We need your voice at our first press conference for Worst To First tomorrow starting at 10am!

We will be in the Tallahassee Florida Capitol Rotunda. Text 850.728.0212 to meet up with us!

See YOU there!

-Lawton

Gov. Charlie Crist created a Children and Youth Cabinet with a simple promise: ``Children are our highest priority."

The cabinet's January letter, never released publicly, cited statistics that show a downward slide in the quality of life for kids, from lack of health insurance to poverty, and dropout and teenage pregnancy rates. They drafted a letter that warned against further budget cuts in children's services. It said: ``We firmly realize that the choices before our state are tough. We know just as firmly that our failure to protect our children is the failure to protect the future of our beloved state.''

Lt. Governor Kottkamp released a revised version that omits any mention of these statistical trends.

Read the Article in The Miami Herald

These are changes that have to be made if Florida is to be a leader in the months and years ahead.

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The Federal Government pledged in upwards of $13.4 billion in stimulus funds to Florida providing the state meets the criteria specified by the Obama administration. Our state may forfeit more than $1.1 billion of those funds unless the GOP-controlled Legislature agrees to increase the number of out-of-work people eligible for help. Read the full story.

Faculty at state universities bring in more than $1 billion in federal and private research money, according to the report, released Monday by the Board of Governors, the policy making body for state universities. See more in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Article from The Herald Tribune by Lawton Chiles III

Almost 12 years ago, under the leadership of the late Governor Lawton Chiles, an historic settlement agreement was signed between the state of Florida and the three largest tobacco companies selling cigarettes in Florida at that time. Now, over one decade later, smaller tobacco companies are still not required to pay into the settlement fund used to defray Florida's smoking-related Medicaid costs.

Over the next 5 years, cash strapped Florida's projected need for inmate housing demands the construction of 19 new prisons. At $100MM each, that is enough to plug the education spending shortfalls for at least two of those 5 years. A new theory however suggests that education and rehabilitation could reduce that price. Exactly how much savings is not yet known. Read more here.

Staring at a $6 billion shortfall, Florida lawmakers are about to put a human face on the recession-ravaged state budget.

When asked to assume a worst-case scenario of between 10 percent and 20 percent cuts, children and the elderly were among those hit hardest! Get the full story here.

(Lakeland Ledger) Nationwide, more children are leaving foster care without a stable home, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. Roughly 24,000 children who were 18 years old left the foster care system in 2005 with no family for support, an increase of 41 percent since 1998. See the full story in The Lakeland Ledger.

People came from all around the state to share their voices and raise their fists. As one voice, we can stand united against those who would sacrifice the essentials for a quick solution.