Author Archives: Nathan Taylor Pemberton
Florida’s Redistricting Doesn’t Have to be a Mess Ever Again
Not so long ago there was a sweeping constitutional revision of the state’s redistricting process. Pushed through by a coalition of reformist organizations and opposed by an entrenched majority, it was a painful first step away from decades of hyper-partisan map making and the perennial shady maneuverings of incumbents eager to maintain their offices. Not surprisingly, the newly-drawn maps […]
Fare Play: Should Florida be over Uber?
Is it a car service? Is it an app? Is it the next great step forward for the “sharing economy?” Another David vs. Goliath showdown, where innovation squares off against entrenched and outdated local control? The Uber debate is not easily broken down by a prevailing ideology or caucus factions. Age has played a critical […]
Vouchers: Is this it?
Republicans in the House are still doggedly pushing forward this year’s educational “choice” initiatives, despite Senate enthusiasm for voucher expansion resembling the fevered excitement of a 12-year-old picking at a limpid beef bolognese. On the eve of the final vote on HB 7167, what remains of Speaker Weatherford’s priority legislation is little more than a […]
What Leader Chris Smith got right about the “warning shot” debate
The debates over the so-called “warning shot” legislation in both the House and Senate have been impassioned and contentious rounds of sparring, revealing harsh divides between and within the parties. The bills were an ideological mire for Democrats. And for Republicans, it was another opportunity to manipulate the very real and pressing imbalances created by SYG, which disproportionately […]
Die or Get Rich Trying: HCA’s trauma racket finds support in the Legislature
We all know that Gov. Scott’s focus on enterprise and preferential treatment of corporate giants via tax-credit/breaks is the only leg supporting the wobbly stool of policy priorities implemented during his tenure. The Tampa Bay Times’ recent article on the arbitrary, usurious billing policies of the Healthcare Corporation of America’s [HCA] three controversial trauma centers in Florida […]
The Florida Squeeze 