By Jim Bleyer Developer Jeff Vinik’s six-month, multi-million dollar propaganda campaign aimed at hoodwinking Hillsborough County residents into voting themselves the highest sales tax rate in Florida passed by a large margin Tuesday. Voters by 57-43 approved the $16 billion, 30-year transit tax that will bring the county’s …
By Jim Bleyer Jeff Vinik has always been a big con, from his student days at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx to his career as a hedge fund manager in Boston to his reinvention as a sports team owner and developer in Tampa. His latest con is …
By Tom Rask, TampaBayGuardian Just as citizens vote on a 1% sales tax to fund transit in Hillsborough County, the county’s transit authority reported that its bus ridership is down 10.3% for the fiscal year that ended September 30th (FY2018). The steep plunge calls into question the “need” …
By Jim Bleyer Despite assurances from Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer, there are literally thousands of skeptics who believe an honest vote count faces stiff odds Tuesday. Most of the mistrust emanates from opponents of the special interest driven transit sales tax increase. Anti-taxers are certain that …
By Jim Bleyer Less than two weeks after it came out against a proposed Hillsborough County transit tax, the Tampa NAACP was targeted with a hate letter that included death threats. The threats were leveled at all African Americans. Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was specifically mentioned. Addressed to NAACP …
By Jim Bleyer The Jeff Vinik-inspired Hillsborough County transit tax is in deep trouble judging by the actions of his band of mercenaries. Rena Frazier and Christina Barker, members of the failed team that could not sell the regressive tax increase to NAACP members two weeks ago, are begging voters …
