Why We’re Hooked on Campaign Life By Michael E. Cardwell II There’s no business like politics. People think a campaign is all kissing babies and shaking hands. In reality, it’s calling rich people and asking for money for months and spending it quickly to reach voters and turn them out for the election. Then, if […]
The Truth of Being a Shadow
The Realities of An Undocumented Immigrant Alexis Santoyo Alexis Santoyo Recently, there has been a focus on undocumented immigration from national and local leaders. Building a wall, increasing deportations, and stopping crime from undocumented immigrants have been at the forefront of the conversation. It is easy to stereotype the situation when we do […]
Florida’s Shores Under Siege
Why the Blue-Green Algae Epidemic Affects More Than the Beach Jason Marlow Florida is under siege. Toxic blue-green algae, laden with cyanobacteria, is strangling our coasts and waterways. So far, the state of Florida has collected 1,700 tons of dead marine life with more manatees (over 500 this year alone) and dolphins killed this […]
BBQ, Beach Days, and Equal Rights
A Homage to Labor Day By Travis Holsclaw With summer coming to an end and school and work getting back into normal swings, we are already looking forward to additional days off. One of our first days off is Labor Day. While most of us in Hillsborough County will flock to the beach or […]
Mixing and Building
Why the Water Street Project Can Lead to Less Traffic Bryan Skorczewski Mixed use buildings offer many advantages to Hillsborough County residents, so a greater focus needs to be placed on creating these spaces. A more urbanized “city feel,” combined with shorter commute times, can help the region and its residents reach their […]
#SaveTheNet
How the Latest Net Neutrality Action Affects Tampa Bay The Senate approved a resolution May 16, 2018 to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) net neutrality repeal. However, many Hillsborough County residents aren’t sure what it actually entails. As many other unpopular laws and policies amongst the majority of Americans are being pushed through […]
A Bumpy Road Ahead
Smart Ways to Design Better South Tampa Roads By Jessica Kings South Tampa’s dense population, historic infrastructure, and geographic location result in a unique transportation situation. It is in dire need of transportation improvements, as is much of the Bay area. The city needs to find alternatives to move away from being an auto-centric […]
Citrus Industry Dead in a Decade?
By Jason Marlow Florida’s citrus industry, including grapefruits and tangerines, are an integral element of our state, and are a proud part of Florida’s international identity. For decades, Florida has fueled American mornings with glasses of liquid sunshine. However, a disease called Huanglongbing, commonly known as HLB or citrus greening disease, is threatening the Floridian […]
A New Proposal for the Hillsborough County Democratic Party Budget
Guest Post by Alvin Jin The Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) serves as the Democratic Party in Hillsborough County and works to elect Democratic candidates and improve the party. As a member of the DEC, I want to provide support but I have serious concerns with how we are spending money to accomplish our goals. During […]
FL Dems fight for Puerto Ricans — and welcome them to Florida
Guest post by Quentin Torbert After Puerto Rico’s devastation following Hurricane Maria, many Puerto Rican evacuees will find safety in the arms of loved ones living in Tampa. The evacuees could also find comfort in another family: the Hillsborough County Democratic Party. Maria was relentless to the small island. 155 mile-per-hour winds knocked out electricity […]