Saturday, September 19, 2020
Vibes of the Bay Festival
Celebrating its 6th year, the Vibes of the Bay Festival is a one-day festival, presented by Symphonic Distribution.
This year we are taking the festival VIRTUAL and highlighting the best in new and emerging music from our community of clients from Florida, Brooklyn, Nashville, Bogota, and the Caribbean. In addition, we’ll be offering curated vendors, food, break-out sessions and more!
This year we will be raising money for Tampa Bay’s iconic music venue, Crowbar, and The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) which are pushing the Save Our Stages campaign. Without our help, they’re sinking.
Fast. Now, it’s up to us to do our part.
Fast. Now, it’s up to us to do our part.
DeSantis Nominates Right-Wing Christian Extremist to State Supreme Court
Florida GOP Ron DeSantis, an ally of Trump and one of the most irresponsible state leaders in the nation when it comes to his handling of COVID, has seen two of his state’s Supreme Court justices get appointed to an appellate court by Republicans in Washington. HERE
Friday, September 18, 2020
Florida Dems Kathy Lewis Confusion
Most of the confusion about why the state Democratic Senate leadership isn’t championing more challengers converges on Kathy Lewis, a writer and disability-rights activist who ran in a red district in 2018 and came closer to winning than anyone expected, taking 46.5 percent of the vote in this traditionally Republican, rural, urban, and suburban district, even though she was outspent more than 10-1 by a longtime
GOP incumbent. HERE
GOP incumbent. HERE
HELP HER HERE
Hillsborough County's Over Staffing Myth
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Teacher and School Board District 3 candidate Jessica Vaughn said when she visits schools she’s seen frustration with understaffing,
not an excess.
not an excess.
“This over-staffing myth is something that I have yet to see or experience or really understand where that’s coming from,” Vaughn said. Both Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins with the Hillsborough classroom teachers association and Vaughn agreed that the District should look at recent software spending before threatening teaching and support jobs. HERE
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With just a few months on the job under his belt, Davis has already spent more than $12 million on computer-based learning systems for the district, including a $3.7 million purchase from a company that employs his brother
as an executive.
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With just a few months on the job under his belt, Davis has already spent more than $12 million on computer-based learning systems for the district, including a $3.7 million purchase from a company that employs his brother
as an executive.
Ivanka Trump Rewriting History At The Columbia In Ybor City
With Pam Bondi
No word on Nancy Milan's attendance
Florida GOP Voter Suppression
In 2018, Florida voters agreed by a nearly 2-1 margin that ex-felons who have served their time should be permitted to participate in the political process. They approved a referendum (Amendment 4)
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Afraid that ex-felons would disproportionately vote Democratic, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature quickly acted to gut Amendment 4 by enacting a law (Section 0751)
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In a split that exactly tracked the party of the President who appointed them, six Republican-appointed judges outvoted four Democratic appointees to uphold Section 0751. HERE
An Accurate Census? Don’t Count on It!
Every ten years the public is reminded, through news reports, commentary, and public service announcements just how important census-inspired statistics are to our economic well being and representative government.
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Dozens of critical social services, education, and infrastructure programs depend on census-guided federal grants that provide many billions of dollars to states and local areas each year.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Bill Person On The School Board Race
Come Tuesday, November 3rd General Election Day, voters in Hillsborough County have a major opportunity to save public education, as we know it, for decades to come. In early 2020, our current school board appointed a new leader, Superintendent Addison Davis, just prior to a district shutdown due to COVID 19. This leader has restructured the entire district, from instructional delivery, to support personnel and now he is implementing across the board unit cuts, including financial paring and key personnel adjustments to affect a leaner, more efficient school district. Now is a great time to change membership on our often dysfunctional and seemingly inept school board. Let's take a critical look at the four races in districts 1,3 5 and at-large 7.
District 3: Pro-privatization and supporter of for-profit managed charter schools, Incumbent Cindy Stuart, has resigned her seat to become the newly elected Clerk of the Circuit Court. The two winners in the primary are Jessica Vaughn, an educator and businessman Mitch Thrower. These two are polar opposites. Vaughn is a real people person with a strong progressive stance toward improving public education for ALL students and instructional staff. She is opposed to vouchers, for-profit managed charter schools and privatization of public education.Thrower is supported by the private sector, which includes big bucks from the corporate world of for-profit charter schools, vouchers and privatization. He is funded by private sector friends and helpers in Tallahassee and developers and the like in our county. Thrower is another version of District 1 incumbent,Steve Cona III.
District 1 incumbent is a businessman, anti-union board member, promoter of for-profit managed charter schools,vouchers and Steve Cona, along with Stuart pressed hard in the past to privatize nearly 1500 district school custodians by moving to a contractor bid process for custodial services. He is being challenged by former teacher and educational business woman, Nadia Combs, a highly respected teacher and staff member previously employed by the school system. Combs dominated Cona in the primary election and she has a great chance to unseat this two-year incumbent who is supported by Mean-Girl Cindy Stuart and Mean-Girl Susan Valdes, a former school board member and current Florida State Representative. Valdes is also being challenged for re-election by Hillsborough classroom teacher, NPA, Laurie Rodriguez-Person and a Trump Republican supporter, Angle Urbina, in the general election.
District 5: This is an extremely heated race in the central Tampa/Temple Terrace/Seminole Heights areas between incumbent Tamara Shamburger and retired district Area Superintendent Henry "Shake" Washington. Neither have seemed greatly opposed to either Vouchers or for-profit managed Charter schools. Shamburger was initally opposed to the appointment of Superintendent Davis while Washington's campaign staff appears to be fully supportive of both Cona and Davis, Both Washington and his campaign staff and Superintendent Davis have stated publicly, "Charter Schools are here to Stay!" Political local office holder incumbents appear to lean in support of Shamburger but this race has proven to be a real show! Here, sparks really fly all the way to November.
District 7, at-large, county wide seat: This race is between incumbent and former teacher Lynn Gray and former school board member and former school district employee and private school owner Sally Harris. Gray has taught at many Hillsborough schools and also at Jesuit High School. She has the ear and support of the unions and school district employees. She is opposed to for-profit managed charter schools, generally, along with an aversion to vouchers and privatization. As a board member, she has been unafraid to "be an Army of One" pressing hard for kids, teachers and school communities. Harris was the fourth-wheel of the infamous "Mean Girls Four" along with long-gone, failed politican April Griffin, Susan Valdes and now Cindy Stuart. Harris lost her seat in 2018 to new board member and educator, Dr. Stacy Hahn, in South Tampa/South County/ South Shore areas.
As a three-time candidate, unsuccessful at that, for School Board District one in 2016, 2018 and in 2020 and as a 35 year teacher, principal, director and general director, I recommend you support and elect: Jessica Vaughn, Nadia Combs, Lynn Gray and Henry "Shake" Washington and help save our
beloved school district. Bill Person
beloved school district. Bill Person
Tampa Dems Devoid of Ideology
"Democrats with NO POLITICAL IDEOLOGY whose ENDORSEMENTS
CAN BE BOUGHT!!!"
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Seeking Sanctuary?
Our Revolution is a ideological group,
not a political party group.
Political parties shift,
they do not. Join them HERE
CAN BE BOUGHT!!!"
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Our Revolution is a ideological group,
not a political party group.
Political parties shift,
they do not. Join them HERE
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Trump/DeSantis Bromance Is Over
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“Everybody in the White House besides the president can’t stand Ron anymore because they realize, and now I think the president is realizing, that he made Ron DeSantis,
and Ron isn’t really doing anything to
help him win Florida.” HERE
and Ron isn’t really doing anything to
help him win Florida.” HERE
Tampa Bay's Small Music Venues Struggle
Most local music venues have been shut down for six months and as long as they can't welcome back large crowds, many are staying closed. Owners are pleading for financial help from all levels of government in the hopes that they can ward off permanent closure. HERE
Pro Covid Rally At Florida Target
Anti-maskers in Florida invade a Target pic.twitter.com/Z8TWbl8ihD— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) September 16, 2020
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera's Great Tour at Iron Workers Local 397
I am pushing for the City of Tampa to promote the use of apprenticeships in our contracting process. Apprenticeships in areas like iron work, welding, carpentry and electrical work, promote a pathway to economic security. Want to help fight the school to prison pipeline and promote a pipeline to the middle class for our young people? Then invest in these apprenticeship programs.
Sometime in November
City Legal will be coming back with
a draft ordinance.
a draft ordinance.
PhotoCredit: Brannon Jordan lazo
MaskUP St. Pete
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With many patterns available and additional patterns in production, you can show your individuality while protecting those around you. Let's work together to keep each other and
our community safe.
Congratulations Candy Lowe
Thank you, George Edgecomb Bar Association.
I am honored to receive the
2020 Francisco Rodriguez Award
outstanding service to the community.
Pressing forward together during these challenging times.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Tampa Berner Under Attack
By her own party!
Jessica Vaughn is running for
Hillsborough County School Board
Tampa Dem Alan Clendenin donated
to her GOP opponent. HERE
Her opponent in the primary
Alexandra Gilmore is endorsing
her GOP opponent. HERE
Her other opponent in the primary
Jennifer Hill is also endorsing him
HELP HER HERE
LOCAL BERNERS VOLUNTEER
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