Category: Tampa Bay

It was noteworthy, if not stop-the-presses stuff. Gerry Adams–the long-time leader of Sinn Fein, the political arm of the Irish Republican Army–is stepping down. Now 69, Adams has long been a high-profile advocate for “democratic socialism” and an end to the political partition of the island of Ireland. He has led Sinn Fein for more than 30 years.

And during that time–1995 to be exact–he visited Tampa as part of his barnstorming American tour to raise awareness and money. I heard his history-heavy talk at the University of Tampa, and later caught his more activist, emotional approach at a fund-raiser at Four Green Fields Irish pub.

The latter was more entertaining. Pubs guarantee it. Adams was both wry and emphatic. He talked about the Good Friday peace accord and the shared-power experiment in self-government as merely part of a process. It was a “short-term, strategic goal” he told the crowd.

That’s because unification with the Republic of Ireland remained unwaveringly the “long-term” goal. And Adams made it clear that “long” was, in short, not all that long as demographic patterns continued to favor Northern Ireland’s Catholic population. A Catholic majority was not much more than a generation or two away, if that, he underscored. So why resort to violence when demographic inevitability can carry out your agenda?

“Peace is not just the absence of violence,” he told his beer-quaffing audience. “It’s also justice. Irish unity will manifest itself in whatever society people want.”

It went over well with the Guinness crowd.

Chances are, the over-analysis of the St. Petersburg mayoral race hasn’t ended yet: from musings over the Trump factor and Democratic Party support to Rick Kriseman chief of staff Kevin King and St. Pete Pride.

Two takeaways:

Yes, it is formally a non-partisan race, and that is as it should be for a city. But these are extraordinary times for our country–and the ramifications of a Trump administration have an inevitable ripple effect across states and municipalities. From climate-change implications to federal grants to nuclear saber-rattling. And from a personal perspective, if you can’t publicly disassociate yourself from life-long, Trump values–from misogyny to mendacity–you are not to be trusted.

Second, much was made that 10,000 more voters turned out for the general election than for the primary; it was characterized as a pretty good turnout. As in 38 percent isn’t bad for an off-year election.

That’s the sad reality for democracy in contemporary America. More than 60 percent of the voters are no-shows in a really important election for a city that matters on so many levels, and that’s considered pretty good. That’s bad.

The timing was coincidental, but the variation on a theme is an all-too-familiar one. The announcements that the Cross-Bay Ferry would not be re-upped this season and that HART CEO Katherine Eagan was leaving for Pittsburgh were in the same news cycle. Although decidedly different transportation modes, the ferry and the HART system are further reminders that Tampa continues its transformation plans without serious transportation plans.

We are surrounded by water and yet a regional ferry system–absent literal buy-in from all partners–is still in a trial-run stage. Maybe in 2018. And HART still means buses. No wonder Eagan is eager to be the CEO of the Port Authority of Allegheny, Pa., which includes buses, light rail and aerial cable cars.

From elected officials to local media, there was an understandable outpouring of respect and love over the passing of Jan Platt. Her service, ethics and inspiration were well noted across a spectrum of the citizenry. Among the eclectic chorus: the Press Box Lounge on South Dale Mabry. A digital sign out front said: “RIP Jan Platt, a Tampa Icon.” Nearby was “Go Bolts” signage.

That speaks volumes when it’s not just high-profile public officials who are giving shout-outs for one of their own. Jan Platt touched a lot of lives, and the Press Box underscored that reality. Indeed, RIP.

We’ve seen Tampa make the national news before. Hurricane cross-hairs. Super Bowls. National political convention. Swing-state, I-4 Corridor anchor city. But nobody saw this one coming. It has nothing to do with Amazon’s “HQ2.” It has everything to do with community fear.

Over the last fortnight, Tampa has become a staple of online and network news. It was the lead item on Sunday’s NBC network newscast. Probably others too. A serial killer has apparently been stalking Seminole Heights. Three murders in 10 days within a mile radius. It’s resulted in unlikely national air time for interim police Chief Brian Dugan and Seminole Heights incoming neighborhood association president Steve Zinder.

The shooting deaths are connected, say police, without saying too much. A lanky, semi-strutting “person of interest” glides through surveillance footage like some hooded, suspicious specter.

Making matters worse, Halloween is just a few days away. We all know the implications.

The anxiety and stress are palpable. The need for collective security and community solidarity has never been more acute. Porch lights on. Nobody walks alone. You could be a victim–or a suspect.

But by all accounts, “Tampa Strong” doesn’t look like a bumper sticker. It’s being lived.

There was a candlelight vigil for the victims–a black man, a white woman and a Hispanic man–that was accompanied by a police escort. Code inspectors are out looking for possible hideouts. City crews and TPD are working the alleys, removing debris and patrolling. Officers are escorting students home from school. The Tampa branch of the Guardian Angels is on patrol. TECO is replacing street lights. Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Chief Dugan were prominent at Monday’s community meeting at Edison Elementary School on east Curtis Street. Their mission: preach calm as well as caution. Being on edge is understandable, being careless is not. No weak links.

This is not some DOT matter or gentrification issue. This is life and death. This is now about caring, vigilant neighbors and collaborative community policing.

And at some point, this will all, mercifully, be behind us. But when that happens let’s remember that community ties are ongoing and solidarity doesn’t require an existential threat. In that way, good can be the upshot of evil.

Not that we needed reminding, but we are Tampa strong. And all Tampa lives matter.

Not that we need reminding, but Mayor Bob is Mayor Bob. “This is personal,” underscored Buckhorn. “We will hunt this SOB down.”

When it comes to the alarming incidence of teen car thefts, we know that well-intentioned leaders such as U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and State Sen. Darryl Rouson are on the case for more youth programs. We also know that state legislators have tightened the law for the worst offenders, and that the Department of Juvenile Justice is rethinking its detention center operations.

Well and good, if inadequate for the here and now. We also need to acknowledge several overlapping bottom lines.

* There are a number of people in a position to make a theoretical difference in young lives, but none are more important than the adults at home. What good does it do to have more recreational activities if the operative question remains: “What else is there to do at 3 a.m.?”

* Even more to the point, joy-riding punks in speeding cars with no lights is an obvious public safety menace. It’s de facto domestic terrorism for all other drivers. This can’t be part of “the new normal.”

* Stupid enablers: How do you not lock your car and pocket your keys? It’s your property–and now you’ve jeopardized innocent lives because of what could play out.

* It’s been reported that St. Petersburg Police Chief Tony Holloway is planning to visit the Juvenile Detention Center to talk to “the kids.” Good idea. But what took so long? Pinellas County leads, as it were, the state in arrested car thieves. As a black police chief, Holloway is uniquely positioned for come-to-Jesus meetings with juvenile offenders, most of whom are black, some of whom will become road kill.

* “Black Lives Matter“: Any interest yet?

The Florida School Boards Association held a training session recently to help Hillsborough and Pinellas board members improve their effectiveness by focusing most notably on listening and respect. Perhaps it should have been more remedial.

Two Hillsborough board members, April Griffin and Tamara Shamburger had an embarrassing exchange where acting out and some crude language upstaged the kumbaya optics. Good thing teachers and students weren’t there to witness the antics.

But the press was.

Say what you want about the progressive cities of San Francisco, Seattle or Portland, it was St. Petersburg, Florida that stepped up and cast a nationally-noted vote to limit contributions to political action committees. Say what you want about council idealism and naiveté, this 6-2 vote was, in effect, a well-needed rebuke to the game-changing Citizens United decision that removed restrictions on outside groups influencing elections. St. Petersburg has become a microcosm of what has to happen electorally before our democracy erodes any more. The local law will cap–at $5,000–what an individual can give to PACs involved in St.Pete elections. Moreover, it will also demand more transparency from donors.

We know that money talks. The St. Pete City Council just said that money, 2010 Supreme Court majority notwithstanding, is not speech.

This will take some time–and, yes, money–to play out in the court system. But somebody had to courageously take this principled stand for common sense for the common good. And here’s hoping all those activist organizations that preach how democracy desperately needs campaign finance reform will now step up and help underwrite whatever the Defend Our Democracy ordinance costs. We know what Citizens United has already cost us.

Should banker-philanthropist David A. Straz Jr. get into the next mayoral race–and the signs are more than manifest that he’s very seriously considering it–he will be more than a viable candidate. He could be the political pre-season pick if he decides to go all in. He has business acumen, money, connections, likeability and credibility.

This wouldn’t be a next-step, political career move for an up-and-comer. This could be the next national step in a maturing, redefining city’s growth and realization of potential.

And Straz, it should also be well noted, has a refreshing, enlightened-self-interest take on Tampa’s relationship with Cuba, one that has been missing in action at City Hall for too long.

* One of the most anxiety-producing headlines in memory was this one in USA Today: “For Tampa, ‘Our Day Has Come.'” To be in Seattle and read Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s apocalyptic forecast for our home town was numbing.

* There was no lack of teachable moments in the wake of the Hurricane Irma experience. Ask Santa for a generator. Have a higher-ground plan and a stash of bottled water. Utilities need to expand tree-cutting in advance of hurricane season and bury as many power lines underground as practicable. And the county and its hub city need to be on the same page, especially when it comes to evacuations. Hillsborough/Tampa should not be less in synch than Orange/Orlando and Pinellas/St. Petersburg.