Archive for 2006

Darryl M. Bloodworth, Esq. Nichole M. Mooney, Esq. Many business people today automatically instruct their attorneys to include arbitration clauses in their contracts. They believe they will get a better, faster and cheaper resolution of their disputes than they will in court. But is this true? The truthful answer is: Not necessarily. By considering the…

The Wicked Witch is Dead! When the Florida legislature passed the repeal of the Intangible Personal Property Tax this spring, Governor Bush, perhaps feeling a little like the Wizard of Oz, held a press conference where he announced “the wicked witch is dead.” Now, after months of waiting for just the right moment, he has…

Effective January 1, 2006, the rules pertaining to 401(k) plans were modified by Congress to provide that if a 401(k) plan is so amended by the employer/sponsor, participants may designate their 401(k) salary deferrals as either regular, pre-tax 401(k) deferrals (“Regular Deferrals”) or “Roth” after-tax 401(k) deferrals (“Roth Deferrals”). Unlike a Roth IRA, 401(k) deferrals…

STATUS OF FUNDING AND PAYMENT REPORTING The USDA anticipates that the funds recently appropriated to the USDA for canker payments (lost tree and lost production income payments) totaling Three Hundred Million Dollars will fund claims through September 10, 2005. At this time, all applications to owners for canker payments have been released, and the USDA…

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2006 – Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced that sign-up begins May 17, 2006, for four crop and livestock assistance programs providing aid to producers affected by the destructive 2005 hurricanes. These programs are funded by $250 million in Section 32 funds authorized immediately following these destructive storms. “We will do everything…

As a follow up to Citrus Canker Newsletter Volume #9 regarding the press release issued by Stallings Crop Insurance Corporation in Lakeland, below is a statement issued last Friday (3/31/06) on intrastate fruit movement. Also included below is a request from the Indian River Citrus League for lesioned fruit for Dr. Tim Gottwald’s packing house…

As a follow up to the Citrus Canker Newsletter Volume #8 that was emailed to you last week regarding some of the new changes to the crop insurance policy, attached is a press release issued by Stallings Crop Insurance Corporation in Lakeland, Florida. The article elaborates on some of those new changes to the 2007…

It was announced today at the Citrus Canker Technical Advisory Task Force meeting in Lake Alfred, that USDA has released an additional $100 million of Section 32 funds for canker compensation. It is anticipated that this should cover IFOs through the month of August 2005. Applications will be mailed out by March 16, 2006. Attached…