Category: Tampa Bay

                Much has been made of Kevin Beckner’s County Commission win over GOP incumbent Brian Blair. And rightly so. Imagine running as an openly gay candidate in a county hardly known as a bastion of progressive, social activism. His win was historic.

                While Blair, a ham-handed caricature of Hillsborough conservatives, ran an unimpressive campaign that ignored numerous forums, Beckner stuck to a game plan that was unrelenting in its use of any and all vehicles, including the Internet. He mobilized young volunteers and early on earned the backing of key Democratic operatives, who liked his financial-planner background and signed on to his environmental, smart-growth, affordable housing and mass transit agenda.

                But don’t forget Beckner’s campaign manager, Mitch Kates. He’s the one who helped Mary Mulhern take out City Council incumbent Shawn Harrison. Kates knows it takes more than a noble cause to win. He plays for keeps – and it showed.

             I’m not a Mark Larsen fan, but it’s not a matter of ideological incompatibility. I just find the libertarian boilerplate specials of the WWBA-AM morning guy to be typically light fare. Besides, I prefer Oldies-or-sports-talk escape when I’m privy to a radio.

            But what was with Larsen’s black-face Webcam act the day after the presidential election? Is this a harbinger of the caricature humor ahead?  Isn’t the Internet forum enough for sophomoric racist humor?

We had, understandably and appropriately enough, “philandering” “Slick Willy.”  We have — for another two months — inarticulate and intellectually incurious “W.” And now we have, what, “Blarack?

            The election of Barack Obama, to be sure, is a tectonic change-symbol in American politics. It’s not, of course, because the president-elect is well-spoken, attractive, Democratic, charismatic and 40-something. We’ve had one of those before: Jack Kennedy. He just wasn’t as liberal.

It’s because Obama is African American — or, as we used to say, “black.”

            Even though we’ve had Colin Powell and Condi Rice, a non-white president had been uncharted parody territory for mainstream cartoonists, comedians and commentators, such as Larsen. But Obama’s blackness is fair, if challenging, game. To date, Jon Stewart, who can be smarmy and smug, has been on the money. If Obama’s not offended, why should anyone else be? None of the late-night comics has been out of line – but hardly yoked by political correctness. As it should be.

The key is for racial humor not to morph into racist rudeness and insulting stereotypes.

We know the church and state of color won’t always stay separate. That’s human nature. That’s America. That’s show biz.

Obama’s humorous “mutt” reference at his initial (president elect) press conference was as mood altering as it was self deprecating. It’s healthy — and politically astute — to laugh at yourself. And the cues to the rest of the culture are appreciated.

Too bad Larsen didn’t wait for his. Instead, he did his minstrel-era, blackface routine – in the name of proving he doesn’t play “double standards.”

In so doing, ironically, he simply proved himself devoid of the standard that matters in his business. He was neither professional – nor funny.  

Here we go again.

What should we call the new high school opening next summer near Plant City? Alas, a really good name, Plant City HS, is already taken.

 Given the association of strawberries and Plant City, there was logical sentiment for variations on a berry theme, including Strawberry Crest HS. And because the new school sits partly on land sold to Hillsborough County by the Griffin Family, there was a rationale for Osburn M. Griffin HS.

Put it this way. Why not think students first? A sense of school identity is important – and all too infrequently realized. And nothing says community like geography or indigenous trait. That’s why Apollo Beach Elementary or Turkey Creek Middle or Brandon Senior HS works better than, say, Mintz Elementary, Farnell Middle or Newsome HS.                                             

Moreover, we’re all familiar with the surname game. The living are still subject to revisionist embarrassments or modest accomplishments. The pantheon of great (deceased) Americans is limited and, well, taken. How many more Washingtons, Jeffersons and Lincolns do we want? Then the pecking order dilutes quickly to local politicians, captains of industry, school board members and those who sell land to the county for a school.

  Strawberry Crest HS?  Good choice. And a likely winner with students. The Fighting Smoothies? The Strawberry Blondes? The students would love it. That has to count for something.

          *So, Hillsborough County led the state in voter complaints. Was there ever a doubt that this election would be one more opportunity for Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson to add to his inglorious legacy?

But he did, at least, lose. However, his 233,000 votes were only about 18,000 fewer than those cast for Phyllis Busansky.

Which begs the question: And how many votes would he have gotten were he competent? 

*Nice victory statement from Rachel Burgin, the experience-challenged, 26-year-old who won the District 56 Florida House seat. “I’m very honored and humbled that the people of Hillsborough Count have decided to let me continue to represent this district,” she said.

Arguably, more presumptuous than “humbled,” however. She is not the incumbent. That was Trey Traviesa. Burgin was his dutiful, acolyte aide. Close enough for government work.

*Tampa Bay lived up to its king-maker reputation. When a Democratic presidential candidate wins Hillsborough County, the ramifications — and electoral ripples — are nationwide.

            In presidential elections, especially ones with bigger-than-normal turnouts, there’s always speculation about “down-ballot” scenarios. How will those running for local office be affected by those presidential candidates at the top of the ballot? Will there be “coattails?”  

And to what degree do those “down ballot” disagree with the party’s standard-bearer at the top? Are there, in fact, any significant disagreements? Here’s how the candidates (Democratic challenger Yoli Capin and Republican incumbent Faye Culp) for state representative (District 57) responded:

*Capin: “I’m a strong supporter. I was at that first fund-raiser for Obama last year. I guess it would be a little more on health care. Make it universal and one-payer.”

*Culp: “I’m a big McCain supporter. But it would be over being ‘pro-choice.’”(Culp is a member of the WISH List, a political action committee devoted to pro-choice Republican women.)

Culp is also enthusiastic — OK, rhapsodic — about VP candidate Sarah Palin. “Like Hillary Clinton, she is helping to break that glass ceiling in what is still a ‘man’s world,’” says Culp. “So, more power to her and all women. And she’s there because of her qualifications. She scrubs hard. …Yeah. ‘Drill, baby, drill.’”

             For what it’s worth, the Halloween census seemed down in our South Tampa neighborhood this year. No vans dropping off kids and no teens in civvies looking for free stuff. Maybe word was out that Snickers had downsized yet again.

            And for the first time in recent memory, there were no girls costumed as popular-culture strumpets. Nice to see that good parenting and Halloween envelope-pushing can co-exist without any more Britney Spears knock-offs. There were more Harry Potters and Jokers – and at least one cell-phone chatting princess, who didn’t even warrant a down-sized Snickers.

The relationship between Lowry Park Zoo, its president Lex Salisbury, and Salisbury’s private Safari Wild obviously has been getting the scrutiny it deserves. And has deserved for some time. The transfer of those three zoo rhinos to Safari Wild symbolized and illustrated the intermingling-of-assets and conflict-of-interest issues.

On balance, Salisbury has done a good job, and the Lowry Park Zoo is a credit to this community — but this is serious enough to have warranted Salisbury’s leave-of-absence pending audits.

But “Rhinogate?”

The “gate” affix (“Troopergate” most recently) is a trite media staple that over- dramatizes, over-hypes and over-states whatever it references. It was a surprise that communications savvy Mayor Pam Iorio, who dubbed the Zoo-Safari controversy “Rhinogate,” would traffic in it.

           While it’s premature to celebrate, the most recent word out of South Tampa’s Hyde Park Village is the most encouraging in years. It looks like the controversial, mid-rise condos, which were to be the centerpiece of redevelopment, are out. And a Canadian furniture store, a six-screen theater, new restaurants and more – could be in.

            Some history:

            Buffeted by mall competition, the Village, which is nestled within the historic Old Hyde Park neighborhood, had been seeing anchor businesses depart and a disquieting game of musical storefronts commence. Developer David Wasserman determined last year that “the numbers wouldn’t work” in a major ($100-million) redevelopment without those condos in the mix. Sorry, but it was the nature of the market.

            The neighbors, understandably, weren’t happy. But nobody wanted a failed retail eyesore either. Some compromise ensued on condo heights, and the city pragmatically approved the project last December.

            Now, ironically, the market has spoken again. Where once condo towers seemed inappropriate but necessary for revitalization, they now seem inappropriate and unnecessary. Let’s hear it for the market; sometimes it takes a Village to remind us.

            It’s that time of the year again, and we’re now seeing those holiday-themed fliers in the mail and inserted into our newspapers. One such was a reminder of seasonal items now available at CVS/Pharmacy, Rite Aid, Walgreens and others.

Let’s see, there was a $1-off coupon for Sue Bee honey products that was accompanied by a courtesy recipe for Applesauce Honey Nut bread. And an offer of free shipping and handling for personalized Christmas cards. And an ad for Identigene, the at-home, DNA Paternity Testing Kit. Compact enough, presumably, for a stocking stuffer.

Finally.

Tampa Housing Authority Commissioner Karen Peoples has been evicted. She’s been in violation of federal housing guidelines for nearly a year because she lives alone in a four-bedroom, C. Blythe Andrews apartment. An apartment that sets her back all of $26 a month.

But that’s just for openers. Peoples has been at Andrews since 1984.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development subsidizes housing for those in need – to help them through life’s financially trying transitions. But Peoples is the Poster Tenant for everything that’s wrong with public housing: subsidizing lives and lifestyles – not temporarily tough times.