Two Things I need Help With OH and Joe Redner owns strip clubs

A. Why is Ellen GEDALIUS suddenly covering the elections?? And all this chatter about Joe. That's Joe Redner, the strip club owner. It's possible there is someone who has been asleep a 1000000000000000 years who doesn't know Joe owns strip clubs. LOL !!!!!!!

B. (below refers to this):"Certainly, it could create some problems," said Bruce Jacob, a law professor at Stetson University. "Members of city government could feel intimidated by the fact he's on the board."


B.I don't understand this as Mr. Jacob refers to litigation that Joe, the strip club owner (okay does EVERYONE know he has strip clubs now????????? Just making sure. Thanks, Ellen for that newsflash!) has against the City of Tampa ... is he trying to say that members of the city government can influence the federal court system here in Tampa?? NO WAY !! Yeah, Okay, I guess that's possible (well, DUH!) but I had NO idea that you should just say it out loud in the newspaper and all. They are desperate to stop Joe ....

Why ??


Why??

The answers are endless and endlessly amusing and it's going to be SO COOL to see him make them do some actual REAL STUFF !!

C. I just thought of a THIRD thing I'm bugged by but I'm happy with the title to this though feel it is a bit misleading. Can someone help me to understand what is so titillating about strip club owner Joe Redner's city council win that was NOT compelling about a mayor forcing two guys out of a job and them both running against her?? AND, one of them was forced out BECAUSE he ran against her. Now, which is more interesting??? Damn. Yeah, Okay ---- nekkid ladies are all that --- to SOME. Me? I'd rather talk about .... ANYTHING. I can see a nekkid lady anytime I want.


Redner Fighting City He Wants To Serve


By ELLEN GEDALIUS The Tampa Tribune

Published: Mar 10, 2007



TAMPA - Joe Redner is no stranger the city's legal department.

The strip club owner has battled Tampa in court numerous times, generally arguing that he has a constitutional right to open adult businesses. In turn, the city has sued Redner, arguing that his Mons Venus strip club has violated a city ordinance making it a crime for a nude dancer to be within six feet of a customer.

Most of the cases have been resolved, but Redner remains involved in four pending lawsuits with the city he now wants to represent as a council member.

Those legal entanglements present the potential for conflicts of interest should Redner be elected, and raise questions about whether a council member can work objectively with a city he is suing.

"Certainly, it could create some problems," said Bruce Jacob, a law professor at Stetson University. "Members of city government could feel intimidated by the fact he's on the board."

Redner faces incumbent council Chairwoman Gwen Miller in a March 27 runoff election for the District 1 citywide council seat.

On Friday, Redner said he was willing to drop a pending federal suit he has against the city.

In that case, Redner argues that the city has violated his constitutional rights by prohibiting him from opening an adult business in the Ybor City historic district. Filed in 2003, the suit seeks damages and attorneys fees from the city.

Redner said he plans to continue pursuing a case filed in 1996. He argues in that case that he should have been allowed to continue operating Club Flamingo in Ybor City. The case is winding its way through the appeals process - Redner lost two lower court rulings - and Redner hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the suit.

The city has two outstanding suits against Redner concerning Mons Venus. In one case, filed in 1996, the city argues that Mons Venus violates city zoning rules because it is within 500 feet of a residential area and within 1,000 feet of another adult business.

In the other case, the city argues that Mons Venus violates the six-foot rule enacted in 1999 that prohibits anyone in an adult club from coming within six feet of a nude person.

If elected to the council, Redner said, he would abstain from voting on cases in which he has a conflict because doing otherwise would be unethical.

"I will not vote on adult business issues, my own or anyone else's," Redner said.

By law, council members must abstain from votes that could benefit them financially.

"Anyone who is a council member is free to have economic interests in the city," City Attorney David Smith said. "He is not free to take action as a council member in a manner that implicates those financial interests."

Smith said Redner probably would have to abstain from any issues that came up relating to allowing adult businesses to operate in historic districts.

As far as getting along with a council member who is suing the city, Smith said he would have no problem.

Jacob, the Stetson law professor, said Smith and Redner would need to be careful not to discuss any pending litigation.

"That would be highly improper," Jacob said.

Redner, for his part, says the U.S. justice system is the best in the world and has no plans to stop suing the city if he sees fit - even if he is elected to the council.

"If they do something wrong, I'm going to sue them," Redner said.

He added, "I haven't even thought about suing the city since Pam Iorio has been in office."

Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedalius@tampatrib.com.

We DO get fooled again ...

The same day of the victory laps the proprietor of the gas station I was visiting was telling me how he had not been able to vote because they had changed his polling place from right next door (elks lodge?? by the car wash on gandy) to some church and he had NO idea where it was. And, you know -- I'm a little pissed off at myself because I merely cynically nodded and said 'par for the course in Tampa.' He was NOT going to vote for Pam and so that makes A LOT of people (after you read the below editorial you'll see what I mean)

Everything in italics is ME !!

Michael Hussey advocates paying attention to the details which I kinda pride myself on practicing at times, BUT, in this case .... because I was completely numb to the foregone outcome and isn't that sad?? -- I was just cynical and complicit. Instead, I should have thought to make phone calls and raise hell.

And after you read this, I hope you feel the same way.

More from Buddy who could NOT buy silence on this one but no thanks to me.....

A HUGE thank you to the good Tampa citizens (and others and this editorial-writer) who do not have their cynical heads up their asses !! (like me, in this case)


This Buddy system fails voters again

By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published March 9, 2007

When Hillsborough Court Clerk Pat Frank discovered recently that her office had fallen behind processing legal documents, she called the media, explained the problem and set a deadline to fix it. When reporters asked Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson how he came to change two polling places in Tampa's city election Tuesday, what followed was seven hours of misinformation and spin ahem .... that symbolizes the wall((OF SILENCE)) Johnson has built between his office and the public.

Funny thing is, changing a polling place is no big deal. Elections supervisors do it all the time. If churches and private groups, which provide space for voting, have a scheduling conflict, then elections officials make other arrangements. Johnson moved the polling place for precincts 215 and 217 from a church north of downtown to another church about half a mile away.

They also changed the one for the voter I spoke to but I'm not seeing that info here ...

But the switch caught voters - even some of the candidates on the ballot - by surprise. They wondered why Johnson had not notified them. A Johnson aide told the Tampa Tribune, in a story published on its Web site midday Tuesday, that his office had mailed letters, maps and new ID cards to affected voters. "A lot of times, I hate to say this," the official said, "people don't read their mail." Two readers fired back that they received nothing. Reached by the Times, Johnson refused to say whether he mailed anything. "Letters were written and processed," he said. "But I don't know if voters received them." winkin and noddin ensues....

Voters didn't receive them because none went out. Johnson's spokesman and his in-house lawyer confirmed as much several hours later. Never mind that Johnson put out a press release Feb. 21, two weeks earlier, that declared: "Voters in these precincts have been notified by mail of the change in location." He also said the changes "are temporary and were caused by ongoing construction or previous commitments of the polling sites." But at least one of those claims is not true, either. The new sites for 215 and 217 are permanent changes, Johnson's spokesman said. The church also insists it never asked to close its doors.

With questions rolling in, Johnson posted a press release - "City Election Going Smoothly" - on his Web site Tuesday afternoon.Of COURSE, SILLY !!! What else would he say? He reported that voter turnout at 215 and 217 "was actually twice as high" as the citywide rate. "This shows we did a good job of getting out the word," he said. But if Johnson's numbers were accurate, something drastic happened in the five hours before the polls closed. Turnout there came nowhere close to twice the citywide rate; in precinct 215, it was nearly half. Since 2000 the numbers pertaining to elections hve shifted like sand through an hour glass -- depending on what they think that the sheeple will buy ... WHATEVVVVVVVVVVVV

While the election is history,WHY? I think it would be great to rewind it! Johnson is still waiting for the U.S. Justice Department to approve his polling change. The attorney general, who must ensure any change does not hurt minorities, received the petition Feb. 16, one business day before early voting opened. The request came so late that Johnson asked the department to expedite the 60-day process. Johnson's spokesman blamed this, too, on the church: "The church notified us very late." wait a minute, didn't the church say up there that it did not even ask to close it's doors?? hmmmmm hmmmmm hmmmmm
He saw no reason to use at least three ensuing weeks to alert voters by mail - or even, as late as Election Day, to correct his Web site from steering voters to the old polling place. Frankly, I don't see any reason either; this IS Tampa, after all. What the hell does it matter what's good for the citizens, minorities, women, children, poor, homeless??/

The issue is no longer just Johnson's incompetence. It is his (STUNNING) lack of credibility.


By the way, does everyone here know it is next to IMPOSSIBLE to vote if you are homeless but apparently extremely easy to vote in each state you claim residence in???
© 2007 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

NO -- it's really NOT a Freakin Joke

Council Members Line Up Behind Miller (talk about your misleading headlines, why doesn't anyone ever complain about the Tampa Trib's outright OPPOSITE headlines??) Even though, of course, HALF of these people WONT BE BACK so WHO CARES what they think ....?? haha and even if they WOULD be back WHO CARES ????


By ELLEN GEDALIUS The Tampa Tribune (Hey, Ellen!!! Thanks for finally opening up some about what's going on with the elections in Tampa~)

Published: Mar 9, 2007


TAMPA - Several (mostly SOON TO BE FORMER and/or currently INTERIM SOON TO BE FORMER) city council members are lining up to support Gwen Miller in her runoff against Joe Redner. You'll notice that only ONE of the 'current' Tampa City returning Council members speaks out against Joe. The others refuse to endorse either one ... whatever...

"I'm going to help Gwen," Councilman Chip Fletcher said. "She deserves to come back, and I'm going to do what I can to help her with that." Geez, Chip, haven't you done enough for Tampa as an INTERIM council member?? Oh --- and Chip will NOT be returing ...

Seriously, there is nothing more NAZI than proposing that someone is LESS than you. Think Mark Foley --- making laws against predators while he himself is one. Sick.

Miller, the incumbent and council chairwoman, faces Redner, a strip club owner and business entrepreneur, in a runoff election for the citywide District 1 council seat. The election is March 27. How can you call yourself a newsie and not know that Joe is more than a strip club owner and business entrepeneur?

ummmmmmmmm, Joe got MORE VOTES than Pam Orio got when she was 'elected' initially...

Which reminds me ---- 21,808 (UPDATE 21853 my bad) votes SHOULD NOT be considered a landslide victory in a city of 340,000 some odd people !! Sounds like this is a city that has given up because they know their votes DONT COUNT. IF they do count then why does Buddy have to buy silence from ex-employees ??? Tampa, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The population within the city limits in 2005, according to the Census was 333040 ... See also: Tampa Chapter of the FL Motion Picture and Television Assoc. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampa,_Florida - 209k - Mar 8, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages

Tuesday's elections showed how important the support of another council member can be. The Mary Mulhern campaign got a boost last week when Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena contributed $500 to Mulhern and endorsed her rather than incumbent Councilman Shawn Harrison.

Mulhern prevailed, and Saul-Sena was lauded.

Linda Saul-Sena --- over the years, I have watched you; this is definitely a highlight of your career --- ANYONE BUT HARRISON but very COOL on Mary !!! (thank you)

In the runoff between Miller and Redner, however, Saul-Sena said she is going to stay neutral.

"I'm Switzerland," she said.

Don't be afraid, Linda. It's not that Gwen is bad; it's that Joe is BETTER. He's already got everything he needs ---

Councilwoman Mary Alvarez, however, said she will support Miller and give a campaign donation.

"Can you imagine Joe Redner on here?" Alvarez said. "What's he going to do during the invocation? He's an atheist. I hope the voters go out and make up their minds the right way. It's not a joke."


Mary??? Mary??? Oh my God or Joe's UN-god or however ANYONE believes (personally, I'm not sure exactly how atheism works, I keep my faith my business and leave it to others to have their own ).... maybe there shouldn't be a frickin invocation .... or maybe joe can overlook it .. or maybe you can take turns ... or maybe ... it's a BIG WORLD OUT THERE ... everyone does not believe the same --- I'm shocked, befuddled and disappointed at this from you ..... but then you supported someone other than Charlie Miranda.... I think I'll be Switzerland for you and wait and hopefully you will come to your senses...
Councilman Frank Reddick said he'll probably support Miller, too. He doesn't know Redner but knows that Miller supported him in getting the city to buy Gene's Bar, a troubled spot in East Tampa.

Hey !! Frank and Gwen!!!--- I have LONG believed that Gene's bar and Gene O'Steen was a victim of SELECTIVE code enforcement by the City of Tampa. Considering that in much this same style this same crap is being pulled on dozens of my friends and associates === it's TOO obvious It's what my blog is mostly about TAMPAS BACK DOOR EMINENT DOMAIN. Or, as Rose would say, "they've over-stayed their welcome... " (in their homes, mind you, in their HOMES)As well, when you check out this site, you realize that it was VERY easy for the law enforcement in Hillsborough County and Tampa Fl to harass THIS man out of business and how easy it was for them to do the same to Gene O'Steen with the help of a few 'plants'. Isn't it convenient how the city picked up that 'blighted' property and has such immediate plans for it???
It's a wonder they didn't crisp it down.
And just what do you suppose is meant by
the right way??? It's very distasteful when one person proposes to tell the entire pop. how to think (ala Pam at times and others at times)

"I'll do whatever I can to help her," Reddick said. uhhhh, Frank??? Buh-bye !!!

Councilman John Dingfelder said he's not backing either candidate because he knows he'll be serving with one of them.

I don't like wishy-washy but it's a HELLUVA lot better than the below and more honest, too....

Harrison said he will not support Redner, and Miller hadn't asked him for help, but he does like Miller.

Shawn ?? I said goodbye to you on March 5th and then the entire city said goodbye to you on March 6th .... this ALONE should cause Joe and any other atheist to believe THERE MUST BE A GOD !!!Oh and no one cares ....

"I have enjoyed serving with her," Harrison said. "As a whole, Gwen will be a better representative for the entire city."

emmmm, not so fast .... (see above italics)

Miller is flattered by the support and says she needs it. She also said she's going to aggressively raise money, walk neighborhoods, put up more signs, mail fliers and organize phone banks.

Gwen, it's nothing personal. You seem lovely .... but ... Joe is Joe.

She also plans to ask former U.S. Rep. Jim Davis to continue making phone calls on her behalf as he did before Tuesday's election. He could be busy govern-ating but we have this problem with elections in Florida .... yknow??? Oh and not to mention, by now HE would have signed an executive order to restore CIVIL RIGHTS and drag FL up from the murky depths of JIM CROW.....

Both Miller and Redner said they will participate in a debate next week sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

Now this should be WILDLY entertaining and highly intellectual -- some sharp ladies in the League ...

As far as running against Redner, Miller said she will view him "just like any other candidate." See?? I believe Gwen is a CLASS ACT ! IT would just be too much fun to watch Joe in action...... and it would piss off so many people, the thought alone cracks me up ... and Joe has been standing next to me so many times and I have never once seen Gwen. EVER. But, the real reason Joe deserves this shot is his absolute UTTER devotion to free speech and FREEDOM for ALL. I guess I'm his JFK, Jr. .... Larry Flynt had something bigger going on than porn and JFK, Jr. got it.

And Ive never seen another City Council member and certainly NEVER a Hillsborough County Commissioner with the one-time exception of Kathy Castor when we tried to fight off the oil lords --- I'm telling you this fact City Council of Tampa and Hillsborough County Commissioners -- be prepared to put more on the line and extend yourselves more. After this election there will be more demands on you to know where you stand and stand there and don't ignore issues of our world. People are going to be listened to AGAIN (finally!!!) and as people realize that they don't have to put up with the shit of the past.... just be ready. Stand up and be counted. That's why we hire you.

My final thought: Gwen Miller is endorsed by Tampa Firefighters these guys ... I don't think anyone will have any trouble guessing what I think about that. Here's something else interesting I found about selectiveness in who gets service.

Chavez is even voting for Joe. (Thanks Denise, I remember your Mom from as far back as C at the Royal)

Gwen, you can still serve the city. But, the time for this post --- it's in the past. You had a good run.

Pete Botto: Know where you stand and stand there. We need YOU, too.

Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedallius@tampatrib.com.