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Mitch Perry Report for 2.27.15 — Tampa City Council District 6 race just got a bit naughty

in Apolitical/The Bay and the 'Burg by

The 2015 Tampa Mayoral/City Council campaign has been a veritable snooze fest so far, but it’s starting to heat up as we approach the final weekend before Election Day on Tuesday. In an extremely personal attack, District 6 challenger Tommy Castellano Thursday night issued a vitriolic statement against Jackie Toledo, calling her and her campaign “an embarrassment.” Does Castellano think he needed something desperate to make it into the run-off? Will it hurt Toledo further, who has been the recipient of horrible news coverage during the…

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Cuban cigar sales doubling as U.S.-Cuba travel increases

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Over six decades rolling premium cigars with his small, wrinkled hands, Arnaldo Alfonso has taken pride in seeing his “habanos” sampled by visiting heads of state and other dignitaries. Now he’s delighted by the idea of customers lighting them up in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere in the United States, where Cuban cigars have been outlawed since the U.S. embargo took effect in 1962. “It’s a very beautiful thought,” said a smiling Alfonso, a 78-year-old worker in the tobacco…

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Sunburn for February 27 – Llamas go wild; Jeb softens on Common Core?; Adam Putnam’s op-ed; Optos’ food fight

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. February closes on a special note as we enter the 20th year of Sachs Media Group, Florida’s foremost team of public affairs, integrated marketing and reputation management experts. Started in 1996 as Ron Sachs Communications, the firm has distinguished itself as a two-time winner of the state’s highest award in the PR industry; earned six Emmy Awards, a national Gracie Award for women-related programming and more than 100 ADDY awards for…

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Jeb Bush defends his conservative credentials ahead of CPAC

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Jeb Bush readily points to his conservative credentials — tax cuts and smaller government as Florida’s governor — yet convincing the activists at the Conservative Political Action Conference that he’s one of them might be a tougher sell. A sign of what Bush faces at CPAC: His speech Friday in Washington follows those by conservative heroes Sen. Marco Rubio, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. Rand Paul and former Sen. Rick Santorum. Tea party activist William Temple is urging people…

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Previewing the 2015 legislative session with Rep.-to-be Paul Renner

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Paul Renner came within two votes of winning an election last year for the seat that Jay Fant holds. And he is still one election away — a special election on April 7 — from formally being elected to the House. He very likely will win that election, so we have reached out to him and gotten answers to questions regarding his opinions on issues relevant to the pending legislative session. Our questions are in bold; his answers are directly below. In one…

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Five minutes with United Way of Florida President Ted Granger

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The United Way of Florida released a report in November indicating that about a third of Florida households are above the federal poverty line but struggled to meet basic necessities. The Assets Limited Income Constrained Employed – ALICE —  study found that 15 percent of families live on less than the poverty line of $23,000 for a family of four and another 30 percent on less than $47,000 – enough to pay for six basic needs and have a little…

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Former House Speaker Ray Sansom wants state to pay his legal fees

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Attorneys for former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom argued Thursday that taxpayers should pay his legal fees of nearly $1 million from corruption charges dating back to 2009. The Destin Republican’s lawyers argued that because the charges stemmed from his work as a legislator and were dismissed, Samson is entitled to have the public pay his fees. They’re seeking $817,518 plus interest, $970,187 in all, for some 2,700 hours of legal work and costs. Sansom was accused of scheming with…

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