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Tuesday's Daily Pulse
What You Need to Know About Florida Today
Sink Orders Audit of 'Taj Mahal' Courthouse Finances
A preliminary review of funding for the "Taj Mahal'' courthouse indicates the 1st District Court of Appeal may have spent money initially appropriated for other purposes and got $16 million in a raid on the state's Workers' Compensation Trust Fund, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said Monday. In letters to the Florida Supreme Court and to the agency that oversees construction of state buildings, Sink said the troubling preliminary findings warrant a thorough audit. [Source: St. Petersburg Times]
A Reality Check on Florida Politicians' Job Claims
The unemployment rate in Miami-Dade stands at nearly 13 percent. In Broward, one of every ten people in the labor force is jobless. Politicians, naturally, vow to fix that, knowing that jobs and the economy are the priority with an anxious, cash strapped electorate. Florida's U.S. Senate candidates talk about it all the time. Gubernatorial ones, too. But rare is the politician who will acknowledge that the levers they want to wield have limits. [Source: CBS4]
Business Ads Coming to Property Appraiser's Website
Looking to raise some revenue, Alachua County Property Appraiser Ed Crapo soon will let business advertisements run on his office's website. Under an agreement Crapo has entered with Municipal Media Solutions, a Chicago area company that specializes in selling advertising on government websites, ads will start running on the site in the next two weeks to a month. "Times are tight -- the money could help our operation," Crapo said. [Source: Gainesville Sun]
Loan-Modification Marathon Draws Fewer than Expected
About 8,200 households had sought help from the Neighborhood Assistance Corp. of America through Monday afternoon, fewer than the non-profit group had expected. NACA, which works with homeowners to get lower monthly mortgage payments through loan modifications, began 24-hour-a-day counseling sessions Friday morning at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. About 24,000 people attended the first event in February, with 16,097 loans receiving a modification. [Source: Palm Beach Post]
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WaWa Gas Stations Are Coming to Florida
WaWa, a Philadelphia area filling station chain that sets itself apart with better fresh food, is lining up sites for expanding into the Orlando and Tampa Bay areas.
Unlike rival mega-stations that rely on cashiers for food prep, the typical WaWa is staffed with a dozen people most of the time with two or three full-timers assigned to tend the fresh food counter. This is WaWa's first expansion south of Virginia.
[Source: St. Petersburg Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Major Animation School and Studio Proposal Lauded
Celebrations haven't come easy in City Hall this year, but Mayor Lois Frankel and commissioners finally found a reason to bust out their party hats.
In a year of slashed budgets, buyouts and layoffs, Digital Domain's John Textor made a pitch to the city on Monday that business and political leaders are hailing as West Palm's saving grace.
Textor and the city made public what they've been discussing behind closed-doors under confidentiality agreements for months — the proposal to bring a digital animation college to the city-owned Tent Site.
› GOP Not Talking Fraud Now That Scott's Their Nominee
Fraud? What fraud?
The key argument against Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Scott in the primary is no longer on the minds of the GOP establishment as legislative and party leaders came together Monday to tout the former Columbia/HCA CEO as a business leader who will create jobs.
The fact that he led the company when it committed Medicare fraud that resulted in a $1.7 billion settlement to avoid criminal charges is no longer a talking point.
“You’re not going to hear it,” said Deborah Cox-Roush, the state GOP’s vice chairwoman. “He answered that question in the primary. Rick has a good message.
We are going to put Florida back to work. It’s about the economy.”
»
RELATED: Rick Scott, GOP Hold "Kumbaya" Rally
› Contractor Hired to Upgrade Mayport Pier
The Navy has hired a contractor to upgrade the pier at Mayport Naval Station that is slated to serve as the homeport for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Misener Marine Construction Inc. of Tampa will handle the $22.6 million project, which is expected to wrap up in August 2011. Work on the wharf is required for a nuclear-powered carrier to come to Mayport, but has been also talked about in general terms as necessary for general operational readiness.
› Judge Approves Restitution for Rothstein's Ponzi Victims
A federal judge Monday ordered convicted con man Scott Rothstein to repay $363 million to some 320 victims of his investment racket.
But the vast majority will be lucky if they get back pennies or dimes for every dollar they invested with the one-time Fort Lauderdale lawyer, who sold $1.2 billion in fake legal settlements -- a Ponzi scheme that became South Florida's largest financial fraud.
› Ex-Port Authority CEO Got High Marks Before Resignation
Rick Ferrin, who was suddenly ousted last week as head of the Jacksonville Port Authority, received more than $130,000 in bonuses during the last five years and regular pay raises when his performance was reviewed by the board, according to records in his personnel file.
Ferrin's file does not contain any critical reviews that put him on notice that his performance was falling short of the board's expectations.
› Small Businesses in Florida Post Uptick in Jobs
Florida beats U.S. in small-firm new hires
Small businesses in Florida added jobs in August at a quicker pace than most of the country, according to an analysis released Monday by software maker Intuit. The monthly report shows Florida growing by 0.3 percent over the month, far better than the anemic 0.1 percent growth nationally that Intuit estimated.
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