The Paradise Progressive is an effort to cover, analyze and comment on news affecting the Paradise Coast of Southwest Florida that is overlooked, ignored or avoided by local traditional media. It does this to fulfill the role of a free and independent press in a democratic republic.
As the Washington Post states: “Democracy dies in darkness.” But we say: “Liberty lives in light.” Our goal is to shine a light as best we can to dispel the darkness.
The Paradise Progressive is not affiliated with any political party or organization. It was begun on Dec. 20, 2018. The Paradise Progressive can also be viewed on its Facebook page, which features links to other Florida-related postings, and on its website, ParadiseProgressive.com. Videos related to political activities in Southwest Florida can be seen at The Paradise Progressive YouTube channel.
Hurricane Ian viewed from the International Space Station on Sept. 28, 2022. (Photo: NASA)
Sept. 27, 2026 by David Silverberg, candidate for Florida Senate District 28
Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Ian and our local media will be full of stories about the storm and its aftermath.
But while the past is important, today Florida is facing a new storm and it’s of our own making. In fact, three forces are combining to create a “perfect” storm that could devastate Southwest Florida and the state as a whole if we don’t prepare now.
The term “perfect storm” comes from meteorology and it was popularized in the 1997 book, The Perfect Storm, which was later made into a movie.
The “perfect” part of the title refers to three completely separate weather systems that came together off the coast of New England in 1991 to form one gargantuan, “perfect” storm.
Today, Southwest Florida’s “perfect” storm consists of three actions that the state government, what I call “Big Tallahassee,” doesn’t even appear to recognize.
I’m running for the Florida Senate in District 28 to avert the pending disaster caused by bad governing, bad decisions and bad judgment—and to prepare the state for future storms to come.
So what are the three actions creating Florida’s “perfect” storm?
The first action is the incredible waste of disaster funds by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier.
The governor and an extreme legislature have wasted—there’s no other word for it—incredible amounts of Florida taxpayers’ money.
The biggest waste, of course, was Alligator Alcatraz, the concentration camp in the Collier County Everglades.
These two officials just decided on their own to open and fund that project without prior public notice or consulting the legislature.
Every day new and more awful things come out about that crime against humanity. But from a fiscal standpoint, Alligator Alcatraz siphoned off over a billion dollars of state taxpayer money that was supposed to go for disaster recovery if the worst happened. It depleted our emergency funds. The state legislature is now trying to replenish the fund but that won’t be happening until it meets again next year—and the federal money that DeSantis and Uthmeier counted on to be reimbursed is unlikely to ever be received.
So, storm one: depleted state emergency funding.
The second action is federal. President Donald Trump, his enablers and the people who wrote Project 2025 are trying to destroy the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
FEMA is critical to Southwest Florida. It’s the federal agency that helped the region recover from Hurricane Ian and other hurricanes. In the past it provided aid, personnel and recovery resources that enabled clean-up and rebuilding. Before storms it was able to mobilize and stage rescue and recovery units from all over the country to prepare for the mayhem to come.
But Trump has long made FEMA a target. Initially, he wanted to abolish it. Then he wanted to cut its workforce by half. It paused its contracts and renewals for temporary workers. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem insisted that she personally approve all expenditures over $100,000, which vastly slowed down FEMA operations—before Trump fired her.
As the Natural Resources Defense Council put it earlier this year: “In a year, the Trump administration has crippled the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through indecision, layers of bureaucracy, and massive staff loss. The American public is now faced with a FEMA that is too buried in paperwork to respond, too afraid to act, and increasingly too depleted to lead. Communities reeling from catastrophes are left asking: ‘Will FEMA be there to help?’ And increasingly, the answer is ‘no.’”
So, storm two: Absent or missing FEMA.
The third action is Florida’s war on its workforce. If a disaster happens, there will no longer be workers to clean up the mess that a disaster brings.
The federal government, through the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) directorate of the Department of Homeland Security is attempting to frighten or deport the very people who, in the immediate wake of any storm, will be clearing the streets, gathering the debris and aiding homeowners. What is more, with masked, undisciplined ICE agents snatching people from their cars on the way to their workplaces, these workers already fear venturing out of their homes.
On top of this, Big Tallahassee added to the war on the workforce with hostile and restrictive anti-immigration legislation. Additionally, local Florida law enforcement departments have gone from merely cooperating with federal agencies to performing what should be federal enforcement functions. This adds to the climate of fear and intimidation, exactly as it is intended to do.
As a result, when the winds die down and the floods recede, there won’t be the people available in the past to repair and reconstruct the buildings or repair the roofs or clear the storm drains. There won’t be the workers to take care of patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Recovery that took months in the past could take years in the future.
So, storm three: No more post-disaster workers.
This “perfect” storm shouldn’t be happening and the legislature can prevent it.
If elected to the Florida Senate to represent District 28, which consists of Collier and Hendry counties and eastern Lee County, I intend to address all three of these storms.
1. Get back the money we’re owed for immigration operations from the federal government!
The state of Florida has expended vast sums on functions that belong to and should be paid for by the federal government. It created a separate and distinct immigration enforcement apparatus that was completely unnecessary and vastly expensive. We don’t even know what’s been spent and it’s not clear there’s an accounting or an audit. Alligator Alcatraz cost at least $1.2 billion—and probably more when ancillary and clean-up costs are added.
I believe the state of Florida should vigorously pursue compensation for any funds it was promised for Alligator Alcatraz and it should be compensated for all the other immigration enforcement expenses it has assumed. Since Big Tallahassee has been happily suing all sorts of targets, it’s time that it actually pursued the money owed by the Trump administration even if it requires court action—including clawing back the money wasted by profiteering and overcharges for expenses incurred for Alligator Alcatraz.
2. Save up to save Florida!
Taxpayer funds intended for emergencies should actually be used to cover those emergencies—not political stunts like Alligator Alcatraz or Trump-driven racial and ethnic purges of the kind being conducted today. If money is intended to clean up Florida after a storm it should be used to clean up after a storm. Especially if the federal government isn’t going to help with disaster response any more we need to save every dollar we can for the bad times.
As a state senator I would look into establishing guardrails and safeguards against unwarranted raids on the state’s disaster funds and I would strengthen what few guardrails already exist.
This is especially important if FEMA is not going to be able to assist the state as it has in the past.
3. Stop waging war on the workforce!
The workforce is not Florida’s enemy—it’s what makes its economy and society function and never so much as after a disaster.
If Florida is hit with a hurricane or other disaster the people who venture out when the winds die down to save and rebuild our communities now have to fear that they’ll be snatched, detained or deported by ICE agents. This fear applies to much more than undocumented migrants. Native-born Americans, full citizens, naturalized citizens, legal residents—all are at risk from an indiscriminate, illegal, quota-driven purge.
On top of ICE and federal persecution, Big Tallahassee has created a hostile environment for the people who do the dirtiest, often most dangerous work after a storm.
As I have stated in the past, I support legitimate, disciplined, professional policing. But Big Tallahassee’s war on the workforce and the random fear and terror imposed by ICE has to stop. We have to restore freedom from fear in Southwest Florida—our lives depend on it.
If elected I intend to do whatever I can to stop the war on the workforce, hold ICE accountable and do what I can to limit or eliminate its activities. As a start, I will introduce legislation prohibiting masked policing except with a judicial warrant (to protect limited and well-defined undercover or plainclothes local police operations). But that’s just a start.
As this is written, there are no tropical storms threatening Southwest Florida and a super El Niño may keep them away altogether this season. But a reprieve from hurricanes is not a license to assume they’ll never come back—it’s a breathing space to prepare and fortify for future challenges. That applies to government policies every bit as much as laying in supplies and buying batteries.
Still, this year we have not yet reached the “I” part of the hurricane name list where the worst Southwest Florida storms always seem to hit (think hurricanes Irma, Ian and Idalia). This year’s “I” storm is Isaias and we’re only up to Gonzalo.
Whether it’s a hurricane, drought, wildfire or algal bloom, Florida has to be prepared physically and fiscally for whatever might come. That’s what I’m committed to doing and what I’ll do if elected to the Florida Senate.
I hope you agree with me. Together we can make Florida safer, smarter and stronger.
This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.
Floridians should have a right to walk safely on their own sidewalks. (Illustration: AI for TPP/ChatGPT)
Sept. 21, 2026 by David Silverberg, candidate for Florida Senate, District 28
Amidst all the big issues Floridians face, there are also simple, everyday ground-level challenges that need to be addressed.
In fact, one challenge I keep hearing about from friends and neighbors is literally at ground level, indeed on our sidewalks: e-bikes.
E-bikes are everywhere. People keep having to dodge them when walking along the street. Kids are zipping around on them and they can be dangerous for both riders and walkers.
I began thinking what I could do as a state senator to solve this problem.
I’m certainly not the first person to ponder this issue. In fact, this year the Florida legislature passed a regulation, Senate Bill 382, saying that e-bikes weren’t allowed to go faster than 10 miles an hour within 50 feet of a pedestrian. In other words, if you’re riding an e-bike on a sidewalk and you see someone walking, you’ve got to SLOW DOWN.
It makes sense, right? It makes it safer for the rider and safer for the walker.
Get this: This bill passed both the Florida House and the Florida Senate – unanimously. Unanimously! Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives! EVERYONE in the legislature agreed! That almost never happens!
So when the bill got to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, what did he do? He VETOED IT!
This one person—the only one in the state—stopped a law that all of Florida wanted. DeSantis had his reasons. You can look them up—but I’ll tell you this, they sounded very flimsy to me.
My name is David Silverberg and I’m the Democratic candidate for Florida Senate in District 28. That includes Collier, Hendry and eastern Lee County.
I want everyone to be safe.
If you elect me to the state Senate on November 3rd, I intend to reintroduce these regulations as the “Florida Safe Sidewalks Act” – and if we elect a sane and sensible legislature with a great governor like David Jolly, it has a good chance of becoming law.
This is crazy and we’ve got to stop the craziness in Tallahassee and that’s what I intend to do.
I hope you agree and if you do and you live in Collier, Hendry or eastern Lee County, that you’ll vote for me.
And whether riding an e-bike or walking on the sidewalk, stay safe and be careful out there!
This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.
Debates are at the heart of American democracy. Here the author addresses the Marco Island Democratic Women’s Club in May. (Photo: Author’s collection)
Sept. 19, 2026 by David Silverberg, Democratic candidate for Florida Senate, District 28
Candidate debates have always been a pillar of American democracy.
Debates give voters the chance to examine and evaluate candidates side by side. Candidates have the chance to challenge, defend and explain their proposals, positions and records. Ever since the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, American voters have expected—and had a right to expect—that people running to govern and represent them would present themselves for this essential evaluation.
As Southwest Florida goes into the final weeks of the 2026 election period there are no candidate debates scheduled or proposed for the many offices up for election. This is fundamentally undemocratic and voters are the losers.
Therefore, I am issuing a triple challenge:
To the media of Southwest Florida: I challenge you to organize, participate and cover candidate debates that will enlighten and inform the voters of Southwest Florida about the options before them.
To the civic organizations of Southwest Florida: I challenge you to host, conduct and promote candidate debates on a neutral, impartial and non-partisan basis, providing the dates, times, venues and rules that candidates must meet.
To my opponent in the race for the Florida Senate in District 28: I challenge you to debate the needs and issues of the district covering Collier County, Hendry County and eastern Lee County and Florida as a whole before the voters of this district.
In the past in this region, proposed debates have foundered when individual candidates deliberately avoided them. This is cowardly and anti-democratic. Today, with so much at stake, refusals are not acceptable. If one candidate in a race refuses to participate, then these debates should proceed with empty chairs. No surrogates should be allowed. Candidates must show up in person, whether these debates are covered by media or not. If they want the office, they need to do the work.
Nor should campaigns be allowed to pack debate venues or sway outcomes through rowdy or unruly crowds. Debates should be orderly, dignified and absolutely fair to all parties.
While scoring points, advancing campaigns and providing “winners” and “losers” has always been an aspect of public debates, the real purpose of a debate is to inform voters and give them the opportunity to weigh the options before them. That is what these debates should do.
In its 250-year history, rarely has democracy in the United States been under the threat it is today. This is a time of great significance—and danger. All the pillars, practices and institutions of democracy need to be strengthened and supported.
Holding fair, informative and impartial debates seems the very least that Southwest Florida can do for its residents, its voters and its future.
This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.
The small flag I cherish that will always remind me of Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo: Author’s collection)
Sept. 10, 2026 by David Silverberg, Democratic candidate for Florida Senate, District 28
On this day we commemorate the past – but I’ve always thought that as tragic and horrendous as Sept. 11, 2001 was, it is more important to learn its lessons and look to the future.
For me it was an incident that occurred the day after that remains moving and memorable and which inspires me today—and gives me hope for tomorrow.
On that warm and sunny Tuesday 25 years ago, I was working in Washington, DC as managing editor of the weekly newspaper The Hill, which covered Congress.
I heard Flight 77 hit the Pentagon. The sound was half boom, half crunching metal. I thought cars had collided in the street below our offices and went to the window to look for an accident in the intersection. In fact, although the Pentagon was far from downtown DC and across the Potomac River, the plane had hit with such force that the sound carried for miles.
That began a day of confusion, panic and fear. Terror was what Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda had been aiming for and it’s what they achieved.
I spent the day rallying our staff, insisting that we put out our newspaper and taking care of the thousand details my job required. We got it done, the paper was published and it was the proudest day of my professional career.
The next day I went to work as usual, taking the Washington Metro system into the city. I arrived and stepped out of the McPherson Square station, the one nearest the White House.
That was where I met two young men at the top of the platform. They were handing out small American flags to everyone emerging from the station. I asked them what prompted to do that and they said it had just seemed like the right thing to do.
I still have that flag. It’s a reminder of what we all went through on 9/11 and the days after.
For myself, I devoted the rest of my professional journalism career to covering homeland security and the protection of the American people. I was founding editor of a magazine called Homeland Security Today (or HSToday, as we abbreviated it.) We covered the founding of the Department of Homeland Security, including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Directorate, better known as ICE. And we celebrated, along with all Americans, when President Barack Obama announced that justice had come to the man who masterminded that terrible crime.
But I will never forget the gesture of those two young men with their flags. It was an expression of the American spirit—a sense of unity, a refusal to surrender to bullies, tyrants and terrorists and defiance of the fear such people use to impose their will on a free people.
Ever since President Franklin Roosevelt named “Freedom from Fear” as a fundamental human freedom in 1941 (along with freedom of expression, worship and freedom from want), Americans have been known for their fearlessness.
American fearlessness has been a source of strength, no matter our differences or challenges. It’s propelled us to exploration, heroism and achievement.
And for the past 250 years the American government never used fear or threat or intimidation to govern. After all, it has been a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Until now.
Today, we have a president whose first recourse when challenged or frustrated is to issue threats and try to terrorize people into bending to his will. It’s his default setting.
When it comes to protecting the American homeland, his administration has perverted the mission of the agencies that were created to protect Americans. Once again, as on 9/11, our freedom from fear is under attack.
And this is not just coming from Washington. It’s also coming from Tallahassee. Florida’s towns and cities have been repeatedly bullied into caving to Big Tallahassee’s will. Threats and intimidation are its standard operating procedure.
That’s just wrong.
Our governments, whether national, state or local, should never use fear as a tool for governing. Our government is there to serve and protect us. It’s one thing to know the law and understand that breaking it brings consequences; it’s another thing to be at the mercy of lawless, masked intimidation.
As on 9/11, our freedom from fear is under attack. It needs to be protected and restored.
That’s one reason that I’m running for the Florida Senate in District 28, to represent Collier, Hendry and eastern Lee County.
I’m running to restore decency, dignity and democracy to our government and part of that decency is to have a government that doesn’t use fear and terror against its own people. Government serves the people—and we’ve gotten away from that.
I’m going to make a promise that isn’t an ordinary campaign pledge and it’s one I know I can keep: If you elect me, I intend to fight for our freedom from fear every way I can. I don’t know what legislation it will take but you can be assured that as I worked to fight terror after 9/11, I’ll be working to stop terror on our streets, in our homes and restore our freedom from fear.
This is a time that calls for courage from all of us. As we all had to be courageous in the face of 9/11’s terror, so we all have to have the courage to vote in the face of those who would terrorize us now. We didn’t surrender to terror then and we have to be brave now—and that means that this year casting a ballot is not something we can take for granted. It will take determination and courage. But like picking up the pieces and going on after 9/11, it will be something each of us must do. Everyone who casts a ballot will be a hero, not only for today but to generations to come.
Of course, I want you to vote for me.
Please go to my website, Silverberg4Florida.com or to my Facebook page. If you agree with what I stand for and what I’m saying, I hope that you’ll donate, participate and most importantly, that you’ll vote for me, David Silverberg, Democrat for Florida Senate District 28, by mail, during early voting and on November 3rd.
Thanks for reading. Be strong and be brave. And on every Sept. 11th, never forget.
This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.
An illustration of what can happen if public beaches aren’t respected. (AI for S4F/ChatGPT)
Sept. 2, 2026 by David Silverberg, Democratic candidate for Florida Senate, District 28
A happy Labor Day weekend to all!
Maybe, like so many locals and visitors, you’ll be heading to Florida’s beautiful beaches to take in the sun, sand and waves. After all, Florida’s beaches are its glory and nowhere more so than along the Southwest coast.
My name is David Silverberg and I’m running for the Florida state Senate in District 28, which covers all of Collier County, Hendry County and eastern Lee County.
In my district, Collier County alone has about 30 miles of beaches and they’re a prime tourist attraction and a place of relaxation and enjoyment for residents.
I enjoy them just like everyone else.
So it’s a real shock when I go to a beach and suddenly discover “Do Not Trespass” signs, or rows of chairs stretched across the beach with goons behind them making sure people are forced into the water. I always thought of beaches as a gift from Nature for everyone.
In fact, where people can go on a beach has been a contentious issue for a long time and there have been several efforts to deal with it.
Under Florida law, the public owns everything on a beach seaward of the “mean high-tide line”—i.e., the highest place where the high tide goes, or in practical terms, the wet sand. Individual property owners can own the sand down to that line.
In 2018 a law (House Bill 631) took away the rights of local governments to ensure beach access for the public. Before that, property owners had to prove in court that they were allowed to kick people off “their” beach. After HB 631 they could just do it. It was obnoxious and onerous and caused a lot of resentment and numerous lawsuits.
But last year the legislature corrected that with Senate Bill 1622 that repealed the earlier law and returned what is known as the “right of customary use” to the public. It was a bipartisan bill introduced by Sen. Jay Trumball (R-2-Pensacola) along with Sens. Darryl Rouson (D-16-St. Petersburg) and Lori Berman (D-26-Boynton Beach).
Even Gov. Ron DeSantis celebrated this bill. As he put it at the signing that June: “Senate Bill 1622 protects public beach access and streamlines beach restoration in Gulf Coast counties…It is a win for recreation, for tourism and for future generations.”
While restoring access, the law made clear that public ownership wasn’t taking away property rights. It also promoted beach restoration.
So the whole beach should be available to everyone and most property owners are fine with it. They have plenty of beach for themselves year round and the occasional beachgoers putting down a blanket and umbrella for a few hours doesn’t bother them.
But then there are extreme property owners who can’t bear the thought of even that. They’re often the owners of condos or private clubs that have improperly advertised a “private beach” as one of their perks. We’re seeing this in Collier County where a few owners are still trying to keep everyday people off the beaches that they have a right to enjoy.
That’s wrong. Clearly, we need to further clarify the public’s right to the beach.
That’s why I want to introduce a “Beaches for All Act” if I’m elected to the Florida Senate in District 28. Obviously, we need to refine the rules and ensure that all Floridians—and visitors—can fully enjoy the beach.
I want to specify that no private security guard can threaten, harass, bully, intimidate, or use violence to drive lawful beachgoers off a patch of sand. I want to make clear that only legal, legitimate, badged, unmasked law enforcement officers have the authority to administer the law on our beaches. And I want all beachgoers to be treated lawfully, equally and with dignity.
I hope you agree with me and if you do that you’ll vote for me for the Florida Senate in District 28 on Nov. 3rd.
I hope that you have a wonderful holiday weekend and can fully enjoy the beach anywhere you want.
Happy Labor Day!
This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.
New light is being shed on the Hope Florida scandal. (AI for S4F/ChatGPT)
Aug. 28, 2026 by David Silverberg, Democratic candidate for Florida Senate District 28
This past Wednesday, Aug. 26, CBS News in Miami released the long-hidden grand jury report on the Hope Florida scandal.
Now everyone can see what Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier and Sen. Ashley Moody were hiding for months: a record of lying, evasions, and most of all, misappropriation of funds.
Ultimately, while the grand jury stated that it could not level a criminal charge because it could not find the one individual responsible, “we can plainly see that taxpayer money was misused for political purposes and we would like to see changes made to prevent this from happening again.”
It also recommended legislative remedies:
“1.The Florida Legislature should enact a law to prevent this situation from occurring. For example, a law that says any monies received by the state from any source must be deposited into General Revenue, and there should be real consequences for anyone violating this law.
“2. The Florida Legislature should enact clear laws setting requirements for how DSOs (Direct Support Organizations or non-profit charities) can use taxpayer funds, ensuring usage of said funds are tracked and monitored, and providing consequences for violation of these mandates.”
They were also the reforms introduced by Florida House Rep. Alex Andrade (R-2-Pensacola). I’m determined to re-introduce them and then see them signed into law.
Andrade was the legislator who first uncovered the misappropriation of funds and he had some choice insights to share with the grand jury when he was interviewed.
As the grand jury report states:
“Based on his review of the issues, Rep. Andrade is convinced that James Uthmeier and others engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the public of the 10 million dollars that went to Hope Florida. Rep. Andrade understands Hope Florida as a philosophy or concept which reassigns existing State employees as ‘Hope Navigators’ to act as unlicensed social workers utilizing a care portal to connect citizens with resources that can meet their needs with the goal of getting these citizens off public assistance. Rep. Andrade’s conclusion is that the Governor was desperate to win the fight against the amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana in Florida as private donors had contributed large donations to that cause and he wanted to prove to them that their money was well spent not only because the cause was important to the Governor, but also because he wants to be able to go back to those donors for other causes in the future. Rep. Andrade believes that James Uthmeier identified Hope Florida as a patsy organization that could be used to funnel money into his political action committee to help win the fight against Amendment 3 to support the political goals of himself and his boss.”
Of course there will be no criminal prosecutions during this governorship since Attorney General James Uthmeier is the state’s chief law enforcement officer and was one of the principals in misappropriating the funds.
This highlights the critical need to elect a new Attorney General with integrity and commitment to the law—and Jose Javier Rodriguez, the Democrat running for the position, is that person.
It is time to clean up the rot and corruption that is clearly pervading Big Tallahassee. Introducing the “New Hope for Florida Act,” will be an important starting point.
To read the entire 19-page grand jury report, click on the button below.
Aug. 24, 2026 by David Silverberg, candidate for Florida Senate District 28
I want to see the biggest, baddest, nastiest, noisiest data center in the world built right on the grounds of Mar-a-Lago here in Florida. Moreover, I want to see it powered by the world’s largest windfarm just offshore.
After all, President Donald Trump is all for data centers. As he said at the White House last week: “I’m only saying that if I ran a community—now there are different types of communities—but generally speaking, if I ran a community, if I was a mayor or if I was a governor in the state, I would want to have the data centers because they bring tremendous income.”
Well, he runs the community of Mar-a-Lago and he’s certainly greedy for income, so he should be fine with it.
What’s more, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds (R-still allegedly representing the 19th Congressional District-Fla.) wants to see more data centers too.
“We are wide open, we have actual land in our state that is still pristine, available to use,” he said. “We can build out that stuff. I would rather build a data center in one of these deals, or probably four data centers.”
If they’re both so pro-data centers, then they should have no problem with a gargantuan cube on some open space right there on the grounds of Trump’s Florida home. Why would either of them object?
Now, I fully realize that the likelihood of a Mar-a-Lago data center is—shall we say—somewhat distant. (Although maybe it would be a better investment than a triumphal arch or a fake library!)
But for many Florida communities the possible presence of a data center is very real and in some cases quite immediate. People are upset and wary and they have every right to be. The very term “data center” conjures up visions of a water-wasting, power-gobbling, noisemaking monstrosity.
In fact, “data center” is not a great term because it covers such a wide variety of facilities and not all are equally harmful.
A “micro center” can be as small as a single server; a “modular” or “edge” center may take up a single room or floor of a building; an “enterprise” or “colocation” (or “colo”) center may serve a single company or be a modest building where different companies rent server space. Then there are “hyperscale” data centers—these are the gigantic facilities with tens of thousands of servers that suck up water and electricity. This is what people usually think of when they hear the term “data center.”
I’m running for office in Florida’s 28th Senate District, which covers all of Collier County, Hendry County and Lee County east of Rt. 75 as far north as Lee Blvd. It includes eastern Estero, RSW Airport and Gateway.
I did a search on Data Center Map, an industry standard, to see how many data centers are already in the District. It showed only one: the Digital Cloud Vault in Naples on Pelican Bay Blvd. It’s a micro center and doesn’t even sit in its own building.
To the best of my ability to determine, there are no hyperscalers in the works for District 28. If you elect me to the Florida Senate, I intend to keep it that way.
I’m not totally against all data centers. After all, I benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) just as much as anyone else. The illustration of the big, beautiful Mar-a-Lago hyper center that leads this posting was created by AI. (ChatGPT to be exact).
Many communities are imposing moratoriums on data center construction. This is a good thing. It provides a pause that gives local officials time to evaluate and analyze data center bids, local requirements and capabilities and the desirability of having the centers in their towns or counties.
David Jolly, Florida’s next governor, has taken a sensible stand, calling for a statewide moratorium.
He explained his position in an Instagram posting: “I propose a moratorium for three very specific reasons: first, the environmental protections are not in place where the data centers are rushing in before Florida has the appropriate regulations in place on water, on air, on, frankly, sound pollution, as well as for too many communities.”
He also argued that Florida wasn’t ready for the labor disruptions that data centers might bring and potential long-term damage to housing affordability as well as the potential privacy violations. “So I propose a moratorium for reasons of environmental protection, economic studies but also privacy and security.”
Jolly concluded: “When I see Byron Donalds say we need more data centers and actually kind of laugh about the environmental destruction, that’s not only a candidate out of touch with voters but that’s a candidate unfit to be governor.”
I completely agree with that.
If you elect me to the Florida Senate I will support Jolly’s efforts in that chamber.
But I would add that while a moratorium is a pause, it is not a passive thing; the pause it provides should be actively used to establish requirements, rules and regulations for future data center proposals.
Now, this may come as a shock to some people because I don’t usually agree with many of the decisions of the Board of Commissioners in my own Collier County—but in this case, Collier is handling the data center issue very sensibly.
Rather than impose a moratorium for a set period of time, Collier commissioners decided to use something called “zoning in progress,” which pauses center development while staff formulate regulations to govern any future data center proposals.
If they don’t want to establish moratoriums, other counties and towns might follow Collier’s example.
Either way, the headlong rush toward data center development needs to be paused.
I would add some thoughts to Jolly’s proposal. It appears to me that there need to be several basic requirements in evaluating data center projects and these guidelines can be set at the state level:
Water: Our water is so precious that there can’t be profligate use or pollution.
Electricity and use of renewables: Florida rate payers shouldn’t have to pay for data center electricity use and to the greatest extent possible, renewable forms of energy should be used.
Transparency: Anything related to data center proposals should take place in the full light of day.
Democracy: Residents must participate fully in any data center decisions. We can’t have Big Tallahassee impose its will without consent or consultation, the way it dumped Alligator Alcatraz on District 28.
We have a long way to go as we grapple with data centers in Florida and the artificial intelligence they power.
I intend to focus on these questions if elected to the Florida Senate in District 28. Anything affecting our lives, health and environment will be top priorities.
I hope you agree with these proposals and if you do, that you’ll vote for me for Florida Senate from District 28 in the general election on November 3.
This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.
This is written in Southwest Florida on August 12 and the month has already had three days with heat advisories for temperatures in the triple digits.
There’s no doubt that the climate is heating up and we’re all suffering.
But no one is suffering like the outdoor workers of Florida—and that’s because they’re prohibited from getting heat breaks.
Let me repeat that a second time so that there is no possible misunderstanding: Florida’s towns, cities and counties are not allowed to mandate heat breaks.
This is because, two years ago an extremist legislature and governor – what I call “Big Tallahassee” – passed House Bill (HB) (and its Committee Substitute) 433. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into it into law on April 11, 2024.
I swear that when I first heard this I thought: If Jesus had been crucified in Florida, Big Tallahassee would have denied him a water break on the way to Calvary. (And, by the way, in Florida people are prohibited from providing water to voters waiting on line in the heat, thanks to a 2021 law.)
My name is David Silverberg and I’m running for the Florida Senate in District 28 to represent all the people of Collier County, Hendry County and eastern Lee County.
HB 433 prohibited towns, cities and counties from requiring heat breaks for workers, so not only was it cruel to workers, it also pre-empted the rights and authority of our localities from making their own rules. It was intended to impose Big Tallahassee’s single, unchallengeable will on all the towns, cities and counties of Florida, no matter what the variations in their climates or circumstances.
Big Tallahassee succeeded in being both cruel and tyrannical.
That’s just wrong. Workers should be able to take heat breaks and Florida’s towns and cities should be able to make their own rules on matters like this to meet their own conditions.
There’s a very simple solution to this problem. If you elect me to the Florida Senate, I intend to introduce the “We All Need A Heat Break Act.” We’ll roll back this inhuman law and let hardworking people get the breaks they need to work and survive in Florida’s climate.
It just makes sense.
I hope you agree with me and that we can work on this together.
To learn more about my positions, please go to my website, Silverberg4Florida.com. Please donate, participate, and most importantly, vote for me, David Silverberg, in the general election on November 3rd.
Thank you for reading. Please work safely, remember to hydrate and try to stay cool.
This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.
Alex Vindman speaks in Naples, Fla., March 4, 2026. (Photo: Author)
Aug. 8, 2026 by David Silverberg, Democratic candidate for Florida Senate, District 28
Every political endorsement carries with it risks of disappointing people and fostering disagreement but with so much at stake it’s important that the best qualified people be selected for the most important positions in the state and nation.
That’s why I am endorsing Alex Vindman as the Democratic nominee for US Senator from Florida.
I’m not doing this for any personal political gain or advantage. I could easily sit this out.
But I feel called upon to add my voice because this is a contentious race within the Democratic Party with strong passions on both sides. It’s also why I want to fully explain my reasons for doing it.
First, I want to express my respect and admiration for Florida Rep. Angela “Angie” Nixon (D-13-Jacksonville). I met Rep. Nixon when she came to Naples and was very impressed. She is strong, committed, passionate and determined. Her demonstrations against unconstitutional mid-decade gerrymandering, while dramatic, were warranted by the gravity of the violations she was protesting. She is articulate and a powerful voice for Floridians who otherwise have none. That voice will be valuable in the long term.
Alex Vindman too is strong, determined and committed to American values and ideals. I’ve also had the privilege of hearing him in person and meeting him when he came to Naples. He too is a very impressive candidate.
He’s quieter than Nixon but in his softer voice is the steel of experience and knowledge, tempered in the fire of both physical and political combat.
He’s a man of great integrity and that integrity was put to one of the most grueling tests possible.
No one should forget that it was his fearless and honest reporting of President Donald Trump’s illegal and improper pressure on Ukraine that led to Trump’s first impeachment trial. No one should forget that his honesty and integrity led to the end of what was a promising and distinguished military career that had made him an advisor at the highest levels of government.
That experience is critical to serving as a US Senator. He will be able to face the threats to America with courage and firmness. He will bring unparalleled expertise of the highest workings of government to the US Senate. He will be influential from day one and that will work to Florida’s benefit. When he speaks, the rest of the Senate will listen. When he represents Florida’s interests, they will have weight. A Vindman victory will be a huge victory for Florida.
Vindman’s ability and professionalism are so outstanding it has been recognized outside the United States. These qualities even led the government of Ukraine to offer him the job of Defense Minister three times in the days before the Russian invasion of 2022—an offer he rejected because while he was born in Ukraine he is a proud American citizen.
And his loyalty is reinforced by the fact that he is an immigrant, coming to the United States with his twin brother at the age of four in 1979, so he has a full appreciation of what America means at its best.
Amidst all the hatred and bigotry and lies aimed at immigrants today—especially in Southwest Florida—he is a living demonstration of the value and strength that immigrants bring to America.
America—and Florida—will be richer and stronger by having him serving in the United States Senate and as a senator he will be an example of the promise and hope that America inspires.
Florida is lucky to have Alex Vindman living in the state and being willing to represent it in the Senate. His candidacy is an all-too rare confluence of integrity, ability and electability converging, not in a perfect storm—but in a perfect candidacy that will serve the state and the nation well.
This is the reason that I am endorsing Alex Vindman. I will be voting for him in the August 18th primary and I urge all other Democrats to vote for him as well—and then go on to ensure his victory in the general election on Nov. 3.
This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.
It’s time to shed light on financial doings in Tallahassee. (AI illustration for TPP/ChatGPT)
July 31, 2026 by David Silverberg, Democratic candidate for Florida Senate, District 28
With so much waste, fraud and abuse in Tallahassee, it’s easy to lose sight of individual scandals.
Remember Hope Florida? It has raised its head again.
It’s to end and probe these scandals and shady deals that I’m running for the Florida Senate in District 28, which covers all of Collier and Hendry counties and part of eastern Lee County. If elected, I want to enact reforms ensuring that nothing like Hope Florida ever occurs again. In short, I want to give Florida real hope—hope for honest government and full fiscal enforcement.
The full details of the Hope Florida scandal are in a separate section, below. But to summarize: back in 2024, $10 million in a Medicaid settlement that should have gone into fighting poverty was funneled instead into a political action committee (PAC) to fund opposition to women’s right to choose.
When Hope Florida happened, Ashley Moody was Florida Attorney General and James Uthmeier was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff. Both were involved in the movement of the $10 million. Now Moody is a senator and Uthmeier is Attorney General.
After the scandal broke, state Rep. Alex Andrade (R-2-Pensacola)—a Republican like DeSantis, Moody and Uthmeier—said, “This is a misuse of Medicaid dollars, a misuse of taxpayer dollars, I believe it’s money laundering and wire fraud.”
Importantly, this year Andrade proposed some reforms to prevent this kind of scandal from happening again. They were contained in House Bill 593, which, among other things, prohibited future settlement monies from being diverted. It also required that the legislature be notified of any future settlements. (A full summary is below.)
The state House passed the bill by an overwhelming 110-to-0 vote. However, it died in the Florida Senate, which never brought it up for a vote.
Andrade is term-limited, so he’s leaving the House and won’t be back next year.
But these are good ideas and they shouldn’t be abandoned. That’s why, if I’m elected to the Florida Senate for District 28, I’ll introduce the “New Hope for Florida Act,” which will reintroduce these sensible, anti-corruption measures.
What’s more, if we get a rational legislature and a great governor like David Jolly, they’ll take effect. If we elect an effective attorney general like Jose Rodriguez, the laws will actually be enforced. And if Alex Vindman is elected, we’ll have a person of proven integrity serving Florida in the US Senate.
There’s much to be investigated in Tallahassee. I intend to pursue the investigations and ensure that no abuses occur again.
I hope you agree. Please go to my website, Silverberg4Florida.com, to learn more. Please donate, volunteer and most importantly, get out and vote for me, David Silverberg, in the general election on November 3rd.
I’m David Silverberg, Democrat for Florida Senate District 28 and I wrote, produced and approved this message.
In brief, in 2024 the State of Florida reached a $67 million settlement with Centene Corp., for Medicaid overbilling. As part of the settlement, Centene donated $10 million to the Hope Florida Foundation, a charitable organization founded by Casey DeSantis, wife of Gov. Ron DeSantis. The purpose of Hope Florida was to lift people out of poverty and off of public assistance. However, the $10 million was then distributed by the Foundation to political action committees fighting Florida constitutional amendments 3 (legalizing recreational cannabis) and 4 (providing for a woman’s right to choose).
When he concluded his probe of the transfers, Andrade stated: “I am firmly convinced that James Uthmeier and Jeff Aaron [the Foundation’s attorney] engaged in a conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud and that several parties played a role in the misuse of $10 million in Medicaid funds. I’ll leave the rest of the investigation up to the FBI and Department of Justice.”
Prohibits state agency or officer from directing funds offered to state to third party as condition of settlement; provides that state agency or officer must provide written notification of terms of settlement to Legislature & Attorney General within specified time; prohibits authorization or approval of reimbursements for travel expenses to & from person’s residence & his or her headquarters for specified positions; requires that official headquarters for specified positions be city or town in which department’s official headquarters is located; prohibits persons serving in specified positions from being reimbursed for certain travel expenses; prohibits lobbyist or principal from making, & prohibiting district governing board member, executive director, or any district employee who qualifies as local officer from accepting, any expenditure; removes provision prohibiting state residency requirements for university board members.
This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.
