Category: Tampa Bay

Gertrude Stein once chided Oakland, where she spent her childhood, for its identity-challenged ambience. Her observation: “There is no there there” remains a classic. Residents of Tampa, which has long lacked a readily identifiable, central gathering, celebrating, rallying, entertaining, communing venue, understand.

Which makes the prospect of what Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park can be truly special.

The $12-million project, funded mostly via Community Investment Tax dollars, will be completed next year – and is expected to be its own destination along the downtown riverfront.

Because of budget cutbacks, however, plans for iconic fountains had to be initially scrapped. But now they’re back – thanks to a philanthropic gift from the non-profit F.E. Lykes Foundation. The $1 million donation will underwrite a giant misting fountain at the Ashley Drive gateway and two smaller ones along the riverfront.

The fountains are precisely what the park – any prominent park worth its municipal charge – needed. Moreover, the critical role of the private sector has been underscored in a dramatically aesthetic way – one that will assure that there will, indeed, be a “there” right there in downtown Tampa.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman’s proposal to rename the “Moral Courage Award” after the late Ralph Hughes is now reality. Norman’s had, as we know, worse ideas, but this one is bad. Unless political agenda is somehow synonymous with moral courage.

If there had to be any kind of name change, then it would have been more appropriate to have called it the “Gadfly Award,” which often applies, or maybe the “Self-Interest Award,” which also has applied in the past. Or simply an “Attaboy Award” for those who merely do their job, but do it well enough.

Better yet, the “Moral Courage Award” appellation should have been kept as it was and then bestowed (RARELY but) meaningfully. That would be in keeping with what former Hillsborough County Commissioner Jan Platt intended when she initiated it in 1992: honoring those who had guts – not gall – and stood up against the intimidating forces of corruption and abusive power. Let’s face it; the truly morally courageous don’t come around that often.

Even Ralph Hughes might have agreed.

It might be a good time to take down those City of Champions signs that greet visitors by extolling Tampa for its Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and Arena Bowl championships. Unless the Bucs are actually in Tampa-hosted Super Bowl XLIII, such signage will become fodder for out-of-town journalists quick to remind the world that Tampa is a city living in the past. Especially if the city across the bay is still celebrating the ultimate baseball success.

I remember the first time I encountered Charlie Arnade, the singular USF international affairs professor who died recently at 81. It was in the 1970s, and he was a last-minute substitute instructor in a Russian History course on USF’s St. Petersburg campus.

He spoke English with a hybrid European accent that was – I later learned – totally befitting one born in Germany but raised in China, Bolivia and Switzerland. He wore a dashiki.

Without a lesson plan, he winged it with mesmerizing stories – from cultural crucibles in Arabic countries to the “Rape of Nanjing” to a chance encounter with Che Guevara. Somehow, he wove them into a uniquely memorable, geopolitical lesson.

Later, as a journalist and the USF media relations manager, I was privy to another side of Professor Arnade. He was much more than a Fulbright Scholar who specialized in Latin American studies.

He pulled no rhetorical punches and spoke the truth as he knew it. Back in the day, he was not afraid to protest against segregation. In the mid-’90s, he was an outspoken campus contrarian about the priorities represented by the prospect of big-time football at USF. Academic freedom was no mere abstraction.

Arnade, who was a founding professor at USF, was one of those notably learned, eccentric and colorful characters that universities can never have enough of. Moreover, much of what he knew and taught was what he had literally lived. He was one of a kind.

We all, quite naturally, like to think the best of our democracy, especially when it’s confronted by forces antithetical to its very premise. But in practice, of course, democracy is only as good as the process and the people who are consequently elected.

Which brings us – somehow – to Rachel Burgin, the heavily favored Republican candidate for the Florida House District 56 seat – the one previously held by GOP Rep. Trey Traviesa. When Traviesa surprisingly dropped out at the last minute — and the Democratic competition was a token, concession candidate — that left Burgin, an attractive, ambitious former Traviesa aide, as the choice of party leaders. And the de facto , odds-on favorite.

She’s 26, lacks a college degree and lives with her parents. But she has been a White House intern and an effective staffer for Traviesa and Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair. She is, by all accounts, a real “people person” and an adept at waving signs, handing out fliers and ringing door bells.

To be fair, Burgin might yet be a meaningfully qualified candidate for the state legislature. But right now, she’s no (former state Rep.) Sandy Murman, among those passed over for the energetic, grass-roots savvy, Traviesa acolyte.

The voters of District 56 deserve better.

Until his recent win in the Democratic primary, District 6 Hillsborough County Commission candidate Kevin Beckner had never run for office. Never felt compelled to.

In his 10 years in Tampa, the 37-year-old Carrollwood resident was settling into a career as a certified financial planner. The Indiana native was content to build a client base from his (then) Ybor City — and now South Westshore — office and put down entrepreneurial roots in his adopted county.

Then Beckner had an epiphany amid an ironic awakening.

Here he was in the business of helping clients financially plan for their future in an area that appeared foresight challenged. Where smart development, environmental enlightenment and mass transit often seemed oxymoronic.

“I saw a growing concern about where the community was headed,” he recalls. “It seemed there was a lack of vision for where we would be in 20-30-40 years. And here I was – one of those doing the complaining. Frankly, I got tired of standing on the sidelines. I thought I could put my talent to use.”

That was back in early 2006. Now the Indiana University graduate could even make history. He’s openly gay and enjoys the considerable support of gay and lesbian activists. A countywide-office victory would be historic.

Beckner, who looks even younger than his 37 years, began talking to political activists, leaders and consultants. Among his confidants: Democratic stalwarts such as Jan Platt, Pat Frank and Phyllis Busansky.

They were impressed, and he was encouraged. They liked his financial savvy, long-term orientation, environmental sensitivity, diversity embrace and non-confrontational demeanor. And his experience as a law-enforcement officer (IU campus police for 3 ½ years) and presidency of Leadership Tampa Bay, class of 2007, hardly hurt. In short, they were ecstatic they had found the polar opposite of District 6 incumbent, Republican Brian Blair.

Tampa City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena explains the Beckner appeal: “He values the protection of our natural environment and the importance of transit and the need for a healthy balance in our investments in sports, culture and history. He also knows that it’s critical that the city and county work in harmony,” adds Saul-Sena. “I believe he completely understands the importance of this being a positive relationship.”

Themes And Sub-Themes

In January 2007 Beckner formally launched his campaign – getting a jump on the primary rivals, Joe Redner and Denise Layne, he would later defeat handily. Initially he went on a listening tour that took him to any group that would have him. It yielded a theme and a mantra: “Affordable living.” It included housing for young professionals, more collaborative efforts on behalf of higher-paying jobs, progressive transportation options, vigilant environmental stewardship and more regional cooperation.

It also yielded a sub-theme: enlightened self-interest.

*A mix of regional mass transit, a more integrated bus system and additional bike paths is designed, Beckner notes pragmatically, “to get more cars off the road. When it comes to transportation, we are the most expensive city in the country per capita.”

*Putting a premium on wetlands, he points out, is not some sort of impractical, mangrove-hugging ideal. The implications are both environmental and economic, he underscores. “We’re talking about eroding our buffer against hurricanes.”

*He’s hardly anti-developer, stresses Beckner. He says developers are to be worked with – just not kowtowed to. He wants more emphasis on “planned growth in urban service areas” and “re-development in blighted areas.” He doesn’t advocate a hike in impact fees, but would reassess them.

*He says the often discordant relationship between the county and the city of Tampa is more than regrettable. It’s counterproductive for the big planning picture. He singles out Blair for his “lack of vision.”

“I do long-term planning,” Beckner emphasizes. “It’s what I do. I bring those skills to the table. Right now we don’t have a collaborative vision at the county commission. The relationship between the county and city is tense, contentious and fractured. Nobody wins.

“Tampa is an economic hub,” Beckner points out, “but don’t forget that agriculture is a $600-million business. There’s no reason we can’t balance our rural and urban parts.”

*While Blair has earned a reputation as the bete noire of county spending, Beckner says he agrees with tax-cutting in principle – but not as a knee-jerk to every proposal. “We need to scrutinize every dollar,” Beckner says, “but I would also not be penny wise and pound foolish.”

Historic Possibility

After 20 months of campaigning, Beckner has amassed Democratic establishment support, including that of Congresswoman Kathy Castor, and more than $110,000 in contributions.

And fortuitously enough, Beckner catches an election year that could see significant gains for Democrats. Political analyst Bob Buckhorn, a former Tampa City Councilman who lost to Blair four years ago, says “the tides that swamped” him last time have ebbed. This should give Beckner hope “that Obama has coattails down ballot.”

Beckner could also be the beneficiary of a Hillsborough (and Florida) pattern that has seen Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in new registrants. In Hillsborough those numbers (since Jan. 1) are 15,000 Democrats to 7,000 Republicans.

The controversial and often ham-handed Blair is the political champion of developers and fiscal and social conservatives. He’s well-funded and the assumed political beneficiary of Amendment Two (ban on same-sex marriage) being on the November ballot. And the Sarah Palin phenomenon should help.

When he was serving as chairman of Hillsborough County’s Environmental Protection Commission, Blair acted as the point man for those wanting to dilute the county’s wetlands protections laws. He also aligned himself with anti-gay elements by voting against gay-pride displays on county property and assailing the anti-bullying Day of Silence in Hillsborough public schools.

A number of political observers and pundits give Beckner, well-positioned as the quintessential anti-Blair, much more than a rookie’s chance of winning. They note that Blair, a one-term incumbent, now has a track record, one with plenty of fodder to deter non-true believers.

“He’s raised a lot of money ($180,000), but he can’t buy himself out of his voting record,” states Beckner campaign manager Mitch Kates.

Not surprisingly, Blair likes his chances for re-election but says he’s running “as if I’m 20 points behind. I don’t take anyone for granted.”

He acknowledges that ballots in presidential years can have tricky dynamics. “What’s at the top of the ticket is always a concern,” he notes. “But I do have Democratic and independent support. I do cross aisles.”

As to controversial social issues that he’s associated with, Blair says they shouldn’t be the main focus of the election. “I’m a strong family-values person who’s all about saving people money,” he says, “whether it’s reducing property taxes or championing senior (homestead exemption) zones. But the other issues get more headlines.

“Look, we probably cast 1,000 votes in a year,” he points out. “Just don’t judge me by one.”

When Beckner supporters go to their candidate’s check list, they see a crew-cut, articulate, congenial sort whose financial-planning background necessarily prepares him for a role in a region better known for infighting and imprudent growth than amity and vision.

Others, however, may not see beyond the hot-button, social-conservative agenda embodied in Amendment Two. That could halt history.

“He can expect all the dirty tricks and nasty mail,” predicts Buckhorn, “none of which will be attributed to Blair. In the end, it depends on whether people’s desire for change will outweigh whatever biases they may have.”

For his part, Beckner thinks basics will trump bias. He doesn’t foresee a wedge-issue election.

“I think people are much more interest
ed in quality-of-life issues than somebody’s private life,” he assesses.

Kates ups the rhetorical ante.

“This will be the most historic victory ever in Hillsborough County.”

Just when you think you’ve heard it all in the name of curricular relevance and student-improvement strategies, we have SpringBoard. That’s the new Hillsborough County program that aims to teach language arts and math by playing down the traditional lecture role of teachers and playing up group problem-solving and role-playing. There’s even a provision for rewriting some Shakespeare as text messages and hip-hop.

Three points.

First, after a year of pilot programs in four schools, SpringBoard is now districtwide. Not all teachers are comfortable — or on board with the student-centered dynamic. It appears that school-busing wasn’t the only school district area to be communication challenged.

Second, in the tightest of budget eras, the county plans to spend more than $30 million on SpringBoard over the next five years.

Third, in a recent Tampa Tribune story, a SpringBoard trainer, Joanne Patchin, explained the process. “Sometimes students learn more and faster from each other than the teacher,” she told teachers at a county workshop. “It’s noisy, but they have fun and they’re learning.”

That’s a pedagogical red flag.

As a former English teacher, I’ve heard this refrain before. Nobody, of course, wants bored students and unsatisfactory results. But there is a difference between creative and chaotic. The key factor: the quality of the teacher. The best ones combine lectures and discipline with real-world motivation and a sense of humor.

I’d invest that $30 million in trying to lure more of the best and brightest into teaching.

Tom James has always liked collecting stuff. Early on, it was coins and stamps. Later on, it was satisfied clients.

And then there is his art, the investment where the bottom line is much more passion and patronage than pure profit. Starting innocently enough when he was a magna cum laude undergraduate at Harvard, he began buying local New England art. He kept at it through his Harvard MBA days.

“I wanted memories of things I identified with,” recalls James, the long-time chairman and CEO of Raymond James Financial Inc. Nearly a half-century and lots of travels and memories later, James has accumulated one of the largest private art collections in Florida. The Tom and Mary James/Raymond James Financial Art Collection now totals more than 1,800 pieces – from original paintings to bronze sculptures to graphics. The Jameses own 90 per cent of it. From Andy Warhol and Peter Max to Joan Miro and Salvador Dali to Jamie Wyeth. From local wildlife to Western and Southwestern artists. The latter now comprise more than half the collection.

He buys only living artists.

And they’re on display – integrated by style and theme – on all 28 floors of the four towers of RJF headquarters in St. Petersburg across from Feather Sound.

“I enjoy helping young artists with talent,” explains James. “Helping them showcase their talent. Helping them make some money.”

One such artist is the award-winning Ernest C. Simmons of Dunedin. His wildlife work is well represented at RJF – and is prominently exhibited in the annual “Wildlife and Western Life Vision Art Show” at RJF. “Tom has an educated eye for art, and he likes a good deal,” says Simmons. “He’s definitely a Republican, but with the heart of a Democrat. He’s a really cool guy and a great patron.”

But James does a lot more than buy art, support artists and host the Wildlife and Western show. He’s the catalyst behind RJF’s sponsorship of the annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in downtown Tampa and is working on plans to establish a museum in downtown St. Petersburg to display his Western and wildlife art. RJF, in conjunction with St. Petersburg College, is building the new home of the American Stage Theatre Company in St. Petersburg – the “Raymond James Theatre.” Moreover, RJF is a corporate sponsor of the Salvador Dali Museum and The Florida International Museum.

James is also president of the Dali Board of directors and a key behind-the-scenes player in the complex scenario that is the new museum plan.

“Tom is really engaged with the museum

Dottie Berger MacKinnon, chairwoman of volunteer services for the 2009 Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee, reports that the needed number of volunteers – 6,000 – was reached even before football season began. According to Berger, a waiting list of 1,000 will probably result.

As president of USF, Dr. Judy Genshaft presides over the 9th largest public university (45,000 students) in the country. One with 12,000 employees, $300 million in sponsored research, a $1.8 billion budget and an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion in the Tampa Bay area. She’s one of the pre-eminent executives in the region, including the pivotal, I-4 high-tech corridor.

And yet, on any given day, as Genshaft, 60, strides sprightly across campus, she will be hailed by a chorus of “JU-Dee, JU-Dee” chants from those two generations her junior.

Is this anyway to greet a president? You bet it is.

“I love it,” gushes Genshaft.

Now in her eighth year at the USF helm, the Canton, Ohio, native has established herself as a quintessential “people person.” She reveres the campus dynamic and loves networking and collaborating — whatever it takes to leverage USF as a community partner and a statewide and national player.

“She’s an extraordinary resource for our community,” says Stu Rogel, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership. “And she’s the university’s number one cheerleader.”

To Genshaft, community-USF synergy is a given. Her current chairing of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce — and previous service chairing the Tampa Bay Partnership — underscores her commitment to partnership.

“It’s all absolutely intertwined with the university,” states Genshaft.

Adds Kim Scheeler, the former president and CEO of the Tampa Chamber: “People just really like being around her.”

Often the venue is the contemporary, on-campus, 9,000-square-foot Lifsey House, originally built in 1993 as a presidential residence. While Genshaft lives in nearby Tampa Palms with her husband Steven Greenbaum and their adopted sons Joel, 14, and Bryan, 11, she hosts countless functions at Lifsey ranging from donor gatherings to dignitary fetings.

“It’s a great reception area – and a great party atmosphere,” notes Genshaft. “I like being out with people, so, yes, I enjoy the hosting part.”

But most of all she enjoys being the point person for a young (52), urban, top-tier research institution fast-forwarding onto the higher education stage.

“I love USF and this area,” says Genshaft. “It’s exciting because it’s new; that means you can really make a difference by your leadership.”