South Florida Daily Blog

One of Florida's best liberal bloggers is calling it quits.

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We will miss him.

Tampa Bay Homeless

Homeless Living In Tampa

Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City

Hillsborough County's decision to convene a summit on transportation this spring holds some promise if it aims high. The idea is for county commissioners and the mayors of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City to embrace a priority list of transportation projects and a strategy to pay for them. After 15 years of talks that have gone nowhere and a flawed transit referendum that failed in 2010, the last thing the county needs is another conversation on transportation that wastes time and fails to address the major challenges. Officials should bring a transit package back to the voters that seriously addresses the county's needs and improves the region's ability to compete.

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Sen. Tom Lee Of Brandon Narrow Exceptions To The Gift Ban

In today's Tallahassee, a lobbyist is prohibited from buying a lawmaker a cup of coffee but is allowed to write a $50,000 check to the same lawmaker's political fund. Fittingly, the lawmaker who's trying to carve out some narrow exceptions to the gift ban is Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, who was Senate president when the ban took effect in 2006.

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Tampa Bay senators who joined Lee in supporting the changes Monday included Sens. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, John Legg, R-Trinity, and Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa. This little tweak was needed," Joyner said.
Don Gaetz, R-Niceville said it best,
 "I'm just fine paying my dollar for a Diet Coke when I have one, I'm just fine with that."

Meet Waleah Of Miami

Dog Lovers Rally Around A Siberian Husky With Cancer

When Dawn Bauer learned that a dog owner had dropped a Siberian husky with a suspicious mass at the Miami-Dade Animal Services shelter, she and her group of volunteers sprang into action. Husky Haven of Florida, a small Clearwater nonprofit that rescues stray, surrendered
and endangered huskies from around the state.
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Want to adopt Waleah? Fill out an application here
Care to donate? Go here and click on the "Donate for a Dog" tab.
Scroll down to find Waleah's information and click the "Donate" button.

The Soho Saloon In Tampa

Our Backwards City Council At It Again

 The Soho Saloon is suing the city of Tampa over a City Council vote to deny it a permit to pour mixed drinks along with beer and wine. City Council member Mary Mulhern moved for denial based on the saloon's request to the city to waive three rules:
One requires 35 parking spaces, not the 16 the bar has. If this was the case in cities like New Orleans, Menphis or our own Ybor City then none of them would serve alcohol. What does she want a chain to come and pave half a city block for parking and take all the charm out of the area. Arn't they always telling us not to drink and drive? There are always plenty of cabs around and HART #4 comes right by this place.   Another requires a city waiver when there are residences within 1,000 feet (the closest home is 33 feet away). The third requires a similar waiver when there are other stores, restaurants or bars selling alcohol within 1,000 feet (there are 17).  The saloon is surrounded by bars, including MacDinton's Irish Pub across the street. Why is ok for them but not this place?
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Why do i keep supporting Ms. Mulhern?

Metropolitan Ministries Caring Hearts Circle

You care about hurting Tampa Bay families. Be a part of something larger than yourself.
Join Metropolitan Ministries Caring Hearts Circle
here

The Springs Revival Act: SB 978

"I knew it was going to be heavy lifting to pass that," said Sen. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, who's sponsoring SB 978, the Springs Revival Act. The reason is simple, Soto said: "The majority of the Legislature doesn't have an appetite to have a real aggressive spring rehabilitation program, because of the expense." A state-sponsored effort to save the springs, launched 12 years ago by then-Gov. Jeb Bush, ended in 2011 under Scott. While the Bush springs initiative existed,
it spent a total of $25 million.

here

Northwest Presbyterian Church In St. Pete

Tiny Northwest Presbyterian offers much to the poor, homeless
A mural at the rear of Northwest Presbyterian Church's sanctuary gives witness to the doctrine that members are taught — salvation is by grace alone, not good works.Nonetheless, good works appear central to this small congregation's life. Cold nights are an opportunity to shelter the homeless. Mondays and Wednesdays are for feeding the hungry, along with giving access to hot showers and laundry service.
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Northwest Presbyterian Church

Take The Train To The Ray's Games

The Mass Transit Factor

Rays fans across Tampa Bay are excited about Opening Day on Tuesday, but most are less excited over the prospect of more debate about the need for a new baseball stadium. Is there really any hope for a new home for the Tampa Bay Rays? There could be, if everyone would focus on successful stadium projects that have been built elsewhere. The modern era for baseball stadium design and location began with Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore in 1992. Since the construction of Camden Yards, 21 new major league ballparks have been built. Among the great ones: Progressive Field in Cleveland and Coors Field in Denver. Among the losers: the New Comiskey Park in Chicago and perhaps Turner Field in Atlanta. What separates winners from losers? Consider three important factors that characterize successful ballparks:
• They were built as part of an overall development plan.
• They include neighborhood integration.
• They include a mass transit factor.
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Ybor City and Channelside come to mind. Let The Rays build their stadium without taxpayers money and the city and county can build trains to it.

Congregation Schaarai Zedek Of Tampa

Tom Wood dished out helpings of ham and rice Sunday to families at Metropolitan Ministries for what is close to his 20th Easter in a row. Wood, who is with Congregation Schaarai Zedek, said he enjoys interacting with the families each year.
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The Everglades Bill

The Everglades bill speeding through the Legislature is not the sweeping victory that the unusual alliance behind it — the governor, his fellow Republicans, farmers and environmentalists — would have Floridians believe. The legislation awaiting Senate approval is better than a terrible version that sailed through the House, but it still unfairly shifts the costs for cleaning up the Everglades from the agriculture industry to the taxpayers. This is a handout to those who are causing the problem, and it violates the voters' intent behind the "Polluter Pays" protection in the Florida Constitution.
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The SOG City Oracle Recommends

Earl's Oyster Opener

As many of you already know, when it comes to oysters on the half shell I can be a real pain in the tuckus. I want those mollusks to be perfectly shucked, and perfectly presented. They also have to be real. I do not tolerate pasteurized or pre-shucked and frozen oysters on the half shell. As I said, I can be a real picker of nits when it comes to my oysters .If you like oysters on the half shell, you really do need one of these things...unless you are a masochist.

here

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor It Is Time To End The Embargo Against Cuba

The Tampa Democrat voiced those thoughts and made history by becoming the first Florida member of Congress to publicly support lifting the embargo when she made a speech March 22 at an evening reception at Mise en Place for the Rapprochement With Cuba conference.

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Help, end the war on the Cuban people, they are being held hostage by a small minority in South Florida.

Lunas Mexican Restaurant

What Stogie Had For Dinner
Chile Relleno and Taco
With rice and beans
$8.75 At Lunas Mexican Restaurant in Riverview
Very flavorful food with great service.

DFA Launches the Purple to Blue Project

Contact DFA and tell them we need help in Florida

Forget John Boehner and Paul Ryan -- Republicans don't need Congress to push their radical right-wing agenda. They're doing it right now, state by state: That's why DFA is launching the Purple to Blue Project, a new multi-year effort dedicated to winning state House and Senate chambers across the country.

here

Locked Tire, Lost Bike

In Tampa

Bright Lights, Safe Nights

Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Gordon Gillette, president of Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas, will celebrate and cut the ribbon on the first street lights installed as part of Mayor Buckhorn’s ‘Bright Lights, Safe Nights’ Initiative. The event will be Thursday, March 28, 2013, at 2 p.m. at the new streetlight located between 2106 and 2108 E. Nedro Drive. “Sulphur Springs is only the first neighborhood
that will benefit from this initiative.
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Tampa Bay Homeless

Meet John
He is from Minnesota. He has been homeless 5 years.

Why Won't Florida's Goverment Protect Our Water

Billboard greeting tourists on I-75 in Columbia County.
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Florida Water Coalition

Where Are They Now

Hillsborough County's Three Amigos
Some of you are too young to remember or are not from around here but 30 years ago in 1983  three Hillsborough County Commissioners, Jerry Bowmer, Fred Anderson and Joe Kotvas were arrested for taking bribes. Commissioner Jerry Bowman was the ring leader who would solicit bribes and then make payoffs to fellow commissioners Kotvas and Anderson. Bowmer was caught red handed and then wore a wire to roll over on his crooked partners. I remember putting up signs for Mr. Kotvas.
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Joe Kotvas writes books and you can find him on Twitter or at his very nice website tvasbooks.
Jerry Bowmer according to WTSP  is selling swamp land in Polk  County.
 Fred Anderson has since died.

Mayor Bob: Darn Sure Means Rail

In a speech filled with talk of teamwork and cooperation, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn delivered this don't-mess-with-us challenge: "We can be a region with a first-class transportation system," Buckhorn said during his second State of the City speech on Tuesday. "We need mobility options now. That means bus rapid transit, that means (high-occupancy vehicle lanes), and it darn sure means rail. He went on to allude to Gov. Rick Scott's decision to turn away $2 billion from the Obama administration to build high-speed rail from Tampa to Orlando. "Don't tell me that I have to listen to the mayor of Detroit thank me because he's building his light rail system with our money.

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If he can pull this off he could make people forget about the 6 foot lap  dance rule 
and go down as the greatest mayor this city has ever had.

Florida Students for Equal Funding of Education

After attending the Hillsborough County School Board Student Forum, it came to our attention that Florida's lack of funding for education comes from our very own state legislators' inability to make our public schools a priority. Currently each student in Florida receives $3,000 less in education funds than the national average. As a sophomore at Freedom High School in Tampa, I am directly affected. I've witnessed firsthand the pressure both teachers and students are placed under when students of various academic abilities are placed in a single classroom. In addition, public schools are unable to expand and update programs in the areas of arts and technology.

That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to the Florida State Legislature and Governor Rick Scott, which says:

Click Here

Tampa Bay Homeless

Homeless Living In Tampa