As Floridians hold their breath awaiting hopeful news about receiving funding for high-speed rail later this week when President Obama comes to town, locally, we've got our own rail issues.
Sometime in the next couple of months, the Hillsborough County Commission is slated to vote on finally putting up on the November ballot the penny cent sales tax referendum on light rail and other transportation projects in the County.
Local media reports have indicated that some conservatives in the County plan to take it to the max in terms of spreading opposition to the proposal.
In Tampa Tuesday night, it will be Republican vs. Republican when rail advocate Mark Sharpe will tangle with David Caton of the Florida Family Association speaking in opposition.
Over the past year, Commissioner Sharpe has become as prominent as Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio in advocating for the proposal, which would go before Hillsborough voters on November 2nd. He's getting more experienced in advocating for it, as he debating in a recent Tiger Bay event earlier this month against demographer Jim Hosler.
Tuesday's event takes place at 6:30 p.m. at the Blaise F. Alfano Conference Center, 11606 McKinley Drive in Tampa, with the debate scheduled to start 30 minutes later. The event is being sponsored by the Tampa 912 Project.
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2010.