Pam Iorio for Governor

Show Pam and Florida that she has the backing of Floridians in this state. Rick Scott must go. When a politician ignores the people of his own state and puts politics before the economy of this great state, it's time for that politician to go. Pam Iorio supported High Speed Rail, she understood the economic benefits for Tampa and what it meant for Orlando and all of Florida. Crime remained low under Pam and she took a very hard but needed fiscal approach to the city budget during the Late 2000's recession. The state needs a politician and citizen like Pam to get this state on to the path of opportunity for all, and not just for the few.

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Scott is down 12 points, 52-40; against Pam Iorio in a new Public Policy Polling survey.

Crimes Against Humanity

It seems that my memory has been on  steroids these last few days. On this the 10th  Anniversary of the Iraq war there are so many things to remember. Not only the birth of this blog but how hard i tried to show my family and friends the huge mistake we were about to make. I remember Michael Moore and the way he was maligned and ridicule, i remember the Dixie chicks and the way they were treated. I remember the millions of protesters all over the world. I remember the ban on photos of soldiers' coffins as they returned.  I remember Free speech zones (also known as First Amendment Zones) or Free speech cages, I remember our  brave politicians who spoke up people like Florida's Robert Graham, Howard Dean, Lincoln Chafee, Barrack Obama, Carl Levin, Nancy Pelosi, The late Paul Wellstone, Daniel Akaka, Barbara Boxer, Robert Byrd,Ron Paul, Jon Corzine, Richard Durbin,Russell Feingold, Daniel Inouye James Jeffords, The late Edward Kennedy and many more. But most of all i think of this wonderful place called  The Hague in the Netherlands, a place where they take war criminals and people who have committed crimes against humanity. The sad part is there are people that belong there
 that never make it.

Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County 25th Anniversary

Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County provides a hand-up, not a handout, with affordable homes and no-interest mortgages for deserving families currently living in substandard housing. In honor of our 25th Anniversary, please join our staff and board bypledging a donation of a $25 minimum to "raise the roof" on a home.Whether you donate $25, $50, $100 or more, your generosity will move us closer to our goal of $25,000 to bring down the cost of the home and provide the necessary building materials to sustain the mission of Habitat Hillsborough.

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Come Dancing for WMNF- Swing Music at the Mermaid!

The Mermaid Tavern hosts swing dancing the last Tuesday of every month, and you can partake or observe to benefit WMNF! The Mermaid Tavern, this Seminole Heights hot spot, is a valued WMNF Community Partner, and is donating proceeds and offering drink discounts as you swing the night away!

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The Stogie Is Ten Years Old

Happy Birthday Stogie
On This Date Back In 2003 The Ybor City Stogie Was Born.
The idea for the name came to me from a movie filmed in Ybor City about a minor league baseball team naned The Tampico Stogies. It was called Long Gone and started William Petersen,Virginia Madsen and the late great Henry Gibson. I was actually there and watched some of it being filmed. And of couse Ybor City being the stogie capital of the world.  It started out as a website ( you can see what it looked like here) and it became a blog in May of 2006.
Thanks to my awesome sister for the cake.

Stop Florida Parent Trigger Legislation

Florida's Culture Of Corruption Ccorporate Power Grab

To the dismay of parents, the Florida PTA, other parents groups and their supporters, the Parent Empowerment in Education Bill, a.k.a Florida’s “Parent Trigger” bill, has once again been introduced into the Florida House of Representatives and Senate. After failing last year due to the concerted efforts of parents and parent groups, legislators saw fit to reintroduce the bill once again to see if Florida parents and their supporters had changed their minds regarding this issue. Such insistence on a “parent trigger” bill in Florida can only be described in the manner that Diane Ravitch, the former Secretary of Education, describes “parent trigger” policy in general:

"It is the quintessence of a corporate power grab.”

Florida Legislators: I urge you to deny the passing of the Parent Empowerment in Education bill (HB 867 or SB 862) so that the public education system remains a corporation-free, public institution in the hands and power of the parents, educators, community groups, and taxpayers that support and nurture it.
Sign The Petition - Parents Across America

 Why would legislators reintroduce a bill that was vehemently opposed by
a significant number of parent groups?.....Florida PTA

Tapper Pub

What Stogie Had For Lunch
Corned beef sandwich
With Potato Salad and Drink
$7.00 at Tapper Pub, 3832 Britton Plaza  Tampa

Downgrading Ed Schultz

Did Obama Administration Have Something To Do With It?
Ed Schultz is telling everyone that it was his idea to be reassigned from his prime-time 8 p.m. show during the week on MSNBC to a two-hour time slot late Saturday and Sunday. After telling listeners about the change last Wednesday, Schultz said he’s happy about it because now he’ll have the time to do more in-depth stories on issues, which he couldn’t do before. maybe he really means it. But I’m not sure. Schultz had been getting increasingly agitated over the possibility of President Obama and the Democrats caving in to the GOP to allow cuts in social safety net programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as part of a “grand bargain” for reducing the deficit. One week before the change was announced, Schultz said he had always supported Obama, but now was wavering. One night before he announced his change, Schultz said
"President Obama may really be the president who starts the undooing of the New Deal."
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I do not like Chris Hayes. I guess i will watch the crazy guy on FAUX..

Democrats Share the Blame for Tragedy of Iraq War

Not Howard Dean
The Democrats who voted to support the war and rationalized that vote by making false claims about Iraq's WMD programs - a minority of Democrats, but much over-represented in Democratic leadership councils - were responsible for allowing the Bush administration to get away with lying about
Iraq's alleged threat.
Here on the tenth anniversary of the Iraq War, it is important to remember that it was not just those in the Bush White House who were responsible for the tragedy, but leading members of Congress as well, some of whom are now in senior positions in the Obama administration.
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Read what Mr. Dean had to say back on April 17, 2003.

family-Resources Of Tampa Bay

Pinellas Park Charity Helps Homeless Do Laundry
It takes 16 quarters to wash a bundle of clothes at Quick Way Laundry and another six to dry it. Multiply that by the number of homeless teenagers who come to Kay Tillinghast with backpacks full of dirty laundry and you have an expensive charitable habit. Every week for the past few years, Tillinghast, who works for the nonprofit Family Resources, has been helping runaways and shelter kids do laundry.
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Donations can be sent to Family Resources, 5180 62nd Ave. N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781,
or go to its website at family-resources.org and click the donate button