Progress Florida v. Dean Cannon

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon is using tax dollars to get the fair district amendments 5 and 6 out of the Florida Constitution. Voters overwhelmingly approved both amendments with 60 percent of the vote. The legal challenges to remove the fair district amendments by Cannon have failed in court. Progress Florida is running an online petition to get Cannon to drop the legal action against fair districting.

Rick Scott Making the Donuts Part II

Gov. Rick Scott is stealing a page from Bob Graham's playbook by getting a fake job selling donuts. Scott will be in Tampa tomorrow at Nicola’s Donuts and Bakery. Progress Florida is asking you show up to let Scott know what you think about his policies.

Gov. Rick Scott, AKA “Pink Slip Rick”, is going to be in Tampa early Wednesday morning as part of his new “workday” tour throughout Florida. He’ll be promoting his image during this “photo op” while far too many Floridians wonder when he’s going to create some actual “jobs” for our state.

The job-killing Governor is going to be selling donuts at Nicola’s Donuts and Bakery (on Dale Mabry) in an attempt to make people forget that his policies have robbed middle class Floridians from the dignity of employment. He has killed thousands of jobs and rejected billions in federal funding that would have created more.

He needs to start making jobs, not donuts, so middle class Floridians can make ends meet for their families.

We just got the details about this event a few minutes ago and we know it’s last minute but we’re asking you to join us tomorrow morning at Nicola’s Donuts and Bakery from 6am to 8:30am to “pink slip” Rick!

WHEN: TOMORROW (Wednesday, August 3rd) 6:00am – 8:30am

WHERE: Nicola’s Donuts and Bakery
14390 N. Dale Mabry
Tampa, FL

Captain Pink Shirt's Book

On March 6, 2001, I wrote the post "Mike Haridopolos' U.S. Senate Hopes Are Done." Haridopolos' book "Florida Legislative History and Processes" became a national punchline. No one could believe that Haridopolos could get paid $152,000 by Brevard College for a political science book that offered this kind of wisdom.

“Most importantly, a candidate should avoid wasting money on useless novelty items such as wooden nickels.”

Progress Florida is rubbing Haridopolos' bad literary venture in his face. Progress Florida is asking that Haridopolos give back the $150,000

Dear Senate President Haridopolos,

Monday morning you announced the end of your US Senate campaign. It has been reported in the media that you have amassed a “war chest” of $3.5 million left over from your campaign. After receiving $152,000 from the taxpayers of Florida for writing a book which has sold only 70 copies as of June 21st (granting only $487.90 in royalties to Brevard Community College), we believe that the taxpayers deserve a refund. You have more than enough funds in your campaign’s war chest to donate $152,000 to the Brevard Community College Foundation. More than 4,000 Floridians have signed a petition urging you to return these funds, and we believe this is the best (and easiest) way for you to do so.

You’ll undoubtedly agree that at a time of drastic budget cuts across the state, middle class families losing their jobs or seeing their pay slashed, and big tuition hikes at our public universities, our state’s higher education system can use all the financial support it can get.

Sincerely,

Mark Ferrulo
Executive Director,
Progress Florida

Haridopolos is not going to give the money back. This is a man that plans to hold on to every one of his "wooden nickels." Fiscal conservatism be damned.

Captain Pink Shirt's Book

Brevard Community College told the media that Florida state Sen. Mike Haridopolos' book has sold "Florida Legislative History and Processes" has sold 70 copies.



Haridopolos' literary masterpiece can be bought on Amazon.com for $9.99. The people that paid for are most likely political opponents of Haridopolos.

It took Haridopolos 4 years to write the book. Those years produced this academic research.

“Most importantly, a candidate should avoid wasting money on useless novelty items such as wooden nickels.”

Brevard Community College paid $152,000 for Haridopolos' book. The reality is they were paying for the influence of a state senator. I'm positive that influence wasn't paid for in wooden nickels.

Update: At the Tiger Bay Club, Haridopolos would not say that he would return the $152,000 paid to him by Brevard Community College. Haridopolos said proceeds for the book go to Brevard Community College. The college was recouped $487.90 of their $152,000 investment.

Damian Flier of Progress Florida is interviewed by WMNF. Flier talks about the Brevard Community College payment to Haridopolos.

Petition Against Anti-Choice Bills

Progress Florida has a petition against Florida Senate anti-choice abortion bills SB 1744 and 1770.

We need your help! Right now in Florida, anti-choice lawmakers are dangerously close to taking medicine out of the hands of the doctors and placing it firmly in the hands of the government by mandating an ultrasound be performed prior to an abortion (HB 1127/SB 1744); and making it harder for a teen to obtain a judicial bypass by lengthening the time a judge has to determine whether a minor is sufficiently mature, by close to three weeks (HB 1247/SB 1770).

Please send a message to your Senator and tell them to vote NO on these attacks on women’s health.

It's been a long, grueling fight to protect women's health, and supporters like you have been standing strong every step of the way. Now, let's show these Senators, the media, and the whole state how determined we are to protect women’s access to reproductive health care. Email your Senator tonight using the easy form below to express your outrage that they have placed these bills on the agenda and urge them to vote NO!

Make your voices heard.

Mike Haridopolos Web Site

Progress Florida and Florida Watch Action have released the new web site DirtyHari.org. The site is dedicate to documenting to ethical lapses in Sen. Mike Haridopolos' career. The web site points the way to this fun nugget.

Haridopolos' latest scandal involves the Florida Senate President hiring THGC Consulting LLC to advise him on how to cut costs in the Florida pension system. Charles LeCroy is the man behind THGC Consulting. Lecroy previously worked for JPMorgan Chase & Co. LeCroy was investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission a brides for bonds scandal.

Federal investigators said that in taped conversations, LeCroy and (Douglas) MacFaddin showed they knew the payments they were making were "sham transactions" designed to win county business, referring to them as "payoffs," "giving free money" and "the price of doing business."

LeCroy and MacFadden sold junk bonds to Jefferson County, Alabama in a deal to refinance the county's sewer system. Jefferson County losses were in the hundreds of millions of dollars. LeCroy is the guy Haridopolos hired to save the Florida government money. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

JPMorgan paid the Securities and Exchange Commission a $722 million fine last year. Not only did LeCroy fail to save the Jefferson County government money, he lost his own company nearly three quarters of a billion dollars. What a fiscal conservative.

The Gulf Oil Spill Community Forum

The Gulf Oil Spill Community Forum will be held at the Palladium Theatre. Citizens will be able to talk about the BP oil spill and how future offshore drilling disasters can be prevented. Progress Florida is one of the event sponsors. You can reserve a seat at the Progress Florida web site.

Where: Palladium Theatre
253 Fifth Ave. N
St. Petersburg

When: June 15th

Time: 6:00 PM

Florida LGBT News

Progress Florida is running an online petition to get Sen. Bill Nelson to support repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Dear Sen. Nelson:

The time has come to end discrimination in our armed forces. We, the undersigned Floridians, ask you to help repeal the failed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law by supporting S. 3065, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has resulted in the loss, through discharge, of more than 13,000 service members since it was implemented in 1993. These discharges have included Arabic linguists, pilots, medics and others that held critical skill sets. The law has destroyed thousands of careers and compromised the strength of our over-burdened military.

Ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is the right thing to do – for justice and for national security. Please support S. 3065 today.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Frank Gill became the first gay man to adopt children in Florida. Judge David J. Audlin Jr. ruled the gay adoption ban unconstitutional. The state of Florida appealed. Judge Cindy Lederman upheld the ruling on appeal. Lederman was later demoted.

Gill and his sons has been invited to the White House Easter Egg Roll. Equality Florida issued a press release.

"Florida's adoption ban is the most notorious state law in the country and we continue to work toward the day when it will be an embarrassing footnote in our nation's history," said Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida. Miami-Dade residents Mayda Perez and Simone Mayer and their three children will also
attending the event.

Larry Cretul Meets Protesters

Progress Florida organized protesters to show up at Larry Cretal's house.

Cretul left his home and as of 4:30 p.m., was outside talking with the group, according to an aide in his office.

"Florida is next to last in the nation for education spending," the petition reads. "In this time of economic uncertainty, it is paramount that our public education system be adequately funded and equipped to provide Marion County children with the education they deserve and need for the 21st century economy."

I agree that Florida's lack of spending is disgraceful. However, I would be pissed if protesters show up at my door. I voiced my displeasure at Progress Florida's publicity stunts. I don't even think they do protests very well. Many voters will look at protesters coming to a lawmaker's house as intrusive. This helps the GOP and does nothing to change policy. The 60s is over. Change comes from hard work. Not silly gags.

Progress Florida tagline is "progressive solutions for Florida." What solution was achieved by having a fake Bush and McCain hold a sign.

Progress Florida is a poor man's MoveOn that will affect no policy change.

University of Florida professors mobilized students to call and write lawmakers. That is more constructive and productive way to affect change.

University of Florida students and faculty rallied Tuesday to mobilize the campus against state budget cuts and their effect on academic programs.

The event was billed as a "teach-in" but served mainly as a call to action. Surrounded by signs listing the phone numbers of UF officials and state lawmakers, speakers asked students to make calls, send letters and sign petitions stating their opposition to cuts.

"If we don't continue after we leave here, it doesn't mean much," said Deeb Kitchen, co-president of UF's graduate student union.

Several hundred students ambled through the UF's Plaza of the Americas for the event, dozens of whom called lawmakers at a table where their office numbers were listed. Kitchen called the office of House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, while on stage, holding up the phone while the crowd chanted "No more cuts!"

Organizing and lobbying lawmakers to support a paticular position is good. Showing up at person's house is a good way to piss people off. If I was a conservative political advisor, I would demonize the Progress Florida protesters and send out talking points to conservative talk radio shows. I would talk to the media about how Cretul felt his privacy was invaded and worried about his family's safety. See where I am going with this. There is no reason to give the Right a free bullseye. Progress Florida does exactly that.

Clowns dress up in costumes. So does Progress Florida.

Photo at Flickr

Update: the protesters showed up at Cretul's office. Not home. I made a mistake in my post.

Where is The Pizzazz?

Progress Florida started the web site Millionaire McCain. They pulled a PR stunt. A fake McCain delivered a card saying, "Thanks again to the Republican Party of Florida for helping me hoodwink working families and keep looking out for corporate special interests." The fake McCain delivered the card to the offices of the Republican Party of Florida.

The Buzz covered the event.

The publicity stunt lacked pizzazz. How about Millionaire McCain jumping over flaming cars, backflipping off the motorcycle and handing the card to Jim Greer? How about gathering recently laid off people and asking Greer to justify his remarks about Democrats looking for handouts.

Seriously, Progress Florida, if you are going to embarrass the RPoF then get serious about it. A guy in a rubber mask is boring and Moveon.org lame. It plays into Republican's narrative that Democrats like holding stupid protests. FP could have gotten the media down to photograph fake McCain and then hammered Greer and Charlie Crist spending so much time out of thr capital. Gathering up laid off Democrats and Republicans would have forced Greer to explain his welfare queen remark and put emphasis on Florida Republicans' failed economic policies. Instead, people just saw a guy wearing a McCain mask.

Miami-Dade County Commission Loves Development In Everglades

Progress Florida is asking citizens to put pressure on Lowes.

Thanks to the support of thousands of Floridians, today the Everglades are a little safer from developers. On Friday July 18th, the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced it would deny Lowe’s and another big developer their plans to build outside Miami-Dade’s Urban Development Boundary (UDB).

But our work isn’t done. Lowe’s, who still wants to cement urban sprawl to the edge of the Everglades, plans to take this decision to court.

“We feel confident that the decision will be overturned,” declared Lowe’s’ attorney.

Progress Florida set up a form letter page to send to Lowe's. My experience is that form letters don't work. Lowe's is dead set on building their store. My advise is email Charlie Crist at Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com and the Miami-Dade County Commission.

Barbara J. Jordan
Dorrin D. Rolle
Audrey M. Edmonson
Sally A. Heyman
Bruno A. Barreiro
Rebeca Sosa
Carlos A. Gimenez
Katy Sorenson
Dennis C. Moss
Javier D. Souto
Jose ''Pepe'' Diaz
Natacha Seijas 305-375-4831

The Florida Department of Community Affairs ruled against Lowes because the Miami County Commission violated state land-use guidelines. Mayor Carlos Alvarez vetoed the legislation. The County Commission overrode the veto. The thing to understand about County Commissions is they receive huge campaign contributions from developers. Lowe's and other corporations spent a great deal of money putting the Commision in their pockets. They aren't going to be swayed by form letters. Politicians back off when voters put pressure on them. The Hillsborough County Commission backed off killing local protection for wetlands, after activists made their voices heard.

The FDCA ruled on parcels A and B. Parcel A is where the Lowe's will be. Parcel B is where a charter school is to be built. The report noted, "Wetlands are present on the sites." Other undeveloped land can be used for the Lowe's. What is interesting is that Parcel B can be used for nonresidential purposes. It's bad when School Superintendent Rudy Crew has no hopes of a charter school being built on parcel B.

A spokesman for the county school district said Superintendent Rudy Crew was not counting on the charter school. Killing or delaying plans for one school in one neighborhood ''is probably not going to have an effect on us,'' spokesman John Schuster said.

Parcel B would have to be bought for a charter school or developed. Mike McDaniel, FDCA Chief of Comprehensive Planning, noted the Commission approved the land zoning against objections from County staffers. The exception for Parcel B's nonresidential use after the FDCA issued an objections report.

Where the political pressure needs to be applied is the Miami-Dade County Commission. Emailing Lowe's is a waste of time. Lowe's has made up it's mind a long time ago.