Elevator pitch

Phil AmmannDecember 19, 2016

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott announced 14 appointments to a variety of state boards and commissions. Pinellas County Housing Authority Scott began by reappointing Joseph Triolo and Michael Guju to the Pinellas County Housing Authority. Triolo, 59, of Saint Petersburg, is a program manager for Duke Energy. He is reappointed for a term ending Jan. […]

Phil AmmannDecember 16, 2016

Every politician has his or her own way of countering potentially hostile or adverse questions. For example, take Gov. Rick Scott; he stares intensely, making the act of getting through questions a bit more difficult than it might be otherwise. Rep. Corrine Brown goes on the counterattack, betting the reporter will get flustered. Former Jacksonville […]

Phil AmmannDecember 14, 2016

Jeff Atwater is the latest statewide leader throwing his support behind a second term for Republican Party of Florida Chair Blaise Ingoglia. “The grassroots of our party should elect our Chairman,” Florida’s chief financial officer said in a statement Wednesday. “I don’t tell the grassroots how to vote. But, I have a responsibility to tell […]

Phil AmmannDecember 9, 2016

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott announced seven appointments to state boards and commissions. Board of Governors of the State University System Scott began by appointing Sydney Kitson to the Board of Governors of the State University System. Kitson, 58, of West Palm Beach, is CEO of Kitson & Partners. He received his bachelor’s degree from […]

Phil AmmannDecember 9, 2016

In an unusual political year, 2016 has been one that turned the confident predictions of last December into so much fodder to be walked back during the end-of-year story packages. With that in mind, why not address one more surprise from Duval County before we wrap up this year altogether? Both the Duval Democrats and […]

Phil AmmannDecember 6, 2016

In a pair of Context Florida columns titled, “The Shame of Florida,” Darryl Paulson has documented how Florida infamously leads the nation in the number of people—1.7-million—who are permanently barred from voting as ex-felons regardless of whether they are good citizens now. In Florida, as in Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee and other former Confederate states, these […]

Phil AmmannNovember 28, 2016

Late on the afternoon of Oct. 8, 1966, the Florida State University football team was trailing its archrival, the University of Florida, 19 to 22. With 26 seconds remaining, FSU quarterback Gary Pajcic threw a 45-yard pass to the visitors’ end zone. Lane Fenner, a wide receiver fresh off the bench, had outraced two Florida […]

Phil AmmannNovember 23, 2016

When Donald Trump arrives at his Mar-a-Lago resort for Thanksgiving, it won’t be the first time a president-elect has used Palm Beach as his vacation refuge. John Kennedy‘s family estate, known during his term as the Winter White House, is seven miles north at the other end of Ocean Drive. Like Kennedy’s visits, Trump’s trips […]

Phil AmmannNovember 22, 2016

New House Speaker Richard Corcoran expects funding requests for Florida’s top jobs agency to move through his chamber’s committees, despite his strong personal objections to taxpayer-financed economic incentives. Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida reports Gov. Rick Scott is requesting $85 million in incentives for a broad range of business deals to attract businesses to Florida. […]

Phil AmmannNovember 21, 2016

Since winning the presidential election, Donald Trump has become more popular with Americans, a new poll of registered voters shows. According to a survey conducted by POLITICO/Morning Consult Nov. 16-18, 45 percent of voters now have either a very favorable or somewhat favorable opinion of Trump. Twelve percent say they have a somewhat unfavorable opinion […]

Phil Ammann

Rick Scott announces 14 board appointments

Jacksonville Bold for 12.16.16 – Subject matter expert

Jeff Atwater latest to support Blaise Ingoglia re-election as Florida GOP chair

Rick Scott announces seven appointments

Jacksonville Bold for 12.09.16 — “Party all the time”

Martin Dyckman: End the ‘shame’ by restoring voting rights to ex-felons

Martin Dyckman: Hillary Clinton, Democrats must now live with futile victory, anachronism

Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving trip will focus attention on small, wealthy Palm Beach; stepped up security on tap

Despite philosophical differences, Richard Corcoran expects House committees to consider incentive requests

Donald Trump popularity rising post-election, new poll shows