Tampa Theatre Hosts Historic Inaugural

            In 1964 the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize, Cassius Clay became world heavyweight champion and Tampa Theatre still had a “whites only” admittance policy.

            Fast-forward to 2009.

            More than 1,000 locals — black and white, office workers, students and media — turned out at the 83-year-old downtown icon to collectively witness the televised inauguration of the first African-American president.

            It was political theater within a movie palace. Now playing: “Revel With A Cause”: The re-told, updated story of America’s singular journey of ideals and ideas, however imperfect. This day it was still resonating.

History and jubilation were in the house. It was palpable.

Tampa lawyer Herb Berkowitz, 61, who was a Hillary Clinton delegate to the Democratic convention last summer, was equal parts sentimental and celebratory.

“I had planned on watching it at home on the couch with a glass of wine and crying unabashedly,” he said. “But tears of joy are best enjoyed with like-minded people.”

Now playing: A stirring reminder that while America’s destiny as a beacon for freedom — not geopolitics as usual — had been distorted and detoured, it had not been discontinued. If America could transcend the racial dishonor seemingly woven into its fabric, then there really were no limits to its ultimate greatness. Indeed, there was reason to expect that its best days might yet be ahead.  

And no such epic moment could have credibly passed without Tampa’s own poet laureate, James Tokley. He is a Tampa Bay treasure. When this imposing black man reaffirms that “America still is hallowed ground,” it must be so.  

The politics of euphoria prompted thunderous applause for Teddy Kennedy and Al Gore and a standing ovation for Barack Obama.

            The ambience of history-meets-pep rally created its own hybrid dynamic.

            The politics of payback induced a chorus of boos for Dick Cheney, which had to be some sort of precedent. Bronx cheers for a guy, albeit the quintessential neocon, in a wheel chair. Strangelovian.

The formal introduction of outgoing President George W. Bush was accompanied by the familiar stadium anthem that’s disdainfully aimed at losing teams: “Na, Na, Na, Na/ Na, Na, Na, Na/ Hey, Hey, Hey/ Goodbye.” It was not an occasion for pure, non-partisan nuance.

The only references to Bush that did elicit applause were an “Arrest Bush” sign and a shot of a van behind the White House that was obviously moving out the last of the Bushes’ belongings.

But these were knee-jerk reactions from a crowd that needed to emote more than gloat. It was much more about the history. And the moment. And the peaceful transfer of power. And the promise of a better tomorrow.

“Since I couldn’t be in D.C., I’m here,” said Gina, a 42-year-old black woman who didn’t feel at liberty to give her last name. That’s because she was “between meetings” at work, she coyly acknowledged with a wink. She was holding seats for two cousins.

“Of course it’s about the history,” explained Gina, “but that’s not all it’s about. Poverty comes in different colors. I think it’s everyday people who identify with Obama.” 

For Jim Shirk, 65, a white civil engineer who had worked for Obama in Florida, it was the culmination of a campaign that had morphed from long-shot idealism to crowning, almost unfathomable, achievement.

“Imagine, this comes a day after MLK day,” he noted. “How’s this for an epic confluence of events? I’m here because I wanted to be part of an historic event and be with a lot of other Democrats who worked hard for this guy.”

And then there was Rodger King, 63, a white investor who came by to check out the scene.

“I was curious about what kind of crowd it was,” said King. “You could say it looks like America.

“I’m a staunch Republican,” pointed out King, “but I’m well pleased with Obama so far.”

King’s was the sort of sentiment — the pragmatic benefit of the doubt — that Obama has to hear more of.  Not just the approving voices of true believers and party zealots. A sense of meaningful bi-partisanship isn’t merely preferable. It’s now a prerequisite if America is to move beyond parlous times and truly fulfill its unique destiny.

On balance, it was a very good start.

“This is a special moment for everyone, not just African-Americans,” said Clifford Gordon, a black 18-year-old in a Middleton High School jacket. “I mean Obama’s not just promising to make the black economy better. It’s everybody’s new era.”

Now playing: An African-American — who was three years old when blacks were finally admitted to Tampa Theatre — as the newly inaugurated 44th president of the United States.

                                                  Intercession Leads To More History

For Tampa Theatre to have opened its doors for a free showing of the historic, Barack Obama presidential inauguration was a natural. It has a big screen, some 1,400 seats and a community-outreach mandate. And it’s, well, full of history itself.

An obvious choice?

Tampa Theatre, which had hosted campaign events for George Bush Sr. and Bob Dole in the past, had never staged an inauguration viewing before. It took some outside intercession.

“(Tampa City Council member) Linda Saul-Sena called me and said ‘I have a great idea. Let’s show the inauguration,’” explained Tara Schroeder, Tampa Theatre’s director of programming and public relations.

“Initially, I wasn’t sure it was possible,” said Schroeder. “But I investigated, and it was doable. We had to rent a few wires, pick up a satellite feed and run it through a projector onto a screen. We pay for a satellite service.”

And with the concession stand open, Tampa Theatre didn’t lose money.

“This is not a profit-center day,” emphasized Schroeder. “This is a community day.”

So, once suggested, would there have been such a “community day” for a President McCain inauguration?

“Absolutely,” said Schroeder. “It’s wonderful for the community to come together. And it’s part of our responsibility to provide opportunities like this.”

But it’s problematic that Linda Saul-Sena would have made that call.   

U.S. Chamber And Cuba

          Among those making recent pitches to the new Obama Administration is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber – plus a dozen other prominent business groups – wants the president to kick start a process that would eliminate Washington’s trade embargo with Cuba. Among the other groups: the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Business Roundtable and the National Retail Federation.

            The U.S. Chamber’s proposal letter to Obama cited a 2001 government report that estimated the Cuban embargo was costing U.S. exporters up to $1.2 billion annually in lost sales. The letter, penned by Jake Colvin, vice president of the National Foreign Trade Council, also noted that the U.S. Treasury Department devotes more resources to enforcing the embargo than to tracking the finances of al-Qaeda.

Two Palin Takes

“Sarah Palin.”

            Those two words — by now a shibboleth for partisan, political vehemence — continue to resonate in the aftermath of the election and inauguration of President Barack Obama. Still polarizing and still energizing.

             Pat Kemp and Deborah Cox-Rousch, respective chairpersons of Hillsborough County’s Democratic and Republican parties, reacted accordingly.

            “She scared me,” recalled Kemp during a question-and-answer session at the most recent Tampa Tiger Bay Club luncheon. Palin, she underscored, was “divisive and unprepared.”

            However, Kemp wouldn’t mind seeing her on a future ticket.

            “Palin appeals to a smaller segment of her party,” she explained. “It’s not enough to win an election.”

            Kemp said she was “amazed” at how many Republicans were “turned” by Palin’s inclusion on the ticket. “Sure, I’d like to see her run again.”

            As for Cox-Rousch, whose vice presidential preference was Mitt Romney, Palin did her job, she said, by pumping up a base that was less than enthralled with the candidacy of John McCain.

            “If anyone energized the party, she did,” stressed Cox-Rousch. “She’s a force to be reckoned with.

            “Look, Palin handled the mom challenges,” she pointed out. “She supported her daughter. I respect that. Politicians are still people. She’s a good Republican. That’s all I can say. You betcha.”

Local Author Advises Health Care “Consumers”

               America has long been the ultimate consumer society. From houses and autos to high fashion and designer decor to iPods, iPhones and all things computerized.

Buyers typically check prices, consult the internet, talk to references and make a purchase. They keep receipts and collateral information and expect service after the sale.

They may be meeting a real need or merely keeping up with the Joneses. Same approach applies.

And, yet, when it comes to the ultimate consumer purchase – health care – Americans invariably are much less involved. It’s not their comfort zone.

We grow up venerating doctors. They have a mystique, some a God complex. They have specialized expertise and medical argot; we have these flawed bodies and the passive voice. They’re in charge – of us.

And while the number of patient deaths due to misdiagnosis is shockingly high (one in 12, according to a 2003 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association), we typically don’t ask for second opinions. Even when it’s elective surgery.

Moreover, medicine’s all-too-traditional trappings – from the over-booked doctors’ offices with over-bearing attitudes and out-of-date magazines to the intimidating, institutional sterility that is hospital ambience – are all-too-reinforcing. Admission-to-submission is an easy morph.

But if Jeff Knott has anything to say about it – and he does – Americans will begin to become more proactive about their healthcare and more assertive in their role as consumer-patients. The Apollo Beach resident is the author of “Navigating the Healthcare Maze,” a compelling self-help book of tools and tips that aims to empower. He posits that we can all become “change agents” within the system if we do our homework, engage our “medical team” and hold people accountable. In the process, we become our own best advocates.

“Navigating the Healthcare Maze” is now in its second printing and is a staple on Amazon.com. Knott has done book signings at Barnes and Noble as well as media rounds locally and nationally. “Navigating” has been nominated for the “Books for a Better Life” national award that is sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Knott, a robustly outgoing, 60-something native of Eastleigh, England, has been in the U.S. since 1969. His interest in the healthcare “maze” was initially piqued while he was international marketing director for Johnson and Johnson. His wife’s thyroid condition — and subsequent entrance into the “maze” — plus his own open-heart surgery — and all the pre-to-post op procedures and subplots that entailed — made it personal.

But he was still taken aback once he really delved into his research.

Knott was surprised, he says, by “how much patients got pushed around in the system and how dangerous that can be for the outcome…We are last out of 17 so-called developed countries in preventable deaths in hospitals.”

Knott, who currently serves on the Initiative for Global Development that seeks to affect medical, educational and agricultural change in the developing world, faults patients for their passivity. In effect, he says, they allow themselves to get “pushed around – from the primary doctor’s office through the hospital and back out with no planned, careful understandable process.

 “That’s the point,” he stresses. “We get pushed around in retail stores and restaurants if we don’t take action, but with healthcare many are intimidated and think that doctors have all the answers. White coat syndrome has to be eliminated!”

Knott is very emphatic about the importance of developing a “team” concept among patients and practitioners. Patients need to interact, ask questions and generally do everything to become more than just a name on a chart, he urges. Don’t assume that your key healthcare players are going to be “empathy engines.”

“I don’t knock doctors,” explains Knott, “but if we are more knowledgeable and better prepared and have questions to ask the doctor, then the doctor can also make a more accurate diagnosis.”

Knott advises patients to ramp up their communications skills when in healthcare contexts. And it doesn’t require a Type A personality.

“We all have basic good communication, observation and listening skills, and we are lazy in using them,” notes Knott. “When it comes to our most precious possession, ourselves, we don’t use these skills.”

Knott’s book is dotted with suggestions and do’s and don’ts that are gleaned from research, personal experience and common sense. There are also supporting anecdotes, resource lists, charts and statistics that underscore the challenges — from waiting-room fluster to hospital protocol to discharge scenarios — awaiting all those who must venture into the healthcare “maze.”

A sampling:

*“Be proactive in finding a primary doctor.”

*“Always shoot for an early (doctor’s) appointment or even first appointment after lunch.” Offices – not unlike airlines – often overbook to compensate for no-shows.

*“Look for ‘one-stop shopping.’ It is very important to be able to get as many tests and treatments done at a single physician’s office.”

*Don’t be reluctant to ask for a discount. “You will be amazed how an extra 5-10% (off) can be achieved just by asking.”

*“Specialist/surgeons are often too eager to cut. That is what they are trained to do. They shouldn’t be faulted for that. But their approach may not always be the ‘only’ approach.”

*“Knowledge is power. It can lower your fear level. It can give you the boost needed to ask questions or explain your symptoms in an understandable way. …It is of vital importance in today’s world to be able to access the Internet….Doctors are more responsive to patients in the know. Likewise, so are staff members.”

*Have a living will.

*Keep your own medical history file. Give “serious consideration to maintaining a set of records for yourself and family members.”

*Before surgery: “Make sure you take a list of all the medications you are taking – dosage, frequency as well as OTC medications. Also compile a list of all herbal medicines. Some might increase the risk of problems during surgery (such as bleeding).”

*In the hospital: “Never accept medication from someone you haven’t worked with previously, recognize or seems confused. …You need to be vigilant and don’t accept anything you don’t recognize.”

 *“There are numerous ways patients can help reduce the risk that they fall victim to errors and incidents that could lead to errors, injury and even death. The best way to begin is to always ask questions. Don’t be intimidated by your surroundings or the people working on and with you.”

*Expectations aren’t always managed: “No one had explained or even mentioned to me about the effects the anesthesia or surgery or my stay could have in the area of memory loss or noticeable mood swings or eating habits. …Research and experience suggest that surgery under general anesthesia may impact cognitive functions.”

*Discharge: Studies have shown that the transfer of patient care from the hospital team to a primary care and other providers outside the hospital can be a “high-risk process.” “Be proactive and involved when it comes to your care after leaving the hospital. …Don’t leave without receiving printed guidelines on caring for yourself or your family member.”

*Annual physicals: “Routine checkups, in my case, probably saved my life.”

*“There are no stupid questions. Ask away.”

Obama Needs Help With “Inheritance”

           Recall George W. Bush’s controversial election in 2000. He didn’t dazzle anyone with his presence, and his pedigree was more impressive than his resume. And there was that matter of having fewer popular votes than his opponent.

And yet, the partisan backlash — from the racist e-mails to the scornful rants of right-wing talk-show shills — seems more pervasive in reaction to the election of Barack Obama than it was eight years ago.

Enough.

Can’t we all take one for the home team right now? Party prospects and political careers have never been so immaterial. And that includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now doing a posturing, public two-step about repealing Bush tax cuts and dredging up an investigation of those fired federal prosecutors.

We are at a pivotal point in our republic’s history. Obama inherits an economic and foreign policy challenge of unprecedented proportion. His is the Damoclean Sword presidency.

He is also heir to several generations’ adoption and application of the American Scheme:  entitlement as a divine right, self-sacrifice as an anachronism, the short term as the only term, dysfunctional amusement as popular culture, informed voter as an oxymoron, pandering press as First Amendment bastion and jingoism as patriotism. If his isn’t a successful presidency, all those parallels with the Roman Empire look that much more ominous and self-fulfilling.

Time is of the essence. President Obama obviously has none to squander placating the foiled opposition or the spoiled Pelosi. Not with the economy needing stimulation, foreign policy needing reorientation and the American psyche needing restoration.

            “Yes we can” is no longer a campaign slogan. At least it better not be. And “we” cannot be allowed to reference GOP stereotypes of Obama voters — black “socialists,” national security milquetoasts, fiscal utopians and generic kumbaya types. “We” must mean all of us – across the demographic and ideological spectrum. Hard core libertarians to career cynics.

            Much of the world still counts on the U.S. Our footprint is too big and our ideals too universal.

They see a new president who looks much like the rest of the world – and appears to have an anti-Bush mandate. They see an African-American president and wonder if the U.S. will now figure out where it fits in the world before it’s too late — and whether it can still be the ultimate force for good. They see a new U.S. president unbeholden to the usual fetters on policy change. They see Obama as someone who, while protecting America, doesn’t think the rest of the world just “doesn’t get it.”

They hope.

We hope. A sense of bi-partisanship and unity isn’t just preferable. It’s a prerequisite if America is to move beyond parlous times and fulfill its deferred destiny.

A sense of renewal must be more than rhetorical. If Barack Obama embodies anything, it is that the American Dream is more than alive. Momentum is there to be seized.

            But if it’s business as usual, “we” all lose. 

Cue The Super Bowl Economist

            It’s as predictable as swallows returning to Capistrano or Oren Koules noting the demand for another “Saw” movie. If Super Bowl is approaching, there must be a Phil Porter sighting – and quoting.

Porter, an affable and well-regarded economist at USF, is annually besieged by the media for his eminently predictable and contrarian take that Super Bowls’ economic impact on their venues is highly overrated. He puts a lot of emphasis on taxable sales comparisons from non-Super Bowl years. He makes his points.

Meanwhile, there are all kinds of studies that crank out economic-impact numbers – with all sorts of multiplier ripples – that yield chamber of commerce-pleasing results.

The truth is probably somewhere between negligible impact and economic coup.

But this much seems reasonable. Tampa Bay is not New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. The national and global (where TV viewership is estimated at 1 billion) exposure is incalculable and unaffordable. And not everybody will dine at Bern’s and Ruth’s Chris Steak House or stay at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort or Marriott Waterside.

Bulls’ Recruiting Coup

            Ryne Giddens, the nationally recognized, blue-chip defensive end from Armwood High School, has verbally committed to USF. This is a coup for USF, which liberally recruits the Tampa Bay area – but typically loses prime prospects to Florida, Florida State, Miami and other nationally prestigious programs. Giddens, a highly publicized USA Today All-American, is the top recruit in USF history.

            Would that USF’s basketball program could follow suit. It’s been a long time since Charlie Bradley.

History Center Makes History

          Talk about historic. That was the unveiling of the snazzy new Tampa Bay History Center that overlooks Garrison Channel across from Harbour Island.

*No cost overruns or design overhauls to delay matters. Barely a year after ground-breaking, the three-story, 60,000-square-foot museum is up and visitor-ready. Only minor details remain to be addressed.

*No political infighting or posturing. It was textbook collaboration among the city of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the private sector. Petty parochialism was relegated to the ash heap of local history for this $52-million project.

*No venue has the charge or wherewithal to better remind us all who live here that we have much more in common than conflict. This is our collective history, and it’s critically important — for the Tampa Bay area is home to so many who have relocated here. A sense of identity, which helps regional residents work together in common purpose, is imperative for meaningful Bay Area progress. From mass transit to high-tech recruitment to tourism.

Before there was a Jamestown or a Plymouth landing, there were Panfilo de Narvaez and Hernando de Soto exploring parts of present-day Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties.

*No problem with energy efficiency – in an area where the concept and its implementation is still a work in progress. The TBHC facility is cutting edge. Another historic precedent: It is the first Hillsborough County-owned, LEED-certified “green” building.

And if historical exhibits, icons, galleries and interactivity – including European explorers, Seminole tribes and Florida cowmen, as well as railroad tycoons, phosphate shippers and Cuban cigar rollers — aren’t enough, there’s also the Columbia Café, a destination in its own right.

Dungy Tributes

            No contemporary sports figure deserves a tribute-fest more than Tony Dungy, who recently announced his retirement from the NFL. He absolutely redefined class, critically important for a league that has more than its share of image problems.

            Among those publicly praising Dungy: former Bucs wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. “There are more ways than one to skin a cat, and he did it in such a way that set an example for everyone around him,” lauded Johnson.

            Imagine what MEshawn would have been like without the influence of Dungy?