Last week the Hillsborough Commission agreed to pay for $6.25M of Bass Pro's their developer's road upgrades needed for access to the new mall they would build. Many are saying this deal was fishy from the very beginning. Are we getting more than we bargained for?
Commission Chairman Ken Hagan pushed his fellow commissioners very hard to get this approved. This was the crown jewel of his career as a commissioner. It was easy to see from his demeanor that he would not accept any pushback from his colleagues. He wanted it accepted and lauded as the best thing since Ponce de Leon's discovery of the Fountain of Youth. His resume needed beefing up and, by God, they better help him. $6M was a piddling amount to spend, especially when you consider the doors it might open for future political races.
When respected business people and regular citizens stepped forward to object at the initial meeting on Dec 5, 2012, the commission decided they wanted more time before approving so they could look conciliatory and circumspect. The approval was slam dunked on Feb 20, 2013 with Commissioner Beckner being the only one questioning the sales pitch by Hagan. Hagan got what he wanted but left the general public with a bunch of unanswered questions. Beyond the hyped up numbers and puffery, what else is in store for us?
Here's some things that defy logic and need some explanation:
This article appears in Feb 21-27, 2013.