THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Wednesday September 2, 2009
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
A Publication of
Sally Price - Correspondent
Permit No. 14
Newscaster Publishing
Have A Safe & Happy Labor Day!
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Squawk Box
With Sally Price
More Than A Protest
Suzan Franks, who
ran and lost the Florida Sen-
ate race to Charley Dean, or-
ganized the Citizens For Rate
Payers Rights Rally last Thursday. I was
shocked to learn that there are no provi-
sions to return the preconstruction money
if PE does not build the nuclear plant. This
is for a 10 year period or more and in the
first 8 months PE took in over $144M
from 1.7 million customers.
I feel her speech should be heard by
all.
“Adoption of Florida Law s366.93 has
created a seperate class of rate payer in
Florida by allowing Progress Energy, a
for profit, privately owned and operated
corporation with stock holders and a mo-
nopoly, to essentially be given the author-
ity to “tax” it’s ratepayers for the precon-
struction costs associated with the Levy
County nuclear plant.Rate payers held
hostage by PE with no option of switching
to another power company. We along with
the over 3,000 individuals that have signed
Take A Number - It was worth the wait at most DMV tag offices around the state on Monday as drivers tried to beat the price increase on
the petitions available for your inspection,
motor vehicle tags. In many cases the rates doubled on Sept. 1, 2009. Customers at the Chiefland office (above)totaled nearly a hundred about
believe that this “tax” is unconstitutional
11 a.m. In Dunnellon there were over 900 with service numbers, and an Ocala office on Hwy 200 about 800. Photo by Debbie Russell
Drivers Flood 9 Year Old Student Arrested for
according to the Florida State Constitu-
tion, Article lll, Section ll (prohibited state
law). subsection (a), paragraph 12 which
Local DMV
Battery of School Employee
states, “There shall be no special law or
general law of local application pertaining
to: a private incorporation or privilege to a
Offices to Beat
From the Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
punch was unexpected.
private corporation.
According to details listed on the
A 9-year-old Inverness 4th grader
These prohibited laws were put
boy’s arrest report, the boy had refused to
was arrested by the Citrus County Sheriff’s
in our Constitution for a good reason,
Rate Hikes
get on the school bus that morning, for the
Office, August 26, charged with the battery
as the consequences of the enactment of
second time that week, so his mother had
of a school board employee.
taken him to school and they had gone to
According to the arrest report, the
Continued on page 3- Squawk Box
By Newscaster Editor Debbie Russell
speak with the guidance counselor, who has
boy hit a guidance counselor, who decided
Florida Department of Motor Ve-
Adopt A
counseled the boy in the past, due to his be-
to press charges, because she thought that
hicle (DMV) offices across the state were
havior.
the boy’s actions would continue if the
flooded with an increase of 100%-200%
At the time of the incident, the
consequences were not serious enough. The
Pet-Page 2
over the usual number of people seen, over
report stated, the counselor was discussing
boy’s mother, who was present during the
the end of last week and on Monday, with
with the mother, in the boy’s presence, a so-
incident, said that the punch came “out of
long lines of people trying to beat the fee in-
the blue.” The counselor also said that the
creases that were to take effect on Tuesday
Continued on page 4 - 9 Year Old Arrest
Protest Supports Action Against P.E.
- September 1st - for tags, vehicle registra-
tions and driver’s licenses. The shortfall in
Florida’s state budget is the reason given for
By Newscaster Correspondent
by Progress Energy and the preconstruction
the increases for DMV services.
Sally Price
costs of the Inglis nuclear power plant that
Lawmakers have said that the in-
Last Thursday morning a press confer-
1.7 million Florida ratepayers have had lev-
creased fees are necessary to avoid cutting
ence, in the form of a peaceful protest,
ied against them.
government jobs. Gov. Charlie Crist, who
was held in front of the Citrus County Tax
Almost all of the interested persons who
signed the bill into law, said he’d “rather not
Collector’s Office in Inverness. The nonpar-
showed up to hear the speakers were quick
do it,” but it was “better than raising taxes.”
tisan group, named Citizens For Rate Payers
to put on a “NO RATE HIKES” sticker and
New driver’s licenses will jump
Rights, led by organizer Suzan Franks, met
sign the petition on the table which was part
to raise awareness of the rate hike requested
Continued on page 10 - DMV Rate Hikes
Continued on page 3 - Protest Against P E.
.