In its public communications, Pinellas County is misrepresenting its own “Safer at Home” order as it pertains to non-essential businesses. The county claimed in this press release that “non-essential businesses must close storefront operations and customer foot traffic if they can’t meet CDC guidelines on social distancing.” However, the order (page 3) says that such…
Sheriff violates county order with pandemic notices at businesses
It was a photo opportunity that no self-respecting law enforcement K-9 publicity hound could pass up. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, surrounded by local media, showing leadership and strength by posting this notice at a hair salon at Clearwater Mall. The notice informs anyone entering that business about Pinellas County’s “Safer at Home” order that went in…
Confusion about Pinellas “safer at home” order, authoritarian threats
After our highly visited “covidiot touchfest” article yesterday on Pinellas County’s top officials not following the rules they seek to impose on others, we really wanted to write an article providing more clarity today. However, sheriff Bob Gualtieri’s “we can do this the easy way or the hard way, and the hard way isn’t going…
Covidiot touchfest as Pinellas imposes severe Covid-19 restrictions
The Pinellas County commission today adopted this resolution which orders a wide range of measures and restrictions on people and businesses in Pinellas County. The order will put many people in Pinellas County out of job and impose poverty on a large percentage of them. This Tampa Bay Times article covers the blow by blow…
DeSantis’ illegal executive order enables local government malfeasance
When Florida governor Ron DeSantis was a member of Congress, he told the Palm Coast Observer in 2012 that he supports “government that is constitutionally limited to its enumerated functions.” His recent executive order shows that he must’ve changed his mind on that point, and now favors expansive unenumerated powers for himself. DeSantis is now…
Kriseman’s coronavirus executive order invokes powers he doesn’t have
“We will enforce this,” St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman said in a video posted to the city’s Youtube channel yesterday evening. “We will disperse crowds.” The “this” Kriseman said he would enforce is his executive order on Covid-19 , which is the official name for the coronavirus currently causing havoc around the world. Sections 3…
All other employees had to submit job applications, but not HART & PSTA chiefs
Neither recently fired HART CEO Ben Limmer or current PSTA CEO Brad Miller ever submitted employment applications for their jobs, public records obtained by The Guardian show. All other employees, including the lowest paid ones, are required to submit signed employment applications in which they must certify that the information they provide about themselves is…
Tampa Bay Times “temporarily” cuts employee pay 10%
It was announced last Monday that Tim Nickens, long time Editor of Editorials at the Tampa Bay Times, is retiring this spring. That claim of “retirement” might have been believable if the Times had not announced a 10% “temporary” pay cut for all full-time staff just two days later. Nickens, 60, has long been the…
USF researchers committed misdemeanor by driving on beach
USF geosciences professor Ping Wang and his research team were seen driving a pick-up truck on the beach in Indian Shores on January 12th. When Wang was asked to produce the required Florida Department of Protection (FDEP) permit for their activity, neither Wang nor any other member of his team were able to produce such…
HART chief claims to be “attacked” by a TV reporter’s questions
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) interim CEO Carolyn House Stewart does not like being questioned by reporters. She feels “attacked” by their questions and their reporting. This past Monday, WTSP 10 Investigates reporter Jenna Bourne approached House Stewart after a HART Operations and Safety. Bourne wanted to ask questions and solicit comment about bus…
Federal Transit Admin: Central Avenue BRT project not eligible for funding
Records obtained by The Guardian show that the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is not eligible for funding of its Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (CABRT) project. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has told PSTA so in writing. In addition, PSTA has never asked the FTA for inclusion in its budget submission, despite telling the…
Criminal non-profit got 99% of its $50 million per year from government
The Florida House is now “cracking down” on the “taxpayer-backed” non-profit called the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV), and governor Ron DeSantis wants to review contracts with additional private agencies. This after Tiffany Carr, the founder and CEO of FCADV, received $7.5 million in compensation over a three-year span while spending most of her…
