Tampa at the Crossroads

With the largest convention in Tampa's history coming to town from July 1 - July 7th, The International Shriners Convention, it provides us with a chance to ask some key questions about our city.

Can we handle thousands of convention guests ? (That broad question has to be asked of roads, parking, hotels, restaurants, and more)

Hillsborough County has the 9th largest school district in the country. Over 5,000 new students each year. Over 1,500 teachers need to be hired in the coming year. Are we ready to make the financial commitment to our citizens, parents, kids, teachers, and facilities ?

There is tremendous development affecting our city, but can we keep home prices where they can be afforded by those that work here ?

The Weekly Planet under the direction of Wayne Garcia held a public forum to discuss the differences between Tampa and St. Petersburg with a positive eye towards the future. The growth of Florida's West Coast assures that the future is bright but are we controlling the growth or is it controlling us ? Keep your eye on the upcoming Weekly Planet as they explore these issues through some excellent reporting and thorough interviews.



Mayor Iorio is placing much of her downtown plans on the Riverwalk Park and the impact it will have on the entire downtown area. With a recent veto of some funds by Governor Bush and an estimated cost of over 40 million, Riverwalk requires careful scrutiny by every Tampa resident.

Hanging in the balance is the life of Kiley Gardens, The Tampa Museum of Art, the Tampa Childrens Museum, Riverwalk, and more of our downtown may be at stake at the public input meeting to be held on Wednesday, June 14th at 6 PM at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Mayor Iorio describes "downtown as everybody's neighborhood." Please take the time and let the City know what you want that neighborhood to be.