Deep Something

Hillsborough School Board District 2: The Choice Between Proven Dedication and Outside Ambition

May 13, 2026May 13, 2026 B. John 302 Views 0 Comments Chris Taylor, Brittany Lyssy, Campaign Finance, Local Governance, Tallahassee Influence, Education Leadership, Public Education, Hillsborough School Board, District 2

Is a seat on our local school board up for grabs by the highest out-of-county bidder? For months, the District 2 race was a focused contest between candidates with deep, functional ties to our classroom, including professionals like veteran educator Chris Taylor, who has spent years in the trenches of our district. Chris understands student achievement because he has managed it from the front lines, and his commitment is rooted in the actual lives of the students he has taught and the teachers he has led. His vision is focused on stability, inclusivity, and the professional integrity our schools need to thrive.

In sharp contrast, the late entry of attorney Brittany Lyssy introduces a jarring shift toward outside influence and corporate-backed interests. While Chris Taylor’s support is local and organic, an analysis of Lyssy’s campaign finance reports reveals that nearly 45% of her total donations—excluding personal loans—flow from outside Hillsborough County. Backed by Tallahassee-based PACs and out-of-county law firms, her candidacy suggests an agenda more beholden to a state-level political machine than to our community. Hillsborough deserves a board member whose only “client” is the child in the classroom, not a strategist using our schools as a policy laboratory.

Society Crime Corruption Crack Pots Featured Places Tampa Politics Legislature

Why Josie Tomkow is Wrong for Tampa

March 17, 2026 B. John 426 Views 0 Comments SD 14, Preemption, Local Autonomy, Voter Suppression, Public Education, Josie Tomkow, Tampa Politics, Home Rule

This entry is in the series Florida Legislature

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

For decades, the “Home Rule” philosophy was the bedrock of Florida governance—the common-sense idea that the people who live in South Tampa and Northwest Hillsborough are better equipped to run their communities than a bureaucrat in a distant capital. But after the 2026 Legislative session, that principle isn’t just under attack; it’s being systematically dismantled. At the center of this power grab is Representative Josie Tomkow, a Polk County resident now seeking to represent Senate District 14. While her campaign paints a picture of “common sense” leadership, her voting record tells a different story: one of a reliable “yes-man” for a Tallahassee establishment that views your local autonomy as an obstacle to be cleared.

From voting to strip your city council of the power to host local cultural festivals to supporting state-level takeovers of local zoning boards, Tomkow has consistently prioritized state authority over your backyard reality. Whether it’s placing barriers at the ballot box for USF students or diverting your tax dollars away from public classrooms, her record is a blueprint for centralization. Senate District 14 doesn’t need a proxy for the Governor’s office; it needs a champion for its own streets. We’re taking a deep dive into the specific “preemption” bills Tomkow supported and why her vision for Florida is a direct threat to the independence of the Tampa Bay area.

[Read the full analysis here: The Death of Home Rule and the Rise of the Polk County Proxy]

Featured Politics Election Legislature

State Senate District 18 – My Vote

October 24, 2018October 24, 2018 B. John 692 Views 0 Comments Public Education, Janet Cruz, Dana Young, District 18, Florida Senate, NRA

This entry is in the series 2018 Elections

This is the contest between Dana Young and Janet Cruz. I’m not jumping-up-and-down happy with either of these two candidates but they are worlds apart on the issues important to me. Janet Cruz gets my vote for State Senate.

Politics Legislature Featured

Florida Governor’s Election

October 9, 2018 B. John 825 Views 0 Comments Public Education, Andrew Gillium, Ron DeSantis, florida, healthcare, Governor, Taxes, Equality

Well, the time is upon us, so I just as well start blogging about the election. It will come as no surprise that I’m recommending you vote for Andrew Gillium for Governor of Florida. Not only is Mayor Gillium the right choice for Florida right now, but Ron DeSantis is also exactly the wrong choice.

Business Television Economy Featured Media Politics Constitution Legislature

Marva Johnson-Spectrum Douche Bag of the Day

December 8, 2017September 29, 2018 B. John 2385 Views 1 Comment Spectrum, Charter Communications, Public Education, Religious Schools, Marva Johnson

This entry is in the series Daily Douche-Bag

Marva Johnson. Here’s a name you may not know, but you’d better learn who she is, and what here (and apparently her employer’s) agenda is for public education. She also is chair of the Florida State Board of Education, appointed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. In addition, In March, the governor appointed her to the 37-member statewide Constitutional Revision Commission.