Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Martin DyckmanOctober 20, 2014

The title of the Florida Public Service Commission is about as relevant to reality as that of the People’s Republic of China. In each case, the true constituency is a narrow group of self-perpetuating special interests. Making the public interest the true constituency of the PSC ought to be high on the agenda of the […]

Martin DyckmanOctober 8, 2014

The campaign for governor strikes many Floridians as all sound and fury, signifying nothing but that too much money is being put to too little good. Some are even questioning why they should bother to vote. The answer is elemental. If they don’t, other people will be voting for them. At the end of the […]

Shannon NickinsonOctober 8, 2014

I think I had my last chance to be in a wedding party. Thanks heavens I’m going out on a high note. I went through a period for a couple of years where it seemed like everyone I knew was getting matched or hatched. It was gift registries and strappy shoes for months at a […]

Martin DyckmanSeptember 8, 2014

Every judge gets a robe and a gavel. Until now, it has not been thought necessary to include barbecue mitts in the kit. But it seems some judges need them. Consider the hot-potato handling in the Tampa divorce case of Mariama Monique Changamire Shaw vs. Keiba Lynn Shaw. Married legally in Massachusetts in 2010, they […]

Guest AuthorAugust 14, 2014

Not a word has been uttered. Not a campaign ad has been created. Not a single news story has been written. Yet, this will be one of the most important decisions the next Florida governor will make – and it only happens every 20 years. And Democrats, in particular, should be very worried. Either Republican […]

Guest AuthorAugust 12, 2014

George Sheldon is campaigning for the Democratic nomination for Florida Attorney General. If he wins, he will face Pam Bondi, the current attorney general, in November. Here are his answers to questions I posed to him: What does the Florida Attorney General do? The attorney general is the chief legal officer for the state, responsible […]

Guest AuthorJuly 27, 2014

There are three types of politicians: The first works mostly on behalf of the people they serve, by far the rarest of the lot; the second works chiefly on behalf of their own interests, by far the vast majority. The third tries to impose an ideology on others, an aggressive minority. Florida Attorney General Pam […]

Guest AuthorJuly 20, 2014

Probably not time to order the cake or get those wedding attire alterations done, but if you’re a-hankering for a gussied up Key West wedding, you’d better book the venue. On Thursday, 16th District Circuit Court Judge Luis Garcia pulled the first thread that will unravel the Florida straightjacket prohibiting marriage equality. Garcia overturned the […]

Guest AuthorJuly 9, 2014

One of our phone conversations before the aneurysm burst and John died barely past his 50th birthday went like this: Me: Well, we always said we’d know we were old when “Chorus Line” returned as a Broadway revival. John: Yeah, the previews are great. Want me to book three tickets for October? You, Ed and […]

Martin DyckmanJune 30, 2014

Listen up, Tea Party. I’m going to talk about Rand Paul. Favorably. But first things first. As we all remember from school, the independence we’ll celebrate this week was a revolt against taxation without representation. Although the revolutionary agenda was actually more complex, taxation certainly was the spark. But even today, 238 years later, there […]

Tag: Pam bondi
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Martin Dyckman: If you want the PSC to protect customers, vote for Crist

Martin Dyckman: Two huge reasons to vote — the courts, the state constitution

Shannon Nickinson: Bondi doesn’t realize the ‘majority’ accept same-sex marriage

Martin Dyckman: Same-sex divorce too hot to handle for many Florida judges

Brian E. Crowley: Makeup of next Constitutional Revision Commission should worry Democrats

Stephen Goldstein: A Q&A with George Sheldon, Democratic candidate for AG

Stephen Goldstein: Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is out for herself

Linda Cunningham: It’s time to think about booking Key West for gay weddings

Linda Cunningham: Two Key West men challenging state’s gay-marriage ban

Martin Dyckman: Let’s celebrate July 4 by restoring felons’ voting rights