Spin patrol

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 28, 2000

Republican calls his rival for House seat an intruder

There's a rule of thumb in politics: A candidate who is ahead in a race stays positive. A candidate who is behind attacks.

So a flier from the Florida Republican Party for candidate Ed Homan raised questions about who is leading in the race in state House District 60.

The state GOP mailed out a piece attacking Democrat Sara Romeo as a carpetbagger in the north Hillsborough district, which includes Temple Terrace, Tampa Palms and Lutz.

"Where has she spent her time?" asked the piece, which Homan approved. "In Ybor City, leading its Chamber of Commerce and deciding development issues. She still owns property there."

Romeo and her husband bought a home in Lutz a few months ago, moving from Egypt Lake in north Tampa. She doesn't deny leading the Ybor Chamber or working on redevelopment issues there.

"What is wrong with that?" Romeo said. "He is grasping."

Homan, a doctor, said the ad makes a fair point about Romeo. "When it comes time to run for a race, she doesn't want to represent the area she has lived in. She moves into a different area," said Homan, who lives in Temple Terrace. "I've been here 25 years."

A first-time candidate, Homan said the ad doesn't mean he is losing. He just doesn't want to be taken by surprise by attacks from the Democrats. "A good offensive is the best defense," he said.

FOLLOW THE PHONE LINES: If you want to call Victor Crist's campaign office, look in the Verizon yellow pages under "Printers."

On Page 1284, sandwiched between Creative Printing & Business Forms and Custom Graphics of Tampa, is an entry for "Victor Crist Campaign Office."

Crist, who represents state House District 60, is running against Democrat Kathy Castor for state senator in District 13.

The Temple Terrace address listed in the phone book is the same as Crist's legislative office. Crist said his state office, his campaign office and his private business, Metropolitan Advertising, occupy different rooms in the same office suite. He said his business has a phone line dedicated for the campaign. He also has a separate campaign office at a house he owns in Temple Terrace.

"I have no idea why my campaign office is listed in the Yellow Pages, and the phone company has no idea either," Crist said. He said he was not aware of this until contacted by Spin Patrol. He said he suspects it might have happened because his company does graphics design.

"It doesn't help or hurt me, and they better not be billing me for it because I don't want it, don't need it and didn't ask for it," Crist said.

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