The leaders behind “Concerned Citizens of St. Petersburg” (CCS) are reporting that they have enough petitions to require a vote on continuing the construction of the “Lens” pier project in St. Petersburg. Meanwhile the City Council leaders continue to remain tone deaf and push forward with the $5.4 million architectural contract that may be meaningless if the citizens vote the lens down. The City Council was asked at the last opportunity to delay the first $1.7 million of spending on the architects but refused.

The Campaign of Dr. David McKalip for St. Petersburg City Council rolled out what it described as a "major policy initiative" this week in St. Petersburg. The proposal has already garnered attention at a local political blog ("SaintPetersblog") and was discussed extensively on the radio on Wednesday.

The Sun Beam Times announces an exciting new program addition: The Sun Beam Times Radio Hour premiering on WTIS am 1110 at 5 pm on Wednesday. The show will feature analysis of local issues explored in a more in depth way and listeners will call in to join the conversation. The hour is being sponsored by the “McKalip for St. Petersburg City Council” campaign. Dr.

There has been great consternation regarding the coming closure of the Albert Whitted Air Traffic Control Tower this month.  The tower is being used as a political football by the Obama Administration to demonstrate to America how much we are dependent on Federal Spending for air traffic control and other services. The “sequestration” of funds to solve the massive government overspending is being used to spark this particular crisis, but clearly the massive overspending of the Federal government is at the heart of the problem. Sadly, instead of going after the billions money we give to foreign governments (many of them hostile to America) the Obama administration is targeting American communities with scare tactics. There can be little doubt that the specter of planes crashing into our city is a powerful tool of propaganda to help the politicians get their way.There is no role for such scare tactics in a rationale society, but it is par for the course from politicians who seem to have no problem jeopardizing public safety for their own political gain.  An evaluation of the facts as it relates to Albert Whitted airports control tower and operations are useful in understanding this melodrama.  To help get the facts, Sun Beam Times Founder and St. Petersburg City Council Candidate Dr. David McKalip spoke to Richard Lesniak, an employee of the City of St. Petersburg who manages the airport as well as managers at similar airports in Hillsborough County. A set of questions for the Citizens emerges based on this analysis.

If you are the head of a household of four in St. Petersburg, you and your family are sending an extra $1,500 per year to the city of St. Pete than you did in 2001. The City Government of St. Petersburg spent more than it ever had in its history in 2011 at $482 million.

The City of St. Petersburg is once again experiencing a phony “shortfall” in funds and already the Tampa Bay Times is calling for more taxes to cover it. The City revealed that it is $3 million over budget during negotiations to renew Unionize worker contracts recently. In 2011, the City spent more than it ever had in the past: $482 million, compared to just $330 million in 2001. It appears the taxpayers are yet again in for another round of tax hikes that will further drain the local economy and put money in the hands of a government that wastes it or hands it to well connected special interests and businesses. St.

The Tampa Bay Times published my letter today relating to the incompentence of City attorneys in the Bradley Westphal Workers Compensation Case they lost. The letter also addresses the hypocrisy of the City Council members who support my opponent in the St. Petersburg City Council Race while accusing me of a conflict of interest. They then use their own conflict of interest to turn the wheels of the city government in ways to serve their own political agenda!

The letter is in response to the City's indefensible move to deny patients access to my neurosurgical services to divert attention away from their mishandling of the Bradley Westphal case.

The truth finally comes out. Today the Tampa Bay Times reported that the City Staff, with the endorsement of elected officials, decided not to send city workers to see me as a neurosurgeon. They have decided that it is best to withhold choices from city workers based on politics. But it is not the politics of me seeking to be elected to the St. Petersburg City Council – it is the politics of the city attorney and certain staff members wanting to divert attention from their incompetence and low integrity.

The City of St. Petersburg apparently has decided that they should limit what doctors city workers see based on politics. It was reported in the Tampa Bay Times* today that the city has decided it will not allow city workers to see this author, Dr. McKalip, because I am also a candidate for City Council.  The pandering politicians are piling on with Council Member Gerdes offering that I would not be a “prudent choice” as he inaccurately claims that I do not want “any benefits” for city employees (something I have never asserted). Well, it appears there is one party playing politics with the lives of government workers, but it is certainly not me. (LEFT:  the city has saved no money for retiree health benefits.

Today, the City Council campaign of Dr. David McKalip announced that he had found a way to overcome city government's attempts to redraw the electoral map to protect incumbents and freeze other candidates out of the race. Both he and possible opponent Darden Rice had been affected by the proposed “plan 7” map of the St. Petersburg redistricting commission. Each has announced their intentions publicly to establish a residence in the new proposed district four to remain eligible as candidates.

St. Petersburg Politicians were patting themselves on the back when they funneled millions of tax dollars to attract a Sweetbay Grocery store to Midtown St. Petersburg. The crowing continued well into Spring of last year when city economic development staff were quoted in the Tampa Bay Business Journal extolling the success of the project ("We virtually gave SweetBay and GTE land, but in exchange they have to be there for a set number of years,” Goodwin said.) This month the store shut down the day after the federal "new market tax credits" expired. This despite the Sweetbay's claim in the same Tampa Bay Business Journal piece that  they were "pleased with the financial performance" of the store.

The City of St. Petersburg is working to stop a dangerous public scourge.  The politicians have unleashed teams of enforcers and monitors to make sure that the public is safe.  The enforcers have put the transgressors on notice: Comply or face the consequences!  Yes, the crisis of the electronic sign will soon be under the benevolent control of our local government. For all signs that is, except those signs the government owns itself! (note: Dr. McKalip, founder of this blog and author of this article is running for City Council in St. Petersburg and owns a business referred to in this article.)

President Obama has directed the Federal Government to kill American citizens without a trial. He has already carried out this act with at least two American citizens: one intentionally and one as “collateral damage” by drone strike. Now, law enforcement agencies all over America are starting to fly drones over American cities to “monitor crowds” and more. Thankfully a bill is making its way through Tallahassee would severely limit the use of such drones by local law enforcement. It is time for local governments to do the same and pass local laws preventing their police departments and Sheriffs from flying indiscriminate drone surveillance over our towns and cities.  However, given the Big Brother mentality of local governments with their red light cameras, and street corner surveillance cameras, it is likely the local governments will encourage drone use for a variety of reasons.