Representatives of two Tampa based groups who say the city is behind other U.S. cities in creating trade relations with Cuba spoke before the Tampa City Council in a workshop on Cuba today.
Steve Michelini is the managing director for the World Trade Center, a global trade organization. Al Fox is with the the Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy Foundation. Though they both share the same sentiments, they've been considered rivals. But after they finished their presentations before the City Council, Council Chair Thomas Scott said the two groups need to sit down and become unified.
Fox said the fact that the embargo against the Communist island still exists is almost irrelevant to his immediate concerns. He said other cities in the U.S. are far ahead of Tampa in fostering business relations there, and he said that is particularly irksome considering the historic relationship between Tampa and Cuba. He called on the City Council as a body needs to visit the island soon (The Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 lifted part of the trade embargo, allowing the sale of food and medical supplies to Cuba).
Fox said, "This is not a federal issue, this is a local issue," and called again for there to be direct flights from Tampa International Airport to Havana. He said that though he supported Barack Obama for President, but "I'm enormously disappointed on his Cuban policy."
Michelini said his group was working on hosting another forum on Cuba with local elected officials, as well as officials with the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority and the Tampa Port Authority within the next 60 days.
Al Fox from the Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy Foundation said that was the first he had heard of that, and said that some people in Tampa considered him to be a lightning rod, and mused aloud as to why, saying, "Because I've been to Cuba 75 times? I've met with Castro 9 times?"
After Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena said she wanted to propose a resolution to press Congresswoman Kathy Castor and others to try to press for a direct flight from Tampa to Havana, Councilman Charlie Miranda said the Council had done the same thing a year ago, and said it certainly wasn't an easy thing to achieve. He also insisted it was a federal issue.
Fox disagreed, saying it would be a major statement if the City Council as a complete governmentbody were to fly to Cuba and meet with officials there regarding business proposals.
This article appears in May 27 – Jun 2, 2010.