HCC Adjuncts: Day of Action in Ybor City

HCC adjuncts have been fighting for a fair contract and a union for nearly 3 years. Yesterday the special magistrate published his recommendations for a first contract. It's the first of it's kind in Florida. Today adjuncts and community members held a press conference to talk about teaching at HCC and why this fight is so important for the state of higher education.

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VISIT THEM HERE

Ybor Paparazzi

Buggie at Chillum

Florida PIRG at USF

VISIT THEM HERE

Ron DeSantis Wrote the Book On Why Slavery Wasn't So Bad

In what may be the most shocking political development of the year, a bombshell report found that Florida gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis wrote some insanely racist shit. 

here

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Aegean Shrimp

At Acropolis in Ybor

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EAT LOCAL!

David Jolly Dumps The GOP

“I left the party about five weeks ago. 
My wife and I both did,”

Ybor City Homeless

Kirsten

Mock Apartheid Wall at USF

Marshall Student Center - USF

Counter-Protesters

VISIT THEM HERE

Tampa Paparazzi

Donald and Sam

Down with Kavanaugh Rally At USF

JOIN THEM HERE

Black Business Bus Tour; Economic Empowerment

Donald L. Dowridge of DLD Enterprise, Robin Fuson, candidate for County Judge Group 25 and Jack Gutman, candidate for County Judge Group 8 talk about what makes the Black Business Bus Tour great.

Ybor Paparazzi

Lexii at New York, New York

Dream Defenders - Too Radical

Tampa Hoods - Ybor City

Sure leave it, we will put it up.

Protest in Ybor

7th Ave

Florida's Avenger: Anna V. Eskamani

Ybor Paparazzi

Asher and Hank at Reservoir Bar

Florida GOP Matt Gaetz New Idea

“Tallahassee is like the murder capital of Florida,” Gaetz yelled into the microphone in front of a small crowd in Cape Coral, “I don’t know whether to call him Andrew Gillum or Andrew Kill-em.” HERE

Ybor Life

7th Ave

Tim Canova On Paper Ballots

What I gave to Chris King

I saw Chris King open a new office in Seminole Heights on Saturday, October 6. He's a great speaker. He's passionate, and he's progressive. I gave him a handwritten note, though, because I'm concerned that our progressive candidate for governor, Andrew Gillum, seems to be getting pulled to the center by former Hillary and Obama people who have descended upon our state in the aftermath of his win. Here is what I wrote:

"Hillary is hurting enthusiasm with progressives - you're losing support among progressives because of these associations.

Stop moving toward the center.

Communicate with your volunteers.

Reinvigorate the progressive themes that won you the primary got a lot of volunteer support. You didn't win because you're a Dem, you won because you're a progressive. Keep talking about those things!

He's starting to sound like Obama. Sound like yourself!

Organization needs work!

The Ybor City Stogie is disavowing you - that's bad!

Hillary is a distraction - I know she's a friend, but she's hurting your campaign.

Picture of Gillum is "too white" - did they put make up on him?"

Now, to give this a bit more context - the picture I'm talking about - I saw Andrew Gillum's skin looked ashen, and not at all like his normal skin color. This really bothered me when I saw it.

The main concerns, though, like Hillary and Obama people pulling him to the center, despite his promises and assertions that he's the candidate and in charge, come from the evidence I've seen, where his message was suddenly about "affordable" health care, instead of health care for all. Or how he was making statements that sound very much like Obama, rather than like Andrew Gillum. Progressives feel betrayed by these changes. They want the Andrew Gillum of the primary campaign, where he said things that excited all of us, and made us feel confident that our unapologetic candidate would be a strong and vigorous defender and advancer of our values, rather than another milquetoast Democratic candidate with no back bone in an effort to win the mythical "center".

I did see a course correction, though, today (Sunday, October 7) where at a rally, on Facebook live, he returned to his themes of the environment, and making the sunshine state into the solar state, and talking about trade school for kids who aren't college bound. His ads again say healthcare should be a right (though I wish he was saying that health care IS a right).

And meanwhile, I spoke with the owner of this blog, and was relieved to hear that each author's opinions stand on their own, and do not represent the views of the Stogie as a blog, nor of its owner. This progressive supports Andrew Gillum wholeheartedly, while at the same time, is pushing our mutual candidate in the left direction, and asking him to resist the forces of both our previously successful and previously failed candidates who would have him reflect his predecessors, rather than allow him to chart the path that lead so many of us to support him so enthusiastically.

I doubt my one little set of handwritten notes has made a huge difference, but I do hope that it was looked at, and considered as coming from one his grass-roots supporters.

Ybor Musicians

Visit them here