News & Public Affairs
Christina Chavez and UFW
02/23/06In a 4 part series last month, the Los Angeles Times reported on problems with the United Farm Workers, the farm workers organization created by the late Caesar Chavez. The controversial report , written by Miriam Pawel, has been met with vehement criticism from the UFW, who say the story had deep “journalistic flaws�
The LA Times 4 part article reported on how the union has strayed from its original mission, and has failed to organize any significant number of workers ove...
Be the first to commentMayor Iorio on UAE possibly buying Tampa Port by Mitch E.Perry
02/23/06Earlier this week the Tampa Port Authority voted to sign a contract to bring the British company at the center of the Ports controversy to Tampa to run cargo handling at the public agency's docks.
Dubai Ports World is acquiring Peninsular & Oriental Steamship Navigation Co. of London in a $6.8-billion deal due to close March 2.
P&O operates facilities at six major seaports on the East and Gulf coasts, but a firestorm has erupted regarding that company being purchased by ...
Be the first to commentST. PETE FOR PEACE ACTIVISTS TO PROTEST SEN. HILLARY CLINTON
02/23/06Two members of St. Pete for Peace joined us for this segment to talk about their plans to protest Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's appearance in Tampa this Saturday. Sen. Clinton has not taken a firm stand against the war, despite the fact that many of her supporters oppose the war. Our guests, Carol Schiffler and Jim Marvin say they want the Democratic party to take a stand for the cause of peace and for a quick withdrawal from Iraq. They say that the U.S. occupation has only led to more death,...
Be the first to commentTampa City Council votes to support new Art Museum
02/23/06The Tampa City Council today approved the first step towards the spending of over $20 million of taxpayers dollars to create a new Art Museum in downtown Tampa.
The vote was 5-1 in favor, with only Councilmember Rose Ferlita dissenting. Gwen Miller did not attend.
The deal calls for the city to purchase the Pavillion Building, better known as “the Cubes�, at the corner of Ashley and Kennedy. The City will also temporarily use the first 2 floors of the structure known as...
Be the first to commentTAMPA BAYBUSINESS JOURNAL WRITES ABOUT THE DODGE/LOCKHEED WHISTLEBLOWER INVESTIGATION
02/23/06TBBJ Editor Alexis Muellner joined us for this segment to discuss the paper's story this week on Rick Dodge's whistleblower lawsuit against Pinellas County. The story involves allegations that Pinellas taxpayer's did not get their money's worth from a 15 million dollar contract the Lockheed corporation was given to run the county's welfare-to-work program. Dodge also has been the target of negative reports in the St. Petersburg Times for allegedly making promises of government help to a devel...
Be the first to commentGood Times (and bad) for Jim Davis by Mitch E. Perry
02/23/06According to a new poll, Attorney General Charlie Christ holds a 9 point lead over Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher in a race for the Republican nomination for governor, while Tampa area Congressman Jim Davis holds a better than 2-1 advantage over State Senator Rod Smith among Democratic voters.
Among Republican voters in the Quinnipiac Poll, Christ leads Gallagher 40 to 31 percent, with more than a quarter of respondents undecided…
Quinnipiac found the GOP Candi...
Be the first to commentIMMOKALEE WORKERS LAUNCHING MCDONALDS TRUTH TOUR-Andrew Stelzer
02/23/06The coalition of Immokalee Workers, the group of south farm workers who campaigned for years to get higher pay for picking tomatoes for Taco Bell, eventually getting a raise of a penny more per pound and fair working conditions, is now turning their sites on McDonalds. The McDonalds Truth tour, based on the tours the farm workers and student allies took across the country is set to kick off on March 26th, culminating with mass rally outside McDonald’s headquarters in Chicago on April 1st....
Be the first to commentWHY 20 AND 30 SOMETHINGS ARE HAVING TROUBLE MAKING ENDS MEET- interview with STRAPPED author Tamara Draut
02/22/06Today we carried a live interview with Tamara Draut, author of the new book STRAPPED: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead (Doubleday). Draut is Economic Opportunity Director at Demos.
In STRAPPED, Draut takes a hard look at why 60 percent of adults between ages 18 and 34 are struggling for financial independence. Astronomical student debts, depressed wages, rising healthcare costs and soaring property values are just a few reasons why an entire generation of young people...
Be the first to commentUAE Company Could Take Over Tampa’s Port
02/22/06Meanwhile, yesterday, Tampa Port Authority commissioners voted to continue contract discussions with a subsidiary of Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation. The London-based company is being acquired by Dubai Ports World, the company that could take over operations at 6 major seaports on the East and Gulf Coasts, leading to the furor by both Congressional Republicans and Democrats in the past few days.
Criticism has been loudest from states who’s major ports could change ...
Be the first to commentPROTEST AGAINST HR 4437-Andrew Stelzer
02/22/06Controversial immigration bill House Bill 4437, passed by the house last month, is headed to the senate , and is the target of a growing number of protests around the country. Here in Tampa, More than 500 people spent the entire day at the corner of Dale Mabry an Columbus, protesting what they say is a bill further criminalizing immigrants who are hard working, law abiding citizens.
CHEERING, WHISTLING
Hundreds of people, most of them Mexican born, took the day off from wor...
Be the first to commentAnti-war mom who lost son in Iraq speaks out about stolen Memorial in Tampa by Mitch E. Perry
02/22/06When President Bush visited Tampa last Friday, approximately 2 dozen protestors were waiting for him along his motorcade’s route, at the corner of Dale Mabry and Gandy.
Among those protesting was Norma Aviles, who’s son Andy was killed early on in the invasion of Iraq, back on April 7th, of 2003.
Andy Aviles was an 18 year old Marine lance corporal, who died when an artillery round hit his vehicle in Baghdad. Andy’s mother, Norma Aviles has been against ...
Be the first to commentGreen Party candidate running for state office by Mitch E. Perry
02/22/06This November, some of the Tampa area’s best known Democratic Legislators – State Senator Les Miller and Representative Bob Henriquez, will not be running for re-election.
In Miller’s case, he’s hoping to move from Tallahasee to Washington, as he runs in the Democratic Party Primary to succeed Jim Davis in Congress.
Henriquez is being term-limited out of office….He has announced he will run for Tampa City Council next year.
But in Many other...
Be the first to commentMatthew Brzezinski on Ports Controversy by Mitch E. Perry
02/22/06Matthew Brzezinski
Matthew Brzezinski is the author of “Fortress America: On the Front Lines of Homeland Security – An inside look at the Coming Surveillance State�, and is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, and former foreign correspondent at the Wall Street Journal.
He has written extensively about American homeland security, and been critical of it. But in the uproar over a subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates taking over 6 ports in the U.S., Brz...
Be the first to commentState Representative wants boot camp moratorium by Mitch E. Perry
02/21/06A Florida lawmaker says he intends to file legislation to impose a moratorium on all the state's juvenile boot camps, after viewing a videotape of a limp 14-year old being struck by guards in such facility. Martin Anderson died shortly afterwards.
Tallahassee State Representative CurtisRichardson, said he wants the camps shut down until there are uniform standards for all of them. (roll tape#1 o.q.�juvenile offenders�) The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper reported that Richa...
Be the first to commentLeague of Conservation Voters Gives out Grades to Florida Politicians by Mitch E. Perry
02/21/06Today one of the country’s leading environmental groups, handed out report cards to each and every member of ongress on how they grade out on environmental issues.
The League of Conservation Voters said that South Florida Democrat Robert Wexler was one of 44 Congressional members to achieve a perfect 100% score. He was the only Florida representative to be accredited with such a score.
Also receiving plaudits include Tampa area Democrat Jim Davis, North Florida C...
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