*Drucker out: Evidently the partership between legendary South Florida "impresaria" Judy Drucker and Albert Milano, the chief executive officer of the Concert Association of Florida that Drucker founded, didn't work. Drucker has left the organization; according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, it was under pressure from board members.
The Concert Association has run deficits the last couple of years. Milano, who has a long history of fundraising in the performing arts (including Miami-Dade County's Carnival Center), aims to change that. However, he's going to have to do it without the glitter Drucker brings to a concert lineup. Drucker's been friends with everybody who is anybody in classical music over the last 40 years, and has brought all of them to performance halls across South Florida. Add the Carnival Center's own financial problems (which Milano apparently had no part in), and it could be rough sledding in terms of scheduling top talent.
South Florida's already had a few cultural black
*Gleason out? Apparently not, as Live Nation takes over the Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts in Miami Beach. According to a Live Nation press release, the facility will now be called "The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater." Given Gleason's importance in bringing entertainment to Miami Beach, that's good. Now, Mr. Wayne Huizenga, how about Dolphins Stadium at Joe Robbie Plaza....make up for taking the name of the original Miami Dolphins owner and stadium builder off the building?
*Waterston promoted? Could Fred Thompson's presidential campaign mean a promotion for one of his "Law & Order" colleagues? Sam Waterston, who has played Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy for 13 seasons, may see his character become the District Attorney. With NBC's budget cuts, I wonder if he gets to keep the perks Arthur Branch (Thompson's character) had. Perhaps we know the real reason Thompson's running for president....
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Monday, June 4, 2007
Daily Diary--June 4
*With leaders in the Florida Legislature announcing a plan for property tax relief, it's time to call in Michael Buffer....
http://www.letsrumble.com/main.html
Just go to the bottom of the page and play Buffer's catchphrase....LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!.....because that's exactly what state lawmakers will be doing with municipalities. One of the provisions of this deal, according to a letter signed by Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio, is that "cities and counties will be required to cut their property taxes. The level of cuts will be based on a formula tied to their past taxing performance." That should go over well with Florida's 67 counties and hundreds of municipalities, though the Legislature would allow local governments an override on that and a cap on future property taxes with "an extraordinary vote." Extraordinary, indeed. The letter refers to a "super majority vote, referendum, or other heightened standard."
Some have suggested that cities didn't get on the ball quickly enough in lobbying legislators during the regular session. You can bet they'll be there during the special session, which starts next week. At the very least, they're going to have their say over what happens if the unexpected happens...like Tropical Storm Barry, which left some damage behind last weekend, or like the tornadoes that hit Central Florida earlier this year.
There are also plans to put a constitutional change for property tax relief on a state ballot - most likely next year's Jan. 29 presidential primary.
That adds additional drama to a rumble already going on - between Florida Democrats and the national Democratic party over whether that primary is going to count in the tabulation of delegates for the presidential nominee. My suggestion: Give it up, Howard Dean. You're not going to hold voters, delegates, candidates or anyone else hostage in the fourth most populous state in the nation - particularly after what happened in 2000.
*Boo and hiss to U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. for putting a secret hold on the Open Government Act of 2007, which would require government to speed up its response to Freedom of Information Act requests, make it easier for the public to follow up on their requests and get the information they seek. The bill has widespread support on both sides of the aisle.
The Society of Professional Journalists Web site, www.spj.org, says Kyl wants more negotiations with bill sponsor Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. and the Justice Department over its provisions. But my fellow SPJ-ers rightly gave the "Senator Secrecy" tag to Kyl for his deed. This is from the SPJ site:
"'If Sen. Kyl's concerns are no secret, then why would he insist on working from the shadows to place a hold on this very important legislation?' asked Christine Tatum, SPJ's National President and an assistant features editor at The Denver Post. 'The irony of secretly blocking a vote on a bill that would make government more transparent is supreme. Sen. Kyl should feel pretty silly.'
Kyl is behind another bill that concerns SPJ. Known as the Kyl Amendment, it would criminalize the leaking — and publishing — of classified information.'So, Sen. Kyl is 'Senator Secrecy' in more ways than one,' Tatum said."
Uh, Senator Kyl: You work for your constituents - the American people - not the other way around. And they have a right to know what's going on with their employees.
http://www.letsrumble.com/main.html
Just go to the bottom of the page and play Buffer's catchphrase....LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!.....because that's exactly what state lawmakers will be doing with municipalities. One of the provisions of this deal, according to a letter signed by Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio, is that "cities and counties will be required to cut their property taxes. The level of cuts will be based on a formula tied to their past taxing performance." That should go over well with Florida's 67 counties and hundreds of municipalities, though the Legislature would allow local governments an override on that and a cap on future property taxes with "an extraordinary vote." Extraordinary, indeed. The letter refers to a "super majority vote, referendum, or other heightened standard."
Some have suggested that cities didn't get on the ball quickly enough in lobbying legislators during the regular session. You can bet they'll be there during the special session, which starts next week. At the very least, they're going to have their say over what happens if the unexpected happens...like Tropical Storm Barry, which left some damage behind last weekend, or like the tornadoes that hit Central Florida earlier this year.
There are also plans to put a constitutional change for property tax relief on a state ballot - most likely next year's Jan. 29 presidential primary.
That adds additional drama to a rumble already going on - between Florida Democrats and the national Democratic party over whether that primary is going to count in the tabulation of delegates for the presidential nominee. My suggestion: Give it up, Howard Dean. You're not going to hold voters, delegates, candidates or anyone else hostage in the fourth most populous state in the nation - particularly after what happened in 2000.
*Boo and hiss to U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. for putting a secret hold on the Open Government Act of 2007, which would require government to speed up its response to Freedom of Information Act requests, make it easier for the public to follow up on their requests and get the information they seek. The bill has widespread support on both sides of the aisle.
The Society of Professional Journalists Web site, www.spj.org, says Kyl wants more negotiations with bill sponsor Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. and the Justice Department over its provisions. But my fellow SPJ-ers rightly gave the "Senator Secrecy" tag to Kyl for his deed. This is from the SPJ site:
"'If Sen. Kyl's concerns are no secret, then why would he insist on working from the shadows to place a hold on this very important legislation?' asked Christine Tatum, SPJ's National President and an assistant features editor at The Denver Post. 'The irony of secretly blocking a vote on a bill that would make government more transparent is supreme. Sen. Kyl should feel pretty silly.'
Kyl is behind another bill that concerns SPJ. Known as the Kyl Amendment, it would criminalize the leaking — and publishing — of classified information.'So, Sen. Kyl is 'Senator Secrecy' in more ways than one,' Tatum said."
Uh, Senator Kyl: You work for your constituents - the American people - not the other way around. And they have a right to know what's going on with their employees.
Welcome
Hello and welcome to Sunshine Statements. I'm Sylvia Gurinsky, a journalist from the Sunshine State (hence the blog name), and this is an opinion blog about...you name it, from politics to sports to popular culture.
I promise to be fair and accurate (Sorry, but Fox News' "fair and balanced" motto is grammatically redundant.). In exchange, please post your comments, and be polite. I will delete anything that's offensive.
I promise to be fair and accurate (Sorry, but Fox News' "fair and balanced" motto is grammatically redundant.). In exchange, please post your comments, and be polite. I will delete anything that's offensive.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)