la liberté avant tout
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA— The fight to recognize universal suffrage has been bloody, costly and, above all, hard-fought. Though considerations of race, sex, income, literacy and property ownership once barred certain individuals from the polling place, today these distinctions remain rightfully absent when American citizens casts their vote. What remains important, however, is not…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog MIAMI— Just ignore it, and it will go away. That’s the attitude of U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, who passed a letter to the 24 other members of Florida’s congressional delegation claiming there has been “no history of mass voter fraud” in the Sunshine State and any attempt to…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog MIAMI — History will be made at 3:47a.m. EST on Thursday in Florida. The Dragon capsule will fly by the International Space Station at 17,500 mph, the minimum speed required to maintain orbit around the planet. What makes the event so noteworthy relies less on the flyby and more on the capsule, the…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — As Spain faces massive resistance from investors and the unemployed, a delegation of Florida political and business leaders has swept in to sell the economic virtues of the Sunshine State. Gov. Rick Scott is trying to “further cement cultural ties” with Spain and promote Florida as the “ideal location” for both business and tourism, according to his weekly…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — Even after hours of cramming mathematical formulas, composing rough drafts and tracking down ever-elusive No. 2 pencils, there was no more excruciating experience than having to complete a state-mandated standardized test. The teachers, worn out from their recent intensive lessons on math, reading and writing expected on…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — At first riddled with individuals suspected of not being U.S. citizens, Florida‘s voter registration list now is facing scrutiny for the dead and buried on its rolls. After reviewing Social Security records, the state Division of Elections determined that about 53,000 registered voters may be deceased, giving election officials seven days…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog ST. PETERSBURG— The comfortable room had patriotic flare and subdued excitement. The national debt clock stood ticking behind 22 hand-picked senior citizens armed with smartphones, tablets and buttons with U.S. flags. They were among the 300 supporters of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney gathered Wednesday morning at the Mirror Lake Lyceum downtown. Read more: FloridaWatchdog.org
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — In the search to find the biggest job creator in Florida, residents should look no further than themselves — or rather, their government. The single largest employer in 51 of 67 Florida counties is the public sector, including members of the military, librarians, college professors, prison guards, administrators…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — For the millennial generation, the attainment of a college degree has always been perceived as the key to the middle class. Just borrow enough to put yourself through school, they were told, and the benefits of higher education will promise fruitful employment and success. But increasingly, that…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog MIAMI — As a powerful member of the Senate Commerce, Finance and Intelligence committees and the former state treasurer of Florida, Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is no stranger to the intricacies of backroom politics. With 40 years of successive public service in Tallahassee and onCapitol Hill, the senator has garnered a reputation as a staunch…