Another Political Con Job: Florida’s “greenlight Pinellas”

[G.T.]

LOL. I use the Portland, Oregon, light rail system twice a week to go downtown to the university. No way I want to drive downtown and fight for parking. Love the lightrail.

Great for you. Today.
But in areas that would have to spend billions such as Pinellas county of Saint Petersburg and Clearwater among other cities would have to spend, wouldn't it be wiser to invest in driverless cars? Plus why is such an intelligent man such as you going to the university when "GotoMeeting" or WebEx or other replacements are less inconvenient and less expensive?
My whole point is the "Intelligentsia" all favor mass transit but in light of driverless cars and telecommuting why support buggy whip means of transportation?

There are many classes and labs that are 'hands on'. Plus I like seeing my professors in person and being able to interact with the other students. As for driverless cars, you still have to have a place to park them. And the lightrail is polutionless, and covers the city well.

You actually are "bragging" about seeing "Professors" and yet you pay so little attention to your spelling?

"Polutionless"??
Did you not see the little red dotted line?
It seems to me you are not even smart enough to pay attention to the spellchecker but then you state "pollutionless"?

NOTHING is "pollutionless" as electricity generated by either gas, coal, solar, or nuclear that turns water to steam and each have some form of pollution.
"Place to park them"? Ever hear of "multi-story parking garages" or is that an unknown concept in Portlandia???

Why do you always call people out for ignoring the red dotted line, when your formatting sucks ass and you too have grammatical errors out the asshole (and often)?

Shut the fuck up, dude. This isn't English class, most of the people typing on a message board are being flippant with the rules of writing because they are meaningless on a non-sanctioned piece of literature.

In short, get a life this is the 1, 000th time I've seen you do this while maintaining your own piss-poor writing, hypocrite.

Hey I pay attention to the helps when presented i.e. the red dotted line and even idiots like you should because they are helpful!
Idiots like you that can't even pay attention to the HELP given you can't then believed for whatever you say.
I bet you don't even understand the difference in the following:

View attachment 32277

Words have meaning and at least pay attention to something you can help i.e. your sloppy, slobby shabby posting!

Nobody gives a fuck if you think their anonymous internet web forum postings have spelling errors, get a fucking life.

 

[johnwk]

.
The Greenlight Pinellas Plan is another classic example of a well-funded tax scam to increase taxes on Florida’s Citizens. It is being sold as a way to improve Pinellas County's bus service and construct a “future passenger rail that will significantly enhance public transportation in Pinellas County. If the proposed 1% sales tax referendum passes in November 2014, PSTA would implement the Greenlight Pinellas Plan.” The plan also asserts an “Elimination of PSTA’s nearly 3/4 mill property tax when the potential sales tax takes effect January 1, 2016.”

The facts are, Greenlight Pinellas is a plan to gouge Florida’s residents with a new tax on their purchases, and punish Florida residents who own cars and use them for transportation. Add up the 1% sales tax a Florida resident will pay a year as compared to what they now pay and Greenlight Pinellas turns out to be a massive tax increase placed upon Florida’s productive citizens while the benefits will go to the least productive while Politicians in Florida will use the plan for another money laundering operation to transfer tax revenue to their friends through sweetheart deals when the increased tax revenue is spent.

The plan is similar to Obama’s “green energy” money laundering operation in which $ Billions of tax dollars were channeled to Obama’s political donors under the guise of “green energy”. See 80% of Obama green jobs money goes to Obama donors.

JWK


"To lay with one hand the power of the government on the property of the citizen [a working person’s earned wage] and with the other to bestow upon favored individuals, to aid private enterprises and build up private fortunes [Obama’s Solyndra, Chevy Volt, Fisker, Exelon swindling deals] is none the less a robbery because it is done under forms of law and called taxation."____ Savings and Loan Assc. v. Topeka,(1875).

When I lived in Pinellas , a long time ago, its sales tax was already higher than Hillsborough county, so now its going even higher?

That's the idea. Pinellas County’s “Greenlight Pinellas” initiative would raise the sales tax by 14%, making the county’s sales tax the highest in Florida! Estimates are taxpayers in Pinellas Country would pay about $110 MILLION a year under the proposed new tax.

JWK


Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people's money.Margaret Thatcher

 

[johnwk]

The way the State views it, and many citizens I would imagine....is that many out of state vacationers, or winter rental people pick up a good deal of the tab..... vs retired old timers who own their homes.....

Florida has always viewed sales taxes as the primary way to tax....since they have no income tax...and millions of out of staters visiting.'spending their money in the state....

Pinellas county has all the great beaches that draws the out of state resort customers....who will be paying the tax.

Tourists who are now visiting Treasury Island, Clearwater, St. Pete Beach, [all in Pinellas County], are being subjected to a flood of propaganda ads which brazenly assert “tourists” will be milked under the proposed tax. As a result of these ads, tourists are already talking about visiting other parts of Florida outside Pinellas Country on their next vacation, and this is especially true of Canadian tourists which account for a significant part of tourists who have been taking their vacation in Pinellas County. Pinellas residents will pay the price if they get conned by the "Greenlight Pinellas" proposed tax.

JWK

 

[Care4all]

The way the State views it, and many citizens I would imagine....is that many out of state vacationers, or winter rental people pick up a good deal of the tab..... vs retired old timers who own their homes.....

Florida has always viewed sales taxes as the primary way to tax....since they have no income tax...and millions of out of staters visiting.'spending their money in the state....

Pinellas county has all the great beaches that draws the out of state resort customers....who will be paying the tax.

Tourists who are now visiting Treasury Island, Clearwater, St. Pete Beach, [all in Pinellas County], are being subjected to a flood of propaganda ads which brazenly assert “tourists” will be milked under the proposed tax. As a result of these ads, tourists are already talking about visiting other parts of Florida outside Pinellas Country on their next vacation, and this is especially true of Canadian tourists which account for a significant part of tourists who have been taking their vacation in Pinellas County. Pinellas residents will pay the price if they get conned by the "Greenlight Pinellas" proposed tax.

JWK

FYI, it is not Treasury Island, it is TREASURE ISLAND, and I lived there.... what an awesome address to have, Treasure Island, Florida........ right before moving up to the New England region..... hahahahahaha! I loved that address!

 

[johnwk]

The way the State views it, and many citizens I would imagine....is that many out of state vacationers, or winter rental people pick up a good deal of the tab..... vs retired old timers who own their homes.....

Florida has always viewed sales taxes as the primary way to tax....since they have no income tax...and millions of out of staters visiting.'spending their money in the state....

Pinellas county has all the great beaches that draws the out of state resort customers....who will be paying the tax.

Tourists who are now visiting Treasury Island, Clearwater, St. Pete Beach, [all in Pinellas County], are being subjected to a flood of propaganda ads which brazenly assert “tourists” will be milked under the proposed tax. As a result of these ads, tourists are already talking about visiting other parts of Florida outside Pinellas Country on their next vacation, and this is especially true of Canadian tourists which account for a significant part of tourists who have been taking their vacation in Pinellas County. Pinellas residents will pay the price if they get conned by the "Greenlight Pinellas" proposed tax.

JWK

FYI, it is not Treasury Island, it is TREASURE ISLAND, and I lived there.... what an awesome address to have, Treasure Island, Florida........ right before moving up to the New England region..... hahahahahaha! I loved that address!

Thanks for the correction on "Treasure" Island, the new program I have chooses a word if I happened to make a typo. Aside from that, I currently am a stones throw from Madeira Beach.


JWK

 

[bendog]

There's a mix of dems and gopers in the County Commission. I guess the Tampa/St Pete voters will decide. That's their choice.

 

[FA_Q2]

The way the State views it, and many citizens I would imagine....is that many out of state vacationers, or winter rental people pick up a good deal of the tab..... vs retired old timers who own their homes.....

Florida has always viewed sales taxes as the primary way to tax....since they have no income tax...and millions of out of staters visiting.'spending their money in the state....

Pinellas county has all the great beaches that draws the out of state resort customers....who will be paying the tax.

Tourists who are now visiting Treasury Island, Clearwater, St. Pete Beach, [all in Pinellas County], are being subjected to a flood of propaganda ads which brazenly assert “tourists” will be milked under the proposed tax. As a result of these ads, tourists are already talking about visiting other parts of Florida outside Pinellas Country on their next vacation, and this is especially true of Canadian tourists which account for a significant part of tourists who have been taking their vacation in Pinellas County. Pinellas residents will pay the price if they get conned by the "Greenlight Pinellas" proposed tax.

JWK

I HIGHLY doubt that tourism will be significantly impacted by this tax proposal.

 

[johnwk]

The way the State views it, and many citizens I would imagine....is that many out of state vacationers, or winter rental people pick up a good deal of the tab..... vs retired old timers who own their homes.....

Florida has always viewed sales taxes as the primary way to tax....since they have no income tax...and millions of out of staters visiting.'spending their money in the state....

Pinellas county has all the great beaches that draws the out of state resort customers....who will be paying the tax.

Tourists who are now visiting Treasure Island, Clearwater, St. Pete Beach, [all in Pinellas County], are being subjected to a flood of propaganda ads which brazenly assert “tourists” will be milked under the proposed tax. As a result of these ads, tourists are already talking about visiting other parts of Florida outside Pinellas Country on their next vacation, and this is especially true of Canadian tourists which account for a significant part of tourists who have been taking their vacation in Pinellas County. Pinellas residents will pay the price if they get conned by the "Greenlight Pinellas" proposed tax.

JWK

I HIGHLY doubt that tourism will be significantly impacted by this tax proposal.

Then you don't know how Canadian tourists think.


JWK

 

[Desperado]

This is only for Pinellas County not state wide. Sounds similar to the con job Miami-Dade County pulled when they were pushing for MetroRail.

 

[Care4all]

The way the State views it, and many citizens I would imagine....is that many out of state vacationers, or winter rental people pick up a good deal of the tab..... vs retired old timers who own their homes.....

Florida has always viewed sales taxes as the primary way to tax....since they have no income tax...and millions of out of staters visiting.'spending their money in the state....

Pinellas county has all the great beaches that draws the out of state resort customers....who will be paying the tax.

Tourists who are now visiting Treasury Island, Clearwater, St. Pete Beach, [all in Pinellas County], are being subjected to a flood of propaganda ads which brazenly assert “tourists” will be milked under the proposed tax. As a result of these ads, tourists are already talking about visiting other parts of Florida outside Pinellas Country on their next vacation, and this is especially true of Canadian tourists which account for a significant part of tourists who have been taking their vacation in Pinellas County. Pinellas residents will pay the price if they get conned by the "Greenlight Pinellas" proposed tax.

JWK

FYI, it is not Treasury Island, it is TREASURE ISLAND, and I lived there.... what an awesome address to have, Treasure Island, Florida........ right before moving up to the New England region..... hahahahahaha! I loved that address!

Thanks for the correction on "Treasure" Island, the new program I have chooses a word if I happened to make a typo. Aside from that, I currently am a stones throw from Madeira Beach.


JWK

We used to go to the Beach right near there, on the other side of the Bridge near John's Pass...only the Treasure island side...great shell hunting .....and a bar and restaurant right near by where we could get chicken wings and ice cold beer!....Can't remember the name of the restaurant at the time, it was right across the waterway from John's pass...I think it might have been called Gators....maybe it was called that....? It's been so long.... we could walk to it from our condo, and walk to the beach...but we usually drove to the beach because we didn't like crossing Gulf Blvd on foot, with our beach chairs and beach towels in tow!

Man, we had a lot of good, warm times there! It is cold as can be up here in Maine for 3/4's of the year....the summers, are fabulous though.

My Kindle does the same thing, sometimes I AM spelling the word right, and IT chooses another word for me...

 

[Care4all]

This is only for Pinellas County not state wide. Sounds similar to the con job Miami-Dade County pulled when they were pushing for MetroRail.

Did it EVER take off and work...meaning, did people start using it more? Did it ever help reduce traffic? I moved from Miami to the west coast right around the time it was first put in....decades ago....

 

[Desperado]

This is only for Pinellas County not state wide. Sounds similar to the con job Miami-Dade County pulled when they were pushing for MetroRail.

Did it EVER take off and work...meaning, did people start using it more? Did it ever help reduce traffic? I moved from Miami to the west coast right around the time it was first put in....decades ago....

Mostly Mixed reviews.

For the majority of people the rail line does not go where they need or want to go.
Does not go to the Seaport, Does not go to Dolphin Stadium so the actual travel is limited.
Basically Metrorail is a straight line from Hialeah through Downtown Miami to Dadeland.
This seems to be a fair assessment of MetroRail after 30 years.
Miami’s Metrorail at 30: Promises kept, promises broken
Miami s Metrorail at 30 Promises kept promises broken The Miami Herald

 

[johnwk]

We used to go to the Beach right near there, on the other side of the Bridge near John's Pass...only the Treasure island side...great shell hunting .....and a bar and restaurant right near by where we could get chicken wings and ice cold beer!....Can't remember the name of the restaurant at the time, it was right across the waterway from John's pass...I think it might have been called Gators....maybe it was called that....? It's been so long.... we could walk to it from our condo, and walk to the beach...but we usually drove to the beach because we didn't like crossing Gulf Blvd on foot, with our beach chairs and beach towels in tow!

Man, we had a lot of good, warm times there! ...

Yes, Gators is down by John's Pass. Captain Kosmakos Bar & Grill closed down a couple of years ago. The Pub up by Indian Rocks, where you can dock you boat, is still doing great! Unfortunately, the Wine Cellar has closed down.

JWK

 

[johnwk]

Republican leadership says no to Greenlight Pinellas tax

SEE: Local Republicans come out against Greenlight Pinellas

"Republicans stand for small, efficient, and effective government with reduced taxation and regulation," committee chairman Michael J. Guju said in a statement. "We believe that this proposed sales tax increase would do more harm than good, especially to the county's poorest residents, disabled veterans and our seniors on fixed incomes. Though many Pinellas Republicans support public transportation, and want to see it expanded and made more efficient, a sales tax increase which would unduly hurt those who most use public transportation makes little sense."

Republicans also note in a news release that the tax increase would make the county's sales tax the highest in Florida "with minimal exclusions."

JWK


Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people's money.Margaret Thatcher

 

[Care4all]

Well, it's MIXED on Republicans, some support it, some don't

GOP Sen. Jack Latvala’s support of the transit plan could be critical to passing it in north Pinellas, where the proposal is unpopular.

BY CHRISTOPHER O’DONNELL
Tribune staff
Published: September 26, 2014 | Updated: September 26, 2014 at 06:49 AM
ST. PETERSBURG — In a major coup for backers of Greenlight Pinellas, one of the county’s top Republican leaders publicly is endorsing the mass-transit plan.

Influential Republican State Sen. Jack Latvala on Thursday announced his support for Greenlight, a move that could boost the chances of the referendum passing — especially in Latvala’s north Pinellas stronghold, where polls show it is least popular.

Latvala’s backing echoed comments made by Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman this week that the Tampa Bay area needs an efficient mass-transit system to compete with other communities for jobs and to attract residents.

“Of the 30 major population centers in American, Tampa Bay is the only one that doesn’t have mass transit,” Latvala said. “I think it’s about time we caught up with the rest of the country.”

Greenlight has been endorsed by more than a dozen Pinellas County cities and most local leaders, but Latvala is the first state politician to throw his weight behind the plan that the Pinellas County Republican Party came out against in August.

Fellow Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes has been critical of the plan, saying the $1.6 billion light-rail link is too expensive. In April, he asked state transportation officials to investigate Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s spending of $800,000 for an educational campaign to promote Greenlight. An investigation cleared PSTA.

The $2.2 billion plan includes a 65 percent expansion in bus service, the development of bus rapid transit in key corridors and a 24-mile light-rail network running between Clearwater and St. Petersburg through the Gateway area. It would be paid for through a 1 penny sales tax that would replace a transit property tax.

Greenlight foes have warned that raising the county’s sales tax to 8 percent could harm the local economy. Supporters counter that the sales tax is a fairer way to fund transportation because tourists, who also use transit, will pay about one-third of the tax. Sales tax does not apply to groceries or medical products.

“I like the idea of tourists paying for a transportation system that they use,” Latvala said.

Latvala said he was embarrassed by the area’s threadbare transit system during the Republican National Convention when delegates struggled to travel in Tampa and St. Petersburg.

The region will not attract another convention without significant investment in mass transit, he said.

A robust and effective mass transit system also would help persuade the Tampa Bay Rays to remain in the area, Latvala said. The Rays have donated $50,000 to Friends of Greenlight, the private political committee pushing for the referendum to pass.

“We need mass transit if we’re going to keep our baseball team in the region,” he said.

The Greenlight Pinellas referendum is on the ballot Nov. 4.

Sen. Latvala endorses Greenlight Pinellas TBO.com The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Times

 

[johnwk]

Well, it's MIXED on Republicans, some support it, some don't

GOP Sen. Jack Latvala’s support of the transit plan could be critical to passing it in north Pinellas, where the proposal is unpopular.

Sen. Jack Latvala’s support of the Greenlight Pinellas tax may spell its doom!

SEE: Left-Coast-Lovable Jack Latvala Anything But Republican

”Latvala is the Republican senator who isn't.

He's the epitome of the guy who will say anything on the campaign trail to sell himself as a conservative but hasn't any intention of voting that way once in office. He's the way-beyond-RINO who spent the 2011 legislative session sabotaging Sen. Mike Haridopolos' conservative agenda and thwarting Gov. Rick Scott's proposals to balance the budget.”

As a conservative, I wouldn’t want Latvala’s support on anything.

JWK



Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people's money.Margaret Thatcher

 

[Care4all]

Well, it's MIXED on Republicans, some support it, some don't

GOP Sen. Jack Latvala’s support of the transit plan could be critical to passing it in north Pinellas, where the proposal is unpopular.

Sen. Jack Latvala’s support of the Greenlight Pinellas tax may spell its doom!

SEE: Left-Coast-Lovable Jack Latvala Anything But Republican

”Latvala is the Republican senator who isn't.

He's the epitome of the guy who will say anything on the campaign trail to sell himself as a conservative but hasn't any intention of voting that way once in office. He's the way-beyond-RINO who spent the 2011 legislative session sabotaging Sen. Mike Haridopolos' conservative agenda and thwarting Gov. Rick Scott's proposals to balance the budget.”

As a conservative, I wouldn’t want Latvala’s support on anything.

JWK



Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people's money.Margaret Thatcher

And did you read what he said about it...he was embarrassed when the Republicans had their convention there and had no mass transit to get around, or something like that....and that Tampa St Pete was the only metropolitan area in the Nation to not have this kind of mass transit. (is that even true?) Clearwater is his district, or that region, are they Republicans, or are they mostly Dems voting for this guy?

 

[thereisnospoon]

LOL. I use the Portland, Oregon, light rail system twice a week to go downtown to the university. No way I want to drive downtown and fight for parking. Love the lightrail.

I support mass transit. Self supporting mass transit. Operated efficiently, without the typical political patronage jobs and over paid hacks, cost over runs and murderous taxation on auto owners, mass transit is a good idea.
Unfortunately all of the above together with the subsidies funded by non users as a means to punish those who dare not accept the govco captive market are examples as to why mass transit is a taxpayer ripoff.
For example, some of the highest gas prices in the nation are found in the 11 county NY metro area served by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Divers in these counties are taxed at a much higher rate AND are charged a higher price to register their vehicles. The additional money is transferred to the MTA to subsidies fares and pay salaries and benefits of workers. Most MTA management are political appointees who got their jobs because of who they know.
Also portions of the tolls collected by the Port Authority of NY/NJ and the Triboro Bridge and Tunnel authority are siphoned off to subsidize fares on the trains.
NYC and suburban drivers get to sit in traffic to pay the highest bridge and tunnel tolls in the nation so train riders can catch a break on the fares.
This is one of the reasons why I left Northern NJ.

 

[Siete]

Go to the Keys, super low taxes, super place to be.

FFF

fishing
food
friends

10 on a scale of 10

 

[thereisnospoon]

.
The Greenlight Pinellas Plan is another classic example of a well-funded tax scam to increase taxes on Florida’s Citizens. It is being sold as a way to improve Pinellas County's bus service and construct a “future passenger rail that will significantly enhance public transportation in Pinellas County. If the proposed 1% sales tax referendum passes in November 2014, PSTA would implement the Greenlight Pinellas Plan.” The plan also asserts an “Elimination of PSTA’s nearly 3/4 mill property tax when the potential sales tax takes effect January 1, 2016.”

The facts are, Greenlight Pinellas is a plan to gouge Florida’s residents with a new tax on their purchases, and punish Florida residents who own cars and use them for transportation. Add up the 1% sales tax a Florida resident will pay a year as compared to what they now pay and Greenlight Pinellas turns out to be a massive tax increase placed upon Florida’s productive citizens while the benefits will go to the least productive while Politicians in Florida will use the plan for another money laundering operation to transfer tax revenue to their friends through sweetheart deals when the increased tax revenue is spent.

The plan is similar to Obama’s “green energy” money laundering operation in which $ Billions of tax dollars were channeled to Obama’s political donors under the guise of “green energy”. See 80% of Obama green jobs money goes to Obama donors.

JWK


"To lay with one hand the power of the government on the property of the citizen [a working person’s earned wage] and with the other to bestow upon favored individuals, to aid private enterprises and build up private fortunes [Obama’s Solyndra, Chevy Volt, Fisker, Exelon swindling deals] is none the less a robbery because it is done under forms of law and called taxation."____ Savings and Loan Assc. v. Topeka,(1875).

When I lived in Pinellas , a long time ago, its sales tax was already higher than Hillsborough county, so now its going even higher?

That is correct. According to my parents who live in Hernando County, Pinellas residents have had it with the crime and taxes. They are leaving.
Once a relatively safe city, St Petersburg is about to surpass Tampa in crime statistics.
St Pete has a very serious gang problem.