Wagman already campaigning

ST. PETERSBURG-- The mayoral election is more than a year away, but businessman Scott Wagman isn't waiting.

Unsolicited, he offered his opinion on the city's lack of curbside recycling in response to a Neighborhood Times story Wednesday on Mayor Rick Baker's green policies.

"As a Mayoral candidate, I believe we can have curbside recycling at minimal, if any net new cost with some strategic planning and service changes," he wrote in an email to a reporter. "As Mayor,I would initiate a study utilizing several different cost models to get it implemented. I look forward to a full and open discussion on this issue."

-Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer

Comments

I personally can't wait until Baker (and especially Davis!) are gone. I would love to hear Wagman's thoughts on crime and the "seam" between the south and north ends of the city.

[Purple Mountain's Magistry]

Wagman who?

Hey Scot, there are a lot, let me repeat, a lot of more important issues in this town besides curbside recycling. Get with the program man.

[Scott K. Wagman]

Hey,Purp,it's two "t"'s in Scott. Get with the spelling man.

Mr. Wagman,

Perhaps you should actually investigate what the city has already done by way of apprising the possibility of a curbside recycling program before launching such a pandering profile. No one knows you and you have started off poorly by showing your lack of knowledge.

The city is facing significant increases in water delivery, sanitation, and infrastructure replacement relative to water, sewer, and runoff. The "net new costs" are a definite - a must - because you can not deliver new services with out someone, somewhere paying for them.. or perhaps you have made a decision where the budget can be cut to accommodate the great concern you have recently acquired for curbside recycling - and oh by the way, a realigned planning strategy takes place EVERY year in each city department.

Did you stop to think that the city has been forced to cut its budget and will perhaps have to cut the budget again significantly after the fall elections...NO?

Before you go off making statements of what you are going to do, you should become more familiar with what is being done and what has been done and what the budgetary ramifications will be and if there are more pressing issues to consider.

We do not need another pandering self indulgent politican who has done NOTHING in this city until they want to run for office.

[Frank]

We already recycle ALL our garbage....it's burned at the incinerator and provides a second use (or maybe even a third use in the case of recycled paper that is thrown away) ....electricity generation....

Wagman?

[McFly]

First of all, he didn't promise anything in this statement. He offered his thoughts and beliefs, not promises. He's just throwing the idea out there. In government we can use all the ideas we can get our hands on to solve the myriad problems we face. Plus, the fact that he wants a frank and open discussion about it shows that he's not set on these ideas so let's not start crucifying him for having an opinion as a starting point for discussion. It also shows how he'll explore the solutions to other, more important problems...with an open mind.

Second, yes curbside recycling isn't a top issue by any means, but it's worth having an opinion on for goodness sake.

Last but not least, to the poster who wrote, "We do not need another pandering self indulgent politican who has done NOTHING in this city until they want to run for office.", it doesn't particularly matter what Scott Wagman has or hasn't done for St. Petersburg in the past. What does matter is what he can do for it in the future. I don't care if this guy has spent the last twenty years cleaning fish at the local marina. What matters is if he'll spend the next four years as mayor making St. Petersburg a better place.