Henry Saavedra and the tampa hi-jinxists
Knowing Henry personally I can't even say whether he'd stand up for ME or not if the shoe was on the other foot. Maybe not. But maybe. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
There is NO damned way that Henry was derelict in his duty to the holier-than-thou Tampa Sports Authority. NO WAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!! If anything, he is extrasuperlative in his attention to detail and rarely misses a beat the many times I have observed him in action. Maybe never. Maybe he never misses a beat. That's ... saying something coming from me. I'm one of the FEW people I know who almost never misses a beat. Unless I do so on purpose working things out. Henry ... he's on top of stuff.
As you might remember, although I kept his name out of the blog I disagreed VEHEMENTLy with Henry *spokesman and executive director of the Tampa Sports Authority* over the 'patdowns' at the stadium. I phrased it as being in disagreement with the 'sports authority' in deference to the esteem I have for Henry. So .. calling a spade a spade is what I do. Don't give a damn ... I'll speak my mind. And, I want you to, as well. EVERYONE. Speak your mind.
From the st pete times:
Saavedra gave 24 years of his adult life to serving the TSA, the last 12 as executive director. But none of that service meant a thing to a cabal of six board members who went after his head with a list of dubious charges the would be the envy of Dick Cheney making paper airplanes out of the Constitution.
For example, Saavedra was accused of not alerting the board in a timely fashion of the collapse of the financial firm Lehman Brothers, which handled investments for the agency, even though the investments had been handled, not by Saavedra, but by Hillsborough County money managers. As well, didn't any of the TSA board members bother to follow news accounts of Lehman's woes? It's not as if this was a big secret.
But perhaps the most bizarre allegation against Saavedra was that he violated Florida's public records laws — by giving two reporters, Channel 10's Mike Deeson and the St. Petersburg Times' Janet Zink, public records they requested concerning the use by board members of the TSA's skybox for the Super Bowl.
Uh, wouldn't this be a bit like canning a priest for saying Mass?
Wow. THIS IS SO OBVIOUS.
I know that Patrick Manteiga used to be on the board of the TSA .. maybe his term expired. I forget EXACTLY how that works but I think most of these guys are political appointments. The reason I mention Patrick is that with him gone that would have been a key vote. FOR HENRY. The vote was six to five leaving five VERY upset people. And six folks who OBVIOUSLY COLLUDED outside the Florida Sunshine Laws (because obviously they have NO respect for these silly damn laws) and went behind Henry's back and shanked him.
I hope three things: First of all let me preface these remarks with the admission that believe it or NOT, I'm not stupid .. I know that many of these folks are laughing at or angry with me over me not just rolling over and allowing them to steal more from our family. They've gotten enough. They'll learn. When they come .. come with decency and self-respect. Because some of these folks are NOT bad people. They are easily convinced to conspire in pushing others around, perhaps not quite wittingly.
Now, on to my three hopes:
a. Let this be the TIP that allows people to see that while they're trying to screw over good people LIKE MYSELF I'm not so stupid I'm worried about myself and not keeping an eye on the big picture. The big picture is that they're involved in a really bad game of survivor and if people getting screwed over such as Bill Poe and other former Tampa leaders and now Henry a man whose rightful place has always been assured. I see things happening to them that I don't discuss nor reveal because ... well, I've noticed if they gang up against me their own situation improves a bit. I know they have to get this in the back of their minds. Maybe denial.
b. my second hope: Please folks go down that list of foks you consider friends with this new perspective and RETHINK IT. Look at the current leadership in Tampa and the DRIVING NEED to be on EVERY BOARD making every decision. I'm beginning to wonder what Lex Salisbury did to someone or who they wanted in THERE because the same things started happening to him as did around MY house ... the animal control was the teller. HMMMM. Anyway .. you take a good hard look at those folks. And remember! The only way people get pushed around is that each person who would say, KNOCK THIS OFF!!! stands back for their own safety. Despite the fact that they MUST KNOW that eventually it's their turn or their child's turn, whatever.
c. Third hope: BOB BUCKHORN .. get Barry and sue the snipe out of these self-righteous, conniving, collusive, WHINING, control-freaking ASSES
Given that NOT SO LONG ago they went after Barry Cohen himself with some flimflam bunch of lies. Still I guess that's better than being RUN OFF THE INTERSTATE by the Jason(s), the Sheriff's dumptruck developer friends and their assorted hirelings. All because of the NEW people wanting to take over Tampa with some long-term Tampa people cooperating, sometimes unaware until the trap door opens under THEM.
THE SIX.
This might come as something of a shock to the six board members who voted to accept Saavedra's under duress resignation — chairman Vin Marchetti, Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman, Andrew Scaglione, Tony Muniz, Mark Proctor and Tampa City Councilman Tom Scott — but TSA documents are a (ahem) public record one need only ask to see to have access to them.
These aren't the nuclear codes, folks.
Five members, Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Alvarez, former councilman Bob Buckhorn, Frank DuBose, Kalyn Brandewie and Johnny D. Page, who has served on the TSA board since Red Grange wore a leather helmet, all voted against Saavedra's resignation.
THE SIX WHO MET IN SECRECY to seal the fate of Henry Saavedra.
Henry might not even think this is that big a deal but I HOPE he does.
I hope so.
Because it is.
And, when he gets back in charge I want him to come down to the gates personally and let me in without a patdown.
LMAO.
Just kidding, Henry.
SUE THEM.
They did wrong.