Thursday at 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM INFO
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Sarasota County Virtual Town Hall: Katherine Norman
Kelly Benjamin Tampa Folks
Tampa folks: we have an opportunity to push some of the power of the voices in the streets into public policy through the Tampa City Council and provide an avenue for the community to have a say in how they are policed through the Citizen Review Board for the Tampa Police Department. Below are instructions to comment at Thursday’s Council workshop on the Citizen Review Board changes
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Here’s what we are asking for:
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Here’s what we are asking for:
the CRB’s members.
2. The CRB should have its own independent attorney that it does not share with any other city-government subdivision.
3. The CRB should have a budget for investigations and the ability to retain outside investigators or, alternatively, the CRB’s independent attorney should be able to retain outside investigators on
the CRB’s behalf.
the CRB’s behalf.
4. The CRB should have its own administrative staff or, alternatively, a coordinator from Community Affairs should replace the coordinator designated by the Chief of Police for purposes of setting the meeting agendas and other responsibilities other than training CRB members and providing TPD updates.
5. The CRB should have control over its own agenda (rather than have it set by TOD) and decide for itself what to investigate/review, including the ability to investigate complaints received directly from the public.
6. The CRB should have discretion to review any Internal Affairs investigation where discipline is pending.
7. If the CRB requests information/documents from TPD (outside of issuance of a subpoena), TPD should be required to provide the information/documents within 30 days or request an extension of time, which the CRB should have discretion to grant or deny. TPD should only be permitted to withhold requested information/documents from the CRB if providing same would violate a law, in which case such legal basis should be provided
to the CRB in writing.
to the CRB in writing.
8. The CRB member participating in an interview panel for a prospective TPD officer should receive all documents/materials regarding the candidate at the same time as other interview panel participants (and in any event, at least seven days before any interview panel takes place).
9. A prospective CRB member with a criminal record and/or history of litigation against the City of Tampa should not be categorically disqualified from appointment. Rather, this information should be considered by City Council and/or the Mayor when making appointment decisions.
10. CRB membership should reflect the racial, gender, ethnic, national origin, religious, linguistic, sexual orientation, socioeconomic, and age composition of the
City of Tampa population.
City of Tampa population.
We need to emphasize the importance of having subpoena power and how civilian-review boards are assets to their communities, as opposed to thorns in the side of law enforcement. If you’ve felt moved to be in the streets at all this summer, this is a concrete way to direct that energy to change.
Please sign up to comment before 9AM Wednesday! Public comment sign up is closed after that. The workshop takes place
9AM Thursday!
9AM Thursday!
You got all that?!? HERE
Labels:
Kelly Benjamin,
Tampa City Council,
TPD
Florida To Chill Legitimate Dissent
“This is an attempt to chill legitimate dissent and somehow equate protests against police killing Black people with criminal activity despite the clear evidence that the protests occurring in Florida are overwhelmingly peaceful,” said Kelly Benjamin, co-founder of Tampa for Justice.
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“The governor is attaching himself to Donald Trump’s propaganda and manufacturing a non-existent law and order crisis in Florida,” said Senate Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson. “It’s political fearmongering to bolster a president’s re-election bid.” HERE
Labels:
Florida GOP,
Kelly Benjamin,
Ron DeSantis
A Little Stogie Fearmongering
Tampa's PRIDE used to hold the distinction of the state's largest LGBT pride event. From 2005 to 2013, Hillsborough County enforced a ban on acknowledging, participating or promoting anything to do with gay pride events. The ban was spearheaded by then GOP County Commissioner Ronda Storms
Labels:
Gwen Myers,
Hillsborough County,
Kevin Beckner,
Pat Kemp,
Ronda Storms
Meet the Latino voters backing Donald Trump
Florida Disaster Scenario 2020
For perhaps the first time in our history, ordinary Americans are worried about whether the world’s oldest democracy can actually pull off a democratic election.
We asked a bipartisan group of five experts to unspool their own specific disaster scenarios.
On November 19, a skirmish breaks out in Tallahassee between pro-Biden protesters and armed white-nationalist groups. Several people are killed, and multiple buildings are vandalized or burned. The next day, violence and looting continue all over Florida. Several Molotov cocktails are hurled into the state capitol.
On November 21, GOP governor Ron DeSantis mobilizes Florida National Guard troops to “restore order,” and on November 22, after some prodding from the White House, he formally requests that Trump send military personnel to help law enforcement suppress what he describes as “an insurrection.”
Tampa Bay older voters are turning away from Trump
Monday, September 21, 2020
Support Pro Disability Campaigns
Hello friends,
Please consider supporting Kathy Lewis for the Florida State Senate, and Lt. Governor David Zuckerman for Governor of Vermont. Both of these candidates discuss people with disabilities in their platforms. Kathy Lewis needs your help to win. David Zuckerman does, too. State Senator from Vermont, Dick Sears, is also supporting people with disabilities with his bill to provide accessible, commercially available legal cannabis to the people of Vermont. He is running for re-election and needs your help. We need elected officials who will take
our issues seriously.
our issues seriously.
In the United States, we have an underfunded, under-enforced ADA, absolutely subpar public transit, non-equitable housing being made worse by gentrification in working class neighborhoods, poor healthcare, and a loophole that allows for sub minimum wage to be paid to disabled workers. People with serious disabilities who are on disability welfare lose their coverage should they get married. Mental health is frequently forgotten about, and can cause unnecessary danger for people — especially people of color — with LEOs (Law enforcement officers). Education is at times a nightmare for people with disabilities seeking accommodations, or for the desperate parents of children with disabilities. People with disabilities across the spectrum are grossly underrepresented in government.
The state of disability rights in the United States is atrocious. We need candidates and officials to put our rights on the forefront, and often times, to represent our respective communities. We need people with physical, mental, neurological, & developmental disabilities to see political figures fighting for them, and representing their communities. We need to see more people like Senator Tammy Duckworth, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and attorney Haley Moss. We need to support more people like candidate Kathy Lewis, Lt. Governor David Zuckerman,
and Senator Dick Sears.
and Senator Dick Sears.
Please support good, pro disability candidates for public office, and support the Stogie! We are currently banned from posting blog articles on Facebook; please reach out to Facebook and let them know that they made a mistake in censoring the Stogie! Thank you friends.
Stay groovy,
Asher
The Stogie Censored On Facebook
"This post goes against our
Community Standards on spam" FB
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Tampa Berner Under Attack HERE
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Hillsborough County School Board Candidate Endorsed By Failing Florida Legislator HERE
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Florida Dems Kathy Lewis Confusion HERE
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GOP Sandy Murman Fact Check
In her new attack ad she claims Commissioner Pat Kemp is texting lobbyist, May we see
proof of this.
proof of this.
She claims she is ethical....
Florida Ethics Commission Investigation
Campaign contributions from developer
LEARN MORE ABOUT SANDY MURMAN
Brian Gregory Laxton of Riverview
Is accused of fatally running down a bicyclist and then driving off. The impact of the collision threw the bicyclist to the sidewalk. He died at the scene. HERE
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Sunday, September 20, 2020
First Friday Of Bars Open In Ybor
It was crazy out there last night .... looked like back to normal tho ... no masks lol no social distance bars were over 50% hope this is the end of the plandemic here.
Vigil For Immokalee Man Fatally Shot by Collier Sheriff's Office
About 100 people gathered at Farmworkers Village in Immokalee on Friday, just a few feet away from where 37-year-old Nicholas Morales-Bessannia was fatally shot by a Collier County Sheriff’s deputy. HERE
AOC responds to RBG passing
Last night, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and offered her take on what Democrats and activists should do next.
Spanish-language disinformation intensifies among Florida Latinos
Conspiracy theories around the "deep state," billionaire Democrat philanthropist George Soros and QAnon have become a constant fixture on Spanish-language YouTube programs, WhatsApp clips and pro-President Donald Trump Facebook groups aimed at a Latino audience. HERE
Saturday, September 19, 2020
Our Sandy Murman Disaster
Ella & Jaeden of St. Pete
MaskUP St. Pete is an inspired collection of gender neutral face mask, designed and produced in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The line was born during the Covid-19 quarantine while Ella & Jaeden were quarantined and watching the pandemics chaos unfold. With so little known about Covid-19, you could observe debate everywhere concerning wearing mask and the following panic over the lack of availability of mask.
Looking for a solution this brand has since become Ella & Jaeden's passion project and primary focus.
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VISIT THEM HERE
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VISIT THEM HERE
Vibes of the Bay Festival
Celebrating its 6th year, the Vibes of the Bay Festival is a one-day festival, presented by Symphonic Distribution.
This year we are taking the festival VIRTUAL and highlighting the best in new and emerging music from our community of clients from Florida, Brooklyn, Nashville, Bogota, and the Caribbean. In addition, we’ll be offering curated vendors, food, break-out sessions and more!
This year we will be raising money for Tampa Bay’s iconic music venue, Crowbar, and The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) which are pushing the Save Our Stages campaign. Without our help, they’re sinking.
Fast. Now, it’s up to us to do our part.
Fast. Now, it’s up to us to do our part.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg RIP
DeSantis Nominates Right-Wing Christian Extremist to State Supreme Court
Florida GOP Ron DeSantis, an ally of Trump and one of the most irresponsible state leaders in the nation when it comes to his handling of COVID, has seen two of his state’s Supreme Court justices get appointed to an appellate court by Republicans in Washington. HERE
Labels:
Florida GOP,
Ron DeSantis,
The Citrus Taliban
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