Along with such Tampa Bay institutions as Bern's Steak House, Tampa Theatre and Fort DeSoto Park, Howard Troxler has been a perennial winner in the Weekly Planet/Creative Loafing Best of the Bay Readers' Poll. As of 2010, he had been voted Best Local Columnist 10 times, as well as being given such distinctions by CL editors as "Best Columnist That Doesn't Deserve an Award" (whatever that meant) and "Best Picture of a Columnist Who Looks Like He Should Have a Twin Named Tweedledum" (that was from his bowtie days.)
When we admitted him to our first Readers' Poll Hall of Fame in 2006, we wrote, "If you are in power and act like an ass, watch out for his North Carolina-tinged rapier." Alas, North Carolina's taken him and his rapier back (watch out, NC!), but we know there'll always be a place in his heart for Florida's ass-backwards politicians.
We also expect CL readers will vote for him again as Best Local Columnist this year — and once more they'll be right.
This article appears in Jun 2-8, 2011.