If you don't like it, don't just sit back and complain

By ERNEST HOOPER, Times Columnist
Published October 1, 2007

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Stephen Dibbs and some fellow developers angered people by scheduling political fundraisers for Hillsborough County Commissioners Ken Hagan and Brian Blair just weeks after the commission scaled back county wetlands protections.

But I'm asking those who are upset, as Sean Connery did in The Untouchables, "What are you prepared to do?"

I'm not endorsing opponents of Blair or Hagan. But I am saying if you're really mad about the role developers and their deep pockets play in local politics, do more than vent.

If they get 30 developers to pay $500 each for a country club fundraiser, you have to get 500 people to donate $30 each at a spaghetti dinner. If they pull a knife, you pull a gun. If they send one of yours to the hospital ... well, you get my drift.

Outraged residents halted the commission's plan to entirely eliminate local wetlands protection. Was that a singular moment or a new beginning? We'll know in 13 months ...

Seen on a bumper sticker: Earth First. We'll Screw Up The Other Planets Later ...

The headline said "Largo wants to turn grease into fuel." What's the big deal? I do that every time I eat french fries.

City leaders actually hope to kick off a plan that would recycle cooking oil and grease into biodiesel fuel. Boy, they're trying hard to get back that "City of Progress" slogan ...

Speaking of going green, Creative Tampa Bay heads up a luncheon seminar Oct. 23 to help people understand how going green actually can provide economic benefits. For information, go to events.tampasdowntown.com or call (813) 221-3686.

That's all I'm saying.