tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65769937319923528822024-03-18T22:46:43.011-04:00Eye On Tampa BayKeeping an Eye on what's going on around Tampa BayEyeOn TampaBayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11804489795079963473noreply@blogger.comBlogger926125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-12156706427095116382024-02-18T13:08:00.005-05:002024-02-18T13:08:42.298-05:00Hillsborough County Wants to Put Sales Tax Referendum On the November Ballot But What About the Voters?<p>Hillsborough County commissioners held a Workshop on February 14th <strike>to discuss</strike> to plan placing another <b>One-Half Percent</b> (NOT One-Half Cent) Community Investment Tax (CIT) aka the Stadium tax on the November ballot. </p><p>The Stadium/CIT sales tax is a <a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=212.055&URL=0200-0299/0212/Sections/0212.055.html">local sales tax</a> that can be used to fund capital infrastructure projects.</p><p>The current 30 year Stadium/CIT sales tax expires in December 2026. The County should have been publicly discussing their referendum intent for November 2024 long before February 14th 2024. They did not. Why?</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>The County ignored mentioning the CIT sales tax revenue, that can be used to fund roads and transportation projects, when they placed the failed One-Percent 30 year All for Transportation 2.0 sales tax hike on the 2022 ballot. Why?</p><p>Now the County is up against a Statutory deadline having to ram another sales tax referendum onto the ballot at the last minute. </p><p>The crunch time referendum timeline was provided by County staff to vote on the sales tax referendum ordinance at the April 3rd BOCC meeting. If the ordinance is approved, <b><i>ONE</i></b> public hearing will be held on April 17th for a proposed sales tax that will collect <b><i>BILLIONS</i></b> of taxpayer dollars. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh41l8Q-rBJbHFEQMNjsDyoMidkS7aNsSdxoFz2TCM3d85d1KX93-mKkPSfVY6LZ8QrNxv0T1ZQaV27O4MMwRF3A4PbHF5ripFl0-Ak_O8POWeAU-py55HL66Wet2LAwKm22k969Fdc7XlDMpfw92hAsm1wvaRe8vVV1q2jSt_qVwzxQKHOqMo8SyPzTBx3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1640" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh41l8Q-rBJbHFEQMNjsDyoMidkS7aNsSdxoFz2TCM3d85d1KX93-mKkPSfVY6LZ8QrNxv0T1ZQaV27O4MMwRF3A4PbHF5ripFl0-Ak_O8POWeAU-py55HL66Wet2LAwKm22k969Fdc7XlDMpfw92hAsm1wvaRe8vVV1q2jSt_qVwzxQKHOqMo8SyPzTBx3=w640-h246" width="640" /></a></div><p>Watch the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/58L3C41NmQo?si=ZNbTLkx3Lq408Q_H">Workshop</a>. Note the emotional display of desperation by some of the commissioners. If the sales tax is so critical why weren't the commissioners discussing it before now? </p><p>Democrat Pat Kemp, who is term limited this year and a political lame duck, wants another 30 year tax. Democrat Gwen Myers wants a 20 year tax. Republican Ken Hagan was more vague stating he could consider a 10, 15, or 20 year tax. Republican Michael Owen, also vague, said he wants longer than 10 years to be able to bond out the revenues to fund the road expansion of Lithia Pinecrest. </p><p>Kudos to Republican Commissioner Josh Wostal who stated he would only support up to a 10 year tax. Wostal brought up issues with bonding the sales tax and the House bill filed this legislative session limiting the term of local sales tax referendums.</p><p>The Florida House Ways and Means Committee tax bill <a href="https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?PublicationType=Committees&CommitteeId=3208&Session=2024&DocumentType=proposed%20committee%20bill%20analyses&FileName=pcb05.WMC.pdf">PCB WMC 24-05</a> includes a statutory change that limits local sales tax referenda to 10 years. The Florida State legislature must also be concerned about long term local sales tax referendums and the bonding of sales tax revenues.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE97zASAHjMM16CFQkpR0bjHcc4VTup7I52vGH74O6U1ej_zdaLe7Na9vzwRfPZMFx_IvBqBLRnpPp9RlbiWm-PvuBdEFk_fTohI1YPT8Zv__h5hLpgG0Kg0MKmBUPg8-tRNtjQMwEEL7E7jxl1glUP-djCWU7a1W-rPYDdBCsWDhFj9atEfNz9zcqj4ot/s1366/housebilllengthoflocalsalestax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1366" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE97zASAHjMM16CFQkpR0bjHcc4VTup7I52vGH74O6U1ej_zdaLe7Na9vzwRfPZMFx_IvBqBLRnpPp9RlbiWm-PvuBdEFk_fTohI1YPT8Zv__h5hLpgG0Kg0MKmBUPg8-tRNtjQMwEEL7E7jxl1glUP-djCWU7a1W-rPYDdBCsWDhFj9atEfNz9zcqj4ot/w640-h482/housebilllengthoflocalsalestax.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This change is needed and welcomed especially with what occurred in Hillsborough County.</p><p>Thirty years is a long time since 1996. Many voters today in Hillsborough County do not know the history about the current 30 year One-Half Percent Stadium/CIT tax: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A new Bucs Stadium only sales tax was defeated in 1995. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In 1996, since a stadium only tax could not pass, the county commissioners put the current 30 year Stadium/CIT tax on an off cycle low turnout election ballot in September 1996. It passed with 53%.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Stadium/CIT tax lopped funding right off the top of the tax revenues to fund the new Bucs stadium (Raymond James) and send 25% to the schools. Those two had to be funded first.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hillsborough County voters were told the remaining Stadium/CIT tax funds, after schools and the stadium, would fund County infrastructure capital projects such as roads, a new jail, fire stations, stormwater projects, parks, libraries, etc. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hillsborough County voters were promised the Stadium CIT sales tax revenues would be spent by the County in 5 year increments (pay as you go) as part of the County's normal 5 year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) - NOT bonded out - which is why the stadium and schools had to be funded first off the top. Voters were promised no debt would be incurred with this tax hike. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>That promise was broken. In <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/g5yxk871suvbvpg/August_1_2007_BOCC_meeting.pdf">2007</a>, Commissioner Ken Hagan, who was leading a Transportation Task force at the time, and then county debt/bond manager Mike Merrill recommended the County <b><i>borrow against</i></b> <i style="font-weight: bold;">the entire remaining future sales tax revenue stream. </i>Merrill claimed the Stadium/CIT tax revenue growth would be so great there would not be any problems funding all the future needs.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The County bonded out almost 20 years of the 30 year tax in 2007. No more pay as you go. The County incurred huge debt and interest payments.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In 2008, the next year, the housing bubble burst causing the big recession that hit Florida very hard. The County's tax revenues tanked.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>County taxpayers were stuck paying back the bond holders not funding new county infrastructure projects as promised. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The huge debt financially tied the hands of future county commission boards.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Bucs Stadium (Raymond James) is owned by Hillsborough County, contributes ZERO property tax revenues to the County but the County must pay to maintain it into perpetuity.</li></ul><div><p></p><div>The moral of the story above: NO local sales tax should be greater than 5-10 years and local sales tax referendum revenues must NOT be bonded out. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only reason for a sales tax hike greater than 10 years is the ability to bond out the tax revenues. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, sales tax revenues are more volatile to economic uncertainty and downturns. There is more risk when bonding out sales tax revenue. </div><div><br /></div><div>As Commissioner Wostal noted, the County has multiples of other more stable revenue streams less volatile than sales tax revenues that can be bonded to help fund a large infrastructure project such as Lithia Pinecrest. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hillsborough County broke their promise to voters in 1996 by bonding out the last 20 years of the current 30 year tax. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hillsborough County should not place a new One-Half Percent Stadium/CIT tax on the ballot for more than 5 -10 years. This matches or ties more closely with the County's normal five year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) </div><div><br /></div><div>The County already knows what is in their five year CIP, can still adequately plan for the next five years. Planning after 10 years becomes a crap shoot.</div><div><br /></div><div>A 5-10 year sales tax will not bump up against the House bill which hopefully gets passed limiting the sales tax term. </div><div><br /></div><div>And most importantly, the County must show some success and prove they can deliver what they promise. </div><div><br /></div><div>The County must provide voters a list of all of the <i><b>specific</b></i> projects - not 50K foot pie in the sky funding buckets - that will be funded with the new sales tax revenue. The public needs this list ASAP and must have it <b><i>BEFORE</i></b> the April 17th public hearing.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Statutory clock to place the sales tax referendum on the November ballot is ticking. Hillsborough County commissioners left themselves little time to transparently deliberate - not behind closed doors with staff - an agreed to list of <b>ALL</b> specific projects a new Stadium/CIT sales tax will fund. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's not the voting public's fault the county commissioners waited until the eleventh hour. The public wants to see the sales tax spending sausage being made in the Sunshine. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>The commissioners could punt and wait to put the sales tax on the 2026 ballot. </div><div><br /></div></div><div>At the February 14th Workshop, Democrat Harry Cohen stated indicators show the economy is "strong" so he wants the sales tax put on the 2024 ballot. </div><div><br /></div><div>Taxpayers who have not seen their everyday costs go down or their paychecks keep up with inflation or are on fixed incomes may disagree. </div><div><br /></div><div>The county commissioners raised County water, stormwater and garbage fees without telling residents how the Stadium/CIT sales tax revenues could impact those fees. The county commissioners raised property taxes by refusing to reduce the property tax millage rate as County property taxes skyrocketed. The size of the <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2023/06/hillsborough-county-blows-through-all.html">County's bureaucracy has exploded</a> as the County budget has ballooned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Are the county commissioners expecting Hillsborough County voters to simply disregard all that to support another Stadium/CIT sales tax?</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>It must be a NO GO for the County to even attempt to put a sales tax referendum on the ballot greater than 10 years. </i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>But in 2024, the electorate may have no stomach for another One-Half Percent Stadium/CIT sales tax no matter what the term would be.</div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-37093730621726477382024-01-21T09:04:00.004-05:002024-01-21T09:04:43.160-05:00PSTA Needs a Housecleaning! Rep. Linda Chaney's PSTA Local Bill HB1487 Is A "START" <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjThpc4k_fPLk4B17yOWZK5uHlqBwU18W9U-d1KGQY7fBDSzVIXc0wTnW9kPYZSFOzrziG8D8casQoKYl6my9yWfoZb91mtAaX3X9JHve4Rxsh7dEYqwuQOzK4rl56VpiFdMaBB8GEI80dDYP7rlsadgGfqrb9LjsXmftiFHOzlZySA0hK2qZuqlhxlvoSJ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="364" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjThpc4k_fPLk4B17yOWZK5uHlqBwU18W9U-d1KGQY7fBDSzVIXc0wTnW9kPYZSFOzrziG8D8casQoKYl6my9yWfoZb91mtAaX3X9JHve4Rxsh7dEYqwuQOzK4rl56VpiFdMaBB8GEI80dDYP7rlsadgGfqrb9LjsXmftiFHOzlZySA0hK2qZuqlhxlvoSJ" width="169" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">PSTA CEO Brad Miller misused Federal funds<br />Why is he still at PSTA?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p>PSTA needs an internal housekeeping.</p><p>State Rep. Linda Chaney;s PSTA local bill <a href="https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=80268">HB1487</a> is a start. The bill was approved by the <a href="https://pinellas.gov/legislative-delegation/">Pinellas County local delegation</a> on November 29, 2023. </p><p>Chaney's bill is a first step to bring better governance, more transparency and accountability to the mismanaged transit agency. The bill also <i>begins</i> to address the flawed process PSTA uses to ram road diets thru without proper public engagement, without public support and with little accountability.</p><span></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqlgJpqOnZzfBcHBHqk4Lj3uwOzDTKzPqtZ2b8AQDyQLnqqIFRjfJKgAZ8w0R87DnYaEVVw_NvO8Nai3YWRKHXgy0H4UmIpjas2moZA4SYD5RKG6SevhDrQVR5H2wawkj2W144HUgaaSA-GhUVUtihSc3MFmKs1uYLlOJY9Hg55UqLudYwnrEZ0fETsmui" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="2198" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqlgJpqOnZzfBcHBHqk4Lj3uwOzDTKzPqtZ2b8AQDyQLnqqIFRjfJKgAZ8w0R87DnYaEVVw_NvO8Nai3YWRKHXgy0H4UmIpjas2moZA4SYD5RKG6SevhDrQVR5H2wawkj2W144HUgaaSA-GhUVUtihSc3MFmKs1uYLlOJY9Hg55UqLudYwnrEZ0fETsmui=w640-h137" width="640" /></a></p><p>We have posted (search the Eye using PSTA) ad nauseum about PSTA's malfeasance, financial mismanagement, fiscal distress, dishonesty, lack of transparency, lack of accountability and PSTA's misuse of federal funds. </p><p><a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/search?q=misuse+federal">PSTA's CEO Brad Miller got caught misusing federal funds in 2014. </a>Miller used taxpayer federal transit security funds for a marketing campaign supporting the Greenlight Pinellas rail tax boondoggle referendum thankfully defeated in 2014.</p><p>Miller was forced to hastily hand back $345K to the feds or be subject to federal criminal and civil charges. As we reported in <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2014/08/misuse-of-funds-lies-and-videos-while.html">August 2014</a>, the then PSTA Board voiced unanimous support for Miller and circled the wagons to protect him.</p><p>Miller was never fired or held accountable for violating federal law with his illegal use of federal dollars. Instead the PSTA Board continued to hand Miller pay raises including a large <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2023/07/psta-headstowards-fiscal-cliff-again-as.html">8.4% raise </a>in 2022 funded by one-time federal COVID money. </p><p>PSTA depleted their one-time COVID money on big administrative pay raises handed out during the pandemic that are now baked into PSTA's future budgets. Ironically, then Miller told the Tampa Bay Business Journal "<i>Now we're in a situation where we'll be in a deficit</i>." </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">PSTA <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2018/04/psta-must-fix-funding-gap-misleading.html">lied</a> to the Federal Transit Administration in their federal grant request for the SunRunner that St. Pete Beach was financially supporting the project. PSTA never even held a public meeting about the project in St. Pete Beach. St. Pete Beach never supported the SunRunner project and the St. Pete Beach city council passed a resolution formally stating their opposition.</div><p></p><p>PSTA also lied to the Federal Transit Administration in their federal grant request when they stated the SunRunner fare box recovery would be 44%. Instead, PSTA offered "free to the rider" aka 0% fare box recovery for the first year. It took the Sheriff to force PSTA to impose fares last October due to issues caused by transients riding the SunRunner. </p><p>PSTA lied again when they stated the SunRunner would not syphon riders from the existing Central Avenue Trolley (CAT) that runs along the same transit corridor. PSTA claimed SunRunner riders would be <i>new</i> PSTA riders and would not plunder the CAT route.</p><p>The CAT ridership declined almost 60% down to less than half of what it was a year ago before the SunRunner. </p><p>The SunRunner did plunder the CAT ridership which caused fiscal distress and cuts to the CAT route last year.</p><p>PSTA holds public hearings when they propose changes or cuts to their routes or changes to fares. PSTA holds NO public hearings when they want to remove existing road infrastructure for expensive transit services. Today they can get away with that. </p><p>For PSTA to receive a Federal transit capital grant to build SunRunner like services, PSTA has to impose road diets for dedicated bus lanes. PSTA could have achieved basically the same service level at much lower cost using traffic signalization instead of road diets. </p><p>But PSTA wanted those federal dollars because once a transit agency gets them it's easier to get more.</p><p>PSTA did not tell the public they need a new long term funding source to operate and maintain the SunRunner. Otherwise the operations and maintenance of the SunRunner is going to bleed PSTA's operating budget dry.</p><p>That reality has already struck. The SunRunner is causing financial stress on PSTA's operating budget. According to PSTA's <a href="https://psta.net/media/6689/fy-2024-adopted-budget-updated-20231114.pdf">FY24 operating budget</a>, their expenses barely meet their revenues in 2024 and 2025. PSTA's expenses will surpass their revenues in 2026.....even as their property tax revenues have ballooned.</p><p>The SunRunner ridership has <a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2024/01/06/ridership-on-psta-sunrunner-dropped-43-once-fares-were-introduced-now-at-less-than-one-third-of-forecast/">declined 43%</a> since PSTA was forced to impose fares late last year. PSTA's overall fare box recovery is under 7%. Taxpayers are subsidizing over 93% of every PSTA rider's trip. That is unsustainable and a hefty price tag to pay for a ridership of about 2%.</p><p>Instead of looking at innovative ways to reduce their costs, PSTA has their planned SunRunner #2 underway that removes 2 general vehicle lanes of traffic on <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2021/06/reform-needed-asap-as-road-diets-being.html">34th Street S</a> (US19) for bus lanes. </p><p>Below is a letter Miller sent to FDOT District 7 Secretary David Gwynn on 4/5/2023. Per Miller, the 34th Street S project is a first step for going after another Federal transit capital grant to advance PSTA's SunRunner #2 along US19 to Clearwater. Remember the Feds require dedicated bus lanes for these capital grants and PSTA wants to pursue more of them.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6ye14SdBkhlgI8fCMeXk5Ij7tzQaXq067vf9helUtfGaYRdteDMpHNR9RL3Fue9oYr1Y9Jfg4IUUjRwrFy67IoBYm-5JtK3RAWmD72VsLzzSDlEvyFlUcgA5ONghS6gRHdK_v2wwGqxwahXa9pDWxEp7iMGWq8GPyzD4FlqArZALXqoRQVsbFVdLp90eM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1412" data-original-width="1256" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6ye14SdBkhlgI8fCMeXk5Ij7tzQaXq067vf9helUtfGaYRdteDMpHNR9RL3Fue9oYr1Y9Jfg4IUUjRwrFy67IoBYm-5JtK3RAWmD72VsLzzSDlEvyFlUcgA5ONghS6gRHdK_v2wwGqxwahXa9pDWxEp7iMGWq8GPyzD4FlqArZALXqoRQVsbFVdLp90eM=w568-h640" width="568" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>PSTA's road diet projects are in direct conflict with Gov DeSantis's funded program to <i>expand</i> road capacity in the growing state of Florida. </p><p>PSTA is ramming their road diets thru an undisciplined and flawed process that lacks community support by those impacted, lacks basic project management discipline and lacks accountability. This must stop!</p><p>PSTA, as structured today, has lost credibility and cannot be trusted. PSTA has been fiscally mismanaged, been dishonest, flat out lied, misused federal funds, never fired the person responsible for misusing those funds and has lacked proper oversight for years. </p><p>PSTA needs better oversight and a housecleaning! </p><p>That <i>starts</i> with Chaney's local PSTA bill HB1487.</p><p>Contact each Pinellas County <a href="https://pinellas.gov/legislative-delegation/">local delegation member</a> and voice your support for HB1487.</p><p><i>Stay Tuned....</i></p>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-18068080190205524422024-01-14T14:53:00.003-05:002024-01-14T14:53:36.160-05:002024: Beware of David Plouffe, CTCL ZuckBucks 2.0 and Hillsborough County SOE Craig Latimer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiidGHa23cGqCMGtV_w7x_GNGvPF9fY9CW16i8ZT0piLeyqHuEL1_yUiJ6ngiwd7c7CGwJKmBvXymxh1r4KYEnrWzMED2CDhYnxPYFeWpkM-ujVGtq8jAMOwZId3cg66lx3tRJQmqY9GQ0xuPsbtJadRJjG2U9FeeY888YeJJvjff5ISO7WuTfsTuHypw2I" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiidGHa23cGqCMGtV_w7x_GNGvPF9fY9CW16i8ZT0piLeyqHuEL1_yUiJ6ngiwd7c7CGwJKmBvXymxh1r4KYEnrWzMED2CDhYnxPYFeWpkM-ujVGtq8jAMOwZId3cg66lx3tRJQmqY9GQ0xuPsbtJadRJjG2U9FeeY888YeJJvjff5ISO7WuTfsTuHypw2I=w320-h180" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">David Plouffe </span></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiteWkgMxOzFyuOEiVe-KoKCZJJvI5Mg4QCt3aqngWbhUAxMmxiGOfk5waoqsQRkrSdo_VpxKSVWbIBBQZQn5kAfZkfNBAgD-go5MSGAhSARyFSnaAVnufkxCEFLXqTw8jVbEydo_NJEHzYe8QeFr1T0YHbFhfxZsusHYDr8EdPNH1QNzq7bVIbEjZHfI2p/s2184/CTCLfunders.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="2184" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiteWkgMxOzFyuOEiVe-KoKCZJJvI5Mg4QCt3aqngWbhUAxMmxiGOfk5waoqsQRkrSdo_VpxKSVWbIBBQZQn5kAfZkfNBAgD-go5MSGAhSARyFSnaAVnufkxCEFLXqTw8jVbEydo_NJEHzYe8QeFr1T0YHbFhfxZsusHYDr8EdPNH1QNzq7bVIbEjZHfI2p/s320/CTCLfunders.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CTCL<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /></div></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>It has been reported Obama met with Joe Biden to raise concerns about Biden's campaign. Obama would like David Plouffe, his 2008 campaign manger and Senior White House Advisor to lead Biden's campaign. </p><p>Surprise! Plouffe has ideological cohorts embedded inside all corporate media entities, specifically the Democrats DNC Media allies the WaPo and NY Times. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>In 2016 David Plouffe predicted Hillary would win. In June 2016, Plouffe tweeted:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhva0l_OaErXCJ51hhYeDAGRSMv60PX3LJTjFqGhclscasmq_6_q9VYiDvirXKGkrh6kb9z-nX7hfEvHuajRJCy5PDS2wfu90XjjY_X48kC9WqzGJzonoS_D0i3burlOWJ3zfH5KHunc9k1cYlaU8vehaCTC-ObpAYpk3HDVg0FMFtdbFFCPmzW6qLrYVa6/s1182/DavidPlouffeTweek.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="1182" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhva0l_OaErXCJ51hhYeDAGRSMv60PX3LJTjFqGhclscasmq_6_q9VYiDvirXKGkrh6kb9z-nX7hfEvHuajRJCy5PDS2wfu90XjjY_X48kC9WqzGJzonoS_D0i3burlOWJ3zfH5KHunc9k1cYlaU8vehaCTC-ObpAYpk3HDVg0FMFtdbFFCPmzW6qLrYVa6/w400-h133/DavidPlouffeTweek.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />In November 2016 after Trump won, Plouffe claimed Hillary Clinton lost because she didn't spend enough time in states like Wisconsin and the Rust Belt and she did not turn out the African-American vote.<div><br /></div><div>The ethically challenged Plouffe was fined $90K for illegally lobbying then Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on behalf of Uber in 2015. <br /><br />In <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/313641-plouffe-to-take-role-at-zuckerberg-group/">2017</a> - Plouffe joined Mark Zuckerberg and his wife’s “philanthropic group” to lead policy and advocacy work for the nonprofit Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The Zuckerberg ‘philanthropy” included beefing up the couple’s Washington presence to push policy changes, especially regarding immigration.<br /><br />Basically Zuckerberg hired a political activist to run their “charity”. Plouffe even described the job in terms of “<a href="https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/David-Plouffe-leaves-Uber-joins-Chan-Zuckerberg-10848865.php">similar to a campaign effort</a>.”<br /><br />In March 2020 - Plouffe published his book “A Citizen’s Guide to Defeating Donald Trump” specifically stating high Democrat turnout in Milwaukee, Detroit and Philadelphia were key to a Democrat victory. <div><br /></div><div>David Plouffe then became the middle man between a then little known Progressive nonprofit <a href="https://www.techandciviclife.org/">CTCL</a> (Center for Tech and Civic Life) and moneyman Mark Zuckerberg to launch the ZuckBucks funded Democrat 2020 GOTV scheme,</div><div><br /></div>CTCL was founded by <a href="https://www.techandciviclife.org/board-of-directors/">Tiana Epps-Johnson</a> who is CTCL's Executive Director and a member of the Board of Directors. She was previously the <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/new-organizing-institute/">New Organizing Institute’s</a> Election Administration Director from 2012 to 2015. The New Organizing Intstitute morphed into CTCL.<br /><br />According to <a href="https://www.techandciviclife.org/board-of-directors/">CTCL's website</a>: "Tiana is a 2022 University of Chicago Center for Effective Government Senior Practitioner Fellow, a 2021 <b>Emerson Collective</b> Dial Fellow, a recipient of the 2020 <b>Skoll</b> Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and was selected to join the <b>inaugural cohorts of Obama Foundation Fellows</b> (2018) and Harvard Ash Center Technology and Democracy Fellows (2015). Tiana earned a MSc in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Science from Stanford University."<div><br />Surprise! Wisconsin was ground zero for ZuckBucks. In June 2020 Wisconsin's 5 largest cities, Milwaukee, Madison, Kenosha, Racine, Green Bay, all requested money from CTCL<br /><br />In July 2020, the ZuckBucks funded CTCL doled out it's first round of ZuckBucks totaling $4.5M to those 5 Wisconsin cities.<br /><br />In September 2020 - Zuckerberg went full throttle with ZuckBucks. CTCL doled out $400M of ZuckBucks that were used to target Democrat voters, specifically minorities, young voters, inactive voters and new voters, in swing states.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2021/05/desantis-signs-sb90-goodbye-zuckbucks.html">Eleven Florida counties</a> received ZuckBucks in 2020. Hillsborough County SOE Craig Latimer received $2.9M in ZuckBucks. </div><div><br /></div><div>Latimer was the most scandalous spender of ZuckBucks of all 11 Florida counties who received those dollars.</div><div><br /></div><div>Upon receiving his $2.9M ZuckBucks, Latimer <b>immediately</b> turned around and handed a $2.6M <b>no-bid</b> contract to a minority owned PR firm Vistra Communications. </div><div><br /></div><div>Latimer's GOTV campaign contract with Vistra, done in the dark, outside of Sunshine and under the radar of public scrutiny, was a done deal before Latimer ever received his ZuckBuck millions. </div><div><br /></div><div>Vistra's GOTV campaign was orchestrated to push mail ballots and target minorities, young voters, inactive voters and new voters, in Hillsborough County. Sound eerily familiar to Democrat activist David Plouffe???</div><div><br /></div><div>Latimer never told the voting public anything about the $2.9M in ZuckBucks he received in 2020. Hiding the $2.9M from the voters is unethical and improper behavior. Latimer cannot be trusted to continue as SOE.</div><div><br /></div><div>Where are we now? What is CTCL up to for 2024? </div><div><br /></div><div>ZuckBucks 2.0.</div><div><br /></div><div>CTCL created the <a href="https://www.electionexcellence.org/centers">US Alliance for Election Excellence</a> to dole out the dollars again to "selected" Counties for the 2024 election.</div><div><br /></div><div>Plouffe is still associated with Zuckerberg's "Charity" and he is a Board Member of </div><div>the <b><a href="https://www.obama.org/about/leadership/">Obama Foundation</a>.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>Note: </div><div><blockquote>Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett is CEO of Obama's Foundation. Billionaire Hyatt family heiress Penny Pritzker (sister of Gov Pritzker of IL) is also on Obama's Foundation Board. Penny Pritzker was appointed by Biden in September 2023 as the "US Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery". Penny Pritzker is the Chair of the Harvard Corporation Board who hired the plagiarist incompetent Claudine Gay. Obama stepped in defending Gay and telling the Harvard Corporation Board to not fire her before she finally resigned.</blockquote></div><div>Obviously, the Zuckerberg "Charity", the Obama Foundation and CTCL led by Progressive Democrats are political.</div><div><br /></div><div>Therefore, it is no surprise that Obama wants Plouffe to run Biden's 2024 campaign.</div><div><br /></div><div>The US Alliance for Election Integrity (Alliance) is funded by the <a href="https://www.audaciousproject.org/grantees/center-for-tech-and-civic-life">Audacious Project</a>, The <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/organization/the-audacious-project/">Audacious Project</a> is associated with many Lefty organizations and is funded by "Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ELMA Philanthropies, <b>Emerson Collective</b>, MacKenzie Scott, <b>Skoll </b>Foundation, Valhalla Foundation<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Custom", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17.9999px;"> </span><a href="https://www.audaciousproject.org/about#partners">and more</a>."</div><div><br /></div><div>Below is the "inaugural cohort" of the Alliance "Centers for Election Excellence". Note them and we will watch for more throughout this election year.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9R0G8Qz6STLAneeaG0aak_-UOCe69u7EsxTwsVtPd8dbhOmRJHsczGMMShEWtiseQuioGfId2ta0LtkWcNCy18D79y2bYGW4HK4efBa4dHU4uWSsCZLQa8cdLcS4f5Dx5IMMDJrOjuKZRM6mHe_MOtWsXvNzR0D0n_Ac_8TrSEY3Et93bjg20vEy1RzRz" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1346" data-original-width="1824" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9R0G8Qz6STLAneeaG0aak_-UOCe69u7EsxTwsVtPd8dbhOmRJHsczGMMShEWtiseQuioGfId2ta0LtkWcNCy18D79y2bYGW4HK4efBa4dHU4uWSsCZLQa8cdLcS4f5Dx5IMMDJrOjuKZRM6mHe_MOtWsXvNzR0D0n_Ac_8TrSEY3Et93bjg20vEy1RzRz=w640-h472" width="640" /></a></div><br />The amount of each Alliance grant is related to the jurisdiction size categories included in the <a href="https://democracyfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2019_DemocracyFund_StewardsOfDemocracy.pdf">Stewards of Democracy research by the Democracy Fund</a>. The <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/democracy-fund/">Democracy Fund</a> is another Lefty organization started by eBay Founder Pierre Omidyar. The Democracy Fund receives funding from George Soros and is associated with many other Lefty organizations.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer has had a long time relationship with CTCL since he was first elected in 2014. He is running for re-election this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>Voters throughout the Country should be very wary of the Progressive CTCL nonprofit, Progressive activist David Plouffe and the Alliance's ZuckBucks 2.0.</div><div><br /></div><div>Voters should reject any candidate associated with CTCL and ZuckBucks, including </div><div>Hillsborough County SOE Craig Latimer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Watch with eagle eyes David Plouffe, CTCL, ZuckBucks2.0 and Craig Latimer.</div><div><br /></div><div>We the People Must Stay Vigilant! </div></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-91869315670797825552023-12-05T13:00:00.003-05:002023-12-05T13:00:42.946-05:00State Must Pass Hillsborough County Sales Tax Holiday, NOT Reward AFT Wrong-Doers, Mischief Makers and Lawsuit Losers <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHe9agYacr9PBoMcdCtePEX6wTHPcjnyJNFI3cL-FHDmMaIvgmGiA_hEnOuavb-U8Wcj14eixcofvQLRYh8W-lUn0sZS0q2dfVIlU02WLjNRDQqO5Q7sFttuEvOWmnb2DKSdKg14lYikDvfov35ncfIzRCsxiCrQt-BYl8d0xeipF4SQpWDVpRFNIyZC60/s1334/Donotrewardbadbehavior.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1334" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHe9agYacr9PBoMcdCtePEX6wTHPcjnyJNFI3cL-FHDmMaIvgmGiA_hEnOuavb-U8Wcj14eixcofvQLRYh8W-lUn0sZS0q2dfVIlU02WLjNRDQqO5Q7sFttuEvOWmnb2DKSdKg14lYikDvfov35ncfIzRCsxiCrQt-BYl8d0xeipF4SQpWDVpRFNIyZC60/s320/Donotrewardbadbehavior.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">All for Transportation's (AFT) wealthy special interests donors are at it again. They want to again deny Hillsborough County taxpayers a sales tax holiday that will return $600M of illegally collected AFT sales tax dollars back to the taxpayers.</span><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2023/12/04/business-leaders-all-for-transportation-letter.html">Tampa Bay Business Journal</a> reports:<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">A group of 96 business leaders have sent a letter to state leaders requesting the return of almost $600 million in unspent transportation surtax funds back to Hillsborough County.<br /><br />About 57% of voters approved a one-cent sales tax increase in 2018 to fund transportation projects, but the Florida Supreme Court overturned it in early 2021. During last year's legislative session, the Florida House of Representatives considered a sales tax holiday that would be in place until the proceeds are spent. The Florida Senate and Gov. Ron DeSantis' <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2023/02/07/desantis-proposal-all-for-transportation-tampa.html">proposed budget called for a different refund plan</a>; lawmakers couldn't agree to a proposal by the end of session.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tampa Bay CEOs want a decision made in 2024 — and for local transportation projects to be the beneficiary.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">"The funds collected for transportation should be spent on transportation, which provides the best return on investment for residents and taxpayers," the leaders wrote in a letter dated Nov. 29.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The letter was sent to Gov. DeSantis, Speaker of House Paul Renner, Senate President Kathleen C. Passidomo and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Hillsborough County and FDOT District 7 were listed as two possibilities for who could spend the funds. A similar<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2023/04/21/tampa-ceos-letter-to-ron-desantis-transportation.html"> letter was sent toward the end of last year's legislative session</a>. This time, the group opted to get the message out before the session starts in January.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The group is comprised of some of Tampa Bay's top business leaders, including but not limited to: (those highlighted in red are the biggest AFT donors)</span><br /></span><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Brian Auld, president of the <span style="color: red;">Tampa Bay Rays</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Bryan Glazer, owner and co-chairman of the <span style="color: red;">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Archie Collins, president and CEO of <span style="color: red;">Tampa Electric</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Tom James, chairman emeritus of <span style="color: red;">Raymond James Financial Inc.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Ken Jones, founder and managing partner of Third Lake Partners</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Larry Morgan, chairman of Morgan Auto Group</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Gary Sasso, president and CEO of <span style="color: red;">Carlton Fields</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;">Darryl Shaw</span>, Ybor City developer </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Bemetra Simmons, president and CEO of the <span style="color: red;">Tampa Bay Partnership</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Alex Sink, former CFO of Florida</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Tready Smith, Bayshore Capital LLC CEO </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Jeff Vinik, <span style="color: red;">Tampa Bay Lightning owner</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Ron Wanek, chairperson of <span style="color: red;">Ashley Furniture HomeStores</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">The wealthy <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2023/04/give-hillsborough-county-570m-sales-tax.html">AFT donors</a> opposed the proposed sales tax holiday earlier this year that was passed by the State House but thwarted in the Senate. <br /><br />These transit lobbyists helped create the $600M refund issue. They are - ironically - lawyers, or who are surrounded by lawyers - who funded an unlawful transit tax. They also paid for AFT's high priced lawyers to fight against the taxpayers at the Florida Supreme Court trying to keep the illegal tax in place.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The lawsuit losers should have no say in how the issue is resolved. T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he Losers Do Not Get to be the Choosers for how to remedy a big legal mess they helped create.</span><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And the same AFT wealthy donor base funded the 2022 AFT 2.0 last year that was also ruled unlawful by our Circuit Court. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">AFT 2.0 was allowed to remain on the ballot when the ruling was appealed. Another potential legal mess and refund issue was avoided when it was defeated at the ballot box. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">AFT's special interests donors are NOT leaders on the Transportation issue in Tampa Bay. They are Wrong-Doers, Lawsuit Losers and Mischief Makers. T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">hey have exhibited bad behavior pushing unlawful and illegal transit tax hikes - not just once - but twice. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The fact is the Tampa Bay Partnership and their allies are 0 for 4 on all 4 proposed rail/transit tax campaigns they funded in Tampa Bay: </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Moving Hillsborough Forward rail tax defeated in 2010, Greenlight Pinellas rail tax defeated in 2014, 2018 AFT transit tax ruled unlawful and 2022 AFT transit tax ruled unlawful and defeated at the ballot box. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That is big time Losing not Leadership. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We know of no precedence in Florida for magically making Illegally collected taxes legal so they can somehow be spent. The State legislature would be setting a very bad precedent if they decide unlawfully collected tax monies can be legally spent. Such precedence is ripe for abuse in the future.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There is precedence for sales tax holidays in Florida. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Florida State legislature cannot reward bad behavior. They must send a clear message to everyone that putting unlawful tax hike referendums on the ballot will not be tolerated. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The wealthy AFT donors do not represent the best interests of the Hillsborough County taxpayers, many of whom are financially struggling with the high cost of everything. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">ALL of the unlawfully collected AFT transit tax dollars must be returned to the taxpayers. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The State legislature must pass a sales tax holiday for Hillsborough County when the new legislative session starts in January. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hillsborough County taxpayers deserve no less.</span></div></div></div></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-64554320562377808342023-09-20T18:08:00.001-04:002023-09-20T18:08:22.137-04:00A Dichotomy of a Day: Rays get $300 MILLION from Pinellas County As Property Owners Get a Tax Increase <span style="font-family: arial;">Yesterday was a day of dichotomies in Pinellas County.<br /><br />Yesterday morning, St. Petersburg, Pinellas County and the Rays held a joint news announcement to announce they had struck a deal struck for a new Rays stadium and redevelopment surrounding it. </span><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsdrR4X4XKicSVFoGd0yNzjLFJebNo9WEdHDWiDvR-BSBWvz9KqBd5qkOvOJ_bDqFbEAklVr3hACx0iCbSremjWOcqDihwFEAzUeA2Rc5Sx49IhfoFpx00FfIvYLzOJQjbO9rchSicLG-Vt0pZGtUwVVcC4M2TfLS2Og0XQeXrsX_xEqxGllvxKGjoXhf-" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1456" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsdrR4X4XKicSVFoGd0yNzjLFJebNo9WEdHDWiDvR-BSBWvz9KqBd5qkOvOJ_bDqFbEAklVr3hACx0iCbSremjWOcqDihwFEAzUeA2Rc5Sx49IhfoFpx00FfIvYLzOJQjbO9rchSicLG-Vt0pZGtUwVVcC4M2TfLS2Og0XQeXrsX_xEqxGllvxKGjoXhf-=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The "deal" is not signed sealed and delivered yet as all those "silly little details" are yet to be agreed upon, publicized and voted on by the county or the city. The devil is always in the details so stay tuned.<br /><br />What appears to have been agreed to is a stadium design that will cost $1.3 BILLION. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Rays will ante up $700 Million, Pinellas County will hand over $300 Million and the city of St. Petersburg will hand over $300 Million for the stadium and another $130 Million for infrastructure improvements around the stadium. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Pinellas County and St. Petersburg will bond out their portions for 30 years so interest costs must be added on to the share of their cost. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">According to Pinellas County Commission Chair Janet Long and St. Petersburg City Council Chair Brandi Gabbard, this will be the largest development/redevelopment project in Pinellas history. The Rays stated it will be the largest mixed-use project in the history of the Tampa Bay region.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Neither Long, Gabbard nor St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch thanked any of the taxpayers for their contribution.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Then last night at the last Pinellas County FY 2024 budget public hearing, property tax owners got a tax increase. That increase will filter down to those who rent and be an additional financial burden on businesses.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a tax increase that hits while we all struggle with the highest inflation in 40 years, high gas and energy costs, skyrocketing food costs and being hammered by insurance costs. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Commission Janet Long chaired the public hearing wearing her Rays jacket and her Rays cap on the table. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgloWy8KZMBqTGCUEyNECXM6o0I8R5L-F-0PUCcP6GBh_Z2ZnnVDhi3LSrTceFT9rTVrwxOy89dUWqJFA4eUbIPU54LMi4CtEK3WQ2zUB_oX2OND7OHb2MYHzpLcC00F4utq035W17vOdctIWwDUMFyfSTZf8FwygqH0O6iKfOL2f7aMMP2ImTk20Bxukfa" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1410" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgloWy8KZMBqTGCUEyNECXM6o0I8R5L-F-0PUCcP6GBh_Z2ZnnVDhi3LSrTceFT9rTVrwxOy89dUWqJFA4eUbIPU54LMi4CtEK3WQ2zUB_oX2OND7OHb2MYHzpLcC00F4utq035W17vOdctIWwDUMFyfSTZf8FwygqH0O6iKfOL2f7aMMP2ImTk20Bxukfa=w400-h215" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commission Chair Janet Long</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The FY2024 proposed budget is found <a href="https://pinellas.gov/fy24-proposed-annual-operating-and-capital-budget/">here</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For transparency, I was at the public hearing and made a <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/aecztp6fi45akre/budgetpublichearing.pdf/file">public comment</a> asking the commission to reduce the millage rate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a full room of County residents who attended. Everyone who spoke requested the county reduce the millage rate, except for a few from Palm Harbor who did not want the specific millage rate that funded their library and parks reduced. It had already been decided at the 2pm BOCC meeting yesterday that the parks/library millage rate would not be reduced.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The video of the public hearing starts at about 4:06:14 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/vzy1n8sxk40?si=IU-zztNR3pwMLduC">here</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Starting at about 5:16 in the video, Commissioner Scott speaks his concerns about the trend of a rising budget and rising spending. He voices his concerns about the fiscal well being of county taxpayers. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Pinellas County commissioners vote to establish the millage rates for <b>22</b> <b>separate taxing jurisdictions </b>each year. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Commissioner Scott proposed a .15 mill reduction to the millage rate in the General Fund which has the most discretionary spending. That small millage rate reduction equates to about $18 million, or about .47% of the County's $8.3B budgt.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">With increased property values and no rollback, the General Fund will increase by 12%. The proposed Operating Budget is 27% higher than 2022 and 12% higher than last year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The net assessed value of all taxable property in Pinellas County has increased by 88% since 2017. The countywide millage rate has only decreased by 11%.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi58Uim8oAhil7yDE1NeZkWboyZfnZqXyCQJXB1yHWJUzu-z1LMsqdTwpBiU_5N5oVLDNwR-ICtNTZ7XzcDWnsQDhRbXq_7L3_Csqbaz2v40TKhW6tfoW8ibe84c-GPe2wtSV68rN-7T5zqz23tZ7QLm7WpPrPjakdwHSwBQNBuHWY5R4FzgthqXjFUKIK/s1250/PropertyTaxHistory.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1170" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi58Uim8oAhil7yDE1NeZkWboyZfnZqXyCQJXB1yHWJUzu-z1LMsqdTwpBiU_5N5oVLDNwR-ICtNTZ7XzcDWnsQDhRbXq_7L3_Csqbaz2v40TKhW6tfoW8ibe84c-GPe2wtSV68rN-7T5zqz23tZ7QLm7WpPrPjakdwHSwBQNBuHWY5R4FzgthqXjFUKIK/w600-h640/PropertyTaxHistory.png" width="600" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The population of Pinellas county has barely grown since 2017. However, as the increased property tax dollars flooded into the County, the money has been spent. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The minimum the County requires to have in Reserves is 15%. As Dave Eggers stated at the meeting, best practices is 16.8%. This year the County is putting 20.8% into Reserves which unnecessarily over funds their Reserves. </span></div><div><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The County budget process must be watched more closely. The County Administrator should be prepared to answer any questions about where cuts could occur - especially a cut of .47%. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Every County budget has some fat, some slush and some items that are not an immediate need. I told the commission if they cannot figure out how to cut the ballooning budget, they should appoint a citizen task force and we will do it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Kudos to Commissioners Scott and Eggers for wanting to at least minimally reduce the millage rate. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The county commissioners need to scrutinize the budget details more, ask more questions early on in the process and set a better expectation to both the public and staff. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Staff can recommend but the commissioners are the decision makers. Better public engagement earlier in the process is needed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We thank Commissioner Scott for stating his goal is to work towards a full millage rollback next year. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Watch the rest of the meeting. You should be disturbed. By a 5-2 vote (Scott and Eggers voting yes) the commissioners rejected Brian's motion to cut the budget by .47%. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It was quite the dichotomy to witness yesterday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The County will hand $300 Million plus to build a new baseball stadium for a wealthy sports team owner but can't find $18M to cut .47% out of a $3.8B budget.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We love the Rays, go to their games and watch them on TV. However, we do not support the use of public funds for new sports stadiums for wealthy sports team owners.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">While taxpayers can't get a break, we can guarantee $300M is just the tip of the iceberg the County will be paying to build and maintain a new baseball stadium into perpetuity.</span></div></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-76568355113289041172023-09-14T12:13:00.001-04:002023-09-14T12:13:12.174-04:00Give Our Money Back! Hillsborough County Opposes Taxpayer Refund AGAIN as AFT's $570 MILLION Refund Fiasco Continues <p>The Hillsborough County $570 Million All for Transportation (AFT) refund legal fiasco continues. </p><p>Over 2.5 years ago, the AFT transit tax was ruled illegal and thrown out in its entirety. The AFT transit tax refund remedy has not yet been resolved. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>But there has been some recent court actions taken.</p><p>On August 4, 2023, an <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/wwergp6jun7p2gb/EmersonAFTRefundComplaint.pdf/file">Amendment Complaint</a> was filed in Leon County in the AFT class action lawsuit brought by Robert Emerson. The Amended Complaint challenges Defendants Hillsborough County and Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) position that Section 155 extinguished Plaintiff's claim against them for a refund of the unconstitutional tax.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw7ygxamaTjB9E84PGhFkQbAK2Zdf7zst4BmWddiMVT9hvRwTv0eUpF2QD_gx5CdZzH2z2YgEERVQF3gYNm482ymYZ3K-2O7XxVng0lHmFcBM3RbhPUU8E51f9VvpSQpNggeuyJ1xniDpQhH_VxrE5yAJ9lzi4N3JdmskwZ97VFO0lGsxjgtGQhZf--Nib" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="1134" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw7ygxamaTjB9E84PGhFkQbAK2Zdf7zst4BmWddiMVT9hvRwTv0eUpF2QD_gx5CdZzH2z2YgEERVQF3gYNm482ymYZ3K-2O7XxVng0lHmFcBM3RbhPUU8E51f9VvpSQpNggeuyJ1xniDpQhH_VxrE5yAJ9lzi4N3JdmskwZ97VFO0lGsxjgtGQhZf--Nib=w533-h640" width="533" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYwMMj0QPsXeHSc1qwUKYoWmCquqp5O_hPYpAp4v_kJNBC8V9cKQbgh9lpgGEUvNWtdoVsb-edw7C716z70_bjlebMV-tBTO-5eljl4FCpLJG7wTj6--jWLKO4GG9n8M8GwfRDYlgWadBgqJpEVEHDrS9zzM4BVlkuBOgtpsWA4kzrZBOpHhIrXb04zkJp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="1492" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYwMMj0QPsXeHSc1qwUKYoWmCquqp5O_hPYpAp4v_kJNBC8V9cKQbgh9lpgGEUvNWtdoVsb-edw7C716z70_bjlebMV-tBTO-5eljl4FCpLJG7wTj6--jWLKO4GG9n8M8GwfRDYlgWadBgqJpEVEHDrS9zzM4BVlkuBOgtpsWA4kzrZBOpHhIrXb04zkJp=w640-h180" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AFT Class Action Amended Complaint</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It appears the Amended Complaint is requesting the Court rule that the Plaintiff's [the taxpayers] have a right to a refund. <p></p><p>Emerson's Complaint states that Section 155 passed in 2022 required Hillsborough County to transfer all illegally collected AFT tax proceeds to the DOR. Plaintiff claims this action was taken to <i>preserve</i> the unlawfully collected tax proceeds to "ensure Plaintiff's right for a remedy for their claim".</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivSdEYv7QlEmDgFUu6-3vGGR4lT24UZx42QubGEzOt-7c4biCmC35luLfEQnsfneBMvzLDXVyIESaqzgcgxf603HE3-UQybqxC3nvEjYs2YwHquM-C6iWFKS0lqpCeW-S3s06OsRNWRWG_dPmdWOwco676wkhK2ffBwtlfmT2MqrenkZw4GwCH2bUg-Z-g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="1230" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivSdEYv7QlEmDgFUu6-3vGGR4lT24UZx42QubGEzOt-7c4biCmC35luLfEQnsfneBMvzLDXVyIESaqzgcgxf603HE3-UQybqxC3nvEjYs2YwHquM-C6iWFKS0lqpCeW-S3s06OsRNWRWG_dPmdWOwco676wkhK2ffBwtlfmT2MqrenkZw4GwCH2bUg-Z-g=w640-h278" width="640" /></a></div><br />Hillsborough County disagrees. Hillsborough County has consistently fought to keep the illegally collected tax dollars from being refunded to taxpayers so they can be spent instead. <p></p><p>On September 11, 2023 the Hillsborough County Attorney's office filed in Leon County a <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/lrsn2tzlqkdq54d/HCMotiontoDismissEmersonAmendedComplaint.pdf/file">Motion to Dismiss</a> Emerson's Complaint. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNeawyEkKFfTorqTqE-YWvH80hYCwUv_m-ne60KFGYaOuwO6DmSrzW4rcDd7-UOEl8IzBa6MXbRs-kx9EbIMQcuSLTtSIJB5aifb38CNHlQ97jg7_OMzGhGrGFOfPIkKucUJAOCG9af5HyYznaJ--c1_Cr_idGQgMjF8xZiADCIEp5mK3LIwQ6qqg1LlfI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1088" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNeawyEkKFfTorqTqE-YWvH80hYCwUv_m-ne60KFGYaOuwO6DmSrzW4rcDd7-UOEl8IzBa6MXbRs-kx9EbIMQcuSLTtSIJB5aifb38CNHlQ97jg7_OMzGhGrGFOfPIkKucUJAOCG9af5HyYznaJ--c1_Cr_idGQgMjF8xZiADCIEp5mK3LIwQ6qqg1LlfI=w557-h640" width="557" /></a></div><br />We were unable to find where any discussion was transparently done or vote taken by the Hillsborough County commissioners authorizing the County Attorney to file their Motion to Dismiss.<p></p><p>There are questions regarding the County's action that need answers. A Public Records Request has been submitted to the Hillsborough County Attorney's office requesting information. We will update this post when a response is received.</p><p>A big question is who asked the County Attorney to file the Motion to Dismiss. </p><p>This is the same County Attorney who allowed 2 illegal transit tax referendums to be placed on the ballot in Hillsborough County.</p><p>Background:</p><p>AFT created a huge legal mess when they placed an illegal transit/rail tax referendum not legally vetted on the 2018 ballot. </p><p>AFT used $4 Million from about 30 wealthy donors in a well funded misinformation marketing campaign. AFT made <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2018/08/what-they-say-what-they-do.html">false claims</a> their transit tax would fix roads when it actually prohibited funding new road capacity and massively over funded transit. The voters were lied to by AFT in 2018 and the transit tax, now ruled illegal, passed.</p><p>Before any refund remedy has been made, the same people who supported the 2018 illegal AFT transit tax put <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/11/tampa-centric-5-turns-aft-transit-tax.html">another illegal AFT transit tax</a> back on the ballot last year. </p><p>Many of the same wealthy donors supported the illegal 2022 AFT transit tax. Hillsborough County voters saw thru AFT's shenanigans and defeated the 2022 illegal tax. Thankfully another potential AFT refund mess was avoided. </p><div>As we posted <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2023/04/give-hillsborough-county-570m-sales-tax.html">here,</a> the Florida House passed a bill this session for a sales tax holiday in Hillsborough County to remedy the big AFT refund mess. AFT's wealthy donor class sent a letter to Gov DeSantis opposing the sales tax holiday refund remedy.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Florida Senate then struck the sales tax holiday language on the very last day of Session. We were told the refund remedy would be addressed in the <a href="https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/transportation/2023-05-05/florida-legislature-pushes-decision-hillsborough-transportation-tax-next-year">2024 legislative session</a>.</div><p>The wealthy AFT donors do not want taxpayers to be refunded for the $570 million refund mess they helped create. Did they want the County to file the Motion to Dismiss to stop the taxpayers from getting refunded?</p><p>We cannot find how illegally collected tax proceeds by a government entity can "magically" be made legal for a government entity to spend.</p><p>None of the Defendants in the AFT lawsuits should be rewarded. They are the losers of the lawsuit.</p><p>The bad behavior of those pushing, not just one but two illegal AFT transit tax hikes, must be addressed to ensure such behavior does not continue.</p><p>A clear message must be sent that placing illegal local tax hikes on the ballot will not be tolerated in the State of Florida. </p><p>The remedy in the State of Florida for any local tax ruled illegal in its final court adjudication must be to refund the taxpayers thru a sales tax holiday until the illegal tax proceeds are depleted.</p><p>The bad behavior must stop.</p><p>The taxpayers of Hillsborough County have waited way too long. They deserve a 1% sales tax holiday ASAP. </p><p>Give our Money Back! </p>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-59065203062621491032023-07-27T11:45:00.000-04:002023-07-27T11:45:03.625-04:00PSTA HeadsTowards Fiscal Cliff Again As Big Pay Raises Funded with 1-time COVID Money & Escalating Operating Expenses Comes Home to Roost<p>Pinellas County Transit agency PSTA is heading towards insolvency. They used one-time COVID dollars to hand out large raises now baked into PSTA's budget. PSTA depleted almost $100M of COVID dollars over the last few years.</p><p>PSTA knew they were heading towards a fiscal cliff last year. The then governing PSTA board approved huge pay raises, implemented "free to the rider" SunRunner rides and did nothing to alleviate PSTA's fiscal hemorrhaging. </p><span></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEk9cd5W-tVnSaxqnm-pcdC7S95NK2rjo1W_V4b_oCgOsUGOkzUNFl72eEmtuTqme_2Z-eNOFVDy9AhN0ujF68vMzZg6nPnqfLL9PgAH_4ZSzYvKGBn6icCRmCyUA7CbSzD9OGFpxUmpFnl6WrwKfeNPMM4Gp0MUnuWeOop1UhRZjGGnxw3Mq-3G4kk2W/s2130/FiscalCliff%20Chart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="2130" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEk9cd5W-tVnSaxqnm-pcdC7S95NK2rjo1W_V4b_oCgOsUGOkzUNFl72eEmtuTqme_2Z-eNOFVDy9AhN0ujF68vMzZg6nPnqfLL9PgAH_4ZSzYvKGBn6icCRmCyUA7CbSzD9OGFpxUmpFnl6WrwKfeNPMM4Gp0MUnuWeOop1UhRZjGGnxw3Mq-3G4kk2W/w640-h342/FiscalCliff%20Chart.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>PSTA's operating expenses increased over 33% between 2018 and 2022. From 2021 to 2022, PSTA's operating expenses increased 22%. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3s1iqirmORATaaCAcrgbo3eFKapIxhzrl_TK1vHOh0DbYhemGwlBwrP-tMZXzw-LoaL-xa3M4BC0zqUA9n00Bj9KSbHwL1sI2fRbfqbS3xKDP2xt9_pDdiTNhu68wWdQFQOSbk1cidPd9fN1UnW08bLReiZNyLKaSAZTxCKOwwErGiURLsAHRz7S6n5F/s1428/PSTAOpExpensesupdated.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1428" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3s1iqirmORATaaCAcrgbo3eFKapIxhzrl_TK1vHOh0DbYhemGwlBwrP-tMZXzw-LoaL-xa3M4BC0zqUA9n00Bj9KSbHwL1sI2fRbfqbS3xKDP2xt9_pDdiTNhu68wWdQFQOSbk1cidPd9fN1UnW08bLReiZNyLKaSAZTxCKOwwErGiURLsAHRz7S6n5F/w640-h392/PSTAOpExpensesupdated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>PSTA projects <a href="https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/1990650/FY23_Adopted_Budget.pdf">2023 operating expenses</a> to be 113,276,130, an increase of 11% over 2022. </p><p>PSTA's property tax revenues increased 35% from 2018 to 2022.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMah5X-5YBSkAdEzPCxTCLhLTgjJVErliTs1YttVXQNuu0KPok5iQuDp89R4r_46FtwhOZPIGXo2azW9DmHJ3kxjU0tGm7PiWe7XSjzBV8MmS78udrw-CeqKzyXtuQBr70Fm48jCnEr_K9JojcTeJivEb5e-u6i7c5BkNShnSNvgO6ta--hDb4w1HyL2I5/s1368/PSTSPropTaxRevupdated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="1368" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMah5X-5YBSkAdEzPCxTCLhLTgjJVErliTs1YttVXQNuu0KPok5iQuDp89R4r_46FtwhOZPIGXo2azW9DmHJ3kxjU0tGm7PiWe7XSjzBV8MmS78udrw-CeqKzyXtuQBr70Fm48jCnEr_K9JojcTeJivEb5e-u6i7c5BkNShnSNvgO6ta--hDb4w1HyL2I5/w640-h534/PSTSPropTaxRevupdated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>PSTA's property tax revenue increased almost 14% from 2022 to 2023 and is expected to increase almost 11% from 2023 to 2024.</p><p>Without a millage roll back, this is tax hikes to the property owners who pay the PSTA property tax, the vast majority never or rarely ever ride the bus. </p><p>As we posted <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2019/11/stop-proposed-45-million-central-avenue.html#more">here</a> in 2019, PSTA has been heading towards a fiscal cliff since before the pandemic. </p><p>Before COVID, PSTA was dipping into their Reserves to fund their increasing operating expenses...even as their property tax revenues were increasing. They knew they would need a new revenue source to operate the SunRunner bus rapid transit (BRT) service.</p><p>The pandemic hit in 2020 and PSTA received almost $100M of one-time COVID relief dollars which kept PSTA above water for the last few years. </p><p>Like HART transit agency in Hillsborough County, PSTA went on a wild spending spree burning through those millions with little to no oversight or forethought. </p><p>Where did all that money go? To fund pay increases and pay for PSTA's increasing operating expenses....even as property tax revenues were increasing by double digits.</p><p>In 2022 PSTA handed out pay increases from 5.2 to 24% to their administrative staff, including a raise of 8.4% to its CEO Brad Miller. </p><p>According to this <a href="https://www.tbnweekly.com/pinellas_county/article_2badb5da-b82c-11ec-a223-2b89d6a679e2.html">report</a>:</p><blockquote>Debbie Leous, PSTA’s chief financial officer, said <b>the $11 million needed for the administrative raises would come from money received from the federal government for COVID-19.</b></blockquote><p>When the PSTA bus drivers protested the admin pay raises, PSTA handed them a pay increase between 6.7 and 10.3%. <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2022/03/30/after-protests-psta-bus-drivers-will-see-pay-raised-to-highest-in-state/">PSTA bus drivers</a> are now the highest paid in the state. for a transit agency that is going insolvent.</p><p>The high cost of operating the SunRunner, the big pay raises funded by one-time dollars is coming home to roost for PSTA.</p><div>With the COVID funds now depleted, PSTA heads again towards a fiscal cliff. They must cut routes or they will go insolvent.</div><p>PSTA's CEO Miller told the Tampa Bay Business Journal last month "Now we're in a situation where we'll be in a deficit."</p><div><p>When PSTA submitted their Federal grant request to the Federal Transit Administration, they stated they expected a 44% fare box recovery from the SunRunner. </p><p>PSTA's overall fare box recovery since 2013 has been declining. But the pay raises keep going. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXwjOqfF4i_hi1AYK_Qike5h17qnU5GeJwbl1lJL_-P2UusdgnuVOEKBQq8Kh7lio6tZKP_6DegbhbBrNnH5DrmiHPwSp9-rVRn2DsQgdePe7sR_y0fAJkXfVSJ9zHTv0QKuL0IU_jhbJWHCQJ9vPtth6ZkqbqiUsTYR-z5G_pda-PyI8lsCtv-toeufW/s1316/PSTAFareaboxRecoveryupdated.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1316" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXwjOqfF4i_hi1AYK_Qike5h17qnU5GeJwbl1lJL_-P2UusdgnuVOEKBQq8Kh7lio6tZKP_6DegbhbBrNnH5DrmiHPwSp9-rVRn2DsQgdePe7sR_y0fAJkXfVSJ9zHTv0QKuL0IU_jhbJWHCQJ9vPtth6ZkqbqiUsTYR-z5G_pda-PyI8lsCtv-toeufW/w640-h552/PSTAFareaboxRecoveryupdated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>PSTA told the Feds and the public that the Central Avenue Trolley (CAT) that runs in the same corridor as the SunRunner would continue to operate. PSTA wanted the public to assume that SunRunner riders were "new" transit riders. </p><p>PSTA's 2021 10 year <a href="https://psta.net/media/4784/fy2021-2030-tdp.pdf">Transportation Development Plan</a> (TDP) estimated revenue from the SunRunner to be $1.9M in year 1and almost $3M in year 2. Instead PSTA to date has received ZERO revenue from the SunRunner and has LOST revenue as riders on other routes get their "free" rides.</p><p>PSTA was warned the SunRunner would simply siphon existing riders from the CAT.</p></div><div>The CAT riders who were paying for the theirs rides walked a block over and now ride the SunRunner for FREE courtesy of the taxpayers.</div><div><br /></div><div>The CAT's ridership has declined almost 60% and is less than half of what it was a year ago before the SunRunner.</div><div><br /></div><div>And Surprise! PSTA is considering eliminating or greatly reducing the length of the CAT route due to its tanking ridership.</div><div><br /></div><div>PSTA Board members now admit the SunRunner has simply moved paying riders from other routes to the SunRunner. </div><div><div><br /></div><div> PSTA is going insolvent but they continue handing out the free rides for the SunRunner. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>And in May PSTA approved buying <a href="https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/psta-board-of-directors-approves-the-purchase-of-three-new-sunrunner-buses">3 more SunRunner buses </a>for $3 million. According to PSTA's Communications & Public Relations Manager Stephanie Rank, "SunRunner is very different than other routes that we have in service because its high ridership is on the weekends." </div><div><br /></div><div>PSTA admits the SunRunner is an entertainment amenity used to go to special events in downtown St. Petersburg and to Rays games on the weekends. These riders can afford to pay for their rides so why are taxpayers forced to pay their fares? </div><div><br /></div><div>With PSTA going insolvent, they should start charging for the SunRunner NOW!</div><div><br /></div><div>To top things off, as PSTA heads toward a fiscal cliff and have no spare change to spend, they still plan to force more <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2021/10/psta-forcing-road-diets-in-pinellas.html">road diets</a> in Pinellas County for more costly BRT's. </div><div><br /></div><div>PSTA plans to eliminate general vehicle lanes of traffic on 34th Street South for bus only lanes. That corridor has thousands of new apartments in new complexes with huge parking garages, and a new fast food restaurant with a drive through opens there almost every month.</div><div><br /></div><div>While PSTA holds public hearings regarding any proposed route cuts, all the road diets are being <strike>implemented</strike> forced with NO public hearings. The general public is provided ZERO opportunity to speak directly in front of their peers and the decision makers to comment before any road diet is approved. That is unfair, unsound and simply wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>Handing out large pay raises - much higher than those in the private sector - with one-time funds is fiscally irresponsible. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Free" rides to all SunRunner riders is fiscally irresponsible. </div><div><br /></div><div>Implementing the costly SunRunner, that siphons riders from other routes, when SunRunner knew they needed new revenue to operate the SunRunner, is fiscally irresponsible.</div><div><br /></div><div>PSTA has been fiscally mismanaged for years with Brad Miller at the helm. Fiscal negligence occurred on his tenure.</div><div><br /></div><div>Brad Miller was caught <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2014/08/misuse-of-funds-lies-and-videos-while.html">misusing federal funds</a> on PSTA's failed 2014 Greenlight Pinellas rail tax campaign. Miller was forced to return over $300K to the Feds </div><div><br /></div><div>Instead of getting rid of Miller, PSTA has given him pay raises ever since.</div><div><br /></div><div>Time for the PSTA Board to rid of Brad Miller.</div><div><br /></div><div>And if they don't, replace the PSTA Board with those who will.</div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-70767193711770025582023-06-29T08:15:00.001-04:002023-06-29T08:18:50.291-04:00Hillsborough County Blows Through All Its Skyrocketing Growth Revenues, Increases County Bureaucracy by 61% <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Guest post by Dr. Jim Davison </span></p><br />Hillsborough County citizens are well acquainted with this time of year as being the start of hurricane season in Florida. It starts every year on June the 1st. We are given estimates of how many and how intense the storms will be. We are urged to get our homes ready and to prepare in case one of these natural disasters hits the area. All good advice. <br /><br />Beginning about one month before hurricane season there is another season that starts every year. One that can be costly and deadly to taxpayers and it is man-made. <div><br /></div><div>It is the “Budget Season” for local municipalities and the County. </div><div><br /></div><div>The "Budget Season" is a closely choreographed period-of-time. Like clockwork, the Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise kicked off the Fiscal Year 2024 season at a BOCC workshop on <a href="https://eagenda.hillsboroughcounty.org/portal/PTL29560/open/OBJ3YL488">May 10, 2023</a>. No public comment was allowed.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>What did Wise tell the commissioners? More importantly, what did she leave out?</div><div><br />Various economic data was presented giving the impression that ad valorem tax growth will be decreasing and that there is a high probability of a recession coming. </div><div><br /></div><div>Slides were presented explaining the County general funds and the challenges contained for future funding. This was followed by slides attempting to represent how the County is doing a great job in holding down the size of county government and that most of the spending is being done for your safety. <br /><br />Slides were shown proclaiming the usual AAA+ bond rating. Slides were shown claiming the growth in ad valorem revenues would be <b>only 14.5% for FY 24</b> (well over inflation plus population growth) and the revenues for FY2025 would be “more challenging” increasing <b>only</b><b> 8.1%.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>All those slides led up to the counties favorite budget weapon, the 5-year Proforma. It is a modeling forecast by year of the County’s 2 major property tax/general revenue operating funds - Countywide and Unincorporated Hillsborough. The Pro Forma is based on certain assumptions concerning revenue growth, growth in expenses and the economic outlook. </div><div><br /></div><div>Despite property tax revenues over the last 3 years far exceeding the growth assumptions contained in the last 3 Proformas, expenses <u><b>always</b></u> rose above the forecasted growth assumptions to wipe out all the revenue growth.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 2024 Proforma shows a huge surplus of $351 million over the next 5 years in the Countywide operating budget. The Countywide Operating Budget has always showed a surplus since being published as part of the budget process in 2016.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Unincorporated Operating Budget Proforma is not so lucky. It shows a $141 million dollar deficit in 2028 even thought it too has had revenues that greatly exceeded the assumptions in previous Proforma models. Again, <b>expenses rose to wipe out all the revenue gains.</b></div><div> </div><div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_nuaQ8AT4AwHOUlGnTjkA1_0Fe9pRmaSvr00ocTSpfabHvbFHx_a1dcxoFKSE_Q9g1gDHgo4ee8JXZD-tKxAv6dhspk-GqKlJ3CQWTJR4BNPQkwEHcK0Zxf0Y5BVt6mZ8QkOsZoUAMZt8zbjkjPfyop0oPOFpQhZ3iAJQO4lOcJVSbd5kblc5-s06A/s2018/HCFy23_28Proforma%20Baselineupdated.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="2018" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_nuaQ8AT4AwHOUlGnTjkA1_0Fe9pRmaSvr00ocTSpfabHvbFHx_a1dcxoFKSE_Q9g1gDHgo4ee8JXZD-tKxAv6dhspk-GqKlJ3CQWTJR4BNPQkwEHcK0Zxf0Y5BVt6mZ8QkOsZoUAMZt8zbjkjPfyop0oPOFpQhZ3iAJQO4lOcJVSbd5kblc5-s06A/w640-h340/HCFy23_28Proforma%20Baselineupdated.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From May 10, 2023 Budget Workshop</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>How is this possible especially since they are doing such a good job keeping down the growth of government? </div><div><br /></div><div>Has it always been like this?</div><div><br /></div><div>The answers are: No, they are not containing government growth and No it has not always been like this.<br /><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"> </p></div><div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;">In the <a href="https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/library/hillsborough/media-center/documents/budget/fy17-adopted-budget-book-web-version.pdf">FY2017 budget Proforma</a> the Countywide General Fund showed a $170.4 million surplus in FY2021 and the Unincorporated General Fund showed a $145.2 million surplus in FY2021. </p></div><div>Where did the surplus in the Unincorporated fund go?</div><div><br /></div><div>It contained the $812 million 10-year Transportation funding policy passed in 2016. In the Proforma for FY2018, then County Administrator Mike Merrill stated there was plenty of money over the next 5 years to fund the transportation policy.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the now illegal All for Transportation (AFT) sales tax was passed in 2018, the new Democrat majority county commission eliminated the funded 10 year Transportation Plan that used growth of property tax revenues. The County began a wild spending spree in 2019. </div><div><br />The growth in government expenses is best shown by looking at the “Major Organization Operating Budget” found every year in the Executive Summary section of the budget. Comparing the numbers over multiple budgets shows exactly what happened. </div><div><br /></div><div>From FY2020 to FY2023 the County Administrator departments - the Bureaucracy - increased its operating expenses from $1,114.6 million ($1.1B) to $1,793.4 ($1.8B) million. <b>This is a $678.8 million dollar increase or 61% increase and an annual grow rate of 17.2% per year - way over population growth plus inflation.</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqgQ3uIimUNCt5ikwG5PhdPv1oGxUNGD8p9Cs1WbmzfgZN1dD2ZVTIDRjjTa4OPz8FjddW7fCONHOxdz9J6JYH6fVrzfmpH2vsockK85iZJfCLnItWR9LO42mVIJtCadBv7IxaU5L7mTjJoCk9goQZiHOHcXoWXPWTcCjnj6I8WlWWiwFgI8oVy-hKg/s1286/FY23MajorOrganizationOperationsupdated.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="1286" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqgQ3uIimUNCt5ikwG5PhdPv1oGxUNGD8p9Cs1WbmzfgZN1dD2ZVTIDRjjTa4OPz8FjddW7fCONHOxdz9J6JYH6fVrzfmpH2vsockK85iZJfCLnItWR9LO42mVIJtCadBv7IxaU5L7mTjJoCk9goQZiHOHcXoWXPWTcCjnj6I8WlWWiwFgI8oVy-hKg/w640-h188/FY23MajorOrganizationOperationsupdated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Elected Officials from the Sheriff to Tax Collector combined operating budgets increased from $551.9 million in FY2020 to $668.5 million in FY2023. That $116,6 million increase is a 21% increase.</div><div><br /></div><div>The County Administrator increases are even more stark when we compare them to previous growth and growth rates. </div><div><br /></div><div>From FY2017 to FY2020 the County Administrator’s operating budget increased $164.2 million dollars or 17% and that was with a couple of years of transportation funding that got eliminated in 2019. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even with the AFT sales tax in legal jeopardy, the Democrat majority county commission spent the County's increasing property tax revenues on their wants and pet projects. They negligently and incompetently failed to properly prioritize funding primary responsibilities of local government such as local roads and infrastructure. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now Hillsborough County has neither a transportation funding plan nor the AFT sales tax. Instead the county faces bigger expenses with higher inflation, rising labor costs and continuing supply chain issues. </div><div><br /></div><div>County Administrator Bonnie Wise is now asking the <a href="https://eagenda.hillsboroughcounty.org/portal/PTL29560/open/OBJ56Q886">BOCC</a> to raise all your water and sewer fees already indexed at 4% per year until 2025 for another 10 to 15 years. This will increase the cost of your water coming out of your faucets by almost 100%. Wise wants to raise your solid waste fees $84.72 next year and your Stormwater fees about $5 per year for the next 3 years. </div><div><br /></div><div>The County claims these are not huge raises in fees and property tax millage rates have not increased for years. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, large property tax increases have hit Hillsborough County property owners. The county commissioners refused to reduce property tax millage rates as property values and property tax general revenues skyrocketed.</div><h1 class="Text-c11n-8-84-0__sc-aiai24-0 qxgaF" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a2a33; font-family: "Open Sans", "Adjusted Arial", Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px;"><br /></h1><div>As we reported <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2023/06/property-tax-revenues-increase-153-but.html">here</a>, commissioners have the most spending discretion with general fund property tax revenues. Between 2019 and 2023, general fund property tax revenues grew an average of 10.4% per year - well over what was forecasted. </div><div><br /></div><div>The county commissioners spent all the growth funds. </div><div><br /></div><div>They spent those funds increasing the size and scope of the county bureaucracy by over 60%. They spent those growth funds on art museums, splash pads, butterfly gardens, nonprofits without any accountability, sorority events, fiscally mismanaged HART transit agency, implementation of DEI initiatives into every department of the county, trails, parades, ferry projects, nebulous economic development programs, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>And the County refusing to reduce property tax millage rates while spending larger and larger amounts on affordable housing programs is simply duplicitous. </div><div><br /></div><div>The County also received nearly $300 Million in COVID funding in 2020 and 2021. </div><div>The end of the County's COVID Emergency should have caused a decrease in the County's operating budget. </div><div><br /></div><div>The County planned for the FY2023 budget to have a 9.4% decrease in operating expenses. However, the budget actually adopted for FY2023 increased operating expenses by 19% over what was planned.</div><div><br /></div><div>We understand the County will ask Hillsborough voters to reauthorize the one-half percent Community Investment Tax (CIT) aka the stadium tax next year. That is a local sales surtax intended to be spent on local roads and infrastructure. </div><div><br /></div><div>But the County does not mention how a new CIT tax may impact your water, garbage and stormwater fees. </div><div><br /></div><div>Confused? That is the intent of the County bureaucracy. The BOCC has lost control of the County's own budget and are not following their own policies concerning control of the budget. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like a hurricane, the County blew through the county's increasing revenues. Hillsborough County has a spending problem not a revenue problem.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is the Budget Season and time for taxpayers voices to be heard.</div><div><br /></div><div>The draft budget will be presented to the county commissioners at the <a href="https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/calendar/01-bocc/2023/board-meetings/20230712-regular-meeting-hybrid">July 12, 2023</a> BOCC meeting where the public may speak in person, virtually or submit a written comment. Or contact or email all the commissioners <a href="https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/government/board-of-county-commissioners/contact-your-commissioner">here.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Tell county commissioners to take back control of the budget, stop the fee increases, roll back at least the county-wide millage rate or make a swap to the unincorporated fund and properly fund local roads. </div><div><br /></div><div>And STOP THE WASTEFUL SPENDING!</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's have a safe hurricane season and a FAIR Budget season.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Editor's Note: Dr. Jim Davison is a candidate for Hillsborough County commission District 6.</div><div><br /></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-37074864591688266002023-06-07T09:22:00.000-04:002023-06-07T09:22:02.175-04:00Property Tax Revenues Increase 15.3% But Hillsborough County Refuses to Prioritize Funding Roads....Again <p>Hillsborough County's budget is an abomination and taxpayers in Hillsborough County should be revolting. </p><p>For the last 15 years, Hillsborough County has refused to properly prioritize road funding, a primary responsibility of local government. Roads are Hillsborough County's largest asset but the County continues to neglect to appropriately maintaining and improving them. </p><p>That must change with the FY24 budget. Taxpayers must demand property tax revenues be used to fund roads and transportation.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Hillsborough's budget irresponsibly prioritizes the funding of pork projects, pet projects, a bigger bureaucracy and wants over needs. The budget demonstrates poor governance, lack of transparency and lack of accountability. It is shameful!</p><p>In preparation of the FY24 budget, the County held a budget workshop on May 10, 2023. County Administrator Bonnie Wise stated she will be presenting <b>her</b> recommended FY24 budget to the county commissioners at the July 12, 2023 BOCC meeting. </p><p>The video of the May 10, 2023 Budget workshop is found <a href="https://youtu.be/OgvHMKBhALg">here.</a> </p><p>At this Workshop, Wise states the Budget overview presentation highlights how funding is allocated amongst various uses of the funds. She also highlights the two property tax revenue streams the commissioners have the MOST DISCRETION in "their" spending - the Countywide General Funds and the Unincorporated General Funds. </p><p>Since 2018 property tax revenue increases have averaged about 10.15% per year including a whopping 15.3% increase in FY23. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPY9-4OMN71x_byM6PwQYOccRVk6XpnPn644QieY0ktV8TUQL5oDyu2qFCsh9TFMRuObhLS-pEhDmhkRk1QR3FK2fcigOqZqxsDlsjLq0XSU6jYPms2P2obrt5xhXQI80OhXH2vaDzk27xRki96Oh4_xNCoKCqy4f4EnWICx9Vma_i9PNrBcoHUVh51A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="2080" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPY9-4OMN71x_byM6PwQYOccRVk6XpnPn644QieY0ktV8TUQL5oDyu2qFCsh9TFMRuObhLS-pEhDmhkRk1QR3FK2fcigOqZqxsDlsjLq0XSU6jYPms2P2obrt5xhXQI80OhXH2vaDzk27xRki96Oh4_xNCoKCqy4f4EnWICx9Vma_i9PNrBcoHUVh51A=w640-h326" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In addition, the value of taxable property has almost doubled since 2018.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghipUiyk4UJ9pJEYwuuBvaGLWAg2cQXgXyBoD9zvyoygu7_ugLpHOxVs0awl6q8zCk0eTmIboXkL5cuiCNlkxQ-rt1JqLlHj4l76DFmQcDC82jhk8GMyp2Ho9p1nFyN6780fBxuuqa1OwYU-wNF3QkrNOCL5UWsavXZ8wigvKziPEpLa8T1QK1STJScQ/s2018/HCtaxablevalue.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="2018" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghipUiyk4UJ9pJEYwuuBvaGLWAg2cQXgXyBoD9zvyoygu7_ugLpHOxVs0awl6q8zCk0eTmIboXkL5cuiCNlkxQ-rt1JqLlHj4l76DFmQcDC82jhk8GMyp2Ho9p1nFyN6780fBxuuqa1OwYU-wNF3QkrNOCL5UWsavXZ8wigvKziPEpLa8T1QK1STJScQ/w640-h358/HCtaxablevalue.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The population grew about 5.5% since 2018 - on average less than 1% per year. Inflation was very low until 2021 when Biden Admin policies sent inflation soaring. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The average inflation rate since 2018 is 4%. Property tax revenues have been growing faster than population growth plus inflation even with today's higher inflation rate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yet the County continues to claim there's "no money" to fund roads which is totally false.....because the County has a spending problem not a revenue problem.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The County bureaucracy is a big part of the County's spending problem. Once again the County ignores funding the largest asset the county owns - roads. Nowhere in the "characteristics" of where property tax revenues are spent is funding for roads. This is an abomination.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mfWK7fD96MOelhYCxpgLOhhdxb1BqmXCFlTsPTlxs7JNJAQ_YuqQgOh05gIJJglsXqpDgcPhstN8R4z92G9L0j5ZAb6_urGNXhlwN-6ebiE_-UWAVvEkGuBx0LwqQKL7mFJ2d9aBB24o3ZmUKu6uCrFTEmLpsmAcAlM9UYXmcUaYksJCUbnYDD-Ebg/s2018/countywidefund.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="2018" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mfWK7fD96MOelhYCxpgLOhhdxb1BqmXCFlTsPTlxs7JNJAQ_YuqQgOh05gIJJglsXqpDgcPhstN8R4z92G9L0j5ZAb6_urGNXhlwN-6ebiE_-UWAVvEkGuBx0LwqQKL7mFJ2d9aBB24o3ZmUKu6uCrFTEmLpsmAcAlM9UYXmcUaYksJCUbnYDD-Ebg/w400-h215/countywidefund.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiEwb66-UqGswG99nYUZjoqbXC1XNRq5Z8yw7rqhzCoLpxJbL6qSusgTV9PlpzAAy8E6bbIDciO4mRc4rqfVe7RoWhYaBuJ-TeBxJcIP_kPrHN8Bi9wsCgInhcoH84t0gCmJiWtwrpsSlX0pmu3P0DXg-J-E8sSBO4pTSgERLHbmAcsattYoUWYVpiw/s2018/unincorporatedgenralfunds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="2018" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiEwb66-UqGswG99nYUZjoqbXC1XNRq5Z8yw7rqhzCoLpxJbL6qSusgTV9PlpzAAy8E6bbIDciO4mRc4rqfVe7RoWhYaBuJ-TeBxJcIP_kPrHN8Bi9wsCgInhcoH84t0gCmJiWtwrpsSlX0pmu3P0DXg-J-E8sSBO4pTSgERLHbmAcsattYoUWYVpiw/w400-h213/unincorporatedgenralfunds.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With record property tax revenues flowing in, below is what Wise recommended for how growth property tax/general revenues be spent. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuhjT-xr_YrljxUS2-uPr7-PjuaeUO9XQygkbI0N5b1hfs5zbAUc1OP-FOf_B0SMDBIzDQ7QMdpS7q4xALW66uJMTCY_lA5yKzkpccju95D7O3l0RVA5cpNm4LNeEsEPrvz4fNWh4qnk57B-KjQcVRqeI8Ed0-ysmTOZZNaRCV1A0Op9vqIdm0sdUFQ/s2106/GeneralFundspending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1118" data-original-width="2106" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuhjT-xr_YrljxUS2-uPr7-PjuaeUO9XQygkbI0N5b1hfs5zbAUc1OP-FOf_B0SMDBIzDQ7QMdpS7q4xALW66uJMTCY_lA5yKzkpccju95D7O3l0RVA5cpNm4LNeEsEPrvz4fNWh4qnk57B-KjQcVRqeI8Ed0-ysmTOZZNaRCV1A0Op9vqIdm0sdUFQ/w640-h340/GeneralFundspending.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">MIA is any funding for roads and transportation. Also missing is any dollar amount associated with these "uses". This is unacceptable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The commissioners need to tell Bonnie Wise to go back to the budget drawing board. Take note of any county commissioner who does not question why funding roads is not included. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Remember as property tax revenues kept rising, Hillsborough County received over $703 MILLION in COVID Relief Funding that opened up a firehose of new spending, especially for social welfare programs.</div></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKH8C91b2j_PN0SNwGnaRBAblsX04wuGoiajpI89IbRNBA6vh5Oz7edR0KWt55SbDvv28rCZ42hRls8WRahTOuTKIxEM7BfqSOeCVAA6Ch93w2zc1TnAblNJb9ezuuX7WBr58q0HysFRXek2V3qBgom-xrVAHsZND1UArt7xHU6mh31RyLZ0WoNhIZQw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1596" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKH8C91b2j_PN0SNwGnaRBAblsX04wuGoiajpI89IbRNBA6vh5Oz7edR0KWt55SbDvv28rCZ42hRls8WRahTOuTKIxEM7BfqSOeCVAA6Ch93w2zc1TnAblNJb9ezuuX7WBr58q0HysFRXek2V3qBgom-xrVAHsZND1UArt7xHU6mh31RyLZ0WoNhIZQw=w640-h318" width="640" /></a></div><p>The County's latest <a href="https://eagenda.hillsboroughcounty.org/portal/PTL29560/search?D=06/07/2023&T=Regular%20BOCC%20Meeting&Y=Backup&o=A-32.pdf">COVID funding spending report</a> aka their marketing brochure will be handed to the county commissioners today. </p><p>For about 15 years, Hillsborough County has refused to properly been holding road funding hostage for transit tax boondoggles</p><p>Historically, property tax general revenues always funded roads and transportation in Hillsborough County....until 2008.</p><div>When the recession hit in 2008 Hillsborough County removed every penny of property tax revenues from transportation funding. <p></p><p>While the total elimination of general fund property tax revenues in 2008 for transportation funding was supposed to be temporary to get thru the housing bubble burst....it wasn't. </p><p>As property tax revenues came back, the County never put property tax revenues back to funding transportation except for a year or two - FY2017 and FY2018. Taxpayers forced the issue after the 2016 Go Hillsborough scandal that resulted in a law enforcement investigation. </p><p>However, a new Democrat majority county commission in 2019 eliminated the property tax funding again because they supported the illegal All for Transportation massive transit sales tax hikes. </p><p>Now the County is complaining about the high inflation and higher costs. </p><p>But the County should have been properly funding roads for over a decade. Due to negligently and irresponsibly not doing that, taxpayers are forced to now pay much higher costs for work that should have been paid for when inflation and costs were much lower. </p><p>So now the new Republican majority county commission must prioritize road funding in the County's FY24 budget. They must break off a percentage of the current millage rate and use a percentage of growth funds and earmark those general revenue dollars to fund roads - especially in unincorporated Hillsborough. </p><p>And if County Administrator Bonnie Wise cannot figure out how to properly fund roads with general funds/property tax revenues, the County needs a new Administrator ASAP.</p></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-50606111388225577232023-04-28T09:43:00.001-04:002023-04-29T10:45:52.543-04:00Give Hillsborough County a $570M Sales Tax Holiday, Do Not Reward Any Wrong-doers <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqsmg-W40gDWDZ4ioMflZRaJKQnoyq2pTObfzOOWKIbe8wCTvJ_Ullq8HRWHQKw7NE9ZxoB8l5B0iOL7778FbbfKHmwBsOoqDpmnkBhZRDg9loRqYJG8CpKEm22aXB2w9B5oHZpn-45MwetjybUUFmX7rJQBYxes68_O3Esxq9CTlQu8IY0MXAxQarnQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="620" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqsmg-W40gDWDZ4ioMflZRaJKQnoyq2pTObfzOOWKIbe8wCTvJ_Ullq8HRWHQKw7NE9ZxoB8l5B0iOL7778FbbfKHmwBsOoqDpmnkBhZRDg9loRqYJG8CpKEm22aXB2w9B5oHZpn-45MwetjybUUFmX7rJQBYxes68_O3Esxq9CTlQu8IY0MXAxQarnQ" width="320" /></a></div><br />It's way beyond time for Hillsborough County taxpayers to get back the $570M of illegal All for Transportation (AFT) tax dollars unlawfully taken from them. It's been over two years since the Florida Supreme Court ruled that AFT was unlawful in February 2021. <p></p><p>Finally, <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/7063/BillText/Filed/PDF">House Bill 7063</a> (starting at line 893) provides a final remedy to the big legal mess AFT created. HB7063 includes a provision for a sales tax holiday to be implemented when a final adjudication has been made that a local sales tax referendum is ruled unlawful and illegal. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>This provision will provide a sales tax holiday for Hillsborough County to refund the over half a Billion dollars the County owes taxpayers. </p><p>A sales tax holiday is the most fair, most efficient and cleanest solution that will benefit the most taxpayers harmed by the 2018 illegal AFT transit tax. </p><p>The sales tax holiday will provide tax relief at a time of highest inflation in 40 years when so many are struggling. It will help businesses, especially small businesses, who pay sales tax on their commercial leases.</p><p>There is precedence by the State of Florida for implementing sales tax holidays. </p><p>There is no precedence by the State of Florida to somehow make an illegal tax a legal tax that can be spent and not returned to the most people who were harmed. </p><p>Statutorily allowing for a sales tax holiday when a local sales tax referendum is found unlawful sends a strong message to all 67 Florida counties. It is a warning to not place unlawful local tax referendums/ballot language on the ballot and think the County can still spend those illegal tax dollars. </p><p>However, this <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/604970-hillsborough-business-leaders-urge-gov-desantis-to-use-transportation-tax-revenue-for-well-transportation/">Florida Politics</a> article reveals that a group of "business leaders" do not want a sales tax holiday. This group includes Jeff Vinik - AFT's largest donor, the Tampa Bay Partnership and other wealthy donors who funded the illegal AFT transit tax. They sent a letter to Governor DeSantis:</p><blockquote>“With a $13 billion backlog in transportation projects in Hillsborough County, we ardently advocate that the funds collected through the 2018 Transportation Referendum Tax be applied in the same spirit under which they were collected; to improve transportation infrastructure in Hillsborough County,” the group wrote.<br /><br />“We are concerned with the proposal under consideration in the Florida House of Representatives to refund $570 million through a sales tax holiday.”<br /><br />Signatories include some major names in Hillsborough business, including Port Tampa Bay CEO Paul Anderson; Tampa Bay Rays President Brian Auld; Caspers Company CEO Blake Casper; Tampa General Hospital CEO John Couris; 1905 Family of Restaurants President Richard Gonzmart; Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano; Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Bryan Glazer; Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik; developers Darryl Shaw and Craig Sher; and others.<p></p></blockquote><p>Many of the same wealthy people who funded the illegal AFT transit tax do not want the unlawfully collected AFT tax dollars going back into the wallets of the taxpayers directly harmed by their actions. </p><p>It appears from this <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2023/04/20/gov-ron-desantis-transportation-sales-tax-refund-hillsborough-tampa/">Tampa Bay Times</a> article, the Tampa Bay Partnership (TBP) orchestrated the letter to DeSantis.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.tampabay.org/thought-leadership/">TBP</a> claims they are the "Thought Leadership" of Tampa Bay.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdE_WFrh3jIeSVCeMO-w43xWZK2Y47Bp3Nks5y03rGPwJKom2PRiJSRgynEoK_DryBucHuFt7JAu7473ilHCHe0X5I-afbBhhi6c5DauqZijtQ8gSjQUvRRFvHwM0pCVqVEjCs2CEB8ex5MZdwuDgjxzWCf5PA004FKuY7xFNAHwLbzeoPDuLtfUioBA/s1500/TBPThoughtLeadership.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="1500" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdE_WFrh3jIeSVCeMO-w43xWZK2Y47Bp3Nks5y03rGPwJKom2PRiJSRgynEoK_DryBucHuFt7JAu7473ilHCHe0X5I-afbBhhi6c5DauqZijtQ8gSjQUvRRFvHwM0pCVqVEjCs2CEB8ex5MZdwuDgjxzWCf5PA004FKuY7xFNAHwLbzeoPDuLtfUioBA/w400-h163/TBPThoughtLeadership.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>In reality, the Tampa Bay Partnership (TBP) is the lead transit lobbyist organization in Tampa Bay. </p><p>Since 2010, the TBP has pushed and funded four rail/transit tax referendums, three in Hillsborough and one in Pinellas. They have been on the <b>losing</b> side of all four transit tax hike boondoggles. </p><p>That is poor leadership.</p><p>The letter to DeSantis includes a claim that misrepresents reality. As we posted <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/09/about-that-23-billion-rail-tax-duping.html">here</a>, a super majority of the $13B backlog is for transportation improvements on state and federal highways and interstates. These projects are funded by state and federal taxes we already pay. They are NOT funded by a local transportation sales tax. </p><p>Parroting the half-baked claims from AFT's transit tax misinformation campaign reflects a lack of candor. </p><p>Why aren't these "business leaders" shining a big bright light on how Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa have failed to properly fund local roads - a primary responsibility of local government? </p><p>The "business leaders" should be demanding accountability and fiscal responsibility from Hillsborough County, the city of Tampa and the Hillsborough TPO. </p><p>That takes real courage. </p><p>The TBP and the AFT donor class did not even learn their lesson after the 2018 AFT transit tax was ruled unlawful. They simply funded another AFT transit tax boondoggle misinformation campaign in 2022. </p><p>The 2022 AFT transit tax hike was also ruled unlawful by a Circuit Court judge but was allowed to remain on the ballot after the County filed an appeal. Thankfully it was defeated at the ballot box last year. </p><p>The TBP and AFT's wealthy donors are both wrong-doers and losers. They funded unlawful tax hikes, they lost the AFT lawsuit and they got defeated at the ballot last year. </p><p>Wrong-doers and Losers must not be rewarded. </p><p>Why should their opinion be worth much?</p><p>House Bill 7063 passed the House and has been sent over to the Senate Appropriations Committee. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcz-pzoUqUTinZLdTqCN7fI7NxYSYHupN02wgj3S9Y1by3vWpMPoDqkfW9G8xtDl4G8wogy-ZAQc5FYkHDCwlu3-fQlLYGjJxcFXahMRLzTpSI3ibuuFBKqUDWcbt2138GQnsge6sxu5yj4mpUI9Ga987tseN7tWWZj65mXCLzSKeKDfHOdT082HczGQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="1084" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcz-pzoUqUTinZLdTqCN7fI7NxYSYHupN02wgj3S9Y1by3vWpMPoDqkfW9G8xtDl4G8wogy-ZAQc5FYkHDCwlu3-fQlLYGjJxcFXahMRLzTpSI3ibuuFBKqUDWcbt2138GQnsge6sxu5yj4mpUI9Ga987tseN7tWWZj65mXCLzSKeKDfHOdT082HczGQ" width="320" /></a></div><br />Now the Senate must pass HB7063 with the sales tax holiday included and no 11th hour maneuvering to remove it.<p></p><p>Give the taxpayers in Hillsborough County the $570 Million sales tax holiday they deserve. </p>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-47480776005188632362023-04-04T19:11:00.000-04:002023-04-04T19:11:16.126-04:00In 2024 Defeating Biden and Preserving Our Republic Flows Thru PA, WI, MI, GA and AZ <p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw9MowvRLlUH9c8HjB8CPwfCXxl9ADPPIrsNN6XY4mrzCkHtklmX43dZcjMUYNL8kA_K439mew9mf9DhlHIB73wwbtnoHeaLObEM6ljq0EBVT7dT9CGp84BojQWorO7Sbl6q8m2zKnXPbPiJ57BkHE8rN5KUHd6Gmdqh-JsWpBHo3ZJSuurqGavutfA/s918/FranklinRepublickeepitquote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="918" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw9MowvRLlUH9c8HjB8CPwfCXxl9ADPPIrsNN6XY4mrzCkHtklmX43dZcjMUYNL8kA_K439mew9mf9DhlHIB73wwbtnoHeaLObEM6ljq0EBVT7dT9CGp84BojQWorO7Sbl6q8m2zKnXPbPiJ57BkHE8rN5KUHd6Gmdqh-JsWpBHo3ZJSuurqGavutfA/w400-h174/FranklinRepublickeepitquote.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Founding Father Benjamin Franklin's words are as relevant or perhaps more so today as they were in 1787. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">When Governor DeSantis, Congresswoman Laurel Lee and Congressman Byron Donalds spoke at Hillsborough County Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner last Friday night, they lit up the packed room. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Each of them lit the room on fire about what our country is facing to keep our Republic. </span></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those who attended Friday's event already know what America faces. It was a call to action to Stand United against: </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Leftist Democrats</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> who will do and say anything to get and retain power, Woke elitists run amok who are wrong about everything and leave paths of destruction everywhere, the lying DNC media propaganda machine, the Big Tech Oligarch Censor Kings and the big corporations used by Democrats to normalize destructive policies and bully us.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Republicans will Stand United in 2024 against Joe Biden. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Americans must Stand United in 2024 against Joe Biden.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Florida will be more Red in 2024. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Florida and Ohio are both Red and no longer considered swing states. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Below is the electoral map from 2016.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtBXUZPKS0MW4U6-M_zoEZVut8tN2LFrwSKU3YNXclyVx1gQNumDNAdeUzIOsAUX37E1TBEbKvsTek35g10M3Kyjq5mJNl1eINLT3ZiPoy25V-0GMkd-2MuYGZH1pgDMPX_Vb3liwHHla6WUpJgIvaCMf4Pk69_tDm114SJW7l8IMI5zM4Vp4P1Ki9w/s1962/2016electoralmap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1962" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtBXUZPKS0MW4U6-M_zoEZVut8tN2LFrwSKU3YNXclyVx1gQNumDNAdeUzIOsAUX37E1TBEbKvsTek35g10M3Kyjq5mJNl1eINLT3ZiPoy25V-0GMkd-2MuYGZH1pgDMPX_Vb3liwHHla6WUpJgIvaCMf4Pk69_tDm114SJW7l8IMI5zM4Vp4P1Ki9w/w400-h253/2016electoralmap.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2016 Electoral map<br />(click to enlarge)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Below is the electoral map from 2020, an exact flip from 2016. What a coincidence...</span></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qCe5LTKxNGm_frfhC06h3LxTwpRCa-SpiD_1X5EbMxdWGo3va1Tk7ie2VZXnD-fe2z3clH7Ex5fBfm6IZmVnmw8kxBOqlFpaWf643zSgnHhEIbG9eJEw038Na2FOz-Aq5fkS-Bp01fMobhMnR4sXv6SzrXgXPhbNSwRoFVV1hbeNJOPtdZ5DrY-0wg/s1352/2020electoralmap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1352" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qCe5LTKxNGm_frfhC06h3LxTwpRCa-SpiD_1X5EbMxdWGo3va1Tk7ie2VZXnD-fe2z3clH7Ex5fBfm6IZmVnmw8kxBOqlFpaWf643zSgnHhEIbG9eJEw038Na2FOz-Aq5fkS-Bp01fMobhMnR4sXv6SzrXgXPhbNSwRoFVV1hbeNJOPtdZ5DrY-0wg/w400-h343/2020electoralmap.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2020 Electoral map <br />(click to enlarge)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The electoral map </span>slightly changed in 2022 after the 2020 Census. IL, MI, NY, PA, OH, WV and CA each lost a seat. FL, NC, MT, CO and OR each gained a seat and TX gained 2 seats. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Due to the changes in the electoral map, Republicans will start with 235 electors by holding onto the same states they won in 2020. They will need to add 35 electors to get to 270 needed to win the WH.</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The biggest opportunity to get those 35 electors or more is thru the States of:</span></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pennsylvania - 19 electors </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wisconsin - 10 electors</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Michigan - 15 electors</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Georgia - 16 electors</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Arizona - 11 electors</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;">Winning any combination of three of these states will deliver the White House to the Republicans. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">With all the Democrats mail ballot harvesting, ZuckBucks targeting Democrat voters and other questionable activities in 2020, below are Biden's percentage/vote margins for each aforementioned State.</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">PA - 1.2% (81,660 vote margin)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">WI - 6/10 of a percent (20,682 vote margin)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">MI - 2.8% (154,188 vote margin)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">GA - 26/100 of a percent (12,670 vote margin and 1.2% or 62,138 votes went to a Libertarian candidate)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">AZ - 4/10 of a percent (10,457 votes)</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;">Adding WI, GA and AZ in 2024 to a start of 235 electoral votes gets to 272. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">In AZ, there are 172,529 more registered Republican voters than Democrats. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dwFBI7BuD-t6dhkFoFYytkms5KFH9VoCrdHzE4N5jhBadmIqmhs-ni8Iz3UcLkuSB5Eb3S7J6hr6PmsyBOAoNhzxaQ2HHElBOuZowjyAey7DzoSKD95FESGL9soTeo0maz0jKpg3NDwuMpvm5EBJiUBmHz8hvIYn6gvfyv3L7g5Tnl5Dg2XyM25yhw/s1904/RegisteredVotersAZ.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="1904" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dwFBI7BuD-t6dhkFoFYytkms5KFH9VoCrdHzE4N5jhBadmIqmhs-ni8Iz3UcLkuSB5Eb3S7J6hr6PmsyBOAoNhzxaQ2HHElBOuZowjyAey7DzoSKD95FESGL9soTeo0maz0jKpg3NDwuMpvm5EBJiUBmHz8hvIYn6gvfyv3L7g5Tnl5Dg2XyM25yhw/w400-h170/RegisteredVotersAZ.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AZ registered voters</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Biden's 2020 margin in Nevada, who has 6 electors, was 2.4% (33,596 votes). Currently in Nevada there are only 46K more registered D's than R's and 31% (581,108) of all voters in Nevada are NPA's. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">In Clark County (Las Vegas), 39.6% of all voters are NPA or affiliated with minor parties. 32% of all Clark County voters are NPA's.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Opportunity for Republicans also in Nevada especially with the infighting in the Nevada Democrat Party between the Socialist Democrats and the Harry Reid Democrats. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2020 <a href="https://capitalresearch.org/article/shining-a-light-on-zuck-bucks-in-key-states/">ZuckBucks</a> were used to target all five swing states: AZ, GA, WI, MI and PA. Tens of millions of ZuckBucks were sent to the large Democrat run counties in each of those States. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">$2.6 Million ZuckBucks flowed to Clark County in Nevada.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Since 2020 a number of states including FL, AZ, PA and GA successfully passed bills banning ZuckBucks. MI passed two bills but their Democrat Governor veto'd both of them. WI Democrat Governor Whitmer also veto'd bills twice.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, according to a recent <a href="https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2023/03/14/leftist_groups_tapping_1_billion_to_vastly_expand_the_private_financing_of_public_elections_887042.html?mc_cid=5854c383c0&mc_eid=9e833a2743">RealClearInvestigations</a> report,</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote><i>Democrats and their progressive allies are vastly expanding their unprecedented efforts, begun in 2020, to use private money to influence and run public elections.<br /><br />Supported by groups with more than $1 billion at their disposal, according to public records, these partisan groups are working with state and local boards to influence functions that have long been the domain of government or political parties. </i></blockquote></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">A recent report from <a href="https://www.restorationofamerica.com/uncategorized/inside-democrats-best-kept-secret-mass-nonprofit-voter-registration-pt-1/">Restoration of America</a> alleges:</span></div><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Democratic Party’s best-kept secret is its massive weaponization of America’s charities to supercharge voter participation in key states, undoubtedly tipping elections.</span> </i></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>At the heart of this election machine is a pair of D.C.-based nonprofits: the 501(c)(3) <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/voter-participation-center/">Voter Participation Center</a> (VPC) and 501(c)(4) <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/center-for-voter-information/">Center for Voter Information</a> (CVI). Both share a common founder, <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/person/page-gardner/">Page Gardner</a>, who registered voters for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential primary campaign.</i></span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Democrats are now using <a href="https://newsone.com/4412900/michelle-obamas-voting-initiative-partners-with-blk-dating-app-for-national-voter-registration-day/">dating apps</a> to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/02/tech/hinge-voting-election/index.html">register voters</a>, specifically targeting minorities and young Generation Z voters. These apps can also capture lots of personal data.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Conservative election integrity groups, especially those formed since 2020, have interrogated our election integrity. They know where the Democrat's election integrity skeletons reside. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">An army of lawyers, watchdog groups and citizens will watch and observe everything. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Activity that threatens the integrity of our 2024 elections will be exposed in real time and lawsuits filed immediately if needed to stop such activity.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cameras will be on every mail ballot drop box in "Big Blue" counties, especially those in AZ, GA, WI, PA, and MI.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's game on for harvesting mail ballots same as Democrats do.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eyes and ears will be everywhere. Communication is more decentralized than 2020.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Red Florida may be the launching ground for Republicans in 2024.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">But it is WI, GA, AZ, MI and WI where Republicans will defeat Joe Biden, win back the White House and preserve our Republic.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUN6ER6hx4-IEljlxSVe9UWaJJt6dFuBoJy-XrVGSM6-KKs2iajAG0kAihGu4cDZuKJ1mtyFu-S5K8MkpswGqnrEfIsFKnB-kxOq7kSn_NFBpEBZr1EcybXZazm7i79jOn0vl7XkOPsPNDWu3GkL4IpTV38YjPTKmMlEm3j0tX9yG0uDFWukV1576fxw/s918/ThomasJeffersonruledbyelitequote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="918" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUN6ER6hx4-IEljlxSVe9UWaJJt6dFuBoJy-XrVGSM6-KKs2iajAG0kAihGu4cDZuKJ1mtyFu-S5K8MkpswGqnrEfIsFKnB-kxOq7kSn_NFBpEBZr1EcybXZazm7i79jOn0vl7XkOPsPNDWu3GkL4IpTV38YjPTKmMlEm3j0tX9yG0uDFWukV1576fxw/s320/ThomasJeffersonruledbyelitequote.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-53092332774607765552023-03-29T08:08:00.003-04:002023-03-29T10:33:41.168-04:00Some HART Board Members To Blame Too As Report Exposes HART Run Amuck On Their Watch: HART CEO Suspended With Pay But FL Inspector General Must Now Investigate HART!<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">At a special HART Board meeting on Monday, a damning report was presented from the investigation of HART CEO Adelee Le Grand. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The report provided evidence of HART being run amuck by Le Grand.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a result, the HART Board suspended Le Grand with pay until she has an opportunity to respond in May and a final decision about her will be made.</span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The video of the meeting can be found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/-HGL8as-Zgk?feature=share">here</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The presentation begins about 18 minutes into the video. The investigation identified three major issues they found with Le Grand: </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lack of effective leadership, Poor organizational morale and Significant turnover.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Investigation findings state Le Grand was abusive, lacked leadership skills, punished those who disagreed with her, intentionally discouraged transparency, failed to perform her responsibilities, withheld information from the Board and handed out costly severance packages that may have violated state law regarding government employees.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjon-DYBA70M3A4CFgWJfdfYmW45zAUbHG1yldVzRTArdIlC0WkS9UNkIvpVx7DcTlth_ISqld7Bn98JzfYvxSZaM_-JNTOSKEr1g-sXDTA2AFqzZkDBgrzx4uqbAFf9Al0v_oit5HorKIXSdSWVEyHbvAkzg_WhoILH_p4tJWd-YfevavrtasBw1jeOg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1280" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjon-DYBA70M3A4CFgWJfdfYmW45zAUbHG1yldVzRTArdIlC0WkS9UNkIvpVx7DcTlth_ISqld7Bn98JzfYvxSZaM_-JNTOSKEr1g-sXDTA2AFqzZkDBgrzx4uqbAFf9Al0v_oit5HorKIXSdSWVEyHbvAkzg_WhoILH_p4tJWd-YfevavrtasBw1jeOg=w400-h259" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">The investigation appears to confirm allegations made that HART's work environment was toxic. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi97c9Tlh-9bW-lpTAi7C47gzEWJ9IqqJfJWdu-ZkjayzIgIHYObYXqbyjKmtjJgRsRoH6q7SxL_3-07N54xC78OYmzaBiDZnfCnCXLgECzzqYijTZeLjXFfpSWNcjeLMSnH3TMKlCoxlBdzWeavxqreQyBfpcuBzyyniA-FpqN4o8Hui9HAkUKR9rmJA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1280" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi97c9Tlh-9bW-lpTAi7C47gzEWJ9IqqJfJWdu-ZkjayzIgIHYObYXqbyjKmtjJgRsRoH6q7SxL_3-07N54xC78OYmzaBiDZnfCnCXLgECzzqYijTZeLjXFfpSWNcjeLMSnH3TMKlCoxlBdzWeavxqreQyBfpcuBzyyniA-FpqN4o8Hui9HAkUKR9rmJA=w400-h259" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a headline that appeared on <a href="https://www.masstransitmag.com/management/press-release/21161166/hillsborough-area-regional-transit-authority-hart-hart-board-unanimously-selects-adelee-le-grand-as-next-ceo">MassTransitMag</a> about Le Grand's focus on "diversity and inclusion" when Le Grand was hired. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinLOq6hp5_Lxvk0Hrm8h2obTWnbbC4IidW-NOPh-U_rxtUeTRKd6zaIu8A1HWSfZ8Y7vdxogyWpITc2XIp8imwZhdP1RPSmg9RX12Vi59KRy5vCv8b1LqBCVMLa698mSJRxR4kEIaQJ79WWG9zHfpl1PdfcWFI4gr-bw_HZKvEs0JE3qZd9NuFtJwQ4Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="2054" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinLOq6hp5_Lxvk0Hrm8h2obTWnbbC4IidW-NOPh-U_rxtUeTRKd6zaIu8A1HWSfZ8Y7vdxogyWpITc2XIp8imwZhdP1RPSmg9RX12Vi59KRy5vCv8b1LqBCVMLa698mSJRxR4kEIaQJ79WWG9zHfpl1PdfcWFI4gr-bw_HZKvEs0JE3qZd9NuFtJwQ4Q=w640-h88" width="640" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Former County Commissioner Mariella Smith, Chair of HART when Le Grand was hired, said (emphasis mine):</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>"It was evident to the entire board of directors that <b>Ms. Le Grand will rebuild and revision HART by building trust through transparency and respect with employees, customers and the community,</b>" said Commissioner Mariella Smith, HART chair, Board of Directors. "As we look to the future, we're confident Ms. Le Grand is the right person to lead HART and create a long legacy of providing the highest level of service equitably and to openly drive Hillsborough County forward." </blockquote></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Where was the HART Board when none of these goals were being met? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Smith and the rest of the HART Board members were out to lunch handing out big pay raises to top administrators with one-time COVID relief money. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The HART Board handed Le Grand a $37K pay raise just one year into her job - during the pandemic - when the only accomplishment she had was being the highest paid CEO HART ever hired.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The HART Board went MIA because their priority was to get billions of new AFT transit tax dollars. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Le Grand had her attorney with her at the meeting. What then occurred was Le Grand's attorney offered that Le Grand be suspended with pay until he had the opportunity to present her response.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">While HART's attorney David Smith had recommended no action be taken yesterday, the evidence presented was too damning to not take some action. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The HART Board passed a motion to suspend Le Grand with pay and Le Grand's attorney will provide her defense response by the beginning of May. At that time the Board will make a final decision about Le Grand's disposition. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The HART Board also appointed a current Administrator Scott Drainville to be interim CEO.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Le Grand has due process and she will have her opportunity to defend herself against the allegations. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But remember Le Grand had requested a <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2023/03/harts-ceo-adelee-le-grand-wants-to-flee.html">settlement</a> that included ending the investigation with no report ever being provided.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART's fiscal mismanagement began before Le Grand. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">ABC Action News reported in <a href="https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/public-transit-agency-racked-up-500-000-on-food-and-travel-and-taxpayers-foot-the-bill">March 2020</a> that HART spent over $500K on food and travel including hotel stays at the Waldorf Astoria, Four Seasons and the Ritz Carlton</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 19px;">. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART's CEO prior to Le Grand, <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/hart-agrees-to-40k-settlement-to-remove-embattled-ceo">Ben Limmer</a>, only lasted a year before he was under investigation for improper conduct, placed on suspension with pay, was fired and then allowed to resign with a settlement.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART's interim CEO after Limmer left and before Le Grand was hired, <a href="https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/investigations/10-investigates/whats-brewing/hart-ceo-investigation-carolyn-house-stewart/67-41556bae-e1f9-4239-a617-7987d27d0683">Carolyn House Stewart,</a> was paid $100K to resign after an investigation alleged she </span><span face="Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">participated in “abuse, hostile, humiliating and bullying behaviors." </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The problems with HART go beyond just the CEO's hired. HART's problems go directly to the HART Board.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The HART Board failed to do their job. They are entrusted by taxpayers to provide proper governance, oversight and fiscal management of HART. They FAILED!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The HART Board knew HART was going <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/10/fiscal-insanity-all-for-transportation.html">insolvent</a> and neglected the issue. They were busy pushing unlawful AFT transit tax hikes to bail HART out. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The HART Board spent irresponsibly as they set their eyes on billions of new tax dollars. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">How can the HART Board not be asking questions with <a href="https://www.cltampa.com/news/at-least-50-administrative-level-employees-left-hart-over-the-past-year-some-claim-a-toxic-workplace-13098108">headlines</a> like below from last March? </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Did they want to hide how bad things are at HART because their priority was pushing to get billions of new AFT transit tax dollars?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjleGnRAnn5StVzPehYdbvzFU3XofO4J8FoC54t51zD0o73iuoD9FmrAsxlWU46ejGfAQKcKl-hW74--lgiUqHe1cIwk5Bdo9lOJk4vbgcTe61uOz_CVB2h-FBxTiMHf1OFCjRXWjOiPLkG4NF8kf0uYSTwlz9U07oBEzUg8tT2EP0VnUOr-MEfpk3fyQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1280" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjleGnRAnn5StVzPehYdbvzFU3XofO4J8FoC54t51zD0o73iuoD9FmrAsxlWU46ejGfAQKcKl-hW74--lgiUqHe1cIwk5Bdo9lOJk4vbgcTe61uOz_CVB2h-FBxTiMHf1OFCjRXWjOiPLkG4NF8kf0uYSTwlz9U07oBEzUg8tT2EP0VnUOr-MEfpk3fyQ=w400-h280" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then suddenly after the AFT transit tax was defeated in November and with 2 new county commission Board members, the HART Board decides to launch an investigation into Le Grand.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Le Grand's fate will be decided in May. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the HART Board must not get a free pass.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Their ignorance, incompetence and/or negligence cannot be tolerated .</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Especially after what was presented, the Florida Inspector General needs to investigate and audit HART's last 10 years of operations.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">And the HART Board members who failed to properly govern HART should resign or be removed from their Board position.</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-26573762682597330602023-03-26T17:34:00.000-04:002023-03-26T17:34:12.571-04:00Be Skeptical Of Bills Filed For A "Study" When HART Must First Be Investigated and Audited <p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEietc563YyBs5ihR8J6UuXiTOjEXv0zOKQCHX9SllusRVb0G_RZ9kcCbHXYE75mVrCpI0N1yGsOqmR6RWsoJkLqln-pLXoMGIwkr8C-GgVw4H7HokbFnDjtrr2zlVhs3WlH7DTMjQj3fP4HJyzCwI_nlGCurhttGN5DlYkIi2Cpx0PHnW7Q2E18mUGGgQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1172" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEietc563YyBs5ihR8J6UuXiTOjEXv0zOKQCHX9SllusRVb0G_RZ9kcCbHXYE75mVrCpI0N1yGsOqmR6RWsoJkLqln-pLXoMGIwkr8C-GgVw4H7HokbFnDjtrr2zlVhs3WlH7DTMjQj3fP4HJyzCwI_nlGCurhttGN5DlYkIi2Cpx0PHnW7Q2E18mUGGgQ" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART transit agency is a fiscal and operational mess going insolvent next year. Before all the issues with HART can be fixed, we need to know what they all are and who caused them.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART needs to be investigated and the last 10 years of its operations audited by Florida's Inspector General. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We applaud the State Legislature for eliminating </span><a href="https://www.tbarta.com/en/" style="font-family: verdana;">TBARTA</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">. But we have concerns whether they are eliminating TBARTA to create another regional transit agency.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1397/ByCategory/?Tab=Amendments">HB1397</a> filed by State Rep <a href="https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4686&LegislativeTermId=90">Lawrence McClure</a>, who lives in Plant City, and its Senate companion <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1532">SB1532</a> filed by State Senator <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S23">Danny Burgess</a>, who lives in Zephyrhills, originally was to study the merging of two mismanaged transit agencies HART and PSTA. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interestingly, McClure resides in Plant City. Plant City is the only municipality in Hillsborough County who is NOT a member of HART. Property owners in Plant City have never paid HART's property tax. These bills might change that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Both bills were recently </span><a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1532/Amendment/457298/HTML" style="font-family: verdana;">amended</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> to remove studying the merger of HART and PSTA. Added to both bills is for FDOT to study the dissolution of HART.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The bills provide some specifics to be addressed by the study including: dissolving or <b>TRANSFERRING</b> HARTs assets, governance, staff, responsibilities and its operations....somewhere...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The bills do not indicate where HART's assets, governance, responsibilities, etc. might be transferred to. But the bill does state it has a goal of "<b>enhancing REGIONAL transit service and connectivity in the Tampa Bay Area.</b>" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Senator Burgess may have let the cat out of the bag when he spoke on behalf of his SB1532 bill at a recent Senate Transportation Committee meeting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The video of that meeting is found <a href="https://flsenate.gov/media/videoplayer?EventID=1_4xqnljda-202303201230&Redirect=true">here</a>. At about 3:22 into the video Burgess explains the bill was amended to specifically address how to potentially transfer HART to other agencies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Burgess stated the "spirit" of the amendment includes the merging of HART, PSTA and Pasco's transit services run by Pasco County. He stated such merger could be a "firm possibility" for how to dissolve HART.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">First of all, FDOT funds HART. They cannot be the entity to perform a study of HART. That would be like the bank's accountant doing the banks "independent" audit. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a "No-No" from a process, accountability, responsibility and audit perspective.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">FDOT funds the 100% taxpayer subsidized Tampa streetcar that HART operates and provides "free" to the rider. FDOT continued to fund HART as HART's financial position was tanking. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is not appropriate for FDOT to be doing a study of HART.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Merging HART and PSTA has already been studied twice and rejected for numerous reasons including little to no cost savings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-polzin-06491b3/">Steve Polzin</a> is a transit expert who worked at the USF Center for Urban Transportation Research and sat on the HART Board for 6.5 years. He documented his <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/oqtcidmhp08lvsb/old+hart+consolidation+memo,+polzin.pdf/file">observations </a>about a proposal for a HART-PSTA merger in 2012. Polzin noted:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mergers can result in the highest-level, most expensive salaries and policies being adopted - raising the costs of the larger consolidated agency</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cost to execute a consolidation/merger can be very significant and must be factored into any merger considerations</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bigger transit agencies do not automatically translate to more efficient agencies</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Attempting to do a study to fix HART before identifying all of HART's problems is the cart before the horse. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">These bills did not come from local taxpayers or constituents of McClure and Burgess. It is more likely they originated from <span style="font-family: verdana;">the wealthy special interests who continually push regional rail and transit in Tampa Bay. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The </span><a href="https://www.tampabay.org/about/" style="font-family: verdana;">Tampa Bay Partnership</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (TBP) are special interests transit lobbyists who have supported every transit tax boondoggle referendum in Tampa Bay. They have been pushing regionalism for years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The TBP pushed the state legislature to create TBARTA in 2007 as a regional transportation authority. Then the TBP wrote the legislative language to change TBARTA to a regional </span><b style="font-family: verdana;">transit</b><span style="font-family: verdana;"> authority in 2017. They simply handed the language to then Senator Latvala who filed the bill for them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to this <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/masstransit/bill-to-re-shape-tbarta-to-focus-on-tampa-bay-transit-heads-to-gov-rick/2322627/">May 2017 Times</a> article:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Tampa Bay Partnership, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft all lobbied for the bill, which is the first of several steps the local business community has planned to address regional transit issues.<span face="-apple-system-font" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-size: 16px;">"</span></span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Regionalism empowers the special interests and lobbyists while marginalizing local taxpayers and voters. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most rail tax boondoggles in the US are pushed through regional transit agencies and regional taxing authorities who are an arms length away from the local taxpayer.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As we <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/search?q=HART+Board+majority+elected+officials&updated-max=2014-08-14T14:38:00-04:00&max-results=20&start=9&by-date=false">posted</a> before, "</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The bigger the bureaucracy, the more money they want; creating a bigger food fight over a bigger pot of money, how it is spent, who gets to pay and who gets the benefit." </span></p></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2017, the TBP funded a <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/w9bb3enm2t47xrj/TBP_The-Need-for-Regional-Transportation-Governance-in-Tampa-Bay.pdf/file">white paper</a> written by the <a href="https://www.enotrans.org/about/">Eno Center for Transportation</a> that, surprise surprise, recommends regionalism:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>This paper recommends that the region’s leaders seek to create a regional governance structure for the operation of transit agencies in the Tampa-St. Petersburg Urbanized Area, which includes the counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco.</blockquote></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">TBP and their wealthy special interests allies funded both unlawful and illegal All for Transportation (AFT) transit tax "HART Bailout" boondoggles. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The TBP are 0 for 4 <u>losers</u> on every local rail/transit tax referendum they funded and supported in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. They should have no say in what to do with HART. </span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;">But with TBARTA being dissolved, it is reasonable to speculate these bills originated from them. </p><p style="font-family: verdana;">Former FDOT Secretary Ananth Prasad knows who originated these bills. In this <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2023/03/14/tampa-bay-transit-ananth-prasad.html">TBBJ</a> article Prasad said he spoke to the bills sponsors and "the folks that were behind it." </p><p style="font-family: verdana;">Local taxpayers should be skeptical of these bills as they are currently written. This study will not hold those responsible for running HART's finances into the ground accountable. </p><p style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There can be no cover up for how, why and who caused HART's insolvency.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> We also must know if any wrong doing, malfeasance, unethical behavior or corruption occurred at HART.</span></p><div><p></p></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Only an investigation and audit by Florida's Inspector General can provide this information. Accountability is required first before decisions can be made for how to fix, merge or dissolve HART. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">These bills look more like a request for a feasibility study... to be completed by 1/1/2024. Is that date actually possible or </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">is this "study" to simply get to the answer that's already been decided by "the folks behind these bills". </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We agree with McClure and Burgess that HART is a big mess that must be fixed. But these bills are half baked. They need to be either rejected as currently written or amended to:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">First require an investigation and independent audit of at least the last 10 years of HART's operations by Florida's Inspector General </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Any study for how or what should be done to dissolve, transfer merge, etc. HART cannot be done by FDOT. Any study of HART must be done by an independent consultant who has no association with HART or, preferably, have no association with any transit agency in Tampa Bay.</span></li></ul></div><div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The investigation and audit of HART will identify operational and governance reforms needed to prevent another transit agency fiscal disaster. Otherwise history may repeat itself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then do a study...a study that includes implementing the reforms and also looks at privatizing and/or outsourcing of HART's operations to a non-governmental third party.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because creating another government run regional transit agency may not be the "firm possibility".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">#AccountabilityFirst </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgloggBu6cqdl97nT3hj2fMjTn3ju-9FxhbzLgBALsW1G_4AV0Mr2ysdpe9jKPvgB4BKXe1U7dHDKR55mGG8009iKBywjj6N0OjlZkNsNhn1kPh64Q_SZYyFhoHl_ej-E_fnYp1kSi8ibZuWDgjkuqYaVPiptSZqx3JjM-osbCFqulHkB3-gKW7W65ASA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgloggBu6cqdl97nT3hj2fMjTn3ju-9FxhbzLgBALsW1G_4AV0Mr2ysdpe9jKPvgB4BKXe1U7dHDKR55mGG8009iKBywjj6N0OjlZkNsNhn1kPh64Q_SZYyFhoHl_ej-E_fnYp1kSi8ibZuWDgjkuqYaVPiptSZqx3JjM-osbCFqulHkB3-gKW7W65ASA" width="270" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-24379349837397629182023-03-03T10:50:00.004-05:002023-03-03T10:50:46.125-05:00HART's CEO Adelee Le Grand Wants to Flee Fiscally Failing HART With Big Payout and Demands Report From Investigation of Her Be Concealed<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiVRN2n_oT7f_zes7piB7lIBbE0izO0mtg-SIEE_bnaFq-SC5MN9uZJaHgp3hL56YegC1sBFTjHxQT8-h89TduiuU-UjBlDPqHAtKM_XAjvkwtMhw_YZXoHBdPBI__JSTKoiIH4l3SUUPktxyDguKq8eF4ruMnBKCnwHR-_JL4nUp8WyGR5iXY9uEFlQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="860" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiVRN2n_oT7f_zes7piB7lIBbE0izO0mtg-SIEE_bnaFq-SC5MN9uZJaHgp3hL56YegC1sBFTjHxQT8-h89TduiuU-UjBlDPqHAtKM_XAjvkwtMhw_YZXoHBdPBI__JSTKoiIH4l3SUUPktxyDguKq8eF4ruMnBKCnwHR-_JL4nUp8WyGR5iXY9uEFlQ" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So much smoke has been blowing around HART, that in November last year the HART Board authorized an external investigation of their CEO.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now HART's CEO Adelee LeGrand, the one being investigated, wants to resign from HART. She wants to flee fiscally failing HART with a big payout and demands that any report from the investigation of her never sees the light of day. </span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And what timing....A report from the external investigation is to be made to the HART Board at Monday's </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">(March 6, 2023) Board meeting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a copy of the agenda item for Monday's meeting:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEfUfLuC6bMgojWVtAYMDHcXnlClESfyV-lhOuY2CVGxPcFvN5btgmnhRTZeefxnZZJtw-fncbVw7H0LR8aGBaTS2Rsqq16Atl2SVHjotqcvxjkn07pytIn-1woz3ma6SEfSzsMnpB7XAH5EjEdE98qL9hj-av4kCxgrJg5xei2DNOTZRitojTr2M39A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1302" data-original-width="1096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEfUfLuC6bMgojWVtAYMDHcXnlClESfyV-lhOuY2CVGxPcFvN5btgmnhRTZeefxnZZJtw-fncbVw7H0LR8aGBaTS2Rsqq16Atl2SVHjotqcvxjkn07pytIn-1woz3ma6SEfSzsMnpB7XAH5EjEdE98qL9hj-av4kCxgrJg5xei2DNOTZRitojTr2M39A=w539-h640" width="539" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Note this section: <b>Rather than have Mr. Adams prepare a written report as the initial presentation of his findings, we
are going to have him provide a verbal presentation at the regular HART Board Meeting in March</b>.
This is advisable because as soon as the report is prepared and delivered to General Counsel, it is
a public record and could be disseminated to others upon their request and you may be reading
about the report in the newspaper before hearing directly from the attorney who undertook the
investigation.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">After the agenda item was set, LeGrand's attorney sent this settlement demand to the HART Board members.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi81jdKWWgNAUV1d8NH9sdWgePbqjU3kcbuoqwUNQuZw0JQh70ZO7UhGvbAMlTQ4PXHwHRqP0_YqJrhZixTOluAl-8OHBWsMk3-6il40-Wo4SN7IvJkiSCHRE4SSqr6Md7u-xoErAqbkyKaUyE4Ne-fVR5BT0yA965Hb7awS3S6PRPq0rytqlZz6Y4g_g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1034" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi81jdKWWgNAUV1d8NH9sdWgePbqjU3kcbuoqwUNQuZw0JQh70ZO7UhGvbAMlTQ4PXHwHRqP0_YqJrhZixTOluAl-8OHBWsMk3-6il40-Wo4SN7IvJkiSCHRE4SSqr6Md7u-xoErAqbkyKaUyE4Ne-fVR5BT0yA965Hb7awS3S6PRPq0rytqlZz6Y4g_g=w616-h640" width="616" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LeGrand Resignation Settlement Demands</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Apparently, HART's legal counsel David Smith decided that only a verbal report, not a written one, would be provided to the Board Monday. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Such action was never agreed upon by the HART Board. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Investigations are not done to provide "verbal" reports. They are done to document in writing the findings of the investigation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The report from the investigation should have been provided to the Board last month. Why wasn't it? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Something smells. Hasn't too many years of HART's dishonesty and lack of transparency help create the mess they are in?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The delay and Smith's decision to only provide a verbal report Monday helped LeGrand tee up her resignation demands. Le Grand wants </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the HART Board to agree to her demands Monday BEFORE the verbal report from the investigation is provided to the Board. So the report from the investigation is never made.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">LeGrand wants to shut down the investigation of her. She wants to ensure the taxpayers who have been paying her salary never know what the investigation found.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">LeGrand also wants to get paid 20 weeks of pay in a lump-sum and receive other financial benefits.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART fiscally failed under LeGrand. She was hired in January 2020 as the highest paid CEO in the agency's history, with $50,000 in relocation assistance and a starting salary higher than her predecessor. </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then during the pandemic a feckless HART Board gave her a $37,500 pay raise after 1 year on the job. LeGrand's bloated salary got baked into HART's ballooning operating budget. </span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">LeGrand....and the reckless former HART Board....refused to address HART's exploding operating costs. One time COVID relief money intended to help HART weather the pandemic was irresponsibly spent on pay raises to other high paid administrative staff that also got baked into HART's exploding operating expenses. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">LeGrand and the irresponsible former HART Board were banking on HART getting a taxpayer funded bailed out from the All for Transportation (AFT) transit tax. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Almost all members of the previous HART Board supported the massive $23 Billion AFT tax hike. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Do not forget that the Chair of the AFT PAC, Tyler Hudson, still sits on the HART Board. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART was banking on taxpayers being forced to hand HART at least 45%, over $10 Billion of AFT tax dollars. Those billions would have provided cover for HART's fiscal mess. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Instead of a bail out, HART is going insolvent. LeGrand wants to flee HART with a bunch of your tax dollars and assurances that the external investigation of her remains hidden.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It took a new HART Board, with some new members appointed after the November election, to authorize the external investigation last year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If LeGrand and the HART Board believe in transparency and actually want to fix the mess HART has become, they would welcome the external investigation report.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But according to this <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2023/03/03/under-investigation-hart-ceo-adelee-le-grand-proposes-settlement-payout-exit/">Tampa Bay Times</a> article, HART's legal counsel David Smith wants the HART Board to accept Le Grand's demands:</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>“It is the Board’s decision, but it is the opinion of General Counsel, after consultation with employment counsel, that in light of all the relevant circumstances, acceptance of this proposal is in the best interest of HART,” Smith wrote to board members Thursday.</blockquote></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As we reported <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2023/02/lack-of-proper-legal-oversight-unlawful.html">here</a> we continue to question why David Smith still has his job. It was <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/10/all-for-transportation-sales-tax-is.html">Smith</a> who admitted at a HART Board meeting that the 2022 AFT transit tax ballot language was intentionally politically polluted. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A Circuit Court judge agreed and removed AFT from the ballot. Thankfully AFT was defeated at the ballot box last year when the transit tax was allowed to remain on the ballot during the appeal process. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART has spent almost $300K in legal fees trying to defend unlawful AFT transit tax hikes. And apparently, as HART's financial position kept declining, they had no qualms doing so.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lack of transparency about an investigation the HART Board authorized and taxpayers funded is wrong. Lack of transparency raises more questions and will heighten more distrust of HART. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART's credibility is in the tank and their financial position on life support.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Monday, the HART Board must reject LeGrand's demand to shield herself from the investigation of her. They cannot reward incompetence, fiscal mismanagement, willful neglect or </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">even a whiff of unethical behavior.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We must know who knew what when! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Censorship of the investigation report is unacceptable!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We must know the findings of the investigation for HART to take measures to never allow such mess to happen again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hillsborough County commissioner <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2023/03/03/under-investigation-hart-ceo-adelee-le-grand-proposes-settlement-payout-exit/">Joshua Wostal</a> is absolutely correct in his comment to the Times:</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>Hillsborough County Commissioner Joshua Wostal called the proposal a “slap in the face” to taxpayers and an attempt to suppress the investigation’s findings.<br /><br />“The voters paid for it,” he told The Times Thursday. “They deserve to see what’s in it.”</blockquote></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The report from the investigation must be transparently made to the Board. Censorship of the report cannot be allowed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9hVsaFHC0SSRi6HTUKfcCVH_Kg-wa-ZSbjRfZL5e2dmxHvXZBbBuus9vh5MNGHG8P_-GJXcvHS5G0Bk9md0_KWlBwINwtCZGPpVUvj4lYxrJBYZ1opYtq3-_kZac3SBE_humwo3ED7ZoRBt5yQm-_cYmzGdI6l3qNTxOaRsGXxxdPSSGOxbp3LVzXQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1462" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9hVsaFHC0SSRi6HTUKfcCVH_Kg-wa-ZSbjRfZL5e2dmxHvXZBbBuus9vh5MNGHG8P_-GJXcvHS5G0Bk9md0_KWlBwINwtCZGPpVUvj4lYxrJBYZ1opYtq3-_kZac3SBE_humwo3ED7ZoRBt5yQm-_cYmzGdI6l3qNTxOaRsGXxxdPSSGOxbp3LVzXQ" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because when smoke is blowing, there are often flames. If there is a fire burning at HART, it must be put out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Transparency and honesty is required for HART to rebuild any sense of trust with the transit agency.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And taxpayers and the HART Board deserve to know whether LeGrand should be allowed to resign with impunity and a big payout or be fired. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg09cxnJbh71eRWlH6S7N0W4toyFEyDVYKMDqMFI1UMfmF2bHebbQGt3qVVuV8IyGBteZ5IalVAH7V5E0BEWY-_B5iFZgxw5NDESi4TsovYeJ3FFAqMBzpaeAY1MKFJoYGvo1Rkmd5tnRTlGf4BwIG9rewHQk0PKhoeBKWbYsSmw3Qx0hVtEeRcNlyv7Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="860" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg09cxnJbh71eRWlH6S7N0W4toyFEyDVYKMDqMFI1UMfmF2bHebbQGt3qVVuV8IyGBteZ5IalVAH7V5E0BEWY-_B5iFZgxw5NDESi4TsovYeJ3FFAqMBzpaeAY1MKFJoYGvo1Rkmd5tnRTlGf4BwIG9rewHQk0PKhoeBKWbYsSmw3Qx0hVtEeRcNlyv7Q" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-33645572127950992392023-02-25T16:12:00.000-05:002023-02-25T16:12:28.246-05:00Lack of Proper Legal Oversight: Unlawful AFT Transit Tax Costs Taxpayers Over $1.1 Million in Outside Legal Fees <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCR34ApCM77XHY7EFyqF1qg5Yr7ukBfAAyC8jrw6uG4U2PXarpxRGuNtBx8rNFgLtXsUad0Y3FVjyPewnf5zyiQImEpu2zW3injxnJSNZoZAinY2gnk7iYfSc-XZTlg3hrUAGs-lZBvQv3trTsdwKvjeOwEtF8X2hql3ah7rYhN_WO_fnLYlS2JVdpDg/s1020/Legalfeespicupdated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="1020" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCR34ApCM77XHY7EFyqF1qg5Yr7ukBfAAyC8jrw6uG4U2PXarpxRGuNtBx8rNFgLtXsUad0Y3FVjyPewnf5zyiQImEpu2zW3injxnJSNZoZAinY2gnk7iYfSc-XZTlg3hrUAGs-lZBvQv3trTsdwKvjeOwEtF8X2hql3ah7rYhN_WO_fnLYlS2JVdpDg/s320/Legalfeespicupdated.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p>Both All for Transportation (AFT) transit tax referendums, in 2018 and in 2022, were ruled illegal by the Courts. As a result, taxpayers got stuck paying for costly outside legal counsel.</p><p>In 2018 warnings were raised by then county commissioner Stacy White and others that AFT's <strike>citizen</strike> wealthy special interests led transit tax had potential legal issues. </p><p>Those warnings went unheeded by Hillsborough County Attorney Christine Beck and HART's legal counsel Davis Smith. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Voters were kept in the dark by the very people taxpayers pay to protect the County, HART and taxpayers from lawsuits.</p><p>That was wrong and unfair to Hillsborough County voters and taxpayers. </p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Shouldn't those who failed to provide proper legal oversight be held accountable?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The 2018 AFT transit tax was ruled illegal and unlawful and tossed out completely on February 25, 2021 by the Florida Supreme Court. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The collection of the tax was stopped but the County had already collected over a half a BILLION dollars since the tax hike began on January 1, 2019. That created a huge refund issue the Florida Supreme Court did not address in 2021.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now the State legislature/Governor DeSantis will provide a refund process and appropriate the remaining funds. None of the remaining unlawful AFT funds can be spent on transit and the wrong doers responsible for AFT's huge legal mess will not be rewarded. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But Beck and Smith apparently did not learn their lesson from the 2018 illegal AFT transit tax legal debacle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2022, the County Attorney's office is directly responsible for the AFT 2.0 transit tax ballot language that was also ruled unlawful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART's legal counsel Smith was directly involved with the County Attorney in drafting the 2022 AFT 2.0 ballot language. As we posted <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/10/all-for-transportation-sales-tax-is.html">here</a>, AFT 2.0 was intentionally politically polluted last year for political gain.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In round two, a legal challenge to AFT 2.0 was filed prior to the November election and a Circuit Court Judge ruled that it illegal and should be removed from the ballot.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> However, an Appeals Court allowed AFT 2.0 to remain on the ballot while the case was being appealed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Voters, better informed about AFT''s legal issues in round two, defeated the $23 Billion AFT 2.0 transit tax in November. The AFT 2.0 defeat saved taxpayers from another lengthy and costly AFT legal battle. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Due to illegal AFT transit tax referendums, Hillsborough County taxpayers got stuck paying at least </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">$1,105,510.64</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> to</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> expensive outside attorneys.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hillsborough County has paid outside attorneys $815,418.81. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3UzcHBMPzyN6M_0gqRB4iGiyMhKRmp8AJTr7_l95wZTvNCr21dqA58UXtBr6ZaPuFGxB6W-Ux5sMD_pJZXO73VDtUJbyhKIql8ZHd8yGu4hvGaKgJZHN97K1BDr5_Kn6WzlwOq-F_P1XJ2hhVv8z9N3w7CxAaYBghWXqd5uAoh_FsW9OG98TWk9KQMg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1346" data-original-width="1162" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3UzcHBMPzyN6M_0gqRB4iGiyMhKRmp8AJTr7_l95wZTvNCr21dqA58UXtBr6ZaPuFGxB6W-Ux5sMD_pJZXO73VDtUJbyhKIql8ZHd8yGu4hvGaKgJZHN97K1BDr5_Kn6WzlwOq-F_P1XJ2hhVv8z9N3w7CxAaYBghWXqd5uAoh_FsW9OG98TWk9KQMg=w552-h640" width="552" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Legal fees paid by Hillsborough County thru 2/1/2023 <br />associated with unlawful AFT transit tax</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />HART has paid outside attorney's $290,091.83 in legal fees.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIuGAMEiaPcAKLyMHo3PhyDyl-miP5mL0WTnzxyq0iTs6DGadTdacjZe148cMvKolfRCKpgMDWVKmwY8cTl9JK8x0TpaoUT8oLJnUN2txJ6lK4dMyfekzSwM0ILm87GQnoSGZwyYF8RUWh-uxzcwT9hnvltNubBgL-4TBKgv-I9o-a_YRcoVGJ8YYt-g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="1818" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIuGAMEiaPcAKLyMHo3PhyDyl-miP5mL0WTnzxyq0iTs6DGadTdacjZe148cMvKolfRCKpgMDWVKmwY8cTl9JK8x0TpaoUT8oLJnUN2txJ6lK4dMyfekzSwM0ILm87GQnoSGZwyYF8RUWh-uxzcwT9hnvltNubBgL-4TBKgv-I9o-a_YRcoVGJ8YYt-g=w640-h446" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Legal fees paid by HART </span><span style="font-size: small;">associated <br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">with unlawful AFT transit tax </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those costs do not include the time and resource costs of the County Attorney's office and HART's legal counsel who were involved in these legal messes too. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART is a fiscally failing transit agency and is going insolvent. Yet they spent almost $300K in legal fees associated with illegal AFT transit tax referendums.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART could have better spent those hundreds of thousands of dollars on their bus service. But as we posted <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2023/02/fiscally-mismanaged-hart-faces.html#comment-form">here</a>, HART is fiscally irresponsible and the Florida's Inspector General's office needs to investigate and audit at least the last 10 years of HART's operations.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The over $815K the County spent on outside legal fees would have been better spent on improving roads and sidewalks. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don't forget the crony, ethically challenged proposed Go Hillsborough transit tax debacle in 2016 that caused a law enforcement investigation. </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Local elected officials, the governing boards of government agencies and their legal counsel should be protecting taxpayers and their local government entities from illegal activity and unlawful tax hike referendums.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Twice Hillsborough County Attorney Christine Beck and HART's legal counsel David Smith failed to provide proper legal counsel and oversight to the county commissioners and the HART Board about unlawful AFT transit tax ballot initiatives.</span></div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">A big question that remains is why Christine Beck and David Smith still have their jobs. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div><br /></div><div><p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-6472584690280890612023-02-08T10:50:00.000-05:002023-02-08T10:50:10.750-05:00Fiscally Mismanaged HART Faces Insolvency in 2024, Florida's Inspector General Must Investigate and Audit Them<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoWvvc1olKyxhjxAyoWVToigGR9_2D1vfOFN8zz7VkDsB9zhGiqKElZKGhXo8qpzTbIkMqTM_5z1mCx_Ub9NhvZccWb_QAkUu1nhI5Ch2lsrcGEQiDaQtTxyUazLzHyjukb2EyOoZUj04cylBrrw8xfmQaM9OIYPow-kT8ewn9B_ZmCD3vfUHelsjig/s848/HARTFiscalCliff2024updated.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="848" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoWvvc1olKyxhjxAyoWVToigGR9_2D1vfOFN8zz7VkDsB9zhGiqKElZKGhXo8qpzTbIkMqTM_5z1mCx_Ub9NhvZccWb_QAkUu1nhI5Ch2lsrcGEQiDaQtTxyUazLzHyjukb2EyOoZUj04cylBrrw8xfmQaM9OIYPow-kT8ewn9B_ZmCD3vfUHelsjig/w400-h299/HARTFiscalCliff2024updated.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART transit agency is one huge mess. The transit agency is about to hit a fiscal cliff and become insolvent due to its own mismanagement, incompetence and fiscal irresponsibility.</span><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As we reported <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/11/floridas-inspector-general-needs-to.html">here</a>, Florida's Inspector General (IG) office needs to investigate and audit HART's operations for at least the last 10 years. The IG must identify any incompetence, fiscal irresponsibility and financial oversight mismanagement by HART's Board and HART's top administrators.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For years, HART employees and HART Board members refused to address HART's fiscal issues. Instead they banked on the $23 Billion transit tax to bail HART out. Those responsible should be held accountable and removed from their positions. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to this <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2022/11/29/hart-board-authorizes-investigation-into-hostile-work-environment-double-dipping/">report</a> (emphasis mine), a special HART Board meeting was held the end of November after the 2022 election where the Board authorized an external investigation. The election made a small change to the membership of the HART Board and HART's transit tax bailout was defeated.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>The special meeting, scheduled last week, took place the day after trustees of the union representing hundreds of Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority employees called for the <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2022/11/28/hillsborough-transit-union-representatives-call-resignation-ceo/">resignation</a> of the agency’s CEO, Adelee Le Grand.<br /><br />“HART has been in a downward spiral under the leadership of Adelee Le Grand,” ATU Local 1593 union representatives Ismael Rivera and Brenda Moore said in a <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2022/11/28/hillsborough-transit-union-representatives-call-resignation-ceo/">statement issued late Monday</a>. “Ms. Le Grand is ruling with an iron fist, it’s her way or the highway. Unfortunately, her highway leads to dysfunctional transit system.”<br /><br />The authorization of an external investigation comes two weeks after it was revealed the agency’s fourth-highest paid staffer was also working for the public transit agency in New Orleans — netting more than $350,000 per year and violating both agency’s employment policies, the <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2022/11/14/hillsborough-transit-employee-also-secretly-worked-new-orleans-agency/">Tampa Bay Times previously reported.</a></blockquote><a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2022/11/14/hillsborough-transit-employee-also-secretly-worked-new-orleans-agency/"></a></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a data-reader-unique-id="11" href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2022/11/14/hillsborough-transit-employee-also-secretly-worked-new-orleans-agency/" style="color: #416ed2; font-size: 15px; max-width: 100%; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: auto;" target="_blank"></a></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-size: 15px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wostal [a newly elected Hillsborough County commissioner appointed to the HART Board] also questioned whether the office of the state’s inspector general could lead the investigation. Smith said the office primarily deals with fiscal irresponsibility, adding: <b>“We do not know yet whether we have that problem. That’s not to say we don’t.” </b>The investigation by Adams could lead to an investigation by the office, he said.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The investigation was supposed to be completed in 60 days.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The HART Board met February 6th and according to this <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/now/looming-fiscal-woes-ongoing-external-195400685.html">report</a> (emphasis mine):</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the board meeting Monday morning, 69 days later, there was little mention of the investigation.<br /><br />There was, however, a detailed discussion of the <b>agency’s uncertain financial future </b>and a nod from the CEO that she is <b>exploring “outsourcing opportunities” in an effort to reduce operating costs</b>.</span></blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "YahooSans VF", "Yahoo Sans", YahooSans, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18.005px;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "YahooSans VF", "Yahoo Sans", YahooSans, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18.005px;">The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority is facing a f<b>iscal cliff in 2024 — two years sooner than previous predictions.</b> The shortfall is primarily due to operating costs both exceeding and growing at a faster rate than operating revenue.....</span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>“Your COVID relief funds will be spent down sooner than we’d been assuming,” Vandegrift said. Those dollars are expected to be exhausted in the next annual budget and once they do, “we’re quickly in the negative,” she said.</blockquote><blockquote>Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp called the presentation “very sobering” but not surprising. “<b>This is a reality I think we’ve been dealing with for a long time,” </b>she said.</blockquote><blockquote>HART CEO Adelee Le Grand offered three potential cost-cutting avenues. Vacant positions that “do not need to be filled” will be removed for the next annual budget. Opportunities to “streamline and reduce redundancies within departments” will be assessed. And the agency will conduct “a better overall assessment of outsourcing opportunities.”</blockquote><blockquote>Le Grand joined HART in January 2020 from the private sector, becoming the <b>highest-paid chief executive in the agency’s history, with $50,000 in relocation assistance and a starting salary higher than her predecessor. </b></blockquote><p>Apparently the meeting ended with a statement that the lawyer hired for the external investigation will provide an "update" at the March Board meeting.</p><p>As reported <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/09/harts-finances-run-into-ground-by-same.html">last year</a>, as HART's financial position was declining, the HART Board was handing out huge raises to their already highly paid administrators. It appears HART was spending their one-time COVID funds improperly.</p><p>Those pay raises included handing their new CEO Adelee Marie Le Grande, who had been in her job about a year, a $37,500 pay raise.</p><p>HART baked all those huge raises, handed out during a pandemic when others were losing their jobs and transit ridership continued tanking, into HART's future budgets. This fiscal irresponsibility and incompetence fueled HART's exploding operating expenses.</p><p>HART Board member County Commissioner Pat Kemp has sat on the HART Board since she was elected in 2016. She admits HART has had financial issues for years and years.</p><p>Yet Kemp and the previous Board approved all those egregious pay raises. They did little to nothing to stop HART's fiscal decline except to push All for Transportation's $23 Billion transit tax that would have forced taxpayers to bail out HART.</p><p>Yes, HART has a problem with fiscal responsibility. </p><p>Yes, the Florida Inspector General's office must investigate and audit HART.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDDxKqCrz6hUQbayJ1mbjYAOkxek5wXF1F28JXQZRbfofcarO2CXlEVPvR3f32fJbextIgmPU5lciq34sdBHKQTPbU4BdFn2XkGbD77RqTjOBS8JFTA7oEpjaxti5cbZ0WRkXMzmt9wXzyGGY0ahxi3gvlhZyTevyk8oery-zV4CBReUpyl0ZWeq7GnQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDDxKqCrz6hUQbayJ1mbjYAOkxek5wXF1F28JXQZRbfofcarO2CXlEVPvR3f32fJbextIgmPU5lciq34sdBHKQTPbU4BdFn2XkGbD77RqTjOBS8JFTA7oEpjaxti5cbZ0WRkXMzmt9wXzyGGY0ahxi3gvlhZyTevyk8oery-zV4CBReUpyl0ZWeq7GnQ" width="316" /></a></div><br />HART in its current structure is unsustainable.<p></p></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Even HART's <a href="http://gohart.org/Pages/about-hart-team.aspx">Mission Statement</a> "The mission of the Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) is to take people to the places that enhance their lives" is unspecific fairy dust and unicorns gobblygook. HART obviously needs a Mission Statement more grounded in the reality of the agency's fiscal position.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p>Perhaps the only way to salvage HART is to turn the transit agency over to a third party to operate or sell it off to a private enterprise and privatize Hillsborough County's transit services. </p></span></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-55966374584571591802023-02-07T10:26:00.003-05:002023-02-07T10:26:23.332-05:00Vinik-linked Tampa communications firm Catalyst directly involved in PSTA chief misleading PSTA board<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Repost with permission from Tampa Bay Guardian, original TBG post is </span><a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2023/02/04/vinik-linked-tampa-communications-firm-catalyst-directly-involved-in-psta-chief-misleading-psta-board/" style="font-family: verdana;">here</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_vREqnRKsvzdQ8_ApBIy_IlHQM8UNghqQ5w9njzUeQyKvjiNSH4jxR8QniDuQ2dC__N_gFG41AFJXXmFlibSYOWc5Yl1BDjn1Ju0kIWh9Q-Jhq7TjDz-2r9RD0v5wEuWz5VbfrY-WNUoutTlMDXyffJnpnliB1I3jgFDO9WWNWVF7ZR6jTwE5Y5tcPw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="390" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_vREqnRKsvzdQ8_ApBIy_IlHQM8UNghqQ5w9njzUeQyKvjiNSH4jxR8QniDuQ2dC__N_gFG41AFJXXmFlibSYOWc5Yl1BDjn1Ju0kIWh9Q-Jhq7TjDz-2r9RD0v5wEuWz5VbfrY-WNUoutTlMDXyffJnpnliB1I3jgFDO9WWNWVF7ZR6jTwE5Y5tcPw" width="185" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4452; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">A draft version of an email PSTA CEO Brad Miller was preparing to send to the PSTA board contained a damning admission which didn’t appear in the email that was ultimately sent to the board. The omission could be very damaging, both for Miller and for the communications firm Miller sent his draft to. The email was obtained through a public records request.</span><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3d4452; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is our third article on the controversy swirling around the bus stop PSTA put close to PSTA board member Pat Gerard’s home after she lost her driver’s license in 2019. See our <a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2023/02/02/psta-moved-bus-stop-to-benefit-board-chair-pat-gerard-after-serious-car-crashes-resulted-in-loss-of-her-drivers-license/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">first article</a> and <a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2023/02/03/inside-joke-process-for-bus-stop-for-pstas-board-chair-pat-gerard-initiated-on-her-70th-birthday/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">second article</a> for more background.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3d4452; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Miller emailed his draft email for review to Preston Rudie, owner of the well-connected Catalyst Communications firm in Tampa. The relevant portion of the draft is shown below with a crucial piece of text, as shown immediately below (the highlighted text is all that you need to read):</span></p><div class="wp-block-image" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3d4452; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgVI7gIuf21_Vh0RHh9H3Mui8zOZIMpQKSLfjouvc-1MeI2vu99EQ7Jj5-KCJiutEKt1iUWnWxZnpmfImjwCVtdaNolIEsKb240G3vbXIW20K9T7NAvjEbAmhFT2TcoIelqz9CSGWHPqNG3mUTLR2ZO91fvM5rZXiA9O_VgJNjGDWQeP_nMfIipMruuA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1816" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgVI7gIuf21_Vh0RHh9H3Mui8zOZIMpQKSLfjouvc-1MeI2vu99EQ7Jj5-KCJiutEKt1iUWnWxZnpmfImjwCVtdaNolIEsKb240G3vbXIW20K9T7NAvjEbAmhFT2TcoIelqz9CSGWHPqNG3mUTLR2ZO91fvM5rZXiA9O_VgJNjGDWQeP_nMfIipMruuA=w640-h244" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="wp-block-image" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Titillium Web", serif; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: table; float: left; margin: 0.5em 1em 0.5em 0px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-11963" decoding="async" height="450" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 268px) 100vw, 268px" src="https://tampabayguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/PSTA-i-lied-get-over.jpg" srcset="https://tampabayguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/PSTA-i-lied-get-over.jpg 357w, https://tampabayguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/PSTA-i-lied-get-over-179x300.jpg 179w" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="268" /></figure></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The highlighted text confirms that the mystery “passenger” that Dayal claimed approached him and asked that a stop be added was in fact then Pinellas County Commissioner Pat Gerard. She was also a PSTA board at the member at the time.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2023/02/02/psta-moved-bus-stop-to-benefit-board-chair-pat-gerard-after-serious-car-crashes-resulted-in-loss-of-her-drivers-license/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Our first article</a> on this scandal involving special privilege had suggested that the “passenger” and Gerard were one and the same. Despite repeated inquiries to Dayal, he has refused to answer questions about who this passenger was that he claims spoke to him on Veterans Day 2019 (a day off for Dayal) about adding a bus stop near Gerard’s home. <a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2023/02/03/inside-joke-process-for-bus-stop-for-pstas-board-chair-pat-gerard-initiated-on-her-70th-birthday/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Our second article</a> noted that Veterans Day 2019 was Gerard’s 70th birthday.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the draft, Miller’s bold-face headline is “Pat Gerard’s Bus Stop,” which is exactly what makes it illegal: the bus stop was added specifically for the special privilege or benefit of a board member. Such action is illegal, even under Florida’s rather narrow ethics law. Specifically, Gerard and PSTA staffers clearly appear to have violated <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/statutes/2018/112.313" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">§112 (6) “Misuse of Public position”</a> of the ethic law.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The special benefit provided to Gerard is also troubling because it creates a conflict of interest. The board member’s role in this case is to provide oversight of Miller and PSTA, specifically for the Pinellas County commission as an appointee of that elected body. Did Gerard do less oversight once she got her bus stop? Was there a quid pro quo? Gerard won’t answer our questions, or provide a categorical denial of impropriety.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The draft email referenced a <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">“claim that PSTA <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bolder;">installed </span>a bus stop at the request of, and to benefit former PSTA Board Member Pat Gerard</em>,” but in the email sent to the board, the word “installed” had been replaced with “moved.” Given that only PSTA would know if the bus stop was “installed,” suggesting a new stop, or if it was an “existing” stop that was moved, we contacted Rudie and Barker (mentioned below) to ask what their role was in changing this one word. How would they know if it was moved or installed? They did not respond to this questions, or other questions, or provide a statement for publication.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The scandal also has implications for Hillsborough County, for the entire Tampa Bay area, and helps shed light on the recent transportation debacles on both sides of Tampa Bay.</span></p><div class="wp-block-image" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><figure class="alignright size-full" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: table; float: right; margin: 0.5em 0px 0.5em 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-11968" decoding="async" height="288" loading="lazy" src="https://tampabayguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/image-6.png" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="280" /></span></figure></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Miller sent his draft email to Rudie, but also to Christina Barker. According to her LinkedIn profile, Barker is “Chief Of Staff at Vinik Family Office” and one of the main architects behind the failed 1% sales tax hikes to fund transit in Hillsborough County that took place in 2018 and 2022. Vinik helped fund both efforts, spending millions of dollars each time.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Vinik’s troubled $3.5 billion Water Street real estate project in downtown Tampa would have benefited to the tune of $1.4 billion had the last sales tax hike passed.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now Barker is advising the Pinellas transit CEO as he misleads his board. She holds two jobs: working for Vinik, and <a href="https://www.catalystcommunicationsgroup.com/about" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">working for Catalyst</a>, which in turn advises PSTA.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Florida Supreme Court determined that <a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2021/02/25/florida-supreme-court-throws-out-2018-hillsborough-transit-tax/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">the 2018 Hillsborough sales tax hike was unconstitutional</a> after it passed. Barker once bragged about having helped to design it “over drinks” one evening. The $500+ million dollars that were collected before it was nixed are still the subject of litigation, five years later.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A circuit court judge determined last October that <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2022/12/07/hillsborough-drops-appeal-tax-referendum-suit/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">the 2022 tax hike violated Florida Statutes for six different reasons</a> . The matter was being appealed by Hillsborough County when voters rejected the measure at the ballot box last November. The county since dropped its appeal.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rudie’s wife Veronica Cintron, a former long time Bay News 9 news reader, landed a $223,000 a year job in 2020 after the Tampa airport (a public agency) <a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2020/04/16/confirmed-airport-violated-own-policy-in-hiring-baynews9-cintron-for-223000/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">violated their own personnel policy in hiring her</a>. In fact, <a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2020/05/18/tv-anchor-cintron-didnt-apply-for-223000-public-sector-job-got-job-anyway/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Cintron didn’t even have to fill out an application for the high-paying public sector job</a>. The position was also <a href="https://tampabayguardian.com/2020/04/14/tpa-didnt-advertise-223000-per-year-job-hires-local-tv-personality-for-the-job/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">not advertised</a> so that other candidates could apply.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While Miller’s actions may cost him his job, Catalyst’s involvement in Miller misleading his board may do reputational damage to that firm. The damage may also extend to Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team owner Jeff Vinik — Catalyst <a href="https://www.catalystcommunicationsgroup.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">says</a> on its website that it has <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">“strong relationships with officials at the local, state and federal level”</em> through its Government Affairs business segment. And through Barker, Jeff Vinik now does, too.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Despite a record of failure, it appears Jeff Vinik still has faith in his Chief of Staff to be his main <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barker_(occupation)" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">carnival barker</a>.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Is this the caliber of people that the taxpayers deserve to provide transportation solutions and congestion relief for the Tampa Bay area? Or are they merely mediocre but well-connected cronies?</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px;"></p><div class="wp-block-image" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the Eye: The well connected transit cronies....money flows and they scheme behind closed doors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlCVCjvgxUl1meJ58TP1lj1VlT51hhTiibZYFB15Zx490a18gtu3yHvnsMbTp7H8ygyxzsUs1AeESN8LxDDtPslO09go-k-kG_ECa12cvxdW-ip4CEHg7HSTAm8jnYPGr2x7lHXxdI0JbgRxGEZIdte-bPAjbmCcY0-6r0deACYm6Azco9e6T4G3LUQ/s1538/AFTRailCartel2018updated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1538" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlCVCjvgxUl1meJ58TP1lj1VlT51hhTiibZYFB15Zx490a18gtu3yHvnsMbTp7H8ygyxzsUs1AeESN8LxDDtPslO09go-k-kG_ECa12cvxdW-ip4CEHg7HSTAm8jnYPGr2x7lHXxdI0JbgRxGEZIdte-bPAjbmCcY0-6r0deACYm6Azco9e6T4G3LUQ/w640-h480/AFTRailCartel2018updated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZoUcwB_WpCr2RgGKlYNd84tyjbmmgWVLbCwDwEmdLAh4_iUT_3IsfjIIPq3f6w95RlVA-yA-SR0Q9iDXGvdkOAcgXjAIXD2Wq7FkVahfDbkmVmREIsizYEyYeE2CJLCAboWJKcqVyUC1YcPZjM2pNn9hZG_QCMKZMNz3WnHUzs9wbbM6EP7nWTNcuQ/s1544/AFTRailCartel2022updated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1544" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZoUcwB_WpCr2RgGKlYNd84tyjbmmgWVLbCwDwEmdLAh4_iUT_3IsfjIIPq3f6w95RlVA-yA-SR0Q9iDXGvdkOAcgXjAIXD2Wq7FkVahfDbkmVmREIsizYEyYeE2CJLCAboWJKcqVyUC1YcPZjM2pNn9hZG_QCMKZMNz3WnHUzs9wbbM6EP7nWTNcuQ/w640-h480/AFTRailCartel2022updated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-12127119896194017612023-01-23T14:02:00.000-05:002023-01-23T14:02:09.256-05:00Send Hillsborough County TPO's Pursuit to Tear Down I-275 to the Ash Heap<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) has been pursuing tearing down I-275 north of downtown Tampa for years. In October just before the election, TPO staff stealthily submitted a Federal grant request for over $1.2 million to study replacing I-275 North with a street level transit Boulevard. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the TPO's foolishness pursuing the absurd proposal may be coming to an end. The TPO has scheduled a <a href="https://planhillsborough.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/January-25-Agenda-Packet.pdf">meeting </a>on Wednesday, January 25th from 4-4:30pm to consider canceling that "tear down interstates" Federal grant.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Citizens who oppose the "tear down interstates" nonsense and wastefully spending their tax dollars on a costly Boulevard proposal that will never happen, can sign up to</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> speak in person or virtually </span><a href="https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=91ScfXoFoEmFSNx8h65V163DmaLMf-JDjZZWf2O7lgNUNzRCTUVOUUwxOTAxTldZSktOUEZSUVdBWi4u" style="font-family: verdana;">here</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Comments can also be emailed to tpo@plancom.org by 5pm tomorrow January 24th.</span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Below is background information regarding this issue and how the costly and ridiculous proposal was pursued.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2017 the TPO provided USF architecture </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">student</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Joshua Frank, who is no transportation expert or traffic engineer, an opportunity the TPO provides no other citizens. The TPO invited Frank to present his 30 minute presentation about tearing down</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> a major portion of I-275 and replacing it with a very costly street level Complete Streets Boulevard. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinGyD9S5-xMwsVxB_IGvqcZ8ZNkEdDjP9DT0BnMnjffcSjEDdjooHNsQplboNZ9AFdia7azuRo3K4AXYyZIk7UgD3SNIVUcrCg_0bN_06JFOb6NB0CwTMY4Sr6ooGM7DrWF3NwiHxAkhxoHZ9ag_AZqskcSkUkKJstDbE3byzhKliXgux7cl6aYLQKKQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1718" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinGyD9S5-xMwsVxB_IGvqcZ8ZNkEdDjP9DT0BnMnjffcSjEDdjooHNsQplboNZ9AFdia7azuRo3K4AXYyZIk7UgD3SNIVUcrCg_0bN_06JFOb6NB0CwTMY4Sr6ooGM7DrWF3NwiHxAkhxoHZ9ag_AZqskcSkUkKJstDbE3byzhKliXgux7cl6aYLQKKQ=w400-h204" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Frank's I-275 Boulevard Conversion Concept <br />Presentation to TPO in 2017</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tearing down I-275 north of downtown would cause chaos throughout Tampa Bay, overwhelm local roads and create more congestion. But t</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">he transit activists on the TPO Board want people out of their cars and to replace I-275 north of downtown Tampa to a street level transit Boulevard. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hillsborough TPO considered tearing down I-275 such a high priority they want to waste taxpayer dollars on such foolishness. In October right </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">before the November election that impacted the makeup of the TPO Board, TPO staff submitted a </span><a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/qb3isx6fewyebmt/RCP+Grant+Application-+I-275+North+Corridor+Vision.pdf/file" style="font-family: verdana;">federal grant</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> requesting over $1.2 million of your tax dollars to study the "I-275 Boulevard Conversion Concept". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the TPO did not want others to know what they did.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A copy of their $1.2 MILLION grant request was never transparently provided to the public or to the then TPO Board members for approval before TPO staff submitted it to the Feds in the Biden Administration. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">TPO staff also did not provide a copy of the grant to FDOT before submitting it. FDOT is responsible for maintaining I-275 and all our Interstates in Florida. Our interstates are funded by state and federal gas taxes not with local funds.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is like someone who rents a house and pursues demolishing part of it to remodel without telling the owner of the house. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I-275 is a strategic transportation corridor used by residents, tourists and businesses throughout Tampa Bay. It is an evacuation route. Hillsborough TPO did not tell the other Tampa Bay counties about their "I-275 Boulevard Conversion" grant request either. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The entire Tampa Bay area would be negatively impacted by removing I-275 north of downtown Tampa which also includes access to I-4. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Therefore, in December, I brought </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the Hillsborough TPO's "tear down the interstates" shenanigans and their "I-275 Boulevard Conversion" grant request to the attention of elected officials from</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Citrus, Hernando, Manatee and Sarasota counties. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">My public comment to those regional officials starts at about 4:30 of <a href="https://youtu.be/2PnftNgFb4I">this</a> meeting video. I requested these officials reject Hillsborough's pursuit to tear down I-275, stop the road diets in Tampa Bay and focus on fixing and improving our roads.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hillsborough TPO member and County commissioner Harry Cohen and Hillsborough TPO's Executive Director Beth Alden were at the regional meetings I spoke at. After I spoke, they felt compelled to try to rewrite history and provide cover for the TPO's own actions. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Tampa Bay Business Journal (TBBJ) <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/k6due2qukxppt6f/Tampa+Bay+transportation+agencies+vie+for+federal+funding+in+2023+-+Tampa+Bay+Business+Journal.pdf/file">reported</a> that Alden admitted the TPO requested the over $1.2 million federal grant because </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">"We have heard from a small group of our community members who would like us to look at the removal of I-275." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">TBBJ also quoted Commissioner Cohen saying </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">"I want to reiterate that I don't think there is any support for tearing down 275."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But it was Harry Cohen, then a Tampa City Council representative on the TPO Board, who introduced Joshua Frank to present his I-275 tear down/Convert to Boulevard presentation at the August 1, 2017 TPO Board meeting. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The TPO's actions after Frank's presentation clearly show the TPO has been pursuing tearing down I-275 ever since.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In May 2019, the TPO added the "I-275 Boulevard Conversion" to their Work Plan without considering anything including any estimated cost.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2019-2020 the TPO hired consultant Sam Schwartz for $150K - without going thru any bid process - to begin studying the I-275 tear down/Boulevard Conversion. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to this 2019 <a href="https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/driving-tampa-bay-forward/transportation-leaders-will-study-idea-to-tear-down-and-replace-portion-of-i-275">report</a> about that study, the Boulevard would "allow for protected bike lanes, places to walk, along with a light rail or another modern mass transit system along this corridor." </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Sam Schwartz contract was shut down when the actual cost for such a study was estimated to be over a million dollars and the TPO did not have the funds to pay for it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Coincidentally" in August 2021, the TPO appointed the "Tear down I-275 and Replace it with a Boulevard" Joshua Frank to the TPO's Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In December 2021, Alden informed the Board about a new Federal grant which can be used for interstate/highway/infrastructure removal. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And Voila! The CAC, who has no TPO decision making authority, told the TPO to submit the grant. The TPO did without informing the entire Board or FDOT.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Commissioner Cohen is confused. Submitting the grant request for over $1.2 million displays great support for Joshua Frank's I-275 tear down proposal. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The TPO had to create a "narrative" for their grant. Page 1 of the grant "narrative" begins with:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOhc9D47IX1607DWYkyUSOK9c97FKHhdT7RdUO77p9R-kWMCv2PyPh-_r0e0E5TiKUT5JW09pJ9QbENhvY8MA7Ijs3HaO73uD6Lx7IGp41Ei20uHDAgvZJobX1ibfnGblWs0aklVB7LFwP06Pzrknr9xG8iFHpZ9nE5CqoktbIwaW36qYrlcqkHMZ9Yw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1482" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOhc9D47IX1607DWYkyUSOK9c97FKHhdT7RdUO77p9R-kWMCv2PyPh-_r0e0E5TiKUT5JW09pJ9QbENhvY8MA7Ijs3HaO73uD6Lx7IGp41Ei20uHDAgvZJobX1ibfnGblWs0aklVB7LFwP06Pzrknr9xG8iFHpZ9nE5CqoktbIwaW36qYrlcqkHMZ9Yw=w640-h334" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Read the entire TPO <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/qb3isx6fewyebmt/RCP+Grant+Application-+I-275+North+Corridor+Vision.pdf/file">grant</a>. The TPO's I-275 Conversion Concept proposal is not about mobility. It is a taxpayer funded PR campaign to target the same small group of people who already support the "tear down the interstates" nonsense. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">You can understand why TPO staff never provided a copy to the TPO Board or FDOT before it was submitted to the Feds. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The TPO should not be seeking federal grants for over $1.2 million because a small group of transit activists decided "they" want to replace I-275 with a street level Boulevard.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">All evidence points to the intentions of the TPO to replace I-275 with a street level Boulevard. The evidence is irrefutable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Therefore, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I attended the January 11, 2023 TPO Board meeting and handed the TPO Board a package of evidence of their own actions. The package includes a historical timeline of TPO Board's actions to pursue the "I-275 tear down/Boulevard" concept. That package</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> can be found <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/6nxwfde38gxoxi5/TearDownI275EvidencePackage+.pdf/file">here.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">My public comment to the TPO Board can be heard on the <a href="https://youtu.be/nhfz5SkV_c4">video</a> from the 1/11/2023 TPO Board meeting starting at about 15:36. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I specifically requested the new TPO Board to:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pass a motion implementing a policy that all grants must be presented to the Board at a Board meeting to approve before staff submits them</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pass a motion/resolution clearly stating the Hillsborough TPO will NOT pursue tearing down I-275 north of downtown</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rescind/Cancel the $1.2 Million I-275 Boulevard Conversion Federal grant</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Keep FDOT's I-275 N WIDENING project in the TPO's long range plan</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Put FDOT's I-275 N WIDENING back into the TPO's 5 year plan to get funded</span></li></ul><div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sunshine is the best disinfectant, Truth has no agenda and the TPO cannot rewrite their own history.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now it's time to send the TPO's "tear down I-275/Boulevard Conversion" foolish pursuit to the ash heap.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Please take a few minutes before 5 pm tomorrow to email </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">tpo@plancom.org</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> to tell the TPO to cancel the I-275/Boulevard Conversion Federal grant, stop wasting taxpayer money and resources on such nonsense and focus on fixing our roads. </span></p></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-78612369551530910502023-01-15T15:31:00.006-05:002023-01-15T15:32:14.546-05:00GOTV Tampa to Defeat Mayor Jane Castor the Disaster<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXHqlFd2-q4WNSQZuzntkBqorbXIBRZWyq9UtYJAsF23EoHmuSzrvBy1U3bwFLq0dofu_3w0RcIxGPwZmdYKA_T2wDzcmyI5Bp5eAnbLvmsY64R_DGPyDWrb8g8Kbm60ib_yspnni88I-ooaM30Z28ujwSUc82Ae6eAUTdw510WHEIa7wRmVaM-PAAXg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="732" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXHqlFd2-q4WNSQZuzntkBqorbXIBRZWyq9UtYJAsF23EoHmuSzrvBy1U3bwFLq0dofu_3w0RcIxGPwZmdYKA_T2wDzcmyI5Bp5eAnbLvmsY64R_DGPyDWrb8g8Kbm60ib_yspnni88I-ooaM30Z28ujwSUc82Ae6eAUTdw510WHEIa7wRmVaM-PAAXg" width="257" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tampa's Democrat Mayor Jane Castor is running for re-election.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Treat Tampa's municipal election in March as important, if not more so, as a general election.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tampa voters can defeat Mayor Castor the Disaster by getting out to vote in numbers not seen for municipal elections. They can make Disaster Castor a one-term Mayor. </span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3vjh_IoaueO97KlO5Cg1d7A-MokFE_bTGL-cjZ2MHCfOrPw12c2vk7K3A0_nQuV2J8oV35x6OH2HTMOYGRRobErLqWbFPf1n2DBxMZo2ii2eLbjdLrmgg9Z-2eIw72SIAgM3rAaZxIEtObXTLUbR4hxepkWzd6nQwc5e-ncB5qPG37ffPbfEQsaYRPQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="1844" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3vjh_IoaueO97KlO5Cg1d7A-MokFE_bTGL-cjZ2MHCfOrPw12c2vk7K3A0_nQuV2J8oV35x6OH2HTMOYGRRobErLqWbFPf1n2DBxMZo2ii2eLbjdLrmgg9Z-2eIw72SIAgM3rAaZxIEtObXTLUbR4hxepkWzd6nQwc5e-ncB5qPG37ffPbfEQsaYRPQ=w400-h281" width="400" /></a></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Only 20.56% of registered Tampa voters showed up to vote in the Municipal elections in March 2019. Castor did not get over 50% so her race went to a runoff on April 23, 2019. Only 23.2% of the 230,193 registered voters in Tampa showed up to vote.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jane Castor became Mayor of Tampa with only 38,859 votes that was 16.9% of the total Tampa registered voters at that time. She has no mandate.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_NTDVfj9BvCz077RnV9VY-xLkVwW_Df_Og9o1zHo_OnDU4Rcf07d8HmXoa-0vaaYfh-bUOmONtl4ZJiXOpwFX664XA4sn0CK3FR_IEwYKxvy8QDCC0_pvZ0SWf1KNilJ105T2n4IKxlGLT-GmUoIuaqXaz_WrPOItPYCT0AVVQJLvHYnq6wtNnm1rA/s1588/TampaStreetcarintoLightRail.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1588" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_NTDVfj9BvCz077RnV9VY-xLkVwW_Df_Og9o1zHo_OnDU4Rcf07d8HmXoa-0vaaYfh-bUOmONtl4ZJiXOpwFX664XA4sn0CK3FR_IEwYKxvy8QDCC0_pvZ0SWf1KNilJ105T2n4IKxlGLT-GmUoIuaqXaz_WrPOItPYCT0AVVQJLvHYnq6wtNnm1rA/w400-h225/TampaStreetcarintoLightRail.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tampa Mayor Jane Castor's rendering of<br />the Tampa Streetcar transformed to Light Rail</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Castor claims expanding and transforming the Tampa Streetcar into a modernized light rail system is Tampa's highest transportation priority. This project will benefit wealthy downtown developers the most and probably require more road diets to build.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2019 Disaster Castor appointed herself to be a member of the HART (transit agency) Board. On her watch, <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/09/harts-finances-run-into-ground-by-same.html">HART's finances</a> have been run into the ground and HART is going insolvent. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Disaster Castor supported both failed All for Transportation transit tax referendums that were intended to cover up HART's huge financial problems.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to a November 2021 </span><a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/tampa-targets-streetcar-expansion-for-infrastructure-bill-funds" style="font-family: verdana;">Fox13 News</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> article (emphasis mine):</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>While some drivers would like to see every penny spent on new and bigger roads, Tampa’s mayor says we need to change our view of mass transit. <br /><br />"Mass transit in the south is more than two people in an SUV," said Mayor Jane Castor. "<b>We have to get people used to riding the bus, to riding the streetcar and seeing that as a very reliable and safe mode of transportation.</b>"</blockquote></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tampa's budget has increased from $900M to $1.2B but not a dime of the increased revenues has gone to fixing roads. This is why local roads throughout Tampa, including downtown and South Tampa, look like roads in San Francisco.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">While Tampa will subsidize road improvements for wealthy developers, many local Tampa roads are sinking and are pot holed filled disasters that have not been properly maintained for years. They are an embarrassment to the city of Tampa.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2019, Mayor Disaster Castor kicked off a Transportation Advisory Team of members she said were "transportation experts".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqqnydLrE4E4A9SiSLORwVRm82EAwvsI8WxO0xEYRJT6M6qs3tJfVrjIUBohUVXs0_DaPjfJ7YlkSxN1aWAjByeceuJsjgB3yVSIgrIIHqX1ZdS-pUxOJCRDiCo0wPtlOuP7u0oJkUPhc3B2iVSPb7Txsxil39FIJ4AH4GPL1pvIjMQOGHun9yT7jPfA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqqnydLrE4E4A9SiSLORwVRm82EAwvsI8WxO0xEYRJT6M6qs3tJfVrjIUBohUVXs0_DaPjfJ7YlkSxN1aWAjByeceuJsjgB3yVSIgrIIHqX1ZdS-pUxOJCRDiCo0wPtlOuP7u0oJkUPhc3B2iVSPb7Txsxil39FIJ4AH4GPL1pvIjMQOGHun9yT7jPfA=w267-h400" width="267" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">This team is not transportation experts, they are mostly transit advocates, lobbyists, and special interests including All for Transportation's Christina Barker - who lives in Pasco County. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This cast of characters did not recommend any road improvements in Tampa. Instead they <a href="https://www.tampa.gov/document/transportation-advisory-team-recommendations-report-31011">recommended</a>:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Implement strategic transit projects (Streetcar/Light rail/CSX lines)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Focus on Trails and Greenways as Transportation Options</span></li><li> <span style="font-family: verdana;">Adopt Vision Zero as citywide policy (only applies to roads not trains, Federal Highway Admin states Vision Zero is NOT a realistic goal)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Re-invent urban parking and mobility (aka removing parking by eliminating parking requirements or replacing minimum parking spaces with maximum parking spaces for redevelopment)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Enhance neighborhood engagement (aka a never ending taxpayer funded public relations campaign to promote the ideological transit/complete streets/road diets agenda) </span></li></ul><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We bet the vast majority of drivers in Tampa prefer their tax dollars be spent maintaining and improving Tampa's local roads.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">That is not going to happen as long as Jane Castor is Mayor.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Castor was the former Tampa police chief but she allowed George Floyd violent rioters to burn down businesses and loot in June 2020.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Castor was one of the most tyrannical members of Hillsborough County's infamous COVID Emergency Policy Group (EPG). Castor kept pushing her unnecessary authoritarian Covid policies publicly displaying her authoritarian and condescending behavior.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As we </span><a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2019/02/tampas-little-swamp.html" style="font-family: verdana;">reported</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> in 2019 when she first ran, Castor is a Tampa Swamp creature. Jeff Vinik, the largest crony donor to All for Transportation, was Castor's largest donor in 2019.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Castor's partner since 2009 is Democrat Ana Cruz, the daughter of former Democrat State Senator Janet Cruz. Ana Cruz is the managing partner for one of the largest lobbying firms in Florida, Ballard Partners.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ana Cruz is a long time Democrat political strategist who was a spokesperson for both of Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaigns and was an advisor to Joe Biden's 2020 campaign. According to Wikipedia, "she [Ana Cruz] is working with the Biden administration on implementing <b>progressive policies </b>(emphasis mine).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Janet Cruz won't go away. Immediately after she was defeated by Republican Jay Collins on November 8th, she filed to run for Tampa City Council on November 16th. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Basically, Jane Castor's mother-in-law Janet Cruz is running for Tampa City Council to push the Progressive policies of the Jane Castor/Ana Cruz team. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a display of <b>nepotism</b> at its finest. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Castor's disasters includes choosing a contentious police chief who was recently forced to resign when she tried to use her position to get out of a traffic ticket and appeared to not live in the city of Tampa.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jane Castor is not transparent and thinks she is Tampa's unilateral decision maker.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to this <a href="https://www.cltampa.com/news/tampa-mayor-jane-castor-waited-over-5-months-to-admit-she-approved-controversial-hanna-ave-project-13243616">article</a> last April about a new development (emphasis mine):</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>Mayor Jane Castor said that she approved Tampa's 'City Center at Hanna Avenue' after more than five months of councilmen and local leaders asking who was responsible for the controversial project.<br /><br />Her admission comes after multiple city council meetings since November where construction experts and city council members repeatedly asked <b>who was responsible for green lighting the project, which jumped from $10 million to $108 million <span style="color: red;">without a public bid</span>, among other glaring problems—including initial lack of participation from unions and the Black community.</b><br /><br />Not only did Castor avoid answering the community's important question until yesterday, her city attorneys pushed back on the idea of appearing before council to discuss the project back in March.</blockquote></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In this <a href="https://www.cltampa.com/news/developer-disputes-city-of-tampa-decision-to-award-rome-yard-contract-to-company-that-donated-to-mayor-and-employs-her-nephew-12442592">article</a> from April 2021, "Pay to Play" Jane "awarded a multi-million dollar construction contract to Miami-based Related Group, which donated $10,000 to Mayor Jane Castor’s election PAC and currently employs her nephew". The Related Group failed to disclose on the required RFP conflict of interest form that Castor's nephew Alexander Castor is the Asst. Construction Manager for the contract.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In <a href="https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/coronavirus/tampa-city-employees-must-be-fully-vaccinated-by-september-30-mayor-castor-says">August 2021</a>, Castor requested all city employees be COVID vaccinated by September 30th and required those employees not vaccinated to wear N95 masks and test weekly. </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With Disaster Castor, Tampa taxpayers will never see their roads fixed, Tampa's budget properly prioritized or transparency and accountability from the Mayor's office. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">These issues will only get worse if there's the nepotism team of Castor/Ana Cruz/Janet Cruz in place.<br /></span><div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tampa voters can stop the nonsense and costly disasters from Mayor Jane Castor... by voting her out of office in March.</span></p><p>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Important dates for the March municipal election: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Last day to file and qualify to run is Friday January 20</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Deadline to register to vote is February 6</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mail ballots </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">scheduled to be sent to absent military January 24 and begin sending to voters in Tampa February 2</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Early voting starts February 27 </span></p></div></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-59193267016266454462022-11-16T10:23:00.000-05:002022-11-16T10:23:46.738-05:00Florida's Inspector General Needs to Investigate and Financially Audit Fiscally Failing HART Transit Agency <p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGE69XlSmqGV4HOMQ_EPzmYxWurFb4KYRU4zf27rvi4H5aSemtKVaksZOxPPGXn5gSyG-jmmnktNHMoipB7Wg7U_odUDBEqE1WX630Za1WXQLwxSrxsxOxY3ZQV_5U1lgIRJ2yvU-zdBbeqSAeu6ptthVxIisA2sEwuv_r2AHTHk3mOCOzl1bWsMZuyg/s602/InvestigateHART2updated.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="602" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGE69XlSmqGV4HOMQ_EPzmYxWurFb4KYRU4zf27rvi4H5aSemtKVaksZOxPPGXn5gSyG-jmmnktNHMoipB7Wg7U_odUDBEqE1WX630Za1WXQLwxSrxsxOxY3ZQV_5U1lgIRJ2yvU-zdBbeqSAeu6ptthVxIisA2sEwuv_r2AHTHk3mOCOzl1bWsMZuyg/s320/InvestigateHART2updated.png" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART transit agency is a big mess and is going insolvent. The State needs to step in to investigate HART's financial mismanagement and do an independent audit of HART.</span></p></blockquote><span></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>HART has been fiscally mismanaged for years by a governing HART Board who refused to address HART's fiscal failures.</blockquote></span><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As we reported <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/09/harts-finances-run-into-ground-by-same.html">here</a>, HART was driven into the ground by the same people who supported the All for Transportation (AFT) $23 Billion transit tax.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The supporters of the massive 30 year AFT tax hike wanted taxpayers, especially those in unincorporated Hillsborough, to <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/10/fiscal-insanity-all-for-transportation.html">bail out HART</a>. That is why AFT mandated HART receive the largest share of the transit tax proceeds ($10-11 Billion) when HART has a dismal ridership of less than 2%.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Transit agency COVID relief money was intended to keep transit services operating when transit ridership tanked even more during the pandemic. HART irresponsibly used one-time COVID relief money in 2021 to hand huge raises to its top highly paid administrators. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART handed their new CEO - Adelle LeGrand, who had been there only a year, a $37,500 raise.</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The feckless HART Board approved all those big raises - during a pandemic when ridership tanked. Those raises are now baked into HART's exploding operating costs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART and its irresponsible Board used bad judgment. They thought voters would pass the 2022 AFT transit tax and hand HART Billions of new tax dollars. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART and its Board knew if HART got their hands on billions of new AFT tax dollars, they could cover up HART's financial incompetence and malfeasance. Then no one would ever be held accountable for HART's financial failure.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART's been thru numerous CEO's over the last 10-12 years. They ran off a previous CFO who tried to right HART's sinking ship. In other words HART does not properly hire their CEO and they run off the employees who wanted to fix HART's finances. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now being <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/hillsborough-transit-employee-secretly-worked-162600674.html">reported</a> is this latest HART debacle:</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>A senior employee at Hillsborough County’s transit agency has been working a second full-time job for a Louisiana transit agency since April, according to public records. Officials with both agencies told the Tampa Bay Times that they didn’t know she had two jobs.<br /><br />Teri Wright was hired by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority as chief customer experience officer on Feb. 1 last year, with an annual starting salary of $<b>200,271.75.</b><br /><br />She had previously worked at the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority as director of customer experience from August 2017 until leaving Feb. 5, 2021.</blockquote></span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-size: 15px;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-size: 15px;"></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-size: 15px;">Wright began working for the New Orleans agency again 14 months after her start date with HART, as the agency’s senior director of communications. Her starting salary was <b>$155,000,</b> according to Darwyn B. Anderson, the agency’s chief human resources officer.</span> </blockquote></span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART chief executive officer Adelee Le Grand said she was unaware of Wright’s dual employment, calling the news “very unfortunate.” She added: “When someone breaks the rules it is important to move on without them.”<br /><br />Le Grand said Wright reported directly to her, and she was a respected member of staff. “I thought she was really good at her role,” Le Grand told The Times.</span> </blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">How did this latest HART debacle happen?</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because HART is a dysfunctional transit agency governed by an irresponsible Board. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is the taxpayers who are paying for HART's fiscal failure. It is the transit dependent who rely on HART who will suffer from HART's fiscal failures.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART needs a new Board. Current HART Board members who allowed HART to be run into the ground must be replaced. The make up of the HART Board requires much better representation from throughout the entire county.</span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART's known problems are numerous. T</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">here may be more issues and problems at HART that have not yet been exposed.</span> </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART will be insolvent soon. Hillsborough County taxpayers and voters deserve to know why and how HART got into such a fiscal mess. </span></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART receives State tax dollars. FDOT has continued to 100% subsidize, with your tax dollars, every ride on the Tampa Streetcar. The Tampa Streetcar is a tourist amenity the State is subsidizing when the local tourist tax should be paying for it.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">And HART is governed as its own special taxing district under </span><a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0100-0199/0163/Sections/0163.570.html" style="font-family: verdana;">State Statute 163.570</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">So the State has skin in the game to protect taxpayers and to guard against incompetence, negligence, willful neglect and malfeasance caused by a transit agency governed by State Statute.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is reasonable to assume many voters in Hillsborough County did not know HART already had a long term funding source - their own property tax assessment. It is reasonable to assume many voters did not know HART could put their own referendum on the ballot asking voters to raise HART's own revenues.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Voters were not told this information by the Tampa Centric 5 commissioners who put the $23 Billion transit tax on the ballot.</span> <span style="font-family: verdana;">They were not told this information by All for Transportation, who crafted the massive tax hike outside Sunshine and behind closed doors in 2018 with no public input.</span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The County and HART were not honest with voters about HART's dire financial position or why HART had to receive most of the AFT transit dollars.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The current HART Board allowed HART's operating costs to explode on their watch.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The State must step in to get answers for how and why HART became such a fiscal mess and determine who all is responsible for HART's financial decline. </span> </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's time for Florida's </span><a href="https://www.flgov.com/inspector_general/" style="font-family: verdana;">Inspector General</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> to conduct a full investigation and perform an independent <i>financial</i> audit of HART's operations over the last 10 years. </span> </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This must be done or HART cannot regain any sense of credibility or the trust of taxpayers.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p> </p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXL21WTVIU8Ey6ie74FR31NS3-TD3gPukXp7t5A3qZ4isVe5hnJnV-_3WpkUYiP781v2yzLwS1yf-yCUvvgcyUf_aqVt3mssvFKb8r4A11u_wSA_PjifG2NL9A7KmgdWDS9Hal9gqXGAUyXuqLCGykHmZ3Tz9NQVDAm-ImfyC9QgfAbg5flR1n5kkqdQ/s516/InvestigateHaRT1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="516" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXL21WTVIU8Ey6ie74FR31NS3-TD3gPukXp7t5A3qZ4isVe5hnJnV-_3WpkUYiP781v2yzLwS1yf-yCUvvgcyUf_aqVt3mssvFKb8r4A11u_wSA_PjifG2NL9A7KmgdWDS9Hal9gqXGAUyXuqLCGykHmZ3Tz9NQVDAm-ImfyC9QgfAbg5flR1n5kkqdQ/s320/InvestigateHaRT1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p></p>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-56445029585749335912022-11-10T15:13:00.000-05:002022-11-10T15:13:22.848-05:00A Red Wave Hit Hillsborough: County Commission Flips Red and the $23B AFT Transit Tax Is Defeated<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTrPFllyaX9L-XVllNhinJp8dUEY9hVTOgQOxVHR3LeQEZb-uRk7rBERgvY3zTY60vD8yj7FXv13dYCBCquuj4bNCMVyh8WkZxgdHt6XoxA4V50EtxOhWMZjjihX82nGKDOB9UmRjGDVuh-jZPt9MnfT0wbsSE5JJPQuEdH03OeoMTKWrX2K0pCh2ZA/s640/NoNewTaxesimage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="640" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTrPFllyaX9L-XVllNhinJp8dUEY9hVTOgQOxVHR3LeQEZb-uRk7rBERgvY3zTY60vD8yj7FXv13dYCBCquuj4bNCMVyh8WkZxgdHt6XoxA4V50EtxOhWMZjjihX82nGKDOB9UmRjGDVuh-jZPt9MnfT0wbsSE5JJPQuEdH03OeoMTKWrX2K0pCh2ZA/s320/NoNewTaxesimage.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was a Red Wave Tuesday in Hillsborough. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Voters voted Republican up and down the ballot. They flipped a State Senate seat and the County commission. They defeated the $23 Billion transit tax - put on the ballot by the 5 Democrat commissioners. Voters sent a </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">clear message they do not want higher taxes in Hillsborough County. </span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Red Wave in <a href="https://enr.electionsfl.org/HIL/Summary/3311/">Hillsborough County</a>, a Blue county with 18% more registered Democrat voters than registered Republicans, is stunning. Unlike 2020, there were no "ZuckBucks" millions available for the Democrat SOE Craig Latimer to use this year. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The only Democrat to win from the Senate race thru the Governor and Cabinet races was incumbent Congresswoman Kathy Castor. Laurel Lee won the new CD-15 congressional seat by almost 12 points.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Republican Jay Collins flipped State Senate District 14 seat by defeating incumbent Democrat Janet Cruz by over 9 points. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most stunning is what happened at the local government races in Hillsborough.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Republicans Joshua Wostal and Donna Cepeda, both first time candidates, won their countywide commission races against well funded Democrat incumbent commissioners. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wostal defeated current BOCC Chair Kimberly Overman and Cepeda defeated Mariella Smith. These were countywide races and were won by first time Republican candidates in Blue Hillsborough by 5 points. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wostal and Cepeda's wins sends a very strong message. Hillsborough County voters were fed up with the Tampa Centric 5 Democrats bad policies, fiscal irresponsibility and arrogant attitude.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Overman, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">who may be the most condescending county commissioner ever, bemoaned to t</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">he </span><a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2022/11/08/hillsborough-races-election-vote-county-commission-transportation/" style="font-family: verdana;">Tampa Bay Times</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">:</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">It’s literally not about the job that needs to be done. It’s about R’s and D’s. That’s what it boiled down to.</blockquote>How clueless can one be? The fact is voters in Hillsborough County rejected Overman because they do not like the job she is doing and they do not want any more of it. Perhaps voters also did not like that Overman called them </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">"</span><a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2020/04/commissioner-overman-calls-constituents.html" style="font-family: verdana;">Super Stupid</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">" or they dislike her "superiority "she knows best" complex".</span><div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Republican incumbent Ken Hagan won his District 2 commission race by handily defeating Democrat Angela Birdsong by 13 points. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The only Democrat county commissioner to win Tuesday was Harry Cohen who barely squeaked by in his District 1 race. Democrat Cohen defeated Republican Scott Levinson by 803 votes, less than 7/10 of a percent.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hagan handily winning and Cohen barely squeaking by occurred <i>after</i> the Democrat majority commission gerrymandered Districts 1 and 2 last year during redistricting to lean more Democrat. That adds fuel to the Hillsborough Red Wave fire.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two of the three Tampa Centric 5 Democrat commissioners on the ballot were defeated. And the third Harry Cohen, who squeaked a win, has no mandate and is now in the minority.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The defeat of the $23B All for Transportation (AFT) also </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">reflects a rejection by County voters of all five Tampa Centric 5 Democrats - who put the misleading and deceptive tax hike on the ballot. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unlike 2018, AFT's wealthy special interests donors could not buy the 2022 AFT 2.0 election. AFT spent over a million dollars, including paying for costly TV ads, on another dishonest campaign lying to voters again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Tampa Centric 5 Democrat commissioners could not buy the AFT 2.0 election either. They forced taxpayers to hand engineering firm HNTB $700K to launch a taxpayer funded transit tax "education" campaign. That wasteful phony and unethical campaign failed too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This election voters decided they had enough of the transit tax hike snake oil AFT and the Tampa Centric 5 Democrat commissioners were trying to sell them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Just as they did in the Primary election, Hillsborough voters have clearly stated they do not want higher taxes in Hillsborough County. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With a new Republican majority commission, 30 year massive transit tax referendums in Hillsborough County are dead. They must not be resurrected. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Also dead are any plans by the Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) to tear down our interstates and/or shut down the widening of I-275 from Hillsborough to Bearss that will be funded by tax dollars you already pay. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Tampa Centric 5 Democrats were trying to use the TPO to eliminate the I-275 widening project. TPO Chair Commissioner Cohen is now put on notice - that project will proceed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We warned BEFORE the election that HART transit agency is going insolvent and the transit tax is a bailout to HART. HART's fiscal failure is information that was intentionally kept from the voting public. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then suddenly - Voila! - the day after the transit tax is defeated the </span><a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2022/11/09/hillsborough-transportation-agency-ponders-uncertain-financial-future/" style="font-family: verdana;">Tampa Bay Times</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> reports this from the HART Board meeting:</span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>The morning after Hillsborough voters decided not to approve a tax increase to fund transportation, staff and board members of the county’s transit agency, long teetering on the edge of financial stability, gathered in a Tampa conference room and considered: What now?</i></span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Times also reported:</span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>We cannot say what is next for this fight, but our passion is not diminished,” Tyler Hudson and Christina Barker, co-founders of the All for Transportation group advocating for the surtax, said following the referendum’s defeat. “The prospects for a better transportation future are not defeated but only deferred.”</i></span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The next step for AFT Chair Tyler Hudson is for him to resign from the HART Board. Hudson failed to properly govern HART and HART fiscally failed on his watch. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With defeat of the transit tax hike at the polls, no longer are AFT and their special interests donors considered "leaders" for how transportation should be funded in Hillsborough County. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">NoTaxForTracks (NTFT) is a state registered PAC who formally opposed the AFT transit tax. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">NTFT, funded by voters not special interests, sent out a <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/llkqvyp34y5rvap/NTFTPRNov9_2022.pdf/file">Statement</a> yesterday declaring the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">transit tax defeat is a victory for taxpayers, for Truth and for honesty. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">NoTaxForTracks has been on the winning side of every proposed transit tax hike in Tampa Bay. NTFT's success record includes:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Defeating the 2010 "Moving Hillsborough Forward" rail tax in Hillsborough </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Defeating the 2014 "Greenlight Pinellas" rail tax in Pinellas </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Keeping the 2016 "Go Hillsborough" proposed tax hike off the ballot </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Warning about and being absolutely right that the 2018 AFT transit tax had legal issues and it was thrown out as unlawful by the Florida Supreme Court last year</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Defeating the 2022 AFT 2.0 transit tax</span></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is time for others who have alternative transportation funding plans that do not require a massive new tax to take the lead. It is time for those who demand proper stewardship of county tax dollars to take the lead.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And it is time for HART to take responsibility for fixing its own fiscal failure.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We disagree with AFT. The "prospects" for funding transportation is not deferred.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It can start immediately.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The new county commission board must reprioritize the county's existing budget. They must make funding roads, a primary responsibility of County government, one of its highest priorities.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now do it Hillsborough! </span></div><p></p></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-69673876849315761112022-11-06T19:36:00.001-05:002022-11-06T19:36:15.044-05:00Hillsborough County's Use of Taxpayer Money To Fund A Transit Tax Campaign Adds to AFT's Three Ring Circus<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga39Qd8R_BzlnYQmNAwqfo0w9kI7k6kixrEWBvIFKxwcdy7bhE1XUCWNyVmD4CmyCtGAB3R4QV4Y3AjR1ZebkaP2Q_CLAVJi5-hovPYFbstLo1OEztyBGGwfMkSfR6lxZb1226LDsd3bhXwPhrCqESZ6WVrk2sG0Azew8s9dA1Pas86WyxUWteFt4LbQ/s1374/TampaCentric5Clownsupdated.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1374" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga39Qd8R_BzlnYQmNAwqfo0w9kI7k6kixrEWBvIFKxwcdy7bhE1XUCWNyVmD4CmyCtGAB3R4QV4Y3AjR1ZebkaP2Q_CLAVJi5-hovPYFbstLo1OEztyBGGwfMkSfR6lxZb1226LDsd3bhXwPhrCqESZ6WVrk2sG0Azew8s9dA1Pas86WyxUWteFt4LbQ/w400-h253/TampaCentric5Clownsupdated.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The All for Transportation (AFT) $23B Transit Tax Hike is now a three ring circus. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blame for this circus is with the Tampa Centric 5 commissioners - Kimberly Overman, Harry Cohen, Mariella Smith, Pat Kemp and Gwen Myers - who put the misleading and deceptive tax hike on the ballot. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The tainted referendum remains on the ballot due to the County's appeal, even though local media and even the SOE were telling voters the transit tax was not valid.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The County's $700K contract with engineering firm HNTB to launch and manage a taxpayer funded campaign associated with the transit tax may also be polluting the transit tax hike.</span></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We warned about Hillsborough County using taxpayer money to fund a campaign about the AFT transit tax hike </span><a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/06/danger-zone-again-hillsborough-county.html#more" style="font-family: verdana;">here</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and </span><a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/06/danger-zone-again-hillsborough-county.html" style="font-family: verdana;">here</a>. <span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Attempting to hide behind engineering firm HNTB for PR, marketing and campaign work associated with a tax hike referendum is not ethical. It also may have more serious issues. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Florida Statute </span><a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=106.113&URL=0100-0199/0106/Sections/0106.113.html" style="font-family: verdana;">106.113</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> states (emphasis mine):</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote><i>A local government or a person acting on behalf of local government may <b>not </b>expend or authorize the expenditure of, and a person or group may not accept, public funds for a political advertisement or any other communication sent to electors concerning an issue, referendum, or amendment, including any state question, that is subject to a vote of the electors. This subsection applies to a communication initiated by a local government or a person acting on behalf of a local government, irrespective of whether the communication is limited to factual information or advocates for the passage or defeat of an issue, referendum, or amendment. This subsection does not preclude a local government or a person acting on behalf of a local government from reporting on official actions of the local government’s governing body in an <b>accurate</b>, <b>fair</b>, and <b>impartial manner</b>; <b>posting factual information</b> on a government website or in printed materials; hosting and providing information at a public forum; <b>providing factual information</b> in response to an inquiry; or providing information as otherwise authorized or required by law.<br /><br />With the exception of the prohibitions specified in subsection (2), this section does not preclude an elected official of the local government from expressing an opinion on any issue at any time.</i></blockquote></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Elected officials can always express their opinions or advocate on an issue/referendum that is put before voters. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Local bureaucrats or those hired from the outside to represent the local government cannot do that. There are restrictions because taxpayer money cannot be used for electioneering which is an abusive use of taxpayer dollars.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Transportation engineering is a branch of civil engineering dealing with the planning, designing, operations and maintenance of a transportation system. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the </span><a href="https://eagenda.hillsboroughcounty.org/portal/PTL29560/search?D=06/02/2022&T=Regular%20BOCC%20Meeting&Y=Backup&o=B-1.pdf" style="font-family: verdana;">June 2nd BOCC meeting</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">, when County staff recommended hiring HNTB, they presented the work order for hiring HNTB. </span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">HNTB's work order is campaign tactics and strategies. The work includes targeting certain demographics, using key messaging, using social media, creating a website, providing talking points to local media, answering questions from the public and "monitoring" other organizations. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">On the taxpayer dime, the County hired high cost engineering firm HNTB to not only do PR and marketing for the $23B transit tax, but to "monitor" what other organizations are saying and doing. Is HNTB using taxpayer dollars to monitor those who oppose the transit tax? </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hiring h</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">igh cost engineering firms to create websites and manage taxpayer funded campaigns for a County's transit tax hike referendum is not normal. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Reality is there is nothing "normal" about the deceptive and misleading $23B transit tax hike, including HNTB's taxpayer funded campaign. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">HNTB's transit tax <a href="https://www.transportationhillsborough.com/">campaign website</a> lacks substantive information about what the transit tax will actually fund. It also includes misleading information.</span></div><div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HNTB's campaign</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> website tells the public the County needs to repave local roads on a 20 year schedule. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozS-HkHMKX3U6Ok5y888MsR6Fkj5fQu0E1_ArcOE_gPCoK--TUTlYEvi-L_WIe5BaOM9fqBTfAVJC6mHMULarR4E_-MDykH25r0h3rBATaK3BpbIgdqZDQJYT9t0_VljcPDJVDq_hIqDwBQ7cjXXkALhWgLqvsjtBTVwP1LLxlICyeOb5Mri6YOCH3g/s1090/Websiterepave20years.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="1090" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozS-HkHMKX3U6Ok5y888MsR6Fkj5fQu0E1_ArcOE_gPCoK--TUTlYEvi-L_WIe5BaOM9fqBTfAVJC6mHMULarR4E_-MDykH25r0h3rBATaK3BpbIgdqZDQJYT9t0_VljcPDJVDq_hIqDwBQ7cjXXkALhWgLqvsjtBTVwP1LLxlICyeOb5Mri6YOCH3g/w400-h124/Websiterepave20years.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, an <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/qf1urx4hu70gsmo/BOCC_Memo_Response_Future_Issue_20305_V4_Final_4-19-22.pdf/file">April 19, 2022</a> memo to the county commissioners about what the $23B transit tax will fund </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">from Asst. County Administrator for Public Works John Lyons, paints a very different picture. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Directly relating to the tax hike, Lyons April 19th memo states the "<b>system would be resurfaced about every 30 years.</b>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The County tells the public the AFT transit tax will resurface roads every 20 years but the Public Works Director tells the commissioners the tax will resurface the roads every 30 years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lyons memo also told the commissioners the $23B transit tax will build</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> out the Greenways Master Plan for Trails at an estimated cost of $273M. Funding Trails is <b>not</b> found in <a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/STATUTES/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0200-0299/0212/Sections/0212.055.html">Florida Statute 212.055</a> Section 1 that governs what the proceeds of local Transportation Sales surtaxes can be spent on.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lyons also told the commissioners only 25-30 miles of new road capacity "could" be funded with the massive take hike - over 30 years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Where is the voting public told directly told this? Where is the voting public told that because there is no dedicated funding for new road capacity in the mandated spending allocations, there could be zero miles of new roads built.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lyons April 19 memo is not found on HNTB's transit tax campaign website. But it includes important information that voters should know and have access to before they vote.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HART's 10 year Transportation Development Plan (TDP) is not found on HNTB's transit tax campaign website. Why not?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is reasonable to assume since an engineering firm is being paid $700K to manage the campaign website, they would ensure all responses to questions would be direct, accurate and factual. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With congestion relief a top concern, we submitted some questions thru the campaign website asking how much congestion relief will the $23B transit tax provide. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The response we received via email included a link directing us to an outdated <i>20 year</i> transportation plan created </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">by another organization, the Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">That is unacceptable. A transportation engineering firm being paid $700K of taxpayer money should be able to tell the public what congestion relief benefits a 30 year $23B tax hike will provide. Sending the public to an inaccurate, stale and outdated TPO 20 year plan is outrageous.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Why would the public just now be told the <b>30 year</b> $23B AFT transit tax is funding an outdated TPO <b>20 year</b> plan? Where's the rest of the money going?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The public was never told this information at the April 20, 2022 public hearing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HNTB has no reference to the TPO's 20 year plan on their transit tax campaign website.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HNTB's work order included informing the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">about </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">projects</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the transit tax would fund...for growth, safety, transit and "enhanced traffic movement" (congestion relief, congestion reduction was not used). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But HNTB includes no list of actual </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">projects</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the transit tax will fund on the transit tax campaign website. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The County/HNTB is not providing accurate, fair and impartial information on the transit tax campaign website. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The County makes it appear to the public as if the County put $353M from FY22 revenues into transportation in FY22. That is a ruse because the vast majority of those funds had already been appropriated previously. The County added only $84M from FY22 revenues as property tax revenues skyrocketed.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qg0r6PYXnvC_ixxzMSFrKvmwjRRRnF9PqVQZ_zeOnPa020rKQnHQVvzuVrbMwSqO1TY_QDgWPWuPmLTYKlCt98-DzK4zDkilcISeonbCOtskMVy39JPj6scJUukchg7NQHn2q40nnu_mhKifv4J-MbnxvGZrIHhIs-Xdq84YLLR6WFB9Ime4nCJylg/s1828/FY22InaccurateInfo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1828" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qg0r6PYXnvC_ixxzMSFrKvmwjRRRnF9PqVQZ_zeOnPa020rKQnHQVvzuVrbMwSqO1TY_QDgWPWuPmLTYKlCt98-DzK4zDkilcISeonbCOtskMVy39JPj6scJUukchg7NQHn2q40nnu_mhKifv4J-MbnxvGZrIHhIs-Xdq84YLLR6WFB9Ime4nCJylg/w640-h398/FY22InaccurateInfo.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HNTB's transit tax campaign website misleads the public with charts that use 6 years of revenues to cover 10 years of needs. That OVERSTATES the funding shortfall. That is basic math.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2xKeZs3YGwSfPrE5jYqgpq5NXruIyIU-74M3dSMh4TI_NRwRu6a3XmVBNeYVid_hDZoLL9UoFD52zBAC7DJ-F2javZva3-oNEtsnHCrJVm411Oxgp8VJJACaMR6EsK4LMqjgM114euEdpEuMYTkJkpyjhejb-uoUtTQKErIDw6TNG6qkN0utTCN26Q/s2018/TransportationNeedsSummary.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="2018" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2xKeZs3YGwSfPrE5jYqgpq5NXruIyIU-74M3dSMh4TI_NRwRu6a3XmVBNeYVid_hDZoLL9UoFD52zBAC7DJ-F2javZva3-oNEtsnHCrJVm411Oxgp8VJJACaMR6EsK4LMqjgM114euEdpEuMYTkJkpyjhejb-uoUtTQKErIDw6TNG6qkN0utTCN26Q/w640-h381/TransportationNeedsSummary.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>HNTB's $700K taxpayer funded transit tax "education" campaign is walking on a tight rope with one leg. </span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Excluding Lyons memo with important information from the campaign website is unacceptable.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Directing the public to an outdated, inaccurate and not factual 20 year LRTP from the TPO is unacceptable....especially when a transportation engineering firm is managing the campaign.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Misleading the public by using 6 years of revenue against 10 years of needs to overstate the funding shortfall is unacceptable. That is not impartial, that is biased.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The County knew the All for Transportation PAC had millions from their wealthy special interests donors to fund another AFT transit tax campaign....just as they did in 2018. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">That was not enough for the Tampa Centric 5 commissioners. They forced taxpayers to pay for another campaign and hired HNTB.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Statute 106.113 requires that when taxpayer funds are used to communicate with the public about a referendum issue, the information must be factual, accurate, fair and unbiased.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Does the HNTB $700K taxpayer funded transit tax campaign pass that smell test? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Or make the $23B AFT transit take hike an even costlier and bigger three ring circus?</span></p></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-33002785047918903552022-11-03T11:14:00.004-04:002022-11-03T11:14:51.797-04:00Orange County Did So Why Didn't Hillsborough County Put a Clean Transit Tax Hike On the 2022 Ballot? <p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Orange County appears to have put a much cleaner, more clear and more accurate, according to what Florida State law (FS 212.055) allows, in their transportation sales surtax ballot language. It simply asks voters to vote for or against a 1%, 20 year sales surtax dedicated to transportation and transit improvement for uses <i>authorized by law</i>....as <i>approved by the Board of County Commissioners</i>.</span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzWC8UpR8bzAxA2WNfJOmtJTBagi0wxZdI1kJzDe44kprMbg4rtgxHa_4Syw6aYsQf-HZLMgVb02QoLce62lFd2SREhJX1nCIyDVpRuMNBLaAuKEO0enmLNhNZ71aTefJUo2wnwAu7Jo2mEU3feg8Tg59mQoeXOA50U31UVQVlH6gqPHAurYlSBc9LQ/s1138/UpdatedOrangeCountytransittaxballotlanguage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="382" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzWC8UpR8bzAxA2WNfJOmtJTBagi0wxZdI1kJzDe44kprMbg4rtgxHa_4Syw6aYsQf-HZLMgVb02QoLce62lFd2SREhJX1nCIyDVpRuMNBLaAuKEO0enmLNhNZ71aTefJUo2wnwAu7Jo2mEU3feg8Tg59mQoeXOA50U31UVQVlH6gqPHAurYlSBc9LQ/w214-h640/UpdatedOrangeCountytransittaxballotlanguage.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange County transit tax <br />ballot summary language </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Compare Orange County's ballot language to the All for Transportation (AFT) Transit Tax Hike (Round 2) ballot language the Tampa Centric 5 Hillsborough County commissioners put on the November ballot. Their ballot language includes a lot of extraneous information and excludes some critical information ALL voters should be told.</span></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOz7XKBCUqXlzvAT0zyi_ZOq_Vq3tXhTf5hZYTyvFuNbAsL-WVqV5hTS7XisqrmU11svORho73cu3XecRuB2Q98k_fV0RLgG2FGFZkJjdxbVXFc97RnIXUxCQ6vgT5JLFzZdC5Vxqfj8LUwK2hg571EcE8is7UzO6LBG64e-lUzvpdiL_f2yFSLI-6Hw/s1296/AFTSampleBallotRedNOupdated2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="576" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOz7XKBCUqXlzvAT0zyi_ZOq_Vq3tXhTf5hZYTyvFuNbAsL-WVqV5hTS7XisqrmU11svORho73cu3XecRuB2Q98k_fV0RLgG2FGFZkJjdxbVXFc97RnIXUxCQ6vgT5JLFzZdC5Vxqfj8LUwK2hg571EcE8is7UzO6LBG64e-lUzvpdiL_f2yFSLI-6Hw/w284-h640/AFTSampleBallotRedNOupdated2.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hillsborough County AFT transit tax<br />ballot summary language</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The ballot summary language is the ONLY information EVERY voter is guaranteed to see or read before voting. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hillsborough County's transit tax ballot language fails to tell voters the tax can be expended on any or all transportation uses as authorized by State law. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hillsborough County also fails to tell voters only the board of county commissioners, including all future commission boards, have the authority to expend the tax proceeds on uses authorized by State law. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Therefore, voters are led to believe the uses the AFT transit tax will fund in the ballot summary language are set in stone for the 30 year life of the tax.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lots of things change over 30 years, including many different commission boards, different County staff, changing County priorities, technological changes, innovation, growth and where that occurs, etc. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interestingly, in the recent County's <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/dn53dd26kb4nbob/County's+Emergency+M-Reinstate+Automatic+Stay.pdf/file">appeal filing</a> requesting the stay remain in place, after the Circuit Court's ruling that threw AFT off the ballot as misleading and unlawful, Hillsborough County's outside attorney admitted (emphasis mine):</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>the Surtax Ordinance is an ordinance adopted by the County Commission, not a charter provision adopted by voters<br /><br />Because it is subject to amendment, <b>the uses of proceeds it contemplates can change at any time, so long as they are consistent with section 212.055(1)(d).</b></i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote><i>The Surtax Ordinance itself <b>contemplates</b> that the County Commission will direct surtax proceeds to different uses than those currently stated. </i></blockquote></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is nothing in the ballot summary language, the only thing every voter is guaranteed to read before voting, that tells voters this. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Apparently, the County expects voters to figure out for themselves the funding uses included in the ballot summary language are just gobblygook that can be changed by a simple 4-3 vote by the commission board. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Plaintiff's response <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/av78sb8mp8bf966/Response+to+M-Reinstate+Stay.pdf/file">here</a> to the County's appeal wanting to keep the stay in place includes (emphasis mine):</span></p></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>the <b>County failed to identify so much as one specific legal error in the <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/gmwnybivx67c2jj/Judge_Moe%2527s_signed_Order_Jaroch_v_Hillsborough_County.pdf/file">summary judgment order</a></b>—a failure it repeats in its motion in this Court.<br /><br />Yet, despite the absence of any reason to think the County’s appeal will succeed, the trial court dutifully examined<br /><br />additional written arguments, additional exhibits, and additional oral arguments during a second two-hour hearing. The County did not deny it can put a transportation surtax back on the ballot in the 2024 general election. It failed to offer any reason—a cognizable interest in its ballot language or a transportation need it will be unable to meet, for example—to think it will be injured, let alone irreparably so, without a stay pending appeal </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>And it all but conceded that if the surtax is approved and becomes effective, a refund will not be available to make taxpayers whole after this Court renders a decision.</i></span></div></blockquote><div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Circuit Court <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/8m6nqxsrbav6g1l/Jarochv.Hillsborough--ordergrantingmotiontovacateautomaticstay_d1e54d6f-7959-4e2f-990a-6212356b7341.pdf/file">vacated</a> the County's automatic stay on October 27th.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Orange County's <a href="https://library.municode.com/fl/orange_county/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=1147680">Ordinance 22-14</a> that placed their transportation sales surtax on the ballot is much cleaner. It appears they use more clear and more accurate funding language according to what Florida State law (FS 212.055) allows.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Section 5 of Orange County's Ordinance simply states:</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL_pPOleNi_1UTHQPb5XGBkcsrrbBOAhtrMeoJGQguW2n9da8xt3eup4IVRVr4rs-cMs8M-_LNz_fCOkE0YS5xL2EQV_yBmqBwBLZKQp-HsE5jJnU12AYMQ6rKifuo5JP7tWSnFGlSLjh2I93B9VW6YARQHj3QaFRL136tdrafEnA3YnXumOfRW8dSg/s1558/OrangeCountyTransitSurtaxUses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="1558" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL_pPOleNi_1UTHQPb5XGBkcsrrbBOAhtrMeoJGQguW2n9da8xt3eup4IVRVr4rs-cMs8M-_LNz_fCOkE0YS5xL2EQV_yBmqBwBLZKQp-HsE5jJnU12AYMQ6rKifuo5JP7tWSnFGlSLjh2I93B9VW6YARQHj3QaFRL136tdrafEnA3YnXumOfRW8dSg/w640-h98/OrangeCountyTransitSurtaxUses.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Orange County's Ordinance<br />putting their transportation sales surtax on the ballot</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Compare that to all the mandated appropriations and regulatory gobblygook the Tampa Centric 5 commissioners included in their </span><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62e157c4e0e7f4762952a57a/t/631a44908526002f4d8160f5/1662665877736/Final+Ordinance+229+Transportation+Surtax+Ordinance.pdf" style="font-family: verdana;">Ordinance 22-9</a>. <span style="font-family: verdana;">The AFT transit tax mandates and regulations go on for pages.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyln4T_QYtTf47BA031RV6yCtnCO20pMzZ2f2Js-H8mHoiwWo8pUy9td9FYmLYTqaDKdMIZiq3fwofR0GIsxrF6_oIhndqGgcQV336Jg72YSEnlCWrYQie4s-9mpqOmS7l7DYNIZUukSUbr6sZ0pJtU4en9LaPJX2SQ1oLJIF2K2tn_gGyyoj9p55R-w/s1070/AFT2gobblygook1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1070" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyln4T_QYtTf47BA031RV6yCtnCO20pMzZ2f2Js-H8mHoiwWo8pUy9td9FYmLYTqaDKdMIZiq3fwofR0GIsxrF6_oIhndqGgcQV336Jg72YSEnlCWrYQie4s-9mpqOmS7l7DYNIZUukSUbr6sZ0pJtU4en9LaPJX2SQ1oLJIF2K2tn_gGyyoj9p55R-w/w400-h310/AFT2gobblygook1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsABDjX_YuAFftTtAFp7SxNWD7egiq8QcfWewn4PxDfIgGla-QjVX77r29ApUomdbaljQv9QEVMTRi2Ds1Iiy2eEOZk_OdsVNsiSYMaxKtj9GHtEthbR8oLgb7lmKKcwXjzKVL8vvydb_1M2byCDW3qWK-0J8YcFHMcbjHbKxcXZmRIGqnGPSqgVs16Q/s1000/AFT2gobblygook2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1000" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsABDjX_YuAFftTtAFp7SxNWD7egiq8QcfWewn4PxDfIgGla-QjVX77r29ApUomdbaljQv9QEVMTRi2Ds1Iiy2eEOZk_OdsVNsiSYMaxKtj9GHtEthbR8oLgb7lmKKcwXjzKVL8vvydb_1M2byCDW3qWK-0J8YcFHMcbjHbKxcXZmRIGqnGPSqgVs16Q/w400-h281/AFT2gobblygook2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdrddkKZrykuyjeK3tkpd4gM5-RJ9xJj364UGJfenQ6RwNVnz8SZUXJ-f1eY5sFpt_CJQkp48OFcNwRELtfidnrZY2CYLKuJwWCVG6WSE1VkQqiSpATBZi1W16AI0mdEBzhiB5w9ttD8JxbLVuSt6F25oVbrST3sKTXUaYrf9gDgmUOgse_Tdgflreg/s1006/AFT2gobblygook4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1006" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdrddkKZrykuyjeK3tkpd4gM5-RJ9xJj364UGJfenQ6RwNVnz8SZUXJ-f1eY5sFpt_CJQkp48OFcNwRELtfidnrZY2CYLKuJwWCVG6WSE1VkQqiSpATBZi1W16AI0mdEBzhiB5w9ttD8JxbLVuSt6F25oVbrST3sKTXUaYrf9gDgmUOgse_Tdgflreg/w400-h358/AFT2gobblygook4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuEPrAWJzhnygz4o8-f9OuIWtZeAbGjoh-EjNx62Kn9MaidJYxg7NkqXfSAeuzImMNwR73oq3wrDgSu05uXPjblnCjRqG5za7ayJsNKJyGko5ryo4a72EOoXpaCospMKZPsOfj3JaC1-ZYKJiwdJUxnWdBNFcYreISAQj7g3RyqsN0nvQc4EykedYfQ/s1054/AFTgobblygook3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1054" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuEPrAWJzhnygz4o8-f9OuIWtZeAbGjoh-EjNx62Kn9MaidJYxg7NkqXfSAeuzImMNwR73oq3wrDgSu05uXPjblnCjRqG5za7ayJsNKJyGko5ryo4a72EOoXpaCospMKZPsOfj3JaC1-ZYKJiwdJUxnWdBNFcYreISAQj7g3RyqsN0nvQc4EykedYfQ/w400-h268/AFTgobblygook3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidk0JOzgWSrjg5wtJepqpMQ-OdyS64Rxw2QzSblhpw6fV3x3taLRSGonbONalUTE7OEqHnmXjaUkolm_-n47ajvLf3cQU25npm50CJ1pGihmG_VAAcUirijRMwWWpnxWPqVJnvb_D7eDsai78Xv_ySnZZTE3hYXXiBUXutP8aLufiyS8dihQDMj1igaA/s1112/AFTgobblygook5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1112" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidk0JOzgWSrjg5wtJepqpMQ-OdyS64Rxw2QzSblhpw6fV3x3taLRSGonbONalUTE7OEqHnmXjaUkolm_-n47ajvLf3cQU25npm50CJ1pGihmG_VAAcUirijRMwWWpnxWPqVJnvb_D7eDsai78Xv_ySnZZTE3hYXXiBUXutP8aLufiyS8dihQDMj1igaA/w400-h189/AFTgobblygook5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhmLfWMZc4q4AvtGdh3dw-vgZrx_KsyyykHFppd6l_GEh1nePmds4BN1NGcJpmy9jJ-wG0ud3ZdDWds6uXs-0lwM7e2kkkQXZdxFLojA5Wf_iBZa4TvW8boa-3EnxbyiCu9_UMm7_VZsZxybgon1SsoZRfCUzcYdDyaVCpkZczx-Y6VjYjJohVCfqUA/s1084/AFTgobblygook6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1084" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhmLfWMZc4q4AvtGdh3dw-vgZrx_KsyyykHFppd6l_GEh1nePmds4BN1NGcJpmy9jJ-wG0ud3ZdDWds6uXs-0lwM7e2kkkQXZdxFLojA5Wf_iBZa4TvW8boa-3EnxbyiCu9_UMm7_VZsZxybgon1SsoZRfCUzcYdDyaVCpkZczx-Y6VjYjJohVCfqUA/w400-h336/AFTgobblygook6.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Hillsborough County Ordinance 22-9 that put the<br />AFT 2 transit tax on the ballot</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Remember, the County's outside attorney has already admitted all these mandated spending appropriations can change with a simple majority vote by the county commission board. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With a 4-3 simply majority vote, the county commission board can change the AFT tax spending allocations, including handing HART transit agency 75% of the total $23B (about $17.25B) tax proceeds - exactly like was on the rail tax overwhelmingly defeated in 2010.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Why did the Tampa Centric 5 commissioners use such extraneous gobblygook language in their Ordinance and ballot language?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And why in the world did the Tampa Centric 5 mandate a half percent of the total $23B tax, over a billion dollars, must go to the Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO)?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Go back in history.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2018 the AFT transit activists decided to use an</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> outdated 20 year Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP from the TPO as the foundation for AFT's mandated spending appropriations and regulatory gobblygook. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">AFT's Chair Tyler Hudson admitted AFT used an outdated 20 year plan, with old and flawed data going back to 2012 or older, to put a 30 year transit tax on the 2018 ballot. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let that sink in....AFT put a massive 30 year transit tax hike on the ballot to fund an old and outdated 20 year TPO transportation plan. AFT knew HART was fiscally failing then and needs a bailout.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the TPO's Director Beth Alden has clearly stated that LRTP's are not implementation plans. Transportation funding described in the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">TPO's LRTP is just a "wish list" that have little to no association with reality. LRTP's are used to look at various scenarios based on different funding levels over <i>20 years</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let that sink in again....AFT put a 30 year transit tax on the ballot to fund an outdated "fairy dust and unicorns" 20 year TPO funding plan full of irrational assumptions and inconsistencies. LRTP's are NOT implementation plans. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">No wonder AFT mandated 1% of the total transit tax must go to the TPO in 2018. AFT, a political committee, used the taxpayer funded TPO as their sidekick.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But LRTP's are not real transportation funding plans. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hillsborough County's TPO has been pushing rail projects for decades. Rail projects have remained in the LRTP's even after the 2010 rail tax was defeated. The Hillsborough TPO has spent more time pushing rail and transit boondoggles than focusing on fixing our roads, highways and interstates. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In fact members of the 14 member TPO Board, that includes the Tampa Centric 5 commissioners, want to tear down interstates and prohibit the funding of interstates in Hillsborough County. (More to come about this issue.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A huge issue is the TPO is a totally separate organization. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The TPO has no authority to tell the County how they spend their local tax dollars. The County can spend its transportation sales tax dollars however the county commission deems appropriate under State law. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">AFT's 2018 transit tax hike, ruled illegal and unlawful, created a $600M refund debacle that has yet to be resolved. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the Tampa Centric 5 commissioners appears to have learned little to nothing from the 2018 AFT mess. They decided to use the same outdated spending mandates and regulatory gobblygook AFT used in 2018.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then these 5 commissioners took it a step further than 2018. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Tampa Centric 5 have attempted to codify the TPO's LRTP in Ordinance 22-9 that put the $23B AFT transit tax back on the ballot. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">No wonder these 5 commissioners mandate taxpayers hand the TPO a boatload of new tax dollars. The TPO bureaucracy will explode in size so they can create bigger and more costly "fairy dust and unicorn" LRTP's, fund more studies that go nowhere and enrich more consultants - all at taxpayer expense.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingAQ648Nyxri1lD442ICqzmV_mYLFPawLg4Rly3lqmoRUVIrS9Rr5s09JVJfNvl-bLhuV33nIyyITxfHM9dIELJF7LvAlvB0hxlUozbHWIwKBIRHhfCSjvh_IbzkC9CTB608Ew9J1gFKleZ3ldTFyOGIpL-DVfZhnjmRaIDPBfRmZO-gPFpBwxVGcbg/s1424/AFTgobblygook7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="1424" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingAQ648Nyxri1lD442ICqzmV_mYLFPawLg4Rly3lqmoRUVIrS9Rr5s09JVJfNvl-bLhuV33nIyyITxfHM9dIELJF7LvAlvB0hxlUozbHWIwKBIRHhfCSjvh_IbzkC9CTB608Ew9J1gFKleZ3ldTFyOGIpL-DVfZhnjmRaIDPBfRmZO-gPFpBwxVGcbg/w640-h166/AFTgobblygook7.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section 4(D) of Ordinance 22-9</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The question remains, however, whether the County can legally do this and/or whether this could be another legal issue associated with the 2022 AFT tax hike three ring circus. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When TPO Director Beth Alden spoke at Cafe Con Tampa over the summer, we asked her on what authority can the County codify the TPO's LRTP. She did not provide an answer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Orange County was able to put a clean, more clear and more accurate Transportation Sales surtax on their ballot....and ballot summary language that appears to comply with State law.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Even after the 2018 big legal mess, the Tampa Centric 5 county commissioners - Overman, Cohen, Smith, Kemp, Myers intentionally did not do that in Hillsborough County.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They decided to use misleading poll tested ballot language to manipulate voters to vote for their massive $23B transit tax. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Keep Voting NO and defeat the AFT transit tax three ring circus at the ballot box!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-77578841663685175802022-11-01T08:56:00.000-04:002022-11-01T08:56:46.084-04:00Tampa Centric 5 Turns AFT Transit Tax into Three Ring Circus: Just Vote NO and Defeat It At the Ballot Box <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzbkYjojOvOtjpQUrf9-DTZnAq0i4v-1zxn2yUJm_Xt324mNHwT20-bI9u3aNold7plOpCASIxJl2qeDa4_l3vz182blN-LQ35G7Hy_wZofhxj76RhjyC3UWFHlFJEAr3PLU4Ez6d0yQBD5rHLUa4iEeL-TwuwyTdyjEIDWapvHjS5muydSMMzuYykg/s950/Legal%20Issuesupdated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="950" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzbkYjojOvOtjpQUrf9-DTZnAq0i4v-1zxn2yUJm_Xt324mNHwT20-bI9u3aNold7plOpCASIxJl2qeDa4_l3vz182blN-LQ35G7Hy_wZofhxj76RhjyC3UWFHlFJEAr3PLU4Ez6d0yQBD5rHLUa4iEeL-TwuwyTdyjEIDWapvHjS5muydSMMzuYykg/s320/Legal%20Issuesupdated.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p>The Tampa Centric 5 Hillsborough County Commissioners (Overman, Cohen, Smith, Myers, Kemp) are responsible for putting the deceptive $23 Billion All for Transportation (AFT) transit tax on the November ballot. <i>They</i> are responsible and the reason why a legal challenge was filed against the AFT tax hike.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Circuit Court Judge Moe ruled on <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/gmwnybivx67c2jj/Judge_Moe%2527s_signed_Order_Jaroch_v_Hillsborough_County.pdf/file">October 10th</a> the (AFT) tax hike ballot language is misleading and removed the deceptive tax hike referendum from the ballot. </p><p>After that ruling, the voting public was bombarded for days with local media headlines shouting the AFT transit tax was "nullified", "removed", "eliminated", "thrown off" the ballot. </p></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p>Judge Moe heard oral arguments on October 27th from both sides regarding Plaintiff's request to lift the automatic stay and <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/8m6nqxsrbav6g1l/Jarochv.Hillsborough--ordergrantingmotiontovacateautomaticstay+d1e54d6f-7959-4e2f-990a-6212356b7341.pdf/file">she did</a>. </p></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Friday, October 28th at 7am, the Hillsborough County SOE had placed signs at all the early voting locations and in the voting booths informing voters the transit tax had been removed from the ballot.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4VRyQDdn7KMeLe_HAXa6LuRh8cos-38Rp7GI6kpj9sVzfALjcLa81WVNonsfBlBSO9Y7rUE0xZ8PYHWv9SB1OH23FvWmUr0sjIybjP-4GSHaWONCzeJp6IPXXDC2ipcyOBZamU6JqbzhWYcqNBeQhEuRYoMiBrBhCTiOPHvRhOjZzVBtShU0IuSZOQ/s1620/SOENoticeToVoters.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1620" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4VRyQDdn7KMeLe_HAXa6LuRh8cos-38Rp7GI6kpj9sVzfALjcLa81WVNonsfBlBSO9Y7rUE0xZ8PYHWv9SB1OH23FvWmUr0sjIybjP-4GSHaWONCzeJp6IPXXDC2ipcyOBZamU6JqbzhWYcqNBeQhEuRYoMiBrBhCTiOPHvRhOjZzVBtShU0IuSZOQ/w640-h341/SOENoticeToVoters.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SOE Notice to Voters AFT removed from ballot </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then Friday afternoon, the stay was temporarily put back in place by the 2nd District Court of Appeals and the SOE signs were removed leaving voters totally confused.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Voters have been repeatedly told, by the media and by the SOE, that the transit tax has been removed from the ballot. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The AFT transit tax referendum is corrupted beyond repair. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The genie is out of the bottle and cannot be put back in. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">While the AFT tax hike ballot language was ruled unlawful, there may be other issues with the $23B AFT transit tax. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>First</b>, the AFT transit tax ballot is tainted. Voters have been repeatedly told the tax hike referendum was removed. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anyone who opposed or supported the tax hike may have simply not voted on the referendum because they were told, even by the SOE, it had been removed from the ballot.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Confusion now reigns over the AFT tax hike. The integrity of the transit tax hike referendum election is in jeopardy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Second</b>, as we posted <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/10/breaking-all-for-transportation-sales.html">here</a>, the required Financial Impact Statement (FIS) was NOT included in the ballot language as required by Section 8.05 of the County Charter. The missing FIS violates the County Charter. We have still not gotten a satisfactory answer from the County or SOE for why the FIS was excluded. Local media have been told about this issue yet they have refused to ask questions or report about it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Third</b>, Hillsborough County directs the voting public to <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62e157c4e0e7f4762952a57a/t/631a44908526002f4d8160f5/1662665877736/Final+Ordinance+229+Transportation+Surtax+Ordinance.pdf">Ordinance 22-9</a> that specifies how the AFT transit funds are to be appropriated for 30 years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the County neglects to tell voters that per </span><a href="https://flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2022/0212.055" style="font-family: verdana;">Florida Statute 212.055</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the commissioners can apply the proceeds from the sales surtax to as many or as few of the uses Statute 212.055 enumerates in "whatever combination the county commission deems appropriate". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Statute 212.055 does not mention the transportation sales surtax can fund "Trails". Yet the <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/qf1urx4hu70gsmo/BOCC_Memo_Response_Future_Issue_20305_V4_Final_4-19-22.pdf/file">April 19, 2022</a> memo from Public Works Asst. County Administrator John Lyons to the County Commissioners states that at a minimum:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The current proposed plan builds out the Greenways Master Plan for Trails at an estimated cost of $273M.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Additional funding would allow for expansion beyond the Master Plan. </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lyons 4/19 memo also states the $23B sales surtax would:</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Resurface roads only once every 30 years</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fund only between 8/10 of a mile to 1 mile of new road capacity per year (a total of 24-30 miles) of additional lane capacity over 30 years</span></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">John Lyons memo is <i>nowhere</i> found on the County's </span><a href="https://www.transportationhillsborough.com/resources" style="font-family: verdana;">"transportation education"</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> website. This is totally unacceptable for a website created by engineering firm HNTB, who was handed a $700K taxpayer funded contract to launch the "transportation </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">education"</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (aka GOTV) campaign. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The only place the terminology "build and widen roads" is used is in AFT's ballot summary language, the only thing every voter is guaranteed to read, Those words are the first item listed on the ballot language the tax hike will fund. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Using those poll tested words as the first item to be funded by the AFT tax, the County implies to voters that building and widening roads is the highest funding priority of the $23B tax hike. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">That implication is totally false. The terms "build and widen roads" are only found in the ballot summary language. They are found NOWHERE else in Ordinance 22-9. Those words are nowhere found in any of the mandated appropriations dictated by Ordinance 22-9. There is NO appropriation in Ordinance 22-9 to fund additional new auto-lane capacity.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Statute 212.055 does not mention</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "make walking and biking safer". Those terms found in the ballot summary language can mean <i>REMOVING</i> auto lanes for bike paths and/or transit. Voters are not told that.</span></p><p><b style="font-family: verdana;">Fourth</b><span style="font-family: verdana;">, Ordinance 22-9 putting the $23B transit tax on the ballot states:</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">the Board desires to enact this Ordinance to provide for the levy of, and referendum on, a one percent (1%) transportation system sales surtax (the "Transportation Surtax") in accordance with the State Surtax Law <b>AND </b>as provided herein, to provide a method of funding such transportation needs</span></div></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote>All proceeds from the Transportation Surtax....shall be expended only as permitted by AND in accordance with this Ordinance AND the State Surtax Law</blockquote>A County Ordinance cannot supersede State law. Stating the AFT tax hike proceeds must be used according to Ordinance 22-9 AND State law appears to be conflicting.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Fifth</b>, t</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">he County neglects to tell voters the funding allocations currently in Ordinance 22-9 can be changed by a future commission board. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">A serious question is whether this county commission board can legally dictate how future commission and municipality Boards, future HART Boards, future TPO Boards spend their Transportation Surtax proceeds over 30 long years. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Sixth</b>, the deceptive AFT ballot language was intentionally used for political gain. As we reported <a href="http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2022/10/all-for-transportation-sales-tax-is.html">here</a>, HART's lawyer David Smith told us.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the March 10, 2022 BOCC Transportation Workshop, questions about the proposed AFT transit tax were raised. Questions were directed by County staff to the county commissioners whether the ballot question should be generic or "tailored to specific projects" and whether "a percentage split of uses between transit and non-transit projects be addressed".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPYu90hoRRGItZULQRK72GniznnzKlNXPg25c6RhMuFyJmoHOLZnQ_OPo78cFm-ua7FgaCD85P92p4r5fKJt9OMnUB3xmGH27vesN2IPGS8GDUTbxXmKh0iCyNP1dtUEB530ShZZB8JFpkVLGKWZqK9qb-ZrY2CQmf3ona7SiO8KcCOWSL9E0Cdx-IQ/s1062/March10_22BOCCTransportationWorkshopupdated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1062" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPYu90hoRRGItZULQRK72GniznnzKlNXPg25c6RhMuFyJmoHOLZnQ_OPo78cFm-ua7FgaCD85P92p4r5fKJt9OMnUB3xmGH27vesN2IPGS8GDUTbxXmKh0iCyNP1dtUEB530ShZZB8JFpkVLGKWZqK9qb-ZrY2CQmf3ona7SiO8KcCOWSL9E0Cdx-IQ/w640-h472/March10_22BOCCTransportationWorkshopupdated.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From March 10, 2022 Transportation Workshop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Tampa Centric 5 commissioners willfully decided to put the flawed $23B AFT transit tax hike on the ballot with the deceptive poll tested ballot language. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Their poor judgment, incompetence and willful neglect may have set the County up for more legal challenges.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">The Tampa Centric commissioners have turned the $23B AFT transit tax into a three ring circus a week before the election.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">They have no one to blame but themselves for creating another big AFT transit tax hike mess! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMDkuJOQUck3cdSm0Q_kbcr66hDRbagizNxzK7RbkkG_QczA7HygUGjJtd0Fm7UQgAgiZ_UD-Oaetd3wB8W8GPq6MZqVk6fu8rsSKFyYhOHyYbBD7rSPo2EgHXIOsw-mqNq_YHIP-PnEZIR6h1CH-sv_qsZp6Z-m-smRROutOPONGlq2EXcafIRd-8w/s970/TampaCentricFiveDemocrats.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMDkuJOQUck3cdSm0Q_kbcr66hDRbagizNxzK7RbkkG_QczA7HygUGjJtd0Fm7UQgAgiZ_UD-Oaetd3wB8W8GPq6MZqVk6fu8rsSKFyYhOHyYbBD7rSPo2EgHXIOsw-mqNq_YHIP-PnEZIR6h1CH-sv_qsZp6Z-m-smRROutOPONGlq2EXcafIRd-8w/s320/TampaCentricFiveDemocrats.png" width="238" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6576993731992352882.post-55067179446064980122022-10-26T11:50:00.000-04:002022-10-26T11:50:51.500-04:00Go On Offense and Take No Risk: Vote NO on AFT Tax Hike at Bottom of the Nov. Ballot <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yD8PG-xA-GsfwxGR6M5k7GMTePsrGNEhYvFw4ZrvpJviR4_d4bgXAOfk_nNYnaJu9zDD0kjKUrTj7TW10GTZijwRpPfixXB3DJNh82091gZJzov_dGdhzXL-lDtWNnOuLxAkNS3KJE8MWeiK8PMR7Wms4hfOankDjnjLWev3E1dHC1_7-29Epu5Fwg/s1296/AFTSampleBallotRedNOupdated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="576" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yD8PG-xA-GsfwxGR6M5k7GMTePsrGNEhYvFw4ZrvpJviR4_d4bgXAOfk_nNYnaJu9zDD0kjKUrTj7TW10GTZijwRpPfixXB3DJNh82091gZJzov_dGdhzXL-lDtWNnOuLxAkNS3KJE8MWeiK8PMR7Wms4hfOankDjnjLWev3E1dHC1_7-29Epu5Fwg/w285-h640/AFTSampleBallotRedNOupdated.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Go on offense Hillsborough County voters. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Vote NO on the misleading and deceptive All for Transportation (AFT) $23 BILLION transit tax hike on the November ballot. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Taxpayers must not find themselves in another precarious position where unlawful tax dollars are collected from them again.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stop the abusive use of misleading tax hike ballot summary language for political gain! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">On October 10th, Circuit Court Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe ruled the massive transit tax was misleading and confusing and therefore unlawful. She removed the tax hike referendum from the ballot.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The same feckless Tampa Centric 5 Democrat county commissioners who put the misleading and confusing AFT transit tax on the ballot voted to hire expensive outside lawyers to appeal Moe's ruling. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Judge Moe has called a hearing for tomorrow, October 27th at 2:30pm. Oral arguments from both sides will be heard regarding the Plaintiff's </span><a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/ie656vg7c5vub7e/PlantiffMotion+To+Vacate+.pdf/file" style="font-family: verdana;">Motion to Vacate</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the Automatic Stay Pending Appeal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Moe's October 10th ruling came as hundreds of thousands of mail ballots had been sent out and voters were already voting. Voters were swamped with heavy local media coverage of the Judge's ruling with headlines declaring the Judge "rejects, nullifies, removes, blocks, throws off" the AFT transit tax referendum from the ballot.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The AFT tax hike referendum is now tainted. It is reasonable to believe that confidence in the integrity of the referendum election results is now in question. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The County is telling voters to keep voting on the tainted AFT transit tax referendum that is still printed at the bottom of the November ballot.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So go on offense.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Take NO Risk ending up with another $600M refund mess like the 2018 illegal AFT tax hike. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Vote NO on the All for Transportation (AFT) sales tax referendum at the bottom of the November ballot. </span></p>Sharon Calverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04267362500624667535noreply@blogger.com1