Quoteworthy

* “With the government in deficit, that means that another $1 billion will be added to our national debt.”–Bob Rae, Liberals’ foreign-affairs critic, on what Canada will spend on the upcoming G-8 and G-20 summits of world leaders in Huntsville, Ontario and Toronto, respectively.

* “Presidencies are always about crisis management.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times.

* “When you talk to Beck fans, the first thing they say is he’s entertaining and funny. It was clear he was much more of a cultural movement figure–much more a Sarah Palin than a Sean Hannity.”–Alexander Zaitchik, author of “Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance.”

* “We are asking only two things. That they hire Americans and do their building in America to create jobs.”–Secretary of Transportation Roy LaHood in acknowledging that foreign companies have contacted him about building the Tampa-to-Orlando high-speed rail line.

* “I this is the most important urban project in the United States at this time. You cannot afford to fail.”–Urban planner and University of Pennsylvania Professor Jonathan Barnett on the high-speed rail line.

* “If Rick Scott proposes the same accountability measures for Florida government that he used at Columbia/HCA, we’ll have to back up the paddy wagon to the front door of the Capitol.”–Kyra Jennings, spokeswoman for Alex Sink.

* “Veto Corleone.”–USF political scientist Darryl Paulson’s nickname for Gov. Charlie Crist.

* “I think we have to be cautious and that we don’t turn police officers into racial profilers.”–Florida House District 58 Rep. Janet Cruz’s take on Arizona’s immigration law and any possible application to Florida.

* “They haven’t done what other teams have done, which is to make threats and give deadlines. That’s to be respected, since we do live in an environment where sports teams have a lot of economic power.”–Andrew Zimbalist, sports economist from Smith College, on the Tampa Bay Rays ownership.

* “Working with Pinellas is where it begins. We’re already working together on big events (such as the Super Bowl and Republican convention bids). We need to look at the everyday stuff … and presenting ourselves as a complete destination.”–Maryann Ferenc, co-owner of Tampa’s Mise en Place restaurant,  chairwoman of the tourism-promoting Tampa Bay & Co. and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Board.

From Energy To Tattoos: Common Sense Is Key Variable

Imagine, if common sense — unencumbered by legal nuance, social convention or politics as usual  — were the operative criterion in addressing a range of contemporary issues. To wit:

* When faced with an otherwise unmitigated disaster, such as the Gulf oil spill, why not use it to finally rally this country around alternative-fuel mandates and long-lapsed appeals to American self-sacrifice. And, yes, that includes, for example, carbon or gasoline tax scenarios offset by payroll or corporate tax cuts.

Recall how the American public ridiculed President Jimmy Carter when he characterized our late ’70s — late ’70s! — energy crisis as “the moral equivalent of war.” The media derisively acronymed it “MEOW.” Now, look at us. If we can’t learn from the Gulf explosion, we can’t learn. 

* The Second Amendment didn’t anticipate, for example, automatic weapons for sale at gun shows. Let’s put a moratorium on listening to those who claim to channel the Founding Fathers on arms-bearing.

* Miranda rights were intended to apply to criminals — not international terrorists. Even the “public safety” exception was not carved out with catastrophic — possibly imminent — threats in mind. Widening the government’s interrogation prerogatives makes sense. In times of unconventional war without rules and enemies seeking salvation through slaughter, it’s not enough to know that the ACLU has your back.

* If any group has a statistically-relevant track record for something that is beyond-the-pale horrific, why not reach into our cataclysm-alert toolbox for the profile tool? It can be done without disrespect for nationality, race and religion, but with ample respect for human life.

* If you’re going to go hiking, don’t choose a venue that is anywhere near the border of an “axis of evil” country. Yes, you might get arrested. Even “axis of evil” countries, including Iran, have a right to act in their own sovereign interest when their border is illegally broached. And, yes, you’re not going to like the nature of your incarceration. But worse yet, your careless, cavalier act gives the encroached country leverage against the U.S. You will become an international pawn. And, yes, you’ve made Hillary Clinton’s job even harder, and she is not pleased, to put it diplomatically.

* The combination of ubiquitous media and jingoistic pandering is an unholy alliance. But how can a politician think he won’t get nailed for misrepresenting his military service?  Vietnam, of all wars, is nothing to lie about. You did or you didn’t. Anyone who’s informed knows the context. Courting the yahoo vote is not a good enough reason to lie — or “misspeak.”

* When firing someone for “cause,” would that it were sufficient to cite incompetence.

* When awarding a Super Bowl, would that it were sufficient to cite outdoors in February in New Jersey for a nay vote.

* When you want to score valuable political points on an issue of substance — and not look like another off-the-rack, pandering hack — don’t deliver your message on Bubba the Love Sponge Clem’s show.

* Hard to believe that this state would still rather rely on trust-fund raids and disappearing stimulus dollars instead of long term, revenue-raising solutions. Ponzi’s days are over. And, yes, we’re obviously talking about targeting sales tax exemptions, including services and internet.

* In general, the lower the teacher-student ratio, the better. But frankly, that’s not the key variable in learning. The quality of the teacher — and parent — are determinative. The class-size amendment — now an exercise in costly overkill —  needs to be capped at the school average.

* Imagine, a major American metro market without modern mass transit.

* Why, in a non-traditional, asymmetrical market with no mass transit would a city put an obsolete-at-construction baseball facility on the fringe of the region?  And then compound it by resisting efforts to alter the unacceptable status quo in the face of relocation scenarios that are a lot more than speculation.

* Don’t text while driving. It should go without saying — or texting — even if the state of Florida can’t get around to banning it. Don’t have an OMG moment on the road.

* Tattoos. There’s a decent chance they won’t look as good 10 years from now. Or possibly tomorrow. And, no, we’re not talking butterflies on ankles. It’s the rare tat that complements evening wear.

Specter’s Last Stand

This was hardly Arlen Specter’s kind of political dynamic. Party-hopping wasn’t an antidote to a stridently polarizing, anti-incumbent mood — simply a self-serving, cynical subplot. Especially when you’ve been in Washington forever — and a senator since 1980.

The five-term Pennsylvania senator who morphed from renegade Republican to maverick Democrat last year had to go and pull that perverse “last hurrah” move. He couldn’t just step down as an 80-year-old, cancer-surviving, aisle-hopping politico.  He could have skated into retirement on that.

But no. His ego wouldn’t let him retire with a modicum of class. Perhaps he assumed Joe Sestak would find reason to drop out of the Democratic primary. Perhaps he was expecting more White House help. Regardless, his legacy is now that of party-switching careerist who gave political expedience a bad name. Plus, there’s his role in the Warren Commission whitewash that could become fair game all over again.

Meek Inherits Few Votes

Those so much as contemplating a vote for Kendrick Meek for U.S. Senate sure have a dilemma if they’re not sitting this one out.

What exactly do they overlook?  Meek’s putative, ethics-challenged side, the one manifested in his, uh, suspicious relationship with the discredited Dennis Stackhouse? Or the oversight-challenged one that indicates a level of cluelessness unsuitable even for the Senate. Or maybe just the cynically raw, political calculation that prompts this hard-core liberal to take the partisan side of influential Cuban-American hardliners.    

The dynamics of group politics and family lineage can only take you so far.

Ybor City Wins

A fortnight ago, HGTV’s Battle on the Block featured three Ybor City couples — neighbors — competing against each other in a master bedroom redesign contest. Who won is not all that material — although the winners were the first gay couple to have their bedroom featured on an HGTV show. The biggest winner: Ybor City. The street car and streetscape shots never looked so hip. It’s nothing less than a marketing coup when the show’s host references Ybor as a “trendy hotspot for young, chic couples.”

“We love getting coverage of Ybor,” says Ybor City Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Tom Keating. It helps Tampa Bay.”

Keating is in a position to know a marketing coup when he sees one. He says a Southern Living spread on Ybor a while back was probably worth “several hundred thousand dollars.” The HGTV spotlight? “Well, this is national TV,” assesses Keating, “so I’d say this was certainly worth at least as much as Southern Living.” And, no, the budget would not have accommodated such an expense, assures Keating.

New York, New York

Some takes from the New York media before and after the Rays swept that recent, two-game series in the Bronx.

            *Brian Costello, New York Post: “Now that the undercard against the Red Sox is out of the way, the Yankees can focus on the main event — a two-game series against the Rays.”

            *John Harper, New York Daily News: “The Rays were good enough to validate their record and offer reason to believe they could be a team the Yankees won’t want to play come October.”

            *Mark Hale, New York Post: “Early or not, the Rays proved they’re hardly a fluke, that they can hold their own against the Yankees and that the road to the AL East title continues to go through Tampa Bay.”

Quoteworthy

* “My neighbor is the largest consumer of drugs, and everyone wants to sell him drugs through my window.” — Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

* “Our goal is not to punish the banks, but to protect the larger economy and the American people.” — President Barack Obama.

* “They elected him because he was an extraordinarily appealing candidate, and the previous administration had thoroughly discredited themselves, and John McCain looked like more of the same.” — Jonathan Alter, author of “The Promise: President Obama, Year One,” in explaining that the election of Barack Obama was not really a seminal signal by the American electorate that they were finally getting “serious.”

* “We need hungry regulators. Give them a financial incentive, and they’ll have all the motivation they need to ferret out fraud, expose the perpetrators and make the Street safe for our children.” — Caroline Baum, Bloomberg News columnist and author of “Just What I Said.”

* “We say we want clean energy, but let’s not kid ourselves: The policies we have in place in the United States today are still incredibly pro-carbon.” — Lew Hay, chairman and CEO of FPL Group (parent company of Florida Power & Light) and NextEra Energy Resources.

* “Non-emergency care delivered in the ER costs almost five times more than in a doctor’s office or clinic.” — Jennifer Brokaw, San Francisco-based emergency physician.

* “There is a real danger that what we are exposing kids to is inertia. Kids kept inside are becoming fatter, sadder and sometimes diabetic. What’s worse, perhaps, is that they are missing out on the very gift we wish to give them: a happy childhood.” — “Free-Range Kids” author Lenore Skenazy.

* “What better place for people to retool than a community college? It needs to play a leading role in job training, in a better quality of life for the community, in helping the community become a positive part of the global economy.” — Newly named Hillsborough Community College President Ken Atwater.

* “This money will go from us to us.” — Republican political consultant Adam Goodman on how a one-cent tax hike for transit upgrades is an investment “in ourselves.”

* “In certain parts of the county, such as some areas of Brandon and Valrico, there seems to be antipathy to all things Tampa.” — Scott Paine, University of Tampa political science professor.

More Marketing Coups For Ybor

A while back Ybor City was featured in a three-page spread in Southern Living magazine. It was the kind of marketing bonanza chamber of commerce sorts salivate over. In fact, the president and CEO of the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Tom Keating, says he’s been told that such exposure could be worth as much as “several hundred thousand dollars.”

As good fortune would have it, Keating has reason to ponder another marketing coup. Earlier this month HGTV came into Ybor to film a segment for its “Battle on the Block” series. The formula has three neighborhood couples competing for prize money and bragging rights to see who had the best touch in redesigning their master bedrooms.

While Tony LaColla and Jose Garboza were the official winners, the big winner was Ybor. The streetcar and streetscape shots made the historic district look uber hip. The show’s hostess referenced Ybor as a “trendy hotspot for young, chic couples.”

What’s that worth?

“Well, this is national TV,” estimates Keating, “so I’d say this was certainly worth at least as much as Southern Living. And, no, this wouldn’t have been in anybody’s budget.”

Keating also saluted the recruiting hustle of LaColla, half of the winning couple. LaColla, 34, is the current president of the Historic Ybor Neighborhood Civic Association. “Tony’s always identifying opportunities and then taking advantage of them,” says Keating. “We love getting coverage of Ybor. It helps Tampa Bay.”

And there’s more.

In July look for the Travel Channel to be visiting Ybor.

The segment will feature comedian and Tampa native “Bert the Conqueror” — aka Bert Kreischer. Look for the Ybor City State Museum on 9th Avenue to be highlighted as Bert tries his hand — and all thumbs — at cigar rolling. Wally Reyes, Tampa’s Grand Master cigar-rolling icon, is the instructor in this “personality-driven” Travel Channel show.

Supporting “Papa Loath”

So what about this is most troubling?

On one hand you have the disgusting John Jerome Speights Jr., 45, the father of 30 with paternity claims from more than a dozen women, who has been convicted of raping and impregnating his 13-year-old niece. He dares to call himself “Papa Love.”

Then there was the courtroom reaction of the large Speights-family contingent to his guilty verdict.

“Papa Incest” got life in prison — prefaced by Circuit Judge Chet A. Tharpe’s unprecedented character assessment: “You are devoid of any moral values.”

The family’s reaction? An outburst of anger. Wailing. Cursing. Menacing looks. Attitude. But none of it directed at the loathsome “Papa Predator.”

The visceral outrage was aimed at the system. At the sentence.

The judge left the bench for his own protection. Deputies rushed the victim’s mother to a back room. Emergency exits were opened to usher out the Speights family.

As degenerate and perverted as the crime was, it wasn’t the most repulsive — or alarming — part of the trial and sentencing. It was Speights family values. This societal cancer may not have run its course.

New Jersey Fix

Now it’s official. The 2014 Super Bowl is going to New Jersey, aka New York for such occasions.

This despite an NFL-mandated 50-degree temperature limit for Super Bowl-designated outdoor stadiums. So much for precedent and common sense. The weather-suitable-for-a-centerpiece-marquee-Roman-numeraled-game rule is now superseded by another rule. This one says: If you build a new ($1.6 billion) facility, even one without a roof, but it’s pretty close to New York, the Commissioner will put the fix in, and you’ll get the big winter game in the New Meadowlands Stadium.  

So, Super Bowl XLVIII. Feb 2, 2014. In East Rutherford, N.J. Enjoy.