Tag Archives: Florida
Florida will be competitive in November – Democrats remain in denial
Last week Steve Schale, who is one of the smartest Floridians out there predicted the state wouldn’t be a slam dunk for Democrats and reminded us that Rick Scott won twice with upside down favorable/unfavorable numbers. Many around the state in Democratic circles mocked Schale’s analysis – but why? Most of the push back was […]
Should Rick Scott’s poll numbers renew an interest in defining environmental issues?
The Florida Chamber poll that was released yesterday created headlines because it showed Donald Trump leading in the Sunshine State by a double-digit GOP Primary margin over Florida’s sitting Republican US Senator Marco Rubio and former Governor Jeb Bush even further back. But lost in some of the hype around the poll was that according […]
FDOT begins construction work on Florida’s first Diverging Diamond Interchange
Last week ground was broken on Florida’s first Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) on the Sarasota/Manatee county line. The interchange between I-75 and University Parkway (Exit 213 for those of us that drive up and down I-75 between the Tampa Bay area and South Florida regularly as I do) will be the first in the state to […]
Can Florida Democrats REALLY take advantage of the GOP redistricting debacle?
The Florida Democratic Party sent out a press release this morning following the breakdown of the Legislature’s Special Session. It was sharply worded and would make perfect sense if history wasn’t so contradictory to what was said. Since 1999, the Republicans running the legislature have made a mockery of the process and have governed with […]
Flashback Friday: When Reapportionment meant the most
This week’s redistricting Special Session is the latest in a long run of map drawing and redrawing exercises the legislature has had to undertake since the Justice Department began strong enforcement of the Voting Rights Act in 1991 vis-a-vis minority-access and majority-minority districts. Prior to 1968, Florida’s legislature was badly apportioned. While the state had […]
Florida’s Democrats should consider positives of the Iran deal
As we come up to the 70th Anniversary of the atomic bomb strikes on Japan (which I feel were justified and saved American lives and that of many Japanese civilians that would have been lost in an invasion of the island) preventing nuclear proliferation is a critical part of global diplomacy. Even as a liberal […]
Thursday Bookshelf : 1775 and why Florida didn’t join the American Revolution
Kevin Phillips 1775: A Good Year for Revolution is a definitive and intellectual look at the causes of the American Revolution. Like Phillips other woks we’ve reviewed here on the “Bush Dynasty” and the politics of the American wealthy and the developing theocracy that appeared during the 2000’s , Phillips makes any subject interesting. The former Republican political consultant […]
Darren Soto and the 2015 Session
The reaction to my article published Thursday morning about State Senator Darren Soto was visceral in some quarters while favorable in others. Let me explain why Soto is a target of mine and why I find some of defenses of him disingenuous. Democrats in Florida are badly in need of developing a values based party that […]
Clearing up some reapportionment misconceptions
Florida’s Supreme Court rightly threw out several Congressional districts basically invalidating the entire state map on Thursday. Under the “Fair Districts” law, Florida’s Congressional map was a complete disgrace. Florida’s Republicans have arrogantly drawn maps that skirt the boundaries of the law. The long-standing arrogance and sense of entitlement that Florida’s Republican leadership has demonstrated […]
Back to the Future: Tallahassee Leaders Look to Chiles’ Era Reform Efforts to Address City Concerns
By Dr.Rachel Sutz Pienta In recent months, Tallahassee leaders have made efforts to address a number of city issues – from food deserts and disparate health outcomes to youth violence and early learning deficits. Earlier this year, Mayor Andrew Gillum convened business leaders for a Children’s Summit. What many thought would herald a move to […]
The Florida Squeeze 