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The latest Capitol offenses

By Times editorial
Published May 4, 2006

New cable TV act slights consumers

The battle still rages over the misnamed "Consumer Choice Act,'' which would prevent cities and counties from effectively negotiating cable franchise agreements. Rep. Trey Traviesa, R-Tampa, sent a new version of HB 1199 flying out of the House Wednesday, but it is no better for consumers than the original. This one gives cities and counties until the end of the year to adopt new cable ordinances but dictates the terms. It would be impossible to require new cable franchises to sweeten public access or pay more cash. Existing cable franchises could terminate existing agreements and demand new ones under the more favorable terms. Then the Department of State would take over the cable franchising business in 2007 and cities and counties that hadn't complied with the new terms would be cut out.

This may silence some complaints from existing cable franchises about creating an unlevel playing field for telephone companies and other new competitors eager to offer cable but unwilling to negotiate with local governments. But the bill does nothing for the consumer, and the Department of State should not be in the business of granting local cable franchises. The Senate should kill it.

Poorest children left uninsured

Lawmakers lined up $300-million in tax breaks for some of Florida's wealthiest but can't find $15-million to insure some of the state's poorest children. Advocates want the money set aside in Florida's KidCare program to provide health insurance for the children of legal immigrants and state employees.

This year's $4-billion-plus surplus provides plenty of room for lawmakers to set the right spending priorities. KidCare provides needy children with the coverage they need to live healthier, more productive lives. The $15-million is a drop in the bucket compared to the difference it could make in the lives of children living in the toughest environments. Healthy children do better at school, keep their parents at work and learn about lifestyle changes that make them more responsible adults.

Denying them coverage only hardens life for families at the bottom rung. As a cost-cutting measure, it also is financially dishonest, as children without coverage end up, as always, seeking care at hospital emergency rooms. That costs taxpayers even more. Lawmakers should dip into that stash of money they always hold back at the end and take a modest step to break that cycle. Florida can afford it.

A late-session land grab

Developers are using the chaos of the final days of the legislative session as cover to push a measure that could threaten environmentally sensitive land. Their idea, floating between the chambers in pending legislation, is to bar counties from going further than the state in trying to prevent the destruction of wetlands.

Builders say they merely want parity between state and local rules. What they really want are easier ways to avoid mitigating the effects of destroying habitat critical for protecting shorelines, the water supply and bird and marine life. Hillsborough's building boom testifies to how counties with tougher protections than the state hardly burden the construction industry. Local rules provide everything a developer needs, from access to the regulatory staff to an established process for resolving disputes. Another hurricane season is only weeks away. Lawmakers should remember that counties that protect the buffers and flood control on and around the coast do the entire state a service. This is local control at its finest.

[Last modified May 4, 2006, 07:11:04]