Today on Context Florida:
Voters respond to politicians’ racist “dog whistles,” says Martin Dyckman. No president of our era has evoked such venomous disrespect and hatred as Barack Obama. The Tea Party would not exist but for him, but I doubt there is one member in a hundred to realize let alone admit that race is the reason. Republican politicians who persist in trying to mock and minimize the Obama presidency are riding a whirlwind, whether they know or pretend not to know what ugliness they are validating.
Whatever happens in the next few months, Bob Sparks believes 2016 will sport a diverse Republican field, which carries their own strengths and weaknesses. There is a mixture of young faces and seasoned leaders. Any number of them can run a strong race against Hillary Clinton. They should find success by making the defeat Clinton their top priority and refrain from holding their nominee captive to a single-issue standard.
Sea levels are unquestionably rising. High tides are measurably higher. And drinking wells near our coastlines are increasingly contaminated with salt water intrusion with each passing month. Bill Golden points out that these realities are happening before our very eyes, and we must seriously address these issues in a productive and meaningful way. Why does it matter? Florida is literally surrounded by the sea.
Sen. John Legg says Florida has successfully operated tax-credit education scholarships for 13 years. More than 70,000 underprivileged students throughout Florida currently benefit from these scholarships, which provide important school choice options. These students, whose household incomes are only 5 percent above the poverty level, two-thirds of whom are black or Hispanic, and the majority of whom live in single-parent homes, are succeeding by every objective measure.
