News & Public Affairs

Meek gets key union endorsement in Senate bid listen

02/16/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

This morning one of the biggest public employee unions in Florida endorsed Miami area Congressman Kendrick Meek in the Senate race in 2010.

The endorsement by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is an early and strong boost for the Democrat. Currently, only Miami Beach Sen. Dan Gelber and North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns have announced their candidacies, though there could be several more announcing in the coming months.

Monica Russo is president of the Florida SEIU. She says...

Be the first to comment

Here comes new attempt to scale back Class Size Amendment listen

02/16/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Class Size Amendment, education, economy, politics

Two weeks before the Florida Legislature convenes for its formal regular session, there is again talk of class-size rules being scaled back because of budget issues.

As mandated by the passage of the 2002 Constitutional amendment, class-size rules are scheduled to be fully implemented by next year.

But according to the state board of education, approximately a quarter to a third of all of the state’s classrooms will be above the cap next year- and it’s expected to cost over $800 million...

Be the first to comment

Florida could get $5B in education funding from stimulus bill listen

02/13/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, education, economic stimulus package, politics

Public housing provisions total nearly $10 billion. Nearly $15 billion would go to clean-water and environmental protection projects.

And minus the construction money, education programs would receive nearly $100 billion in new funding, including $12 billion for special education, boosting the federal share for education services to the highest level ever, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Arne Duncan is the Secretary of Education. On a conference call with reporters t...

Be the first to comment

Former City Councilwoman enters St. Pete mayoral race listen

02/13/09 Arielle Stevenson
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Politics, St. Petersburg mayor's race, Jamie Bennett, Bill Foster, Deveron Gibbons, Sharon Russ, Paul Congemi, Scott Wagman, Kathleen Ford

Former City Council member and lawyer Kathleen Ford today officially entered her name into the race for St. Petersburg’s mayoral race. She is among a growing list of candidates.

She spoke from city hall in downtown St. Petersburg. Her top concern if elected is growing the weakened infrastructure downtown. The continuing problem of growing numbers of homeless in St. Petersburg is something Ford says she is adapt to handle effectively.

Ford says this issue will require increased attent...

Be the first to comment

Crist discusses his support of stimulus package listen

02/13/09 Arielle Stevenson
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, economic stimulus package, politics, Charlie Crist, Pam Iorio, Rick Baker

While the stimulus package has passed in the house, and poised to pass in the senate tonight, Republican Gov. Charlie Crist spoke today in St. Petersburg about how the stimulus will help Floridians.

Crist met with Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Kopelouso,Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker to discuss the $1.3 billion that is being allotted to Florida’s transportation department.

While the governor supports the stimulus package, virtually all Republicans do...

Be the first to comment

Huge difference in stimulus bills would hurt Florida schools listen

02/11/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, education, economic stimulus package, politics

According to the website ProPublica, Florida's public school districts would miss out on nearly $650 million in construction money, if the final stimulus bill resembles the Senate’s version more than the House version.

Hillsborough County schools would lose nearly $49 million, Pinellas more than $28 million, Pasco more than $12 million, and Sarasota more than $5 million.

Randall Moody is the chief lobbyist for the National Education Association based in Washington. He says the Collins-...

Be the first to comment

Kathy Castor named to House ethics panel listen

02/11/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Politics, Charles Rangel, Kathy Castor

Yesterday, the House Ethics Committee voted to reauthorize a subcommittee of three Democrats and three Republicans to investigate New York Democrat Charles Rangel.

The Committee is looking at Rangel’s failure to pay taxes on rental income from a house he owns in the Dominican Republic, and his use of four rent stabilized apartments in New York City.

They’re also looking at letters he wrote on Congressional stationery looking to find donors for a center named after him at City College o...

Be the first to comment

Castor, Meek come out fighting for Obama stimulus plan listen

02/09/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, economic stimulus package, politics

As the economic stimulus bill is poised to be voted on in the Senate tomorrow, President Obama and Congressional Democrats today came out on the offensive in arguing for the merits of the bill. It comes after Republicans have controlled the tone of the debate, if not the actual votes, in the past week.

Obama makes a trip to Southwest Florida tomorrow, to Fort Myers, one of the hardest hit counties in the country when it comes to foreclosures.

And House Democrats, who have been missing...

Be the first to comment

Local advocates for stimulus package make their case listen

02/09/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Economy, economic stimulus package, politics

This morning in front of a boarded up Wendy’s on Armenia Avenue in Tampa, City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena and Florida Consumer Action Network Director Bill Newton used the dilapidated building as a backdrop to call on Sen. Mel Martinez and local members of Congress to support the economic stimulus bill being debate in Congress.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Florida’s economy is in bad shape. Last month’s unemployment rate was at the state was over 8 percent, and a report issued M...

Be the first to comment

Fight over stimulus bill intensifies listen

02/05/09 Mitch E. Perry
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Politics, economic stimulus

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators met privately to discuss cuts to the proposed $900 billion economic stimulus package as President Barack Obama received criticism that he hasn’t been doing to enough to lead on the issue.

The day began with the president writing an opinion piece in the Washington Post criticizing those who say there should be more tax cuts, or a smaller package. While visiting the Energy Department, Obama said the tussle over the stimulus bill has real-world implicati...

Be the first to comment