Via Orange TV’s twitter page, Governor Charlie Crist and Mayor Crotty will be making an important announcement today at 1:30 pm. Tune in at 1:30 pm. Replacing disgraced Commissioner Fernandez, maybe?
Charlie Crist Speaks Out on PSC
Charlie Crist wrote a letter to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times that all Floridians should read so I’m sharing it in its entirety.
Florida consumers should be aware of troubling actions by elected officials that are putting their financial interests in jeopardy. Specifically, the Public Service Commission has and continues to be under siege by powerful utility companies with the assistance of some legislators. There is no clearer example than the recent rejection of the Public Service Commission nominees David Klement and Steve Stevens.
I strongly believe that it is vital for ratepayers to have public service commissioners who are honest, fair and responsible, and Commissioners Klement and Stevens fulfilled those qualities. Not only were they blocked from service because of their opposition to unjustified utility increases, but the Legislature also chose to block Commissioners Nancy Argenziano and Nathan Skop. These two commissioners have served Florida consumers well, offering candid, truthful, and most importantly, ethical voices on the commission. I am truly disappointed they will not have the opportunity to be reappointed.
The decision of the Legislature to block these consumer-friendly voices could not come at a worse time as individuals, families and businesses struggle under financial strains due to the economy. As we recover, we need to ensure that Floridians are able to afford everyday services and need to nominate and appoint people who understand the responsibility of the position they hold.
I am calling on the Public Service Nominating Council to put politics aside and nominate commissioners who will serve as consumer advocates and put in place much needed consumer protections so we can continue to keep Florida affordable for our people. The people of Florida are counting on us to create an environment of trust.
Charlie Crist, governor, state of Florida
Crist to Call Special Session?
Breaking news via the Orlando Sentinel on the possibility of a special session regarding offshore drilling:
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist is considering calling a special session for a constitutional ban on oil drilling in state waters as soon as the week of May 24, he told reporters today.
The session, in the wake of the BP oil spill that could threaten Florida’s coast, would include the permanent ban on drilling in state waters – which run 3 to 10 miles from shore – and potentially legislation to promote renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
“I’d like to do it sooner rather than later,” Crist told reporters at the Governor’s Mansion. “People are concerned about it. I sense it.”
Dirty Republican Party Deeds Starting Up
According to Capitol Soup, the Republican Party of Florida launched a “Don’t Trust Charlie” website Tuesday. Much of the article centers on Crist’s defection from the party. Funny, he was plenty good enough before he left. If listening to the people on issues such as SB6, is such a bad thing, then we need more “bad” politicians.
Tallahassee–The Republican Party of Florida today launched a new website Can’t Trust Charlie to highlight Charlie Crist’s disturbing record of lying to and misleading the people of Florida by concealing his true intentions in the U.S. Senate Race and letting down Florida Republicans by ignoring the financial mismanagement at the Republican Party of Florida that occurred under Crist’s watch and by his hand-picked chairman, Jim Greer.
“It is clear that Charlie cannot be trusted to represent the people of Florida in Washington, and [this website] highlights a few of the many ways Charlie Crist has mislead and even outright lied to the people of Florida,” said RPOF Executive Director Ronnie Whitaker.
Charlie Crist deceived thousands of people across the State of Florida and around the country who supported his campaign for the U.S. Senate by confirming that he would run as a Republican. He lied to a national audience on Fox News, committing to run as a Republican just one month before turning his back on the Republican Party and the hardworking volunteers who have helped him win election after election. Www.CantTrustCharlie.com features a video from the Fox News debate which highlights Charlie Crist lying to the people of Florida about his plans for the U.S. Senate Race.
Crist Suspends Local Orange County Commissioner Mildred Fernandez
Date: April 27, 2010
TO: Interested Media
FROM: Sterling Ivey, Governor’s Press Secretary
RE: Governor’s Executive Order 10-95
Please find attached Executive Order 10-95, suspending Mildred Fernandez, Orange County Commissioner.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please call Governor Crist’s press office at (850) 488-5394.
Crist’s Veto of SB 6 ends Round One. More heated battles to follow
By Jerry Waxman
As submitted to the Huffington Post
Opponents of Florida’s SB 6 were some of the happiest people you’d ever want to meet Thursday afternoon and they had good reason to be. Governor Charlie Crist vetoed the bill, citing among several reasons the Florida Senate’s failure to give the bill an adequate hearing from all sides and the rush to push it through without amendments. An overwhelming display of opposition from teachers, students, administrators, parents, politicians, civic groups, social networking groups and ordinary citizens didn’t hurt either. He really should be thanked publicly for vetoing bad legislation, but before all these people start popping their champagne corks and saying nice things about him they had better read the letter he sent to the Senate. In the last paragraph on page 2 he said that he agreed with the stated goals of the legislation, just not the process, so let’s not get any warm fuzzy feelings yet about Charlie. There’s a lot more legislation coming up that he should also be vetoing.
The groups on Facebook know this and are asking all members to keep up the effort and not to relax their guard. They are actually asking members to suggest new members to join so that they can show solidarity for future causes that they know are going to be arising. What they know is that Jeb Bush’s not-so-invisible hand has been stung severely, and Jeb (with his political cronies) is not going to take this lying down.
There are several other bills pending in the legislature, while not as notorious as SB6, still bear his imprint and really need to go down in flames as well:
SB6 Expected to Come Up Again This Session
Despite recent news reports to the contrary, an undisclosed source tells Tangerine, Florida Blog that John Thrasher has rewritten Senate Bill 6 and plans to parade it out next week. Knowing the parents, teachers and education supporters will be prepared next session, the Florida GOP plans to cram it through during the lull of celebration that followed Charlie Crist’s veto of the bill. Parents may monitor the situation by joining Moms and Dads Against SB6. There will be no rest for foes of this bill until the session is over.
#SB6 #VetoSB6 #SB6_2 #MomsandDadsAgainstSB6
Today I Celebrate, Tomorrow I Change My Party
Update 4/17/10 There is talk that the Party of No is going to try to get SB6 in and passed as part of the end of session rush. Please join Moms and Dads against SB6 and help us send a message loud and clear: We don’t want SB6 and a good version of this bill will take time. Two weeks is not enough.
Today was a fantastic day! Charlie Crist vetoed SB6, TaeKwonDo Times is running a snippet of an article I submitted months ago, and a local high school newspaper is publishing a rally photo I took. I have followed this issue with all of the fever I had as a child the night I stayed up with my dad and watched Herbert Humphrey lose to Richard Nixon.
Today I celebrated. Tomorrow I am going to call the Orange County Supervisor of Elections to change my party. Yes, I’m going to change my registration to Republican. Never in my life would I have ever considered such a thing until Charlie Crist responded to the “teacher uprising of of 2010.”
The hour is late and I suggest you read Charlie Crist’s #SB6 Veto Letter. I think all of my yellow dog Democrat friends will understand. If I get my way, they’ll be making some changes too. Thank you, Charlie.
Visions of a Veto
An unnamed source hinted strongly to the Tangerine Florida blog that Charlie Crist is expected to announce the veto of the controversial teacher merit pay bill known as SB6 at a news conference at 11 am today. Florida teachers are expected to reward his support with votes in his race for the Senate.
Teachers Are Getting Crist’s Attention
The teacher protest at the “Planes, Trains & BBQ” event where Governor Charlie Crist made a campaign stop on Saturday was described as “raucous” in an article posted on TampaBay.com today.
A more raucous scene greeted Crist as he campaigned in Tavares, north of Orlando, where a barbecue festival at the Tavares Seaplane Base looked more like a rally at the state Capitol.
Parents and teachers
Chanting “V-E-T-O,” dozens of parents and teachers held homemade signs saying “Nix 6” and “Remember in November.” Most of those who pleaded with Crist to reject the bill were women, such as Angela Olson, a middle school teacher in Haines City.
“They can’t blame teachers. We’re powerless,” Olson said. “They need discipline in school. We need textbooks. We need supportive parents and the community, and we’re lacking all of those things.”
In a speech to a crowd of several hundred in Tavares, the county seat of Lake County, Crist did not directly address the intense controversy over the bill but praised the protesters for their activism.
“I’m proud that these people showed up to have their voices heard,” he said. In an apparent reference to the Legislature, he added: “Because there’s lots of things that people who do what I do need to listen to you about.”
Tangerine, Florida 
