Comments to the "Transit Open House" in St. Pete Beach

 I'm Alan Petrillo, I live in the Euclid-St. Paul neighborhood of St. Petersburg, and I occasionally take the bus.  

I'm a Florida native, a lifelong resident of Pinellas County, and I've been driving in Pinellas County since 1982.  

I have a side job as an Uber driver.  I drive the First Avenue Corridor a lot.  I drive Central Avenue a lot.  I drive Pasadena a lot.  The traffic on First Avenue is flowing better than I've ever seen it.  I consistently see speed limit drives from downtown all the way to the beaches even in the heart of rush hour.  I've never seen that before, since 1982.  The BAT lanes are great because they get turning traffic out of the flow of through traffic.  You don't have to tell me about the traffic on First Avenue because I'm out there driving it professionally.  

<host interrupts> 

Thank you.  

What I would have liked to say if I'd had more than 90 seconds to comment: 

If the proposed changes to 34th St, Alt-19, and the other places will have the same effects on traffic as the changes on First Avenue then DO IT!  

People have the illusion that the BAT lanes are somehow lost to car traffic.  They aren't.  Turning traffic can still use those lanes.  In fact, the BAT lanes improve the flow of traffic because they get turning traffic out of the flow of through traffic.  This means that turning traffic slowing down to turn will not interfere with through traffic.  Further, it means that drivers in through traffic will not tailgate turning drivers.  This means increased safety for both through traffic and turning traffic.  I know the theory behind the BAT lanes, but I'm not talking theory.  I've seen this in the real world, from the perspectives of both through traffic and turning traffic.  

My experience driving here this afternoon 5:15 PM on a Monday, which is typical for driving First Avenue during rush hour, is that I turned onto First Ave N at 16th St, I had a speed limit drive to 31st St, I stopped for the light at 31st St, then I had to wait through 1 cycle of the light at 34th St.  Continuing on from 34th St, I had a speed limit drive all the way to 66th St, at which point I switched over to Central Ave to make the left turn onto Pasadena, on which I had a nearly speed limit drive all the way here to the Community Center.  This is a typical drive along 1st Av during rush hour.  I overheard one gentleman here complaining he had to wait through two cycles of the light at 34th St.  Prior to the changes to 1st Av he would have waited a lot more than that.  Prior to the changes he would have waited at least 3 cycles of the light at 34th St, and at least 2 more at the light at 31st St.  In fact, prior to the changes it was not unusual for traffic on 1st Av N to back up from 34th St all the way to 16th St.  Today that never happens.  Traffic simply flows better than I've ever seen it.  There has been a similar effect on 1st Av S, which used to regularly back up all the way to 49th St, and now never does.  The changes on the First Avenue Corridor are nothing but win.  

The arguments against the changes on First Avenue are all arguments I've seen before.  Prior to the changes in the late 1990s, to add bicycle lanes to the First Avenue Corridor, there were 4 travel lanes in each direction, plus on-street parallel parking on both sides.  In the mid-1990s I dated a woman who lived in that area.  Using those on-street parking spots was a scary experience because they were so narrow that the driver's door opened into traffic.  Installing the bicycle lanes, and widening the parking lanes, involved reducing the travel lanes from 4 to 3.  And people screamed about it and predicted carmageddon in traffic.  It didn't happen.  Traffic flowed as well, or as badly, as before, and the crash rate, and the body count went down.  The same thing is happening this time, only this time the timing of the stoplights has been addressed to insure good flow of through traffic.  Two through lanes are plenty on the First Avenue Corridor.  Again, I'm not talking theory, I've seen it in real life.  

With respect to the on-street parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to the First Avenue Corridor, I've heard complaints about both the loss of the subsidized parking along First Avenue, and traffic backup particularly in Historic Kenwood. Prior to buying our house, back in 2012, my spouse and I looked at houses all over the city, notably in Historic Kenwood.  We spent quite some time investigating the neighborhood.  The biggest traffic tie-up we saw was consistently associated with drop-off and pick-up times at the high school.  Those residents of Historic Kenwood who are blaming the congestion on First Avenue are looking in the wrong direction.  As for the loss of subsidized on-street parking, the neighborhoods along the First Avenue Corridor all have alley access and perfectly good driveways on the alley side of their properties.  Use them.  

The point has been brought up that PSTA gets 97% of its funding from subsidies.  You know what else gets 97% of its funding from subsidies?  Roads.  Florida is doing pretty well on highway funding, because only 50% of our highway funding comes from subsidy.  Once you get away from the interstate the fraction of subsidy goes up to unity.  Arterial roads get about 90% of their funding from subsidy.  By the time you get down to residential streets, they get nearly all of their funding from property taxes.  Think about that before you complain that PSTA gets 97% of its funding from subsidy.  In fact, because PSTA gets so much funding from subsidy, PSTA management might look into going all the way to 100%, and make PSTA free for users.  

United States political map by population

One of the favorite talking points of the right wing is a political map which shows cities as little islands of blue surrounded by a sea of red, the blue representing Democratic, relatively liberal affiliation, and the red representing Republican, so-called "conservative" affiliation.  But there's a problem.  According to the census, 48% of US land area is empty. This map corrects for that.  Of course, as this map was created in 2016, the picture will change.  

 https://carto.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8732c91ba7a14d818cd26b776250d2c3

A similar map for 2020 is here: 

https://carto.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ef4a986a1caa429ea3b46fffe323c8e3

In 2023, 3/4 of new voters identify as Democrats.  Because of that, this map has gotten bluer.  Given the antics of the Republican Party over the past decade, that trend is likely to maintain.  

Israel in Florida terms

My fellow Floridians.  I would like to explain Israel and Gaza in terms most Floridians can understand.  

First, Israel.  

Look at a map of Florida.  Look at the Gulf coast.  Now take a section of the Gulf coast that includes these counties: Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, Levy, Dixie, Gilchrist, and the western fifth of Marion.  Now into that area put 2/5 the population of Florida with 1/3 the GDP.  That's Israel.  

Now consider again Pinellas County.  Draw a line up the map from the Skyway north along the eastern shore of Lake Tarpon to the county line.  Look at the land area to the west of that line.  Into that area put 2.5 times the population of the county with half the GDP.  That's Gaza.  

This is the area around which the United States is bending our entire foreign policy.  

Let's make of the SCOTUS Bruen ruling what it is not what it isn't

In the case of the Supreme Court ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which ruled that New York’s gun licensing law was unconstitutional, let’s make of that ruling what it is, not what it isn’t.  

For a quick primer, for decades New York has required gun owners to get a license to own and carry firearms.  That in itself isn’t the problem.  The problem is that the law required the applicant to prove “proper cause exists” in order to get a license to “have and carry” a firearm outside the home.  Even then, if the applicant successfully proved proper cause then the state “may issue” a permit.  This was the crux of the issue, as this infringes on the 14th Amendment protections on due process.  

Twice before the Court has ruled that “may issue” firearms permit laws are unconstitutional.  In District of Columbia v. Heller, and in McDonald v. Chicago, the Court found that the 14th Amendment presumptively protects an individual’s enumerated right to keep and bear arms under the 2nd Amendment.  

The bottom line in this case is that such laws must be written on a “shall issue” basis.  That is, if the State cannot prove that an applicant’s personal conduct precludes that individual from possessing and carrying a firearm then the state shall issue a firearms license, and shall do so in a reasonable time at a reasonable cost.  

New York’s law requiring an individual to prove “proper cause”, and even then stating the state “may issue” the requested license was blatantly unconstitutional, as it placed the burden of proof on the applicant to show the ability to keep and bear arms rather than on the state to prove otherwise, and put the final decision in the hands of bureaucrats.  

The ruling still permits New York to require a license to have and carry a firearm, but requires the state to issue those licenses on a “shall issue” basis rather than a “may issue” basis.  That’s it.  Period.  The ruling will not allow people to carry whatever they wish whenever they wish wherever they wish.  The law will not “flood the streets with guns”.  Allowing law abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms will not cause the streets to run red with blood.  In the past, every time detractors of gun legislation, on both sides of the issue, have claimed that proposed changes to gun laws will “cause the streets to run red with blood” they have been wrong, and they’re wrong in this case as well.  

The ruling in Bruen does not mean that states cannot regulate firearms.  The ruling in Bruen, and likewise in Heller, and in McDonald, means that when states regulate firearms they must do so in accordance with 14th Amendment protections on due process.  The state can still require licenses to have and carry firearms.  The state can still prohibit the carry of firearms in certain areas, such as court houses, government offices, schools, and mass transit.  Property owners can still prohibit the carry of firearms on their premises, and the state can still make violating those prohibitions a crime.  

But these rulings mean more than that.  These rulings have broader applications than just gun rights.  The rulings in McDonald, Heller, and Bruen are precedents that regulations on any enumerated right shall comply with the protections on due process in the 5th and 14th Amendments.  Whether you like the decision or not, it protects your rights to due process.  That’s what the Bruen decision is. 

My Campaign Speech

 For sometime now I have been registered as a Republican.  I registered myself this way because Florida is a gerrymandered Republican safe zone, and has been for 22 years, so voting in the Republican primary is the only real way I can have a say in my state government.  Lately that Republican registration has felt something like swimming in a cesspool.  If I was going to run as a Republican candidate then this would be my campaign speech.  

My fellow Republicans.  

We must return our party to its roots.  For quite some time now our party has drifted away from those roots.  In the past few years our party has been taken over by an extremist wing who do not represent the fundamentals of the Republican Party, or the best interests of the American People. 

Historically, the roots of the Republican Party do not include the unquestioned rule of one man.  The officials we elect to legislative office are intended to provide a check and balance on the power of the executive, not to mindlessly rubber-stamp his every desire.  That is one of the roots to which we must return.  

But there is much more to the historical Republican Party roots.  

-Reasonable taxation.  We must not bankrupt the people who drive our economy, either through taxing the rich to death or by shifting the burden of taxation to the middle class and the poor, but at the same time we must generate enough revenue to support essential government services.  

-Fiscal responsibility.  We should not spend more than we bring in, unless that spending is absolutely needed and well planned to benefit the American People.  At the same time, when spending money would bring more benefit than pinching pennies then money should be spent to the best advantage of The People.

-Local rule.  The best government is that which is closest to The People, so the ability of cities, counties, and states to rule themselves as they best see fit should be paramount, except where higher government preemption is absolutely necessary. 

-Personal autonomy.  Freedom from government interference in The People's management of their own affairs is protected in the Constitution, and should not be interfered with unless absolutely necessary. This extends to People's freedom in reproductive matters, as well as what drugs People choose to take. 

-Balanced immigration policy: "Kick them all out" is not practical, nor is "let them all in".  We must take a balanced approach which will best benefit the United States, and which will at the same time uphold both the values of the United States and the Republican Party.  We are a nation of immigrants and children of immigrants, and we should keep that firmly in mind. 

-Reasonable gun control: Banning outright certain classes of firearms is not reasonable, nor is completely unrestricted gun rights.  We must strike a balance which both protects the constitutional right to keep and bear arms and at the same time keeps arms out of the hands of those who should not have them.  Gun control policy should be data driven, not based on the emotions of either side of the issue.  

-Healthcare for everyone: Having a large number of sick, desperate poor people is not good for America.  We must provide for the healthcare coverage of the poor people in America without inconveniencing those fortunate enough to afford healthcare insurance.  

-Conservation of our environment and our wild lands: We must never forget that the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act were signed into law by a Republican president, after passing through congress with bipartisan support.   The majority of our National Parks were signed into law by Republican presidents, starting with Abraham Lincoln, and continued to great effect by Theodore Roosevelt, among many others.  Conservation is a conservative principle! 

-Above all, my fellow Republicans, we must take back our party from our most extreme wing, who would have us tip over into Fascism in the name of "law and order", and give us over to the autocratic rule of a charismatic, narcisistic firebrand.  That kind of extremism is anti-Republican, anti-democratic, anti-conservative, and anti-American.  

There are many things we must do in order to take our party back, and to bring our country back.  We must start by rejecting the politicians who call on us to abandon the foundations of our party and our country.  

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. 

Rabot 1745 Chocolate

 

The chocolate shop Rabot 1745, in the London Borough Market, is worth the trip to London all by itself. The chocolate here is amazing.  They have their own plantation, and import their own cacao beans. When they roast the beans the heady aroma reaches out of the shop and draws in chocolate lovers with an irresistible pull. After conching for 50 hours, the resulting chocolate liquor goes into a chocolate fountain, and is kept in an emulsion with just a little sugar. When you order, the barista draws a cup directly from the fountain, steams up fresh hot milk, and then serves it in a warm ceramic beaker with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings on top. The aroma from the cup is pure chocolate heaven. When you take that first sip you get some of the liquor and some of the melted shavings with it. Hold it in your mouth for a second, and let the aromas of the cacao waft up through your sinuses, and give you the retronasal olfaction which gives you flavors you never knew chocolate could possess. Notes of apricot, hazelnuts, a little caramel, and a fleeting whiff of coffee present themselves. American chocolate is almost always rot-your-teeth sweet, but not this. It has just enough sweetness to support the chocolate flavor. The silky texture just makes you want more of it. Let it roll off the back of your tongue and down your throat, and the sweetness on the front is balanced by a subtle note of bitterness on the finish. Linger over the cup. Take your time. This is worth savoring.

DeSantis' Diabolical Plan For Reedy Creek

 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may have more plans for the Reedy Creek Improvement Area other than just owning the libs.  And they are, predictably, evil.  

Here's the plan, as I see it.  It's only my opinion, and I have no doubt whatsoever that DeSantis will deny it.  

DeSantis dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement Area, forcing Orange and Oscola Counties to pick up at least $163M/year to pay for services that are currently being provided by Reedy Creek.  Orange and Osceola Counties are heavily Democratic, so they aren't DeSantis' "people", so he thinks he can get away with screwing them over.  

- Orange and Osceola Counties have to increase property taxes by at least 25% to cover the shortfall.  This triggers people who live there to pack up and leave.  Property owners will feel the pinch badly enough, but renters will go elsewhere because those property taxes will be passed on to them, and they'll have no choice but flee.  So then those heavily Democratic residents will be displaced elsewhere, reducing or eliminating the Democratic stronghold in the area.  

- No longer able to meet their obligations, Orange and Osceola Counties file for bankruptcy.  DeSantis appoints Receivers for them, and the Republican Party effectively takes control of two heavily Democratic counties in a coup rather than an election. 

- With so many people leaving the Reedy Creek area, Disney will lose so many workers that they will have to curtail park hours, or close some days, costing them billions.  

But the plan also has some risks.  

- Screwing over Disney, the largest employer in the state, may start a downward spiral, which would cause the loss of the parks.  As the tourism surrounding Disney currently provides something like 20% of Florida's total economy, this would be disastrous.  Counting all of their theme parks and resorts, Disney employs roughly 80,000 people in the Reedy Creek area.  They affect tens of thousands more in non-Disney properties and services in the area.  Losing all of that is something Florida voters won't soon forget.  

- While Orange and Osceola Counties are heavily Democratic, they do have a lot of Republicans as well, who might not appreciate DeSantis causing their taxes to skyrocket.  DeSantis only won the election by a little over 30,000 votes.  If he makes life unpleasant for enough Republicans in Orange and Osceola Counties then in the 2022 election they might vote for someone else, or just sit out the election.  This would likely affect the presidential election in 2024 as well. 

Either way the message is clear: DeSantis has a vindictive streak a mile wide, and if you cross him he will break you.  No one with that sort of personality should hold the reins of power in a democratic country.