The politicians sold the convention to us saying it would provide an economic boost. It was historic and an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. All along they told us that county residents would not suffer during the convention, especially outside of downtown Tampa and certainly not in more distant parts of Hillsborough County. As long as we didn’t venture into downtown, life would go on as normal.
As we approach the start of this yet-to-be-determined economic windfall, officials have now changed their tune. We’re being told that some services will be suspended until after the convention. Sheriff David Gee told WFLA TV Channel 8 on yesterday’s 6 o’clock news that, “We’re stretched. There’s no doubt, we’re stretched”. That’s a far cry from what officials were saying less than a month ago.
Leading up to this convention, officials felt the need to promote the idea that there would be little impact outside of the convention area. They spent a lot of time prior to this week conducting a public relations blitz.
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2012.