John Romano: Jeff Vinik is key to Channelside dilemma

My, my, my. What is a body to do?

The Tampa Port Authority board just blew up the latest proposal to reimagine Channelside Bay Plaza, which means starting the whole process over again.

Yup, this sure is a pickle.

If only there was a wealthy financier around to help out.

If only this financier had an economic interest in the surrounding area.

If only this person had a track record in business, a reputation for philanthropy and a hockey team in a nearby arena....

Gov. Rick Scott should not have vetoed Pasco homeless plan

You begin at the back of the line. That's practically a given.

When you're an advocate for the homeless, you learn to wait your turn and lower your expectations. You provide every answer, and avoid any assumptions.

And it is only in those rare moments when everything seems to be falling in place that you ponder the possibility of something special coming your way.

All of which explains why Monday was such a huge disappointment for Metropolitan Ministries in Pasco County....

Nuclear recovery fee needs to go, Gov. Scott

Not everyone believes in the warming of Rick Scott's heart.

While it is true he supported expanding Medicaid, critics point out that he was nowhere to be seen while zealots in the Florida House were voting it down.

And while it is fact he pushed for teacher pay raises, that didn't require much arm-twisting when dealing with a rare budget surplus.

So what's a conservative with a corporate image to do? Just how does Gov. Private Jet convince voters that he truly is a man of the people?...

Romano: Florida Democrats' gubernatorial hopefuls old and obvious

Start with the statistics.

Democrats in Florida have an undeniable advantage. They currently outnumber registered Republicans by more than a half-million voters.

Then consider the trends.

Democrats in Florida are showing signs of life. They just closed the gap on Republicans in the state Legislature, and in recent years have handed critical electoral votes to both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama....

Florida Legislature's evaluation: needs (lots of) improvement

They applauded one another.

They embraced, they laughed, they took group pictures.

All in all, during the final hours and days of the 2013 legislative session, your state lawmakers seemed very happy with themselves.

And that's a good thing because I'm not sure who else is feeling charitable toward our senators and representatives these days.

This legislative session feels more notable for what didn't happen than what did. For instance, some really bad ideas got squashed. And one really important issue got tabled....

Romano: Buying a House (of Representatives) for fun and profit

MEMO

To: Producers of the A&E show Flip This House

From: Talent Scout

RE: Possible show topic

First of all, love your show!

This idea of watching someone purchase a house and then "flipping'' it for a profit is pure genius. It's ruthless, risky, and it feels so darned American.

In that same spirit, I'm bringing this unique idea to you today....

'Grass roots' support hurts credibility of parent trigger backers

Maybe they got greedy. Maybe they were too cocky.

Maybe they just didn't think anyone was paying attention.

No matter the explanation, supporters of a parent trigger law went one step too far when they produced a petition riddled with inconsistencies and doubt.

The petition was supposed to prove this pro-charter school legislation had grass roots support among parents, but instead it highlighted what critics have been saying all along:...

House Republicans' Medicaid argument ignores logic

Not long ago, I was invited to be a judge in a middle school debate.

Some of the kids were nervous, some got sidetracked and some clammed up. Yet for all their jitters, giggles, anxiety and backtracking, the entire morning felt true.

No matter how they looked while presenting their case, they had done their research and came across with absolute sincerity while making their arguments....

Cyberbullying turns a heartbreak into a horror

The story begins horribly enough, with the accusation of a teenage rape.

From there, the implications are enormous:

Lives interrupted and families torn apart. Innocence shattered and scars unseen.

And, yet, as we have reluctantly learned, there is a twisted temptation in an Internet-is-everywhere society to take a heartbreaking saga and make it exponentially worse.

By now, you may have heard of the Tarpon Springs High School sophomore charged with the sexual battery of a physically incapacitated girl at an underage drinking party....

What Rick Scott really said in that letter to Barack Obama

They are tighter than you know. Practically pen pals.

Hardly an economic crisis goes by without Gov. Rick Scott sitting down to jot off another letter to his comrade-in-arms Barack Obama.

Let's see, there was the time he asked him to intervene in a dockworkers strike. And the time he complained about a cut in federal funding for a particular Army aircraft.

There have been multiple letters regarding Obamacare or Medicaid expansion, and who can forget the sequestration letter that suggested the president was a total goof-off?...

John Romano: You could boost schools thoughtfully, or you could be Tallahassee

Legislators see failing schools and look for someone to blame.

They see struggling students and come up with one-size-fits-all solutions. They see funding for education and devise schemes to funnel it to their corporate friends.

And this is why every parent of a Pinellas County public school student should offer a word of thanks this morning for school superintendent Mike Grego.

On the job for seven months, Grego has approached the problem of low standardized test scores with rational, compassionate and proactive solutions....