Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mark FerruloOctober 27, 2014

Florida is one of the most diverse states in the nation, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at our courts. According to The Florida Bar, people of color make up about 43 percent of Florida’s population. Yet among the state’s judiciary, fewer than 9 percent of judges are Hispanic, and fewer than 7 percent are […]

Christine Jordan SextonOctober 27, 2014

Florida’s health maintenance organizations responsible for coordinating health care coverage to the poor, elderly and disabled have been targeted for $556 million in rate reductions under a proposal crafted by the state agency that oversees the Medicaid program. The proposed cuts were outlined in budget documents submitted earlier this month by the Agency for Health […]

Martin DyckmanOctober 26, 2014

The last time the Constitution Revision Commission met, in 1997, it had some very good ideas. One of them was to establish an independent panel to redistrict the Legislature and congressional districts. More than half the members favored it, but fierce pressure from John Thrasher and other Republican bosses in the Legislature peeled off an […]

Guest AuthorOctober 26, 2014

Once upon a time — so goes a Jewish folk tale — in the small town of Belz in Poland, the Yom Kippur fast became a trying ordeal for the pious congregants. Normally, Yom Kippur is a solemn occasion. On this day each year God judges us to life or death with irreversible finality. No more prayers, nighttime recitation of psalms, no […]

Guest AuthorOctober 24, 2014

This past year has been a real learning curve on the whole topic of medical marijuana. Thanks to a good friend of mine, who is a respected physician, I learned there really are some valid and legitimate medical uses for marijuana. Prior to this, I thought most of the medical marijuana talk was just an […]

Daniel TilsonOctober 22, 2014

“So this state is on a roll.” That was Gov. Rick Scott’s deceptively simple summation, after rattling off the same old self-serving economic and employment numbers in his final debate against Charlie Crist. Scott’s incessant TV ads highlight the same misleading numbers, comparing job losses under former Gov. Crist, vs. gains under Scott. But neither […]

Guest AuthorOctober 22, 2014

Gov. Rick Scott would rather avoid those pesky public records requests by citizens who believe they have a right to know what state government is doing. So what Lincoln called government of, by, and for the people is a hindrance to Scott and his ability to run the state as an autocratic and unaccountable CEO. […]

Martin DyckmanOctober 21, 2014

There are 100 potential questions on the test for immigrants wanting to become naturalized citizens. While reviewing them with a candidate whom I’m coaching, something odd stood out. He’s expected to know that the United States has a “market” or “capitalist” economy, but not what kind of government we have. He needs to know only […]

Guest AuthorOctober 21, 2014

Answering questions is as unspeakable to Rick Scott as eating pork is to someone who keeps kosher. The governor treats talking with the press and public as trayf (Yiddish for tainted food), as though he would be putting himself at risk for the political equivalent of trichinosis. Ask him anything. And, as if unable to […]

Daniel TilsonOctober 20, 2014

Anti-government, anti-Obama, anti-Democratic Party, hardcore conservative voters no doubt constitute a majority of the 4.1 million or so registered Republicans in Florida. But they’re a minority of the state electorate overall, representing maybe a third of 12 million registered voters statewide. Nonetheless, Democrats and independents who comprise the large majority of voters repeatedly let these […]

Tag: Rick Scott
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Mark Ferrulo: Rick Scott is shaping the courts in his image, not Florida’s

Hundreds of millions in Medicaid rate cuts coming for HMOs next year?

Martin Dyckman: Constitution commission needs to end abuse of primary elections

Rachel Patron: We need dynamic leaders to restore the nation’s self-confidence

John Stemberger:  Why I am for medical marijuana but against  Amendment 2

Daniel Tilson: Election 2014 and Florida’s ‘Steamroller Blues’ economy

Chris Timmons: Scott keeps citizens in the dark about important public issues

Martin Dyckman: We’re living in an oligarchy; only voters can restore democracy

Stephen Goldstein: Scott won’t answer questions and too many voters don’t care

Daniel Tilson: Florida needs its ‘unlikely voters’ to restore majority rule