News & Public Affairs

Castor, Hillsborough Schools officials celebrate windfall listen

02/17/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, education, economic stimulus package, politics

As part of the federal stimulus plan signed into law by President Barack Obama, more than $5 billion in education funding is expected to come to Florida.

In Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor’s 11th Congressional District which encompasses Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Manatees Counties, $145 million is coming soon.

Castor spoke this morning from Chamberlain High School, her alma matter, where she was joined by dozens of people, including local school board officials, and dozens of s...

Be the first to comment

Hillsborough School District makes plans for stimulus funds listen

02/17/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, education, economic stimulus package, politics

Some of the education money from the stimulus plan will be distributed through competitive funding.

Jeff Eakins is the Hillsborough County School District’s Director of Federal Programs. WMNF spoke with him after Kathy Castor's news conference today, and asked him about that and other aspects of how the district will spend its new funding.

That’s Jeff Eakins, he’s the Hillsborough County School District’s Director of Federal Programs, speaking about how the district will deal with the ...

Be the first to comment

Here comes new attempt to scale back Class Size Amendment listen

02/16/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Class Size Amendment, education, economy, politics

Two weeks before the Florida Legislature convenes for its formal regular session, there is again talk of class-size rules being scaled back because of budget issues.

As mandated by the passage of the 2002 Constitutional amendment, class-size rules are scheduled to be fully implemented by next year.

But according to the state board of education, approximately a quarter to a third of all of the state’s classrooms will be above the cap next year- and it’s expected to cost over $800 million...

Be the first to comment

Florida could get $5B in education funding from stimulus bill listen

02/13/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, education, economic stimulus package, politics

Public housing provisions total nearly $10 billion. Nearly $15 billion would go to clean-water and environmental protection projects.

And minus the construction money, education programs would receive nearly $100 billion in new funding, including $12 billion for special education, boosting the federal share for education services to the highest level ever, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Arne Duncan is the Secretary of Education. On a conference call with reporters t...

Be the first to comment

Nobel economist speaks at USF listen

02/13/09 Seán Kinane
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: economy, recession, housing bubble, University of South Florida

Vernon Smith is a professor of economics and law at Chapman University School of Law in Orange, Calif. This morning at the University of South Florida, Smith outlined the economic and sociological reasons for the collapse of the housing bubble, which led to the current global financial meltdown.

Smith showed data from the Dow Jones index and house prices since the 1970s to establish that there has been a pattern of bubbles and collapses in th...

Be the first to comment

Crist discusses his support of stimulus package listen

02/13/09 Arielle Stevenson
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, economic stimulus package, politics, Charlie Crist, Pam Iorio, Rick Baker

While the stimulus package has passed in the house, and poised to pass in the senate tonight, Republican Gov. Charlie Crist spoke today in St. Petersburg about how the stimulus will help Floridians.

Crist met with Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Kopelouso,Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker to discuss the $1.3 billion that is being allotted to Florida’s transportation department.

While the governor supports the stimulus package, virtually all Republicans do...

Be the first to comment

Hillsborough Commissioners discuss dismal budget scenario listen

02/11/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Hillsborough County Commission, economy, budget

Hillsborough County Commissioners began the first of many public workshops they will conduct on their fiscal year ’09 budget today – and the news was sobering.

Kevin Brickey, an economist with the county, said with the housing market continuing to deteriorate, economic forecasts are more difficult than ever before. And he listed statistics on dropping home prices in the area and the state from a variety of sources.

But existing sale have actually gone up in recent months, due to the roc...

Be the first to comment

Huge difference in stimulus bills would hurt Florida schools listen

02/11/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, education, economic stimulus package, politics

According to the website ProPublica, Florida's public school districts would miss out on nearly $650 million in construction money, if the final stimulus bill resembles the Senate’s version more than the House version.

Hillsborough County schools would lose nearly $49 million, Pinellas more than $28 million, Pasco more than $12 million, and Sarasota more than $5 million.

Randall Moody is the chief lobbyist for the National Education Association based in Washington. He says the Collins-...

Be the first to comment

Obama touts stimulus plan while in Fort Myers listen

02/10/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Barack Obama, economy, enconomic stimulus, Wall Street bailout, recovery plan

President Barack Obama appeared in Fort Myers today for his second Town Hall Meeting regarding his economic stimulus plan in two days.

About an hour into the President’s Town Hall Meeting, he learned that his stimulus bill had passed the Senate, 61-37. Three Republican senators were able to get him over the 60 votes needed for passage. The bill now will go into conference between House and Senate leaders.

The fact that only three Republicans out of the entire 535 members of Congress bac...

Be the first to comment

Green energy entrepreneur says those jobs do pay well listen

02/10/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Green jobs, economy, wind power, solar power

John Cheney is vice president of Sales and Business Development for MMA Renewable Ventures. The group calls itself the largest financier of solar photovoltaic installations in the U.S., with interests in biomass and wind.

Last week, WMNF spoke to Cheney about what he knew about the component of green jobs in the economic stimulus bill being debate in Congress.

Cheney discussed a report that was released last week by a coalition of labor and environmental groups that said most green jo...

Be the first to comment