It is the economy. This blathering on ambout amenities is the same junk we have been hearing for years about how Tampa Bay “Pays in sunshine”.

We have great weather and beaches yet we have a creative and educated workforce crisis, does that tell you anything? 6.3% unemployment with all that sunshine?

Yes we need mass transit, but it is not the only issue, it is not the easy to ID and repeat buzz word it is being used as.

Find me creative workers who will be able to afford to buy a month-pass for the rail system or the increased taxes to build it.

Jobs, money, opportunity, upward mobiity, that is what we need!

We want a creative economy and everyone talks about transportation and other urban planning issues. It is not the answer; it is not the whole answer or issue. To act otherwise s foolish.

The Richard Florida kool-aid society has been talking this kind of junk over at Creative Tampa Bay, they do little, understand litle, effect nothing, and the slow down ward spiral of our community and culture continues.

Buy art, hire local freelancers, get your self trained, and demand our leaders do more then dole out their budgets on their cronies and the dusty ineffective bureaucracies. Ignore the bureaucracies, do not look to them, any comttee or government to provide leadership. Act locally, most importantly ACT! Demand better from your leaders, replace them when they fail. ACT!

I do my part. I compile hundreds of local business and cultural events and make it available. No one can ever say there is nothing cultural or interesting here to me, I got the proof.

To Ed – It’s both amenities and jobs. I think Richard Florida carries a little too much weight when it comes to thinking about urban design. As you point out, jobs and entrepreneurship are critical.