Tag Archives: climate
House Democrats side with polluters and go missing on environmental protection
Last week the House passed Rep. Jimmy Patronis’ HB 999 by a 98-20 vote (19 Dems voted no, 1 Republican) despite a lobbying appearance from former Governor and Senator Bob Graham. HB 999 is a bill that would strip protection from thousands of acres of wetlands across the state and prevents Environmental groups from suing […]
Zest of the Day: ALEC Pushing Fracking Bill in Legislature
Anybody who has watched the critically acclaimed documentary Gasland knows what a threat fracking poses. Unfortunately, ALEC the most influential body on the Florida Legislature has once again asserted its will and we have a dangerous fracking bill on the House floor today. This is a model bill distributed both by (ALEC), as first revealed […]
Bill Nelson: Latter-Day Liberal?
Bill Nelson is far from my favorite Democrat. As a high school student in 1990, I campaigned tirelessly against Nelson for Lawton Chiles and Buddy MacKay in the Democratic Primary for Governor. In 1994, I voted for Karen Gievers in the primary for Insurance Commissioner (Nelson went on to win a close shave win over […]
Florida Democrats Record Poor First Quarter Fundraising: What is Going Wrong?
The Florida Democratic Party whose State Committee is meeting today in Tampa recorded its worst post-election fundraising quarter since Q1 in 2005, during the first quarter of 2013. The party which was beset by infighting in January over who would be its Chair has since been grappling with difficulties related to being a minority party […]
Zest of the Day: Springs revival languishes in Legislature
A MUST read today from the Tampa Bay Times on an issue I have highlighted for some time. Florida’s Springs one of our greatest natural resources and perhaps the biggest driver of tourism to the Big Bend region of the state.
Are Florida’s Business Groups Becoming More Pragmatic?
By Kartik Krishnaiyer Florida’s two leading business groups endorsement of Rick Scott’s Medicaid expansion (which ran into trouble in the Senate this week) signaled to many a pragmatic shift by Associated Industries (AIF) and The Florida Chamber. While on the surface it appears the organizations are growing more practical and realistic in approaching the need […]
Zest of the Day: Zero Job Growth In Florida Among Small Firms
Despite the continued talk of a recovery in Florida and the claims by the GOP Legislative leadership that they are creating small business jobs, growth numbers remain stagnant in Florida according to the Sun Sentinel. This is coupled with the continued failure of Republican legislators to attract large companies that stimulate economic growth to the […]
School “Choice” Part I : The Agenda and History Behind Vouchers
Editors Note: Today we begin a three part series on School “Choice” legislation. This week Senate Democrats all but conceded defeat in the fight to stop the infamous “Parent trigger” bill since the dynamics of the Senate have changed with moderate, free thinking Republicans replaced Jeb Bush left the Governor’s office over six years ago, […]
The Florida Squeeze 