GreenLight Pinellas - My View

By E. Eugene Webb PhD

Since I am taking a contrarian position on the GreenLight Pinellas sales tax referendum, I thought it was proper to lay out my general position in some detail so readers will be able to evaluate my comments as they make their decision regarding the Sales Tax Referendum.

Public Transportation
I am not opposed to public transportation. I believe that public transportation is a duty and responsibility of local government. I also agree and support the facts that: a) public transportation will never be a financially self sustaining program, and b) that all tax payers have a responsibility to contribute to the public transportation effort of their community.

Public Transportation Modes
Public transportation comes in many flavors including buses, trolley, trams, high speed rail, light rail and ferries. Intermodal systems use a combination of these specific types of transportation modes to build a functional public transportation system.

The mode or modes of a public transportation system in a community such as Pinellas County should fit the geography, demographics, commercial nature and objectives of the community. There is a place for buses, ferries and maybe light rail.

Governance
The establishment of public a transportation system such as the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PASTA) creates an entity with taxing authority to support the financial needs of public transportation. In Pinellas County PSTA has been carefully crafted to allow all of the 24 Cities in the County some degree of input along with a strong presence from the Pinellas County Commission. PSTA is unwieldy, unresponsive poorly managed and politically hand cuffed by the PSTA CEO and the Board Chairman.

What I Believe
I believe that the public transportation authority, PSTA in this case, has a responsibility to use public funds in a lawful, efficient and effective manner; such that the needs of those who use and depend on public transit are the first consideration and the most efficiently served.

I believe that a sales tax properly conceived would be an excellent mechanism to fund public transportation in Pinellas County. I further believe the sales tax Ordinance should set up a sales tax mechanism allowing a variable rate with a 1% maximum tax cap.

I do not believe that the Sales Tax Ordinance as offered in the GreenLight Referendum  provides sufficient controls to assure the public interest (those who need and use public transit should have access) is served and that public funds are properly allocated or protected.

I do not believe that voter approval of this Ordinance establishing an immediate massive revenue source that passes directly to PSTA is either reasonable or prudent.

I believe that to the extent possible, development of public transportation should not be a significant economic disrupter in terms of local small and medium sized business.

I do not believe public transportation has a primary responsibility to support sports teams, developers or core commercial centers where future development is the primary driver.

I do not believe that the almost fanatical obsession with light rail as evidenced and conceived by the PSTA and its supporters such as TBARTA, the National Association of Realtors, developers and those hoping to cash in on the train meets the true needs of Pinellas County public transportation.

Read the Sales Tax Ordinance at Greenlight Pinellas Tax Ordinance.

E-mail Doc at: dr.webb@verizon.net. Or send me a Facebook (Gene Webb) Friend request. Please comment below, and be sure to share on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosers: Contributor to No Tax for Tracks

Sunday August 17, 2014 - An Appropriate Swearing In

Wednesday August 13, 2014 the Kriseman Administration swore in their new Police Chief Anthony Holloway.

The event, which took place in Fox Hall on the Campus of Eckerd College, was very well done and well attended.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor and a lengthy list of law enforcement and political figures were on hand for the event.

Also present and smiling were the two internal candidates for the Chiefs' position, Assistant Chief Luke Williams and Assistant Chief Melanie Bevan. A reminder that the new Chief has his work cut out for him. 

The Ceremony began with a color guard and ended with some very appropriate remarks by the new Chief.

 

Most poignant moment was when Chief Holloway's wife pinned on his new Gold St. Pete Shield.

Holloway comes with a lot of glowing recommendations and seemingly little baggage.

His selection was a bit tumultuous to say the least. But as someone commented, "don't get the process confused with the product"

He arrives at a Police Department that has some deep divisions of its own and against a national backdrop of racial tensions related to police relations with an African American community, a problem that also exists here in St. Pete.

It's a big plate with a lot on it and Chief Holloway already looks pretty comfortable in his new role.

The Kriseman administration gets a big thumbs up for the event. It was well organized, tastefully done and the venue could not have been better as Anthony Holloway is an Eckerd College Alumni.

After four years of kind of lurching from event to event, Mayor Kriseman and his team are paying much needed attention to the form and substance of critical events. Formality has always had its place in our form of governance and on August 13, 2014 in Fox Hall on the Eckerd Campus it seemed to me everything was present in just the right amount.

Thanks to all from the City, the Police Department, Eckerd College and all who took time to attend.

It was a very special day.

E-mail Doc at: dr.webb@verizon.net. Or send me a Facebook (Gene Webb) Friend request. Please comment below, and be sure to share on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosures: Contributor to No Tax for Tracks.

Should Miller Go as PSTA CEO?

With the furor surrounding PSTA CEO Brad Miller, the GreenLight opposition is calling for his resignation.

                                                             

I'm not so sure that is a good idea.

With the deep pocketed GreenLight-Yes PAC supported by the The National Association of Realtors, local stock and bond houses and high tech companies looking to cash in on GreenLight's train to nowhere, Mr. Miller is turning out to be one of No Tax For Tracks biggest assets.

Miller just can't seem to resist the temptation to play in politics with PSTA funds; problem is he continues to misuse the funds he is entrusted to oversee.

Given what has been uncovered so for, it is hard not to believe there are a lot more scurrilous activities going on out at PSTA. It is probably time for The Sheriff's white collar crime unit or the State Attorney General to take a look at the goings on at PSTA.

Most political operatives I know would love to have a guy like Miller in the opposition. It seems Mr. Miller only stops shooting himself in the foot long enough to reload.

Latest debacle resulted in a hasty refund of $345,000 to Homeland Security for using federal dollars to advertise supporting the sales tax initiative.

Meanwhile Mr. Miller, PSTA CEO, is quickly becoming the Poster Child for why the public should defeat the November 4 sales tax referendum.

As for as we know, Mr. Miller's indiscretions have only been for a small amount of money up to now, but hand this guy $130 Million a year your guess is as good as mine as to how far he will go to get his train.

The latest report shows GreenLight Yes funding at almost $650,000, but the publicity surrounding Mr. Miller is as they say, "Priceless".

So hang in there Mr. Miller. Keep lying to the public, denigrating those who oppose your train and misusing tax payer dollars. It will take a large portion of what's left in the GreenLight-Yes coffers to put enough lipstick on this pig to cover up the scars.

Do you really want to tax yourself $130 Million a year and turn it over to this guy?

Watch My Video Green Light - It's a Bad Law before you vote.

E-mail Doc at: dr.webb@verizon.net. Or send me a Facebook (Gene Webb) Friend request. Please comment below, and be sure to share on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosures: Contributor to No Tax for Tracks.

GreenLight Yes - The Flyers are Coming....The Flyers are coming

If you are a registered voter you have probably received 2 or 3 Green Flyers touting the PSTA Greenlight Pinellas County $100 million Sales tax Increase

Read them very carefully.

For example one promises "an Accountable plan Where Citizens are In Charge." It then goes on to point out that the "GreenLight Project will be held accountable by a Citizens Oversight Committee made up of Industry Professionals who will have to knowledge and authority to make sure the Pinellas Suncoast transit Authority is managing projects effectively."

Note that the citizens committee doesn't really consist of citizens like you unless of course you happen to be an "industry professional" or a commercial real-estate broker.  It also is probably a good idea to make a donation to GreenLight Yes if you want to be on the committee that will have "knowledge and authority". The real-estate folks are up to about $250,000 in donations that is likely good enough for the chairmanship.

Something around $25,000 could probably assure you a seat at the table.

All these people really want is your vote yes and then 1% of almost everything you buy for the next 90 years. Then they will tell you what is in your best interest.

Carefully read, the Greenlight Flyers tell you what an incredible boondoggle handing $130 million dollars over to PSTA under this sales tax ordinance really is.

Watch My Video Green Light - It's a Bad Law before you vote.

We need improved public transportation in Pinellas County but not like this.

Not with a publicly funded sales tax supported project managed by the very people who will go as far as subverting Homeland Security funds to promote their goals.

Not a project pseudo managed by a citizens committee made up of the very people who stand to gain the most financially from the project.

What's missing here? Serving those in this community that desperately need public transportation.

E-mail Doc at: dr.webb@verizon.net. Or send me a Facebook (Gene Webb) Friend request. Please comment below, and be sure to share on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosures: Contributor to No Tax for Tracks.

Sunday August 10, 2014 America - Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet - Maybe

It's the old American mantra: Baseball, Hotdogs Apple Pie and Chevrolet, kind of a commercial definition of the American dream.

Baseball hasn't fared well lately; a lot of sports people think baseball needs a shot in the arm.

In a time where everything moves at internet pace, baseball is slow and can be a bit boring. Some describe it as sort of like watching the grass grow. The recent NBA Finals attracted more than twice as many 34-and-under viewers (10.83 million) as did the World Series (4.68 million).

Perhaps the national pastime is moving on.

Hotdog sales remained strong in 2013. Retail sales were at $2.5 billion. Major league ball parks are expected to sell almost 21,400,000 hotdogs during the 2014 season. Prices range from $1.00 in Cincinnati to $6.25 in the New York Mets ball park. At the Trop a hotdog is $5.00.

Looks like the hotdog is holding its own.

Last week I stopped by the local Chevy dealer to pick up my new truck.

 

On the show room floor was a stunning silver Chevrolet Impala SS (Super Sport). All decked out in leather, 6.3 liter V8 with a list of options as long as your arm. As I looked over the window sticker one thing caught my attention, a small area on the form, Parts Content Information: Engine manufactured in Mexico, car assembled in Australia. 

The flagship of the Chevy sedan line was an import! Hypocrisy!

My Mom passed away a number of years ago, so a good homemade apple pie is hard to come by these days save those rare moments at the church pot luck dinner.

Publix comes close but out of the box is just not homemade out of the oven.

All of this leads me to believe that the new generation of high energy, fast paced, screen driven GenXers and Millennials need a new mantra.

How about Soccer, Hotdogs, Yogurt and BMW?

Just doesn't have that ring.

Not all is lost.

The 2014 Chevy Silverado was assembled at the GM truck plant in Roanoke, Indiana, not far from my home town, the engine and transmission all made in the United States according to the window sticker.

I am going to have a hot apple pie at McDonalds today and I am going to a Ray's game on August 16th and have a hotdog and a beer.

I guess it all still makes sense; you just have to work at it.

E-mail Doc at: dr.webb@verizon.net. Or send me a Facebook (Gene Webb) Friend request. Please comment below, and be sure to share on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosures: Contributor to No Tax for Tracks.