News & Public Affairs
Columnist: Government needs more revenue to function properly listen
02/25/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Economy, Stimulus Package, politics
In his message to Congress last night, President Barack Obama laid out how he plans on dealing with the various crises facing his administration.
But the Washington Post editorialized this morning that his message was more about what could be done than what would have to be left out.
Obama said in addition to dealing with the banking, housing and financial problems, he plans on addressing health care, education, and alternative forms of energy, and cut the deficit in half by 2013.
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Be the first to commentPowerful business pushes for early release of some prisoners listen
02/23/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Penal system, early release, politics
A powerful organization is calling for the state of Florida to stop the construction of three new prisons – expected to cost a total of $300 million – and instead early release nonviolent inmates instead.
It’s not a liberal advocacy group, but instead Associated Industries of Florida, a powerful business lobby, making the proposal.
Barney Bishop is with the group calling for the early release of 3,900 prisoners. Bishop says the state doesn’t have the $300 million, so some people are sug...
Be the first to commentHealth care advocates support president's call for reform listen
02/23/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Politics, health care
Among the issues that President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak about in his message to Congress tomorrow night will be dealing with the health care crisis in the country.
Today health care advocates in Florida hosted a conference call urging citizens to stand behind the president’s aims to reform the system.
Richard Kirsch is the national campaign manager for Health Care for America Now, which released a report today on how it believes the economy can’t re-booted until the health ca...
Be the first to commentTeachers Union official on plans to scale back Class Size Amendment listen
02/20/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Politics, economic stimulus, education
Earlier this week, WMNF covered a press conference where Congresswoman Kathy Castor announced that over $100 million in federal funds for education would be going directly to her Congressional District, which encompasses most of Hillsborough County, a part of St. Petersburg and a part of Manatee County.
Much of that funding will go to programs like Head Start, Title I Schools and for children with special needs.
WMNF asked Jean Clements, president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers ...
Be the first to commentSome legislators will promote development to fix economy listen
02/20/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Politics, economy, development, housing
Earlier this week, some state lawmakers announced that they believe a way to kick start Florida’s economy is by streamlining the permitting process for new development.
The St. Petersburg Times reporting this week that some of the groups pushing for looser permitting include such politically powerful groups as the Florida Home Builders Association, the Association of Florida Community Developers, and Associated Industries.
Barney Bishop is president of Associated Industries, based ...
Be the first to commentEconomic intervention forum organized by GOP donor listen
02/18/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Economy, economic stimulus package, politics
A major donor to Republican causes organized a panel discussion today at a Cruise Terminal at the Port of Tampa. The forum focused on the federal government’s recent interventions into the economy, including last year’s bailout of financial institutions, labeled the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
Former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco was among those invited to speak.
A panel made up of bankers, business owners, economists, and others disagreed about whether one of the main goals of the ...
1 commentsMartin Indyk on Middle East Peace possibilities listen
02/18/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Politics, foreign policy, Mid-East, Israel, Palestine
In the Middle East today, Hamas vehemently rejected the Israeli Cabinet's decision not to open its border crossings with the Gaza Strip until Hamas agrees to release abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.
Shalit was abducted by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in June 2006. Hamas has demanded the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the soldier's freedom.
According to the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, Israel’s Welfare Minister told the Cabinet th...
Be the first to commentHillsborough School District makes plans for stimulus funds listen
02/17/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Economy, education, economic stimulus package, politics
Some of the education money from the stimulus plan will be distributed through competitive funding.
Jeff Eakins is the Hillsborough County School District’s Director of Federal Programs. WMNF spoke with him after Kathy Castor's news conference today, and asked him about that and other aspects of how the district will spend its new funding.
That’s Jeff Eakins, he’s the Hillsborough County School District’s Director of Federal Programs, speaking about how the district will deal with the ...
Be the first to commentCastor, Hillsborough Schools officials celebrate windfall listen
02/17/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Economy, education, economic stimulus package, politics
As part of the federal stimulus plan signed into law by President Barack Obama, more than $5 billion in education funding is expected to come to Florida.
In Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor’s 11th Congressional District which encompasses Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Manatees Counties, $145 million is coming soon.
Castor spoke this morning from Chamberlain High School, her alma matter, where she was joined by dozens of people, including local school board officials, and dozens of s...
Be the first to commentDebating the Employee Free Choice Act
02/17/09 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Tuesday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Politics, labor, unions, Employee Free Choice Act
There’s a battle looming in Congress between organized labor and big business- it’s over the proposed Employee Free Choice Act. The bill was passed by the House back in 2007- but it’s been filibustered in the Senate since 2007.
President Barack Obama says he supports EFCA. Labor unions say it would make it easier for employees to form unions. They say that over the past 30 years the balance of power has shifted and that companies have gained too much power to fight union organizing driv...
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