ST. PETERSBURG -- City Council member Jamie Bennett has never been known as a policy wonk.

But as a mayoral candidate, he seemed to have fresh ideas about what to do with the downtown waterfront, Pier and Tropicana Field.

Turns out, those weren't his ideas.

Former campaign manager Peter Schorsch said he suggested that Bennett add a splash pad and conference center at the Pier, embrace a referendum to protect the downtown waterfront and keep the Tampa Bay Rays' stadium in St. Petersburg.

Schorsch was fired Friday for mingling tickets to the city's suite at Tropicana Field with campaign material. He said Bennett intentionally tried to influence neighborhood leaders with the tickets. Bennett said that's not true.

Bennett had this to say about Schorsch's contribution to his campaign: "Everybody has ideas. There is no patent on ideas and when you're a campaign manager, one of the things you are supposed to do is protect your candidate and if there is an idea it becomes the candidate's idea."

Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer

*