* “The problem is neither the Quran nor the Bible.” (The problem is the faithful who read the holy books) “like instructions for assembling Ikea shelves.”–Stephane Charbonnier, the Charlie Hebdo editor who was assassinated by Islamist gunmen in January, in his posthumously published book.
* A lot of times agencies operate in silos.”–Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, senior Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
* “Florida is in play for Hillary no matter who the general election candidate is for Republicans. And if Hillary wins Florida, that’s it.”–U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
* “I’m going to have to show my heart, show my life experience. I can’t be about any kind of dynastic considerations.”–Jeb Bush.
* “A public health crisis.”–What the American Bar Association and the American Public Health Association declared gun violence in the U.S. to be.
* “The Supreme Court said that the states don’t have to accept Medicaid expansion as part of the Affordable Care Act, but it never said rejection was a good idea. It ruled that states can opt out of the program–and the money that comes with it–leaving them to face the consequences.”–Miami Herald editorial.
* “The increasing creep of sea water into the coastal Everglades and South Florida’s aquifer show the clear and present danger of climate change. This is not a problem for another generation. … It has serious implications for the way we live right now.”–President Barack Obama, during his visit to the Everglades.
* “Today, we move on.”–Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts, in announcing that Comcast had ended its pursuit of a $4.5 billion merger with Time Warner Cable over regulatory concerns.
* “Teams want players to play with rage, utter rage, blind rage. So the players are socialized that way. We stoke these particular gladiators, and then we’re shocked when those passions go beyond the gridiron and then start to spill over into everyday social life.”–USC law professor Jody Armour, in the aftermath of the first-degree murder conviction of former New England Patriot tight end Aaron Hernandez.
* “Europe, California, New England–they all have cap and trade and nothing has been devastated. There is nothing about a generic cap and trade that is (economically) devastating.”–Duke University energy policy professor Billy Pizer.
* “The oil industry and their supporters are trying to get their foot in the door by doing seismic testing (off Florida’s Atlantic coast), showing that there’s some oil there, and then going back to Congress, maybe back to a new president, and saying ‘Okay, there’s oil there, let’s drill.'”–Frank Jackalone, staff director for Sierra Club Florida.
* “I am firmly in the camp of computerized testing.”–Senate Education Committee chairman John Legg, R-Trinity.
* “This damages our party. This makes us look like we cannot govern, that we cannot work out our differences, and the talk about a big tent is cheap.”–Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, on the tension between Florida’s Republican Senate and Republican House.
* “I’m thrilled my client can get divorced.”–Tampa attorney Ellen Ware, on the decision by Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeal upholding the right of same-sex couples to get divorced.
* “But I’ve got to tell you, I feel it’s time to bring this thing in for a landing.”–Hillsborough County Commission Ken Hagan on a 2016 sales tax referendum for transportation projects.
* “Racial profiling is not just illegal, it is unjust and immoral. It is not–and has never been–tolerated in the Tampa Police Department or any city department or division.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
* “You have people looking at Florida that probably would not have if they hadn’t shoveled snow off their roofs all winter.”–Charles Richardson, regional senior vice president of Coldwell Banker, on reports that year-over-year sales of single family homes, condos and townhomes in Hillsborough County had increased 25 percent.
* “We’ve got to fix the streetcar.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
* “Obviously there are a lot of details to be worked out … . But I think the opportunity to be part of the transformation of what’s happening downtown would seem to be the opportunity of a lifetime.”–Hillsborough County Administrator Michael Merrill, on talks about relocating the struggling Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) to the downtown area being redeveloped by Jeff Vinik.
* “Maybe not the central business district, but in the urban core I think there are sites that will work.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn on possible Tampa venues for a Rays stadium.