Pablo Pantoja made news recently by going from Republican Hispanic outreach director to Democrat. The GOP counters today (via BuzzFeed and the News Service of Florida) that he was very recently seeking a job at the RNC. Pantoja responds: “In this career and livelihood many of us in this process seek to grow and network for other jobs usually within the same circles.

“What else could a turkey buy?”  If you are talking whole one for Thanksgiving, you could get 35 cans of cranberry sauce instead; or maybe even four pies.  But if you’re talking Florida’s state budget and the annual TaxWatch Turkey Watch list, them turkeys can buy a lot more.

In the just-released report, the nonprofit watchdog presents an opportunity cost approach, placing in context the $106.8 million in Turkeys it identified within the 2013 budget.

Taproot Creative today announced a new addition to its public relations strategy team. Sandi Copes Poreda joins the agency to focus on communications strategy, specifically crisis management. Poreda brings with her nearly a decade of communications experience with the state of Florida. 

For those who share the dream of waking up to an Atlantic sunrise and biking across the state to enjoy a Gulf Coast sunset, the funding and completion of Florida’s Coast to Coast Connector is highly anticipated. The multi-use Connector trail would stretch 275 miles from Titusville to St. Petersburg, filling in gaps between approximately 200 miles of existing stretches of trail.

Florida TaxWatch, the business-backed non-profit that calls itself a “government watchdog,” has targeted $107 million “turkeys” they’re suggesting Gov. Rick Scott red-line as he ponders the state’s $74.5 billion spending plan.

Florida TaxWatch finds 107 line-item projects in the new state budget totaling $107 million that it says Gov. Rick Scott should veto because they bypassed the Legislature's own standards for transparency and competitiveness.

Gary Fineout, Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who has made job creation his top priority since coming into office, has rejected a proposed deal to bring major Internet retailer Amazon to the state.

After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Scott ultimately said no to a deal that would have led to the construction of Amazon warehouses in Florida. The warehouses could have created up to 2,500 jobs in the state.

Lawmakers doled out the second-largest number of budget “turkeys” since 2007 in the spending plan for the coming fiscal year, Florida TaxWatch said, s the amount of money dedicated to the pet projects increased in the face of improving economic conditions.

Emily’s List, a national fundraising group that backs pro-choice women candidates for political office, is again backing Democrat Jessica Ehrlich in her campaign against U.S. Rep. Bill Young.

Ehrlich, a St. Petersburg lawyer who has worked as a congressional staffer, lost in 2012 to the 22-term Republican from Indian Shores;…

It was reported on Wednesday that the investors looking to purchase and redevelop Tampa’s Channelside came to an impasse with the Tampa Port Authority over its proposed purchase of the failing downtown waterfront entertainment and retail complex.

Dude wins a primary in a special election and suddenly Mike Hill, soon to be the only African American Republican in the Legislature, is the second coming of, well, um, Jennifer Carroll.