For Florida's 11 universities, the political savvy of their new chancellor could help mend recent tense relations and budget tussles with the Legislature. Two months into the job, Brogan, 56, is focused on thawing the ice. A former education commissioner, he is well-versed enough in Florida politics to know universities [...]
Tampa Bay area political parties are scaling back in these tough times — except the Pinellas County Republican Party. There, under new chairman J.J. Beyrouti, spending is up even as donations are down. The local party spent $103,000 the first nine months of this year, a 59 percent spike over [...]
Our friends at Bay News 9 ran into Gov. Charlie Crist this morning serving meals to the homeless in St. Petersburg. During the conservation, Bay New 9 reporter Josh Rojas asked Crist if he was thankful for the PolitiFact on Marco Rubio's tax record.
Here's what Crist said:
"I'm thankful for [...]
The state's response: no thanks. Keep your money.
Kottkamp, a Republican candidate for attorney general, [...]
"I have never voted for a tax increase," Rubio says on his campaign Web site. "While I generally support tax cuts, I believe meaningful tax reform that simplifies our tax code, makes it easier to understand and is more fair to the taxpayer should be [...]
Trying to convey broad support for President Obama's decision to vow greenhouse emissions cuts in an upcoming visit to Denmark, the White House tonight released statements from a host of prominent officials. Among them: Lew Hay, CEO of Florida Power & Light.
"We commend the president for his efforts and [...]
With U.S. Senate Democrats just barely scrounging up the 60 votes to avoid a GOP filibuster on health care, Orlando congressman Alan Grayson is trying to gain public support for a proposal to drop the threshold to 55 votes. "We've got a problem with democracy," Grayson said on MSNBC. Below' [...]
Minutes after House Speaker Larry Cretul’s statement, comes one from Senate President Jeff Atwater, which was much more certain of the upcoming session:
“As you know, we have been working diligently with our partners in the Florida House and Governor’s Office to develop comprehensive legislation that will establish statewide policy… [...]
Legislators might not be thankful for this heads-up: Senate President Jeff Atwater and House Speaker Larry Cretul just sent letters to members in their respective chambers to notify them that if negotiations continue to move positively, a special session on commuter and high-speed rail could be called Monday -- to [...]
This just in from Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul, who clearly didn’t want to go too far in committing to a special session:
“This is to provide each of you with the best information I have available about the possibility of a special session in December.
“Constructive conversations in recent… [...]
Word is that legislative leaders and Gov. Charlie Crist are close to a deal on Tri-Rail, SunRail and high-speed rail, and could call a special session as early as next week.
Crist said he preferred the week of Dec. 7, but the Legislature might meet before then to avoid running into Hannukah.
Expect Sen. Paula Dockery of [...]
Gov. Charlie Crist just released the executive order to reschedule the special election to fill Congressman Robert Wexler's seat. The original date conflicted with Passover. Now it will be held April 13, 2010.
Read the order here: Download Wexler Executive Order 09-265
[...]State Sen. Paula Dockery, who announced a couple of weeks ago that she’s running for governor, is kicking off the opening of her Lakeland campaign headquarters on Monday with an open house.
The campaign office for the Republican is at 1037 South Florida Ave., Suite No. 130, in in Lakeland’s… [...]
She's not an official candidate for state attorney general, but Pam Bondi gave a sense of what she might be like on the campaign trail at a meeting of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans Tuesday night. She spoke to about 20 people -- including state house candidates Irene Guy and [...]
She's not an official candidate for state attorney general, but Pam Bondi gave a sense of what she might be like on the campaign trail at a meeting of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans Tuesday night. She spoke to about 20 people -- including state house candidates Irene Guy and [...]
An attorney for the Pinellas County Housing Authority has ripped former mayoral candidate and authority board member Deveron Gibbons in a report on the canceled project to build a joint headquarters with the St. Petersburg Housing Authority. The report criticized the city authority, too.
Gov. Charlie Crist bragged the other night that all his chiefs of staff have been from Broward County, forming a "Broward County connection."
Accused Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein was from there as well. And he gave loads of money to Crist and the Republican party. Did George LeMieux (now [...]
SEMINOLE -- City Council member Dan Hester closed out Tuesday's meeting by announcing he won't be running again in March.
Hester, 54, cited his heavy workload as president and CEO of the Florida Capital Bank Special Assets Department as the reason for his decision. Hester, [...]
As expected, the Florida Supreme Court approved the permanent disbarment of alleged Ponzi schemer and major political donor Scott Walter Rothstein. The order, signed by the court's clerk, allows the Florida Bar to recover $1,250 in costs from Rothstein, though it might be difficult considering those at the front of [...]
Rich Text Area.
The Rubio camp sent out this transcript of Rush Limbaugh on the Republican Senate race:
“I like Rubio. …
Former House Speaker Marco Rubio, ex-Senate President Ken Pruitt and Senate budget writer Lisa Carlton are potential witnesses in the House investigation of Rep. Ray Sansom, according to new documents that portend a high profile, [...]
Well, it took awhile, but Gov. Charlie Crist finally suspended accused Ponzi schemer and major political donor Scott Rothstein from the Fourth DCA Judicial Nominating Commission.
Crist just release the executive order, which comes about three weeks after the initial reports of Rothstein's alleged misdeeds. He also has appointed William [...]
ST. PETERSBURG -- Who's to blame for Kathleen Ford's failed mayoral bid?
The St. Petersburg Democratic Club sent out an e-mail Tuesday that named plenty of potential culprits:
DEMOCRATS DISUNITY DOOMED FORD
Message matters. Campaign themes count. And a candidate’s off-the-cuff comments can be fatal.
Those are the some of the lessons that the [...]
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement released its final report today in its investigation into the Public Service Commission and concluded, as expected, no criminal wrongdoing. Download PSC Report
What is newsworthy is that PSC Commissioner Nathan Skop was the one who first brought the issue to state investigators on [...]
Tampa police chief Jane Castor will be the featured speaker at the Hillsborough County GLBTA Democratic Caucus meeting on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at Perkins Restaurant, 612 N. Dale Mabry Highway. When Mayor Pam Iorio tapped Castor to lead the police department in September, she became the city's first [...]
Charlie Crist acknowledged in an interview that it may not look like he's 100 percent focused on Florida, when he's spending so much time raising money out of state for his Senate race. "One of the things I like the least about what I do is having to raise money...I [...]
THE VILLAGES -- Lori Pitner walked back to her place in line at Barnes & Noble, holding her toothbrush and tooth paste.
The 46-year-old stay-at-home mom and Sunday school teacher from Tavares, Fla., arrived here with her posse -- a girlfriend who is running for U.S. Congress and several children -- [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled on Dec. 7 to hear Florida v. Powell, a Miranda rights case that could affect law enforcement around the country and untold numbers of other prosecutions.
The state is appealing the Florida Supreme Court’s finding that Tampa police violated the rights of Kevin Dewayne… [...]
Robert Stacy McCain details the scandal still blooming!
Rich Lowry posts the true tale.....
YEPPERS, Insty Has The Stuff
A special lawmaking session over high-speed and commuter rail inched closer Monday as legislative leaders and the governor said they were ready to tap surplus money discovered in the transportation budget rather than raise taxes on rental cars.
The surplus money -- about $76 million for the current and [...]
ST. PETERSBURG -- City Council member Karl Nurse is trying to stop Mayor Rick Baker and the City Council from adding to the city's healthy reserves.
Here's the e-mail he sent out to social service groups:
Folks,
The St. Petersburg City Council will hold a public hearing Monday at 6 PM [...]
Vowing to save the state $5 million, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said Monday she's asking legislators to make it easier for her office to go paperless to collect payments from vendors. The proposed legislation would allow her to require electronic funds transfer payments, [...]
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.....
