The Race for the St. Pete City Council Race has quickly turned into a political donnybrook.
St. Petersburg, Fl
In a blistering series of Posts in saintpetersblog, Janelle Irwin has pretty much dismembered the
campaign of Lisa Wheeler-Brown:
Lisa Wheeler-Brown used
campaign funding for dental procedure; claimed payment for office that didn’t
exist
Lisa Wheeler-Brown fails to report in-kind contributions for office space
Lisa Wheeler-Brown campaign files trove of finance reporting amendments
Lisa Wheeler-Brown campaign finance reporting amended — for third time this week
Midtown nonprofit may have illegally given office space to Lisa Wheeler-Brown
Lisa Wheeler-Brown fails to report in-kind contributions for office space
Lisa Wheeler-Brown campaign files trove of finance reporting amendments
Lisa Wheeler-Brown campaign finance reporting amended — for third time this week
Midtown nonprofit may have illegally given office space to Lisa Wheeler-Brown
The Tampa Tribune pulled
Wheeler–Brown's endorsement in favor of her opposition, Will Newton: Tribune
endorsements: Gerdes, Kornell, Newton for St. Petersburg City Council and former St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker also
endorsed Newton: Rick
Baker gets behind Will Newton for City Council.
The
Tampa Bay Times continues to endorse Wheeler-Brown solely based on her stand to
support the Mayor's Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Rays.
Which
brings me to my point.
The
election in District 7 is about much more than just baseball. In fact, baseball
should be the last thing on your mind when you cast your vote in this very
important race.
If
baseball plays any role in this election, it is whether or not baseball will
finally get in line in its proper place behind, crime, rebuilding south St.
Pete, failing schools, failing infrastructure and a misguided Kriseman
administration.
The
people who live in District 7 deserve a Council member, who has experience
negotiating with public administrations, one that understands the political
process, will represent them and not major league baseball and understands how
important it is to follow the rules – all the rules.
If
the Tampa Bay Rays paid their tab, packed their bags and left town tomorrow St.
Petersburg would not shrivel up and die. It's just a baseball team and if
attendance figures are any indication one that not a lot of people in St. Pete
really care that much about.
Major
league baseball likes to tout their franchises as the reason's communities grow
and business relocates. It hasn't worked here and it won't work here regardless
of a new shiny and very expensive stadium that sucks up a lot of taxpayer
dollars.
There
is nothing wrong with letting the Rays look around the Bay area for a new site.
Nevertheless, let's get an Agreement that works for and protects the interests
of the people who built the Trop.
Everyone
in St. Pete has an obligation to make sure the people in District 7 get a
Council member who represents their interests and the City's needs.
Go
to the web sites:
Read
the information, follow the newspapers and social media and above all else make
an informed decision and be sure to vote in this very important race.
If
you don't already have it, your mail in ballot will be showing up soon. Be sure
to fill it out, sign the Ballot and mail it back.
E-mail Doc at mail to:dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (Gene Webb) Friend
request. Please comment below, and be sure to share on Facebook. See Doc's
Photo Gallery at Bay Post Photos.
Disclosures:Contributor: Waterfront Charter Amendment (Vote on The Pier), Carly Fiorina for President
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