Wednesday: Museum bailout, Tierra Verde annexation, FSU cheating
Goood morning and happy Wednesday. Hope you survived the brutal "cold" snap. It is now less than a week until Christmas, which means less than two weeks left in 2007...
Notice the news in this morning's paper of yet another proposed bailout for the Florida International Museum in downtown St. Petersburg. The city is being asked to forgive $260,346, as part of a deal in which the museum's private benefactors forgive the rest of its debt as well.
The museum has never been a "museum" as much an an exhibition hall for tourist and gimmicky attractions. Admittedly, the early blockbusters (Treasures of the Czars) helped bring people downtown and played a role in the downtown's renaissance. As to whether this justified all the subsequent propping-up... nah. I really do not want to hear any more irksome "You owe us" kind of stuff. Who's in charge over there, Vince Naimoli?
Meanwhile, our neighbors in Tierra Verde, down at the southern tip of Pinellas County, are nervous now that the city of St. Petersburg is eyeing annexation. And they should be. They are between a rock and a hard place -- trampled by the county government up in Clearwater, and in danger of being gobbled up by St. Pete. Plus, some residents are rightly suspicious of the motives behind all this. Meanwhile, as the story points out, some in Tierra Verde are advocating incorporation into their own city out of self-defense.
Now, about this FSU football scandal: Hey, I don't want to take any cheap shots at Free Shoes University (whoops, sorry, that was a previous scandal). But if I were king of Florida, I would say that NO Florida university could take part in ANY bowl game until the state's universities were on a better academic footing overall. Imagine the gnashing and wailing of teeth then! Obviously, my priorities are misplaced.
Welcome to TroxBlog, the web-home of columnist Howard Troxler, where he and readers discuss his column topics and current events. The goal here is to focus on the merits of issues, instead of personal attacks or knee-jerk partisanship.
What chu talkin bout Willis? I'm gonna put my academic foot up your fine booty.
Posted by: Senor T | December 19, 2007 at 02:04 PM
Does ANYONE really think there is a meaningful nexus between college athletics and college education? I mean, anyone other than those who believe in political campaign promises.
Posted by: Young Andrew | December 19, 2007 at 04:03 PM
What I don't understand is why the embedded link is to a story written by an AP stringer with little real knowledge when you have your own beat writer (who spends half his time in Tallahassee) on staff.
Posted by: Bill | December 19, 2007 at 04:25 PM
The link is my fault -- thought I was linking to the staff story. I'll see if I can fix it...
Posted by: Howard Troxler | December 19, 2007 at 04:36 PM
Hey, since our Education System is ranked 49th overall… these boys got to make a dime somehow… right!
I mean, who needs to read and write… just as long as you can run fast… right!
What’s better; 8.50 an-hour to flip burgers, or 6-million a year to fight dogs… right!
I mean… if you don’t know, you better axe somebody!
Posted by: 1+1= a fatherless baby! | December 19, 2007 at 04:38 PM
student/athlete situation---it saddens me to see all the problems with some of these so- called student/athletes-i say this recognizing there are many fine individuals who are student/athletes at florida colleges but the "bums" get all the "ink"!!!throw the bums out!!!
Posted by: ed | December 19, 2007 at 06:21 PM