St. Petersburg to governor: Veto Senate Bill 216

ST. PETERSBURG -- Remember the uproar a few years ago when City Hall used your tax dollars to tell you how to vote on some amendments to the Pinellas County Charter?

Yeah, well, they want to keep doing that sort of thing.

City Hall plans to send a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist asking him to veto Senate Bill 216, which bars local governments in Florida from using public funds for political advertisements.

City officials argue that the bill would infringe on their constitutional right to express themselves. Never mind that they could still take sides on political issues, they just couldn't use public money to do so.

"Elected officials are elected to do what's in the best interests of the citizens and city, to stifle that duty takes away one of their responsibilities and may actually have an unconstitutional chilling effect on their First Amendment rights," the letter states.

To read the rest of the letter, click here.

The City Council will discuss the letter Thursday.

Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer

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Comments

[I WANT MY FREE TICKETS]

"Elected officials are elected to do what's in the best interests of the citizens and city…”

In this lay the problem with our Pinellas city and county leadership; that being a total lack of understanding of their responsibility – and all the more reason they should all be voted out of office.

Elected officials are NOT elected to assume a parental roll over the citizens or the city. They are elected to “represent” the citizens as part of a process that is charged with the ethical and proper allocation of the citizen’s taxes, such that those allocation and respective functions meet the needs of the citizens and the community. You know, like hand out taxpayer funded Rays tickets to buy votes, getting wives and family members bogus and high-paying jobs and appointments at taxpayer expense… you know… stuff like that!

[Step up to the plate!]

I want my free tickets.... why don't you put your money where your mouth is and get your name on the ballot? Maybe you can "fix" everything that's wrong with the City... Or better yet, if you're not satisfied, then move!

[Paul]

I DO NOT WANT MY TAX DOLLARS SPENT ON POLITICAL
MAIL.

I DIDN'T SEE A SIGNATURE ON THIS LETTER.

WAS IT FROM RICK?

[Equal time to expose the slime]

So when some anti-government jackasses like Marco Rubio or Harry Dopolous spend taxpayers' time and money to campaign for irresponsible tax reform, waging war on local government, that's OK? But if the local governments try to explain to the taxpayers the consequences of voting for such ill-advised laws, that's bad? I disagree.

[Harn007]

Step up to the plate!? Why don't you just do a better job?

[A politician stole the plate!]

"Or better yet, if you're not satisfied, then move!"

Classic Pinellas politics... "If you don't like it, shut up or get the hell out!"

[Hubris]

Memo to City Council: you are not our parents -- you are not our overseers. You still can comment on issues; you just can't use our tax money to lobby us. Such hubris! Voters should take note of who voted for this and send them out of office.

[Hubris indeed]

“On behalf of the City of St. Petersburg, …”

Two questions the Times should ask:

1. “On behalf of the City of St. Petersburg” – How is this statement possible when I don’t recall seeing this on a ballot so that the people who live in and fund the City of St. Pete could approve of you doing this on their behalf.

2. “I respectfully request” – How can this be possible when there is no header or signature depicting who “I” is?

And you call the Legislation poorly written?

[Rick]

Whaaaaaaa! Poor local governments will now have to stop being lazy and actually explain to the voters their position on things. Please Mr. Governor, save us from having to do more work and back up our ads with factual information! Much easier to snow the public when I can just tell them how to vote.

[Paul]

Who wrote this? I downloaded the file and see the author and other details have been removed from the file properties. Who is the 'I' in this letter?! Isn't there this public information, sunshine law stuff that is supposed to occur? Do share, please. Unveil the secret letter writers name.

[expose the slime in Tallahassee]

Hey dipwad at 3:30 why don't you take you waaaaaa up to Tally and throw it at your Republican House and Senate - look at all the absolute crap they came up with in session this year and not a word to the voters explaining how it would benefit them. That's because every last piece of crap concocted by your lame brained GOPers benefits no one but their small select bunch of weathy supporters. You have no right to complain about local government with trash like that in Tallahassee legislating against our best interests.

[John M.]

Dear St. Pete Politicians:

Your First Amendment rights do not extend into my wallet. If you absolutely think that you need to tell me how to vote, spend your own campaign funds.

[Cathy Wilson]

Dear Mayor and City Council,
I do not WANT you to "educate" me about why Penny for Pinellas should be extended or anything else about local government and the taxes we pay to fund it while using MY money to do so. IF you have a personal opinion about a piece of legislation or pending business before Council, then by all means speak your mind but do so during a regular televised session of City Council or by a mailer paid for out of your own pocket.

I am a VOTER, not your child. Please treat me with enough dignity and respect to allow me to make up my own mind on the issues of the day without making me pay for you to tell me what I SHOULD think.

[Who wrote the letter]

Who drafted the letter and the drafts of the letter?

[Cut staffers who blog!]

Hey dipwad at 4:29 why don't you take your advise and shove it at! Hurry, before you City Councilman boss gets back!

You lameass staffer!

[Did u read it?]

Did you read the bill or the letter? The problem is a SALARIED employee could potentially get in trouble for speaking out on an issue or heading up a rally for it because their salary is from public money.

It doesn't say St. Pete wants to spend your tax money on ads. The law just needs to be rewritten. But as it is now, it NEEDS to be vetoed.

[A cadre of rich developers is not a better option]

Every now and then the city will have to communicate with voters about an issue.

If we stop local governments from using tax dollars to communicate with us, they may turn to a handful of citizens willing to front the money to make political changes.

Do we really want that?

[Paul]

So who wrote that letter? Who is 'I'?

[awhitewolf]

...the city of st. petersburg, among other cities, went to court and spent tax payer's money to overturn the vote of the people in recent elections...is that in the best interests of the people ???...

[Joseph P. Developer]

Developers and other special interests are grateful to Senator Justice for this bill and we feel confident we can count on Florida's Puppet-In-Chief to do our bidding (see SB 360 if you don't believe it). Last thing we want is for cities to be on equal footing with us, able to challenge our campaigns to further develop Florida, evade impact fees and taxes, and otherwise have our way. We love it when cities bring their pocket knife to a gun fight! Nice spin stirring folks up by saying cities want to spend your taxes to TELL you how to vote when, actually, that's what we'll be doing. Even Howard Troxler is squealing like a stuck pig. Now that's ROI! Really, don't listen to your local elected leaders (the ones conveniently located in your community at City Hall). Listen to those folk in Tallahassee. They are the people who know how you should vote. This bill is the best legislation money can buy!

[Blazin]

The City of St. Pete and Pinellas Government as a whole consistently use taxpayer funds to supplement their respective campaign coffers; the Penny for Pinellas episode was a perfect and blatant example of it. From issue signage (see Penny), to political call-outs to buddy candidates (see recent Pinellas Park televised public meeting), to using government TV to spotlight particular incumbents during their re-election season.

Apologists can spin it any way they choose, but it is a clear and intentional act of malfeasance, and a violation of their fiduciary responsibility. Sadly – taxpayers, voters, and the local media in general – have reached a level of propinquity with respect to certain acts of corruption and dereliction of duty when it comes to elected officials in Pinellas. If the masters of damage control can spin it into a shade of gray, then most people – including the media – will accept the gray goose and move on due to a pure lack of time and attentiveness... and every one of them knows it.

But what do I know; “Mongo only pawn in game of life.”