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

Jac VerSteegJune 28, 2015

It’s hard to be a straight-down-the-line Catholic and maintain logical consistency. It’s easier to be a cafeteria Catholic, picking and choosing which church positions to embrace. It’s even easier to be – as I am – a cafeteria non-Catholic; we don’t have to feel guilty about diverging from the Vatican’s official line. The Most Rev. […]

Jac VerSteegJune 22, 2015

I have to believe Jeb Bush when he says he wouldn’t let his priest – or even the pope – dictate his economic policy. In fact, if you take Jeb’s recent statements about religion seriously, an obvious conclusion is that Jeb doesn’t take his religion seriously. “I hope I’m not going to get castigated for […]

Jac VerSteegJune 21, 2015

I have to believe Jeb Bush when he says he wouldn’t let his priest – or even the pope – dictate his economic policy. In fact, if you take Jeb’s recent statements about religion seriously, an obvious conclusion is that Jeb doesn’t take his religion seriously. “I hope I’m not going to get castigated for […]

Jac VerSteegJune 15, 2015

“He did nothing wrong. He was afraid for his life. I commend him for his actions.” Those words were, in effect, Alberto Iber’s resignation letter. The Miami high school principal – excuse me, the former Miami high school principal – posted those fateful words online on a Miami Herald comment page. Iber was defending the […]

Jac VerSteegJune 10, 2015

In one of the more bizarre cases I’ve seen, a Palm Beach County woman has just agreed to a plea bargain that requires her to perform 20 hours of community service. Her crime: Waiting too long to kill her dog. Debbie Mays, who lives in Wellington in Palm Beach County, was charged with animal cruelty […]

Jac VerSteegJune 8, 2015

One result of former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s indictment is that Wheaton College has removed Hastert’s name from its J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy. In a news release the college, in Wheaton, Illinois, said: “In light of the charges and allegations that have emerged, the College has re-designated the […]

Jac VerSteegJune 4, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday vetoed a law – House Bill 1087 – that would have created protections for Florida homeowners who have insurance from Citizens, the state-run insurer of last resort. Scott said he thought the bill would hinder efforts to depopulate Citizens. But from my experience, he got things exactly backwards. Specifically, the […]

Jac VerSteegJune 3, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday vetoed a law – House Bill 1087 – that would have created protections for Florida homeowners who have insurance from Citizens, the state-run insurer of last resort. Scott said he thought the bill would hinder efforts to depopulate Citizens. But from my experience, he got things exactly backwards. Specifically, the […]

Jac VerSteegJune 1, 2015

Mark Foley slowly has been returning to respectability. The former congressman from Palm Beach County resigned in 2006 after the public learned he had sent sexually-charged messages to male former congressional pages. Now, the emerging Dennis Hastert scandal is reminding Floridians of Foley’s misdeeds. After quitting Congress, Foley stayed out of sight for a while. […]

Jac VerSteegMay 27, 2015

Two items in Wednesday morning’s Sunburn really frosted me. Both Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush are trolling for evangelical Christian votes by peddling the line that Christians in America are being persecuted. This appeals to the evangelicals’ penchant for seeing themselves as victims – a stance that bolsters their willingness to make victims of others, […]

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Archbishop draws strange parallel between Dred Scott, gay marriage

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Jeb Bush’s view of religion knocks off some commandments

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Jeb Bush’s view of religion knocks off some commandments

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Miami principal inept but didn’t deserve ouster

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Woman's crime? Waiting too long to kill beloved pet

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Dennis Hastert teaches a lot about economics, government and public policy

Gov. Rick Scott’s veto hinders effort to woo homeowners away from Citizens

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Gov. Rick Scott's veto hinders effort to woo homeowners away from Citizens

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Dennis Hastert scandal an unwelcome reminder of Mark Foley’s disgrace

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio don't know what's good for Christianity