38 replies to this topic

[Mr. Roboto]

I have a feeling most of these tea party types are going to also whip up similar resentment across the country. Some of these working class republicans are going to wonder why they voted for this, as seen in this article.

[Austin]

I have a feeling most of these tea party types are going to also whip up similar resentment across the country. Some of these working class republicans are going to wonder why they voted for this, as seen in this article.

I certainly hope the working class republicans figure out how badly they've screwed themselves by electing people like Rick Scott!

Do you remember when Scott did this? Asked people to send prewritten letters praising him to newspapers, etc!! I just sooooo dislike all the things this man is doing in Florida. How could the people of FL elect a guy who took the Fifth so many times during his deposition about cheating medicaid and other illegal activity which took place in the company he OWNED?

I thought the NewTimes article was very good.

"In response to this widespread discontent, Scott has urged supporters to send prewritten letters to the editors of local newspapers."Rick Scott deserves our unwavering and enthusiastic support," the letters say. He also uses recorded phone messages to tout his policy decisions, irritating voters with robocalls about pill mills and government spending cuts."

[Austin]

STAY OF EXECUTION for Manuel Valle until Sept. 1, 2011.

This stay was issued today by the FSC in order to have an evidentiary hearing in re the drug protocol.

http://www.miamihera...ays-valles.html

http://beforeitsnews...g_concerns.html

[Austin]

Pam Bondi, Florida's atty general, filed a petition to USSC Justice CLARENCE THOMAS to lift the temporary stay of execution in the Valle case issued by the Florida Supreme Court.

All the news reports I read said that Thomas COULD lift the say but that usually death penalty cases were referred to the entire USSC. I was unaware that one USSC Justice could lift a stay issued by a state supreme court. Does anybody know anything about whether or not a single USSC Justice can LIFT A STAY??? I was a bit concerned that Clarence Thomas MIGHT just try to do that because of his "politics" of pleasing the Koch brothers and their GOP soldiers like Rick Scott. Interesting that Bondi chose Clarence Thomas.

Anyway, I've found reports today that the USSC refused to lift the stay, and the evidentiary hearing on the issue of drugs to be used is underway.

IMO, Bondi's petition to CLARENCE THOMAS was more politics....Rick Scott's politics!

http://www.miamihera...da-stay-of.html

[artcinco]

Gov. Rick Scott's office ensures journalists won't use official photo by telling them to use it

[Mr. Roboto]

TALLAHASSEE --
Since the state began testing welfare applicants for drugs in July, about 2 percent have tested positive, preliminary data shows.

Ninety-six percent proved to be drug free -- leaving the state on the hook to reimburse the cost of their tests.

The initiative may save the state a few dollars anyway, bearing out one of Gov. Rick Scott's arguments for implementing it. But the low test fail-rate undercuts another of his arguments: that people on welfare are more likely to use drugs.

At Scott's urging, the Legislature implemented the new requirement earlier this year that applicants for temporary cash assistance pass a drug test before collecting any benefits.

The law, which took effect July 1, requires applicants to pay for their own drug tests. Those who test drug-free are reimbursed by the state, and those who fail cannot receive benefits for a year.

Having begun the drug testing in mid-July, the state Department of Children and Families is still tabulating the results. But at least 1,000 welfare applicants took the drug tests through mid-August, according to the department, which expects at least 1,500 applicants to take the tests monthly.

So far, they say, about 2 percent of applicants are failing the test; another 2 percent are not completing the application process, for reasons unspecified.

Cost of the tests averages about $30. Assuming that 1,000 to 1,500 applicants take the test every month, the state will owe about $28,800-$43,200 monthly in reimbursements to those who test drug-free.

That compares with roughly $32,200-$48,200 the state may save on one month's worth of rejected applicants.

The savings assume that 20 to 30 people — 2 percent of 1,000 to 1,500 tested — fail the drug test every month. On average, a welfare recipient costs the state $134 in monthly benefits, which the rejected applicants won’t get, saving the state $2,680 to $4,020 a month.

Since one failed test disqualifies an applicant for a full year’s worth of benefits, the state could save $32,200 to $48,200 annually on the applicants rejected in a single month.

Net savings to the state: $3,400 to $5,000 annually on one month’s worth of rejected applicants. Over 12 months, the money saved on all rejected applicants would add up to $40,800 to $60,000 for a program that state analysts have predicted will cost $178 million this fiscal year.

Actual savings will vary, however, since not all of the applicants denied benefits might have actually collected them for the full year. Under certain circumstances, applicants who failed their drug test can reapply for benefits after six months.

The as-yet uncalculated cost of staff hours and other resources that DCF has had to spend on implementing the program may wipe out most or all of the apparent savings, said Derek Newton, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. The program will grow costlier yet, he said, if it draws a legal challenge.

The ACLU has been threatening for months that it may challenge the constitutionality of the program; Tuesday, Newton said his group is still weighing a lawsuit.

DCF spokesman Joe Follick said that families and accountability are the main focuses of the program.

"The taxpayers deserve to know that the money they are spending is being used for its intended purpose," he said. "In this case, with [temporary cash assistance], the purpose is to help families become independent and self-sufficient. If a family receiving [cash assistance] includes someone who has a substance abuse problem, the odds of that money being used for purposes other than helping that family increases."

More than once, Scott has said publicly that people on welfare use drugs at a higher rate than the general population. The 2 percent test fail rate seen by DCF, however, does not bear that out.

According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, performed by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, 8.7 percent of the population nationally over age 12 uses illicit drugs. The rate was 6.3 percent for those ages 26 and up.

A 2008 study by the Office of National Drug Control Policy also showed that 8.13 percent of Floridians age 12 and up use illegal drugs.

Newton said that's proof the drug-testing program is based on a stereotype, not hard facts.

"This is just punishing people for being poor, which is one of our main points," he said. "We're not testing the population at-large that receives government money; we're not testing people on scholarships, or state contractors. So why these people? It's obvious-- because they're poor."

Scott's office did not respond to a request for comment.



http://www2.tbo.com/...-res-ar-252458/

[Austin]

Rick Scott is a soul-LESS man, and pretty much amoral as far as I'm concerned. If he had a soul, he sold it to the Tea Party and the Koch brothers long ago. They all seem to HATE poor people! And Gov. Scott is still the worst governor in the entire country.

[Austin]

Rick Scott had Manuel Valle executed Sept.28, 2011. Time of death 7:14 p.m. It is rumored that Scott will now start signing many death warrants. He prefers inmates who were convicted of killing police officers because he gains points in his popularity when he does that. The state of Florida and other states are now using a drug protocol which is very questionable in terms of the 8th Amendment. I find it interesting that the governor CHOOSES NOT to sign warrants on inmates who have already volunteered to be executed. Yes, in fact, inmates on death row CAN/AND DO waive all their appeals and volunteer to be executed; basically, they ask the state to please execute them. Instead, at least in Florida, Gov. Scott prefers to execute the those who would provide him the most political points. Now, what is "fair" about that? Manuel Valle went to death row when he was 27 years old. He was executed when he was 61 years old. He was not at all the same man at 61 that he was when he was 27. At 61, he was a grandfather, a loving father, a much loved friend by hundreds, as well as respected and cared for by his guards. It is my understanding that the guards present at his execution all had tears in their eyes. Valle always maintained that the shot at the police officer was an accident. The bullet his the officer in the neck, on the side of the neck. There was a k-9 dog in the car with the officer, therefore, paramedics could not get him out of the car and to the hospital when they arrived. They had to wait for a dog handler to arrive and manage to get the dog out of the car before they could attend to the wounded officer. He was taken to the hospital but later died there.

[Austin]

Gov. Rick Scott's office ensures journalists won't use official photo by telling them to use it

This ^^^^ is such a disgusting man. He MUST BE A ONE-TERM GOVERNOR in Florida!!!