 200 flights at the airport. That included all five American Airlines flights between Tampa and Miami Friday. A bunch of air travelers switched to the Red Coach bus, which leaves Tampa International for Miami three times daily. Enough to sell out all the 27-seat coaches Friday.
› Titusville entrepreneur stumbles into a shining business
Bryan Scott considers himself an accidental entrepreneur.
The owner of Barn Light Electric in Titusville turned a hobby into a full-time career that now has him and his wife employing about 30 people.
If all goes according to plan, that number could double by next year.
"The business took off to the extent that my wife and I quit our professional careers," Scott, 46, said. "I really became an accidental business owner. I had absolutely zero knowledge of operating and running a business."
Barn Light Electric was born 31/2 years ago when Scott got involved in reproducing and remanufacturing vintage barn lights from the 1920s to the 1950s.
He was working as an air marshal for the federal government, and his weekends were spent working on barn lights and selling the finished products from his own barn in Mims.
Then buyers started pouring in.
› Coast Guard selects Lockheed Training for deal worth $57 million
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s high-tech training unit in Orlando has received a contract potentially worth $57 million to provide training and technical support to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Terms of the five-year deal call for Lockheed Martin Global Training & Logistics to perform aviation and shipboard training services for Coast Guard personnel at up to a dozen sites across the country, the company said Monday.
The training sites are in Alabama, California, Connecticut, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Lockheed will provide training in aircraft and ship operations, analyze and evaluate performance results, and develop classroom courses and advanced learning software.
Lockheed received the contract from the Coast Guard Force Readiness, Command, Performance, Training and Education Branch.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Consultants release study on how to save Jackson
The Sibery Group, Chicago healthcare consultants hired by a Jackson union, revealed on Monday a detailed plan that the consultants say can turn around the struggling public hospital system without massive labor cuts.
The proposal by Senior Partner Duane Fitch proposed Sibery providing a turn-around team for 30 months, including a chief turn —around officer and five other executives
Sibery, which was hired last year by SEIU Local 1991, has sent a letter to members of the Public Health Trust detailing its ideas. Sibery executives are veteran consultants in advising troubled hospitals.
The reaction from Trust and Jackson leaders was not immediately available.
› Trace of radiation from troubled Japanese nuclear plant detected at Crystal River
Trace levels of radiation associated with a troubled Japanese nuclear power plant have been detected at the Crystal River nuclear power plant.
The radiation levels are very low and don't constitute any immediate health or public safety concerns, a spokeswoman for plant owner Progress Energy said. The company wasn't required to report its findings, but it notified federal and state regulatory agencies and employees as a precaution.
Trace amounts of Iodine 131, a by-product of the nuclear fission process, were discovered in the air at the Crystal River plant and a second plant in South Carolina, Progress Energy said.
Radiation stemming from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Plant in Japan is expected to show up in small amounts in the United States over the coming weeks, according to an organization that represents the nation's nuclear power plants.
› Travel attractions, hotels offer discounts on group buying sites
Travel attractions and hotels are turning to group buying websites such as Groupon to boost sales to locals and visitors with discount offers.
For consumers, the savings can be substantial, often 50 percent off.
In South Florida, Bonnet House Museum and Gardens in Fort Lauderdale recently offered a Groupon deal with adult tickets at $10 each instead of the usual $20. Water Taxi offered half-off tickets for the launch of its new Hollywood service. And hotels are touting packages on a new site, TripAlertz.com. The Marriott Springhill Suites Boca Raton offers a $399 deal with a three night-stay and other perks for as low as $289, when at least 10 people buy. Travelers from both near and far are cashing in, with many subscribing to emails for South Florida deals and buying online before they arrive.
› With census done, eyes turn to legislative map
 [Illustration: Roger Chouinard] |
» Redistricting: Free-for-All in Florida
› Harry & David files for Chapter 11
Harry & David Holdings Inc., the gourmet food-gift company, filed for bankruptcy protection Monday after reaching an agreement with lenders to trim debt.
The Medford, Ore.-based retailer acquired West Palm Beach-based Cushman Fruit Co. in 2008.
A spokesman for Cushman's said there would be no change at the fruit shipper best known for its trademarked HoneyBells .
Harry & David, owned by investment funds controlled by Wasserstein & Co., listed assets and debt of as much as $500 million each in a Chapter 11 petition filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del. Companies use Chapter 11 to reorganize, cut debt and continue operating.
› Renewal of former Howard Johnson's on beach back on track
The former Howard Johnson's hotel on Fort Lauderdale beach, closed after Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and poised for demolition to make way for a luxury high-rise, could soon be resurrected as a mid-priced hotel.
With funding from Europe, Miami-based Transacta Prive Development is considering a renovation of the nine-floor, 144-room hotel as a three- to four-star hotel. A room would likely cost $180 to $200 a night — far less than the price at the high-end resorts nearby, said Transacta's chief Silvia Coltrane.
Coltrane said the renovation proposal hinges on funding details and new approvals from the city.
Fort Lauderdale had given the go-ahead for an 18-story tower with 320 guest rooms, trimming back her initial plan after some neighbors complained a 20-story building would be too big and obstructive.