I think I am.
How does that style serve the public, and have there been times, say during the recent window of the condo-building boom, when that hasn't served us well?
Being methodical works well because that's my style, so I can't be anything different than that. When you bring [lots of] people in, you don't make rash decisions.
I give the example of the discussion of mass transit. I started three years ago in the State of the City speech saying we need to focus on transit. ... Well, then that started a particular cycle of conversation. Then the next State of the City speech I upped it a little bit and starting talking about now we have to have light rail, and then I produced a white paper. ...
So you can say, "Well, why not just declare that we need to have light rail and go for it?" Because it doesn't work that way. ... You have to get to the point where other elected officials feel comfortable stepping out and saying, 'Yeah I'll support a referendum for that.' ...
Now, today, light rail is an acceptable conversation for anyone to have. We're talking about going to referendum in 2010, and I'm trying to push for a starter line that's going to be from USF to downtown to Westshore.
That's how I see public policy issues generally. It's not up to the mayor to say, "Now we're going to get this done, and all by myself I'm going to go and get this done." That's more of an ego-driven political mindset that really does not get the job done.
Instead, you nurture issues along, and you get to the point where the whole community becomes engaged and it's not just one person's issue, it becomes a lot of folks' issue. I think that's a very important way to govern in this environment.
Are there any times that are appropriate to use the bully pulpit of the mayor's office?
There are.
I recall your statement on human rights and how the county's policy discriminates against gay pride.
That's where I do think you use the bully pulpit when it comes to issues of discrimination, fairness, justice, treating everyone the same when it comes to human-rights issues, when it comes to issues. ... where there shouldn't be any flexibility.
Back to transit, do you feel like the consensus and the dialogue is where it needs to be in terms of a referendum for rail?
I don't think it's where it ought to be yet. There still needs to be more county commissioners engaged on the rail issue. ... All seven should feel comfortable putting it on the ballot, even if they disagree with it, even if they are anti-tax, they should feel comfortable saying I want the voters to vote on this. Then if they want to campaign against it, they should do that.
You were a county commissioner yourself. It seems that there are different wants and needs of people living in the county vs. those living in the city. ... How do we get everyone on the same page?
I don't think people are on different pages. I think that some elected officials have put a wedge between city and county.
I used to live in the county. I've only lived in the city of Tampa since 1999. I grew up in Temple Terrace, then I lived in the unincorporated part of the county and then I lived in the city of Tampa. And people are no different. Sure, perhaps if you want to live out in Riverhills or Fishhawk Ranch you do want a little bit more of a remote, suburban lifestyle, but that doesn't mean you don't want to go a Lightning game. It doesn't mean you don't want to go to a Bucs game. It doesn't mean you don't want to go down to Channelside.
The people who live in Fishhawk [and other suburban communities] recognize that "This is the city, and boy am I proud of it, because when I went to the Performing Arts Center for whatever I attended, it was clean and I felt safe, and the parking was great, and isn't that a beautiful skyline. Isn't that great?" Everyone's proud of the community. I'm proud of the whole community, the whole county.
People in the unincorporated [areas], they can't wait for the Riverwalk to be done. They say, "Oh, I can't wait, I'll go down there, and I'll be able to bring relatives." The people who live in Carrollwood or Wimauma or Ruskin or Valrico, where do you think they bring their relatives who come from out of town? You think they say, "We'll just go to the movie theater here in Brandon and then call it quits?" No. They start ticking off all the things that are in the city of Tampa.