Florida's former asshole governor Rick Scott and Florida's new asshole governor Ron DeSantis have been butting heads for the last week or so, making a bit of a hash of DeSantis's transition into office. HERE
Monday, January 14, 2019
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Donald L Dowridge Jr at Saunders Library in Ybor City
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
JOIN DONALD L. DOWRIDGE, JR.
FOR A IN DEPTH LOOK & TEACHING ON THIS
CIVIL RIGHTS ICON!
---
JANUARY 14TH 5:30 PM!
Robert W. Saunders Sr. Library
THIS EVENT IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
JOIN DONALD L. DOWRIDGE, JR.
FOR A IN DEPTH LOOK & TEACHING ON THIS
CIVIL RIGHTS ICON!
---
JANUARY 14TH 5:30 PM!
Robert W. Saunders Sr. Library
THIS EVENT IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
Saturday, January 12, 2019
RAYBOR IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL DAMN IT!
For the last regular meeting of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, held on January 9, there was an item (Item F-8), which was added as an addendum to the agenda as the last item for discussion. Yesterday, Item F-8 was listed as an agenda item "F-8 Discussion concerning the County's representation in any future negotiations with the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team regarding a stadium in the County.". Today, the official agenda (HERE) shows that Item F-8 has been deleted and relisted at the end of the agenda as "F-8 Off the Agenda". The discussion DID take place at the end of the Commission meeting, as you will see in the following videos, so it WAS officially addressed during the meeting. The following videos and texts will clearly show that the negotiations to bring the Rays franchise here to Hillsborough County and very possibly the original selected site in Ybor City are still very much active and still being held outside public scrutiny. During the discussion Mariella Smith, one of our new commissioners, placed a motion to disband the commission's involvement in the "informal" work group created in 2015 to negotiate with the Rays. In a 4-3 vote, Commissioner Smith's motion was defeated (Commissioners Hagan, Miller, Murman and Overman voted to retain the Commission's active involvement in the work group and therefore continuing negotiations). It was mentioned during the discussions that the contract for the legal firm hired by the Commission to represent them during their involvement in the negotiations will be taken over by the Tampa Sports Authority. Ken Hagen stated "The TSA assumed Council's contract and any future negotiations will be led by the TSA.". The TSA has no obligation to make public any of their proceedings.
I will present here segments of the video of this County Commission meeting, touching on the most pertinent statements during the discussion. With each segment, I will give some commentary of the VERY obvious implications that arose. The full video of the meeting can be found HERE and the Item F-8 discussion begins at 3:28:24 in the video.
In the first video excerpt, Mariella Smith explains why the working group, which was intended to work "out of the sunshine" is no longer needed.
In this excerpt, Ken Hagan explains why Commissioner Smith's intended motion is "moot" and, as he has many times, expressed that he is not and never was a "negotiator" during the dealings with the Rays. Hagan, quite obviously does not want negotiations to end because he, the County Administrator, Mike Merrill, and other friends of his, who were given information withheld from the public, have made serious financial investments into the success of a Rays stadium in Ybor. At the end of the video, I have added an excerpt from a radio interview Hagan did in 2017* (HERE) which clearly shows that he was taking a lead in the negotiations with the owner and manager of the Rays and that he was having private meetings with both. Though he stresses that he was never "officially" a negotiator, he was definitely a negotiator, if not the lead negotiator.
Pat Kemp states that things have changed since the last meeting, alluding to the fact that much of what the Commission intended to keep secret was ultimately reported by local media and that the public, namely the Ybor 6, responded. She also explains that even she, a commissioner on the board, had difficulties obtaining information from the working group. Les Miller then asks Commissioner Smith, "Do you think a motion is necessary at this point?", seemingly trying to encourage Mariella Smith to retract her motion. She doesn't but instead places the motion before the board.
And that leaves a couple final comments and the vote. Ken Hagan again tries to counter the motion by offending Commissioner Smith and calling it "meaningless", in a patronizing and insulting way. He then contradicts his "meaningless" comment by explaining that voting Yes on the motion might effectively "kill the deal" with the Rays. Les Miller climbs onto the misogynistic challenge to Commissioner Smith by calling the motion "fruitless" and "not appropriate". The motion is then voted on and defeated. Kimberly Overman, had she been the progressive she purports to be, could have been the vote to help kill the negotiations with the Rays but, instead voted to NOT disband the working group.
To wrap it all up, our County Commission is making it clear that negotiations are going to continue with the Rays franchise and that, because their plans for secrecy were thwarted by a local media outlet and the appearance of several citizens at the last meeting, voicing their clear opposition to RAYBOR, future negotiations will be conducted even further from the public eye. The negotiations are being handed chiefly to the Tampa Sports Authority in order to further conceal from the public what they are doing, in effect moving the back room dealing to a back room in the back of the back room. During the discussion, both Mike Merrill and Les Miller stated that "We have the money!" but they continue to ignore that they have only private investor's money, which amounts to 50% of the projected cost of a new stadium and ignoring that they ultimately intend to use $500 million, or more, of taxpayer funds to make up the other 50%.. Besides the private investments to partially fund the cost of the stadium, there is is also money invested in properties in the area surrounding the originally proposed Ybor City site and I have no doubt that the continuing negotiations will focus on Ybor City.
We have GOT to continue to pressure the officials in our government to listen to the citizens they are sworn to serve and end forever any further negotiations to move the Rays to Hillsborough County, and especially to Ybor City, and to realize that the voters of this county will NEVER accept having to fund half of the third most expensive stadium ever built, yet the smallest stadium in all Major League Baseball, smaller even than Tropicana Field. It would be doomed to fail and destroy Ybor City along with it.
* Correction: Ken Hagan's interview with Sports Talk Florida took place on May 31, 2017 instead of in 2015 as I mistakenly stated.
County Keeping Rays Ybor City Plan in Play
Even though the team has walked away from discussions, Hillsborough County is working for now to keep the door open for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark
Hillsborough County Commissioners Overman, Murman, Miller, and Hagan nixed a motion that called for disbanding a working group created several years ago to help bring the Rays to Tampa. Officials indicated instead that, for now, they want to keep the proposal on the table in the event that discussions could resume. MORE
---
"Why would Kimberly Overman join Murman, Miller, and Ken Hagan in voting to keep the Raybor working group? This takes away any transparency that we should have in regards to continued negotiations to bring the Rays
to Tampa." Beth Eriksen Shoup
---
"Why would Kimberly Overman join Murman, Miller, and Ken Hagan in voting to keep the Raybor working group? This takes away any transparency that we should have in regards to continued negotiations to bring the Rays
to Tampa." Beth Eriksen Shoup
MARCO RUBIO AND HIS COLLEAGUES NEED A REFRESHER ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT
This week, amid a partial government shutdown, senators tried to sneak through a bill that would encourage states to suppress constitutionally protected political boycotts of Israel.
Ultimately, the Combating BDS Act failed to make it to the Senate floor, largely because enough people exercised their First Amendment right to protest the bill and educate senators that they should get their priorities straight. HERE
Friday, January 11, 2019
Vigil for Border Patrol Victims / NO WALL - January 10, 2019
Tampa Fake Hepatitis A Scare
Hamburger Mary’s owner Kurt King accused Hillsborough County health officials of inciting a fake Hepatitis A scare and shared test results he says proves his worker never tested positive for the disease.
---
“I want to know why the health department did this to me.”
---
“Over 400 people in the state of Florida have Hepatitis A,” said King. “Where do they all work at? Why weren’t they put on the news? Why weren't their restaurants and businesses destroyed like mine? That’s what
I want to know.”
I want to know.”
---
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Florida's Culture Of Corruption: Carlos Beruff
Bradenton developer Carlos Beruff to serve on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
-----
A last-minute appointments by Rick Scott.
-----
Beruff is currently facing an ethics commission complaint over how he helped one of his former development partners while serving as chairman of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
-
In addition, one of his development projects has been accused of illegally moving an eagle's nest, and Manatee County officials investigated his company, Medallion Homes, for ripping up a county-owned conservation area. more
Reach For The Sky - The Sky Is The Limit
---
As an outspoken mother, organizer and nurse, my priority has always been people, which is why I've decided to not give up on representing the under-represented and run for County Commission District 3. Many of you were a huge part of my campaign and helped us to build a strong grassroots foundation while building immense power and recognition on a bare bones budget. I'm asking you to rally behind once again. Giving up was never an option! If you’re just as excited as I am and want to get involved, send our Facebook page a message and the team will reach out to you and plug you in. Sky U. WhiteWednesday, January 9, 2019
Ed Turanchik's "GO PLAN" Roll Out January 7, 2019
What he didn't do was address the serious needs of the citizens who already use the present transit system, who rely on it on a daily basis, who are seriously inconvenienced by an ineffective and poorly structured system, who are the existing base of customers whose needs must be met before any talk of greenway corridors, fast transit to Disney World, driverless trams or ferries.
Andrew Joseph, III Memorial Weekend
Public Service Announcement: We Can't Stop and Won't Stop It was suppose to be a day where invited students would come out and catch the fun, it's website during 2014 stated that safety was the number #1 priority and then February 7, 2014, Andrew Joseph, III was killed at 14 years old a evening out with friends proved deadly.
---
Join Us As We Remember Andrew Joseph, III "Protect Children" Memorial". Please note that 5 years will soon approach and still no accountability.
---
2.8.2019 Florida State Fairgrounds I4-301
Hillsborough County Health Department's Dirty Little Secrets
Health officials offered free vaccinations after a Hepatitis A scare at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor City last October, but a Dirty Dining special investigation revealed that restaurant wasn’t the only one with infected workers.
---
ABC Action News anchor and I-Team Reporter Wendy Ryan uncovered four other restaurants had Hepatitis A infections in just 2018 alone, but Hillsborough County kept it all a secret from the public.
---
Dr. Douglas Holt, head of the Hillsborough County Health Department, admits Hepatitis A has become a local epidemic, but still insists the public has no right to know the names of those four restaurants
with infected workers. here
with infected workers. here
Ybor City Ride Views from the SAG Wagon
The Crew from the Ybor City Ride from College Park, FL to Ybor City, FL. 103 exciting miles with friends. Views from
the SAG Wagon.
the SAG Wagon.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Ed's Go Plan in Ybor City
Donald L Dowridge Jr
With Glen Eich
Faithe Ann Estes
Commissioner Pat Kemp
1920 7th Ave. Ybor City
Visit Ed here
John Godwin for Tampa
---
Promising new and innovative leadership, Godwin said he will help prepare Tampa to be a 21st century city while protecting its history and character. more
Monday, January 7, 2019
Asher’s Choice for Activist of the Year
First I want to recognize Dayna Lazarus for her tireless efforts to advocate for equitable transit and social justice. Our community is stronger thanks to her work!
My second choice honors Glen Eich for his outstanding job in galvanizing the “Ybor 6” to oppose the Rays Stadium being built in Ybor — his efforts helped to save historic Ybor from becoming drowned in commercialist chaos. Thank you Dayna and Glen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)