Category Archives: Political News

Harvey Milk Festival wants to connect you with your ‘inner activist’

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Cooper Levey-Baker

This week’s Harvey Milk Festival might sound like any other arts and culture get-together. There will be a film screening Thursday night, an art show Friday evening and a stacked music lineup Saturday afternoon. But that doesn’t quite tell the whole story. … Continue reading →

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New PAC launches campaign for nonpartisan county elections

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Cooper Levey-Baker

A newly formed political action committee has announced its plan to promote a ballot measure that would make all countywide races nonpartisan. Last month, The Sarasota News Leader broke news about an effort by members of the Public Interest Coalition … Continue reading →

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Top stories – Nov. 2 Edition

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Staff Reports

Click on the pages below to read the entire article:   To see all stories in this week’s edition, click on the cover below:  

Posted in Ask Otus, City of Sarasota, Downtown Sarasota, Environmental News, Neighborhoods, Political News, Sarasota County, Weather | Comments Off

Romney rally a violation of Ringling Museum no-politics policy

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Word began spreading across social media late Wednesday, Sept. 19, that, by agreeing to host a Mitt Romney rally Thursday afternoon, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art might have violated its own rental policy, which specifically bans all … Continue reading →

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No good deed goes unpunished at City Hall

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Stan Zimmerman

Nothing makes people madder than being punished for doing what they know is right — and the law is on their side. When George Haborak, chairman of the city’s Public Art Committee, blew the whistle over what he perceived was … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts & Entertainment, City of Sarasota, Commentary, Political News, Visual Arts | Comments Off

Battle brewing over personal bonds

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Stan Zimmerman

Sarasota city voters will face seven charter amendments on their Nov. 6 ballot. Five have a single purpose, one would divide the City Auditor and Clerk’s Office’s duties and one is a so-called “housekeeping amendment.” Within the “housekeeping amendment” are … Continue reading →

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County charter amendment approved for Nov. 6 ballot

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

A Sarasota County Charter amendment that will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot would save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars if approved, the vice chairman of the Charter Review Board indicated in comments to the County Commission on Aug. … Continue reading →

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Koch-backed tea party group rolls into Sarasota

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

“It’s not about a party, it’s not about helping one guy or the other,” Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips told the crowd, but the 60 or so activists and volunteers who turned up at AFP’s Sarasota headquarters last Friday … Continue reading →

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State rep candidates squabble over tax cuts, Citizens insurance, voter suppression

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Exactly two months before election day, four incumbent Republican state representatives and two Democratic challengers met on the Sarasota Tiger Bay Club stage to debate taxes, insurance, growth management, voter suppression and more. The panel featured state Reps. Jim Boyd, … Continue reading →

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County approves $5 million deal with Benderson

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

The Sarasota County Commission on Wednesday, Aug. 22, gave final approval to a plan to spend $5 million in state taxpayer money on improvements to the rowing center at Nathan Benderson Park. Wednesday’s action allows the county to spend that … Continue reading →

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WSLR, ACLU to host ‘Championing Democracy’ program

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Sarasota Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union will join WSLR Community Radio in sponsoring “Championing Democracy and Justice: An Evening with Heidi Boghosian” on Saturday, Aug. 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. at WSLR’s headquarters, 525 Kumquat Court. … Continue reading →

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Administrator addresses state of the county at Tiger Bay Club gathering

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Sarasota County Administrator Randy Reid made his debut on the stage of the Sarasota Tiger Bay Club Thursday, Aug. 16, delivering an upbeat update about the state of Sarasota County and its government. When asked about the county’s budget, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime & Law Enforcement, Education, Local Government, Political News, Sarasota County | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Wiser Gulf Coast heads roll in election

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Stan Zimmerman

AUDIO: James Bond theme BOND: “I tell you, M, once is happenstance, and twice can be coincidence. But the third time, it’s enemy action.” While it’s not clear who the enemy is, it was not coincidence that swept a half-century … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Political News | 1 Comment

Post-vacation agenda a whopper for the City Commission

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Stan Zimmerman

Welcome back, city commissioners. There’s a big, meaty agenda waiting for you Monday, Aug. 20. Bring your No-Doz and your Dramamine. The meeting is set to start at 2:30 p.m. with the approval of five sets of minutes from a … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Business, City of Sarasota, Political News | 1 Comment

Incumbent Dent crushes Thaxton

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent handily defeated Republican challenger Jon Thaxton in Tuesday’s primary, winning 75 percent of the vote after a brief, but hotly debated campaign. Only 28,415 Sarasota County Republicans (24 percent of the party) voted in the … Continue reading →

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McLendon candidacy a test of local tea party muscle

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

When Randy McLendon saw the list of donors supporting Republican County Commission candidate Charles Hines, he recognized more than a few names, many of whom, he says, supported Charlie Crist in Crist’s independent U.S. Senate bid instead of Republican Marco … Continue reading →

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Citizens for Responsible Government wants ‘clarification’ from Kathy Dent

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

I left out a minor nugget in my story last week on Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent’s decision to back out of a debate with opponent Jon Thaxton because of a dispute with one of the sponsoring organizations, Sarasota Citizens … Continue reading →

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Public hearing set for Aug. 21 on Sarasota County Charter amendments

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Just seven days after the primary election, Sarasota County residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on a measure that could be on the general election ballot in November. The County Commission will hold a public hearing on Aug. … Continue reading →

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Early voting in Sarasota County: the basics

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Hard to believe, but election season kicks into high gear Saturday, Aug. 4, when early voting officially begins in Sarasota County. You can cast your ballot between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Saturday, Aug. 4, to Saturday, Aug. 11, … Continue reading →

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Analysis: City manager amendment hits snag on way to ballot

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Stan Zimmerman

Can 3,300 registered city voters be wrong? Or is this race-baiting in the making? In a replay of last month’s city-manager hiring question, the city commissioners concluded this latest debate in a decision-less silence. An unlikely coalition trooped to City … Continue reading →

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Dent drops out of candidates’ forum over dispute with sponsor

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent skipped a supervisor candidates’ forum held July 30 and broadcast by Sarasota Talk Radio WSRQ because, according to organizers, she disagreed with the inclusion of one of the event sponsors, Sarasota Citizens for Responsible Government. … Continue reading →

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Fitzgerald says Buchanan no-show demonstrates ‘contempt for the legal process’

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Democratic congressional candidate Keith Fitzgerald told reporters on a conference call this afternoon he is “disappointed” that U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan was a no-show at a deposition scheduled for today, July 30, saying “we’re a nation of laws” and that … Continue reading →

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Buchanan deposition scheduled for Monday morning

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

If everything goes as planned, at 10 a.m. Mon., July 30, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan will walk into a U.S. Legal Support office in Orlando and be deposed under oath. The action is part of the lawsuit filed against Buchanan … Continue reading →

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Early-voting schedule and drop-off booth for absentee ballots announced

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office is offering early voting for the Aug. 14, primary election beginning Saturday, Aug. 4, and continuing through Saturday, Aug. 11, the office has announced. The shortened schedule is a result of action by … Continue reading →

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Re-registered Democrats want a say in who their next supervisor of elections is

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

When Victoria Brill, the daughter of a local GOP bigwig, filed paperwork to run as a write-in candidate in this year’s supervisor of elections race, she immediately blocked more than 150,000 Sarasota County Democrats and independents (56% of registered voters) … Continue reading →

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Sample ballots going out this week in Sarasota County

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Official sample ballots for the Aug. 14 primary election will be mailed to all registered voters beginning Tuesday, July 24, Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent has announced. The primary ballot includes three “Universal Primary Contests,” Dent’s office said … Continue reading →

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Sarasota NAACP president: National organization taking lead in fight against precinct consolidation

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Trevor Harvey, the president of the Sarasota County branch of the NAACP, told the organization at its monthly general membership meeting Thursday evening, July 19, that the national NAACP is taking the lead in the fight against precinct consolidation, at … Continue reading →

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‘Strong manager’ initiative makes the November ballot

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Stan Zimmerman

As a result of a professional citizen petition drive, Sarasota city voters in November will consider changing their charter to strengthen the city manager at the expense of the auditor and clerk. “It took five weeks to gather 3,297 signatures,” … Continue reading →

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Estimate reduced for number of incorrect voter information cards

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

No other Southwest Florida county has reported the same problem Because she was able to catch the mistake in time, Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent says only around 1,500 of the county’s approximately 280,000 voter information cards will … Continue reading →

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Wrong polling places may be on some of the new voter cards

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Because of mismatches between voters’ addresses on file with the Supervisor of Elections and addresses in U.S. Postal Service records, some of the new voter information cards being mailed to Sarasota County voters may contain incorrect polling location information, Supervisor … Continue reading →

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Strong-mayor city charter change tabled

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Stan Zimmerman

When Sarasota City Commissioner Paul Carragiulo said he wanted to introduce a strong-mayor proposal at the July 16 commission meeting, nobody quite expected how strong the proposal would be. Basically, it calls for a rewrite of the entire city charter … Continue reading →

Posted in City of Sarasota, Political News | 1 Comment

Sarasota Republicans give ‘Statesman of the Year’ award to non-statesman

Posted on July 12, 2012 by David Staats

On July 9, Republicans in Sarasota County announced that they would honor Donald Trump as their 2012 “Statesman of the Year” at a fundraiser dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel here on Aug. 26, the eve of the Republican National Convention … Continue reading →

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New voter information cards being mailed this week

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office will begin mailing new voter information cards to approximately 270,000 registered voters today, July 10, the office has announced. The SOE is required by law to mail new cards to every voter as … Continue reading →

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Thaxton, Dent trade barbs at first supervisor of elections debate

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Republican supervisor of elections candidates Jon Thaxton and Kathy Dent (the incumbent) took to the Sarasota Tiger Bay Club stage today to debate who’s better equipped to oversee Sarasota County’s voting process. “We need to end the litigation and conflicts … Continue reading →

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Will another environmentalist replace Thaxton?

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

A little less than a month ago, five County Commission candidates, along with other notables, gathered at the Sarasota Garden Club for one of the first public events of the local 2012 campaign season: a debate hosted by the Sarasota … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental News, Local Government, Neighborhoods, Political News, Sarasota County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Withdrawn Buchanan filing says media reports ‘disparaging’ the congressman

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

As U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan’s legal troubles start to catch the eye of national news networks, it’s clear that his legal team is not pleased with how one Tampa Bay media outlet is covering the congressman’s ongoing dispute with a … Continue reading →

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Polling places will change in August

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Stan Zimmerman

Blame the writers of the U.S. Constitution. They wanted a census every 10 years, and before anybody knew it, the results were used to draw up electoral boundaries. Sometimes the drawings were more creative than representational. The exercise is called … Continue reading →

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Scott touts pro-business policies at Argus Foundation luncheon

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Gov. Rick Scott touted his pro-business credentials to the Argus Foundation at a Longboat Key luncheon today, June 8, discussing his K-12 and higher education policies, as well as his administration’s changes to the state’s unemployment system. The Longboat Key … Continue reading →

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One more thing to vote on

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Stan Zimmerman

Add one more question to the November ballot that is growing longer than your arms and legs combined. The specific question is – should even more stuff be on the November ballot? Sarasota County’s Charter Review Board June 6 unanimously … Continue reading →

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Incumbents lead the way in qualifying for 2012 election

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

With the qualifying period officially having begun at noon today, June 4, an attorney in Venice vying for Jon Thaxton’s Sarasota County Commission seat and the two incumbent county commissioners are among a number of candidates for local office who … Continue reading →

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Sarasota NAACP considering Department of Justice complaint over precinct consolidation

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Trevor Harvey, the president of the Sarasota County branch of the NAACP, tells the News Leader his organization is “investigating the possibility of” asking the Department of Justice to review Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent’s precinct consolidation plan, approved by … Continue reading →

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Dent to present new precinct boundaries to the County Commission Tuesday

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent will present her plan to consolidate voting precincts during the County Commission’s regular meeting next Tuesday, May 22. According to a memo signed by Dent, the reorganization was instituted by the county, which … Continue reading →

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Term limits ruled constitutional for county constitutional officers and commissioners

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

A Florida Supreme Court ruling May 10 not only will limit Sarasota County commissioners to two terms, but it also will make it possible for voters to impose term limits on the constitutional officers, such as the sheriff and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Political News, Sarasota County | 1 Comment

Highlights of the Congressional Ethics report on Vern Buchanan

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

The U.S. House Committee on Ethics yesterday announced that it will be taking more time to “further review” allegations that U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, pressured a former business partner to sign a false affidavit intended to be filed with the … Continue reading →

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Sarasota fetal alcohol clinic loses $100K thanks to Gov. Scott

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Cooper Levey-Baker

Add another entry to the list of controversial Rick Scott line item vetoes: $100,000 for a fetal alcohol diagnostic and intervention clinic here in Sarasota. The Florida Legislature approved the funding for The Florida Center for Early Childhood program after … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida News, Political News | 3 Comments