Tampa - from www.creativeloafing.com - Tampa entrepreneur Joe Redner is doing it again.
The independently wealthy owner of several properties and businesses, none more famous than the adult nightclub Mons Venus, says he will run as a non party affiliated candidate this November for the House District 58 seat won by Democrat Janet Cruz in a special election this past February.
When asked by CL why he was taking on Cruz, Redner said he didn’t have a particular bone to pick with the new House Representative, but was more against “the whole damn Florida Legislature, the federal legislature, and the city and county governments” in Tampa/HIllsborough County.
Among the most recent actions that offended Redner was the Legislature’s firing of Governor Charlie Crist’s two picks for the Florida Public Service Commission earlier this year – David Klement and Benjamin “Steve” Stevens -who were rejected by the Senate in the last week of the regular session, after they helped the PSC reject rate increases requested by Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy earlier this year. “What kind of shenanigans is that?” he bellowed over the telephone.
In some of his most recent campaigns for Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Commissioner, Redner has been particularly exercised about development run amok. He said today that he’s a strong supporter of Amendment Four, known as the Hometown Democracy Amendment that would allow citizens to have a chance to vote on changes to a county’s comprehensive land-use plan.
The short Democratic primary race between Cruz and Hillsborough County Democratic party chair Pat Kemp was an intense battle that included claims by Cruz’ supporters that the seat was designated to be held by Hispanics only. When asked about that today, Redner snorted,”So it’s your nationality and not you’re intellect that matters?” He then added derisively “then they get what they deserve.”
He also said that as a citizen who lives in District 58, he should be able to run if he feels like it. He did not target anything specific about Cruz’ short time in office that he had an issue with, other than to blast away at Democrats in general, saying “I don’t think the Democrats stand up enough.”
When asked about a proposal to ban offshore drilling off of Florida’s state owned waters, Redner instead opted to speak about the national debate about drilling, and said simply that banning drilling “is not going to happen.” He did speak about “over-regulating” the oil companies with a police force and making those companies pay for it.
Redner also talked about creating jobs through a program based on fixing the state’s infrastructure. “Roads, bridges, airports, urban transit, high speed rail,” were just some of the public facilities that he believes can help foster a surge of new jobs in Florida.
Redner, who turns 70 this year, came the closest he ever has to elective office in 2007, when he faced Gwen Miller in a run-off election for city council. But he lost that election, gaining 44% of the vote.
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