By Jim Bleyer Organized “hate groups” are expanding in number and membership throughout the country with Florida one of the fastest growing states in this dubious regard. Some of the 75 groups operate statewide while others confine their activities locally. Hate groups cluster in Southeast Florida and the …
By Jim Bleyer Four important groups that traditionally vote Democratic have deserted Janet Cruz in her quest to unseat State Sen.Dana Young in Greater Tampa’s SD18. These include the African American community, progressives, educators, and environmentalists. Cruz, a term-limited State Representative has somehow alienated them all. The Hillsborough Democratic …
By Jim Bleyer When State Rep. Janet Cruz jumped into a Florida Senate race against incumbent Republican Dana Young, she told Tampa voters she was motivated to run because of the February school shootings in Parkland. The term-limited House minority leader had previously filed to run for a seat …
By Jim Bleyer Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn is actively seeking the second spot on the Democratic gubernatorial ticket, Tampa Bay Beat has learned, but such a candidacy would bring more baggage than benefit. Buckhorn has reached out to both the camps of Phillip Levine and Gwen Graham in his …
By Jim Bleyer Tampa’s leadership flunked its latest test Saturday at the University of South Florida. A March for Our Lives town hall discussion drew only a handful of candidates for Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa. Incumbent officeholders scored a zero. Likewise Republicans. The USF event is …
By Jim Bleyer A year before a crazed shooter massacred five newsroom workers at the Annapolis Capital Gazette on June 28, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn mused publicly about gunning down journalists. It made national headlines. Among the numerous media entities that reported on Buckhorn’s hate-fueled rhetoric: the Washington Post, …
By Jim Bleyer The Castor Disaster is no longer a pilot; it is a full-fledged series that hopefully won’t be renewed by City of Tampa voters in 2019. Castor, the first openly racist mayoral candidate in recent memory, was hired by the City of Miami in 2016 to monitor …
By Jim Bleyer I want to meet the crisis counseling consultants on retainer for Publix. Whatever they are being paid, they are worth every cent. The grocery chain didn’t just dodge a bullet; it avoided hundreds of rounds from an AR-15. After protests and boycott threats from gun control …
By Jim Bleyer An already energized throng of more than 500 Hillsborough County Democrats, anticipating that the much hyped Blue Wave will wash over Florida in November, saved most of its enthusiasm and cheering Saturday night for gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. All four primary candidates spoke for only a …
By Jim Bleyer The March for Our Lives, Tampa edition, drew an estimated 13,000 participants with candidates and would-be hopefuls making a firm statement by their presence—-or absence. From reports gleaned from the field, not one Republican supported the Millennial and Reform Generations, giving credence to widespread accusations that …
