Friends Of Stogie

At Gaspar's Patio in Temple Terrace

The Sugar Reform Act

You don't normally see DWT championing bills introduced by anti-Choice fanatic and far right extremist Joe Pitts (R-PA). But when he introduced H.R. 693 last week, a new day of bipartisanship may not have dawned. Congress has tackled this before but between Fanjul DC consiglieres Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the legislation has always been derailed. Now the grotesquely corrupt Wasserman Schultz has accumulated even more power than ever before and she is working assiduously to shore up the interests of her benefactors, regardless of what it costs the very people who vote her into office year after year after year.

more

Yoani Sanchez: Rude Welcome In Brazil

Small groups of protesters met Sanchez when she arrived earlier Monday at two airports in Brazil's northeast. They called her a "mercenary" who was being financed by the CIA and tossed photocopied U.S. dollar bills her way. One protester got close enough to pull her hair.

more
At Cuba Journal
At Babalu
 "Send out mobs of thugs to yell insults and physically threaten your opponents."
Wait isn't that what the anti-Castro folks in South Florida do to pro-Castro people all the time?

Stogie Recommends: Hubris The Iraq War Hoax

Hubris: New Documentary Reexamines the Iraq War Hoax

A decade ago, on March 19, 2003, President George W. Bush launched the invasion of Iraq that would lead to a nine-year war resulting in 4,486 dead American troops, 32,226 service members wounded, and over 100,000 dead Iraqi civilians. The tab for the war topped $3 trillion. Bush did succeed in removing Saddam Hussein, but it turned out there were no weapons of mass destruction and no significant operational ties between Saddam's regime and Al Qaeda.

here

I was never fooled ny the Neo-Cons or the MSM back then. I started this effort on March 19, 2003 to try to show my friends and family the mistake we were about to make. Now here we are 10 years later. Thank You to Rachel Maddow,  Michael Isikoff
and David Corn for their efforts.
Howard Dean's Statement

I Want A Job With Citizens Property Insurance

As Insurance Premiums Rose, Citizens Execs Got Big Raises

>Traveling and dining at four-star locations across the globe.
>Weekends at a $633-a-night resort in Bermuda.

> booze-filled company outings. Dinner at Ocean Prime, an upscale seafood and steak restaurant that boasts of "an award-winning wine list." The tab: $918.34 for seven or eight officials, who dined on gourmet meals and gulped down $369 worth of Grey Goose vodka and red wine.
here
All on the company credit card. Sounds good to me, where do i apply? 

Melinda Gayle McCready RIP

How Sad
November 30, 1975 – February 17, 2013
Fort Myers, Florida
We have lost one of our own.I will miss her.

Marco Rubio Water Bottle

No Tiene Vergüenza

Republican Marco Rubio of Florida., has hauled in some serious cash since his water sipping moment Tuesday during the Republican response to the State of the Union. Reclaim America, Rubio's PAC, has raised more than $100,000 by selling more than 3,450 water bottles since Wednesday. the white water bottles, which bear the name "RUBIO" in bright red letters, come with a minimum donation of $25.

"Send the liberal detractors a message that not only does Marco Rubio inspire you … he hydrates you too," 

here

Pic thanks All Hat No Cattle

The Citrus Taliban: Hillsborough County Bigots

We all know someone who lives within Hillsborough County's borders. We should feel sympathy for those people, regardless of their sexual orientation, for having to live under the leadership of uninformed individuals only act as if they truly care about the well-being of all of Hillsborough County's residents.Four commissioners became tools of the far-right group The Florida Family Association,

Plans to unseat the four dissenting commissioners have already began
Steve Blanchard

10th Annual Hillsborough County Neighborhoods Conference

The conference will offer Hillsborough County residents the following opportunities:

•Free educational workshops that include: how to make neighborhoods safer, friendlier and more attractive, grant writing, stretching your homeowners association budget, a county program about recycling cooking oil, and trash pickup.

•Free registration, which includes: an official tote bag, continental breakfast, access to exhibits and an awards luncheon, and admission to workshops noted above.
Call 813-307-3564 to register or for more information.
Hillsborough Community College's Dale Mabry Campus
4001 Tampa Bay Blvd. Tampa 
8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 16.

Cuban Blogger Yoani Sanchez

 Prepares 'Victory' Tour Abroad

Cuba's best-known dissident, blogger Yoani Sanchez, said she plans to make good use of "my victory" when she leaves on an 80-day-tour of more than a dozen countries on Sunday. Sanchez, under Cuba's sweeping migration reform that went into effect this year, was granted a passport two weeks ago, after being denied permission to travel more than 20 times over the past five years.
more

Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville

A Florida woman who fired warning shots against her allegedly abusive husband has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
more

Judge James Daniel Got Justice? NRA How About Some Help Here.

Jefferson High School Wall of Shame

In the Jefferson High School teachers lounge, teachers had been keeping a “Wall of Shame”  The white board contains anonymous quotes and questions from students.

"Hawaii is a state?", "Didn't Japan invade in N.Y.?", Who is our king?",
 "Was Bush the president during the Great Depression?", "Where are the Irish from, Ireland?"
more

Are we a country of morons or is someone not doing their job?

The Tampa Bay Hiker

A blog about places in the Tampa Bay Area where you can walk in the wild.

here

Best Of Babalu

Chavez Death Watch
New Hugo pix nix rumors of his impending death.
here

Walmart Sues Hillsborough County

A rezoning denial that had been viewed as a major victory for Carrollwood residents who rallied to defeat plans for a Walmart Neighborhood Market has been appealed.

more

Forget The Waltons, shop local. Try Sweetbay, Publix or the dozens of Mom & Pop stores where employees earn a living wage and are treated with respect and dignity.

Carrollwood Against Rezoning

Late Night With Marco Rubio

Florida Black History Month Contests Worthless

Our Black History Goes Unwritten

Dear Governor Scott,

Again, you have forwarded electronic propaganda while ignoring another electronic plea to address Florida’s frame-ups. The subjects you chose to propagandize today are Black History and racial diversity, as they pertain to Florida’s educators and children. Slain civil rights worker – and educator – Harry T. Moore is my hero. Florida Today writes a great deal about him so that Brevard’s children will know what to write in essays about Black History Month. Florida Today doesn’t write anything about Crosley Green, the victim of a “the black man did it” frame-up.  I’m aware of a closer-to-home “the black man did it” frame-up that the Press Journal should be writing about and isn’t – another black man incapable of changing the length of his hair or his physical size at will, despite police and prosecutors contrary claims. I['m] hoping that particular conviction gets cleared up in the near future.....Sincerely, Susan Chandler
more
Did Crosley Green Kill Chip Flynn?
A Jury Said Yes; A Judge Sentenced Him To Die.
But Five Top Detectives Say Green Is Innocent.
here

WrongWayRubio

Sen. Marco Rubio has a vision for America that's out of step with our middle class values. WrongWayRubio.com is dedicated to shining a spotlight on Sen. Rubio's extremist positions, numerous ethical lapses, and the “wrong way” he’s trying to lead our nation.

here

Local Environmental Hero Honored

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) presented Ruskin, Fla., resident Jim Igler with its top volunteer accolade when he was presented the Iron Eyes Cody Award during KAB’s 60th anniversary National Conference, which recently took place in Washington, D.C. The Iron Eyes Cody Award was created in honor of KAB’s landmark public awareness campaign of the 1970s, which is credited with awakening the environmental consciousness of an entire generation of Americans.

more

Friends Of Stogie

In Temple Terrace

Tell Rep. Castor: Help Rep. Alan Grayson and Rep. Mark Takano

 take Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits off the chopping block.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be in the fight of our lives to save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits. House Democrats can help take these programs off the chopping block by co-signing a letter written by progressive champions Rep. Alan Grayson and Rep. Mark Takano that draws a line in the sand on benefit cuts.

Sign The Petition
here

FL Gov. Rick Scott Commercial

Marco Rubio's Water Break

Why is he drinking water from Maine, whats wrong with Florida water?
 Zephyrhills Water
Drink Local!

Tampa Theatre will screen Oscar-nominated short films

The Tampa Theatre is offering audiences a chance to see the 10 short films that will be vying for Oscar statuettes at the Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 24.

more

Free The Vote, Awake The State Rally

Voting should be fair and accessible for all. But ask 102-year-old Desiline Victor, who waited three hours to vote at her precinct in North Miami if Florida’s elections are fair and accessible. She’ll likely tell you “no.” It’s time to eliminate the unnecessary barriers imposed by Gov. Rick Scott and his legislative allies that prevented an estimated 201,000 Floridians from casting a ballot in 20121. Enough already. Ms. Victor joined First Lady Michelle Obama at last night’s State of the Union address to lend her voice to the call to fix Florida’s broken elections. Will you join us at a rally on March 5th during Gov. Scott’s State of the State address to lend your voice to this rising chorus?

Sign up for a Free The Vote, Awake The State rally near you today, or organize one in your community.
 Gaslight Park, Downtown Tampa
410 N. Franklin Street, Tampa

Sen. Jeff Brandes' District Office
3637 4th Street North, St. Petersburg
info

Mary Mulhern at Mise en Place

Mary Mulhern for Hillsborough County
Wednesday, February 20, 2013 - 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Mise en Place
442 W. Kennedy Blvd.. Tampa
Suggested minimum contribution $25, maximum $500
info

Connect Tampa Bay

Connect Tampa Bay, a new transportation education and advocacy organization, was launched Tuesday. Connect Tampa Bay will engage citizens across Tampa Bay who want to invest in more viable transportation options to improve economic development and quality of life. "Connect Tampa Bay aims to bring people together to understand the challenges we face from the lack of transportation options and advocate for solutions from the bottom up."

more   Join them here

The State Of The Tampa Bay Blogosphere

Still Going Strong

Madfloridian - Litbrit - Tampa Do-Gooder - Tiny Little Dots

St. Petersblog - The Spencerian - SOG City Oracle - Finding Tampa

Bartlett Park - Pushing Rope - R/CT - Alan Snel - Clark Brooks
The Ybor City Stogie

We Miss You

The State Of Sunshine - Out In Left Field - Tampa Backdoor Ways
Deep Something

When Something Isn't Working - Try Something Else

Fla GOP's breath-taking hubris and entitlement hardly limited to Jim Greer

The whole sorry story of the Florida Republican Party under Jim Greer is exhibit A on how near-absolute power, combined with astronomical campaign accounts, can and did breed breathtaking arrogance and entitlement, if not outright corruption, among party leaders professing conservatism.

here

Traffic tickets, fraud probes deaths — and state Rep. Daphne Campbell

She’s a Democratic state representative who has another way to deal with future red-light tickets: file legislation to ban the traffic-surveillance cameras that shot video of her husband’s Honda Odyssey breaking traffic laws.
here
Stogie likes this party. Florida Greens

Gasparilla Arts Month

Friends Of Stogie

In Temple Terrace

Florida Man Nation’s Worst Superhero

You know all those stranger-than-fiction news headlines detailing the bizarre exploits of someone identified only as "Florida man"? Imagine that all of those headlines referred to a single person, and that this person is superhero who causes mayhem wherever he goes.

here

Mary Mulhern for Hillsborough County Commission, District 7

Sign Up for Campaign Updates
here

Tampa Streetcar

Gulfport Waterfront

Dancing Everyday

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Burger and Fries
At Gaspar's Patio in Temple Terrace

ONE BILLION RISING Campaign

THE INVISIBLE WAR

A groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of America's most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military.
Wednesday, Feb. 13 @ 7:00pm. Free 
The L Train, 900 Central Ave, St. Petersburg
info

Sweetbay Closings And Charities

Tampa Bay area organizations that assist the homeless and impoverished had come to depend on Sweetbay's donations of thousands of pounds of expiring produce, meats and baked goods from neighborhood stores.

more

Friends Of Stogie

At Gaspar's Patio in Temple Terrace

The Bass Pro Giveaway

14 people spoke against a proposal by the Hillsborough County Commission to dole out more than $6 million to a land developer for road improvements around a proposed Bass Pro Shops.

Local Views: The Cuban Advantage

Let me get this straight. Marco Rubio, current darling of the Republican Party, is going to be an authority on immigration? Isn't it a little ironic? As a son of Cuban immigrants, Cubans only need get to our shores and are granted full "amnesty." No evidence of moral character (whatever that means); no English as first language.We should start by addressing this arcane and unfair favoritism.

Leslie Sisto, St. Petersburg

Tampa Bay Rays

We Have No Money Over Here

Stay at the Trop where you belong. Ken Hagan will be out of a job soon and won't be able to help you.
We are not Miami-Dade or Arlington, Texas. If you get it on the ballot it will be defeated.

The Everglades Seafood Festival

Revenue Checkpoints Come to Florida

Get Well Mindy

Troubled country singer (Ft. Myers native) Mindy McCready has been committed to rehab for alcohol and mental health issues in the wake of her boyfriend, David Wilson’s, death last month. Addtionally, the 37-year-old’s two young sons have been removed from her Arkansas home. According to E!, a judge ordered McCready to treatment following an emergency hearing on Wednesday.
more

Marco Rubio Not Concerned About Climate Change

Higginbotham, Hagan, Murman, and Crist

The goal, is for Hillsborough County to “stop embarrassing us, and embarrassing itself.
“To stop a bully is really easy. But silence to a bully is encouragement. And right now there are too many people who feel the way we do, who are very silently shaking their head at the County Commission.

And we need them to be vocal and visible.”
Those were the words of Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, speaking at a town hall meeting in Ybor on Tuesday night. The meeting was a response to the controversial 4-3 vote last month by the Hillsborough County Commission, rejecting creation of a domestic partner registry.

more

The Fix and the Best of Florida

Cillizza and the team from The Fix are back again, and they want nominations for best state political blogs:

Now, I certainly wouldn't complain if some generous reader out there wanted to nominate The Spencerian. It would be a genuine honor, and I would be grateful. However, there are a lot of great blogs in this state, and I think they and their writers (and readers, for that matter) deserve a shot. So I am asking you think about other Florida blogs first. Go ahead.You can do it.

here

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Wings

With a Bloody Mary

At Beef o'Bradys in Temple Terrace.

Ashley Judd for Kentucky

A Hollywood Liberal?

Or This Guy? remember This?

Mitch McConnell: Top Priority, Make Obama a One Term President. 

 Karl Rove (This guy is still in business?) must be worried.

Friends Of Stogie

At Gaspar's Patio in Temple Terrace

Sue Carlton: Tampa is not such a bad city after all

At last, someone who gets us.

Like me, maybe you found yourself a little irked at how Tampa was portrayed nationally as the Bayshore backdrop to a scandal that took down a CIA director. If you too were a tad offended by jokes of us being Jacksonville south, and also hotter and uglier than the surface of the moon, take heart.

more

The Tampa Personal Chef

My name is Cristian Feher, I am the head chef at Tampa Bay Chef Services here in sunny Florida.
 I love to write about food and invite you to visit my blog!

here

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Hot Cuban

I stopped at Excel Food and Fuel at Bay and S. Dale Mabry in Tampa last week and had some great tacos.
I came back to try a Cuban.

Tampa Receives Federal Grant for Transit

Tampa was awarded $234,281 from the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Innovative Transit Workforce Development Program to implement "Meeting Today's and Tomorrow's Job Needs in Mass Transit," a recruitment and training partnership between the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, Inc. (CDC of Tampa) and HART.

more

Truth about Gov. Rick Scott

here