It's politics unusual as Iorio stays

I

n a world where everything seems to be moving, including your job right from under your feet, Pam Iorio's decision to stick with her current job and not campaign for another rates as big news.

It pretty much had been decided by speculators - and in this space - that Mayor Pam was going to go after the chief financial officer job now held by Tampa's Alex Sink, Sink would run for governor and Gov. Charlie would go after a U.S. Senate seat.

That's the way it works in politics, where timing is almost everything. There also is a process, and in politics the speculating part of the process is the chumming of the waters to see what's out there.

So there might be more than a touch of irony that on the same day Crist says he is running for another office now that he has Florida in such good shape, Mayor Pam says something almost unheard of anymore: She wants to finish her job.

Say what? I thought politicians were like professional athletes and managers who see contracts more as leverage than anything of substance.

"Well, I don't know what it means in terms of a political decision," she says, "but I think it's the right decision."

A little uncomfortable

"Look, if I had stayed with the idea of the CFO race or any other statewide race, I'd be fundraising and meeting people all across the state. Right now, I'm not comfortable with that. I have to deal with huge budget deficits that could be historical next year.

"There are other issues, including light rail and infrastructure right here that need immediate and focused attention, and to spend my time going around the state would shortchange the expectations ... I have of this job.

The mayor says it was not an overnight decision. "I was determined to take my time and not make a hasty decision. I talked to at least 50 people who have statewide experience or who understand what's involved in something like this.

"The picture I got was that short of resigning, I would, basically, have to give up doing those things I was elected to do just to campaign. And resigning would present another set of issues I didn't want to get into.

"I know we're getting into that time of the year when candidates start making their announcements, and I figured the best thing to do was just take myself out of the equation from the start."

Picking apart the puzzle

While all of that is admirable, you have to wonder - well, at least in my business you have to wonder - what it means. Iorio is a political force around here and likely will be at some point on the state or national level.

She wouldn't speculate on what's in her plans after March of 2011. But that, especially in political years, is a lifetime away. "One thing I know I'll be doing is public service, which is what I want to do with my life."

The other thing she promised, after a column Sunday about former Mayor Dick Greco moving into the same Bayshore condo tower where former Mayor Sandy Freeman lives: "I promise not to move in with two former mayors. The condo association couldn't handle it."