“Negativity Bias”

You know how people have a tendency to slow down and stare at an awful — likely fatal — accident as they pass by? Or sit transfixed watching a graphic piece on TV about a horrific home invasion or a serial murderer’s brutally bloody spree?  Or read depressing details about those whose lives were ruined by Ponzi-scheming Bernie Madoff?

Well, thanks to a University of Chicago psychologist, this obsessive-like behavior over matters tragic or gruesome now has an official name. It’s called “negativity bias.” We’re compelled to pay attention.

According to the University of Chicago’s John T. Cacioppo, there’s an “adaptive value to learning from other people’s unfortunate circumstances.” We remember the bad, especially the really bad, more than the good – in order to better, well, survive. In effect, we’re programmed that way.

Actually “negativity bias” has another label: “bad news sells.” As Walter Cronkite once explained: “Most people are not interested in all the cats that did not get stuck in trees today.” Thus, the uncrashed plane and the unbribed judge are not news.

“If it bleeds, it leads” still applies. It’s also a form of programming.

Iorio Dishes On Rail, Other Topics

            Mayor Pam Iorio, fresh from her well-received, hope-amid-grim reality, state of the city presentation, added on a few more details – notably on light rail and governing during turbulent economic times. Plus some other asides.

            *In her speech, the mayor noted that “voters are well ahead of the politicians” on light rail. But, of course, the Hillsborough County Commission has to put it on the 2010 ballot first – along with the one-cent sales tax hike to pay for it.

            To that end, she is making a lot of rounds these days to speak to groups about that very subject. From HARTLine meetings to county workshops to suburban communities.

            Her light rail mantra: “jobs and smart growth.”

            “Even if you live in, say, Balm, and you just want to preserve what you have, mass transit is important for you too,” underscored Iorio. The reason: absent a light rail investment, sprawl scenarios will not be kind to such rural areas.

She said she can’t just assume that everyone knows the details and what, ultimately, is at stake. The fact that Tampa and Detroit are the notorious “Mess Transit Twins” hardly helps this city’s image or efforts to recruit “smart” industries that flat-out expect such infrastructure assets.

            And if light rail does, indeed, make the 2010 ballot, she will “campaign” hard for it and leverage all the “political capital” she can muster, she assures. The mayor acknowledges, however, that it could be a “fine line” between making maximum use of her forum and allowing opponents to narrowly frame it as “Pam’s Plan.”

            “If voters are presented with a sensible plan,” emphasized Iorio, “they will make the investment.”

            And while many observers feel that Iorio’s legacy will be the Riverwalk and all that is developing along it, she thinks otherwise.

            “Ultimately, I think it will be light rail,” she said. “I have made it a priority and a top agenda issue, and it has gained in support each year. I hope the voters will approve the one cent in 2010 but, regardless, I believe that eventually this county will have light rail.”

            *Super Bowl: Yes, it was well worth the trouble, and, no, the value ultimately can’t be calculated in terms of cherry-picked, economic-impact statistics, pointed out the mayor.  

            “It’s not based on any overblown economic figures,” she said. “It is based on what I saw – people here that would not otherwise have been here, spending money during a recession. And the views of Tampa to the rest of the nation – great marketing value.”

            *Stimulus funds: Federal money is already targeted for Tampa International Airport, public housing, and green energy plans. Iorio, however, thinks the biggest bang could come from a non-light rail transportation project.

            “If the Crosstown Connector project gets funded, it will be a big help,” assessed Iorio. “That construction job alone will create 16,000 jobs.”

             But stimulus money also comes with a reality check, noted Iorio. “Overall, it will help, but our economic problems run deeper than any stimulus package can adequately address.”  

            *Recession governing: In terms of priorities and schedule, what’s changed? “More listening. People want to share their stories with you. Also, I talk more to people in banking, real estate and other industries to get insight into the economy. I have to reassure people that we will get through this. And much more time spent on budget matters.”

Gasparilla Update

            Among the chronic complaints from neighbors who live adjacent to the Gasparilla Pirate Fest invasion is that there are too many trespassers relieving themselves on private property. Long lines, ostensibly, prompt all the trespissing.

            Now the Hillsborough County Health Department has weighed in by noting that by state code the number of port-o-lets available was only about a third of what it should have been for a crowd of approximately 350,000. Instead of 800, it should have been about 2,300.

            But one key question is begged. Will more port-o-lets, even a lot more, improve matters enough?

Landscape and alley urination — and worse — is a symptom of something other than lengthy, port-o-let lines. It’s a function of too many drunks, many of them teens, who consider Gasparilla an anarchic street party — sans rules, proscriptions and inhibitions. We are reminded of that reality when the crowd for the Gasparilla Children’s Parade, which approaches the Pirate Fest version in multitude, has no such issues. That’s because those in the port-o-lets queues were fueled on bottled water and lemonade – not Bud Light.

Chances are, when city officials and parade coordinator EventFest gather next month for a follow-up meeting with affected residents, the matter of more port-o-lets will be high on the city of Tampa-EventFest to-do agenda. As will a better deployment of outnumbered police officers. As will a signal-sending mandate to arrest more punks and drunks.

That will help. But arguably, it will make it less worse, not notably better. Genies don’t rebottle that easily.

Realistically, there are only two viable alternatives if the “adult” version of Gasparilla is to become something other than the street party from hell.

            Give away catheters instead of beads – or change the venue, impressive Bayshore vistas notwithstanding.  As in away from neighborhoods that are necessarily invaded and violated.

Then there’s the precedent — and perspective — of what was just done by some parade organizers in Chicago.

            Since 1979 there has been an annual South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Its avowed purpose: a neighborhood-of-Beverly celebration of Gaelic heritage. It grew both in size (300,000) and controversy. The “problems” created were not anticipated 30 years ago. Crowd management, drunks, public safety. A lot has happened in a generation.

            We can identify.

Property destruction, fistfights, teens in alcohol-induced comas and public sex, urination and defecation weren’t always the hallmarks of the Gasparilla Pirate Fest.

            Anyway, the Chicago parade’s been canceled. The one that was referred to last month as “one of the great events in America” – by President Barack Obama.

Super Transformation For Super Bowl

            Jesse Palmer, the popular ESPN football analyst and major babe magnet, put it succinctly: “An airplane hangar with a South Beach theme. Amazing.”  

            Palmer was describing the 10,000-square-foot facility that had been transformed into a Super Bowl soiree site. The hangar — on the corporate-jet fringes of TIA — normally houses the Eddie DeBartolo Jr. family’s Gulfstream 550 private jet.

            THAT DeBartolo family. Of billionaire eminence. Of shopping-center development and NFL franchise-ownership fame. Of local philanthropy and social swirl renown.

            The hangar, as it turned out, was that “undisclosed location” that the co-presenters, Tampa-based DeBartolo Sports and Entertainment and event-package promoter PrimeSport, had been teasing the public and the media with for weeks. It proved the perfect covert venue. Nondescript in exterior and logistically friendly — within walking and shuttling distance of Raymond James Stadium on game day.

And come Super Bowl Sunday, the DeBartolo hangar had, indeed, morphed into “Club 009.” From 1:30 to 4:30 it was home to a glitzy, pre-game, hospitality bash, a James Bond-themed affair officially hosted by Palmer and pro football legend Jerry Rice.  

            Individual tickets went for $450 a pop. About 600 partygoers Bonded for the cause.

Picture a kaleidoscope of faces and hues and cell phone cameras. Football celebs and all those enamored of them — including DeBartolo friends, trendy locals, out-of-towners in team jerseys and media – some of whom were doing live radio remotes.

Overheard: “Excuse me, but I just took a photo of this guy because everybody else was. But I don’t know who he is. Do you?”

In a San Franciso blur, there went former 49ers Randy Cross, Roger Craig and Rice. The most recognizable was Rice, 46, who broadened his fan base with his performance on “Dancing With The Stars.” He busted an occasional move while on schmooze control.

Conspicuous Tampa A-Listers ranged from the ubiquitous Ron Weaver, prominent Tampa attorney, to the comely Heather Shaw, the general manager of WestShore Plaza’s Sak’s Fifth Avenue store.

“This is great,” gushed Lisa DeBartolo, 39, the oldest DeBartolo daughter. “It looks nothing like what it’s used for. My mom (Candy DeBartolo) has already said she wants to keep the bar.”

Indeed, the wonder was how that utilitarian hangar had gone bar-less all these years.

Fronting the open hangar was a tropical tableau: white sand, canopied cabanas, deck chairs, hammocks, potted palms, grouper-oriented food stations and plenty of open bars, both mini and an elevated beach version that afforded panoramic views of jet row backdropped by the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza. And, yes, martinis were both shaken and stirred.

            And winsomely criss-crossing the transformed landscape: lots of leggy Bond girls. Several had to pinch their tight, black micro skirts with their fingers so they wouldn’t ride up to risqué regions.

            Inside had a reception/nightclub/booster ambience.  

A concierge desk was fully functional. Eight plasma TVs, all tuned to pre-game network banter, lined the walls, and premium, (open) mini-bars occupied the corners.

A continuous orbit of diners was testimonial to the Florida-themed buffet’s popularity. Notable crowd favorites: paella, an exotic bonus for those from Phoenix and Pittsburgh, and the rack of lamb. A large stage and a DJ perch hovered above an ad hoc dance area. Couches and love seats created a VIP backstage-lounge atmosphere around the perimeter.

The dynamic: plenty of old-fashioned networking, mild Steeler-Cardinal trash talking, aggressive jock-gawking – and intermittent dancing.  

            DJ Rekka was nothing if not eclectic. From “Sweet Home Alabama” to relatively benign rap. He alternated with the eponymous Miggs rock band. Recording artist Don Miggs is the husband of Lisa Debartolo. No one, reportedly, complained that the music wasn’t loud enough.

            The stage was alternately the domain of Miggs and the Palmer-Rice duo, who conducted three 15-minute “chalk talks.” These involved former or current NFL players – such as New England Patriots’ running back Laurence Maroney — chatting about the upcoming game and offering analysis.

            Then back to Rekka or Miggs.

 “You need to know this,” convincingly pointed out Lisa’s mom, the kinetically engaging, 62-year-old Candy, “the DeBartolos have a serious side and a fun side. We’re the glitz and glamour part.”

As she spoke, a cocoon of cronies and celeb-trackers had formed nearby around  Rice. Seemingly, everyone who didn’t want to dance with him wanted to ask him about his “Dancing with the Stars” experience. He would accommodate both.

Rice said he initially didn’t realize the cultural Zeitgeist that he had aligned himself with. “To be honest,” he acknowledged, “I didn’t know the magnitude of “‘Dancing With The Stars.’”

Known for his moves on the football field, Rice had to learn to apply some from a decidedly different arena.

“They had me doing seductive moves in front of the mirror,” he said to a burgeoning, tittering entourage. “That was the only uncomfortable part.”

 This, however, wasn’t the Leather and Lace crowd. No Diddy, Paris or anyone named Kardashian. A lot of these high-end, high-energy folks actually understood football.

Including hard-core Steeler fan Mark Bado, 44. His day job is general manager of the Kansas City Country Club. This day was all about his game face. Amazing what you get when you combine yellow-and-black face paint, heavy eye shadow, a dark, droopy wig and an old-school, leather helmet. In Bado’s case: Howard Stern meets Alice Cooper.

“I have very few vices,” he quipped. “This obviously qualifies.”

It was Bado’s first visit to Tampa and he echoed other game-going visitors’ sentiments.

“I’m having fun and nobody’s talking about wind-chill factors,” he noted. “How good is that? The Super Bowl needs to go to just four or five cities, and this is definitely one.”                                              

Jesse Palmer’s Journey

Seemingly unfazed by spontaneous queues of females and gratuitous squeals of “You so fine,” Jesse Palmer, 30, reflected on his meteoric rise in the high-profile, hybrid world of sports entertainment.

The 6’ 2” Toronto native is a former Florida Gator quarterback who had stints with the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. What brought him to the attention of a far greater audience, however, was his well-received appearance on ABC’s “The Bachelor” in 2004. The timing proved fortuitous when ESPN needed a college football analyst, and Palmer called it a grid career after the 2006 season.

              And, yes, he’s still a bachelor.       

 

·                           “‘The Bachelor’ was fun. It was unique. But it wasn’t realistic. But it certainly changed my life. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

·                           “Sure, I miss playing. We all do. This is a different kind of fun. And it’s definitely easier on my body.”

·                           “So much has happened so fast. I really enjoy it, but you have to find time for yourself. I live in New York, but I have a place in Orlando that I retreat to.”

·                           “The hardest part of the job is objectivity. You have to leave all your biases at the door and call it like it is. And, yeah, sometimes former teammates and old friends don’t always like it.”

 

DeBartolo Family Foundation

            When your father is the former owner of the San Franciso 49ers and has five Super Bowl trophies at home, people expect you to have a sports-themed career if you’re a DeBartolo kid. Lisa DeBartolo can tell you there’s a lot more to it.

Back in the 49er days, she ran the team’s charitable foundation and organized the first AIDS Awareness Day in the NFL. She was also the go-to DeBartolo in the launch of Hillsborough County’s (Derrick) Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate (charter) High School. She and her sister Nikki, 33, are executive vice presidents of DeBartolo Holdings LLC.

Lisa is also de facto executive director of the DeBartolo Family Foundation. In fact, a percentage of the “Club 009” proceeds will revert back to the DFF – plus Toshiba will donate six of the plasma TVs.

Since 2001, Lisa has presided over the disbursement of more than $300,000 annually in community grants and scholarships through the Foundation.

The DFF also presents the “Spirit of Humanity Award,” which, along with $25,000, went most recently to both St. Petersburg-based All Children’s Hospital and Tampa’s Freedom Playground Foundation. Additionally, the DFF sponsors a number of charity events ranging from the All Star Charity Gala to an annual Christmas luncheon with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department.

“I was so blessed growing up,” says Lisa DeBartolo. “We were taught to give back. Yes, I think it’s an obligation, but I love doing it.

“This is an extension of our family,” she underscores, “We don’t do it for the thanks. But to see someone’s life made better.”                                                          

Late Night Obama Not For Everyone

Although some “just-say-no” Republicans, Special Olympics families and venerators of presidential image disagreed, most observers generally thought it was a good idea for President Barack Obama to go on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

Put me down as one of the naysayers. And make that the stodgy, office-of-the-president-should-be-above-a-late-night-comedy-show-turn category. (And for what it’s worth, David Letterman — he of the 5-year-old son, Harry — should have gotten married six years ago.) Terminally old school, I concede.

Granted, the president got exposure to a key demographic that wasn’t the MSNBC or even Letterman crowds. He got predictable questions lobbed up in a non-confrontational manner. By answering Leno, he talked directly to the American people without filter. He gave his take on the economy — and AIG BonusGate — and he showed charm and humor with some personal insights.

And blockbuster ratings – as predicted – sure enough resulted.

It was, arguably, an excellent forum for one who is articulate, charismatic and funny enough to have his own show.

And yet.

Obama came on right after the skit about all the odd crap you could find at a 99-cent store, including Jay’s favorite: a Jesus-on-a-cross keychain with an inexplicable reference to Betty Boop on the flip side. Then: “We’ll be right back with the president of the United States.”

But before the president could answer a question about AIG and the House’s 90 percent ex-post facto tax, an ill-timed commercial break pre-empted his initial response. Before Obama could answer that he understood Americans’ anger but had reservations about the constitutionality of the punitive tax, he and everyone else had to wait until a trailer for “I Love You, Man,” a tease to “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” a spot for Mississippi casinos, a commercial for AT&T and other stuff had played out.

Candidly, I like my presidents with an egalitarian touch, but the office – whether held by Obama or George W. Bush — deserves better than a Q&A interrupted by a Rogaine ad.  

In short, context matters. A sitting president is not above the people, but he and his office should be above late night comedy rounds. No matter how well-honed his rhetorical skills, no matter how important his message.

And then there’s the issue of his “Special Olympics” remark. It’s, ironically, a byproduct of being comfortable in a breezy, off-the-cuff format. To work best, it must be informal and conversational. And funny always helps. Hence the president’s self-deprecating comment about his sorry bowling skills.

But there are no mulligans for presidents. There are no presidential asides or throw-away lines. Everything counts. Especially on national television. It’s another reason not to do a late-night banterfest. Fortunately, the president and Leno were quipping about bowling and not rendition or sharia – or the results wouldn’t have been labeled a mere gaffe.

There’s no lack of forums and venues for a president. They abound.

In fact, Leno could have pre-taped the Obama exchange, and had it shown — uninterrupted — over several nights. NBC wanted this ultimate “get.” The monologue slot could have been vacated for the president. And they could still have required Kevin Eubanks to wear that Secret Service-like suit.

No, you wouldn’t have gotten the live dynamic absent a studio audience, but that should be an acceptable quid pro quo to avoid commercial interruption and undignified juxtapositions, such as the Jesus/Betty Boop key chain and Obama.

Recall how we got here.

Slow going at first. Now the rush to relate is inexorable.

FDR never did a cameo on “Fibber McGee & Molly.” Fireside chats took him directly to the American people. They were dignified pep talks to a citizenry wary and worried about an economy in depression.

It wasn’t until John F. Kennedy that presidential politics took a quantum media leap. JFK went beyond the political-junkie fare of “Meet The Press” and “Face The Nation.” CANDIDATE Kennedy went on the old “Tonight Show” with Jack Paar. It was unprecedented, and it was hugely successful. Witty and telegenic played well, and Paar was notably deferential.

CANDIDATE Richard Nixon was later invited on to “Tonight” and even played the piano. He later brought his (“sock it to me”) CANDIDACY to Laugh-In. Eventually we had CANDIDATE Bill Clinton – “boxers or briefs?” – going on Arsenio Hall and playing safe sax.

Now we’ve seen A-List CANDIDATES such as John McCain who needed “The Late Show” more than David Letterman needed him. For the foreseeable future, we will have the obligatory, thrust-and-parry, presidential CANDIDATE mettle-detector that is “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart. Who knew that Dennis Kucinich was such a hoot?

But back to Obama.

He’s the president. It might look like he’s campaigning, but he’s no longer a candidate. Context matters. Including the office that transcends its occupant.

But I’m glad President Obama is holding his press conferences in prime time.

UConn Job

Much attention was – and is still being – paid to that post-game press conference tirade of University of Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun. Some scribe provocateur asked Calhoun how he justified his $1.6 million state salary when Connecticut is running a deficit of nearly $1 billion.

            Before losing it on camera, Connecticut’s highest-paid employee pointed out that the UConn hoops program makes $12 million for the university. That was a good, legitimate answer. Intercollegiate sports at that level are very much a part of marketplace dynamics. What his salary says about skewed values, however, remains relevant.

            However, an even more relevant question, given Calhoun’s track record, would have been a query about what his UConn graduation rate is.

Tally Priorities

The following seems unlikely to result from the current Tallahassee Legislative session: meaningful revenue reform. 

 

That’s despite the fact that Florida’s go-go-growth era is over. That’s reflected in several ways, most notably Florida’s tax (read: sales) collections, which have declined four years running – and the stabilizing end is not yet in sight. It’s also known that this state’s share ($13 billion over three years) of the federal stimulus package will still leave next year’s budget unbalanced. In fact, the deficit could balloon as high as $3 billion.

 

But the following seems likely: the outlawing of bestiality.

 

You can’t make this stuff up.

Embargo As Religion

Former South Florida congressional candidate Joe Garcia was one of Daniel Erikson’s interviewees for his book “The Cuba Wars.” Garcia, a former director of the Cuban American National Foundation, addressed America’s economic embargo and likened it to a religious experience for its hard-line adherents.

 

“Cuba is almost a quasi-religious issue,” said Garcia. “The problem with that religious element is that it can’t be tested because it has no give-and-take. The embargo is more a religious creed than an effective U.S. policy. The good thing about a creed is that you don’t have to prove it. The problem is, how do you change it?”

Mayor’s Message of Hope Plays To SRO Crowd

State of the city speeches are typically by-the-numbers presentations, even when the presenter is a quintessential communicator such as Mayor Pam Iorio. Where else can you combine stormwater sediment trap projects, an important new (New Tampa) traffic-signal installation and the elimination of 200 parking meters (Ybor City) with the groundbreaking of museums (art and children’s) and the grand opening of a history center?

And it’s an ideal forum — with city council sitting behind you – to underscore your big agenda items – such as moving to light rail, going green and pushing the aesthetic virtues and pragmatic value of the cultural arts. In fact, the mayor gave a notable shout out to council for adopting a land-use plan that – for the first time – recognizes the role of transit in reshaping the community.

In previous years, there were more seats than there were sitters. This year, however, the city-employee-skewed crowd at the Tampa Convention Center (Ballroom D) was standing room only.

The mayor took note. And knew why. The economy. Jobs. Anxiety. Rumors. A sense that the rules were changing. That some perverse occupational rubicon was being crossed. The city’s workforce has dropped by 8 percent in the last two years. Next year’s budget is already projected to fall short by more than $30 million.

This would be no off-the-rack, state of the city address. No mere paean to the usual progress.

The mayor wears many hats. Among them: the chapeau of the Reassurer-in-chief.

“I think more city employees are here because they want to hear directly – no filters, no rumors,” said Iorio. “And I’m glad they’re here. I wanted to thank them personally for what they do.” And she did.

She also reminded them that even during a “severe budget challenge,” the city was “sensitive to the issue of job loss. There will be,” she underscored, “no drastic measures.

“We are careful, methodical and we plan for the long term,” stressed Iorio. She also implored employees to continue to come to work each day “with the same sense of dedication. Do not be fearful. Don’t listen to rumors.”

“We will continue to protect services and protect our employees,” she promised. And not “overpromise.”

“We keep our word,” said Iorio. “We do business the right way. We believe in transparent government.”

She also put the city into a bigger context. “Truly, we are in a time of new realities,” she assessed. “We’ve had recessions before, but this one is different – in scale, scope and size.” It has no “easy fix,” she pointed out.

Iorio used the “new realities” metaphor to reiterate her mass transit mantra: “Light rail: Where it goes, so goes smart investment.”

And as for auto reliance and suburban sprawl? She clearly believes it’s no viable way of life for the 21st century.

“It’s a pattern of growth that’s not sustainable,” asserted Iorio. “Thinking like the past won’t cut it.”

She also waxed hopeful that if a one-cent sales tax hike for transit is on the 2010 ballot, it will get passed. As it is, only Tampa and Detroit – among major metro areas – are without meaningful mass transit. Iorio made it clear that she wanted the Hillsborough County Commission to do the right thing – and put the light-rail tax on next year’s ballot.

“I think the voters have been well ahead of the politicians on this issue,” she opined.

And sounding less like a mayor and more like a candidate for something else, she then noted the rent in America’s societal fabric. We have “lost a lot of trust in our institutions,” she said – enumerating bond-rating agencies, companies “too big to fail” and formerly sacrosanct pension and annuity investments.

“A lot of that trust is gone,” said Iorio. “That’s the job the president has – rebuilding trust.

“Our country has gotten away from (trust), but not here in our city,” she said. Iorio then segued into bullet points from a decreasing crime rate to an increasingly clean city to Super Bowl expenditures that came in ($400,000) under budget. “We work every day to gain trust,” she said.

Iorio also decried the national mania for equating “self worth” with “net worth.” “Our nation is truly troubled if that’s how we calculate our net worth,” she said.

“We keep investing in underground pipes, cultural assets and schools that we partner with,” pointed out Iorio. “I see people stepping up to help a neighbor. I see activism at new heights. Our net worth has nothing to do with a brokerage statement. Our net worth as a city is very high. Are there problems? ‘Yes.’ Are they insolvable? ‘No.’

“Our city stands strong,” stated Iorio. “We are the city of Tampa, and that means something.”

No Teleprompter

By all accounts, this was Mayor Pam Iorio’s most challenging state of the city speech. It had, of course, everything to do with the global recession and a Sunshine state sans a “stable source of revenue.” And the reality for municipalities such as Tampa means being forced into budget-cutting mode. Job/position and service losses inevitably result from declining tax collections.  

The mayor conceded the national and statewide economic realities — “not good on many levels” – and contrasted it with a can-do work ethic and a smart-growth agenda for Tampa. Light rail – and the growth it can spawn and the sort of businesses it can help attract – was a major theme.

So, was the mayor burning the midnight oil to prepare for her state-of-the-crucible pep talk? Hardly.

“Normally I see a prepared version that I can e-mail out,” said Liana Lopez, the mayor’s director of public affairs. “Not this time. As far as I know, she’s been working off 3×5 cards.”

Actually, not even that.

            For what those in attendance were according high marks for its interwoven themes and mix of grim reality and Iorion optimism was actually on a single piece of paper no more than 2 inches by 4 inches. With bullet-point themes inked in.

“I do better this way,” said the mayor. “I’m much more at ease.”

It was vintage Iorio. And it had to be.

Keeping Veteran Teachers

            Nothing is more integral to good teaching than good teachers. Not class-size limits, not magnet schools, not SpringBoard curricula, not even cell-phone bans. Without the right person in front of a class, the wrong outcomes are guaranteed.

            So, now it looks like Hillsborough County will have to do without as many as 150 highly experienced teachers next year because of budget scenarios. These veteran teachers are on one-year contracts after having been brought back from retirement. They are in the $60,000 range — at the top end of the pay scale.

            The school district, which is in an onerous budget bind, has offered to rehire them at rookie pay ($37,000). But the teachers’ union had an issue with that. An out-of-state teacher with similar experience and degrees could come in and make as much as $25,000 more, it pointed out. 

            But the point is moot in a recessionary economy. Nobody’s going to be hired at the top of the scale. No matter how budgetary subplots play out in Tallahassee.

            Let the experienced teachers, the ones you never have enough of, decide for themselves if being back in the classroom is worth being paid the starting pay rate – especially during turbulent economic times.

            Then ask the students if it were worth it.