Daily News Update with Rich Jones of WOKV : 7/16/2012

[Tamara-B]

It's a dry morning but storms could build this afternoon.  We have an upper low off our coast that will produce scattered storms later today.  Temps are in the low 90's.  As the low moves across NE Florida mid-week we'll see thundstorm chances increase and be more widespread.

Today's interview lineup:


At 6:53 hear Jamie Dupree explain why few people may be hearing the chippy attacks between the Obama and Romney campaigns. http://www.wokv.com/Player/101451911/

At 7:53 hear Matt Augustine explain why the Jacksonville City Council President is worried about becoming like several California cities. http://www.wokv.com/Player/101451991/

At 8:23 hear Jamie Dupree on why a federal court is rethinking an expensive trip, next year.  http://www.wokv.com/Player/101452041/

Our Top Local Story:  Following through on his promise not to raise taxes or fees, Mayor Brown's budget proposal out this morning is $945 million.  It's nearly $13 million lower than last year's budget.  The reason for the drop is declining projected revenue.  Public Works would lose about $22 million.  Public libraries are cut $4.4 million.  The Sheriff's Office gains $12.6 million, but Sheriff Rutherford says increased pension payouts will actually mean $22 million less.

$1.5 million.  That's how much the city hopes to reel in next year from red light cameras.  As part of his proposed city budget Mayor Brown has approved 25 cameras to be installed at major city intersections.

Combining forces to save taxpayers thousands.  It's an idea the St. Augustine Beach Commission will begin discussing at a special meeting tonight at 7.  The Mayor proposes a smaller city police department, blended with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, which would save the city more than 700-thousand dollars a year.  Sheriff David Shoar tells the St. Augustine Record that all county residents deserve the same level of law enforcement protection.

Retired teachers and staffers in the St. Johns County School District are going to have to pay more for health insurance.  The district's insurance fund reserves are running on empty.  According to the St. Augustine Record, current employees will not face an increase in premiums.

He's not on the ballot but Governor Scott finds himself in the path of attacks by Democrats.  At a weekend fundraiser, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith held Scott up as an example of Republican extremism.   Democrats portray Scott as an enemy of the middle class.  Scott's spokesman says Democrats are ignoring all the positive things he's done, like increasing school spending by a billion dollars.

The federal government agrees to let Florida use a law enforcement database to verify voters' eligibility. Governor Scott had been seeking access to the database to purge voter rolls of non-U.S. citizens.  Voting rights groups question the timing of the action, saying with less than four months until the presidential election, there's not enough time to correct mistakes.

Today is the deadline to register to vote in Florida's primary next month.  It's also the deadline to change party affiliation.

The son of the Palatka fire chief finds himself on the other side of the law.  The Putnam County Sheriff's Office says Cody Lewis Lambert is charged with sexual battery on a victim under 12 years old.  Detectives say Lambert was 15 or 16 at the time of the alleged attack two years ago.

The body of a swimmer who disappeared in the St. Johns River is found near the Shands Pier.  29-year-old Lorenzo Moore failed to surface yesterday afternoon after diving in to retrieve a cast net. His body was found about two and a half hours later.

A man is seriously hurt after being hit by a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office cruiser.  Homicide detectives say the man walked into the road near the intersection of Moncrief and Cleveland roads as the cruiser was approaching. Police say the man's injuries, while serious, are not life-threatening.

Our Top National Story:  The already-nasty presidential campaign is turning into a good ol'-fashioned hockey fight.  The latest mudslinging is over Mitt Romney's tenure as head of Bain Capital.  President Obama says Romney outsourced American jobs while at Bain.  Romney's campaign says any outsourcing happened after Romney took a leave of absence. 

Obama jumps on the campaign trail this week, starting off with a trip today to Ohio en route to Jacksonville on Thursday.  Specifics of the visit are expected later this week.

"You didn't build that".  A line dropped by President Obama on the campaign trail that is sure to re-appear in campaign ads.  Speaking in Virginia, the President suggested business owners owe their success to government investment in infrastructure and other projects.  Obama says successful people didn't get there on their own, and that if you've got a business, you didn't build that.  He was making the case for Congress to extend tax cuts for people earning less than $250,000 a year.

Gas prices in Jacksonville are starting to tick back up a bit but nationally we find a drop of about seven cents over the past three weeks.  The national average for a gallon of unleaded is $3.41.

http://www.wokv.com/videos/online/advertising/morning-news-video-blog/ldQ/

[TheCat]

$1.5 million.  That's how much the city hopes to reel in next year from red light cameras.  As part of his proposed city budget Mayor Brown has approved 25 cameras to be installed at major city intersections.

No new taxes! 

[fsujax]

They will probably spend almost that much maintaining the red light cameras and time in court costs with people taking the issue to court. Many other cities (L.A.) have done away with these things and our leadership decides to follow Green Cove Springs lead on this.

[RiversideLoki]

They will probably spend almost that much maintaining the red light cameras and time in court costs with people taking the issue to court. Many other cities (L.A.) have done away with these things and our leadership decides to follow Green Cove Springs lead on this.

Well, about that.... http://www.theblaze.com/stories/florida-judge-ruling-finds-red-light-cameras-unconstitutional/

Pasco County Judge Anne Wansboro was in agreement and dismissed the case Filippone brought before her stating that use of the cameras ”impermissibly shifts the burden of proof to the Defendant and therefore does not afford due process, and is unconstitutional to the extent due process is not provided.”

So even though the City Council may have OK'd them.. they may have a hard time getting them installed now.

[fsujax]

Good find.