By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  February 4th at 06:39 AM  | 

Since first elected Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Atwater, (R-FL) has advocated for reforms in the state contracting system. In a system that spends more than $50 billion of taxpayer dollars annually, Atwater announced Thursday that he has increased transparency via the Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System or ‘FACTS’ and accountability through the audit last fiscal year of 600 contracts and grant agreements. Now Atwater is asking the legislature | Read More »

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  February 4th at 06:34 AM  | 

At the quarterly meeting of the Medicaid and Public Assistance Fraud Strike Force on Wednesday, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Department of Children and Families (DCF) Secretary David Wilkins announced the results of a study commissioned by the Strike Force to measure fraud in the Florida’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—a federal program run according to guidelines mandated by the federal government. Compiled by ERS Group, the study found a 7.5 percent rate | Read More »

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  January 17th at 06:20 AM  | 

2,140 days without freedom. Retired FBI agent Robert Levinson devoted almost three decades of service to his country and the citizens of the United States.  A career that deserved honors has instead resulted in almost six years as a hostage in a foreign country. Until his disappearance in March 2007, Levinson, 64, resided with his wife and seven children in Coral Springs.  Working as a private investigator, | Read More »

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  January 7th at 05:01 PM  | 

Ten major mortgage servicers including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo entered into a $8.5 billion settlement Monday with federal regulators to settle claims related to mortgage foreclosure abuses. Under the terms of the settlement with the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), $3.3 billion will be paid by banks directly to eligible mortgage borrowers.  Over $5.2 billion in other assistance – such as loan | Read More »

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  December 31st at 08:04 AM  | 

Starting Tuesday, flashing your headlights to alert oncoming traffic that police are lying in wait along the roadside will no longer be against the law in the state of Florida. The provision legalizing such speed trap warnings is part of a statewide change in motor vehicle laws. An attorney who represented cited motorists believes, though, that the revised traffic code contains loopholes that would still allow | Read More »

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  December 22nd at 08:04 AM  | 

As Bill Lewis prepares to announce his New Years resolutions for 2013, interesting guests and timely topics will be on AM 740 WSBR and AM 1470 WWNN Christmas Eve weekend and The Credit Report with Bill Lewis. As a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues, The Credit Report with Bill Lewis can be found on AM 740 WSBR in south Florida. Hosted by Bill | Read More »

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  December 17th at 09:07 AM  | 

Florida Governor Rick Scott will announce Monday a promotion from within at the Florida Department of Corrections.  Currently holding the number two spot as deputy secretary, Michael Crews will be elevated to the top position within the nation’s third largest prison system. Crews will succeed Ken Tucker, whose retirement becomes official on December 28th.  Like his predecessor, Crews was a long-time official at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement before | Read More »

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  December 17th at 06:37 AM  | 

As Christmas is approaching and Bill Lewis prepares to announce his New Years resolutions for 2013, interesting guests and timely topics will be on AM 740 WSBR and AM 1470 WWNN the weekend of December 17th and The Credit Report with Bill Lewis. As a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues, The Credit Report with Bill Lewis can be found on AM 740 | Read More »

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  December 14th at 08:18 AM  | 

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R- Miami, has joined the effort to release a 27-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran from South Florida being held in a Mexican prison since August for carrying a shotgun he had declared at the border crossing. Ros-Lehtinen has circulated a letter in Congress urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to continue working with Mexican authorities, | Read More »

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  December 13th at 03:18 PM  | 

On Wednesday, TransUnion released its annual forecast on two primary consumer credit variables – mortgage and credit card delinquency rates. The national mortgage loan delinquency rate – or the ratio of borrowers that are 60 or more days past due – is projected to decline to 5.06 percent by the end of 2013 from an estimated 5.32 percent this year.  TransUnion forecasts mortgage delinquencies, a | Read More »