Obama's South Florida Ground Troops

Earlier this month, a group of about 30 people gathered at the downtown Miami law firm of delancyhill. Most attendees were not seasoned political operatives, but many are well known within South Florida’s diverse black community, drawn from the worlds of marketing, business and law........here

Peaches For Oysters

If you’ve ever heard the saying – “the best defense is a good offense” – then you know exactly what I’m thinking when I say we should boycott Georgia Peaches...........here

300 Days Alone On A Tropical Island

French explorer and adventurer Xavier Rosset is about to embark on a 300 day trip to live alone on a remote tropical island in the South Pacific. His adventures will be filmed and used for a 52 minute documentary..........here

Annette Taddeo Calls On Ros-Lehtinen To Sign Pledge

The time has come to lift the 2004 travel and remittance restrictions. I hereby call on
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen – who was so instrumental
in the Bush Administration’s decision to impose the ban – to abandon her previous position and to support Cuban and Cuban-American families. I call on President George Bush, and commit to press the next President of the United States and the Congress, to remove the 2004 travel and remittance restrictions and to return these regulations to their pre-2004 levels..........here

Wasserman Schultz, Robert Wexler and Barack Obama

Three Reasons To Hope

Perhaps nothing has been as disappointing over the past 7 and one half years than the inability of Congress to get its act together and take action against Bush and company.........here

CSX Street Running In Downtown Tampa

The Reality Of Salaries And Florida’s New Health Care Law

I don’t know how anyone votes when you actually have good choices for once. There is actually going to be a real debate with McCain and Obama, one that was missing in 2004 when the two choices were bad and worse............here

Florida Cuts Tax Holiday For Hurricane Supplies

Just four years ago, Florida was ravaged with four major hurricanes in the span of 10 weeks. Then, in 2005, two more major hurricanes hit Florida, making it one of the worst consecutive hurricane seasons in U.S. history..........here

Celine Dion Wasting Florida's Water

This TreeHugger doesn't usually cover the celebrity beat and I would rather chew on ground glass than listen to her, but Canada's gift to the world, Celine Dion and her husband René Angélil, drink up 18,000 gallons of water per day in their modest 9,800 square foot Jupiter Island pile.......here

Amateurs Assist with Florida Fires

Amateur Radio operators in Brevard County, Florida responded in a support role during a recent spate of wildfires that ravaged the towns of Palm Bay and Malabar........here

This Is Why Other Countries Laugh At Us

Dunkin Donuts pulled an ad of Rachael Ray because some conservatives didn’t like her scarf!!! What’s obviously a paisley print black and white scarf wrapped around her neck apparently looks like an islamic head covering to the others.......here

The Republican Party Of Florida

In Communist Party newspaper Monday, Fidel Castro called Obama the "most advanced" candidate in the presidential race, though he also criticized Obama's stance on the Cuba embargo. That proved too tempting for the Republican Party of Florida, which altered this image to make it seem like Castro is holding an Obama poster..........here

Samm Simpson for Congress - Democrat, FL Dist 10

"Taking the Lane” With Florida Bicycle Laws

Everyone’s familiar with the rules for bicyclists riding on the road in Florida, right? OK, check the Florida Statutes section 316.2065 for a quick refresher..........here

Joe Garcia: Questions

Where Is Mario?

Netroots Nation DFA Scholarships

here

Florida Ranks 50th In The Nation For Children's Health Care

Thank you JEB

And special recognition to his outstanding supporting cast of Florida Legislators. You've managed to undo a decade of advances in Florida's child health care. Now we're at the bottom of the pile in a nation that lags behind most other major nations in the world. Aim low and it's easy to succeed.......here

Dean Emerges As Peacemaker

Howard Dean arrived at this month's New Hampshire Democratic Party convention with the purposeful brusqueness that has marked his years on the national stage, climbing out of his rental car with hardly a word for anyone before retreating into a holding area........here

Judge Tosses Tampa-Based DNC Suit -- Again

A federal judge has once again thrown out a Tampa political activist's request to have the courts force the Democratic National Committee to seat Florida's presidential delegates.......here

Clinton Fans Protest At Obama Fundraiser

In South Florida

Pat Hollarn, Supervisor of Elections Of Okaloosa County

A small county in the Florida Panhandle that is home to one of the world's largest air bases is embarking on a sweeping experiment in Internet voting that could transform elections in the 21st century..........here
Meet The Supervisor

Clinton Fans Rally In Tampa

Picket lines were up outside the Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse in Tampa. Protesters want to draw attention to a lawsuit filed by democratic activist, Victor DiMaio.......here

Annette Taddeo At The Miami Beach Convention Center

Thursday, May 29 at 12 p.m.
info

Street's Of Tampa

Memorial Mile 2008, Gainesville, Florida

Alex Voted Out Of Class

Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class. After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote.......here

2008 Netroots Awards: Vote!

here

Free Upham Beach

Over 1.5 million dollars of taxpayers money was spent on a 2004 experimental project to save Upham Beach. Geotextile tubes were placed in an effort to slow the sand erosion process on a wave-breaking beach. Today, and since the middle of 2006, these yellow tubes are exposed and can been seen lining the Gulf shore.......here

Phoenix Probe Lands Safely On Mars

A small science probe blazed through the salmon-colored skies of Mars on Sunday, touching down on a frozen desert at the planet's north pole to search for water and assess conditions for sustaining life.........here

A Sunny Thing Happened Today at the Forum

It seemed, to me, like clouds parting and light pouring down instead of rain; like tears evaporating from the warm apples of a child's now-smiling face when despair is supplanted by thoughts of good things to come.......here

Obama, Howard Dean Speak Up Against Attacks On Immigrants

On Thursday in Florida Barack Obama accused Rush Limbaugh and Lou Dobbs of causing a rise in hate crimes against Hispanics. This was Rush's home territory, and it hurt his feelings.........here

Joe Garcia: Our Troops

IS 318: Hell, No, We Won't Take Another Test!

More than 160 students in six different classes at Intermediate School 318 in the South Bronx - virtually the entire eighth grade - refused to take last Wednesday’s three-hour practice exam for next month’s statewide social studies test.........here
“He was pulled because he was inappropriate with the kids. He was giving them
messages that were inappropriate.”........David Cantor
“My students know they are welcome in my class to have open discussions. I teach them
critical thinking.”..........Douglas Avella

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Chopped Sirloin
With Cottage Cheese And Squash
$7.50 At.......Stefano Greek Italian 8904 N 56th St Temple Terrace
Tampa Locavore

No. 1: Caladesi Island State Park

Dr. Beach describes Caladesi Island State Park as a "well-kept secret. Surrounded by a lush state park, few people in Tampa seem to know its whereabouts."......here

Tomato Pickers Win Victory With Burger King

BKC has agreed to pay an additional net penny per pound for Florida tomatoes to increase wages for the Florida farm workers who harvest tomatoes. To encourage grower participation in this increased wage program, BKC will also fund incremental payroll taxes and administrative costs incurred by the growers as a result of their farmworkers' increased wages, or a total of 1.5 cents per pound of tomatoes...........here

Newsome High School Students At Obama Rally

Essie Mae Reed, Is A Tampa Treasure

That's how U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, described her recently when Castor stood on the floor of the House of Representatives to honor the community activist as a champion of the poor. Reed's legacy now is part of the Congressional Record.........here

Barack in Sunrise, Florida

It was still dark outside on Friday when the Young family got in line for an afternoon event in a 20,000-seat arena.... So what is it about Democrat Barack Obama, a first-term U.S. senator from Illinois, whose Florida supporters filled two NHL arenas in three days this week?........here

Streets Of Tampa

Where Was Hillary During The 2000 Florida Recount?

Now that Hillary Clinton (D) is shamelessly evoking the 2000 Florida Recount in her desperate effort to lay claim to the Florida delegation -- and the fact that Kevin Spacey's film on the recount called 'Recount' is being shown on HBO this Sunday night -- it seems like a good time to share a story with you.......here

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio Endorses Obama

Yo Ho Hoedown In Ybor City

If you happen to be in Ybor City this weekend, expect to see cowboy hats. Expect to hear music involving trucks and hound dogs. And expect the unexpected..........here

Civil War Sloop Found In Hillsborough River

Billy Ray Morris hovered in the water above his prize, the submerged hull of what may be the Kate Dale, a Civil War blockade runner.........here

Florida Voters And Obama's Tampa Speech

The crowd in the forum yesterday was like nothing I have seen since I moved to Florida from California a number of years ago. At one point, looking around, I turned to my companion and said, "It looks like Los Angeles in here. Only, more friendly." It did: people of every age and race, not just sharing space but talking to one another, sharing their stories of where they lived and worked, how they came to know Obama's campaign, and what they liked about his policies......here

Brian Moore To Speak In Tampa

Socialist Party USA presidential nominee, Brian Moore, will speak on "How America Can Change from Capitalism to Socialism" on Wednesday, June 4, 2008, from 12 noon to 2 PM, at the John F. Germany Library in downtown Tampa, 900 North Ashley Drive, Tampa........here

Miami Republicans Act Of Political Cowardice

Miami's three Cuban-American Republicans in Congress have scrapped plans to participate in a series of debates with their Democratic challengers. The South Florida AFL-CIO, which in recent years has hosted debates for mayoral and gubernatorial races, planned three debates next week for the nationally watched contests. But the Republicans said this week that they're not going.........here

The Jan Kaminis Platt Trail

America'a first overhead bicycle path. From bedroom community of Brandon to Tampa.

JOE GARCIA RESPONSE TO BUSH SPEECH ON CUBA

“Apparently, cosmetic policy changes are not only limited to Havana, they are taking place in Washington, too. If George Bush were serious about effectuating change in Cuba he would immediately grant Cuban-Americans unrestricted family visitation and remittances rights.

This is nothing more than political gamesmanship in an election year with the emotions of the Cuban people, which have already suffered through 50 years of a brutal regime and eight years of an incompetent administration.”......Joe Garcia

Far Right Wins in Florida, Loses in Indiana

Every election season brings a new crop of political hopefuls from the radical right. So far this year, their win-loss record is a respectable 1-1........here