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

Bill PrescottNovember 24, 2015

The sensationalized attacks by ISIS terrorist in Paris and the allegations that one or more had entered Europe as “Syrian refugees” suddenly awoke shaken (and clueless) Americans to an enormous, ongoing humanitarian disaster that’s changing the world as we know it. The Parisian attacks got Americans nervous again about Islamic terrorism. ISIS effectively took the […]

Bill PrescottNovember 23, 2015

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for family. This year, I’m particularly grateful that I got to meet a descendant of my Wild West relatives. I’d never been to Jackson Hole, but when our plane landed in August, the picturesque Wyoming town felt familiar. The Grand Tetons, dotted with pines, rise abruptly around the […]

Bill PrescottNovember 18, 2015

Just before Halloween, Yale sent out a message to students, asking that they consider other students’ cultural sensitivities when dressing in costume. Asking grown people to not act like jerks is tedious, but this message seemed appropriate to some students who feel marginalized on Yale’s campus. An email went out afterward from Erika Christakis, a […]

Bill PrescottOctober 26, 2015

Term limits have spelled disaster for the Florida Legislature – erasing experience, dumbing down the process, and leaving lobbyists even more firmly in control. It was the achievement of people who preferred to weaken government rather than improve it. Florida being Florida, it figures that some people now propose to do the same to the […]

Bill PrescottSeptember 24, 2015

Public education consumes almost 30 percent of Florida’s budget. So what are taxpayers getting for that investment, which this is year about $22.9 billion, compared to other states? Florida TaxWatch, a government watchdog think tank that evaluates government spending, has created its own guide to help answer that question: How Florida Compares – Education. The […]

Bill PrescottAugust 26, 2015

Writer, international scholar, FSU English professor, opinion columnist and environmentalist Diane Roberts entertained a crowd of North Florida Democrats Tuesday evening with her incisive wit and pointed observations about the state of Florida and its leaders. Referring to herself as “that professor conservatives warn you about,” Roberts let fly a quiverful of bon mots as […]

Bill PrescottAugust 10, 2015

From the people determined to bring you Unplanned Parenthood, another fiesta of misogyny. On July 29, Rick Scott loudly announced investigations of Florida clinics that perform cancer screenings, HIV services, Pap tests, contraceptive care, stop-smoking programs, STD treatment, gynecological exams, and yes, abortions. The state Agency for Healthcare Administration cited four clinics: one for improper […]

Bill PrescottAugust 5, 2015

Whether you love him or hate him (I don’t think there’s an in-between), you have to admit Donald Trump has established his personal brand and fortune throughout the years by being extremely brash, creative, and smart: all with a very flippant attitude. Whether you like him or not, you have to admit that first in […]

Bill PrescottJuly 15, 2015

Recently, a political operative in South Florida forwarded me a new grassroots outreach email called “The Curl” being sent by Florida Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The preface reads: “Friend — introducing The Curl, your close-up look at Debbie’s work for South Florida.” “Looks like she stole your name Kurly, LOL” my friend wrote. […]

Bill PrescottJuly 14, 2015

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled the state’s congressional maps don’t meet requirements of a voter-approved constitutional amendment prohibiting political lines drawn to favor incumbents or political parties. The court ordered the Legislature to redraw the maps These are 10 big questions looming over Florida politics: 1. Will the Legislature appeal? USFSP political science emeritus […]

Bill Prescott

Steven Kurlander: Banning Refugees could diminish American exceptionalism

Sally Swartz: Western roots flavor family thanks

Catherine Durkin Robinson: 20 things social justice warriors should know

Martin Dyckman: Judiciary term limits? Bad idea

Shannon Nickinson: Make sure schools measure up as a top Florida feature

Diane Roberts skewers ruling class during Tallahassee talk

Diane Roberts: GOP takes its lady-parts jihad to Planned Parenthood

Steven Kurlander: Donald Trump “phenomenon” defines new age of American ShockReality politics

Steven “Kurly” Kurlander: Curly Politics defined: Only “Kurly,” not “The Curl," is politically correct

Peter Schorsch: Court ruling has tossed the Monopoly board