Monthly Archives: November 2016
20 years of GOP rule of the Florida Legislature
I’m somewhat surprised we have not gotten more commemorations because this week’s organizational session marked 20 years since the GOP captured complete control of the Florida Legislature. The Republicans captured a House majority on Election Day 1996 ironically as Bill Clinton was becoming the first Democratic Presidential nominee to carry the state in twenty years. […]
Marco Rubio – Florida’s shame
Cuban dictator/revolutionary/leader, etc Fidel Castro passed away in the wee hours Saturday. The Castro legacy divides Floridians more than others – the large Cuban exile community in southeast Florida loathed the man while many on the left have noted that Castro was a freedom fighter against a right-wing dictatorship that was propped up by the […]
Speaker Corcoran and Betsy DeVos – Allies in a war to kill public education
President Elect-Donald Trump’s decision to tap Betsy DeVos as his Secretary of Education has sent shockwaves through the education community throughout the nation. Since the Reagan Administration, DeVos and her husband, the former CEO of Amway and the owner of the Orlando Magic have used their influence and power in Republican-party circles to promote school […]
Norwegian Airlines beginning Orlando-Paris and increasing Fort Lauderdale-Paris service
Orlando has been without a direct link to Paris since Air France stopped flying to the city several years ago but beginning on July 31st, Norwegian Air Shuttle will begin once-weekly Boeing 787-800 “Dreamliner” service from Orlando to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. Effective July 30, the airline will also increase its current weekly Fort […]
Today’s Democratic Party – Multiculturalism run amok causing a counter-reaction?
We’ve discussed identity politics time and again on this site and the general danger it poses to the Democratic Party. The willingness of leaders in our party to park ideology at the door in order to promote candidates that fit a certain demographic profile. Many in the party have had a different standard for ideological purity when […]
Their Golden Age
By Robert Buccellato One sunny spring afternoon, I got it in my head to walk to the Historic Capitol building. This was a near weekly pilgrimage for me, considering that my own office was a mere block away at the old Leon County court annex. Not to mention that my own boyhood hero, my Grandpa […]
Proposal for a Florida Democratic Writers Caucus
By Dan Voglund The primary purpose of the Florida Democratic Writers Caucus is public relations in nature. The idea is to create documents that would promote the philosophy of the Democratic party to the public, creating a more Democratic-friendly community environment. The method of the caucus will allow greater acceptance of our Democratic candidates, therefore […]
Scheduled flights to Havana from Florida begin next week
We’ve spent a great deal of time talking about air service to Cuba as part of the remarkable diplomatic breakthrough the Obama Administration made with Florida’s southern nation. The first scheduled flight (Jetblue flight 387) from the United States to Cuba in 54 years departed Fort Lauderdale and landed in Santa Cruz on August 31. […]
Healing the Florida Democratic Party – Step 3: Remain Floridian
The state of Florida is about as complicated and unique as any state in the union. Florida might even be considered the most accurate microcosm of America in some senses, but in others it is the most idiosyncratic locale in the United States. With more major media markets than any other state and diverse regions, […]
How Trump got Establishment Democrats to help him steal the election
Democrats made some horrible miscalculations during this election cycle, but some of us are currently showing an alarming tendency to blame the only people who aren’t culpable — the voters. I understand the emotional satisfaction of lashing out at those perceived to have let us down, but it’s a counterproductive exercise to aim anger at […]
The Florida Squeeze 