Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is throwing some big muscle into doing something about rampant Medicaid fraud. Read this statement from the AG:
National statistics show that nearly half of Medicaid’s recipients are children and almost a third are elderly or disabled. Florida’s Medicaid program is among the largest in the country, serving more than two million people each month. Recent reports show as much as $2 billion a year may be lost in Florida’s $16 billion Medicaid program to fraud and abuse. Last year, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated 1,013 complaints and returned approximately $70 million in defrauded funds to the state.
I’m taxophobic. When I read about my tax dollars being wasted, I experience a great theoretical mental breakdown. I can’t afford to actually break down in person. I have to work. So when I see a state official actually treating taxpayer dollars with respect, I feel like I did when I saw the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, which is to say I felt the same way I feel after two glasses of Chardonnay.
When I read this statement from the AG, I felt like I’d had half a bottle of wine and the Giants had a perfect season, again beating the Patriots:
At the direction of AG McCollum, the office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit recently implemented a new statewide investigative strategy which includes focusing on the most serious and/or habitual offenders and on prosecution and prevention of patient abuse, neglect and exploitation cases. The unit has also created a 16-person Complex Civil Enforcement Bureau comprised of attorneys, financial analysts and investigators to go after individuals and companies who knowingly siphon funds from the Medicaid Program purely for personal profit.
Adding to my bliss is the fact we have a fraud reporting process—you can either call the Attorney General’s Fraud Hotline toll-free at 1-866-966-7226 or file a complaint online at: http://myfloridalegal.com.
You don’t think Florida’s the only state that’s got criminals defrauding federal dollars, do you? I didn’t think so. Now the rest of the states’ AGs need to get up off their swivels and do something about the bucks that go to the states. Because in Washington, most don’t view that money as your money and they could care less if your taxes go up which they are about to do if Congress has anything to do with it. See what Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)has to say about it in a column at Townhall. My point being we’ll have to focus on federal savings at the state level. Sounds a little convoluted, doesn’t it?
If Washington was able to understand the concept of running a tight checkbook, I’d drink a whole bottle of wine. To celebrate the Jaguars beating the Patriots in next year's Super Bowl.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum goes kamikaze on Medicaid fraud
Florida a rogue state for moving primary ahead? Ask Glenn Beck.
Glenn Beck came down on Florida last night for moving our primary ahead. I know I sound like a broken record, but the only reason the Democratic National Committee is thumping us in the head over our primary date is plain old politics. Is the DNC terrified Sen. Hillary Clinton might end up the nominee? As I reported earlier, states have moved their primaries ahead before: California in 1993, a block of Southern states before that, New York in 1996.
I agree with some positions Beck holds, but not this one. The DNC had ample time to work something out with Florida, but chose instead to be an intra-partisan bully.
Why are New Hampshire and Iowa's positions as frontrunners in primary season so sacred? What makes those states so special? Even more than that, why should any political party tell any state in this country when to select their candidate as long as it's done before the convention?
For too long, two states have held overwhelming influence in the primary process. The New York Times reported on Howard Dean's war of words with Dick Gephardt in 2003. All because of Iowa and two candidates' desperate attempts to win the state. DNC Chairman Howard Dean likes to remind people about the rules. In this case, who made up the rules that annointed two states for the rest of the country?
Finally, I imagine the Republican Party will be happy to see those millions of Democratic voters ripped off by the DNC. Talk about a public relations dream scenario. The GOP will be all over that one. It's a bona fide dream theme!
Question for you: Why isn't mainstream media researching other states who have moved primaries, and reporting that to you? Why isn't the media after the hysterics of the 2000 election in hysterics now?
Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Why would pro golfer in Florida kill a red-shouldered hawk?
Update Mar. 7: Yesterday, many stories in mainstream media reported Isenhour may face up to *$10,000 in fines for deliberately killing a hawk in Orlando.Today many of the same sources place the figure at $1,500. I'll make a few calls and try to find out the correct penalty.
It’s impossible for me to understand. Why would PGA Tour golfer Tripp Isenhour kill a bird as beautiful and as useful as a hawk? According to the Orlando Sentinel, Isenhour was taping a video at Grand Cypress Golf Club. The hawk was doing what it is supposed to do—crying kee-yar kee-yar. Do you know why the hawk was doing that? The golfer was in the hawk’s territory.
Isenhour broke a federal law when he killed the red-shouldered hawk. He broke a moral law when he killed a beautiful animal that helps keep rodents and small game at healthy levels. He broke another big moral law for killing something for absolutely no reason whatsoever other than he was inconvenienced. He could pay *as much as $10,000 in fines. He should pay more. It took him several shots to hit the bird. If the newspaper report is accurate, Isenhour is a complete jerk. I'd like to call him worse.
Dems stuck in punish mode over Florida primary votes; video tells you how to contact Chairman Howard Dean
The Democratic National Committee just can’t get over the fact a state legislature actually had the nerve to stand up for itself. The Associated Press reported Chairman Howard Dean has been hopping around talk shows on TV. All he wants from Florida (and Michigan) is a repeat primary. And the state parties have to fund it. The DNC decreed who could go first in the primaries, and those honors went to Iowa and New Hampshire.
Dean’s missing the boat on the importance of the legislative system, something that doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s observed him over the years. The Florida Senate passed legislation enabling the earlier primary. The Florida House voted 118-0 to do the same—in May, 2007. Maybe next time we want to pass a law in the Sunshine State we better check with Howard Dean first?
The DNC hardline position is nothing more than a move to control candidates. Party of the people? Not. If Sen. Barack Obama had won Florida, you think the DNC would refuse to count the votes? Not. Try tacking on those 210 delegates to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s numbers and see how they look.
The Florida Democratic Party is going ahead with delegate selection, just in case the national committee decides to "make every vote count" (do I hear a mantra from 2000?). Talk about a complete betrayal of voters.
The supporter of Dennis Kucinich in the video tells you how he feels about partisan politics and he even tells you how to contact Howard Dean. If you call the committee chair, hold the phone away from your ear a little bit. Just in case he screams.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Members of alleged “vast child exploitation enterprise” indicted in Northern District of Florida
From the Department of Justice news section:
A federal grand jury in Pensacola returned a 35-count indictment on March 4 against 12 individuals who allegedly engaged in a criminal enterprise involving the advertisement, transportation, and shipment of child pornography over a two-year period. The Department of Justice called the group a “vast child exploitation enterprise.”
The indictment alleges the 12 men participated since August 2006 in a scheme to proliferate child sex abuse images to the organization’s membership. Until the group was dismantled by law enforcement, members of the group utilized Internet newsgroups – or large file-sharing networks where text, software, pictures and videos can be traded and shared – to traffic in illegal images and videos depicting prepubescent children, including toddlers, engaged in various sexual and sadistic acts. The group utilized sophisticated encryption methods to avoid detection and traded over 400,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse before being dismantled. The charges were developed after law enforcement infiltrated the group.
The indictment charges the 12 defendants with numerous federal crimes, including engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, conspiracy, advertisement of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and obstruction of justice. Charged in the indictment are: Michael Berger, 33, of Mechanicsville , Va.; James Freeman, 47, of Santa Rosa Beach , Fla.; Ruble Keys, 55, of Medford , Ore.; Gary Lakey, 54, of Anderson , Ind.; Marvin Lambert, 33, of Indianapolis , Ind.; Neville McGarity , 40, of Medina , Texas; John Mosman, 46, of Waterbury, Conn.; Warren Mumpower, 63, of Spokane , Wash.; Raymond Roy, 54, of San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; Erik Wayerski , 46, of Round Rock, Texas; Warren Weber, 56, of Boise , Idaho ; and Ronald White, 59, of Burlington , N.C. If convicted of these offenses, each defendant faces a prison sentence of at least 20 years, up to a maximum of life imprisonment, in addition to applicable statutory fines.
Two additional defendants associated with this case were arrested on criminal complaints on February 29, 2008 . They are Stepan Bondarenko, 38, of Philadelphia, Pa. and Daniel Castleman, 43, of Lubbock , Texas.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Goldberg of the Northern District of Florida and Trial Attorney LisaMarie Freitas of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Queensland , Australia Police Service, with the assistance of the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) Child Pornography Unit in Germany , the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in the United Kingdom , and the Toronto , Canada Police Department.
Thieves roaming Powers Avenue and area between I-95 and St. John’s River
Rumors are circulating in Jacksonville about a band of robbers holding people up along San Jose Blvd., between Sunbeam Rd. and Emerson Ave. But there isn’t one group of robbers, there are several. And the hot spots aren’t really in the area we traditionally call Mandarin—they’re closer to downtown.
“There's not just one group--different groups of kids keep doing it,” said a source with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Dept. There are several different suspect situations, and the holdups are occurring when people are distracted, especially when they’re getting out of their car. The hot spots are near Powers Avenue and in the area between I-95 and the St. John’s River. Things to bear in mind: *Don’t chat on a cell phone when you’re walking to your car. Pay attention to your surroundings.
*If a car with 3 or 4 young male passengers is near your car as you approach, exercise caution. If they're also wearing hoodies, be doubly cautious. This is the scenario for recent robberies. Either return to the building or your home and/or call the police. Better to feel silly if all’s well than to end up in the hospital with injuries.
*Pay attention when leaving your car. If someone's presence makes you uncomfortable, either move to a different area of the lot or, if there's good enough reason, call police.
*Be aware of whoever is in your immediate area. Never stand at your trunk and gab on your cell phone. That's like saying, "Please toss me in and take the car."
Vultures take revenge on homes in Polk County, Florida
I shot photos of a vulture perched on a utility pole on the street behind our house in Mandarin. Mother Nature didn't pull any punches designing this opportunistic bird; what they eat is pretty unsightly and so are they. In Polk County, some residents told Local 6 TV vultures are "ripping shingles off rooftops and chewing rubber linings of car doors and windows." Tom Palmer, writing for the newspaper The Ledger, notes the following: "In two recent years, Polk's turkey vulture counts were the highest in the nation." Like all nongame species, these vultures enjoy federal protection. Adding insult to injury, the birds are locally protected as well, by an ordinance passed by the city of Bartow in the 1950s. So you can't scare them off even if you do it humanely.
One of the greatest freelance gigs I ever had was writing for biologists at a state natural resources agency. We spent a lot of time on nuisance wildlife issues, trying to provide helpful information about humane ways to deter wildlife. Vultures are among the most difficult. Ever notice how, if you're cruising down a country road and there's kill on the pavement the vultures will take their own sweet time getting out of your way? I've often wondered if they know how horrified we might be to hit one, not only because we'd have killed something but also because of the mess and damage to the car. Seems to me the city ordinance needs to be tweaked and somebody needs to talk to the feds. Those birds are obviously comfortable doing what they're doing, making it very difficult to dislodge them from their favored habitat. Hope the gators don't get any big ideas--imagine a gator chewing your windows.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Gourmet Boutique recall of meat, poultry products due to Listeria monocytogenes concerns
Gourmet Boutique, L.L.C., a Jamaica, N.Y., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 6,970 pounds of meat and poultry products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today. Products were distributed to retail establishments in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin, and distribution centers in New York. Read the recall notice and find photos of the product labels at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service site on the Web.
This came in late, but I figured I'd pop it up here. You can bookmark the FSIS site and sign up for emails about recalled products.
Another Florida State Song: this one is absolutely priceless
We got state songs falling out of orange trees down here in The Sunshine State.This one's by a guy named Grant Peeples. This is some of the best publicity a state can get--a politically incorrect song that really gets down to the culture of it all. I love this guy. He sings like the Democrat he is, but he picks girls like a Republican. Hilarious. He could cut the last couple stanzas and tighten it a little, but it's really quirky just like it is. In the end, you can tell the guy loves the place he just dissed--elevates this composition to folk art it does. Tell me what you think. Thanks to the Tallahassee Democrat for the story about this song.
Just in--WJCT and others will broadcast 2008 Florida State of the State
In the afternoon mailbag, comes this notice from Audience Services at WJCT in response to our inquiry yesterday:
The State of the State address will be live at 6:00pm on our digital television channel, WJCT World 7.3, Comcast 211 as well as on 89.9FM and 89.9HD-1 radio.
Tune in and enjoy! Sphere: Related Content
Storms & warnings rolling through Florida—what kind of light and sound show will weather bring today?
From red flag warnings to heavy rainfall, fire watches and gusty winds, Florida weather is shaping up according to its routine personality, which can at times be unpredictable. Right now it’s a gray, windy day here in Jax. Nice temp, close to 80 degrees. Storms are forecast for Jacksonville, and that always means lots of rain in the road and lots of sirens shortly thereafter because people are really dumb when it comes to cars. NOAA lists all the forecasts and alerts at their Web site. That's a site that's good for a bookmark.
One of my favorite things about Florida, besides the night sky, is the spring thunderstorm. This state has better lightning than any other state I’ve lived in. The thunder is exceptional, ranging from dull, ponderous thud to high pitched crackle. There’s a wild symphony in every single storm. Only thing I don’t like about storms—the brownouts. I end up having to shut the computer down and thus I lose work hours. That is actually beneficial though because it gets me up and moving. So get off task this afternoon, brew up some coffee or tea and storm gaze with me. Tell me what you see in your neighborhood when it storms.
Reward increased for information in slaying of Cordell Foreman during robbery attempt at Marsh Landing Longhorn’s Steakhouse
Cordell Foreman didn’t deserve to die. He went to work on a morning in January, 2007, just as he did every other day. Authorities believe there was a robbery attempt in the early morning hours, and Foreman was shot dead. His manager at Longhorn’s Steakhouse at Marsh Landing said Foreman was an employee who didn’t take a sick day in 8 years. The reward purse has been increased, in hopes of getting information that will lead to an arrest. Darden’s Restaurants, owner of Longhorn’s, will contribute $10,000 and First Coast Crime Stoppers will contribute $1,000. Foreman’s three children and the rest of his family deserve closure. There’s always someone somewhere who knows something.
Visit the First Coast Crime Stoppers Web site for more information about Foreman and others whose cases remain unsolved. And if you know someone who might know something about any of the cases, point them to the truth. By not giving information about a murder, those who know something are just as guilty as the person who did the crime.
Florida State of the State 2008 set for live Webcast
I haven't found an area TV station that will air the 6 p.m. State of the State 2008 address for Florida. But there's a small silver lining on the cloud. WFSU will air the address by Webcast on Florida Channel 1. If you're interested in how your government works and in attaching names to faces of politicians you read about or vote for, here's your opportunity. WFSU broadcasts lots of info about government on different channels.
The address will also be broadcast by Jacksonville Public Radio WJCT on 89.9 FM radio.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Wendy’s shooting in West Palm Beach shocks community
CNN and Fox News are covering a shooting at a Wendy’s in West Palm Beach. One correspondent says it’s the Wendy’s at Military Trail and Cherry Rd., and the Wendy’s corporate Web site includes a location listed at 1376 N. Military Trail. See updates after original post below.
Reports allege that 7 people were injured and 2 are believed dead, possibly including the shooter. Sometimes I wonder do we need to think about things like this? Is there ever a way to prepare for something like this? Do we talk to our kids who are always somewhere else as they get older in hopes they’ll never be sitting in a fast food restaurant when some stranger decides to walk in and kill people? Random acts of violence. Sad commentary on how little the human race has changed since we threw on our skins and trudged off from the cave in search of nuts and berries.
This community has to be shocked. You think of West Palm Beach, you’re thinking of money and security. A shooting at a Wendy’s would be the last thing you’d consider, until now.
Read the updated story from the TC Palm.
Update
Various numbers of injured have been cited by media, but as best I can tell, 2 people including the shooter are dead and 5 are injured. One person was apparently injured trying to escape; others were injured by gunshots. No one knows why this happened; the shooter allegedly killed himself but left no note. Why do people do things like this? Read a good update at The Palm Beach Post.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is busy spinning wheels with her buddies in Washington
You wonder why the U.S. Congress doesn't get anything important done? Congressmen and senators give the impression they stay busy in Washington, but complete lack of control over immigration isn’t an issue they’re in a hurry to deal with. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is hung up on a lawsuit against the Bush administration for doing exactly what the Clinton administration did—firing U.S. attorneys. Both administrations had that right, something Pelosi seems to have forgotten. You think any president ever fired a U.S. attorney for reasons other than politics? At least the U.S. Dept. of Justice is getting something done.
Five foreign nationals were sentenced on Feb. 29 by a federal judge in Miami for their roles in a conspiracy to smuggle purported terrorists to the United States from Colombia. An elaborate mix of passport fraudulence, money laundering and drugs enabled the men from Bogota, Colombia, to smuggle aliens and divert laundered money to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization. Some like Venezuela's president call FARC a rebel group. Others call them terrorists. Many Colombians hold the group responsible for making the country the kidnapping capital of the world, and according to The Christian Science Monitor,critics have united on Facebook to voice concerns.
The U.S. Congress hasn’t accomplished a single thing regarding documentation for those coming to the U.S. Polls consistently show this is an issue Americans care about. For most of us, this isn’t a racial or cultural issue. It’s a national security issue. You can read the whole release about the Miami connection at the DOJ site on the Web. Cities and states are challenged with trying to maintain order while your politicians spin their bureaucratic wheels.
Meanwhile, Congress has done exhaustive investigations of baseball players who may have used steroids. Don’t you feel safer now?
Sunday, March 02, 2008
State of the State will be broadcast in Florida,evening hour
The 2008 State of the State Address will be broadcast Tuesday, Mar. 4, at 6:00 p.m. Gov. Charlie Crist asked House Speaker Marco Rubio and Senate President Ken Pruitt to move the joint meeting marking the beginning of the Legislative Session to the evening. Crist said an evening address would "give many Floridians the opportunity to watch the address live from their homes and learn more about the issues that affect them most."
In the Jacksonville area, WJCT plans to air the address on 89.9 FM. I haven't been able to find a TV broadcast yet, but maybe a local station will pick it up. I think it's a great idea for us to be able to see the address--after all, we're talking about what the state will get done in the next session. Hopefully, they'll get more done than their federal cousins did in their last session.
