By Jim Bleyer Would you reward an employee whose ineptitude cost you well over $100 million? Of course you wouldn’t but that’s precisely what Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik did when he extended coach Jon Cooper’s contract last March. Cooper’s contract with the Lightning was set to …
By Jim Bleyer When Congress approved the creation of “opportunity zones” as part of Donald Trump’s 2017 tax code overhaul, it didn’t have half-billionaire Jeff Vinik in mind as the legislation’s sole beneficiary in downtown Tampa. But a cabal of enablers—Senator Rick Scott, former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, and …
By Tom Rask, from the Tampa Bay Guardian “There’s no media allowed, Bubba,” Anthony Pedicini told the Guardian reporter (whose name was not Bubba) after the reporter had introduced himself by name. “You want to come in, you write a check for the event,” Pedicini continued. Chronister himself attended …
By Jim Bleyer The federal investigation into shady land deals in Hillsborough County includes several targets besides County Commissioner Ken Hagan and his family, Tampa Bay Beat has learned. Those being investigated include private citizens as well as other public officials, according to our source in Tallahassee. No specific …
