Friday, May 17, 2013
As news about possible abuses of power on the federal level continues to break, we’d like to get your take about what’s been going on Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay residents who keep up with the headlines coming out of Washington, D.C., have likely found themselves scratching their heads more than a few times this past week. Allegations of wrongdoing seem to be coming at the speed of light as the Obama Administration fends off bad press about inappropriate targeting of Tea Party organizations by the Internal Revenue Service and possible wrongdoing in the handling of a national security leak. The IRS’ targeting of Tea Party groups centers around hassles these groups report experiencing while trying to apply for tax-exempt status prior to the 2012 election. The controversy even hit home as Bay area groups are now reporting that they were targeted, according to The Tampa Tribune. The kerfuffle…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The city of Sarasota just enacted a law aimed at getting motorists to turn down the volume. Now, other local governments are following suit. Should they?
Most of us have been in the car when a great tune comes on the radio. The urge to turn up that volume just a little bit is often too strong to resist. But, how loud is too loud? When is cranking it up going too far? When should authorities be able to step in and say enough is enough? Those are questions some local governments in the Tampa Bay area are now wrestling with. Since the Florida Legislature shot down a measure that would have regulated just how loud car stereos can be, some local authorities have decided to take matters into their own hands. The City of Sarasota just put its new ordinance into effect that makes it against the law for car stereos and portable electronic devices to emit sounds at a level that are considered “…
Monday, May 13, 2013
Rubio will be the keynote speaker at the dinner May 18 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.
Conservative Florida senator Marco Rubio will be the keynote speaker at the Hillsborough County Republican Party's 2013 Lincoln Day Dinner. The dinner will be held Saturday, May 18 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, 2900 Bayport Rd., Tampa. Elected two years ago, the 42-year-old Cuban American shot into the national spotlight in June 2012 when it was reported he was being vetted as Mitt Romney's running mate. Romney ultimately chose Paul Ryan. However, Rubio's reputation as a fiscal conservative continued to spread. In January, the senator from West Miami was chosen to deliver the Republican response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address. It was the first time the response was delivered in both English and Spanish. The theme …
Friday, May 10, 2013
The Florida House and Senate recently approved a measure that would make driving slow in the fast lane punishable by a fine. Do you think this is a good idea?
Can’t handle traveling at the Interstate’s 70 mph pace or a local four-lane road’s legal top speed? You might want to get in the practice of moving over. The Florida House and Senate recently approved a measure that makes it illegal to drive more than 10 mph under the speed limit if your vehicle is riding in the fast lane. The proposal will become the law of the land in Florida if Gov. Rick Scott signs on the dotted line. Dubbed the “road rage” bill, according to ABC News, the measure would give law enforcement the right to fine drivers $60 for moving at a snail’s pace in the far left lane of any road that has two or more lanes. That means slow drivers who refuse to move over – often causing other motorists to lose their cool – would be …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Drivers who want to appeal a ticket might have to pay up to $250 in additional fees if Gov. Rick Scott signs a new bill into law. Do you think that’s right?
Hate red light cameras? If so, you might hate them even more if Gov. Rick Scott signs a bill recently passed by the Florida Legislature into law. The bill sets a new process for appeals that enables local government bodies – cities and counties – to tack on an additional $250 in court fees for those who try to appeal tickets generated by red light cameras and fail. It also puts the new appeals process into the hands of those very same local governments that would benefit from the additional fees. That means motorists who appeal and lose will no longer be subject to just a $158 penalty – they might have to fork over $408. The new law, according to The Tampa Tribune, was designed to streamline the appeals process and put more control in the …
Monday, May 6, 2013
The Florida Senate recently approved a measure that would make it against the law to text while driving. Do you think it will improve the safety of local roads?
They say the third time’s the charm, but for Florida’s texting ban five seems to be the magic number. A bill that makes it illegal to text while driving finally made it through the Senate and into Gov. Rick Scott’s hands earlier this week. Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, has tried for five legislative sessions to get the measure approved, according to TBO.com. If Scott signs the bill, it will become illegal to text behind the wheel. The bill, however, doesn’t apply to texting while stopped at red lights or for those who are parked on roadsides. The fine for texting behind the wheel will be considered a secondary one and only carries a price tag $30, according to TBO. So, what do you think? Do you like the new law? Does it go far enough? Tell …
A law that would have ended permanent alimony in Florida didn’t get Gov. Rick Scott’s stamp of approval. Do you think he was right to nix the legislation?
Divorced men and women across Florida got good news – or bad, depending on perspective – late last week when Gov. Rick Scott shot down a law that would have put an end to permanent alimony in Florida. Scott vetoed the measure with only four hours left on the clock for it to automatically go into law, according to Fox News. Citing concerns about the financial impacts the bill would have on Florida families and a dislike for the fact the measure had a clause that would make it retroactive, Scott told lawmakers he could not support passage. "The retroactive adjustment of alimony could result in unfair, unanticipated results,” Fox quoted Scott as saying. Had the law gone into effect it would have limited the amount of alimony a person could …
Friday, May 3, 2013
An announcement was made this week by Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
City officials released some good news for walkers or bikers who trek in or around downtown Tampa. Four downtown-area streets will receive pedestrian and cyclist-friendly makeovers that entail new sidewalks and bike lanes or shared use pathways, according to a news release by the City of Tampa. The announcement, made this week by Mayor Bob Buckhorn, includes the following streets: Palm Avenue, Willow Avenue, Bougainvillea Avenue and Cypress Street. "Projects like this are part of our strategy to make Tampa more pedestrian and cyclist friendly. These improvements will make these streets safer for everyone, and provide both residents and visitors more options to get around," said Mayor Bob Buckhorn in the news release. "This is just the …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
InVision Tampa is a project using federal grant money to revamp parts of Tampa, from downtown to Ybor City and the Nebraska-Hillsborough avenue corridor. Workshops are being held this week to solicit community feedback about the report.
Efforts to create a pedestrian-friendly downtown and maximize economic development for businesses is continuing momentum with InVision Tampa - a project using federal grant money to revamp parts of the city - unveiling an "Issues and Opportunities Report" this week for the Nebraska-Hillsborough corridor. The report, which shows the findings of a consultants research and ideas expressed by citizens during charrettes and online forums about Nebraska and Hillsborough avenues, will be discussed during community design workshops on Tuesday, April 30 and Thursday, May 2. At 5:30 p.m. on April 30, Buckhorn will meet with students from Middleton High, who took on specific areas of the Nebraska-Hillsborough corridor and worked with InVision Tampa …
Monday, April 29, 2013
The Florida Legislature has passed a merit-based pay raise that will go into effect next year.
It looks like Gov. Rick Scott’s promise to give South Tampa area teachers a raise is coming to fruition, but it’ll be a little later than hoped. Both the House and Senate gave a green light to a measure that would give Florida teachers a raise, but instead of being across-the-board, the proposal calls for merit-based raises. And, while Scott wanted to see those raises go into effect in 2013, they won’t be happening until June 2014, according to The Tampa Tribune. Under the Legislature’s plan, teachers who are ranked “effective” will be eligible for raises of $2,500. Teachers who are deemed “highly effective” will get $3,500, the Tribune says. Scott proposed the statewide raise in January. Hillsborough County teachers are among the only in …
LibertyLover
2:48 am on Saturday, May 18, 2013
To the author of the article - what's up with government? I'll tell you what. ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY more ›