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Tampa can learn a lesson from St. Petersburg's revitalization

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By JOE O'NEILL Tribune Correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 28, 2009

Sure, Tampa has taken its lumps over the last decade or so when its downtown - and use of the waterfront - were compared to St. Petersburg's.

Tampa was trying to make up for lost time and squandered opportunity, and St. Pete, once mired in a Bay Plaza identity crisis, was sailing along on a honeymoon of residential, arts and nightlife revitalization.

The recession has taken its toll on both places, of course, but Tampa's Riverwalk is happening, while the BayWalk fiasco is a reminder that St. Pete is one prominent fallen domino away from a downtown relapse. Moreover, its civic and political fabric remains hostage to racial whim and counterproductive agendas.

I don't have a vote in the upcoming St. Petersburg mayoral run-off election, but if I did, it would matter much more to me that Bill Foster was a real creationist than Kathleen Ford was a faux racist.

How outrageous, for example, that Ford's "HNIC" reference has prompted outrage over her "racial slur." And some actually thought we might be morphing into a post-racial America?

To recap, Ford was being interviewed by radio talk show host Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. The shock-jock lobbed some criticism at St. Pete's black deputy mayor, Goliath Davis. Clem called him a "quasi leader" of African-Americans. Ford then referenced noted African-American author and professor Cornel West, who has referred to a self-appointed voice of the black community as a "HNIC" - or "Head Negro In Charge." It buttressed the point that Ford is no fan of one spokesman for groupthink.

The message to Tampa leaders should be: Follow up. St. Pete, geographically blessed and culturally gifted, is now Exhibit A on how not to do it - from economic catalyst (BayWalk) subplots to race-baiting politics.

As for Tampa's mayoral race? Ferlita vs. the field never looked so high-minded.

Reservoir of common sense

Sometimes folksy, penurious City Councilman Charlie Miranda's manner seems as much shtick as substance.

But somebody has to make it their business to micromanage other people's money. Might as well be the miserly one with the most institutional knowledge and track record for asking no-nonsense questions.

Too bad, however, that not enough Tampa Bay Water board members listened to him recently.

The issue was the regional utility's 5-4 vote to ante up nearly $1 million for a consultant to help select somebody to fix that infamous, cracked reservoir in southern Hillsborough County.

That would be the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, which is the prime source of the area's drinking water. Yes, it's really important. But, no, there was ample reason to look in-house for expertise and local accountability.

"I just don't know that we need that," Miranda said of the $908,500 contract with KPMG. "We have six government bodies represented on the board; don't any of them have some expertise on this?"

Joe O'Neill can be contacted at www.opinions togoonline.com or moesez@aol.com.

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