Thursday, March 9, 2017

The Tampa Story featuring Bob Buckhorn

The Tampa Story featuring Bob Buckhorn from Ybor City Stogie on Vimeo.

Farewell Bob Buckhorn!

HART Riders

Jessica and Dawn

Tampa Hoods

Downtown

FPL Customers About To Take It Deep


After losing a major battle in court last year, Florida Power & Light is now turning to the Florida Legislature to change the state law and give it the authority to charge customers, and profit off, speculative natural gas fracking. 
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The bill, HB 1043 by Florida GOP Rep. Jason Brodeur, of Sanford, is titled
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"Prudent Utility Investments in Natural Gas Reserves,"
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and the Senate companion is SB 1248 
by Florida GOP Sen. Aaron Bean of 
Fernandina Beach.

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Vaca Frita
With Moro and Yuca
At La Teresita in Tampa

Florida GOP: Foxes In The Henhouse

State of State
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Rick Scott promised to fight for economic-incentive money, business tax cuts (Corporate Welfare) and conservative education reforms. here
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A coalition of labor, environmental, LGBT-rights, and other left-leaning groups under the banner “Awake the State” organized more than a dozen rallies across Florida to coincide with the first day of the 2017 legislative session, including an event at the Capitol. Their message: Scott and Republican leaders are not fighting for us.
-“The governor, and frankly the speaker (Richard Corcoran), are living in an alternative reality.” Sen. Gary Farmer

Sierra Club Film Screening & Panel — Troubled Waters: Connections and Consequences

3.21 - 5:30 PM
The Tampa Theatre

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Tampa Bay Homeless

Meet Jo Jo

Marco Rubio Protest At Dale Mabry And Kennedy In Tampa










Marco Rubio Tuesdays in Tampa, Florida
Since he was kicked out of his office in Westshore
 the folks have moved the weekly protest to the corner 
of  At Dale Mabry And Kennedy.

Statement from Ben Pollara, Executive Director of Florida for Care, on HB 1397

"I believe Leader Rodrigues was sincere and thoughtful in his approach and authorship of this law, but I can't help but be dismayed by the House proposal. The bill begins by moving backwards in many ways critical to the letter and spirit of the constitution, and in some cases, the existing low-THC Cannabis statute.

In addition to banning smokable and edible marijuana products, HB 1397 bans the vaporization of marijuana oils, except for terminal patients. That is a further restriction than what even the current law allows.

HB 1397 also offers only a modest expansion of the marketplace for medical marijuana treatment centers and again takes a step backwards in doing so. Forget about government not being in the business of picking winners and losers, HB 1397 literally picks losers in the issuance of the first tranche of new licenses proposed in the legislation. The bill calls for the first five licenses issued to be awarded to applicants who previously applied for, but failed to win, a license under the current law.

Today is the start of session and I hope this bill is the start of a meaningful debate in the House over the merits of this approach and that as the bill moves through the process, it applies more free market principals."

Jacksonville Landlord Says Adios To Marco Rubio

Protesters have booted Rubio out of a second office in Florida — not long after his staff was forced to leave his location in Tampa. The owner of Rubio’s office in Jacksonville has decided not to renew the lease because of weekly protests. here

Ybor Space

Ybor City, Florida

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Awake The State Rally In Tampa

Gaslight Park

Marc Rodrigues, Rev. Russell Myers  and Kelly Benjamin


Ashley and Dayna


Kent Bailey


Tim Heberlein


Marc Rodrigues


Bleu










Downtown Tampa
Visit them here

Awake The State In Downtown Tampa

Today 2PM 
Gaslight Park

Tampa Hoods

Tampa Theater
Downtown

Heartless HART

Where are the HART folks in 
the transit debate?

We understand they are probably doing the best they can with the money they get. But shouldn't they be trying to get more. Why the silence? Speak up, Buy more buses. Change the frequency from 20 minutes to 10. Upgrade the transfer centers. (The bathrooms at Marion transit center is a start.). Give your drivers some lessons in manners. 
We graded some of them for attitude.

Very Nice
#4309
#1488
#2447

NICE
#2384
#4090
#2330
#2330

NOT SO NICE
#3526
#1817
#1159

ASSHOLES
#4125
#4214

Katharine Eagan you are suppose to be the leader.
 Where is your voice?  If you don't speak up, we will.

The Ybor City Rooster

At The Bunker

Tampa Pride 2017 - Ybor City

3.25 - 10AM
Ybor City, Florida

Monday, March 6, 2017

Ybor Paparazzi

Kate M Connolly
At Bernini 

TECO Line In Tampa

Transit Now Tampa Bay Meetup

3.12 - 6:30PM
CoWork Ybor

Tampa Cuban Cigar Makers

New College presents Tampa-area historian Maura Barrios, as she shares the origin and history of Cuban cigar makers who settled in Ybor City and surrounding areas in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Ybor Paparazzi

Lamarl
Server at Bernini

Sunday, March 5, 2017

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Carne Asada
With Rice, Platanos and Salad
At Avila’s Tipico Honduras Restaurante
Visit them on Facebook
Eat Local!

Letters From GOP Hillsborough County Commissioners

Letter I sent our county commissioners 
on the issue of transit.

"I have been a HART rider for over 10 years. More roads does not help me at all. STOP spending our money on roads. We want more buses and rail. We have one of the worst transit systems in the country. With the exception of Ms. Kemp are you all in developers pockets?"
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Thank you for contacting the office of Commissioner Crist about funding for public transit.  I will be sure to share your thoughts and concerns on the issue with the Commissioner. 
Sincerely,
Chris Heintz
Legislative Aide
Commissioner Crist, District 2
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Thank you so much for contacting our office regarding Transit. Your input regarding this issue is important  to the Commissioner. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and opinions with us. Have a great day and please don’t hesitate to call our office if we can be of further assistance.  
Sincerely,
Ms. Eli Rodriguez
Aide to County Commissioner Al Higginbotham
Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners
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Thank you for your email. Commissioner Hagan is just as frustrated as you are about the need for funding adequate transit in Tampa/Hillsborough county. That is why he was the only Republican on the Board to support placing the sales tax referendum on the ballot last year. Unfortunately, a majority of board members opposed that plan.

The hard truth is that we have billions of dollars in unmet infrastructure needs in Hillsborough county and the only way to begin to address that is to have a dedicated funding source of tax dollars—this has been very hard to come by. But Commissioner Hagan is committed to continue fighting to address our transportation needs in a meaningful and rational way. In the meantime, the Board will soon finalize a transportation plan that will dedicate $700 million over 10 years to improve existing roads and provide congestion relief where possible in Hillsborough county. Feel free to share with us any questions you may have concerning this plan. And please let us know if we can ever be of service to you. Have a great day.
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Cordially,
Eric Denney
Legislative Aide to
Commissioner Ken Hagan – District 5
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Sandy Murman did not write me back.