Hillsborough County's record of accomplishment at managing and planning big projects and the associated funding are sketchy at best.
Amid a chorus of negatives, the backers of the Hillsborough
County sales tax for transportation have once again managed to get the idea of
a sales tax referendum on the County Commission agenda.
In a desperation move to get some tax money flowing for those who
depend on it for their livelihood the Hillsborough County Commission will
consider a half-cent sales tax for 15 years. One commissioner has even asked
County staff to prepare information on five and ten-year concepts.
This idea is so bad and so stupid it is difficult to know where
to start.
Get some detail from Tampa
Bay Times Staff writer Steve Contorno: Voting
for transportation referendum is voting for a tax hike, Hillsborough
commissioner warns
To begin with, Mayor Buckhorn was against the 15-year option at
the last session when the tax was voted down. His main reason is with the
period of the tax less than 30 years it makes using the tax revenue for bonding
(borrowing more money) all but impossible.
But let's be a bit more practical.
Setting up a short-duration tax that flows into an undefined series
of potential projects is a consultant's absolute dream. The likes of Parsons
Brinkerhoff, Beth Laythem and host of other local and national law firms, consultants
and planners must be salivating at the very thought of this thing getting to
the ballot.
Hillsborough County's record of accomplishment at managing and
planning big projects and the associated funding are sketchy at best.
For example, from Eye On
Tampa Bay by Sharon Calvert: Go
Hillsborough's Private Campaign Collusion Behind the Green Curtain
County Commissioners desperate to hang something positive on
their political resumes regarding transportation would be well advised to run
from this like they would run from a burning building.
Nothing could be worse for the fate of public transportation,
than a poorly planned half-baked tax initiative that will become a poster child
for every form of poor planning and graft and corruption one could imagine.
There is no way to sell a boondoggle like this to the voters. All
the politicians are saying are we can't say NO to the special interests who
want their fingers in a new transportation tax.
Should the Hillsborough County Commission decide to lateral the
ball and place this referendum on the Ballot every voter in Hillsborough County
should go to the poles and vote NO.
E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com
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Gallery at Bay Post Photos.
Disclosures:
Contributor: Bob Gualtieri for Pinellas County Sheriff
Contributor: Bob Gualtieri for Pinellas County Sheriff
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