Spend a lot of time browsing social media or watching Fox, CNN or MSNBC, and it would be easy to be cynical about the ability of government to succeed. There is a lot of negativity in our public discourse. It’s time we take a look at what is working. Here in North Florida, there are examples of government doing its
As the 2022 primary draws to a close, several storylines have emerged at the local, state and federal levels: Former state Rep. Lake Ray is a mild-mannered candidate who is asking voters to go with experience and a steady hand. Ray raised a respectable amount of campaign dollars. Then three weeks ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis threw a hand grenade into
The primary season in Florida politics is always brutal. Because primaries involve battles between members of the same political party, or a nonpartisan race, there usually aren’t many policy differences among the choices. Therefore, candidates seek to differentiate themselves in other ways, often pointing to the alleged personal failings of their opponent. It can get ugly. Add in the fact
There is a lot of frustration with government these days. Inflation and the lingering effects of the pandemic have many folks in a sour mood and feeling powerless. “You can’t fight City Hall” is a mantra I occasionally hear. It’s the idea that one person or a small group can’t make a difference. Well, don’t tell that to the “Save
After losing the governor’s mansion in 1998 and losing both chambers of the state Legislature a few years prior, Florida Democrats were frustrated. They saw 2012 as an opportunity to reset the playing field. That was the year the state Senate and House would participate in the once-in-a-decade process of redrawing the congressional and legislative maps. The Democrats, understandably, didn’t
You never really know when voters are done and ready to move on until, well, they move on. Take the political journey of Donald John Trump. There has never been anyone like him. When he rode down the escalator at Trump Tower to declare his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president, no one in the political class took him
Two months ago in this column, I predicted that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto list for this year’s state budget would be a “Red Wedding” — a reference to the Game of Thrones scene where several key characters in the same family were killed. Apparently, I underestimated the extent of the pending damage. DeSantis wrecked the work of the Legislature, vetoing
There is a reason why very few people lived in Florida until the middle of the 20th Century. It’s often intolerably hot, thunderstorms come out of nowhere and cause flooding, and periodically a hurricane will wipe out large swaths of whatever is in the mighty storm’s path. It’s risky to live in Florida. Therefore, it is no surprise that insurance
Of all the statistics showing how bad the Jaguars franchise has been in the 21st Century, perhaps one data point illustrates it the best. The Jaguars have won their division one time since 1999. Once. And in the NFL, it pays to win your division if you want to win it all. Since 2011, only one team, Tom Brady’s 2020
“It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives…This is what the Constitution and the rule of law demand.” With those words written by Justice Samuel Alito in a leaked draft of a majority opinion, the political world our country and state has known for 50 years changed forever. Roe v.