Protesters plan demonstration for Mayor Rick Baker's farewell party

Bay Buzz just received this e-mail:

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7th, 2009
 
    Come Join the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, the Refuge, St. Pete For Peace, members of the Homeless Community, and residents of St. Petersburg, and others as we serve a free dinner and protest at the Chamber of Commerce sponsored Celebration of the Legacy of Mayor Baker, as he leaves office. This event takes place at  Demens Landing at Bayshore Dr.and 2nd Ave. South (200 1st Ave. South), St. Petersburg.While the Chamber will be giving awards to Mayor Baker and recognizing him for the supposed good things he has done for this community, we will look at his real legacy. Mayor Baker has been responsible for allowing this City to be labeled the 2nd meanest city in the country in its treatment of the homeless. He is responsible for ordering the horrendous attack on the Homeless community when the St. Pete. Police department and city employees attacked a homeless encampment, and slashing their tents and destroying their belongings. His Police force has been involved in the questionable shootings of Black Youth, including one in the back. He has overseen the elimination of public housing, including the Gram-Rogell Housing complex. He supported developers and big business to the detriment of small business owners. He has overseen the erosion and attempted elimination of Free Speech at Baywalk by supporting the privatization of public sidewalks, and continues to make back door deals with developers and the city council. This is just a few of the things that represent his legacy.
   JOIN US AS WE PROTEST THIS “LEGACY” and SAY “BON VOYAGE” TO MAYOR BAKER. Dinner will be served at 6pm. Please let us know if you can bring a dish to share. For more information, please call Rev. Bruce Wright at 727 278 1547 or email bgcwright@aol.com or you can go to www.stpeteforpeace.org for more info. You can also call Gregory Lockett at 813 924 7786
 
PLEASE NOTE THAT THAT THE VENUE FOR THE EVENT WAS ORIGINALLY AT WILLIAMS PARK, BUT ACCORDING TO ANNOYMOUS SOURCES IT WAS MOVED BECAUSE THE CHAMBER WAS APPARENTLY WORRIED ABOUT PROTESTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY BEING THERE

Comments

[Erik Libby]

A sad legacy for Rick Baker that touts the rights of the rich and negates the basic freedoms for the poor, and the disenfranchised homeless.The Times ran slanted coverage of Candidate Ford from 8 yrs ago to promote Bill Foster. Progessive city only in the respect that voters saw the postive attributes of Steve Kornell, but status quo on so many other fronts.
Here's to Steve Cornell and Newt Newton keeping Bill Foster and the council accountable.

[never support them again]

Expect more of the same. Remember the people "wanted to move in this same direction". So don't forget to celebrate Foster too! Cuz it's more of the same. Oh, don't forget to celebrate those loyal dems too! So much to look forward to. Reelecting them is not one of those things. Oh and I can't wait for Fosters cameras in the streets either. Celebrate that too!

[Alex Haak]

Where were you people when we needed YOU, in the Ford campaign ???

"Alex Haak will tell it like it is"

[Get a life.]

I guess protesters have nothing better to do than to make noise and find reasons to make a nuisance of themselves.

What good have protests done in the past, other than turn the public against their causes.

Maybe " The Rev." Wright would be more respected if He would join the Mayor's prayer breakfast and pray for a
better city for all of us.

Hey Rev., have you thought of moving to the nation's first
meanest city?

I am sure that they would appreciate you as much as we do.

[Baker for AG!]

Don't forget the undesired Annexation of Tierraslovakia. Lebensraum for the Republican Race!! Quite a deal for the developers. Who cares what those residents think?

But I am torn about which part of his legacy is the worst. Is it the uncontrolled growth of government on his watch? Or is the fact that we will all now have to listen to the Song of St. Petersburg, in all its uncomfortably contrived glory.

Real culture is organic. It is not a government contest or program. Empty, faux development of local culture. Sound like our one-dimensional government-subsidized real estate economy? Ha!

He'll be as good as Charlie! Well, as honest as Charlie at least.

[Stu]

The invitation I received from the Education Foundation says Williams Park(which I think is a bad place for a $50 a ticket political oriented party, even if it features Marshall Tucker). Has this really been moved to Demens?

[Are protesters & the homeless not allowed @ Demens?]

PLEASE NOTE THAT THAT THE VENUE FOR THE EVENT WAS ORIGINALLY AT WILLIAMS PARK, BUT ACCORDING TO ANNOYMOUS SOURCES IT WAS MOVED BECAUSE THE CHAMBER WAS APPARENTLY WORRIED ABOUT PROTESTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY BEING THERE

[Tommy Shaw]

Sitting on this barstool talking like a damn fool
Got the twelve o'clock news blues
And I've given up hope on the afternoon soaps
And a bottle of cold brew
Is it any wonder I'm not crazy? Is it any wonder I'm sane at all
Well I'm so tired of losing- I got nothing to do and all day to do it
I go out cruisin' but I've no place to go and all night to get there
Is it any wonder I'm not a criminal?
Is it any wonder I'm not in jail?
Is it any wonder I've got

Too much time on my hands, it's ticking away with my sanity
I've got too much time on my hands, it's hard to believe such a calamity
I've got too much time on my hands and it's ticking away from me
Too much time on my hands, too much time on my hands
Too much time on my hands

[Baker for AG!]

No statistics on St. Petersburg's losses in the SBA fund now under a formal SEC investigation?

No quote from our great Mayor?

Asleep at the wheel?

[Go Mayor Baker]

As a resident of St. Pete I take pride in the 2nd meanest city title. I wish we were 1st.

Thank you Mayor Baker for your great leadership during your 8 years. I just wish you would've done more to rid us of all the homeless.

[u]

GO GET A JOB "POOR PEOPLE". I AM SICK OF SEEING YOU AT THE END OF THE OFF RAMPS AND ON THE STREET CORNERS DOWNTOWN BEGGING FOR MONEY WHILE YOU SMOKE YOUR CIGGIES AND SWAY FROM BEING DRUNK OR HIGH.

IF YOU HAVE TIME TO PROTEST YOU HAVE TIME TO GO GET A JOB.

[u r a dope]

that would almost be a good point... if our nation under Obama wasn't at or above 10% unemployment... and our county at 12.5%...

[sam moore]

Hello!! Tearing down tent city was a blessing. You stupid crap head. I only wish they would have went in at 2:00 am and ripped and cut the tents up and woke those bums up. That way the lousy bums would be just as annoyed as I am when they bother me while trying to work to pay taxes to give them benefits and will end up paying their medical bills.

[Ace]

sam is right... I say we kill all the homeless and turn them into crackers to feed to old people, “SOILENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!”... top it with a little government issued cheese... and yummy!

Allllrightythen!

[u]

THE BUMS / PROTESTERS DO NOT WANT TO WORK YOU IDIOT.

IN FACT - THOSE SUPPORTING THEM SHOULD TAKE THEM IN TO THEIR HOMES AND "LOOK AFTER THEM". THERE WOULD BE NO HOMELESSNESS THEN - RIGHT?

IF A BUM IS BEGGING WHILE SMOKING OR DRINKING A BEER...THEY CLEARLY SHOULD BE SPENDING THAT ON FOOD AND SHELTER.

IF THEY WON'T THEN I AM NOT HELPING THEM.

[Ace]

what if you're a guy screaming at a ficticious person on a blog about something niether can control? that's stability, right?...

Alllrightythen!

[Prudence]

I bet Baker wishes he wouldn't have tried to run the protesters out of Baywalk. Now they're going to show up at his party, maybe even his house, or the city council members house, or at some of their other self-promoting events. You blew it St. Pete, and now you get to pay the price.

[Katherine]

This party is being held to recognize that Mayor's Mentors & More has raised ALOT of money to make sure that our St.Pete children have an opportunity to go to college and create a better life for themselves. Instead of blasting Mayor Baker, why not look a little deeper at the good things he has done?

[Watch out protestors]

What if the entire city of St. Petersburg reponded to the protestors threats and showed the protestors who's boss? THIS CITY DOES NOT WANT PROTESTORS. GET THE MESSAGE? You will NOT install fear in this city against it's own residents. We will fight back and give city property to business again if needed. Wake up loosers. Now get jobs and pax taxes like the rest of us. You are all loosers. Start focusing on something positive and make good in the world. The people of St. Pete will not put up with a few bad apples forever. Watch your threats or the politicians will not be your biggest concern. The enitre city will be your biggest concern when we run you out of town.

[susan]

Baker=scrooge

[Tootie]

Katherine.....REALLY? BullSpit!!! Wait until an audit is done on the people who push that program...One lady is my neighbor who is always home gardening, etc in the middle of a workday. You will find them DEFINITLY NOT WORKING yet collecting a paycheck. Taxpayers money being wasted on these losers!!!!! HOW MUCH MONEY WAS SPENT ON THIS BAKER PARTY????????????? MY FREAKIN TAXES! I WANT TO KNOW!!!

[Katherine]

Not ONE penny of YOUR taxes was spent, Tootie or anybody elses! It was party and the people who care about education in our community made donations to attend, had a great time and raised even more money for college scholarships!

[Who are these protestors?]

Come on you freaks! State your name and profession. I dare you. Run and hide you freaks. Stop hurting our city before we run you out of town. You freaking yahuru's and looser's who refuse to get a job. STOP your child play and get jobs like the rest of us. Pay taxes and contribute to the city. St. Pete won't put up with you much longer. We are tired of you wasting our tax dollars. We had no choice but to give 700k away in our property to get you guys away from us. We will give more if you keep threatening us. Stop or be stopped.

[Who are these protestors?]

Do any of you protestors even have jobs? I bet none of you make over 30k if you do. Get educated or go back to whereever you came from. This is St. Petersburg and we don't want you here.

[Who are these protestors?]

Oh... and if Go Davis is behind your games...he will be gone soon. Better find a new HNIC.. right Kathleen?