10 Stories to Read

This is our regular feature where every day I do a post with the top 10 blog posts that I think people should read from the previous day. Posts are included here and ranked based on a combination of originality, focus on Florida, length (longer, more thorough analysis is better), quality of writing and impact of the story.

1. Blast Off! - Thanks, Republicans, for killing public education in Florida!: "Seriously. The Republicans are slowly yet inexorably strangling public education in Florida, at all levels, with the budget slashes that are made necessary by their pandering tax cuts. Take a look at how one Florida university is dealing with the massive decrease in state funding..."

2. FPC (Mark Ferrulo) - This is sick…Cancer hospital hires Tobacco Lobbyists: "And not just any hospital, we’re talking H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, one of the top 20 cancer hospitals in the country. This nationally renowned cancer treatment and research institute is paying thousands of dollars to lobbyists in Tallahassee, that are also registered lobbyists for tobacco companies. Seriously, I’m not just trying to grab your attention with a provocative headline and then blogger-judo you down some tangentially related, but less interesting story line. The Moffitt Cancer Center has seven registered lobbyists that represent them in Florida’s capital, who also walk the halls of The Capitol building on behalf of cigarette companies, cigar manufacturers and purveyors of chewing tobacco and snuff."

3. Dan Gelber - Jefferson was right, “Information is the currency of Democracy”: "Today, I forwarded my concerns to the FCC regarding the proposed purchase by WPLG Channel 10 of their rival WTVJ-NBC 6. While I appreciate that Florida’s tanking economy can impact all businesses –including media – the public’s interest in a vital and diverse press must be taken into account. As newspapers downsize, and television stations merge, the losers will be our citizens who will be shortchanged the critical information that informs and empowers them."

4. Miami-Dade Dems - Bush rubber-stamp identifies Democratic "dear friends": "Attention in the camps of Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Kendrick Meek. This is what you get from your failure to be fully on board the campaigns of your Democratic colleagues. Your Republican incumbent friends will use your names – your Democratic names – in their desperate attempts to fend off strong electoral challenges."

5. Florida Citizens for Science - Let’s help science education here in Florida!: "Florida Citizens for Science is launching a fundraising campaign to help teachers and students right here in Florida with science education. Through the great site Donors Choose, FCS has selected five science-related education projects to fund. As the school year kicks off in just a couple of weeks, let’s give these teachers and students the equipment they need to succeed!"

6. Incertus (Brian) - We tried to warn you: "Lots of us did. Tons of Florida bloggers warned that Amendment 1, passed last year by overwhelming margins, wouldn't save taxpayers much money and would cause huge service cuts, and not enough people listened. As a result, we have layoffs and service cuts across the board--police departments aren't replacing cops who leave the service, schools aren't replacing teachers who leave, and so on. Fortunately, people are starting to notice that a tax cut has some negative sides as well."

7. Miami & Beyond - Oh, but it's all about the sports and the pretty buildings: "It pisses me off how the world has agreed to cooperate with the Chinese in this gigantic whitewashing. Everybody is babbling about keeping politics and the Olympics separate."

8. the 13th juror - Homeless man convicted of trespassing — at Naples shelter: "St. Matthew’s House has been full for the past three years, so Juan Trejo stretched out on the floor of the Naples shelter’s old soup kitchen. He had no place else to sleep. Then he spend the next 97 days in the Collier County Jail, charged with trespassing."

9. Progress Florida (Ray Seaman) - Clueless Crist: Part II: "Now Crist wants Floridians to trust him and vote for Amendment 5? Get real Charlie. Seriously, Floridians really need to stop trusting this guy."

10. Adam4PD - The Promise of Our Youth: "On Saturday night, I was a judge at a debate contest as ten teenagers addressed racial, gender and age stereotypes head-on. A crowd of over 100 mostly young people sat in the audience, fully engaged in the exchange of ideas on stage. The next day an even larger crowd gathered at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park for Gospel music, performances, and hot dogs. Spending time with these fine young men and women, primarily African-Americans, was just the antidote I needed to combat cynicism."