Tampa = "hell on earth" (Mayo: to rent, insurance, violent crime)

[Irishiis49]

Originally Posted by kmarc

I hate to sound so cynical, but there is no leadership or strong police commish in the face of howling shakedown coddled grievance groups and special interests. Just throw money at 'em all, and let the city bankrupt itself. Stick a fork in it, it's done.

You don't think NYC had special interest groups or corrupt unions?It can be done...all is not lost for Chicago!!!

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by Irishiis49

You don't think NYC had special interest groups or corrupt unions?It can be done...all is not lost for Chicago!!!

You do have a point. It's possible. But Chi would have to look at Rudy (as he was, not what he became) and really examine how he actually accomplished turning NY around. And like most solutions, it was brilliant in its simplicity. He didn't tell the people he was going to clean up the government, and handle the special interests and get rid of crime and corruption and clean up Times Square. If he'd done that, people would have just shrugged because it would have just sounded like typical political BS. They just KNOW nothing can be done about all that. So, Rudy didn't go there.

Here's what he did:

He gave the people a "buy-in", something small they could get involved in and where they could do something about it. What he did was... wait for it....

He said "We're gonna get rid of those panhandling SOBs who spring out from nowhere and spray your windshield and mess it up and put their hand out for money. We're gonna get rid of them, and you're going to help. Report 'em when you see 'em and we'll get 'em off the streets".

And by golly, the people loved it. Who hadn't driven in New York and been accosted by one of those creeps? I remember them vividly. Well...the people got behind THAT! Yep, we're gonna fix those SOBs, we'll report 'em and get 'em off the streets. Worked like a charm. The people got behind it. The problem got handled. So, then they looked around to see what else they could get behind Rudy on.

This probably sounds absurd to many people, but that's exactly how it worked, something small that offered the people a buy-in, something they could help accomplish and it just went up from there. That's how whole neighborhoods got cleaned up. One small step for New Yorkers led to huge improvement for New York City.

Back in the day, Rudy had a sense of humor about himself, and his appearances on David Letterman and such really helped humanize him. Also that clip of his kid fidgeting and acting out during his speech, that was a riot. People could relate to him. Rahm is a little short in the charm department.

Bringing it home to Tampa, I'm a huge fan of Buckhorn. Because he's personable and he cares.

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by craigtnelson

The sooner the retirees in this area die off, the better, and I only say that in regards to the future of this city if it ever wants to embark upon progression for the 21st century model of thought.

Very very sad and shocking that anyone would ever think this and say it.

Shameful.

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by craigtnelson

They're right about downtown. It's awful; possibly one of the worst, most ill-conceived downtowns in America. Buckhorn's heart is in the right place, but knowing the mentality down here, I worry we'll ever see significant change for the better.

The sooner the retirees in this area die off, the better, and I only say that in regards to the future of this city if it ever wants to embark upon progression for the 21st century model of thought. Until then, we're stuck in the '50s.

Fair enough. So, what simple thing do you think people in and around Tampa could accomplish to make it better and give them a buy-in? I mean, aside from slipping retirees a mickey. Retirees are not the problem, anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Tampa proper has all that many retirees, as opposed to surrounding Hillsborough County.

One thing I do like about Tampa is the scope for neighborhood improvement. Lots of "green" neighborhoods in Tampa that could be quite charming, even though modest.

[craigtnelson]

Originally Posted by vaughanwilliams

I agree. Tampa and the entire region has grandiose plans for stadiums, artsy piers, concert halls but the jobs in the area haven't changed, the pay hasn't changed, the housing bubble is inflating again with the return of the flippers, the whole economic model is still based on low wage service jobs and "growth" (growth meaning purely cramming more people into an ever shrinking area). Construction, which employed thousands, is stagnant to the point of being non-existent and if and when it ever returns, it's not going to be as it once was. The entire industry (especially housing) is now dominated by low wage, disposable migrant labor. That is a fact.


I'd like to say that a lesson was learned during the recession about diversifying, but it doesn't appear so. Either way, Baghdad is hell on Earth, not Tampa.

Anyone buying into the hype and snagging a house around here right now is a pure sucker. These rapid price increases will not sustain themselves for long. Think about it, folks; prices are shooting up. Taxes and insurance are also. Where are wages going? Nowhere; maybe even a little bit downward, especially if you factor in rising healthcare costs, less company match on 401ks (if you get it at all around here). Good luck with equity in that new house. When these big companies like Blackstone go to flip and noone's buying at their inflated price points, -OR- when they've had enough of renting out the properties they bought in neighborhoods that have seen their values decrease thanks in no small part to renters flooding the area, guess where we'll be all over again?

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by PriusH8r

Very very sad and shocking that anyone would ever think this and say it.

Shameful.

I think he's joking to some degree. Frustration with retirees is not an uncommon theme in Florida, as you will find after living here some time. And it's not totally unwarranted, IMO. I live in an area that has lots of retirees. Many of them are delightful. Some, not so much. It's understandable, though, old age and pain and not being able to do what one used to be able to do tends to make one a bit cranky.

[craigtnelson]

Originally Posted by kmarc

Fair enough. So, what simple thing do you think people in and around Tampa could accomplish to make it better and give them a buy-in? I mean, aside from slipping retirees a mickey. Retirees are not the problem, anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Tampa proper has all that many retirees, as opposed to surrounding Hillsborough County.

One thing I do like about Tampa is the scope for neighborhood improvement. Lots of "green" neighborhoods in Tampa that could be quite charming, even though modest.

Well for starters, give people a reason to visit downtown Tampa after normal business hours. More importantly, give people with disposable income a reason to visit downtown after normal business hours. Here's another way - connect the city with the choked sprawl that blankets the region. When a decent light rail proposal surfaces again, and it will, keep your head in the 21st century and don't shoot it down.

Just a start. Runner up - Drop a small, tactical nuke on the ghetto due north and northeast of downtown and start over. Build properties that someone with a shred of class and a modicum of wealth would want to buy. Then sprinkle in amenities; ones other than surface parking lots and the occasional corner store that most people wouldn't walk into during daylight hours. That entire stretch of land is utterly wasted. Prime real estate that in most cities would be fought over.

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by craigtnelson

Anyone buying into the hype and snagging a house around here right now is a pure sucker. These rapid price increases will not sustain themselves for long. Think about it, folks; prices are shooting up. Taxes and insurance are also. Where are wages going? Nowhere; maybe even a little bit downward, especially if you factor in rising healthcare costs, less company match on 401ks (if you get it at all around here). Good luck with equity in that new house. When these big companies like Blackstone go to flip and noone's buying at their inflated price points, -OR- when they've had enough of renting out the properties they bought in neighborhoods that have seen their values decrease thanks in no small part to renters flooding the area, guess where we'll be all over again?

That's it in a nutshell, craig. I can't believe this phenomenon is repeating itself, and so soon after the first one.

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by craigtnelson

Well for starters, give people a reason to visit downtown Tampa after normal business hours. More importantly, give people with disposable income a reason to visit downtown after normal business hours. Here's another way - connect the city with the choked sprawl that blankets the region. When a decent light rail proposal surfaces again, and it will, keep your head in the 21st century and don't shoot it down.

Just a start. Runner up - Drop a small, tactical nuke on the ghetto due north and northeast of downtown and start over. Build properties that someone with a shred of class and a modicum of wealth would want to buy. Then sprinkle in amenities; ones other than surface parking lots and the occasional corner store that most people wouldn't walk into during daylight hours. That entire stretch of land is utterly wasted. Prime real estate that in most cities would be fought over.

Sigh. Sad but true, I'm tellin' ya. Heck, give people a reason to visit downtown Tampa DURING normal business hours, other than jury duty. I've actually decided on occasion NOT to apply for a job that advertised "office in downtown Tampa". No thanks.

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by vaughanwilliams

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/us....html?hp&_r=2&

California, Without Republicans To Obstruct, Creates Budget Surplus

Seems like other places are doing well, too. Bet that burns a few patooties over at Fox.

California built a very temporary surplus by raising sales and state income tax which really hit a lot of people that were selling off investments before the federal tax cuts ended. The big boon they had is not going to be sustainable and Cali will fall right back into the hole they were in.