A Fertile News Source

The following stories were produced by news outlets in Florida in 2003. Each piece required the use of public records to uncover mistakes and wrongdoing.

Lesson in Excess

Reporters: Chris Davis and Matthew Doig, Herald-Tribune
Date published: April 28, 2003

Summary: School records showed that the amount of state School Recognition money spent on pizza parties, lawn mowers and other unlawful purchases was enough to hire six teachers in every school district or buy 9,000 laptop computers.

Uncollected property taxes costing county $8.3 million

Reporter: Mark Greenblatt, WBBH-Fort Myers
Date published: April 30, 2003

Summary: Records showed that Charlotte County officials forfeited more than $8 million by not collecting delinquent property taxes.

FOIA request reveals lost, stolen military weapons

Reporters: Sydney P. Freedberg and Connie Humburg, St. Petersburg Times
Date published: May 12, 2003

Summary: The story reported that "since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, thousands of pounds of explosives, hundreds of mines, mortars, grenades and firearms and dozens of rockets and artillery rounds have been lost or stolen from U.S. stockpiles, government documents show."

Fire drills go by the wayside in Central Florida schools

Reporter: Mary Shanklin, Orlando Sentinel
Date published: Aug. 18, 2003

Summary: School records showed that "during the past school year, more than a third of 162 Orange County public schools failed to perform the minimum fire drills required by the district."

Some council members lax in repaying cell phone bills

Reporter: Matt Galnor, The Florida Times-Union
Date published: Oct. 7, 2003

Summary: A review of Jacksonville City Council members' cell phone records showed which council members were not making regular payments for their personal calls. One councilman questioned about his tardiness promptly sent a $4,655 check to the city.

Florida losing corporate taxes to loopholes

Reporter: Sydney P. Freedberg, St. Petersburg Times
Date published: Oct. 29, 2003

Summary: The story showed which companies had dodged Florida's corporate income tax. "In fact, 98 percent of the estimated 1.5 million businesses in Florida paid nothing (last year). And many of those that did pay found ways to reduce their tax bills."

Medicaid fraud costs Florida millions

Reporter: Fred Schulte, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Date published: Dec. 9, 2003

Summary: The four-part series showed that "even as the state faces a budget crisis in which Medicaid costs figure prominently, abuse of the health care system for the poor by doctors --and by willing pharmacists and patients -- has gone largely unpunished."