If Tampa doesn't work diligently to dialogue with Cuba, the city will fall too far behind other U.S. cities in establishing a trade relationship with the communist island when (and if) the 51-year plus U.S. embargo ultimately ends.
That was the message delivered Thursday morning by acting Tampa City Council chair Mary Mulhern, who traveled to Cuba two weeks ago upon the beginning of new direct flights from Tampa to Havana.
The Council voted to send a letter sending greetings to Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon, and discussing potential business opportunities between the city and country in the future. It was the third try for Mulhern to get council buy-in, after Councilman Mike Suarez had objected the past two weeks, saying that he didn't believe it was appropriate for the council to communicate directly to a foreign government that the U.S. government does not have formal relations with.
As Cl reported earlier this week, Suarez has received some heat for his viewpoints. He spoke only briefly today reiterating that opposition.
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2011.