7-21-2009 Sept. Mayoral Primary Notes
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filed under:
Politics
My thoughts on each of the candidates.
My Pick
- Jamie Bennett wants to renovate the Pier. It is super ugly, but I think it needs to be torn down, not renovated. I definitely don't feel the City should pay for that renovation, though. This is a business concern, not a government concern. Strike one, Jamie.
- "My preference is for a stadium with a retractable roof on the existing property... And with the economy in the shape it is, I hope the Rays submit a proposal that does not require public financing." Okay, I mostly agree, except, I wouldn't miss the baseball at all if it left St. Pete, so he should be more unconditional about not spending public dollars to subsidize some baseball fat cats. Ball 1, Strike 1 for Jamie.
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The Pier, the stadium, and Al Lange field are the only 3 issues Jamie posted on his website? Strike 2.
- Paul Congemi seems unstable: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/politicalwhore/2009/05/22/bay-buzz-pulls-post-about-st-petersburg-mayoral-candidate/#more-6225
- I like Richard Eldridge's ability to think for himself. His opinions definitely span party boundaries, and he can defend them. I wish he would state the issues directly on his website, instead of just compiling a list of responses to other candidates' statements. To reactive and not proactive enough. He's almost a contrarian candidate (shut up, Richard Condon).
- Kathleen Ford seems to make a lot of overused, general campaign promises.
- I like Bill Foster. He's actually got a degree in Public Administration. Imagine that. I like the service level budgeting idea. Check this out. He's getting my vote.
- Deveron Gibbons has no plan. That's a problem.
- Ed Helm "retired after 26 years as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor". omg. I can't think of a worse, less fulfilling career. He needs a wonderful retirement, not a mayoral post.
- Scott Wagman has a lackluster issues list. For his environmental plank, he's going to wage war against "water gulping St. Augustine grass". Good luck with that. I have St. Augustine in areas, along with Bermuda. They both get the same low amount of water and they both do fine. But, I think grass in general is not a good idea if you don't need to walk on the area, since wildlife can't nest in it as easily as some other covers, etc.. Anyway, this minor point doesn't belong on hs issues list. He seems like another one of those misguided businessmen that will have serious problems trying to run a public organization the only way they know how: like a business.
- I like John Warren. I like his restaurant (Savannah's Cafe). I don't think he's prepared mentally or organizationally to become mayor. I think he's taking it too lightly.
- Heh, Larry Williams will "1) aggressively pursue, arrest, place in jail and use all avenues of
prosecution to see that the punks, thugs and perpetrators are put in
jail". He really knows how to get the youth vote. I bet I'm a punk in his eyes, and I'm middle-aged! I don't want to live in the safest city on America. I think America's safest cities are mostly comprised of gated communities. What's that super-affluent perfect city outside Minneapolis? Oh yeah, Eagan, Minnesota. It's a trip.
