Grandstanding? Sniping? Must be an election year

Brian Blair may be the only former professional wrestler running for a Hillsborough County Commission seat. But sitting Commissioners Ronda Storms and Stacey Easterling appear to be the most likely contestants for a steel cage match.

During one recent commission meeting, Storms accused -- but didn't name -- one of her fellow board members of giving out mass quantities of a phone directory of social service agencies to civic groups for free. (Each costs the county $10 to make.) And, giving them out at events outside that commissioner's district, she said. Storms questioned the practice, along with an unnamed commissioner's habit of offering to make county staff available to civic groups to explain issues, also outside that person's district.

Both were obvious references to Easterling, who is leaving her south Tampa district seat to challenge a fellow commissioner and current Storms ally, Jim Norman, for an at-large seat.

Storms had the wrong directory, though, and Easterling was able to say she's never given out any of the books. Easterling has, however, given out dozens of copies of the county's smaller and less costly directory of government offices, she later acknowledged.

"I give away boxes of those," Easterling said. "I've been doing that since the first day I got in office."

The two squared off again at budget workshop the next day. There, Commissioners Pat Frank and Chris Hart -- both Easterling allies -- called for a review of unresolved tax issues at Raymond James Stadium.

Easterling is trying to make taxpayer funding of the stadium an election issue because Norman supported the successful referendum that enabled it. However, she at first remained silent on the debate at the workshop.

But then Storms accused commissioners of making hay of the stadium issue right before the election when there was little likelihood of a resolution anyway. That's when Easterling piped up, suggesting that a discussion be scheduled July 24, when commissioners take up Storms' election year hot-button issue: public access television.

"We'll just have two items on the agenda," Easterling said. "If one commissioner is permitted to grandstand on something, then I think it's fair we discuss an item that has been going on for years. It's a genuine topic that needs to be addressed."

If it's so important, Storms retorted, then why has the commissioner waited until just before an election to bring it up?

Here's how it went from there:

Easterling: "Commissioner, please."

Frank (who as chairwoman presides over the meetings): "Just a moment, please. I think that we have to give respect to one another. And this . . ."

Storms: "Commissioner, why weren't you asking that when this commissioner was saying something about grandstanding? Why didn't you come to my defense then, commissioner?"

Frank: "Well, I will. We should not personalize things."

Storms: "Then you should come to the defense of other commissioners other than your baby girl here."

Frank denied any favoritism. Storms walked out of the meeting room in a huff.

Afterward, Easterling said, "I'm my mom's little baby girl. My mother was insulted to hear that."

IN THE SAME CIRCLES. How is it we can say Hart and Frank are Easterling allies? They vote differently from her sometimes, don't they?

Sure, though increasingly they seem to be on the same page. They also are running in some of the same fundraising circles.

Easterling was the beneficiary of a large fundraiser at the Bayshore Boulevard home of Harry and Linda Teasley Friday night. The main host was Hart, Easterling said.

The Teasleys also played host to one of Frank's first fundraisers, March 7.

CALENDAR: The Tampa Republican Women Federated will hold a forum for Republican candidates in the Districts 1 and 5 County Commission races at 6 p.m. July 8 at Sam Seltzer's Steakhouse, 4744 N Dale Mabry Highway. Contact Janet Rockey at 835-0149 to make reservations.

-- Got a tip or campaign event you want publicized? Contact Bill Varian at 226-3387 or varian@sptimes.com, or David Karp at 226-3376 or karp@sptimes.com.

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