People often note that state lawmakers don't face anywhere near as much scrutiny as their counterparts on county commissions and city councils.
After all, a senator is just one member out of 40, and a representative is one of 120. They are only in session a couple months of the year. And when they are on the job, most are far from home, in Tallahassee.
But they all cast plenty of interesting votes.
Take a few bills moving through the Legislature that the Sentinel highlighted last week. They aim to block cities, towns and counties from offering their residents wireless Internet service.
A couple places in Central Florida, including Orlando -- along parts of Orange Avenue and around Lake Eola -- already provide wi-fi.
The legislation is backed by telecommunication giants that sell wi-fi service themselves, such as Verizon Communications Inc. and Bright House Networks.
One of the bills recently sailed through its first committee -- with the help of a bunch of lawmakers whose districts include parts of Orange County.
Rep. Frank Attkisson, R-Kissimmee, is sponsoring the measure. Reps. Bob Allen, R-Merritt Island, Bruce Antone, D-Orlando, Randy Johnson, R-Celebration, and David Mealor, R-Lake Mary, all voted for it.
One of the Senate bills hasn't been voted on, but it has local connections, too. The sponsor is Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs.
Sindler back in the House?
Although the political rumor mill linked him to everything from Orange County mayor to the Florida Senate, County Commissioner Bob Sindler says he will fall back on more familiar ground when he is forced out of office by term limits in 2006.
Sindler, a Democrat, said last week that he would run for his old seat in the state House. It's the same job he had for a decade, before leaving Tallahassee for the County Commission in 1998.
But he can't just walk into his old spot. Two other candidates have launched campaigns -- Republicans Frank Cardona, a former member of the county's soil and water board who made an unsuccessful bid for the state Senate last year; and Bryan Nelson, an Apopka insurance agent who says he has already raised $25,000 for the race.
And here's an interesting twist: Sindler appointed Nelson to Orange County's Planning and Zoning Commission three years ago -- one of those jobs that help aspiring politicians beef up their resumes for campaign mailers.
Cozying up to the Navy
Schedulers are working on a trip to Virginia for County Mayor Rich Crotty, where he plans to lobby Navy brass about increasing the service's presence in Central Florida.
Crotty is tentatively set to fly to Norfolk next month to meet with admirals John Nathman and Edmund Giambastiani Jr. Nathman is vice chief of Naval Operations; Giambastiani is one of two strategic commanders with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
County officials say the goal is to persuade military leaders to tighten their ties with the University of Central Florida and the adjacent Central Florida Research Park.
Just a few months ago, university leaders hailed the opening of a $20.5 million building where the top two floors are used by the Army and Marine Corps for training and simulation. A nearby building has simulation research for NAVAIR, the Naval Air Systems Command.
Although such a cozy relationship with the military makes some people uncomfortable, supporters say the armed forces bring civil service and industry-related jobs, grants and research with them.
Crotty's trip also would serve for some last-minute lobbying before the Pentagon decides for the first time in more than a decade which of its 425 domestic bases to shut down or scale back -- something that has local and state officials across the country nervous.
Where Dyer is still smiling
Suspended Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer still reigns proud and happy -- at least in one small corner of cyberspace.
While the city's official Web site has excised hizzoner from its home page -- replacing the troubled Dyer, at least temporarily, with newly installed Mayor Ernest Page -- Dyer is still mayor on the Downtown Development Board's Web site, where his smiling mug appears untroubled by such stuff as grand jury indictments.
Sentinel staff writers Jason Garcia and Rich McKay compiled this report.
Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...=orl-news-headlines-orange&ctrack=1&cset=true
IMHO, they made a error judgement about this issue.
After all, a senator is just one member out of 40, and a representative is one of 120. They are only in session a couple months of the year. And when they are on the job, most are far from home, in Tallahassee.
But they all cast plenty of interesting votes.
Take a few bills moving through the Legislature that the Sentinel highlighted last week. They aim to block cities, towns and counties from offering their residents wireless Internet service.
A couple places in Central Florida, including Orlando -- along parts of Orange Avenue and around Lake Eola -- already provide wi-fi.
The legislation is backed by telecommunication giants that sell wi-fi service themselves, such as Verizon Communications Inc. and Bright House Networks.
One of the bills recently sailed through its first committee -- with the help of a bunch of lawmakers whose districts include parts of Orange County.
Rep. Frank Attkisson, R-Kissimmee, is sponsoring the measure. Reps. Bob Allen, R-Merritt Island, Bruce Antone, D-Orlando, Randy Johnson, R-Celebration, and David Mealor, R-Lake Mary, all voted for it.
One of the Senate bills hasn't been voted on, but it has local connections, too. The sponsor is Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs.
Sindler back in the House?
Although the political rumor mill linked him to everything from Orange County mayor to the Florida Senate, County Commissioner Bob Sindler says he will fall back on more familiar ground when he is forced out of office by term limits in 2006.
Sindler, a Democrat, said last week that he would run for his old seat in the state House. It's the same job he had for a decade, before leaving Tallahassee for the County Commission in 1998.
But he can't just walk into his old spot. Two other candidates have launched campaigns -- Republicans Frank Cardona, a former member of the county's soil and water board who made an unsuccessful bid for the state Senate last year; and Bryan Nelson, an Apopka insurance agent who says he has already raised $25,000 for the race.
And here's an interesting twist: Sindler appointed Nelson to Orange County's Planning and Zoning Commission three years ago -- one of those jobs that help aspiring politicians beef up their resumes for campaign mailers.
Cozying up to the Navy
Schedulers are working on a trip to Virginia for County Mayor Rich Crotty, where he plans to lobby Navy brass about increasing the service's presence in Central Florida.
Crotty is tentatively set to fly to Norfolk next month to meet with admirals John Nathman and Edmund Giambastiani Jr. Nathman is vice chief of Naval Operations; Giambastiani is one of two strategic commanders with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
County officials say the goal is to persuade military leaders to tighten their ties with the University of Central Florida and the adjacent Central Florida Research Park.
Just a few months ago, university leaders hailed the opening of a $20.5 million building where the top two floors are used by the Army and Marine Corps for training and simulation. A nearby building has simulation research for NAVAIR, the Naval Air Systems Command.
Although such a cozy relationship with the military makes some people uncomfortable, supporters say the armed forces bring civil service and industry-related jobs, grants and research with them.
Crotty's trip also would serve for some last-minute lobbying before the Pentagon decides for the first time in more than a decade which of its 425 domestic bases to shut down or scale back -- something that has local and state officials across the country nervous.
Where Dyer is still smiling
Suspended Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer still reigns proud and happy -- at least in one small corner of cyberspace.
While the city's official Web site has excised hizzoner from its home page -- replacing the troubled Dyer, at least temporarily, with newly installed Mayor Ernest Page -- Dyer is still mayor on the Downtown Development Board's Web site, where his smiling mug appears untroubled by such stuff as grand jury indictments.
Sentinel staff writers Jason Garcia and Rich McKay compiled this report.
Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...=orl-news-headlines-orange&ctrack=1&cset=true
IMHO, they made a error judgement about this issue.
