Opponent of Shoppes gets personal in complaints

By BILL VARIAN and JANET ZINK, Times Staff Writers
Published September 8, 2007

Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair, the former wrestler, took a pile-driver from a public speaker at Thursday's Commission meeting.

Charles Thornton has led a years-long protest over construction of the Shoppes of Lithia Plaza in eastern Hillsborough. He and neighbors have said the project caused flooding around their homes and the county refused to do anything about it. (The tale has been chronicled in the St. Petersburg Times.)

Maybe if he were a commissioner, things would have turned out differently, Thornton said. He pointed to Blair's push to have the county pay to clean up a private lake where the commissioner lives, which Blair blames the county for fouling.

Thornton said County Attorney Renee Lee has stopped the county from helping in his case on grounds that the government is immune from liability on the Lithia project.

"Maybe this county would feel they were more accountable if one of us was a commissioner who lived on a private lake," Thornton said.

Commission Chairman Jim Norman interrupted Thornton to remind him that board rules forbid personal attacks. Thornton shot back that those same rules call for mutual respect.

Thornton went on to dig Blair without naming him for the lawsuit he recently settled with Carrabba's Italian Grill over a spill he took inside a restaurant. Court filings indicated he may have been impaired at the time.

"This commissioner doesn't seem to see the issues any better than he can see a tray of dirty dishes," Thornton said. "Maybe the county attorney should check his blood-alcohol level."

Blair did not respond to the attack. He said afterward the remarks were unfortunate since he genuinely did try to help Thornton. He said Thornton refused to turn over information about a private settlement he reached in the case so that the county might properly evaluate his plea for relief.

"I went out of my way to help the guy," Blair said. "Some people don't appreciate when you try but don't get the result that they want."

Vital meetings

Mayor Pam Iorio is making an effort to meet with state lawmakers who represent Tampa and Hillsborough County. Iorio took similar steps during her first few years in office. But now the face-to-faces have some urgency. "With the property tax issues of this past year, I think it is more important than ever to have a more in-depth dialogue and better understanding of their concerns and challenges," she said.

According to Iorio's calendar, since mid August she's had breakfasts or lunches scheduled with state Reps. Betty Reed, Michael Scionti, Faye Culp and Rich Glorioso, and Sen. Arthenia Joyner. That's five members of the Hillsborough legislative delegation down, and 11 to go.

Staff writers Bill Varian and Janet Zink contributed to this report.

[Last modified September 8, 2007, 00:28:56]