CONTENTS
The State & Regions
The Nation
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
Upcoming
Meetings, Conferences & Events
Odds & Ends
The State & Regions
Crist Praises Senate’s Swift and Unanimous Passage
of Anti-Murder Act ~ Senate Bill 146 Passes Florida Senate
40-0. TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today praised
the Florida Senate for swiftly and unanimously passing Senate
Bill 146, the Anti-Murder Act. “This is the first step,” said
Governor Crist. “I am grateful to the leaders of the
Florida Senate for their quick action on this important issue
and am optimistic that the Florida House of Representatives
will pass this critical legislation as soon as possible.
When it comes to protecting Florida’s children, there
is no time to waste.” Governor Crist praised the bipartisan
effort of the Florida Senators who passed the bill with a
vote of 40-0. The Governor thanked Senate President Ken Pruitt
(R–Port St. Lucie) as well as Senators Paula Dockery
(R–Lakeland), Nancy Argenziano (R–Crystal River),
Alex Villalobos (R–Miami), Victor Crist (R–Tampa)
and others whose leadership aided in passage of the bill
on the second day of the Legislative Session. The Governor
also thanked Senate Committees on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations and Criminal Justice for their work. “It
is my job to keep Floridians safe, and I take that responsibility
very seriously,” said Governor Crist. “This legislation
is part of a comprehensive plan to ensure the safety of all
Floridians and keep criminals off our streets and away from
our children.” The Anti-Murder Act will require brutal
felony offenders who violate probation to return to jail
until the court determines whether the individual poses a
danger to the community. The Anti-Murder Act will give judges
expanded authority to impose the maximum prison sentences
for those violators considered dangerous. “Florida
has already lost too many people, too early in their lives,” said
Governor Crist. “The brutal murders of children like
Adam Walsh, Carlie Brucia, Jessica Lunsford, Sarah Lunde
and others remind us that we cannot continue to permit violent
felony offenders to walk the streets if they have violated
the terms of their probation.” Florida is a national
leader in criminal justice reforms and public safety,” said
Lt. Governor Kottkamp. “This ground-breaking reform
will stiffen the penalties for criminals who choose to violate
the privilege of probation.” www.myflorida.com.
Governor Crist Highlights Priorities in First State
of the State Address ~ Commends Legislature for bipartisan
spirit
and urges focus on Floridians’ needs. TALLAHASSEE -
Governor Charlie Crist yesterday delivered his first State
of the State Address, applauding the Legislature’s
bipartisan work during the January special session on property
insurance and providing an overview of his priorities for
the 2007 Legislative Session. “The people of Florida
cried out for help because of skyrocketing insurance rates,
and the Legislature answered their call,” said Governor
Crist. “I am proud of the way we all worked together
in a bipartisan way - the People’s Legislature and
the People’s Governor working for the People’s
Agenda.” Before outlining his vision for Florida’s
future, Governor Crist highlighted three accomplishments
made during his first two months in office:
•
Ethical, Customer Friendly Open Government - On Governor
Crist’s first full day in office, he signed an executive
order that created the Office of Open Government and required
each agency under his direction to completely review customer
service operations and the content of all written communication. “Changes
are underway to provide the people with the most ethical,
open and customer friendly government possible,” said
Governor Crist. “It is their government, and it should
serve them.”
•
Property Insurance Special Session - Governor Crist signed
legislation that will provide comprehensive insurance reform,
including broad-based, meaningful reductions in property
insurance rates and enhanced competition within Florida’s
insurance market. The bill also includes consumer protections
that require insurers to promptly pay claims and discontinue
dropping policyholders during hurricane season. During the
address, Governor Crist introduced Stan Whitney of Port Charlotte,
along with his wife Joan, as one of thousands of Floridians
who cried out for help with unaffordable insurance premiums.
Mr. Whitney, a retiree, wrote to Governor Crist in November
because his homeowners insurance increased from about $700
to over $1,200, about 70 percent. Consequently, he cancelled
his property insurance altogether.
•
Central Florida Tornadoes - Governor Crist praised the State
Emergency Response Team for their efficient and effective
response to the February 2, 2007, tornadoes that struck Lake,
Volusia, Seminole, and Sumter counties in Central Florida.
Governor Crist recognized Reverend Larry Lynn of the Lady
Lake Church of God for inspiring his congregation and other
victims, disaster relief volunteers and workers as well as
the nation throughout the tragedy.
Governor Crist outlined his priorities for the legislative
session, which include lowering property taxes, improving
children’s education and health and protecting Florida’s
natural environment, neighborhoods and economy:
•
Property Tax Relief - Governor Crist encouraged the Legislature
to reduce property taxes by putting a constitutional amendment
before voters this year. The Governor has recommended doubling
the homestead exemption, making the Save Our Homes protection
portable and extending that protection to business and rental
properties.
•
Education - To ensure the promise of excellent public education,
Governor Crist highlighted his budget recommendations, which
include $3.8 billion - a 19-percent increase over current
funding - for continued class-size reduction as required
by the 2002 constitutional amendment; $295 billion to double
funding to reward the top-performing 25 percent of teachers
with a 10 percent salary bonus; and $137 million to add 400
reading coaches along with $10 million to provide every student
access to a virtual tutoring program. Governor Crist also
recommended an increase in funding for state universities
and community colleges without increasing tuition.
•
Environment - Governor Crist encouraged the Legislature to
continue Everglades restoration and take bold steps in moving
toward alternative fuels and other alternative sources of
energy. His recommended budget includes $100 million for
Everglades restoration plus $40 million to improve the environmental
health of the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers. To foster
the development and use of alternative energy sources and
fuels in Florida, including ethanol and biodiesel fuels for
cars and solar power for homes, the Governor has proposed
a record $68.25 million.
•
Public Safety - Governor Crist encouraged the Legislature
to take up the Anti-Murder Act during the first week of session
so that it would be the first bill signed into law during
the 2007 Legislative Session. The law would expand judges’ authority
to impose the maximum prison sentences for those violators
considered dangerous. The Governor’s budget recommendations
include $21.8 million to implement the Anti-Murder Act.
Governor Crist also outlined his budget priorities of $20
million for stem cell research aimed at curing degenerative
diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
diseases and spinal cord injuries, and $32.5 million to provide
a tangible record of every vote cast on Election Day. He
has also requested support for economic development for the
film and space industries: $75 million to attract film and
television productions to Florida and $7 million for Space
Florida. Governor Crist’s complete State of the State
Address is available at www.MyFlorida.com.
“Inclusion NOW!” kick-off event. The Florida
Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) will kick off its “Inclusion
NOW!” public awareness campaign at “Developmental
Disabilities Awareness Day” on March 13 at 8:30 a.m.
at the Capitol Building’s Second Floor Rotunda. The
FDDC, in collaboration with Transportation Disadvantaged,
will be joined by other exhibitors and advocates for people
with disabilities. “Now is the time for Florida to
move forward and include people with disabilities in all
aspects of life,” said Enrique Escallón, FDDC
Chairman. “It’s time to recognize the benefits
inclusion in our schools, businesses and communities can
bring to all people – with and without disabilities.” The “Inclusion
NOW!” campaign stresses the importance of full inclusion
for people with disabilities in education, business and the
community. It asserts that now is the time to enforce legislation
and assure that people with disabilities have the freedom,
responsibility and right to experience life as equal and
active members of society. “Each of us, with or without
a disability, has the same hopes and aspirations to work,
play and participate in life experiences as valued members
of our community,” said Nila Benito, Director of Community
Supports of the University of South Florida’s Florida
Center for Inclusive Communities, as well as the driving
force behind this campaign. “Developmental Disabilities
Awareness Day is an invitation to become part of the growing
force to make inclusion a reality.” For more information
about Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day or the “Inclusion
NOW!” campaign, visit www.fddc.org or call Vanda Bowman
toll-free at 1-800-580-7801. To download a Developmental
Disabilities Awareness Day Flyer to share with friends and
colleagues, visit: http://www.fddc.org/announcements/DD%20Day%202007%20Flyer.pdf.
Florida’s Young Workers (from AWI’s Florida
Labor Market Trends – February 2007). The age composition
of the workforce is a subject of great interest to government
policy makers and businesses. A larger than usual portion
of the workforce (the baby boomers) is moving into retirement
age, and these workers may not be readily replaced. Subsequent
generations did not match the size of the population explosion
called the “baby boom.” This article focuses
on the later generations, specifically the young workers,
defined as workers fourteen to eighteen years of age, who
will eventually replace the boomers. This examination will
make use of the new Local Employment Dynamics (LED) data
program, which combines demographic data from the U.S. Census
Bureau with employment information gathered by Florida’s
Labor Market Statistics Center. Access the complete article
at: http://www.labormarketinfo.com/library/pubs/trends/trends-jan192007.pdf.
Florida Labor Market Trends is a Florida Labor Market Statistics
monthly reference tool for accessing the latest labor market
statistics in Florida, the counties, and the metro areas.
This publication and many more useful products and tools
are available at: www.labormarketinfo.com/.
The Nation
Government Accountability Office (GAO) report - Human
Capital: Federal Workforce Challenges in the 21st Century. (GAO-07-556T,
March 6.) The GAO found that federal agencies continue to face
strategic human capital challenges in:
- Leadership: Top leadership in agencies across the federal
government must provide committed and inspired attention
needed to address human capital and related organizational
transformation
issues. However, slightly less than half of respondents to
the 2006 Federal Human Capital Survey reported a high level
of respect for senior leaders while only 38 percent agreed
or strongly agreed that leaders in their organizations generate
high levels of motivation and commitment in the workforce.
- Strategic Human Capital Planning: Strategic human capital
planning that is integrated with broader organizational strategic
planning is critical to ensuring agencies have the talent
they need for future challenges, especially as the federal
government
faces a retirement wave. Too often, agencies do not have
the components of strategic human capital planning needed
to address
their current and emerging human capital challenges.
- Acquiring,
Developing, and Retaining Talent: Faced with a workforce
that is becoming more retirement eligible and
finding
gaps in talent, agencies need to strengthen their efforts
and use of available flexibilities to acquire, develop, motivate,
and retain talent. Agencies are not uniformly using available
flexibilities to recruit and hire top talent and to address
the current and emerging demographic challenges facing the
government.
- Results-Oriented Organizational Culture: Leading
organizations create a clear linkage—“line of
sight”—between
individual performance and organizational success and, thus,
transform their cultures to be more results-oriented, customer-focused,
and collaborative. However, in many cases, the federal government
does not have these linkages and has not transformed how
it classifies, compensates, develops, and motivates its employees
to achieve maximum results within available resources and
existing
authorities.
- Agencies are facing strategic human capital
challenges in a period of likely sustained budget constraints.
Budget
constraints
will require agencies to plan their transformations more
strategically, prioritize their needs, evaluate results,
allocate their resources
more carefully, and react to workforce challenges more expeditiously
in order to achieve their missions economically, efficiently,
and effectively.
- OPM will continue to play a key role in
fostering and guiding strategic human capital management
improvements in the executive
branch and in helping agencies meet transformation challenges.
Although making commendable efforts in transforming itself
to more a consultant, toolmaker, and strategic partner in
leading and supporting agencies’ human capital management
systems, OPM has itself faced challenges in its capacity
to assist,
guide, and certify agencies’ readiness to implement
reforms.
For the full report go to: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-556T.
For the highlights go to:
http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07556thigh.pdf.
HUD Report: Assessing and Addressing Homelessness. Released
last week by HUD, the first Annual Homeless Assessment Report
to Congress is the result of a complex, four-year project to
develop, collect, and analyze standardized information on homeless
persons from a nationally representative sample of communities.
HUD is devoting extensive technical assistance resources to
helping localities improve methods of collecting this data,
making it possible to develop increasingly accurate responses
to the following questions:
- How many people are homeless on a given day in the United
States?
- How many people use emergency shelters or transitional
housing at some time during a three- month period?
- Who
is homeless?
- What is the nation's capacity to provide housing
for homeless persons?
- Where do homeless people receive
shelter?
- What are the patterns of shelter use?
This initial report provides a baseline for developing
a comprehensive national picture of homelessness
that will
permit strategic
allocation of homeless assistance funds, improve
program operations, and inform national policy aimed
at reducing
homelessness.
The report can be downloaded, at no cost, at: http://www.huduser.org/publications/povsoc/annual_assess.html.
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
and Notices
Featured Opportunity:
(none)
State Grants
(none)
Federal Grants
(none)
Foundation Grants
(none)
Scholarships/Awards
(none)
Upcoming Meetings, Conferences and
Events
Workforce Florida Board and Related Meetings Schedule:
For up-to-date WFI board meeting info please check the calendar at the WFI website.
March 21, 2007
Workforce Florida Executive Committee Teleconference
Tallahassee, FL
10:00am - 11:30am
Contact: Peggy Dransfield pdransfield@workforceflorida.com
March 21, 2007
Workforce Florida Council Chairmen Teleconference
Tallahassee, FL
9:00am - 10:00am
Contact: Peggy Dransfield pdransfield@workforceflorida.com
Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
March 13, 2007
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day
Florida Capitol, Second Floor Rotunda
Tallahassee, Florida
For more information go to: http://www.fddc.org/announcements/DD%20Day%202007%20Save%20the%20Date.pdf
April 2nd-5th, 2007
3rd ANNUAL National Offender Workforce Development Conference
Becoming A Second Chance Society Again
Charlotte, North Carolina
For conference registration call 314-209-9400 or go to www.proworkdev.com
April 2 - 6, 2007
National Association of Job Training Assistance (NAJA) – Annual
Conference
Developing America's Workforce
Tampa, Florida
A full agenda and registration available at www.NAJA.org
May 14-15, 2007
Florida Department of Education/Florida Education Foundation’s
National Conference
"
Redesigning Teacher Compensation: A Blueprint for Success"
Orlando World Center Marriott
NEW! Access information at: http://www.fldoe.org/k12/nationalconference/.
May 21-22, 2007
Rural Economic Development and Tourism Summit
Jackson County Agriculture Center
Marianna, Florida
For more information please contact Susan Estes at 877-467-7352
or susane@opportunityflorida.com
May 29-30, 2007
4th Annual Florida Tech Transfer Conference
The Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Florida
www.floridaresearch.org/index.php?src=gendocs&link=Tech%20
Transfer_Home&category=TechTransfer
May 30, 31 & June 1, 2007
National Unemployment Insurance Issues Conference
Dallas, Texas
Contact Cheryl Robinson at 202-637-3464 for additional information;
registration and specifics forthcoming.
June 23-26, 2007
Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) Annual Conference
“ Competing in a World of Change”
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
Stay tuned! www.fedc.net
July 17-19, 2007
Workforce Innovations 2007
“ Beyond Boundaries”
Kansas City (MO)
www.WorkforceInnovations.org
Odds and Ends
From NASE’s Get Connected E-Letter 3/1/07:
- Early Time Change. Mark your calendar now. The change
to daylight-saving time happens on March 11 this year.
That’s
three weeks earlier than most people are expecting. It
will also end a week later, on the first Sunday in November.
In 2005, Congress decided to lengthen daylight-saving
time by four weeks, all in the name of energy efficiency.
Most
of your business gadgets, like cell phones, should update
the time automatically. If your computer software is
up to date, the time change should happen seamlessly. But
older software products, such as Microsoft Windows NT4
and Windows XP SP1, will require manual updates. The
Microsoft patch can be obtained at: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst.
- Cash For Phones. Don’t trash your old cell phone
when you latch on to the latest model. Some online sites
are willing to pay you from $2 to $200 for a working phone
that you no longer need. The sites refurbish the phones
and resell them in foreign markets. Your used phone should
be
able to power up, and most features should be functioning.
Be sure to delete your personal info before giving up your
phone. Check these sites for more information:
o www.CashOldPhone.com
o www.CellForCash.com
o www.SellYourOldCellPhone.com
From OPPAGA’s Florida Monitor Weekly- March
2, 2007:
- Making the Return Trip: Elderly Head
Back North (New York Times 2/26/07). For the first time since
the Depression,
more Americans ages 75 and older have been leaving the
South than moving there. The reversal appears to be driven
in part by older people who retired to the South in their
60s, but decided to return home to their children and grandchildren
in the Northeast, Midwest and West after losing spouses
or becoming less mobile. A stream of elderly transplants
leaving Florida was detected by sociologists two decades
ago, including so-called half-backs, who stopped short
of returning to their home states and settled elsewhere
in the South. What is new is the growth in the number of
people leaving the region entirely and the dimension of
the migration. While the number of people ages 75 and older
who move at all is relatively small, a survey of geographic
mobility estimated that about 121,000 of them left the
South from 2000 to 2005, and 87,000 arrived. In a comparable
survey a decade earlier, 57,000 left the South and 92,000
moved there. From 1995 to 2000, another survey of migration
patterns found, for the first time slightly more people
ages 85 and older left Florida than settled there. The
shifting trends in migration to and from the South might
be attributable in part to differences in generation size
and other variables, including fluctuations year to year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/26/us/26seniors.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin.
- Florida Health Policy Center Website. This website was
developed to improve access to information for state
health policy makers through a dedicated commitment to
neutral,
objective analysis of health issues and the effective
communication of that information. The activities of the
Florida Health
Policy Center include providing neutral policy analyses
to meet the short-term health information needs of state
officials
and staff, providing neutral policy analyses and research
on long-term health care system issues identified by
the state's health care community, communicating policy
analyses
to target audiences and the media, and disseminating
health-related news and research to state and local policymakers,
health
care professionals, advocates, journalists and consumers.
http://www.floridahealthpolicycenter.org/.
From Southern Compass -- March 6, 2007:
- The Economist Features Report On The American South.
The March 4 issue of international news publication, The
Economist,
features a ten-page report on the American South. The
report examines the South's economic, political and cultural
climates
from a global perspective. Among its key points, "The
South is doing remarkably well economically. One of the
main drivers of growth is that the South is such a pleasant
place to live, so talented people- and businesses- move
there. Race relations are at least as good as in the
rest of the U.S. The education system, though still worse
than
the rest of the country, is improving faster." To
read the full report, visit: http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8729871.
- Briefing On Rural Population And Migration Identifies
Six Key Trends. A new briefing from the Economic Research
Service
at the U.S. Department of Agriculture summarizes research
related to rural population and migration. Six key trends
are identified and discussed, including: 1) Population
redistribution makes defining rural America harder; 2)
Non-metro population
growth has slowed compared with the 1990s; 3) Scenic and
urban amenities are fueling rapid growth in certain nonzero
areas; 4) Death exceed births in over 800 nonzero counties;
5) Racial and ethnic diversity is increasing in rural America;
and 6) Rural areas face challenges from an aging population.
Visit the Rural Population and Migration briefing room
at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Population/.
- Report
Outlines America’s Perfect Storm In Social & Economic
Future. The Educational Testing Service report, America’s
Perfect Storm, asks, “Can America continue to grow
apart as a nation, or invest in the policies that will
help us grow together?” The paper outlines the “perfect
storm” as the three social and economic forces influencing
America’s future. America’s first challenge,
the widening skill and academic achievement gap among adult
and school age populations, conflicts largely with the
second challenge, a growing demand for skilled workers.
While America’s
high school graduation rates and education achievement
scores have remained relatively flat or declined since
the 1990’s,
the nation’s future economic growth relies heavily
on the availability of skilled labor. Lastly, sweeping
demographic trends require that more people are integrated
into the workforce
particularly, older and non-native born populations. For
more information visit: http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=e9f3d944c8b70110VgnVCM10000022f95190
RCRD&vgnextchannel=f993d944c8b70110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD.
Quote for the Week:
“The best and
safest thing is to keep a balance in your life,
acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live
that way,
you are really a wise man
.”
Euripides (484 BC - 406 BC)
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