Universal Orlando Tries to Get Lower Property Taxes

This is rather amusing. Universal Orlando was to go in front of the Orange County Value Adjustment Board to ask for a reduction in their property taxes. Representatives for Universal Orlando bailed when they found out that a reporter from the Orlando Sentinel would sit in on the hearing. The representative for Universal Orlando and Loews Hotels told the magistrate they did not want to discuss their "business data" in front of a journalist. The was magistrate unswayed and turned down the request to lower the property taxes.

After the hearing, Universal Orlando and Loews Hotels refused to provide a comment for the Orlando Sentinel. What is clear is that profits have increased from the Universal Orlando and Loews Hotels partnership.

The three hotels are owned by a joint venture between Universal and Loews, which then pays ground rent to Universal Orlando based on a percentage of hotel revenue. The joint venture paid Universal approximately $13.3 million in 2010, according to regulatory filings — an increase of more than 600 percent from $1.9 million in 2009 and a 10.7 percent increase from $13.2 million in 2008. (The payments plummeted in 2009 because the hotels did not meet a contractual cash-flow threshold.)

Anyone know know Loews cash flow problems in 2009?

Scott Powers Trapped in the Closet

The member of Joe Biden's who had Orlando Sentinel political reporter Scott Powers wait in a closet should be fired. The Biden staffer did not want Powers to mingle with the donors at a Bill Nelson fundraiser. The Biden staffer's over-zealousness into a PR disaster for Biden. To add insult to injury, Powers is scheduled to appear on Good Morning America to speak about the closet incident.

Gov. Rick Scott chased off the media from a Lincoln Day Dinner. Powers was selected as the pool reporter for the Nelson fundraiser. Translation: a pool reporter is the only media member selected for an elected. Both these actions are the result of Scott and Biden staffers not wanting the media record their bosses kissing the asses of powerful political contributors. Elected leaders are terrified that the Americans will realize both major parties do not govern for the needs of the America people. What these out of touch pols fail to understand is that people are already clued in.

Alan Grayson Interview

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board interviews Congressman Alan Grayson.

Orlando Sentinel Against Amendment 2

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board comes out against Amendment 2.

Good idea or bad idea? Bad idea. This amendment does more than just target homosexual unions. It puts all manner of domestic partnerships at a possible disadvantage. For example, after a similar measure passed in Michigan in 2004, the state's Supreme Court ruled that public institutions could no longer offer health and other benefits to domestic partners of the same sex. Many institutions found a way around the ruling, but why put people in Florida at risk? Besides, state law already restricts marriage to a man and a woman, and Florida doesn't recognize gay unions performed in other states. This measure seems more like a cynical attempt to bring out the conservative base in a presidential election year.

Our recommendation: Vote No.

The Orlando Sentinel has been a historically conservative newspaper. The op-ed questions why there needs to be a Florida Constitutional amendment outlawing something already illegal. The editorial board can bring themselves to admit the Republican Party of Florida raised money for the ballot. The GOP is more interested in GOTV than properly governing.