That Notorious List

One of these is not like the others: Syria, Sudan, Iran and Cuba. It’s this country’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list. Honest.

Cuba remains on this notorious short list (since 1982) along with garden variety Middle East powder kegs. North Korea doesn’t even warrant inclusion. Neither does Somalia; piracy isn’t a qualification.

The Obama Administration continues to give incremental progress (including restricted flights from TIA to Cuba) a bad name when it comes to improving relations with Cuba. We have serious civilizational enemies in the world as well as economic adversaries. Cuba is neither. It’s a Cold War era, South Florida version of the McCoy-Hatfield feud that remains a foreign policy atavism. 

You can’t blame Cuba remaining on the SST list on George W. Bush.

Quoteworthy

* “Every Arab ruler, from colonels to monarchs, now knows something new: fear.”–Michael Gerson, Washington Post.

* “Let’s just call a spade a spade. A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy air defenses. Then you can fly planes around the country and not worry about our guys being shot down.”–Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

* “Like it or hate it, it is really effective. In fact, viewership of Al-Jazeera is going up in the United States because it is real news.”–Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

* “That’s when it really starts to do damage.”–PFGBest analyst Phil Flynn on the impact of oil-price increases once they hit $120 per barrel.

* “It’s crazy that we have no energy plan. I think you’ll have $4 gasoline by Memorial Day.”–T. Boone Pickens, whose own plan is to encourage the use of natural gas as a motor fuel.

* “Both the American military and higher education have been engines of inclusion and wellsprings of service. The relationship we renew today marks progress in that common pursuit.”–Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust in officially welcoming ROTC back on campus.

* “…There are at most five plausible Republican presidents on the horizon–Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, former Utah Gov. and departing ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. … But the nominee may emerge much diminished by involvement in a process cluttered with careless, delusional, ego-maniacal, spotlight-chasing candidates to whom the sensible American majority would never entrust a lemonade stand, much less nuclear weapons.–George Will, Washington Post.

* “The economy has been clawing its way back up the side of the mountain for the better part of a year, and these numbers are consistent with that. Where we are is the process of natural healing of our economy.”–Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill on recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing the unemployment rate dipped to 8.9 per cent last month and employers added 192,000 jobs.

* “Public sector unions and private sector unions are very different creatures. Private sector unions push against the interests of shareholders and management; public sector unions push against the interests of taxpayers. Private sector union members know that their employers could go out of business, so they have an incentive to mitigate their demands; public sector union members work for state monopolies and have no such interest.”–David Brooks, New York Times.

* “Think outside the pyramid.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster to residents who turned out for a public forum on overhauling the Pier.

* “Rail successfully moves goods across long distances and, when well-planned and managed, can move people too. To argue differently is to join the cult of doom-and-gloomers who seem to enjoy disparaging all efforts to improve our quality of life or simply believe that we are incapable of doing things on time, on budget and of high quality.”–Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe.

* “No one’s allowed to get married that week.”–Tampa Assistant Police Chief Marc Hamlin in noting that no TPD vacations or annual leaves are granted for the week of Gasparilla.

* “I’m a Democrat and proud of it, but as the city’s next mayor, my job would be to fix and build things, not get bogged down in partisan politics.”–Bob Buckhorn.

* “It (partisan politics ) doesn’t serve anyone well. The higher up you go on the political ladder, the more you have to follow party policy and toe the line, and I’m nobody’s puppet.”–Rose Ferlita.

Hoo-Ray To Hurrah For Greco

No one expected a somber, farewell party.

Certainly no one in the long, animated buffet line that seemed a permanent fixture throughout the evening. Or those appreciating an Italian tenor or the upbeat, 4-piece band Breezin’. “In The Mood” even elicited dancers.

The crowd of several hundred–plus first-team print and electronic media–had gathered at Higgins Hall at St. Lawrence Catholic Church on North Himes Avenue for the next step in the final hoo-ray for Tampa’s most successful politician ever–Dick Greco. The undefeated, erstwhile boy-wonder Dick Greco. The four-time mayor with his own downtown statue.

Conventional wisdom said the man with the gold standard in name recognition, endorsements from the police union and local builders groups, and nearly a half million dollars  in campaign funding would be moving into the March 22 run-off. The question was: Could Rose Ferlita hold off either Bob Buckhorn or Ed Turanchik, the candidates endorsed by the two local dailies? The unsurprising answer: Ferlita held off Buckhorn. The blindsiding part of the parlay: Buckhorn held off Greco. Once again, conventional wisdom was less wise than conventional.

Greco supporters were thus forced to witness his “Last Hurrah,” an unwelcome updating of Edwin O’Connor’s classic novel about Boston mayoral politics. But with Dick Greco as Tampa’s own Frank Skeffington caught up in a generational crucible. It was sad.

To be sure, the 77-year-old icon’s campaign will be grist for future political-science mills–from that gimmicky, presumptuous “Gimme Five” hand to the lack of a campaign presence with enough stature, savvy and personal history to be something other than a Greco “yes” man. But legacy blemish notwithstanding, Greco was still Greco–reflective, gracious and empathetic.

Amid shout-outs of “We love you” and “You’re a better man,” he conceded that those “Gimme Five” placards now meant “politically good-bye.” It was the evening’s most poignant moment. In taking the rhetorical high road, Greco acknowledged some (mailed) “things happened that shouldn’t have” at the end, but didn’t dwell on it.

“I don’t feel good about this,” he said, “but by the same token, I did what I had to do, what I had to be. I believe in our system. This is how it turned  out. I accept it.  I feel worse about letting you down.

“We are fortunate to live in this country, this state and this city,” added Greco. “But this is not an easy time. We’ve got everything we need to go forward, but it will be a challenge. Let’s protect what we have–our city and our friends. It’s time to hold hands–not throw darts.”

And then he added another vintage Greco touch. He publicly recognized a relatively obscure volunteer in the crowd. “She says I spoke to her 3rd grade class,” he noted with welcome generational humor. “God bless you.”

Then he came down to work the crowd one last time while Breezin’ struck up “Unchain My Heart.”

Among those watching in the wings: James Tokley, Tampa’s poet laureate and a close friend of Greco’s.

“You can’t retire Captain Kirk, and you can’t put Dick Greco out to pasture,” Tokley observed. “He’ll still be here. He’s everyman. A leader, a businessman, a dreamer. A man for the ages. He did it, and he was willing to do it again.”

Then there was Irene Guy, the former Verizon executive and Republican candidate last year for the Florida House District 47. She was wearing an orange Greco pin, a matching orange (right hand) glove and a solemn expression.

“I’m going home and cry,” she said.

Florida No Primary Rubber Stamp

How frustrating that there’s still an ongoing stare-down between Florida and the national Republican and Democratic parties about primary dates. There are even GOPster officials who want to pull next year’s national convention here in Tampa if Florida doesn’t back off and accept its rubber-stamp status in the nominating process. Put it this way: Any candidate needs Florida to be elected president, but Florida, more often than not, is relegated to playing a bit role in nominating one. Makes less sense than a Michelle Bachman-for-president rationale. You’d have to be “Floriduh” to accept this exercise in political irrelevance.

Frankly, it’s in the enlightened self-interest of the political parties, not just leverage-conscious Florida, to have the Sunshine State go early. Especially for the non-incumbent Republicans. And if other states demand to follow suit, they can simply be told by the RNC adults in charge that they are not Florida–for all the manifestly obvious reasons.

Would a responsible national party really want, as Sen. Marco Rubio–ironically–pointed out recently, to chance nominating someone who might not be “palatable” in Florida?  Florida is the indispensible swing state that any presidential nominee must have. “As goes the I-4 corridor, so goes the country” is more than hyperbolic sloganeering. An early Florida primary would be meaningfully important–not symbolically noteworthy. Florida is a political mettle-detector and national barometer–not a quadrennial tradition more akin to a political Ground Hog’s Day.

This state is demographically representative of the country. Ethnically, racially and politically.  Something neither Iowa nor New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation caucus and primary, respectively, are. Nor are we sufficiently skewed that we qualify as minority window-dressing–such as South Carolina and Nevada.

Haridopolos 101

It’s called “IDS 4920: Florida Politics.” It’s a twice weekly, 1-hour undergraduate seminar for Tallahassee-based, University of Florida student-interns already carving out calculated careers in state politics. So much for youthful ideals.

And so much for generic course descriptions. How about “Duplicity 101”? Or maybe “Pandering Politics and Career Goals”? The instructor is Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos. That Mike Haridopolos.

The one who was just admonished by his own Rules Committee for failing to disclose his finances, including consulting fees, on state ethics forms. The one who was for Florida accepting federal dollars for high-speed rail and 21st century potential-realization before he was against it. Before he realized that opposing Gov. Rick Scott and accepting “Obamarail” money could derail his chances in the upcoming U.S. Senate Republican primary. Before he realized that alienating Tea Partiers was a bad career move, regardless of the implications for the state that he would deign to represent. That Mike Haridopolos.

That’s a lot of lessons to impart.

He also teaches courses in the fall. He’s paid $75,000.

Middle East Subplots

*Among those scurrying to pre-empt chaos and downfall: the relatively stable regime of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah. The 86-year-old monarch’s government recently announced an unprecedented economic package that will provide, among other benefits, nearly $11 billion in interest-free loans for Saudis to buy or build homes. The move addresses an 18-year waiting list for Saudis to qualify for a loan.

But we’ll know when King Abdullah is really serious: the day his government permits women to drive.

*American news media are wont to refer to the protests and armed rebellions going on in a number of Middle East countries as demands for “democracy.” Surely, that applies in some cases, but isn’t it much more accurate to refer to raucous demonstrations as “anti-dictator” rallies and riots?  “Democracy” is a semantic reach, one that implies, among other things, a civil society, a literate, informed electorate, viable political parties and vehicles for institutionalized, meaningful choices and reasoned debate. Something we obviously haven’t perfected yet in this country.

Note, for example, what the turnout was in Tuesday’s mayoral and city council races. More exercised their right to be indifferent than to be involved. And how many of those votes were more for neighbors and names than plans and proposals? We don’t need to be lecturing anybody about “democracy.”

*Some United Nations’ vetoes matter more than others. Arguably, the one the U.S. just cast in the Security Council has made the U.S. case for being an honest Middle East broker that much harder–if not impossible–for now. It’s what happens when you’re the lone vote against a resolution that passed 14-1. It called for the condemnation of “illegal” Israeli settlements and demanded an immediate halt to all settlement construction. Among those angered: a lot more than Palestinians and Arab countries.

There are overlapping bottom lines. Israel is an ally. Its sovereignty was forged from the Holocaust. It’s the only “democracy” in that part of the world. It’s also the recipient of more American foreign aid than any other country. It also has inordinate lobbying influence on American politics.

But it’s not the 51st state.

*When your Secretary of Defense buttresses his theme by quoting Gen. Douglas MacArthur, you know he’s got everybody’s attention. When he chooses the post-Korea MacArthur, you know it’s not another day at the rhetorical office. Sure enough, Defense Secretary Robert Gates paraphrased the more geo-politically advanced MacArthur when he recently told cadets at West Point that “In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should ‘have his head examined,’ as Gen. MacArthur so delicately put it.”

But timing, of course, is everything.

Recall that the Persian Gulf War, which included a viable coalition, was a 100-hour offensive. The secretary of defense was Dick Cheney, but the president was the seasoned George H. W. Bush, and the uber influential chairman of the joint chiefs was Gen. Colin Powell. Although he was criticized for halting the war shy of Baghdad–and the removal of Saddam Hussein–President Bush had his reasons. “We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq,” explained Bush Sr.

Too bad that reasoning didn’t prevail for Iraq, The Sequel. Surely MacArthur would have agreed that the jihad-inspiring occupation of a Muslim country–or two–was an awful idea.

Not Consoling Enough

Whenever there is a tragic death, especially of one much too young, there is the understandable search for meaning and consolation. On occasion, mourning rationalization will include a reference to the deceased having “died doing what (he or she) loved.” And that, indeed, happens. It’s not irrelevant.  But that phrase was also applied in the recent rodeo accident that claimed the life of 16-year-old Brooke Ann Coats.

To die defending your country or pursuing a selfless cause can be, however tragic, consolingly comforting to those left behind. It’s a legacy moment. We all get that. But to die while skydiving or while riding a 900-pound, bucking bull–after your parents had signed a safety-issue waiver–is different. To die defying safety odds and good sense should not be perceived as an extension of “you go, girl” ambition.

Quoteworthy

* “UFOs are real! With no prevarication or qualifications of terms, there are physical objects of unknown origin that do transit our universe. The evidence that supports those statements is simply overwhelming.”–Retired Army Col. John Alexander, author of UFOs: Myths, Conspiracies and Realities.

* “At the suitable time, we will open the arms depot so all Libyans and tribes become armed, so that Libya becomes red with fire.”–Moammar Gadhafi.

* “When a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now.”–President Barack Obama.

* “The smart thing for us to do right now is to impose a $1-a-gallon gasoline tax, to be phased in at 5 cents a month beginning in 2012, with all of the money going to pay down the deficit. … With one little gasoline tax we can make ourselves more economically and strategically secure, help sell more Chevy Volts and free ourselves to openly push for democratic values in the Middle East without worrying anymore that it will harm our oil interests. Yes, it will mean higher gas prices, but prices are going up anyway, folks. Let’s capture some of it for ourselves.”–Thomas Friedman, New York Times.

* “Anything that Congress does that will undermine our recovery is quite troublesome to us. We’re asking for cooperation.”–Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, head of the National Governors Conference, imploring Congress to avoid a shutdown and spending cuts.

* “When leverage works, it magnifies your gains. Your spouse thinks you’re clever, and your neighbors get envious. But leverage is addictive. Once having profited from its wonders, very few people retreat to more conservative practices.”–Billionaire Warren Buffett.

* “One thing that never changes in Washington is the difference in metabolism between the House and Senate. Have you ever watched pet-rehabilitation shows like The Dog Whisperer? The House is the deranged Pomeranian that yelps and throws itself against the window and tears up the upholstery 24/7. The Senate, meanwhile, is like a narcoleptic great Dane you can hardly rouse for dinner.”–Gail Collins, New York Times.

* “If you can’t play by the rules, you can’t receive the benefit of those rules.”–Karen Floyd, South Carolina Republican Party chairman, saying she would favor pulling the 2012 GOP Convention from Tampa if Florida keeps its rules-breaking primary in January.

* “As soon as you get out of Florida, they think you’re mayor of Tampa Bay.”–Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio.

* “Making it in the book world was like saying I have a voice. I can speak to people. My thoughts and my experiences are relatable.”–Tampa Bay Rays’ pitcher Dirk Hayhurst, author of “The Baseball Gospels,” a New York Times best-seller.

Not All Hail Rail In DowntownTampa

Downtown Tampa will have its high-speed rail station sometime between 2015 and never. But on Monday at high noon it had high-decibel, albeit civil, railing about the prospects. A last-minute rally for frustrated, high-speed rail proponents was countered by demonstrators, including Tea Partiers and No Tax for Tracksters, who support Gov. Rick Scott for his recent rejection of $2.4 billion in previously proffered federal funds. It was Tampa’s own vent city–replete with chants of “We want rail” and “Why not here, why not now?”

In reality, this was more of a play within a play. One that is ultimately being scripted by Scott who seems pre-determined to stick with his pro-Tea Party, anti-Obama-screed-in-the-guise-of-fiscal prudence. Scott, the 800-pound gorilla in the roadbed, seems adamant that no scenario–from a regional, umbrella-group sub-grantee to the eight private-sector bids due next month–will change his mind about Florida taxpayers being “on the hook” for unforeseen costs. Even U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a key behind-the-scenes player, acknowledged that all the expeditious, legal scrambling could only be successful “if the governor co-operates.” The state, for example, would still have to grant any newly-cobbled, independent agency the right-of-way along the Tampa-Orlando route.

Sobering. But even a stopped watch is right twice a day. Hope lives, even if on a political ventilator. Recession-addressing jobs, an I-4 alternative and 21st century competitiveness still make a compelling case.

The scene: outside City Hall at Kennedy Boulevard and Franklin Street. On one side of Kennedy were those lionizing Scott for jettisoning high-speed rail. Maybe 100 in number. Their signs ranged from the ideologically routine– “Stop the Spending” and “We Can’t Afford It”–to the ideologically bizarre–“Marxists Push Train Transit, But We Don’t Buy The Lies” (more on that later). Even a guy dressed as the Grim Reaper toting a “Death To High-Speed Rail” sign (more on him later too).

Across from the “We Stand With Gov. Scott” crowd were gathered the pro-rail advocates. Perhaps 200–ranging from Congresswoman Castor to mayoral candidates Ed Turanchik and Tom Scott. Here a Mary Mulhern and Yoli Capin, there a Kelly Benjamin and Julie Jenkins. Plus a couple of bullhorns and plenty of signs–ranging from the economically themed to pure outrage. From “Rail = Jobs,” “Don’t Derail Florida’s Future” and “‘Get To Work’ Creating Jobs, Not Killing Jobs” to “Lose Scott, Keep The Train,” “Untrained Governor Equals 20,000 Fewer Jobs” and “Rick Scott is a Tea-Bagging Idiot.” And for good measure, “NY and Calif. Win, Floriduh Loses.”

Yeah, “Floriduh” is back. And New York and California are ready to pounce on “found money.”

Among those taking turns with the bullhorn was Turanchik. With City Hall as a backdrop and flanked by enthusiastic true believers united for a visionary cause, he couldn’t have ordered up a better video -or -photo op. “This is about 20,000 jobs for people who don’t have jobs,” he bellowed to cheers and jeers.

Farah Stokes, 57, was among the converted being preached to. She carried a “Yes: Rail, No: Scott” sign. The South Tampa resident said part of it was “getting traffic off of I-4. It’s endless. And we lose the potential for convincing businesses and jobs to move here.”

For Laraine Hancock, 64, a retired pharmaceutical executive who lives in South Tampa, it’s about trust as well as economics. “I think the governor had his mind made up before he took office, she said. “He never waited for the bids. Now our ability to add jobs in the short term and redevelopment along the (I-4) corridor is undermined.”

Then there was Michael Capria, 58, a chiropractor from Carrollwood. He had the aforementioned Marxist taunt, one designed to attract media attention. Obviously it worked.

“The density just isn’t there for this train,” he explained. “So you have to change the zoning (to residential) to make rail work. Which is what East Germany did in Berlin. The socialist model is to force people to live in high-density environments.”

Under that Grim Reaper costume was David Brown, 73, of Sun City Center. He actually crossed Kennedy to get closer to the bullhorned speakers. “They already have a train; it’s called Amtrak,” noted Brown. “And I’m just afraid that if this were to pass, when you look ahead, who will be stuck paying the costs 10-15 years from now?”

The final word goes to someone who was there in spirit–and in symbol: City Hall. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio is still playing an active, save-high-speed-rail role and participated in a conference call with elected officials–including her mayoral counterparts in Orlando and Lakeland–and media earlier in the day. But her words in response to Scott’s initial rejection of high-speed rail funds still echo.

“This project was about 21st century investments,” underscored Iorio. “How do we get around the state of Florida in the coming decades? … This would have produced an alternative method of transportation that linked all of our major metropolitan areas–Tampa, Orlando, Miami and Jacksonville. The alternative is the status quo, which really means that our state goes backwards. This is unacceptable.”

As unacceptable as ideology-driven arrogance. As unacceptable as cherry-picked, skewed data. As unacceptable as “‘Floriduh,’ the Sequel.” As unacceptable as a high-speed railroading of this city’s, this region’s and this state’s future.

And a final thought. Given his seemingly irreconcilable cost-overrun and liability fears, maybe Scott just doesn’t trust the private sector. Wonder why?

Tiger BayViews

*If it’s Friday, it must be–yet another of the countless mayoral forums now playing out across the political landscape. This day it was the Tiger Bay Club of Tampa hosting the five-candidate road show. It made no headlines. It was gaffe free.

*For those paying attention, the candidates have largely made their cases. And this much seems evident: All are smart and experienced. A lot of cities would settle for that.  And all have established their identities. Have they ever.

Dick Greco and Rose Ferlita have iconic Tampa names, the former even has his own statue. Greco can say what no other candidate can say: “I’ve done it.” Or, to be more specific: “I’ve done it, gang.” Ferlita, she reminds us, is about “transparency and integrity.”

Ed Turanchik has transitioned from intellectual dreamer to “pragmatic visionary.” Bob Buckhorn is the well-packaged rhetorician who can “give us our wings” and help expedite “Petri-dish-to-marketplace” scenarios. Tom Scott is the “consensus building” black minister.

*But who expected Tom Scott to get the biggest laughs? His presentations tend toward the bureaucratic. He knows his MPOs from his CRAs. But when he gave his closing statement, he seemed to morph from the Rev. to the nearly irreverent. 

He said he had no “canned speech,” but he did know everybody else’s. From Greco’s “500 years” of experience to Buckhorn’s photogenic daughters to Turanchik’s “vision.” It drew as many nods as laughs.

*Best lines: “I don’t need this job. I want it. I love this city.”–Dick Greco.                                                       : “CSX tracks and no train.”–Ed Turanchik’s response, in part, to a question on                        Tampa’s most underutilized assets.