Attack of the live chat, noon Tuesday!

I hope you can stop by Tuesday for the weekly live chat here on TroxBlog. From noon to 1 p.m. or so I'll be taking comments and questions from readers about current events. The hot topics lately have been baseball stadiums and property taxes, but I'm way game for some fresh material.

To observe or take part in Tuesday's chat, come back to TroxBlog at noon today and look for a new announcement with the headline, "The Jan. 15 chat is OPEN." Click on the "Comments" link of that item and you'll see a page with everything that's been said so far, and with a place for you to add your own comment or question.

As always, you're welcome to "pre-file" a question or remark to the "comments" link of THIS item, just a few lines below, and I'll try to work it into the chat. And if you can't be here live on Tuesday, you can always come back and read a transcript afterward.

Hope to see you at this week's chat!

Comments

[20/20]

The obvious question is: If Pinellas County owns the site, why is the City “seeking proposals” for its redevelopment?

The underlying details of the lease (Use) agreements between the county and the city, and the city and the Rays… have yet to be completely research and disclosed (in good faith) to the public. Within the lease (Use) agreements is a “hook”, “loophole”, or “out” if you will – that is paramount in this situation.

Given current economic conditions, the taxes and insurance situation, the increasing foreclosure rates – “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” is not the prudent path to take with this.

[Stpeteluvr]

Howard it seems to me the RFP for Tropicana is a classic case of putting the cart before the horse...and in this case the horse (a new waterfront stadium) is a long shot at best. As you suggested in your column it's akin to selecting mats and accessories before even picking out the car. But for the sake of brevity let me break down this issue into two parts...1.) Why do we need a new stadium? 2.)Why issue an RFP right now? The first issue is complex involving elements like Facility...Location...Product..and last and perhaps most importantly Financing. WHICH IS WHAT BRINGS ME TO MY MAIN POINT. TO SEEK AN RFP RIGHT NOW IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN! If you read the plan you'll see early on mention of the public's interest. Further along is a description of overriding public interest...in other words public interest comes up frequently in our Comp Plan. While I am not a supporter of a new stadium I am open to a debate about whether one might be in the public interest. I do not see however HOW there can by ANY justification of spending taxpayer money required for an RFP before we even have the debate. I don't believe anybody can argue that we DESPERATELY NEED a new stadium right now! A new stadium might be nice but the timing of this argument couldn't be worse. This is where I hope you'll use your clout and credentials to do some research for us. In a very tough economic environment for government in general..(St. Petersburg has actually laid off employees) WHY are we spending more money right now on what is literally a gamble on a November referendum(if it makes it past council this summer onto the ballot). Howard can you track for we taxpayers just how much the city has already wasted for this absurdity. I saw you at the Trop's fake public event. I call it fake because there was not one area to say we like the use of the land the way it is currently developed. There was no discussion on the merits of any of this. It was presented as a foregone conclusion.
Somebody tried to toss out the red herring that the city just wanted to get and idea of what the property might be worth even if the stadium deal did fall through. WHY would we get an appraisal of value in times of an economic downturn. Shouldn't we wait until the market recovers so we can get a TOP $ value not a BOTTOM $ value. Anyway Howard back to the cost. The chocolate chip cookies looked good, alas I'm on a diet and couldn't eat them, perhaps that is at the root of all this cynicism, but my real point is how many city staffers were there..from Vice Mayor Tish Elston..the entire Development Dept..even a lady from cultural affairs was there. Are all these staffers being paid salary to attend? Overtime? You get my point Howard could you find out for us just how much this RFP is costing the city in time of layoffs for a project that might not even come to fruition. How much salary is being wasted on Dave Goodwin and the boys in economic development? And Howard as a great investigative reporter can you find out for us WHO is providing the impetus for this waste of money. Sorry to ramble, but you are the columnist who can organize these thoughts into a cogent piece. I conclude with the beginning. If my two questions were Why do we NEED a new stadium.( I am a golfer who would enjoy a new set of "iconic" golf clubs but I can't lie and say I need them or even that they would help my game..which BTW is already far better than the Rays)? and Why now? I concede there may be room for debate on the first Why do we need a stadium? The second Why NOW? however points out how horribly inconsistent this whole deal is with our comprehensive plan. And aren't our leaders compelled to follow the Comp Plan? Why is there not enough time from the City's perspective to see if the idea will float with the public before potentially WASTING more of our tax dollars on a pie in the sky RFP. I completely understand the Ray's rush. Has anybody asked just how much the value of their franchise would increase should they get a new stadium..ahh but now I digress and that get's into the first WHY. I have some better organized arguments on why the stadium idea is obscene to begin with but that's not the issue at hand. What IS at hand is a City Council, a city Staff ready to misuse taxpayer dollars on an RFP that could easily wait until we know if the stadium even gets past the November referendum(if it even gets past Council onto the ballot) Could somebody please inform Jamie Bennett that EVERY letter to the editor is against this project and that to spend money needlessly is not in the public interest and a vote for this RFP is a complete conflict with our City's Comp Plan! Howard please do us all a huge favor...find out exactly how much money this whole RFP is costing us taxpayers.
I suspect it is enough to have saved one or two layoffs maybe more. And Howard WHO IS BEHIND THIS? The Mayor? Jamie Bennett? City Staff? If we haven't taken a position on the new stadium isn't spending the amount of money (however much you are able to ascertain) akin to taking a position. Why spend this money?

[Gary]

I won't be able to attend the chat, but a matter has been bugging me in the ongoing debate on education matters and whether evolution or creationism should be taught in public schools. The question is, what are the vaunted private schools that the state supports with vouchers teaching in their science classes? Are we subsidizing a lack of scientific education that will harm state competitiveness? Or are these schools teaching evolution, which might embarrass some conservation voucher backers but validate the claim of excellence in private schools?

This debate also leads to this nagging observation: For years conservatives have been saying government -- including public schools -- can't do anything right, yet many of these folks now want government to take over arguably the most important subject, teaching of religion. Isn't there a logical disconnect here?

Thanks.

[nan]

Howard,
Are you old enough to remember an auto tag charge for registering new vehicles in the state that was in excess of that charged to FL residents?
I read a little about this in another paper. Evidently it led to court action that forced FL to reimburse those who had been unfairly overcharged. Some posited that this could happen if portabity passes and its constitutionality is challenged.

[Kathleen Ford]

Mr. Mussett admitted in the background statement that he sent potential developers notice that the City may be issuing an RFP to develop the Trop site. City Council did not approve of this. Mr. Mussett further states that neither the City staff nor the mayor support or oppose the proposal. Well, who "recommends that the Council approve the resolution approving a request for developer proposals for the potential redevelopment of the Trop site?" A tremendous waste of taxpayer resources has already occurred without addressing the fundamental financial policy issue upon which this is based-do the Rays get the $450 million from the sale and redevelopment of this property to build a new stadium?
The tail is definitely wagging the dog here and City Council should vote NO on the RFP resolution on Thursday. Kathleen

[guy]

Stpeteluvr ~ you raise the questions that should be at the front of the issue of tearing down a stadium as nice as Tropicana, just to build another one in a crowded area.
I have seen few more stupid projects in my lifetime.
This is a very scary scenario that City Hall and the manbagement of the Devil Ray's (oops) "THE RAYS" are pushing through.
I feel they have stacked the city council with people who will do what they want. (for a price)