Tag Archives: florida legislature
Special Session: Florida Republicans very own Socialism week
Republicans just love calling President Joe Biden a “socialist.” Democrats who could easily point to President Donald Trump’s own record of “socialist” views and actions in how he turned government into a repository of subsidies for groups and industries that supported him, opt not to do so for whatever reason (perhaps it’s because some young […]
The Pork Chop Gang and the birth of modern progressive Florida politics – The Florida History Podcast Episode 6
Episode 6 of The Florida History Podcast focuses on the era of The Pork Chop Gang, a group of rural legislators who controlled the politics of the state tightly until the 1950’s and whose power was not completely broken until the Constitution of 1968. We examine Charley Johns, Senate President, Acting Governor and one of […]
Will North Carolina be the new model for Florida Republicans?
The State of North Carolina has become an international embarrassment. Since the GOP takeover of NC legislature in 2010 and the victory of Pat McCrory in the 2012 Governor’s race, the state has become further and further radicalized at the political level. Despite being a purple state at the national level and perhaps the most […]
2017 FDP chairs race – a look back
By Dr. Rachel Pienta Like many Democrats across the nation, I’ve been engaged in some political introspection since November. For this Florida Democrat, the national victories of the Obama presidency served as a soothing blue balm to counteract the red tide that has dominated state politics since the mid-1990s. In the final weeks of […]
Indian River Lagoon being destroyed (perhaps intentionally?) in Rick Scott’s Florida
Last week we discussed the continued struggles for the Caloosahatchee River and the lagoon area in Lee County that is part of the river. This week it’s the Indian River Lagoon which has been endangered for years but has been far from a priority of state government. WMFE has an outstanding feature on the current crisis […]
Rick Scott’s climate denial will reduce him to southern segregationist-like levels in history
With the possible exception of Louisiana no US state will be more immediately and profoundly impacted by climate change and rising sea levels than Florida. Yet the state’s ideologically-driven “business-friendly” Governor Rick Scott refuses to acknowledge the threat. Worse yet as our readers all know he has imposed a gag order on use of the […]
Florida’s Testing Era Ends & the Book Closes on Jeb’s Grand School Grading Experiment”
By Dr. Rachel Pienta In another year, Florida might be buzzing over a special session on schools. Concerns related to funding and testing continue to be hot button issues. This year, however, education has taken a back seat to health care and Medicaid expansion. That said, it does not mean that the executive or legislative […]
The Florida Legislature, Marco Rubio, hypocrisy and the naked ideology of an Oligarchy
On a day when former State House Speaker Marco Rubio announced his intentions to run for President of the United States as a candidate of the right, no better time exists to look at the behavior of the Florida Legislature. Since the late 1990’s Florida’s Legislature has drifted further and further from the mainstream of […]
TFS Endorsements: Governor and Cabinet
GOVERNOR: CHARLIE CRIST While Governor Crist’s record is far from perfect, he is running a strong progressive campaign and is far preferable to Rick Scott. As Governor, Crist’s progressive agenda will achieve general balance and moderation relative to the extreme ideological agenda pushed by the Florida Legislature. This state has not elected a Democrat for […]
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 […]
The Florida Squeeze 