pickin’ a fight
jason permalink | categories: Tampa vs Hillsborough, county, storms torrents, tampaby jason @ 10:50 am
If this is how it really happened, I wonder what Ronda Storms really expected to gain by picking a fight with Ernest Hooper of the St Pete Times.
But Hooper does make two points that are right on target. Storms has promoted the interests of her district very effectively for years now. In a representative government, those elected are expected to protect and forward the goals and beliefs of her constituents (small minded and pushy as they might be) and she has done this very effectively.
However, Storms has also left the county terribly vulnerable to expensive court judgements and legal fees - money which could be better spent elsewhere.
I had hoped that over time she would also realize that an elected leader is expected to represent all their constituents and reflect the best aspects of our society, not just those most likely to get us re-elected. From gay rights issues to questionable zoning demands to interference with local law enforcement to conflict with the City of Tampa she always seeks confrontation and division.
At its core, leadership is about bringing people together by choice to create something that is greater than the sum of it’s parts. Appealing to “the better angels of our nature” to bridge gaps and solve problems rather than the heavy hand of anger and threat.
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February 16th, 2006 at 12:30 pm
Ronda Storms likes to spar with reporters, just not directly. I said something critical about her once during “Weekly Review” on HTV22 a few years ago, after which she complained to the show’s producers (but never to me) about keeping me off the panel. Not much longer after that, “Weekly Review” was pulled from the HTV22 schedule altogether. Coincidence?
Good luck with your State House run, Commissioner. The Tallahassee press corps doesn’t take as kindly to being pushed around.
February 16th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
I wonder if Ronda has ever considered how much free publicity she gives to “adult entertainment.” No one in our family patronizes clubs with nude dancers, and probably would have ignored their existence entirely if it weren’t for the very public Ronda and Joe feud. Just wondering, how old does one have to be to dance in one of these clubs in Florida? Does Redner attend career day at the local high schools?
February 16th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Godless communists lurk in Hillsborough County! No, wait, godless homosexuals lurk in…hold it, I meant godless strippers…
It’s the same old politics of divide and conquer. Take emotionally charged issues and throw them like sand into our eyes so we don’t focus on what we have on common. Because if we did focus on what we have in common, we might actually be able to take care of our own community sans Ronda and her fundamentialist fear-provoking fundraising ilk.
February 17th, 2006 at 11:38 am
Amen, Meredith!!!