Rick Scott Meets An Angry Constituient

A woman in a downtown Gainesville Starbucks unloads on Gov. Rick Scott for refusing to expand Medicaid. Scott makes a hasty retreat for the exit. Scott claims to the woman that he created a million jobs. Scott has yet to provide empirical evidence that his policies have created job.

Awake the State Palm Beach County and Gainesville Rallies

The progressive organization Awake the State is during a rally in Palm Beach County for the start of the Florida legislative session.

Description: Join us to send an important message to Gov. Scott and his allies in the Tea Party-controlled Legislature that we, the grassroots, are AWAKE and speaking out—calling for budget that invests in restoring the middle class, not more corporate giveaways!

WHERE: Palm Beach County

John Prince Park (pending permit) 2700 6th Ave S

Lake Worth, FL 33461

WHEN: Tuesday, March 4, 5:00 PM

Awake the State will also hold a protest rally that day at the office of Republican State Rep. Keith Perry.

WHERE: Representative Keith Perry's Office - 2440 Southwest 76th Street Gainesville, FL

TIME: Time4:30pm until 7:00pm

Hundred Waters – Down From The Rafters

Hundred Waters is from Gainesville, Florida. They were named by Stereogum as one of the 40 best bands of 2012. Down From The Rafters is a new song. No word on if it will be on their upcoming album.

Alex Sink's Stance on Freedom of Religion

Gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink posted this comment on her Facebook profile.

I stand with General Petraeus in condemning the planned burning of the Quran, as it could put our troops in harm's way. I also feel this display of hatred and intolerance is not in keeping with the values and spirit of our state.

Good for Sink to come out against the insanity of the Dove World Outreach Center's plan to burn the Quran. However, I doubt Sink would have made this statement if she didn't have Gen. Petraeus as political cover. Sink sang a different tune about the YMCA-style facility that was going to be built by the Cordoba House in Park 51. The facility was not on ground zero of the 9/11 attacks, but 2 1/2 blocks away. Conservatives used the Cordoba House as a political issue because Muslims were building the facility.

Sink's statement on the Cordoba House:

"Like all Floridians, I'm grateful for our constitutional right to freedom of religion... When it comes to what to build close to the hallowed site of Ground Zero, I think it ought to be up to the people of New York to decide. It is my personal opinion that the wishes of the 9/11 families and friends must be respected. They are opposed to this project and I share their view."

I wonder how Sink would feel about the Cordoba House if Gen. Petraeus came out in support of the Cordoba House, which would have a basketball court and cooking school, being built on Park 51 property.

Clergy Speaks Out Against Dove World Outreach Center

Clergy of different faiths in Gainesville came together to speak out against the Dove World Outreach Center's plan to burn the Koran on September 11th. Below is video of the press conference of clergy leaders standing together against the Koran burning.







The Rev. John Rankin correctly warned that internet imagines of Koran burning will only endanger U.S. troops and fuel anti-American sentiment. Rankin wants President Obama to condemn the Dove World Outreach Center's plans to burn the Koran. After the poll that found 1 in 5 Americans believing Obama is a Muslim, it is unlikely the President will want to step into this issue this close to the general election.

The Dove World Outreach Center has twice been denied a permit to hold an open book burning bonfire.

Under Section 10-63, "Open burning and outdoor burning are prohibited in the City of Gainesville unless otherwise specifically permitted as provided by this article."

Mayor Craig Lowe isn't about to approve a Koran burning.

Pastor Terry Jones told Hardball host he would still go ahead with the Koran burning even if President George W. Bush asked him not to. Jones told Matthews that he is doing the Koran burning on the bizarre claim to stop Sharia law from being enforced in the United States. Jones obviously has no concept that doing away with the Constitution is an extremely difficult legislative and legal hurdle. I can't think of a single Senator who would vote for Sharia law.

No Koran Burning For Dove World Outreach Center

I previously wrote about the Dove World Outreach Center was planning their Burn a Koran Day and No Homo Mayor Protest against Mayor Craig Lowe. How did Mayor Love get attached with the Muslim community? I let Dove World Outreach Center blogger Fran Ingram explain.

Free speech is hated by homosexuals and they do not like to hear the truth about their perverted lifestyle. We are protesting our openly homosexual Mayor Aug 2. Maybe they did it, (not the Mayor himself, surely) but the more likely trigger for this attack is the burn a Koran Day plan.

Free speech is not Sharia compliant, and the Moslem Mafia (CAIR) is openly opposed to our signs and message. But this is America and we have the law on our side. The police defend us and our rights, the Fire Department have no problem with our having a bonfire on 9/11, and we will not be silenced.

Apparently, Ingram comes from the Dr. Laura school of free speech. It is not that gays, lesbians and Muslims hate free speech. They are using their right to free speech to voice their opposition to your church's attacks against them. The Dove World Outreach Center has a frre speech right to voice their disapproval to gays and Muslims and visa versa. However, Gene Prince, interim chief of Gainesville Fire Rescue told the church book burning is a serious no no.

Deputy Chief Tim Hayes, who serves as the department's fire marshal, said he and an investigator went to the church's 20-acre property on Northwest 37th Street earlier this month to determine what the burn would entail.

Under the fire ordinances the City Commission adopted last year, bonfires aren't allowed without a permit, Hayes said.

Under Section 10-63, "Open burning and outdoor burning are prohibited in the City of Gainesville unless otherwise specifically permitted as provided by this article."

The section goes on to prohibit burning newspaper, corrugated cardboard, container board or office paper, which are akin to books, Prince said.

The whole book burning thing has a Fahrenheit 451 vibe to it. Never a good idea.

The Dove World Outreach Center is against Mayor Lowe because he was an opponent of Charter 1. If Charter 1 passed the LGBT community would literally have no legal rights. Below is the wording of the charter.

Shall the City Charter Be Amended to prohibit the adoption or enforcement of ordinances, regulations, rules, or policies that provide protected status, preferences, or discrimination claims based on classification, characteristics, or orientations not recognized by the Florida Civil Rights Act? The act recognizes, race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, handicap, marital and familial status. Additionally, this amendment voids existing ordinances concerning sexual orientation, gender identity, and other ordinances inconsistent with this amendment.

Lowe made this statement when he was still a city council member.

“They have rejected the politics of fear and instead chose to retain the values that make our city such a beautiful place. Today, our voters showed their true character by emphasizing that, in Gainesville, every person matters.“

What is a far-rightwing church to do when a progressive community won't let them burn Korans or tell gays to get on the back of the bus?

Vote No On Gainesville Charter Amendment 1

Mcmonabagle, on the Feministing community blog, informs Florida feminists of Charter Amendment 1 in Gainsville. If the amendment is approved by voters then gays, lesbians and transgender people would be denied civil rights. That is literally how the amendment is written.

SHALL THE CHARTER BE AMENDED TO PROHIBIT THE ADOPTION OR ENFORCEMENT OF ORDINANCES, REGULATIONS, RULES OR POLICIES THAT PROVIDE PROTECTED STATUS, PREFERENCES OR DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS BASED ON CLASSIFICATIONS, CHARACTERISTICS OR ORIENTATIONS NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE FLORIDA CIVIL RIGHTS ACT? THE ACT RECOGNIZES RACE, COLOR, CREED, RELIGION, GENDER, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, HANDICAP, MARITAL AND FAMILIAL STATUS. ADDITIONALLY, THIS AMENDMENT VOIDS EXISTING ORDINANCES CONCERNING SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, AND OTHER ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT WITH THIS AMENDMENT.

Mcmonabagle is urging Gainsville residents to vote no. I am doing the same. History has always proven it is wrong to oppress the civil rights of law-abiding Americans. Unfortunately, many let xenophobia dictate their beliefs.

Charter 1 Rejection: Twentysomethings More Tolerant

Gainesville voters rejected the charter 1 amendment. What was surprising is charter 1 was voted down 58 percent to 42 percent. The amendment only served to strip the civil rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people.

The wording of charter 1:

Shall the City Charter Be Amended to prohibit the adoption or enforcement of ordinances, regulations, rules, or policies that provide protected status, preferences, or discrimination claims based on classification, characteristics, or orientations not recognized by the Florida Civil Rights Act? The act recognizes, race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, handicap, marital and familial status. Additionally, this amendment voids existing ordinances concerning sexual orientation, gender identity, and other ordinances inconsistent with this amendment.

The Associated Press reports a high voter turnout of University of Florida students. UF political science professor Dan Smith credits the turnout to the "Obama experience." Social trend among young people is more tolerant for gay people. My question is who will the GOP have eft to demonize twenty years from now?

Charter 1 Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow Gainesville voters will decide whether or not to vote yes or no on Charter 1. This blog urges you to vote no. The text of the charter.

Amendment to City Charter Prohibiting the City from Providing Certain Civil Rights

Shall the City Charter Be Amended to prohibit the adoption or enforcement of ordinances, regulations, rules, or policies that provide protected status, preferences, or discrimination claims based on classification, characteristics, or orientations not recognized by the Florida Civil Rights Act? The act recognizes, race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, handicap, marital and familial status. Additionally, this amendment voids existing ordinances concerning sexual orientation, gender identity, and other ordinances inconsistent with this amendment.

The words "City Charter Prohibiting the City from Providing Certain Civil Rights" is a clue that this charter is merely to bash the lgbt community. Equality Florida has been lobbying Gainesville citizens to vote no.