With early voting in full swing, four Hillsborough County community leaders are united in support for the one-cent sales surtax to build a Countywide Transportation System. Retired Brigadier General Tanker Snyder, Beulah Baptist Institutional Church Rev. W. James Favorite, Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe, and media personality Jack Harris lent their voices to four radio advertisements that will run between now and Election Day on November 2.
Each of these leaders talks about how building a modern transportation system will bring jobs to Hillsborough County and benefit our community.
As MacDill’s former Wing Commander, Snyder understands the role that Hillsborough County plays in keeping our nation safe. With so many active duty service personnel using HART to commute to MacDill each day, and veterans needing increased HART paratransit to theJames A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, Snyder knows the Countywide Transportation System will serve our fighting men and women.
“As someone who cares deeply about protecting America, and about our men and women in uniform, their families, and our veterans, I strongly encourage everyone to vote for the Countywide Transportation Initiative,” says Snyder. “It’s an investment in infrastructure to keep Tampa Bay a world class national security hub, and for everyone who is a part of that team.”
The senior pastor of Tampa’s oldest Baptist church for African-Americans and president of Pastors on Patrol, Rev. Favorite believes the Countywide Transportation System is the community’s opportunity to make a vision a reality.
“We’ve all talked about doing something to improve transportation here. Now we have that chance,” Rev. Favorite says. “Vote for your family and this community. Vote for countywide transportation.”
Sharpe sees the Countywide Transportation System as a way to put people to work.
“There will be jobs. Over 25,000 new jobs, truly making this one of the biggest jobs opportunities in Hillsborough’s history,” theRepublican County Commissioner says. “But those jobs will go somewhere else if we don’t make our move now.”
Harris notes in his statement of support that the 25,000 jobs created by the Countywide Transportation System does not include the small businesses that are built at new train stations, commercial construction, or private investments that have been attracted to other transportation systems built in Charlotte and Phoenix. Harris also says the plan will appeal to everyone.
“New local roads, a doubled bus fleet to reduce wait times, light rail, crosswalks, bike lanes, you name it,” says Harris. “Everyone — Republicans, Democrats, and Independents — should vote for the Countywide Transportation Initiative.”
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