GOP Hillsborough County Commissioners: "A Profile In Cowardice"

Tea Party rules around here!
The county commission voted 4-3 on Wednesday night to reject the proposed 30-year, half-cent sales tax, refusing to put it on the November ballot and letting voters decide.
here

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"Sadly tonight a majority of the County Commission has refused to give the citizens of Hillsborough County an opportunity to decide for themselves whether their future includes a better transportation system. Rather than a profile in courage this vote was a profile in cowardice." Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn

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"I am very disappointed that after years of work this board was not able to build consensus, I do look forward to the continued dialogue at our upcoming meeting and I'm hopeful that we might still be able to come to a consensus on such an important community issue as transportation." Kevin Beckner

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Matthew Durshimer was all for the 30-year sales tax. He said it was the only way Hillsborough would attract corporate relocations and a younger workforce. Only the 30-year tax, he argued, would allow the county to build a real transit system. "And if the answer is no, then expect all the problems of today to get worse tomorrow," Durshimer said, "and expect all the young professionals like myself to leave this commununity.

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Sandy Murman wants the board to hold yet another transportation workshop in the near future. It passed unanimously. GO Hillsborough was meant to fail from the begining. It was all a sham. here

We can start with Murman! here
Please note, it was smart what they did. It would not have passed. 
To much for roads and not enough for rail.

Sierra Club's Letter To Hillsborough County Commissioners

In a letter sent to all commissioners, Tampa Bay Group Sierra Club Chair Kent Bailey urged the board to increase the amount of funding for transit options that would come from the half-cent sales tax referendum known as Go Hillsborough. here

Tampa Bay Buy The Damn Trains

The CSX presentation in September has fired up rail proponents, who see a gift-wrapped system that could move people from downtown Tampa through downtown Clearwater into downtown St. Petersburg, north through Pasco County as far as Brooksville in Hernando, with connections to the University of South Florida and Tampa International Airport. here

So what's the hold up?

"Without a better transportation system, tourism in the Tampa area is likely to shrink from its current record levels and the region will lose its capacity to draw businesses to the urban core, according to two groups that promote economic development." Visit Tampa Bay and the Tampa Downtown Partnership. Maybe we need Jan Platt's solution!

Florida Ethics Commission Investigating Ken Hagan, Sandy Murman And Bob Buckhorn

The Florida Ethics Commission is now investigating complaints filed against Hillsborough County commissioners Ken Hagan and Sandy Murman, as well as Tampa Mayor DINO Bob Buckhorn, following a series of 10 Investigates reports into their relationships with controversial consultant Beth Leytham. here

Did GOP Hillsborough County Commissioners Sabotage GO Hillsborough?

The odds of the county even producing a ballot measure for Hillsborough County seem to dwindle, in part because of the reluctance of commissioners such as Murman and Higginbotham to stand by the process. Commissioners, who always seemed intimidated by the Tea Party activists from the get-go on this effort, have certainly created enough doubt for the most ardent pro-transportation tax advocate to feel skeptical right now, to say the least. 

Mitch Perry
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Tea Bagger Sharon Calvert attended every meeting.

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This was meant to fail from the beginning!

Read what this blog has been posting about this sham here

Hillsborough County GOP E-Mail Scandal

Hillsborough County Commissioners Sandy Merman and Ken Hagan possibly violated Florida Sunshine Laws when they failed to produce  Emails they said didn’t exist. It was not until community activist Tom Rask threatened to sue that Hagan and Merman agreed to release dozens of previously hidden emails relating to county business.
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Ms. Murman is sorry

“I didn’t mean any harm”

And Hagan blamed his staff.

here

 The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

Ken Hagan's Sports Complex

Cost: $15 million

County commissioners will consider the recommended site 

at their Nov. 4 meeting. here

Jan Platt's Brilliant Idea

A Referendum To Kick Out The

 Hillsborough County Commissioners 

How have they failed us?
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 Corporate Welfare
$6.7 million To Ashley Furniture  in Ybor City
$100,000 To Tim Burton
$75,000 To IT expansion
$6.25 million To Pro Bass
$3.4 million To Citigroup

$2.1 Million to Johnson & Johnson Services

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TBX
Ken Hagan,  Sandra Murman, Stacy White 
and Kevin Beckner vote yes. here
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"Go Hillsborough" 

Focus Groups

This is a funny one

here

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 Hire a fox to guard our hen house

here
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wage theft ordinance

here
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Shifty Florida GOP Ken Hagan 

exploiting term limits loopholes.

here
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Misused almost a million dollars in grants during its "Fight the Blight. 
here
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Neglect of the 

Jan K. Platt 
Environmental Lands Acquisition
a referendum 80 percent of voters in 2008 approved!
HERE

The Hillsborough County Commissioners
On this blog since May 2006 here

So are you in? 
Someone start something!

www.yborcitystogie.com

Ybor City, Florida

We Want A Referendum To Kick Out The Hillsborough County Commissioners Because They Ignored The Referendum

Nearly 80 percent of voters in 2008 approved a referendum to give up to $200 million to the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program to purchase pristine, sensitive land for preservation. Now the program is broke and its leadership blames the county. here

"It's a disgrace,what are they waiting for, another referendum for the next election to kick them out because they ignored the referendum?" Jan Platt

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Two Republicans get it.

People overwhelmingly approved that amendment, that was the message and we can't forget or lose sight of what that message was." Sandy Murman

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Stacy White said he expects to unveil a new proposal within six weeks to fund and "revitalize" ELAPP. Where is Kevin Beckner on this? 

Does Ken Hagan need the money for  Corporate Welfare or to give to Hollywood filmmakers?
Remember White and Miller wanted to use some of the BP money. 

Hillsborough County Commissioner's Lack Of Vision

To their great credit, Commissioners Stacy White and Les Miller did their best to persuade fellow commissioners last week to spend much of the $23 million the county will receive in oil spill damages from BP on the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program, which is virtually out of money. But their colleagues refused. 

Ken Hagan said there should be no urgency in spending the money — despite renewed development now taking place.
Sandra Murman suggested spending the nonrecurring funds on transportation. That’s clearly a need, but the county has other revenue sources for roads and is considering a half-cent sales tax increase for transportation needs. ELAPP, in contrast, is being neglected.
Kevin Beckner similarly argued that since the settlement was compensation for the loss of tourism and other economic activity, it should go toward the economy, including ecotourism. here

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Thank you Mr. White (We might have been wrong about you) and Mr. Miller.

Bass Pro: Hillsborough County Commissioners Benghazi

"They easily found $6.25 million for a road to Bass Pro. It would have come here without it." Pat Kemp

Hillsborough County Fuck Fest: "Go Hillsborough" Focus Groups

• Voters between the ages of 18-29 were automatically eliminated.
• Taxpayers who did not vote in last year's gubernatorial election didn't get to participate in the focus groups were which conducted last November.
• Consultants only talked to Republicans without any registered Democrats, but only conservative members of the GOP who always vote in Republican primary elections were included in the Republican group.
• Those who labelled themselves as moderate or liberal Republicans were not invited to the GOP focus group.
• Participants in the focus groups were chosen from Carrollwood, Westchase, Town and Country and Brandon which means which means South Tampa, West Tampa, Central Tampa, Temple Terrace, East Tampa, Plant City, South Shore, South County and Sun City were excluded from having their voices heard in the focus groups.
• The participants were each given $75 to take part in the focus groups and among the major takeaways are , there is no sense of crisis in transportation; rail is not seen as a viable alternative; the bus system has a major image and usage problem. here

"Good luck with that," That’s what one Tribune columnist said about Commissioner Hagan talking about a balanced transportation referendum for more options.

 We spent $1.25 million on this!

Go Hillsborough was all a sham
check this out
Hillsborough County Commissioners don't waste our time. No rail? No new taxes!

Hillsborough County Commissioner's Same Old Bullshit

The County Commission wants to add a half-cent sales tax to the ballot for 2016 and they only want 25% for transit and a guaranteed 60% for road maintenance and building. It's so much more of the same. Also, despite a $100 million dollar surplus this year, the Commission won't give anything at all to transit. $10 million dollars and we could have a high speed ferry system. $30 million and we could double the budget for HART. It's time for change! 
 Oh yeah - the consultants now have made $1.25 million.
Pat Kemp

"GO Hillsborough" was all a sham!
Check this out!

Hillsborough County we have to 
rid ourselves of our Right Wing Infestation,
Kevin Beckner can not do it alone! 
Where is Pam Iorio? We want her back!

Hillsborough County GOP Corruption

The Fox Guarding the Hen House

"The one essential advantage Dougherty had for the EPC gig was an intensive lobbying campaign on her behalf by influential business and development interests. In the real world, if powerful business and development types were aggressively pushing for their choice to lead an agency charged with protecting the environment from business and development concerns, one might well conclude such naked special interest arm-twisting would be a disqualifying factor. In Hillsborough County, such wheeling and dealing leads to a coronation."

Daniel Ruth on Janet Dougherty's new Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission gig. here

More Bullshit In Hillsborough County

The county paid a million dollars on focus groups, surveys and polls to tell them that more people would vote yes to a half cent sales tax hike than a full cent. 

And their research showed residents want to see more of that money spent building and repairing roads than improving public transportation.

here

See chart above. This is a lie.
we want rail.

Rail wasn't even on the survey form. They told us to write it in. Check out our post on April 29, 2015 of the last meeting. here, It was all a sham.

At that meeting in Temple Terrace we were told that light rail, opponent and local Tea Bagger Sharon Calvert attends every meeting, 
where were you?

Hillsborough County Commissioners don't waste our time
NO RAIL? NO NEW TAXES!

No Rail? No New Tax In Hillsborough County!

Mike Merrill is WRONG!

“Rail, per se, did not poll very well,” 
County Administrator Mike Merrill

When I atended the Go Hillsborough public input meeting in Temple Terrace on April 28th Rail wasn't even an option on my survey form. I was told to write it in on the back. It was all a sham.

As you can see on this chart Rail and 

Bike Lanes are our biggest priorities

Read about their lies here

Read our post on April 29th here

Hillsborough County Commissioners don't waste our time.

NO RAIL? NO NEW TAXES!

Hillsborough County GOP Corruption

The wage theft ordinance

(Miami-Dade model)

pitched by Hillsborough County Commissioner 

Kevin Beckner was pushed aside by the five Republican members of the Hillsborough County Commission in favor of a watered down version that might cost the county more in the long run. They seem to favor an ordinance in Palm Beach County that sends $125,000 in public money to a local legal aid society to handle wage theft complaints. here

The Palm Beach model happens to be the one favored by the Florida Retail Federation, which lobbies on behalf of retailers and contacted
Hillsborough Commission Chair 

Sandy Murman 

before the debate over Beckner’s proposal.

"The vote against adopting the Miami-Dade model seems more grounded in appearances and in appeasing a powerful lobby." Tampa Tribune

Hillsborough County Right Wing Infestation

Wage-theft ordinance

Democrat Kevin Beckner wants the 

Miami-Dade model

Bruce Nissen, the author of a Florida International University study examining the issue in Florida said, “There’s no real comparison between the two, If you’re looking for efficient government, I think there’s no question, go with the Miami-Dade model.”

The Republican members of the commission did the exact opposite, supporting their love for a Palm Beach County version that on its face appears to favor businesses and not the workers who aren’t receiving a full paycheck.
here

In Hillsborough County 

Democrats: 306,321

Republicans: 246,289

Others: 223,805

Who the hell votes for these people?
Wake up Hillsborough County Dems, 
are you so lazy you can't get out and vote?
Pat Kemp could be there now instead of Higginbotham.
And if the man is sticking it to you and you vote GOP, take it deep! 

Developers To Run Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission

Florida GOP Janet Dougherty, 
a businesswoman and favorite of the development community, will be the next director of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission.  here

Dougherty has connections with industrialists, phosphate companies, farmers and the maritime industry. She made points with the pro-business Republicans on the commission by promising not to stand in the way of development as long as natural resources are protected. She  ran for County Commissioner, Dist. 4 as a Republican. 

Hillsborough County Right Wing Infestation

 All five Republican Hillsborough County Commissioners rejected a draft ordinance put on the agenda by Democratic Commissioner Kevin Beckner that would have created an administrative process to deal with wage theft. The ordinance, modeled on a program in Miami-Dade County, seeks to settle wage disputes through conciliation. If that doesn’t work and a worker’s claims are judged valid, the employer has to appear before a formal hearing officer. here

A recent study showed Hillsborough County is No. 2 in the state for reported cases of wage theft.
South Shore thanks alot for Stacy White