Florida
updated
6:22 p.m.
Hear me now and understand He's gonna find me some piece of mind And if that piece of mind won't stay I'm gonna find myself a better way And if that better way ain't so I'll ride with the tide and go with the flow And that's why I keep on shoutin' in your ear..... ...Everybody have you heard. James Taylor and Carly Simon. Mockingbird. ...
Talk to Me - 6:03 a.m.
After being appointed by the CMPA this afternoon, Jim Reeves immediately sat down and assumed the role of a CMPA board member and began voting on items. This contradicts the resolution adopted by the City Council last night, which intended for the CMPA's appointment today to not take effect until it had been approved by the Council. Mr. Reeves argued that he was now an incumbent and did not need ...
Progressive Pensacola - Fri 2:16 p.m.
We regret to report that the Community Maritime Park Associates has selected Jim Reeves as its newest member. We're disappointed, to say the least, but the battle's not lost yet. The appointment must still be approved by the City Council at its next round of meetings the week after next. As we reported yesterday, we've spoken to at least one Council member who plans to oppose Mr. Reeves' appointm...
Progressive Pensacola - Fri 1:00 p.m.
The downtown walking tour includes a history of early St. Pete, a chance to see some of the best of the buildings from the 1920's boom and an opportunity to learn about some of the architectural styles represented in the city. This month's tour will take a special insider look at the 1920's boom era Princess Martha Hotel, now fully restored and offering beautiful apartments for 55+ active adults...
Saint Petersblog - Fri 1:00 p.m.
From Scott Maxwell at the Orlando Sentinel: Orlando Republican Steve Precourt championed bill supposed to be about economic development but strayed off course Scott Maxwell TAKING NAMES Tallahassee lawmakers seem obsessed with homosexuality. The latest example? Three little words tucked into a bill that's supposed to be about job creation. The legislation would offer mi...
Equality Florida - Fri 12:43 p.m. - 3 clicks 
State Representative Rick Kriseman (D-St. Pete) has filed a house memorial that would call on President Barack Obama and the United States Congress to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. Today he will be discussing the policy and his memorial on POTUS on XM Radio Channel 130 and Sirius Channel 110. Tune in at either one of these l...
Equality Florida - Fri 10:18 a.m. - 3 clicks
Celebrate Saint Petersburg's Premier Event the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg by joining us for the Kick-Off Event this March 12th from 4 pm on. This is a full-on Pit Lane Block Party encompassing all of the Mc Nulty Block.. The Indy Car Race Experience will be on hand offering rides on our own downtown streets. Proceeds from the rides go to St. Pete's own homegrown charity Children's Drea...
Saint Petersblog - Fri 9:58 a.m. - 3 clicks
The Victory Fund’s blog, GayPolitics.com , has this post today, Is Marco Rubio Anti-Gay ? The article explores the philosophies of Rubio and Charlie Crist. Could Floridians find out too late that they voted for a staunchly anti-gay U.S. Senator? Florida’s leading GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate, Marco Rubio, doesn’t like to talk about social issues now that he’s the clear front runner for h...
Saint Petersblog - Fri 9:58 a.m. - 2 clicks
"There are many hypocrisies in our society. Most we won't do anything about in our lifetime," said Florida Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg. "But some we can chip away at incrementally." The bill ( which I track with LobbyTools ), cosponsored by Rep. Joseph Abruzzo, D-Wellington, would forbid Florida retailers from selling a list of pipes — including any made of metal, wood, acrylic, glas...
Saint Petersblog - Fri 9:07 a.m. - 3 clicks
Raise or fold. Any advanced poker player will tell you that those are the only two real options when faced with a big bet. Either your hand is strong enough to win the pot or you don't belong in the pot. Just calling, or "limping in" is a sure-fire way to lose money. Whether or not to raise or fold is the situation the state of Florida finds itself in as it attempts to deal with online poker....
Saint Petersblog - Fri 9:07 a.m. - 4 clicks
It looks like a major victory for the city of St. Petersburg. A federal judge has tossed out nine allegations in a lawsuit that accuses St. Petersburg of violating the rights of homeless people by enforcing a series of punitive ordinances. Essentially, the ruling upholds the city's right to arrest people for sleeping during the day in downtown public rights of way and storing personal property on...
The 13th Juror - Fri 8:28 a.m. - 3 clicks
Rep. Jim Frishe's cousin Didi Benami is one of twelve contestants who made it to the next round of American Idol , along with St. Petersburg native Michael Lynche. ...
Saint Petersblog - Fri 8:28 a.m. - 3 clicks
A recent New York Times investigation questioned the price tag, environmental value and the politics of the deal with U.S. Sugar to restore the Everglades. But several environmental activists say the New York Times allowed itself to be used as a tool of Crist’s enemies. The headline on the New York Times website sums it up: "A Deal to Save the Everglades Could Rescue U.S. Sugar Instead." ...
Saint Petersblog - Fri 8:28 a.m. - 3 clicks
Another day, another website goes up delivering news about Florida government and politics. Today it's Capital Soup , which, at first glance is a repository for all of the press releases coming out of Tallahassee. How novel! ...
Saint Petersblog - Fri 8:28 a.m. - 3 clicks
Marco Rubio’s meteoric rise from long-shot Republican Senate candidate to national conservative celebrity has left some in Florida’s political establishment scratching their heads. The glittery national image he’s cultivated as an ideological purebred is a striking departure from the more nuanced and pragmatic record he built in the state House over eight years, according to interviews with ...
Saint Petersblog - Fri 4:40 a.m. - 3 clicks
Mayoral candidate Craig Lowe issued a statement today decrying “hoax” fliers that have reportedly been circulated around town asking would-be voters to “Support The Gay Agenda” ahead of Tuesday’s election. Lowe’s campaign sent reporters an image of the flier in question as well as an image of a more directly anti-Lowe flier that I reported on earlier this month. Craig Lowe said that a flier, ab...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 4:04 p.m. - 5 clicks
CFrom the Reid Report , one of my favorite sites): Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy III, better known as Connie Mack, the respected Republican who used to occupy the seat now held by Bill Nelson (trivia point: his son is a U.S. Congressman and is married to Sonny Bono’s widow… just thought you should know that …) isn’t pulling a John Cornyn by backing away from his endorsement last year of Charl...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 3:05 p.m. - 4 clicks
So I was talking to my good friend Mark F. last week and he couldn't stop telling me about the new adult establishment that he visied, err, I mean opened up in his neighborhood: The Bottom 2 The Top Club. Along with SINN, the bikini dance club which opened up next to the Scientology Life Improvement Center in Decemeber , the Bottom 2 The Top Club is the second so-called Gentlemen's Club to o...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 3:05 p.m. - 4 clicks
Earlier this week, I blogged and this site reported on an incident that occurred in Florida between an atheist, Michael Middlebrooks, and Charlie Crist: Where is the media coverage beyond the atheist Web Pages? Some atheists have stated a skeptical view of this incident without proof. As Hemant Mehta says in his Friendly Atheist Blog, “But you mean to tell me Crist — a Republican candidate fo...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 1:09 p.m. - 4 clicks
Hoa Lan foods, where a fresh Bahn Mii sandwich can be had for $2.95, is closing its doors on March 31. Not exactly in the best of neighborhoods, Hoa Lan is not the most approachable store in the city. But for foodies who love to like exotic Asian fare, Hoa Lan was the place to shop. I stopped by once a week for a Bahn Mi sandwich, the Vietnamese-French staple featured in this rave review ...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 12:45 p.m. - 4 clicks
Federal Judge Steven Merryday has tossed out nine allegations in a federal lawsuit that accuses St. Petersburg of violating the rights of homeless people by enforcing a series of ordinances, scoring what appears to be a major victory for the city. In addition to the dismissals Wednesday, Merryday this morning denied class action status for the lawsuit, meaning the scope of those making the alleg...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 12:23 p.m. - 4 clicks
From Public Policy Polling : Mitt Romney is the early favorite for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination among the party's voters in Colorado and Florida. Romney also led recent polls in New Mexico and Texas, and was second behind Mike Huckabee in both Georgia and North Carolina. Sarah Palin has not had the lead in any of the six states we've polled over the last month. Florida's the firs...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 12:05 p.m. - 4 clicks
Anyone else get the feeling that the race for Florida Congressional District 10 just got a whole lot more interesting now that House Democratic leaders on Wednesday banned budget earmarks to private industry, ending a practice that has steered billions of dollars in no-bid contracts to companies and set off corruption scandals. (Not to be outdone, Congressioanl Republicans in a quick round o...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 12:05 p.m. - 3 clicks
From NBC's Mark Murray : We wonder what Florida and South Carolina political reporters will think about this (especially after the publicity that Meg Whitman's press event that wasn't a press event received yesterday): NBC producer Terry Pickard received word that Marco Rubio's fundraising events in South Carolina next week with Sen. Jim DeMint will be closed to the press. Rubio spokesperson A...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 11:24 a.m. - 5 clicks
More thoughts on the Public Policy Poll : Our polling is continuing to indicate that the biggest threat to Democrats this year is not angry voters going over to the Republicans, but apathy within the party base. The Florida Senate race is a good example of this. We find that only 8% of people who voted for Barack Obama in Florida are planning to cross over and support Marco Rubio this year. ...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 11:24 a.m. - 3 clicks
Dear Friends, It is with great pride that I look forward to joining you at Equality Florida's Miami Gala on March 21st. This event will give us the opportunity to celebrate the many victories that Equality Florida has won for the LGBT community and the many more on the horizon! I have worked with Equality Florida since my days in the Florida legislature and it has been my great hon...
Equality Florida - Thu 9:46 a.m. - 6 clicks
As some of you may know, the always-lurking Jim Reeves is a nominee to fill Judge Lacey Collier's recently-vacated seat on the Community Maritime Park Associates (CMPA) Board of Trustees. That's right, the same Jim Reeves that completely botched the Hawkshaw Eastside and Avalex deals and promised "affordable" housing in the Aragon project wants to help manage our waterfront park development. No th...
Progressive Pensacola - Thu 9:46 a.m.
Rubio Campaign: On the morning of a critical vote that will determine the future of Charlie Crist’s sweetheart bailout of one his main campaign contributors, a new report published by the Palm Beach Post reveals Crist has been on the receiving end of more than $100,000in campaign contributions from “executives, family members, attorneys and lobbyists” linked to the bailout’s beneficiary. Accordi...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 8:06 a.m. - 3 clicks
As always, Saint Petersblog is the first to bring you the latest happenings from the campaign trail, that's why I am excited to tell you that on next Wednesday, the first debate between Jack Latvala and Nina Hayden will occurat Clearwater Christian College at 10:30 p.m. Developing... ...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 8:05 a.m. - 2 clicks
The area's very own Rep. Clay Ford (R-Gulf Breeze) is the sponsor of HB 1211, a sweeping rewrite of the open meetings and public statutes collectively referred to as Florida's Sunshine Laws. The bill would combine the two currently separate statutes into one and officially designate it as the "Open Government Act," as well as effecting numerous significant changes to the law. The bill's companion...
Progressive Pensacola - Thu 7:42 a.m. - 3 clicks
Put this video from the Democratic National Committee on the rating scale on Funny or Die and it would have been found dead on arrival. This is just a stupid, stupid video. And it's not funny. ...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 7:05 a.m. - 4 clicks
Several sources have called to tell me of an, um, "heated discussion" this past weekened at Charlie Crist's event at Ovation between former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees member Deveron Gibbons. According to one account, Baker approached Gibbons and said something to the effect, 'Are you happy you got your revenge?' From there, Baker attempted ...
Saint Petersblog - Thu 7:05 a.m. - 5 clicks
Blogging will be a bit weird for the next few days. We've set it up as a minor mystery with one-word clues and music. You'll figure it out over the next few days. Broad hints start now: "Come Fly with Me," by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen ...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Wed 3:43 p.m.
We regret to report that the First District Court of Appeals has declined to support the public interest, opting instead to affirm the Community Maritime Park Associates' opinion that Florida's Sunshine Law gives citizens the right to be present at public meetings, but not to speak. The Sunshine Law has always been broadly construed in the public interest by Florida's courts. Plaintiffs Keesler a...
Progressive Pensacola - Wed 1:20 p.m. - 4 clicks
State representative Stephen Precourt (R-Orlando) has proposed using state tax dollars to promote the production of "family-friendly" movies and television productions . No surprise there. Republican office holders all across the nation are scrambling for ways to suck up to the increasingly narrow base of wackos, ignoramuses, and flat-Earthers that constitute their base. To identify HB 697 as "...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Wed 12:09 p.m. - 6 clicks
As many of you know, City Councilwoman Maren DeWeese has proposed gradually drawing down the City's reserves from 15 to 10%, in order to cover the projected FY2011 budget deficit and other issues. It's understandably a controversial proposal, so in order to promote a healthy discussion, let's look at the history of the City's general fund reserve. In 1994, at the behest of the City Manager and Fi...
Progressive Pensacola - Wed 9:40 a.m.
One hundred citizens attended last night's space forum to discuss post-Shuttle life here in Brevard County. One hundred people. I'd venture a guess that the same one hundred people would've shown up several years ago when the specter of a downsized NASA first loomed on the horizon. Either most still have their head in the not gonna happen to us sand or most are not so concerned about t...
Talk to Me - Wed 3:42 a.m.
Victory in Kissimmee! Sign on to our Thank You letter today and be included in the note we send the City Commission. What an amazing night! I'm just leaving the Kissimmee City Commission meeting where moments ago commissioners voted 4 to 1 to extend dometic partne...
Equality Florida - Tue 4:26 p.m. - 6 clicks
A few items we wanted to highlight today: Roger Scott pool delayed til July. Jamie Page of the News Journal reports that the reopening of Roger Scott pool has been delayed to July. City Engineer Derrik Owens said at yesterday's Council committee meetings that a pre-construction meeting will take place today, with construction expected to start next week and close within 90 (working) days. Meanwhi...
Progressive Pensacola - Tue 10:48 a.m.
Pensacola City Councilman P. C. Wu has filed to run for reelection to his District 1 seat. Councilman Wu was first elected to the Council in 2004. He joins newcomer Steve Fulford, who filed for the race last week. Mr. Wu becomes the seventh member of the City Council to declare his or her intentions. Mayor Mike Wiggins and Councilwoman Diane Mack are candidates for Mayor; Council members Megan Pr...
Progressive Pensacola - Tue 10:48 a.m. - 6 clicks
Guess Liz Cheney didn't read the fine print before stepping out as her father's Mini-Me. Only one deal with the devil per family. Liz must have felt herself due an extension of that contract. Why on earth else would she swift boat U.S. Justice Department attorneys in her dad's old school way? Bill Clinton nemesis Ken Starr had this to say about that. Salon (3/8/10): (....
Talk to Me - Tue 4:02 a.m.
Last month we reported homophobic smear tactics were being used in Gainesville against openly gay city commissioner Craig Lowe who is now running for Mayor. Apparently, the opposition has not gotten the memo that homophobia doesn't play well in Gainesville because they are at it again. Equality Florida Action PAC has endorsed Craig Lowe for Mayor and last week we made phone calls to peopl...
Equality Florida - Mon 5:04 p.m. - 5 clicks
While watching Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne and Senator Orrin Hatch coffee-talk progressive and obstructionist health care politics during Sunday's Meet the Press (3/7/2010), I remain uncertain which proved more priceless, the look of utter disbelief registered on Dionne's face over the blatant inconsistencies voiced by the Senator or the Senator's blatant inconsistencies. ...
Talk to Me - Mon 3:00 p.m.
An addition to today's Pensacola City Council Committee of the Whole agenda could result in the City declaring the Community Maritime Park Associates an "instrumentality" of the City and assuming control of all appointments to the board. To date, the City Council has only appointed one-third of the twelve-member board, which oversees the Community Maritime Park development. According to City staf...
Progressive Pensacola - Mon 3:00 p.m. - 5 clicks
A proposed moratorium on new permits for industrial uses within the CRA district was delayed again by the City Council today. Mayor Mike Wiggins successfully moved to again cancel planned public hearings on the issue and schedule a meeting between City staff and concerned property owners within the next 30 days. Staff originally wished to schedule public hearings to discuss the concept of such a ...
Progressive Pensacola - Mon 3:00 p.m. - 2 clicks
A few items we wanted to highlight today: Murzin on consolidation. This weekend NorthEscambia.com published a viewpoint from State Rep. Dave Murzin on the recent consolidation effort. Rep. Murzin implies that the consolidation scheme was an effort to shift the City's tax burden and pension obligations to the full population of Escambia County, and says, "It is time to fess up and be honest about ...
Progressive Pensacola - Mon 3:00 p.m. - 5 clicks
Pensacola City Councilman Ronald Townsend filed today to run for reelection to his District 7 seat. Councilman Townsend has served on the City Council since 2002. Mr. Townsend becomes the sixth member of the City Council to declare his or her intentions: Mayor Mike Wiggins and Councilwoman Diane Mack are candidates for Mayor; Council members Megan Pratt and Larry Johnson have filed for reelectio...
Progressive Pensacola - Mon 3:00 p.m. - 3 clicks
"[T]he game was to just find something about everything to be glad about -- no matter what 'twas," rejoined Pollyanna, earnestly. "And we began right then -- on the crutches." "Well, goodness me! I can't see anythin' ter be glad about -- gettin' a pair of crutches when you wanted a doll!" Pollyanna clapped her hands. "There is -- there is," she crowed. "But I couldn't see it, either, Nancy, at f...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mon 3:00 p.m. - 6 clicks
Steve Benen, Ezra Klein, Rachel Maddow, and good many others have made the point over and over and over: as things stand right now -- in fact,as they have been since Christmas -- no "reconciliation bill" is needed to pass comprehensive health care reform. All it takes is for a bare majority in the House of Representatives to pass the bill. A "super-majority" of Senators already passed late l...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Sun 10:25 a.m. - 2 clicks
Michael Moore knows how to deal with Senators like Ben Nelson: [T]his is what I will tell him in order to get his vote: "You've got exactly 30 seconds to rescind your demand or I will personally make sure that Nebraska doesn't get one more federal dollar for the rest of Obama's term. And then I will let everyone in your state know that you wear Sooner panties , backwards." ...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Sun 8:41 a.m.
We warned you . As Booman documents , once again the "proper," universally-accepted type of Sunday TV Talk Show guest is unavailable to us today: On Face the Nation , Lindsey Graham is balanced by Evan Bayh. On Meet the Press , Orrin Hatch is balanced by Harold Ford. On This Week , Mitch McConnell is balanced by no one. On Fox News Sunday , Mitt Romney is balanced by no one. On Sta...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Sun 8:41 a.m. - 5 clicks
Glenn Greenwald (in the Update section) is uncommonly generous to Wolf Blitzer: Credit where it's due, I suppose, though the use of those chyrons was only a part of the journalistic heinousness in how CNN and Blitzer covered that story. As it happens, Blitzer didn't mention his Twitter message promoting the "intense debate about Obama Justice Dept. bringing in lawyers who previously represen...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mar 6
From Friday, March 5, 2010, News Hour with Jim Lehrer : Index Rahm Emanue l: .10-3:00 Congressional Corruption : 3:11-6:30 Health Care Reform : 6:31-8:26 Unfunctional, Untrustworthy Senate : 8:26-10:35 Texas and Florida Primaries : 11:21-12:47 ...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mar 6 - 3 clicks
Reporter Kimberly Blair covered yesterday's SRIA meeting about the latest beach re-do plan . [ "Beach's Future Cloudy" ] Her lede resonates with most beach residents and businesses in attendance: "Slow down. Scale down. And too expensive." [M]any people were concerned about committing so much money to beach improvements during tough economic times, especially when the beach is just now recov...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mar 6 - 7 clicks
Mary Jacoby of Main Justice grabbed a quote from Anthony Romero , executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, on Friday "dump day" rumors that President Obama's "advisers are 'nearing a recommendation' that the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , return to a military tribunal for prosecution." Here's what Romero said: ...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mar 5
Some people are alleging that CNN's Wolf Blitzer is a Pedophile. There is "intense" interest in the issue on the part of the public. Since Twitter is covering it , it must be "news." Indeed, it's "become quite the controversy." Therefore, we are obligated to let you know about it . ...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mar 5 - 3 clicks
CNN "journalist" Wolf Blitzer, accused of being a pedophile rather than a child molester, has declined to deny the allegations. Rumors of his imminent resignation also have gone unanswered. ...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mar 5 - 2 clicks
... we'll have to Go-oh. Arizona has the largest budget gap in the country when measured as a percentage of its overall budget, and the state Department of Transportation was $100 million in the red last fall when it decided to close 13 of the state’s 18 highway rest stops. But the move has unleashed a torrent of telephone calls and e-mail messages to state lawmakers, newspapers and the De...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mar 5 - 2 clicks
You know, the world is a tiny place. I'm kicked back on the couch Thursday morning, nursing a sinus infection and considering my choice of television programming--the Florida Legislature in action. As one can observe bills pass though committee for only so long, I flipped over to the equally soothing Washington Journal to join the C-SPAN call-in crowd in full-scale health care ref...
Talk to Me - Mar 5 - 3 clicks
Wolf Blitzer is no Edward R. Murrow, as Glenn Greenwald conclusively explains. Edward R. Murrow led the media attack on the McCarthyism of the 1950s. Wolf Blitzer plays mindless, amiable, neutral, amplifying host to identical smear campaigns of today. That collapse says all one needs to know about much of modern establishment political journalism in the United States. In one of history's ir...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mar 5
There have been many studies suggesting that married people enjoy better health than single people. Here is just another study from Israel, echoing the same results. So the denial of marriage rights for gay men and women is actually an assault on the health of our community. The leaders of the movement for marriage equality need to start touting the health benefits of marriage, while objecting str...
Equality Florida - Mar 4
UPDATED BELOW Beach lovers will recognize something very unusual with the latest commercial core re-do plan for Pensacola Beach. Remember the original plan, unveiled in January? Someone finally is thinking outside the "parking-ramp box," just as we pleaded. The old parking ramp plan had its most recent germination two or three years ago when SRIA general manager Buck Lee openly began lust...
Pensacola Beach Blog - Mar 4 - 7 clicks
powered by Change.org Start a Petition » change_setup('300', '27683', '#dc0000'); ...
The 13th Juror - Mar 4 - 5 clicks
An investigative story appears in today St. Petersburg Times that uncovers Florida's near negligent treatment of 1900 children who have recently aged out of our foster care system with out ever having been adopted. The Independent Living Program is a $35 million state run program that is supposed to help former foster children become functioning adults by helping them to pursue an education, le...
Equality Florida - Mar 4 - 4 clicks
Once again, Broward County is blazing new trails for the rights of LGBTQA students in Florida. Tuesday, March 2nd the school board unanimously passed a resolution in full support of The National Day Of Silence. The National Day of silence is a national student led action that takes place every year in protest of the epedemic of bullying and harrassment against LGBTQA students. Resolutions like ...
Equality Florida - Mar 3 - 6 clicks
By a unanimous vote yesterday, the Lake Worth City Commission passed a resolution calling for repeal of Florida's adoption ban - the most notorious anti-gay state law in the country. Kudos to Allan Hendricks who led the effort for Equality Florida. Here's his account from commission chambers: I'm sittin g here with tears in my eyes. Why? Last night, I got to watch the Lake Worth ...
Equality Florida - Mar 3 - 7 clicks
As a homeless man was being beaten by four young men, witnesses by the downtown strip mall where the unprovoked attack occurred simply looked on. None bothered to call 911. Now the police are hoping for better from those who saw the 41-year-old man set upon without warning by attackers, who left their victim with injuries that include a broken nose, possible broken ribs and soft-tissue damage to ...
The 13th Juror - Mar 3
This may be The Flu Season That Fizzled ( Wall Street Journal , 3/2/10), but all the hand sanitizers cluttering my desk in tandem with extreme hand washing serenaded by several run-throughs of The Alphabet Song did nothing but prolong my introduction to whatever bug is currently buzzing through my neck of the woods. So as I struggle through my early morning routine feeling less than...
Talk to Me - Mar 3
Equality Florida, Senator Sobel and Representative Randolph have teamed up to introduce a resolution that would condemn policies that advocate or incite violence against LGBT people and people living with HIV/AIDS. SB 2383 was prompted by the sweeping anti-gay Ugandan law that was introduced in October 2009. The bill would require the death penalty for people found to be "homosexuals" and requ...
Equality Florida - Mar 2 - 4 clicks
Image via Wikipedia A bill to extend expiring unemployment benefits to nearly 50,000 Floridians is held up in the U.S. Senate due to Bunning's objections, his political agenda of "No." Kendrick Meek: "Florida's families are experiencing insult after injury because ideology is trumping public policy. This is what happens when politicians put party philosophy first, and people last." Nearly...
Change In Talahassee - Mar 2 - 5 clicks
Image via Wikipedia A bill to extend expiring unemployment benefits to nearly 50,000 Floridians is held up in the U.S. Senate due to Bunning's objections, his political agenda of "No." Kendrick Meek: "Florida's families are experiencing insult after injury because ideology is trumping public policy. This is what happens when politicians put party philosophy first, and people last." Nearly...
Change In Talahassee - Mar 2 - 3 clicks
AIDS Walk Orlando 2010 will take place on April 24th. Join Equality Florida's team of walkers in support of a great cause, the Hope and Help Center of Central Florida. H ope and Help's mission is to save lives by treating and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Central Florida. Now in its 15th year, AIDS Walk Orlando continues to raise awareness and funds for the men, women and ...
Equality Florida - Mar 2 - 3 clicks
Y'all vote for me now, ya hear? is a question U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison likely never thought she'd have to ask. Yet as Texas voters cast their vote for governor in today's primary, Texas Tea Party candidate Debra Medina may prove a spoiler for whom the Dallas Morning News calls the major candidates: Hutchison and incumbent Rick Perry. Medina sprang to national attention a...
Talk to Me - Mar 2
One of Equality Florida's strongest champions in the Florida Legislature, Rep. Rick Kriseman, is stepping up again on behalf of Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. He just filed a measure called a House Memorial (HM 1459) urging Congress and the President to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," a discriminatory policy that requires LGBT service members to lie about who th...
Equality Florida - Mar 1 - 3 clicks
I've never been big on SeaWorld. The long-running commercial featuring Shamu propelling up from beneath his artificial ocean to plant a delicate kiss on the offered cheek of a random child seemed to me a horrific accident just waiting to happen. I pondered how the whale differentiated human being from baby seal, but figured the trainers had the stunt perfected to such a degree, who was ...
Talk to Me - Mar 1
This week Equality Florida attended a statewide gathering of business leaders in Tallahassee. Public Policy Director,Mallory Wells attended a series of events to discuss the Florida Competitive Workforce Act , a bill that would add protections for LGBT people in employment and housing. (Left: Mallory Wells, Public Policy Director with Governor Charlie Crist at Wednesday's gathering.) ...
Equality Florida - Feb 26 - 4 clicks
