- My report for 10 News/WTSP revealed Lisa Wheeler-Brown is ready for St. Pete to move past the Rays. Her interest in expediting the negotiations is steeped in a desire to redevelop the Trop site into something that creates more jobs.
- The Tampa Bay Times editorial board is patting itself on the back for pushing Wheeler-Brown to victory, opining that "voters sent a clear message Tuesday: They want the stadium stalemate with the Tampa Bay Rays resolved." Yes, the paper's endorsement was influential. But it's ridiculous to assume the vote was a mandate on the Rays stadium when the city has so many other issues at-hand and the paper's other baseball-motivated endorsement failed in removing incumbent Steve Kornell.
The Tampa Tribune quoted Kornell as saying his victory was proof that baseball was not the only issue for voters. Mayor Kriseman echoed the sentiment. But if you're going to pride yourself in pushing for more tax dollars going to more stadiums, the Times has gotta do what the Times has gotta do.- Turnout was just a hair over 17% in St. Pete. The apathy for voting matches the apathy for MLB. Echoing John Romano's Monday column, SaintPetersblog makes a legit case for voters to pay more attention. Remember: ELECTIONS. MATTER.
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"The apathy for voting matches the apathy for MLB."
ReplyDeleteToo true.
The biggest misconception that political junkies and diehard sports fans alike have about their interests is that they assume everybody else around them is, or at least should be, as passionate about the local affairs or their favorite teams as they are.
Reality suggests that most people don't really give a flying f--- about either of those things.
I find it amazing that despite a 17% voting turnout, about 30,000 people (ie around the average attendance of 2 Rays games), the media herald the outcome as "St. Petersburg voters want Rays stadium stalemate resolved"!!
ReplyDeleteReally? 17% does not constitute St Petersburg" ... the headline should be, "St. Petersburg voters don't care about Rays stadium stalemate being resolved"
Only a deluded newspaper and deluded city think that there is support for this team in the Tampa area
Your post sounds like a bunch of Tampa-bias reporters...
ReplyDeleteFunny how lil' votes mirrored St.Pete's attendance at the Trop...
I love the idea of SaintPetersblog sitting around wondering why people are apathetic about politics. Of all the scheming political fraudsters in Florida, he might be the dirtiest. To pull the truly base scams and stunts that he has in his life and then to complain about voter apathy? Haha, this guy. 0/10 self-awareness rating.
ReplyDeleteUha, now that everyone involved in our "stadium saga" feels that the road block was moved aside, we're now starting to hear what some of us knew for a while, though you still have to "read between the lines". Hillsborough saying their "ready", and about how they "been" conducting workshops in anticipation of the months to come. St.Pete saying their "confident" now to work a reasonable deal to let the Rays search in Hillsborough...
ReplyDeleteMuch more is to come slowly but surely, but don't expect to get the whole story at once, they make it seem like they "been" all together planning for years...
Sorry Montreal, maybe after the next Ice-Age!
ReplyDeleteLike I said it many times, we can' wait to see progress in the Rays saga.
DeleteAs soon as there's light at the end of the tunnel for the Rays, the expansion process can start for Montreal.
No need to wait for the next Ice-Age.
Exactly. The commissioner's office has done a complete 180 on the issue of expansion. It's not a matter of if, but a matter of when. And a lot of that was waiting on Tampa Bay to get out of Stadium Purgatory. Shouldn't be any hard feelings.
DeleteIt's all about creating an illusion of demand on the part of professional sports. This way, they can manipulate cities for their taxdollars.
DeleteJust like creating the illusion that the Rays have any real fans
ReplyDelete