Florida's Most Corrupt

Vern Buchanan
Rep. Vern Buchanan is still the chief fundraiser for House Republicans — even though his own campaign’s fundraising broke just about every law on the books.

David Rivera

Rep. David Rivera’s personal finances were already a legal black hole before he conspired to break campaign finance laws to prop up a candidate running in the Democratic primary for his House seat.

Cliff Stearns
When it comes to earmarking millions of taxpayer dollars for an institution that contributes to their family income, Rep. Cliff Stearns and his wife make a great team.
All republicans, what a surprise!

Thank You Mr. Barber

For 16 years of greatness. See you in Canton, Ohio.
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Seatbelts Save Lives

Florida Man Flees Seatbelt Stop on Foot, Deland Cop Runs Him Over and Kills Him.

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Morgan And Morgan For Tebow

Stogie's Top Ten List

Right-Wing In Tampa

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America: What A Country

Former Disgraced Republican South Carolina Gov. and adulter Mark Sanford on Tuesday won back his old congressional seat in a district that hasn't elected a Democrat in three decades. I am sure he is headed to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
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It must be true what they say that GOP voters will vote for anybody as long as there is an R at the end of their name.
 Locally see vern buchanan or Will Weatherford.

Tampa's New And Improved

Homeless Proof Bench

Jan Platt Day Care Center?

I recently had to go to the Jan Platt Library in South Tampa to use one of their omputers while my was in the shop. All i saw and heard was kids running around screaming and yelling and the parents or staff doing nothing about it. 

Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library

Bush Presidential Library and Museum

Pics Left Out
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Iraq Wall

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Tampa Needs A Quarterback

The City Not The Bucs
"Everyone refers to him as a cheerleader, and in this we need a quarterback," she said before the vote. "He needs to step up and challenge the County Commission … and I've not heard that from him."
Tampa City Council member Yvonne Yolie Capin criticizing Mayor Bob Buckhorn's record on providing services to the homeless.
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Florida's Death Penalty Appeal

At The Tampa Bay Times

Immigration Reform Rally In Tampa

Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse Building
801 N Florida Ave, 4th floor, Tampa
Wednesday, May 8th, 3:00 PM
RSVP
Let's keep the momentum going! Please sign up for this gathering right away!

Cricketts And Chipmunks In Kentucky

After fatal shooting of toddler, Kentucky town grieves and hushes up
Kristian, 5, shot and killed his 2-year-old sister with a gun marketed for children as "My First Rifle" in what authorities said was an accident.
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There were strong emotions directed at the outside world, which has been quick to pass judgment on the parents and a way of life in which many see nothing unusual about introducing children to firearms while they are still in kindergarten. Anne Beall, a 64-year-old retiree, said she had not heard anyone in town call the parents irresponsible for giving a gun to a 5-year-old or for leaving it unlocked. After the funeral service, two men advanced across North Main Street toward a single television crew present, from the German network RTL, and punched the cameraman, bloodying his face and knocking him down. Two other men told a newspaper reporter, "If you had any sense, you'd get out of here. You're next, buddy." Kristian's gun, a .22-caliber single-shot Crickett rifle designed for children and sold in pink and blue. After the shooting, the Crickett's maker, Keystone Sporting Arms in Milton, Pa., deleted a Web page promoting it, but archived images show the company featured a "kids corner" with dozens of pictures of young children and their Cricketts at shooting ranges and out hunting. Their Chipmunks rifles.

Marco Rubio Has Got Cojones

 Sen. Marco Rubio battling conservative opposition to immigration bill.
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Please, i am not changing sides, so no hate mail, but Mr. Rubio needs to have courage and stick with it. As organizer Rachelle Litt of Organizing for Action, the extension of Obama's campaign machine said at  a rally outside his office in Palm Beach Gardens.

"How do you think it would look like if here, a child of immigrants himself, backs out of this legislation after he's gone all-in for it?"
Remember what he may loose with the vocal right he gains with the silent left. 

2013 Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week

What About Doug Williams?

The Bucs announced last week that Warren Sapp will be the fifth person inducted into their Ring of Honor. Just like the four previous inductees, Sapp is certainly deserving. But one name remains missing from the Ring, and it would appear this name will go on missing for years. Doug Williams.

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Culture Of Corruption: Florida Republicans

$51 Billion Failure
State lawmakers refused to accept $51 billion in federal money to provide health care to 1 million uninsured Floridians, and that leaves a permanent stain on the 2013 Florida Legislature.
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Other Highlights

DEATH PENALTY (FAILED): Repeals Florida's death penalty for capital cases. (HB 4005)

DEATH PENALTY (PASSED): Limits the legal arguments used by inmates sentenced to death and awaiting execution in an effort to accelerate the death penalty process. (HB 7083)

RED LIGHT CAMERAS (FAILED): Reduces fines and gives people more time to pay them. (SB 1342)

WETLANDS (PASSED): Modifies a series of wetlands-related rules and ratifies the governor and Cabinet's approval of 30-year leases of public lands in the Everglades to sugar companies. (HB 999)

SPRINGS (FAILED): Requires water management district to identify certain springs for protection.

CELLPHONE PRIVACY (FAILED): Requires police to obtain a search warrant before seizing a personal electronic device during an arrest. (SB 846/HB 797)

FRACKING (FAILED): Companies must disclose what chemicals they use when they explore for oil and gas using an extraction process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. (HB 743)

GUN CONTROL (FAILED): Mandates that only licensed dealers can sell guns at gun shows.
 DOCS VS. GLOCKS (FAILED): Repeals the 2011 "docs vs. glocks" law that banned doctors from asking patients about guns. (SB 314/HB 4017)

STAND YOUR GROUND (FAILED): Repeals controversial Stand Your Ground law, which provides immunity to people who use deadly force in self-defense. (SB 622/HB 4009)

STAND YOUR GROUND (FAILED): Limits Stand Your Ground law, clarifying that does not apply when innocent bystanders are hurt or killed. (SB 362/HB 123)

DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS (FAILED): Sets up a domestic registry; allows basic rights primarily related to health care, visitation and property for unmarried couples. (SB 196/HB 259)

SICK LEAVE (PASSED): Bans local governments from requiring employers to provide sick-leave benefits for their workers. Does not affect "living wage" ordinances. (SB 726/HB 655)

MEDICAL MARIJUANA (FAILED): Legalizes use of marijuana for medical reasons. (SB 1250/HB 1139)

IMMIGRANT TUITION (FAILED): Extends in-state tuition to the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants. (SB 180/HB 7051)

WELFARE BENEFITS (PASSED): Prevents people from using welfare benefits at certain "adult entertainment" establishments, casinos or in a liquor store. (SB 1048/HB 701) Gun stores ok.
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John Romano's quick review of their 2013 performance.
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Daniel Lemon, of Seminole said it best in his letter to The Times:

For results, eject party in power

This editorial asks, Why don't lawmakers care? That question is answered on the front page of Perspective. They care for the show and the dough. They do not care for the citizens and voters of Florida. It would be interesting to find out if the people mentioned in the editorial vote, and if so, for which party.The solution to the problems with state government is very simple. For several decades state government has been controlled by the Republican Party, and the quality of life for the average Floridian has deteriorated. We have historical experience to know the results of Republican control of state government. If we want change, we must vote to remove control from the Republicans. As long as our state government is bought and paid for by special interests, lobbyists and big business, then we will continue to ask pointless questions and receive illogical answers.
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Standing-Up-For-Squirrels Crist

Hillsborough County government can be progressive, at least when it comes to cats. This week commissioners approved a smart plan to reduce the terrible number of animals killed at the county shelter yearly. Well, except Commissioner Standing-Up-For-Squirrels Crist who said he was "leading the cause for the squirrels and the birds … who will lose their lives as a result of this decision." Crist apparently did not buy the argument that feral cats are already out there. And by the way, what do you think of "Leading the Cause for Squirrels" as a campaign slogan?
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TIA Restores Seasonal Flights To Holguin, Cuba

Three months after the flights were suspended, Tampa International Airport announced Thursday it would host new seasonal flights to Holguin, Cuba. Starting next month, ABC Charters will fly once a week to the east Cuban beach town, about 500 miles from Havana.

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Florida Should End Death Penalty

We Are Starting To Look Like Texas
Florida's fast track death penalty bill is blood-thirsty form of justice. This is one that will make all those red-blooded, blood-thirsty Floridians stand up and cheer: Florida is trying to speed up executions. Yep. We can’t fry ‘em anymore because those liberals made us get rid of Ol Sparky, but we sure can put the needle in ‘em quicker.
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We should follow Maryland's lead and  abolishes the death penalty. Florida has the shameful distinction of leading the nation in the number of wrongful convictions to death row, with 24 exonerations.
Tell Rick Scott: Veto Florida House’s shameful bill to "speed up" death penalty

Looking Good Ireland

Nearly a month after her legs were severed in a lawnmower accident, Ireland Nugent left Tampa General Hospital just before noon Saturday and headed home to Palm Harbor.
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Get well little lady!

Live by Night by Dennis Lehane

A novel set in Ybor City won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel.
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Read Colette Bancroft, Times Book Editor's review.
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Ben Affleck Eyes Dennis Lehane Novel ‘Live By Night’ As Next Directing Vehicle.
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Visit Nr. Lehane website
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Buy "Live By Night" at these local book stores.
Inkwell Books in Tampa or Haslam's Book Store in St Pete.

Local Views: Joe McColloch

Attack on public education

The narrow failure of the "parent trigger" bill in the state Senate should put all concerned parents and taxpayers in Florida on notice that the Republican ideologues who dominate the Legislature will stop at nothing to dismantle our system of public education and hand it over to special interests, most of whom help to bankroll these same legislative lackeys as well as their GOP apparatus.

With virtually no public support whatsoever, the House GOP fell all over themselves to embrace this blatant theft of taxpayer-funded assets while employing shamelessly fraudulent means — including a joke of a petition containing a mere handful of signatures, many of which were apparently bogus — to make their case that there was any public support for this hijack of our public education system. Only the courage of a few Republicans in the Senate kept this idiotic and dishonest effort from happening.

The shameful legacy of Jeb Bush, with his grandiose schemes to privatize as many of our state governmental functions as possible — and education most particularly — continues to afflict Florida and its taxpayers, much to our collective detriment.

Tampa Bay Times Letters to the Editor: Joe McColloch, Tampa

Locals who voted yes. John Legg, R-Trinity; Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby; Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg;
Tom Lee, R-Brandon; Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton.