They're just not getting Issue No. 1

My friends on the St. Petersburg City Council are being deliberately dumb about this secret Jabil Circuit deal.

They keep defending what they did by saying, over and over, that it was a good deal.

(1) They met privately, in one-on-one sessions with the mayor's staff, to discuss it in advance.

(2) It was not on the public version of the council's June 19 meeting agenda (and is not there on the city's Web site to this day).

(4) They put it on the "consent" agenda, intended for routine matters that are not discussed separately, under a code name.

So the existence and approval of this deal, code-named "Project Extreme," were invisible, at least until it came out in the paper.

Yes, the law allows the terms of these deals to be negotiated in secret. The law even protects the name of the company getting the deal.

The City Council is not the CIA. It does not have a "black" budget. The city cannot hand out millions of dollars of the public's money while hiding the fact it is doing it.

Contrast this with the Pinellas County Commission's handling of the county's share of the Jabil deal.

The commission, having learned from the Jim Smith scandal, discussed the deal in public and at least debated it before approving it.

The other day, I was part of a conversation with Jamie Bennett, the council chairman. I like him. The main subject of the conversation was the homeless, an important cause to him.

When the talk turned to Jabil, Bennett started in with the same defense used by several council members — the council's hands were tied, the deal was confidential, the council must rely on Mayor Rick Baker's staff, Jabil is an important employer.

The council's hands are not tied when it comes to running its own meeting. It is long past time that the council, not the mayor, decides what the council is going to do.

The council does not have to accept secret, one-on-one briefings from Rick Baker or his staff. The council controls its own agenda. The council is just as free as the County Commission to discuss the public's business — in public.

Bennett thought about this. "Does our process need fixing? You're probably right," he said.

When told of the County Commission's open discussion of the same Jabil deal, he said, "It's refreshing to know that's out there."

One lone council member, Karl Nurse, has raised questions about how the Jabil deal was handled. The council is scheduled to discuss it.

The public is entitled to watch its City Council learn about, discuss and debate the public's business — in public.

Comments on this article

by Debbie	Jul 15, 2008 5:48 PM
Right on Howard. Note to Rick Baker. If this is how you do things where you're from, go back there. We don't need any more of this in Florida. We pay out millions with no guarantees they'll stay anyway. Politicians are ruining this whole country!

by I need a Nurse	Jul 14, 2008 7:44 PM
"Makes you wonder what else has gotten past the tax payers." 30% pay raises after midnight - that's what! In his short time in office, Karl Nurse is proving that he 'has' character and is not 'a' character. Karl for Mayor

by Rob	Jul 14, 2008 7:44 PM
I think the State Attorney's Office needs to investigate the whole corrupt city council and the Mayor and his staff.

by Lenny	Jul 14, 2008 7:36 PM
Why are you people worried about a few million in free taxes? Trust me, as a small business owner, I will see my tax rates rise to cover all those lost taxes. Oh, and I will have to pass them on to you Mr and Ms consumer...

by Southside Resident	Jul 14, 2008 7:36 PM
GREAT article. The mayor's staff used this divide and conquer meeting tactic to try to disband our newly formed neighborhood association. We chose not to play their games, as city council could have. They waste $100k+ salaries on multiple meetings.

by Suzanna	Jul 14, 2008 6:35 PM
Florida State is just 1 Big Fraud. The Justice System is a joke, Governor Crist is a joke. Florida is a loser.

by Larry	Jul 14, 2008 6:27 PM
Why wait to vote them out of office? Starve 'em out! Don't pay your taxes and cut off the flow of funds.

by AL	Jul 14, 2008 6:24 PM
WE NEED JOBS TO STAY HERE DO WHATEVER IT TAKES GO RICK

by Mark	Jul 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Howard, check the public records of City Directors, Administrators, and Staff that have resigned recently. You'll find they signed a confidentiality agreement to not sue the City - because they were given severance packages to resign rather than fire

by Dan	Jul 13, 2008 8:21 PM
Government in the sunshine? What a joke! They should remove that phrase from the city's TV channel. This is a series of shady actions, and most council members should be pushed out of office.

by Richard	Jul 13, 2008 8:21 PM
Could we waterboard Rick Baker? We know that that's not torture, for our leaders tell us so...

by American Jobs	Jul 13, 2008 8:21 PM
We all complain when jobs leave for overseas and say that more should have been done to keep the company here. When we finally do something to keep a company here and then we complain about it. We need more jobs to stay in Florida and the US.

by since1962	Jul 13, 2008 8:21 PM
Same arrogance as two way street conversion that involved signal installation BEFORE public hearing and derision of 225 petition signatures.Public record photos and council reaction.

by LDH	Jul 13, 2008 8:21 PM
Makes you wonder what else has gotten past the tax payers. I shudder at the thought of perhaps this kind of thing is why Pinellas Co. economy is in the toilet. Gov't employee lay offs and no raises for teachers, etc. I smell rats!

by Dr_Dug	Jul 13, 2008 8:21 PM
Will the people ever stand up to City Council? Thier not our Leaders, thier our elected represenitives! That means they vote the voice of the people; it doesn't mean to become our Leaders! The people lead,and theCity Council needs to learn it!!!!

by Bland	Jul 13, 2008 8:21 PM
Howard: The constituency is getting very tired of this arrogance and ignoring or our general wishes. I say vote the whole lot of them out if this is the best they can do.

by Ben	Jul 13, 2008 8:21 PM
I agree 100% with Troxler. I appreciate him saying what needs telling. If an issue can't be aired, something is wrong. Certain councilmen playing ignorant is no excuse. Spend our money and represent us wisely ladies and gentlemen. It is your duty.

by Cleotis	Jul 13, 2008 8:21 PM
The city council has revealed itself. A puppet of Mayor"No comment" Baker. They are certainly not a independent body. It's time for these elected members to take their responsibilities seriously. Start thinking, ask questions, do your job.

by Bob	Jul 13, 2008 8:20 PM
The only way things will get any better is when Baker and ALL of his cronies are booted out of City Hall.

by Gilbert	Jul 13, 2008 8:20 PM
Why was it a secret agenda from the outset? Are we, (taxpayers) not allowed to know what we are getting/paying for? It seems to me that the Council, Commission and Mayor should be held to account sooner rather than later, I truly like Piobair's idea!

by neil	Jul 13, 2008 8:20 PM
So Baker runs the city like bush runs this country; what is the big surprise? After all Baker is a big bush lackey. He watches what his idol does and figures he can do what he pleases as well and screw the "little guy"

by Ralph	Jul 13, 2008 8:20 PM
I'm thinking Karl Nurse is the only council member that has a sense of right and wrong. We're lucky to have one person who bothers to learn the rules.

by Jim D	Jul 13, 2008 9:53 AM
Most career politicians know the public soon forgets,if they ever get it at all.They hide behind the cloak of respectablity all the while looking for their next chance to increase their coffers and/or their standing in the community.We get crumbs tho

by Sabine	Jul 12, 2008 11:35 PM
Lucky for us the stadium scam involved the waterfront parks, or they might have tried to slip that $1/2 Billion boondoggle through too. Let's see how that issue progresses.

by Piobair	Jul 12, 2008 11:35 PM
The best way to demonstrate their constituents displeasure with this manner of doing business isn't to vote them out of office later, it's to petition to recall them right now.

by Frank	Jul 12, 2008 11:35 PM
They would have done the same thing with the stadium had the Rays not wanted waterfront property. Our elected officials do not learn. Hopefully our voting public does and considers these deals in the 2009 election.