News & Public Affairs
REZONING MEETING CHAOS - Kim Farley
08/14/03Last night the Pinellas County Commission held a workshop to discuss the rezoning that will allow the expansion of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport. It didn’t exactly go as planned. Kim Farley reports:
The workshop began simply enough. A small room at the Holiday Inn Select on Ulmerton Road held tables with charts, maps, and graphs to explain the proposed rezoning. At each chart stood a person with whom a few people at a time could speak. Before too long, the room was filled to ...
Be the first to commentTHE CONTROVERSY OVER THE FLORIDA COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT TEST
08/13/03Gloria Pipkin and Sara Robinson are members of the Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform; Candy Olson is a member of the Hillsborough School Board. They all want to see some sort of reform in the FCAT-based grading system used to reward and punish both students and schools here in Florida. The issues are teaching to the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test), the high cost of the tests, the rote nature of the tests, the increasing number of students being held back, and the fact that ...
Be the first to commentTHE FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
08/12/03The Chair of the Democratic Party National Committee, Terry McAuliffe, was interviewed about the upcoming California recall election, his background as a fundraiser for the Democratic Party, the cynicism many people have about the role of big money in politics and the issues that will shape the next presidential campaign.
Be the first to commentDEMOCRATIC NATL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ADDRESSES SENIORS - Amy Snider
08/08/03Terry McAuliffe, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, was in Tampa today to address senior citizens enrolled in USF’s Senior Learning Program. WMNF’s Amy Snider has the story…
Over 100 senior citizens enjoyed an afternoon of Bush-bashing as part of their family values, lunch and learn program at USF. On hand was Terry McAuliffe, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who is in Tampa to attend his niece’s wedding. McAuliffe, who chaired the Gore campaign, says that...
Be the first to commentTHE HOMELESS CRISIS IN THE UNITED STATES
08/07/03With Brad Paul, director of Policy of the National Coalition For The Homeless, Rayme Nuckles, executive director of the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County and Dr. Warren Clark of the First United Church. This program looked at the lack of affordable housing here in the Bay area and around the country. Our guests discussed legislation pending in Congress to create more affordable housing units and what's being done locally to help meet the need.
Be the first to commentDOES PHOSPHATE MINING ENDANGER THE PEACE RIVER?
08/05/03Charlotte County has challenged a move to strip mine 2300 acres in Manatee County, near Horse Creek, one of the headwaters of the Peace River. This week an administrative law judge rejected the proposal, ruling the mine would obliterate a diverse eco-system. It was a victory for Charlotte County, which fears that the mining would ultimately harm the Peace River which in turn flows into Charlotte Harbor. The river is a source of drinking water, recreation and natural beauty for hundreds of tho...
Be the first to commentTHE FLORIDA HOMETOWN DEMOCRACY AMENDMENT
08/05/03Ross Burnaman is co-founder of an effort to allow voters to have a greater say in approving or disapproving of developments in their communities. He’s helped launch an effort to get an amendment added to the state constitution. Burnaman says that too often, local governments bend to the will of developers while ignoring the interests of existing residents or communities.
Be the first to commentFAMILIES OF 9/11 VICTIMS RESPOND TO CONGRESSIONAL REPORT ON THE TERROR ATTACKS
07/29/03The White House is rejecting calls to declassify a section of the congressional 9/11 probe that reportedly implicates Saudi Arabia. Press Secretary Scott McClellan says doing so would compromise ongoing investigations - and give away the sources and methods used by U.S. intelligence. Florida Senator Bob Graham - a Democratic presidential hopeful - says the administration wanted the section kept under wraps to avoid embarrassment.
Our guest, DAVID POTORIS, lost his brother, James, at the...
Be the first to commentTAX CUTS ADEQUATE FOR AMERICA’S WORKING FAMILIES?
07/29/03This week and in the first half of August, millions of parents will receive $400 per child from the Bush administration. But some are rejecting this windfall to protest the unfairness of the overall tax cut, which sends huge tax breaks to multi-millionaires while denying 12 million low-income children any tax rebate.
Ironically, these middle-income parents are using their gift from the President to oppose his tax agenda. United for a Fair Economy has organized a "Let's REALLY Leave No Chi...
Be the first to commentRAISING AWARENESS OF FEDERAL JUDICIAL APPOINTEES
07/24/03Some of President Bush's appointees to the federal bench have what our guests describe as views far outside the mainstream - on such topics as the environment, civil rights and development. A coalition of groups including ACORN, the Sierra Club, Equality Florida, the SEIU and Planned Parenthood are holding a town hall meeting this coming Monday to dicuss some of the more extreme appointments and why progressives should be concerned. Our guests: David Bookbinder, senior attorney at the Sierra ...
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