Don’t Let the Greenlight Wheels Drive You Crazy

The Campaign to sell GreenLight Pinellas and a $100 Million dollar sales tax increase is well underway. 

All of the high powered suspects that traditionally support large scale government projects are onboard: Politicians, Chambers of Commerce, Board of Realtors, big developers and the list goes on including the local newspaper that cannot even seem to manage their own business.

So far, it seems, Joe Lunch Bucket is still on the side lines.

To entice Joe to vote raise his sales tax 300% you will soon see a barrage of TV commercials, mailers, newspaper ads, editorials and social media ads.

It will be enough to drive you crazy.

The major problem is: this thing, Greenlight Pinellas, is the mother of all boondoggles. Don’t think so?

Here is a link to the actual ordinance Greenlight Pinellas Tax Ordinance  you will be approving if you vote YES.

Note that there is no requirement for expansion of the bus system, just a promise to maybe do so.

There is no control on the enormous amount of money that will suddenly show up at PSTA. Just some vague language about: to be determined inter local agreements.

State Senator Jack Latvala is now openly trying to modify the Penny for Pinellas Tax formula to allow these sales tax dollars to be used for “public transportation infrastructure” in what is probably the first open

indication that even with this huge sales tax proposal there will not be enough money to operate a bus system and build and operate the train they all covet so much.

The loudest supporters of the Sales Tax increase are not necessarily those who would benefit from the public transportation it will provide, but from those who stand to gain the most if the train project is actually built.

See. It is just enough to drive you crazy.

What should you do?

For now, not much.

Throw away all of the GreenLight Yes sales tax flyers that show up in the mail over the next couple of months, take your potty break during the PSTA and GreenLight Yes TV commercials and every time someone calls with a survey about GreenLight Pinellas tell them you are going to vote NO.

That way they will probably take you off the call list.

In November go vote your conscience, but just remember there is no record in governmental history where handing over a large tax increase ($100 million in this case) to non voter elected public board ever went well.

Not voter elected? Yep.

You don't vote for the PSTA Board you vote for politicians that get APPOINTED to the PSTA Board and when they don't follow the Company line they just simply get replaced with those who do.

Don't Think so? Ask Norm Roach, County Commissioner and former PSTA Board Member who was opposed to the sales tax initiative.

That is what I mean about poor governance and that alone should be enough to turn your stomach to a NO vote in November.

e-mail Doc at: dr.webb@verizon.net, or send me a Facebook (Gene Webb)Friend request. See More of Doc at Bay Post Internet, WATCHDOGWIRE-FLORIDA and St.Pete Patch, Gulfport Patch, Clearwater Patch, Palm Harbor Patch, Largo Patch.
Disclosures: Contributor to No Tax for Tracks