Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

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. […]

Tony DeSistoJune 1, 2015

Google is a giant. It is a giant success, giant company, and a giant in its industry. Did you know, though, that Gmail, one of the most popular email platforms on the Internet, was thought up, tested, and proposed during what is referred to as “dabble time”? Google encourages its employees to use 20 percent […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 1, 2015

The big news out of the first Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee meeting of June is that 2015-304, an iteration of the Police and Fire Pension Deal (one which is in many respects similar to the deal that was spiked by the full council 9-9 in March) passed 5 to 2, and will hit the […]

Guest AuthorJune 1, 2015

Last month, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) voted to forgo purchasing U.S. Sugar-owned land to build a vital reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). That decision is a setback to Everglades restoration and to communities enduring damaging discharges of polluted Lake Okeechobee water along Florida’s east and west […]

Phil AmmannJune 1, 2015

Carlos Guillermo Smith, the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee chairman, is running for Florida House District 49. Frank Torres of The Orlando Political Observer reported that the University of Central Florida graduate made his announcement Monday morning. Smith had previously suggested he might run in April. Smith previously was a legislative aide to Democratic state […]

Phil AmmannJune 1, 2015

Carly Fiorina released the first digital ad in her race to be the Republican presidential nominee. The 90-second spot, titled Momentum, mentions the “early buzz” for the former Hewlett-Packard CEO as she becomes the only female candidate in a crowded GOP field. “We need leadership in the White House now that will unlock the potential of […]

Guest AuthorJune 1, 2015

No visit to the doctor’s office starts without a systematic review of indicators that signal the health of the patient. Once you make it past the waiting room door, the examination begins with height, weight, blood pressure, temperature, pulse and oxygen level – just for starters. Similarly, six measures can be used to inform the […]

Mitch PerryJune 1, 2015

Happy June 1, the beginning of hurricane season. Cue up the stories about how we are or are not ready for a major storm. Journalism can be so predictable sometimes. Much more important is that although Florida hasn’t been hard hit by such severe weather in a decade, a recent national report shows, Florida’s average […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 1, 2015

In another in what has become a series of interviews with incoming Jacksonville city council members, Florida Politics contacted Tommy Hazouri’s team. Instead of talking with the councilman because he was vacationing Friday, Jenny Busby, Hazouri’s millennial campaign manager who will be his city council assistant, spoke on his behalf. Hazouri received more votes than […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 1, 2015

At last Tuesday’s Jacksonville City Council meeting, Mayor Elect Lenny Curry spoke about the campaign being over and coming together as “One Jacksonville.” Some cynics have framed that as just rhetoric. What’s clear though is that Curry means it. Having talked to quite a few Democrats who have been elected to City Council to start next […]

Uncategorized

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

Tony DeSisto: Online tools fuel local government vitality

Bill Gulliford police, fire pension bill clears Jax Rules Committee

Eric Eikenberg: Everglades Foundation still eager to work with Legislature on water storage

Democrat Carlos Guillermo Smith enters House District 49 race

Carly Fiorina digital ad highlights “momentum” in Iowa

Dale Brill: “But I feel fine, really.” Assessing the health of Florida’s health

Mitch Perry Report for 6.1.15 — It’s storm season outside, and onscreen

Tommy Hazouri campaign focused on public safety

How Lenny Curry is reaching across party lines, and how the Jax Chamber may have the real political juice in 2015