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A Time To Come Together

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By STEVE OTTO

sotto@tampatrib.com

Published: November 30, 2008

By all the commentaries I have seen, Black Friday two days ago is about to be followed by a darker, tougher and meaner year for millions of Americans, including a lot of us in the Tampa Bay region.

At the federal level, the solution for the deepening recession apparently is to dump billions of taxpayer dollars into mismanaged corporate America. At the state level, legislators are slashing benefits, cutting programs and raising college tuition. Locally, city and county governments are doing the same.

Businesses and utilities are doing their part by raising rates and cutting coverage to strapped consumers who in turn are worried about keeping jobs and saving homes.

What I haven't seen, other than the occasional press release out of the governor's office or one of our members of Congress, is any real plan or leadership as we start bracing for the coming year.

A New Community

Wouldn't this be a great time for us to come together as a community to develop a plan and offer leadership and real support to those of us who call the Bay area home?

It was in the '60s that local business and civic leaders made decisions that would move Tampa from being just another sleepy southern city into one of the leaders of the new South. It came in the form of downtown investments such as the Quad Block project and the development of Harbour Island. There was the long effort to bring professional sports to town, and decisions to create one of the finest airports in the world and a major urban university to the north of the city.

Today we are bigger, but the leadership and creativity has disappeared.

Why not see whether we can bring back some of that creative spirit to work our way through these difficult times?

We can't lay it just on the heads of the politicians, but we can start there. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and St. Petersburg's Rick Baker have full plates, but also the demonstrated leadership and visionary qualities to launch this thing. A more balanced and motivated Hillsborough County Commission as well as Pinellas, Pasco and Polk commissions could provide input.

There already are metropolitan and regional planning boards, but this would be more comprehensive in scope and finite in time.

The Talent Pool

We could get some bang for all of this talent we've imported to our area and call on the universities to bring in some innovative and creative concepts for the community. The University of South Florida, with all of its research and creative talent, should take on a leadership role, as should other institutions.

One of my sons is paying thousands of dollars at the University of Tampa, where they maintain their business programs are world class. Let's test them out in a coordinated effort to create job solutions and improve housing and economic markets on at least a short-term basis.

Bring in utility and corporate leaders who have an interest in the future and let them find solutions.

Just something to chew on while finishing the last of the turkey and pumpkin pie this weekend.

For more Steve Otto go to Tampa Bay Online and search "Otto Graphs."

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