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 …
By Jim Bleyer Inconsistencies dogging the Janet Cruz campaign for Florida Senate not only include key political issues but more fundamental representations such as her name and address. Cruz, a term-limited state representative, is challenging State Sen. Dana Young in …
By Jim Bleyer The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills is in the fight of its operational life in the wake of 12 resident deaths after Hurricane Irma in 2017. Its fate rests in the hands of an administrative law judge who must decide if the facility’s license and Medicaid …
By Jim Bleyer A veteran Tampa political operative totally blew his cool and embarrassed himself after Florida House candidate Susan Valdes was videoed stumbling and bumbling over questions regarding her donors and would-be donors. She made those remarks Saturday at a meeting of the Hillsborough Hispanic Democratic Caucus. Victor DeMaio, …
By Jim Bleyer I want to meet the crisis counseling consultants on retainer for Publix. Whatever they are being paid, they are worth every cent. The grocery chain didn’t just dodge a bullet; it avoided hundreds of rounds from an AR-15. After protests and boycott threats from gun control …
By Jim Bleyer Yeah, I know, the body isn’t even cold. But the Tampa Bay Lightning’s loss in the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday to a clearly inferior group of skaters is a call for immediate action. The blame for the latest deep playoff failure falls squarely at the feet of …
By Jim Bleyer The Florida Democratic Party is begging for “unity” after its meddling transformed a very flippable Florida Senate race into an utter longshot. The meddlers, FDC chairman Terrie Rizzo and corporatist Alex Sink, who caused this potential election disaster are in full panic mode realizing they …
Rick Baker’s 2017 makeover was a fashion fail and earned him ridicule. The original favorite according to polls, Baker got waxed in the St. Pete’s mayoral race. Could Jane Castor’s new softer look make voters forget her awful tenure as Tampa police chief? By Tom Rask, Tampa Bay …
By Jim Bleyer Former Democratic state party chairman Stephen Bittel made disparaging remarks about black legislators at a major party fundraiser last June 17. There were no repercussions. He apologized for his racially derogatory tirade and then it was business as usual for the Florida Democratic Party. Five months later …
The Boston Globe said Vinik “reinvented” himself but Tampans have discovered that only applies superficially. By Jim Bleyer Water Street Tampa, the highly-touted $3 billion “vision” of local businessman and Tampa Bay Times investor Jeff Vinik, is in deep trouble and may be taken over and/or liquidated by …
