What's Tampa Bay Saying?

$408 Red Light Camera Ticket: Is That Fair?

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 …

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What's Tampa Bay Saying?

Alimony Bill Vetoed: Was Gov. Scott Right?

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 …

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Lucy Gonzalez

12:38 am on Sunday, May 19, 2013

Sorry Bryan :(   more ›

Flags in Tallahassee at Half-Mast for Spc. Zack Shannon

National and state flags in Tallahassee are at half-mast today in honor of Dunedin's fallen soldier Spc. Zack Shannon.

On order from Gov. Rick Scott, state and national flags in Tallahassee are flying at half-mast today. He directed all national and state flags be lowered in respect of the day fallen Dunedin soldier Zachary Lee Shannon is laid to rest. Army Spc. Zack Shannon is being buried today, March 27, during a private family ceremony at Dunedin Cemetery. Mayor Dave Eggers asked the city of Dunedin and many local businesses to lower their flags in respect to Shannon upon news of his death in Afghanistan on March 11.  Scott signed the proclamation ordering state and national flags down at the state capital in Tallahassee, at the Pinellas County Courthouse and at Dunedin City Hall. A deputy-escorted, horse-drawn caisson funeral procession begins at 11 a…

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Gov. Scott Proposes Funding for Spring Training Stadiums in Florida

Scott's proposed $5 million annual fund is aimed at renovating stadiums and keeping teams like Dunedin's Blue Jays, whose lease expires in 2016, in Florida for spring training.

Gov. Rick Scott is proposing a $5 million annual fund aimed at renovating stadiums and keeping Major League Baseball teams in Florida for spring training. Scott unveiled the plan Wednesday during a stop at the Detroit Tigers' spring facility in Lakeland. The funds would be used only for spring training facilities, Scott's office said, and local governments would be required to match at least 50 percent of project costs. State contributions would be capped at $20 million, and the Department of Economic Opportunity would review and approve the match "to ensure it provides a return on investment for taxpayers," Scott's office said. Scott said the initiative fits with his goal of growing jobs in Florida. "We must protect and enhance this vital…

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What's Tampa Bay Saying?

How Do You Rate Gov. Rick Scott?

Florida's governor is 'not so good' or 'poor' on the job, according to 42 percent of the respondents in a newly released poll.

A newly released poll shows that Gov. Rick Scott is not winning any popularity contests in Tampa Bay's two largest counties, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Most of the respondents surveyed in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties rated Florida's governor as "poor" or "not so good." A little more than a quarter ranked Scott as just "average." Less than a quarter thought the governor does a "good" or "excellent" job, according to the Tampa Bay Times-Bay News 9-AM 820 poll. What do you think? Is the governor doing a good job running the state? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Here's a closer look at the numbers: According to the Tampa Bay Times: Of the two counties, Scott's numbers are substantially worse in Pinellas. While 33 …

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Michael D.

5:16 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013

Michael, Then your problem is finding anyone in our government who is responsible. On both sides of the isle, a personally responsible politician is an extinct breed.   more ›

Patch Political Digest

Is Crist Rising on Wave of Rick Scott Criticism?

Former Gov. Charlie Crist increasingly is blasting Gov. Rick Scott over how he is running the state of Florida.

The 2012 election is barely in the books and already Florida politicos are turning their eyes to 2014, especially Democrats hungry to take back the Governor's mansion from the Republicans. Increasingly, Democrats appear ready to embrace former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist as their best chance at winning in 2014. At the same time, Crist is taking a more vocal role in criticizing Gov. Rick Scott, even taking to Twitter to blast Scott's controversial decision not to extend early voting during the presidential election.  Crist certainly is a topic of news and speculation across Florida. Here is a sampling: AS DEMOCRATS TURN TO 2014, CHARLIE CRIST EMERGES AS MOST VOCAL OPPONENT OF RICK SCOTT by Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald  The populist…

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Tropical Storm Isaac May Skirt Tampa Bay

It's too early to know with certainty. Tampa is still in the cone of possible tracks, but Isaac may arrive west of Tampa Bay early next week.

We're not in the clear just yet. At 8 a.m. today, Tropical Storm Isaac churned at sea, just south of Haiti, where a hurricane watch is in effect. The National Weather Service expects the storm to crawl at about 15 mph toward Florida, crossing Cuba Sunday morning. But hurricane officials are not anticipating a direct hit on the Tampa Bay region. If current projections stand, Isaac will arrive west of Tampa Bay after midnight Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane. There is a chance that Isaac will impact Florida's panhandle next week. Of course, all that may change with the unpredictability of the storm as it edges closer to landfall, hurricane officials said. According to National Weather Service meteorologist Nicole Carlisle, the Tampa Bay …

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DOJ to Sue Florida Over Voter Purge

The Department of Justice sent a letter to Florida on Monday ordering the state to halt its voter purge or face going to court.

The Department of Justice is planning to sue the state of Florida for refusing to stop its non-citizen voter purge.  U.S. Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez sent a letter Monday to Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner stating that Florida's decision to continue purging its voting rolls would leave the DOJ no choice but to take the Sunshine State to court.   The letter (which is attached as a PDF below the picture) states: ... Your June 6 response has provided no information that allows us to change our view that the State’s new list maintenance program for verification of citizen is a “program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the official list of eligible voters,” and that this …

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Gov. Rick Scott Honors Spring Training Baseball Sites, Including Dunedin

As part of Major League Baseball's spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays calling Dunedin their spring home each year, baseball is a major boost to Florida's economy.

In a release honoring the Florida cities, including Dunedin, that host Major League Baseball spring training sites, Florida Gov. Rick Scott emphasized the economic impact baseball has on the Sunshine State. Locally, that's the Toronto Blue Jays, which call Dunedin home each spring. In 2009, a study conducted by Bonn Marketing Research Group of Tallahassee concluded that spring training baseball brought an influx of some $753 million into the Florida economy. “Florida’s great weather and sporting events like spring training continue to draw people to our state,” Scott said, “We are grateful to all of the visitors and businesses that made Spring Training a success and look forward to another exciting season of baseball.” The Blue Jays drew …

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Dunedin-Palm Harbor VFW to Host Candidates Forum for Sheriff

The VFW will host a forum with all six candidates for Pinellas County sheriff. Interested voters who cannot attend may email questions for the candidates in advance.

The incumbent Pinellas County sheriff will face off against his predecessor, along with four other challengers for the position, in a Sheriff's Forum to be held at the April 18 at the Dunedin-Palm Harbor VFW Post 2550. In the race for Pinellas County sheriff, incumbent Bob Gualtieri (R), recently appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to replace retiring sheriff Jim Coats, is being challenged by his main competitor former sheriff Everett Rice (R). Other candidates include Tim Ingold (R), Scott Swope (D), Randy Heine (D) and Greg Pound (I). The forum allows voters to get to meet the candidates and ask pressing questions about local law enforcement. But Pinellas County voters who cannot attend can also participate. Questions for any of the candidates …

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