Mr. River Alan Wright

We have just been informed by Alan's life partner, John Wilsusen, that our dear friend, Alan Wright, died early this morning at Melech Hospice in Temple Terrace. We feel blessed to have known this pure soul. Our gratitude for his friendship and tireless work for the Hillsborough River is beyond words......here, Story.....here

Democracy In The Crescent City

Police used chemical spray and stun guns Thursday on protesters who tried to force their way into a City Council meeting, the latest strife over plans to demolish some 4,500 public housing units in a redevelopment project that council members ended up unanimously supporting.......here

"That our fundamental principle that every resident has the right to return to better housing will not be empty promises but words in action."......Ray Nagin

To Pander To The Right-Wing Elements In The Cuban Community

Top Florida officials say they treated the politically charged custody fight over a young Cuban girl like any other case, but documents obtained by The Associated Press show they took extraordinary steps to stop the youngster's father from taking her back to the communist island.........here
Rather than allowing Izquierdo to take his girl home, DCF hired 19 lawyers and spent over $250,000 to oppose their reunification.

US Worse Than Britain During Its Imperial Heyday

The Archbishop of Canterbury

Has said that the United States wields its power in a way that is worse than Britain during its imperial heyday. Rowan Williams claimed that America’s attempt to intervene overseas by “clearing the decks” with a “quick burst of violent action” had led to “the worst of all worlds”........here

“Our modern western definition of humanity is clearly not working very well"

God, Guns And Guts

Dale Mabry Hwy. And Van Dyke Rd.

Howard Dean: Economy to Be a Big Issue

"The economy is really alarming a lot of Americans," he says, noting that people are afraid of losing their homes and their jobs. In a year-end interview with U.S. News, he added that the party of an incumbent president usually pays a severe price when the economy goes bad—and that's what will happen to the Republicans in next year's election........here

Is Stogie A Sucker For Ron Paul?

I smell a false-populist, false revolution. Recognize Ron Paul's phony rallying cry to protect the constitution as a ploy by the "Republican" party to continue their destruction our republic....... Mark Frankenberg

What Happen To "Vox" On "Tampa Blab?"

Fantasy League Election: Bill 92 vs Barack 08

Gov. Crist May Sue Insurers

Gov. Charlie Crist has asked three trial lawyers to build a case for a possible class-action lawsuit against property insurers, alleging that the industry hasn't passed on savings to consumers as required by a new Florida law.......more

"I would give the insurance industry an F, a dead F, because I think they have failed not only what the law requires, I think they have morally failed the people of Florida."

"Don't Tase Me, Bro!" Named Top Phrase Of '07

Little did University of Florida student Andrew Meyer know back in September that his 15 minutes of fame would live on in the pantheon of dubious utterances after he disrupted a speech by Sen. John Kerry......here

Florida's Early Voters

Weeks before Iowa voters trudge through the snow for the presidential caucuses on Jan. 3, thousands of Florida voters will get the first crack at casting a ballot, thanks to Florida's early-voting laws. The Republican Party traditionally has dominated the absentee voting wars, but the Democrats will compete with them this year, said state Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski. Republicans "have reached a ceiling as far as how many guaranteed early voters they've got," he said, and for Democrats, who have not, "the sky's the limit."........here

State Democrats will kick off Wednesday their "Create Change 08" campaign to recruit Democrats to sign up as "permanent absentee voters" who can vote online or by mail in every election through 2010.

Sen. Dodd Comments After the FISA Victory

Progress Energy Signs Contract For Second Waste-Wood Plant

BG&E, based in Atlanta, Ga., plans to build a power plant in north or Central Florida that will use waste wood products -- such as yard trimmings, tree bark and wood knots from paper mills -- to create electricity. It would generate about 75 megawatts, or enough electricity to power 46,000 homes........here

Federal Judge Throws Out Florida Voting Law

A federal judge ordered state election officials to stop enforcing a 2-year-old voter registration law, ruling Tuesday afternoon that there is already proof that the change put in place by the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature has resulted in actual harm to real individuals.......here
Greg Palast: “The 2008 Election Has Already Been Stolen”

Zeitgeist

BARACK, THE NEW HOWARD DEAN

Barack Obama's rise in the polls has many pundits comparing him to JFK. But maybe he's just a more charismatic Howard Dean.......here
"Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line."

Is Junk Media Making You Sick?

Howard Dean Looking Good In Guam

"This party is a party that includes everybody and Guam is not going to be an exception. One of the first things I did when I was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee was make sure that territories had the same voting power as states,"............here

Tackle Sprawl Or Voters Will

With a public fuming over congestion and sprawl, state planners and legislative leaders are again seeking ways to better manage Florida's growth. But unlike years past -- when politicians and planners passed tough growth laws only to water them down afterward
they're up against a possible public uprising........here

Florida Hometown Democracy

The Shameless Self-Promoter At The Tampa Convention Center

Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Speech at Free Indoor Event, Saturday December 15, 2007

Who's up for some peaceful but spirited protest? Contact Mike Fox

tampabaydemocracy@yahoo.com

Rudy Giuliani Urban Legend

Clinton Accuses Obama Of Being Too Liberal

Using a curious tactic in a Democratic primary season dominated by liberals, Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday accused Barack Obama of being too far left to be elected president -- citing a decade-old questionnaire indicating Obama once opposed the death penalty and backed socialized medicine.......here
The Democratic Wing Of The Democratic Party.

George W Bush Mistress Scandal

Florida Officer Busted

Asher Wright, 20, a corrections officer with the Walton County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office, was arrested about 8:30 p.m. Friday during a road check at Smith Avenue and Kern Street. Asher’s two citations were among 47 issued during the Smith road check and another later Friday night at Cairo Road and the west bypass. The road checks had been planned for about two months. The events were designed to send a message to the public that Thomasville Police Department is serious about highway and vehicle occupant safety........here

They have "Road Checks" in Communist Cuba, there they are called "Point Of Control".

Gov. Crist Visits Solar Energy Building

Florida's governor was in Fort Lauderdale Monday for the ribbon cutting of a business that will run completely on solar power. Advanced Green Technologies Advanced Green Technologies at 2100 N.W. 21st Ave. has the largest solar-power roof in the Sunshine State for its 10,000-square-foot building........here

Howard Dean To Speak In Guam

One Of America's Most Influential Politicians

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the annual Jefferson/Jackson dinner at the Hyatt Regency Guam tomorrow evening. As part of the Democratic party's 50 State Strategy, Dean's visit further highlights Guam's emerging presence in the national consciousness. This latest success by the local Democratic Party may bode well as Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama both appear to be running strong in capturing national attention as well as fundraising dollars.......here

Jack Tanner Arrested For Jaywalking In Ft. Myers

Florida Zoo Getting 30 Puerto Rican Monkeys

Puerto Rico officials have a new plan to solve their monkey problem: export them to Central Florida. About 30 patas monkeys have been shipped to the Florida International Teaching Zoo in Sumter County as part of a larger strategy to capture, neuter, track and export packs of monkeys that have invaded the island from a defunct research facility........more

"These are animals that could become an endangered species soon in their native Africa because they are being aggressively hunted for food,"..........Mark Wilson

Florida Veterans Call Off Plan To Picket Jane Fonda

Thirty-five years after she straddled an enemy cannon in defiance of the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, Jane Fonda has vets in a frenzy about a visit to Palm Beach for a fund-raiser next week. Some of the 7,000-plus members of the American Legion in Palm Beach, Martin and Okeechobee counties were expecting to be called to picket Tuesday's luncheon of the YWCA at The Breakers........here

Oprah And Obama in Iowa

Myakka River State Park Additions

Thursday, Dec. 13 will be the day Florida Forever, a state land conservation program, will designate its acquisition and restoration council to decide whether or not to purchase 18,743 acres of environmentally sensitive land for about $80 million.......here

The additional areas jointly connect -- and protect -- a contiguous system of conservation areas in Sarasota County

Miss You, John. 27 Years Later

I still wish I could turn back the clock to the Summer of 1980. I remember everything - sharing our morning coffee, walking in the park together on a beautiful day, and seeing your hand stretched to mine - holding it, reassuring me that I shouldn't worry about anything because our life was good.........here

The Orlando Weekly Charged With Promoting Prostitution

For years, the back pages of The Orlando Weekly were filled with ads for naughty nurses, sultry coeds and girls with come-hither names like "Rush" and "Roxie." But the saucy escort-service advertising came to a halt this fall. Vice squad officers arrested three of the paper's advertising sales reps in a sting operation and secured an extraordinary racketeering indictment against the Weekly, accusing it of knowingly profiting from prostitution.......here