News & Public Affairs

Truckers protest gas prices in Tampa listen

04/01/08 Mitch E. Perry
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About 70 truckers lined up their rigs on 22nd Street near Causeway Boulevard in Tampa this morning to protest high fuel prices. They were joining a loosely formed national protest, hoping to pressure President Bush to stabilize prices by using the nation’s oil reserves.

Lakeland resident Jen Coolidge says she and her husband have been in the trucking business for more than 40 years combined, and it’s never been harder than right now to be an independent truck driver.

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Suggestion on cutting budget draws fire listen

03/20/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Budget, economy

Tampa City Councilman Thomas Scott appeared to be an army of one this afternoon when he said he hoped the city could investigate a memo by a Tampa police official that said the city could save $6 million in salaries and other benefits by cutting 15 positions within the Police Department.

The memo was sent by Tampa police Sgt. Borthland Murray last month to the Council. A followup memo by Police Chief Stephen Hogue categorized Murray’s claim as "wildly inaccurate.”

Laura McElroy, a spok...

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Will Tampa raise solid waste fees?

03/05/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Budget, economy

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio met with City Council members this morning to brief them on four of the city’s Enterprise Funds. They agreed to discuss a proposal by the Iorio administration that would raise fees for solid waste collection at tomorrow’s City Council.

The increased fees may be necessary because, according to Steve Daignault, Tampa’s administrator of Public Works and Utility Services, without any changes, revenue for the Solid Waste Department will dip below expenditures beginning thi...

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Crist upbeat in state's annual report card listen

03/05/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Economy, Charlie Crist

Last night Gov. Charlie Crist delivered his second State of the State Address in Tallahassee.

Even with lawmakers cutting more than half a billion dollars from this year’s budget and more than $2 billion from next year’s, the governor oozed optimism.

Aubrey Jewett is a professor of Political Science at the University of Central Florida. He said there’s something to be said for the governor’s style, but says there is no doubt that he will have to make hard decisions this year.

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Democratic leaders react to "State of the State" listen

03/05/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Economy

Last night we aired a large portion of Gov. Charlie Crist’s State of the State Address. Immediately afterward, the Democratic leaders in the Senate and House responded.

Sen. Steve Geller of Halledale Beach reacted first. Geller said it when it comes to cut, everything needs to be looked at, not just reducing spending. He said these are complex problems, and can’t be solved by bumper sticker solutions.

Senate Democrats will oppose any broad tax increases, Geller said, but he thinks tax...

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Tampa City Council wants budget analyst listen

02/28/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Budget, economy

As the city of Tampa tries to cope with reduced funding and more possible staff cuts, the City Council today took the first step toward hiring its own budget analyst.

City Councilman Tom Scott led off the discussion with a motion. Other Council members quickly endorsed Scott’s motion. They all praised the mayor’s budget analyst, Bonnie Wise, but Council member Linda Saul-Sena said they didn’t want to tax her resources.

But such a sentiment wasn’t unanimous. Councilman Charlie Miranda s...

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Job Fair St. Pete following financial bailouts

Seán Kinane
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Tags: Economy, jobs, unemployment

Inside the Coliseum in St. Petersburg today, a job fair brought together people looking for work and 38 companies or government agencies that are either hiring or offering employment services.

With unemployment numbers across the country, and especially in the bay area at their highest levels in years, many of the job seekers were determined to find positions but aware of the challenges of the current economy.

Nearly a year ago, the company Neil Schipper worked for declared bankruptcy...

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