The surrogate
It begins with a woman who yearns for a baby and another who is willing and able to give her one. You can imagine the motives of the prospective parents. But what about the woman willing to carry a baby, give birth and then walk away?
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
The game of hide-and-seek that St. Petersburg's city government has played with $12.7-million is reprehensible, and today the public will see whether elected City Council members care.
The council is being asked by its newest member, neighborhood activist Karl Nurse, to talk about the surreptitious nature of its decision on June 19 to grant $12.7-million in tax-supported incentives to electronics manufacturer Jabil Corp. The council slid the item on the agenda hours before the meeting under an assumed name, "Project Extreme," and offered no debate.
Millions of public tax dollars were directed to a single private, for-profit company, and not a word was uttered. Worse, council members and city staff are now circling the wagons around City Hall. They say they were just following a state law granting confidentiality to economic development projects, even though the law does not include any local elected officials.
The council excuses bespeak arrogance. Leslie Curran doesn't want to be trifled. "At some point," she said, "you have to have some faith in the staff." Jeff Danner turns to sophistry. "I can't take everything to referendum," he said, as though that were the only alternative. Bill Dudley, the self-professed budget hawk and political maverick, may be the most pitiable. Last fall, Dudley said he won election because: "I'm not afraid to speak up. … I think people like that about me." After voting for millions to a company he couldn't name, Dudley could only parrot fragments of information: "They said the company was going to move to California."
How will council members respond today? Will they again try to blame the state law or the newspaper? Will they pretend that this tax money is somehow free, that it can be obligated to private companies without the need for justification? Will they comprehend that secrecy is poison to public trust?
[Last modified: Jul 12, 2008 07:54 PM]
Comments on this article
by AngryVoter
Jul 12, 2008 7:54 PM
I for one am getting tired of "The Buck stops with the STAFF". "Acting on STAFF Recommendation" etc.
by Scott Anderson
Jul 11, 2008 8:43 PM
People wake up. This is what a global economy brings. Incentives to stay in the USA. Better yet let's just let Jabil move. Then you all can grip about how the city did nothing to stop that.
by Aaron
Jul 11, 2008 8:43 PM
Look you guys are a bunch of simpletons. You just dont let the Second Largest Co. in Tampa Bay up and Fold. Could you imgine the fiasco it would have caused if the Public knew. Jusy like the Stadium. Some of you would like SP to be like Brooksville.
by Jim
Jul 11, 2008 8:42 PM
St. Pete caused the problem in the first place by annexing Jabil. The sky high city franchise fees caused the company to consider leaving the county.
by Fred
Jul 11, 2008 8:28 PM
Florida was fortunate to have a series of political leaders (Leroy Collins, Ruben Askew, Claude Pepper) who put the interest of Florida first.
Now comes Rick Baker leading the Saint Petersburg city council.
by since1962
Jul 11, 2008 8:11 PM
Welcome to the discussion:
TIMES
by Russ
Jul 10, 2008 9:36 PM
You stopped just short of saying the only council member that doesn't seem to have his head in the sand is Karl Nurse. This would have been a giant step for the Times considering their premature and ongoing condemnation of the newest council member.
by Bill
Jul 10, 2008 9:27 PM
Money talks and bs walks. It's time to remove those crooks that run the city and put in honest workers, Danner got the job because he is only a yes man and nothing else. He failed at being a honest contractor and he needed the job to make money
by Bob
Jul 10, 2008 9:26 PM
Nurse was voted in to shut him up! Danner was voted in on false lies, Curran is there so she can become mayor. It's not about people, but all about money and looking the other way for friends. Most of the council could careless about your problems
by tim
Jul 10, 2008 8:56 PM
If they move to California, I wonder if the owner will take his $3 million dollar house in Tierra Verde and TWO, repeat TWO 65' yachts he has parked in back. If not, maybe Stuart Sternberg of the Rays could afford them.
by Jessica
Jul 10, 2008 8:56 PM
Their action is disgusting; how anyone could think public money can be used for corporate funding is beyond me - give me my taxes back if that is the "way" it is supposed to be!!!!!
by Raymond
Jul 10, 2008 8:50 PM
Remember, City Council members are paid to be part time employees. They aren't full time employees. If you want them in their office getting paid for 40 hours of work and not 40 hours of parties and free tickets to City events, pay them for 40 hours.
by BILL
Jul 10, 2008 8:35 PM
That's not all they "reek" of!
by Cari
Jul 10, 2008 8:12 PM
Yes, St Pete council shares some of the guilt, but you didn't mention the arrogant Pinellas County Commissions. They are involved in this too!
by John
Jul 10, 2008 2:23 PM
Of course, no where is the SPTIMES' number one son Mayor Baker mentioned. Everywhere you read "city staff" insert "Mayor". He alone is responsible for leading this effort to defraud the taxpayer's of St. Petersburg.
by Brian
Jul 10, 2008 10:54 AM
By Jove... I think the times is finally getting it -- either that or they realize that it just gets worse each and every time.
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