South of the Suwannee

The Palm Beach Post's Sally Swartz notes that South Florida's historic homes are an engandered species, but points to proposals by Mac Stuckey of Stuart as a promising way to give owners a greater incentive to preserve them.

Instapundit references that at the current casualty rate for American troops in Iraq, it will take ten or twelve years to surpass the casualties in the much shorter Mexican War. His point being, I guess, that Iraq War casualties are historically low.

True, about 13,000 American soldiers lost their lives in the Mexican War, but only about 1,700 were combat-related. The overwhelming majority died of diseases such as yellow fever.

Although it is always dangerous for a Gator to look ahead, I think we can assume that the western Carolina game is safely in the win column and concentrate on disparaging our FSU brethren:

Collier County may be a Republican stronghold, but the affluent residents are not too happy with refugees arriving uninvited:

Timing is everything?

Forty-five Cubans thought so Saturday and Sunday when they came under cover of night to American soil and sand at Sanibel Island and Naples.

They did so at considerable personal expense and risk even though conditions that compel such flights are said to be nearing an end as Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's health is reported to be failing quickly.

The dual landings come less than three months after 20 Cubans safely and effectively fled to Marco Island.

The timing of illegal immigration continuing unabated comes amid the now-ruling Democrats in Congress saying they want to make a clear national policy a top priority. We'll see if they can do better than the Bush administration's "wet foot/dry foot" strategy that seems to deter no one.

Naples News editorial, 11/14/06

Mel Martinez as head of the RNC?

Does anyone remember the gaffs he has made (and blamed on his staff or others)?

Let the fun begin.

U.S. Senator: Bill Nelson (The fact that he has not gone negative in his political advertisements is an indication of just how far in front he is right now).

U.S. House, District 22: Clay Shaw wins in a squeaker (affluent Las Olas Isles and Lighthouse Point voters provide the margin of victory).

Governor: Charlie Crist (In spite of rumors and last-minute spate of attempted "outings," electorate figures Davis is more effeminate, so the issue is a wash).

Attorney General: Skip Campbell in a close race. Electorate sees McCollum as a weenie loser (to both Nelson and Martinez)

CFO: Alex Sink (too cute and her opponent has disappeared).

Comm. of Agriculture: Charles Bronson (too much going for him -- macho name and everyone has traveled on Irlo Bronson Hwy in Kissimmee, which is still cowboy country).

No Broward County State Senate races that are seriously contested.

Florida House, Dist. 91: Ellyn Bogdanoff will ride Shaw's coattails and win by a closer than expected margin.

Broward County Commission: Jim Scott and Kristin Jacobs only have token opposition; Stacey Ritter wins in heavily Democratic District 3.

Other races of interest (to me, at least): In spite of last minute negative mailings against her, Michele Towbin Singer edges out Pompano Beach Mayor John Rayson for Circuit Court Judge.

Voters forget about Frank Till and elect Marty Rubenstein to the Broward County School Board (Dist. 6).

Eleanor Sobel crushes opponents in School Board Dist. 1 race.

Constitutional Amendments: The only one of significance is Amendment 3 (which, if those proposing this amendment were consistent, should require 60% to be approved). Enough voters will smell a rat to send this one to defeat -- it won't even get 50%.

Broward County Initiative: Broward County voters will go for parks and open space, but not for transportation -- penny sales tax for mass transit gets shot down. The County Commission gave the electorate little reason to vote for it, in any case.

And on Wednesday the sun will come up, just as it always does.

Pompano Beach City Commissioner Kay McGinn writes an occasional newsletter. As one would expect, it is usually filled with the minutiae of local politics and development.

Her latest, however, speaks to the frustrations felt by many:

On November 7th we will go to the polls and VOTE for candidates who have been advertising themselves as great "environmentalists", able to cure the "insurance crisis", gung-ho to pass "tax reform", and the ability to pass "portability of your homestead exemption".

But what is most important, we must elect leadership that has the will to bring the Iraqi war to a conclusion. It is obvious to all that we will not solve the "religious" civil war that is ongoing in this area for a thousand years. We must find an exit strategy that keeps our troops safe from the cross fire of the weapons we carelessly put in the hands of the insurgents.

When we vote for our candidate for Governor or Congress, we should think carefully of who can best restore America's relationship around the globe and get help to stop this war. Furthermore, think about the way we got into this mess and which candidates have the best chance of getting our young men and women home.

Good for Commissioner McGinn.

Awkwardly phrased, perhaps, but given that Bush & Co. got us into an optional war that they then mismanaged to the point that "victory" is out of the question, it should be the President who apologizes to the troops.

Shorter Kingsley Guy: Vote for my friend, Clay Shaw.

Guy's paean to the veteran Congressman will, no doubt, become a popular hand-out at Shaw campaign rallies this coming week.

Hey, what are friends for?