Poverty and Slave Labor in Florida’s Corporate Farms

”In America today we are seeing a race to the bottom, the middle class is collapsing, poverty is increasing. What I saw in Immokalee is the bottom in the race to the bottom.” Senator Bernie Saunders

COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS
  Immokalee, (239) 657-8311

here

Rick Scott's Project Integrity

Last year, the Scott administration began a misguided effort to remove people from the voter rolls. The result was described by county Supervisors of Elections as an "embarrassment," "sloppy," and "disgusting." Now, Gov. Scott's Secretary of State is travelling across Florida trying to sell people on the idea that it should be tried again.

 

Stand up for the right to vote at the following meetings:

October 3rd, in Panama City

October 4th, in Jacksonville

October 7th, in Orlando

October 8th, in Sarasota

October 9th, in Broward

Who Is David McKalip?

The Florida neurosurgeon and healthcare reform opponent who sent a racist email showing President Obama dressed as a witch doctor with a loin cloth and a bone through his nose. He later sent apologize.....here

Dr. David McKalip Mr. Tea Party.....here

 Resurfaces as Expert on Glenn Beck.....here

David Mckalip speaks at Floridians Unite (Tea Party) Rally in Orlando.....here

Beware he is now running for St. Petersburg City Council District 4

'For those of us who attend St. Pete City Council meetings, this wingnut McKalip is the bane of our existence."..Alex Pickett

KNOW YOUR CANDIDATES | City Council District 4

here

The Power Of Right Wing Spin

Once You Go Indie You Never Go Back

Olive Garden saw a 4 percent drop in sales over the summer. Red Lobster is down 5.2 percent. And that’s in spite of efforts to promote new lighter dishes, small plates and better deals. Now their parent company, Orlando based Darden, is replacing its president and cutting 80 to 85 staff positions to save $50 million. Some analysts say the middle class isn’t eating out as much. Post-recession, that is true. The restaurant industry overall is in a battle with the fast-casual options of Noodles & Co., Chipotle and Panera. People want deals and they want quality. And more and more, we want local. Once I was exposed to indie restaurants and learned the awesome that is buying and supporting local, I just wasn’t interested in big-chain dining......more

Also check out Living Off Tips and Tampa Bay Locavore for a full list of local places to eat.

 more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/09/23/4503163/red-lobster-and-olive-garden-cannot.html#storylink=cpy

Alan Grayson To Host Tampa Fundraiser For Alan Cohn

Alan Cohn, a former investigative reporter at WFTS-Ch. 28 is running against U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, in Florida's 15th Congressional district. The fundraiser is scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.Oct. 7 at Mangrove’s Soho restaurant and lounge, 208 S Howard Ave., Tampa.

here

I Am John Mica

Accountability
Check out Nick Ruiz III in 2014.

Amanda Murphy & Bill Nelson In Holiday

                                            Event Hosts

Representative Mark Danish - Michael Cox - Dr. Larry & Ellen Floriani

John & Karen Ford - Raymond Gadd - Bill & Judy Gibson - Marvin
& Patsy Hickman - Beverly & Michael Ledbetter - Dr. Lynn Lindeman - Jose Ceballos - Ken Savich - Joe & Patty King - Elena McCullough

 With Special Guest

Senator Bill Nelson

Invite You to Join Them in Supporting

Amanda Murphy

Candidate for State Representative District 36

Friday, October 4th  3:30pm – 5:00 pm

Bailey’s Bluff Clubhouse

2021 Gulf View Drive

Holiday
 

Please RSVP to Brian Goff (561) 843-1824 Briandgoff@gmail.com or

Josh Weierbach (407) 697-0823 josh.weierbach@gmail.com 

If you can't attend you can donate by clicking here 

Florida's Panhandle Big City Homies

North Florida pols (republicans) have packed their state House districts with a particularly low-maintenance category of citizens. The kind who don’t show up at townhall meetings clamoring about too much traffic or lousy parks or crumbling bridges or under-funded schools or the need for more cops on the beat. They never, ever complain about too few cops. Best of all they don’t go around town grumbling that folks should vote for that other candidate. They can’t. They can’t vote. They’re state prisoners.......more

Artists for Darden Rice

 fundraiser for the Darden Rice City Council District 4 general election campaign at DM Glass Studios! Thursday: 6:00pm until 8:00pm. 
550 24th Street South, St. Pete
Support Ms. Rice www.votedardenrice.com
Lite food and drinks provided. RSVP here. For more info, ask info@votedardenrice.com

Florida Representatives Who Voted For Gov. Shutdown, All Republicans

Rep. Jeff Miller [R-D1] - Jim Bryan (D)

Rep. Steve Southerland [R-D2] - Gwen Graham (D)

Rep. Ted Yoho [R-D3]

Rep. Ander Crenshaw [R-D4] - Gary Koniz (Write-In)

Rep. Ron DeSantis [R-D6] - David Cox (D), Andrew Scott (D)

Rep. John Mica [R-D7] - Nick Ruiz III (D)

Rep. Bill Posey [R-D8] - Gabriel Rothblatt (D), Corry Westbrook (D)

Rep. Daniel Webster [R-D10]

Rep. Richard Nugent [R-D11]

Rep. Gus Bilirakis [R-D12]

Rep. W. Bill Young [R-D13] - Jessica Ehrlich (D)

Rep. Dennis Ross [R-D15] - Alan Cohn (D)

Rep. Vern Buchanan [R-D16]

Rep. Thomas Rooney [R-D17] - Will Bronson (D)

Rep. Trey Radel [R-D19] - April Freeman (D)

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart [R-D25]

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R-D27]

IHabit Heroes To Show Florida Kids How To Be Healthy

Marvel Custom Solutions has teamed with Well Point and Florida Blue to create a new comic focused on childhood wealth and wellness.......here

Kriseman Campaign

Obamacare Open For Business

Open For Business

here

I Am Rick Scott

Florida Counties Defy Scott On Affordable Care Act

Individual counties in Florida are resisting Gov. Rick Scott’s ban on a program designed to help Americans better understand their options under the Affordable Care Act. The Republican governor issued an order earlier this month to bar “navigators” trained to help people sign up for health insurance in Florida. Broward County, which contains 31 cities, is just one of the Florida counties defying the governor’s order. Both Pinellas County and Miami-Dade, Florida’s most populous county and the state’s second-highest uninsured population, have also announced they will allow navigators to assist residents in enrolling for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act........more

Where is Hillsborough County? Watch video here. 

Opt Out of Koch Propaganda, Not Obamacare

Free Shotguns In Florida

Members of a gun-rights group think they have the answer to combating crime — free shotguns and ammo to homeowners. Members of the Armed Citizen Project of Florida have been dropping leaflets on doorsteps in the Sunshine Gardens community near Orlando, offering to “arm volunteer households,” for free........more

GOP's Ransom Demands

The GOP’s Descent Into Madness

Ted Cruz: The GOP’s self-made monster......more

GOP Raises Money For Democrats By Accident......more

Providing Health Care For Seniors And Veterans Is ‘Un-American’........more

Gay Marriage Will Lead to Interspecies Marriage......more

GOP Self-Implosion Continues.......more

Larry Klayman Sets Date

The totally-not-delusional Larry Klayman has finally set a date for his proposed uprising to remove President Obama from office: November 19, rotesters will “descend on Washington, D.C., en masse, and demand that he leave town and resign from office if he does not want to face prison time” for pushing “his Muslim, socialist, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, anti-white, pro-illegal immigrant, pro-radical gay and lesbian agenda.”........more

They just convicted him in Ocala.
The Day the Clown Cried Wolf

Naples Goodwill Employee Andrew Anderson Arrested For Helping Poor

Goodwill says it no longer wants to press charges.

Congratulations To Rosario Dawson

Actress Rosario Dawson (A hero of ours around here) accepts the Outstanding Commitment to Cause and Community Award at the 2013 NCLR ALMA Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. Listen to her  Amazing Acceptance Speech.
Voto Latino, Visit her site here

What Stogie Had For Lunch

2 Real Tacos with rice

$5.00 At Don Julio's Cockteles in Wimauma.

more

Tampa Bay Homeless

Tampa's dancing homeless guy.

Florida's Right Wing Infestation

With Obamacare about to be implemented, Republicans are desperate to deny health care access to the uninsured. The deputy secretary of Florida’s Health Department has now ordered state health facilities to ban federal outreach workers—called “Navigators”—who are trying to sign people up for Obamacare subsidies. That’s right. The Florida Health Department—whose mission is to “protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida”—wants to deny the uninsured access to learning about federal health care subsidies they may be eligible for. Sign our petition, demanding that the Florida Health Department rescind this order—and allow health care Navigators in state health facilities to discuss the Affordable Care Act. here

Avowed Tea Partier Dan Tucker

Pinellas GOP state committeeman made fun of County Commissioner

 John Morroni’s health issues.

 “Doesn’t he have cancer of the brain… hmmm?”

Morroni does have cancer The  comment was made after Morroni’s endorsement of

Darden Rice for the St. Petersburg City Council.......more

Republicans are ‘Afraid that Americans Are Going to Like Obamacare’

In a few years they will be saying it was their idea.

here

Obama Convicted In Ocala

Sentenced to 10 years

On September 19, the Citizen's Court convicted President Barack Hussein Obama of lying to the American people about his birth certificate, which was alleged to be a forgery, after considerable investigation. This birth certificate, which was belatedly posted on the White House website after he was challenged about his eligibility to be president, since it was alleged that he is not a "natural born citizen" born in the United States to two American citizen parents, is not genuine but allegedly altered (see www.citizensgrandjury.com to view the verdict), Obama was indicted by a citizens' grand jury in Ocala, Florida. He was served with the indictment at the White House but refused to respond and plead his innocence, leading to a non-jury trial in Ocala for his false statements over his birth certificate to the American people and the people of Florida. These alleged false statements fraudulently allowed him to be placed on the Florida presidential ballot in 2008 and 2012, ultimately leading to his election and reelection........more

Green Eggs And Ham

Is this guy a moron or does he just act like one,

does he even know what this book is all about?

Free Marissa Alexander

Ms.  Alexander sentenced to 20 years in prison after firing a "warning shot" during an argument with her abusive husband won a new trial on Thursday in a case under Florida's controversial self-defense law. A state appeals court ruled that Marissa Alexander, deserved a new trial because the judge failed to properly instruct the jury regarding her claim of self-defense........more

I Am Rick Scott

Habitat Hillsborough BUILD UP Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we invite you to join us for an amazing two-day event, October 10 and 12, 2013, to help build a home and increase breast cancer awareness. During these two days, all the construction on the home will be led by women.

 Contact

Yvonne Meredith
813 239 2242
volunteers@habitathillsborough.com

Grand Theft Tampa Bay

In 2006, the GOP controlled legislature, at the behest of an army of utility lobbyists and their wads of campaign cash, passed a law allowing utility companies to charge customers upfront for the future construction of nuclear plants, even if they don’t actually build one. And get this, now that Duke Energy has finally declared that they won’t be building any new nuclear plants, we don’t get any of our money back. Even more absurd, we’re going to continue to pay Duke Energy $108 million dollars a year for the cancelled nuclear plants. Join us this Saturday, September 28^th at 10:30 am in downtown St. Petersburg in front of Duke Energy of  Florida headquarters and tell them, and the politicians and regulators in their back-pocket, “enough is enough!” It’s time to tell Duke Energy, their bought and paid for elected officials in leadership, and the so called “Public Service Commission” to stop ripping us off.

Who: Everyone! Florida Ratepayers, Small Business Owners, Concerned Citizens
What: Rally for Ratepayer Refund and Teach In
Where: 299 1st Avenue North St. Petersburg, Florida
When: Saturday Sept 28^th @ 10:30am

info

Totally Biased: The Florida Intervention

Is Ted Cruz A Liberal Plant?

one senior House Republican said "Cruz is the leader of a secret cabal of leftists that are seeking control of the conservative movement. Their aim is to force the party to take on suicidal missions to destroy the movement from within." After all he is from  Canada where he learned to love Socialism and all that Socialized Medicine shit. And his father is Cuban, he has traveled to Cuba and he has refused to discuss the things he learned from Fidel Castro. Keep up the good work Mr. Cruz we will be cheering for you in the primaries.....more
Pic thanks to Dante Hadley at Mad Mug.

What Stogie Had For Lunch

One of Brew Town's great burgers

more

Ybor Paparazzi

At The Czar. Were they texting each other?

Help JJ From Seminole County

I desperately need your help to pressurize our local public school into providing my 9 year-old son’s work in an accessible format. My son, JJ, has multiple and severe physical disabilities; he can’t walk, he’s unable to hold things in his hands, he’s visually impaired and uses a computer to talk (go to OK4JJ on Facebook.
info

Bill Gunter aka The Beer Boogeyman

 Along time ago before he found god Bill Gunter was know around the beaches of Bradenton as The beer boogeyman. He would run into convenience stores at night and steal two to three cases of beer, along with some potato chips, can't forget the chips. He smoked his first joint when he was in the 5th grade. From marijuana, he went onto LSD, reds, valium and speed. “My parents found pot and rolling papers in my laundry,” he added. “I smoked pot in my room, and pretty much did what I wanted to do because my parents were scared of me.” His dream was to play football at a major university but if that didn't work out he  had already planned his alternative occupation: to work with a cocaine dealer as a thug. “I was on my way to it already. I was hired once – I drove by and shot at a man’s house and broke his windows.  Pasco beware, read more about Mr. Bill here 

Our Mayor Is A Democrat?

Where the hell have I been, when did this happen?

here

Una Noche Official Trailer

Una Noche is a Cuban-set drama-thriller film written and directed by Lucy Mulloy. It premiered at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival and 2012 Tribeca Film Festival to international critical acclaim and "earning rave reviews

1.2 Million Uninsured Floridians

As you read this, 1.2 million hard-working, uninsured Floridians are one-illness away from bankruptcy, forced to use emergency rooms for primary care and are being refused the benefits of our nation’s new health care law. Why? Because the Florida legislature has refused federal funding to expand health care to these families in dire need.

Call 866-443-1844 today and tell your state representative that it is time to stop playing politics and expand health care for more than one million hard-working Floridians.

Tampa Fundraiser for Amanda Murphy

September 30, 2013 - 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Tampa Museum of Art

120 West Gasparilla Plaza in Tampa

info

In this special election to replace Mike Fasano, Amanda Murphy is challenging extremist Republican pastor Bill Gunter.  This district leans Democratic, with 4,000 more Ds registered than Rs.  But victory in a special election is all about turning out the most voters.  Your support will help send a talented, progressive woman to Tallahassee to represent all Floridians.  Please join us to meet Amanda and be part of her historic race. 

INEQUALITY FOR ALL - Official Trailer

Join Governor Howard Dean and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich on a special conference call for an advance preview

of the Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary

"Inequality for All."

here

I Am Rick Scott

Rosa Parks, Lech Walesa, Martin Luther King and Ted Yoho?

“It only takes one with passion ” said Representative Ted Yoho of Florida, one of the rank-and-file House Republicans who have risen up to challenge their party’s leadership over whether to confront the Senate and President Obama with their demands to cut off funding for the president’s health care law........more

“People with passion that speak up, they’ll have people follow them because they believe the same way, and smart leadership listens to that.”

Congratulations To Rick Scott

He was voted Best Local Villain and Worst Local Politician by local readers in Creative Loafing's 2013 Best of the bay.

Ybor Paparazzi

Local comic Will Ejay with friends at The  The Improv Comedy Club.

Hillsborough County Animal Services

Don't Let Rick Scott Fool You, He Has Been A Disaster For Our State

Must Read

Household income remains stagnant in Florida almost five years from the depth of the recession as the state's largest cities rank at the bottom in income levels for the nation's most populous metro areas, according to U.S. Census figures released Thursday. Three Florida metro areas ranked at the bottom of the list for household income in the nation's 25 most populous cities. The Tampa metro area was last with a median household income of about $44,000 -- half that of Washington, D.C., the city at the top of the list. Metro Orlando was the next lowest at $46,000, followed by South Florida -- made up of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach -- at $46,600. labor activists say Florida's leaders are partially to blame for giving tax breaks to corporations instead of investing more money in education, Medicaid expansion and public transportation. .......more

2014 can't come soon enough!

Heartless GOP: Steak, Caviar And Vodka

One member was given $127.41 a day for food on his trip to Argentina. He probably had a fair amount of steak. Another member was given $3,588 for food and lodging during a six-day trip to Russia. He probably drank a fair amount of vodka and probably even had some caviar. That particular member has 21,000 food stamp recipients in his district. One of those people on food stamps could live a year on what this congressman spent on food and lodging for six days,"

Via Pushing Rope

Apopka Man Arrested For Protesting Red Light Cameras

66-year-old Mark Schmidter was on the corner handing out fliers to motorists stopped at red lights. The fliers had a petition and a message about a city council meeting, where citizens could voice their concerns about red light cameras. Schmidter was approached by a police officer. He told the officer he didn't have a permit for the protest, and when asked for identification, responded that as he wasn't driving, he had no need for ID. When he continued to (peacefully) resist the officer's requests for identification or information about who he was, the officer cuffed him and made an arrest. Schmidter's argument about the cameras was that,
Red light cameras are all about money - not safety......more

Nancy Pelosi In Tampa

A little high for a single working mom, but still a lot cheaper then Rick Scott's shindig in Pinellas.  

info 

Rick Scott Touts New Obamacare Jobs In Tampa

We are blessed in Florida with mild winters, good Cuban food and spectacular, mind-bending politics that turns other states green with envy. Consider Wednesday's big economic story: A company called HealthPlan Services announced it would add 1,000 jobs in Tampa over the next five years. HealthPlan Services is adding people largely because of the new national health-care law pushed by President Barack Obama and fiercely opposed by most Republicans, including (at least initially) Scott. In fact, as the Tampa Bay Times' Steve Bousquet reminds us, Scott called the health-care law "the biggest job killer ever," last year in an interview with FOX News........more
Read what Mitch Perry has to say about it here

Amanda Murphy, Democrat, for Florida State House, District 36

 The Republicans picked their man to replace Republican Mike Fasano in House District 36. Bill Gunter, a candidate handpicked by Republican leadership in Tallahassee and funded by Rick Scott's wealthy allies. We know the Republicans in Tallahassee will spend big for their handpicked candidate and to try and continue Rick Scott’s agenda: cuts to education, higher insurance rates, and no access to health care. Check out Democrat Amanda Murphy.

here

Friends Of Stogie

 At Gaspar's Patio in Temple Terrace

$50K Per Couple For Rick Scott's Pinellas Fundraiser

here

The Citrus Taliban: David Caton

 Florida Family Association Labels Al Jazeera America 'Jihad TV'

The far-right Florida Family Association is planning to run an aerial banner this Sunday before the Cincinnati Bengals game criticizing Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble, for running ads on Al Jazeera America........more

I wonder how his addiction to pornography is going?

Al Jazeera America

Bill Nelson Will Vote Yes For War On Syria

Over 60 protesters stormed his Jacksonville office on Sept. 12, demanding that the senator renounce his support for President Barack Obama’s proposed military strike on Syria......more