By Jim Bleyer Bill Nelson’s campaign for a fourth term in the U. S. senate is off to a rocky start. Democratic operatives are duplicating failed strategies of the past, strategies that grow more ineffective with the passage of time. The 2010 gubernatorial campaign pitted Florida’s CFO Alex …
By Jim Bleyer One spends millions to improve the environment; the other greases the palms of public officials in exchange for …
By Jim Bleyer The generation, born from 2000 to the present, is known by sociologists as “The New Silents” or “Gen Z.” Thoughtless. Insulting, Inaccurate. This is the generation that has challenged pay-for-play politicians, confronted their socially unconscious elders, and sparked a mini-revolution. Media coverage of its activism over …
By Jim Bleyer While every company with a decent, moral corporate culture severs formal ties with the National Rifle Association in the wake of the horrific shooting that took the lives of 17 Florida high school students, FedEx stands alone. Their executives are obstinate, insensitive, and deceitful. But …
By Gene Webb, reposted from Bay Post Internet If you have been watching the news of the school shooting in Parkland and have been captivated by the event and the reactions around the state and the country, you may have missed a not so subtle twist. If you go …
By Scott Myers, Contributor Why do evangelical leaders like Franklin Graham continue to enable Donald Trump? Maybe it is because Donald Trump likely throws money at Franklin Graham’s charity – Samaritan’s Purse. Or maybe it is because Franklin Graham and his ilk are very …
By Jim Bleyer Two women with links to the Tampa Bay Times go all in on reporting on and discussing the #MeToo movement but they develop writer’s cramp and laryngitis when it comes to relating personal experience and exposing the “jerks” they claim to abhor. …
By Jim Bleyer Two Tampa legislators and Gov. Rick Scott, all with undistinguished records of public service, this week gave voters more reasons to support their opponents in 2018. State Reps. Jackie Toledo and Shawn Harrison along with the governor cratered to …
By Jim Bleyer Just when we thought the Tampa Bay Times hit rock bottom, it has plumbed new depths. Its coverage of the Florida gubernatorial race deliberately paints Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum with less-than-subtle inaccurate inferences that appeal to bigots. Influence-peddling and slanted news coverage have been Tampa Bay Times trademarks. …
By Jim Bleyer The five-month financial report filed by the Straz for Tampa PAC contains glaring omissions and possibly intentional misinformation geared to sanitize the participation of public relations executive Bill Carlson and his firm, Tucker-Hall. It’s the latest in a series of dreadful missteps by Straz and the cabal …
By Scott Myers, Contributor The current teacher pay issue in Hillsborough County is just an ugly symptom of how screwed up the county’s and the state of Florida’s priorities are. What is crystal clear is that public education is not very important as far as the powers-to-be are …
By Jim Bleyer Fifteen months ago the people and politicians of a major American city stood up to protect their region’s economic health and integrity by rejecting a shakedown from a billionaire owner of a big-league sports franchise. But the citizens of San Diego had three major advantages over …
By Scott Myers, Contributor and Jim Bleyer What we’ve known for months has become official: Tampa Bay Rays owner and public trough addict Stu Sternberg has blessed an Ybor City site as the location of a new stadium. Cost estimates are around $700 million but should never be trusted. …
By Jim Bleyer Florida gubernatorial hopeful Gwen Graham, her operatives, and allies view Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum as her primary threat for the Democratic nomination and are attempting to marginalize him through a nasty whisper campaign. Sources in Tallahassee and Tampa Bay have told us her public stance that …
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 …
By Sharon Calvert (reprinted from Eye on Tampa Bay) There was a packed room at PSTA last Friday at the TMA meeting where Jacobs Engineering presented a draft of their regional Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) proposal to TMA members. The TMA members represent the MPO’s from Hillsborough, Pinellas …
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 …
By Sharon Calvert (excerpts from Eye on Tampa Bay) Term limits are restrictions. They are imposed to restrict and limit the number of years or terms someone may serve in the same office. Term limits are imposed so that one person cannot hold an office for life and …
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 …
