John Key.

The Finance Minister has been a vital and much-needed driving force in the backrooms of the Beehive where ministers and departmental officials thrash out the policy detail so that National's reforms actually work in the way intended.

In particular, Mr English pushed hard for meaningful welfare reform.

His other major target is state housing.

The latter is a fundamental component of what remains of last century's welfare state.

It is a safety net.

It is a Labour Party icon that has somehow survived National's attempts to dismantle it.

Mr English has long wanted to replace it with a more market-oriented system which, in theory, should be more responsive, more flexible and thus more cost-efficient when it comes to meeting the needs of both tenants and landlords than the current provider, Housing New Zealand, which enjoys a state-sanctioned near monopoly.

But constructing such a market seems to be proving to be far more difficult than envisaged.

It has taken four years to reach the point where the Prime Minister could release broad details of the plan.

Continue reading here:
Housing reform Cabinet papers embarrassingly candid

When was the last time you took a good look inside the cabinets under your kitchen sink?

Its not an area of the kitchen that gets a lot of attention, since its usually out of sight and out of mind. That was the case for us for several years since we moved into our house.

Have you ever had a leak in your garbage disposal or in the pvc pipes?

If you have, then you probably know what that does to the bottom board of the cabinet. It gets all nasty and warped and just generally gross looking.

It was always one of those things where we said, yeah, we need to replace that board someday! But it just seemed like it would be more effort than it was worth.

Turns out thats not true.

It was really a pretty simple job to fix it, and it was such a breath of fresh air to be able to put our cleaning products under the sink without having them fall all over each other (thats how bad ours was warped).

So if your kitchen is in the need for some TLC under the sink, youre in luck. Ill show you how I fixed ours up.

I know my wife was awful grateful to have a clean and functional under sink cabinet again.

Heres what youll need:

Go here to see the original:
How to Replace Water Damaged Cabinet Bottom | The Domestic ...

Posted January 29, 2015 08:35 am | Op-Ed

By Martin Dyckman

Is the Florida Cabinet worth its keep, or is it simply worthless? That venerable question has been brought front and center again by the Gerald Bailey kerfuffle.

In the aftermath of his resignation as commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Cabinet Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam resembled to a remarkable degree the three monkeys who see, speak and hear no evil.

When Gov. Rick Scott told them Bailey had retired voluntarily as commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, they didnt seem the least bit curious about why he left without a days notice or even a goodbye.

Then they were shocked shocked! when Bailey told the media that Scott had put a gun to his head by claiming he had the Cabinets votes to fire him. Bailey got only a couple of hours to clean out his desk. All that was missing from his summary humiliation was an armed guard marching him to the door.

But if Scott is telling the truth for once, we have a clue about why the Cabinet may have been so incurious and so quiet.

Scott claims his aide informed their aides that he wanted Bailey out.

If so, and they didnt pass the word on, there are three aides who should be looking for new jobs.

If the aides did tell their bosses, that makes Atwater, Bondi and Putnam silent partners in what smells like a rotten deal.

More here:
C omments ( to add a comment go here )

Gov. Rick Scott has proposed a series of changes in handling of appointments and job reviews of Cabinet-level agency heads in the wake of the fiasco last month in which his office forced the ouster of a top state police executive without the advance knowledge of the three Cabinet members. Scott's office maintains that all three Cabinet members' staff members knew of Scott's desire for changes at FDLE and that staffers "raised no objection."

Scott's proposal essentially is a reworked version of a plan put forward last week by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. It will be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting set for Feb. 5 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The governor's office confirmed Wednesday that the meeting will be held in Tampa as scheduled.

Scott's one-page proposal would reduce the job security of those officials by creating a new "annual Cabinet leadership review" that would allow for an agency head's "removal for any reason by an appropriate vote."

Under the Scott proposal, he or any Cabinet member could annually make a motion for "affirmation or removal" of Cabinet agency heads, which include the commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, state insurance commissioner, banking regulator, tax collector and executive director of highway safety, among others.

The proposal states in part: "Prior to the end of each fiscal year, the performance and tenure of each executive director, director or commissioner appointed and serving under the direction and supervision of the governor and Cabinet shall be reviewed." The proposal also would give Scott the authority to appoint an interim replacement at the head of an agency "in the event of a vacancy," which Scott did last month when he alone selected FDLE's Capitol police director, Rick Swearingen, as an interim replacement for the ousted FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey.

Scott also is proposing a nationwide search for qualified candidates for those offices. Earlier this month, Scott's office solicited a resume from a Louisiana state official, Ron Henderson, as a potential replacement for Kevin McCarty, who has headed the Office of Insurance Regulation since 2003.

Read the original here:
Gov. Scott proposes Cabinet changes in wake of FDLE fiasco

TALLAHASSEE

The raging controversy over Gov. Rick Scott's removal of a respected law enforcement official escalated Wednesday as Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said he was "misled" by Scott's office and a St. Petersburg lawyer formally accused top state officials of Sunshine Law violations.

In addition, Attorney General Pam Bondi surprisingly said that she believed Scott's staff members orchestrated the ouster of Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey without the governor's knowledge.

"We all knew there were going to be changes in the coming months," Bondi told an Associated Press gathering of state reporters. "But did I know that Jerry Bailey was going to be told he was fired and have his things packed up, his entire life as a career law enforcement officer in a cardboard box, and be told to be out of the office before the end of the day? Absolutely not. Nor do I believe the governor knew it."

Scott faces intense criticism from all directions over his removal of Bailey, who served as FDLE commissioner for eight years until he was forced out Dec. 16 with no public discussion of his performance. Bailey was one of several state agency heads who report not only to the governor but also to the three elected Cabinet members.

Bailey has called Scott a liar for saying that he resigned, and he has accused Scott's office of repeated political interference charges Scott again denied Wednesday.

The three Republican members of the Cabinet, who have been harshly criticized for acquiescing to what they now view as a heavy-handed, back-room political maneuver, have become increasingly critical of Scott's actions.

The harshest criticism came from Putnam, who is seen as a leading candidate for governor in 2018. Putnam, who met with Bailey on Wednesday, all but accused Scott's office of lying in the way it orchestrated the dismissal, by sending messages through staff members that Scott wanted "new leadership" at FDLE.

"We were misled as to the timing and the process of how that would be handled," Putnam said. "It has revealed poor treatment of a good man."

Asked whether he believed Scott's version of the truth or Bailey's, Putnam paused and said: "Jerry Bailey's a fine man. He served our state very well. The way he was treated at the end of his distinguished career was shabby."

Read the rest here:
Cabinet members step up attacks on Gov. Rick Scott over FDLE firing

Arthenia Joyner, the Senates top Democrat, kicked off the annual Associated Press legislative planning session with a bang Wednesday, hammering Gov. Rick Scott for a miserable lesson in bad government.

Joyner, of Tampa, was teeing-off on Scott for forcing out longtime Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey and calling for leadership changes at three other agencies overseen by his office and the three-person Cabinet.

Scott elbowed-out Bailey and has actively sought leadership at another Cabinet-level agency without informing Cabinet members.

Only arrogance can explain being less than honest with the public about official actions, Joyner said.

Her comments came to a room full of reporters and editors gathered in Tallahassee for an annual pre-legislative session meeting hosted by the Associated Press.

The state constitution requires the entire Cabinet to vote on the removal of certain officials, including the FDLE chief. Baileys resignation was forced without consulting Cabinet members.

The perception is that the constitution has been violated and the people want to know, she said. In an era of transparency, we have to make sure it is transparent.

In addition, Scott had already been quietly seeking replacement for Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty, a post also overseen by the Cabinet. He reached out to Ron Henderson, a Louisiana insurance official, earlier this month about the potential of an opening in Florida.

Joyner also noted the well-worn path from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindals administration to Scotts office. Several top officials, including chief-of-staff Melissa Sellers, have done stints in Louisiana.

Scott seems to be getting Bobby Jindals hand me downs, Joyner said of Henderson.

See the rest here:
Joyner hammers Scott's 'arrogance' over FDLE ouster

TALLAHASSEE Gov. Rick Scott recruited a Louisiana state official as the replacement for Florida's chief insurance regulator weeks before he publicly called for the regulator's removal as part of a second-term reorganization.

Scott's office confirmed Monday that it asked for a resume from Ron Henderson, 45, the deputy insurance commissioner for consumer advocacy in Louisiana. His name was pitched to Scott by a Tallahassee lobbyist for the insurance industry, Fred Karlinsky, a friend of Scott's and co-chairman of his recent second inaugural.

Henderson was being considered as a replacement for Kevin McCarty, who has headed Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation since 2003 and plays a critical role in setting the property insurance rates that affect all Florida homeowners and businesses.

Karlinsky, a Fort Lauderdale-based lawyer, recently switched law firms and joined Greenberg Traurig, one of the state's most politically active.

Scott last month appointed Karlinsky to a prestigious state board, the nine-member Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. That gives the lobbyist a seat at the table in recommending who should be the high court's next justice.

Karlinsky has had a tense relationship with McCarty's office, and the lobbyist is on friendlier terms with Henderson. Karlinsky and Henderson were co-presenters at an insurance regulation seminar on ethics in New Orleans in July, sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

Karlinsky has twice donated $5,000 to the election campaigns of Henderson's boss, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner James Donelon, in 2009 and 2013.

Scott's office reached out to Henderson while the governor was at the center of a growing furor over his office's sudden December ouster of Gerald Bailey, the long-time commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. That move has led to calls for an outside investigation by two Cabinet members Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.

McCarty, like Bailey, does not report only to Scott, but also to the three independently elected Cabinet members. All three said they were blind-sided by the removal of Bailey and all three belatedly criticized the way Scott's office orchestrated it.

By law, the hiring of an insurance regulator requires Scott and Atwater to agree.

Read more here:
Scott already eyeing replacement for state's top insurance regulator

UPDATE: Gov. Rick Scott's office confirms that it sought to recruit a Louisiana insurance official as a possible replacement for Florida insurance regulator Kevin McCarty before Scott publicly suggested last week that McCarty be replaced.

An online news service that covers the insurance industry, SNL, first reported that Scott's office asked Louisiana Deputy Commissioner of Consumer Advocacy Ron Henderson to interview for McCarty's job weeks before Scott said he was looking for "new leadership" at OIR. SNL said it learned about Scott's interest in Henderson from Henderson's boss, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner James Donelon, who alerted McCarty.

Donelon has received campaign contributions and free meals from Fred Karlinsky, a long-time Tallahassee insurance industry lobbyists with close ties to Scott, Louisiana public records show. Karlinsky was a leading fund-raiser for Scott's recent second inauguration and Scott appointed Karlinsky last month to the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission.

In response to Times/Herald inquiries, Scott's office issued the following statement:

"As we made the transition to a second term in office, Ron Henderson was brought up as a possible candidate for Commissioner of OIR. We reached out and asked for his resume. We did not discuss Mr. Henderson with other Cabinet staff. As the governor said last week, the next Cabinet meeting would be a good time to discuss a process to begin a full search for new candidates to lead OIR, OFR and DOR. The governor believes government needs to be more like business and frequently change leadership to bring in new ideas and fresh energy.

"He (Henderson) came to me to advise me that he had been invited to interview, and with my blessing, he said he would indicate that he was interested," Donelon told SNL in an article published last Friday, Jan. 23. "That was about two weeks ago. It was a while before all the news hit the media last week."

Donelon told SNL he gave McCarty a heads-up.

"I was in California for the committee assignment meeting last weekend and told Commissioner McCarty that I had been apprised of that," Donelon said. "I was not lobbying for his removal or replacement, but I did give my deputy the approval to go forward."

Donelon said he did not know if Henderson was pursuing the Tallahassee job. Scott's office has not commented on the SNL report.

McCarty does not report only to the governor. He also reports to all three Cabinet members, as did Gerald Bailey, former commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), who was ousted from his job Dec. 16 by Scott's office but without the knowledge or concurrence of the Cabinet members.

Read more from the original source:
Gov. Scott's office confirms it eyed La. official in place of McCarty

Getting glass kitchen cabinet doors gives an elegant look to your kitchen, and a great way to customize your kitchen attributes in the most cost-effective manner. Remodeling your kitchen does not require you to buy a complete new set of kitchen cabinets anymore. Instead, you can really save up to a lot of your budget with special glass inserts for kitchen cabinet doors. It not only makes you look more organized and fresh, but also helps you keep an easy track of the items in the cabinet, and even show off the unique and expensive ones.

Kitchen cabinets are a great way to hide your kitchen clutter, and help you keep things in the most organized manner. However, over years of wear and tear, the cabinets are the most abused items in the kitchen. If you are planning on renovating the kitchen, the shabby cabinets will need to be one of the first items replaced. But sometimes, you cannot even manage getting all new cabinets as well. The best resort happens to be replacement cabinet doors. These doors come in various styles and custom designs that add a charm to your kitchen without investing any big money on it. The recent and most stylish one happens to be the glass kitchen cabinet doors.

These custom kitchen cabinet doors come with a variety of glass styles and forms. While choosing the glass for kitchen cabinet doors, you need to pick the best quality glass material that has longer durability, and less prone to breakage. Since kitchen cabinets are used in the harshest manner, special care should be taken while making glass kitchen cabinet doors for these. There are etched glasses available in the market, and are quite popular with the custom kitchen cabinet doors. However, more designed the glass is, less see-through it would be, and wouldnt serve the purpose of finding things right away from the kitchen cabinet. So, you need to strike a balance between fashion and functionality.

Another determinant factor for the glass kitchen cabinet doors is the frame that it fits upon. Mostly these are wooden frames, but plastic and metal materials are also available. Whatever be the material, the cabinet frame needs to be of high quality that stays intact with the cabinet for the entire life. A poor quality of frame would cause added strain on the glass inserts causing it to break in no time.

One advantage of using glass inserts for kitchen cabinet doors is the easy see-through functionality. You need to finish off your work quickly, and if you have to spend most of your time in searching things in your cabinet, it is of no use. Using glass for kitchen cabinet doors makes the items in the cabinet highly visible, saving on a lot to time to find one. Moreover, there are things like an expensive crystal glassware set, or a beautiful bone china dinner set that you would love to display to others. Having glass kitchen cabinet doors beautifully adorns and shows off your elements of pride.

Not only are glass kitchen cabinet doors are functional and cost-effective, but also add a stylish charm and versatility to your kitchen interior. These custom kitchen cabinet doors can be an aspect for pride and personality!!

Read the original here:
Replacement Cabinet Doors

By GARY FINEOUT and BRENDAN FARRINGTON - Associated Press - Wednesday, January 21, 2015

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The abrupt ouster of the leader of Floridas main law-enforcement agency could lead to a major shake-up in how the state Cabinet and the governor hire top officials.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam on Wednesday called for an overhaul of how the state Cabinet approves agency heads. Putnam also wants to change how the governor and Cabinet oversee several departments.

Floridas other two Cabinet members, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, also expressed concerns about the appointment process after Gov. Rick Scott forced the resignation of Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey and then asked the Cabinet to name his hand-picked replacement to the job.

All three Republican Cabinet members last week approved Rick Swearingen to replace Bailey, but after the vote said they werent aware that Bailey, who had held the position since late 2006, was forced to step down. Bailey later told the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald about political interference and unethical requests from Scott, his staff and his campaign team.

The uproar over Baileys ouster has prompted calls for outside investigations and other state elected officials to question what happened. Democratic legislators this week said the states ethics panel should consider probing the incident, while outside watchdog group Integrity Florida said it has a sent a letter to a federal prosecutor and the FBI requesting them to look into Baileys allegations.

The recent process behind the appointment of a new FDLE Commissioner has raised serious questions, and those questions should be answered to ensure transparency, and the publics right to know, Bondi said in a news release.

She said she wants the matter to be addressed at the next Cabinet meeting Feb. 5.

Many agency heads, including those in charge of the states health department and prison system, report only to the governor. But a handful of agencies report to both the governor and the three Cabinet members.

Atwater sent a letter to Scott on Tuesday night saying he wants to do a new search for an FDLE commissioner. Scott replied in his own letter that a new search could be done, but then stated he wants to keep Swearingen in the job to prevent unnecessary turmoil. Scott then said he wants to discuss firing three other state officials, including Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty. He said government should frequently change leadership to bring in new ideas and fresh energy.

Original post:
Ouster of Florida's top cop could spark power shift