Daily Loaf

Stan Greenberg is Bill Clinton’s former pollster.  He’s partners with famed celebrity political strategist James Carville in Democracy Corps.  On Monday night, the group released a survey called, The Politics of National Security, A Wake Up Call.

The report has plenty of depressing news for Democrats when it comes to an issue in which they traditionally have finished behind the Republican Party – national security.  But what about Barack Obama coming in and restoring the U.S.’s tattered image overseas, damaged by Gitmo and Abu Grhaib and no WMD?  Greenberg blames some of that on how horrible the economy remains:

Even though voters are about evenly split on whether the country is more or less safe today, a 51 to 41 percent majority says the U.S. is less respected in the world than two years ago. This is surprising, given the global acclaim – and Nobel peace prize – that flowed to the new president after he took office. Yet a regression analysis shows that this sentiment is driven even more strongly by perceptions of Obama’s performance on the economy – and America’s relative economic weakness – than by his handling of security issues. Read more “Greenberg survey bad news for Democrats on security and terror issues” »

You can practically smell the estrogen in the air. There were hints of it for years, but a confirmation with Nettwerk CEO and tour co-founder Terry McBride via Twitter early last year made it official. Lilith Fair is returning this summer. The 2010 tour recently announced plans to stop in 33 North American cities, including right here in Tampa.

The most successful all-female tour in history — spearheaded by Grammy-winner Sarah McLachlan — brought more than 1.5 million people to its shows from 1997 to 1999, and donated upwards of $10 million to local and national charities.

This year’s return performers include, among others, Erykah Badu, Tegan and Sara, Emmylou Harris and Sheryl Crow, with the roster of first-time Lilith performers encompassing Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Cat Power, Miranda Lambert, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and Sia. People often get the impression that Lilith Fair is a predominately singer-songwriter/folk tour, but having female-fronted bands like Heart, Metric and Gossip on the lineup helps break down those preconceived notions a bit. Putting Ke$ha on the bill won’t hurt either. The pop phenom came stumbling onto the music scene with her monster hit “Tik Tok.” Ke$ha’s pseudo-inebriated antics and banal lyrics ["O-L-D-M-A-N/you're just an old man/hittin' on me what?/ you need a cat scan"] might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but she’s sure to liven up the place a little bit. Besides, the festival is all about bringing female musicians from every genre together.

And this week, Lilith announced some more additions to the already diversified line-up: Read more “Lilith Fair revival headed to Tampa with Mary J. Blige, Emmylou Harris, Cat Power and more + the latest additions” »

Saying they have created a culture that is “toxic” and “dysfunctional,  Hillsborough County Commission Chair Ken Hagan is calling for County Administrator Pat Bean, County Attorney Renee Lee, and Internal Auditor Jim Barnes to  resign by next Tuesday, March 16 by noon.  If they do not, he writes, he will ask and “encourage” the full board of County Commissioners to “terminate their employment” the following day.

Hagen made the request public in a letter distributed this afternoon.

It’s a bold move by the Chairman in anticipation of a meeting called to discuss the issue of Barnes audit tomorrow, which says that Bean and Lee reviewed thousands of e-mails written by Barnes and his staff regarding how the two came about giving themselves a 1% pay hike back in 2007.  E-mails are public records, but because the FDLE was already investigating that event, they are exempt from Sunshine laws.

In his letter, Hagan writes:

Perhaps, if this latest information from the auditor’s report was an isolated issue, I would be less vehement; however, that is not the case.   And therefore, today, I am compelled to advocate both swift and immediate action to return the County to its proper course.  It is my firm belief that these issues may only be effectively addressed by sweeping change in the staff leadership of Hillsborough County.

Coming to us via Moviefone and the always-on-the-hunt Stephen Hammill is this admittedly fascinating video from a 1975 Star Trek convention in Chicago. The silent film is narrated by cameraman Rich Portnoy, and it will make you long for bell-bottoms and key parties. One final thought: Never have so many flashbulbs popped all because one guy took a seat.

Watch the video after the break …

Read more “Get your geek on with this video of a 1975 Star Trek convention” »

If you don’t already have plans on this jam-packed weekend of music and want to get out of town for the night to see two rock music icons, Eric Clapton and Roger Daltrey play this Saturday, March 13, at Amway Arena in Orlando. Tickets available via Ticketmaster are $45, $65, $85 and $125. [To check out Gabe's review of Daltrey's November 30 performance in Clearwater, click here.]

On his current 2010 tour, Clapton is backed by keyboardists Chris Stainton and Walt Richmond, bassist Willie Weeks, drummer Steve Gadd (drums), and backing vocalists Sharon White and Michelle John. Clapton’s most recent studio album is his 2006 collaboration with JJ Cale, The Road to Escondido. (For those who aren’t aware, Clapton recorded the most well-known versions of Cale’s songs, “After Midnight” and “Cocaine.”) In 2009, he released Live from Madison Square Garden, a 2-CD/2-DVD live album featuring Clapton and Steve Winwood, and made up of recordings from their performances at Madison Square Garden in February, 2008. Daltrey supports him on his Florida stops.

The 3 Guys are back this week to take on “Chuck vs. The Beard,” which turned out to be one of the greatest episodes of Chuck the 3 Guys have ever seen. This episode had it all: comedy, drama, plenty of action and, of course, plenty of those geeky moments Chuck fans have come to expect. This week even featured an extra beautiful woman while one beautiful woman was gone. You want to know more? Of course you do! Check out the podcast to find out what’s going on at Buy More, what will happen with Chuck, and most importantly, which Chuck hottie is hotter.

Download the podcast here.

Keep reading below for pics of the hotties in question, and let us know in the comments section which Chuck honey stole your heart.

Read more “3 Guys & Chuck The Podcast: “Chuck vs. The Beard”” »

This week’s schedule of new music releases; for a complete breakdown of upcoming releases due out in the next several months, click here.

Acrassicauda, Only the Dead See the End of the War (Vice)

Alberta Cross, Broken Side Of Time (ATO)

Aloha, Home Acres (Polyvinyl)

Before Their Eyes, Untouchable (Rise)

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Beat The Devil’s Tattoo (Abstract Dragon/Vagrant)

Lisa Bouchelle, Bleu Room with a Red Vase (Varese Sarabande)

Broken Bells, Broken Bells (Sony)
*A project by The Shins’ James Mercer and Danger Mouse.

Here’s their video/ad for the single, “The High Road.”
Read more “New music releases out this Tuesday, March 9: Jimi Hendrix, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Frightened Rabbit, Ludacris, Serj Tankian, Pavement and more (audio + video)” »

The controversial documentary The Cove took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Sunday night, so why was their speech cut short?

The film’s producer Fisher Stevens took the stage to claim their award along with director Louie Psihoyos, fellow producer Paula DuPré Pesman, and one of the film’s stars (and former Flipper actor), Rick O’Barry. After Fisher Stevens gave his speech of thanks, he hands over the mic to Louie Psihoyos while Rick O’Barry unfolds and holds up a sign that reads “Text Dolphin to 44144″ behind them. Louie barely gets two words out before the music plays over him, the camera cutting to the audience and going straight to a commercial.
Read more “The Cove Oscar speech cut off because of activist message (video)” »

Love him or hate him, director Tim Burton has made some incredibly popular movies in a very long, impressive career. With his latest movie, Alice in Wonderland breaking box-office records this weekend, I decided to look back at some of my favorites.

5) Edward Scissorhands — One of Johnny Depp’s best-known roles, Edward Scissorhands is a truly bizarre concept that only Burton could pull off. The film is crammed full of heart and has an underlying meaning aimed squarely at a teen audience. This movie displayed Burton’s unique visual style, which was considered refreshing at the time.

Read more “The Top Five Tim Burton Movies (No, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure isn’t one of them)” »

The Bay area doesn’t have much in the way of homegrown Celtic roots rock, but The Fightin’ Malones [pictured, photo by James Ostrand] are about to change all that when they make their formal debut this St. Patrick’s Day. “We play the music of the people who work hard all week and want to have some serious fun on the weekend, because that’s us,” frontman Tom Cook told me when I met with him and his wife Beth last week to discuss their fledgling sextet. “I think our music speaks to those who work hard and play hard …”

The inspiration for The Fightin’ Malones originated in Tennessee, where the couple spent their second honeymoon soaking up the sounds of the region’s most noteworthy music locales beginning with the blues and rockabilly of Memphis, moving on to the traditional country and underground Western swing of Nashville, and ending with the rural bluegrass and roots music of northeastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. There, they visited the historic Carter family home and saw a few shows at the Carter Fold, Johnny Cash’s home stage and the place he played his final notes. “It exists to further mountain music, and everyone goes there every weekend, and the only rule is you can’t plug in,” Tom explained. “Except for one person who was allowed to plug in — and that was Johnny.” Read more “CL Feature: The Fightin’ Malones introduce their Celtic roots rock to the local scene with a St. Paddy’s Day show” »

[Editor's Note: Former CL Intern (and current Lost nut) Michelle Stark will be joining the CL Lost team, adding written reviews for the rest of the episodes in Season 6. Enjoy tonight's episode, "Dr. Linus," and check back late Wednesday or Thursday for more from Michelle and for our Lost Podcast.]

Hello, fellow Lost fans. I’ll be writing weekly on our favorite time-traveling, reality-shifting series, giving recaps and thoughts on the most recent episode. (And for those of you who have stumbled upon this without knowledge of the show, I invite you keep reading — but at your own risk.) So here we go, with last week’s episode: “Sundown.”

Read more “Previously on Lost: “Sundown”” »

 

Andrew Huse visited the owners of the historic — and sadly closed — Tampa restaurant Seabreeze to learn how they make their classic devil crabs, one of the Bay area’s iconic culinary creations. See his pictures, read the story, then try to make your own using a recipe from the Seabreeze By The Bay Cookbook.

And, depending on how they turn out, you can buy them from the Richards family and save yourself the trouble. But try it first.

Recipe after the break:

Read more “Tampa Foodways: Seabreeze By The Bay Cookbook devil crab recipe” »

The Fourth Kind, the title a reference to the ranking of alien encounters, is a movie unlike any other. The DVD of this “documentary” hits stores today, and I took a look back to see if I truly do believe — or at least if the movie is worth $15 worth.

The film begins with Milla Jovovich coming right out and saying she is portraying a real-life character, named Dr. Abigail Tyler, and that what you are about to see is real and backed up by the actual footage. We soon learn that Dr. Tyler’s husband was murdered, and as she picked up his patients she started to notice an alarming pattern. It seems that the people of Nome, Alaska are all experiencing bizarre events, suffering from memory loss and are providing evidence of what may be alien abductions. Despite cautions from her friends, Dr. Tyler gets closer and closer to these events until “the phenomenon” effects her too. Is it little green men? Evidence of inbreeding in Sarah Palin country? Just a bunch of crazy mumbo-jumbo? We don’t know.

Read more “DVD Review: The Fourth Kind, starring Milla Jovovich, Will Patton and Elias Koteas” »

Set aside the fast food novelty and newfangled fine dining pomp for a moment. Even as consumers and writers begin to take local produce and heirloom varieties seriously, local Florida food traditions often go unappreciated. Some of our local culinary treasures have languished in relative obscurity for years. It’s time to give proper due to those traditions that give Bay area cuisine a sense of place.

The lack of reverence for Florida foodways has something to do with the fact that everyone here is from someplace else. When newcomers arrive, they long for the comfort foods from back home. New Yorkers want to know where to find the same pizza they grew up with. Chicagoans search for hot dogs, and folks from Philly long for cheesesteaks.

This sentimental longing for delicacies from the old country is so pervasive that I coined a term for it: the “Conquistador complex,” after the Spanish warriors who came to Florida in the 1500s to steal gold. They ignored Florida’s bounty of seafood and produce, and instead dreamed of the brown bread, olive oil, wine and lamb of home. As the missionaries discovered in their hacienda plantations, none of these Old World products could be readily produced in Florida’s subtropical climate. And Florida’s restaurateurs never seem able to fulfill the expectations of more modern transplants in search of hometown nostalgia.

Florida’s food culture is unfairly derided and has few public defenders. Most critics and chefs aren’t fond of singing the praises of Florida’s humble creations and adaptations, like smoked mullet, Cuban sandwiches, crab enchilado (chilau) over spaghetti, Minorcan clam chowder with datil chili peppers, Greek salads, deviled crabs, oyster stew, Spanish bean soup and Key Lime pie.

As a result, the Bay area’s food culture is dying off. In the last decade, Tampa has lost many iconic dining landmarks: Seabreeze, Goody Goody, Palios Bros. Chicken, Snack City and Valencia Gardens, to name a few. Tragic, but those closings can be reminders that we need to appreciate our distinctive local food heritage. In this column, I will explore authentic local dishes, recipes, restaurants and professionals that make the cuisine of the Bay area unique.

That’s not to say that I’ll ignore more recent developments in the local food scene. Just as there are no distinctly American or Florida foods, there are no true Floridians, either. So the Vietnamese pho merchant or Mexican taco truck is no less a part of our evolving culinary heritage than soft shell crabs. They’re just the latest arrivals to the Florida feast.

Hot as the Devil Crabs

I can’t think of a more appropriate place to start than the devil crab, Read more “Tampa Foodways: The “Conquistador Complex” and the lost art of the devil crab” »

Charlie Crist has steadfastly denied that he has any intention of leaving the Republican Party, though recent polls show that he is losing more and more support inside his own Republican party when it comes to his race against Marco Rubio for the nomination for U.S. Senate.

But he may need to rethink that.

After polls two weeks ago showed him down by 16 and 18 points, respectively, a new survey out today shows him trailing Rubio 60% to 28%.

The Public Policy Institute poll also shows Crist trailing Rubio among conservatives, 71-17.

Crist cannot do a Joe Lieberman and re-run as an independent in November if he loses to Rubio in the August 24 primary; state law requires that he declare his independence.  He must do so by April 30. Read more “It’s now time for Charlie Crist to run as an independent – now down 32 points to Rubio” »

The annual nude themed art show, Nude Nites, is a hit each year because it allows sophisticated, professional citizens to indulge in a subject that is often relegated to the realms of strip clubs, internet porn, and sex shops. Nude Nites provides a classy setting where art enthusiasts can sip wine, mingle, and appreciate the floral still-life being painted on a voluptuous nude model. It provides a setting for women who would never consider going to a male review to snap photos of nude men standing behind giant picture frames.

Before Saturday, I had only witnessed spinning nipple tassels in movies. Read more “Burlesque performances at Nude Nite Tampa 2010 (videos NSFW)” »

This weekend marks the 10th annual Cajun Zydeco Crawfish Festival

Wednesday, March 10: The NoHo Bistro
Wine Wednesdays. The wine and tapas change weekly, so come back regularly and bring your BFFs, blind dates, co-workers, boy/girlfriends or, hell, someone else’s boyfriend. $15 for two glasses of wine paired with two tapas. 1714 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa (813-514-0691)

Thursday, March 11: Michael Murphy Gallery M
TAPA Wine Tasting. The Tampa Alumnae Panhellenic Association hosts its seventh annual auction and wine tasting, with all proceeds going to academic scholarships for local collegiate women involved in panhellenic organizations. Datz Deli provides tasty eats, and live jazz music rounds out an arty evening on the town. Contact Shannon Walsh at swalsh3d@hotmail.com or 813-758-5881 for tickets and info, or visit tampahellenic.org for info on the organization. $35. 6:30 p.m., Michael Murphy Gallery M, 2701 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa.

Friday, March 12 – Sunday, March 14: Vinoy Park
Cajun Zydeco Crawfish Festival. More than 10,000 pounds of crawfish are trucked in for this weekend-long event. Need we say more? But it gets even better: Mardi Gras costumes, eating contests, a crawfish race, dance lessons, and music by The Porch Dogs, Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, Don Fontenot and Les Amis De La Louisiane, Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys, Lost Bayou Ramblers and Same Old Two-Step. Visit mahaffeytheater.com for tickets and info. $12-$15. 4:30-10 p.m. Fri., noon-10 p.m. Sat., noon-8 p.m. Sun., Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg.

Friday, March 12: Bennigan’s Channelside
Rough Riders St. Patrick’s Day Trolley Hop. Your destinations may not be traditionally Irish (unless you consider Bennigan’s a boon) but this I promise: a good Irishman wouldn’t turn down a proper pint, no matter where it came from. You’ll also stop at Teatro on Seventh, Gaspar’s Grotto, Tampa Bay Brew Company, Rock ‘N Sports and more. $20-$35. 6 p.m., meets at Bennigan’s, 615 Channelside Dr., Tampa.

Many more events after the break: Read more “Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events” »

Whether you’re looking for a job or wondering what might be a career move, you’ll want to learn the latest about Smart Grid appliances.

According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), “The term ‘Smart Appliance’ with respect to the Smart Grid refers to a modernization of the electricity usage system of a home appliance so that it monitors, protects and automatically adjusts its operation to the needs of its owner.”

The Zpryme 2010 Smart Appliance Report states:
Read more “Energy efficient Smart Grid appliance market on the rise (video)” »

I have seen the whole salt-crusting thing done with fish and meat, but I have never seen it done with potatoes. So when I came up with the idea the other night I thought I was a genius. But then there is this new thing called Google. You heard of it? It is a useful little tool on the world wide web that seems to know all the answers. If you don’t want all of your hopes and dreams crushed about having a novel idea, then I do not recommend using it.

Obviously (according to Mr. Google) salt-crusted potatoes is nothing new. Well hell, apparently I am not a genius after all.

Recipe after the break

Read more “Salt-Crusted Potatoes recipe” »

There could be high (or low) drama tomorrow after in Tampa as the Hillsborough County Commission holds a special meeting regarding internal auditor Jim Barnes report about Pat Bean and Renee Lee looking into his e-mails;

Orlando area Congressman John Mica is a somewhat powerful guy when it comes to transportation issues;  he met with Hillsborough and Pinellas are officials about local transportation projects yesterday;

And Channel 10 is reporting that the city of Tampa is investigating e-mails between outgoing Tampa International Airport head Louis Miller and his wife Cyndy(who works for the city) on issues regarding airport height restrictions and developer projects in Tampa;

Download
the report here.

“With enough time eventually we all see what was right in front of us and realize no matter how long it took it was worth the wait, but for some that time never comes. Instead of healing old wounds the wait just opens new ones time after time.” -xoxo Gossip Girl

Today is the day I have been waiting for for months, the day my favorite Upper East Siders return in all their glory, the day Gossip Girl returns from its unnecessary hiatus. But I am willing to forgive the wrongdoings of those who took Gossip Girl away from me for this long because of tonight’s fabulous episode.

Nate and Serena came back as a couple/fuck buddies/generally it’s complicated relationship, but of course they wanted to take it slow at first…maybe it’s just me but fucking immediately upon seeing each other and then again in a coat room just doesn’t seem that slow. Either way this couple is hot and heavy just the way it should be.

Speaking of hot and heavy, look at Little J, our little prescription drug-pushing Little J. Her new friend Damien is definitely a bad influence, but in such a good way. When they needed to collaborate a way to get drugs to a heavily guarded French ambassador’s daughter, she uses her sewing talents to create a drug-infested jacket which eventually ends up on Serena….and then of course on the coat room floor — Read more “Gossip Girl recap: A mother Chucker of a secret” »

The Swinger Manual by Just Ask Julie is a line-by-line instruction guide to the swinger lifestyle. Just Ask Julie eases newbies into the exciting world of swinging by defining a few terms to get readers accustomed to the lifestyle lingo:

What exactly is swinging? “A broad definition of swinging is consensual recreational sex with others.”

Just Ask Julie continues with anecdotes from fellow swingers, who she identifies by their swinger names. VegasLee, Happy People, and Pervgeeks are a few of the interesting couples contributing to this book, adding a second, third, and even fourth perspective on common questions.

Just Ask Julie thoughtfully describes the most frequently asked questions for those considering experimenting in this lifestyle. From how to get started, to dealing with jealousy issues, Julie covers all bases:

“What if I get a disease?” A common concern among swingers and singles a like. Julie compares the risk of getting an STD with your parachute not opening while skydiving. Read more “Book review: ‘The Swinger Manual’” »

Three of my girlfriends and I had the pleasure of attending Nude Nite 2010, and we had a fucking fabulous time.  The art was breathtaking and at times arousing.  While I enjoyed every media of nude art—paintings, digital art, video, metal, people—the burlesque show was the best.  If every woman could put on a show like that, spinning nipple tassels at her command, couples would spend much more time in the bedroom. Burlesque is so much more entertaining than plain old stripping. Anyone can take off their clothes; few can make stripping an art form.

I’m no professional photographer, but here are a few of my pictures from the night. Check out more  here. Read more “Ginger Ale’s Nude Nite 2010 experience (NSFW photos)” »

WTSP 10 Connects’s Mike Deeson reported last night that the city of Tampa is now investigating potential Sunshine law violations at Tampa International Airport.  Specifically, e-mails that were sent from outgoing TIA director Louis Miller to his wife Cyndy, who serves as the city of Tampa’s Director of Growth Management, regarding airport height restrictions and how that pertains to developers doing projects in Tampa .

Deeson’s story featured a short interview with Mayor Iorio, who told him that though she doesn’t think the Miller have done anything wrong, per se, she’s assigned city attorney Chip Fletcher to look into the matter:

Both Millers explain that they share the same e-mail account  and say the e-mails were just an attempt by the former airport director to be able to read the e-mails at home. However, one of the e-mails from this past June says from Louis to Louis and Cyndy Miller. The e-mail talks about a developer requesting a change in zoning.

Even Iorio admits the whole issue is complicated by the fact they have only one e-mail account at home.

While the Mayor says, on the surface, she doesn’t think Louis and Cyndy Miller have done anything wrong, she does admit the e-mails have caused enough concern that she has launched an investigation into them. Read more “Channel 10 reports that Tampa attorneys are investigating e-mails between Louis Miller and Cyndy Miller” »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview upcoming events to mark your calendar for. Two local theaters are vying for your entertainment dollars this weekend. My suggestion? Splurge on both — you’ll need some comic relief after seeing The Lark at Gorilla Theatre, about the ever-fascinating and controversial “Joanie on a Pony” (as she’s known in N’awlins).

Joan of Arc wore many hats (and some really uncomfortable iron headgear) — from saint, to warrior, to heretic. This courtroom drama explores the inextricable combination of historical fact and religious mystery that shrouds the Maid of Orleans when she is called to testify in the Great Inquisition.

If you’re looking for some lighter theatrical fare, try Jobsite Theater’s boom!, a comedy about Read more “On the Radar: The Lark at Gorilla Theatre and boom! at Jobsite” »

You might have thought Ted Allen was the last Queer Eye standing, and that the rest of the flamboyant team had faded into the rum-soaked pages of reality TV history. Well, you’d be wrong. Everyone’s fave blonde bombshell, Carson Kressley, former Queer Eye guy and now host of Lifetime’s How to Look Good Naked, hosts tonight’s Fashion Funds the Cure fundraiser for pediatric cancer research. Models — some professionals, some cancer survivors themselves — storm the runway in spring’s latest styles; there’s also a silent auction with the usual array of vacation packages, restaurant certificates and memoribilia, and more celeb appearances by Read more “Do It Today: Queer Eye’s Carson Kressley hosts Fashion Funds the Cure, Sherwood onstage at Crowbar and more” »

Orlando area Congressman John Mica said today it was important that a rail component be centered at Tampa International Airport, which he said would increase flight traffic for the airport for those who would like to visit the Orlando area.

Saying that Orlando’s airport took in more than 35 million people last year, Mica told a representative from TIA who said that approximately 19 million passengers used the airport last year that “We’ve got to get that up.  Way up.”  And later, when hearing from Florida Dept. of Transportation’s Don Skelton that all of the road work leading into TIA had been completed, Mica snapped, “It’s been a mess.”  When informed it’s taken five years to finish up that work, the Congressman joked “It seemed much much more.”

Those comments from Mica, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, were provocative in an otherwise relatively straight up roundtable discussion on transportation at Stetson Law School in Tampa today.  More than  30 local officials, including Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, Pinellas County Commissioner Karen Seel and ConnectUs’ Ed Turanchik were in attendance. Read more “Orlando GOP Congressman comes to Tampa to hear Bay area’s upcoming transportation projects” »

Wednesday afternoon Hillsborough County Commissioners will hold a special discussion in which the fate of County Administrator Pat Bean’s career with the county may be ultimately resolved.

The latest controversy involving Bean erupted last week, when the St. Pete Times reported that a report by internal performance auditor Jim Barnes said that Bean and County Attorney Renee Lee had gone thru e-mails written by Barnes and two of his employees. Bean admitted last week that she requested the e-mails, but said she never actually read any of them.

Now Bill Varian with the Times reports that County Commission Chair Ken Hagan has requested copies of the contracts for Bean, Lee and Barnes in advance of tomorrow’s discussion.

Media attention has focused in the past week almost exclusively on Bean since she was already considered to be on thin ice with Commissioners on a host of other issues already (Bean survived a BOCC on her fate just last December) .  Her request to look at the e-mails could be illegal, since those emails involved an investigation that the FDLE was conducting on pay raises that Bean and Lee gave themselves back in 2007 without board permission, which Commissioners did not learn about until last year.  Under state law, government e-mails are public records and can be accessed by anybody, but there are exceptions for information on active criminal investigations and audits.

Commissioner Kevin Beckner confirmed with CL this morning that he has contacted the FDLE about looking into this latest revelation involving Bean, saying that officials he spoke with at the law enforcement agency said “it was of interest to them.”

In the light of these most recent revelations, there have been opinion pieces written in local media (including in this space the day after the story broke) challenging the County Commissioners about what they’ll do about Bean, since they have talked a lot of smack about how unhappy they’ve been with her performance over the past couple of years, yet have only required her to give a “vision” statement about clearly defined goals and objectives so they review her work on a quarterly basis.

In the past, some Commissioners have said that with all of the issues on the County’s plate, that it would be too disruptive to terminate her (her contract runs for a couple of more years).  Do they still feel that way?  The issues of the day are as formidable now as they were when they initially grew angry with her; currently the county is looking at cutting some $50 million from its budget, and is working against the clock to try to craft language for a ballot referendum on transportation. Read more “Hillsborough County Commissioners and Pat Bean: The saga continues” »

Today’s New York Times story on Florida seemingly getting swindled in the Everglades/U.S. Sugar deal from 2008 has been a nice gift to both the Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek campaigns today.

Rubio went on Glenn Beck’s radio show this morning to blast his GOP Senate opponent, saying,

“We have an issue here in Florida right now that you alluded to earlier where you have the governor of the state of Florida, my primary opponent, who’s basically ramming down the throats of taxpayers a bailout of a sugar company where we’re playing almost twice the appraised value of land because it benefits some key supporters and insiders of his.

“That’s being forced down the throat of a water management district here where two new people were appointed specifically for the purpose of voting ‘yes’ on that bailout.”

Now Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek is blasting away as well.  In a letter sent to the governor today, Meek writes in part,

If the merits of this agreement remain strong, and I am not calling into question the validity of the deal, is Florida overpaying for U.S. Sugar land? Florida residents have consistently shown support for Everglades restoration and it is imperative that the money is used in the most effective way possible and not squandered on over-valued land.

Meanwhile, Charlie Crist reportedly is calling the Times story a “hatchet job.”  We’ll add more when see his comments in print.

Americans who want to see cooperation in politics and government are stepping out and speaking up. They are asking questions about collaboration and cultivating a collective will to participate in the democratic process. The Coffee Party movement started just last week and is popping up all over the country. Why not all over Tampa Bay? Launch the Coffee Party Movement Saturday, March 13th in St Pete, Tampa, or host one yourself. It’s National Coffee Party Day!

We are the ones to take care of our democracy. Not Big Daddy. Not Big Government. Not even the political parties. That means helping educate ourselves and the candidates, holding them responsible to do what they said they would during the campaign and supporting them to accomplish those goals. As voters and grassroots volunteers, let’s support leaders who work toward positive solutions and hold accountable those who obstruct them.
Read more “National Coffee Party Day this Saturday: Change the political culture from fixing blame to fixing problems” »

A series of shots featuring the Dropkick Murphys from their show this past Friday, March 5, at The Ritz in Ybor City.

Read more “Photo review: Dropkick Murphys at The Ritz Ybor” »

We’re pitting Tampa Bay’s best ribs against each other in our RIB-OFF! 2010 Tournament of Ribs. Follow the tournament, see the competitors and brackets, and vote in head-to-head matches at cltampa.com/ribs.

But first: Vote in this matchup!

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We’re pitting Tampa Bay’s best ribs against each other in our RIB-OFF! 2010 Tournament of Ribs. Follow the tournament, see the competitors and brackets, and vote in head-to-head matches at cltampa.com/ribs.

But first: Vote in this matchup!

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We’re pitting Tampa Bay’s best ribs against each other in our RIB-OFF! 2010 Tournament of Ribs. Follow the tournament, see the competitors and brackets, and vote in head-to-head matches at cltampa.com/ribs.

But first: Vote in this matchup!

 Loading …

We’re pitting Tampa Bay’s best ribs against each other in our RIB-OFF! 2010 Tournament of Ribs. Follow the tournament, see the competitors and brackets, and vote in head-to-head matches at cltampa.com/ribs.

But first: Vote in this matchup!

 Loading …