Gov. Jeb Bush wins a major legal battle in FL courts this week.
The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows -- Part 14: A Big Court Victory for Jeb and Smaller State Gov't
Written by summer - a form Dem, now an independent and a FL certified teacher
Posted on 04/19/2002 10:14:42 AM PDT by summer
Gov. Jeb Bush wins a major legal battle in FL courts this week.
The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows -- Part 14: A Big Court Victory for Jeb and Smaller State Gov't
Written by summer - a form Dem, now an independent and a FL certified teacher
Greetings. I only have time for a brief editorial here.
Big news in Florida this week: the FL court threw out ALL the remaining legal challenges from the state workers union to Gov. Bush's "Service First" Plan, which is Jeb's initiative to substantially decrease the size of state government.
This plan, BTW, resulted in a notable "hate-Jeb" web site, as FL's union workers obviously do not like a plan that may alter their jobs or job security in any way whatsoever.
Meanwhile, in the FL gov race, Reno has said she strongly supports all the union workers, but then these unions went ahead and backed McBride. I guess they didn't think much of her support.
Since McBride is a lawyer, I am wondering why he doesn't write the appeal of this recent court decision, and show his supporters he can flex some legal muscle. Of course, that would make too much sense as a strategy, so obviously it won't happen.
As for Governor Jeb Bush, well, he does not always win in FL courts. Consequently, this is truly a huge victory for him.
I believe he has FL's best interests at heart - so, congrats to Gov. Bush!
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4 LINKS FOR MORE INFO
(1) From AP, April 17, 2002: Law that makes it easier to fire state workers upheld by Judge
(2) From The Tallahassee Democrat, via Jeb's campaign web site:
Service First Plan Approved - Judge Throws Out Final Challenges to Reform
(3) Re: A list of Jeb's accomplishments in his effort to create a smaller, more efficient state government in Florida,
click here.
(4) From the state web site, re: Jeb's actual plan, Service First.
Posted on Fri, Apr. 19, 2002
Democrats turn on one another in public feud
By Bill Cotterell DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER
Florida Democratic Party Chairman Bob Poe said Thursday longtime Leon County boss Jon Ausman is helping re-elect Gov. Jeb Bush because the party wouldn't hire him.
Joined by a long list of party officials, Poe demanded Ausman's resignation from the Democratic National Committee and state committee. Attorney General Bob Butterworth, U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Miami, party treasurer Earl Scales and Florida AFL-CIO President Cindy Hall joined him in calling for Ausman's ouster.
"Not happening," Ausman said. "That's a kangaroo court in action. None of them called me and asked me about it."
Ausman, who has feuded privately and publicly with many elected officials and political leaders over the past 25 years, hotly denied trying to shake down the party. He said Poe "is trying to divert attention" from the party's sagging finances and weak field of candidates for the November elections.
"If we are ever going to win, we should not be distracted by one person who would take us off the great task before us simply because we didn't yield to his threats," Poe wrote to party leaders statewide. "This party cannot be held hostage by a vendetta motivated by personal gain."
Ausman was Leon County party chairman from 1980 to 2000 and has managed dozens of city, county, state and congressional races. He blasted Poe last Friday on the eve of the party's gala state convention in Orlando, saying the party took in less money than it spent in three out of four quarters over the past year.
"During 2001, the Florida Democratic Party chair arranged to give himself a $75,000 pay raise even though we were running a deficit all year long," Ausman said.
Ausman also complained that the party has no serious candidates for chief financial officer or agriculture commissioner. He said the headquarters is not providing county units with computers, voter registration lists or other technical support.
"These are my fellow state employees losing their jobs, our teachers working in crowded classrooms, our Leon County residents seeing vouchers replace support for public schools," Ausman said. "Meanwhile, Bob Poe gives himself a raise from $25,000 to $100,000 a year - and he says I'm trying to blackmail the party?"
Poe replied that Ausman is sore because he sought a $25,000-a-year job as a political consultant early this year. When Poe balked, he said, Ausman suggested that he hire his wife, Donna Harper Ausman, "and he would do the work."
When she was not hired, Poe said, "Jon told me that I would 'have to deal with the consequences of that decision.'
"I asked him what he meant, and Jon told me that when Al Gore spoke at Leon High School (on March 14, 2000), he didn't recognize Jon when he was thanking people from the stage - so he didn't work to turn out his usual 2,000 votes for Gore," Poe said. "I told him, 'Jon, if you're proud of not helping Al Gore, then I just don't know what to say.'"
Ausman denied the comment about Gore. He said he pressed Poe to create a "bench-marking position" to measure the party's achievements, but did not pressure him to hire himself or his wife.
"I work for the Department of Transportation under a Republican governor," Ausman said. "The last thing in the world I need is to have 'Ausman' appear in Democratic Party payroll records."
Meek said "it's very unfortunate" to have a public airing of the party's internal strife.
"The party is struggling. I know we don't have the money that we need but we have a very good spirit," she said. "I also know that Jon Ausman has not always been a team player."
Ausman gave the Tallahassee Democrat responses to statewide e-mail he sent to party officials. They were favorable to his position, and he said he did not withhold any that disagreed with him."Go get 'em," wrote Alachua County Commissioner Dave Newport, who told Ausman the state headquarters "needs to focus on other local party organizations" with money and technical support.
Contact reporter Bill Cotterell at (850) 599-2243 or bcotterell@taldem.com.
LET'S HELP JEB at the grass roots level and BY THE WAY, STICKER YOUR CAR. IT WON'T HURT YOUR CAR ONE BIT. Visit jeb.org and get one or a yard sign to boot. GET BUSY, FRIENDS!
Jeb IS HIMSELF, HOW COOL IS THAT? LOL
If anybody has a bump list and has any items they feel might be of importance to the cause of conservatism, if you will put me on your list, I'll be more than happy to bump them for you.
Regards.
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