Conversations With Candidates: Ed Turanchik

If the key qualification for mayor of Tampa was Mensa candidacy–or maybe hotshot Jeopardy! prospect– the next occupant of City Hall would be Ed Turanchik. The suburban Cleveland native, 55, has always exuded smart.

Coming out of North Olmsted High, he had an academic scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. He initially considered a medical career and graduated with a B.S. in biology. Medicine, however, would morph into an interest in evolutionary ecology. To that end, he earned an M.A. in zoology from Michigan State University. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

“I’ve always like intellectual challenges,” he explains matter-of-factly.

But ultimately the evolutionary-ecologist calling went unheeded, he says, because he ran into the reality that such a pursuit was too mathematical and theoretical. Not the purview for someone becoming increasingly real-world oriented. He liked his first exposure to urban ambience in Cincinnati.

He evolved.

Although a Democrat, he would work on moderate Republican John Anderson’s presidential campaign in 1980 and went back to school–this time earning a law degree from Ohio State University, where he was president of the Student Bar Association. A developing social conscience prompted him to create a foundation, still thriving, to help law students work as clerks for non-profit, legal assistance organizations. More evolution.

The retirement of his parents to Naples–and his love of sailing and desire for a city with an upside future–prompted his permanent move to Tampa in 1988. He was a labor-law (notably employment discrimination cases) attorney–initially with the Carlton Fields law firm–for 10 years. “It was civil rights and business practices,” recalls Turanchik. “It was about human stories, each one unique.”

But that was only his day job. He joined the Sierra Club and became a growth-management and land-use-ordinance gadfly to the Hillsborough County Commission. He found his voice as a “diehard ecologist,” he says. And, before long, as an elected official.

Less than three years removed from Ohio, the 30-something, self-described “scientist-lawyer,” had defeated incumbent Haven Poe for her County Commission seat. More evolution.

Thinking “Big”

Through two terms, Turanchik was best known–and often parodied–for being too far out in front on the role of regional commuter rail. Don Quixote tilting at CSX tracks. Elsewhere on the political landscape, he played a prominent role in settling regional “water wars” and pushed for a downtown arena site for hockey and other events, one of which will be held next year when the GOP convention comes to town.

After two terms on the Commission, he left to pursue visions. He became the point man for the uber long-shot, (2012) regional Olympic bid with Tampa as hub and Civitas, a massive, urban-redevelopment reincarnation of the Central Park public housing area. Neither happened.

Turanchik will tell you such projects–including commuter rail back in 1991–were “worth the pursuit” and is not about to apologize for “thinking big.” Where some have seen an analytical, ambitious, strategic thinker, others have see a dreamer with unimplemented visions–the down side of man’s reach exceeding his grasp on practicality.

“No, that whole big dream-perception thing isn’t as frustrating as people think,” says Turanchik, who also IS big at 6’5″. “Where it tends to come from is political opponents. That only reflects their limitations. I have a clear, strong vision of a livable, prosperous city. Everything I do is consistent with that goal.”

He’ll also point out that the failed Olympic bid brought Tampa Bay and Orlando closer, and his subsequent lobbying efforts helped provide the impetus for the regional high-speed rail pitch that resulted in $2.4 billion in proffered federal funding. Moreover, the Tampa business community has made it clear that it is now on board for rail-driven, modern mass transit.

Orlando Connection

The visionary approach became the underpinning of Turanchik’s multi-dimensional “smart growth”  mantra for mayor. It ranges from self-help bootstraps to a game-changing bullet train. Today and tomorrow.

On one hand, it includes the city expediting the rehabbing of homes with interest-free loans (from reserves or general fund); investing in renewable energies; being a budgetary hawk on public-employee salaries and benefits; advocating for consolidation of “non-core” services with other governments; and creating a 5-mile “smart grid” innovation-and-lifestyle corridor (“TBnet”) that would connect TIA, downtown, the high-speed rail station and Ybor City. On the other hand, it also entails positioning Tampa to take advantage of “super-region” synergy and even getting proactive about trade opportunities with Cuba.  

Of the former, he says simply: “Help is not coming from Washington or Tallahassee. Microsoft’s not coming here to solve our problems. It’s US investing in ourselves. The mayor’s job is to facilitate people investing in themselves. This recession started with housing, and it’s not going to turn around until we turn around housing.”

Of the latter, he posits this: “We need to take advantage of our ‘super region.’ Yes, Gov. Scott needs to accept the federal dollars. High-speed rail helps cluster people and assets. Makes it easier to attract talent and industry. It give us speed and reliability between two hubs, the two most dynamic markets in Florida. We can’t be limited to I-4. It averages 10 accidents a day and a death every 10 days.  

“My hope is that by 2015 there is a high-speed train (from Orlando) to Tampa to a regional train to USF to Clearwater … seamless connections to Ybor City, Channelside, the arts district. It (high-speed rail) makes downtown Tampa and the cultural arts/heritage tourism an extension of the central Florida experience. Forty million tourists 32 minutes away. It’s a huge opportunity to attract new business and Disney traffic. The marketplace will embrace it with zeal.”

Turanchik also takes pains to point out that while he is synonymous with rail to many voters and definitely favors putting regional mass transit back on the ballot as soon as possible, he is no champion of the plan that was defeated on last November’s ballot. He wants a less expensive, better targeted version.

He wants a regional rail line as well as light rail. He would use existing CSX tracks for affordable, regional service based on “hybrid rail” technology, he emphasizes. More expensive light rail service should be reserved for urban corridors with significant redevelopment potential. He also would borrow a transit-concept staple from Walt Disney World. He would like to see Tampa’s downtown, high-speed rail station connected to TIA via synchronized, baggage-friendly bus service.  

As for the Cuban connection, Turanchik says Tampa shouldn’t be in the business of turning down business opportunities, especially when they’re so close. “Within 90 days I will lead or participate in a trade mission to Cuba to talk about opening up more opportunities that are currently legal,” he promises. “And, yes, I think we can influence national foreign policy on this. The mayor of Tampa is pretty powerful. … Central Florida and Tampa Bay now dominate the political landscape in Florida.”

More evolution.

******************************************************************************Turanchik has been married to the former Jenny Pierson, a Tampa native, for 19 years. They have two children, Laura Jean and John Winston, 17 and 15, respectively.

Turanchik Outtakes

* Modern mass transit as a non-starter throughout the 1990s: “Largely the fault of other elected officials who didn’t see the vision. Now there are a whole lot of referendum converts.”

* Light rail specific: “I’m not for what has been called ‘yuppie rail.’ You have to pick the right technology at the right price to do the right job.”

* Downtown: “It’s a dramatic re-positioning with high-speed rail.”

* City’s $41-million pension costs: “That’s the canary in the mineshaft. It tells us we’d better get our house in order.”

* Correlation between his private-sector experience as builder-developer with InTown Homes and his run for mayor: “It really hits home during a recession when a worker asks you if you have any work for them. Obviously we need to prioritize high-tech recruiting. That’s are long-term solution. But it’s no salve right now to those workers without work. I get accused of ‘dreaming,’ but I’m totally grounded on this.”

* Role of government: “Be a market facilitator–and spare the heavy regulatory hand. When I was running InTown, I wanted government to get out of the way. Government rules and regulations were a problem.”

* Cuba: “Free trade with Cuba is in our interests–but not just in our interests. It will also help bring more freedom to the Cuban people. The more interaction, the more it opens up that country.”  

* Port of Tampa: “The Panama Canal project will be finished in 2014. We need to be ready for the seamless movement of cargo. I’ll be working with CSX.”

* Ybor City: “Our history helps. The current use of Ybor amounts to a greatly undervalued asset. It needs to be repositioned as part of our national heritage and a major attraction. I would be very active supporting ‘heritage tourism.’ And our long-time relationship–and roots–with Cuba are part of it.”

* The USF area: “It’s an embarrassment. The surrounding environment has all the ambience of decaying suburbia. That needs to be re-tooled and, believe me, there are models out there. It would definitely mean partnering with Busch (Gardens), the VA, Moffitt, University Mall, etc.”

* City vs. County dynamic: “It’s improved. I think we are past that (dysfunctional label). It’s (County Commission) largely pragmatic now. I’d be excited to work with (County Administrator) Mike Merrill.”

* Panhandling: “Extend the (county) ban into the city.”

* The fund-raising side of running for office: “No, I wouldn’t call it a ‘necessary evil.’ It’s an opportunity to sell your ideas and yourself. Voters can invest–or not–in you. It measures voters as well as it measures candidates.”