Monthly Archives: December 2022
Top lines – Florida Democrats in crisis
As we continue our deep-dive analysis into the Florida Democratic Party’s problems here are some of the top lines of what we’ve uncovered. This process has yielded far more cracks in the party’s facade than we had originally anticipated so we are continuing the conversation into January, and will issue a report when finished. Each […]
Books about Claude Pepper are a great Florida-themed last minute holiday gift
PODCAST: Claude Pepper’s second act PODCAST: Smathers v Pepper For the holidays we recommend both Red Pepper and Gorgeous George: Claude Pepper’s Epic Defeat in the 1950 Democratic Primary (Florida Government and Politics) and Claude Pepper and Ed Ball: Politics, Purpose, and Power (Florida History and Culture) While most modern historians and political activists would point to […]
Rethinking the Turnpike – Service Plaza’s for tourist development
When I was young, Turnpike Service Plaza’s were effectively billboards for Florida. From the tall Orange Towers (photo below) to the promotion of Florida on the inside, the plaza’s had a very interesting feel. Florida does a wonderful job with its Welcome Center’s at the state line, and that concept should and could be brought […]
The Turnpike’s yesteryear – some images
Below are images from two state-printed classic maps of The Florida Turnpike and Sunshine State Parkway.
Special Session is a giveaway to the insurance industry; Democrats somewhat surprisingly offer a good alternative
The GOP legislation flying through this week’s Special Session includes: It’s pretty stunning that given the insurance crisis in the state that disproportionately impacts the same working class voters that propelled Governor DeSantis landslide reelection, that the GOP continues to be controlled by the donor class and the insurance industry. In the wake of Hurricane’s […]
1715 Treasure Fleet and Henry Jennings
On this week’s Florida History Podcast, we discuss the famous 1715 Treasure Fleet which washed up near modern day Vero Beach and the character of Henry Jennings a British privateer. turned pirate who was instrumental in the theft of some of the riches from the fleet. You can listen to the Florida History Podcast on Anchor (which […]
Lessons from Georgia for Florida Democrats
If you had told me eight years ago Georgia would have two Democratic US Senators and become demonstrably more Democratic than Florida than Florida, I’d have laughed at you despite my long-term skepticism about Democrats in Florida. Last week, Senator Raphael Warmock won what was effectively his FOURTH statewide election in just over two years […]
The Florida Squeeze 