Bigots In The Hillsborough County Commission

Organizers of this year's GaYBOR Days have received a proclamation from Mayor Bob Buckhorn. Even President Barack Obama's office has sent one. But it doesn't look like Hillsborough County Commissioners will send one after five of the commissioners declined to sign a proclamation for this year's 4-day festival.
Earlier this month, Terry (#1 Bigot) Kemple, who is a member of the county's Human Relations Board, sent an email to all the commissioners warning them that signing such a proclamation would violate county policy.

Kevin Beckner, along with Commissioner Les Miller, are the only board members to have signed a proclamation for this year's GaYBOR Days.

The five commissioners who did not sign this year's proclamation are
Republicans
Sandy Murman, Victor Crist, Al Higginbotham, Ken Hagan and Mark Sharpe.
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What Happens When You Don't Vote!

Tampa Bay Titans?

Introduction of Future New NBA Franchise

GaYBOR Days 2011

June 30 – July 4
Ybor City
info

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Crab Cakes
Mashed Potatoes and Cole Slaw
$6.50.....At Nicko's Fine Foods, 4603 N Florida Ave, Tampa
How Much Was Your Last Value Meal?
Eat Local!

Metropolitan Ministries Volunteers

In Tampa

Roadside Memorial

Seminole Heights
Click on pic to enlarge.

Tampa Bay Homeless

Meet Mark
He has been homeless 4 weeks. He is from Pittsburgh.
He plans to move in with his girlfriend after she gets out of the hospital.

Tampa Bay Homeless

Republican County Commissioners Rig Vote

Republican county commissioners approved new Hillsborough voting districts tonight that could ensure their continued dominance on the board, while disappointing Hispanics who wanted a district that would increase their chances of winning a commission seat. The disgusting Sandra Murman never spoke a word on behalf of her map. She left that job to her minion Commissioner Mark Sharpe. Blue Dog Democrat Les Miller joined the five Republican commissioners. Kevin Beckner cast the only no vote.
here
What Happens When You Don't Vote.

Remember When?

Pass It On.
Via....Pensito Review

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Pepper Steak
With Black Beans and Rice
$5.99......At Huracan, Corner of Central and Sligh in Tampa.
How Much Was Your Last Value Meal?
Eat Local!

Hands Across The Sand

Local Events
Anna Maria Island - Cape Coral - Cedar Key - Clearwater - Dunedin
Ft. Myers Beach - Hudson Beach - Indian Rocks Beach - Sanibel Island
Siesta Key Beach - St. Pete Beach - Tampa - Treasure Island - Weeki Wachee
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St. Pete Pride 2011

Saturday, June 25 · 9:00am - 3:00pm

here

The Bait Car Program: Cops Creating Crime

Thought I'd Seen It All
A bait car is a vehicle owned by the police and is intended to be stolen.
After a bait car is stolen, the location, speed, and direction of travel of the vehicle is monitored by police dispatchers at E-Comm through GPS tracking. Everything that takes place inside the bait car is caught on audio and video. The dispatcher will coordinate a police response and once officers are in position behind the bait car, the engine will be disabled at the click of a mouse button which allows for the quick arrest of the car thieves.
here

Shit In Tampa Bay

Picnic Island Beach Temporarily Closed for Swimming
According to the Hillsborough County Health Department, heavy rains cause polluted storm water runoff as well as waste from boats, pets, wildlife and human sewage, which contribute to the rise in harmful bacteria levels.
here
Via...r/ct

The U.S. Navy $195 Million Waste

Imagine what $195M could buy, Health Care, Education, Infrastructure.
here
The ship was "never intended for missions, just testing.

Is Peter Schorsch A Progressive?

"Peter Schorsch was a multiple winner of the 2010 Florida Netroots awards. Schorsch is a fantastic blogger, but he isn't a progressive. This post could have been written by State of Sunshine blogger Jim Johnson. It was actually written by Schorsch."......Michael Hussey

The Revised Version Of Scott's Letter

Rick Scott's Office of Piss Poor Propaganda
Has come up with the brilliant idea of sending an email to Scott's supporters, both of them, suggesting that they send a prepared letter to editors of various publications around the state.
Zephie, a Democratic Underground contributor, submitted this revised version.
here

Nice And Bright In Suburbia

Lithia, Florida

Kim Hall's School Of Dance

Recital 2011 - Lakeland Civic Center

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Dancer Emily Potter

Jimmy Carter: Call Off the Global Drug War

In an extraordinary new initiative announced earlier this month, the Global Commission on Drug Policy has made some courageous and profoundly important recommendations in a report on how to bring more effective control over the illicit drug trade. The report describes the total failure of the present global antidrug effort, and in particular America’s “war on drugs,” which was declared 40 years ago today. It notes that the global consumption of opiates has increased 34.5 percent, cocaine 27 percent
and cannabis 8.5 percent from 1998 to 2008.
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Anna Maria Island

Sunday Afternoon

The Big Man Clarence Clemons

RIP
January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011

Green Ideas from the Tampa Water Department

Quick tips from the Tampa Water Department on how to conserve water,
save money and stay environmentally friendly.

Anthony Weiner You Got A Job

After All These Years Larry Flynt Is Still The Man
Anthony Weiner has been offered an Internet job with a raise, moving expenses, health benefits equal to what he has been accustomed to, and a fancy office in Beverly Hills working
for an internationally known publishing company.

Flint stressed how serious the offer is, and explained that the company has been involved in politics for over three decades, focusing on "the crucial fight of battling hypocrisy within the federal and state governments."
here
It's nice to have friends in the right places.

What Stogie Had For Dinner

NY Strip
With Baked Potato, Green Beans and a Salad.
$9.95.....At Three Coins Diner in Seminole Heights.
Eat Local!

Progress Florida Recognizes Legislators

The 2011 Champions of Florida’s Middle Class
Sen. Arthenia Joyner (Tampa)
Sen. Nan Rich (Sunrise)
Rep. Lori Berman (Delray Beach)
Rep. Dwight Bullard (Cutler Bay)
Rep. Jeff Clemens (Lake Worth)
Rep. Janet Cruz (Tampa)
Rep. Joe Gibbons (Pembroke Park)
Rep. Evan Jenne (Fort Lauderdale)
Rep. Martin “Marty” Kiar (Parkland)
Rep. Rick Kriseman (St. Petersburg)
Rep. Mark Pafford (West Palm Beach)
Rep. Ari Porth (Coral Springs)
Rep. Scott Randolph (Orlando)
Rep. Franklin Sands (Plantation)
Rep. Elaine Schwartz (Hollywood)
Rep. Irving “Irv” Slosberg (Boca Raton)
Rep. Cynthia Stafford (Miami)
Rep. Richard Steinberg (Miami Beach)
Rep. Geraldine Thompson (Orlando)
Rep. Perry Thurston, Jr. (Fort Lauderdale)
Rep. Alan Williams (Tallahassee)

Thank You!

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Go Green - Save Money

Instead Of Your Dryer, Try This.
With the sun down here they will dry in 20 mins. Or The Lazy Conservationist recommends a drying rack, they're inexpensive. This one costs $30.

Positively Tampa Bay: Kids for Charity

Local business man and sister giving back to community after growing up as foster children.

Help Prosecute Brooksville Kitty Killer

Someone has started a petition to punished "Wilana Joenel Frazier" to the fullest extent of the law.

This will go to Hernando County State Attorney Brad King.
Please sign the petition

Senator Bob Graham in Ybor City

Tuesday, June 21 · 4:30pm - 6:00pm
Creative Loafing in Ybor City
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Swings Tampa Bay

Who Said Swings Have to Be In Parks?
info

Congratulations Natalie Portman

It's A Boy.

here

Florida Living 2011

Hillsborough County Parents Plead For After-School Programs
"The neighborhoods we live in, they're like prisons, you keep cutting from the people who are hurting the most — the little people, you're hurting us even more."......Robert Herman, blue-collar worker with four children who has been unemployed two years.

Our wars, that the right-wing started, is costing us $1.6B a year. FedEx at TIA hasn't paid county property taxes for over 10 years. Those back taxes could help pay for After-School Programs.

The Left In Tampa Bay

State Of The Blogger
The Workers
Litbrit - Out In Left Field - MadFloridian - Tampa Do-Gooder - Pushing Rope
Recreating Tampa - The Spencerian - St. Petersblog - Alan Snel - Progress Florida
SOG City Oracle - Finding Tampa - tiny little dots - Ridiculously Inconsistent Trickle Of Consciousness
Just Keep Swimming - Ybor City Stogie
The Slackers
The Campaign Manager - Bartlet Park - Tampa Rail
Just Kidding Gentlemen.

Representative Anthony D. Weiner

What are you thinking?
Forget what everyone is saying and keep your job. Let the voters decide. Republicans have done alot worse. In other countries the sex lives of politicians is not news. It took the French guys visit to the US to get him busted.
You did lie to your hot wife and the American people.

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Ham
With Rice, Greens, Corn Bread and a drink.
$6.50.....Martha's Place in Seminole Heights.
How Much Was Your Last Value Meal?
Eat Local!

FedEx At Tampa International Airport

Hasn't paid county property taxes since 2000. They just got caught last year.
here
Republican County Commissioner Sandy Murman told fellow adjustment board members that she worried about imposing a new tax on local businesses.

Jeff Lukens Tea Party Summer Camp

Introduce kids ages 8 to 12 to principles that include "America is good," "I believe in God," and "I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable."
here
Fun, Fun, Fun.
Children will win hard, wrapped candies to use as currency for a store, symbolizing the gold standard. On the second day, the "banker" will issue paper money instead. Over time, students will realize their paper money buys less and less, while the candies retain their value.

Another example: Starting in an austere room where they are made to sit quietly, symbolizing Europe, the children will pass through an obstacle course to arrive at a brightly decorated party room (the New World).

Still another example: Children will blow bubbles from a single container of soapy solution, and then pop each other's bubbles with squirt guns in an arrangement that mimics socialism. They are to count how many bubbles they pop. Then they will work with individual bottles of solution and pop their own bubbles.

Update: At Mother Jones