USF researchers committed misdemeanor by driving on beach

USF geosciences professor Ping Wang  and his research team were seen driving a pick-up truck on the beach in Indian Shores on January 12th. When Wang was asked to produce the required Florida Department of Protection (FDEP) permit for their activity, neither Wang nor any other member of his team were able to produce such…

HART chief claims to be “attacked” by a TV reporter’s questions

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) interim CEO Carolyn House Stewart does not like being questioned by reporters. She feels “attacked” by their questions and their reporting. This past Monday, WTSP 10 Investigates reporter Jenna Bourne approached House Stewart after a HART Operations and Safety committee meeting.  Bourne wanted to ask questions and solicit comment…

Federal Transit Admin: Central Avenue BRT project not eligible for funding

Records obtained by The Guardian show that the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is not eligible for funding of its Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (CABRT) project. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has told PSTA so in writing. In addition, PSTA has never asked the FTA for inclusion in its budget submission, despite telling the…

Criminal non-profit got 99% of its $50 million per year from government

The Florida House is now “cracking down” on the “taxpayer-backed” non-profit called the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV), and governor Ron DeSantis wants to review contracts with additional private agencies. This after Tiffany Carr, the founder and CEO of FCADV, received $7.5 million in compensation over a three-year span while spending most of her…

PSTA’s Central Avenue BRT project loses out in federal funding process – again!

At PSTA’s Legislative Committee meeting on February 5th, PSTA’s federal lobbyist Harry Glenn spoke of a list that the FTA  has.  “It’s actually a list of projects…that kind of gives the Congress an expectation of what projects they [the FTA] expects to get funded in the next year,” Glenn said. The FTA is the Federal…

Policy-violating transit chief fired by his board in policy-violating meeting

At a special meeting yesterday, HART’s board of directors fired its $210,000 per year CEO Ben Limmer for violating several HART policies. The firing was “for cause,” meaning that Limmer will not get the severance pay his contract calls for. However, that special meeting itself violated HART policy, which means that any official action taken…