IAFF Local 2546

What's New at IAFF 2546

Posted On: Mar 08, 2010 (08:49:05)

Members of Congress spend tax money on luxury cars, big salaries, perks	TCPalm	03/08/10
Senators, representatives boosted own budgets by 5 percent last year Job losses, home foreclosures and the worst economy in decades have forced many Americans to cut back or do without. But not members of Congress, who voted themselves a 5 percent increase in their own budgets for staff salaries...
Miami's fiscal crisis	Miami Herald	03/08/10
M That amount is one-fifth of the city's budget. This is a crisis that threatens to severely cut Miami residents' services unless city officials extract concessions from union leaders who talk about teamwork but don't deliver. Mayor Toms Regalado's selection of Mr. Migoya is a gamble in some ways....
Floor collapses at Marco Polo resort; two injured	Miami Herald	03/08/10
An elderly woman and her daughter were hospitalized Sunday night after a floor collapsed under them in the subterranean mall of the Marco Polo Beach Resort in Sunny Isles Beach. The 15-foot-wide hole, seven feet deep, opened into an empty area under the hotel structure. The resort at 19201 Collins...
Outlook causes Peyton to change his mind on pay cuts	Florida Times-Union	03/08/10
Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton says the stark reality that the economic turnaround will happen much slower than he expected led him to shift his thinking on salary cuts for city employees. Last year, Peyton disagreed with a City Council's decision to cut all employees' salaries by 3 percent, a prop...
Chicago taxpayers on hook for 444 percent more in government pensions than decade ago, report says	Chicago Tribune	03/08/10
Posted by Bob Secter at 12:01 a.m. If the states chronic employee pension problems arent bad enough, a new report says that every Chicago resident is on the hook for 444 percent more in unfunded retirement pledges to public workers...
Property values down, counties prepare for layoffs	Business Journal of Jacksonville	03/08/10
Property values in Central Florida this year are expected to drop by 12 percent, or a total of $20.1 billion the third consecutive year of declining values. This will force four county governments to slash their budgets by a combined $134.7 million, reduce services and consider more layoffs. Proper...
Drop in property values won't be as steep as forecast	Southwest Florida Herald Tribune	03/08/10
If the new forecast pans out, it would mark the first time since the recession began that Sarasota County's tax base fell less than the state's. The recession hit earlier and harder in Sarasota County where the tax base plummeted at triple the state average in 2007. The state economists project tha...
Public pension deficit soars in Illinois	Chicago Tribune	03/08/10
If the state's chronic employee pension problems aren't bad enough, a new report says that every Chicago resident is on the hook for 444 percent more in unfunded retirement pledges to public workers than a decade ago. The watchdog Civic Federation said Monday that the funding deficit for the 10 lar...
Gov. Charlie Crist delays unemployment tax increase	PensacolaNewsJournal.com	03/07/10
SEE - The decision was easy for Gov. Charlie Crist and legislative leaders as they watched the economy sputter and voters seethe in an election year. On the first day of session, the Legislature passed a bill that Crist signed to delay for two years a massive unemployment compensation tax increase f...

News Articles of Interest

Posted On: Mar 08, 2010 (08:48:26)

County lays off assistant administrator in cost-cutting move	StarBanner.com	03/07/10
Marion County's budget squeeze has claimed its first victim. Ken Griffin Ken Griffin, an assistant county administrator, was let go last week as County Administrator Lee Niblock announced he was downsizing his senior management to cut costs. Griffin, who joined Marion County after a stint with Hi...
Polk Public Employees Outearn Private Sector	Lakeland Ledger	03/07/10
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool that appears above any article. . LAKELAND \| If you wanted to meet the "average" public employee in Polk County, y...
Harding: 88 ideas on how Florida can save $	Florida Times-Union	03/07/10
Some of the most successful names in Florida business have stepped forward with 88 ideas. Harding Some of the most successful names in Florida business have stepped forward with 88 ideas they say could save the state $3.25 billion over the upcoming year, just north of the anticipated $3.2 billio...
Cutting corners with billions at stake	St. Petersburg Times	03/07/10
With a few clicks of a computer mouse, employers can easily learn more about job applicants, test the accuracy of their resumes and evaluate the truthfulness of their answers. But that was too much work for state officials involved in researching lawyers competing to represent the state pension fund...
How state workers' pay really stacks up	Seattle Times	03/07/10
As the state confronts its $2.7 billion budget shortfall, some critics say generous pay and benefits for state workers are part of the problem. "There used to be a time when there was a trade-off for being a state worker," said Erin Shannon, spokeswoman for the Building Industry Association of Wash...
The Salary Gap	Lakeland Ledger	03/07/10
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool that appears above any article. . LAKELAND you wanted to meet the "average" public employee in Polk County, you m...
Crist gives Rubio a buzz cut for $135 bill at barbershop	St. Petersburg Times	03/07/10
A fired-up Charlie Crist charmed a hometown crowd in St. Petersburg Saturday, and made it abundantly clear we'll be hearing a lot about Marco Rubio's state GOP credit card spending in the coming months. Credit card statements from 2007 show Rubio charged $134.75 at a tony Miami barber shop. Standi...
Paramedics Hail 'hero' Boy From Arizona Bus Crash	CBS News	03/06/10
SACATON, Ariz. (AP) - A bilingual 4th grader hurt in an Arizona bus accident that killed six people and injured more than a dozen others translated from an ambulance stretcher for busy rescue workers as they hurried to set up a triage center, authorities said Saturday.Oscar Rodriguez of Las Vegas, N...
Crist calls economy top priority	StarBanner.com	03/06/10
In final State of State speech, governor calls for Legislature to work together for Floridians ASSOCIATED PRESS Gov. Charlie Crist, center, poses with Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, right, and Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, during Tuesday's opening ceremonies for the Florida Legislature. Lynn repr...
3 Houston firefighters hurt after ladder strikes power line	Houston Chronicle	03/06/10
Three firefighters were taken to the hospital with minor injuries this morning after a fire engine ladder touched a power line, causing the truck to become electrified and a tire to explode. The firefighters were testing equipment around 10:30 a.m. at Station 51, located at 6902 Bellaire Blvd. in ...
GOP offer even a liberal couldn't refuse	Miami Herald	03/06/10
I He goes to bed as the golden boy of the New Right, and wakes up as just another phony with a $134 haircut. And all because he didn't keep track of whose American Express card he was waving around while he was Florida's speaker of the House. He is still leading Gov. Charlie Crist in the race f...
Editorial: Fire-district consolidation ... letÃƒÂ¢Ã‚Â€Ã‚Â™s wait, get it straight	Naples Daily News	03/06/10
Finally, at last, and any other expression we can think of that denotes a long struggle, something with substance is trying to move Collier County fire-district consolidation off square one. Legislation proposed by fire districts would, with the Florida Legislatures approval, let individual areas ...
Alex Sink: "No Florida issue more important than Space Coast"	Chicago Tribune	03/06/10
ROCKLEDGE Florida Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Alex Sink made the obligatory campaign stop in Brevard County on Saturday to hear from state aerospace leaders about the impending economic crisis facing the region when the space shuttle is retired later this year. 'You could aptly argue that the...
AHCA proposes tax on HMO premiums	03/05/10
The massive state agency in charge of the state’s Medicaid program is proposing for the first time to tax premiums collected by HMOs as well as increase an already existing tax on Florida hospitals. The move comes at a time when Florida legislative leaders say they will not pass any...

News Articles of Interest

Posted On: Mar 08, 2010 (08:47:40)

TaxWatch suggests ideas that could save Florida billions	Florida Times-Union	03/06/10
Some of the most successful names in Florida business have stepped forward with 88 ideas they say could save the state $3.25 billion over the upcoming year, just north of the anticipated $3.2 billion revenue shortfall. Florida TaxWatch, a non-partisan research institute, drew upon the collective b...
Hillsborough moving forward with Bealsville fire station	Tampa Bay Online	03/06/10
BEALSVILLE - Hillsborough County will proceed with plans to relocate a fire station from Springhead to Bealsville Park, but it may also pursue more space for parking for the recreational complex. The county plans to open a 9,000 square-foot fire station, complete with an ambulance, by 2012. Assist...
Facing harassment probe, citys top fire official steps aside	Chicago Tribune	03/06/10
Chicago's top fire official stepped aside from his job Friday to prevent any claims of interference in a city investigation of a sexual harassment allegation that an office worker lodged against him. Fire Commissioner John Brooks took vacation time he had coming until the completion of the probe, w...
Port St. Lucie City Council not looking to raise taxes next year	TCPalm	03/06/10
PORT ST. LUCIE Although the city is facing at least a $6 million deficit next year, city officials Friday agreed not to raise property taxes. We did it last year, Mayor Patricia Christensen said. Im not in favor of doing anything like that. Instead, they plan to look for solutions ranging from ...
Crist, Rubio debate about when to debate	Florida Times-Union	03/06/10
TALLAHASSEE -- The GOP primary candidates are debating. Not the issues, mind you. They're debating where they will debate the issues. Gov. Charlie Crist has been calling for a debate with former House Speaker Marco Rubio on Sunday's Meet the Press on NBC. That's probably out of the question now --...
Pasco County property tax rolls take $2.4 billion hit	St. Petersburg Times	03/05/10
DADE CITY ? Pasco County can expect to lose another $2.4 billion from its property tax rolls this year ? an 11 percent drop from last year, according to early estimates released Friday by Property Appraiser Mike Wells. That will make 2010 the third straight year of declining values. The taxable val...
Meek backs reconciliation vote on health care reform	03/05/10
U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek on Friday called for a simple majority vote and reconciliation process to approve President Obamas health care reforms. We Floridians deserve an up-and-down vote on health care, the Democratic candidate said at a campaign rally in Boynton Beach. There can be no le...
Democrats file ethics complaint against GOP over finance reports	03/05/10
Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman filed a complaint Friday with the states Election Commission, accusing the Florida Republican Party of failing to file accurate finance reports with state officials. Story here.
AT&T workers in Southeast ratify union contract	Miami Herald	03/05/10
DALLAS -- AT&T Inc. said Friday that its employees approved a new three-year contract covering about 30,000 workers in the Southeast. The new pact calls for pay and pension increases over the next three years and cash payments tied to the company's financial performance but also higher health...
Week in Review for March 1	03/05/10
BUSY FIRST WEEK OF SESSION…Unlike many other sessions that have had a lot of opening day pomp and little policy, the 2010 session of the Florida Legislature got off to a quick start. Legislators passed a measure to scale back and suspend an unemployment co...
Republican Party starts airing television ad that attacks Sink	03/05/10
The Republican Party of Florida started hammering Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink on Friday with the same ad that had previously been developed and aired by the Republican Governors Association. The ad - called “Fired" - criticizes ...

News Articles of Interest

Posted On: Mar 05, 2010 (10:27:08)

Churches insist they should not face fire fee	Gainesville Sun	03/05/10
If Alachua County changes the major source of funding for its fire department, representatives of area churches want one thing to stay the same - their exemption. That was the message delivered to county officials Wednesday evening during a community meeting at Gainesville's Mount Carmel Baptist Ch...
Feds Clear Florida Board of Administration of Any Wrongdoing After Two-Year Investigation	Lakeland Ledger	03/05/10
A two-year federal investigation of the board that invests billions of dollars of state and local funds has ended without any action being taken, relieved state officials said Thursday. The State Board of Administration, which manages $138.5 billion in state pension funds and other pools of money...
Merry Ann Frisby: State's retirement system is confusing but secure	Tallahassee Democrat	03/05/10
Have you ever watched nuns tatting lace? They hold the little shuttles and threads in hands made strong and ropy from decades of lace-making. The shuttles rocket right and left, dragging threads and leap-frogging over each other. It looks like chaos, but beautiful lace is birthed on the far side. ...
Florida in running for $4.35B in school reform grants	Gainesville Sun	03/05/10
Florida is one of 16 states named on Thursday as finalists for the federal education grant intended to encourage education reform of local grade schools. The state's application was submitted in late December 2009 with most school districts -- including Alachua County Public Schools -- initially e...
Politicians unite in hypocrisy, in generosity	Chicago Tribune	03/05/10
E-mail Print Text Size Today we have another round of hugs and slugs for everyone from politicians who are uniting to help needy kids to politicians who are united in their hypocrisy. And we'll top it all off with a few thoughts from readers, and even Jimmy Buffett. A slug to State. Sen. Gary Sipli...
Paramedic loses leg after ambulance crash	Miami Herald	03/05/10
FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- A St. Lucie County paramedic has lost his leg after a sport utility vehicle crashed into the ambulance he was riding in. Christopher Doyle says he can't remember the Tuesday afternoon crash, but he's glad to be alive. Authorities say the ambulance was making a left turn at ...
Public sector must share fiscal pain: Editorial	News-Press.com	03/05/10
Lee Countys independent elected officials should follow county commissioners lead and use furloughs to save money. We understand the pain suffered by employees laid off or furloughed, and the pressures that come from the resulting heavier workloads. We understand because so many businesses and priv...
Federal pay ahead of private industry	USA Today	03/05/10
The typical federal worker is paid 20% more than a private-sector worker in the same occupation. Median annual salary: Sources: Bureau of Labor statistics, USA TODAY analysis Federal employees earn higher average salaries than private-sector workers in more than eight out of 10 occupations, a US...
Fire rescue officials release 911 calls from drowning at SeaWorld Orlando	Chicago Tribune	03/05/10
Fire rescue officials in Orange County this morning released the 911 dispatch calls from the SeaWorld Orlando accident that claimed the life of killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau. In the first call, a SeaWorld employee is heard telling the dispatch operator 'We have a trainer in the water with one...
Alex Sink points to her rival for governor, Bill McCollum, over Medicaid fraud problems	St. Petersburg Times	03/05/10
By Mary Ellen Klas and Marc Caputo, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Thursday, March 4, 2010 TALLAHASSEE As Florida hemorrhages as much as $3.2 billion in Medicaid fraud a year, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink proposed reforms Thursday and pinned much of the blame for the problem on her politi...
The billion-dollar race	Chicago Tribune	03/04/10
Congratulations to Illinois for being named a finalist in the Obama administration's Race to the Top program. If the state wins, it could get some $500 million for education reform. OK. Now let's talk about Chicago's Public Schools race to find $1 billion just to keep the schools running. That's t...
How Much Are Your Trees Worth?	03/04/10
Two websites can help you figure it out: The Davey Tree Expert Company has an online National Tree Benefit Calculator that lets you calculate the value of an individual tree. Enter your zip code, species and tree diameter and the program will give you its value in property values, air quality and s...
Manatee County Commissioner: Hometown Democracy Would Level Playing Field	03/04/10
By Joe McClash When an amendment to our state constitution could protect our quality of life, it deserves the support of all Floridians. Amendment 4, also popularly known as Hometown Democracy, is such an amendment. It would allow Floridians a say in how their communities develop and, for that reas...
Pasco rewards workers for cost-saving ideas	St. Petersburg Times	03/04/10
ODESSA ? Every expired drug that hit the trash bin took taxpayer money with it. $214. $114. $46: It kept adding up for Pasco Fire Rescue. "We said there's got to be a different way," supply officer John Luecke said. Here was the cause: The law mandates all fire stations stock certain medications,...
2010 elections no tea party for the GOP	Seattle Times	03/04/10
For all the brave, fanciful talk of a Republican rout in the 2010 congressional elections, the GOP knows it is in deep trouble. Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning is only the latest example of the out-of-touch Republican brand in voters' eyes. If he wanted to be such a tough guy, he might have taken on some...
Fee for fire protection in Brooksville burdens wrong people	St. Petersburg Times	03/04/10
The Brooksville City Council needs to ensure it doesn't burn its poorest property owners as the city investigates new ways to pay for fire rescue service. The city has had a fire district on its books since 2004, but never chose to fund it separately from the property tax financing all of its munici...
Gov. Crist again suspends Spence-Jones	South Florida Business Journal	03/04/10
Just hours after Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones surrendered to authorities Thursday on a charge she solicited a bribe from real estate developer Armando Codina, Gov. Charlie Crist reaffirmed her suspension. Crist released an amended executive order Thursday afternoon that included the bri...
$134 barber bill was no haircut, Rubio says	03/04/10
Marco Rubio was on south Florida's WFTL radio this morning where for the first time he said the $133.75 tony hair salon charged on his state party credit card was not for a hair cut. Q: What do you tip...
Firefighters hit streets to raise cash for MDA	Southwest Florida Herald Tribune	03/04/10
Firefighters have used their boots to collect money for MDA since 1952, and the organization relies heavily on firefighters' efforts. MDA receives no state, local or federal funding. Scheduled Boot Drives include: today through Sunday, Cedar Hammock Fire Department, Bradenton; Friday and March 12 a...
Michelle Spence-Jones surrenders to face new bribery charges	Miami Herald	03/04/10
Spence-Jones surrenders to court on new charges Suspended Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones surrendered Thursday on new charges of soliciting a bribe from a developer. She appeared in court to surrender, but was to be freed on existing bond from previous charges. The Miami Herald Relate...
Meek to campaign in Boynton Beach	03/04/10
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek will bring his campaign to Boynton Beach on Friday as he make a push to become the first U.S. Senate candidate to qualify for the ballot by petition. Hell be at St. John Missionary Baptist Church at 10:45 a.m.
Class size measure could be headed to voters	03/04/10
Florida voters will likely to get a chance to vote this fall on whether or not they want to revamp the state’s class size restrictions. A proposed constitutional amendment on class size is now headed to the full Senate, where it appears that backers will get the thr...
SEC closes investigation into Florida pension plan managers	03/04/10
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has notified the State Board of Administration that it is closing a two-year-old investigation triggered by the near meltdown of Florida’s Local Government Investment Pool. The March 3 let...
House hands out budget allocations	03/04/10
Keeping to a pledge to break open the state's often secretive budget process, House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, on Thursday publicly released the budget allocations that the House will use t...
Crist and Rubio tear into each other	03/04/10
Gov. Charlie Crist and former House Speaker Marco Rubio ramped up their attacks on each other on Thursday. It’s yet another sign that the U.S. Senate primary between the two men could grow increasingly negative between now and August.

News Articles of Interest

Posted On: Mar 04, 2010 (09:17:21)

City commissioners: Hold millage rate at 3.34	Sun-Herald	03/04/10
By ED SCOTT Staff Writer NORTH PORT -- Commissioners reached a 4-1 consensus Tuesday to have staff build the 2010-11 city budget based on a millage rate of 3.340, the same as this year. Commissioner Michael Treubert cast the lone dissenting vote. Property taxes are calculated by multiplying the ...
Bill Cotterell: As Democrats cheer, Crist might cringe	Tallahassee Democrat	03/04/10
We're all pretty much accustomed to governors slipping a few crowd-pleasing applause lines into the annual State of the State speech, or using an eye-catching prop to make a point. Gov. Lawton Chiles once hauled a crude three-legged stool to the speaker's rostrum of the House chamber to illustrate ...
New woes for Spence-Jones	Miami Herald	03/04/10
A grand jury indicted suspended Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones in two separate cases, including new accusations of soliciting bribes from a prominent developer. A Miami-Dade grand jury Wednesday indicted suspended Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones on new bribery charges, leaving h...
Florida, Palm Beach County leaders pledge to investigate Acreage cancer cluster	South Florida Sun-Sentinel	03/04/10
TALLAHASSEE - Top Florida officials on Wednesday pledged more testing and better communication ? including the opening of a storefront information center ? as they try to determine a reason for higher-than-normal levels of childhood cancer in The Acreage. Florida Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros to...
Crist jumps on Rubio, Sansom similarities	Miami Herald	03/04/10
Gov. Charlie Crist's campaign is openly asking what former House Speaker Marco Rubio knew about Ray Sansom's dealings with a Panhandle college. St. Petersburg Times Ray Sansom may have quit the Florida House last week to avoid an ethics trial, but the scandal has legs in the Republican U.S. Sena...
Sink offers program to help veterans	Miami Herald	03/04/10
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau TALLAHASSEE -- Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink unveiled an initiative Wednesday aimed at ensuring that the state's 1.7 million veterans tap into all the benefits available to them. Come July, veterans who renew or apply for a Florida driver's license or ID will...
Port Richey firefighters given thermal camera	Tampa Bay Online	03/04/10
The Tampa Tribune PORT RICHEY - Port Richey firefighters are getting another tool to help save lives: a thermal imaging camera. The $12,500 piece of equipment was donated Wednesday by Atlanta-based 500 for Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the lives of fire victims and firefight...
Crist pushes to save shuttle	PensacolaNewsJournal.com	03/04/10
In a meeting in Crist's Capitol office, Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana told the governor that state officials better get used to the idea that NASA is heading in a new direction, leaving to private contractors the chore of hauling humans to and from the International Space Station. 'NAS...
PolitiFact Florida: Crist claims highest graduation rate ever	St. Petersburg Times	03/03/10
By Lee Logan, Times Staff Writer Wednesday, March 3, 2010 "Our graduation rate is the highest it's ever been." Charlie Crist on Tuesday in his State of the State address In this final State of the State address Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Crist highlighted Florida's progress in many areas. In ...
Senate rejects Social Security bonus payment	Washington Post	03/03/10
WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Wednesday rejected a proposal by President Barack Obama to give people on Social Security a $250 bonus check. Republicans and Democratic deficit hawks combined to reject the idea by a 50-47 vote. The plan, offered in the Senate by Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., would have added $...
Spence-Jones indicted on bribery charges	Business Journal of Jacksonville	03/03/10
Suspended Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones allegedly solicited a bribe from real estate titan Armando Codina's company and developers of a downtown mixed-use project as part of a 2006 push to extend the name Brickell Avenue to Miami's downtown core, according to a grand jury indictment on We...
Is David Rivera running for two offices?	03/03/10
Miami state Rep. David Rivera has announced his intentions to run for the congressional seat that Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart is leaving (to run for his brother Lincoln Diaz-Balart's seat). But Rivera isn't putting the kybosh on his state Senate campaign....
Miami-Dade grand jury indicts Spence-Jones on new criminal charges	Miami Herald	03/03/10
A Miami-Dade grand jury Wednesday indicted suspended Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones on charges that she demanded a $25,000 bribe from a prominent Miami developer in exchange for the promise of a favorable vote on one of his projects, prosecutors said. The bribery indictment comes as a civ...
GOP memo reveals campaign strategy to stroke ‘ego-driven donors,’ play up fear card	03/03/10
Put it under the headline Only in Florida. A Republican National Committee memo found in a Boca Grande hotel reveals the GOPs strategy of using fear to intimidate voters and mocks donors, Politico reported today. The memo - a Power Point presentation given at an RNC meeting in Florida last month - d...