The Rays stadium deal is not done

 

This is our last chance to reject the current deal and negotiate a better deal. 

Public money should be spent on projects that benefit the public, like fixing our infrastructure and repairing our communities, not funding stadiums. 

Learn more on the League’s stance on the stadium deal and how it relates to our social justice work here

 

Next week the County Commissioners and City Council will vote to add $700 million (City) and $500 million (County) in public debt to pay for a baseball stadium. The City of St. Petersburg has a $5 billion plan to improve water, wastewater and stormwater so that the impact of future storms and hurricanes is less devastating. Other communities must also repair and replace damaged and outdated systems. In addition, we just learned that the City must spend $50 million to fix the current stadium, which under the current plan will be demolished two years later.

Bartlett Park Community

"After five years of growing food and community at the
Bartlett Park Community Garden,
we are excited to announce that we have bought the land the garden sits on.
It goes without saying that this is a major milestone for our garden. We no longer have to wonder each month if we will be able to continue
to grow food for our neighbors.  
We can run the garden as a resource for the
Bartlett Park Community for as long as the community needs it." Tom Tito

It is amazing what we can do when we all work together. Mr. Tito and the Bartlett Park Community  should be commended for their great work, they are a treasure to Tampa Bay. 

In Defense Of Kathleen Ford

The Stogie had too many pints of Yuengling one night and desided to parody Ms. Ford's comment about making potato salad.  This brought a response from someone we all admire very much around here local blogger and activist Tom Tito of Bartlett Park. He wrote,
"Ford has worked very hard for south St. Pete residents. The newspaper won't say anything good about her due to their bias toward their business advocate Rick Baker (who is loved by Rick Kriseman.) Check out this story, it was honored by the Columbia Journalism Review."
I read the story he is talking about and if you live in St. Pete you should too before you go to the polls.  Check it out here.