Miami-Dade County: Land Of Banana Republicans

Munilla Construction Management beat out three other competitors to win a $14.2 million bid to build a high-tech pedestrian bridge at Florida International University that collapsed.  Munilla  has spent years shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars to local politicians, including U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. 

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In the last election cycle, Munilla executives and entities dropped $25,000 into local campaign coffers.

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The firm was the only company the Miami Herald found that had given generously to all six county commissioners running for reelection.

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In 2008, Miami New Times noted the firm dropped $34,000 to help reelect then-Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and virtually the entire commission. 

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Fidel Castro's Nephew

Mario Diaz-Balart got at least $63,400.
Our apologies to Fredo' Corleone 

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He is chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, who was instrumental in building support for the bridge's creation.

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Last weekend, FIU praised the congressman, along with Rep. DINO Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for making the project a reality.

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here

Ybor City Homeless

Meet JD

He is from Canada

The Ever-Present Sean Shaw

MLK Parade in Tampa

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With Pastor Meyer 

at the Blake High School student rally at Curtis Hixon Park

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Fight For 15 Rally In Ybor City

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Gasparilla Parade

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With Debbie King and Beau Robichaux

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With Tim Heberlein

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This is who we need as our next attorney general.

He has never forgotten us!

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Visit him here

National Walkout Day Protest Tampa

This week, Tampa students, driven by the conviction that they should never have to run from guns again, took to the streets in Ybor City to be heard. Since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, students from Tampa and around the country have been organizing walkouts, meetings, and protests. They are calling for change to protect youth from gun violence. This movement is organized, motivated, and ready for a fight.

Is Bob Graham Calling the Shots on the Times’ Targeting of Andrew Gillum?

The relentless inaccuracies from the Tampa Bay Times regarding Andrew Gillum has gone so far over the top that local political observers are suggesting that former U.S. Senator Bob Graham’s is behind the paper’s defamatory, insulting, and racist reporting and headlines.

All the signs are there

Tampa Street Art

Tampa, Florida

Edward Glazer Of The Tampa Bay Buccaneers A Trump Fan

Edward Glazer, co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is hosting a fundraiser for  Trump at his Beverly Park mansion. Donors are contributing up to $250,000 each to attend the dinner, with the funds benefiting Trump's 2020 reelection campaign and various Republican National Committee accounts. here

What Pilar Had For Lunch

My favorite Ybor pizza

New York New York 

Students Rally Against Gun Violence In Ybor City

Devan Cheaves

Elvis Piggott and Nick Tobasco

Kelly Benjamin

Tim Heberlein

Glen Eich

Hey, hey GOP how many kids did you kill today!

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Ybor City, Florida

USF Adjuncts And Activist Celebrate In Tampa

Congratulations!

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USF adjuncts vote overwhelmingly to unionize.

here

Howard Dean Sells Out Again

 "I Am Proud to Give Gwen Graham 

My Full Support."

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Now that he is employed by a Health Care Lobby Firm.
here
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He no longer has any credibility in the Progressive community. Don't be fooled. This endorsement means noting. There is only one Progressive running for governor of Florida and that is Mayor Andrew Gillum.
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The founder of this blog started this effort in 2003 in his honor, as you can see in the footer.
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Read Dr. Dean's history on this blog here

Local Bad Ass Pamela Gomez

It seems inadequate to have just one person talk about why Pamela is such a badass. Her friends, the people she has lifted and mentored into movement work, her niece and nephews, parents and grandparents and other family; any one of them could tell you what a deep and indelible impact Pamela has made and continues to make in their lives. She's a force and those of us who love her or get to work or spend time with her know this.

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She's shown me new, different ways of understanding things, and I think that's one of her gifts. She fights against my stubbornness to get me to see that care is important in justice work, that we must be willing to care for ourselves and each other and enjoy life and the world around us even as we also sacrifice and work hard to radically transform it. Pamela knows who she is and she is unwavering in this knowledge. She reaches deep into her roots to find her characteristic strength when she's organizing or leading a meeting or a rally: she is an Afro-Taina-Dominican warrior from Quisqueya.

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I'm always impressed at how she will fiercely yet constructively hold people accountable on their anti-Blackness and other oppressive ideas and attitudes, from her own close family members to casual acquaintances. She's a badass, caring individual with a huge, loving heart and I'm lucky to know and love her and we're all lucky to have her organizing and fighting alongside us.

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Marc Rodrigues