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. Incertus (Brian) - More on property taxes: "Not to belabor the points Amy and I have made recently about the south Florida housing market and property taxes, but it just so happens there was another article on the subject today that kind of backs up our argument that the problem is that the market is overpriced, not that taxes are too high."

2. FLA Politics - Slavery Update: "Recent legal developments may aid in the fight against modern day slavery in Florida"

3. Interstate4Jamming2 - Another Embarrassment, And I'm Angry!: "This weekend, the Florida Democratic Executive Committee was scheduled to meet in Tampa, and one of the items on the agenda happens to be one of their most important duties as a committee...electing the 27 presidential electors who would possibly vote in the Electoral College should (rather, WHEN) Barack Obama carry the Sunshine State. It didn't happen --- or, for that matter, anything else --- because the committee failed to get a quorum together to conduct business."

4. FLA Politics - Why is this not being investigated?: "Harry Sargeant III, the Republican Party of Florida finance chairman and part owner of a Boca Raton-based oil trading firm, has been credited with collecting more than $500,000 for McCain. But about $50,000 of those contributions reportedly were solicited by Mustafa Abu Naba'a, Sargeant's Jordanian business partner at International Oil Trading Co."

5. Adam4PD - I Said Goodbye to my Dog Today: "Grendel came into my life about ten years ago. She had been adopted from the pound by my step-son's girlfriend. They all moved in around the corner from us, and lived together three or four years. Grendel wold roam the neighborhood, visiting different dogs and people from house to house. She was a frequent visitor to our home where her face would suddenly appear at our back door. She got along with our miniature dachshund, Nicki, and tolerated Georgie the cat. When her parents broke up and were not in a position to take care of her any longer, it was only natural that Regina and I would adopt her."

6. Miami & Beyond - Wet and dry conundrum: "Myriam Marques, the Herald's clunky replacement for Ana Menendez, finds herself wrapped in a dilemma over wet/dry foot. Not that she would realize it -she has been demonstrating a knack for stating the obvious while making it sound as if there's an actual point being formulated. This time she rages against the symptom without looking at the cause."

7. Smashed Frog - Foley, Walsh and Hatch: "What do Mark Foley, John Walsh and Orrin Hatch have in common?"

8. Samm Simpson - Georgia, Russia and the U.S.A.: "There seems to be evidence that the Georgian military not only had United States training, but possibly U.S. mercenaries participated in the attack. Florida resident Joe Mestasl, who was visiting Ossetia when the attack occurred, had these comments..."

9. Miami-Dade Dems - Democratic clubs operating powerhouse office in South Dade: "Those activist Democrats in South Dade are at it again. Led by the powerful Democrats of South Dade Club, a bustling Coordinated Campaign Office opened at 9507 S. Dixie Highway in Dadeland Plaza last month and is serving all the Democratic candidates."

10. Doug Tudor - The Optimist Finds the Silver Lining: "After straw polls on Thursday and Friday, I would be entirely justified to be discouraged in our fight to unseat Adam Putnam and to return true representation to Florida's 12th District....Despite these lopsided defeats, I know there are some qualifiers to be taken into account."