Life in Jeb Bush’s Florida

“If this had been a Democrat, you guys would be all over it. Since Harris is a Republicon, you circle the wagons.

You guys are just like the Soviets- everything for the party, truth be damned.”

“So Harris is not necessarily corrupt, just naive and stupid then? Though I geuss she does have to claim her reward.”

“Reading that portion of the article does indeed put a different spin on it.

Here's yet some more selective quoting from further down in the article:

"Department officials say they agreed to test the product to finally prove it was useless against canker -- not because of Hardoon's association with Harris."

VBG :)”

“"Isn't it a natural tendency to beleive a man of the cloth (any cloth), would be a somewhat trustworty source?"

not when it comes to science!

not saying he was a liar, just that religious people have insane beliefs about the natural world”

“I'm sure department officials would tell the press "we succumb to political pressure".”

“Won't disagree with you CB, my only point was that I dont think most representatives of mainstream religeons are intentional liars. I have found most are sincere in their beliefs, however much we may or may not agree with them, I don't think most Rabbi's, nuns, ministers, etc, are corrupt people out to intentionally or maliciously take advantage of others.”

“"I don't think most Rabbi's, nuns, ministers, etc, are corrupt people out to intentionally or maliciously take advantage of others.”

i agree wholeheartedly. but i still dont trust a televangelist as far as i can throw him (out the door)”

“"But though the state told other companies it could not test their products, it made an exception for Celestial Drops."

"In a two-day test in October 2001, they soaked canker cultures in Celestial Drops -- which by then had been given a new name -- and determined it had no effect."

"Again:

The initial push came from Harris, now a U.S. House representative and candidate for U.S. Senate."

"So MarkO, because one may have a different belief system, that suggests someone who is of some religeous persuasion is a liar? Not sure I follow your logic on that one?”
wanderer
12:44:09 PM
7/06/05

Yo, so you sayin' you would fall for any snake oil sales job just because it's from a "man of the cloth" of any religious persuasion??

Or.........maybe Katherine Harris does a mean sales job?”

“just to clarify, im not saying the rabbi is a televangelist (he would be the first kabbalist evangelist, im sure). just an aside”

“Stealin' in the name of the lord!!

Faith-based pesticide??”

“Well, Jeb's declared a state of emergency in Florida, thanks to a now Cat 3 hurricane Dennis. Not fun.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/breaking/news-article.aspx?storyid=40115

It is interesting to actually read through a declaration like this.”

“im sure he blamed the liberals for the hurricane”

“Hell yes, I conjured that sucker up!”

“ZEPHYRHILLS - Fed up with arguing, mom pulled over to the side of the road.

"Get lost," authorities said she told her son Tuesday.

He got out. She drove off.

The problem: Her son is 7.

Now Lori Heine, 46, is in the Pasco County jail, charged with child neglect.

The reason for the dispute: McDonald's Happy Meals.

The boy wanted a Cheeseburger Happy Meal and a Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal, the mother told police. He told officers his mother said he couldn't have any of the burgers she bought. According to police, the mother doesn't deny abandoning the boy.

"She told him to get out of the car and go away for a while," Zephyrhills police Capt. David Shears said.
[...]

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/28/Pasco/Mother_abandons_her_s.shtml”

“I've had some pretty fiersome conversations about Happy Meals”

“ Study Shows Florida Leads Nation In Taser Deaths

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A newspaper report says that Florida leads the nation in Taser associated deaths with 27 over a five year period.
[...]
The report says at least 14 showed signs of excited delirium, a condition that even the maker of Taser weapons acknowledges puts people at "potentially fatal health risks" from impaired breathing. And At least 12 had heart ailments.”

“You failed to mention that the majority of those people had high levels of illicit drugs in their systems. Nice editing job.”

“Thanks.

I try.”

“Vile Man, Liar.
Kinda goes together, doesn't it?
LOL”

“Shocking.”

“I just wrote a "letter to the editor" of the local newspaper here about a Taser death. Check this out... all undeniable and unchallenged facts; the guy is out in the parking lot of the apt. complex, is nude, had just beat the sh#$@ out of his girlfriend who was bleeding & unconscious (had a record of having done tis before to others), threw furniture at the cops & pulled a knife from somewhere & started slashing at them, so, mean old policemen that they are, they tasered the jerk. A few hours later, he's in the hospital & dies.

So.. what's the headline in the paper? Is it "Moron who terrorized neighborhood aprended? NOOOOO, of course not. Is it "Jerk who beat the crap out of his girlfriend is aprehended"? NOOOO, of course not. Is it "Naked idiot with knife who attacked police is apprehended"? NOOO, of course not.

The actual headline was somethig like: "Police Taser another citizen... later dies from treatment - 2nd death attributed to Taser!"


My letter was basically that the death wasn't atributable to the Taser... it was attributable to the fact that he was vermin & needed to be off the street before he did anyone else any harm if he hadn't been a danger to society this wouldn't have happened... he, and he alone, made the decisions that ended in his death. HE made the decision to resist arrest & charge the police w his knife, what were they supposed to do... apologize for interrupting his little girlfriend-beating party?

Sheesh, lib newspapers are out of control.”

“they do what it takes to sell papers.”

“"Warning: Florida residents can use deadly force,"...

"If you are involved in a traffic accident or near-miss, remain in your car and keep your hands in plain sight. If someone appears to be angry with you, maintain to the best of your ability a positive attitude, and do not shout or make threatening gestures,"...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050929/ts_alt_afp/afplifestyleflorida_050929191421”

“Suppose this advise is any more applicable in Florida than any other state (like, oh say, maybe New Jersey or Ohio).”

“Trying to suggest civility in New Jersey is like trying to suggest heterosexuality in California.”

“As far as I know, Florida is the only state with a "shoot first" law.”

“No, in Texas, (at least up an until a few years ago), there was a law that basically said..."If someone threatens you, you can arm yourself; confront the perp; and take whatever action is necessary to protect your honor and reputation."



Hmmm,,,funny, wasn't GW the Governor of Texas?”

“South Carolina does as well.”

“Any civilized places?”

“Depends on your definition of "civilized."”

“Compared to NJ it's all civilized. LOL!

fugetaboutit!”

“Your ignorance is showing again, Nigal.

According to Money Magazine, 4 of the top 10 safest communities in the nation are in NJ.

http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/topten/safest.html”

“That's because they keep up on their protection payments.”

“Actually this is different than pretty much anything else nationwide.

This law removes the requirement for someone to attempt to flee before firing.

Problem with that was that quite a few folks got shot in the back and a few folks who shot and killed well-documented career criminals got prosecuted and/or sued. Soooo....they got working and this law was proposed.

The SC law (I believe) is a home defense law that allows you to shoot to kill someone who tries a home invasion. The Florida law is not tied to location.

Despite what the propaganda machine puts out, I doubt that there will be a rash of shootings (well, any more than usual) because of this law. The lawless will always shoot first at least now the lawful won't go to jail for defending themselves.

I'm more interested to see how much this law gets abused.”

“Some people feel threatened if somebody says Hi to them. Others you almost need to hit them upside the head with a baseball bat.

So assuming there is a dead body with a bullet hole in it and no other witness, I guess it was self defense because the shooter felt threatened?

Doesn't sound like good law to me, despite the intent. And I support the right of self defense. I'm not arguing one does not have that right at all.

In Pa., the law says the assailant has to be demonstrating a threat, i.e., advancing on the threatened person. If they are just standing there or backing up, there is no threat.

Of course, if they had a weapon in their hands, it's a different story.”

“The measure says any person...

"has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm."

So yes, there has to be a real threat.”

“Let's hope the courts and the justice system keep a close eye on this.”

“Very much agreed.”

“I think sarge just moved to Florida.”

“You take that back!”

“This ought to stir things up.


http://www.news4jax.com/news/5055394/detail.html”

“I've heard of sloppy seconds but that's just sick! Now, I'm not sayin' anything here but I would wonder if 14 farm laborers in Florida might , just MAYBE, be immigrant workers?”

“But they were here legaly right? As long as they have their green cards that makes them American rapists and not South American rapists. Right?”

“Better check a map.”

“Central, whatever...”

“http://www.news4jax.com/family/5060215/detail.html

Here's a weird story.”

“ST. PETERSBURG - A 94-year-old motorist struck and killed a pedestrian Wednesday evening, then drove about 3 miles with the body lodged in the windshield until he was stopped at a Sunshine Skyway tollbooth.

The driver told officers he thought the body had fallen from the sky, said St. Petersburg police Officer Mike Jockers.

"He had no idea he had been involved in an accident," Jockers said. "He doesn't totally understand what happened."

The crash occurred about 8:30 p.m. when the 52-year-old pedestrian attempted to cross 34th Street S from east to west near 46th Avenue S, witnesses told police.

The pedestrian made it across two of the southbound lanes before he was hit by a 2002 Chevy Malibu, which was traveling about 45 mph, police said.

The impact severed the pedestrian's lower right leg, which remained in the street. His head and arms went through the windshield, while the rest of his body flipped up onto the roof of the car, Jockers said.

"The driver continued southbound, as the eyewitness said, like nothing happened," Jockers said.

As the car approached the toll plaza, the toll taker thought it was a prank, until he saw the blood.

When the driver stopped, the body fell into the car, Jockers said.

A veteran traffic investigator, Jockers said it was one of the most gruesome scenes he has worked.

Neither the name of the driver nor the name of the victim was released Wednesday.

The victim had been living in a motel on 34th Street S. Friends said he had been trying to get to McDonald's for a bite to eat, Jockers said.

The driver, who lives in Pinellas Park, told police that he was headed home. Pinellas Park, however, is miles in the opposite direction.

"Obviously, he was confused," Jockers said. "Incredibly confused."

The driver was taken to Bayfront Medical Center for evaluation.

He will probably not face criminal charges, as he appeared unaware that he had been involved in an accident, Jockers said.

http://stpetersburgtimes.com/2005/10/20/Tampabay/Driver_goes_3_miles_w.shtml”

“TAMPA - In deciding whether to charge the Tampa paralegal who fatally stabbed a 21-year-old man during a brawl Wednesday night, detectives and Hillsborough prosecutors are examining a new state law that allows people who feel threatened to meet force with force.

The so-called deadly force bill provides legal protections to a person attacked at home or in "any other place where he or she has a right to be."

It also does away with a common-law duty to retreat in the face of attack. A person being attacked has "the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force," under the law that went into effect Oct. 1.

But does that law apply to James Behanna, the 36-year-old paralegal who police say stabbed and killed Robert Mears? Or should Behanna be charged in Mears' death?

As of Thursday night, authorities were undecided.

"We're closely reviewing the new law and this case and deciding whether the law applies," said Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy. "We're being very careful, because this law is so new."

Detectives met Thursday with prosecutors in the State Attorney's Office, and they continued interviewing witnesses and other people involved in the case, she said.

They hope to reach a decision by today. Investigators say the confrontation between Behanna and Mears was preceded by a fight between Mears and Mears' friend, 38-year-old Patrick Waterkotte. Mears was upset with Waterkotte over "some property of his that got damaged," McElroy said.

Keith Guinn, 37, one of Mears' neighbors, said Mears came home Wednesday to the apartments at 7908 N Florida Ave., where he has lived for about a month, and found personal belongings, including his skateboard and guitar, had been destroyed.

"He was really emotional over that guitar," Guinn said. "He didn't let too many people touch it."

Mears got into a fistfight with Waterkotte, and kicked Waterkotte in the head with a steel-toed boot, McElroy said.

Then he crossed the street to the parking lot at 8002 N Florida Ave., a law office. Property records show it is owned by attorney Aida Rodriguez, Behanna's wife of 10 years. It is next door to the home of Behanna and Rodriguez.

A woman at the law firm asked Mears to leave, but he refused. Behanna confronted Mears and the two began shoving each other, according to police.

The fight escalated. There was a pursuit. Guinn said Behanna was chasing Mears.

The fight ended two blocks away, where Behanna pulled out a pocketknife and stabbed Mears, McElroy said. Mears, who recently moved to Tampa from Pittsburgh with his girlfriend, died on the way to St. Joseph's Hospital.

"If you feel threatened by a man, you don't run after him," Guinn said, rejecting the notion that Behanna was justified in stabbing Mears.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/09/Hillsborough/Charges_uncertain_in_.shtml”

“I would expect that he's going to get charged with murder.”