Sunday, February 12, 2023
Let's UNBAN the Stogie from Facebook
Facebook has permanently banned any links to the Ybor City Stogie. If you enter the Stogie URL in any Facebook post or comment, or try to share one of our articles to Facebook, you will get a message that reads "Your message couldn't be sent because it includes content that other people on Facebook have reported as abusive." We don't know who or why anyone would have reported the Stogie blog as being abusive but we're asking our readers to contest Facebook's unfair ban. If enough people do this, perhaps Facebook will take the time to review the Stogie blog and reverse their decision to ban it.
To contest the Facebook ban, do the following:
- Go to the Facebook debug page HERE.
- In the edit box there, type in (or copy/paste) the following website address: https://yborcitystogie.blogspot.com and click on the DeBug button to the right of the edit box.
- You will get a warning that reads "We can't review this website because the content doesn't meet our Community Standards. If you think this is a mistake, please let us know."
- Click on the words let us know.
- On the next page, in the box titled "Please explain why you think this was an error", tell Facebook why you believe that Facebook was in error by banning the Ybor City Stogie. Something as simple as "I am certain this website does not violate Facebook's Community Standards" might be enough. The number of people contesting their decision matters most.
- Click the Send button on this page.
Please take a moment to help the Ybor City Stogie reverse the unfair ban by Facebook.
Qualified Tampa Municiple Candidates & Proposed City Charter Amendments
For civic minded citizens, here is a list of the City of Tampa qualified candidates that will be on the your 2023 ballot (as of 2/12/23).
Early Voting: February 27 - March 5, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Election Day: March 7, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Mayor: Belinda Noah (Write-in), Jane Castor
City Council Dist. 1: Alan Clendenin, Chase Harrison, Joseph Citro, Sonja P Brookins
City Council Dist. 2: Guido Maniscalco, Michael Derewenko, Mike Suarez, Robin Lockett
City Council Dist. 3: George Feshev, Janet Cruz, Jose Vazquez , K.J. Allen, Lynn Hurtak
City Council Dist. 4: Bill Carlson, Blake J. Casper
City Council Dist. 5: Evelyn Jané-Marie McBride (Write-in), Gwendolyn "Gwen" Henderson, Orlando L. Gudes
City Council Dist. 6: Charlie Miranda, Hoyt Prindle, Nicole Payne, Rick Fifer, Tyler Barrett
City Council Dist. 7: Luis Viera (Unopposed)
All ballots will include four proposed amendments to the Tampa Charter. For more information, review the ordinances below.
Ron DeSantis and the Legislature are about to take health insurance away from hundreds of thousands of Floridians
Only four other states go further than Florida in restricting access to Medicaid. A single parent with two children can’t get coverage for themselves through Medicaid unless they make less than $7,000 a year. An adult without a child can’t get Medicaid coverage at all.
And Florida is one of just 11 states that still has not expanded Medicaid coverage under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. That keeps Medicaid coverage beyond the reach of an estimated 800,000 lower-income Floridians. More than half are people who fall into the “coverage gap,” which means they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid under Florida’s brutish rules but not enough to qualify for federal subsidies that might help them buy private health insurance.
This and many more of the insanely cruel measures our state legislature is considering are discussed in this article
More HERE
Saturday, February 11, 2023
50th Commemoration of the Liberation of Wounded Knee, Oglala Lakota Nation
FEBRUARY 26, 2023 AT 1 PM – 4 PM
300 Bayshore Blvd, Tampa
Republicans called out for trying to distance themselves from Rick Scott's Social Security and Medicare plan
Republicans have been rushing to distance themselves from a plan put forward during the last election by Rick Scott, which calls for raising taxes on the poor and "sunsetting" Social Security and Medicare every five years, ever since President Joe Biden called it out at the State of the Union Address earlier this week. MORE
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Florida lawmakers vote to back expansion of DeSantis’ migrant relocation plan
Florida lawmakers on Friday approved an expansion of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ controversial program to relocate migrants, giving the Republican leader authority to transport individuals from anywhere in the country.
More HERE
DeSantis asks for millions of dollars more to fight lawsuits
Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking Florida state legislators to approve millions of dollars to help his office and other state agencies fight lawsuits stemming from new laws and executive orders.
According to his budget proposal, which was unveiled last week, DeSantis is seeking to increase the litigation spending for the Executive Office of the Governor from $1.6 million last year to $4 million next year.
A note in the budget proposal indicates the money would come from the General Fund, and it would be used "to acquire legal representation for lawsuits related to litigation expenses."
More HERE
Friday, February 10, 2023
Florida boards of medicine confirm ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth
Transgender youth in Florida seeking gender-affirming care will no longer have access to treatment — not even during clinical trials.
Puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy will be banned for minors under rules adopted Friday by the Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine.
During the meeting the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine voted to eliminate an exception for research at the request of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration.
More HERE
Why I am running for Select Board
Given the powers of the Select Board, I aim to work with colleagues to expand sidewalks, as well as their upkeep, in Bennington. I want to explore tangible opportunities to responsibly house our fellow Bennington residents who experience homelessness. Furthermore, I will be steadfast in securing equity for marginalized communities.
2. So far as I have seen, Putnam Block has been successful thus far amid a pandemic, and the economic hardships thusly attributed. A flurry of fantastic, new businesses have blossomed on Main Street, and this is the sort of progress we need to build on. I am grateful that the Community Market is championing healthy food for Bennington and its most disadvantaged residents.
I fully appreciate that the Bennhi project seeks to restore a historic part of our town, and offer potentially My name is Asher Edelson, and I am running for Bennington Select Board.
I choose to move to Bennington after growing up in the South, where I never felt at home, and found home here. The small town atmosphere appealed to me, as did seasonal weather and the town’s charm. This is where I found home, community, a place to work, and a place to buy my first house. This is where I want to raise a family.
Prior to the move, I ran for the school board of the sixth largest school district in the nation (at the age of 19), and lost my race while talking about student nutrition and ending state standardized testing.
From there, I got my Bachelor’s Degree, held positions within local political structures, interned for a Congresswoman, and worked for numerous political campaigns.
Even then, I knew I was not at home. The best decision I ever made was making the move to Bennington. After the move in 2019, I got right to work. Amid full time employment, I became Chair of the Vermont State Rehabilitation Council, Town Chair of the Bennington Democratic Party, a School Board Member at Southwest Tech, and a history teacher at the Vermont School for Girls.
Each of these positions offers me an opportunity to do real good for the community. Whether that is helping to successfully lobby for mandated hearing aid insurance in Vermont, bringing a variety of statewide candidates to Bennington, successfully adding gender identity & national origin to SW Tech’s anti-discrimination policy, or helping disadvantaged students learn about the world, I am proud of what I have accomplished. And it is only the beginning.
I am running for Select Board to make an impact. I will do what I can on a variety of issues that I care about, including transit, housing, and disability accessibility. I am prepared to be a proactive listener and find a way to make positive change a reality.
I live in Bennington, with my two cats. I enjoy spending time with friends, gaming, catching up with programs or books that I enjoy, and learning about Vermont.more affordable housing to older people. The idea that this space could be used to host community events, affordable and accessible housing, small businesses, and nonprofits is attractive. Provided I am elected to the Bennington Select Board, I will be diligent in utilizing whatever resources I can to ascertain the feasibility of the Bennhi project. If it is financially appropriate, and accessible to those with disabilities, it will be a project that I support.
3. I love Bennington and I am grateful to call her my home. Bennington needs to be equitable, accessible, and productive. Let’s get down to brass tacks, our town has experienced serious problems with regard to racism. We need to work as a community to ensure our town is welcoming and safe for people of color. Painting “Black Lives Matter” in front of our Town Office is wonderful, however it is not a tangible change for ensuring our black and brown neighbors are safe, as well as truly listened to — we need to do work on that front. When a duly elected Vermont l State Representative feels the need to resign and move out of town due to racism, that’s a problem.
Furthermore, Bennington would thrive more so with a variety of public transit options. When people with disabilities have difficulty accessing damaged sidewalks, that’s a problem. When our local bus drivers need to unionize in order to make ends meet, that’s a problem. When trade jobs leave Bennington while our water gets polluted, that’s a problem. The good thing is that we can fix these problems in order to revitalize our beautiful, resilient, blossoming Bennington.
New report shows Hillsborough blocked 52 percent of abortion petitions for minors
Overall, Florida judges denied one in eight petitions across Florida in 2021. In a county-by-county breakdown, Hillsborough had the highest percentage of denials at 52%. Out of 21 petitions, Hillsborough denied 11.
Pinellas cleared all 11 of the petitions it received; other counties that didn’t deny a single petition include Lee, Miami-Dade, and Orange.
More HERE
From the Devil's Own Mouth
Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan still thinks it's 50/50 that the Rays end up in Tampa
Ken Hagan says that he was not surprised by the Rays redevelopment deal, and that this is a good thing for the team and the area. Pat (iHeart Radio's Pat and Aaron Show) asks him if this makes Tampa more aggressive, and Ken Hagan says he doesn't blame him and others for thinking that Tampa isn't being aggressive. He says that the Tampa Bay Rays know that they need to be in Tampa, and that they are waiting for all the info from the Pinellas side to come through. He says they won't be able to go into a bidding war with St. Petersburg, and that Major League Baseball and the Tampa Bay Rays know that. He goes on to say that it would be a huge black eye on the area if they were to lose the team.
Listen to the Ken Hagan interview HERE
In this interview, Ken Hagan unabashedly states that Pinellas County would be able to invest more in a new stadium than Hillsborugh County because they collect more in their "bed tax" than Hillsborough County does. This is a clear indication that Hillsborough County would use public funds to help pay for the new stadium.
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