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

Guest AuthorNovember 6, 2013

If we’re honest, political watchers like me hate a surprise. We are creatures of prognostication. What does the polling say? Which way are people leaning based on anecdotal information? What is our best guess at the outcome? For election night 2013, the answers to all of those questions broke in favor of Democrats, more or […]

Guest AuthorNovember 6, 2013

How many examples can you think of where Florida law is unnecessarily complex? Where loopholes — intended or not — undermine a goal? Where a fix ends up worse than the problem? For instance, take casinos. It took years of patchwork lawmaking to create the identity confusion Florida has today with gaming regulations. You can […]

Guest AuthorNovember 5, 2013

If it seems like just a couple of years ago that the Florida Department of Corrections announced the closure of seven prisons and four work camps. That’s because it is. The department’s January 2012 press release announcing the closings attributed their need to “declining prison admissions and excess bed space.” By fiscal year 2012/13 the […]

Guest AuthorNovember 5, 2013

As access to health care continues to expand, Florida policymakers have correctly noted that our state is facing a shortage of both primary-care physicians and nurses. The Florida Medical Association (FMA), an association representing more than 20,000 physicians, is taking this concern seriously. We are working toward policy solutions that will immediately address the doctor […]

Guest AuthorNovember 4, 2013

I recently attended a “town hall” event in Tampa sponsored by the Koch-brothers-funded “Americans for Prosperity.” After the presentations, I came to the conclusion that their organization should more aptly be called, “Americans for their own prosperity, and the hell with anyone else.” The first presenter was from the Foundation for Governmental Accountability, as well […]

Guest AuthorNovember 3, 2013

Ask residents of the Tampa Bay area about transportation, and you’ll likely hear some similar themes. The traffic here is terrible! When is light rail coming? When do we vote on the Greenlight Pinellas plan? You should forget what you know — or think you know — about transportation and the Tampa Bay region. The […]

Guest AuthorOctober 31, 2013

The U.S. Constitution includes very specific protection for the right of citizens to bear arms. It does not, however, mention any similar right to bear children. With that in mind, I have an idea that will reduce all types of crime and violence without explicitly infringing on the Constitution in the process. What I propose […]

Guest AuthorOctober 31, 2013

Let’s turn our attention to a moment in our history: The president of the United States is under siege from extreme right-wing groups, their anger fueled by domestic divisions as well as fear of a foreign enemy that seems determined to gain a foothold on American soil. The young president is the first of his […]

Guest AuthorOctober 31, 2013

Gov. Rick Scott and our state lawmakers tried to make Florida welfare recipients submit to drug testing. Scott also wanted state workers to be drug tested. School boards across the state have instituted random drug testing for students and teachers. The new state symbol could easily become the urine specimen collection cup, especially if Gov. […]

Guest AuthorOctober 31, 2013

Iguanas and chickens. There was a time when one could start a lively — if not particularly enlightening — Key West cocktail conversation with the invocation of just one of our free-ranging critters. No longer. Iguana and chickens are so last year. We are onto squirrels. You know, those cute things with the fuzzy question-mark […]

Guest Author

Ben Kirby: Election night good for Democrats across America

Karen Cyphers: Sensible pot laws are needed, but amendment is flawed

Doug Clifton: Being tough on crime is tough on taxpayers

Dr. Neal Dunn: Florida needs to keep family doctors from leaving state

Gary Stein: Health-care event light on facts, heavy on rhetoric

Ben Kirby: The next big thing in Tampa Bay area transportation

Jim McClellan: A modest proposal to make our streets safer

Steve Robinson: Do events of 50 years ago remind us of today’s front page?

Rick Outzen: I will, if you will, Governor Scott

Linda Cunningham: Key Westers have moved on from iguanas and chickens to squirrels