Liberal New High In 2013

A recent Gallup poll now showing the numbers of Americans who self-identify as “liberal” are both growing and at higher rates than they’ve been in twenty years, the party of “no” and philosophies of greed may be facing an impending curtain call, in the face of the growing inequality which is shaping up to be the defining legacy of America’s long and costly experiment with conservative pro-corporate policies.......more>

2009 In Hillsborough County

Well, I am pretty sure Santa had a lot of coal to deliver to Hillsborough officials in 2009 for their efforts to promote developer welfare, government waste and stick taxpayers with
the bill for some very expensive skirt chasing.......here

The Shit That Bubbled To The Top Of The County’s Cesspool

As if giving double digit raises in an economic crisis to some of her faves wasn’t infuriating enough to taxpayers, it was recently revealed that County Administrator Pat Bean took an “award” herself........here

Help save Cone Ranch from our County Commission

Welcome to another edition of “Can Hillsborough County Commissioners successfully preserve ‘preserved’ land?” Which, as it has unfolded, has actually turned into “Can Hillsborough County citizens successfully save publicly owned preserved land from the Hillsborough County Commission?”.......here

Scandals Galore In Hillsborough County

I am a little late on updating you on the most recent Cone Ranch meetings. Recall the Cone Ranch deal was our County Commission bending over backwards at a questionable proposal to buy the publicly owned land by private investors.........here

Shit In The Water At Ben T. Davis Beach

Stay out of the water! That was the warning just prior to the start of this year’s 4th of July holiday...........more

Hillsborough County Adminstrator Pat Bean

I had my own concerns with two of her minions getting these raises. Lucia Garsys is listed in the Times article as a “former planner,” yet she makes even more money than the head of The Planning Commission. How can Bean justify this, and more importantly how can Commissioners let her get away with this? Especially with elections nearing?........Kevin Beckner

The Cone Ranch Deal In Hillsborough County

I wasn’t the only one that thought something smelled funny about this Cone Ranch deal, a recent proposal by

Commissioner Ken “Half Truth” Hagan

(to subdivide and sell public land to private investors) and in the process serve up millions to Republican donors for brokering the deal..........here

Charlie Crist Bends Over For Special Interests

And Floridians Get Screwed

No ceremonial photo-op for this signing, probably because nobody wants to see the Governor bending over for special interests but in my opinion that is exactly what he did by signing SB 360. This bill guts Florida’s growth management laws (yes, we had some) and everyone but special interests and their politicians are against it..........here

Charlie Crist's Reputation

Why We Need Florida Hometown Democracy

As if the past dirty deeds and developer-driven agendas of many of our Hillsborough County commissioners wasn’t proof enough (yes, we mean you Team Sprawl) now the Florida Legislature has shown you exactly why we need Florida Hometown Democracy (FHD). FHD is a citizen-driven initiative that would allow voters to make growth decisions instead of leaving it in the greased and dirty hands of politicians. To help make the case for FHD, there is this year’s legislative session........more

Florida Hometown Democracy

Sen. Mike Bennett's Kool-Aid

Senator Mike Bennett-R who spawned SB 360. A bill that dismantles growth management.

The bill promotes growth in dense urban areas by removing the state required costs of transportation concurrency and the duplicative development of regional impact (DRI) process within those areas.

(Nimby translation: Developers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for more growth by having to pay for infrastructure; that is what you taxpayers are for.)..........more

Gov. Crist Phone: 850-488-4441 - Email: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com

A Day Late And Billions Of Dollars Short

For Hillsborough On Growth-Management Bill

After months of hounding from activists and even early coverage in both papers including this editorial in the Trib dated Feb 21st, 2009 the Hillsborough County Commission finally weighs in on Senate Bill 360, a bad revamp of Florida’s growth-management safeguards.........here

Under-The-Bus Week For Hillsborough’s County Commissioners

For all of you mass transit supporters … buses everywhere were busy last week giving you a glimpse of what really goes on down at County Center...........more

Florida's Curious Case Of Buttons

I am thinking to myself at this point wouldn’t it be great if
Commissioners Al “the New Blair” Higginbotham and Jim Norman just stayed home
and asked Commissioner Kevin Beckner to vote their buttons for them?...........here

Victor Crist Throws Hillsborough County Under The Bus

Developers win big in Tallahassee, and which Hillsborough lawmaker voted to support them? Well, for one the now State Sen. Victor Crist, who has an eye on Ken Hagan’s county commission seat in a game of musical sprawlers and just voted to throw Hillsborough under the bus by gutting what meager growth management laws we do have..........here

The Cracking Reservoir

I guess the great job HDR did on designing the Cracking Reservoir and the 6-Lane Cluster Study of Lithia Pinecrest warrants another contract to the tune of over 1.5 million dollars to the firm for another PD and E study, this time for Van Dyke Road..........more