Viva Ceasar Chavez!

Si Se Puede

All Religions Are Fairy Tales

It looked harmless enough, but the words on a billboard un-nerved so many people that a popular restaurant nearby actually lost business..........here

Anti-Illegal Immigration Groups Grow In Florida

Citizens of Dade United is among a growing cohort of anti-illegal immigration groups in Florida trying different tactics to drive out undocumented immigrants. They have turned to legislators in Tallahassee for help in the wake of Washington's inability to find a solution.........here

Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean

Has stopped work on a poll about continuing a popular land-buying program, saying there are still questions about whether it should be extended. Bean challenged the poll, saying county officials and program supporters must answer questions about the county's ability to pay for managing more land. Bean also questioned whether voters would support continuing the program in the current anti-tax atmosphere...........here

Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue

Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue was started in 1999 by a single woman, Betty Roberts. By 2003 she had gathered volunteers and they forged a non profit organization. They are the only non profit rescue group in Florida dedicated exclusively to rescuing beagles and beagle mixes from shelters and abusive or neglectful situations........here

The Ghosts of Ybor: Charlie Wall

It may have been the South, but in the early 1900s Tampa, Fl, specifically its Latin community known as Ybor City, was more reminiscent of the Wild West. Gambling parlors and whore houses were located on every corner, shootouts between police and gangsters were a regular occurrence, election ballot boxes were stuffed, police and politicians were on the take, and very few residents found any of this to be odd........here

Send Your Panties To Burma

It's an international women's protest against the brutal military dictatorship in Burma, and it's called "Panties for Peace." This creative group learned that the thuggish military men oppressing the people of Burma are not only brutal, but also very, very superstitous. It turns out that one of their phobic beliefs is that they must never, ever come into contact with female undies.........here

McKay Bay Nature Park

Yesterday I had to take a load of stuff out to the city dump just south of Ybor City and thought, just in case, I'll take my Polaroid with me. Funny, I've been to the city dump several times and really never noticed a park out this way..........here

Streets Of St. Petersburg, Florida

The Ybor Festival of the Moving Image

Hillsborough Community College presents the 6th annual Ybor Festival of the Moving Image, Thursday, April 17 through Sunday, April 20, 2008. This eclectic film festival explores the cinematic world of independent filmmakers, offering a spectrum of features, documentaries and personal films, plus live performances, workshops and lectures.......here

Sophie Scholl At Cafe Bohemia, St. Petersburg

The true story of Germany’s most famous anti-Nazi heroine is brought to thrilling life in the multi-award winning drama SOPHIE SCHOLL-THE FINAL DAYS. Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.........more

Wednesday, April 2, 8:00pm, Cafe Bohemia, 937 Central Ave., St. Pete

Florida Dems - Stop Your Whining!

Stop Attacking And Blaming Howard Dean For The Mess You Are In

The vote for the change was 115-1. Thats right, Democratic lawmakers were complicit in this mess, and made no real effort to stop it.........here

Representative Jack Seiler

Treasured Maps Of Early Florida

Panfilo de Narvaez and some 400 conquistadors came to Florida looking for gold in the spring of 1528. Eight years later, four survivors arrived in Spanish Mexico. They were the remnants of the first European expedition into the interior of America. So the European experience in America began not at Jamestown or Plymouth Rock, but more than 75 years earlier at Boca Ciega Bay - near Tampa........here

Florida's Latest Attraction

It's breakfast time in Orlando and thousands of people are clambering aboard tour buses all over the city ready for fun in the Florida sunshine. One group, however, won't be following the others to Disney World or the area's many other theme park attractions. They'll be taking a shopping trip in the company of estate agents and mortgage brokers, hoping to find a bargain among a selection of repossessed and run-down homes........here

Don't Shortchange The 'Working Poor' In Florida

And I would ask our elected leaders to stop before each vote they cast on safety-net services and ask themselves: "What if it were my grandmother in a nursing home where there will be fewer personnel to bathe and turn her? What if it were my autistic child on a waiting list to be helped in developing social skills? What if it were my sister in an abusive marriage, or my disabled brother deprived of helping hands?"..........here

Butch Harrison: A Real Florida Cracker

Harrison, known as the Florida Cracker Storyteller, spins tales about the Florida of his youth and carries his listeners away to another time and place. He looks the part of a Florida Cracker because he has lived it. Harrison grew up in South Florida, with the Everglades, the Florida Keys and the ocean serving as his playground. And he grew up understanding and appreciating Florida’s natural beauty.........here

High-Class Squatter In Ybor City

Playwright, sculptor and artist Blake Emory works on a stage in an Ybor City building where its owners let him stay, for now, and direct art shows......here

How Lethally Stupid Can One Country Be?

So, happy anniversary, America! You put these people in charge, and then -- after seeing in explicit in detail what they were capable of -- you actually did it again in 2004! You stood by in silence watching the devastation wrought upon an innocent people, produced in your name and financed by your tax dollars. And you continue to do just that again, now in Year Six.......here

Ybor City Scrapbook

From March 1994 to August 1998, I lived in the Tampa Bay area. This is my collection of Ybor City overviews and memorabilia.......here

Florida Lawmakers Busy With Daylight Saving Time

One Florida lawmaker wants to end the annual rites of springing forward and falling back.State Sen. Bill Posey wants the state to stop using daylight saving time.If approved, Florida would become the third state to shun daylight savings, which was used during both world wars and Congress ultimately made a law in 1966.........here

Rising Sea Eats Away At Florida Coastline

Global warming is boosting the sea level along Florida's gulf coast and already causing profound environmental changes, scientists say.......here

Florida Red and Blue

Some conservatives will stop at nothing to roadblock progress for GLBT people -- even if straight people will also be affected in big ways. And they never seem to miss an opportunity to pander to their anti-gay base, especially considering that it's already been uncovered that the Florida GOP has directed large sums of money to conservative anti-gay marriage groups to underwrite their efforts to pass this discriminatory amendment.......here

Legacy Trail Opens In Florida

Bicyclists are celebrating today's official opening of a 10.6-mile rail-to-trail that links Sarasota and Venice. The Legacy Trail takes the place of an abandoned CSX Transportation railway line that was purchased for $14.5 million in 2004. It's one of more than 1,460 rail-trails in the US that stretch across nearly 14,000 miles of landscape.......here

Extremist of South Florida - Joe Kaufman

For the past couple of months, Joe Kaufman has been smearing Muslims in the Tampa Bay area, if one didn’t know any better one would think that Joe lives in our community, but he doesn’t. So why the interest in Tampa, Kaufman?? A reason maybe the fact that Kaufman has discredited himself in South Florida so much that not a single mainstream media outlet would dare quote him. He’s proven to be a very bias and unreliable source.......here

Marilyn Garateix's 50 Years Of Fidel

I have never met the man, but he has been a never-ending presence in my life. My parents, grandparents and other adults in my family despise him. They had to adapt to a new country while mourning the loss of their homeland to a revolution they vehemently opposed. And they blame Fidel for everything.......here

Slave Labor in Florida’s Tomato Fields

You can act now to urge Burger King to do the right thing and treat these workers with common human decency and respect. Sign the petition to eliminate modern-day servitude in America’s produce fields and join an industrywide effort to eliminate slavery and human rights abuses from Florida’s fields........here

Paul Cejas: Florida Clinton Donor

He is only one of the Clinton top donors who are demanding their money back from the DNC because of the Florida sanctions..........here

Howard Dean Warns Bickering Has To Stop

Democratic Party chief Howard Dean says Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and their supporters should beware of tearing each other down, demoralizing the base and damaging the party's chances of winning the White House in November.......here

Hot For Teacher In Tampa, Florida

Florida Streamlines Food Stamps Process

With the economy in trouble, more people need help, and food stamps are one form of assistance. In the Central Florida region, more than 320,000 people are receiving food stamp assistance -- that's 50,000 more than a year ago. For those who are shy and do not want to apply for help in person, Florida is helping lead the way in getting to people in need......here

To sign up for food stamps, please.......click here

Florida Forever Coalition Growing

Because of the enormous grass-roots support for Florida Forever — and the urgent need for land conservation funding in our state — more than 100 groups, businesses, and associations have now joined the Florida Forever Coalition. In addition, 38 counties have now passed resolutions in support of Florida Forever.......here

Florida Lawmakers Float LGBT Rights Bill

Thirty-seven Florida lawmakers have sponsored a bill that would prohibit discrimination against gay men and lesbians in public and private employment, housing and public accommodations. State Sen. Ted Deutch introduced a measure that would amend the the Florida Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act to include sexual orientation.......here

Howard Dean Threatened By Clinton Donors

It is not just Pelosi who is being threatened by top Clinton donors, Howard Dean is as well. This is alarming, but maybe it is good we are finding out about it. Here are details on Patricof, but other large Florida donors are threatening Dean with funds being withheld........here

"He's got to exercise some leadership, and the sooner, the better,".......Alan Patricof

Howard Dean Is Exercising His Leadership, Please See The Florida Democratic Party. How I Miss Bob Graham And Lawton Chiles

3,200 Pounds Of Coke Off Florida Coast

The Coast Guard in Florida has recovered 3,200 pounds of cocaine after it was dumped by fleeing drug smuggling suspects. A Coast Guard aircraft conducting patrols in the western Caribbean sighted a suspicious "go-fast vessel" on March 18..........here

Ronda Storms And The Citrus Taliban

I hope that this bill dies in Florida's judiciary committee. If it becomes law, make no mistake that Florida will garner for itself a reputation as a provincial backwater fit only for a tourism-based service sector at best and a place to be avoided altogether at worst. Florida will become, and deservedly so, a worldwide laughing stock.........more

Florida Partnership to End Childhood Hunger

Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading organizations working to end childhood hunger in America, has selected Florida and Washington to be the first states to replicate a multi-year Ten Part Plan to End Childhood Hunger.........here

Local Artist Don Howard

here

The Lee Roy Selmon Express In Ybor City

Imagine 2 of these from Brandon to Tampa in the morning. And then back in the afternoon. No need to have built The Crosstown Expressway.
Thanks To kenjr29mfl For Video.

Charlie Crist And Hometown Democracy

In the days following Feb. 1, when the Secretary of State’s office announced the Florida Hometown Democracy amendment wouldn’t make the ballot this year, Crist’s office received several complaints. Correspondence obtained by this newspaper alleged serious procedural glitches at local and state levels........here

“Hometown thought it was playing on one board while the game was secretly moved to another board.”........Ion Sancho

Florida Has A New Blog

A place for progressive Floridians to speak out on national politics and issues.
here

Third Parties In Florida

Have you ever wondered just how many minor political parties are actually registered to raise money and present candidates for public office in Florida?.........here

Florida Politicians Tackle Evolution

Foreclosures are soaring and unemployment is increasing. Florida’s shaky economy is creating a state government budget crisis leading to cuts in school and health-care spending. Meanwhile, lawmakers are devoting part of the 60-day session to evolution........here

"We shouldn't be having this kind of confrontation, as far as I'm concerned. We were ranked 50th in the nation in our science standards. That's what started this whole thing. And the Board of Education needed to do something about that. The science test scores were among the lowest in the nation.".........Sen. Nan Rich

My House in Florida After Wilma

I love Florida but… hurricanes are scary… I’m going home

Ronda Storms’ “Academic Freedom” Bill Passes

A Senate panel endorsed “protections” [SB 2692] Wednesday for students and teachers who offer alternative theories to evolution — despite a report saying there’s never been a case alleging such discrimination in Florida.........here

Ex-Christian, Atheist Homeschooler

Secular Homeschooling: The last safe haven from theocratic lunacy

Florida Legislature Apologizes For Slavery

Sen. Tony Hill, black caucus leader, is spearheading the latest effort behind a proposed resolution apologizing for the state's history of participation in slavery, but has been working with Senate President Ken Pruitt for months on the issue.........here

Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, cried as curator John Phelps read a sobering history of slavery in Florida.

Hovering And Staring In Miami

A small pilotless drone manufactured by Honeywell International , capable of hovering and "staring" using electro-optic or infrared sensors, is expected to make its debut soon in the skies over the Florida Everglades. If use of the drone wins Federal Aviation Administration approval after tests, the Miami-Dade Police Department will start flying the 14-pound (6.3 kg) drone over urban areas with an eye toward full-fledged employment in crime fighting.......here

April is Water Conservation Month in Florida

Recognizing April as Water Conservation Month helps promote the importance of water conservation, encouraging Floridians to become environmental stewards at home and in their communities. Conservation is not about “doing without.” Floridians can conserve water just by adopting efficient habits that reduce water waste...........here

Xeriscape: Florida Friendly Yards

PDA: Barack the Vote

Wednesday, March 26 9:00 pm EDT

Now it's time to finish this primary season cleanly, positively, with a clear winner and a unified party. To me, that argues strongly for the candidate who inspires the young in such massive numbers; the candidate who had the Iraq War right before it started; the candidate who seems to have not only the best chance to win, but also the best chance to increase the number of blue states, and expand the electorate; the candidate who started his career as a community organizer; the candidate whose very election will say to the world, America has finally "turned the page.......here

Broward County School Board And Redline

Four teenagers from Falcon Cove Middle School in Weston were taken to a hospital emergency room this month, their hearts racing and their bodies dripping with sweat........here

If parents allow teens to bring energy drinks to schools, that is their decision to make," ........Tracey Halliday

The SunCruz Casino Boats

The operators of SunCruz casino boats are dredging up, figuratively and literally, their history of harming the waterways on which they make their unwholesome living. The state Department of Environmental Protection is investigating to determine if the Port Richey-based gambling ship has slashed its way through fragile sea grass habitat off the coast of Aripeka........here

Another Florida Election Scandal

Until a couple of days ago, I thought that state or provincial birds were cute, folksy things that appealed mainly to primary school students and people who worked in tourism offices. I thought that – until I heard about the Florida State Bird election controversy. Maybe you are tired of hearing about yet another Florida election scandal, but this one is important, too........here

A Zip Through The Florida Keys

So, the plan was simple: bike down to the Keys over Thursday and Friday and back Saturday and Sunday. I wasn’t sure how far I’d get, but as the weather seemed to be agreeable I decided Friday afternoon to go all the way to Key West........more

New Bikes For The Lake Mary Police Department

“A faster, safer, better-performing motorcycle that's cheaper.” That’s how Officer Chris Dye from the Lake Mary Police Department described his new Honda ST1300 to a local news station. His department worked out that not only were the Honda’s $2,500 cheaper than the rival from Milwaukee, but that the servicing costs, for each bike, per year, would drop from $2,700 with Harley to $520 with Honda.....here

Rev. Wright Event In Tampa Canceled

There is no question that Rev. Wright's comments were despicable and loathesome.
However, it's sad that Obama has to apologize for his preacher's comments while John McCain begs for the endorsement of equally ignorant and bigoted pastors like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell who have said not "God da_n America" but "God has dam_ed America."

that double-standard actually reflect the very racism Rev. Wright was railing against, albeit in a very ignorant fashion?

Via.....Flagophile

Gay Rights & Protections Needed in State of Florida

Please spread the word to those who live and vote in Florida: vote "No" this November on a Florida State constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and unions. Take this fight a step further by clicking on the following link and joining HRC, Human Rights Campaign.........here

Joe Garcia on Republican Dirty Tactics

My pro-Democracy in Cuba credentials are solid. Before my opponent was in the Florida State Legislature I was marching and meeting with US lawmakers in DC advocating for democratic change in Cuba. This, however, will not stop them from disparaging my record. Similar to how they attacked national heroes like Max Cleland and John Kerry for being unpatriotic, they will try to label me as a communist sympathizer.......here

This, however, will not work for them in 2008.

Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz, Step Up or Step Down

South Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (US-20) has repeatedly said that she cannot publicly support the three Democratic candidates who are running to unseat some of the worst Bush Republicans in the US House of Representatives: Mario Diaz-Balart, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Please sign the petition......here

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: A+ On Darfur

Now help end the embargo on the cuban people.

here

Foot-Licker Nabbed In Florida

Timothy Eugene Batty

A man dubbed the “foot licker” by authorities because of his penchant to lick women’s feet has been taken into custody in Leon County, Fla........here

FPL Jumps Into California Solar Market

California law requires the state’s investor-owned utilities — PG&E (PCG), Southern California Edison (EIX) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SRE) — to obtain 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010 and 33 percent by 2020.........here

Jeb And Patricia Levesque

Who Needs Schools When You Have Churches

"A resolution proposing an amendment to Section 3 of Article I of the State Constitution to repeal a limit on the use of public revenues in aid of religious organizations and entities, and to prohibit individuals and entities from being barred from participating in public programs because of their religion.".....Proposal 20 (CP0020) on the ballot in November at which time it could be placed by popular vote into the state constitution...........here

Patricia Levesque is the Executive Director for the Foundation for Florida’s Future.

She served as Governor Jeb Bush’s deputy chief of staff for education.

UCF Students Sending Poop Into Space

It started out as a senior engineering project. Byrd's team of UCF students designed a small "pico" satellite for launch as part of California Polytechnic State University's "CubeSat" project, designed to provide an affordable means for universities to conduct experiments in space........here

Geocaching In Tampa Bay

Karen's Big Adventure

We decided to head over to the Brew Company in Ybor City for dinner, which was a nice, peaceful way to end your Easter holiday. The most exciting part of the visit to Ybor City was when we were strolling down the sidewalk on our way to the parking garage and came across a huge gay bar that was having a transvestite show.........here

Geocaching.com

McCain And John Hagee

4,000 And Counting

We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.........Thomas Jefferson

Jack Thompson and the Florida Supreme Court

In the latest salvo in the war between anti-porn crusader Jack Thompson and the Florida Supreme Court, the court has sanctioned the attorney and ruled that if he wishes to file any documents with the Florida Court, he will have to hire an attorney to do so on his behalf........here

Florida Ministry At Westminster Abbey

South Florida's Revelation Ministries was chosen today by the hierarchy and officials of London's Westminster Abbey to present the Passion Play on the Abbey's front lawn on May 10.........here

Michelle Mitchell Visits Florida

You really can’t get any farther apart than Alaska and Florida—unless maybe you just keep going south and head straight for Brazil—and there are a few differences that became readily apparent during our two-week stay. Well, one or two. Maybe three or four........here

Florida Says No To Crack

"In its ongoing bid to be the most ridiculed state in the Union".....The Red Canuck

Florida Keys Hosting Biodiesel Rally

Starting in Key Largo and ending at the BioDiesel facility at Key West High School, the Biodiesel Rally will make 5 total stops to show local individuals, businesses and policy makers how easy, affordable and self-sufficient it is......more

Worthless Land In The Green Swamp

Property-sales records show that in the past two years, more than 100 Green Swamp parcels of less than 5 acres have changed hands. Frequently, the parcels have flipped more than once, often to buyers across the country who probably don't realize their land is useless........here

Snail Blogging From Florida

My son and I arrived in Tampa, Florida this afternoon for 5 days of fun and snailing. We were greeted by a rain storm that, luckily, ended a few hours later. So we went out for an early evening walk in the neighborhood to scout for snails..........here

Trinity United Church of Christ

Wouldn’t it be interesting to know the total number of hours devoted to that loop of Pastor Wright’s most outrageous outtakes. Add to that the number of hours of discussions and shouting matches about something most of the speakers know nothing about..........more

No One Asked For Marco Rubio's Opinion

"You know whose fault this is? This is Howard Dean's fault," House Speaker Marco Rubio, D(R)-West Miami, said Friday while taping a segment for WPLG-TV's "This Week In South Florida with Michael Putney." "This is Howard Dean's fault for treating Florida like a third-rate state, which it is not."...........here

Please See The Florida Democratic Party

A Kiwi In The Florida Keys

here

Republican Political Operative Roger Stone

Almost four months before Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in a sex scandal, a lawyer for Republican political operative Roger Stone sent a letter to the FBI alleging that Spitzer ”used the services of high-priced call girls” while in Florida. The letter, dated Nov. 19, said Miami Beach resident Stone learned the information from ”a social contact in an adult-themed club..........here

Corrine Brown, Howard Dean Is Not To Blame

Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown places the blame for the delegate flap squarely on DNC Chairman Howard Dean.........here

Please See The Florida Democratic Party

Florida Hero Robert Wexler

On Monday, March 17, at the Deerfield Democratic Club in Broward County, Florida Congressman Robert Wexler , who represents the 19th Congressional District of Florida, was honored with the prestigious Backbone Award..........here

Election Year Fear At Tampa International

Vehicle searches began this morning at the entrance to Tampa International Airport's short-term parking garage as part of a federal plan to help prevent a bombing at the terminal......Via The Tampa Tribune And Fox

They say they're trying to keep possible terrorist guessing by constantly changing up the security procedures at the airport.

Smiley Takes On Obama At Florida Memorial

Talk show host and political commentator Tavis Smiley dove headlong into the controversy over Barack Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, as he headlined Florida Memorial University's Second Annual Presidential Scholarship Banquet last weekend........more

Proud Of The Tampa City Council

Tampa joins a growing number of cities supporting the move away from one of the worst forms of factory farm animal abuse. Tampa joins Hollywood, West Palm Beach, Winter Springs and New Port Richey in passing such a resolution..........here

See Avril Lavigne In Tampa For 9 Bucs

click here

Obama/Richardson 2008

What A Nice 21st Century Couple They Make
Here are a few reasons why.

Walk for Water In Hialeah, Florida

In many parts of the developing world, people have to walk for miles every day just to get the water they need to drink and cook. To highlight that daily challenge, activists in Hialeah, Florida, plan to hold a Walk for Water walk-a-thon.........here

Liberty Girl: My Governor Rules!

From Charlie Crist office, in response to my open records request:
A search of our files revealed an electronic file responsive to your request. These files are contained on a CD. We can provide this CD via U.S. Postal Services. There will be no cost for this service. Please send an address for us to mail the CD. Thank you........here

Sunshine Blogger Project

Florida's Powerfull LGBT Community

The media has recently focused more attention on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in Florida, which are playing an increasingly important role in the state’s contradictory political climate. Florida has one of the most vibrant LGBT communities in the country, while also continuing to have some of the most restrictive laws; Florida is one of a few states that still explicitly bans adoption by gay and lesbian couples..........here

Daniel Ruth Bashes Howard Dean

Dean isn't the chairman of the DNC. He's the pinched homeowner board president busybody from hell, armed with his clipboard, ever on the prowl for the improperly painted mailbox, the oversized yard flag, the dreaded errant open garage door.........here

The Sins of Debbie Wasserman Schultz

But the Republicans that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is hugging tightly are three Members of Congress who have actually had the power to make the Cold War colder in a small area of the world off of the U.S. border -- Cuba. They have thrived despite the phenomenal failure of the US embargo of Cuba and have succeeded in keeping a more serious interest-driven US foreign policy toward Cuba from ever taking hold........here But the Republicans that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is hugging tightly are three Members of Congress.........here

Debbie Wasserman Schultz seemingly turns a blind eye to the suspension of justice, the nepotism, and the corruption that have surrounded the Miami side of the US-Cuba policy feud. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-18) has helped protect and then celebrate the achievements of Cuban-American terrorists -- particularly Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada -- in both Florida and in her Congressional role in Washington.

Either Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz does not read, is ignorant of the background and activities of these three Republican congressman, or she is complicit. Which is it?........Steve Clemons

Florida Program Aims To Protect Nature’s Orphans

Workers at Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s wildlife rehabilitation center are bracing themselves. The sun reaches its vernal equinox over the Earth’s equator today, marking the start of spring, and business is about to boom.........here

Turn South Florida Blue!

If it's an election year, you can bet that both parties will be fighting hard to swing the battleground state of Florida in their direction. This election year, its clear that Floridians are tired of President Bush's failed policies and want big change. The environment is ripe for a big Democratic year and we have the top-tier candidates who can turn Florida "blue.".........here

GOP Is Afraid Of Obama

Republicans are interfering with democracy by pretending to be Democrats and voting for Clinton..........here

Terrorists Attack Florida

The leader of a stingray separatist group has claimed responsibility for the recent murder of a woman in the Florida Keys.The ray, who only identified himself as "The Great Spike," has said that his group, "has begun the war on humanity that our scaly brethren have desired for so long.".........here

Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. Has Tampa Ties

For years, Wright has made an annual pilgrimage here, packing sanctuaries at two large, predominantly African-American churches: Bible-Based Fellowship Church in Carrollwood and Bible-Based Fellowship Church of Temple Terrace, which draw members from throughout the Tampa Bay area. Even those who aren't members have flocked to his local revivals.........here

Tampa Entrepreneur Gets Life In Prison

Tampa Tony, the inventor that gave birth to such genius products as “Da Splitter”, is getting life in prison...........here

Mission Accomplished

May 1, 2003

The Stogie Is 5 Years Old

Palm Beach County School District

New York Law School Professor Deborah N. Archer, Director of the Law School’s Racial Justice Project, is one of the attorneys in the class action lawsuit filed Tuesday, March 18 by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Florida against the Palm Beach County School District today, which charges that low high school graduation rates demonstrate a violation of students’ constitutional rights to high quality education.........here

Street's Of Tampa

Florida Aquarium Exhibit To Be Wi-Fi Friendly

The AT&T Foundation is partnering with George S. Middleton High School to provide learning opportunities at the Florida Aquarium. Through a $17,309 grant from AT&T, students at Middleton will develop "learncasts," utilizing Wi-Fi technology for the Aquarium's Ocean Commotion exhibit, set to open in October.......here

Closet Republican: Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Democrats believe for the first time they have a good chance of unseating one or more of the three Republican Cuban-Americans representing South Florida. The Democrats running to unseat them will have to do so, however, without the support of Wasserman Schultz. Her ties of friendship with the three Cuban-Americans are such, she says, that she cannot support her fellow Democrats. She will have to sit this one out........here
Looking For A Ned Lamont

Scientology A Good Neighbor In Plant City, Florida

The story of what has happened in the year since the Church of Scientology opened in Plant City is best framed by telling what did not happen..........here

Florida Lawmaker Hopes to End Ban on Gay Adoption

Florida state senator Nan Rich has introduced a bill that would bring the Sunshine State a little bit closer to ending its ban on adoptions by same-sex parents.........here

MLK And Florida Ave, Tampa

MLK BLVD is an "open source" photo/journalism project. What that means is: All are welcome to contribute or participate.......here

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan

Rules of Engagement

Meet Team McCain: Pastor John Hagee

Tampa Bay "End the War Candlelight Vigil"

Tampa - Federal Courthouse, 801 N Florida Avenue, 4pm

St. Petersburg - Congressman Young's Office, 360 Central Ave., 5pm

Sarasota - US 41 and Gulfstream, 7pm

Sarasota- US 41 and Beneva, 4pm

Bartow - Main St. and N. Broadway Ave., 11am

Brooksville - 20 North Main Street, 11am

Find One Near You.......here......... http://www.5yearstoomany.org/

Florida Has America's Cleanest Cities

Led by Miami, the Sunshine State dominates our 2008 list of America's Cleanest Cities with four metro areas in the top 10--Jacksonville (No. 3), Orlando (No. 4) and Tampa-St. Petersburg (No. 8) all make appearances. Clearly, a state that relies so heavily on tourism and part-time snow-bird residents knows the value of keeping itself spruced up for company..........here

Pets The Latest Casualty

Signs of economic turmoil have been popping up around the Bay Area for months now. Most of them say For Sale, Space for Lease, or Sale! Sale! Sale! The most disturbing may be at the Tampa Bay Human Society, where families are sacrificing their pets in order to save a few dollars........here

Tampa Bay Iraq War Protests

The Iraq war reaches a milestone Wednesday and local activists in the Tampa Bay region will mark the five-year anniversary with a mix of protest and tribute.........here

Book Banning In Hillsborough County, Florida

"There needs to be an examination of these words that elementary school kids are reading," said Darryl Brown, who lives in Live Oak in northeast Hillsborough. "I want them pulled."..........here

Hillsborough Bus Ridership Grows

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority continues to gain ridership on its fixed-route services. Ridership increased 11 percent in February, to 975,893, compared with the same month last year. The system has gained nearly 9 percent year-to-date..........here

Obama: 'A More Perfect Union'

Free Parking In Ybor City

At long last, those going to shop or dine in Ybor City can enjoy free parking at some locations. The city is removing meters from the streets of Ybor City and turning the spots into two-hour parking spaces.......here

Florida's Cuban-American Congressional Republicans

After the 2006 elections, Garcia said polling in the three congressional districts based in Miami-Dade County produced results he termed amazing. "The most Republican of the districts is Lincoln Diaz-Balart's. His signature issue is Cuba [but] 54 percent of the district disagrees with his position on Cuba." What's more, Garcia said, Cuba was only the fifth most important issue in the district.......here

The Corrs - Toss The Feathers

Street's Of Tampa

Tampa Bicycle Cooperative!

Tampa will soon have a bicycle cooperative! This is very exciting news for the Tampa cycling community in that a bicycle co-op is a good sign of a healthy and growing bicycle culture......here

Anonymous In Clearwater, Florida

Florida Panther Tracks In Volusia County

There is proof a panther has been roaming around Central Florida, according to wildlife officials. Recognizing the recent discovery of the panther tracks, Gov. Charlie Crist designated Saturday, "Save the Panther Day," and is urging people to help preserve and protect the remaining population, estimated to be anywhere from 80 to 100.......here

Gays In South Florida, We're Here. Get Used To It

From mounting a major offensive against Fort Lauderdale's mayor to winning county protections for transgender residents, South Florida's gay community wants politicians to know: We're here. Get used to it.........here

The Tiny Island Of Chokoloskee, Florida

Ed Watson was not a nice man. He lived on another small island and raised various small crops. He would "hire" help, making the men stay on his island until all the planting, caring for and harvesting was done. Then, instead of paying them like he said he would, he'd simply shoot them and bury them..........more

African-American Art Exhibit Coming to South Florida

The Norton Museum of Art will present an exhibition drawn from the artistic and historical treasures collected by Bernard and Shirley Kinsey of Los Angeles, California. The exhibition, "In The Hands Of African American Collectors: The Personal Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey," includes some 90 paintings, sculptures, prints, books, documents, manuscripts and vintage photographs the couple has loaned to the Norton Museum from their personal collection.........here

Absentee Ballots Go Missing In Pinellas County

The ballots for the March 25 primary in the House District 55 race were delivered to a postal center on Monday, but officials don't know what happened to them after that........here

Local Terrorist Groups According To The Duke Of Sarasota

Anti-war protests are scheduled for March 19th, the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, in Tampa, Florida by the following anti-war/Socialist/Communist/radical Islamic groups........here

The Audacity of Hope In Ybor City

The Sixth Connection polled passersby in Ybor City to find out who's winning their vote for the 2008 Presidency. Filmed during Hypnotiq Thursdays outside of The Lucky Hookah Lounge, 1910 e 7th ave, Ybor City

South Florida Gas Stations Get Ethanol Blends

E10 contains 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol and began arriving in area stations at the end of last year. Among the brands that have E10 at some or all of their South Florida stations are Marathon, Hess, Murphy Oil USA, Pilot and Racetrac. Virtually all the marketers in Florida are moving toward 10 percent ethanol blends as rapidly as they are able.......here

Pelosi Leads DCCC In Supporting Florida's Democratic Challengers

Dated March 14, the letter from the five top figures in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee congratulates Joe Garcia on a "strong start" to his campaign for Florida Congressional District 25. Identical letters went to Raul Martinez, challenging in District 21, and to Annette Taddeo, candidate in District 18..........here

The Florida Torreya: One Of The World's Rarest Trees

Jackson County was once part of the natural habitat of the Florida Torreya tree.
Tens of thousands of these trees could be found growing in the region during the early 1800s, but today only around 200 survive on the entire earth.......more

Gov. Crist, Drug Laws Cause Crimes, Not Usage

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who has admitted smoking marijuana in his youth, opposes proposals to get drug offenders out of prison and into rehab. Crist said that reducing sentences for non-violent drug offenders would "sacrifice public safety,".......here

One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure

Airstream Ranch might be art, but it still doesn't comply with county codes, officials decided Friday. The 71/2 Airstream trailers planted nose down along Interstate 4 in Dover violate zoning and sign restrictions, as well as rules against debris and improper storage, the Hillsborough County Code Enforcement Board decided Friday..........here

Lee De Cesare's Last Post

Go to Fred Burns. He's running for the board. Do what Fred tells you to do. I also have recruited another young woman to run against the adulteress Falliero when her term is up in 09. Fred will eventually find out the young woman's name; then you two can collaborate on this problem. She's very young too. But so are the boys going to Iraq. Young people can be brave and do incredible things........here

Buddy Johnson's Foul Stench

Something doesn't smell right about Buddy Johnson's cattle operation. The Hillsborough County elections chief bought a piece of property last year for $800,000. He subdivided the 20 acres into six lots, plunked down some cows and applied for a huge tax break, calling it agricultural land.......here

Florida Senate Busy With Same-Sex Classes

A state senator is proposing to make same-sex classrooms common practice in Florida schools, but not everyone thinks the idea is a good idea. "The kids perform better, act better and they don't have the pressure of their hormones getting out of whack," said Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville.......here

7,000 Inbreds In Panama City, Florida

"I cannot believe that I've been in jail and this was illegal," he said. "[Panama City] is a corrupt town, run by corrupt officials. This is just a whole crock...a sham with trumped-up charges. "I am in a town of about 7,000 inbreds who are totally corrupt.".......here

Democracy Inaction In Tamarac, Florida

Authorities in Tamarac, Florida held a referendum to annex an unincorporated community in Broward County. Notices were sent to the 68 registered voters in the Prospect Bend neighborhood, but none showed up to cast a ballot.........here

Hillsborough County Schools Sex Scandals

The arrest Thursday of a middle school teacher accused of having sex with a teenage student has thrust a Florida school district made famous by Debra Lafave into an uncomfortable yet familiar position.......here

First Black Woman As Florida Chief Justice

At a heady time when an African American and a woman are serious contenders for the White House, Florida marked its own milestone Friday. The state Supreme Court is about to get its first African-American woman chief justice.......more

Florida Red & Blue Introduces SayNo2 Campaign

Florida Red & Blue, the statewide organization that the Human Rights Campaign has partnered with to fight an anti-gay marriage amendment, has launched the Say No 2 campaign, urging voters to Vote No on Amendment 2, which will be on the November ballot........here

Debbie Wasserman Schultz , They're Bush Republicans

The big deal people have with this is not only that Rep. Wasserman Schultz is doing nothing, that's only part of the problem. The bigger problem is that she is praising the Republican when we have a Democratic challenger........here

Annette Taddeo

Jim Hightower In Tampa

WMNF Presents an Evening with Jim Hightower

Saturday Apr 19, 7:00PM - Friday Morning Musicale - 809 Horatio St, Tampa, Florida
Buy Tickets

Billy Crystal Batting At The NY Yankees Game In Tampa

Senators Seek More Pay For Florida Pickers

Two Democratic senators threatened on Thursday to introduce legislation and scrutinize companies with government contracts to pressure Florida tomato growers to boost the wages of farm workers who work the state's tomato crop.........here

Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Florida's Weeki Wachee Becomes State Park

Florida is throwing a life preserver to the mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs. The mermaids can continue fluttering their tails in choreographed underwater shows at the park, as they have for 60 years.........more

Florida Celebrates Oceans Day

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection today joined public and private partners to celebrate Florida Oceans Day at the Capitol. The annual event recognizes people and organizations who work to make the state's oceans and coasts cleaner, healthier and more productive.........more

Florida's Democratic Party Worst In The Country

When you compare the number of Democrats in the state with the number of elections the party won, it really was no contest. The party has struggled to regain its footing since the exits of Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham who dominated the Democratic scene for three decades.........here

Florida Senate Busy With Droopy Pants

The Florida Senate wants public school students to pull up their pants. Lawmakers passed a bill on Thursday that could mean suspensions for students with droopy britches. It won't become law unless the House of Representatives passes a companion measure.........here

Kentucky Wants to Make Anonymous Internet Posting Illegal

Kentucky Representative Tim Couch filed a bill this week to make anonymous posting online illegal. If the bill becomes law, the website operator would have to pay if someone was allowed to post anonymously on their site. The fine would be five-hundred dollars for a first offense and one-thousand dollars for each offense after that.........here

South Florida Marks 5th Anniversary of War on Iraq

“Five Years is Five Too Many,” is the message that South Floridians will take to the streets next week to mark the 5th anniversary of the Bush administration’s War on Iraq, and to demand an end to the carnage. Numerous rallies, vigils, and exhibits throughout the U.S. will highlight the tragic cost of this war – in lives, tax dollars, and world opinion..........here

The Bush Secret Police aka (Firefighters)

Hemingway's Cats

When Hemingway settled in Key West, Florida around 1931, he was gifted a six-toed cat by a ship's captain. Today there are around 60 descendants of that cat roaming freely........here

WMNF 88.5 Needs Our Cash

Send It.........here

South Florida: Don't Move Here

Bottom line: living here ain't what it used to be. But people gotta live. Some of us have our whole families down here, all our friends, our whole histories are tied up with this place. We're trying to make it down here, but the pressure's on. The benefits are evaporating and it's getting harder and harder just to live from day to day........here

Florida Senator Victor Crist Busy With Toilet Paper

A proposed law currently making its way through the Florida legislature might help you with what can be an embarrassing problem. Here’s the bottom line, the bill would be a mandate that all eating establishment must have enough toilet paper when you go into the restroom.......more

The Cheating Heart of Tampa

The methodology is a little suspect, but the results do suggest that married men in Tampa are more anxious to step out on their wives than their counterparts across the country. The Science of Cheating Blog posted phony personal ads on Craig's List soliciting extramarital affairs. Tampa men were positively Spitzeresque in their responses.........here

Tampa Televangelists Draw Senate Scrutiny

Two U.S. Senators sent out a new round of letters today to some of the nation’s most high-profile televangelists, urging them to turn over key financial records. One of the letters was mailed today to televangelists Randy and Paula White, who founded the Without Walls International Church in Tampa 16 years ago, calling it "the perfect church for people who are not."..........here

Five Cuban Soccer Players Missing In Tampa

Five members of the Cuban Under-23 national soccer team left their hotel Tuesday night and are unaccounted for, raising the possibility they may be trying to defect. The players were discovered to have left the team hotel hours after earning a 1-1 draw with the United States in the Pre-Olympic tournament.......here

Pam Iorio Touts Drop In Crime

She highlighted two neighborhoods – East Tampa and Ybor City – as examples of the crime reduction, saying these areas recorded crime drops of 15.6 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively. "Ybor City is safer than ever. It is blossoming. It is flourishing. It is a place to go out to dinner and have a great time," Iorio said.......here

Salvia Selling Like Crazy In Ybor City

It’s being called the new LSD. Fast-acting, cheap and very intense. Some people report feeling a sense of time-travel and an out-of-body experience. Kicks on 7th in Ybor City can’t seem to keep it in stock. It’s the biggest seller there........more

Elected Officials Trashed Florida

Sadly, the fourth largest state in this nation is no longer “user friendly.” Florida was known as the promised land, but the boom times are over. Last year, more people left than came in........here

Florida losing Spring Training teams to Arizona

Georgia Governor Is "Really Thirsty"

"Hey, we used to own half the damn country. Look at that map." "I'll bet you with the right priced judge we could annex Alabama, bamboozle Florida and Hell, nobody wants Tennessee.".........more

University of Florida Expert On Fifth Anniversary Of Iraq War

As the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq approaches, anti-war groups are turning to tactics designed to provoke authorities to make arrests as a substitute for the kind of mass rallies they organized in the past, says a University of Florida researcher.......here

Florida Medical Records Sold at Utah Thrift Shop

Dozens of Florida hospital patients are outraged because their private medical records wound up for sale at a thrift shop in Utah. Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford shipped the patients' records by UPS in December.......more

Anti-Gay Hatred Rampant In Florida High School

This one is a little weird, but not unexpected, but you might want to brace yourself anyhow. The Ponce de Leon High School in the Florida panhandle has decided that it would be a really cool idea to ban symbols and speech which might prove supportive of GLBT rights........here

Red-Light Cameras Increase Crashes And Costs, USF Report Finds

Rather than improving motorist safety, red-light cameras significantly increase crashes and are a ticket to higher auto insurance premiums, researchers at the University of South Florida College of Public Health conclude.......here

Florida Legislators Busy With Sally-D

On Web sites touting the mind-blowing powers of Salvia divinorum, come-ons to buy the hallucinogenic herb are accompanied by warnings: "Time is running out!" and "stock up while you still can." Eight states have already placed restrictions on salvia, and 16 others, including Florida, are considering a ban or have previously........here

My Hero Rachel Maddow

The Rachel Maddow Show

Everglades Restoration Continues Despite Water Scarcity

South Florida experienced a severe water shortage during Water Year 2007, more than a foot below historic averages for the region. From May 1, 2006 to April 31, 2007, low rainfall reduced flows across the entire region, according the annual report released Tuesday by Florida state agencies......more

Florida Monkeys With Education

With all of the important problems facing Florida and its economy what are we debating? Why evolution of course. Today, people are losing their homes in Florida due to high taxes and out of control insurance companies. And while “No Show, Empty Chair” Charlie is out campaigning for John McCain, our legislature has dug up John Scopes and put it all on trial again........here

Howard Dean Talks Florida/Michigan Re-Vote

Two Florida Mothers Are United By Slain Black Gay Sons

The Williams and Broadus cases remain unsolved and police do not believe this is the work of the same killer, "although there were similarities. Both victims identified themselves as gay and sometimes dressed as women, and they were both shot by killers who may have made anti-gay slurs."......here

Florida Democrats Are Going To Be Annoyed

Al Sharpton’s threatening the Democratic National Committee with a lawsuit. If Hillary Clinton doesn’t win the nomination in a manner Sharpton approves, he told Bill O’Reilly on Fox News he may even leave the Democratic Party......here

Florida Legislature Getting Expelled

Word about Rep. Hays’ movie invite to his fellow Florida legislators is filtering out to the media. Newspaper blogs are talking up a storm on the event........more

Florida Trail Goodness!

here

Beaches, Boardwalks, Bistros In Laid-Back Sunshine State City

If you’re over Miami’s fast pace and Orlando is just too Mouse, Tampa may be the place to drop anchor in the Sunshine State. It’s got the beaches and the roller coasters but evades the frenzy that marks Florida’s more prominent destinations........more

We Deserve A Great Leader

I saw Senator Obama when he was here last year. I’m a pretty cynical person when it comes to politics, mostly because of my poly sci degree. But Barack Obama was different. Because when he talked, I actually cared. He wasn’t promising me 4 years of rainbows and sunshine. Hell, he wasn’t even selling himself. His message was that I could make a difference. That, as a group, we still had the power to change the world. But it would take work. Each and every one of us.......here

Intolerance on the streets of Ybor City

Water Quality Restores Seagrasses In Tampa Bay

A recent study released by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program found only three isolated areas where water quality targets were not being met. The rest of the bay is now rated to have good water quality, even Hillsborough Bay, which for years was little more than a cesspool for the city of Tampa.......here

Finding Florida's Panthers

Florida panthers are an endangered species, and Big Cypress researchers monitor 11 radio-collared cats in the preserve south of Interstate 75. The panther work, which includes aerial surveys three times a week, costs $300,000 a year, most of which comes from the preserve's budget with help from the National Park Service's Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta.......here

The Coattails of Barack Obama

While the media spins Hillary's attempt to make herself look Presidential through her allusion (or illusion) that the Big Girl would consider Barack Obama as a VP running mate...(although her recent Super Tuesday II delegate win was just slapped down by Don't Think So Wyoming)......here

Rare Primate Born At Central Florida Zoo

Younger than a month old, Makena is already taking baby steps. The rare primate's birth is big news in the world of captive breeding. There are fewer than 25 lesser spot-nosed guenons on exhibit in American Zoo and Aquarium Association institutions throughout the country, and the Sanford park is one of only a few reproducing them........here

Ft. Myers Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Two-thousand somber souls gathered at the foot of the Midpoint Memorial Bridge in Fort Myers on Sunday for the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Southwest Florida........more

Improper Lane Change In Tavares, Florida

An 80-year-old woman went down swinging when a police officer tried to arrest her. Authorities said Thalia Logas refused to sign a ticket and punched the officer in the stomach and chest several times when he tried to place her under arrest........here

Florida Fair Elections Founder Susan Pynchon Honored

When Susan Pynchon founded Florida Fair Elections Coalition in 2004, her chief concern was whether everyone's votes were being accurately counted. Four years later, Pynchon has been named a 2008 recipient of the Nelson Poynter Civil Liberties Award........here

Florida May Get Its First Gay Legislator

Broward voters could send the Florida's first openly gay legislator to Tallahassee in this year's elections. Mark LaFontaine is one of four candidates who have declared their intentions to run in District 92, which takes in Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Lazy Lake, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach and Wilton Manors.........here

Dunedin, Florida: 6 Storks On The Roof

Dunedin Daily Photo

Golfer Whacks Hawk At Florida Golf Course

Golf courses are interesting examples of peculiar human habitats that are as likely to attract wildlife as they are to kill it. The wide open green spaces, abundant greenery and water, and scattered trees must make it seem like attractive habitat to many a species, and it is not uncommon to find many birds.......here

Naples Botanical Garden seeks your help

Imagine, in late 2010, everyone in our community will be able to immerse themselves in gardens from around the globe, wind their way through seven different pristine native habitats of Southwest Florida and delight in watching children explore treehouses, waterfalls and a secret garden.....here

Florida 10,000 BC

Before everything we know, prehistoric people hunted mammoths, built large pyramid mounds along our coast, and lived in fear of the saber cat, lion, and bear. On March 8th and 9th, 2008 the Florida State Fairgrounds Special Events Center will go back in time to a different land, when the Tampa Bay Fossil Club presents, Florida, 10,000 B.C.!........here

Flight To Growth On Florida Coast

Florida's Forgotten Coast, which stretches about 100 miles along the Gulf of Mexico from Mexico Beach east to St. Marks. Mom-and-pop motels, bait shops and undeveloped beaches dot the coast south of the Apalachicola National Forest. Big changes may be in store for this often overlooked area: A new $330 million international airport, pushed by the St. Joe Co. and political leaders over the objection of environmentalists, is scheduled to open in early 2010 on a 4,000-acre site north of Panama City.......here

Florida Golf Development, Eagles Coexist

Bobby Ginn gave up the nicest lots in his luxury golf course community to a couple that just flew in and made themselves at home. Three years later, Ginn is happy with the deal. So, apparently, are the bald eagles nesting with a multimillion-dollar view: They recently had babies.........here

Help Honor Rep. Robert Wexler with Backbone Award

Please go and show your support. The meeting will be held at Le Club at Century Village in Deerfield Beach. Exit I-95 at Hillsborough West. March 10th, at 7 p.m.......more

Clinton Cribs from the Bush Florida Stolen Election

If you wanted to compare the playbook of the Clinton campaign since New Hampshire, you'd find the right precedent in the Bush v. Gore race, only Clinton would be channeling Bush, not Gore........here

Florida Farmworkers Tell Burger King: Yes, You Will

This week, the group launched a national campaign to get Burger King to boost wages and use their economic clout to ensure better treatment of farmworkers: They've been asking for years but haven't gotten what they want. So the Coalition of Immokalee Workers is bringing out its big guns: a high-profile, multi-faceted national campaign and the threat of a boycott designed to persuade Burger King to pay a penny more a pound for tomatoes and "eliminate slavery and human rights abuses from Florida's fields.".......more

Florida: 2007's Top 10 Biting Breeds

To reinforce the current debate regarding a Florida state proposed law to ban dangerous breeds, two counties have released dog bite data. What is important to remember when looking at dog bite statistics is to understand, What constitutes a bite?..........here

The Car Culture In Tampa

The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority is hosting the first round of public workshops for a master plan to improve mobility within its seven counties: Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota. The authority has two years to approve a plan. The first workshop is Monday in Temple Terrace.......here

Republican Ronda Storms

Sen. Ronda Storms has introduced legislation that city officials say would severely hamper their efforts State to revitalize neighborhoods like East Tampa and Tampa Heights. Storms, a Republican from Brandon, has proposed limiting to 15 years the life of special taxing districts intended to boost economic development in blighted areas.......more

Mr. Snel Goes to Washington

This week, Snel was one of 500 bicycle activists attending the 2008 National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. to lobby Congress for pro-bicycle legislation. 500 bicycle lobbyists?.......here

McCain/Clinton 2008

The idea of a third party alternative has long been a dream of progressives in America. It has also too often been a fantasy and a distracting albatross. Particularly since the Bill Clinton era of centrist sell-out - but really going back to the Reagan period of Democratic cowardice, the McGovern campaign of entrenched Party power acting shamelessly toward their nominee, and certainly the Johnson debacle in Vietnam - progressives have been looking to ditch the shell of the former New Deal now doing business as the corroded (and corrosive) Democratic Party........more
Four More Years

Tampa Bay Historical Markers

The Birth of Ybor City
In Oct. 1885, John T. Lesley sold to V. Martinez Ybor & Co. the first tract of land on which was built the original Ybor City. Purchased for $9,000 cash, Tampa citizens underwrote $4,000 of this amount to the new owners in pledged land and notes.....here

Florida's New "I Believe" License Plates

Ronda Storms bill (SB 2010) to create an "I Believe" license plate, which would feature a crucifix and send proceeds to Faith in Teaching, a group "dedicated to funding education in Florida's faith based community."..........here

New Conservation Initiative Launched for Florida's Wild Dolphins

The journalism class of Plantation High School is joining the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), as well as state, federal and international partners, in a campaign to raise awareness among youth of threats to dolphins, manatees and the marine environment throughout the State......here

Hypocrite of the Week: Florida Governor Charlie Crist

As far as Republican governors go, Charlie Crist appears to be a pretty good guy. He comes across as fair, smart, even-handed and independent in his thinking, and he has even broken ranks with conservatives from time to time to do what he perceives to be the right thing.......more

Hillary And Florida Senator Bill Nelson In The Backroom

Howard Dean told Florida Senator Bill Nelson in a private conversation today that he wouldn't agree to funding a revote in the state, despite the Senator' demand today that the DNC fund a rerun of the Florida contest. Nelson, a major Hillary supporter, said today that a revote might be the only way to get Florida's voters heard, a declaration that was taken by Dem party insiders as a sign that the Hillary camp is moving towards calling for a revote and is floating that message through him......here

No Florida "Re-Vote"

Many people agree and have written about it in blogs and columns online. But the feeling isn't unanimous. An electronic grassroots effort to oppose the move to count Florida is growing. A chain email says Barack Obama could be 'bamboozled out of the presidency' if the Florida primary votes count. It urges sympathetic voters to write to the DNC and request that they stick to their original plan of not seating Florida delegates at the convention.......more

Victor Dimaio, of Tampa, announced Thursday he may file a legal injunction that would prevent Florida from holding a re-vote. Just last year, Dimaio sued to have Florida's delegates seated at the convention.

The New York Times Selling The Florida Panhandle

But this, too, is Florida — and no, not the Everglades. It’s the truly Southern, less developed, oft-overlooked Panhandle. And its treasures, though quiet, are bountiful. The Florida Panhandle comprises about 12,000 square miles of diverse settings, from densely wooded state parks and oyster-rich river basins to small towns as neat as stage sets and dazzling Gulf Coast beaches with sand dunes as white as sculptured marble........more

Vultures Wreaking Havoc On Bartow, Florida

An army of ravenous vultures is invading this quiet Polk community, ripping shingles from rooftops, chewing on the rubber linings of car doors and windows, and leaving behind an overwhelming stench from their waste.......here

Florida's Wild Side

To penetrate the narrow, overgrown channels that weave into the mangrove swamps at the southwestern tip of Florida, speed is of the essence. Relax the throttle too much, our guide explained, and we would get stuck in the pungent tidal mud that lurked just inches beneath our flat-bottomed boat......more

Florida and the Jackasses That Overreached

The voters in Florida and Michigan have been screwed, but not by the DNC. They were screwed by their shortsighted state party leaders........here

Burger King Is Responsible For Slavery In Florida

Inspired by the stories of workers who continue to toil in Immokalee, Students Toward A New Democracy (STAND) hosted an event for Miami University students and faculty Tuesday, March 4, to discuss modern-day slavery in the United States and fast-food giant Burger King’s part in the problem.......here

Free Chicken Wings For Florida Voters

More than 20 Hurricane Grill and Wings restaurants in Florida are giving them away today to anyone with a state voter registration card. The restaurant chain, with headquarters in Stuart, hopes the fried appetizer will console Floridians frustrated by the election process after the national Democratic Party stripped the state of its convention delegates because the early primary violated the national rules......more

The Green Roofs of Tampa

The Tampa Comprehensive Plan plan calls for the city to “Follow sustainable building practices by encouraging the development of green roofs” in Objective 4.1, policy 4.1.4.........more

Lee De Cesare Rocks

What do you get when you place a baker’s dozen teachers in a room with two newspaper editorial writers? I don’t know but whatever it is it doesn’t lack opinions. The Tampa Tribune hosted a conference with twelve teachers and one dedicated soul who arrived well in to the session to discuss public education issues in our district with two writers from the Tribune’s editorial department.....here

The Marine Who Killed the Puppy

Some psychologists are weighing in on this by justifying it. We're told that this can be a reaction to the stress of having your life constantly in danger: In order to feel that you have some control, you attempt to dominate smaller and more helpless beings. Aren't those very reasons shared by wife beaters everywhere?.....more
Marine Major Brian Dennis

Tampa's Cigar City Brewing

The brewery, slated to begin producing beer in September of 2008, will supply boutique draft, and bottled ales to central and west Florida. "We'll be brewing high gravity English, American and Belgian style ales as well as a few lower strength classic styles.........here

The Trials and Tribulations of Opening a Brewery

Tampa Bay O-Train Making Noise For Obama

Its 6:30p.m. at the Marti Maceo Club along 7th avenue in Ybor City, the polls won't close in Vermont and Ohio for another hour. That doesn't stop a group of supporters from showing up to the historic social club to mingle and cheer for a man that they have only seen on television or perhaps at a rally just a few blocks away last April........here

Florida Legislature Working Hard On Marijuana Bill

This week, Florida lawmakers will take another step towards passing a law that would make the penalties tougher for running a grow house. Right now, it's only a third-degree felony if fewer than 100 plants are seized. The new law would make it a second-degree felony for getting caught with at least 25 marijuana plants, meaning mandatory jail time.........here

More Abuse At Hillsborough County Jail

Apparently the recently reported wheelchair dumping incident at a jail in Florida wasn't an isolaited incident. Another video has surfaced showing an inmate being dumped out of a wheelchair at a Hillsborough County jail. This time, Sheriff's Department officials defended the move, saying jail personnel deliberately took the paraplegic inmate to the floor to protect themselves........here

I Went To Florida

A Beautiful Mess

Florida Bay: Potential for Ecological Collapse

Audubon raised concerns today that this year´s poor nesting season of Roseate Spoonbills—an important indicator species of Everglades restoration success—and the algae blooms in Florida Bay, persisting since 2006, are serious signals that the ecosystem is suffering signs of ecological collapse........here

McCain And Bush Embrace

Four More Years.......here

What Kind of Florida Do You Want to Leave Your Kids?

State legislators returned to Tallahassee today for the beginning of the annual 60-day legislative session. Getting the most attention this year are the revenue shortfalls and resulting necessity to cut $2 billion from the budget........more
In the meantime, use their online tool to contact your senator and state representative and let them know the issues you want them to focus on during the Session.........here

The Population Bomb And Florida's Vanishing Paradise

After you've spent a day hiking through Florida's preserves along its Nature Coast, you just might find yourself on the back deck of the Rusty Rim Pub on Cedar Key near about sundown. There, along with your $3 bottled brew and a view of the gulf that won't quit, you'll hear the local men who make their living out of the surrounding waters debrief the day.......more

Monkeys Getting High At Miami Zoo

A species of millipede which originated in the West Indies but has recently appeared in parts of South Florida seems to have a hallucinogenic effect on Monkeys. The monkeys "bite the millipedes, then reach behind their backs and rub it on their fur."........more