Tampa City Council member wants to end Gasparilla beer sales
At a workshop last week, city officials and organizers of Tampa's annual Gasparilla parade pledged to come down hard on underage drinkers and inappropriate, drunken behavior. But council member John Dingfelder, a candidate for the Hillsborough County Commission, wants to take it even further. He said today he wants the opportunity to vote against allowing any beer sales at the event. Nonprofits sell alcohol along the parade route as a fundraising tool, and in the past, the council has voted on the temporary wet zonings. But that won't happen this year, because in 2008 the council changed city codes so that those requests are handled administratively. "I'm going to ask that they do come to us or that the administration turn them down," Dingfelder said. "I do love Gasparilla. I always have, since I was a little kid. I just want to make sure it's a family-friendly event."
Dingfelder, though, is likely facing an uphill battle on that one. Mayor Pam Iorio said she has no interest in stopping beer sales all together. "There is some good that comes out of the sale of beer on Gasparilla day. And that's the money that's raised for nonprofit activities," she said. Iorio said it's impossible to eliminate drinking from the festivities, and there's no point in punishing responsible drinkers. "There are many people who attend Gasparilla who might have one or two beers and are perfectly fine," she said. "They're not overdrinking and they're not acting foolish."
Janet Zink, Times Staff Writer
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Mayor - Ford
Council - Corsetti - Settlegood - Kornell - Thompson - Danner.
VOTE SMART !!!
Posted by: Team - St. Petersburg | October 26, 2009 at 06:50 PM
Do you have any frigging idea of how juvenile and unprofessional that spamming is?
Posted by: to: team ford | October 26, 2009 at 07:13 PM
Next Gasparilla, perhaps the pirates should imbibe a copious amount of rum and throw Dingfelder into the bay. Make him walk the plank.
Posted by: ROCKABILLY | October 26, 2009 at 10:28 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vm7EPIUbKU
Awesome ad. Beer ads are the only commercials worth watching.
Posted by: Jonathan | October 27, 2009 at 02:13 AM
New News Polls
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/cnn-drops-to-last-place-among-cable-news-networks/
Posted by: Clean up politics and lies | October 27, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Arghhhh!
Posted by: I'll drink to that Mayor | October 27, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Maybe Goliath Davis can drive his secret police car in the parade? Bill Foster approved this car in the budget when he was on the city council. This car was given to Davis to step down from police chief because he was a disaster.
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/politicalwhore/2009/08/05/a-goliath-expense/
Posted by: Clean up politics and lies | October 27, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Dingfelder is ridiculous.
Posted by: Dingfelder is an idiot | October 27, 2009 at 11:13 AM
I wonder if Dingfelder is planning on attending the parade? I'd like to buy him a beer and tell him to loosen up a little.
Posted by: FixHillsborough | October 27, 2009 at 07:29 PM
Maybe Dingfelder should participate in the children's parade and skip the big kids' party.
Posted by: Dixie | October 27, 2009 at 07:59 PM
Peter Schorsch - biggest crook in St. Petersburg politics.
Mamma T - biggest bigot in St. Petersberg.
9/12 group - biggest idiots in St. Petersburg ( and Obama haters )
Posted by: Foster Supporters | October 27, 2009 at 08:49 PM
Read about the Mayor Rick Baker Crime Family.
http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/PrintFriendly?oid=oid%3A358
Posted by: Clean up politics and lies | October 28, 2009 at 09:15 AM