Resuming Rants

There was a brief restaurant review posted earlier this year. The last post before that was a movie review (The Whale). A lot has transpired in my world over the past few months, and I think I am ready to get back to trying to post more or less regularly. The highlight reel looks a bit like this:

Read more

Vino e Pasta – Restaurant Review

Well, this is another of the few 5-star ratings I’ve given. This small restaurant is only a few blocks from the house and has been there the entire time we lived here. We just never went, and frankly, we are both mad that it took so long. We kept saying we needed to try it, and a Groupon came up for it, so that was the incentive.

Read more

2020 Election – Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners District 6

This has Republican Sandy Murman seeking to unseat Democratic incumbent Pat Kemp. This is a tough one for me. Sandy Murman panders, moves from office to office as she’s termed out, and serves only developers. On the other hand, Kemp, who I contributed to, has refused to return calls and messages, so I won’t be voting for either candidate.

Read more

2020 Election – Hillsborough School Board District 7

This is a county-wide seat and the only school board race I vote in this round. Lynn Gray, the incumbent, is being opposed by Sally Harris who previously served on the board and was voted out. Harris served in 2017 and 2018 as Chair of the Board of Education, but her entire tenure was pretty lack-lustier. Given the challenges that will be faced by the district in 2021 and into next year, that’s just not going to cut it. I talked to Lynn Gray this time and in her previous election. She has over 40 years of classroom and school administrative experience and is involved in the schools as more than just a member of the board. She shares my concerns about the loss of funding to for-profit charter companies. So, for all those reasons, I’m going with Lynn Gray for Hillsborough School Board District 7.

Read more

2020 Election – Hillsborough County Commission District 1

Democrat Harry Cohen and Republican Scott Levinson are vying for this seat. I did not get a call from Levinson, but I did hear from Harry Cohen. In fact, that’s not the first time we’ve talked. Cohen is a policy wonk. He makes sure he knows what he’s talking about, and he will have thought through any proposals he makes, and he takes the long view. So for Hillsborough County Commission District 1, I’m recommending Harry Cohen.

Read more

2020 Election – Hillsborough Tax Collector

The two candidates are Democrat Nancy Millan and Republican T.K. Smith. I put out my usual call to both but spoke only with Millan. McMillan has 30 years of experience at the tax collector’s office. In speaking with her she was suggesting some innovative ways to meet the needs of the citizens with some simple common-sense approaches to the many tasks performed by the tax collector. She was open to minor suggestion I made, and I thought she was smart and practical. I’m recommending Nancy Millan based on her years of experience, knowledge of the office and its duties, and her commonsense approach to the office.

Read more

2020 Election – Hillsborough County Sheriff

The incumbent is “married into money” Chad Chronister opposed by Independent Ron McMullen and Democrat Gary Pruitt. Pruitt is the only candidate who returned my calls (and you know my rule). I didn’t expect to hear from Chronister. Chronister is the recommendation of Times Editorial Board, and we could do worse. In my conversations with Gary Pruitt I found him to be genuine and level-headed. He seems to care a lot more about “law enforcement” than about politics. He wants body cams and windshield cams. He also favors an actual “Citizens’ Oversight” function over just an “advisory committee.” I’m recommending Gary Pruitt.

Read more

Judge William Jung-Douchebag of the Day

In 2017, Tampa passed an ordinance that prohibited conversion therapy for children under 18. As they always do, Liberty Counsel and their perpetual “client,” Las Vegas-based Robert Vazzo (not even a resident of Florida), and a David Pickup of Dallas (not licensed in Florida) filed a lawsuit to get the ordinance overturned. However, Republican Trump-appointee William Jung had to bend himself into a Gordian Knot of legal reasoning to give them that win.

Read more

Immigrant Child Detention Protest

Tuesday morning I received a Move-on email announcing a protest against the Child Detention Centers at the local office of U.S. Representative Kathy Castor. I decided to attend. News stories estimated the crowd at a few dozen, I’d put it a little higher, but it was not a huge crowd. It seemed somewhat hastily called, so that may account for it.

Read more