The State of Sunshine

City of Tampa’s “Opportunity Coordiors”

Jim Johnson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:13:57 +0000

I received this press release from the City of Tampa today. It sounds like an interesting project, and I’m glad the city is taking the initiative to spruce up some of it’s areas. Hopefully, this will spur the private sector … Continue reading →

Live Blogging the NBC-Tampa Bay Times Debate

Jim Johnson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:39:42 +0000

This post will be updated from time to time… or you can follow me on Twitter at (@StateOfsunshine). 8:35 Pre-debate expectations: Gingrich is by far the best debater. Romney typically maintains an even keel. Santorum will get lost in his … Continue reading →

The NBC-Tampa Bay Times Debate Comes to USF

Jim Johnson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:34:27 +0000

I took a quick visit to USF tonight… here are some quick pictures. It’s a college campus, so I expected a large Ron Paul contingent. Romney and Santorum had a few supporters there. Gingrich: not a soul. Gingrich is leading … Continue reading →

USF to host Republican Debate

Jim Johnson — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:20:01 +0000

With the Florida Republican Presidential Preference Primary on January 31st, the candidates are coming to Florida to campaign. The week starts with a debate at my alma mater. USF student government is hosting a watch party, and State of Sunshine … Continue reading →

State of Sunshine redesign coming

Jim Johnson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:08:29 +0000

My loyal readers… you may notice some quirky things happening with State of Sunshine… I’m testing some new WordPress plug-ins as well as exploring some new themes – in my spare time. So, if it looks a bit strange at … Continue reading →

SOPA follow up – Politico

Jim Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:35:26 +0000

Politico has a great article that outlines SOPA/PIPA. Will the government be able to censor the web if the bills pass? That’s the crux of the debate. Google and First Amendment scholars like Harvard’s Lawrence Tribe argue that SOPA would … Continue reading →

State of Sunshine will observe the SOPA Blackout

Jim Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:50:53 +0000

Okay… so admittedly my going dark tomorrow will not have a grand effect. While I appreciate ALL of my readers, I don’t have enough to render an impact on my own. However, it’s the principle. Many sites are going dark … Continue reading →

View the Florida Senate redistricting maps, courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel

Jim Johnson — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:04:32 +0000

The Orlando Sentinel has a great page showing the redistricting maps that will be voted by the Florida Senate this week. The Sentinel provides a comparison of the maps:An Orlando Sentinel analysis suggests the Republican-drawn maps for Senate seats and … Continue reading →

Voting for the Florida Repbulican Primary starts today in Hillsborough County

Jim Johnson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:19 +0000

So, many Republicans hate early voting. It seems that many of them think that fewer voters is a good thing. Hogwash — if Republican ideas are good for America, then we should be able to win elections if everyone over … Continue reading →

President Obama could veto SOPA/PIPA

Jim Johnson — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:37:50 +0000

So, while I tend to focus on Florida politics here… I dabble in some national issues. One of those is our national policy towards freedom of communication. Last year, the movie, television, music, and other entertainment industries came together and … Continue reading →

Would the first step in Higher Ed reform mean higher tuition for some majors?

Jim Johnson — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:20:13 +0000

The Florida Legislature is beginning another adventure into changing Florida’s community college and university system. The first step was a hearing of the House Education Committee with University of Florida president Bernie Machen and Florida State University president Eric Barron. … Continue reading →

Already planning for a Special Session

Jim Johnson — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:17:58 +0000

The Florida Revenue Estimating Conference is a group of experts, part of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research. As their website says: [The] EDR is a research arm of the Legislature principally concerned with forecasting economic and social trends … Continue reading →

Florida House to Explore Higher Education Reform

Jim Johnson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:21:27 +0000

As many readers may know, I am a former student body president at the University of South Florida and higher education policy has been an interest of mine ever since. As reported by a number of media outlets, House Speaker … Continue reading →

GOP Power Voices Getting in Line?

Jim Johnson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:55:35 +0000

Okay… so a lot of my Republican friends are not happy about what appears now to be inevitable: Mitt Romney as the Republican Nominee. But it’s becoming so obvious that Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are defending the former Massachusetts … Continue reading →

The Florida Senate is ready to pass redistricting next week

Jim Johnson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:14:26 +0000

Today the Florida Senate Committee on Reapportionment passed proposed committee substitutes (PCSs) for Senate Bill 1174 and Senate Joint Resolution 1176, the state Senate and Congressional redistricting plans,with bipartisan support. According the the Tampa Bay Times: The committee voted 22-4 … Continue reading →