McKalip also blasts the Sierra Club, Scenic St. Petersburg, Agenda 2010 and the Council on Neighborhood Associations (CONA) as being part of a coalition that advocated for the rejection of the digital billboard proposal.
The City Council was pounded for weeks by groups like the Sierra Club, Scenic St. Petersburg and “Agenda 2010” (a local group) with the Council of Neighborhood Association carrying their water. I am not convinced that the CONA leaders truly represent the actual people that live in their neighborhood. Their agenda is one of no compromise — all billboards must leave St. Petersburg. That is an extreme position that no one agrees with, especially people who need jobs.
The Council members were so terrified they voted against the very good compromise to allow responsible digital billboards on the interstate. A few people with a narrow and extreme agenda don’t care about the consequences of their actions — consequences that hurt jobs. They also mislead people into thinking that billboards will be popping up in city parks, neighborhoods and waterfronts and spewing smoke. The fact is that 80 billboards would disappear from some busy streets like Central Avenue, 4th St., 18th Ave. S., and Historic Kenwood and six would be put on the interstate.
The extremists speak of a city where we see only trees and not “shameful” billboards. This makes no sense for people driving down I-275. Buildings and houses sit along-side palm trees and yes some nice billboards that would make people pull off the road and spend their money in St. Petersburg. This while 36 days of free messages for non-profits and neighborhoods appear alongside alerts about criminals on the loose!
CL contacted J Michael Gulley, the president of CONA, via e-mail for a response. He said, "I am not sure Dr. McKalip's interpretation is 100% accurate, but he is certainly entitled to his opinion," and suggested CL to check out CONA's website, where their position on the digital billboard situation is explained.
St. Pete voters will go to the polls next Tuesday (August 30) to eliminate one of the three candidates in the District 1 City Council race, with the top two candidates battling it out the first Tuesday in November, where three other Council races (in districts 3,5 and 7). McKalip is declaring himself a candidate now for District 4, one of the the other four seats that will be on the ballot in 2013.