Resiliency, EV evolution expected to be focus of Florida’s next gen transportation infrastructure

Florida is breaking records when it comes to transportation and infrastructure. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, missing bridges were reconstructed in days. After Hurricane Nicole, destroyed roads were rebuilt in just hours.

Across the Sunshine State, there are more than 123,000 miles of public roads. On average, more than 312 million miles are traveled across the state highway system every day. As Florida attracts more residents and visitors, these numbers continue to grow.

How can we manage the system and prepare for the future while continuing to respond to and recover from disasters in record time? Deloitte’s new report on trends in transportation offers some insight.

States have received an influx of investment in infrastructure from the federal level. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) “increase spending close to New Deal-era levels,” according to the report. “This generation-defining infusion of federal funding is intended to reverse decades of inadequate investment and to modernize major facets of the nation’s transportation system, ranging from funding and finance to energy sources and design specifications.”

Despite the infusion of cash, the nation’s transportation system faces significant challenges that must be addressed. It will require all stakeholders to work together to adjust to current realities while planning for the future.

According to Deloitte, there are five trends driving the conversation in transportation:

— Creating a sustainable funding mechanism for America’s transportation system

— EVs usher in a generational shift in mobility

— Modernizing America’s transportation system in an inclusive, equitable way

— Making America’s transportation network more resilient

— Turbocharging digital and technology innovation

Here in Florida, there’s a laser focus on resiliency.

While many states recognize that the evolving climate poses threats to transportation infrastructure, Florida feels it in a very real way. When sea levels rise, city roads in Coral Gables are underwater. With every hurricane that comes our way, islands are at risk of being cut off from the mainland.

According to Deloitte, “increasing the resiliency of the transportation system will require significant innovations in infrastructure design and maintenance, coupled with a more data-driven approach to prioritizing investment decisions.”

EVs are also a part of the conversation.

When it comes to electric vehicles, Florida has the second-largest share of electric vehicles in the nation. More than 58,000 EVs were registered in Florida in 2020, which was a 64% increase over the previous year. Former Sen. Jeff Brandes made it a priority to create an EV-friendly legal climate in Florida.

The expansion of EVs on the roads is a generational shift in transportation. But it also requires an extensive charging infrastructure.

“With the U.S. market on the cusp of an EV expansion, transportation leaders and ecosystem partners should focus on solving the EV charging infrastructure problem and addressing a potential talent crunch in the EV market,” states the Deloitte Insights report.

To dive into Deloitte’s insights on transportation trends, visit deloitte.com.

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If you live in Florida, you need to remove a tree from your property, but you're not sure how to go about it or if it's even safe to do yourself.

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source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=573478

Research looks for cost-effective methods to manage nematodes, fungal diseases

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Scientists from the University of Florida research cost-effective control techniques for nematodes and fungal diseases. (Photo courtesy Marco Schiavon)

A research team at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will seek to will develop cost-effective methods for managing nematodes and fungal diseases. The team at UF said the research will benefit the turfgrass industry in Florida, Georgia and other parts of the Southern U.S.

“Sting and root-knot nematodes are major pests of turfgrass in the Southern United States,” said Abolfazl Hajihassani, a scientist at UF/IFAS. “The problem lies in that the combination of pests and diseases affect the growth and quality of the turfgrass. Management tools rely mainly on a limited number of expensive chemical fumigants and nematicides.”

Hajihassani, an assistant professor at UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (UF/IFAS FLREC) is the principal investigator on a $471,201 grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Hajihassani’s team will conduct monthly samplings from five locations located throughout southeast and southwest Florida. Four of the sites are golf courses where nematodes are prevalent to monitor the population changes of these pests. The fifth location is the turfgrass testing field at UF/IFAS FLREC.

“The idea is to determine when nematodes are at the highest population near the top surface of the soil so that the nematodes can be better exposed to nematicides which in turn result in reduced population and turf damage,” said Hajihassani. “We are trying to detect fungal and bacterial secondary metabolites with the ability to control root-knot and sting nematodes and fungal diseases of turf.”

Seeking biological solutions to suppress the population of nematodes and fungal disease is another objective of the research. Hajihassani’s team will evaluate the economic profitability of the developed practices and implement extension and outreach activities.

The post Research looks for cost-effective methods to manage nematodes, fungal diseases appeared first on Landscape Management.

source http://treeremovalpensacola.wordpress.com/?p=272

Miami-Dade scores $1.4M in federal earmarks for transit-oriented development

Miami-Dade County is on track to receive $1.4 million in federal funding to support transit projects in its northeastern and southeastern corners.

Earlier this month, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced 19 grant awards through President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law totaling $13.1 million for pilot programs across the country.

More than a tenth of the money is set aside for Florida’s most populous county.

The Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works will get $840,000 to advance development of the Northeast Corridor, a long-planned project intended to run on Florida East Coast Railway tracks between Miami and Aventura.

The funds will go toward drafting a master plan for transit-oriented developments — mixed-use, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly construction projects intended to serve as employment, housing and commercial hubs — at or between the corridor’s five stations.

Another $533,000 will go to Homestead to help finance transit-oriented developments around three rapid-bus stations along the South Corridor. The corridor will run on the existing South Dade Transitway, a linear, 20-mile busway between the southernmost Metrorail station near Dadeland Mall in the county’s unincorporated Kendall neighborhood and Homestead Station in the city’s downtown area.

The South Corridor is currently under construction by OHL USA Inc., which in September 2020 won a $368 million design-build contract to redevelop the corridor for “gold standard” bus rapid transit. Funding for the project includes $100 million matches from the state and federal government.

The Northeast and South corridors are part of the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan, an initiative Miami-Dade Commissioners adopted in 2016 to study, select transit modes and seek matching state and federal funds for six high-volume commuting routes across the county.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Tuesday that the incoming federal funding builds on “major announcements” her administration made this month about expanding the Metromover line to cover the Beach Corridor of the SMART Plan between Miami and South Beach and amending the SMART Plan’s North Corridor route to link the Metrorail to Hard Rock Stadium.

“Thanks to this funding from the federal government, we are making strong investments to expand our transportation system and our housing inventory, two of the biggest priorities of my administration,” Levine Cava said in a statement.

“Strong public transit systems — including our roads, bridges, and bicycle and pedestrian safety — connect our residents to good-paying jobs, protect our environment and improve our quality of life.”

Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III, Chair of the county’s powerful transportation planning board, said establishing transit-oriented developments “is a critical component of the SMART Plan.”

“Doing so will allow us to continue to build up the critical mass transit needed around transit facilities to support an efficient and sustainable transit system,” he said.

It’ll also help to counterbalance South Florida’s skyrocketing housing costs, added Eileen Higgins, who Chairs the Miami-Dade Commission’s Transportation, Mobility and Planning Committee and has spearheaded an effort to redevelop and densify more than 20 acres in a downtown Miami area called Government Center.

“Housing is always more affordable when it’s closer to reliable public transportation,” she said. “This funding from the Federal Transit Administration represents hundreds of new units that will address the housing crisis we are experiencing in Miami-Dade, while creating economic and employment hubs along our transit corridors.”

On Nov. 17, the FTA announced the award of $13.1 million worth of grants to 19 transit-oriented development projects in 14 states. Only California, Alabama and Maryland received more funds than Florida, taking $2.85 million, $1.6 million and $1.5 million, respectively.

According to an FTA press note, the money is meant to aid local government planning, increase transit access and encourage ridership through mixed-use and mixed-income developments.

The administration selected eligible projects based on criteria detailed in a notice of funding opportunity, which for the first time required applicants to prioritize transit-oriented developments in areas with high incidence rates of homelessness.

Nearly 89% of the applicants selected in this round of grant awards addressed homelessness in their proposals.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide nearly $69 million in funding for the federal Pilot Program for TOD Planning through 2026, representing a 38% increase over the prior five years of funding.

“Transit stations represent access to jobs, schools, affordable housing and so much more,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “With this funding … more communities will be able to develop the areas around their transit stations, which will mean stronger local economies, cleaner air, and better access to the essential services families rely on.”

The post Miami-Dade scores $1.4M in federal earmarks for transit-oriented development appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

If you live in Florida, you need to remove a tree from your property, but you're not sure how to go about it or if it's even safe to do yourself.

Removing a tree can be a daunting task. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up hurting yourself or damaging your property.

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source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=573319

Personnel note: Former Pasco Co. Commissioner Mike Moore joins The Southern Group

The Southern Group is expanding its Tampa Bay team with the addition of former Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

Moore, a fixture in Pasco politics for the last decade, brings with him extensive experience in local government administration, economic development, transportation, tourism and health care.

“Mike Moore made an incredible impact on the people and businesses of Pasco County, putting the region on the map through smart policy and strategic development,” said The Southern Group co-founder and Chairman Paul Bradshaw. “I’m confident he’ll bring that same level of passion and expertise to the table for our many varied clients.”

Moore was first elected to the Pasco County Commission in 2014 and served as Chair of the County Commission in 2017 and 2020. He announced in January that he would retire from the Commission at the conclusion of his term ending this year.

Throughout his tenure, Moore was instrumental in bringing several high-profile projects to the region including the development of Wesley Chapel, which has blossomed into one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. Moore also oversaw the completion of the 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus and a 17,800-square-foot recreation center at Wesley Chapel District Park, which includes a 7,000-square-foot playground adapted for children with disabilities.

“Mike Moore is a great friend and a tremendous leader in Pasco County who knows better than most how to get things done,” said former Senate President and Agriculture Commissioner-elect Wilton Simpson. “His service on the County Commission did our area proud and I’m confident he’ll be a huge asset to the Southern Group and his clients.”

A veteran of the state policy and appropriations processes as well, Moore has advocated for various transportation projects on behalf of the region resulting in improved daily commutes for more than 600,000 Pasco County residents. Moore also helped modernize Pasco’s tourism bureau to better showcase the county’s activity and sporting resources.

“The Southern Group is super excited to welcome Mike Moore to our Tampa Bay team,” said Tampa Bay managing partner Seth McKeel. “As our impact and reach throughout the region continues to grow, Mike is exactly the type of energetic leader who’ll bring his renowned passion and enthusiasm to delivering impactful results for our clients.”

Before entering elected office, Moore founded a successful health care company which he built into the largest of its kind in the Tampa Bay region. He later sold the company to a private equity group in 2012.

In 2014, he was appointed to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, where he helped tackle regional issues related to transportation, economic development, housing and emergency preparedness. In 2017, Moore was awarded the community hero award by what is now the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce for his efforts to help residents impacted by Hurricane Irma. In 2019, Moore was recognized as the “Best Local Politician” in the Best of the Bay awards sponsored by Creative Loafing.

Moore graduated with his bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and lives in Wesley Chapel with his wife and three children.

The post Personnel note: Former Pasco Co. Commissioner Mike Moore joins The Southern Group appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.

Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.

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source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=573181

Latest on the Senate legislative staffing merry-go-round

With a tip of the hat for LobbyTools, here are the latest movements — on and off — the Senate legislative merry-go-round.

Off: Caroline Goodner is off as an administrative assistant to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government.

On: President Kathleen Passidomo tapped Tracy Cantella to be the next Senate Secretary.

On and off: Patty Harrison and Andrew Liebert joined Bartow Republican Sen. Ben Albritton’s office as legislative aides. John Hinchee is off as Albritton’s legislative aide.

On: Alicia Araya is on as a legislative aide to Hialeah Gardens Republican Sen. Bryan Avila.

Off: Dee Alexander is off as legislative aide to Nassau County Republican Sen. Aaron Bean.

On: Khadeidra Willis is on as a legislative aide to Boynton Beach Democratic Sen. Lori Berman.

Off: Angel Gonzalez is off, and Sherese Gainous is on as a legislative aide to Plantation Democratic Sen. Lauren Book.

Off: RaShon Young is off as legislative aide to Orlando Democratic Sen. Randolph Bracy.

On: Denise DeBow, Lara Medley and Brittney Rembert are on as legislative aides to Lakeland Republican Sen. Colleen Burton.

On: Lentera Buskirk and Aaron Courtney is on as legislative aides to Tampa Republican Sen. Jay Collins.

On: Farisha Hamid is on as a legislative aide to Jacksonville Democratic Sen. Tracie Davis.

On: Brendan Burke is on as a legislative aide to Pinellas County Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie.

Off: Jacob Flaherty is off as legislative aide to Broward County Democratic Sen. Gary Farmer.

On: Ana Del Valle is on as a legislative aide to Miami Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia.

On: Sharon Stewart is on as a legislative aide to St. Lucie Republican Sen. Erin Grall.

On: Hunter Flack and Victoria Brill are on as legislative aides to Sarasota Republican Sen. Joe Gruters.

On: Ashley Overend is on as a legislative aide to Clearwater Republican Sen. Ed Hooper.

Off: Arbie Nickerson is off as legislative aide to Miami Gardens Democratic Sen. Shev Jones.

On: Albert Griffith, Krissy Houlihan, and Timothy Morris are on as legislative aides to Fort Myers Republican Sen. Jonathan Martin.

On and off: Suzanne McGuire is on, and Suzanne McGuire is off as legislative aide to Gainesville Republican Sen. Keith Perry.

Off: Robert Heere is off as legislative aide to St. Petersburg Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson.

On: Paloma Alvarez-Garrandes is on as a legislative aide to Doral Republican Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez.

On: Michael Brien and Anika Hamilton are on as legislative aides to Orange County Democratic Sen. Geraldine Thompson.

 

The post Latest on the Senate legislative staffing merry-go-round appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.

Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.

Pensacola Tree Service is the perfect solution for all your tree maintenance needs. We have experienced professionals who will take care of your trees quickly and safely.

source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=572989

Anti-abortion posts on Facebook cost a pastor his hospital chaplain job. Now he’s suing Orlando Health.

An ex-Orlando Health chaplain says he was fired from his job after he posted his anti-abortion opinions on his personal social media account.

Rev. Jay McCaig had been the chapel at St. Cloud Hospital from 2011 until 2021 when he claimed he was wrongfully terminated for his personal views, according to his new federal lawsuit against Orlando Health. McCaig is seeking back pay, front pay, attorney fees and other damages for an unspecified amount.

McCaig had strong personal views on abortion and considered it to be “immoral, a sin against God, and contrary to such teachings of the Bible,” his lawsuit said. However, McCaig said he never talked about his anti-abortion stance with patients or employees at the hospital.

McCaig’s Facebook post on abortion cost him his job on April 11, 2021, the lawsuit alleges. That was the day he was fired and escorted off the hospital premises.

McCaig “was not told which post or posts on his personal Facebook page violated Orlando Health’s company policy, nor was he informed which company policy he violated,” his lawsuit said.

Orlando Health spokesperson Kena Lewis denied McCaig’s allegations.

“Mr. McCaig’s complaint mischaracterizes the facts and the reasons for his termination, which were completely unrelated to his religious beliefs. As indicated in the Complaint, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has already reviewed Mr. McCaig’s allegations and decided not to proceed with any further investigation or action. We will have no further comment on this matter,” she said in a statement Monday. The spokesperson would not say why McCaig was fired.

After he was fired, McCaig emailed David Strong, the CEO of Orlando Health.

Karen Frenier, the hospital’s chief human resources officer, responded to McCaig, according to the lawsuit.

“Orlando Health has a commitment to providing an environment that recognizes, values and respects the diversity of our community, patients and families, physicians, and team members,” Frenier wrote. “There were concerns about your ability to provide spiritual and emotional care for Orlando Health’s diverse patient and team member population given your public social media posts. In addition, there were verbal complaints from team members and the Orlando Health Alert Line received a formal complaint regarding your social media activity.”

McCaig wrote her back.

“My beliefs regarding abortion are my religious beliefs and my understanding of the Biblical text. Those religious beliefs are why I was terminated,” his response said, adding his personal Facebook account didn’t identify his job at Orlando Health.

Orlando Health acquired St. Cloud Regional Medical Center in 2020.

McCaig’s attorneys did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

McCaig had been a public face at the hospital. He once gave the invocation at a St. Cloud City Council meeting and held a prayer vigil during the pandemic at the hospital to support health care workers.

The pastor said in his lawsuit he had a spotless record and was never disciplined before he was fired.

On his website, McCaig occasionally blogged about abortion, placing it in the category of murder.

“America’s problem is not one of guns or mental health — America has a sin problem that has gone untreated for (too) long,” he wrote in a 2018 post. “We murder thousands of children a day and call it ‘Health Care’ and there are many pushing to have the right of abortion to newborns as well.”

McCaig isn’t the first Central Floridian to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court after losing his job because of what he said on Facebook.

Last month Florida Politics broke the story that a Kissimmee police officer was suing after he lost his job in a similar fashion in 2021. The city of Kissimmee received complaints about Andrew Johnson’s social media posts where he mocked the Black Lives Matter movement and appeared to support the Capitol insurrection.

The post Anti-abortion posts on Facebook cost a pastor his hospital chaplain job. Now he’s suing Orlando Health. appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.

Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.

Pensacola Tree Service is the perfect solution for all your tree maintenance needs. We have experienced professionals who will take care of your trees quickly and safely.

source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=573098

The mother of all contracts: A seismic shift in Medicaid program could be ahead

Florida’s mammoth health care agency is moving forward with one of the state’s biggest — and most expensive — contracts. And it’s going to be quite an undertaking.

The Agency for Health Care Administration will ultimately be tasked with awarding new six-year contracts to a handful of managed care companies, making them responsible for the health care of more than 4.24 million residents.

Rarely publicized state data shows the current contracts for Medicaid are worth billions to the managed care companies operating in the system now. And those who have been deeply involved in past contracts say it is a highly complicated process to navigate.

Data suggests managed care plans with Medicaid contracts could be paid close to $100 billion over the six-year period covered in the next round of contracts.

Managed care plans reported receiving more than $65 billion in Medicaid premiums during the first four years of the current contract, according to Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR)-produced managed care reports. Nearly $20 billion of that premium was collected in 2021 alone, according to Florida Politics’ analysis of the data.

No managed care plan reported more Medicaid premiums in 2021 than Sunshine Health Plan. More than 83% of Sunshine Health Plan’s premium for the year came from Medicaid. Sunshine Health Plan also was one of the most profitable managed care plans in 2021, reporting a $537 million profit, according to state data.

To ensure managed care plans do not incentivize profits over care, the law limits how much profit plans can earn from Medicaid before having to return a share of the profits to the state. AHCA calculates the so-called “achieved savings rebate” (ASR) annually.

The state has not finalized the ASR amounts for 2021, according to AHCA.

But in 2020, when managed care plans collected $16.4 billion in Medicaid premiums, the contracted plans in total returned nearly $275 million to the state, according to a document prepared by the Bureau of Medicaid Finance. The $275 million figure more than doubles the $129.9 million aggregate ASR managed care plans returned to the state in 2019.

2020 marked the start of the pandemic and also included a three-month shutdown for “optional” medical care. And when the economy reopened for business, people continued to delay seeking health care.

Managed care plans file financial statements and enrollment reports with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Florida’s OIR compiles the unaudited reported data from the NAIC filings to assemble the quarterly reports. The reports provide details on the amount of premiums collected broken down by insurance, assets, liabilities and capital for each managed care plan.

Florida Politics analyzed the quarterly reports for managed care plans between 2018 and 2021 while also reviewing the OIR-published data for the first quarter of the calendar year 2022.

Between January and March of this year, managed care plans reported collecting $6.17 billion in Medicaid premiums. That’s $1.5 billion more than what the plans reported for the first quarter of 2021.

Preparing to seek bids

Meanwhile, those who have worked on Medicaid procurement say a lot goes into the process before actual bidding requests head out the door.

Before Melanie Brown-Woofter headed the Florida Behavioral Health Association, she was the bureau chief of AHCA’s Medicaid managed care unit.

As such, Brown-Woofter worked on the “team” that helped develop the procurement documents used for the 2014 contracts.

She also worked on the Medicaid contracts Florida used in the precursor to the statewide mandatory managed care program: a five-county managed care pilot program.

In other words, she has been there, done that.

“They should be at least rounding the corner to see the finish line for drafting the document and issuing the procurement,” Brown-Woofter said when asked about what’s happening behind the doors of AHCA.

Brown-Woofter recalls an agency staff team was assembled with people from the various Medicaid bureaus — from managed care to finance to quality and project management. The team, which also included staff from the agency’s general counsel’s office, met for more than a year on the procurement.

“When we looked at it as a process, it was all the way from what requirements and quality metrics are we going to have (in the contracts) all the way through implementation,” she said. “It was well thought out.”

It had to be. At the time, the agency was required to conduct a Medicaid managed care procurement in each region across the state. That meant 11 different procurements, each of which could be challenged by health care plans that weren’t awarded the lucrative Medicaid contracts. (Worth noting: the Legislature this year changed the law to allow for one statewide procurement. It also reduced the number of managed care regions from 11 to eight.)

Ultimately, 16 Medicaid managed care plans had contracts in 2014 to provide care to the state’s poor, elderly and disabled population. And it was done without any significant litigation.

“It was just very, very rewarding,” Brown-Woofter said.

While the first procurement was more than a year in the making, Brown-Woofter said the contracts that were used borrowed heavily from the contracts used in a Medicaid Reform managed care pilot program that initially operated in Broward and Duval counties in 2006 and expanded the following year to also include Nassau, Clay and Baker counties.

“It was a great learning opportunity,” Brown-Woofter said, noting that the Medicaid Reform pilot project gave the agency first-time insight into the contracting between managed care plans and health care providers and “the pain points that came out of that.” Similar to today’s mandatory program, the five-county pilot also required beneficiaries to choose a managed care plan — those who didn’t were assigned a plan. The agency learned the approach sometimes resulted in the bifurcation of a family’s medical home, with a parent being assigned to one plan and their child or children to another.

“Sometimes it’s easier for families to only have one plan to go to,” Brown-Woofter said. The agency was able to alter the assignment policy to provide families more choices, she said.

Additionally, the Medicaid Reform pilot gave the agency insight as to whether managed care would be of benefit for people with serious mental illness.

From that, the Medicaid managed care specialty plan was born, Brown-Woofter said. The state in 2014 had signed Medicaid contracts with managed care plans that provided treatment for serious mental illness, HIV and AIDS, and medically complex pediatric conditions. The state also had a signed Medicaid contract with a managed care plan that provided health care to children who were in the custody of the state.

When the state began working on the second procurement in 2016 it also applied lessons learned from experience, said Justin Senior, CEO of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida.

Before heading the statewide hospital association, Senior was Florida’s Medicaid Director and also was the AHCA Secretary. Senior said the agency had certain goals with the second procurement, including accelerating and encouraging alternative payment arrangements between managed care plans and their contracted providers. Alternative payment arrangements allow plans to pay providers a lump sum for managing a patient’s care. Financial incentives can be awarded for successful results.

Alternative payment arrangements replace a fee-for-service reimbursement where providers submit bills to the managed care plan with codes for the services provided. The reimbursement arrangement incentivizes visits, Senior said, and outcomes.

AHCA also wanted Medicaid managed care plans to reduce potentially preventable hospital events by 22%; hospital admissions/readmissions by 21% and emergency department visits by 14%.

“They are going to be looking at that right now to figure out — ‘do we want to put an emphasis on this in the next contract? Do we want to score this in a way that our top performers get more points than our worst ones?’” Senior said of the requirements in the 2018 contracts. “That’s the type of thing you need to think of here. You need to get the health plans that are most likely to help you achieve the result that you want.”

 Equitable health care for all?

Tallahassee attorney Anne Swerlick worries the state may not take steps to address health equities in developing the new contracts. Swerlick, in the 2022 Legislative Session championed a bill requiring Medicaid managed care plans to, beginning in the 2026 calendar year, stratify some of the data it is required to report to the state by age, sex, race, ethnicity, primary language and disability determination.

But, at Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families’ virtual conference this summer Swerlick told Daniel Tsai, the deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, that the agency did not mention health equity in the Medicaid Request for Information it published earlier this summer. The RFI was issued to help give AHCA guidance as it worked on the procurement.

“There was not one mention in that RFI of health equity or health disparities or any signal of a commitment by the state to use this as an opportunity to address these issues. We were quite disappointed by that,” Swerlick said.

The post The mother of all contracts: A seismic shift in Medicaid program could be ahead appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.

Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.

Pensacola Tree Service is the perfect solution for all your tree maintenance needs. We have experienced professionals who will take care of your trees quickly and safely.

source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=572967

Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics — Week of 11.20.22

‘Tis the season once again!

It’s time for the tradition of gathering together, with joy for some, stress for others, plenty of turkeys and, of course, a good fight (or several).

No, I’m not talking about Thanksgiving leading into next month’s holidays. This week marked the start of the legislative season!

Following this year’s Midterm Election, lawmakers met in Tallahassee Tuesday for the organizational session, meant to formally kick off a new legislative term. That, of course, will lead the state into the 2023 Legislative Session.

But those watching closely won’t have to wait until next year to see how the new Republican supermajority in the Legislature unfolds. Lawmakers are already planning to meet next month for a second Special Session meant to address the state’s outrageous property insurance market.

The Regular Session will likely give way to more culture war battles, as the now-formalized Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner signaled their intention to continue Gov. Ron DeSantis’ crusade against woke-dom.

And this past week’s organizational session was the formal start of it all. The next year is likely to heavily influence whether DeSantis will take a shot at the White House in 2024. And with the GOP holding a firm grip on both the House and Senate, Republican lawmakers will play a vital role in helping DeSantis craft an agenda to help boost his political future — whether in 2024 or 2028.

Now, it’s on to our weekly game of winners and losers.

Winners

Honorable mention: Roberto Gonzalez. Gonzalez, a former House candidate, now has a seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission thanks to Gov. DeSantis.

DeSantis selected Gonzalez to replace suspended Commissioner Joe Martinez, who was ousted by DeSantis following felony charges of unlawful compensation.

Gonzalez ran this year for the House District 119 seat, but finished a distant second in the five-person Republican Primary, losing 48%-20% to Juan Carlos Porras. Now, DeSantis has given him a quick rebound by selecting Gonzalez to fill the District 11 seat on the Miami-Dade Commission.

Gonzalez is a Guatemala native who works as a personal injury lawyer at PereGonza Law Firm in Miami. He’ll now represent more than 200,000 people on the Commission.

Almost (but not quite) biggest winners: Tom Leek, Daniel Perez. Leek and Perez are among a slate of GOP lawmakers tapped by Speaker Renner to Chair major committees for the next two years. Renner made the announcement during this past week’s organizational session.

Leek will take over the powerful Appropriations Committee, which helps develop the state’s annual budget. Perez, meanwhile, will succeed Renner in leading the Rules Committee. Like Renner, Perez is slated to jump from leading Rules to serving as House Speaker, as Perez is in line for the position in the 2024-26 term.

The two will be among Renner’s most powerful allies in pushing through a conservative legislative policy agenda.

And Renner will have plenty of other help from other GOP lawmakers. Rep. Bob Rommel will Chair the Commerce Committee. Rep. Ralph Massullo will helm the Education & Employment Committee. Rep. Randy Fine will head the Health & Human Services Committee. Rep. Tommy Gregory will take charge of the Judiciary Committee, while Rep. Lawrence McClure will helm the State Affairs Committee. And Rep. Stan McClain will Chair the Ways & Means Committee.

Rep. Bobby Payne will Chair the new Infrastructure Strategies Committee, while Rep. Mike Grant will lead the Select Committee on Hurricane Resiliency & Recovery.

With plenty of eyes on Florida the next two-plus years, the spotlight on those members will be bright. That gives them plenty of opportunity — but also responsibility — going forward.

The biggest winners: Disney. Bob Iger is back.

Early last week, The Walt Disney Company made the choice to move on from CEO Bob Chapek and return the keys to the company to Iger.

Iger’s reputation as a respected leader is well-established. And he’ll need to bring that leadership to the table to help Disney navigate its post-pandemic future, the effect of recent storms and, of course, state Republicans’ recent war against the company for eventually speaking out against a measure meant to limit LGBTQ instruction in schools.

Chapek did earn praise for navigating Disney through the COVID-19 pandemic. But his handling of the measure critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law — which saw Chapek pressing Disney employees for silence before belatedly speaking out against the bill — angered both sides of the debate.

Following a disappointing fourth quarter for the company, Disney decided to move on from Chapek entirely despite just giving him an extension in June.

Now, Iger will return, reportedly for two years before helping the company find another successor.

“I am deeply honored to be asked to again lead this remarkable team, with a clear mission focused on creative excellence to inspire generations through unrivaled, bold storytelling,” Iger said.

Iger is a safe bet to help Disney with any financial struggles. As for the battle with state lawmakers? Well, with a new face on the company, it gives lawmakers an easy out to reverse the decision earlier this year to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which governs Disney territory.

The Legislature made the move to punish Disney for its advocacy, but many critics said such a hasty decision was unworkable, and some already suspected a reversal was the only resolution. The dissolution is scheduled to go into effect following the 2023 Session, giving lawmakers plenty of time to make nice with Iger, perhaps touch up the terms of the governing body, and let Disney be Disney.

Losers

Dishonorable mention: Orlando Slingshot operator. The state is issuing a $250,000 fine after 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell from the ride in March and died.

An autopsy showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds, according to The Associated Press, nearly 100 pounds above the ride’s 287-pound limit.

The ride’s operators will be barred from ever holding a Florida ride permit, and the ride is also set to be dismantled.

“What we can do is make sure our laws don’t allow this to happen to anyone else,“ Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said.

And this may not be the only punishment following the tragedy. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has received the case and will determine whether criminal charges are warranted.

Almost (but not quite) biggest loser: Rodney Velez. Velez narrowly won the District 1 seat on the Broward County School Board this month. But unlike his fellow new School Board members, Velez has yet to be formally seated.

That’s thanks to a decades-old conviction that could keep Velez off the School Board entirely.

While Velez had his voting rights restored, he needed to go through a separate process to allow him to properly qualify to hold office. He did not. And that could, potentially, open him up to a third-degree felony if he attested that he was eligible for office.

“I’m not going to break the law,” Velez told the Sun-Sentinel. “I’ve been waiting for things to happen. I’m still waiting. I still have time.”

Velez added that he would wait to be sworn in and was not planning to resign. But it’s not clear how much leeway he has before the seat is considered vacant. And it’s entirely possible Velez will never sit if the issue isn’t cleared up.

The biggest losers: Andrew Warren’s attorneys. The trial over whether the Governor’s suspension of Warren is set to begin this upcoming Tuesday. But one key player in the battle won’t have to testify: Gov. DeSantis.

That’s according to a new ruling from U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle. Warren is suing for his job back after the Governor suspended Warren from his post as Hillsborough County State Attorney. In making that decision, DeSantis pointed to comments Warren made that Warren would not enforce laws or regulations against abortion or transgender care.

Warren has argued the decision violated his First Amendment rights, as he simply commented on his intent. There was no actual case in front of Warren which he declined to prosecute.

Warren’s lawyers tried to get the Governor to speak in court about the decision, but the Governor’s attorneys pointed to the large batch of documents they already provided to the court regarding DeSantis’ rationale for the suspension.

Hinkle said he would not push to force the Governor to testify.

“If the Governor doesn’t testify, then the Governor won’t testify and I won’t have his testimony,” Hinkle said. “And that’s the choice the Governor has made.”

The judge did leave the door open slightly for a different ruling should the defense make another motion for the testimony during the trial … only to seemingly slam it shut.

“If he makes a showing … I’ll do what I do every time a motion is filed — I’ll analyze it and make a ruling,” Hinkle said. “But at least as things stand now, the Governor is not going to be testifying … and I think it’s very unlikely the situation would change.”

The post Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics — Week of 11.20.22 appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

If you live in Florida, you need to remove a tree from your property, but you're not sure how to go about it or if it's even safe to do yourself.

Removing a tree can be a daunting task. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up hurting yourself or damaging your property.

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source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=572897

Is your turf issue drought stress or chinch bug damage?

If you’re in the Pensacola area, then you have probably already experienced the need for having to remove a tree or stump or getting your tree’s trimmed.

The cost of tree removal varies depending on a few factors, such as:

– The type of tree that needs to be removed

– The size of the tree

– The location of the tree

– The condition of the tree

Pensacola Tree Removal offers competitive pricing for our tree removal services.

For a full list of services Tree removal services visit https://treeservicespensacola.com/tree-removal-pensacola/ for a fast, friendly and reliable quote that you can count on.

This will help not only beautify your property but also is the safest way to do it.

https://www.landscapemanagement.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Chinch-bug-Big-eyed-DS-Reiland-from-FMC-620.jpg"; alt="Without bias Chinch bugs (often mistaken for big-eye bugs as seen on the right) are equal-opportunity turfgrass attackers, targeting both cool- and warm-season grasses. (Photo: North Carolina State University)” width=”402″ height=”217″ class=”wp-image-123274″ />

Without bias Chinch bugs (often mistaken for big-eye bugs as seen on the right) are equal-opportunity turfgrass attackers, targeting both cool- and warm-season grasses. (Photo: North Carolina State University)

Chinch bugs can be a difficult pest for lawn care operators to identify and control. Closely mimicking drought damage, these pests cause turf to turn yellow and thin, transforming into dry patches if left untreated.

Chinch bugs pierce the turfgrass blades and suck fluid from the plant. As they feed, they also secrete toxins inside the turfgrass that disrupt the water and nutrient movement within the plant. This condition causes the turf to yellow and wilt, which is why chinch bug damage is often misidentified as drought stress.

Lawn care professionals share the best ways to tackle chinch bugs and treat the damage they cause to turfgrass.

Chinch bug 411

“Both cool- and warm-season turf can be affected by chinch bugs,” says Bret Corbett, director of technical services with Prime Source. “In the Southeast, the Southern chinch bug can affect almost all warm-season varieties, but St. Augustine is the most common turf type to be associated with extensive damage.”

For cool-season turf, hairy chinch bug is most common. It’s found in Kentucky bluegrass, fescues and ryegrasses, according to Corbett.

Brian Mount, FMC technical service manager for insecticides, says drought or otherwise stressed turfgrasses will be more susceptible to chinch bug attacks.

“A healthy lawn is a great defense against attack from insects and diseases,” Mount says. “It is also worth noting that chinch bugs can attack totally healthy turfgrass as it would represent a good source of food.”

Signs of damage

The most telling sign of chinch bug damage is irregular yellow patches of turf, says Mount.

“These patchy areas can turn reddish brown and eventually die while the chinch bugs move outward into healthy turf,” he says. “A yellow halo around the damaged area is typical of a chinch bug infestation.”

Todd Lowe, technical services manager at Envu Green Solutions, notes that chinch bugs appear more active each spring and continue throughout the hot summer months. Areas experiencing drought will have greater chinch bug damage at the time, he adds.

“Hopefully, homeowner irrigation systems can keep the turf from dying off completely before effective programs can be implemented,” Lowe says.

Locating and eradicating

Early detection is key because early life stages of the chinch bug are easier to control than later stages, according to Mount.

Lowe says LCOs should use the tin can test to scout for pests. This method involves lawn care operators taking a coffee can or similar device, and cutting both ends and inserting it into the upper soil of the lawn. Professionals then saturate the soil with a hose until insects and clipping debris float upward.

Corbett offers another way for professionals to identify the pest.

“Pulling back the turf adjunct to yellow areas is a great way to scout for these pests,” he says. “Chinch bugs can usually be seen easily if they are present.”

Research from North Carolina State University lists the threshold as 20 to 25 chinch bugs per square foot.

Once LCOs determine insecticide treatments are necessary, experts say they can — and should — deploy several active ingredients to control the pest.

“Products that are used for control of chinch bugs include products that contain the active ingredients acephate, chlorantraniliprole or clothianidin along with many different pyrethroids,” he says. “The bioinsecticide Crescendo also provides great knockdown.”

Mount adds, “In the South, where treatments occur year-round, it is important to rotate active ingredients as chinch bugs can quickly develop insecticide resistance.”

For more on chinch bugs, read “Chinch bugs be gone.“

The post Is your turf issue drought stress or chinch bug damage? appeared first on Landscape Management.

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Midterms free of feared chaos as voting experts look to 2024

Before Election Day, anxiety mounted over potential chaos at the polls.

Election officials warned about poll watchers who had been steeped in conspiracy theories falsely claiming that then-President Donald Trump did not actually lose the 2020 election. Democrats and voting rights groups worried about the effects of new election laws, in some Republican-controlled states, that President Joe Biden decried as “Jim Crow 2.0.” Law enforcement agencies were monitoring possible threats at the polls.

Yet Election Day, and the weeks of early voting before it, went fairly smoothly. There were some reports of unruly poll watchers disrupting voting, but they were scattered. Groups of armed vigilantes began watching over a handful of ballot drop boxes in Arizona until a judge ordered them to stay far away to ensure they would not intimidate voters. And while it might take months to figure out their full impact, GOP-backed voting laws enacted after the 2020 election did not appear to cause major disruptions the way they did during the March primary in Texas.

“The entire ecosystem in a lot of ways has become more resilient in the aftermath of 2020,” said Amber McReynolds, a former Denver elections director who advises a number of voting rights organizations. “There’s been a lot of effort on ensuring things went well.”

Even though some voting experts’ worst fears didn’t materialize, some voters still experienced the types of routine foul-ups that happen on a small scale in every election. Many of those fell disproportionately on Black and Hispanic voters.

“Things went better than expected,” said Amir Badat of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. “But we have to say that with a caveat: Our expectations are low.”

Badat said his organization recorded long lines at various polling places from South Carolina to Texas.

There were particular problems in Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston. Shortages of paper ballots and at least one polling location opening late led to long lines and triggered an investigation of the predominantly Democratic county by the state’s Republican authorities.

The investigation is partly a reflection of how certain voting snafus on Election Day are increasingly falling on Republican voters, who have been discouraged from using mailed ballots or using early in-person voting by Trump and his allies. But it’s a very different problem from what Texas had during its March primary.

Then, a controversial new voting law that increased the requirements on mail ballots led to about 13% of all such ballots being rejected, much higher compared with other elections. It was an ominous sign for a wave of new laws, passed after Trump’s loss to Biden and false claims about mail voting, but there have been no problems of that scale reported for the general election.

Texas changed the design of its mail ballots, which solved many of the problems voters had putting identifying information in the proper place. Other states that added regulations on voting didn’t appear to have widespread problems, though voting rights groups and analysts say it will take weeks of combing through data to find out the laws’ impacts.

The Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law is compiling data to determine whether new voting laws in states such as Georgia contributed to a drop in turnout among Black and Hispanic voters.

Preliminary figures show turnout was lower this year than in the last midterm election four years ago in Florida, Georgia, Iowa and Texas — four states that passed significant voting restrictions since the 2020 election — although there could be a number of reasons why.

“It’s difficult to judge, empirically, the kind of effect these laws have on turnout because so many factors go into turnout,” said Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Los Angeles law school. “You also have plenty of exaggeration on the Democratic side that any kind of change in voting laws are going to cause some major effect on the election, which has been proven not to be the case.”

In Georgia, for example, Republicans made it more complicated to apply for mailed ballots after the 2020 election — among other things, requiring voters to include their driver’s license number or some other form of identification rather than a signature. That may be one reason why early in-person voting soared in popularity in the state this year, and turnout there dipped only slightly from 2018.

Jason Snead, executive director of the conservative Honest Elections Project, which advocates for tighter voting laws, said the fairly robust turnout in the midterm elections shows that fears of the new voting regulations were overblown.

“We are on the back end of an election that was supposed to be the end of democracy, and it very much was not,” Snead said.

Poll watchers were a significant concern of voting rights groups and election officials heading into Election Day. The representatives of the two major political parties are a key part of any secure election process, credentialed observers who can object to perceived violations of rules.

But this year, groups aligned with conspiracy theorists who challenged Biden’s 2020 victory recruited poll watchers heavily, and some states reported that aggressive volunteers caused disruptions during the primary. But there were fewer issues in November.

In North Carolina, where several counties had reported problems with poll watchers in the May primary, the state elections board reported 21 incidents of misbehavior at the polls in the general election, most during the early, in-person voting period and by members of campaigns rather than poll watchers. The observers were responsible for eight of the incidents.

Voting experts were pleasantly surprised there weren’t more problems with poll watchers, marking the second general election in a row when a feared threat of aggressive Republican observers did not materialize.

“This seems to be an increase over 2020. Is it a small increase? Yes,” said Michael McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida. “It’s still a dry run for 2024, and we can’t quite let down our guard.”

One of the main organizers of the poll watcher effort was Cleta Mitchell, a veteran Republican election lawyer who joined Trump on a Jan. 2, 2020, call to Georgia’s top election official when the president asked that the state “find” enough votes to declare him the winner. Mitchell then launched an organization to train volunteers who wanted to keep an eye on election officials, which was seen as the driver of the poll watcher surge.

Mitchell said the relatively quiet election is vindication that groups like hers were simply concerned with election integrity rather than causing disruptions.

“Every training conducted by those of us doing such training included instruction about behavior, and that they must be ‘Peaceful, Lawful, Honest,’” Mitchell wrote in the conservative online publication The Federalist. “Yet, without evidence, the closer we got to Election Day, the more hysterical the headlines became, warning of violence at the polls resulting from too many observers watching the process. It didn’t happen.”

Voting rights groups say they’re relieved their fears didn’t materialize, but they say threats to democracy remain on the horizon for 2024 — especially with Trump announcing that he’s running again. Wendy Weiser, a voting and elections expert at the Brennan Center, agreed that things overall went smoother than expected.

“By and large, sabotage didn’t happen,” Weiser said. “I don’t think that means we’re in the clear.”

___

Republished with permission of The Associated Press.

The post Midterms free of feared chaos as voting experts look to 2024 appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

If you live in Florida, you need to remove a tree from your property, but you're not sure how to go about it or if it's even safe to do yourself.

Removing a tree can be a daunting task. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up hurting yourself or damaging your property.

Pensacola Tree Service is here to help. We are experts in tree removal, stump grinding, and tree trimming. We will safely remove the tree from your property and leave your yard looking great.

source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=572882

FSU aims to use run game to sweep 2nd in-state rival

Florida (6-5) at No. 16 Florida State (8-3), 7:30 p.m. EST Friday (ABC)

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK COLLEGE LINE: Florida State by 9 1/2.

Series record: Florida 37-26-2.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

State as well as yearlong bragging rights are on the line. Florida State could claim a sweep of its in-state rivals for the first time since 2016 with a win over Florida (after beating Miami earlier this month), while the Gators can salvage a monumental victory in a difficult Year 1 for coach Billy Napier.

KEY MATCHUP

Florida State’s running game vs Florida’s run defense. The Seminoles have run for 200 or more yards in six consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation, and are ranked 14th in the FBS in rush offense (217 yards per game). The Gators rank 10th in the SEC and 92nd in the FBS against the run, allowing 171.55 yards per game on the ground.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Florida: QB Anthony Richardson is coming off his second 400-yard passing performance of the season. He completed 25 of 42 passes for 400 yards and three TDs in a 31-24 loss at Vanderbilt. If the Gators have any chance in Tallahassee, Richardson has to be accurate while throwing the ball and dynamic while running it.

Florida State: Jordan Travis has thrown for 21 touchdowns and has five rushing TDs, becoming just the fourth quarterback in school history to do so. The redshirt junior is an improving passer and has completed 63% of his throws during Florida State’s four-game winning streak.

FACTS & FIGURES

In Florida’s three-game series winning streak, the Gators have outscored the Seminoles 105-52 … Trey Benson has run for 854 yards and averages 7.1 yards per carry. He is in line to become Florida State’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Cam Akers in 2019 … FSU leads the nation with seven touchdown drives of 90+ yards and is 2nd nationally with 15 touchdown drives of 80+ yards this season. … Florida has three running backs who are among the top 10 rushers in the SEC in yards per carry: Richardson (6.6, fourth), Trevor Etienne (6.2, sixth) and Montrell Johnson Jr. (5.8, 10th). … Florida State coach Mike Norvell is 19-5 (.792) in November, including 3-0 this season … Napier and Norvell are facing off for the first time as head coaches.

___

Republished with permission from The Associated Press.

The post FSU aims to use run game to sweep 2nd in-state rival appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

If you live in Florida, you need to remove a tree from your property, but you're not sure how to go about it or if it's even safe to do yourself.

Removing a tree can be a daunting task. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up hurting yourself or damaging your property.

Tree Services in Pensacola Florida are here to take on the job.  Click here for more details. We are experts in tree removal, stump grinding, and tree trimming. We will safely remove the tree from your property and leave your yard looking great.

source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=572871

Rising food costs take a bite out of Thanksgiving dinner

In early November, Hays Culbreth’s mother sent a poll to a few family members. She said she could only afford to make two sides for their group of 15 this Thanksgiving and asked them each to vote for their favorites.

Culbreth guesses green beans and macaroni and cheese will make the cut, but his favorite — sweet potato casserole with a brown sugar crust — will not.

“Talk about Thanksgiving being ruined,” joked Culbreth, 27, a financial planner from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Americans are bracing for a costly Thanksgiving this year, with double-digit percent increases in the price of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, canned pumpkin and other staples. The U.S. government estimates food prices will be up 9.5% to 10.5% this year; historically, they’ve risen only 2% annually.

Lower production and higher costs for labor, transportation and items are part of the reason; disease, rough weather and the war in Ukraine are also contributors.

“This really isn’t a shortage thing. This is tighter supplies with some pretty good reasons for it,” said David Anderson, a professor and agricultural economist at Texas A&M.

Wholesale turkey prices are at record highs after a difficult year for U.S. flocks. A particularly deadly strain of avian flu — first reported in February on an Indiana turkey farm — has wiped out 49 million turkeys and other poultry in 46 states this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

As a result, U.S. turkey supplies per capita are at their lowest level since 1986, said Mark Jordan, the executive director of Jonesboro, Arkansas-based Leap Market Analytics. Jordan predicts the wholesale price of a frozen, 8–16-pound turkey hen — the type typically purchased for Thanksgiving — will hit $1.77 per pound in November, up 28% from the same month last year.

Still, there will be plenty of whole birds for Thanksgiving tables, Jordan said. Companies have been shifting a higher percentage of birds into the whole turkey market for the last few years to take advantage of the consistent holiday demand.

And not every producer was equally affected. Butterball — which supplies around one-third of Thanksgiving turkeys — said avian flu impacted only about 1% of its production because of security measures it put in place after the last big bout of flu in 2015.

But it could be harder for shoppers to find turkey breasts or other cuts, Jordan said. And higher ham prices are giving cooks fewer cheap alternatives, he said.

Avian flu also pushed egg prices into record territory, Anderson said. In the second week of November, a dozen Grade A eggs were selling for an average of $2.28, more than double the price from the prior year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Egg prices would have been higher even without the flu, Anderson said, because of the rising cost of the corn and soybean meal used for chicken feed. Ukraine is normally a major exporter of corn, and the loss of that supply has caused global prices to soar.

Add that to rising prices for canned pumpkin — a 30-ounce can is up 17% from last year, according to market researcher Datasembly — and it’s clear Thanksgiving dessert will be costlier too. Nestle-owned Libby’s — which produces 85% of the world’s canned pumpkin — said pumpkin harvests were in line with previous years, but it had to compensate for higher labor, transportation, fuel and energy costs.

Plan to fill up on sides? That will also cost you. A 16-ounce box of stuffing costs 14% more than last year, Datasemby said. And a 5-pound bag of Russet potatoes averaged $3.26 the second week of November, or 45.5% higher than a year ago.

Craig Carlson, the CEO of Chicago-based Carlson Produce Consulting, said frost and a wet spring severely stunted potato growth this year. Growers also raised prices to compensate for the higher cost of seeds, fertilizer, diesel fuel and machinery. Production costs are up as much as 35% for some growers this year, an increase they can’t always recoup, Carlson said.

Higher labor and food costs are also making it more expensive to order a prepared meal. Whole Foods is advertising a classic Thanksgiving feast for eight people for $179.99. That’s $40 more than the advertised price last year.

The good news? Not every item on holiday shopping lists is significantly more expensive. Cranberries had a good harvest and prices were up less than 5% between the end of September and the beginning of November, said Paul Mitchell, an agricultural economist and professor at the University of Wisconsin. Green beans cost just 2 cents more per pound in the second week of November, according to the USDA.

And many grocers are discounting turkeys and other holiday staples in the hope that shoppers will spend more freely on other items. Walmart is promising turkeys for less than $1 per pound and says ham, potatoes and stuffing will cost the same as they did last year. Kroger and Lidl have also cut prices, so shoppers can spend $5 or less per person on a meal for 10. Aldi is rolling back prices to 2019 levels.

But Hays Culbreth isn’t optimistic about his casserole. He’s not much of a chef, so he plans to pick up a couple of pumpkin pies at the grocery on the way to his family’s feast.

___

Republished with permission of The Associated Press.

The post Rising food costs take a bite out of Thanksgiving dinner appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.

Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.

Tree Services in Pensacola is the perfect solution for all your tree maintenance needs. We have experienced professionals who will take care of your trees quickly and safely.

source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=572705

Thanksgiving is brought to you by these Florida lobbyists and political organizations

It’s time to talk turkey. And stuffing, pie, football and shopping.

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the winter holiday season. That means loads of holiday parties and visits from far-flung family.

Still, the message of the Thanksgiving holiday is the same — it’s a day for Americans to reflect on what they’re grateful for. But it’s also a day to gorge yourself on goodies, sneak a snack in between meals, and loosen your belts while watching the big game.

For food, Publix is the obvious choice. It’s where you’ll find all turkey, potatoes, stuffing and cranberries you can eat — they even sell Rubbermaid containers to store the stuff you cannot. The Florida-based grocer has Thomas Culligan in-house and Matt Bryan, Teye Carmichael and Jeff Hartley of Smith Bryan & Myers on retainer.

Chances are, many of the items that you toss into your shopping cart will come from U.S. Sugar growers. Sugar is the gimme as you’ll need that for the turkey brine. But the company’s farmers grow several other crops such as green beans, the core ingredient in green bean casserole.

Just as sugar is far from the company’s only export, the following is far from an exhaustive list of their lobbyists: Greg Black of  Waypoint Strategies; Charlie Dudley and Cory Guzzo of Floridian Partners; David Browning, Mercer Fearington, Seth McKeel, Sydney Ridley and Clark Smith of The Southern Group; Richard Heffley and Kelly Horton of Heffley & Associates; Frank Mayernick and Tracy Mayernick of The Mayernick Group; Kirk Pepper of GrayRobinson; and Christopher Smith of Tripp Scott PA.

Yes, Publix does sell turkeys, but if you haven’t bought one by now … well, you’re not hopeless, but you’ll need to start researching what “spatchcocking” is and sharpen your kitchen shears (Please tell us you have kitchen shears).

Google and YouTube have brought many Thanksgivings back from the brink. They also have many lobbyists working for them in Tallahassee. Their team includes Brian Ballard, Brad Burleson, Justin Sayfie and Amy Young of Ballard Partners; James Card, Tom DiGiacomo and Brennan Garcia of Continental Strategy; and in-house advocates Ron Barnes, Joseph Dooley, Lilyn Hester, Leah Popoff and Lewis Roberts Jr.

Deep frying is also an option, but if you’re Googling a how-to video the day of then you’re more likely to become a statistic than you are to enjoy a nice meal with family.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are more house fires on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. Turkey frying is a big reason why — fire departments respond to about 1,000 fryer fires every Thanksgiving, and about 900 of them result in a destroyed home.

It often goes unsaid, but firefighters are people we should all be thankful for. There are many firefighter groups in Florida, and many of them have lobbyists.

Johnson & Blanton are a go-to firm for these first responders. Travis Blanton, Jon Johnson, Eric Prutsman, Darrick McGee and the rest of Team J&B represent the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association and the Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association. The Florida Professional Firefighters, meanwhile, are represented by in-house lobbyists Wayne Bernoska Jr., George Mars, Rocco Salvatori and Meredith Stanfield with assistance from contract lobbyist Screven Watson.

If you happen to have a fire suppression system on premises, be thankful for the American Fire Sprinkler Association and the Florida Fire Sprinkler Association. The former is represented by Ron Pierce, Kaitlyn Bailey, Edward Briggs and Natalie King of RSA Consulting. The latter’s lobbying team includes Tim Meenan, Daniel Olson and Joy Ryan of Meenan PA.

While shopping is at Publix is indeed a pleasure, don’t even think about making a run for last-minute supplies such as whipped cream for your pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving, along with Christmas and Easter, is one of few days a year Publix shuts down so staffers can share the day with family and friends.

If you’d rather not bother with cooking, there are plenty of restaurants ready to serve you, whether it’s dine-in or carry-out. The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association aims to “protect, educate and promote,” the state’s $82 billion hospitality industry.

Representing FRLA in Tallahassee are Jim Daughton, Warren Husband, Doug Bell, Leslie Dughi, Alli Liby-Schoonover, Aimee Lyon, Andy Palmer and Karl Rasmussen of Metz Husband & Daughton.  The association also has an in-house team that includes president Carol Dover as well as Geoff Luebkemann and Samantha Padgett.

If you’re traveling for Thanksgiving, cooking probably isn’t your responsibility — getting there is hard enough. According to AAA, 54.6 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, a 1.5% increase from last year and 98% of the way to pre-pandemic levels.

Much of the increase is from air travel, which AAA expects to increase by 8% over 2021. Many of the 330,000 additional fliers will be boarding either a Delta or American Airlines flight. Delta is represented by Nick Iarossi, Ron LaFace, Maicel Green, Andrew Ketchel, Jared Rosenstein and Chris Schoonover of Capital City Consulting. American Airlines relies on Jeff Johnston, Amanda Stewart and Anita Berry of Johnston & Stewart Government Strategies.

Once the leftovers are put away and the dishes are done — and assuming no house fires — it’s time to plan out your Black Friday stops. According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated 165.3 million people are likely to shop Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. That’s great news for Florida’s retail stores, which rely on the Florida Retail Federation to make sure their voices are heard in Tallahassee.

FRF has seven lobbyists on tap, including president and CEO R. Scott Shalley; in-house advocates Lorena Holley, Grace Lovett and Gina Sisk; Angela Bonds and French Brown of Dean Mead; and Team J&B.

Many larger retail chains have their own lobbying teams. Target has in-house lobbyist Molly Cagle working alongside John Harris, Joseph Salzverg, Robert Stuart and Jason Unger of GrayRobinson; Walmart has Michael Corcoran, Jacqueline Corcoran, Matt Blair, Bethany McAlister, Will Rodriguez and Andrea Tovar of Corcoran Partners; and Amazon has Brian Ballard, Carol Bracy, Courtney Coppola and Abigail Vail of Ballard Partners.

Shopping for presents to put under the tree is certainly a good way to spend the Friday after Thanksgiving, but if you’re looking to make a difference for the less fortunate this holiday season, consider helping out at your local food bank.

Feeding Florida is a statewide network bringing together 14 food bank members across the state to try to reduce hunger. The association has the team at Johnson & Blanton backing it up when it needs a helping hand.

And as you consider other ways to help Floridians in need this holiday season, use the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ “Check-A-Charity” tool to get detailed information about the organizations you want to give to this year.

The post Thanksgiving is brought to you by these Florida lobbyists and political organizations appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

If you live in Florida, you need to remove a tree from your property, but you're not sure how to go about it or if it's even safe to do yourself.

Removing a tree can be a daunting task. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up hurting yourself or damaging your property.

Tree Services in Pensacola Florida are here to take on the job.  Click here for more details. We are experts in tree removal, stump grinding, and tree trimming. We will safely remove the tree from your property and leave your yard looking great.

source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=572634

Airbnb Holiday Getaway Feature: Architect-Designed

One of the best things you can do to stage your home begins with your landscaping. It’s because it’s the first thing people see when they approach your home. Trees and plants can make your home appear larger, cleaner, and provide a nice welcoming environment. If you must remove a tree, be sure you do so responsibly. The best thing to do is a call a professional like the ones at https://www.linkedin.com/in/TreeRemovalPensacola/

Net Zero Home with a Stunning View

Airbnb Location:
Two Harbors, MN

This Airbnb is perfect for: Families, couples looking for a quiet getaway

• Airbnb Details:
• 3 bedrooms
• 3 beds
• 2 baths
• Superhost with 5-star
• Starts at $300/night

About the Space

This one-of-a-kind getaway cabin is the perfect balance of everything you could ever wish for: artful yet cozy with a timber frame modern design that preserves the cabin-at-heart feel. The cabin has two decks with incredible views of Lake Superior, an outdoor fireplace, a “wall of windows” view of the lake from the inside as well as an open floor plan. Not only grand to the eyes, but also kind to the earth; this Airbnb cabin is sustainable and was built to the certification standards and certified by the Department of Energy as “Net Zero Ready.”

The cabin is perfectly located just 20 minutes from Duluth and 5 minutes from Two Harbors as well as a boat launch for easy lake access.

“It’s the perfect spot for families and couples looking to find peace and quiet with serene views and nature abound.”

-Jack Dickinson

The journey of starting an Airbnb

Owner Jack Dickinson runs a company that builds timber homes, barns and commercial buildings. This cabin was an opportunity to show his customers how he and his team are leading the way in terms of sustainability, prefabrication and design. The home is certified as “Net Zero Ready” in climate zone seven, the coldest climate zone in the US, and the structure itself was prefabricated in his manufacturing facility and delivered to the site in the form of timbers and panels.

Jack loves the North Shore of Lake Superior and wanted a place to share that space with his family and loves making it available for others looking to do the same. “It’s an absolute joy hearing from our renters how much they enjoyed the space—that’s my favorite part of making it available,” Jack said. “It was built with our children in mind, so it’s the perfect spot for families and couples looking to find peace and quiet with serene views and nature abound.”

Booking information: Guests can book their stay on Airbnb by visiting airbnb.com/h/dickinsoncabin

The post Airbnb Holiday Getaway Feature: Architect-Designed appeared first on Design and Living Magazine.

source http://treeremovalpensacola.wordpress.com/?p=266