Tommy Duncan, the editor of Sticks of Fire, a four-year old community blog about the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, recently posted a diatribe that sent a shot across the bow of the powerful and the elite in the Tampa area.

Tommy reminded his 30,000 monthly readers that they “make their own bed”. If they don’t like what’s going on, they do indeed have the absolute power to change it - that is, if they remember that singular fact.

Here’s a sample of his warning:

I’m asking those who are upset, as Sean Connery did in The Untouchables, “What are you prepared to do?”

I’m not endorsing opponents of Blair or Hagan. But I am saying if you’re really mad about the role developers and their deep pockets play in local politics, do more than vent.

If they get 30 developers to pay $500 each for a country club fundraiser, you have to get 500 people to donate $30 each at a spaghetti dinner. If they pull a knife, you pull a gun. If they send one of yours to the hospital … well, you get my drift.

He goes on to remind his readers of some past articles in which the powerful make sweeping remarks about the stupidity of voters, indicating their own disdain for the average citizen, and perhaps demonstrating their cavalier disregard for any effect those citizens may have on the process.

Let me clarify. YOU have to do something. YOU are responsible for what’s happening.

What are YOU prepared to do?

You are currently viewed as uninformed:

* …over 40% of Florida residents could NOT name the three branches of government.
* “You know and I know people push a button and they don’t know what they’re voting for.” - ex-commissioner Tom Scott.
* “…the voters are stupid.” - Dan Ruth
* “voters… don’t even know what’s going to be on the ballot!” - Tommy Duncan

YOU must become more knowledgeable. YOU must convince your friends and coworkers of the importance of this stuff. Don’t tell them what to think, but do tell them what is happening. Ask them if they care, and suggest they pay attention. YOU have to bring it up in conversation. Yeah - you will get some blank faces. But you will reach some of these folks.

What else can you do? I think you ought to consider running for local office

What do you think? With all the hype of the presidential election that is over a year away, it seems some powerful people would love us to stay focused on that — and not on the upcoming elections on November 6 for our local city races. It is only 13 days away. Even our local media is spending a considerable amount of time to cover the presidential candidates and very little to the upcoming local races which, in all likelihood, will affect our lives over the next few years far more than the next President of the United States will.