Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Update 1130am:  Replaced last paragraph. 

In preparation for upcoming mandated property tax cuts, Hillsborough County Commissioners Rose Ferlita and Al Higginbotham want to talk with the city of Tampa about merging both parks and recreation departments to save money.

Higginbotham says it makes no sense for both him and his neighbor to each buy a lawn mower, when one mower could do the job on both lawns.

But in an email to the Tribune, Mayor Pam says that the county doesn’t weed whack, or edge the driveway, or even put out any inviting gnomes:

“If our well-run department were to be merged into the larger bureaucracy of county government which serves its residents throughout the unincorporated area, we would lose out in determining the quality of our parks and programming as well as responsiveness to our citizens.”

She also suggested the county’s more conservative values would ruin public recreation, bringing up Ronda Storms attack on gay themed displays at libraries.

Of course, Hillsborough didn’t say if they would run this combined parks department or if the city of Tampa would be in charge. I wonder if Hillsborough County would even consider Tampa run their parks department (ha ha ha).

I use local parks, but only for recreation - I have no experience with other amenities such as after school care or organized sports - so I don’t really care if it is run by the city or the county. As long as it is safe, convenient, and easy to use. After all, it’s just a park.

I could have sworn that I remembered the current county commission reversing the ban on gay displays at libraries.  If they have, I cannot find it online.  After reading Mayor Pam’s entire email on the St. Pete Times website, and looking at Wayne Garcia’s piece about it, I see that the ban is still in effect.  All government facilities should be inclusive of all of our citizens, so it does matter who runs the parks.

Of course, it matters more who runs our government.

Although he appeared calm, sitting still in the audience of the public hearing, the Executive Director of the Planning Commission, Bob Hunter, had to have been aghast as he watched the County Administrator blithely break the county’s promise to protect his agency from state-sponsored meddling. I know I was flabbergasted. Was this the blatant act of insubordination it appeared to be on the surface? Or was the County Administrator carrying out a hidden agenda, contrary to her public charge and contrary to the will of the people?

On Dec. 7, at the annual public hearing on proposed laws affecting Hillsborough County, state legislators were considering a bill that would change the balance of county and city representation on 3 local boards, to give the county more power on each: the Environmental Protection Commission (EPC), the Sports Authority, and the Planning Commission. The public has been largely opposed to this change to the Planning Commission ever since it was first proposed last year, so citizens were relieved when our County Commission seemed to respond to the public will and voted unanimously to support the bill only if the Planning Commission were removed from it.

Commissioners had asked Rep. Ambler, as the bill’s sponsor, to amend the bill so that it would not affect the Planning Commission. Rep. Ambler did so, but the amendment became controversial among the other legislators, so Ambler finally suggested that his amendment be withdrawn, and offered his bill with the Planning Commission in it after all. Even though this went against the express direction of our County Commission, the County Administrator, Pat Bean, smiled knowingly (she practically winked!) and told the legislators that the County Commission would be fine with it.

>>[County Administrator] PAT BEAN: OKAY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BILL THAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT NOW IS A BILL THAT CONTAINS ALL THREE AGENCIES, THE EPC, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THE SPORTS AUTHORITY.
…[lots of talk about the sports authority]
>>[Representative] FAYE CULP: … I HAVE A QUESTION AS TO THE OTHER TWO PARTS OF THE BILL. WHAT IS YOUR FEELING OR — ON THE EPC AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, …?
>>PAT BEAN: WELL, THE EPC WAS INCLUDED IN THE BILL THAT THE BOARD VOTED ON WHEN THEY TOOK THEIR POSITION ON THE LOCAL BILLS. … AND THEY VOTED TO SUPPORT THE BILL … THE BOARD DID NOT — AT THE TIME THAT THE BILL WAS BEING CONSIDERED, THEY ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED TAKING OUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THIS YEAR, BUT I AM CERTAIN THAT THEY WILL SUPPORT THE BILL AS — IF YOU PASS IT TODAY AS IT HAS BEEN AMENDED HERE. BUT THEY DID RECOMMEND TAKING THAT OUT. …
>>PAT BEAN: … AS I SAID, I’M CERTAIN THE BOARD WILL SUPPORT THE BILL THAT YOU’VE GOT NOW AS AMENDED [emphases added]

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern, Bob Hunter and several citizens spoke against including the Planning Commission. (Terry Flott & I also spoke against Pat Bean’s move.) Bean was the only person to speak in support of this unpopular legislation.

>> BOB HUNTER: … AT THE PRESENT TIME, LEGISLATORS, THERE IS NO LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORTING CHANGE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. NO LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS ASKING FOR THIS.

Not publicly, anyway.

Pat Bean is nobody’s fool. She knows her 6-figure salary would be in jeopardy if she defied her 7-headed boss, the County Commission. So why was she smiling as she told our state legislators that our county would support something the commissioners unanimously voted to oppose? Did she have reason to think commissioners would support her in her job, even after her apparent betrayal of their public position?

Bean has often been used by the commissioners to do their dirty work. In this year of painful staff and budget cuts, she proposed that their monthly car allowances should be doubled to $600 — so they wouldn’t have to propose this let-them-eat-cake raise themselves. She has also been dispatched to campaign against tax cuts, and citizen initiatives like Ruskin incorporation and the county mayor proposal. Citizens are often told “the administration” is pushing an unpopular road, borrow pit or development, while county commissioners remain politically unscathed —and unaccountable.

In speaking for legislation which the county commission had not (publicly) supported, it is unlikely Bean was acting as a renegade. It is much more likely that she was doing the bidding of her bosses while they pretended to go along with the citizens’ position. I called Commissioners Mark Sharpe and Rose Ferlita to see where they really stand. Both seem appalled that the board’s unanimous vote was dismissed at this hearing. Commissioner Sharpe wrote the legislators after the hearing, detailing his objections to the proposed legislation.

Unless the other commissioners were just pulling the wool over our eyes with their unanimous vote against this change to the Planning Commission, they all ought to direct the County Administrator to write the legislators explaining the true position of the board. And the commissioners should ensure that Bean does not intentionally misrepresent the county again.

That’s what I told them, anyway. You can tell them what you think, too.

We don’t elect Pat Bean, and she has no authority to act independently of our elected officials. We pay her (a lot!) to carry out the publicly determined positions of our elected officials, not the secret agendas of a few of those commissioners.

WMNF is the only news outlet that reported on Pat Bean’s maneuvering. (Move the time slider to 5:40 to skip to this audio story.) The Tribune reported on the legislators’ maneuvering.

Another Tuesday with nothing to watch on the tube.

I’m not a typical television watcher. On any given week, I watch about two hours of TV. I watch Heroes on Mondays at nine and Chris and Todd Present on Tuesdays at 11. Soon, I might have to go around saying “I used to watch Chris and Todd.”

Once a week, Chris Floyd and Todd Kokensparger sit down in front of a table in the Tampa Bay Community Network studio at the University of Tampa. (Not to be confused with the Tampa Bay Christian Network, also identified with the letters TBCN.)

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to speak with the duo and Allen Hampton Jr., their producer, at Todd’s home. I was concerned because of a hiatus they mentioned was coming during their previous show. I admit, I’m addicted to my Tuesday dose of Chris and Todd.

For those not familiar with Chris and Todd, watching the show is like rubbernecking at the aftermath of a horrific car crash; no matter how I feel inside, I can’t look away. The show is made of up Chris ranting about our current government and educating about politicos running in the upcoming elections, Todd insulting the people who call in, callers insulting the two men in front of the camera, and tidbits of pop culture knowledge thrown in.

“The basic premise of the show is that Todd’s the assh*le who makes you wish you never called, and I’m the one telling you about stuff you couldn’t care less about,” Chris said.

“We try to make it seem like you’re hanging out with us,” Chris added later on in the night.

The juvenile antics of Chris and Todd on the show somewhat conceal their quick wit and knowledge about current affairs.

Todd’s the ringleader when it comes to general mischief; he doles out the most insults and makes sure the studio’s address is displayed when people threaten him and Chris on the air. When things get too heavy, he brings the show back to answering the phones and talking to callers, although he hangs up on most of the people who call in for having their TVs turned up too loud.

“It’s meant to distract you purposefully,” Chris said about Todd’s part in the show. “It kind of distracts you from the information you should care about.”

(more…)

If you have comments about local news items, send them to us at tommyduncn [at] yahoo [dot] com or use our contact form.

From City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern:

My response to today’s Tampa Tribune editorial against my EPC bill is below.

Mary Mulhern, Tampa City Council & Concerned Citizen

Regarding “Power Shift on Boards Will Bring Less Unity and More Backbiting” (Nov. 11)

Your editorial on two local bills submitted to the Hillsborough legislative delegation was strangely contradictory in examining the composition of countywide boards. The Tampa Tribune defends the inclusion of the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City on the Planning Commission and Sports Authority boards, yet denies the logic and fairness of city representation on the Hillsborough Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) board.

All of our State enacted countywide boards have representation from the County Commission, and the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City - all except for the EPC. None of the other boards even has a majority of County Commissioners. My bill, sponsored by Representative Glorioso gives the County four seats, Tampa three seats, Plant City and Temple Terrace one seat each – a composition in line with the Planning Commission, Sports Authority, Public Transportation Commission, Metropolitan Planning Organization and Port Authority.

To say that I “…erred in starting this dustup” ignores the reality of Hillsborough County politics. Representative Ambler asked last year for more seats for the County on the Planning Commission and Sports Authority and promised to bring the bill back this year. Adding the EPC (with a County Commission majority) in no way disguises the Commission’s continued push for control of all boards.

The recent conduct of the EPC board evidences the problems inherent in a regulatory board overseeing itself. With the board made up exclusively of County Commissioners, a conflict arises when the agency wishes to bring an action against the county. Another reality is the undue influence that certain special interests exert over the County Commission representatives. A diverse board from all four government bodies — with no single entity having a dominating majority — would reduce the threat of special interests controlling the shared resources of the county and the three municipalities.

The EPC regulates air, water and noise pollution, not just wetlands. The cities are also home to the Hillsborough River, the coast of the bays, lakes, canals and creeks. Cities produce by far the largest proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. The global environmental crisis we face makes it imperative that we not delay any action that can better protect our resources and reduce our contribution to the looming hazards of climate change.

Hundreds of constituents are protesting the stewardship of the EPC board by the County Commission. Our state legislative delegation should heed the voices of Hillsborough County, Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City and vote for fair representation on the EPC board. My bill gives our state representatives the opportunity to stand up for a power share, and face down a power grab. This bill is about protecting the environment for our children and grandchildren, not protecting anyone’s political turf.

Share your thoughts too

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has written your state legislators to say the City of Tampa does not want to do what the Tampa City Council says the City does want to do.

Although the Tampa City Council voted unanimously to write this letter (on City of Tampa letterhead) asking state legislators to change the composition of the EPC board to include representatives from the cities, Mayor Iorio wrote this letter (on City of Tampa letterhead) saying:

“the City of Tampa does not support changing the composition of the EPC.”

She emphasized her point by repeating it, using more bold type:

“Again, the City of Tampa opposes any change to the composition of the EPC Board.”

This must be perplexing to the legislators who have now received two letters speaking for the City of Tampa, asking them to change—no, wait! don’t change—the EPC. The mayor’s letter doesn’t mention the city council and their position at all.

She says she’s “had several very productive meetings with [county commission] Chairman Jim Norman and [county] Administrator Pat Bean on a variety of topics.” Not this topic, though. Her letter says they have not discussed the issue of board representation, on which they disagree, but they have “opened up a healthy discussion on common issues.”

So she’s fine with leaving the county commission in charge of the Environmental Protection Commission. And she goes so far as to say the City of Tampa is fine with it. No matter what those pesky City Council members say.

Our County Commission also serves as our Environmental Protection Commission (EPC)—a system that has come into question recently since most of our commissioners are not inclined toward Environmental Protection. City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern is proposing we reform the EPC, giving seats to all three cities as well as the county.

Let’s don’t forget: not only did our BOCC/EPC recently vote 4-3 to eliminate our local wetlands protections, only to have to back down in the face of massive public outrage; but before that, last spring they refused (in a 5-2 vote) to oppose state legislation that would have eliminated our local wetlands protections. That legislation fizzled after Governor Crist promised to veto it. Notably, the Tampa City Council voted unanimously to do exactly what the County Commission refused to do: write a letter defending the EPC against the proposed legislation that would have eliminated local wetlands protections across the state. Both Tampa & Temple Terrace unanimously opposed the county’s effort to eliminate the EPC wetlands division.

Mulhern’s proposal would change the EPC board’s composition from the seven county commissioners to: 5 of the seven commissioners, 2 Tampa City Council members, 1 Temple Terrace council member and 1 Plant City council member. The Tampa City Council and the Temple Terrace City Council have both voted unanimously to ask the state legislature to give them these EPC seats.

Oddly, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio doesn’t want Tampa to have seats at that table:

“I don’t believe the composition of the EPC board needs changing,” Iorio said. “I understand the concern over the wetland issue, but you don’t change the composition of a board because you disagree with the board on an issue,” she said. “Voters will decide who sits on the EPC board at election time.”

Odder still, the county commissioners seem willing to share the power of the EPC with the cities. Of course, there’s a catch: commissioners say ALL local boards should be changed to reflect the greater population of the unincorporated county compared to the cities. Hillsborough commissioners had lobbied the state last year to change the balance of power on the Tampa Sports Authority and the Planning Commission to give the county greater power. That proposal failed to launch last year because of widespread concern that giving greater weight to the county would give special interests greater leverage on those boards.

There is an important distinction between the two proposals: the city councilwoman wants to give cities representation on a board where they now have none, while the commissioners want to overpower boards where they already enjoy representation.

Last Wednesday, the county commission voted unanimously to request legislation that would change ALL local boards to base the representation on population. That would include the EPC and the Planning Commission. You can read their brief discussion, and hear WMNF’s interviews of Mary Mulhern and several commissioners after the vote.

Recently, Tommy made a similar point to Mayor Pam’s with regard to two other proposals to change two other systems, saying the real solution is to elect good leaders. Boy, do we ever need to elect good leaders! Still, I think that in the case of the EPC, recent events illuminate a basic flaw in this system. With only one board in charge, it is easier for special interests to exert undue influence. I have seen good and bad county commissions and city councils, but rarely are they all bad in the same way, at the same time. Adding political diversity to this board would make it much less likely that all the representatives could be manipulated by the same forces at the same time, affecting the natural resources that belong to the county and its cities.

I intend to ask our legislative delegation to broaden the representation on our EPC, but leave the other boards alone. I encourage you to let your legislators know what you think, too.

The other question you will find on the ballot in Hillsborough County is a ridiculous one asking if cities should regulate and enforce existing laws on “se xually oriented businesses.” It is a straw ballot, and has no effect at all.

Both the Times and Tribune say to vote no.

Not unlike many of the items passed by this Hillsborough County Commission I say it’s a preposterous waste of time and money. There is no need to answer the question, so you shouldn’t.

When you dig a little deeper into proposed county ordinances you really find some comedy gems. In a Tribune story about the upcoming battle between Hillsborough County and adult businesses:

•Nu dity would be prohibited inside so-called adult mobile cabarets, a reference to the recreational vehicle parked outside a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game last year by the owner of a dance club.

The two things everybody likes to do - look at nekked ladies and stop others from looking at nekked ladies - are alive and well in Tampa Bay.

One thing nobody is considering - the 30% of girls who don’t graduate high school need someplace to work.  I also wonder if neighboring counties have asked themselves what happens when Hillsborough closes down these businesses and their owners are forced to look for another site just over the county line.