Florida Weekly Gov’t Roundup: Unpopular Scott Now Less Popular; Medicaid Plans
August 6, 2011
The ever-shifting sands of political popularity swirled around the capital city this week as Florida’s unpopular governor became less so, the nation’s unpopular president became more so and undecided Republican voters remained so as the GOP looks for a challenger to unseat a popular U.S. senator.
Florida health officials, meanwhile, submitted their long awaited blueprint to their federal counterparts in the ongoing effort to shift most of the state’s nearly 3 million Medicaid recipients into managed health care plans. The proposal, which backers say will cut costs in the $21.1 billion a year program, has its detractors, including the Florida Medical Association, which came out last weekend to officially criticize the plan.
Doctors weren’t the only group asking Washington for help. Florida Democrats have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to oppose sweeping changes made by the Republican-packed Legislature to Florida’s elections law, while state environmental officials tweaked proposed water standards in hopes of replacing federal guidelines critics say are too rigid.
The state’s economic malaise continued as statewide property values maintained their drift through the doldrums, despite modest improvements in the nation’s employment picture that showed fewer government jobs but stronger hiring demand from private sector employers.
The property value slump prompted state economists this week to warn that there will be less money than expected this coming year to pay for schools.
Q-POLL SHOWS UPS AND DOWNS OF PUBLIC LIFE
Nothing better in the dog days of summer than a good poll and Quinnipiac University didn’t disappoint this week as it released data on how Floridians feel about their president, their governor and the recent debt ceiling drama.
Gov. Rick Scott’s root cellar approval rating has ticked up slightly, moving from 29 percent in May to 35 percent in the university’s most recent poll released Friday. Scott’s popularity push came even before the governor donned an apron to make doughnuts in Tampa this week as he returned to his deep-fried roots on his first “work day.”
The gimmick, which takes a page from former Gov. Bob Graham’s playbook, appears part of a larger effort to make Scott more likeable, a push that includes less formal attire and more frequent visits with the capitol press corps and editorial boards around the state.
“Gov. Scott still has a long hike to parity in voter approval, but he has begun the trek,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the university’s polling institute. “Whether it is the beginning of a serious move or just a blip, time will tell.”
Despite the improved numbers, voters still find the governor’s policies unlikable, with 54 percent saying they don’t approve compared to 34 percent who say they do.
The governor could easily say he’s misunderstood. A full 57 percent say they don’t know whether the state budget signed by the governor raises taxes, while 19 percent incorrectly believe it does.
While Scott’s numbers are moving up, Obama’s looked more like the New York Stock Exchange this week. The president’s approval rating among Florida voters has fallen since May, especially among independents who tip the balance in the key swing state.
Overall, Obama’s approval rating fell from 51 percent in May to 44 percent earlier this week. The president’s biggest drop off was among independent voters, whose 61 percent May approval rating dropped to 47 percent.
Despite his drop in the polls, Obama’s handling of the recent debt ceiling talks was viewed more favorably by voters, who gave the president higher marks than congressional leaders involved in negotiations that ended with a deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling in exchange for at least $2 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years. Obama also got some help Friday as the national unemployment rate in July dipped 0.1 percentage points to 9.1 percent.
While voters have a pretty good bead on Scott and Obama, more than half of Republicans polled are undecided about the state’s U.S. Senate primary. Retired Army Col. Mike McCalister is the frontrunner, favored by 15 percent of those polled. It’s possible the other 85 percent don’t even know who he is – being a political newcomer in a race hardly anyone is paying close attention to yet.
McCalister is followed by former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, expected by many to lead the pack after Senate President Mike Haridopolos dropped out of the race. LeMieux is only polling 12 percent. Former state legislator Adam Hasner has the steepest climb. He is holding up the Republican rear at 6 percent, lower than Orlando businessman Craig Miller who polled 8 percent.
At least Hasner can take heart in that he is not Nancy Argenziano. The firebrand former Republican announced this week that she would run as a Democrat to challenge freshman Republican Congressman Steve Southerland, a tea party-backed candidate who rode last year’s Republican wave to victory over incumbent Rep. Allen Boyd.
Argenziano, who represented many of the counties in Southerland’s district during her time in the Legislature, would have given Democrats a credible candidate for the seat in a year that could be less favorable to the GOP. But a new state law appears to require Argenziano to have registered as a Democrat — or at least not be a registered member of another party — at least a year before the opening of qualifying for the seat, now scheduled for June 4. And she is a member of another party – she registered recently as a member of the Independent Party.
MEDICAID PLAN TO FEDS
Florida’s Medicaid overhaul would not start shifting people into managed-care plans until 2013 and use a controversial pilot program as a springboard, according to hundreds of pages of documents released this week by the Agency for Health Care Administration. The plan would eventually require almost all beneficiaries to enroll in managed-care plans.
Supporters hope the federal government will sign off on the proposal, which they say would help control costs and improve care for beneficiaries.
But opponents worry about requiring Medicaid beneficiaries statewide to enroll in HMOs or other types of managed-care plans. Some, including Democratic legislative leaders, want the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reject the proposal.
The number of official detractors increased this week as Florida Medical Association officials voted in a closed door session over the weekend to oppose the state’s proposal. A number of doctors have been opposed to the shift of most Medicaid patients into managed care, but few would say so publicly. Likewise, the association has been silent on the issue until now.
FMA leaders passed a resolution to discourage CMS from approving the waiver that would allow the switch. The FMA’s new president, Dr. Miguel Machado, said the group would send a letter to CMS making its opposition known.
STATE/GROUPS SAY NO TO FEDS
Department of Environmental Protection staffers slogged through the details of what they hope will be a slate of water standards for Florida lakes, rivers, springs and other freshwater bodies acceptable to federal officials who have established a set of criteria of their own that many business groups in the state say would be too pricey.
The discussion came as a federal appellate court in Atlanta threw out an appeal filed by water management officials and backed by industry groups that challenged a 2009 consent decree entered into by the federal Environmental Protection Agency that set out numerical limits for nutrients going into the state’s waterways.
If state lawmakers fail to act, the EPA could return in March to its set of rules for state waters, but federal officials have indicated they would be willing to extend that deadline if progress is being made on the state’s efforts. The 11th Circuit of Court of Appeals ruling Wednesday, however, keeps those regulations on the table as an option.
While the state battles the feds over water, state Democrats have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to oppose sweeping changes to Florida’s elections law, saying in a memo the measure passed during the spring legislative session “will result in fewer registered minority voters, fewer ballots cast by minority voters, and fewer ballots counted for minority voters.”
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s memo comes days after Secretary of State Kurt Browning asked a federal court to “preclear” the law, an unusual attempt to sidestep the DOJ after the state had originally asked Justice to give the law the green light. Browning said he was worried that outside pressure might shape the agency’s opinion, which would still be considered in the court case.
SINKHOLE RATE REPRIEVE?
Florida’s top insurance regulator said Tuesday the state-backed property insurance pool could lessen the blow of skyrocketing sinkhole premium increases by phasing in the unprecedented rate hikes over time.
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said the proposed increase might be actuarially sound, but could still be a hardship for individual policy holders. Citizens last week sent shockwaves through homeowners as its board agreed to ask regulators for rate increases for sinkhole coverage in response to legislative changes made under SB 408.
Pasco County residents, who live at the epicenter of recent sinkhole claims, would see average sinkhole premiums jump from $441 to $4,017, an increase of 810 percent for the optional coverage, which is required by some mortgage lenders.
The proposed rate increases have drawn fire from lawmakers, particularly those in sinkhole-prone areas. Their cries were echoed Tuesday by Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, who said Citizens should develop a “glide path” for boosting sinkhole premiums.
HOUSING MARKET REBOUND
Not all housing news was bad this week. In a sign that Florida’s housing market may be on the road to recovery, the state’s top economist expects an increase in school property tax rolls next year of 1.3 percent. Though that is actually a slight decrease from the original forecast of 2 percent, it is one of the most promising signs yet that Florida’s ailing and hard-hit housing market is on the mend after four years of plunging values.
Florida’s housing market was one of the hardest hit in the nation, the victim of an overwrought housing bubble, loose mortgage standards and a tourism-based economy.
“We turned the corner,” said state economist Amy Baker, who cautioned the economic recovery is still fragile.
“The correction from the housing boom was severe and very dramatic on the (tax) rolls,” Baker said. “Now most of that correction is behind us, but we are still not back to the growth we typically see.” She said that property tax rolls are going to stabilize after four years of decreases, with drops over 10 percent in tax rolls in 2009 and 2010.
STORY OF THE WEEK: A Quinnipiac University poll shows Gov. Rick Scott rebounding from dismal approval ratings while Obama sees his stock fall.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “If they are presented something and the Legislature hasn’t acted, the EPA still has a hammer to hold over the state,” said Colleen Castille, former DEP Secretary who now represents a number of business clients with water interests.”It all depends how close we are.”
Gardening In The Summer Heat
August 6, 2011
When the heat index is well over 100 degrees even avid gardeners are reluctant to work in the landscape. August is a difficult month on both gardeners and plants. So here are a few tips to help you and your garden survive the heat.
To ensure your bedding plants survive, use plants that love the heat. During hot, humid summers some bedding plants will suffer which will cause them to be routinely replaced. Bedding plants that tolerate this extreme weather include coleus, celosia, gaillardia, marigolds, nicotiana, pentas, portulaca, salvia and zinnia.
Don’t over fertilize your lawn. One of the three main ingredients in most fertilizers is nitrogen. Nitrogen makes plants green, but it also makes them grow, especially the lawn. If the lawn turns an off-green, yellow color in the summer, green it up with some iron. Like nitrogen, iron also greens up plants, but does not cause them to grow. Iron will make your lawn look healthy again and it will help to keep your mowing duties to a minimum.
Think about creating a shade garden. Not only do shade gardens provide us with cooler places to garden they also require less care, including less water and less fertilizer. For a list of shade loving landscape plants for North Florida, review an online UF/IFAS publication at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG252.
Mulch is a very important element in the landscape. By using an efficient amount of mulch (2-3 inches deep) in planting beds and around trees, it will reduce weed growth, prevent loss of water from the soil by evaporation and keep the soil cool under intense sunlight. Fewer weeds in the landscape results in less work outside in the hot weather.
Practice efficient irrigation. Some plants require more water than others. Getting the right amount of water to plants is critical. Too much or too less can affect their health. Too much water can lead to disease problems, particularly in lawns. Too little water will cause the plants to slow growth or decline. Usually normal summer rains are enough for most plants; however, if dry periods persist, then supplemental irrigation may be necessary.
Insects can be particularly problematic at this time of year. They’ve had all spring and summer to increase their numbers. Careful, regular scouting for insects is a must. And don’t wait to treat if a problem arises.
Take prompt action to keep the insects from damaging your plants excessively.
Don’t forget about your own comfort in this weather. Working outside in hot weather places extra stress on the body. Gardeners working outside may lose up to 2 quarts of water each hour. To prevent dehydration, drink water before, during and after working outside. Drink before you’re thirsty and drink cold liquids because they are absorbed by the body faster. If you choose liquids other than water, make sure they contain only a small amount of sugar, as it slows down liquid absorption by the body.
Work in your garden in the early morning or late afternoon when it is cooler and stay in shady areas as much as possible. Follow the shade in your landscape as the sun moves across the sky. Leave areas as they become sunny and move into areas as they become more shaded.
Since we will tend to work in the cooler early morning and evening hours, don’t forget to apply a mosquito repellent. Wear a hat, loose, comfortable clothing and use sun screen. Also, take frequent breaks and try not to stay outside in the heat for extended periods.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
WXBM Names Marty White’s New AM Partner
August 6, 2011
Radio station WXBM has selected Lindsey Marie Addison to partner with longtime local radio personality Marty White on “Your Hometown Morning Show”, anchoring the market leading radio station 102.7 WXBM.
Lindsey Marie, a graduate of Pace High School and the University of West Florida, was one of over two hundred applicants to try out as White’s partner.
“For almost two decades, ‘Your Hometown Morning Show’ has been the top morning show in Pensacola and with the addition of Lindsey Marie, we have no doubt that trend will continue. This is a rare opportunity and we couldn’t be happier to find someone in our own backyard to partner with Marty,” David Cobb, WXBM station manager said.
“I am overjoyed, and blessed to be joining the WXBM team,” Lindsey Marie said. “This has been a dream of mine for many years, and to finally see that dream being realized is amazing. I am humbled and so grateful for the support from my family, friends, and our listeners. I could not do this without you all, and I can not wait for you to wake up with Marty and me in the mornings!”
“I’ve been around a while and have worked with some talented people” said Marty White. “Lindsey Marie is talented, sharp, fun and she is real! She’s funny, too. Folks are gonna like her and they’ll like waking up with our show.”
The “Your Hometown Morning Show” airs from 6-10 a.m. each weekday on WXBM 102.7 FM.
MANNA Names New Executive Director
August 6, 2011
The board of directors of MANNA announced today that DeDe Flounlacker will join the organization on August 15 as their new executive director.
““DeDe will bring great experience and compassion to MANNA. She was the unanimous choice of the board,” said Brent Lane, board president.
Flounlacker brings over 25 years in non-profit and volunteer management to MANNA, including vice president of membership services for the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Ronald McDonald House.
“Thanks to the amazing support of organizations, faith-based groups, businesses, individuals and volunteers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, MANNA has been able to serve those in need for nearly 30 years,” Flounlacker said. “While thousands were helped last year through our services, we have seen an increase in demand for food this year and expect that demand to continue to grow. As demand grows, so will our organization by expanding our partnerships and collaborations with the public and private sectors.”
MANNA is a private, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to alleviating hunger in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties through Manna Pantries, Manna Food Gardens and Manna’s Volunteers and Providers.
Woman Pulls Gun At Atmore Business
August 5, 2011
An Atmore woman was arrested Friday morning after pulling a handgun at an Atmore business during an altercation.
The Atmore Police Department responded to the Cash Express in a shopping center Lindberg Avenue where two women were fighting on the sidewalk. 911 callers reported that one of the women had a gun.
When officers arrived about 9 a.m., the females were separated and the handgun secured.
According to witness statements, Quanette B. Crenshaw 31 of Atmore had driven to the Cash Express and confronted the victim with a handgun concerning a disagreement that had occurred the previous night. They began to fight, and an employee of the business disarmed Crenshaw, police said. No shots were fired.
Crenshaw was booked into the Atmore City Jail on charged of third degree assault and menacing.
Elena Rendell, 17, Now Held At Escambia Jail Charged As Adult
August 5, 2011
Elena Janelle Rendell, 17, is now being held in the Escambia County Jail as she awaits trial for killing her sister, 14-year old Christina Marie Sneary. She is charged as an adult with one count of manslaughter with a firearm with bond set at $300,000.
Rendell is accused of shooting Sneary in the neck Wednesday afternoon at a home in Ferry Pass after the two got into an argument over a cellphone. Rendell allegedly retrieved a 9 mm hangun from a high shelf before firing a single gunshot at Sneary. She then reportedly ran from the home, calling out to neighbors and telling them that her sister had been shot.
She was taken into custody at the scene by Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies and claimed that the shooting was accidental. She was first charged as a juvenile with aggravated battery and held overnight Wednesday in the Juvenile Detention Center. She was in custody as her sister died just before midnight Wednesday at Sacred Heart Hospital.
Rendell sat in her first juvenile court appearance unaware that Sneary had died. She was escorted out of the courtroom and informed that her sister was dead and that charges against her were upgraded.
At Rendell’s court hearing, her brother, Army Sgt. Jason Rendell, asked Circuit Judge Ross Goodman to release her into his custody. The request was denied by Goodman.
Rendell is due to appear in Escambia County Circuit Court on August 18.
Hungry Homeless Man Arrested For Stealing Food From Alabama Home
August 5, 2011
A homeless man was arrested late Thursday afternoon in Escambia County, Ala., after a woman came home to find him stealing food from her home.
The Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office said a resident of Ashcraft Lane, near Fountain Correctional, apparently interrupted the burglary in progress when she arrived home. The man, later identified as 53-year old Timothy Dueitt of Leakesville, Miss., was located after a manhunt involving numerous departments, a District Attorney’s Office helicopter, and K-9 units from Fountain Prison and the Escambia County (Fla.) Road Prison. Dueitt was taken into custody without incident.
Dueitt told deputies he was homeless and walking in the area when be became hungry. Deputies said he stole a variety of food items from home.
He was charged with first degree burglary, third degree theft of property and unlawful possession of brass knuckles.
Sister Murder: Community Paints A Picture Of A Troubled Shooter, Sweet And Shy Victim
August 5, 2011
Friends and those that knew sisters Elena Rendell and Christina Sneary were in shock Thursday to learn that Elena had been charged as an adult with manslaughter after shooting Christina in neck following an argument over a cell phone.
Most described the victim, 14-year old Christina as a shy, quiet girl. And they describe the shooter, 17-year old Elena, as a troubled young lady that battled her share of problems in life. Meanwhile, their mother, Troyce Sneary, spoke out angrily, saying she could not get the help her special needs daughters required.
Christina Marie Sneary, 14 — Shot and killed
Quiet. Shy. Sweet. Those were the words that were repeated over and over Thursday about Christina Sneary. She had just completed the eighth grade at Ernest Ward Middle School, where she made an impression on those that knew her, where she had received a “Most Improved” award, and where her friends at the lunch table called her “Cherry”.
Christina was, by all accounts, excited about the idea of moving on to become a Northview High School Chief next year.
“She was a nice girl, she seemed to be very quiet. She didn’t talk much unless you talked to her. She was looking forward to going to high school,” one of her middle school friends told NorthEscambia.com Thursday afternoon. They had first met in sixth grade at Ernest Ward. “I will miss her, she was a cool girl.”
Ernest Ward Principal Nancy Perry agreed as she remembered Christina.
“She was one sweet child. So sweet. So quiet. She was an excellent young lady that truly is going to be missed. She did not cause any trouble, no problems at all. She was a super young lady” Perry said.
“I’m going to miss Christina very much; I hope God watches over her and her family,” another classmate wrote. “She was a very nice and quiet girl. She’s gonna be very missed.”
Elena Rendell, 17 — Charged as an adult with manslaughter
Elena Janelle Rendell is facing 25 years to life in prison for the shooting death of her sister Christina Sneary. But according her high school friends and those that knew her, she was already a prisoner in her own different world.
Elena was also described as a quiet girl, but many described the anger they could see in her. And they saw a special needs girl that was bullied and mercilessly taunted by those around her at Northview High School and elsewhere in her young life.
“I knew Elena from our ROTC group at Northview, and she was a very sweet girl despite her disabilities and the ridicule she went through on nearly a daily basis. This really shows that verbal abuse can really change people and affect their behavior — not saying she shouldn’t be held responsible for what she did but it does play a role in the whole thing ultimately,” a fellow Northview student said.
“I used to live by them, and I know both of the girls. Elena was made fun of quite often, and I agree a person can only take so much. It’s nowhere near right what she did, but I feel bad for her and prayers go out to the whole family because this is a horrible thing for anybody to go through,” a former neighbor wrote on NorthEscambia.com.
“I remember seeing Elena walking down the hallway in school before I graduated. She was steaming and red in the face. I was unaware of what was going on until I saw a group of females chasing her while verbally abusing her. She tried to be the bigger person and walk away…the other females wouldn’t allow it. I could see her being taunted and picked on day by day because of her physical appearance,” a Northview graduate said. “Its too much emotional distress for one person especially if she is already suffering from a disorder.”
A young lady that once visited friends near Elena’s Molino home said “she was constantly made fun of and treated VERY badly. It’s no excuse, but some people can only take so much. Hopefully somebody can learn something from this. Don’t make fun of people because they are different.”
“Elana was a sweet child and very shy. I cannot help but believe she was bullied and ‘pushed over the edge’. It was a long time in coming. I have seen her taunted and picked on and watched her reactions. All I ever saw was sadness.,” a commenter wrote on NorthEscambia.com. “She was one of the saddest children I have ever known. Not one to ‘open up’ to allow anyone to see inside. She looked liked she needed emotional support, especially with all the taunting she got. Looking back, there were ‘cries for help’ that went unheeded possibly, because she could not voice them.”
Troyce Sneary — Mother
Troyce Sneary was raising Christina Sneary and Elena Rendell in a quiet Molino neighborhood until just recently. They lived in brick home that sits on just under three acres on Sunset View Lane, a quiet dirt road off Cedar Springs Road and Sunshine Hill Road. It’s not far from the The Leaning Post Ranch, a non-profit facility that, somewhat ironically, provides equine assisted activities to disabled individuals and at-risk youth.
Trocye Sneary made no secret of the fact she believed Elena Rendell had issues in life and needed help. Trocye was confused and angry Thursday as she spoke to a reporter from WEAR TV, saying that she had tried to get her daughter help.
“Her counselors knew about this, the anger problem,” she told the TV news crew from her new home on Kipling Street in Ferry Pass. “For years I’ve been trying to get help. Nobody would help me. So I moved here out of Molino so I could get help.”
“You think you can leave a 14-year old and a 17-year old home alone,” Troyce said. “The guns were put away. Don’t know how they got them.”
Trocye Sneary lost both of her daughters in a single gunshot on a hot summer afternoon — one to the grave and one to jail, perhaps for a very long time. Despite the murder, she’s supporting Elena.
“I love her; I’m standing behind her,” Troyce said.
…..
For an earlier story with more details about the murder, click here.
Christina Marie “Nellie” Sneary
August 5, 2011
Miss Christina Marie “Nellie” Sneary age 14 of Molino passed away Wednesday night, August 3, 2011, in a Pensacola hospital.
She was a native of Miami-Dade, FL, and a long time resident of Molino. Miss Sneary was of the Mormon faith and a graduate of Ernest Ward Middle School.
She is survived by her father and mother, Mike and Troyce Sneary of Pensacola; maternal grandparents William and Bessie Brantley of Brooklyn, Alabama; paternal grandparents LaVerna Michael Leach of Virginia Beach, Virginia; paternal grandfather Gary Sneary of Jackson, Mississippi, brother- Sgt. Jason (Linda Braswell) Rendell of Fort Campbell, Kentucky; sisters Brandi Sneary of Milton and Elena Rendell of Pensacola; and a number of cousins and other relatives.
Visitation will be held Monday August 8, 2011, from 6-8 p.m. at Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in Brewton.
Funeral services are scheduled for Tuesday August 9, 2011, at 2 p.m. at Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home with President Douglas Potter and Bro. Grover Hall officiating. Interment will follow in Dixonville Cemetery in Brewton at Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home directing.
Ricky Dale Wood
August 5, 2011
Ricky Dale Wood, 37 of Milton passed away Thursday, August 04, 2011. He loved hunting, fishing and running dogs with his girls. He enjoyed coaching and spending time with his family.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Oscar & Bertha Wood and Hillary and Louise Thompson.
Ricky leaves to cherish his memories his father, Richard Wood; mother Linda Wood; two daughters, Mary Leighann Wood and Melissa Anne Wood; two brothers Richie Brian (Jeanie) Wood of Milton, Eric Shane (Kristina) Wood of Flomaton; two nieces, Montana Marie Wood and Leslie Nicole Wood; and many other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be at 2p.m. Sunday August 07, 2011, at Lewis Funeral Home, Milton Chapel. Burial will follow at Cora Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Saturday August 06, 2011, at Lewis Funeral Home, Milton Chapel.