Lesson For Florida Dems

Despite holding a slight registation edge statewide, the Florida Democratic party is looking at losing a U. S. Senate seat and a continuation of the Republican grip on the governor’s mansion if polls are to be believed.

-----

Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum could break that 20-year cycle. The Tallahassee mayor has all the ingredients of a winner: a visionary platform, name recognition, a new savvy finance chairman, and charisma.  Oh, and he is African-American.

-----

Doug Jones’ victory in Alabama gave Democrats a winning template: turning out minority voters in huge numbers, energizing Millennials, and closing the gap with college-educated white voters.

-----

None of Gillum’s opponents in the Democratic primary would be able to come within light years of what he is capable of achieving in a general election. 

------

The Florida Democratic party has been more like the Florida Aristocratic party with elitist state chairpersons like Allison Tant and Stephen Bittel.  Paying lip service to neutrality in the governor’s race while quietly promoting  former Gov. Bob Graham’s daughter would be another in a long history of costly unforced errors by party elders. more

-----

Join the Revolution here

2018 Florida Legislative Update: Week 6

Florida Hero Anthony Borges

Anthony is a victim of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  During this unspeakable tragedy, Anthony was able to save about 20 other students as he attempted to close and lock the door to a classroom.  He was shot multiple times (both legs were shot, left upper thigh bone shattered and one bullet went through his back).  He has a long road of recovery ahead of him but he 

is alive and stable.

-----

Our thoughts and prayers are with Anthony and his family.  Any help is very much appreciated. here

Tampa Paparazzi

Asher and Ariel

Florida GOP In NRA's Pockets

Marco Rubio

Carlos Curbelo

Mario Diaz-Balart 

-----

Three of the four Republicans who represent Miami-Dade County in Washington received at least $2,000 from the National Rifle Association during the 2016 campaign, according to campaign finance records from the Center for Responsive Politics. 

-----

Diaz-Balart is also the single largest recipient of NRA cash among Floridians in Congress
 since 1998.

-----

here

The Citrus Taliban In Tampa

Gaslight Park - Tampa

The Awesome Bess Kalb

Lawmakers sending “thoughts and prayers” in the wake of Wednesday’s deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, are getting slammed for their financial ties to the gun lobby. Bess Kalb, a writer for “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” is responding to each lawmaker tweeting condolences over the murders by listing how much they’ve taken from the National Rifle Association, which has consistently fought any move to
 tighten gun control laws. here

-----

Sorry to be crass but we have the motherfucking receipts. 

Andrew Gillum Fans Party In Seminole Heights

Jessica, Jenn and Nikki

Michelle, Gaby and Beau

Candy and Beth

Jenn and Gary

Jim and Nina

Tim and Vela

Russell

Dave and Scott

Jim, Beth and Jim

Russell and Jimmy

The Mayor called

They asked him questions

Join them here

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

HART Stops

Marion Transit Center 

Florida GOP Cowards Bought And Paid For By The NRA

Florida republicans attempted to relax gun legislation the day after 17 people were killed in a school shooting.  The Republican  cowards bought and paid for by the National Rifle Association tacked on some gun related legislation to the bottom of a 98-page agriculture bill, 
SB 740.
-----

If passed, the bill would force the Florida Department of Agriculture to grant concealed-carry permits within 90 days of filing...even if the background check of the applicant has not been completed.

-----

Thanks to the League of Women Voters and Moms Demand Action for catching the buried bit of legislations.

here

Ybor City Homeless

Meet Glen

Hillsborough Republican Party Shootout In Lithia

Chance to win guns!

NRA Sellout Adam Putnam: Opie of Open Carry

If you want to get elected to office in Florida, a politician is obligated to grovel before the great and powerful National Rifle Association, which views Tallahassee as a wholly owned subsidiary
 of its interests.

-----

Adam Putnam is currently Florida's Agriculture Commissioner. He's also a Republican candidate for governor and a self-described "NRA sellout."

-----

He thinks it's a swell idea it is to permit gun owners to carry their little friends on college campuses, as well as endorsing proposals to allow the open carry of weapons in public places.  That the protest against the NRA is merely "a classic progressive move.

-----

 The NRA thinks that more citizens need to be locked and loaded because the nation is on the cusp of a violent revolution that it hinted former President 
Barack Obama is leading.

------

 Opie tweeted about how he's proud to be an #NRASellout and even created a petition on his site encouraging anyone who is also an 
#NRASellout to sign.

here

Pasco Activists

Join our  neighbors to the North 

here

David Jolly: Want Mass Shootings Stopped? Vote Republicans Out Of Office

Former Rep. David Jolly on Wednesday argued American voters must flip the House of Representatives to a Democratic majority if they want Congress to address gun control in the wake of a Florida high school shooting that left 17 people dead and others injured. here

Bruce Wright Takes On The City Of St. Petersburg And Wins

A Florida appeals court ruled that the City of St. Petersburg violated Florida’s Sunshine Law when it reached a decision to amend a city ordinance at a meeting that was not open to the public. The Sunshine Law protects the right of the public to bep resent and heard during all phases of decision-making by government boards and commissions.

The court sided with Rev. Bruce Wright, who initiated this lawsuit. Wright felt vindicated by the court’s ruling, saying, “I am pleased the City’s secret dealings are laid bare in this decision. The City’s failure to hold a public debate about this ordinance is undemocratic to its core.”

Wright was represented in this lawsuit by Southern Legal Counsel, a Florida statewide nonprofit public interest law firm. Kirsten Anderson, lead attorney for the case, said, “This decision is a great victory for government in the sunshine. We will continue to fight to protect the public’s right to government that is transparent and accountable
 to the people.”

The First Amendment Foundation, Florida’s premier Sunshine Law organization, filed an amicus brief in support of Wright’s case before the appeals court. Read a copy of 
the court’s decision here

Tampa Democrats For Straz

Vince DiMaio - Democrat 

Tampa Tiger Bay Club president,
 a Straz supporter 

and a Democratic political consultant? source

---

Consulting the Democrats to their graves.

-----

Yolie Capin Democrat

Tampa City Council District 6

Filed to run for the Hillsborough County Commission District 1 but dropped her bid to head David Straz's exploratory committee for a possible 2019 mayor's race. Source

---

With her candidate having no chance of wining, 

now a political has-been.

-----

More here

Tampa Bay Homeless

Little Wolf

She is Apache

Florida GOP Pam Bondi Enthusiastically Backs The NRA

In 2013, Florida GOP Pam Bondi enthusiastically backed the #NRA's bid to overturn a 45-year-old federal law prohibiting 18-to-20-year-olds from buying handguns & ammunition from firearms dealers. here

WRITE NOW Florida

Florida native and East Tampa Community Activist, Miss Connie Burton started a Letter Writing Campaign called "Write Now" which sends greeting cards with uplifting words of encouragement to Black & Brown men and women incarcerated in the Florida prison system.  

This fundraiser is so that we can purchase a quantity of 300 custom printed 5" x 7" Greeting cards that will have a pair of Brown Lips on the exterior and an uplifting message on the interior. The amount raised will also included the envelopes and postage required to mail them. Thank you so much for contributing to this effort, especially during Black History Month! here

Straz Campaign Finance Report Misinformation

The five-month financial report filed by the Straz for Tampa PAC contains glaring omissions and possibly intentional misinformation. here

Medicare For All Rally - Tampa

Being warned that they are not allowed 

on (Their?) property! 

Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse