The State Of Tampa Politics: Marina Welch

One year ago I helped organize the largest single day protest in US history. I was brand new to activism although, upon reflection, it’s been in my blood for decades. I believe the awareness brought about by the Women’s March on Washington has inspired our country, our state and our community to stand up, fight back. 

I had prided myself on always voting but have since learned how woefully unaware and uneducated I was in the realm of politics. This year has afforded me the opportunity to meet amazing activists and social justice warriors. I blindly believed that my vote was enough, that justice would prevail. I woke up on November 9, 2016 to the reality of that delusion.

I have learned the value of phone calls to legislators, the importance of showing up at their office. I stand with those working to rid our state of traditions in which people legally control other people and supporting issues that don’t necessarily impact me directly. What is most important is to be connected to the goal, which is justice for all, even if our motivation is different.

The reason I share the effect this year has had on me is because I know I’m not alone. Women are speaking up in numbers this country has never seen before. First-time female candidates are running for offices big and small, from the U.S. Senate and state legislatures to local school boards and county commissions. We are educating ourselves and each other on issues that affect us all. 

The reason I know how impactful this movement has become isn’t because of the press coverage or the number of women running for office. Last year my youngest daughter refused to listen to anything I tried to talk about regarding Women’s March or the potential consequences resulting from the election. I tried to engage her in meaningful discussions but she wanted no part of that - her vote was enough.  This year we are marched together in Roanoke, Virginia and she volunteered with the local Women’s March to put on this event.

This year women organized rally’s and marches, #PowerToThePolls, as a campaign to register and engage voters for the 2018 elections. Our collective power is rooted in one another and having a wave of women pouring into public office will bring forth the issues that draw support from women in both parties. Celinda Lake said, “Women candidates help energize women voters and in close races you win with women voters.” If I can help mobilize 26,000 Floridians to D. C. I can help mobilize 26,000 (and more) Floridians to the voting booths in 2018.

Women are the backbone of every society. Never underestimate the strength of a woman-led movement.

Marina Welch

The State Of Tampa Politics: Jason Rodriguez

Something's wrong with the left remember freedom of speech! what happened to discussion, what happened to being critical thinkers, what happened to civil discourse. we on the left have lost our way. We're going to keep on losing until we return to the values of being a leftist.

People are so quick to call others racist. I've been fighting for the rights of all minorities for years. I have never called someone a racist if I didn't believe it and there wasn't evidence of it. There is no intellectual Independence anymore. What being a leftist is about is empathy, it's about fighting for the people who need you to fight for them cuse they can't fight for themselves. We are living in critical times we were at the Edge,
now we have jumped off.

I found a lot of you have not been taught what it means to be a fighter for the poor the oppressed was The Unwanted. We must have a critical inventory of our tactics and the motives of those who seek to destroy Liberty within the left. which is the basic concept of liberalism. You should have the freedom to offend, I may not like what you say but I don't want to live in a the Society where people cannot challenge the majority of thought. Return to being humble to having honor to telling the truth, even if it harms you.

To never looking at the big picture and to always looking at the consequences of our actions.we must be able to be upright enough to stand up. If you are in total agreement with any one person or any group of people on everything, there is something wrong. Wake up!!!!! How can we call others fascist when we control the very nature of speech and language. return to fighting for the truth return! return! return! before it's too late.

I weep for the next generation your children of the millennials they will live in a disposable Society. proof by evidence of crime should be what convicts. not the accusation of criminality. Wake up men and women or whatever you are. We should never totally agree but we should be able to learn what compromise truly is. We should never compromise on fact what compromise I'm talking about is not a country divided but ideology but to have different people thinking differently working together at the same goal for liberty and justice for all.

So what were going to do today and tomorrow is that we are going to have what I call the great conversation, that the left must have with itself or kiss our asses goodbye.

Jason Rodriguez

The State Of Tampa Politics: Michelle J Kenoyer

It’s a hard act to follow the wonderful, energizing, and motivating perspectives of many Tampa-area activists in the State of Tampa Politicssection. When one of the leaders at Ybor City Stogie asked me to share my own perspective on the state of Tampa politics, I was honored and, I have to admit, a bit nervous about whether I’d have anything meaningful to add. At the end of the day, I’m just one person in a bay area full of people.

I’ve lived in the Tampa Bay area for going on 15 years. I’ve seen houses, shopping centers, charter schools, and gas stations mushroom on the landscape along I-75 where cattle once grazed on acres of grassy land and all that stood between US-301 and the interstate was a stop sign or two. I’ve worked, raised two children, gone through neighborhood and workplace drama and trauma, thrown beads at Gasparilla events, danced at Skipper’s Smokehouse concerts, made friends, had fights, lost touch with people with whom I could no longer relate (or who no longer could relate to me), blown out candles on birthday cakes, loved, valued, fought, worked, ached. In short, I’m a lot like many who call Tampa Bay home.

 I wasn’t always active in political causes. I remember reacting with horror at the pictures of the war prisoners we tortured at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and threw myself into the Tampa progressive movement out of thin air. There I stayed until shortly before President Obama’s initial election, when I took a years-long hiatus to adopt our two sons and raise them. The danger of Trumpism and the glaring racism, xenophobia, and cruelty of Americans toward other Americans and immigrants fired me into action yet again—only this time, it felt different. I felt older, tired, stretched, jaundiced, judgmental, self-critical, critical of those around me, and frustrated with what I perceived was inaction, intersquabbling, indecision, and intransigence from more powerful and more moneyed forces than me—just one person. 

Now nearing fifty, I also felt the clock ticking on my own aspirations to live the life I wanted to live conflicted with the greater goal of serving our local, our state, our national, our world community. How much of myself was I really willing to give up? It was then that I realized how privileged and fortunate I am. Were it that millions of others would be so lucky as to have the time and the luxury to contemplate this uniquely First World,
 white dilemma. 

So, I fought through this inner turmoil and am still fighting it, to some degree. The tireless, selfless, and courageous activism of my fellow citizens in Tampa’s progressive community has inspired me—and humbled me. The efforts and visible struggles of the leaders around me who don’t complain about the work they do and don’t expect a pat on the back for their civic duties have forced me to get a grip, to get over my privileged hang-ups and frustrations, to be honest with my own shortcomings as an activist and as a fellow human being, and to get busy. 

To echo a community leader who recently organized a huddle of us progressives and gave us marching orders, we don’t have time to sit this one out, and we don’t have the luxury to be sick of being angry and passionate about what we believe in. We have to back our passions with work. Yes, we take a break when we need to, and we shouldn’t feel guilty for necessary self-care, but when we’re rested, we come back fighting. 

I know how hard it is. I know how exhausting and thankless it can sometimes seem. But I’ll be here for the long haul, and I’m here for you. Let’s be here, and do here, for one another. 

If you’re a progressive in Tampa, you’ll find no lack of people, organizations, candidates, issues, and resources to get involved. Many State of Tampa Politics writers have already mentioned a variety of candidates to support in this November’s election; this very blog mentions issues to work for and work towards: Fight for $15, our transportation crisis, the bathhouse ordinance, and the community of homeless people who need our help. Several Indivisible chapters have sprouted new and returning activists who work within, alongside, and outside the Democratic Party for meaningful and lasting 
progressive solutions. 

More than half a century ago, before the old lady writing this was even born, a prominent civil-rights leader once stated that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends in the direction of justice.” That arc is still long and still tilting, but it needs many of us to do the heavy lifting for the long haul—beyond the next election cycle, after the next legislation has passed or been tabled. No one person can do it all, but together, a lot of us can do quite 
a lot of good.

Michelle J Kenoyer

The State Of Tampa Politics: Russell Giambrone

Right now, Tampa’s political scene is one dominated by both inefficiently, and a definite lack of direction. We have a County Board Of Supervisors that has put out a for sale sign to big pocket developers without any thought to having a well developed transportation plan. The result is that the highways are always gridlocked during rush hour with no relief in sight.

 Our mass transit system is the worst in the nation and only now during an election season does the need for change become an issue. Economic growth in our area is dependent on creating a mass transit system, that is both ecologically friendly and serves all sections of the county. We have another great example of ineffective governance in the Hillsborough County Board Of Education who are denying the teachers their contractually promised raises, while mismanagement of funds are the only thing that this Board is good at doing. 

The voters of Hillsborough County now have the opportunity to change the direction of our region. Progressive candidates are offering the voters a choice between a candidate who will govern with them in mind or re-electing politicians who represent those who are elitist and can donate to their reelection campaigns. 

Russell Giambrone 

The State Of Tampa Politics: Kevin O'Neill

I am not optimistic about 3rd party opportunities. I am thinking we are all living within many forms of capture. Those of us seeking freedom and liberty seem unable to elect like-minded candidates, ND we all experience another lost decade of status queue.

Is main Street living a good enough life? Is it reasonable for people to have to move to find freedom of liberty, or should we expect it at our doorstep, now?

Kevin O'Neill

The State Of Tampa Politics: Marcus Klebe

Reading the thoughts of so many progressive community leaders is thought provoking, humbling and inspiring. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute. Others have commented on local trends, candidates and opportunities for strategic and electoral victories in 2018 better than I could, so I will address “the State of Tampa Politics” from a few personal, hopefully useful, perspectives. 

The first is offering a practical point of comparison. My wife is from San Diego (and I lived there for several years before we moved to Tampa a few years ago). My wife has remarked on more than one occasion that Tampa *today* feels extraordinarily like San Diego did *20 years ago* growing up as a teenager. The comment caused me to look into the history of San Diego and its development, successes and failures – and there are an incredible number of parallels and takeaways.

 San Diego did revitalize its urban core, but it also failed to create anything resembling a real public transportation system; it has struggled with its relationships to professional sports teams; it features a subtropical climate tied to beaches that benefit from conventions and tourism; it touches a major military installation; it has strong links to nearby agricultural production; it struggles with overdevelopment (especially single family suburban homes) and gentrification; and it has only a handful of Fortune 100 companies. (Any of this sound familiar?) I would urge activists and experts to study this amazing “glimpse into the future” in order to produce a blueprint for Tampa that draws upon the ample lessons learned in San Diego. 

Second, we have the chance to do things differently in 2018 than we have done in the past. In politics, messaging is the game-changer. Winning requires people to buy into your position not only intellectually, but also emotionally; voters have to intuitively understand what makes your value system and choices different. In order to affect change, finding the answers is often of secondary importance to asking the right questions. Archimedes famously said: "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." What is true in physics holds true in politics… so perhaps we should be asking: What is our lever? What is the fulcrum?

 I believe the fulcrum is the progressive movement itself. If pressed for a definition of ‘progressive’ – especially a simple, workable one that can be presented as 30 second ‘elevator pitch’ – I would explain it as three basic principles: 

PROGRESSIVISM (1) While scarcity is an illusion, self-sufficiency is a myth. (2) Embrace change of societal morals as new research disconfirms the original morals. (3) Everything consenting adults agree to do is permitted. 

These principles address progressive positions on both an individual and societal level… everything from being for gun control and for gay marriage to being against rape culture and against corporate personhood/Citizens United, from environmentalism, the Fight for 15, as well as securing universal healthcare, adequate public education and vital social services. A core tenet of Progressivism is that society does not lack the means to ensure social justice, but rather the will. You shouldn’t have to pay (literally and figuratively) for the privilege of being a healthy, happy, well-adjusted person – that is our birthright. 

The simpler and starker terms by which we are able to characterize differences, the more effective our messaging becomes: Liberals believe in scarcity (there is not enough to go around); Libertarians believe in Self-sufficiency (we can go it alone); and Republicans believe in both scarcity and self-sufficiency, as well as the need to control consent and dictate social norms.

 The progressive candidate is one who empowers individuals to exchange and share resources of all kinds in a community where individuals are free to pursue their own best version of themselves.

 Not coincidentally, the current Republican war on science is a way to disrupt the very change we seek (basically, by destroying various means of public discourse/research and critical, fact-based thinking in general). We must continue to focus on doing the very research that deepens our understanding of ourselves and shapes our environment. Our progressive principles will illuminate the 

 Our progressive principles will illuminate the various goals of our political movement in 2018. However, the actual force that will move the earth, our leverage, is us. People power. The idea – no, the emotional realization – I want to leave you with, dear reader, is this: the only currency that activists have in abundance is relationships. We spend our days and weeks out there fighting for each other and for the common good, however we end up defining it personally. Our word is our bond. If we show up and stand with our friends in *their* hours of need, then we create a reservoir of goodwill that nourishes a desert. Give Freely of your Self, invest, believe, care. Listen and learn. Love.

 I cannot promise any of you victory, but I can promise you this: one day, you will find yourself in a battle that threatens to overwhelm you, and you will call for help… and the larger the reservoir we have built together, the more sisters and brothers will suddenly be beside you, behind you and in front of you. We are not alone in this fight. We have each other, and the harder we fight for our principles, the more of our fellow citizens will wake up and maybe decide to join the fight. It’s up to us to ensure that when the tsunami comes, it lifts all boats. 

Keep fighting. Marcus Klebe

The State Of Tampa Politics: Beth Eriksen Shoup

We are at a dangerous tipping point between the power of organized wealth and the strength of our political institutions. For a long while now all government, at every level, has been under attack by the forces of organized wealth. The faces of the assailants change according to circumstances. In some places, they are bankers and financiers, or they are the extraction extremists of the energy industries. In other places they are Developers, or the millionaires and billionaires whose names sit high on edifices throughout the community advertising their greatness and generosity. It is the organized wealth that funds the campaigns of candidates who 
will do their bidding.

Great monetary wealth may be held by a few, but WE THE PEOPLE, WE THE MANY, WE THE 99%, rightfully hold the key to who should be elected as our leaders and that key is our VOTE.

Politics is a matter between leaders and followers, but we've got it twisted when we think that it is the candidates we elect who are the leaders. WE are the leaders, they represent us, they follow our lead. WE need to identify the issues, problems, and challenges that are affecting our communities, and bring solutions to the table for our elected officials to enact on our behalf. WE have the power to shape their platform, elect them, and hold them accountable.

 WE have the power to not re-elect them if they do not represent us, or they do not fight for the economic, social, and environmental justice that we demand. WE are stronger together and stand in solidarity. 
WE are the many, and WE VOTE.

Beth Eriksen Shoup

Image credit: Tonya Lewis

The State Of Tampa Politics: Nina Tatlock

We have too many people locally who are registered as NPA. I understand the desire to want viable third parties, but it is not the system we currently have. Since Florida is a closed primary state, we have to work within that system to get the best Progressive candidates elected. 

Therefore if The Ybor Stogie readers want to have more Progressive candidates elected it has to be done during the primary elections. To participate in the primary elections a person needs to register with one of the 2 main parties. I urge all readers to register as Democrats and help us elect the most Progressive candidates during the Democratic Primary. We can then work hard to get that Candidate elected in the General election. 

I feel this is the quickest way to having Progressives elected. Then we can change the system we have to work with. We need to run Greens, Democratic Socialist, and Working Family Party candidates as democrats, 
small d intended.

Nina Tatlock

The State Of Tampa Politics: Russell Hires

What was the state of Tampa politics in 2017? I’ll answer, but before I do, I want you to know that these are the things, really, that when you read this list, you realize that you could have written this. And by the way, I admit it. I can’t tell you much about the state of Tampa politics before 2017, but I can tell you what happened in 2017.

I did. I happened. I showed up. I participated. I became a leader. I did not wait for things to happen. I made things happen. I went to fund raisers. I donated to candidates. I went to meetings. I attended trainings. I talked, and I listened. I became involved in a campaign or two. I phone banked. I went knocking on doors. I became a member of the DEC. I voted. I gave voice to issues and ideas that I care about. I shouted from the rooftops! I persuaded. I was persuaded. I wrote to my member of the House. I wrote to my Senators. I called them, too. I went to the Women’s March. I went to other protests, too. I signed petitions. I asked other people to sign petitions. I sacrificed. I learned and I grew. I thought about this stuff way too much. I made many new friends, and lost a few. I went to the Florida Democratic Party Convention. I helped build and grow the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Tampa Bay.

The state of Tampa politics in 2017 is vastly improved, and by reading the list above, it’s because I/we/you did all of those things together. And we did them in greater numbers, with more voices, and more volume. We were heard loud and clear. Separately, I’m sure someone reading this did something valuable that isn’t on this list, and that should be celebrated. I’m proud of what we have achieved together, and I look forward to putting our hard work to the test in 2018 to get more Progressives in office, where they belong.

Russell Hires

The State Of Tampa Politics: Kevin Beckner

For 2018-2019, I predict that the political climate in Washington and Tallahassee continues to grow increasingly toxic with partisan politics and it becomes increasingly difficult to pass progressive legislation. At the local level, however, opportunity abounds for passionate individuals who have a desire and unwavering commitment to serve their community as a member of the Hillsborough County Commission, School Board or Tampa City Council.

Kevin Beckner

The State Of Tampa Politics: Maya Brown

2018 should be considered as a year of hope for Tampa Democrats. There are several opportunities to progress our local party this year. There is potential in the 2018 Election Cycle to pick-up wins in Senate District 18, House District 63, and County Commission Districts 5 & 7. With the right candidates and campaign strategy, these seats can be flipped. We have to work on bringing diversity into the party. Unfortunately, the 2016 Election left a very bad and wrong impression that frustrated voters will autonomously join the Party. 

Yes, memberships did increase because of anti-Trump sentiments. However, if we analyze the demographics of Party makeup it doesn’t reflect the voters of color, particularly Black Women who are winning elections for Democrats. We’ve placed a lot of emphasis on running grassroots campaigns for candidates and issues. It’s crucial to get widespread community support and involvement. Yet, we’ve juxtaposed grassroots and well-oiled machine/campaign structure. Fundraising isn’t the antithesis of grassroots. Money helps to fund the local and community efforts of a campaign. Yes, volunteers are great and also crucial, but you shouldn’t burn out the same 5 people. Donors give because they believe in you and the impact you can make in office. These two worlds can and should coexist. We’ve still got to address our lack of transit efficiency. Transportation is an intersectional issue. By continuing to patch-work solutions, we negatively impact our economy and environment. Hopefully, with the gains of Democrats to the BOCC, 

we can give Commissioners Miller and Kemp some help to implement solutions. The Homestead Tax Exemption and Voter Rights Restoration amendments are two issues that should be our priority. There have been a lot of people hard at work getting petition signatures for the Voter Rights Restoration Amendment – thank you! We have to continue working hard to reach our goal of getting it on the ballot, and getting to 60% of the vote. The Homestead Tax Exemption is going to have substantial consequences if passed. If we could get a few groups to work on educating voters about the amendment, we could see success
 here as well. 

I am excited about the number of candidates running for office this year. However, I am nervous about the risk of forfeiting attainable wins because we lack cohesive coordination and strategy. This isn’t to chastise any particular person, but to highlight that we’ve got serious work to do and fast. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Host a strategic planning session with all of the Democratic clubs and caucuses and invite the local activist groups. Here, we can begin to bridge the gap between activism and public service and work together to avoid crowded primaries, over-utilization of limited resources, and a developing a winning strategy for seats in Hillsborough County. We keep talking about building a bench in Tampa, but it seems that when it’s time to launch campaigns, we are frantically searching for anyone to run instead of having a plan for that seat at least a year out.

 You’ve got to acknowledge that the Republicans have mastered the implementation of bench-building, which has cost Democrats a lot of losses. As soon as there is parity here, there’ll be significant progress. 2. Train candidates, campaign staff, and volunteers. It’s imperative to train all three components of a campaign team because it isn’t productive to have 1/3 of the team understand the process. We’ve got to step our game up when it comes to ensuring our candidates are qualified and have a war chest of resources to be successful. Bring in professional political operatives to dive deep into campaign strategy and invest in long-term infrastructure. As aforementioned, we have a lot of potential. We can’t stand in our own way anymore. Let’s work together and rake up some wins! 

Maya Brown

The State Of Tampa Politics: Scott Shoup

2018 has the potential to be a breakthrough year for Progressive Democrats. In the aftermath of the 2016 election, we are witnessing increased grassroots organizing by a number of organizations committed to economic and social justice. To name a few : Organize Florida, NextGen, Democratic Socialist of America, Restorative Justice Coalition, Democratic Progressive Caucus of Tampa Bay, The Green Party, and Our Revolution.  Unfortunately, many activists have exited the Democratic Party, believing that the Democrats no longer care about the poor and most vulnerable citizens 
in our country. 

As a Progressive trying to push the Democrats to Left and it's Great Society/New Deal roots, I completely understand their reasoning. However, if all these groups can find some threads of commonality and help elect candidates to the B.O.C.C, Tampa City Council, Federal and State offices, we could maybe start to develop some momentum of having government by the people and for the people. Because the moral imperative of a Liberal Democracy is to help all its citizens, especially its  most vulnerable. 

Scott Shoup

The State Of Tampa Politics: Kent Bailey

A strong challenge to the old guard is rising as steadily as the waters of Tampa Bay. Frustrated with the pace of change and energized by presidential excesses, a nascent insurgency of new political activists will engage in 2018. Whatever they lack in experience they will more than make up for with energy and enthusiasm. This coming year I expect many surprises, at least a few major political upsets and possibly radical change.

Kent Bailey

The State Of Tampa Politics: Asher Edelson

The state of Tampa politics is a microcosm of American national politics, and related dramatics. At the federal level, our leadership dwindles with corrupt officials slivering about in pursuit of a maximized payday and egotistical triumph. Petty theatrics follow suit, with genuine pockets of sincere political work amid the bullshit. In Tampa Bay, we have a high degree of potential for more effective governance, as well as less corrupted leadership. Alas, we have a city which is ever nearing the point of self implosion, as the rubber stamp embellishment of Downtown Tampa pompously invites more people into an already crowded region. Greater Tampa Bay aches for true public transit, while higher ups foolishly debate the logistics of constructing new toll roads as our traffic situation becomes more and more dense. Traffic inciting, time consuming construction will be necessary to expand transit; and politicians from Tallahassee to Downtown want to waste said time on their boondoggle tolls. 

Meanwhile, our far right insists on playing the lemming while Washington commits embarrassing atrocities in spite of lessons not learned from the past (Dubya). Our far left insists on little to no compromise, and approaches the point where genuine allies cannot exist in a world where dialogue must be included. Our “middle” is not the true middle, but the right, as it is in most parts of the USA. With all of that being said, we Florida Democrats — Blue Dogs, Progressives, true leftist Activists — move into 2018 to win some elections and make good on issues that matter. The elephant in the room is the extent of deep red pockets in our Sunshine Bay Area. 

We cannot rely on each Republican nominee being a pedophile, nor can we expect right wing voters to turn out against their Murmans and Crists and Hagans and Snivelys in support of a Democrat. I hope that left wing operatives can lend the Blue Party a hand and search out third party opposition to the GOP in upcoming elections. I hope that Democrats can GOTV and raise ample funds. Whatever we do here, if we do it correctly, we Democrats might be on to something for the rest of our country. Until that time, the state of Tampa politics needs a kick in the ass in order to secure decent policy making and sincere leadership.
Pun intended. 

Asher Edelson