Commentary
Grumpy rich people to public: Get off my lawn – er, public beach!
Maybe we’ve all been taking our right to stroll unfettered along Florida’s beaches for granted. Because it looks like a flap that exploded last week over public beach access way up in the Panhandle’s Walton County may be a test case for a land grab by wealthy waterfront residents to shut out the rest of […]
GOP environmentalists today: As rare as a Florida panther
In Florida, Republican environmentalists used to be a thing. And they didn’t get more prominent than Nathaniel Pryor Reed. The legendary conservationist from South Florida’s Jupiter Island died last week at the age of 84. Nat loved the woods and waters since boyhood. He spent his life trying to save wild Florida so that future […]
The boy lawmaker from the family farm grows up — into a sellout
It’s shocking how Adam Putnam doesn’t get the respect he so richly deserves. The man has something like $37 million in his campaign account. As Commissioner of Agriculture, he’s got name recognition less accomplished politicos can only dream of, what with “Adam H. Putnam” emblazoned on every gas pump from Chumuckla to Miami Beach. He […]
Scary green monster attacks South Florida
The “Green Monster” is back – a fluorescent toxic algae outbreak that’s been sliming Florida’s east and west coasts, sparking bad-news headlines and leaving ruined beach vacations in its wake. Since this is political season, Florida candidates are formally expressing Grave Concern as people living in pricey waterfront homes understandably wail about their lost property […]
Standing With The Capital
By the eeriest of coincidences, I happened to be at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., Thursday afternoon, with a group of a dozen journalists from across the country, when my phone began buzzing with news of the shooting at The Capital newsroom. How surreal to be in the shrine of our chosen profession, surrounded by artifacts […]
Introducing The Florida Phoenix
Welcome to the debut of a new media voice in the state capital – The Florida Phoenix. Our slogan, quality journalism for critical times, could not be more apropos this week, as we mourn the loss of five journalists senselessly gunned down in their Maryland newsroom – including Rob Hiaasen, a member of a fine […]
The State of Capital News
Florida’s capital city has long enjoyed a reputation for keeping track of news about the state and nation. That reputation was earned in an era when you could drive downtown in Tallahassee and stop at Dubey’s, a small bookstore and newsstand just a couple of blocks from the state’s historic old Capitol. You could buy the […]
