Tampa Bay Rants and Raves is a weekly airing of national and local politics, sports, lifestyles and nostalgia items from a very politically incorrect viewpoint. As always, beware - some of what is printed here should not be taken literally.

Leading off: Singing the City Hall Blues

Well, Clearwater has lost one of its best mayors ever in part because we, the voters, have elected a bunch of people who don’t realize $90 million is a lot of money – especially when you don’t have it. And the tragedy is we shouldn’t have to spend it. A brief history lesson: in the mid-1990s, a forward thinking commission (which it was called back then) bought the Sun Trust building at the southeast corner of Cleveland and Garden. The plan was to finance the purchase through rents of the parts of the building not being used for City Hall and other departments. As the city’s space needs increased, they would simply not renew leases of needed space. A year later, a new majority of the commission sold the building at about a million dollar loss. The voters were in an uproar and the three member majority behind that insane plan was swept from office. About five years later, a new majority negotiated a deal with an east Florida developer that would have given the city both a new City Hall and downtown library on the developer’s dime in exchange for the same development plan we are now seeing for the bluff. A misinformation campaign run by some of the same yahoos who elected the gang of three who were thrown out managed to defeat the development plan by a small margin. And children, here we are – minus a good mayor, minus the money to pay for a new City Hall and, once again, in need of a broom to sweep out the less than business-savvy folks we have at City Hall.

Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

Frank Hibbard’s temporary replacement - could have done worse, could have done better. The real test is for us Clearwater voters next March. Thus far, the pickings are slim.

Financial news from the 5:05 Newsletter: In order to avoid a financial panic, President Biden issued an executive order this week ordering American banks to stop collapsing.

Check out the second installment of the best of the 5:05 printed earlier this week. Just hit the “Previous Weeks” button above.

Ten years: the over/under on how much longer the struggling Tampa Bay Times will last. We’ll take the under.

Spotted on a T-Shirt: “I don’t like to brag about expensive trips, but I did just return from the gas station.”

This week in 1963 (April 7): Jack Nicklaus wins the first of a record six Masters at Augusta.

Sports, media and other stuff:

In the second half of the 20^th century, Clearwater’s automotive landscape was dominated by names like Andrews, Carlisle, Dimmitt, Lokey, Stone and Kenyon. Roger Kenyon, who sold thousands of Dodges through the years, died last week at age 91.

Large layoffs at NPR as contributors vote with their wallets in response to the public network’s expanding left of center programming. Nearly ten per cent of the NPR staff has been pared.

Even though your favorite team didn’t make it past the round of 32, you have to admit the recently completed NCAA Men’s tournament was one of the best ever. The odds of the four teams that made the Final Four actually getting there were 1 in 125,000.

Recent headline: “New USF coach has a wish list.” We’re guessing it’s to win more than two games for the first time in five years.

We know last week’s baseball predictions were mostly “chalk,” but with good reason. Beyond about six or eight clubs, there is little parity in baseball right now. But if we had to include a bracket buster, it would be the Orioles.

The adjustments in baseball are not confined to the field. The broadcast booth will also see changes - principally less from the “on field” reporter. We’re not sure that’s a bad thing.

You’ve lived here a long time if you remember the original Clearwater Steak and Shake at the northwest corner of Gulf-to-Bay and Duncan. In those days, it was more of a drive-in.

…and another thing: a morning radio icon

First a pox on WFLA radio for their dismissal of Jack Harris. His ratings at the station over the years brought more dollars through the door at 970 than any of the pinheads in their front office. His love bug adventures, the annual Leon (Noel spelled backwards) festivities and incredible skits were legendary. In a Dark Age years ago, we were happy if our morning show had half of Jack’s ratings. It meant we were doing very well. He transitioned seamlessly from disk jockey (your jocular cracker jack jock) to the leading talk/news show in the bay area. While most of his radio contemporaries are retired, Jack never lost his edge or the insane hours guys who hit the airwaves at five or six o’clock keep. We will miss him – but there will still be those hearing aid ads! All the best, Jack!

NEXT UP: Equity in NASCAR; Careless Navigator; Foreign play

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