Monthly Archives: January 2014
Trotter’s Take: Party/Ideology support starting to solidify in governors race. Good news for Crist.
With the race for Florida’s governor little over ten months away, poll numbers regarding the race is going to start being a regular occurrence. As predicted, the gap between former Gov. Charlie Crist in current Gov. Rick Scott has lessened. But even though this is the case, Crist still leads in all the polls of […]
Thursday Bookshelf: The Doghouse Democrats – Bob Graham and Buddy MacKay
A look at How Florida Happened: The Political Education of Buddy MacKay (Florida Government and Politics) and Quiet Passion: A Biography of Bob Graham Once upon a time Florida’s Legislature was an effective body and the State House was largely progressive. Florida moved vastly ahead of other southeastern states thanks to the leadership and vision of those […]
HB 143: The Latest Republican Tax Hike in Disguise
The 2014 legislative session begins March 4th. TFS will be providing in-depth coverage of notable bills and their progress in both chambers from now until Sine Die and beyond. Rep. Jake Raburn (R-Valrico) from District 57 represents one of the safest Republican House seats in Central Florida, an 80% white, largely rural locale you may have taken […]
The Pulp: A Progressive’s Response to Obama’s Sixth #SOTU
First, let me announce that this is the premiere of my new weekly column called “The Pulp.” This column will be a large blend of policy, politics, progress, and yes, even some pop culture. In addition to my weekly column, I’ll also be writing daily posts that will include my “must reads” for that time […]
Rick Scott’s Tax Abatement: #itsnotworking
Rick Scott and his Republican allies in the legislature have given tax break after tax break to companies on the premise of bringing new jobs to the state. The companies that get tax breaks are usually the ones that contribute most to political campaigns or that hire the best connected lobbyists in the capital. The […]
Rick Scott praises Koch Brothers confidant on Twitter. #itsnotworking
So, Rick Scott is at it again. In a recent tweet about business moving to Florida, Scott gave a “shout out” to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. On the face of it, the gesture by Florida’s governor seems benign (no pun intended). But when we look at the owner of the company, we see […]
Rick Scott’s Florida: #ItsNotWorking – Manufacturing Jobs
During the 2013 Session, Governor Scott decided to make $115 million in manufacturing tax breaks his biggest legislative priority. But for years Republican legislators have naively promised tax breaks for industry and manufacturing and have produced very in little return for the state. Florida ranks 43rd in manufacturing nationally despite having the nation’s 6th biggest […]
#ItsNotWorking: Rick’s Scott’s McEconomy
Can you feel it? Maybe you can smell it in the air. The phenomenon that is rattling your senses isn’t the buzzing of a Florida economic revival but rather the potent odor of manure coming from the Governor’s (and RPOF’s) press shop. Newsflash, Florida: We are still stuck in the muck, lagging behind, and have […]
A Progressive’s Guide To #SOTU2014: What We Want To Hear
Author’s Note: This article will simply lay out what the Progressive base of the Democratic Party wants to hear the President say tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’ll be live Tweeting the speech from our Twitter account which you can follow here: @Fl_Political_Sq and we will also release a response to what we heard not only from the President but also […]
Obituary: Patrick Smith Author of “A Land Remembered”
No book describes old Florida and the transformation to modern state quite like A Land Remembered. I was saddened to learn this afternoon of the passing of Patrick Smith, the author of the iconic work of historical fiction. Those who have not read Smith’s ,master work should if they are to truly understand the peninsula’s […]
The Florida Squeeze 