ABC NEWS / This Week with George Stephanopoulos:     Appearing the latest security challenges facing America, including what to do with the Guantanamo detainees, the president’s decision to reinstate military commissions and withhold photos of detainee abuse, as well as domestic issues that include the prospects for health care reform:  U.S. Senators Jim Webb (D – VA) and John Kyl (R – AZ).    And the weekly political roundtable featuring  Democratic strategist James Carville, Republican strategist Liz Cheney, former McCain campaign adviser Steve Schmidt, Editor/Publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel of The Nation, and George Will of the Washington Post Writers Group.

  BAY NEWS 9 / Political Connections: Bay News 9 does not provide advance notice of the guests or topics for Political Connections.

CBS NEWS / Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer:  This week’s guests for the hour:  Representative Peter King (R – NY), Executive Director Anthony Romero of the American Civil Liberties Union, CBS News Political Consultant John Dickerson, and Joan Biskupic of USA Today.

CABLE NEWS NETWORK / State of the Union with John King:   In the studio this weekend:  White House Budget Director Peter Orszag and House Majority Leader John Boehmer (D – OH).

FOX NEWS / Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace:     Two Roman Catholic clergymen, Reverands Richard McBrien and Frank Pavone, will discuss wheather the University of Notre Dame should have honoured President Obama, an abortion rights advocate.  Then, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R – KY) will talk about how his fellow Republicans plan to fight the president’s ambitious agenda.  Finally, it’s the usual political roundtable discussing various issues of the day, featuring Fox News Washington Bureau Managing Editor Brit Hume, Bill Kristol, co-founder of The Weekly Standard, along with Juan Williams and Mara Liasson of National Public Radio.

NBC NEWS / Meet the Press with David Gregory:    Democratic National Committee Chairman Governor Tim Kaine (VA) and his Republican counterpart, Michael Steele will appear to discuss the issues that seperate them, including national security, abortion, health care reform, and the economy.  They will also talk about how they plan to steer their sides to victory in 2010.  Then the weekly political roundtable featuring Richard Haass of the Council on Foreign Relations,  Jon Meacham of Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal‘s Peggy Noonan, and Ron Brownstein of the National Journal.

SYNDICATED / The Chris Matthews Show:  Among the topics:   Why has former Vice President Dick Cheney become so vocal against President Obama‘s policies?   The panelists:   NBC News White House Correspondent Savannah Guthrie, Newsweek Senior Washington Correspondent Howard Fineman, The Atlantic Senior Editor Andrew Sullivan, and Michele Norris, co-host of National Public Radio‘s All Things Considered.

WEDU-TV 3 / Florida This Week with Rob Lorei:   Among the issues:  The decision by Governor Charlie Crist to forgo a second term to run for the U.S. Senate as well as by a couple of notable politicos to decide against running for higher office, and a review of the Legislative session just ended,  Among the panelists:  St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau Chief Steve Bousquet, Tampa Times political columnist William March, Republican political consultant Alan Goodman, and former Democratic legislator Mary Figg.

Parents have been notified via automated telephone message of the reopenings.  During the closure each of the schools were cleaned in accordance with Health Department and federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommendations.  Also, all extracurricular activities affecting students at these three schools had been cancelled.

The decision to reopen the schools was made after the CDC advised that closings were not necessary, as the virus is less serious than originally believed.

On the other end of the I-4 Corridor, state health officials confirmed that a 14-year-old girl vacationing in the Orlando area from Mexico had contracted the virus.  While officials say the girl did not visit any of the Disney properties, members of her group did.  Officials declined to identify any locations the child or her group may have visited or what hotel they stayed in.  According to Orange County Health Department spokesperson Mirna Chamorro, the teenager was medicated early, has recovered, and returned to Mexico.

ABC NEWS / This Week with George Stephanopoulos:  Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner will be the headliner this Sunday.   Then in the political roundtable it will be Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman of the New York Times, Cokie Roberts and Matthew Dowd of ABC News, and George Will of the Washington Post Writers Group.

BAY NEWS 9 / Political Connections: Bay News 9 does not provide advance notice of the guests or topics for Political Connections.

CBS NEWS / Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer:  President Barack Obama continues his offensive press on behalf of his economic stimulus and budget plans on appearance before leaving for a week in Europe for the G-20 and NATO summit meetings.  Host Bob Schieffer has said he will ask the chief executive to weigh in on several issues that are gaining less attention, noting Iraq and Afghanistan.

CABLE NEWS NETWORK / Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer: CNN no longer provides advance notice of the topics and guests for this programme.

FOX NEWS / Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace:  Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will be the featured guest to discuss military analysis in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other trouble spots following the President’s new strategy in Afghanistan.  Then, a look at the coming week’s G20 summit with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.  Finally, it’s the usual political roundtable discussing various issues of the day, featuring Fox News Washington Bureau Managing Editor Brit Hume, Bill Kristol, co-founder of The Weekly Standard, along with Juan Williams and Mara Liasson of National Public Radio.

NBC NEWS / Meet the Press with David Gregory: This week’s guests:  Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner will offer his thoughs on the economic crisis and how to begin to resolve it.  Then, U.S. Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain (R – AZ) will discuss the economy and foreign policy.

SYNDICATED / The Chris Matthews Show: The questions:  Can President Obama get what he wants on health care, energy, and education in the budget?  And does his new Afghanistan strategy get us in deeper there?  The panelists: NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Kelly O’Donnell, MSNBC Chief Washington Correspondent Norah O’Donnell (not related to Kelly), Senior Editor Andrew Sullivan from The Atlantic, and Washington Post columnist David Ignatius  .

WEDU-TV 3 / Florida This Week with Rob Lorei:   Discussing some of the important issues concerning West Central Florida will the American Civil Liberties Union‘s Florida Regional Director Becky Harrison Steele, USF Sarasota-Manatee Director of the Institute for Public Policy & Leadership David Klememt, Businessman and former State Senator Tom Lee (R), and Manatee County Democratic Executive Committee Chairman Dr. Lawrence Miller.

I do have a question for the Florida This Week crew:  Why don’t we see more panelists?  I’ve only seen one time when that has occured.  It seems that within much of the Tampa Bay media, things don’t happen if it’s east of County Line Road…and Polk is one of the largest counties in terms of population as well as area in the region!

Why aren’t the fiscal conservatives or the fiscally responsible in Tallahassee asking why the state of Florida is paying a national corporation that made a record $2.2 billion profit last year – up 26 percent from the year before, incidentally – so much for a project that some observers say could be done for one-third or less than the current price tag? — State Budget Priorities: Florida Holds Gold Mine for CSX

The Ledger editorial writers understand what so many reporters in Central Florida have missed with their questions about train noise and city versus city squabbles. The CSX deal is corporate welfare at a time when the citizens of this state can not afford to pay for basic services.

I urge you to take the time to pass along The Ledger editorial to your friends and family. Take a moment to explain the history of the commuter project. Remind them this isn’t a deal for a commuter railroad, this is a deal to railroad the commuters.

photo credit: by Chuck Welch for Metro I4 News

[ONE QUESTION WASTED]
Townsend interviewed in Ledger’s “Five Questions”

Last night the Ledger posted an article where Lakeland’s paper of record asked the Downtown Lakeland Partnership’s Julie Townsend* five questions about her organization’s continuing fight against Florida wasting taxpayer dollars to give CSX corporate welfare.

Yes, the project that used to be called Central Florida Commuter Rail. The project that used to be responsible for forcing CSX to build a new ILC in Winter Haven and running many more longer trains through downtown Lakeland.

You remember that don’t you? But I guess the Ledger believes we have always been at war with Oceana.

Back to the Townsend questions. I finished the article and wondered why 20% of the questions ere wasted on:

CSX officials have said that if the purchase of the 61 miles of track goes through, there will be money available to help to install quiet zones along the rail corridor in<0x00A0>downtown Lakeland, but if the deal falls through, the quiet zones are probably off the table. Which is a bigger issue for the DLP: quiet zones or the increased number of trains the Orlando deal will bring?

Townsend gave a courteous answer “To my knowledge, CSX has never offered to pay for quiet zones….”

I wish she had said, “Stop misleading with talk about quiet zones. It’s the wasted tax money and traffic stupid. It always has been” (To paraphrase a Bush.)

File Storms Under Aquatic Birds (genus Gavia)

Part of our reading area has a state Senator, Rhona Storms. She was in the news recently:

The economy is a shambles. State revenue is in a free-fall. House leaders in both parties stand accused of misusing their political powers. This week, state Sen. Ronda Storms identified another menace: The Dewey Decimal System — Libraries Offer Plenty For Storms To Stew Over

Some might give Storms credit. The Dewey Decimal system is a proprietary product of OCLC. Libraries use the company to catalog books and must pay a small price per item placed in their catalog. (Assuming they want to use OCLC’s common cataloging info. They could save the money and not join with OCLC, but it would cost them more to do all their own original cataloging. Trust me on this one. I spent seven years dealing with OCLC and catalogers on a daily basis.

There is a system that is owned by the American people: the Library of Congress system, but cataloging under that system also has costs.

Storms proposes libraries use the BAM method. You know where bookstores place items under big signs in some odd sort of order. You know how easy it is to find the book you need at Borders or Books-a-Million?

(I’ll wait for my sarcasm challenged daughter to catch that last sentence.)

OK, it is simply silly that Storms believes only “little old librarians” will be upset to lose proper shelving of books. So will every single library patron. It’s not a miracle that you can look up a book and go to a shelf and find it properly placed. It is the result of a lot of hard work and a precise system of cataloging.

It may save a few dollars to not use Dewey, but I promise that when your child needs that book on loons the night before the paper is due…you will be glad you don’t instead find a biography on Rhonda Storms.

And as a bonus, this headline from today’s Ledger:

Woman Accused of Biting Hubby’s Thingy

Seriously? “Thingy”?! It’s a penis people.

The Orlando Sentinel, where the Ledger got the story, wasn’t much better: Angry wife jailed after biting husband’s you-know-what

Note that the Sentinel’s URL does reference “penis.”

* – Townsend is the wife of Lakeland Local writer Billy Townsend, but that makes no difference to me.

photo 1 credit: Cat Carter for ylakeland

photo 2 credit: becflies2001

(Cross-posted at LakelandLocal.com)

“Teachers in Central Florida public schools are headed back to the classroom this year without a pay raise.” — Teachers ‘not going to get a penny’ in raises

“Gov. Charlie Crist told state agency heads Thursday that he wants construction projects sped up so more money can be pumped into the sluggish state economy.” — ‘Accelerate Florida’ With Construction, Crist Says

Bonus:

Now the true costs start… “The construction of two new roads that could help relieve traffic problems that the planned CSX rail freight terminal will make worse should be top priorities for seeking state road funds, the Polk Transportation Planning Organization agreed Thursday.” — CSX Project Pushes 2 Roads Higher on Construction Request

“On Aug. 29, Garcia and thousands of other Spanish-speaking Hispanics in Central Florida will read El Nuevo Dia for the last time.” — Spanish daily El Nuevo Dia Orlando about to fold

One of the sillier editorials you’ll read. Don’t miss the reader comments. “District 19 deserves better than Mr. Siplin. But a weak opponent compels us to endorse Gary Siplin in the Aug. 26 Democratic primary.” — A weak primary opponent compels us to endorse the senator

Note: MI4′s Don’t Miss column will be missing in action this weekend. See you Monday.

So many reasons why you should oppose Amendment 5 and Homebuyers, Beware: Tax Aid Is Loan

“Nagging complaints about some generic drugs are casting doubt on one of medicine’s most widely held assumptions: that generics are just as good as brand-name versions, only cheaper.” — Rx for trouble? Generics don’t always work as well as brand names, critics say. The FDA disagrees. We take a look.

“In 2015, just a few years from now, Florida will be in deep trouble. Who wants the dubious notoriety of “last in the nation?”" — Florida’s Coming Medical Disaster

Bonus:

The Sentinel is still mad at Paula Dockery

“If you get blood at Lakeland Regional Medical Center after 7 a.m. Monday, it won’t be coming from BloodNet USA. LRMC’s blood and blood products, like platelets or plasma, will come instead from Florida Blood Services, which officially starts providing LRMC’s blood supplies that day. The two signed a contract three months ago and have spent the time since then finalizing arrangements.” — LRMC Taps Into New Supply of Blood

“Publix Super Markets has long stressed its customer service and cleanliness, but with rising food and gas costs it’s now courting a lower-priced image. The Lakeland-based grocery chain has started a program of deep discounts on certain staple items, starting with milk and soon expanding to other products, company spokeswoman Shannon Patten said.” — Publix Grocery Bill May Be Less

“Orlando officials say they have little choice but to raise property taxes because city government is run as efficiently as possible. But records show that the Orlando Police Department — with a $111 million budget that amounts to nearly a third of the city’s general spending — has seen its overtime pay nearly triple in the past four years as the city deals with a wave of violent crime.” — Overtime could tax Orlando Police budget to tune of $4 million

Bonus:

“With John McCain likely only days from announcing his running mate, the chances of his choosing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist took three hits this week: a poll, a controversy over campaign contributions and an important newspaper non-endorsement. Recent speculation about Crist has put him in the lower tier of potential running mates and focused more on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.” — Governor May Have Faded As VP Choice

“Orange County commissioners enlisted as allies Tuesday, approving a resolution that backs up Lake’s opposition to a permit for Niagara Bottling to withdraw 177 million gallons of water a year.” — Orange County, Groveland join Lake County’s fight against water-bottling plant

“But in the past nine months, carriers, software developers and cell phone makers have embraced a new attitude of openness toward consumers.” — Wireless Providers Grudgingly Accept Open Networks

Bonus:

PCC Considers Three Sites For New Campus

Sentinel help team: How to avoid foreclosure

Pop & Circumstance: Moviegoing Gets More Costly

“About 150,000 people nationwide have been affected by the theft of laptops with personal information about current and former employees of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.” — Busch Tracking Laptop Thefts

“The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit board agreed Monday to raise fares across the board and gave tentative backing to a property tax increase to pay for more buses and a long-range transit study. The tax increase must survive two public hearings and be passed by a super-majority of the board before becoming reality.” — Bus Fares Going Up, Maybe Tax Too

“Florida’s sagging economy will push state government back into the red this month and force Gov. Charlie Crist to either further cut spending or tap deeper into the state’s reserves.” — ‘Big’ budget deficit ahead for Florida

Bonus:

“The federal government on Monday barred a registered-traveler service launched three years ago at Orlando International Airport from enrolling new members after an unencrypted company laptop containing personal information for about 33,000 prospective customers was stolen from a locked office.” – ‘Clear’ registration halted after laptop theft

I have to ask, What kind of loon puts that kind of data on a laptop??

“Restaurant industry experts say they don’t expect a wave of shutdowns of other national chain restaurants, noting that Bennigan’s and Steak & Ale had been struggling for years. But Florida is in the midst of a shakeout among small chains and independent restaurants, and that could lead to more job losses, experts warn.” — Restaurant Industry In Midst Of Shakeout

“About 300,000 students in Florida attend private schools in kindergarten through 12th grade, according to the state Education Department. If all became eligible for tuition reimbursement — or vouchers — districts could lose as much as $2.3 billion in state and local revenue, said Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association.” — Proposal ties school vouchers to more popular issue

“She is one of 70 volunteers with Hillsborough County’s Citizen Patrol Program and one of 18 who take to Bloomingdale streets to help the sheriff’s office keep the neighborhood safe. Volunteers also patrol in Apollo Beach, Westchase and Town ‘N Country.” — Citizen Patrols

“Home builders demanded answers Saturday to questions about a proposed constitutional tax amendment that voters will decide on the Nov. 4 ballot. While state leaders who favored the tax-swapping Amendment 5 promised builders their tax bills would drop, opponents assured an audience of about 100 that their taxes would increase.” — Rival claims of tax-swap backers and foes baffle Florida home builders group

Editorials:

“Someone in state government needs to step up and address the standoff over the proposed commuter-rail project in Orlando.” — DOT Should Review Other Options To Build Commuter Rail In Orlando

“The old maxim that Central Florida officials couldn’t care less about conserving resources no longer holds water — especially when you consider how so many of them literally are now working to change the landscape.” — Smarter landscaping could help relieve water crisis

Bonus:

“He was a playboy bachelor, the first Republican governor of Florida since Reconstruction and a promising candidate for the vice presidency. His name was Claude Kirk Jr.” — ‘Claudius Maximus’ Blazed Trail Followed By Crist

Careful at the beach again this summer. Fish Kill Zone Widens; Algal Bloom Suspected

What have your neighbors done for you lately? For millionaire, $100k small price to pay for less-cluttered neighborhood

Bonus:

Economists have realized Florida is in a recession. “Analysts predict that the state will lose momentum through 2008, then bottom out late this year or in early 2009.” There’s not much else to the story here.

Because having your gun with you at all times is so important, we have two articles today: U.S. Judge Upholds Guns-at-Work Law and Take guns to work – but don’t stop on way?

This isn’t for the reason you think… State shuts down FPL’s renewable energy program

Bonus:

School boards in Central Florida move toward taking meetings online

Meanwhile, the Ledger is going hourly. Ledger News Now

An author the Sentinel fails to name believes a Shorter workweek can pay huge dividends. (By the way, his name is Timothy Ferriss.)

Bonus:

The Sentinel: We think: State Farm’s rate hike request for homeowners seems unreasonable. You think? 47%. Who wouldn’t think?

Tribune: Gas Prices Drive Demand For Downtown Dwellings