Now that I have your attention, let's get on with it.  I am sick and tired of this area's weak psyche everytime a sports franchise is looking for new digs.  IE:  the Rays.

      Now that the Rays have pulled out of their proposed sight in downtown St. Pete, people are talking a possible move out of Tampa Bay, like Vegas or Charlotte.  Not a majority of people, but enought to get the conversation out in the public domain.  Listen in.  It is high time you "doom and gloom" thinkers remember you now live in a major market!  No longer is this  area retirement central.  Start thinking like winners!

     The Rays are not going to move out this area.  They will find a suitable site, a referendum will pass, and that will be that.  All of you who think that a locally based franchise is in jeopardy of moving out of the area must think the TB area isn't worth having a franchise in the first place.  If you think that way, hit the road! 

     However, there is a glaring deficiency in the entire TB community that needs work.  Bringing in new business!  I'm not talking about the little guys, I'm talking about mid-major to major players in industry. 

    Please correct me if I'm wrong, but what major industry has come into this area and made it it's SE headquarters in the last five years?  Every single city that makes up this TB area has done a poor job of wooing new business.  I just came back on a flight from Chicago.  I sat next to one person from Kansas City, the other from San Francisco.  Both were amazed at the beauty of the area when flying in over Old Tampa Bay.  The quality of life here is remarkable, and severly underrated by the yahoos who make up the national lists. 

    But they are right when it comes to stagnant business growth.  All you Committee's of 100 around the area better start throttling down on the socials and actually do something!  For those of you that want to keep this area the bedroom community you enjoyed growing up, good luck. 

   Just as much as I love my hometown of Chicago, TB is now my home, as it has been since 1986.  Things change, and that can certainly be said of the TB area.  When I first moved here, the city of Tampa looked like a city block in Chicago.  Downtown was dead.  St. Pete, to put it right out there, was very unappealing.  Now look at these two cities!  Tampa actually has people living downtown.  St. Pete is doing an awesome job of building up the infrastructure around the water and quite a few blocks inland.   It's too bad they are seperated by geography and government.  If the two were to pull their resources together, there is no question this area would become the predominant area in all of the Southeast.

    In closing, I think we live in a strong area, one that still hasn't reached it's full potential. Maybe it's high time everyone takes a page out of the Rays book on attitude.  Bust through that "comfort zone" and find a higher ground.  See what its done for that franchise.  Imagine what that kind of thinkng will do for this entire area?  Refuse to lose!   Instead of believing it can't be done, find a way to get it done!  

 Tom Korun