Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Daniel TilsonAugust 6, 2014

“Let’s Keep Florida Beautiful” is the name of Gov. Rick Scott’s new environmental plan unveiled this week on his website and in multiple public appearances. Team Scott took a “timing is everything” approach to the proposal, introducing it just as news was breaking that billionaire businessman and climate change activist Tom Steyer is targeting the […]

Daniel TilsonJuly 30, 2014

The 800-pound gorilla in the Tallahassee conference room with state economists this week is immensely powerful. It looms large in the minds of elected officials and policy wonks alike, waiting to pounce if necessary. It’s the beast of burden bearing the weight of Florida’s modern-day “wealth lobby.” And it’s always ready to throw that weight […]

Daniel TilsonJuly 28, 2014

Gov. Rick Scott’s 2014 re-election campaign manager and deputy manager issued a joint memo Sunday with the subject line: “100 Days Out, Gov. Scott Campaign is Poised to Win.” It was addressed to “Interested Parties,” so it quickly turned up in the Miami Herald. Of course, that was Team Scott’s plan to begin with, to […]

Daniel TilsonJuly 25, 2014

Florida’s prison system is a disaster, a disgrace. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Real reform is possible, given the presence of ethical, public-spirited motivations and policies on the part of our elected officials. Unfortunately for prison inmates, their friends and families, local communities, and misinformed middle-class taxpayers, the policies of Gov. Rick […]

Daniel TilsonJuly 21, 2014

With Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s endless evasions of myriad legitimate questions from the press garnering national coverage, not to mention racking up more points in the ongoing “America’s Worst Governor” competition, I thought I’d reach across the aisle to help out. So I came up with some snappy new rap song lyrics for Slick Rick to […]

Daniel TilsonJuly 15, 2014

Now is the time for Florida to build momentum toward further state-level immigration reform. The 2014 legislative victory granting in-state tuition rates to undocumented college students has put us on the right path…forward. What we can’t afford to do now is settle for anything less than creating full-steam-ahead support for taking the next steps. Republican […]

Daniel TilsonJuly 10, 2014

The uproar following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision targeting American women is well warranted. But another awful court decision, this one targeting American workers, got far too little attention in the process and may well have more far-reaching, damaging impact. The good news: The June 30 Harris v. Quinn ruling in question appears […]

Daniel TilsonJuly 7, 2014

Florida Democratic Party leaders say it’s very hard to recruit candidates for local legislative races. They said it in a press conference during their recent “Leadership Blue Gala” fundraiser and statewide membership meeting. I was working in New York City on non-Florida, non-political stuff when I took a break and saw that item on SaintPetersBlog’s […]

Daniel TilsonJune 26, 2014

Hey, have you heard? The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) machine will proudly display some shiny moving parts this weekend at a swank hotel in Hollywood. Two days of meetings, marketing and fundraising events will deploy like a windup toy, highlighted by Saturday night’s $225 per person “Leadership Blue Gala,” starring Bill Clinton as keynote speaker. […]

Daniel TilsonJune 24, 2014

It’s official. Forty-five legislative districts in Florida will feature coronations rather than elections come November. All hail participatory democracy in the Sunshine State! Actually, most of the coronations came just in time for Happy Hour last Friday, after the candidate-qualifying period for 2014 had officially closed at high noon. Ceremonies consisted mostly of email and […]

Tag: Daniel Tilson
Image via AP.

Daniel Tilson: Rick Scott’s 2014 environmental self-protection plan

Daniel Tilson: Florida needs its wealth taxes back

Daniel Tilson: Rick Scott re-election campaign’s revealing memo

Daniel Tilson: Time to rehabilitate Florida’s penal system

Daniel Tilson: The Rick Scott 2014 broken-record remix

Daniel Tilson: Florida must enact its own bold immigration reform

Daniel Tilson: That other awful U.S. Supreme Court ruling

Daniel Tilson: New way forward for Florida Democrats

Daniel Tilson: Florida Democratic Party needs to connect some dots

Daniel Tilson: Uncontested elections are un-American and unacceptable