The Fine Print

Who's responsible for the hike in Florida tolls?

Over the last few weeks there have been reminders that the tolls are going up on some 585 miles worth of roads.

Back when it appeared that Adam Hasner and George LeMieux were in the U.S. Senate race with Connie Mack I wrote a piece pointing out how Mack called tolls a tax and has been sharply critical of them.

Of course Hasner is now running for U.S. Congress and LeMieux this past week dropped out of the race.

But just a reminder about the origins of the latest rate hike:

This toll hike was authorized by HB 985, a major transportation bill that was approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature during the 2007 session. It mandates that the tolls be raised at least once every five years to keep pace with inflation. The money coming from this latest set of toll hikes will be used to push up the construction date of various road projects.

The bill since then has also become known as the legislation that authorized the millions used to construct the controversial First District Court of Appeal or the "Tallahassee Taj Mahal."

The vote was contentious in the Florida House where the final margin was 68-49 in favor of the bill and the roster of no votes included some Republicans.

Among the yes votes at the time: Hasner, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, U.S. Rep. David Rivera, State Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, Aaron Bean, and Rep. Will Weatherford.

The no votes in the House at the time: State Sen. Andy Gardiner, Sen. Maria Sachs (who is running against Bogdanoff), Keith Fitzgerald, Sen. Rene Garcia, and current U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross.

The vote was much more overwhelming in the Florida Senate where the legislation passed by a 37-2 margin.

The two no votes were two South Florida Republicans. The yes votes include then-Sen. Al Lawson (a candidate for Congress), Sen. Steve Oelrich (now a candidate for Congress), Sen. Ronda Storms (now running for Hillsborough County Property Appraiser), U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, as well as Sen. Mike Bennett, then-Sen. Dave Aronberg and Sen. Mike Fasano.

And as former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson has shown: Toll hikes can sometimes show up in campaign ads.

 

Rubio was not alone in having expenses picked up by political committee

There is a report on Saturday that goes into great detail about how former House Speaker Marco Rubio used political committees to "spend big money with little scrutiny."

The Times/Herald went into great detail about Rubio's use of two committees of continuous existence and noted that a lot of money was spent on expenses but not political contributions like committees set up by other legislators. The story also notes that a great deal of money went for unidentified credit card expenses.

But while Rubio's use of CCE money may have been out of scale compared to other legislators, he is hardly alone in having expenses picked up by CCE's nor is this the first time his use of CCE has been noted.

A 2003 story in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune found that more than $2.8 million had flowed into those accounts over a four-year period from special interest donors and the money being used for campaign contributions and to "reimburse expenses largely incurred by legislators themselves."

The story noted how money was used for dry-cleaning bills, trips to Sam's and Costco, oil changes and how an account controlled by House Speaker Johnnie Byrd spent money on "literature/periodicals" and "office equipment."

One lawmaker even used his CCE to pay rent for his home in Tallahassee.

That story also disclosed that at the time some lawmakers - including Rubio - failed to follow IRS regulations and reveal information about donors in federal filings. State law back in 2003 allowed the names of some CCE donors to be kept secret in state filings.

A March 7, 2004 story in The Miami Herald detailed how Rubio spent $6,665 "none of it out of his own pocket" to charter a plane so he could make a meeting in Tampa to try to nail down his bid for speakership.

A February 2007 story in The Miami Herald reported that a CCE controlled by Sen. Mike Fasano had reimbursed him thousands of dollars in expenses including $550 for a tab for a meeting held at a steakhouse at the Saddlebrook Resort north of Tampa.

This 2009 story from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune pointed that lawmakers were still using CCE's for various expenses. Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, for example was reimbursed nearly $25,000 for travel expenses over a two and a half year period. Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, has also said travel expenses picked up. Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, had hotel rooms, taxi rides and airplane rides paid for out of CCE.

That same story also pointed out the Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus - of which Rubio was a member - used money it got from contributions on various expenses. The caucus, for example, spent nearly $1,900 dollars on meals from three Tallahassee restaurants on the last day of the 2008 session where Rubio was speaker.

State's personnel system taken over by foreign company

Here's an item from today's Current produced by the Florida Tribune:

The company that handles the People First human resources system for the state has sold off the unit that handles the work to a company based in London, England.

Convergys Corp. announced last week that it had sold its HR unit to NorthgateArinso for $85 million in cash and $15 million in cash over the next three years. The move, however, comes just three months after the Department of Management Services inked a five-year extension with Convergys worth $248 million.

Sen. JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales, said Thursday that he had just heard about the deal and added “I’m not sure what I think about it.” But Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres and a critic of past outsourcing deals, said that he had a "skeptical eye" about the deal.

"Whenever foreign companies are in control of sensitive personal information it raises concerns for me,'' said Aronberg, who said he wants to get more information about the transaction.

Linda McDonald, a spokeswoman for DMS, said that state officials “expect the contract to be honored.” McDonald noted that while NorthgateArinso is based in the United Kingdom that the contract has “clear language” that personal information does not leave the United States. McDonald also noted that Northgate is controlled by a United States private equity firm, Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts.

But a controversy arose several years ago when a subcontractor hired by Convergys sent work on People First overseas to India. While Convergys said it knew nothing about the data being shipped overseas, the incident prompted DMS to warn more than 100,000 state employees to take precaution against possible identity theft.

Political grandstanding or making sure that "justice" is done?

The battle to become Florida's next Attorney General may hinge on one simple question: What is the proper role for the state's top legal officer?

It is not just a semantic exercise, because it could have deep ramifications if the next Attorney General takes a more activist - and confrontational tone - against others in state government.

State Sen. Dan Gelber, a candidate for Attorney General, last week published a provocative piece where he sharply criticized Attorney General Bill McCollum - and former Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Holly Benson- for defending the state in an ongoing lawsuit over Medicaid reimbursement rates. (Benson is one of the Republican candidates seeking to replace McCollum in 2010.)

The class action lawsuit filed by the Florida Pediatric Society and the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and on behalf of Floridians under 21 asserts that the state is violating federal requirements because its low reimbursement rates has resulted in many doctors refusing to treat Medicaid patients.

Gelber - who is running for Attorney General - contends that by taking the case to trial that McCollum and Benson are "fighting to block access to care for children."

"If he wanted to, our Attorney General could concede that is morally repugnant that Florida has the second highest rate of uninsured children in the nation,'' Gelber wrote. Gelber said that instead of fighting the case that McCollum should have settled it and forced the Legislature to spend more money on Medicaid.

This marks the second time that Gelber has threatened to fight the Legislature. Back in October he said that if he were Attorney General he would sue them over education funding.

Ryan Wiggins, a spokeswoman for McCollum, said it wasn't the job of the Attorney General to decide the policy of Medicaid reimbursement rates. Instead the Attorney General has a "obligation" to defend the state in lawsuits.

"Barring conflicts, it is the responsibility of the Office of Attorney General to represent the state, an obligation Attorney General Bill McCollum takes very seriously,'' said Wiggins. "Furthermore this is a policy issue that should be addressed by the Florida Legislature, not litigated in the courts."

The Republican candidates for Attorney General so far have stressed issues such as cybersafety and battling gangs as among the top priorities for the job. Benson on her website says she will fight government regulation on behalf of businesses.

State Sen.Dave Aronberg, a former assistant Attorney General who is challenging Gelber in the Democratic primary, said the job calls for a balancing act.

"As a former Assistant Attorney General, I watched as Bob Butterworth sometimes had to defend laws that he disagreed with,'' said Aronberg. "Other times, however, the Legislature can act so egregiously and in a way that will hurt the people of the state, that the Attorney General must refuse to go along. The key is to find the right balance without being either a rubber stamp for the Legislature or a political grandstander."

When asked whether or not he runs the risks of being viewed as a grandstander, Gelber responded that he believed the state's position on the Medicaid lawsuit was "contrary to the interests of Florida citizens" and that the state should have settled it "years ago." Gelber also said that the "failure of the Legislature" to provide a high quality system of education as required by the state constitution "violates the rights of the citizens."

"As the AG I am not the representative of an ordinary party to a controversy,'' said Gelber. "My obligation is not simply win a matter, but to make sure justice is done. I do have a much different vision of the office than the current AG - and I do intend to use the office to stand up for everyday Floridians even it inspires the ire of the Legislature."

Another round in the Attorney General slugfest

Former Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Holly Benson is obviously determined to make the GOP primary for Attorney General a real slugfest judging by the Tallahassee heavyweights who are hosting a fundraiser for Benson on Dec. 9.

Among those listed on the invitation are Brian Ballard, Paul and Sally Bradshaw, Jim Magill, Mark Kaplan, and Mike Harrell.The inclusion of Ballard is significant since Ballard is a top fundraiser of Gov. Charlie Crist. Ballard is siding with Benson despite the fact that Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp jumped into this race months ago.

Having four current and former legislators in this race - as pointed out here and here- makes it easy to compare their records. Consider this Part II of an ongoing examination of the positions of the quartet - Benson, Kottkamp, Dan Gelber and Dave Aronberg - on important bills that all they voted on as well as bills that had legal and constitutional questions or show a divergence in their positions.

Terri Schiavo I: The GOP-controlled Legislature during a 2003 special session passed a highly controversial piece of legislation that let then Gov. Jeb Bush order that Schiavo's feeding tube be kept in place despite judicial rulings allowing it to be removed.The law was later struck down unanimously by the state Supreme Court including Bush's own appointees. Kottkamp-Yes. Gelber-No. Aronberg-No. Rep. Benson was one of 28 House members who missed the first vote, but voted yes when the bill came back a second time.

Terri Schiavo II: This bill was taken up during the 2005 regular session and was drawn more broadly than the first. It would have prevented the withholding or withdrawal of food or water to a person in a persistent vegetative state unless they had expressly directed the withholding of food and water. The legislation was never passed because it died in the Florida Senate. (Among those voting no was Sen. Paula Dockery, who is now running for governor on the GOP side. Dockery voted no on the first bill too.)  Kottkamp and Benson - Yes. Gelber and Aronberg-No.

Stand Your Ground: This measure was a top priority in 2005 by the National Rifle Association. It changed Florida law so that someone was no longer required to retreat before they could use deadly force to protect themselves even if they were outside their homes. It also expanded the definition of "castle" - a place where a person is not bound to retreat - to include cars.

This standard has come to play in criminal cases since then, such as the August 2009 ruling that upheld the release of a Tallahassee man who shot and killed another man in a car outside a nightclub. Jimmy Hair and Charles Harper were fighting inside a car when Hair says he got his gun and tried to use it as a club, but the gun went off and killed the other man. The court said the "physical evidence" was clear that the man was shot inside the car and the law makes no exception from immunity when the victim is in retreat "at the time defensive force is employed."

Benson, Kottkamp and Aronberg voted yes. Gelber voted no.

Alimony: This was a contentious bill from 2005 that changed the circumstances in which a court could reduce or terminate alimony payments. The "shacking up" bill was aimed at cases where a spouse moves in with someone but doesn't marry them. But some complained that the legislation went too far and would hurt women. Benson and Gelber voted no. Kottkamp and Aronberg voted yes.

60 percent amendment: This joint resolution placed on the ballot a requirement that all future constitutional amendments need to be approved by 60 percent of the voters in order to pass. Kottkamp, who was a cosponsor of the measure, voted yes, as did Benson and Aronberg. Gelber voted no.

Instant bingo: This 2004 bill authorized the use of instant bingo tickets, essentially allowing organizations that conduct bingo to sell pull-tab tickets instead of requiring people to play bingo the old-fashioned way. Gov. Bush vetoed the legislation, saying it expanded gambling and may have violated the constitutional provision that limits lottery games to the state. Benson was one of just 11 Republicans to vote against the bill. Gelber, Kottkamp and Aronberg voted yes.

Kottkamp vs. Benson vs. Aronberg vs. Gelber

If current Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Holly Benson jumps into the race for Attorney General, then voters in Florida will have up to four current and former state legislators competing for one job. (Benson said recently she is "seriously" considering it.)

All four served in the Florida Legislature together at one point making it easy to look at their voting records. So consider this Part 1 of an ongoing examination of some key or interesting votes the foursome made. These are votes taken from the special session in late 2005 and the regular 2006 session, the last time they were all together.

SB 6-B: The so-called gift ban, which made it illegal for legislators to accept anything of value from lobbyists. The legislation also required lobbyists to disclose how much they get paid. Kottkamp, Benson, Gelber and Aronberg - Yes.

HB 145: This bill abolished the concept of joint and several liability for economic damages in negligence cases. This was a top priority of the business community and fiercely opposed by the state's trial attorneys. Benson voted yes. Kottkamp, Gelber and Aronberg voted no.

CS/CS/CS/SB 1980: This was the big comprehensive insurance bill that lawmakers passed in the spring of 2006 only to tear it all apart in the January 2007 special session amid an outcry from Floridians angry at rising insurance rates. It did include a $715 million bailout of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. in an effort to blunt the impact of assessments the carrier would place on all property insurance policies in the state. It also gave more leeway for private insurers and Citizens to raise insurance rates, although it also did set the stage for wind mitigation discounts that have since become controversial. Benson voted yes. Kottkamp, Gelber, and Aronberg voted no.

3-B: Medicaid reform. This bill created the Medicaid pilot project pushed by former Gov. Jeb Bush to remake the Medicaid system into a program that more closely resembled private insurance plans. Benson was the bill sponsor. The idea was to expand this program statewide but lawmakers have refused to do so and many legislators from both parties are skeptical that this program has worked. Benson said recently that she still believes in the concept. Benson and Kottkamp voted yes. Aronberg and Gelber voted no.

SB 1350: This was a big transportation bill that contained a $2 per day surcharge on rental cars that had to approved by a countywide referendum. Bush vetoed the bill when it got to his desk. Despite overwhelming support by the GOP-controlled Legislature, both Benson and Kottkamp voted no. Aronberg and Gelber voted yes.

HB 135: This was a charter school bill that established a new statewide board that could approve or deny charter school applications. This move was widely criticized by local school boards who considered it an illegal usurping of their constitutionally-created powers. That viewpoint was shared by the First District Court of Appeal, which ruled in December 2008 that the law created a "total and fatal conflict" with the state constitution. Benson, Kottkamp and Aronberg all voted yes on this bill. Gelber was the lone legislator among the four to vote no.

Aronberg vs. Gelber Round 1

One of the best things about the prospect of a Democratic primary for Attorney General between State Sen. Dan Gelber and State Sen. Dave Aronberg is that Democratic voters will have a easy way to compare two lawmakers before they go to the polls.

Since the two Democrats served side by side during the 2009 session it's not too hard to go back and take a look at how they voted on several key measures that will impact some things that the AG is involved in - such as regulating insurance. (The AG sits on the panel that hires and fires the state's top insurance regulator.)

And yes, the two men parted ways on some important bills, including ones that would deregulate the state's insurance industry and allow Citizens Property Insurance to raise insurance rates by 10 percent a year until the rates are actuarially sound.

This is not to say that Aronberg and Gelber will use these votes against each other on the campaign trail. But the votes could have reverberations in future endorsements - and just as importantly - the money trail when business organizations mull over whether to donate to either one of them.

The Tale of the Tape:

HB 1171, the insurance deregulation bill  or "consumer choice bill" that would allow well-capitalized companies such as State Farm to bypass state rate regulation. Now sitting on the desk of Gov. Charlie Crist, who has hinted he plans to veto the measure.

Aronberg: Yes  - Gelber: No

HB 1495, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund and Citizens bill which allows Citizens to raise rates and requires private insurance carriers to pay into a cash build up fund to boost the size of the Cat Fund, the state-created reinsurance fund. Crist signed this bill into law.

Aronberg: Yes - Gelber: No

SB 360, the controversial growth management bill that was roundly criticized by environmental groups but still signed into law by Crist.

Aronberg: Yes - Gelber: No

SB 1122, the measure that requires insurers to pay directly to doctors even if the doctor is not in the insurer network. This bill was a top priority for the Florida Medical Association yet opposed by some consumer groups, Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and the state's insurance consumer advocate.

Aronberg: Yes - Gelber: Yes

SB 1696, Higher education. This legislation made several changes to Florida's higher education system, including revising the state's Bright Futures scholarship program (forcing students to refund money they received for a dropped course), cracking down on students who don't graduate quick enough or students who try to establish residency to avoid higher tuition costs, and raising the amount that universities can increase out-of-state or graduate tuition.

Aronberg: Yes - Gelber: No

Rounding several other important bills: The two lawmakers voted against the bill that puts back in place a cap on attorney fees in workers' compensation cases. They both voted against the state budget and both men voted in favor of SB 714, the condominium insurance bill that Crist vetoed. Crist vetoed the bill because it pushed back a deadline for when local governments could require condos to put in fire sprinklers.

(UPDATE: Here's another interesting one that I forgot to add earlier - CS/CS/HB 453. This bill expanded the revenue sources available for one of Florida's private school voucher programs. It would allow insurance premium tax dollars to be used to help fund scholarship funding organizations, which then hand out vouchers to low-income children.

Aronberg: Yes - Gelber: No.)