Rubio would ramp up use of national employment database

By   /  February 7, 2013  /  Accountability, Featured, Florida, Immigration, Issues, News  /  No Comments

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., remains skeptical of any new gun legislation offered by federal legislators. (AP photo)

By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog
ST. PETERSBURG — As Florida’s U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio basks in the political limelight as the newly anointed ’savior’ of the Republican Party, all eyes are on his bipartisan immigration proposal released last week.
The framework, presented with support from seven other lawmakers, including Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and John McCain, R-Ariz., aims to [...]

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Florida governor’s budget boosts cash for corporate welfare

By   /  February 5, 2013  /  Corrections, Elections, Featured, Florida, Governor, Issues, News, State Budgets, State Government  /  8 Comments

FIRST MOVE: Scott propes $4.2 billion more spending in 2013. (photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr)

By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog
ST. PETERSBURG — If Gov. Rick Scott has his way, Floridians will be paying a little more for their government this year.
Just over $4.2 billion more, to be exact.
That’s the final figure from his recommended budget released last week and totaling $74.2 billion, the largest in Florida history.
The budget was [...]

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Florida a nationwide leader … in banning drones

By   /  February 5, 2013  /  Florida WatchBlog, WatchBlog  /  3 Comments

LEADER: Florida is the first state to address regulating surveillance drones on American soil.

Never shy to top the charts, the state of Florida has ganered a unique reputation for its diverse culture and eccentric ways.
And according to the American Civil Liberties Union, it deserves praise once more: for being the first to consider banning surveillance drones in the sky.
Following up on Florida Watchdog’s report on state Sen. Joe Negron‘s [...]

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Lawsuit filed to force recount in Allen West’s congressional race

By   /  February 4, 2013  /  Florida WatchBlog  /  3 Comments

REDO: A voter group says the public deserves to review recount records in the county which suffered ballot problems and eventually led to the defeat of U.S. Rep. Allen West.

ST. PETERSBURG — Calling attention to one of the closest November congressional races nationwide, the Houston-based voter interity group True the Vote announced on Monday that it will be filing a lawuit to force an independent review of the election which cost Republican Allen West his seat.
The complaint, filed in the Southern District Court of Florida on Sunday, aims [...]

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The Chuck Hagel witch hunt, brought to you by MSM

By   /  February 1, 2013  /  Commentary  /  No Comments

Republican Chuck Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing in January. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

By Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – If one is to believe the mainstream press accounts from the nation’s capital, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel took a beating from his GOP colleagues during his confirmation hearing to become Secretary of Defense in the Obama administration.
Though the hearing lasted more than eight hours and was [...]

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