Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Marc YachtSeptember 21, 2015

Teen pregnancy rates for girls 15 to 19 years old have fallen in the United States in direct relation to extensive preventive efforts. Those efforts include discussions about responsible sexual behavior, birth control pills, IUDs, the patch, abstention, vaginal rings, injectable birth control and the extensive network of family planning and women’s health services. Local […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 16, 2015

In our Declaration of Independence it’s written that all people have certain unalienable rights, including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” As Americans, we strive for equality and opportunity. We are taught to treat everyone justly and with respect, for everyone is equal. We are taught to “ask not what your country can do […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 7, 2015

Today is the U.S. Labor Day. It’s not, by the way, American Labor Day. People in other countries on the two American continents celebrate workers on other days in other ways. But today is our Labor Day and I, like many of you, have received from a politician a peppy greeting of Happy Labor Day […]

Guest AuthorAugust 30, 2015

Those of us who make it a point to stay up-to-date on foreign affairs took great interest in last month’s Iran deal aimed at stopping that volatile country from developing nuclear weapons. One of the main concessions from the United States in the deal is to lift sanctions and allow Iran to export more goods, […]

Marc YachtAugust 26, 2015

Poverty’s narrow definition relates to income and consumption but a much broader meaning is necessary to understand America’s poor. Federal guidelines qualify individuals and families by addressing income, but don’t provide an accurate depiction of needy families and their living conditions. The better understanding of the poor must look beyond income and at the larger […]

Marc YachtJuly 26, 2015

The recent Lafayette, La., theater shooting left two young women dead and nine injured; some with multiple gunshot wounds. The killer took his own life. The carnage has followed too many recent gun-related tragedies and demands attention for adequately funded comprehensive mental health services and sensible firearms regulation. The conservative mantras that “government cannot be […]

Guest AuthorApril 21, 2014

It’s amazing how quickly humans adapt to changing circumstances. A few months ago I wrote about how challenging my first month of life was with a newborn — what many refer to as “baby boot camp,” a perfect term since you’re thrust into a new state of being where life is organized around one thing. […]

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Sen Rick Scott in Sarasota. Photo by Jacob Ogles.

Dr. Marc J. Yacht: Teen pregnancy rates down – so far

Elizabeth Santiago: We must be that 'shining city on the hill' for Syrian refugees

Pat Fowler: We’re all in this together

Tom Garcia: Grant concessions to the deserving: End ban on U.S. crude oil exports

Dr. Marc J. Yacht: Our country’s shameful legacy of poverty

Marc Yacht: Will yet another gun tragedy finally lead to change?

Leandra Preston-Sidler: Employers need to do more to help working moms