Mark Sharp gave a presentation at today’s Exchange Club luncheon addressing the need for a transit plan for the Tampa Bay area and really seems to understand the value of providing mobility options and how it will affect people and organizations decisions to visit, relocate or do business here.
I commended him on Facebook where he is currently the most actrive local elected official, consistently utilizing the medium as a platform for discussion.
In serving five years on the National Ad 2 board I have had a part in planning Ad 2 conferences in eight different cities; San Francisco, Nashville, Phoenix, Orlando, Louisville, Denver, Atlanta and Cincinnati.
Each conference required a mix of meeting space, catering, office and printing services, restaurants and entertainment options as well as required a simple transportation plan.
Each year we improved our process for selecting a host city and have had as many as four different Ad 2 chapters bid to host our mid-year retreat.
Each year one of largest deciding factors is mobility. Can we get around on foot or use some kind of transit option?
Coordinating 40 people in cabs is difficult and expensive and chartering a bus would be risky due to the fluidity of our attendance numbers over the course of the retreat.
I am looking forward to being a part of what unfolds for Tampa Bay.
This is a final follow up on my recent critique of newspapers and journalism. I hope my opinions on this subject have been valuable and constructive, as I truly value what good journalism provides for a free democracy.
In his closing remarks to the NAA, Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google expressed an exciting optimism for journalism that no longer seems present within the newspaper industry.
America will do well because of its sunny optimism, abundance of land and absence of a king.
He follows with his own interpretation applied to the current situation:
When I think today, I think same thing is still true; the political dynamic, the enormous resources that we have, the ingenuity of our people; the sum of all that I think creates a next set of opportunities.
For us to seize, for us to take, for us to build businesses on top of.
From my perspective we have to embrace what users want together, and by doing that I think we can win big.
Newspaper executives remind me a lot of the music industry, Netscape and Microsoft and run a great risk of being doomed not by Google, but instead by a new innovative idea for distributing quality journalism.
“The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
Based on some of the quotes below, my opinion is that Jefferson was not tied to the medium itself, and if he was alive today, might have replaced the word newspapers with the Internet in the above statement.
“Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. The real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knowledge with the lies of the day.” –Thomas Jefferson to John Norvell, 1807. ME 11:224
“As for what is not true, you will always find abundance in the newspapers.” –Thomas Jefferson to Barnabas Bidwell, 1806. ME 11:118
“From forty years’ experience of the wretched guess-work of the newspapers of what is not done in open daylight, and of their falsehood even as to that, I rarely think them worth reading, and almost never worth notice.” –Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 1816. ME 14:430
“Advertisements… contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper.” –Thomas Jefferson to Nathaniel Macon, 1819. ME 15:179
These statements illustrate Jefferson’s displeasure with the quality of journalism found in newspapers over just a short period of time in American History
What would his opinion be today?
What would Jefferson think of Schmidt’s comment about a next set of opportunities being created?
I attended the lunchtime Tea Party in downtown Tampa today and was impressed by the turnout and enthusiasm of the crowd.
The crowd while mainly Republican was a solid mix of independents, Libertarians and Democrats based on my observations of signs and shirts at least.
While I am encouraged by the outpouring of support and the civil unrest being voiced towards rampant spending and a disregard for the wishes of the people; I just don’t know if I believe people will follow up with real action to induce changes.
I agree with organizers and protestors that spending is outrageously out of control, that elected officials are not acting in the best interest of our country and that we are bankrupting future generations.
That said, change will not come from Washington and it is that misplaced focus that frustrates me the most. The only way true change will occur and real Democracy be restored is if the citizens and the consumers of America participate in the process fully.
I noted signs at the rally held by children stating “hands off my piggy bank” and “stop spending my future” that do illustrate the long term effects of current decisions.
Until the non voting public is held accountable for their consistent inaction, I don’t believe that we will be able to hold our elected officials to any higher of standard than we hold ourselves.
As we continue to bail out private industries and prepare to file our taxes (or extensions) next week, I am reminded by the following two quotes that this is probably not how the founders (or at least Jefferson) intended it to be.
The first relates to the lessons we can learn from our founder as we are continually pressured to dip into the people’s pockets to bail out private for profit industries.
“I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.”
His first inaugural address can also be a lesson for today about making private industry pay its own way and to lower taxes on the income of our employees.
“A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.”
I received a press release today from friend Michelle Todd with Governor Charlie Crist’s office announcing his support of this grass roots effort to boost Florida’s economy.
From the release:
Surrounded by a coalition representing Florida businesses, media and city leaders, Governor Charlie Crist today announced a new incentive for Floridians to spend their money locally. The “Florida Backyard Card,” unveiled today, rewards consumers who spend their money with hundreds of participating businesses across the state. The State of Florida has joined the grassroots campaign to support Florida-based businesses.
“I am pleased to stand here today with businesses rewarding Floridians who are shopping right here in the Sunshine State,” said Governor Crist. “When Floridians spend with local businesses, their dollars go to employee wages, building rent and state and local taxes, which support schools and emergency services. I’m urging Floridians to get their Florida Backyard Card and use it.”
The Florida Backyard Card is part of the “Backyard Economics” campaign launched last month by the business coalition championed by the Florida Retail Federation and the Florida Chamber, along with associations representing media outlets. The growing partnership includes VISIT FLORIDA, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, the Florida Automobile Dealers Association and many more, making local spending a win-win for consumers.
Visit www.FloridaBackyardCard.com to search for participating businesses and savings on apparel, restaurants, grocery stores, home improvement, vacation rentals and many more categories.
According to the Times, State Senators were not pleased to find that VisitFlorida outsourced marketing services to a company outside of the state.
VisitFlorida budgeted about $600,000 for one year to USA800, a Kansas City telemarketing firm, to field calls from and send brochures to tourists interested in vacationing in Florida.
A Senate panel overseeing tourism spending discovered the expenditure while reviewing spending by state funded agencies. The Kansas agency won as the lowest bidder while a consideration should have been made to secure a Florida firm.
The elevated lanes of the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway could become an occasional bicycle and pedestrian trail in the future, perhaps on Sunday mornings.
Of course liability is the first issue that arises.
City Council Chairman Tom Scott, a member of the Expressway Authority board, said he wants to know the financial impact and legal liability of such a move.
It is this part that saddens me because while it might be a great opportunity; lack of personal responsibly and personal injury attorneys will probably make it unfeasible.
One possible solution would be to raise money for future law suits by selling attorney ad space along the span.
I don’t make it to downtown St Pete often for a night out unless I coordinate with a friend close by for a place to crash because driving is out of the question and a cab to pricey.
However when I do make one of the stops is typically the Independent.
So I was excited when I read today on the St Pete Times website that the owners are trying to open a Tampa location in Seminole Heights.
“We have wanted to expand to Tampa and noticed that the neighborhood didn’t really have a neighborhood spot with good beers. We heard through the grapevine that that was something on the top of people’s lists.”
The City of Tampa is supposed to decide on a zoning request which successful and the purchase goes through the Independent aims to open by late summer.
Three Seminole Heights neighborhood groups support the application with restricted closing hours which should make the passage of this pretty simple.
Owners of a proposed German-style deli and tavern won initial approval from the city council Thursday to sell beer and wine. A final vote is scheduled Feb. 5.
I am really looking forward to this as a nice Seminole Heights pub is the prefect middle ground for me in Forest Hills to meet up with friends from Tampa Heights and/or South Tampa.
I somewhat wish the hours would be expanded at least till 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. A beer and wine pub with food is much different then a MacDinton’s type establishment and SoHo free-for-all that these restricted hours are likely a response to.
A St Pete Times article last week illustrated the unforeseen consequences of a federal law going into effect next month.
The law, which would affect manufacturers, retailers, consignment stores and thrift shops around the country, was supposed to thwart the influx of lead-laced children’s toys from China. In 2007, more than 6-million toys were recalled because of lead.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission tentatively approved some exemptions.
But for now, the agency’s stance is that after Feb. 10, all items designed for children 12 and younger must have proof that they were tested for lead.
According to the article the cost of testing can range from under $100 to thousands.
The article details a number of items, stores and individuals that may, or may not be affected by the law.
Will garage sales be affected?
Will hand made ring bearer pillows need to be tested?
Will the law be enforced?
This looks like a great idea that may go severely wrong if not corrected.
“I think it’s important to understand that the Consumer Product Safety Commission is a small agency and the first place we would go would not be the neighborhood yard sale,” said Vallese, the CPSC spokesperson. “But this is not a law that retailers and manufacturers should roll the dice on in the off chance they might not get caught. They have an obligation and responsibility to meet the law.”
The above statement should scare smaller retailers because they may be targeted first to to give large retailers time to comply before being tested and fined.
The CPSC could rationalize that used toys hold the most potential for contaimantion and require the quickest focus.
Target the source
The manufacture and country of origin can usually be identified on the toy itself in most cases (typically etched in hard plastic). So why not allow the retailers to get verification from the manufacture in an effort to better track what groups of toys may be tainted and more importantly which counties are supplying them.
Manufactures are ultimately responsible for having provided production contracts to factories without following up on quality of work and should be responsible for the testing and fines.
The CPSC should help small retailers organize testing and send the bill to manufactures.
