St. Lucie County Students To Lend Food Bank A Hand

Treasure Coast Food Bank's inaugural "Kids Feeding Kids Student Food Drive" begins today and runs through Nov. 1. Selected as one of six food banks in the nation, Treasure Coast Food Bank received a grant award from Tyson Foods to support youth volunteerism and launch a student-led food drive to help lessen hunger in the community........here

Florida Voter Suppression Makes a Dangerous Comeback

There are dark clouds on the horizon of the battleground state of Florida. New laws and tales of voter suppression efforts already have many voters nervous and confused. Florida, which was recently named

“The Most Hostile State In The Nation To New Voters”

by three national voting-rights groups, has significantly tightened voter identification laws and made it easier for voter’s rights to be challenged..........here

Wayne Garcia's Moral Courage Award

I got the OK from the higher-ups here to give Moral Courage Awards annually, starting this December, for people in Tampa Bay who demonstrate, in the words of the county’s award, “exceptional ethical behavior and the moral courage to challenge the actions of government.”........here

To make a nomination, send an e-mail to wayne.garcia@creativeloafing.com

Gay-Marriage Ban On Florida Ballot Generates National Attention

Proposed bans on same-sex marriage are on the ballot in Florida and two other important states this fall, rousing passions on both sides, yet neither John McCain nor Barack Obama seems eager to push the issue high on their campaign agendas..........here

The Florida Botanical Gardens

With 120 acres to explore, the Florida Botanical Gardens provides a day full of adventure. Meander down paths and walkways to beautiful courtyards, sculptured and succulent gardens, seasonal displays, tropical, native and palm gardens............here

"Top Chef: The Tour" Comes To Tampa

Witch's Masquerade Ball

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa

Holds its fourth annual Witch's Masquerade Ball at 6 p.m. to midnight, 11400 Morris Bridge Road. There will be food, drink, shopping, tarot reading, face painting, dancing, a costume contest and a fun house. For more information, call (813) 988-8188 or go to uutampa.org.

Lady Lake, Florida

The McCain-Palin campaign is making a lot of noise about the large crowd that came to cheer Sarah Palin at her appearance in Lady Lake, Florida, last week. Local fire officials estimated the crowd at 25,000 to 30,000, while the McCain-Palin campaign claims an audience twice that size...........here

Obama 2008
It's Your Time, Don't Blow It.........Howard Dean

Barack Obama in Dunedin

This Wednesday, September 24th, please join Barack Obama in Dunedin, where he will talk about his vision for creating the kind of change we need.......here

Cry foul: Lincoln Diaz-Balart won't debate Raul Martinez

Sorry, little mistake in the headline. Replace the word foul with fowl, for chicken. That should be the modifier for Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who's not up to the challenge of meeting his challenger in the debate arena..........here

Was the McCain Camp Engaged in “Vote Caging” in Florida

That title got your attention, didn’t it? Good. Before we get to the potential voter suppression going on in Florida, however, a bit of stage-setting is in order. Context is everything, after all.........here

Saving Tampa

Saving Tampa , a romantic suspense is about an FBI Agent and a psychic forced to work together to prevent a terrorist attack on Tampa Bay.......here

New Hillsborough County Logo

Based on the decision by the Board of County Commissioners to rename the Moral Courage award, to the Ralph Hughes award, it is time to unveil the new Hillsborough County logo.........here

Christians Rally Around Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched their first playoff berth in franchise history. Several Christian groups are attributing the team's success to the fact that this year they changed their name from "Devil Rays" to simply "Rays."...........here

Call for Joe on September 25th!

Big Cats Find Sanctuary In Tampa

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, you don’t often get lions called Cameron. Savage as Cameron is capable of being, he’s never seen nature red in tooth and claw. He was liberated from a roadside zoo and lives now at Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit sanctuary for exotic cats that have been abused or abandoned. It’s not a zoo. Visitors are offered two or three 90-minute guided tours a day and that’s it. Big Cat Rescue depends on the $25 admission fee to help meet its $1 million animal budget.......here

Howard Dean To Young Voters: It's Your Time, Don't Blow It

Howard Dean was the headliner at a voter registration rally hosted by College Democrats at Temple University. A crowd of a couple hundred heard the former Vermont governor and former presidential candidate call for young people to lead the way in taking the White House from the G.O.P.......here

An Open Letter to All Republicans

Dear Republicans: This election all Republicans who love America must vote for Obama. A vote for business-as-usual and a continuation of the Neoconservative/Religious Right/ party of corporate American alienation is a vote against America. As a former Republican activist, I appeal to your patriotism and honor..........here

Tampa Bay Bar and Restaurant Examiner

Locals and Limey's Pub; A St. Petersburg Tradition
Limey's Pub is the quintessential local watering hole for St. Petersburg residents. With about 13 mostly British beers and one Cider on tap, served in true 20 oz. English pints, the pub has become a staple for business men, musicians, sorority girls and lesbians alike........here

Limey's Pub

Lacking Income, Sex Offender Lives Under Crosstown

Zackery Hicks, 42, needed a place to live after serving 14 years in prison on a robbery conviction. As a registered sex offender, however, Hicks wasn't allowed to live within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare center, public park, playground or bus stop........here

Obama To Prep In Tampa For 1st Presidential Debate

Officials within Obama's campaign confirmed the democratic presidential nominee will be in town to prepare for next Friday's presidential debate with republican candidate John McCain.........here

Puppets Pay Tribute To Their Master

I’m sure you’ve already heard that your Hillsborough County BOCC voted 5-2 to rename the county’s Moral Courage Award after long-time local activist and money man Ralph Hughes........here

He was a major contributor to commissioners Brian Blair and Jim Norman and state Sen. Ronda Storms.

"He was the father of conservatism in Hillsborough County,"...........Joe Chillura

Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator

If you were born to Sarah Palin, your name would be

here

High-Tech 'Batman' Ship in Florida Drug Raid

In the early days of August, a suspected drug-running boat zoomed through the Straits of Florida, trying to outrun her American pursuers. The drug boat zigged and zagged near reefs and sandbars at 42 knots, and skimmed over water as little as five feet deep. Ordinarily, that would have been enough shake off any Coast Guard cutter or Navy frigate chasing her -- those vessels can't be in such shallow water. But this pursuer kept coming, and coming...........here

'Blacks Against Obama' Heckle Barack In Coral Gables

Not all black people are voting for Obama. A group of protesters calling themselves "Blacks Against Obama" interrupted Senator Obama's speech at a rally in Coral Gables, Florida today........here

Say No 2 Campaign Launches Make Your Own Commercial Contest

Florida's SayNo2 Campaign against the dangerous and deceptive Amendment 2 has just announced a contest to create your own commercial against Amendment 2! They will be picking the top user-generated commercials to blast out on all of their social networking sites..........here

Tampa Undecideds Swing Away From Palin

Of the 11 undecided voters participating in the free-wheeling discussion one recent evening at the Times — four Republicans, five Democrats, and two registered to no party — only two Republican men applauded the selection of Palin.............here

Obama 2008

South Tampa MoveOn for Obama Party

1112 South Dunbar Ave

21 Sep, 5:00 PM Tampa, Florida

RSVP

Homestead Mayor Lynda Bell

City taxpayers in Homestead footed the bill for nearly $500 worth of posters touting federal projects Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart has championed, city officials acknowledge.Though the poster boards didn't bear Diaz-Balart's name, they were displayed at a fundraiser for the congressman whose district includes Homestead -- and were ordered up by the city mayor.........here

Best Of The Bay: Best Radio Station WMNF

WMNF is a non-commercial, community radio station operating in the city of Tampa in the U.S. state of Florida that broadcasts at the FM frequency of 88.5 MHz and streaming live. The radio station is listener sponsored, relying on some 11,200 (as of June 2007) supporters for a majority of required funding which is raised in two or three semiannual pledge drives........here

Meanwhile, In Jebbie's Florida Fiefdom

Top Florida investigators found that state regulators failed to alert police agencies to crooked mortgage brokerages, ignored citizen complaints and allowed hundreds of people with criminal histories to peddle loans........here

Annette Taddeo - South Florida Wants a New Beginning...

Best Of The Bay Local Hero: Joe Redner

The Father Of The Nude Lap Dance

Redner has been engaged in legal battles with the Tampa City Council, which has tried to place restrictions on the strip club industry for 25 years. Mons Venus and Redner have filed suits that have reached the Supreme Court and have become case law in many court cases. Redner ran for County Commissioner as an independent in 2004..........here

Joe Garcia: When Will Diaz-Balart Debate Me?

Mario Diaz-Balart and I were supposed to have a debate on Univision this week about the issues affecting our community. He said he couldn't make it because he would be in Washington, but an online invitation shows him as the headliner for an event in Miami.........here

Governors Sebelius and Napolitano at Eckerd College

This Saturday, please join the Florida Campaign for Change in St. Petersburg for a women's economic security event with Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona.......here

Republican Party Of Hillsborough County Needs Your Cash

Charles Hobbs is a Democrat who votes in nearly every election. Hobbs is one of many local Democrats who have received mailers from the Republican Party in recent weeks questioning their voting status and hitting them up for cash. Staff at the Hillsborough County Democratic Party offices in Tampa have been getting barraged with phone calls from party members who have received what they say are deceptive mailers........here

Ralph Nader Makes Florida Ballot

Ralph Nader is back. The perennial presidential candidate will be on the Florida ballot in November. Nader's name is anathema to many Democrats in Florida becuase they blame him for President Bush's 2000 election........here

Motorcycle Riders In Florida Beware

Florida House Bill 137 Becomes Law
The bill that wanted to originally confiscate motorcycles for speeding and or stunt riding was contested by many during the Florida 2008 Legislative Session.......here

Megan in Plant City, Florida

Often worries about her family's ability to pay the bills. A mother of three and stepmother to one, Megan and her new husband first ran into trouble with the failing housing market. Though her husband still works as a nurse, Megan lost her job working as a property manager, and she has realized she can no longer afford health insurance........here

McCainvsFlorida.com Gets More Than 30,000 Hits

Today the Florida Democratic Party officially launched http://McCainvsFlorida.com, a website to highlight all the ways that John McCain is out of touch with Florida. This launch comes one day after the site was unveiled to grassroots activists across Florida, leading to more than 30,000 people visiting to learn more about why John McCain is wrong for the Sunshine State.......here