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JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla.

Beer containers aren't usually a topic in Florida gubernatorial races, but for Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie the state's ban on small brewers filling half-gallon jugs illustrates how regulations reward campaign contributors and stifle competitors.

Sipping a pint of Count Shakula chocolate oatmeal stout, Wyllie chatted with a Green Room Brewing customer about how the Republican-led Legislature blocked the legalization of half-gallon growlers or refillable beer jugs when quart and gallon growlers can be filled and sold in limitless amounts at Florida breweries. Behind the defeat was one of the state's Budweiser distributors, who is a longtime supporter of Senate President Don Gaetz and could lose business if craft brewers gain customers.

"Tallahassee shouldn't be setting up road blocks for small businesses, they should be clearing them out of the way," said Wyllie, who visited the Jacksonville Beach pub during a month-long tour of Florida craft breweries to promote his campaign.

Wyllie, 44, of Palm Harbor, is a longshot, but he is gaining support as voters are turned off by their choices in what's become one of the most negative campaigns waged in Florida. Republican Gov. Rick Scott still struggles with his approval rating and polls show many voters also don't trust Republican-turned-Democrat former Gov. Charlie Crist.

Recent polls show Wyllie getting about 5 percent of the vote, which would be a Florida record for a statewide Libertarian candidate. Wyllie is the first Libertarian to run for governor in Florida, but the party's presidential and Senate candidates have never topped a half-percent. Wyllie has raised about $80,000, a fraction of the $24 million Crist has raised and the $45 million Scott has received.

"Voters are so frustrated by both parties that I wouldn't be surprised if the third-party candidate did better than they usually do," said Matthew Corrigan, a University of North Florida political science professor. "If Wyllie gets 5 to 10 percent, that could have a major impact on our governor's race depending on which way voters go."

As a Libertarian, Wyllie believes government should stay out of most personal and business affairs as long as no one is harmed. He wants to cut state spending, taxes and regulations but he also supports gay marriage, the legalization of marijuana and abortion rights. It's a philosophy that appeals to some Democrats and some Republicans.

Wyllie, who owns a small information technology consulting firm, believes the Legislature's treatment of craft brewers shows what's wrong with government. Instead of helping a rapidly growing industry, Republicans agreed to lift the ban on half-gallon growlers but only if the small brewers agreed to additional regulations that would have restricted their growth. The bill died.

"Some of these brewers would actually have to sell their beer to a distributor and buy it back at an increased cost before they could sell it in their own establishment. That's ridiculous," Wyllie said.

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Libertarian an alternative in governor's race

The All Progressives Congress has warned those nursing the plan to postpone the 2015 general elections to perish the thought, saying Nigerians will not accept, under any guise whatsoever, any scheme by desperate elected officials to get tenure elongation by subterfuge.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said those who are flying the kite of pushing forward the election ostensibly because the nation is at war are trying to imperil the nations democracy.

Election is the lifeblood of democracy, the mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates. It is the only way for the citizenry to renew and refresh the governing process so they can get the most benefits out of democracy. Therefore, anyone that tries to sabotage this mechanism is aiming a dagger straight at the heart of democracy, it said.

APC said the statement credited to Senate President David Mark, that thereis no question of elections, it is not even on the table now. We are in a state of war, reflects the thinking in government circles, even though the Senate President, having run into a wall of opposition over his unfortunate statement, has tried to step back from the comments.

We in the APC saw this coming, and we have said it at several fora: That the Jonathan Administration has deliberately allowed the insurgency in the North-east, an opposition stronghold, to fester so he can cash in on it to get re-elected. Simply put, the Administration has been playing dirty politics with Boko Haram, at the expense of the lives and property of the citizenry and the well-being of the nation.

However, the Administration is being too clever by half to think that Nigerians will reward it for its failure in its main reason for existence, which is the protection of the welfare and security of the citizens. There is just no way this government will be allowed to profit from its ineptness and its conspiracy to prolong an insurgency that should have ended a long time ago, the party said.

It said the statement by INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega, that the commission has started preparing for elections even in the North-east, represents a ray of hope, but warned the electoral body to remain steadfast and not to cave in to what will be massive pressure from the Jonathan Administration and its gong beaters to scuttle the 2015 elections.

APC said just like Jega has said, countries like Afghanistan and Iraq successfully held elections even though they are in a state of war, hence there is no reason why Nigeria cannot organize elections because of the insurgency in a part of the country.

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APC opposes plot to shift 2015 elections

The Alberta Liberals accused the government Friday of neglecting a massive $1.5-billion maintenance backlog at K-12 schools and post-secondary institutes across the province.

The Liberals obtained the figures through a Freedom of Information request, which shows deferred maintenance for K-12 schools is nearly $852 million, while post-secondaries have a combined backlog of $660.4 million.

Not only can the Tories not build any of the new schools promised but they cant even keep the existing ones in any reasonable shape, said Kent Hehr, Liberal education and advance education critic.

This is a stunning combination of neglect and incompetence that results in our kids paying the price as they are forced to learn in rundown, overcrowded schools, Hehr said.

According to the document, Calgarys public and Catholic school boards maintenance backlogs of $149.7 million and $25.2 million respectively.

The Calgary Board of Education has regularly stated its deferred maintenance tab has grown to nearly $1 billion.

In an email, Frank Coppinger, superintendent of facilities for the CBE, said the difference is one of definition, timing and number of facilities assessed.

The CBE allows for the aging of the facilities ... and adds life cycle replacement costs for a realistic final total value of deferred maintenance of $969 million, Coppinger said.

Unlike the CBE, Calgarys Catholic School District has aligned its deferred maintenance figures with the provincial government.

In Edmonton, the public and Catholic school boards have accumulated maintenance backlogs of $186.1 million and $112.5 million respectively.

Excerpt from:
Liberals slam province over massive $1.5B maintenance backlog at schools

Rachel Maddow - Polls show shift favoring Democrats on Senate
Sept 16, 2014 Rachel Maddow reports on updated Senate predictions from Nate Silver, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Princeton #39;s Sam Wang showing...

By: Licentiathe8th

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Rachel Maddow - Polls show shift favoring Democrats on Senate - Video

Democrats show post-primary unity
Gina Raimondo is joined by two of her former rivals for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination at a campaign event designed to display party unity.

By: NBC 10 WJAR

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Democrats show post-primary unity - Video