Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Kevin Beckner is challenging Brian Blair in the election for District 6 of the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners.

As you know, local leaders are responsible for a myriad of issues that directly affect your life.  Because of this, we really want to count on the daily newspapers to tell us about the candidates, their stances on the issues, and their abilities to lead.

But the only thing that the St. Pete Times and reporter Janet Zink want you to know about is Kevin Beckner’s sexual orientation.

In the story,

• Kevin Beckner told St. Pete Times reporter Janet Zink that he doesn’t want to be known as the “gay candidate.”
• Brian Blair told Janet Zink that he doesn’t plan to bring up sexual orientation in his campaign.
• Republican political consultant April Schiff says sexual orientation is “not a campaign issue. It is a personal issue. Personal issues have no place in campaigns.”
• Beckner campaign manager Mitch Kates says that besides questions from media, the issue just doesn’t come up:  “We don’t talk about it. It doesn’t come up in house parties. It doesn’t come up in forums. People are focused on pocketbook issues,” he said. “The only people who are talking about (it) are the media.”

Still, Janet Zink wrote a 850 word article that tells us that Beckner is gay, and that it matters.

You want to know why we get 10% voter turnout?  You want to know why citizens are disconnected from their leaders?  You want to know why newspapers are losing readers, credibility, and influence?

Because of CRAP like this in my newspaper.

Seriously - this article by Janet Zink adds NOTHING to the world - it wasted newsprint, wasted ink, wasted payroll for the writer and editors, wasted the time of all Times readers who read the article, and now all this freaking blog space.

Plus this sort of bile is turning me into ANGRYBLOGGER - and I hate that.

Bonus links:

• Here’s why Mariella Smith supports Kevin Beckner (orientation is not mentioned).
• Joe O’Neill says a victory for Beckner would be historic, but somehow manages to give us better insight to Beckner’s views, ideas, and leadership.