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: Keeping Clearwater the county seat

The mostly liberal side of the Pinellas County Commission wants to move the seat of Pinellas County government out of Clearwater – and at an outrageous price. Democrats Charlie Justice and Janet Long are leading the charge to move the county governmental center to mid-Pinellas. Notably, neither Justice nor Long live in Clearwater, with Long ironically, characterizing renovating the existing facility as “putting diamonds on a pig.” Here’s the problem with relocating the government center – the thing liberals frequently ignore - cost. Estimates for renovating the existing structure run around $150 million, not exactly pocket change. But that number is a mere pittance compared to estimates of between $250-350 million for a new facility. The problems the county commissioners seem to have with renovation is that the current buildings are “functionally obsolete” – read that to mean not the Taj Mahal their egos feel they deserve at the expense of other, more needed, projects that would benefit all of the citizenry. For once, just once, it would be nice to see our government officials live within their means.

Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

Hundreds of Clearwater residents lost a good friend last week with the passing of Harry Cline, a respected attorney, community leader and rabid supporter of the   North Carolina Tar Heels where he attended law school. He was also an All-Conference catcher during his undergrad days at Davidson. A most likeable man who will be greatly missed.

The preponderance of U.S. economists are saying the nation’s automakers simply cannot afford the raises striking unions are seeking.

A rave goes to Utah Senator Mitt Romney, who will not seek re-election saying at age 76, “It’s time for a new generation.” Are you listening Joe and Don?

Quote of the week: from a protester at a pro-life function earlier this year. To quote: “I’m a woman. I was born with rights that will never be taken away.” She failed to add “because of a mother and father who chose not to abort me.” The Florida Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments on a Florida pro-life law.

Former Orlando-area State Attorney Monique Worrell is asking the Florida Supreme Court to re-instate her. With her track record of not prosecuting bad guys who turn around to do worse things, we wish her luck.

Seen on a T-shirt: PLUTO 1930-2006.

And from the 5:05 Newsletter: A team of astronomers are lobbying for Pluto to be reclassified as a planet; and given full voting rights in the league of planets.

This week (Sept.21) in 1776, soldier and patriot Nathan Hale is arrested by the British.

Sports, media and other stuff:

Hats off to retired Yankee ace David Wells who showed up at the Old-Timers day with white tape over the Nike swoosh on his uniform, saying he didn’t wish to publicize the woke sneaker company.

Not waiting for the end of the season, the Boston Red Sox fired off the first cannon shot discharging former Rays’ front office guy Chaim Bloom, their GM. Heading the Bosox might seem like a great gig, but they seem to toss their GMs every four years.

Idle thought: We miss the college scoreboard shows that were on virtually every major radio station here in the bay area on Saturday afternoons in the fall.

Fifty years ago, WTCG Channel 17, a station with incredibly low ratings signed a deal to broadcast the moribund Atlanta Braves’ games. A couple years later, the station’s owner, Ted Turner buys the Braves, changes the call letters of his station to WTBS and begins sending the games all over the country. The station and the ball team have never looked back.

You’ve lived in Clearwater (or Largo) a long time if you remember the years in the 1950s when the fierceness of competition caused cancellation of an annual Clearwater-Largo football game.

…and another thing: spitting contest is over

It took a marquee match-up between the Aaron Rodgers New York Jets and perennial NFL power Buffalo Bills to finally get an agreement between the Disney-owned channels (particularly ESPN) and Spectrum’s parent Charter Communications. You can’t replay a showcase football matchup (between two teams in Spectrum markets) and the millions of dollars in revenues it generates. So who won the showdown? We really don’t know or care. We only know who lost – Spectrum viewers, particularly University of Florida football fans who had a no notice shutdown of their team’s opening game a couple of Thursdays ago and customers who watched other Disney products such as National Geographic. The two companies greed being unabated, those channels were yanked and now require an extra fee which will quickly wipe out the $15 refund Spectrum is reportedly offering for the break in service.

NEXT WEEK: Mustard questions; Buy a team; One hit wonders

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