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  • Broward governments urged to consolidate services
    Mar 13, 2010 — Sun Sentinel
    ...services or raising property tax rates. According to Fishkind's report, the average Broward city spends $1,152 per resident even though Weston spends just $534 per resident. Both Pembroke Pines and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea spend more than $2,000 per resident. Fishkind found that police protection costs 33 percent less for those cities that contract from the Broward Sheriff's Office than for communities with their own police agency. Overall, police staffing in Broward is 60 percent...
  • Broward governments urged to cut costs, consolidate services
    Mar 13, 2010 — Sun Sentinel
    ...cutting services or raising property tax rates. According to Fishkind's report, the average Broward city spends $1,152 per resident even though Weston spends just $534 per resident. Both Pembroke Pines and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea spend more than $2,000 per resident. Fishkind found that police protection costs 33 percent less for those cities that contract from the Broward Sheriff's Office than for communities with their own police agency. Overall, police staffing in Broward is 60...
  • Business leaders urge Broward governments to band together and privatize to cut costs
    Mar 13, 2010 — Sun Sentinel
    ...the average public and private sector employee. Government health insurance costs for its employees, he said, are twice that of private industry. Government pensions came under particular criticism. Fishkind's analysis said Broward governments have a total of $1 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, a looming bill that taxpayers must eventually pay. The city of Hollywood, he said, has unfunded pension costs of more than $2,000 per resident, while Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale...
  • Hernando County bosses willing to cut salary to $29,000
    Mar 13, 2010 — Hernando Today
    Some also questioned the kind of candidate who would be attracted to the board at that salary. Board members are alluding to a proposal from Sen. The cost varies depending on the plan each commissioner selects.
  • The Orlando Sentinel, Fla., Capitol View column
    Mar 13, 2010 — The Orlando Sentinel
    Nan Rich, D-Weston. But the stimulus money will run out eventually. And the Senate's health care appropriations chairman, Sen.
  • Wind towers and solar panels help power Jacksonville strip mall
    Mar 11, 2010 — The Florida Times-Union
    I want them to breathe fresh air, clean air.
  • Family struggles to pay $3,000-a-month premiums
    Mar 10, 2010 — Florida Health News
    When she quit teaching in 2002 to care for her sick daughter, her family was able to keep their coverage through the federal law known as COBRA, usually limited to 18 months. When it ended, they landed in the conversion plan. They would be willing to move out of state for work, but they’d have to get new insurance.
  • Schools chief
    Mar 10, 2010 — Florida Keys Keynoter
    ...loan would be to reconstruct Horace O'Bryant Middle School and construct a new elementary school on that campus, replacing Glynn Archer Elementary School. "We've got to make some tough calls here," Dick said, "and going out on a limb borrowing money, it's troubling to me." The plan is to lease or sell Glynn Archer to the city of Key West for use as a new city hall, while the district would move its administrative offices there from Trumbo Point. A response to the audit...
  • One Jackson Health System union says it will 'come to the table,' another balks
    Mar 9, 2010 — The Miami Herald
    Jackson Health System union offered Tuesday to be "realistic" in offering concessions for Miami-Dade's troubled public health system, while another union leader said that offering pay cuts was like "putting money into a sieve." Viviene Dixon-Shim, president of the local of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said she was willing to "come to the table" to talk about realistic changes. The local's attorney, Manny Anon, pointed to an agreement AFSCME...
  • Inside Detroit Hotel, condo owners don't want historic tag from St. Petersburg
    Mar 8, 2010 — St. Petersburg Times
    PETERSBURG -- No other downtown building comes close to matching the Detroit Hotel's historical bona fides. City's oldest building? The building went condo in 2002, and all of the owners say the historic status would infringe upon their ownership rights. Petersburg Preservation, the group that applied last year for the designation.
  • NFIB outlines legislative priorities for 2010
    Mar 8, 2010 — The Orlando Sentinel
    Billed as an American-Idol-meets-Apprentice-type event, the competition lets women business owners pitch their companies for a chance to win business services to help build a million-dollar-a-year enterprise. Sanford businesswoman Chrystin Bullock, owner of the Florida Autism Center, finished in the top 20. Save the date ... Hoping to reach global markets?
  • Cross-marketing can be 'win-win'
    Mar 7, 2010 — The Florida Times-Union
    Excentus provides the technology to record customers' Winn-Dixie purchases and the redemption of discounts at gas stations. Winn-Dixie sells the bus tickets at eight stores. Next up for Winn-Dixie will be handling JEA utility payments. JEA has partnered with Western Union (NYSE:WU) , which in turn will have utility payment locations at Winn-Dixie stores, said JEA spokeswoman Gerri Boyce.
  • Cross-marketing can be 'win-win' for Winn-Dixie
    Mar 7, 2010 — The Florida Times-Union
    In return, Winn-Dixie gets a share of the sales revenue from the transactions. Excentus provides the technology to record customers' Winn-Dixie purchases and the redemption of discounts at gas stations. Winn-Dixie sells the bus tickets at eight stores. Next up for Winn-Dixie will be handling JEA utility payments.
  • Hospital leader brings wealth of experience
    Mar 7, 2010 — The Bradenton Herald
    In what ways are health care and economic development related? Thirteen percent of the U.S. economy is based on health care. Health care is an integral part of any community. This will occur in May of 2011, when we install a Cerner computer system throughout MHS.
  • Buchanan
    Mar 6, 2010 — The Bradenton Herald
    Sara Kennedy Mar. 6, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- BRADENTON -- U.S. Rep.
  • City Council scraps plan to regulate Bay Estates
    Mar 6, 2010 — The Destin Log
    Each of the options would create non-conforming lots in the area, but she noted that option one created only eight more nonconforming properties than already exist in the zone, bringing the total to 39. Of the 10, seven could be split into two lots and three could be split into three or more lots.
  • Medicare cuts push local docs to rally
    Mar 6, 2010 — The Bradenton Herald
    Alberto E. Montalvo, will speak to a crowd expected to approach 600.
  • Florida solar energy projects move forward, but costs and oversight raise concerns
    Mar 5, 2010 — Sun Sentinel
    The study estimated solar power costs about $7,100 per potential kilowatt of energy but would drop to $4,300 by 2020. By comparison, energy generated by solid biomass plants costs $4,000 per kilowatt and wind power $2,470. At the same time, power generated by household solar water heating units costs $1,700 per kilowatt.
  • Lack of land in Haiti squeezes plan to relocate people
    Mar 5, 2010 — The Miami Herald
    We do not have the land to put them on. I cannot invent land,' Gregg McDonald, lead coordinator for the U.N. shelter cluster said. "There are lots of discussions going on around land, and land issues. This week, Haiti's public works department also began training 200 Haitian engineers on how to do the structural assessments.
  • Lack of suitable land hinders Haiti shelter efforts
    Mar 4, 2010 — The Miami Herald
    We do not have the land to put them on. I cannot invent land," Gregg McDonald, lead coordinator for the U.N. shelter cluster said. "There are lots of discussions going on around land, and land issues. This week, Haiti's public works department also began training 200 Haitian engineers on how to do the structural assessments.
  • Rum brand focus of fight
    Mar 4, 2010 — The Miami Herald
    Pernod Ricard sells rum under the Havana Club name in Cuba and around the world -- but not in the United States because of the trade embargo against Cuba.
  • 10 a.m. live blog: Peyton looks at balancing budget
    Mar 3, 2010 — The Florida Times-Union
    She declined to provide specifics. About $40 million to $60 million of the hole comes from increased employees benefits, Skipper said.
  • Bacardi's fight to retain Havana Club name resurfaces in Congress
    Mar 3, 2010 — The Miami Herald
    Havana Club name. Bacardi says it bought the rights to the name in 1997 from the rightful owner, the Arechabala family, who had the trademark seized from them without compensation when Fidel Castro took power in Cuba. But Cubaexport, a Cuban government company that partners with the French liquor giant Pernod Ricard (OOTC:PDRDY) , argues it has title. It sells rum under the Havana Club name in Cuba and around the world -- but not in the United States because of the trade embargo against...
  • In their own words
    Mar 3, 2010 — The Destin Log
    If so, how? Bagby: Yes. Hines: I think the Tier Three system, which allowed large, tall buildings to be approved on the north shore of the harbor, was a mistake. The model for future beach renourishment projects will be to use bed tax funds, which are paid by the tourists, and assessments of the property owners on or near the beach being renourished.
  • Break the gridlock::
    Mar 2, 2010 — The Miami Herald
    Example: You can't get rid of odious "preexisting condition" provisions that keep some of the neediest from getting coverage unless this is tied to a federal mandate that everyone must get insurance. Obama can show leadership and strip such costly concessions from the legislation.Both sides should continue to seek common ground. Obama may have to forgo Republican votes and consider passage by the solid Democratic majorities on Capitol Hill.
  • City negotiates health insurance snag
    Mar 2, 2010 — Highlands Today
    ...and moped riders from wearing helmets provided they have $10 000 in medical insurance, according to Andreas Muller, in the April 2004, American Journal of Public Health. Since then, Florida statutes have required motorcycle riders younger than 21 years to wear helmets. The statute was signed into law by former Gov. Jeb Bush. Before that Florida had a helmet law that required all riders to wear safety helmets. Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at...
  • Florida lawmakers want Washington to cut deficit spending -- just not in Florida
    Mar 2, 2010 — The Orlando Sentinel
    ...soaring deficits. Atwater laid the blame on Republicans and Democrats alike, although no Democrats attended the presser in the Capitol. "Unless something is done about federal spending, Florida will drown in debt," Atwater said. Of course, these same lawmakers have accepted up to $15.7 billion in federal stimulus cash over three years in order to balance Florida's budget. Lawmakers just held a special session to pass rail legislation and draw down another $1.2 billion in...
  • FPL
    Mar 2, 2010 — The Bradenton Herald
    ...million to install that 300 kilowatt system, Sayre said. Federal and state rebates are available to offset installation costs, he said, but the state's incentives have dried up for now. School board member Walter Miller asked how many other districts have the solar panel systems. Sayre said that last year FPL installed small systems on buildings in six districts statewide. "They work, but are mostly used as an educational demonstration," he said. Harllee has a...
  • Insurers getting more personal
    Mar 2, 2010 — Tampa Tribune
    The result is savings for the employee and the insurer. For Tampa's employees, incentives come in the form of free services and screenings, risk manager Michael Laperche said. Through Humana, the city began offering six major cancer screenings a year, free. Some employees have been startled by phone calls from Humana nurse case managers, who can track a person's medical activity such as failing to fill a prescription.
  • 'Invasive' questions help companies cut health costs
    Mar 1, 2010 — Tampa Tribune
    The result is savings for the employee and the insurer. At the city of Tampa, incentives come in the form of free services and screenings, Risk Manager Michael Laperche said. The tests can help identify disease earlier and thus reduce subsequent medical costs, he said. And Pepin is seeing a reduction in the costs for obesity-related medications. Increasing intrusion into a person's health may lead some to assume costs for procedures themselves, Allen said.
  • EDITORIAL: Break the gridlock
    Mar 1, 2010 — The Miami Herald
    John Kyl of Arizona. That's why they belong to political parties with distinctly different views. Example: You can't get rid of odious "preexisting condition" provisions that keep some of the neediest from getting coverage unless this is tied to a federal mandate that everyone must get insurance. Obama may have to forgo Republican votes and consider passage by the solid Democratic majorities on Capitol Hill.
  • Chipola board approves pay increase
    Feb 26, 2010 — Jackson County Floridan
    ...from Chipola, employees will receive 1 percent increase or $500, whichever is greater. The increase is effective for the 2009-10 year and does not include faculty employees who are a subject to a collective bargaining agreement. The Chipola Faculty Association is currently negotiating the faculty's annual contract. Bryan Craven, Chipola's director of public relations, said Tuesday the increase would include all administrators, including Chipola President Dr. Gene Prough. ...
  • Doors closing for poor, uninsured who need psychiatric help
    Feb 26, 2010 — The Orlando Sentinel
    Orange County, with its larger population and greater proportion of homeless people, has been particularly hard-hit.
  • EDITORIAL
    Feb 26, 2010 — Tampa Tribune
    It did. Obama said he hoped that during the six-hour discussion the two political parties could find some agreement on how to fix the broken health care system. The president liked that one. Coburn also talked about coordinating the care of the chronically ill to save money. They would change the law to allow insurance companies to sell insurance across state lines.
  • Garbage company goes green
    Feb 26, 2010 — The Bradenton Herald
    Mike Bennett told a crowd of about 50 at the dedication Thursday of a solar power-generating system at the Waste Pro facilities at 7921 15th St.
  • How much do elected officials really make?
    Feb 26, 2010 — Highlands Today
    I don't know where she got so good," Ingler said. Denise Grimsley $29,697 State Rep. He is not reimbursed for cell phone and automobile expenses.
  • Life After Layoffs: Orlando man finds work at last
    Feb 26, 2010 — The Orlando Sentinel
    When it tanked, his job went with it. Since being laid off in August 2008, he has seen his financial situation crumble. He fell behind on his rent, power bills and car insurance.
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