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Thursday, February 16, 2012
Mitch Perry Report 2.16.12 - Iorio calls out J.D. Alexander
Posted by Mitch Perry on Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 8:40 AM
The drama involving that massive budget cut for the USF campus in Tampa continues to dominate the local media, but perhaps we're taking the wrong perspective on all of this. I mean, J.D. Alexander is bringing together disparate members of the Tampa Bay area political/media/business establishment in a fashion rarely experienced. The latest to pounce on the Polk County legislator is former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio.
The Tampa City Council chambers might be a little thicker than usual this morning. Not for any policy prescriptions to be debated per se, but because Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon and first baseman Carlos Pena will be honored by the body. But there are some interesting items scheduled to be discussed.
The House of Representatives continues to debate a transportation bill that would radically reduce funding for local transit and bicycle/pedestrian improvements. Oh, and it would also allow for drilling off of Florida's coast.
And even though it might bring down the spirits of those of you in love with your iPhone, iPad, iPod, or anything having to do with Apple, there is growing awareness of the industrial accidents, abuse of workers and use of underage labor in the factories who make those products in China.
J.D. Alexander is bringing people together
Posted by Mitch Perry on Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 8:35 AM
Following the lead of Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe's personal letter to Senate President Mike Haridopolos, the Tampa Tribune is now calling for the removal of the Lake Wales Republican as chairman of the budget committee for his ham-fisted attack on the Tampa campus, manifested by the threat of a 58 percent cut in state funding. (That cut has already been reduced; the budget committee on Wednesday restored $25 million in costs related to the creation of a new university in Polk County.)
But perhaps folks in the Tampa Bay area are protesting too much. I mean, look how it's bringing people together in the community! Heck, after Jim Norman pressed Senator Evelyn Lynn, chair of the higher education appropriations committee, he even won some praise in the editorial pages of the Tampa Bay Times!
Most interestingly, former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has taken to the op-ed pages as well to weigh in.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Best gay marriage post ever
Posted by David Warner on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 4:55 PM
- Erik Uecke
- Alexandra Petri of the Washington Post
It happened. Just as we expected it would.The sky fell.
Washington state passed same-sex marriage laws, and the Beast reared up in the east and swallowed several fishermen whole.
That's the opening of one of the best things ever written on the subject of gay marriage. It's by Alexandra Petri, it's on washingtonpost.com, and you should go read the whole thing.
The post ends with this should-be-inscribed-in-stone-somewhere passage, which may make you laugh, cry and nod your head sagely all at the same time:
Apple finally dealing with slave labor conditions in China?
Posted by Mitch Perry on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 4:09 PM
But the growing awareness of such labor conditions is growing. On Tuesday, Apple chief executive Tim Cook did something I don't believe Mr. Jobs ever did: Cook said that he wanted to make safe working conditions at Apple's overseas plants a priority.
"Apple takes working conditions very seriously and we have for a very long time," Cook said during an on-stage interview at a Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco.
Apple agreed in January to allow inspections by the Fair Labor Association (FLA) at a plant in China called Foxconn that makes products for the company, after a devastating New York Times story reported on the overworked and underpaid employees at such factories in China.
The Raw Story: A Night of Comedy
Posted by Daniel Feingold on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 1:40 PM
• Monday night's crowd in San Diego was hot throughout the entire show. It's amazing how much more enjoyable a good crowd can make an episode of Raw. Not to say that this show was great (because it wasn't), but you get my point.
• The commentary Monday night was, dare I say, decent? Compared to what we've become accustomed to over the past year or more, it was exceptional actually. Cole played his character without being too distracting, actually calling the matches, and Lawler seemed to care about the product. Good work, gentlemen.
• Next week I'll do the thing again where I write about both Raw and the PPV in one column. I hope you appreciate the extra work put into that as much as I look forward to getting carpal tunnel.
Now, let's get Raw...
A Taste of Pinellas 2012 welcomes national headliners Sheryl Crow, Dashboard Confessional + others
Posted by Leilani Polk on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 1:12 PM
The event will be held May 4-6 in at Vinoy Park on St. Petersburg's waterfront. More than 40 restaurants (400 Beach Seafood & Tap House, Madfish, Melting Pot, Parkshore Grill, Red Mesa and Snappers among many others) dish out their most popular tasty fare to go with servings of live music by national headliners like Sheryl Crow [pictured right]. Schedule and further details after the jump:
The Tampa Lookbook - 02.15.11
Posted by Nicholas Trobiano on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 11:44 AM
You can never plan for a Florida February. Sometimes it's beautiful and breezy, like today, and other times it's hot and miserable, like later this week. The best way to deal with this is with a scarf or cardigan that you can stow away in a big bag. Lucky for you, I have ideas on how to do this in style.
Check out a few of my looks for Spring 2012 after the jump...
V.M. Ybor residents unhappy about Trinity Cafe will protest at City Council
Posted by Mitch Perry on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 11:42 AM
For over a decade Trinity, currently housed at the Salvation Army on Florida Avenue, has offered high-quality lunches to the homeless or those who just want to come in for a meal cooked by a professional chef and served by waiters.
In June, officials with the Trinity Cafe purchased a property on Nebraska Avenue and 17th Avenue to serve meals at a facility that they could call their own.
But the move has not been greeted with open arms.
Kelly Bailey is the vice president of the V.M. Ybor Neighborhood Association, which is leading the opposition. She says her group's legal challenge is that the Trinity Cafe is calling itself a restaurant, "but people don't queue up 24 hours in advance to eat at a restaurant," referring to the fact that the cafe would predominantly be serving meals to the homeless.
White House hints they'll veto bill that would cut funding to HART & PSTA
Posted by Mitch Perry on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 9:36 AM
In Washington D.C., floor debate began on Wednesday on that bill, with a final vote expected on Friday (discussions on the Senate equivalent are also ongoing this week).
The reason that Hale, as well as Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) officials, are watching the proceedings with dread is a provision in the bill that eliminates the guarantee of a portion of federal gasoline and diesel tax revenues for transit, leaving programs like theirs extremely vulnerable to future budget cuts.
The Associated Press reports that Winter Park Republican Congressman John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and co-author of a major portion of the bill, said he is "fairly confident" based on his discussions with GOP lawmakers that the bill can pass.
Mitch Perry Report 2.15.12: Privatizing prisons goes down in Tally
Posted by Mitch Perry on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 8:09 AM
Florida State Senator John Thrasher is moaning about the power of unions in the Sunshine State. The powerful Republican in Tallahassee was quoted as making that comment after the push to privatize South Florida prisons went down narrowly yesterday in the state Senate.
Some of Tampa's most powerful developers and real estate representatives have unveiled their much awaited report on how to make the Cigar City more business-friendly.
Even though Mitt Romney doesn't seem to be that popular among Republicans, he does have more money than everybody else. That financial edge helped him carpet-bomb Newt Gingrich with negative ads in Florida, but Rick Santorum has a new ad up mocking Romney for his negative ways.
And a personal remembrance of the late Freddie Solomon, who passed away Monday in Tampa.
