ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: Numbers way down in Florida

The flow of illegal immigrants into Florida and the United States is way down, a trend that started five years before Arizona passed its famous anti-immigration law, new numbers show. Down, too, is the total population of "unauthorized" immigrants in Florida -- the biggest apparent drop of any state.

Those are among the findings in a just-released report by the Pew Hispanic Center.

The study "does not explain why these changes occurred," the report says. "During the period covered by the analysis, there have been major shifts in the level of immigration enforcement and in enforcement strategies, as well as large swings in the U.S. economy."

Key excerpts and graphics from the Pew report:

Florida’s illegal-immigrant population declined to an estimated 675,000 people, a drop of 375,000 from 2008 to 2009.

The drop in Florida was part of a larger, longer trend.


As for those already in the United States...

About 11.1 million unauthorized immigrants live in the United States, down from a peak of 12 million in 2007, the study indicates. Still, that's more than the 8.4 million who lived in the United States in 2000. Today, illegal immigrants are 2.6 percent of the total U.S. population and about 5 percent of the civilian workforce.

The population grew fastest during the housing and economic boom from 2003 to 2007, the Pew data show. However, about 85 percent of all illegal immigrants arrived before 2004.


As for those "anchor babies" behind calls to repeal the 14th Amendement: Unauthorized immigrants accounted for 28% of the nation’s foreign-born population in 2009, a decline from 31% in 2007, the Pew Hispanic Center found.


The new data are consistent with a previous Pew Hispanic Center report that found "a sharply decreased flow of immigrants from Mexico to the United States since mid-decade." However, the new data do not show an "increase in the number of Mexican-born migrants returning home from the U.S."

"Return flows to other countries may have increased," the report says.

What do you make of the numbers?

VOTER ALERT: Supreme Court kills three ballot measures

The Florida Supreme Court has tossed from the November ballot three constitutional amendments, including one that asked voters to reject mandates in "Obamacare" health reforms. All three proposals were initiated by the Republican-controlled Legislature, FLORIDA TODAY capital bureau chief Paul Flemming reports.

The court voted 5-2 to uphold lower court rulings in each case, with Chief Justice Charles Canaday and Justice Ricky Polston dissenting from the majority three times.

Amendment 3 would have offered expanded property-tax breaks to first-time home buyers and lowered the amount assessments on non-homestead property could go up each year.

Amendment 7 was a legislative answer to two other amendments aimed at putting an end to gerrymandering -- those remain on the ballot -- setting additional criteria for drawing lines for state and congressional districts. Sen. Mike Haridopolos of Merritt Island and Rep. Dean Cannon of Winter Park were behind the amendment.

Amendment 9 sought to prohibit health-care mandates in Florida under federal health care reform.

In all three cases, the justices said the proposed ballot summaries were too confusing.

BREAKING: VA seeks local land deal for cemetery

We know how Brevard taxpayers love to scrutinize government land purchases. This just in from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it is seeking land on which to build two new national cemeteries to serve veterans in the Central East Florida (Cape Canaveral) and Tallahassee areas.

VA is seeking expressions of interest from landowners willing to sell or donate at least 200 contiguous, developable acres in both Central East Florida and Tallahassee that can be developed for new national cemeteries. In Central East Florida, the land must be within 25 miles of the interchange of Interstate 95 and routes A1A and 528 in Brevard County.

For more information on VA’s land acquisition plans, please contact VA’s Real Property Service at (202) 461-8198 or by email at rps@va.gov.

See Thursday's editions of FLORIDA TODAY for more.

AG and Credit Solutions both claim victory

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has claimed victory in the state's lawsuit against Credit Solutions, one of several companies being sued by the state for allegedly defrauding debtors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by claiming to help eliminate their credit card debt.

It's the second such ruling the state got against a so-called debt relief company. In April, Clearwater-based American Debt Arbitration and Arizona-based Nationwide Asset Services were banned from charging up-front fees before showing it had actually begun to help reduce customers' debts.

Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Sam Pendino ruled Aug. 16 that the Texas-based Credit Solutions and of America Inc. and Credit Solutions of America LLC cannot charge residents an up-front fee for "purported debt settlement services."

Floridians have turned to debt-relief companies in desperation, only to wind up paying hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars to these companies before reducing or settling debts, McCollum said. Credit Solutions has enrolled more than 13,000 Florida residents.

In a news release posted to his web site Aug. 20, McCollum called the ruling "significant progress in reigning in these abusive practices."

Credit Solutions is also claiming victory. In a news release issued Aug. 26, and received at Brevard Watchlist's in-box this morning, Credit Solutions says the following:

"At the most recent hearing on August 16, after considering testimony and weighing evidence of the work Credit Solutions has historically provided to Florida consumers, the Hillsborough Circuit Court denied a majority of the Attorney General’s demands. Instead, the court entered an order requiring Credit Solutions to refrain from collecting an advance fee from any brand new customers in Florida."

Credit Solutions went on to say it was already making those changes to comply with recent Federal Trade Commission rules outlawing the practice of charging up-front fees before actually working to reduce or settle a consumer's debt.

Starting in September, the FTC also will require debt relief companies to tell potential customers how much it could potentially cost them.

"If the current Attorney General had prevailed on his claims at the hearing, thousands of debt-strappedFlorida customers who rely on Credit Solutions to help them settle their credit card debts could have been left without a critical ally in this crippled economy," the company said.

Brevard Watchlist obtained copies of the order from both Credit Solutions and the Attorney General, to see if they were reading the same order. They were, but reported the parts favorable to their cause.

For instance, Judge Pendino found that Credit Solutions was charging fees that exceed the limits set forth in Florida Statutes, and that the Attorney General has shown a "substantial likelihood" that Credit Solutions was unfairly charging in advance of any settlement of debt, in violation of state law.

Pendino ordered Credit Solutions not to charge any advance fees as of Aug. 16, but that it could continue to collect fees from any customers it had prior to Aug. 16.

To see the entire order, click here.

UPDATE: Did Brevard property appraiser keep taxable values inflated? Jim Ford disputes widely seen graphic

Property Appraiser Jim Ford objects to a graphic circulated during recent campaigns that implies Ford kept taxable property values inflated even after the market crashed. The alleged practice, in turn, would have fattened government tax revenues at the expense of homeowners who have seen their fortunes sink.

The graphic, created by former House Candidate Roger Shealy, left, has been referenced at county commission meetings and at candidate forums. Ford attacks the information in an Aug. 16 letter to Shealy now posted on the property appraiser's website (In the spot where Ford usually posts missives criticizing FLORIDA TODAY).

"It seems the graph was produced to try and alarm taxpayers and convince them that their homes have been valued too high for tax purposes for several years," Ford writes. "This misrepresentation of facts needs to be stopped immediately and retracted from public view."

Shealy responded to Ford in a letter Friday that his graphic initially had one purpose -- to show the likelihood of a falling tax base and a need to plan for a post-bubble Brevard. Yet, he also reiterated his conclusion that Brevard's assessments are high.

"You have implied that I have set out to convince taxpayers 'that their homes have been valued too high for tax purposes for several years,'" Shealy tells Ford in his letter. "If that were my goal, then I would have charted the number of petitions filed each year with the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) by those who believe their assessment is too high or charted the Level of Assessment by County to compare Brevard County with other counties. Indeed, according to your statement the 'overall level of assessment in Brevard County has been relatively low.' You continue by saying, 'the assessment level in Brevard County has fluctuated between 92.5% and 94.9%. Yet as of 2009, Brevard County stands at a 103.4% level of assessment – the second highest in the state."

The biggest problem with the graphic, as Ford, right, sees it:

- Shealy's numbers are based on median sales prices of single-family homes, whereas the county computes taxable value based on "all types of properties including commercial, multi-family, agricultural, condominiums, vacant land, etc."

- The median sales value in the graphic reflects only brokered sales listed in the MLS and mobile home sales recorded by the Florida Association of Realtors. Ford's office "uses all sales to arrive at market value," the letter says.

Ford's site links to his own graphic, which shows single-family home values, as recorded by his office, closely tracking sales prices over the past several years.

He also links to a table projecting that property values, the tax base and government revenue from property taxes continuing to drop significantly through 2014.

Shealy responded that he was working with the best available data and requested that Ford send him more numbers.

What do you make of the data and their implication for local taxes?

Whither the pledge? Florida law, Brevard policy keep flag salute standard but voluntary in Space Coast schools

Pashai Oway, 6, of Arlington, Va., holds an American flag while attending the the "Restoring Honor" rally,

organized by Glenn Beck, in Washington. (AP)

During last weekend's observation of Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" festivities, Brevard residents told FLORIDA TODAY the goal was to reinforce traditional values including children's rights to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school. Beck also urged Americans to "turn back to God."

Which begs the questions: Don't they say the pledge in Brevard schools anymore? Our kids swear they do. But what do state law and Brevard Public Schools policy say about the pledge and school prayer?

- Florida law says the pledge "shall be recited at the beginning of the day in each public elementary, middle, and high school in the state." Students have a right not to participate and may be excused if they bring a note from home.

- School board policy 8800 authorizes teachers to lead the pledge, just like in the old days. Additionally, school policy "prohibits the intimidation of any student by other students or staff for the purpose of coercing participation."

- Students may pray at school and form religious clubs, school policy says. But such expression may be limited to "non-instructional time periods" such as lunchtime or after school. Public-school staff may not lead religious activities during normal work hours.

- Policy bars classes from "observing" any religion's holidays. But classes are encouraged to acknowledge and study the history and meaning of various religious holidays.

- Holiday celebrations with "nonreligious decorations" are OK. But those activities are voluntary for students. And teachers must avoid "creating an atmosphere of social compulsion."

Haridopolos candidates win primaries

Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island (above, left), knows how to pick them.

He supported several candidates in the Republican primaries, including Melbourne Sen. Thad Altman (above, right), in his attempt to get a majority big enough to ensure easier passage of his legislative agenda next Spring when he becomes Senate President.

All but one of those candidates he supported won.

Haridopolos funneled at least $500,000 from his Freedom First Committee to Attorney General Bill McCollum's gubernatorial war chest, according to reports in the St. Petersburg Times and Orlando Sentinel, but McCollum lost to medical company executive Rick Scott in the Republican primary.

Now that the dust has settled, Haridopolos has promised to support Scott in the general election Nov. 2. "It's all water under the bridge," he said on the St. Petersburg Times' political blog, "The Buzz." Haridopolos compared the situation in the gubernatorial primary to that of the Democratic Presidential primary two years ago.

“There are some things said in a campaign -- much like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton said -- but when the election is over they got back together, forged an alliance and won two years ago. I expect Rick Scott to be in it to win. I’m in it to win," he told the St. Petersburg Times.

Here's an official statement from Haridopolos, posted on the Orlando Sentinel's political blog Friday:

“Allow me to extend my congratulations to Rick Scott on earning the Republican nomination for Governor. I look forward to meeting with the Republican gubernatorial nominee in the next few days. I am interested in the two of us exchanging our views regarding our great state and our visions for Florida’s future.

“As the Republican nominee, Mr. Scott has proven his commitment to this effort beyond a shadow of a doubt, and I respect that tremendously.

“We will now turn our focus and efforts toward Republican victories in November so that we may continue to achieve our common goals of cutting waste, decreasing taxes and decreasing regulations so that we can jump start this economy and create jobs.”

BUSTED: Feds nab our favorite illegal immigrant

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have detained an illegal immigrant we profiled earlier this week and tried, with his cooperation, to turn in for deportation.

The man we knew as "Aldo Barone" got cold feet and took off from Melbourne Sunday morning in search of work in South Florida -- hours after our initial report on him appeared in FLORIDA TODAY.

But while exiting a bus at a West Palm Beach Greyhound station, the illegal immigrant ran into border patrol agents doing routine checks of passengers' citizenship. Passengers do not have the burden to prove their citizenship, but border agents can still ask questions and ask for ID. Our guy had no ID or papers. Further questioning by revealed his illegal status.

While we feared he had re-entered the Florida workforce this week -- based on the latest available information -- "Aldo" instead has been awaiting court hearings and likely deportation at the Krome Service Processing Center in Miami.

FLORIDA TODAY could not locate him earlier in databases of federal immigration detainees because he was booked under his real name: Ali Moussawi.

Moussawi is a 42-year-old native of Italy and entered the United States legally on a temporary visa years ago, said Chuck Prichard, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Pembroke Pines.