At PSTA’s Legislative Committee meeting on February 5th, PSTA’s federal lobbyist Harry Glenn spoke of a list that the FTA has. “It’s actually a list of projects…that kind of gives the Congress an expectation of what projects they [the FTA] expects to get funded in the next year,” Glenn said. The FTA is the Federal…
Policy-violating transit chief fired by his board in policy-violating meeting
At a special meeting yesterday, HART’s board of directors fired its $210,000 per year CEO Ben Limmer for violating several HART policies. The firing was “for cause,” meaning that Limmer will not get the severance pay his contract calls for. However, that special meeting itself violated HART policy, which means that any official action taken…
Commish – “there are lots of situations” for drivers to defuse on PSTA buses
At yesterday’s monthly PSTA board meeting, Pinellas County commissioner Pat Gerard somewhat surprisingly commented that “riding the [PSTA ] buses all the time, you see what kinds of things they [the bus drivers] deal with every day.” “They can defuse a situation pretty quick,” Gerard continued, speaking about the PSTA bus drivers. ” And there…
Vinik’s transit tax promoter claims voters wanted minimal oversight
During a panel discussion yesterday, All For Transportation (AFT) President Tyler Hudson claimed that voters only wanted “some modicum of oversight” for the $16 billion sales tax increase he helped pass in Hillsborough County in 2018. The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of “modicum” is “a small portion : a limited quantity.” AFT’s tax hike effort to…
PSTA: over half of fleet is “life expired,” ridership drops further, and more
The agenda for PSTA’s October board meeting was packed with costly surprises for the taxpayers. There was a half million dollar cost overrun that went undetected for three years, the revelation that 56% of PSTA’s buses are “life expired,” and also an “unexpected” expenditure in the amount of $554,000 for the proposed Central Avenue BRT…
Convicted felon is main money draw at Hillborough Sheriff election fundraiser
“There’s no media allowed, Bubba,” Anthony Pedicini told the Guardian reporter (whose name was not Bubba) after the reporter has introduced himself by name. “You want to come in, you write a check for the event,” Pedicini continued. Chronister himself attended this event, an event which promised attendees pictures of themselves with a convicted felon…
PSTA didn’t tell its board BRT project not in next federal budget
PSTA’s Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (CABRT) project has received another setback. The project will not be funded in the federal FY2020 budget. That information reached PSTA in March, yet no mention of it was made in a “Central Ave BRT Funding Plan” presentation given by PSTA’s Chief Development Officer Cassandra Borchers at last month’s…
Kriseman arrives to his “Bike to Work Day” in a gas hog. Participation low.
St. Pete mayor Rick Kriseman’s “Bike to Work Day” drew only 24 riders this past Friday. Despite wide promotion using a happy and colorful flyer, three advertised gathering points, and an appearance by the mayor himself, the turnout was anemic. One of the three gathering points was the Morean Center for Clay. According to city…
Vinik repeatedly failed to register his corporation, violating Florida law
Lightning owner Jeff Vinik has violated Florida law every year since he purchased the team by not registering the out-of-state corporation that owns the team with the State of Florida. In doing so, Vinik has avoided paying annual fees and also not had to meet disclosure requirements. Vinik is the Chairman and sole person controlling…
State calls Robert Kraft “massage” video obscene and pornographic
In a court filing released this morning, Florida state attorney Dave Aronberg’s office labeled the video of New England Patriots Robert Kraft allegedly receiving paid sexual services as “obscene” and “pornographic.” In other words, and quite notably: in the official opinion of the state attorney for Florida’s 15th judicial district, the video of Robert Kraft’s…
PSTA misleads the Feds, misleads the Tampa Bay Times, annoys beach city
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is once again attracting negative press. The Tampa Bay Times reported last week that PSTA misled the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) about local financial support for the so-called Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (CABRT) project. Specifically, PSTA put forth a financial plan to the FTA which included the City…
Housing Authority e-mail tells citizens to “demand” funding bill from Congress
The federally funded St. Pete Housing Authority (SPHA) sent a mass e-mail last week urging recipients to “reach out to your Congressional Representatives and demand that a fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill for HUD be passed.” The SPHA is funded by HUD, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The e-mail was sent by Larry…
