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Letter to the editor

Talk of the bay: Tampa workers long for good ol' days - 2004

By Times Staff
Published October 4, 2007

Remember the days when Tampa workers were happy? They seem like such a distant memory now. For the first time since its 2004 creation, the Hudson Employment Index, which tracks worker confidence in 11 major cities, ranked Tampa last in worker confidence. Just more than a quarter of workers here said they expect their employer to cut staff. And this will really add insult to injury: Until this summer, Tampa often placed first among the 11. We had a collective mood swing in June, falling below the national average for the first time. Maybe it was the start of hurricane season. Maybe it was the Legislatures's special session on property taxes. Whatever the reason, it's clear: We're getting more disgruntled.

Film incentives are fiscal blockbuster

Bring in the camera crews; make money for Florida. The state film commission released its report this week on the economic impact of the movies, TV shows and music videos filmed here during the 2006-07 fiscal year. The state says that for every dollar it spent in incentives to lure production companies here, it made $7.30. (That's up from the $6.60 reported the previous fiscal year.) The incentives brought in 22 production companies, which spent $59-million and booked 16,800 hotel rooms across Florida, according to the Governor's Office of Film and Entertainment. The state was allowed to spend up to $20-million in incentives but spent only $8-million because the production companies overestimated their expenditures. A law that took effect July 1 gives the state more sway in getting companies to report their actual expenditures. It also raises the incentive cap to $25-million. Companies that film during hurricane season will receive a bonus.

Futures trader accused of fraud

Several years ago, Tampa resident Edward J. Evors persuaded two area investors to put hundreds of thousands of dollars into a high-earning futures fund he endorsed. Only one problem, according to a lawsuit filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission: He apparently forgot to forward the funds. Instead, Evors allegedly kept the money and issued false account statements. Note to investors: Be wary of any fund that claims it hasn't had a single losing trading day in 6 1/2 years.

[Last modified October 3, 2007, 23:09:15]