Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorJuly 31, 2014

We need a state constitutional amendment to ban all wagering in Florida. Oddly, raising taxes is considered a cardinal sin, but gambling is supposedly a blessing — especially since the state began pimping it through the Florida Lottery. Republicans have consistently refused to increase taxes in a bad economy, in a good economy, and in […]

Guest AuthorJuly 30, 2014

Florida has a long-standing rivalry with the other Sunshine State, California. As a proud Floridian myself, I have to say that this Eastside-Westside beef almost always comes down in favor of the East. And as the campaign manager for United for Care — the organization advocating for medical marijuana and the passage of Amendment 2 […]

Guest AuthorJuly 29, 2014

Proponents have argued that Amendment 2 is about providing compassionate care for people who have debilitating symptoms, pain, or are dying. But if compassionate care were what the amendment is only about, then the authors would have specifically cited non-euphoric medical weed in the amendment’s language. That’s why this amendment is a fraud. It’s a […]

Guest AuthorJuly 21, 2014

Newspaper stories and blogs continue to document the coming battle over the state constitutional amendment that would permit the use of medical marijuana. However, most reporters write pro-marijuana stories, giving little coverage to the other side of the story. For example, several recent stories say that polling shows Amendment 2 passing handily. In fact, nothing […]

Guest AuthorJuly 10, 2014

Recently, I was in line at a grocery store reading my e-mail when another bored shopper, tired of looking at the tabloids for sale, looked over my shoulder and saw “Say Yes to Amendment 2” at the top of a letter from United for Care on my iPhone “Why the hell should I vote or […]

Guest AuthorJuly 6, 2014

As a mother and physician, it’s important for me to shed light on Amendment 2 and how I feel it will hurt our communities, neighbors and, most importantly, our children — just like pill mills did in the all-too-recent past. If Amendment 2 is successful, it unquestionably will be an open invitation for disreputable pot […]

Guest AuthorJune 8, 2014

Must democracy be a scam? Today, the Florida Constitution has all the moral weight of a dry-cleaning ticket. That’s not the way that venerable document is usually perceived or how it’s supposed to be perceived. Yet, to be honest, that’s just the way it is — or how it has devolved. Politicians invoke the Constitution […]

Guest AuthorMay 22, 2014

In the process of doing what they believe is right, Microsoft unwittingly has given gifts to hackers and virus creators for years. Anyone who has used a Windows operating system for the last 20 years is used to seeing an endless series of “Security Updates” constantly being downloaded and installed, even after Microsoft has already […]

Guest AuthorMay 13, 2014

Here’s a quick quiz: the Charlotte’s Web bill that the Legislature passed in the last days of the session is: a) An avalanche b) A “Pandora’s box” c) The first step to legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida d) A harbinger of a vast industry that will let thousands of starry-eyed investors make a ton of […]

Guest AuthorApril 2, 2014

On March 31, three legislators representing several ideological stripes attended a forum to discuss medical marijuana. Unfortunately, the one-sided discussion did little more than serve as a platform to promote passage of the issue in the Legislature and on the ballot in November. Democratic strategists hope that this initiative will bring young Dems to the […]

Tag: Medical marijuana

Stephen Goldstein: Gambling is for losers; we should ban it in Florida

Ben Pollara: Florida can show other states how to regulate medical marijuana

Barney Bishop: Amendment 2 isn’t about medical marijuana; it’s about getting high

Barney Bishop: Most media reporting on medical pot unfairly supports it

Gary Stein: Why I support Amendment 2: Because of my story, stories of others

Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos: Amendment 2 is bad medicine, bad policy

Stephen Goldstein: Florida elected officials trash constitutional amendments

Gary Stein: ‘Vote No on 2’ is unwittingly helping the amendment work

Gary Stein: Do you understand the Charlotte’s Web bill? Take this quiz

Barney Bishop: Medical marijuana forum is all smoke and little substance