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The idea of creating a lasting endowment with proceeds from Florida's tobacco settlement is something former House Speaker Dan Webster, R-Orlando, a senator now, pursued last year. . . "He has provided a wonderful tribute to Gov. Chiles that also will reflect, for a long time after Gov. Bush's service, very favorably on him and his leadership," says Ron Sachs, once communications director for Chiles.
"He did not have to do this," Sachs said of Bush. "He has proved early on that he is a different kind of Republican."
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On Wednesday, the local legislative delegation will hear requests for money and special local acts of the legislature at public meetings in Naples and Immokalee.
Among the requests are money for restoring the environmentally sick Lake Trafford, building a new shelter for abused women, creating an environmental learning center at Rookery Bay, and establishing a one-stop career and social service center in Immokalee.
A longtime friend of Lawton Chiles has corralled the private lawyers who fought the tobacco industry for Florida with a dinner-table challenge: Donate a few million of their billion-dollar legal fees to a cause Chiles cherished -- healthy babies.
One number floated: One percent of the Florida firms' fees, or $18 million.
``But for Lawton Chiles, we wouldn't have this money,'' says one of the tobacco fighters, Palm Beach attorney Bob Montgomery. ``I certainly think we ought to do something to dedicate ourselves to perpetuating the interests that Lawton Chiles had.''
But for Lawton Chiles, we wouldn't have this money. I certainly think we ought to do something to dedicate ourselves to perpetuating the interests that Lawton Chiles had. Palm Beach attorney Bob Montgomery, who has challenged his fellow Florida tobacco lawyers to donate a part of their winnings to babies' health. Quoted in <i>Challenge to lawyers: Share fees with babies</i>
Lawyers representing Texas will get nearly $3.3 billion, Florida's attorneys $3.43 billion, and Mississippi's lawyers $1.43 billion, the panel said. The fees will be paid out over a period of between 10 and 25 years, with payments capped at $500 million a year.
Florida will receive a bonus of $1.7 billion over the next five years from its agreement with the tobacco industry to boost the overall settlement to $12.7 billion.
In addition, the deal approved Monday by retired Florida Supreme Court Justice James Alderman comes with expanded restrictions on tobacco advertising.