Guest Author, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorSeptember 16, 2014

The great divide in education is not between the haves and the have-nots, the smart kids and the ones who struggle, the white kids and kids of color. Those differences are all very real, but a decade of driving up and measuring performance has proven they are surmountable by effective teaching, parents who care and […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 15, 2014

On Sept. 10, I flew from Boston to Fort Lauderdale on JetBlue just before 8 p.m. That meant we would be airborne during President Barack Obama’s speech at 9 p.m., outlining his plan to destroy ISIS (or ISIL as he calls it). Well before the president began to speak, on the TV monitor at my […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 15, 2014

A recent “fluff” piece by political writer Anthony Man in the Sun Sentinel reported that Florida Congressman Ted Deutch has become a vegan. He says he’s lost “25 pounds” and that his “health has definitely improved as a result.” Citing his long day where he finds himself not eating many homemade meals and faced with […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 15, 2014

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive in Florida, despite federal tax and trade policies that discourage it. It is especially strong among recent immigrants who — like the Cuban refugees before them — fled countries such as Venezuela, where an authoritarian government seems bent on destroying the private-sector economy. Unfortunately, despite Florida excellent business climate, starting […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 14, 2014

I haven’t said much about the Ray Rice scandal. I have, of course, followed it closely, but I don’t often open up about my history. Then I read about the #WhyIStayed movement on Twitter and it hit home for me. The way the NFL handled this situation is the exact reason #WhyIStayed. More than a […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 11, 2014

The following commentary about Amendment 2 was signed by seven former justices of the Florida Supreme Court, including five who served as chief justice: Parker Lee McDonald, Leander J. Shaw Jr., Stephen H. Grimes, Major B. Harding, Charles T. Wells, Raoul G. Cantero III, and Kenneth B. Bell: As former Florida Supreme Court justices, we […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 11, 2014

There was a different mood on the streets of London in early September 2001. Of course, some of the London suburbs had already taken on an Arabic flavor, but downtown was a different story on most days. London was always a very cosmopolitan city, filled with people in all kinds of attire, from all over […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 10, 2014

Michael Brown was “no angel,” The New York Times reported, and “a handful” who later “overcame early struggles in school to graduate on time.” Trayvon Martin was a polite, shy volunteer, CNN informed us, while pointing out his 10-day drug-related suspension from school. Some media sources don’t attempt to show both “problems and promise.” Brown […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 9, 2014

De facto, the United States has devolved into a theocracy. Religion — or, more exactly what a relative handful of schemers has perpetrated in the name of religion — has trashed the Constitution. The Founders would be appalled. But, either because they are afraid of burning in hell or, more importantly, not getting or staying […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 9, 2014

Last week’s Tampa Bay Times/Bay News 9/UF Bob Graham Center poll on Amendment 2, which would legalize medical marijuana, indicates that only 56.7 percent of likely voters are supporting the amendment. This is certainly good news for those of us who oppose the amendment, but much can change. What is significant about the poll is […]

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This exhibit celebrates late-blooming artistry, proving it’s never too late for bold creativity.

Don Gaetz: Scholarship lawsuit threatens best interests of students, taxpayers

Stephen Goldstein: Everything that’s wrong with America I saw at 30,000 feet

Steve Kurlander: Legislators should bring good nutrition, not pork, back to their districts

J. Robert McClure: Congress members should fight fed policies that hurt business, trade

Michelle Todd: Ray Rice punch hits home; abused women must leave abusers

Former Florida justices: Why those who are both for and against medical marijuana oppose Amendment 2

Ed Moore: Recalling the mood in London in early September 2001

Laurie Uttich: Don’t label teens dying in our streets — we mourn them all

Stephen Goldstein: Don’t oppose same-sex marriage in God’s name, or she’ll get even

Barney Bishop: Support for passage of medical marijuana amendment slipping