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Rays Studied for Financial Healing Powers
Mucus from the teary eyes of major league baseball’s Rays management may one day join the fight against wounds and infections.

 

Reorg Turn County Plan and Growth Management into Developer Services
An internal memo announced the removal of the head of the Hillsborough county planning and growth management as part of its reorganization and repurposing.

 

Florida Housing Availability Leading the Nation
Florida has roughly half the population of California but more vacant homes ready to be sold. In fact Florida has more immediately available vacant homes, over the one out of every six in the state, then any other state in the country.

 

 

Vegetarianism Outbreak Prompts Health Officials Into Action
An out break of vegetarianism in Florida is serving as a warning from local officials to residents on the silliness of political correctness

 

tampa pro-rail forces launch counter attach by 83 Degrees Magazine - Tampa Bay's media sensationPro-rail forces launch fierce counterattacks
Opposition forces deny reports of talks with Scott camp. Forces loyal to High Speed Rail used Twitter, Facebook, protests, and chants again this week to mount a fierce counterattack on the Governor-held city of Tallahassee, according to witness reports.

 

 

Day or rage in Tampa - by 83 Degrees Magazine - Tampa Bay's media sensation32 Deemed Unhip as Day of Rage Engulfs Tampa
At least 32 people were declared unhip for “not getting it” on high speed rail at a protest rally Monday that preceded a wave of flaming of Facebook and Twitter posts.
 

 

27 Billionaires Call Florida Home
The annual Forbes list of the worlds billionaires is out with the usual jockeying of the super wealthy totally irrelevant to virtually all of humanity.

Lowered Wages may Be The Norm For The Formerly Employed
A recent national study has forced me to admit what little jobs being created in Florida are low wage menial McJobs. A

Florida Economy Rebranding Again
Faced with a dramatically obvious decline in the number of Americans moving to Florida, economic development propagandists are now promoting the sunshine state as a cluster of research and technology, not just a balmy happy place with a crippled economy.

Cluster Tampa Bay
A long time ago a young man pondering a job with the dynamic publicly traded company Data Tech in Clearwater called me to learn about Tampa Bay.

Jackboy Labs A Bad Deal for Sarasota
The initial celebration over Sarasota “winning”, really stealing, the biotech expansion of Maine based Jackboy Labs is fading and now faces a huge battle to convince the mean and evil-rail killer Gov. Scott to use $100 million of state funds to support the deal.

Why Does Raleigh-Durham Keep Beating Us in Economic Rankings
Five years ago the economic scorecard ranking Tampa Bay versus five other metro areas landed us in the number two spot, tied with Raleigh-Durham and behind Charlotte.

Sarasota Annoys Hillsborough Economic Development
Hillsborough lost out to Sarasota in the competitive game to lure Biotech Firm Jackboy Labs’ planned 120,000 square foot facility.

Quickly Scott Reveals His Real Agenda
My Word, Governor Rick Scott has been sunshine Florida’s Governor a few weeks and he is well on his way to creating ore controversy then the last three good old boy Governors combined.

After Years of Trying Rail Fails
Evil Rick Scott has put a stake into the heart of the corrupt and bleeding heart of high speed rail in the sunshine state. Now all is left for the HSR is its death throes of whining, finger pointing, history rewriting and out right lies with heavy does of self-delusion.

Rail Defeat Hurts Super Region Cluster Plan
A tattered sign along a desolate stretch of I4 announces drivers are passing the “future downtown of Orlampa

Insights from three veterans on Florida’s Economy.

Can Florida Nurture Industrial Clusters into Economic Growth

A Tale of Two Clusters

High On High Speed Rail

High Speed Rail Afoot Without The State

Pessimists Persists

Seminole Heights Declares “No Douche Bag Zone
 

Tampa Bay’s Stubborn 12% Unemployment

Hillsborough Economic Development Administration Under Construction

Affordable Housing on the Rise

Hillsborough to Super Size Economic Development

Wipeout of Home Values
Tampa Bay home prices dropped to their lowest levels in a decade last month as the great recession continues. Holes sold for only $89 a square foot, down 7 percent from the year before, 4% from the previous months as prices continue to decline. ...More

Future is Being Planned Now  
Looking to answer the key question of “Where will out funding of the future come from: the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership, a regional partnership of business interests, has begun a collaborative strategic effort to identify and grow the next generation of PR and advertising that will secure their bureaucratic jobs...More

Chamber Benchmarking Trip has Defectors Again
The Greater Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership annual benchmarking trip left last week for Phoenix and already two participating companies have defected to Phoenix asking for economic refugee status...More

Unemployment Data shows Economy in Recovery
Another in spike in Tampa Bay unemployment, 12.6% in August, proves the local economy is in full recovery. It is common for unemployment to rise during recovery as discouraged jobseekers return to the search in better conditions...More

What Do You Think? Opinions from the Street
Commuting on Rail to Work

With prices not yet at bottom and sales falling many economists predict the housing crisis in Tampa Bay will get worse. What do you think? More
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Rail Plans Being Laid Down
With funding for the important transportation plan lining up for a citizen vote senior planners are working to determine the exact path of the proposed tracks thorough Tampa.
More...

Economic Clouds Have Silver Linings
The Mortgage rate has not been this low for 30 years, the population is growing both of which are increasing the need for housing. More...

 

With Nearly Half of Tampa’s Homes Underwater Hurricane Disappoints
Nearly half of all homes in Tampa are already underwater. The dire situation affects all neighborhoods regardless of status and wealth. Historical treasures have been lost such as the Centro Espanol de West Tampa and Mass Brothers Buildings. More...

 

At Danny’s Bar The Economy Looks Good
Despite ongoing economic pains, talk of a double dip recession and a jobless recovery with over 12% unemployment the economic situation drastically improves after the consumption of six beers.
More...

Price Waterhouse Coopers Has Efficient Layoffs Perfected
After laying off his first 100 employees in a clumsy and uncoordinated effort PWC executive Larry Wilford here in Tampa hit a groove and found a fast pace and method to effortlessly layoff the remaining 400 employees. More...

UST Graduate Literacy Rate at Record Levels
The University of South Tampa President Heather Trust reported today that this year’s graduating class is a record 91% literate, not counting the athletic department. More
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What Do You Think? Opinions from the Street
Unemployment Rising

Tampa Bay unemployment is up to 12.6% this month stoking fears of a prolonged economic crisis in the area with an unforeseeable end. What do you think? More...

Tampa Bay Chamber Says Come Grow With Us

The Bay area is a great place to live and buy a house. More....

 

What Do You Think? Opinions from the Street
Home Sales Dive and Prices Drop

With prices not yet at bottom and sales falling many economists predict the housing crisis in Tampa Bay will get worse. What do you think? More...

 

Housing Crisis Averted

Naysayers recoil into your dark holes because there is no denying the housing market is strong. More...

 

Hit hard More Foreclosure Aid is Coming to Florida

Federal aid is coming to assist in the purchase and rehabilitation of foreclosed homes. More...

Economic Development Committee Opens New Business
A New Hard Rock Cafe will open at the site Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa within three months. More...

New Economic Advertising to Bring Jobs
Tourists are hard to come by these days, harder then finding a buyer for your house...More...

Florida Senator Finds How to Balance State Budget
Florida State Senator Bill Maxim (R-South Tampa) has a new untapped and growing tax revenue source so strong it will balance the state budget. “We must look for new revenue sources, which we have found now, to avoid drastic cuts to our pork barrel spending,” More...

Chamber Partnership Offers Mortgage Assistance Plan
With half the Tampa Bay area mortgages in negative equity “The effective and dynamic growth business model of the Florida economy needs just a little nudge right now” Vince McKay of the Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership told Florida Legislators. More...

 

The Jobs Report, an in-depth look  
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has issued job news which, at first glance, appears grim for Florida and Tampa Bay.83 Degrees explores the new data in depth.
Read more....
  It Will Not Get Much Worse
  Silver Lining to Jobs News
  Our Economy is Active
  Who is Affected?
  Unemployed Profile
  Trailblazing to the Future

83 Degrees Magazine Receives Community Excellence Award
Since the November launch 83 Degrees Magazine has been given the coveted City Excellence Award by the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership for its contribution to the Tampa Bay community. More...

Feeding Hungry Kids
At the end of 2009 it was known that 25% of all children in Hillsborough County were receiving food stamps, with 21% of Pinellas children in the same program. Nationally the average is only 11.5%. ...More

Sunbelt Can’t Hold Them Back
 Florida has always lead American states in population growth; our economic model is dependant upon it and is simply called the “growth model”. From 2001 to 2005 we had tweaked the model so successfully we were first in domestic migration. ...More

2003 A Good Year Is Back
The S+P Case Shilller home price index reported that Tampa Bay home prices fell in Oct. 2009 15% from the previous October. Home prices fell to their lowest point in six years, matching the September of 2003 data. ...More

Condos and Cranes Are Back Baby!
Condos are coming back to sunny Tampa Bay! 38 Million dollars of stimulus funding, meant for jobs creation, will get the Central Park Village condos back on tack, while 14 Million dollars will be steered to erect the Portland, an affordable housing project in downtown St Pete....More

New Complaints Against Commissioner White
An undisclosed female employee in Commissioner White’s office has filed harassment a hostile workplace complaint against the commissioner this week. The document states she, as the only woman in the office not sexually harassed by White, was ostracized by her coworkers, ridiculed and her career harmed...More

Job Stimulus Report Recommendations
The Greater Tampa bay Chambers’ Economic Stimulus task fore has issued recommendations for job creation initiatives in Tampa Bay. ..More

Economic Hero Profile
Busse is our economic hero of the week for the fantastic growth of his booming business. Revenues have increased by over 50% this quarter. His leading the firm to great growth this year proves the economic vitality of Tampa Bay is strong. More...

The Awards for Awards is announced
The expertise of Tampa Bay area’s leadership shines at award ceremonies. We produce awards in Tampa Bay, many awards for many people, happening year round for every conceivable reason. More...


Tourism Demands Attention
The spoiled children managing tourism development are upset about the attention economic development is getting, and really steamed to discover that it gets funding they feel entitled to. More...


Economics Professor Just Doesn’t Get It
Economics professor Dr. Joe Dieppe of the prestigious Bastogne School of Business spoke with us regarding his Tampa Bay economic forecasting. Dr. Dieppe predicted 2008-09 more accurately then any one else so his thoughts are of particular interest. What follows is a question and answer session between 83 degrees and Dr. Dieppe. More...

Best Places to Be Laid Off From
83 Degrees is looking for your input on the positive economic news. What is your pick for the top workplace to get laid off from in Tampa Bay? Cutting staff is never easy; help us identify who does it painlessly and with a smile. More...

Florida Needs Bernie Madoff
Florida is at a critical junction economically and socially to preserve our economy and political culture we require strong leadership with specific skills. That man is obviously Bernie Madoff. He is the master of the “growth business model”, already has legal representation, is not afraid of court rooms or corruptions and must be desperate to leave New York by now. More...

Answers for the Unemployed
The number of unemployed in Tampa Bay is ridiculous. For the sake of our community they all need to get out, leave and stop making us look bad. More.

Good News on Unemployment Numbers
Tampa Bay’s unemployment rate is climbing regularly and is now nearly 12% yet now we good news! Uganda and Somalia both have far worse unemployment then we do here in Tama Bay. More

Food Stamp Professionals Launch in Tampa Bay
The Food Stamp Professionals are the newest and fastest growing professionals group in Tampa Bay. They have exploded onto the business networking scene representing and educating a key and growing demographic – professionals now living on food stamps. More...

We Pay in Sunshine?  
For decades Floridians have boasted “we pay in sunshine” to explain the low wages common in the state. This is the cornerstone of the trilogy of delusion we feed ourselves regarding our economy. Great weather, low cost of living and a growing population are the keys to our plans for success. This is what the New Yorker calls the “Florida Ponzi Scheme." More...

Economic Development Showcased
Ken Nogin of the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership committee of 5 reported today “things are looking up definitely in Tampa Bay, our economic development efforts are bringing new businesses to Tampa Bay all the time”. More...

Roll Over for the Rays
The Rays baseball team continues unabated their public spectacle demanding a new waterfront stadium. Ice cream entrepreneur Will Schmidt is enthused about the plan “I want the same deal the Rays got for my business, a deal I feel is fair between any privately owned business and the city government”. More...

Politicians Now Come Cheap
A sign of hard economic times is the depression of prices for the leasing and buying of city councilmen and County Commissioners throughout Tampa Bay. More...

More Branding is the Answer
Tough economy? More branding. Boom Times? More branding! It is the snake oil of easy government and leadership. It is alluring self delusion reinforced by slick glossy ads, sexy commercials, media appearances and cronies getting the business. More...

Tampa Bay’s Next Big Economic Boom is Here!
“Every foreclosure is a camping opportunity. We expect Florida to produce more active campers then any state in the union over the next few years” said Greater Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership VP Sarah Brown at the 2010 economic forecast meeting. More...

Aggressive Green Jobs Proposal for Tampa Bay
“We must use our abundant natural sustainable resource of unemployed real estate agents as slave labor at the Teco power plants” says Don Ashton of the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership. “There is a lot of interest and federal funding for green jobs programs, the public supports them, we have an over population of annoying real estate people not working, and Teco is a key community resource that funds the Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership, plus Florida already has history as a slave state.” More...

South of Kennedy Grows Rapidly
Today all of Saint Petersburg, Brandon, Sarasota, Bradenton, Naples were declared to be part of Tampa Bay and “South of Kennedy” by the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership who now claims themselves to be the sole Chamber for all business activity and economic development in these communities. More...

Tampa Bay’s Fast Growing Population Segment
Tampa Bay is beating out all Florida metros in a key population segment ripe with economic opportunities for local business. The homeless population in Hillsborough County alone is over 10,000, greater then any other county in the entire state. More...

Free Food for the Unemployed
The economy in Tampa Bay is producing great hardships for many. Many have to choose between feeding their family or paying the mortgage. Feeding the unemployed is being made a priority at the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber Partnership. More...

Local Woman Aspires to Under-Employment
Kate Rollin is determined to fill her long held dream of being underemployed. Tired of unemployment she seeks to better herself and her family through any menial, even degrading, work for minimum wage. More...

The “Secret” to Economic Development
Our community group think attracts success or failure of the local economy. When we think a thought we attract like thoughts. When enough people share the same thought it becomes reality. If we want to change or preserve our economy it is imperative we police our thoughts on the economy. More...

South Tampa Douche Bag Club
The South Tampa Douche Bag Club (STD’s) wants you in the club! They are now aggressively reaching out to the community to invite potential members to learn more about, experience and to join the club. More...

Land Mass North of Kennedy Discovered
A South Tampa man who became disoriented and lost made a shocking discovery of a huge land mass north of Kennedy Boulevard this week. He survived for days while exploring these new lands returning to civilization amid great fan fare for his discovery. More...

Tamps Needs Greco as Mayor
Tampa needs the firm and experienced hand of Dick Greco at the helm every bit as much as he needs to be Mayor again. He alone in these turbulent times can preserve Tampa against the rising tides of threats and change. He alone is a man driven to need and succeed at the job. More...

Local Man Vindicated With Facebook
Frank Millhouse has maxed out on Facebook, he accepted his 5000th friend on the popular social networking site this week. This limit was set so high as Facebook executives never thought a person could have so many friends. More...

More Privatization in St Pete Government
The recent privatization of the Baywalk sidewalk in Saint Petersburg has lead the city council to see and peruse further privatization at the city to make the government operate more efficiently. More...

Child Beggars Swarmed Tampa Bay Neighborhoods
Throngs of hungry children took to the streets begging for food openly and aggressively the last Saturday in October. Part protest and part cry for help the bay area unemployed went door to door asking for food using their children to evoke sympathy. Protestors appeared in costume to protect their identities as well as to attract attention. More...

Gasparilla Explained
Tampa Bay’s defining event Gasparilla returns in January. Its deep impact on our area socially, economically, culturally as well as psychologically is profound and the subject of local author Will Nilly’s latest book. More...

Suggested Reading for Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a complex community rich in history and diversity. To truly understand this metro we recommend you read the following books to better understand Tampa Bay. More…

Tampa’s Cultural Boom
The deep impact of the cultural arts in heard and felt all over Tampa Bay, Big things are happening and more to come in short order. Tampa Bay has a great deal to be proud of, such as the phenomenal boom of the cultural arts in Downtown Tampa. Some recent highlights are: More...

Sports as Economic Development
Sports venues are seen as an important resource to lead us out of economic recession. Our valuable assets like Raymond James Stadium, Tropicana Field and the St Pete Times Forum will change the very fabric of their surrounding economy and living experience. Additionally they are investing in local business expected to benefit us with jobs and tax revenues. More...