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
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 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
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
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
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
"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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
"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
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
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
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, 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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
“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
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
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
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 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
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 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