Sunday, April 23, 2017

The Successful Cross-Bay Ferry

With record sales and a return on investment for the four local government partners, it has laid a foundation for future ferry service across Tampa Bay. here


Is the South Shore to Mac Dill next?

Ybor Paparazzi

Centro Ybor

HART Stops

Marion Transfer Center 

The GOP Villages Of Florida

Co-founded by conservative billionaire developer Harold Schwartz, the community has long been known as a Republican hotbed. Pro-Trump golf cart parades were held during the Republican primaries last year. here

Racist In Florida

Aramis Ayala has received a noose in the mail. A clerk found a letter containing a noose made out of green twine and taped to a postcard. here

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Dunedin’s British Invasion

Penny Lane, The Ultimate Beatles Collection in Dunedin, Florida, is now open to the public!

The museum is the creation of long-time Dunedin resident and humanitarian Dr. Robert Entel. As a medical student in England in the eighties, Dr. Entel began collecting Beatles memorabilia. Over the course of thirty plus years, Dr. Entel has acquired many personal items from John Lennon’s Estate as well as George Harrison’s Estate. Penny Lane contains many extremely rare and highly collectible mementos from signed guitars to strands of Beatles hair.

The museum is located at 730 Broadway on the 2nd floor of Stirling Commons in Downtown Dunedin. Hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon to 4:00 pm or by special arrangement by calling 727-281-8130. This collection is definitely worth crossing the pond for!


What Stogie Had For Lunch

Picadillo
With Caldo Gallego, Rice and Yuca
At Ruben's Cubans in Temple Terrace

The Citrus Taliban Threatens The Hillsborough County School District

"The Hillsborough County School District is hereby on notice that any further violations of student rights in this fashion will be viewed by Liberty Counsel as sufficient to support a federal lawsuit for civil rights violations." here




People's Climate March Tampa T-Shirt

Rising Up for Climate Justice! - People's Climate March, Tampa, Florida here

Friday, April 21, 2017

Ybor Paparazzi

Serena, Aden, Laila, Sam and Anthony 

Bernie In Miami

Brand GOP Frank Artiles

Over drinks at the members-only Governors Club Frank told his buddies that Senate President Joe Negron had risen to his powerful GOP leadership role because "six n-----rs" in the Republican caucus had elected him. 

Ybor Life

7th Ave

Florida GOP Voters

Loss of Obamacare Subsidies Would Hit GOP Districts Hardest. Nearly 2 million in Texas and Florida. here
Voting against your own interests
in the end, you may be your own worst enemy. 

Monday, April 17, 2017

Tampa May Day: Stop Trumps Attacks on Immigrants, Muslims, and Workers

Students, workers, and other community members in Tampa will be rallying on April 30th against Trumps ongoing attacks on immigrants, Muslims, and workers.

4.30 - 2 PM
 Lykes-Gaslight Park in Downtown Tampa

13th : Movie Screening & Discussion In Tampa

5.11 - 6:30 PM
Seminole Heights Library

Liberal Robert Wexler Joins The Dark Side

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, a prominent Palm Beach County liberal voice in Congress for 13 years, is joining the lobbying shop of Brian Ballard, the go-to Florida Republican fundraiser and confidant of Donald Trumphere

Tampa Hoods - Palma Ceia

The Jasmine at Pia Spa

St. Pete Fit City Celebration 2017

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Tampa Bay Homeless

Meet Aaron

No Florida Gravy Trains

Florida lawmakers may allow a $511 million "gravy train" contract to go to a politically connected operator who just dropped a "rare" $40,000 political donation. The agency has spent $350,000 of your money on lobbyists and lawyers to protect this "massive deal," even though it's under inspector general investigation. Only your lawmakers can stop this gravy train from leaving the station. here
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State Reps. Neil Combee, Chris Latvala, and Dan Raulerson sit on a committee that can end the gravy train at its next legislative "stop."

Ybor Paparazzi

Serena and Samantha 

The Keys Need Help

Last week Florida Keys fishing guides assembled their skiffs in Florida Bay, spelling the word for an aerial photograph: "Help!". The bay, since the 1980s, has endured repetitive algae blooms that stripped biodiversity from hundreds of square miles from pristine wilderness, leaving behind ghostly scenes reminiscent of chemical warfare. here 

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Florida's Right Wing Infestation Spreading

Lawmakers in Tallahassee are currently in the middle of the annual 60-day legislative session. While the Florida Constitution only requires them to do one thing, adopt a budget for the state, lawmakers have spent a lot of time discussing ways to shift the balance of power in our state by taking away local control from our communities. 
Some bills look to transfer power away from elected officials on city commissions, county councils and school boards, while others are trying to curtail the power of the courts. here 

Are you $%#@$ kidding me????

"[Drug Free America Foundation] and its lobbying arm, Save Our Society from Drugs, sent state lawmakers a list of suggestions that it says will prevent Florida's medical cannabis program from being abused. About half of the 43 suggestions made it into HB 1397 pushed by the Florida House's majority leader and Florida Facker Ray Rodrigues of Estero."
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I'll ask again:
Are you $%#@$ kidding me????
It gets worse:
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"Chief among the Drug Free America recommendations that made it into Rodrigues' bill is one requiring doctors to have a three-month relationship with their patients before recommending marijuana to them. Patients and advocates say this needlessly delays treatment."
here
You are needed in Tallahassee 4.18. here

Tampa Paparazzi

City Hall

Beyond the Moment: Uniting Movements - Tampa

4.18 - 9 pm

HART Drivers

Kennedy and Marion

Friday, April 14, 2017

Trump Has Cost Florida Taxpayers $3.5 Million

Palm Beach County Sheriff 
Ric Bradshaw says his agency 
has racked up about $3.5 million in total expenditures since Trump’s November victory. here

Tampa's Reign Of Terror

Fascinating labor history from
 Ybor City's early days
Read it here

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Pepper Steak
With yellow rice and platanos
At Supersaver Supermarket in Suitcase City
Eat Local!

Florida's Culture Of Corruption: Rick Scott

Rick Scott’s political committee last month raked in more than $600,000 in contributions from companies with major bills before the Legislature that could end up on his desk next month to veto or sign into law. here
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The largest amount, $100,000, came from U.S. Sugar, a group that opposes Senate President Joe Negron’s ambitious plan to build an Everglades water storage reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee.

NORML Lobby Days - Tallahassee

4.18 - 10 am
Tallahassee

Thursday, April 13, 2017

New College Students Fasting In Support Of American Farm-Workers

Central Florida Republicans Want To Suspend Aramis Ayala

Bob Cortes - Altamonte Springs

Scott Plakon - Longwood

Mike Miller - Winter Park

Rene Plasencia - Orlando

Mike La Rosa - St. Cloud

71% of Floridians

Over 71% of Floridians voted "yes" for Amendment 2 last November. Now the legislature is working to implement the law and they need to hear our voices again. They need to know we're paying attention. They need to remember they are implementing the will of 71% of Floridians. here

Florida's Culture Of Corruption: Carlos G. Muniz

As a top aide to Florida's attorney general Pam Bondi, Carlos G. Muniz helped defend the office's decision to sit out legal action against Trump University. Now Trump is naming him to be the top lawyer in the U.S. Education Department. here

Florida GOP Vote Down LGBTQ Protections

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Florida for two whole years, yet under state law, employers in the Sunshine State are still well within their rights to fire or refuse to hire people solely because they're gay. Likewise, landlords can boot tenants or refuse to rent to them based on their sexual orientation. here
Don't expect that to change anytime soon. A House bill adding sexual orientation to the state's nondiscrimination clause is all but dead after getting passed over in committee.

Communist League of Tampa Statement on war with Syria

We, the Communist League of Tampa, resolutely oppose the recent attacks on Syria that have united the Democratic and Republican war-machine. An attack on the people of Syria is an attack on our fellow citizens of the world and must be opposed for that reason alone. here

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Florida GOP Ken Hagan Wrong Again

The City of Tampa may have a highlight reel to show off its successful 2017 College Football Playoff championship, but Hillsborough County doesn't seem to have the tax receipts to prove the event was an economic success for the region.
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When Tampa landed playoff championship week more than three years ago, Hillsborough Commissioner Ken Hagan claimed the event would bring somewhere between 1,700 and 1,800 full-time jobs, as well as $250 million to $350 million in economic impact. However, that kind of revenue would have generated an extra $17.5 million to $24.5 million in sales taxes, which there seems to be little evidence to support. here

March for Science St. Petersburg / Tampa

4.22 - 10 am
Poynter Park - St. Pete