Samm Simpson's response to Kriseman

Samm Simpson wrote a blog post explaining her reaction to Rep. Rick Kriseman's letter slamming her for campaigning at Raytheon community meetings.

She writes that this blog's headline, "Kriseman rips Samm Simpson on campaigning at Raytheon" implies she's assumed guilty and has to prove her innocence, the same "modus operandi" of the Bush administration.

She adds she's never had a conversation with Kriseman and he made no effort to talk with her and get the facts before writing her the letter.

"In all my years as a parent, a corporate executive, an activist or a candidate, I have never received a communication such as the one that arrived on Wednesday from State Representative Rick Kriseman," she begins her post.

--Stephanie Garry, Times Staff Writer

Comments

What does being a parent, executive, or activist have to do with you trying to use this tragedy to help yourself get elected to office? That was classless and I'm glad someone was offended enough by it to tell you so. Rep. Kriseman did the right thing.

If Kriseman had a problem with it, he could have picked up the phone and discussed it with her. And given that she took the advice of one of his staff members at the meeting at Ratheon, and told Fox to stop with the questioning re: "Where's Bill Young/his office?" if representing her campaign at future events, shows that she is very sensitive to the whole "campaigning" issue -- which for many is a non-issue.

Let's keep in mind that Samm never asked to be introduced to the crowd, nor did she introduce herself as a candidate when asking the one and only one public question she's ever asked at any of these events: "Whether Senator Nelson would show leadership on this issue".

I've seen several elected officials at these meetings, taking bows when introduced, but I've seen few instances of them actually engaging with the homeowners, showing any real concern that turned into action. (With the exception of Bill Nelson who said he has the Federal EPA on this, and Charlie Justice who said he would do all in his power to make sure banks would not discriminate against those property owners trying to sell their properties.)

The classless move was sending what should have been a private communique between Kriseman and Simpson/Linn to the St. Pete Times.

This proves that Kriseman had alterior motives -- like covering the fact that his boy Hackworth has never taken the time to show up at one of these meetings in solidarity with the victims of the toxic plume, or even on a fact finding mission. He's been MIA, just like Young.

Samm wants to show support for the residents, and appearing at the events where folks are gathering and her asking sitting public officials to do something for them is exactly what I want out of my congressperson.

Samm's an advocate for the people, and actually gets in the trenches with them to solve problems.

You go, Samm.

Anyone think that Max Linn, the person copied on this letter, leaked it to the Times? Kriseman hasn't even been in town.

As most people can tell, Kriseman gets nothing for leaking this to the Times.

Kriesman was sitting on the do nothing St Pete City Council as this plume was spreading so his 'superiority' is a bit disingenuious.

anyway, max was to busy with his new fundraising website, the one that will finally bring the dems. to victory.

http://www.mustchangecongress.org

Go Obama!

7:59 is ill-informed. Rick Kriseman was the most active environmentalist on the council.

Kriseman is building a new house after his burned to the ground. It is a completely green house he hopes to have certified as green. He is environmentally conscious.

I don't know about the situation between Samm and Rick - I do know that to accuse Rick of knowing anything about the spreading plume while he was on council is incorrect.

[since1962]

9:52
His unfortunate fire and rebuilding green have NOTHING to do with INACTION or IGNORANCE while on COUNCIL.

I saw the 'consent' agenda manipulation and bobbleheaded actions of he and his fellow councilmembers.
He was right there with them with his votes.

Why is Tricky Rick writing personal letters with “unintended” endorsement implications for Hackworth… on taxpayer’s time and dime? Nothing in his “unintended” endorsement letter of Hackworth helps those people who are losing their homes due to his lack of action as a Legislator – as promised – to deal with out-of-control insurance premiums.

Kriseman should focus on protecting the interests of his electorate, not his contributors.

I would love to know who 7:25am is above. They are delusional.

Spin it anyway you hacks wish, but this was bush league politics of Kriseman’s part. It’s nothing more than a DINO handing a backdoor endorsement to another DINO. Samm choose not to kiss this putz’s ring, so he slapped her with his arrogance pen… on our dime and time.

Shame on you Rick, you schmuck!

How is he a DINO exactly?

[Forest]

dinoisasdinodoes, sir...

Kriseman doesn't support Hackworth, Kriseman supports Bill Young.

[D. Christensen]

The biggest problem with this particular piece is that The Times only chooses to paint candidates who represent differing views from the corrupt two-party sham democracy in a negative light.

Both Samm Simpson, Max Linn and others in the past are never afforded the common courtesy of positive stories (nor were the Ron Paul people for that matter) and as always the Times chooses to pander to the status quo like the sad shell and pathetic excuse for the newspaper that it once used to be back before it was dumbed down to appeal to a demographic preferred by advertisers.

I recently wrote a letter to the editor that was published last Sunday about a New York Times Magazine fawning hagiography to that degenerate elitist swine and grand poobah of white populist propaganda Rush Limbaugh that the Times had the audacity to peddle to subscribers (in the same issue that prominently featured the fold out of former Governor and Sourthernmost representative of the Bush Crime family - Jeb Bush) and had the chutzpah to do it on the weekend of the Fourth of July no doubt that expressed my chagrin and in true fashion of the gutless dittohead morons was deluged with hate mail - none of it signed with real names of course.

Lame, diluted, centrist, establishment-friendly, tepid garbage is about all that I can expect from the Times these days and that is when it is at its BEST.

A subscription to the Tampa Tribune is beginning to look better all the time, not only is it cheaper but the Sports section is better and it doesn't pretend to be something that it is not.

Someone needs to take those ever increasing subscription fees and hire some real reporters instead of the shills and hacks who are more intrested in their careers than in providing the citizenry with the news that a well-informed electorate should be entitled to.

DC

... ouch!

7:25 Come on, read some of these blogs from the past week, he gets for himself and his buddies!
7:23 Mr, Kriseman sent out 3 letters, all arrived to their destinations, on the same day. Linn, Simpson, and Times. But nice try at, trying to throw someone else under the bus. This is Mr. Kriseman's doing, and he even got his picture in the paper.
7:59
What does his house fire have to do with anything. As far as his house being"green" you don't mean "green", as in "glowing" from toxins? I'm sure you mean "green" as in ENVIROMENTALLY safe! and energy efficiant, which will save him money. I think that givin a choice everyone in his district would do the same, except it is way too expensive for the average worker to afford.....so he gets No sympathy! The average worker will continue to work to pay high price power bills, and his salary for a job of representing ALL the people of his district. Even those who ask questions.

D. Christensen,
BRAVO!

D. Christensen,
BRAVO!

Enough said!

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article739624.ece