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06 Jun 2011 22:37

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U.S.: Four years of high school in one week

  • 8 days to get a high school diploma, and it costs less than an iPad! source
  • » For all the benefits provided by a high-school education, there’s one pesky drawback: it takes four years to get one. InterAmerican Christian Academy in Florida seeks to rectify this injustice by offering a high school diploma to anyone with a free week and four hundred bucks. The school, which is co-run by a convicted felon and located next to a lubricant company, has rigorous curriculum comprised entirely of five short take home tests. But don’t worry; they come with “workbooks” (in case you get stumped), and the place has a “very flexible grading policy.” Supposedly, at least 88 students have used degrees from IACA to gain admission to Miami-Dade College.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Mar 2011 15:56

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Politics: Florida Gov slashes disabilities services, then heads to Special Olympics ceremony

  • afternoon Florida Gov. Rick Scott is expected to announce a 15% pay cut for workers who aid developmentally-disabled Floridians.
  • eveningAs a sort of consolation prize to those whose services will be cut, Scott will then attend a photo-op for the Special Olympics. source
  • » Why the 15% cut? Florida’s Agency for Persons with Disabilities is facing a $170 million deficit, and Scott claims these cuts are essential to preserving the agency. Fair enough. Alternatively, he could lower his proposed $1.5 billion corporate tax cut to, say, $1.4 billion, and re-route that money to the APD. Just a suggestion. [hat tip: ThinkProgress]
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Mar 2011 10:22

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Politics: Rick Scott pissing off everyone – in both parties – in the legislature

  • The governor doesn’t understand there is a State Constitution and that we have three branches of government. They are talking about the attitude that he is still the CEO of his former health care corporation, and that is not going to work in this state, in Tallahassee, in my district. The people believe in three branches of government.
  • Republican Florida State Senator Mike Fasano • Criticizing Tea Party-backed Gov. Rick Scott for pretty much acting LIKE A BOSS instead of a guy who has to answer to the legislative branch. He’s been making some pretty bold decisions – like, for example, selling state-owned jets because he had one of his own – without getting Congressional approval. “It’s necessary at this time, I think — because our governor’s new — to let him know this is not a monarchy,” said Democratic State Senator Arthenia L. Joyner. “He’s not a king. This is a democracy.” Joyner brought a lawsuit against Scott because he killed a plan for high-speed rail. Scott, who recently unveiled his budget plan hundreds of miles away from Tallahassee, shouldn’t get too cocky – the GOP has a supermajority in both houses and can override his veto easily. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 15:32

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U.S.: Gov. Rick Scott is not one to buck Republican orthodoxy

  • $5 billion in proposed budget cuts to Florida over the next two years
  • $4 billion in proposed tax cuts to Floridians over the next two years source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Oct 2010 10:02

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Politics: Bigger crime: Alex Sink’s texting or Rick Scott’s ignorance of Apple?

  • First, Alex, you say you always follow the rules. The rule was no one is supposed to give us messages during the break, and your campaign did with an iPad, all right, an iPod.
  • Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott • Pointing out that his Democratic opponent, Alex Sink, received a text message during the debate, a violation of debate rules. Sink’s make-up assistant has been fired for the incident, but we’re pretty sure everyone’s missing the real crime here: Scott had two chances to correctly name the device she was using (an iPhone) and blew it both times. We wouldn’t vote for him simply because it’s obvious that he doesn’t know one Apple device from another. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Aug 2010 00:37

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Politics: J.D. Hayworth no match for comeback king John McCain

  • hypothesis J.D. Hayworth, sensing weakness in John McCain’s abilities after he ran for president, thought Arizona could use a new senator.
  • reality Despite Hayworth’s stronger conservative credentials, McCain spent a lot of money and came out on top tonight. source
  • » Oh yeah … McCain has an election in November, but this will likely be a formality. See, McCain lives in Arizona, a state that leans far enough to the right that it allowed a crazy immigration law to take effect. There’s no way the’re electing a Democrat to the Senate.
  • » Other races: The other key state, Florida, was half-boom, half-bust for big-spending outsiders. While Democratic senate candidate Kendrick Meek easily won his race over Jeff Greene (a guy who’s a billionaire and made a lot of money off the housing market bust), multi-millionaire Rick Scott toppled Attorney General Bill McCollum in the GOP gubernatorial primart.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Aug 2010 10:43

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Politics: Proof money alone can’t buy you elections in Florida

  • $39 million the amount Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott has spent on his campaign; he’s down by nine points in the primary
  • $23 million the amount Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Greene spent; he trails Kendrick Meek by a dozen points in the primary source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
 
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