July 2011
1 post
My Declaration
Its the 4th of July so in respect to those who put it all on the line to create a new nation some 235 years ago - I make my own Declaration. I declare myself committed to working with anyone - Republican, Democrat, Independent or Vegan, straight or gay, black, white, hispanic or in between, committed to answering Americas challenges and putting us on the course to greatness once again. I commit...
September 2010
1 post
Getting the American Economy in Gear
Ok - it’s Labor Day - so let’s talk Tampa Bay and jobs.
I have been asked repeatedly just what type of jobs can the Tampa Bay area hope to create over the next decade and what role does government play, if any, in the process.
To the first question see the Tampa Bay Business Journals coverage of the jobs summit held at MOSI on Friday, August 27: ...
August 2010
1 post
Florida 2.0
Florida is soon to be the 3rd largest state in the Union, yet despite it’s size has underperformed in nearly every measurable category of economic importance. Satisfied with our own Chamber of Commerce press clippings we have coasted on fumes, allowing our beaches, sunshine and reliance on Disney to replace a focused and sustained effort to build a global economic dynamo.
The recession...
July 2010
2 posts
Democracy - Dictatorship & Natural Rights
Having just completed celebration of the 4th of July it’s worth revisiting Jefferson’s Declaration regarding inalienable or natural rights.
I spent the better part of a wet and soggy Sunday re-reading Mccullough’s “1776”, and then later pouring over Mark Mazower’s powerful and chilling “Hitler’s Empire: How the Nazis Ruled Europe.” The...
Creating millions of jobs
Inc. Magazine’s July/August covert story says it all: Bring on The Entrepreneurs! Their plan - detailed in a special report consisting of 16 points - begins with an urgent call for more startups.
Juxtaposed against this backdrop is Intel’s former CEO Andrew Groves - urging America to get serous about investing in the infrastructure critical to sustaining a world class economy just as...
June 2010
10 posts
A Brief Bio & The Long View
I was born at MacDill AFB and blessed with a passion to serve. From, MacDill - I went to local schools (albeit through Guam) - attended FSU where I earned a degree in Multi-national Business and a minor in Russian and later earned a Masters in Strategic Studies from USF.
From Tallahassee I would go directly to Aviation Officer Candidate School at Pensacola, FL - soon commissioned as an officer...
USF and Economic Opportunity
I have just gotten home following a trip to USF and I am struck by the economic challenge and opportunity of an area referred to in the past as “suitcase city.”
First, USF is an academic dynamo with over 46,000 students - 40,000 who attend at the main campus in north Tampa making it the 9th largest public university in the Country. President Genshaft is quickly making the college a...
Reforming County Government
The recent changes at County Center have not been easy but they are an important first step in the redesign of local government.
I encourage citizens to go to http://hillsboroughcounty.org to read more about planned changes at the County. I also urge you to send in your ideas for consolidation and streamlining operations as we cut millions from the FY11 budget and prepare for FY12-13. The new...
Coffee with @marksharpefl
This morning was an excellent example of the emerging power of social media in politics. Working with Jordan Raynor - one of the young, brilliant minds in this important arena - and Kelso Tanner, an associate of the honorable Mark Proctor, I am striving to build a new way to communicate and govern. My team, held together by an emerging political dynamo - Jen Lux, remember the name because she will...
The Great Reset in Tampa Bay
Today’s papers carry an important message which augurs a “great reset” in the Tampa Bay economy.
Richard Florida’s latest book, “The Great Reset” touts new ways of living and working will drive post crash prosperity (see his cover). Inside the book he discusses how workers (over time) will seek to live in denser environments, using new modes of public-private...
County Budget
Today was a big day in Hillsborough County as our new interim county administrator delivered a game changing budget recommendation to the BOCC. Gone were the budget gimmicks or woeful hand wringing about declining revenue (taxpayer relief). Instead, Mike Merrill (interim CA) provided a vision of a new county government focused on limited core mission and vastly improved customer service.
The...
Leave state's boom-bust in the dust
One year ago sage reporter George Packer, writing for the New Yorker magazine, captured the essence of the economic collapse in Florida with a seminal work, “The Ponzi State: Florida’s Foreclosure Disaster.”
Packer captured the essence of Florida’s current economic collapse - a boom-bust state with fast growth that required ever-more growth to cover the cost of past ...
Let's start talking
Welcome to my blog page. This is where I plan to go into granular detail laying out my positions on key issues facing the County and State. I believe that the public has a right to understand what an elected official believes and how he or she arrived at their position. I also think that a democracy thrives where all can discuss issues on a level playing field - sharing information bypassing...
Healthcare Jobs and Smart Growth
Saturday’s unemployment report is a stark reminder that Florida has a long way to go before we recover from the current economic downturn. It is also a wake up call for those who urge we simply hunker down and hope for a return to the “good old days.” Fast growth, cheap housing, poor infrastructure and an anemic job market predicated purely on home building must give way to...
Smarter growth, lower taxes
Last Monday I began the week meeting with the CEO of a major corporation that manufactures highly specialized aircraft engine parts. The discussion was fascinating - as this well traveled business leader, who was now choosing Tampa to make his home, explained the merits of manufacturing specialized products in America - indeed in Hillsborough County. His message was clear - invest in...
May 2010
1 post
Restructuring Gov Hillsborough 2.0
Today’s comprehensive story by veteran Times writer Bill Varian zeroes in on one of the most important stories emerging from Hillsborough County - the restructuring of County government. Far more than simply privatizing services - the county seeks a new partnership with NGOs and citizens to reorient how essential services are provided to a linked community. Today’s citizen is...
January 2010
1 post
King George - In Reverse
Last night I heard an amazing thing at a 9-12 meeting. Someone actually walked in and said to the assembled crowd they were not smart enough to decide something as important as transit for themselves. Please get the transcript - watch the clips for yourself - as it was truly stunning. How odd my opponent in the debate would take a page clearly from King George’s play book and use it at...