By Jim Bleyer Community leaders in 218 American cities woke up Friday wondering why the top executives at internet retailing giant Amazon failed to recognize their hometown’s unparalleled assets and bounty of virtues. Despite the announced winnowing of the field to 20 cities, the competition has always been about …
By Jim Bleyer Milos Columbo identified 007 as possessing that quality in the James Bond film “For Your Eyes Only” but he could just as well have been describing Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. While his Democratic primary opponents Philip Levine and Gwen Graham are relying on piles of money …
U By Jim Bleyer An insurance executive opening a modest, independent agency would spend thousands of dollars on creative talent to devise an appropriate catchy name and logo. An owner of a new sandwich shop or dry cleaning establishment would make a similar investment. Apparently the folks at Strategic …
By Jim Bleyer Florida Democrats, not Republicans, will be the ones tested in 2018. When it comes to lessons learned, the GOP is the quicker study. The Democrats are strong in urban pockets and U.S. Senator Bill Nelson has been their only …
By Jim Bleyer Hillsborough County taxpayers, take a look around. If you can’t find the sucker, it’s you. Anyone favoring a new taxpayer-funded stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays is either in the cabal of grifters that will share in the $600M+ windfall or baseball aficianados that have …
By Jim Bleyer Two highly-regarded city councilwomen from opposite sides of Tampa Bay articulately discussed intra-city collaboration on transit, the arts, the environment, international trade, and law enforcement at the weekly Cafe con Tampa gabfest Friday. But …
By Jim Bleyer A land deal that would cost Hillsborough County taxpayers an estimated $600 million to enrich corporate interests, at least one public official, and Tampa Bay Times investors was suddenly unveiled yesterday to an unsuspecting public. It’s an unraveling plot that is worthy of the duplicity, …
By Jim Bleyer Passersby could easily mistake the boxy ivory-hued edifice for an art museum annex or upscale assisted living center. But this is St. Armands Key where tony residences and several palatial estates abound. Still, there is nothing quite like Tampa Bay Times investor and hockey franchise owner Jeff …
By Tom Rask (Reprinted with permisssion from the Tampa Bay Guardian) In June, Tampa Bay Times CEO Paul Tash announced that a newly formed company called FBN Partners had provided his newspaper with a $12 million loan. FBN in turn had reportedly obtained the fund from eight investors in …
By Sharon Calvert We’re being setup AGAIN! As we posted here, Senator Jack Latvala unscrupulously used his position as Senate Appropriations Chair to ram his crony TBARTA bill written by special interests thru the state legislature to create a new transit agency “Tampa Bay Area Regional …
