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

Guest AuthorDecember 4, 2013

Thanksgiving for us was a week in Arkansas with my parents. Despite all that time and the idyllic setting of my parents’ property, it still felt like a whirlwind trip. There is always too much to do, too much to say, and never enough time for any of it. In one of the rare moments […]

Guest AuthorDecember 3, 2013

One of Florida’s most precious resources is water. Our state is world renowned for our 1,200 miles of beaches, our springs, and more than 7,700 large lakes. Yet Florida’s water supply is more than just a tourist attraction – it’s also the heart of our agriculture industry and the source of drinking water we all […]

Guest AuthorDecember 3, 2013

Charlie Crist was on to something with his 2008 plan to cover Florida’s uninsured, but he was also its undoing. Called “Cover Florida,” it was designed to offer lower-cost options to the uninsured without mandates or tax dollars. Instead, the program was designed to use competitive negotiations between the state and insurers. The state’s pitch […]

Guest AuthorDecember 3, 2013

Normally, if a person is convicted of a crime and goes into a drug rehabilitation program, he or she often must cope with harsh consequences. But not if you’re a congressman, or for that matter any elected official. Last month, Florida Congressman Trey Radel was arrested in a Washington D.C. sting operation and charged with […]

Guest AuthorDecember 2, 2013

Thomas Knight, aka Asakari Abudullah Muhammad, is a poster boy for the death penalty. His case is also a classic study in what’s wrong with the death penalty machinery. By now you might know that once again Knight has cheated death. One of the longest-serving prisoners on Florida’s Death Row, Knight was supposed to die […]

Guest AuthorDecember 1, 2013

When is the most wonderful time of the year? December—right?—despite the many people and things that try to blur the calendar. Early October my grandson and I were shopping. As our shopping cart glided along the aisles, he excitedly exclaimed, “Look, Grandma, there’s a snowman!” He is 4 and I am nearly 15 times his […]

Guest AuthorDecember 1, 2013

‘Tis the season, the season of giving—whether giving thanks, praises, spare change, an extra tip or bonus. You name it, and it’s officially “the season” for it. For me, the beginning of “the season” is evidenced by the conversion of one of my pre-set radio stations to play Christmas and holiday tunes on a loop. […]

Guest AuthorNovember 27, 2013

What happened to the GOP philosophy of recruiting better candidates, running better campaigns and working harder to win elections? In a name, Karl Rove. Following the 2000 election, Rove took a strategic position for the 2004 election to have President Bush govern from the right and register “right-minded” voters instead of reaching out toward the […]

Guest AuthorNovember 27, 2013

The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season officially comes to a close at midnight on Saturday, November 30, and Mother Nature has again spared Florida from a major storm. Here at Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, we have been busy taking advantage of that good fortune. Citizens’ overall exposure has dropped 33 percent in the past 15 months, while […]

Guest AuthorNovember 26, 2013

In these days of warring ideologies, red vs. blue, it’s comforting to know that officeholders from either party can agree on something. Too bad it’s the wrong thing, keeping secrets from the public. The pages of our newspapers are not big enough to record the daily violations of our open-government laws, so the public only […]

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Aleksandar Vucic Image via AP

Ben Kirby: Will my children have the opportunities my parents had?

Steve Crisafulli: A commitment to address Florida’s water issues

Karen Cyphers: Too easy on insurers, Crist doomed his health-care plan

Steve Kurlander: Rep. Radel episode shows need for a political bullpen

Andrew Skerritt: Thomas Knight is poster boy for the death penalty

Rebekah McCloud: The most wonderful time of the year

Erin O’Flaherty: Let’s set aside differences – not just during this season, but all year

Jamie Miller: Rick Scott misses yet another chance to be inclusive

Barry Gilway: Goodbye 2013 Hurricane Season

Doug Clifton: Expect dark days ahead for government in the sunshine