There has been a lot of planning go into the GreenLight
Pinellas Project. In fact millions of dollars worth of planning.
A big part of the planning process has been how to sell
YOU the taxpayer that this is a good idea worthy of your vote.
One of the stalwarts of all political campaigns is the
ENDORSEMENT.
If you are like most people you don't follow all this
stuff that closely, so if your Mayor, City Council person or someone you
respect steps up and says this is a good deal, many people pay attention.
Over the last couple of years there has been a steady
stream of presentations, workshops and meetings conducted by PSTA, TBARTA,
their consultants and marketing company to Mayors, City Council members, State
Representatives, State Senators, local power brokers and movers and shakers.
It has worked quite well. Most Mayors and City Councils
have passed Resolutions supporting GreenLight. Many Politicians have endorsed
the plan and the sales tax. In fact several St. Pete Politicians, including the
new mayor frequently campaigned supporting GreenLight.
The Consultants and marketing experts have done a solid
job in getting these people on board. (no pun intended).
Question is: Have any of these people actually sat down
and read the Plan? Do they really know what's in it? Do they actually know what
they are endorsing?
Case in point. The current ballot language specifically
dedicates the sales tax revenue to the GreenLight Pinellas Plan.
I doubt that any of these Mayors or City Council
members would feel real comfortable passing a local taxing ordinance or resolution
that dedicates long-term non, sun setting tax revenue to a specific named
program without any oversight and ability of the Council to step in if
something goes wrong.
So why did they vote to "endorse" the GreenLight
and the tax? Good marketing.
The County Commission has voted to move forward with
the sales tax referendum. The lone dissenter, Commissioner Norm Roche, asked
some good questions but was generally ignored.
Why? Good Marketing.
Commissioner Roche questioned the using GreenLight
Pinellas as the designee of the Tax funds but he was voted down. Why? More good marketing.
Commissioners also decided how strictly to define what
the new tax money could be spent on, ruling out bridge construction and other
options.
“Including all that list is a sure way to kill the
referendum,” said Commissioner Susan Latvala.
In other words they don't want you to know what the
money will actually be spent for.
Oops, can't wait to see how the marketing team spins
that one.
So there you have it. GreenLight Pinellas is more
marketing hype than buses or trains at this point.
Expect to see your TV screen and mail box full of ads
with gleaming buses full of smiling people whizzing up and down US 19.
Streamlined trains stopping at well manicured stations and hansom people
telling you how wonderful all of this will be.
Lots of "testimonials" about how you won't
need your car any more, and trying to convince you that the 4 mile hike to the
train station is really not an inconvenience just good exercise.
Read, watch and enjoy your paying for it.
Then remember, you will paying 1% more for almost
everything you buy. And the GreenLight people will have almost $100 million of
your money to play with every year.
The Pinellas County Commission needs to put on the
brakes and build some serious control language into the Ballot Language or the
Ordinance it puts in place, and most of all get The "GreenLight Plan"
out of the Ballot Language, otherwise the tail will soon be wagging the dog.
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