Deep Something

Is Karen Gonzalez-Pittman Representing South Tampa or Tallahassee?

June 29, 2026 B. John 176 Views 0 Comments wage recovery, South Tampa, Karen Gonzalez Pittman, Home Rule, local control, Tallahassee preemption, housing policy, infill redevelopment, school boards

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

Karen Gonzalez-Pittman represents South Tampa, but her voting record raises a fair question: is she representing this community, or carrying Tallahassee’s agenda back home? Again and again, she has voted for bills that take decision-making power away from local governments, local school boards, and local voters.

From housing and tenant protections to infill redevelopment, school policy, civilian oversight, and local employment standards, Gonzalez-Pittman has sided with state preemption over home rule. For South Tampa, where traffic, flooding, housing pressure, schools, and neighborhood character are intensely local concerns, that record deserves much closer scrutiny.

Featured Places Tampa Politics Legislature

Josie Tomkow’s Record Shows Tallahassee Comes First

June 26, 2026June 26, 2026 B. John 213 Views 0 Comments Hillsborough County, Josie Tomkow, Brian Nathan, Home Rule, local control, Tallahassee preemption, Public Schools, South Tampa, Senate District 14

This entry is in the series Florida Legislature

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

Florida Republicans love to talk about freedom, but their voting records often tell a very different story. Over and over again, Tallahassee politicians have voted to take decision-making power away from local communities, local governments, and local school boards. Josie Tomkow’s record in the Florida House is a clear example.

Tomkow is now running again against Brian Nathan in Senate District 14, asking Tampa-area voters to send her back to Tallahassee. But when she served in the House representing Polk County, she repeatedly voted for state preemption over local control, including on housing, zoning, infill redevelopment, civilian oversight, and public schools.

That matters here. Tampa and Hillsborough County deserve representation rooted in this community, not another vote for Tallahassee control. The question for voters is simple: if Tomkow voted this way in the House, why should anyone expect her to vote differently in the Senate?

Featured Politics Legislature

The Price of Loyalty

January 9, 2026 B. John 539 Views 0 Comments South Tampa, Florida Politics, Senate District 14, Josie Tomkow, Brian Nathan, Special Election, Property Insurance, Tort Reform, Insurance Crisis

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

While South Tampa homeowners struggle with skyrocketing premiums, Josie Tomkow voted for insurance bailouts that stripped away consumer rights without guaranteeing a single cent in rate reductions. In this special election, we have a choice between an IBEW electrician who pays his own bills and a career politician funded by the insurance lobby.

Food Places Tampa Restaurants

Deviled Pig – A Restaurant Review

December 1, 2018 B. John 978 Views 0 Comments Barbecue, BBQ, South Tampa

The Deviled Pig opened within the past few months at 3307 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33629. I was getting good comments on a neighborhood message, and over 4.5 stars on Yelp. It does turn out it didn’t rate quite that high once Yelp realized that there were a sizeable number of recently created accounts that one review giving the location 5 stars (guess who that restaurant was). However, once that was cleaned out, it still had decent reviews, so we decided to try it last night (Friday) early.