Conexion Miami / MDX taxing ‘the crap out of people’

“An abuse of power!” architect Maria Luisa Castellanos told the Miami Herald. “Taxation without representation,” Jim Angleton, from Miami, also told the Herald, adding: “They’re taxing the crap out of people.” Both were complaining about a new tolling system that took effect in mid-November put in place by the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX). “Overall, they’ve raised tolls 54 percent,” says Carlos H. Garcia, a Kendall advertising executive who heads RollBackTolls.com, a consumer group that’s battling the increase.

Body cameras for cops

The issue of body cameras for police has been raging nationally since the shooting death of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and gained strength after a grand jury in New York decided not to file charges against a police officer in the choking death of Eric Garner. President Barack Obama has proposed a spending package that includes $75 million to help local and state governments pay for 50,000 of the small, lapel-mounted cameras. That’s only a fraction of the 700,000 employed in the U.S. as of 2011, according to federal statistics.

Marriage equality

On the heels of a federal court’s announcement that it will not extend a stay on marriages for same-sex couples in Florida, Freedom to Marry and Equality Florida are hosting a town hall to discuss what’s next in the Sunshine State and when the U.S. Supreme Court will bring nationwide resolution to the question of marriage equality. It is planned for Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at 6 p.m. at the O Cinema in Wynwood, 90 N.W. 29th Street, Miami, FL 33127.

Florida is one of 15 states that still discriminate against same-sex couples who want to marry.

Ileana and Mario do the right thing

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart were among only seven republicans to vote against a GOP-led immigration bill designed to show disapproval of President Barack Obama’s recent executive action on the issue. Well, it’s time they did the right thing… don’t you agree?

A satanic holiday

Strange news from the Florida Capitol: A display by the New York-based Satanic Temple has been approved for the Capitol first-floor rotunda this holiday season. This comes a year after it was rejected by state officials as “grossly offensive.” It’ll join a crèche, a smaller nativity scene, a Hanukkah menorah, a banner from the organization, Freedom from Religion Foundation, and a quirky flying spaghetti monster display, approved by the Florida Department of Management Services, which oversees the Capitol.

Shooting for Mars

“There’s your new spacecraft, America,” Mission Control’s Rob Navias said as the unmanned Orion capsule came in for a Pacific splashdown after two orbits of Earth. NASA is counting on future Orions to carry astronauts out into the solar system, to Mars and beyond. Orion took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida last week. The four-hour voyage opened a new era of human space exploration with Mars as its goal.

Visit Tampa Bay

Visit Tampa Bay, anticipating that same-sex marriage will soon be legal in Florida, is sending out a message to gay and lesbian communities: The welcome mat is out for those planning a wedding or honeymoon. This will be the second year Hillsborough County’s tourism arm will promote the area in an ad campaign as a friendly, romantic destination for same-sex couples. The ad campaign, called To Have and To Hold, begins in January.

Stemming foreclosures

Homeowners who stay current on their mortgage payments are eligible to earn $5,000 over a five-year period to reduce their loan balance. And they can get another $5,000 in the sixth year to “motivate homeowners to continue making their mortgage payments on time.” In Florida, 274,850 homeowners have started a trial loan modification since the program’s inception. The median monthly mortgage savings in Florida has been $474. It is all part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s and the Treasury Department’s $29.8 billion Making Home Affordable program created in 2009 to stem foreclosures.

PACs gave big money

Sixteen political action committees (PACs) reported giving more than $150,000 in contributions directly to federal candidates and their committees from October 16th through November 24th. Here are three examples: Honeywell International PAC gave out $430,137. The American Podiatric Medical Assn. PAC gave $249,000. Home Depot Inc. PAC gave $247,000. Citigroup Inc. PAC-Federal gave $234,000.

The Jeb Watch

Miami Herald columnist Marc Caputo recently wrote that Jeb Bush is not running for president, adding, “Let’s just say Bush is jogging en route to the campaign track.” Caputo says there are five signs that Jeb is readying for a presidential run: (1) No more impromptu press conferences; (2) Bush has shed 15 pounds; (3) he’s giving more important speeches; (4) Bush appears to be on the campaign trail and raised money for senate candidates and also fro governors; and (5) Bush said Monday a candidate needs to be ready “to lose the primary to win the general [election] without violating your principles.”

For Pam Bondi, now it’s the immigrants

Pam Bondi is a hater. We know of her dislike for gays in general. On Friday, the Florida attorney general announced her intention of joining a multistate coalition led by Texas in suing over the Obama administration’s recently announced executive actions on immigration. Who’s next Pam?

Florida summit on major issues

Expanding health care coverage, solving water problems, improving education and handling issues like legalizing medical marijuana and gambling were among the topics Florida leaders discussed during a summit organized by Justin Sayfie, a lawyer, lobbyist, and GOP fundraiser who runs a website with news about Florida politics and government. The idea was to bring together a bipartisan mix of political, business and education leaders to look at the major issues facing Florida in the immediate and distant future and to brainstorm on how the state should tackle them. Progreso Weekly wasn’t invited. And asked to be.

Rubio turns with the wind

Last week Marco Rubio spoke at the Republican Party of Florida’s Winter meeting in Tampa. He gave a 15-minute speech that attempted to go where some conservatives feel the party has needed to go for years – addressing the growing economic inequality gap in the U.S. that continues to widen. Mitch Perry wrote that Rubio’s speech virtually screamed of presidential ambition in the SaintPetersblog.