Tallahassee's Pay-To-Play Culture

In 2011 Scott vetoed state money for a Sarasota rowing center. Then the money started rolling in.  Scott's "Let's Get To Work" committee received $125,000 in donations from Benderson Development, which owns the land for the rowing center. He received another $85,000 from Pat Neal, the nearby Lakewood Ranch developer who would benefit from the project. Scott also has received $1,000 from Diane Bennett, the wife of former state senator and current Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett, who helped lead the effort in the Senate to secure state funding for the rowing center. Bennett is a consultant for an electrical contractor on the facility bidding for work on the project, which could run from $200,000 to $2 million. Benderson Development president Randy Benderson even got an extra bonus for his generosity — a Business Ambassador Award medal from the governor. He clearly earned it. Scott says supporters of the project convinced him of the economic benefits and tourism allure of the rowing center. Now The $40 million rowing center project is under construction and scheduled for completion in 2015.......more>

Equal Marriage FLA HD3

Ybor Paparazzi

Charlie and Bob of A-List Steaks.

Cuba

The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce traveled to Cuba in May 2013 to support Tampa International Airport's nonstop service to Cuba.

Stogie Exclusive

We worked hard over here at the Stogie and found this pic of Kathleen Ford making  potato salad at Campbell Park.

Tampa Bay Insiders: Kevin Beckner

Darden Rice For St. Pete City Council

Endorsements

U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor
Former Governor Charlie Crist
State House Rep. Dwight Dudley
State House Rep. Darryl Rouson
Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long
Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice
Pinellas County School Board Member Linda Lerner
St. Pete City Council Chairman Karl Nurse
St. Pete City Council Member Charlie Gerdes
St. Pete City Council Member Jeff Danner
Largo City Commissioner Mike Smith
State House Rep. Carl Zimmerman
State House Rep. Mark Danish
Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner
here

Miami Cubans Feud With Fidel

The Chamber of the Americas’ upcoming cultural mission to Cuba is generating substantial interest but also some scorn. The outrage comes from the stereotypical suspects — the aging and politically potent but attenuated Cuban-American émigrés engaged in an interminable feud with Fidel Castro that’s more psychological than political or practical. The Cuban-American political cachet has diminished — but not their fury. Engaged in activism that isn’t altogether altruistic, their ongoing mission resembles a personal vendetta rather than suffrage or liberation.......more
Help, end the war on the Cuban people, they are being held hostage by a small minority in South Florida.
Stop The MCM.

Ybor Paparazzi

Tea Cup with friends at Hamburger Marys.

Howard Dean 2016

Great news! Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who says he's open to making another bid for president, will travel next week to Iowa. The former presidential candidate will speak Wednesday at the Iowa Federation of Labor convention.  A spokesman for Dean's independent group, Democracy for America, said Dean will be talking next week about the organization's "Purple to Blue Project," a plan aimed to help Democrats win state House and Senate seats. Dean told CNN earlier this year that he would consider another presidential run if he didn't think other candidates were taking on progressive issues......more>

Flower Salesman

 Ybor City

More Trouble For Kathleen Ford

One of the Florida’s biggest lobbying groups The Council for Stronger Neighborhoods, a group connected to the Florida Realtors, recently sent glossy mailers city voters denouncing Kathleen Ford in her third quest to lead the city.One side of the ad calls Ford “unfit to lead” and says she “is making a mockery of a yet another election.” more>  And a  a straw poll taken Wednesday night after the mayoral debate at  Bethel Community Baptist Church Of the 116 people who participated, Kriseman won 64.7 percent. Mayor Bill Foster followed with 16.4 percent. Kathleen Ford only garnered 10.3 percent......here. At St. Petersblog.
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Tampa Bay Homeless

Ybor City
 more

What Stogie Had For Dinner

Found this place late at night. Great wings and Rum Runner, they call it a Dunk Tank. At

Florida Lanes, 10400 N Florida Ave, Tampa. There are local places "Open Late".
Visit Tampa Bay Locavore. Stay Local, Eat Local!

Florida Progressives Agenda 2014

I’m often critical of Gov. Rick Scott but there's one good thing I can say about him: he's done more than anyone to focus Floridians on the need for a big change in the direction of our state. The question is, when Floridians turn to progressives for answers to our most pressing problems now and in the years ahead, will we be ready with answers? Join progressive activists from around the state on Saturday, August 24th in West Palm Beach for the Agenda 2014 Conference, as we assemble a progressive agenda to move Florida forward.......here

Ybor City Beach Blanket Bar Crawl

Ybor Paparazzi

Friends at Hamburger Marys. 

Did They Really Say That?

St. Petersburg mayoral candidate Kathleen Ford told a black audience at the Bethel Community Baptist Church that she once made potato salad and served it in Campbell Park back in the 1990s. This was after she was asked what has she done for the poor residents in Midtown.....more
 Looks like she is after Ted Yoho's spot as Florida's Dumbest Politician. And while we are on the other side of the great pond,  Right Wing extraordinaire David McKalip calls local blogger Peter Schorsch a"political terrorist. At Pushing Rope,  Here is what Mitch Perry had to say.

Florida's Indian River Lagoon

Once a lush and healthy estuary, the Indian River Lagoon is now an enigmatic death trap. Running along 40 percent of Florida’s Atlantic coast, the lagoon’s brackish waters harbor a mysterious killer that has claimed the lives of hundreds of manatees, pelicans, and dolphins......more

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and Rep. Diaz-Balart

Immigration Reform is in the hands of the House of Representatives. Even though the majority of Floridians support immigration reform with a path to citizenship, we still have nothing: no bill, no vote and no progress in the House. Some parts of our state are represented by politicians that have very few immigrant or Latino constituents. In South Florida, we are lucky. We have two Representatives, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, that have always supported immigration reform and fought to keep our families together. But now they are letting the anti-Latino and anti-Immigrant voices in their party speak louder than them and hurt any chance of immigration reform.We need them to stand up and speak louder for their people.......here

What Stogie Had For Lunch

The Buffy with fries
At Hamburger Mary's in Ybor City

Hillsborough County Commissioner, Dist. 5

Looking for candidate. Is anyone going to challenge Ken Hagan?

here

Susan's Little Piece of Heaven

Susan Dunavan and her family fell in love with their home – a little slice of heaven in York, Nebraska. 35 years later, a massive oil conglomerate called TransCanada wants to run their Keystone XL pipeline right through their land. Susan's family is in the path. Watch the video and stand with her today.

Congratulations To Sen. Marco Rubio

He won the Climate Denier award.
The group Organizing for Action handed out trophies beset with silver unicorns to members of congress who have denied or dismissed the problem of climate change. The “Congressional Climate Denial Awards” were given out to some of the most vocal climate deniers in Congress, including Mr. Rubio. more, Via Pushing Rope

Stogie's Gift Shop

Now open, please visit.
here

A Personal History of America's Radical Right

Dunedin resident Claire Conner's new  memoir, Wrapped in the Flag: A Personal History of America's Radical Right. Conner grew up in the inner circles of extreme right wing American politics. Wrapped in the Flag deftly combines Conner's autobiography with an insider history of the John Birch Society and the extreme right over more than half a century.....here
Ms.Conner will discuss and sign her memoir at 7 p.m. Thursday at Inkwood Books, 216 S Armenia Ave., Tampa. She will also be a featured author at the 21st annual Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading on Oct. 26 at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Boliche
With black beans and yellow rice.
$7.99 at Cuban Sandwich Shop, 10434 N Florida Ave, Tampa

Friends Of Stogie

Steven and katie at Bobalouie's Grille in Tampa

Rep. Ted Yoho Florida's Dumbest Politician

Right Wing Whack-A-Mole: Why You Cannot Change A Wingnut’s Mind

This is the core of the right wing movement: You cannot prove them wrong because they don’t care. Even when you do and they admit it, they will simply go somewhere else and tell the very same story they just admitted was false. The truth is completely irrelevant, the only thing that matters is spreading right wing propaganda......here

Florida teenager killed after Tasering by police

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Ham and Cheese sandwich  with Wedding Soup.
At Bobalouie's Grille in Tampa

Slap Hillary’ Game

Friends Of Stogie

Jamie in Tampa
Visit Stogie's Gift Shop here

Compassion and Action in Pasco

Local Views: The Florida Legislature

The Times continues to publish stories about our Florida Legislature that should make us stand up and take action. Legislators let Progress Energy (now Duke) collect billions of dollars for something that will never be built. These are the same people who scream about taxes. Is this not a tax on the poor to give money to the rich? Then there are the articles about the House speaker. It seems that Will Weatherford has done extremely well on his paltry state salary while denying any income from a myriad of shell companies that he seems to be involved with. Many of these involvements were not disclosed. What do the voters do? Like lemmings they just re-elect these people. It is time to say enough is enough, throw the bums out and start with a new slate of representatives who have morals and standards above reproach and are not "in bed" with big business.
Phil Altus, Tampa
Visit Mr. Weatherford's countdown clock at www.willweatherford.info

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Pot steak with red beans and rice.
$6.50 at Supersaver Supermarket, 2001 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa
Check out Tampa Bay Locavore

Hillsborough County Commissioner Dist. 4

Who is running,
Republicans Rick Cochran and Stacy White and Democrat Donna Lee Fore.

Ybor Paparazzi

Bob of A-List Steaks with Gaby and Manny of Mace Multimedia at Hamburger Marys.

Maybe It’s Time For Putin To Come Out Of TheCloset!

There is an old saying in  the LGBT community. The people who talk about the GLBT community and are the most homophobic and yell the loudest are probably gay themselves.....here

 

The Merchants Of Ybor

 Cuban coffee and local news at Joffreys in Ybor City.

Sopchoppy City Clerk Jackie Lawhon

  Is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement,  It seems Ms. Lawhon made it more difficult for blacks to cast ballots by questioning their residency. The candidates also allege Lawhon abandoned her duty to remain neutral and actively campaigned for the three whites on the ballot.......more

Tampa Police DUI Controversy

 Raymond Fernandez
 Tthe Jan. 23 DUI arrest was orchestrated by Bubba the Love Sponge's legal team in cahoots with Sgt. Raymond Fernandez, the head of the department’s DUI unit.
Fernandez and Adam Filthaut, a lawyer who worked for Adams and Diaco, the firm representing Clem, were longtime close friends.  According to the investigation, Filthaut texted Fernandez the night of the DUI arrest and told him Campbell would be driving drunk. As the night progressed, the two exchanged 92 text messages....more
Mr. Fernandez is in a shit load of trouble. Jane Castor has withheld disciplinary action.pending an FBI investigation into possible civil rights violations.

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Garlic Wings
At The Firehouse Pub in Temple Terrace
Visit Tampa Locavore here

Up Yours Lena

We are not New York. But we were just voted the nicest city in America by 4 million guest. Northeast cities didn't even make the cut.  
here

It's Time For An Elected Education Commissioner

When Rick Scott came into office he declared war on our local public schools. He cut $1.3 billion from public education and backed legislative schemes to funnel even more of our tax dollars to for-profit private school corporations. He’s done nothing to address the FCAT one-size-fits all grading fiasco and on top of that his hand-picked education commissioner just got caught cheating and resigned in disgrace. It’s time to get Rick Scott’s politics out of our classrooms. It’s time for the people, not politicians, to choose our education commissioner again. 

Send an e-letter to your state representative and senator today and ask them to make this a priority in the upcoming legislative session.

What Stogie Had for lunch

Everytime i go down to the SOG i have to stop at the Excell station at Bay and Dale Mabry.  Great food, low price. Pic 3 tacos $5.00.

The Real Rick Scott

 

The voting process in Florida last year was a national disgrace, which was unfortunately the result of a deliberate scheme by state Republican policymakers.  In an unfortunate twist, Rick Scott apparently enjoys this disaster so much, he's ready to do it.again.....here.Find out about The Real Rick Scott......here

Ybor Paparazzi

Gaby of Mace Multimedia and Leilani of Creative Loafing hanging out in Ybor.

Mary vs. Al

April Griffin has ended her run for a Hillsborough County Commission seat. That leaves a two-person race between Republican Commissioner Al Higginbotham (Remember what he has done for us) and Democratic Tampa City Council member Mary Mulhern — for now. The at-large seat is not until 2014. Newcomer and Democrat Cristina Cain recently filed paperwork announcing her attention to run and former commissioner and Tampa council member Tom Scott, a Democrat, said he is still considering getting into the contest......more Visit Al's countdown clock here www.alhigginbotham.info

Boycott Bahamas

Ongoing protest by Cuban Americans in South Florida. 
here

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Roast beef Sandwich  At Mike's Jersey Subs 
more

Ybor City - Other Views

At Ehe Stich Machine - Mike & Michelle
Photographing Florida - The SOG Oracle
Tampa Taxi Shots - Oh My Heart 
Boys Will Be Boys - MC Film Co. 
Rusty Photographs

Local Writer Dante Hadley

My friend local blogger, artist and writer Dante Hadley  next book Broken Ohn 3 is due on Amazon on Aug 10th. Check him out here. 

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Palomilla Steak
With Black Beans and Rice
At Ruben's Cubans in Temple Terrace
more

Is Rick Scott The Worst Governor In The History of America!