It was a mistake from the start by all parties concerned to publically downplay the seriousness of the injury to Carlos Beltran. The “bone bruise” angle was intentionally misleading and masked the injury’s true nature. It was probably known by all that Beltran had a microfracture somewhere along the boney surface of the knee joint and that they chose to take a conservative approach. With the results of current microfracture surgery still iffy, it wasn’t really a bad idea to see what would have happen with rest. We don’t really know.

They’ve tried that and a half measure sugery seems to have been attempted by Dr. Richard Steadman in Colorado earlier this past offseason. It’s not clear what faith that Steadman has in his own technique for microfracture surgery, but current management of Beltran’s injury leads one to speculate that there isn’t a concensus between Steadman and David Altchek. Or perhaps it is Steadman whom doesn’t have enough faith yet in potential results to have recommended attempted microfracture surgery last year when it first happened.

The Mets are at fault only in their attempt to spin the story as it to deterioating their relationship with Beltran. The club’s public stance that downplayed the injury cuased miscomunication among all parties. Honesty and candor would have been a far better policy.

The narrative for all from the beginning should have been that Beltran’s injury was serious and that yes, his career is at stake. The current surgical options are not necessarily good. The potential results are not known. Rest will be attempted first and after a period of time further decisions will be made that are in the best interests of Beltran.

I agree with Bob Klapish’s assessment today of where we are with Beltran’s injury.

If they’d have been candid from the beginning, this wouldn’t have been the soap opera drama it became.

Posted under METS

It’s still early, but Key House Races has added the FL #2 race to it’s list. It shows the Boyd seat still likely Dem and Eddie Hendry as the main challenger. David Scholl and Steve Southerland are additional challengers.

I’d also follow the Real Clear Politics assessments. It’s recently moved the race from likely Dem to lean Dem. This occurred right after the RNCC added Steve Southerland to the list of candidates to watch after his significant donation numbers were announced.

UPDATE: (2:43 CDT-4/25): On thr 15th of this month, the Cook Report moved Fl#2 from Likley Dem to Lean Dem

Posted under FLORIDA #2

The News Herald is currently running an online poll that asks whether or not Charlie Crist should run as an independent. The results are interesting:

Of 588 voters:

No: 21%
Yes: 79%
Well, well.

It looks like voters in Bay County and surrounding counties that read the paper don’t want anyone getting in the way of a conservative Republican winning that Senat seat. This is Marco Rubio country.

But does this poll say something about the FL #2 race to unseat Allen Boyd? Will a similar wave be duplicated in the November race? If so, this bodes well for Steve Southerland and Eddie Hendry and not so much for the energized campaign and followers of Independent Paul McKain. And While the later’s conservative bonifedes are certain, it could be that the hyperpartisanship of the current national political climate is manifesting locally.

Posted under FLORIDA #2, POLITICS

The Panama News Herald offers a thoughtful review of the new bill which alters graduation requirements for Florida’s students. I’m going to take issue with one part of their column. Here’s what I am talking about.

“The new law replaces the FCAT for high school math and science with end-of-course exams, although like the FCAT they, too, will be standardized. The law also will add geometry, algebra II, biology, chemistry and physics to the list of required courses. Currently, only four math credits and three science credits are required for graduation, but other than Algebra I the courses aren’t specified.”

This is not quire right. Here’s what the bill says:

Beginning with students entering grade 9
249 in the 2011-2012 school year, one of the three credits in
250 science must be Biology I or a series of courses equivalent to
251 Biology I as approved by the State Board of Education. Beginning
252 with students entering grade 9 in the 2011-2012 school year, the
253 end-of-course assessment requirements under s.
254 1008.22(3)(c)2.a.(II) must be met in order for a student to earn
255 the required credit in Biology I. Beginning with students
256 entering grade 9 in the 2013-2014 school year, one of the three
257 credits must be Biology I or a series of courses equivalent to
258 Biology I as approved by the State Board of Education, one
259 credit must be chemistry or physics or a series of courses
260 equivalent to chemistry or physics as approved by the State
261 Board of Education, and one credit must be an equally rigorous
262 course, as determined by the State Board of Education.

Fortunately students will not be required to take Physics and Chemistry, but a “series of courses equivalent to the two.” This is helpful and gives district and schools some leeway in establishing curriculum. Chemistry and especially Physics are too sophisticated with many students and a Physical Science course or a combination of similar courses can be subsituted.

As SB 4 requires that the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) be utilized, more than one course in Life Sciences will be required to fully cover the standards. SB 4 is unclear as to when the test is to be taken. The NGSSS include considerable content in human anotomy and physiology. Students probably are going to have to take both Biology along with Human Anatomy & Physiology to be exposed to the entire content.

As there is no test required for any other domain in science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science) the insistance including both requirements in Chemistry and Physics is questionable. As is the fact that only 3 years of Science are required to graduate.

I wish that kids would be required to take four years of science. With the NGSSS requirement really being a two year committment in coursework, an ammendment to SB 4 to this change at some point is worth considering.

The News Herald is understandably concerned about SB 4 and it’s rigor. A few years ago, I might have agreed. But with more and more studies indicating the distance our children are falling behind the rest of the world’s, increasing expectations is very good way to begin bridging that gap.

Posted under EDUCATION

Maine’s obviously a wreck. If you get a muscle spasm in your other arm (never seen that) because of the way your throwing, you’ve got serious issues. The Mets will be doing him a favor. My vote is for Dillon Gee as Hisanori Takahashi has been far too valuable in his relief role.

Other Mets Bric a Brac:

And please keep Jose Reyes batting third for now. Whenever..if ever…Carlos Beltran returns, they can revisit it.

I see that Luis Castillo is getting another day off. He lookedlike his sore calf muscles were killing him again during that 20 inning affair last Saturday. But neither he nor Alex Cora have been particularly useful offensively in the #2 hole. How long will the Mets let that go on? There doesn’t seem to be any help in the minors. As they are now both back home, perhaps the Mets should consider the Wally Backman-Time Teufel platoon. We’d be soooooo pumped!

I thought the Braves would be pretty good this year and would finish ahead of the Mets. Winning this series could change that.

Best guesses on players that won’t be on the active roster in August: Gary Matthews Jr, Frank Catalanotto, Castillo, Fernando Tatis, and Manny Acosta. I’m just saying.

Sean Green is scheduled to be about ready. I bet he gets optioned to Buffalo.

What happens when Daniel Murphy returns? He’s certain to get a rehab assignment. Hope he’s not hurt more than the Mets are letting on. Heaven knows they’ve done that before and it bites them in the ass every time. Anyhow, as things look now, he won’t be replacing Ike Davis. Maybe Murphy can be the primary pinch-hitter. Murphy has significant value though as he can play both 1st and 3rd, and someone may want him. Could he be part of a potential trade this season to improve the club’s rotation or at 2B?

Posted under METS

Okaloosa County is one of the only in the state that do not levi local taxes for schools.

The school board, smartly kicked the can down the road in February saying that they will leave the measure to the voters. The issue will be taken up again Monday afternoon in Crestview.

Posted under EDUCATION

This is the best overview of Florida’s political climate as I have ever read. It’s a must read and simply fascinating. Kudos to the St. Petersburg Times.

Posted under POLITICS

Dockery’s campaign has been stealthly gaining traction and has racked up a considerable list of Republican endorsements. Here’s a few:

Rep. Baxter Troutman (R-Winter Haven)
Sen. Durell Peaden, MD (R-Crestview)Rep. Kevin Ambler (R-Tampa)

Sen Evelyn Lynn (R-Daytona Beach)
Sen. Alex Villalobos (R-Miami)

Sen. Nancy Detert (R-Venice) (Majority Whip)Sen. Dennis Jones (R-Seminole)

The list also includes a former state party chair, a current county GOP chair, and a past state president of the NRA.

Senator Dockery is scheduled to appear in northwest Florida on May 11th at events in Marianna and Apalachicola.

Conventional wisdom has Bill McCollum as the favorite, but it could be that he has topped out. Dockery is not the household name around the state that is McCollum and likely has not reached her ceiling yet in notoriety.

With the addition of Rick Scott, the campaign to win the GOP primary for Govenor should prove to be the kind of political theatre junkies relish.

Posted under POLITICS

Boyd issued a press release on Tuesday that stated the following:

U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd wrote in a press release Tuesday that opportunities to save local jobs still exist. Boyd voted against the education reform measure when it passed a key committee, but voted for the final health care legislation to which education reform was attached. He has been meeting with Sallie Mae and U.S. Department of Education officials to save jobs.

“We hope the executives at Sallie Mae will work with us to find ways to keep their employment going there in Panama City,” Shireman said.

So let me get this straight. Boyd is trying to save the jobs by negotiating with the US Department of Ed, but at the same time is blaming Sallie Mae for not cooperating?

What chuzpah.

But this is an opportunity for Boyd. If he can indeed save the Sallie Mae jobs in Panama City, he’ll get back some good will he’s lost on his votes that pleased Nancy Pelosi. We’ll see what kind of juice Boyd has now. This could be where he gets payback for his sudden turn away from his Blue Dog roots.

Pelosi and President Obama are desperate to maintain their House majority and may see this as a way to help keep the seat. But do they secretly favor Al Lawson in his bid to defeat Boyd in the primary? Surely Lawson would be a much more certain vote for Pelosi and Obama.

Boyd must have received some kind of assurances for his flip on Obamacare and his support for cap and trade, neither vote popular among many of his constituents. And Boyd may have realized the threat that Lawson posed and cut a deal. He knows that he cannot defeat Lawson with such a high number of African-American voters in Leon County where the Democart primary will be decided. Boyd’s votes may have flipped for as little as a simple promise by Pelosi and Obama to remain neutral in the race.

Posted under FLORIDA #2

Health care executive and patient’s rights advocate Rick Scott tossed his hat into the ring on April 13th. Immediately the long knives came out.

Scott will have to constantly have to face questions regarding his firing as CEO of Columbia Health Care. Frequent leads by Democrat Party loyalists masquerading as journalists will be something like, “Disgraced health care executive Rick Scott……”

The move to discredit Scott is already underway at online encyclopedia Wikepedia. Scott’s page is unflattering to say the least. But better said, it’s a smear campaign. Luckily Scott’s supporters are trying to do something about it. The following message appears at the top of Scott’s Wiki page:

“The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (April 2010)”

Posted under POLITICS