St. Pete Police Threatened By Pair Of Scissors

The mother of 43-year-old Arthur Dixon Jr. called St. Petersburg police on Sunday evening because he doused himself with gasoline and threatened to take his own life. At around 7:30 p.m., the suicidal man allegedly ran at Officers Devin Jones and Curtis Wright with scissors while they were stationed at the back of the house. Both officers opened fire, hitting Dixon in the torso multiple times. He was transported to Bayfront Medical Center and pronounced dead at around 10 p.m.
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“The police assured me that they weren’t going to hurt him, that they were concerned for his safety. He has no weapons, he’s never hurt anyone ever. So, they forced him out the back of the house and they shot him three times. I want to know why they shot him, he had no weapons and he’s drunk. He has a traumatic brain injury, he’s blind in one eye, can’t see well out of the other. Why did they shoot him?”.......Lydia Andrews, Dixon’s mother.
“Scissors are a deadly weapon, they can cause great harm. They can be just as dangerous as a knife.”.......St. Petersburg police spokesperson Mike Puetz
Poor Guy!

Corporate Welfare In Florida

Stop Rick Scott's Massive Corporate Giveaway
Governor Rick Scott has spent the past two years making devastating cuts to critical services for middle class families. Now he plans to go even further by pushing through a bill this legislative session that will give big corporations another $141 million in tax breaks.
Please sign the petition from Daily Kos and our partners at Florida Watch Action as we demand that the Florida legislature reject this $141 million corporate tax break. Florida Watch Action will deliver the signatures to Florida legislators.
here

You Can Beat City Hall

Great Job Dana Shores
When Dana Shores residents wanted to keep 23 acres separating their neighborhood from Tampa International Airport's runways as a scenic reserve, they did things by the book: They attended meetings and spoke to airport officials.
here

Will Weatherford: What A Funny Guy

"You're just funny, y'know, the story. It's funny. You're a funny guy." Henry Hill
I read with great amusement this morning

Will Weatherford piece in The Tampa Bay Times. He is trying to explain why he and his Republican cohorts in Tallahassee voted against Medicaid expansion in Florida. He states that he is not confident in the feds given the track record of the federal government, which hasn't balanced a budget in years.
(I have smoked a lot of weed in my life but my memory is still sharp) if i remember correctly bill Clinton not only left a balanced budget but a surplus. if it wasn't for the Republicans reckless spending ( Wars on credit, Tax breaks for the rich and corporations) we would not be in the mess we are in. Then he mentions future funding for our schools, public safety, and protection of our beaches and springs. When the hell did his party ever care about teachers or the environment. He keeps trying to dig himself out of the hole he is in and it is not working. Wesley Chapel is just up the road, i will make it my goal to send this man home after his term is up.
here

The Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act, SB 1250

The Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act now in the Senate’s Health Policy Committee.
Florida residents are urged to contact committee members and tell them the importance of passing this legislation. A recent poll found 70% of Florida voters, including 56% of Republicans, support medical marijuana legislation in the Sunshine State.
More info here
Senator Aaron Bean (R) bean.aaron.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Eleanor Sobel (D) sobel.eleanor.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Jeff Brandes (R) brandes.jeff.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Oscar Braynon,II(D) braynon.oscar.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Anitere Flores (R) flores.anitere.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Bill Galvano (R) galvano.bill.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Rene Garcia (R) garcia.rene.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Denise Grimsley(R)grimsley.denise.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Arthenia Joyner(D) joyner.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov

Community Conversations

Saw this on the side of a Hartline bus in Tampa.
Community Conversations is a show that explores key topics that matter in our community. "Edu-taining" conversations revolve around the physical, mental, educational, and economic health of our community.
On-Air-Schedule: Saturdays 2pm-4pm
Stations : WHNZ AM 1250
more info

Florida Republican Rejects Medicaid Expansion

A Florida Senate committee voted Monday against Medicaid expansion, joining the House in rejecting Gov. Rick Scott's proposal for a three-year trial covered entirely by federal funding. The Senate select committee on the Affordable Care Act voted along party lines, 7-4. Democrats said they were willing to explore alternatives but unsuccessfully pleaded with colleagues to embrace expansion as a backup.
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Yet they are very good at doing this. Governor Rick Scott has spent the past two years slashing services for the middle class, such as education cuts that led to massive teacher layoffs, while dishing out millions of dollars to major corporations. Now he plans to go even further by pushing through a bill this legislative session that will give big corporations another $141 million in tax breaks.
here
Remember these people come election time.
Will Weatherford of Land o' Lakes,Joe Negron of Stuart, Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg, Richard Corcoran, of Trinity,Nancy C. Detert of Sarasota,
Bill Galvano of Hillsborough County, Denise Grimsley Polk County,
Jack Latvala of Pinellas County.
Come on Florida let's not let what happened in 2010 happen again, that is how these people get elected. 

Get Involved in 2014. Let's turn Florida Blue.

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Palomilla Steak
With Moro and Yuca
$10.95 At Reo at the Grayhound bus station in Tampa.
So Good!

The Rodney Dangerfield Blog

I am not a writer, my thing is in photography. my mom gave me a Kodak Brownie for Christmas when i was 6 years old and after many Nikon's later i am still at it. The nest few paragraphs were a struggle, so please be kind. I read with great sadness the other day Ben Kirby's post about putting his great blog The Spencerian on hiatus, possibly forever. he mention in his post the disappointment he felt when he wasn't listed on the Washington Post's The Fix blog.
  By the way, they just updated their list of best state blogs, and The Spencerian didn't make the cut.  I'm not particularly pleased with their Florida list, but I don't want you to think this is about being bitter.
Peter Schorsch of St.Peters Blog mention that he hopes this wasn't the staw that broke the camels back. I don't want to sound bitter myself but if that was the case with the Stogie my camel would of been on the ground along time ago. I started this effort  back on March 19, 2003. First as a website thanks to Wayback Machine you can see what it looked like here) and then as a blog in May of 2006. For some reason, (maybe i wasn't someones idea of what a blog should look like). it took the Stogie along time to get accepted. Some bloggers did help me out and put my link on their blogrolls (Litbrit, Out In Left Field, Tampa Do-Gooder, Finding Tampa, Pushing Rope stc.) I remember how proud i was when Ken put me on the old Florida Progressive Coalition blogroll.
 Let me not forget madfloridian who gave me a link and who now also writes for Daily Kos where she also gave me a link. (How cool is that?) I never get mentioned in any Best Of Blogs list. including the one Mr. Kirby is talking about. And as far as awards go, I  finally won the Netroots Award for Best Local Blog of 2011 and that was only becouse Mr. Kirby and especially Mr. Schorsch sent their support my way. If not i would still be Award-less (Is that a word?). So for me it has never been about lists or awards and i hope that is the case with the talented Mr Kirby. 
My daughter has Instructions to post my obituary, when you see it, that will be it for me.

Kevin Beckner Community Event

Wednesday, March 27, 2013, 10 am-12 pm
SouthShore Regional Library 15816 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin
More Info At Pushing Rope