By all accounts, rookie U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa has hit the Capitol ground running. She’s rapidly becoming the poster pol for the new, fresh face of Congress, especially the House of Pelosi. She was the first freshman to address the 110th Congress – and spoke on ethical reforms. She was one of nine [...]
Say this about Florida State Sen. Ronda Storms. Once you set aside the arrogance and the social-issues pandering, you can see why she’s so electable. And not just to unincorporated yahoos. She’s well prepared, undaunted and articulate, and you would want her on your side of a pro-consumer fight. As in home insurance. She fought [...]
Welcome news that Florida – along with California, Illinois and New Jersey – are likely to move their 2008 presidential primaries to early February. It will lessen the inordinate influence of the demographically skewed states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Wonder is it has taken so long. Imagine a mammoth electoral swing state such as [...]
Amid all the parades, competitions and speeches that honored the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. earlier this month, one notable form of commemoration went under the media radar. It was the seventh annual MLK Day of Service at the University of Tampa. More than 100 UT students, faculty and staff members took part in [...]
As gridiron consolation prizes go, this Sunday’s Super Bowl game certainly qualifies around here. For the fourth consecutive year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t be in it. But ex-Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy will lead his Indianapolis Colts against the Chicago Bears of Lovie Smith, his former assistant during their Buc days. The game is [...]
Conventional wisdom says Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio easily wins re-election on March 6. She doesn’t even need a campaign manager, per se. She’s, in effect, filling that position herself. But she does have a headquarters, multiple phone lines, coordinators and plenty of volunteer Iorions. “Regardless of opposition,” says Iorio, “you run a campaign. You need [...]
*Do political CEOs, such as mayors, get too much credit and too much blame – not unlike head coaches? “Mayors do set a tone and that tone can affect progress one way or another. We all build on what has been done in the past – coaches and mayors. But ultimately, you (to continue the [...]
To those accustomed to dropping by the O’Neills on Gasparilla Day, the answer is “Yes.” The same disincentives will be extended to those who deign to use private property as ad hoc port-a-lets. That means the return of the “Upstairs Tangerine Toss,” which is aimed at those who don’t much care where they’re aiming.
Much has been made of the president’s controversial course correction in Iraq, including adding enough troops (21,500) to bring the total (approximately150,000) to where it was a year ago. Also in the news now are exculpating comments by key architects of the war. The neocons whose lament, in effect, is: “Good idea; bad occupation; not [...]
We now know that the Transportation Security Administration has reported that some 3,700 uniforms and security badges are missing or stolen. That figure includes 53 uniforms and nine ID cards issued to TSA employees at Tampa International Airport. Los Angeles International reported the biggest number: 789 missing items. But we’re told not to panic – [...]
