News & Public Affairs

Daryl Rouson on using props in the state legislature listen

06/24/09 Mitch E. Perry
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St. Petersburg House Democratic Representative Daryl Rouson is an admitted former drug addict. Since he beat his addiction, he’s been at times zealous in trying to ensure that others don’t make his mistakes.

In 2005, he stood trial on a charge of misdemeanor trespassing for a 2004 incident in a St. Pete head shop called the Purple Haze. He claimed that he had gone to the store to protest the selling of drug paraphernalia, which he called "death utensils."

And on one of the last days of...

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Immigration advocates psyched for action this year listen

06/24/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: politics, immigration, immigration reform, illegal immigrants

In anticipation of a meeting on immigration between members of Congress and President Barack Obama tomorrow, advocates for getting immigration reform spoke today on a conference call.

Tamar Jacoby is president & CEO of Immigration Works, a business oriented organization.

Mark Lauritsen is vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers. He spoke angrily of some high profile immigration raids made last year by the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE). Frank Sharry, ...

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Crist veto of insurance bill makes consumer advocates happy listen

06/24/09 Mitch Perry
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Tags: politics, insurance rates, FPIRG, Florida Chamber of Commerce

Gov. Charlie Crist has vetoed a bill that would have deregulated rates for some residential property insurance policies. The bill (HB 1171) would have let homeowners pay higher, unregulated rates for insurance covering hurricanes, fires and other hazards from highly capitalized national companies.

In his veto message today, Crist wrote that the "Consumer Choice" bill "actually gives the choice to a select group of property insurance companies." He wrote that “It would have let them choose ...

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Cindy Sheehan speaks in St. Petersburg listen

06/18/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: politics, Cindy Sheehan, economy, deficit

Peace Activist Cindy Sheehan appeared in St. Petersburg last night.

Speaking at Nova 535, Sheehan spoke for approximately an hour, where she touched on a variety of subjects, including many in her new book, Myth America.

Sheehan moved to San Francisco a couple of years ago, specifically to challenge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her bid for re-election last year, a topic she discussed last night.

Sheehan’s home state of California is in serious financial difficulties. The state f...

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Health care experts call for 'play or pay' requirement listen

06/16/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Health care, politics, reform, pay or play requirement

As the health care debate heats up in Washington, two new reports arguing that an essential employer health mandate be part of any health care reform plan were released today.

Also a statement signed by more than 330 health care experts and economists was published today echoing President Barack Obama’s call for health care reform happening this year.

MIT Economics professor Jonathan Gruber was one of those signatories. He said that getting rid of the current employer based insurance sy...

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Charlie Justice on his Congressional race listen

06/16/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, District 10, Charlie Justice

Politico.com reported earlier this year that Democrats have defeated so many vulnerable Republicans over the past four years that there are few obvious targets left for them in 2010.

In some cases, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is hoping some longtime incumbents might retire. Such is the case in Florida’s 10th Congressional District – that’s the Pinellas County seat that’s been owned by C.W. Bill Young for nearly four decades.

Nationally, Democrats think they might be ...

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Kendrick Meek earns more endorsements listen

06/15/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Senate, Kendrick Meek, Corrine Brown, Ron Klein, Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Miami area Democratic Representative Kendrick Meek added to his growing list of supporters today when fellow Congress members Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Ron Klein endorsed him.

All three Representatives have worked together for years, beginning in the Florida House and Senate, and now in Congress.

Wasserman Schultz was enthusiastic in announcing her support for Meek.

Broward County area Democrat Ron Klein knocked out longtime Republican Clay Shaw in 2006, and was rumored at one poi...

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Gelber and Aronberg look forward to primary listen

06/15/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Senate, Kendrick Meek, Dan Gelber, Dave Aronberg

Excited by Barack Obama’s victory in the Sunshine State in last year’s presidential election, Florida Democrats hope to win some of the Cabinet positions currently held by Republicans.

Kendrick Meek and Alex Sink are by far the frontrunners in their races for senator and governor, respectively. The Democrats will have a contested race for Attorney General, as two South Florida senators, Dan Gelber and Dave Aronberg, have announced their candidacies.

Both were at the Hilton Hotel in St....

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Analyst discusses the Iranian election listen

06/12/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Iran, election, politics

Muhammed Sahimi is a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Southern California and a blogger for the Huffington Post and other publications.

He says that Iran will see real change if the challenger in tonight’s election, Hossein Mousavi, is victorious.

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Bob Smith joins race for Senate seat listen

06/10/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Senate, Mel Martinez, Charlie Crist, Bob Smith

Last night, WMNF ran the first part of an interview with former New Hampshire Sen. Bob Smith, who officially announced on Monday that he will challenge Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez next year.

The Sarasota resident yesterday that he’s running because he believes the Republican Party has lost its way and become Democrat-lite in some ways, as exemplified by Crist’s support for Barack Obama’s stimulus plan earlier t...

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