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Kamala Harris

Panel discussion addresses challenges for women of color

June 1, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) is leveraging its community connections to foster meaningful discussion on matters related to social justice and racial equity.

The area institution recently organized a virtual summit titled, “Equity and Advancement of Minority Women in America.”

Florida African American Student Association president Dernika David (Courtesy of Florida African American Student Association)

The Zoom event on May 10 included breakout sessions on topics such as leadership and mentoring; politics, policing and civic responsibility; life skills; and, mental health and spirituality.

The event’s keynote speaker was Orange County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Ingrid Tejada-Monforte.

The daylong summit kicked off with a 45-minute discussion by a panel including college students, educators and professionals.

Boosting retention, graduation success rates
The issues of college graduation success rates and retention among minorities were among the primary topics during the forum.

Figures presented from Center for American Progress show spring semester undergraduate college enrollment nationwide decreased 4.5%, with larger declines among Black, Latino and Native American populations.

Ways to minimize the disproportion was a point of discussion.

Dernika David is president of the Florida African American Student Association, which represents over 200,000 students in colleges and universities throughout the state of Florida.

She underscored the struggles of a person of color navigating the college experience.

David explained many minorities — who may be first-generation college students — don’t have the financial backing or support from parents, grandparents and other family members.

She emphasized the importance of colleges and universities having Black student unions or related multicultural organizations. They provide an opportunity to connect with “a leader or someone that’s going to guide you and support you.”

Put another way, she said: “A lot of students need coaches and people to keep them on track, so I think that is an important thing we need on campuses.”

Higher education systems and other organizations must do better in promoting information and accessibility about scholarships and financial aid, added David.

“College is expensive,” she said. “I have a lot of students ask me like, ‘How did you get this scholarship?’ because they don’t know the resources or they want to be networked with someone that can go ahead and get them into a scholarship or be financed throughout college, so we need to have the resources ready for these students.”

Dorian Howell is student government president of PHSC’s Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel.

He feels there’s plenty of scholarships and grants available — at least through the PHSC Foundation. But, he said: “It’s also about getting the word out to the communities that really need it.”

Marsha Kiner, interim executive director and CEO of Association of Florida Colleges (Courtesy of Association of Florida Colleges)

Marsha Kiner serves as interim executive director and CEO of the Association of Florida Colleges, which represents Florida’s 28 public community and state colleges, their boards, employees, retirees and associates.

She explained women of color frequently have the added plight of attending college at an older age — while trying to raise a family and, at the same time, making other financial and personal sacrifices.

Mentors who have navigated such experiences are critical to the success of future generations, said Kiner, who holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s degree in educational leadership.

“Those of us who’ve already kind of been on the journey need to ensure that we are stepping up and reaching back and providing support,” she said.

Kiner otherwise provided positive words of encouragement to young females of color striving to earn an education and achieve success: “Understand your journey, and never, ever be afraid to use your voice.”

PHSC student Paloma Alejandro agreed with the idea of colleges offering mentorship and support groups to women of color.

She is seeking an associate’s degree, while raising a child and managing a full-time job.

“I think it’s important to meet to discuss our successes and opportunities,” Alejandro said. “I think it’s important for us to realize that others around us are struggling in the same areas, or others around us are successful in the same areas.”

Narrowing the gender wage gap
Finding ways to close the gender wage gap and economic inequity for females of color — was another talking point.

Various studies were cited from Lean In, a nonprofit organization founded by Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg. The organization aims to help women around the world to achieve their ambitions.

In comparison to white men, Lean In reports:

  • Asian women on average make 13% less
  • White women 21% less
  • Black women 37% less
  • Native American women 45% less
  • Hispanic women 45% less

Student government president Howell suggested that others follow the footsteps of his mother and start a small business where you can be your own boss.

Howell’s mom, who is Asian, ran a profitable nail tech/beauty salon in Pinellas County, earning wages that he said mirrored some medical doctors and surgeons in the area.

Dorian Howell is student government president of PHSC’s Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel. (File)

Howell also observed: “You can increase your income just by learning some new skills, going to college, or even getting a trade, but it takes a community of encouragement for females to grow from here.”

David, meanwhile, challenged fellow younger generation of minority females to “know your worth,” particularly when it comes to working for a large company or corporation.

“These capitalistic companies at the end of the day can replace you, and just know exactly what you’re going into, the pay that you want, because sometimes that can be negotiable in some companies,” she said.

David also advised women to take initiative, and learn about stock market and cryptocurrency investments to increase wealth.

Those arenas can be intimidating for some, she said, given “that it’s almost like a men’s club, but just for white men.”

However, the panelist detailed learning about such financial resources and tools of the trade from a white male co-worker.

“What I would say is just shadow and learn from others that may not even be in your same community,” David said.

“Because of him, I was able to invest in stocks and cryptocurrency, which is something that I never thought I would be able to do and understand, but I took that understanding and taught my siblings and taught my friends, so it’s using your resources and helping others with what you’ve learned, and not gatekeeping.”

Other panelists suggested researching various industry pay and then having the courage to step up and not accept anything less.

PHSC student Hope Henry stated: “We need to be comfortable with uncomfortable, and doing things you’d never thought you’d so, so in order to instill change, you must challenge yourself and the system in front of you.”

Uplifting women of color
Kevin O’ Farrell, provost at the PHSC Porter Campus, called the educational seminar “a very timely topic” in the midst of ongoing conversations regarding social justice and racial equity.

He then quoted Kamala Harris, the first woman, the first Black American and the first Asian American to serve as the nation’s vice president.

O’ Farrell said: “I’m often reminded of what now vice president Harris said when she was accepting the vote this last November when she made the comments, ‘I may be the first, but I will not be the last.’”

Published June 02, 2021

Renowned educator discusses racial equity

February 2, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

When it comes to race relations in America, many meaningful advancements have been made over the last several decades — but there still is a long way to go in the name of equity.

At least that was the message put forth by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, a nationally recognized authority on racial issues in America. She was the featured guest speaker of Pasco-Hernando State College’s 36th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative event.

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum was guest speaker of Pasco-Hernando State College’s Jan. 21 virtual presentation discussing racial equity issues in America. Tatum is former president of Atlanta’s Spelman College and author of the best-selling book, ‘Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?’ (Courtesy of Beverly Tatum)

The Jan. 21 virtual event was organized by the college’s department of global and multicultural awareness.

A clinical psychologist and sought-after leader in higher education, Tatum is president emerita of Atlanta’s Spelman College and author of several books, including the best-selling, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?”

The speaker also is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Academic Leadership Award in 2013 and the American Psychological Association’s Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology in 2014.

Tatum opened the conversation by emphasizing the racial progress the United States has made since her birth in the early 1950s.

She shared a story about her own family’s prior struggles.

She detailed how her Black father, Dr. Robert Daniel, was unable to attend Florida State University in 1954 and obtain a doctorate in art education because it was a segregated institution, for whites only.

Rather than simply allowing Tatum’s father to attend FSU, the state of Florida instead opted to pay for his transportation costs to another institution out of state — Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania.

Tatum observed: “Today that sounds ridiculous, right?  It sounds like, ‘Why would the state do that?’ and yet that was the reality then. The fact that today Florida State is quite a diverse institution, certainly no longer whites only, all of that lets us know there has been progress.”

Pushback against progress
Despite gains, compared to the 1950s and 1960s, Tatum said there has been nationwide resistance following these periods of social progress — particularly around the turn and throughout the 21st century.

It was evident even during the President Barack Obama years, Tatum said, when a provision of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 was struck down by a 2013 Supreme Court ruling. That decision allowed nine states, mostly in the South, to change their election laws without federal oversight.

Some states, in recent years, also have reversed various affirmative action measures.

California voters approved Proposition 209 in 1996, which says the state cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, specifically in the areas of public employment, public contracting and public education.

This decision, Tatum said, dramatically decreased the African-American student population and other minorities at California State universities.

Tatum also criticized decision-making policies surrounding incarceration, anti-drug efforts and the so-called War on Drugs, which she claimed has yielded a dramatic increase in the incarceration of people of color, particularly Black men and women.

The speaker suggested many of these drug policies “were racist by nature,” giving examples of disparate prison sentences for a non-violent Black individual in possession of crack cocaine, compared to a white individual caught with powder cocaine.

Pasco-Hernando State College’s department of global and multicultural awareness hosted a virtual presentation titled, ‘Where Do We Go From Here? A Conversation about Racial Equity with Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum.’ The event was part of the college’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration programming. (File)

Tatum underscored the negative impacts this “racial bias in the justice system” has caused for many Black communities and families: “What happens to you if you come out of jail and you’ve served your time, and you can’t rent an apartment and it’s hard to get a job?”

Tatum also took aim at discriminatory housing and lending policies to Black families, which she said is still felt today even after the Fair Housing Act of 1968 officially made real estate redlining illegal.

Over the years, Black families — even those with high-quality credit ratings — oftentimes received loans with less desirable terms than white families with similar incomes, credit and purchase power, she said.

This all came to a head during the 2008 recession, Tatum said: “Many of those unfavorable loans were coming due and when the economy tanked, those loans tanked, and many people who had been given those loans found themselves in (a) position of having their houses underwater, so to speak.”

When asked what the civil rights leaders of the 1960s would think about the country today, Tatum responded: “Maybe need to revisit some of the questions they were asking and try to use that inspiration to push forward again.”

An optimistic outlook
As for where the country is headed, Tatum expressed optimism with the election and swearing in of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

She commended several of the new administration’s moves, such as reversing travel bans on Muslim countries; pausing deportations for certain undocumented immigrants; extending the federal moratorium on evictions; and extending the pause on federal student loan payments and collections, and keeping their interest rate at 0%.

“I am encouraged by some of the things that our new president already has done through his executive orders,” Tatum said.

But, much more needs to be done, from the speaker’s viewpoint.

The push for a living wage is “a really critical issue” to help uplift more Black families out of poverty, Tatum said.

The problem has persisted even since Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was fighting for economic justice as part of the city’s sanitation workers’ strike.

Tatum put it like this: “If you are working very hard at the minimum wage in your locale, you are going to be poor, because you cannot sustain yourself and your family on such low wages.

“I am of the opinion that if a job is worth doing, it needs to be paid at a wage that allows you to sustain yourself with dignity,” she said.

Not resolving that issue, she said, “is a strategic error, not just because it’s bad for the people who are trying to make a living — but it’s also bad for all of us to have a significant portion of our population unable to sustain itself.”

She also pointed out that the coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on communities of color, putting them at greater risk, because of poverty, concentrated living situations and limited access to high-quality health care.

Many people in these communities also are part of the so-called essential workforce, driving buses, working in grocery stores “and doing things that put you in harm’s way, without sufficient protection, during a dangerous pandemic,” she said.

The distinguished educator also called for increased opportunities for robust and affordable education opportunities.

She acknowledged there are available federal government programs, such as Pell Grants, to help close the gap for disadvantaged students. But, she said: “Tuitions have risen at institutions all across the country because the state funding has been insufficient to cover the costs.”

The burden of the additional costs is passed onto individuals and families, and the dilemma comes back to how much people are paid.

The median income of an African-American family is around $40,000 annually.

“You cannot afford a college education if your family income is $40,000 per year. It’s just not possible, so how do we meet the need of young people who want to be able to pursue a college education? Lots of communities are asking this question.

“We as a nation have to decide if we want to invest in the next generation. I don’t think we have made that decision in a way that is clearly visible. We really need a national initiative that says, ‘We want to invest in the next generation,’ regardless of race, understanding that if we want to be successful as a nation, we have to have access to affordable education, at a level that this post-industrial economy requires.”

Pasco-Hernando State College President Timothy Beard offered some observations regarding the current state of America’s racial issues during a recent virtual event focusing on racial equity.
“First, I want to acknowledge that we’ve come a long ways, yet we have a long ways to go,” said Beard, the second African-American to serve as president of the college.

“Race is a topic that most individuals still try to steer away from, but I think it’s a discussion that we must continue to have as a nation.

“I do believe in Dr. King’s words when he said we are a nation of ideals and we’re still progressing as an institution to become that more perfect union.

“In order for that to happen we have to be able to deal with those topics that might not be convenient, and the only way to get better is to continue to confront those things that you can change. If you don’t confront it, perhaps you can’t change.

“It is just an awesome opportunity for us to make progress as we deal with this topic of race inequality. As we look to the future, we do want to acknowledge we have what it takes for us to be successful, as chaotic as it has been the last eight, nine, 10, 11 months or so, we’re still looking for opportunities for us to be successful, and because you don’t assume, you participate, you’re being engaged in a conversation, I want to say that it’s a sign of progress.”

Published February 03, 2021

Rioters breach U.S. Capitol building

January 12, 2021 By B.C. Manion

Editor’s Note: The Laker/Lutz News, normally a strictly local publication with limited political coverage, is presenting this account because of the historic nature of last week’s events.

Repercussions continue to play out from the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol Building by a violent mob — on the day members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives were meeting to count Electoral College votes to certify the results of the 46th presidential election.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress, including some Republicans, are calling for President Donald J. Trump to resign from office; or, to be removed from his post through invocation of the 25th amendment; or, for him to become the first president in the nation’s history to face impeachment for a second time, according to national news reports.

In a interview on CBS’ 60 minutes, Pelosi told reporter Lesley Stahl: “There is strong support in Congress for impeaching the president a second time. This president is guilty of inciting insurrection. He has to pay a price for that.”

On the morning of the joint session of Congress, in remarks to supporters, Trump reiterated his claims that the election had been stolen and he encouraged the crowd to march up to Capitol Hill.

By the time the joint session of Congress began, there were thousands of people assembled outside the building. News footage showed that large numbers carried Trump flags or displayed other signs of support for the president.

At one point, the crowd breached the barricades.

People began climbing the steps, scaling the walls and occupying the terrace of the Capitol building, as seen on live coverage or video footage of the event. Some rioters smashed windows and climbed inside.

The mob streamed through the Capitol, ransacking offices and posing for photos.

Members of Congress hid behind or under furniture. There was an armed standoff at the House front door, with guns drawn by police to protect the chamber.

Five people died, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who passed away a day later from injuries suffered during the riot.

Efforts continue to identify, find and make arrests of those who stormed the building. An investigation also is expected over security failures, according to national news accounts.

During the interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes, Pelosi showed where an intruder posed with his feet on a desk in her office. She also showed the office where members of her  staff turned off the lights, hid under the table and kept quiet, as intruders attempted to break in.

During the siege, President-Elect Joe Biden made an appearance on national television.

“At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times. An assault on the citadel of liberty, the Capitol, itself,” Biden said.

He told viewers: “It’s not a protest. It’s insurrection.

“This is not dissent. It’s disorder. It’s chaos. It borders on sedition, and it must end — now,” Biden said.

“The certification of the Electoral College vote is supposed to be a sacred ritual. The purpose is to affirm the majesty of American democracy. Today is a reminder, a painful one, that democracy is fragile.”

Biden called upon Trump to go on national television to demand an end to the siege.

Trump issued a video, asking his supporters to go home, while expressing his love for them.

Later, he issued another video, calling for prosecution for those breaking the law, and promising a peaceful transfer of power.

Meanwhile, once order was restored at the Capitol, the House and the Senate resumed counting the Electoral College votes.

Congressional leaders said it was important to complete the count at the Capitol, as a sign of the strength of democracy.

During that count, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke out against objections raised by some colleagues.

“President Trump claims the election was stolen. The assertions range from specific local allegations, to constitutional arguments, to sweeping conspiracy theories,” McConnell said, during live coverage of the proceedings by CNN.

“I supported the president’s right to use the legal system. Dozens of lawsuits received hearings in courtrooms all across our country. But over and over, the courts rejected these claims,” McConnell said.

“The voters, the courts and the states have all spoken. They’ve all spoken. If we overrule them, it would damage our Republic forever.

“If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral,” McConnell said.

The counting of Electoral College votes continued until it was completed, just after 3:40 a.m., according to a CBS report. Biden received 306 Electoral Votes; Trump, 232.

The inauguration ceremony for the nation’s 46th president and vice president is set for Jan. 20, at noon, when Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will be sworn into office.

Trump has said he does not plan to attend.

It is unclear at this time how security concerns will affect the inauguration ceremony — which already had been scaled back due to concerns about limiting the potential spread of COVID-19.

Published January 13, 2021

Familiar faces win reelection in Pasco County

November 10, 2020 By B.C. Manion

Voters across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area demonstrated their enthusiasm in Election 2020 — casting their ballots through Vote By Mail or in person at early voting sites or in their precincts on Election Day.

Pasco County reported a turnout of 77.8% of its 389,317 registered voters, with a total of 303,214 ballots cast, according to unofficial voting results.

Hillsborough County reported a turnout of 76.45% of the county’s 934,346 registered voters, casting a total of 714,286 ballots.

These are unofficial tallies for both counties. The final result must include overseas ballots, provisional ballots and ballots that had signature issues that were cured — before they are certified, which is when they become official.

Valerie Cooper took advantage of early voting at the New River Branch Library in Wesley Chapel. She reported that operations were running smoothly and she was pleased to be able to vote on a day that was convenient. (B.C. Manion)

Visits by The Laker/Lutz News to polling locations during Early Voting and on Election Day revealed smooth operations at numerous sites across the newspaper’s coverage area in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

Incumbents fared better in Pasco County than they did in Hillsborough County.

Pasco County voters gave Kurt Browning four more years as superintendent of Pasco County Schools. They also reelected Kathryn Starkey in District 1 and Jack Mariano in District 5, on the Pasco County Commission.

In Hillsborough County, voters reelected Lynn Gray for four more years in the District 7 seat on the Hillsborough County School Board, and elected Jessica Vaughn for the District 3 seat.

Voters rejected Tammy Shamburger’s bid for reelection in District 5, selecting Henry “Shake” Washington instead. They also turned down incumbent Steve Cona’s bid for reelection in District 1, choosing challenger Nadia Combs instead.

Other big decisions in Hillsborough, included the reelection of Sheriff Chad Chronister and Property Appraiser Bob “Coach” Henriquez.

Hillsborough voters also selected Nancy C. Millan as the county’s next tax collector.

Voters chose Harry Cohen in the District 1 race for Hillsborough County Commission; Gwen Myers for District 3, on the board; and Pat Kemp in District 6.

Incumbent Andrew Warren won another term in the race for State Attorney in the 13th Judicial Court.

In state legislative races, voters chose Danny Burgess to fill the vacancy in Senate District 20.

Amber Mariano won her re-election bid in House District 36, as did Ardian Zika in House District 37, and Randy Maggard in House District 38.

Workers for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections conduct post-election activities in the supervisor’s warehouse. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections)

Statewide, voters narrowly supported an amendment to the Florida Constitution that will gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.

They overwhelmingly favored an amendment allowing a property tax discount for spouses of deceased veterans who had suffered permanent, combat-related injuries.

They approved an amendment that gives people more time to transfer their accrued benefits of the Homestead Property taxes to another property, and they supported a requirement that all voters in Florida must be citizens.

But, they rejected proposed amendments that would have allowed all voters to vote for primary elections for state legislators, governor and cabinet, and they turned down a proposed amendment to require voters to approve proposed constitutional amendments twice before they could take effect.

Constitutional amendments require approval by 60% of the voters

In federal races, voters approved the reelection of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis for another term in Florida’s 12th congressional district.

In the presidential contest, Pasco County voters supported Donald J. Trump, with 59.38% of the vote, compared to 39.32% for Joe Biden.

Hillsborough County voters favored Biden, who received 52.69% of the vote, compared to 45.87% for Trump.

National news outlets have projected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next president and vice president of the United States.

As of Nov. 9, President Donald J. Trump had not conceded, according to national news reports, and he intended to pursue court challenges.

The Associated Press reported that the Biden ticket received nearly 75.7 million votes; while Trump’s ticket secured nearly 71.1 million.

Biden’s ticket received the most-ever votes for a president, while Trump’s ticket received the second-highest, according to national news reports.

ELECTION RESULTS
National
President*
Joseph R. Biden: 75.7 million; 290 electoral votes
Donald J. Trump: 71.1 million; 214 electoral votes
* Results reported by the Associated Press; President Donald J. Trump had not conceded as of Nov. 9, according to national reports, and is challenging the results.

Pasco County
Pasco Superintendent of Schools
Kurt S. Browning: 64.54%
Cynthia Thompson: 35.46%

Pasco County Commission, District 1
Kathryn Starkey: 61.30%
Jessica Stempien: 38.70%

Pasco County Commission, District 5
Jack Mariano: 58.83%
Brandi Geoit: 34.46%
Victor Rodriguez: 6.71%

State Rep. District 36
Amber Mariano: 63.38%
Daniel Endonino: 36.62%

State Rep. District 37
Ardian Zika: 62.83%
Tammy Garcia: 37.17%

State Rep. District 38
Randy Maggard: 58.71%
Brian Staver: 41.29%

Hillsborough County results
Hillsborough County Sheriff
Chad Chronister: 54.83%
Gary Pruitt: 35.85%
Ron McMullen: 9.32%

Property Appraiser
D.C. Goutoufas: 43.50%
Bob “Coach” Henriquez: 56.50%

Tax Collector
TK Mathew: 45.22%
Nancy C. Millan: 54.78%

Hillsborough County Commission, District 1
Scott Levinson: 49.27%
Harry Cohen: 50.73%

Hillsborough County Commission, District 3
Maura Cruz Lanz,  27.66%
Gwen Myers, 72.34%

Hillsborough County Commission, District 6
Sandra L. Murman, 47.38%
Patricia “Pat” Kemp, 52.62%

Hillsborough County School Board, District 1
Nadia Combs: 63.91%
Steve Cona: 36.09%

Hillsborough County School Board, District 3
Mitch Thrower, 38.87%
Jessica Vaughn: 61.13%

Hillsborough County School Board, District 5
Tammy Shamburger, 44.64%
Henry “Shake” Washington: 55.36%

Hillsborough County School Board, District 7
Lynn Gray: 53.73%
Sally Harris: 46.27%

State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit
Mike Perotti: 46.64%
Andrew Warren: 53.36%

National, state results
President, vice president
Votes were still being counted in some states on Nov. 9, in the presidential election.
Hillsborough County: Donald J. Trump: 45.87%; Joseph R. Biden: 52.69%
Pasco County: Donald J. Trump, 59.38%: Joseph R. Biden, 39.32%

U.S. Congress, District 12
Multi-county results: Gus Michael Bilirakis: 62.89%; Kimberly Walker: 37.11%
Hillsborough results: Gus Michael Bilirakis: 63.48%; Kimberly Walker: 36.52
Pasco results: Gus Michael Bilirakis: 63.49%; Kimberly Walker: 36.51%

U.S. Senate District 20
Multi-county results: Danny Burgess: 54.84%; Kathy Lewis, 45.16%
Hillsborough County: Danny Burgess: 47.91%; Kathy Lewis: 52.09%
Pasco County: Danny Burgess: 59.21%; Kathy Lewis: 40.79%

State Rep. District 36
Amber Mariano: 63.38%
Daniel Endonino: 36.62%

State Rep. District 37
Ardian Zika: 62.83%
Tammy Garcia: 37.17%

State Rep. District 38
Randy Maggard: 58.71%
Brian Staver: 41.29%

Constitutional amendments (60% approval required to pass)
Amendment 1: Citizen requirement to vote in Florida
Statewide: Yes: 79.3%; No: 20.7%
Pasco: Yes: 84.86%; No: 15.14%
Hillsborough: Yes: 77.02%; No: 22.98%

Amendment 2: Raising Florida’s minimum wage
Statewide: Yes: 60.8%; No: 29.2%
Pasco: Yes: 55.79%; No: 44.21%
Hillsborough: Yes: 60.03%; No: 39.97%

Amendment 3: All voters vote in primary elections for state legislature, governor and cabinet
Statewide: Yes: 57.01%; No: 42.99%
Pasco: Yes, 60.59%; 39.41%
Hillsborough: Yes, 57.63%; No, 42.37%

Amendment 4: Voter approval of constitutional amendments
Statewide: Yes: 47.53%; No: 52.47%
Pasco: Yes: 50.76%; No: 49.24%
Hillsborough: Yes: 48.71%; No: 51.29%

Amendment 5: Limitation on Homestead Property Taxes, increased portability to transfer accrued benefit portability period
Statewide: Yes: 74.49%; No: 25.51%
Pasco: Yes: 76.48%; No: 23.52%
Hillsborough: Yes: 75.59%; No: 24.41%

Amendment 6: Ad valorem discount for spouses of certain deceased veterans who had permanent, combat related injury
Statewide: Yes: 89.7%; No: 10.27%
Pasco: Yes: 90.32%; No: 9.68%
Hillsborough: Yes: 88.17%; No: 11.83%

Sources: The Florida Division of Elections, Pasco County Supervisor of Elections and Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.

Published November 11, 2020

Big decisions on the ballot in Election 2020

October 13, 2020 By B.C. Manion

Voters already have begun casting their mail-in ballots in Election 2020 — making decisions that will have enormous consequences.

The top of the ballot features a choice between reelecting President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, or electing challengers former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris.

Early voting will begin in Pasco and Hillsborough counties at several locations on Oct. 19.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley said his office will work with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco’s office to ensure that elections are safe, just like they have in other elections. (File)

Pasco County voters, for instance, will decide who should represent them in District 3 and District 5 on the Pasco County Commission. They also will choose the superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

A number of other key races are on the Nov. 3 ballot.

In Hillsborough County, voters will select the county sheriff, county tax collector, the county property appraiser, and seats on the Hillsborough County Commission and Hillsborough School Board.

Voters also will choose their congressional representatives and state lawmakers, in contested races.

Key races at the local level include Florida’s 12th congressional district; District 36, District 37 and District 38, in the Florida House; and District 20, in the Florida Senate.

Statewide, voters will  decide the fate of a half-dozen constitutional amendments.

All of this comes in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer and Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley are encouraging voters to consider voting by mail, or taking advantage of Early Voting, to reduce waiting time for voters on Election Day, Nov. 3.

They also assure that steps will be taken to protect both voters and poll workers at election sites — through social distancing, face coverings and other precautions.

In addition to the pandemic, Election 2020 comes at a time of bitter partisan divide.

Political scientist Susan MacManus put it like this: “Obviously, everything that we thought we knew about politics has been turned upside down this election year.”

The national party conventions were different. The presidential and vice presidential debates have been different. The way people will vote — with experts predicting a record number of mail-in ballots — is different, too.

And, the constant frenzy of breaking news on social media and cable networks has made an impact.

“We’ve seen issues change by the hours, making it very difficult for campaigns to come up with a clear message,” added MacManus, a retired distinguished professor of political science at the University of South Florida.

“The nation is the most partisan/polarized in its history. The partisan divide is the deepest ever and so is the generational divide, really, politically,” added MacManus, who has been a close observer of elections for decades.

“Democrats are seen as moving more toward Socialism, and Republicans are seen as more toward, what they call maintenance of the Capitalistic system,” she said.

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer says voters can be assured of a safe and secure election in Hillsborough County. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections)

On top of that, she said, “you had a health care and an economic meltdown at the same time, basically reconfiguring how people live — in every facet, whether it’s no toilet paper in the grocery, to the point of, ‘Now, do I send my kid to school in person, or do I not?’

Plus, there are clashes over racial injustice and the role of police.

The political landscape is changing, too, MacManus observed.

“The demographic shift that’s taking place across the country is very evident in the registration, and the makeup of Florida’s electorate. It’s much more racially and ethnically diverse, and much more age diverse than it was, even in 2016,” MacManus added.

“Many women are running in the Legislature and Congress this year, and a lot of them are women of color.

Turnout is a big question for both Democrats and Republicans
MacManus, who is frequently called upon to share expertise with national news outlets, said each political party is struggling to reach specific groups of voters.

Democrats are seeking to attract working class whites, particularly men; the Latino vote; and Minority School Choice voters, she said, noting in the past those groups were predictably Democrat voters.

This is what it looks like when voters drop off ballots in Hillsborough County. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections)

Republicans are seeking to reach college-educated white women; suburban moms with kids; and older voters, especially women. In essence, Republicans are struggling with a gender gap, she said.

“Then, each of them, of course, has a big, big, big, big turnout question,” MacManus said.

For the Democrats, the big turnout question is how many young voters will turn out.

Young voters, she said, want to be inspired, they want genuine discussions of their issues, and they value diversity.

Republicans, on the other hand, are worried that moderate Republicans will cross over and vote Biden. They’re also concerned that voters deemed as ‘Never Trumpers’ just won’t bother to vote, she said.

Despite those issues, MacManus believes that turnout will be higher for this year’s election.

She thinks it’s important for voters to understand that it may be awhile before the final results are known.

“There are legitimate reasons why you may not know on Election Night in a very close state like Florida,” she said.

Election privacy booths are spaced out, to provide social distancing and privacy for voters. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections)

A delay in counting overseas ballots is one of those reasons.

“Military and overseas ballots aren’t due until 10 days after the Election, and we have a lot of people that meet criteria,” MacManus said.

“No. 2, if you vote early and you forget to take your ID, you can still cast what’s called a provisional ballot. Then, after the election is over when the canvassing board meets, they can check it. If you are indeed registered, your vote counts. In 2000, they would have been tossed out.

“The third reason is that you can get an onslaught of mail-in ballots that get there on Election Day or a day or so before.

“If it’s really, really tight in Florida, you may go to bed thinking it’s one candidate (who won), and then a couple of days later it will be different — and, it won’t be because anybody’s fraudulent,” MacManus said.

Even after the votes are counted, it might not be over, she said.

“Each side is already lawyered up to the max,” MacManus said.

Voting
There are three ways to vote:  Vote By Mail, Early Voting, and voting on Election Day.

Voters who vote by mail can either mail in their ballots, or drop them off at an early voting site. Your ballot must be received by your Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m., on Nov. 3.

Those voting by mail are encouraged to mail in their ballots early, to ensure they arrive on time. When voting in person, bring one or two forms of ID, which include your signature and photo. If you do not bring proper ID, you can vote a provisional ballot. A canvassing board will evaluate it for eligibility.

Important dates to remember
The deadline to register was Oct. 5.

Early voting in Hillsborough County begins Oct. 19 and ends Nov. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily

Early voting in Pasco County begins Oct. 19 and ends Oct. 31, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Election Day voting nationwide is Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For a list of Early Voting places and other information, go to PascoVotes.gov for Pasco County and VoteHillsborough.org for Hillsborough County.

Safe and secure at the polls:
Steps are being taken in Pasco and Hillsborough counties to keep voters safe. Those include:

  • Limiting the number of people inside the polling place at one time.
  • Ensuring that poll workers have face coverings
  • Providing hand sanitizer
  • Reminding voters to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines

Election security: 10 reasons your vote is safe and secure
Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer offers these 10 reasons that voters can be assured their vote is safe and secure.

  1. The Florida Division of Elections checks each voter registration form to verify the applicant’s identity.
  2. Our voter registration database is updated regularly to remove deceased and ineligible voters.
  3. Voters have to show photo and signature identification to vote.
  4. Our voter records are updated electronically to record when a voter has requested a mail ballot or voted. If someone comes to vote in person, their mail ballot is immediately canceled. And vice versa.
  5. The state-certified equipment is tested before each election with a public logic and accuracy test to make sure machines are counting votes correctly. During this test, pre-marked ballots are put in a randomly selected sample of our machines to make sure the count is what it’s supposed to be and that every position on the ballot is being read by each machine.
  6. Our ballots and equipment are under 24-hour camera surveillance and stored in areas with restricted key card access until they are deployed for voting. During voting, the ballot scanners are kept in plain sight and secured with seals to prohibit tampering.
  7. We use a stand-alone server, not connected to the Internet, to tabulate and report results.
  8. Electronic results from each ballot scanner are encrypted and backed up by printed results that are posted on the doors of each polling place and driven to our central office.
  9. Paper ballots are held for 22 months and can be rescanned if there is a problem with the equipment or question about results.
  10. After every election, we run a post-election audit using a separate system to re-tabulate the ballots and confirm the accuracy of our results.

Source: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections’ website

Published October 14, 2020

Women celebrate 100 years of voting

August 25, 2020 By Kathy Steele

In 1920 Harry T. Burn, a 24-year-old delegate in the Tennessee General Assembly, heeded his mother’s admonishment in a letter to be “a good boy” and vote for women’s suffrage.

Burn did as he was told, and Tennessee — by the margin of one vote — became the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution.

Congress officially certified the 19th amendment on Aug. 26, 1920, a date now celebrated annually as Women’s Equality Day.

To honor the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village is hosting a Smithsonian poster exhibit, “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence!”

College women, often members of sororities, picketed in front of the White House from January 1917 until the 19th amendment was ratified. (Courtesy of Stephanie Black, Pioneer Florida Museum (From the Smithsonian poster exhibit, ‘Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence!’)

The exhibit runs through Nov. 3 — the date for the 2020 presidential election.

“We’re excited to have this here,” Stephanie Black, the museum’s executive director, said regarding the exhibit. “It’s very interesting and very diverse.”

The posters highlight more than seven decades of struggle to earn women a place in America’s political life. But, it also reveals the racism that separated white and black suffragists who worked toward the same goal. In the end, black women, including activists Mary Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells, were marginalized and the 19th amendment won only white women the right to vote.

Black women and black men in the South waited another 45 years for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Native American women won legal citizenship and the right to vote in 1924. But they, like black men and women, suffered racist attacks that denied their access to the ballot box.

Even with its limitations, the 19th amendment shook up the political and cultural world of America.

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” said political scientist Susan MacManus. “It shows that a lot of things in the political world take time because the work takes a while.”

Today, women are filing to run for political offices in local, state and national races in numbers never seen before. MacManus counts 178 Florida women seeking office in 2020 – a record for the state.

Pollsters are focused intently on the women’s vote and its impact on dozens of races across the country, including the presidential contest.

Ida B. Wells was an investigative journalist and suffragist.

But now, as in 1920, MacManus said people make a mistake in thinking women vote as a bloc.

All women didn’t support the 19th amendment. Anti-suffrage clubs did their own protesting.

Women today also hold diverse opinions on everything.

“That’s never been truer than in politics,” MacManus said.

For some suffragists, the 19th amendment came too late.

Susan B. Anthony, who wrote the ‘Anthony amendment’ for women’s right to vote, didn’t live to see it approved. She cast an illegal ballot in New York in 1872. She was arrested, but refused to pay the $100 fine.

Women voted in the first presidential election in 1920 ushering Republican Warren G. Harding into the White House. Records suggest women represented about 36% of the electorate. It’s likely some women asked their husbands for voting advice.

Slowly over the years, women began running for office, at first mostly in local elections. They became role models for women who came behind them.

Many black women can trace their modern political activism to college sororities who organized for suffrage as well as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, MacManus said.

Black women students from Howard University and Delta Sigma Theta were among those who marched in Washington D.C., in 1913. White organizers feared offending Southern lawmakers and told black women to march in the rear of the parade.

But, Wells boldly caught up with the white Illinois delegation and walked with them, refusing to be ignored and segregated.

Sororities set up picket lines outside the White House during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency. “Some stayed until the bitter end,” said MacManus.

Wilson eventually threw his support to the suffragists.

MacManus said Kamala Harris comes from that tradition as a Howard University graduate and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Harris made history last week by becoming the first woman of color running on a major political party’s ticket as vice president.

In Florida, black women have role models, including Carrie Meek, Frederica Wilson and Val Demings.

“More women are getting into politics and lot of that is driven by more women than men — by far — going to college,” MacManus said. “This is especially true with minority women.”

The #MeToo movement also has had an impact, the political scientist said.

By 1980, a voting gender gap emerged as more women than men voted in each of the last nine presidential elections.

In 1913, women held a Suffrage Pageant. Actor Hedwig Reicher is in the foreground.

A record number of 100 women held seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, in 2018. About 90 are Democrats. But, a growing number of Republican women also are seeking elected office.

According to the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics, about 200 Republican women are running for House seats in 2020, an increase from 133 candidates in 2018.

“We’re raising our numbers,” said Sandy Graves, who won in the Aug. 18 Primary Election in the race for Republican State Committee Chairwoman for Pasco County. “We’re working very hard to try and encourage women to get in there.”

Graves is a lifelong Republican and especially honored to win an election in a year that celebrates women’s right to vote.

The amendment “was a hard-fought battle,” she said. “It is a testament to our country.”

She noted that Florida didn’t ratify the amendment until 1969, when Claude Kirk was the first Republican governor since Reconstruction.

The Pasco County Commission had planned to recognize the 100th anniversary, as well as the month of March as women’s history month, but that was delayed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Several women in past and current leadership roles will be honored when the recognition takes place, including former County Administrator Michele Baker, former Clerk and Comptroller Paula O’Neil, County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey and Assistant County Administrator Cathy Pearson.

Cheryl Pollock said the event will be scheduled once the county commission is again able to meet in person.

Pollock is the first black woman to serve as chair of the county’s Commission on the Status of Women. She joined the commission about three years ago.

“While there are limited women of color in leadership roles in our county, the county itself is slowly growing in diversity based on census reports,” Pollock said, via email.

She also said the Commission on the Status of Women is dedicated to “strive to understand disparate issues of women in our community and work toward solutions.”

A poster exhibit from the Smithsonian, “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence!”
Where:
Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City
When: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., now through Nov. 3
Cost: $10 general admission adults; $8 for seniors; $5 for students; free for children under age 5; group rates available
Info: (352) 567-0262 or PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.

Timeline for Women’s Suffrage
1848: Seneca Falls, New York convention; “Declaration of Sentiments” issued
1850: First National Woman’s Convention
1866: Suffragists sent petition to Congress requesting women’s right to vote
1872: Susan B. Anthony arrested in New York for voting illegally. Fined $100, but never pays
1878: Susan B. Anthony wrote the “Anthony amendment”
1890s: National Association of Colored Women founded by Mary Church Terrell
1909: National Suffrage Party founded
1910: Suffrage parades begin
1913: Congressional Union for Women’s Suffrage founded by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns; Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago founded by journalist Ida B. Wells
1913: More than 10,000 women march for suffrage in Washington D.C.; Ida B. Wells defiantly marches with Illinois delegation, refusing to be segregated
1917: College women begin picketing White House
1917: Anthony Amendment reintroduced in Senate & House
1919: Congress approved the 19th Amendment; sent it to states
1920: League of Women Voters founded
1920: 19th Amendment ratified by 36th state (Tennessee)

Published August 26, 2020

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05/28/2022 – Memorial Day Concert

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05/28/2022 – Pet supply drive

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