Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschSeptember 7, 2015

Amid the parades and barbecues, the meaning of Labor Day often gets lost on contemporary Americans, particularly in Florida, where unions scarcely carry political or cultural clout outside of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. But as we celebrate the holiday, let’s take a moment to honor those who persevered through dangerous working conditions and violent […]

Associated PressJuly 13, 2015

Federal authorities have issued tough new rules on check-cashing businesses in South Florida as part of the ongoing fight against rampant identity theft and tax fraud. The Treasury Department’s order Monday applies to federal tax refund checks over $1,000 in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Customers attempting to cash them will undergo greater scrutiny: they’ll have […]

Guest AuthorJuly 12, 2015

Florida is not an early adapter. Most of the time, our state takes a “wait-and-see” attitude regarding nearly any health policy, social program or economic strategy that has been attempted by another state’s legislature. In some cases, no amount of positive data on a successful program is enough to convince our leadership to move in […]

Guest AuthorJuly 9, 2015

If you want to see how unsophisticated and implacable Republicans can be on race, you should have been at the Hillsborough County Charter Review Board (stacked with Republican functionaries) meeting on Tuesday. Besides the inevitable (and highly entertaining) fireworks the meeting was bound to ignite, it was the absence of even a genuine conversation and […]

Associated PressJuly 7, 2015

The popular ridesharing service Uber has announced it is leaving Broward County. The company announced Monday that it will withdraw completely from the county on July 31. Uber had previously agreed to withdraw from the airport and port in Broward County, hoping to persuade commissioners not to institute new regulations. Those rules include requiring each […]

Guest AuthorJune 2, 2015

Put aside the politics of Florida’s healthcare reform debate for a minute, and you’ll recognize our uninsured crisis is as much a public safety problem as it is a public policy challenge. My entire professional life has been dedicated to public service and safety. Working my way up from patrolman to lieutenant over 26 years […]

Associated PressMay 29, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott will have a hard time getting local officials in the state’s largest counties to back his proposal that would require cuts for many public hospitals and instead funnel money to for-profit hospitals. The governor’s proposal could mean a possible $87 million hit for Miami’s Jackson Health System and $22 million for Broward […]

Guest AuthorMay 27, 2015

In the accompanying picture, that’s me on the left. The year is possibly 1994. I’m standing next to the late Congressman William Lehman from Miami-Dade. Bill Lehman died in 2005. Next to Bill is the civil rights activist and Miami path breaker,Thelma Gibson. The sturdy, imposing African-American to the right was the star of the photograph. Arthur E. […]

Guest AuthorMay 19, 2015

The thyroid gland is the small butterfly-shaped gland at the front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. It produces thyroid hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism. Thyroid cancer has captured the interest of epidemiologists because of its strong association to environmental factors. According to statistics, there is a lot more thyroid cancer in […]

Steve SchaleMay 17, 2015

These days, every conversation about Florida and 2016 generally starts and ends with the Hispanic vote – and for good reason. It is easily the fastest growing segment of the population. The Hispanic vote in Florida is critical, though I would caution election observers that it isn’t the silver bullet. Most GOP and Democratic strategists […]

Tag: Miami-Dade
(L-R) Michael Hartline, Adam Hasner and John Volin. Images via Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University and University of Maine.

Labor Day Weekend, brought to you by these Florida lobbyists and political organizations

U.S. stiffens check-cashing rules to fight South Florida fraud

Gary Stein: Needle exchange is the one-buck no-brainer

Chris Timmons: Hillsborough County and race: Historical fact — America ain't never been colorblind

Uber to cease operations in Broward County

Robert Asencio: Healthcare expansion is a public safety issue

Miami-Dade, Broward officials oppose Rick Scott’s hospital plan

Alan Farago: A true story about Art Teele, Big Sugar and Miami-Dade political influence

Alan Farago: Demand answers on thyroid cancer clusters affecting South Florida children

Steven Schale: How Hispanic voters could swing Florida's 2016 presidential race to Democrats