Commentary
More women are running for president than any time in U.S. history: How cool is that?
UPDATED Check it out: There are more women running for president right now than at any time in American history. We have six women (four of them sitting U.S. senators) vying for president in 2020 – all Democrats. We also have 102 women serving in Congress – the largest contingent in American history. When the […]
Sandy D’Alemberte: A legal giant who fought for the little guys
On the day former Florida State University President Talbot “Sandy’’ D’Alemberte died, a young lawyer named Jose Godinez-Samperio learned he had just won an appeal on behalf of 17-year-old woman who had been facing jail. Godinez-Samperio was one of thousands of young “dreamers’’ brought to this country by his parents when he was 9 years […]
Who says American elected officials have to stay in America to do their jobs?
Why all the fuss about Gov. DeSantis, the Florida Cabinet, and 94 of his besties making a little pilgrimage to the Holy Land? When the Count of Toulouse set off for Jerusalem in 1096, he brought with him a dozen clerics, at least 40 nobles, and a few thousand French soldiers, plus his wife and […]
Government researchers sound alarm over spraying antibiotics on FL citrus
If you drive by an orange grove these days and see someone spraying the trees, it may be antibiotics in that mist. They are spraying streptomycin and oxytetracycline – antibiotics often used on people. The Trump administration in December gave the go-ahead for agricultural operations to spray antibiotic pesticides on nearly a half-million acres of Florida […]
Florida’s attack on young people’s access to abortion care aims to topple key Roe v. Wade court decision
This year, abortion opponents across the country have doubled-down on their efforts to attack Roe v. Wade, passing ban after outright ban on abortion care. This comes after decades of anti-abortion politicians chipping away at abortion access and pushing care out of reach for so many – especially young people. Florida has a shameful history […]
Stop! Just stop playing politics with Hurricane Michael victims
Ever been to Seaside, the “New Urbanist” community in Walton County? It’s gorgeous: front porches, picket fences, bike paths, glossy magnolia trees, and even glossier people. I spent a week there earlier this month and didn’t encounter a single florescent Redneck Riviera t–shirt or Spring Breaker bar smelling of spilled beer. Seaside is the perfect […]
“All Voters Vote:” The campaign for open election primaries in Florida
There has been a real Washingtonization of politics in Florida. Gridlock, hyper-partisanship, corruption, favors for moneyed interests — politics in Florida have become toxic. So many promises have been broken and commitments betrayed, all within the prism of party politics. It’s no wonder that a survey of Florida voters found 93% want elected leaders that put […]
Talk about a throwback. The Florida Legislature’s hellish time travels
Your legislators have left Tallahassee. But not before they voted Florida back to 1877. Old times not forgotten! Good times! Only God’s chosen were allowed to exercise the franchise, you could dump any damn thing into the rivers and the lakes, dredge and drain and build any damn thing you wanted on your property, and […]
Keeping watch on our state politicians
The policies that impact citizens the most don’t happen in Washington – they happen at state Capitols. National lobbyists know this, and that’s why they deploy armies to descend on places like Sacramento, Albany, Atlanta, and Tallahassee. They find willing politicians to slip corporate-friendly amendments into legislation. Often they just write the bills themselves or […]
Teacher union president: Do state lawmakers want Florida’s kids to fail?
Do state lawmakers want Florida’s kids to fail? They say they don’t. This year we’ve heard lots of nice words from politicians about “ensuring every child has a world-class education,” “family empowerment” and providing students with “opportunity, regardless of their ZIP code or status.” But actions speak louder than talking points, and the message is […]
Want to know about a crime in your neighborhood? New law is making it tough to get details
It was the talk of the neighborhoods near a leafy Tallahassee subdivision called Killearn Estates. On Jan. 12, a body was found at a major intersection at Killarney Way and Shamrock Street, where thousands of cars pass each day. Tallahassee police would not talk about it for a full 48 hours. Social media accounts were […]
Who needs trees? We want toll roads!
Trees! What have the bastards ever done for you? Trees just sit there sucking up that CO2 we manufacture for them with our Escalades and our F-150s, and how do they repay us? By dropping pollen on us all spring and falling over on purpose during football season, knocking out the TV right when you […]