Smitten with some straight talk from a politician

I've had man crushes before. Once upon a time, I adored Pete Rose. The guitarist from U2, the Edge, was another.

So I'm not sure what it says about the sad state of my life today, but the latest object of my affection is a bearded, middle-aged attorney.

Just to clarify, I don't really know Jim Kennedy. And hopefully I'll come to my senses in a few days.

But the City Council member won me over last week when he suggested the possibility of a property tax increase in St. Petersburg.

It isn't the idea of higher taxes that stirred me. Heaven knows increased property taxes and homeowner's insurance have raised my mortgage payment hundreds of dollars a month higher than what it was when I purchased my home.

What intrigued me was the idea of a politician telling you something you didn't want to hear. That, to me, is the essence of a leader.

In a world overrun by sound bites and talking points, and buzz words and focus groups, it was a blast of fresh air to hear someone unafraid to voice a simple, honest thought.

Kennedy wasn't proposing a tax increase. He's not even sure he would support one.

But he made the inarguable point that declining home values has led to declining tax revenues, and that has led to a smaller and smaller city budget.

Now is a smaller budget a bad thing?

Not necessarily.

During the past few years, the city has done away with hundreds of nonessential jobs, trimmed some excess in its programs and cut corners in ways small and large.

And I think we would all agree that that type of hypervigilance in spending taxpayer dollars is a fine, fine idea.

But there comes a point where you're no longer cutting fat, and you're actually drawing blood. And it's worth asking if St. Petersburg has reached that point.

"I'm not saying, 'Gee the city will fall apart if we don't (raise taxes) this year,' '' Kennedy said. "But when you start looking at the things that are being cut, they may not have an impact this year, but they will eventually have an impact.

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Smitten with some straight talk from a politician

But the City Council member won me over last week when he suggested the possibility of a property tax increase in St. Petersburg. It isn't the idea of higher taxes that stirred me. Heaven knows increased property taxes and homeowner's insurance have



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