Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorMay 7, 2014

I saw the following tweet recently from a semi-famous college president: “On my way to Orlando, my version of hell.” I have heard this sentiment expressed more than once by others in my higher education circles. At conferences during national committee meetings, it is usually a statement along the lines of, “Do we have to […]

Bob SparksMay 6, 2014

Another legislative session is behind us. A host of bills, some more significant than others, await a signature and possibly a made-for-media signing ceremony by Gov. Rick Scott. With one party leading two branches of government, the governor’s veto pen will require precious little ink. A surge in “member projects” (some say pork, some say […]

Guest AuthorMay 6, 2014

Whoever limited the length of the Florida legislative session did so wisely. There’s no telling how much damage earnest but ideological politicians can do in 90 days. Too often we saw legislators proposing bills to suit constituents with narrow interests. Exhibit 1: The Growler bill pushed by major beer distributors but one that could have […]

Guest AuthorMay 6, 2014

The moral issues surrounding death-penalty methodology that were portrayed so well in Stephen King’s “The Green Mile” were revisited by Americans last week after Oklahoma authorities miserably failed to execute a killer by injection. In what was termed a “botched” procedure, Clayton Lockett was pumped full of “experimental” drugs, a concoction of sedatives that failed […]

Guest AuthorMay 6, 2014

Our country’s Atlantic Coast, including parts of Florida’s Atlantic coast, might have billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas available to lead America toward energy independence from unstable countries. However, without clearance from Washington D.C., decades-old information about these potential resources can’t be updated. That’s why 3D seismic surveying […]

Daniel TilsonMay 5, 2014

Call me a defiant “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!” parent of a Florida public school student. And I’m looking for a few — a few million — good men and women to join me in battle. We’re decades into a war waged by shadowy business interests and religious […]

Julie DelegalMay 5, 2014

It looks like my columns questioning the efficacy of school privatization in Florida have hit a nerve. Again. Voters might remember that I’ve long opposed voucher schools because, among other reasons, they don’t administer the same high-stakes tests to their students that public schools do. Without equal accountability, parents of mostly low-income children who now […]

Marc YachtMay 5, 2014

Many of Florida’s public school teachers see little value in the value-added-model (VAM) teacher evaluation process that’s being used this year. Also labeled “value added analysis” or “value added assessment,” the evaluation tool is tied to student testing results. VAM assesses how one student’s scores compare to others and tracks how each student is performing […]

Guest AuthorMay 5, 2014

Ronald Reagan often pointed out that the best politics are good policy. With congressional elections less than seven months away, and a presidential vote looming just behind, it’s time for Republicans to settle on just what good policy is. So here’s a thought experiment: If you could wave a magic wand and produce policy changes […]

Martin DyckmanMay 4, 2014

Whether the murderer Clayton Lockett deserved to die is beside the point to nearly everyone who has read or heard about how he died in Oklahoma Tuesday. His execution attempt, evoking images of medieval torture, was botched so badly that it had to be interrupted shortly before a heart attack completed what needles and drugs […]

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State Rep. Angie Nixon (center) leads a protest against immigration policies Saturday outside the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville. Image via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics.

Tom Cavanagh: Orlando may be weird, but millions of people love it

Bob Sparks: Real people must trump ideology

Andrew Skerritt: Ideological politicians run amok during legislative session

Steve Kurlander: Crime and true punishment: A botched execution or real justice?

Nicolas Gutierrez: We should know what energy resources are available to Florida

Daniel Tilson: Floridians need to fight the privatization of public schools

Julie Delegal: Let’s determine if Bush-brand education reforms are working

Marc Yacht: Public school teachers say new evaluation process badly flawed

James Glassman: Republicans must say ‘grow’ instead of ‘no’ to win midterms

Martin Dyckman: Botched execution further weakens argument for death penalty