Three strikes and you are out. Higginbotham voted agains registry. His religion made him do it. Higginbotham voted for Bass Pro and against small business owners. The next big issue is whether Race Tack gasoline station should build a gas station on wetlands at Kings and Providence. Do you really think it is a good idea to put a gas station on wetlands?

Higginbotham has a number of things that will hurt his chances for a countywide seat. He's had issues with telling the truth and/or supporting his constituency. Shall I name a few?
1) He lied when he said he was undecided about Bass Pro until the actual vote took place. Al campaigned hard for the Bass Pro deal. He openly lobbied with people in his district, and then had the gall to say he was undecided.
2) He lied about the fact that he was a partner in his wife's land development company and (which you can't do when you're a commissioner) then when he got caught he said he didn't know he was listed as a VP in her firm. Are you kidding?
3) He said he was never on the board of the Regent (high end catering hall that got built with taxpayer money and still is not a community center) and public records showed he was on that board.
4) He lied when he asked Vin Marchetti (land developer attorney) to select a Planning Commission appointee for him and then when he got caught he said he didn't have the time to do the research.
5) He recently sent gift baskets of strawberries to constituents but the interesting thing was that the strawberries were obtained from a grower in south Florida, not from his constituents in east Hillsborough.

Ran out of space, above...
Here's a few more...
6) He still thinks we should pay for the roads, schools, safety and water instead of developers, as they build new subdivisions. Most taxpayers believe that developers should pay for the impacts of what they build, but Al lets the land developers off the hook because he received over 60% of his contirbutions from those with a financial stake in land development in the 2012 election.
7) He once told a group of community leaders that average citizens were a special interest group, inferring that they were no better than any other special interest group.

Hopefully voters will learn more about the "real" Al when he runs for a countywide seat next year.

Can anyone list for me the good things that Al Higginbotham has done for his district. I am having a hard time remembering when he has stood up for the citizens in District 4
I'd like to hear from the people in the district, not from the developers and the builders,and land use lawyers that have benefited.. Are there any small business people or citizens that he has supported with his votes.?
Thank you George for putting some of the dealings into the light.

Hey, George,
What constituents got strawberries? I still haven't even received a phone call. Higginbotham said that he spoke with Bass Pro Reps at 10:45/11PM. I called his office 4 times in 2 weeks. He still hasn't returned my call. I guess I'm just one of those people who pay for everything but am not good enough to speak to have a voice.

I'm not sure how he decided who to give the gift strawberries to. If, however, he used his campaign contribution list as a basis, I'll bet developers, land use attorneys and the Tampa Bay Builders Assn probably got truckloads of strawberries!!!

I'm not in any way associated with the "George" who seems to have it in for Al Higginbotham. Several people have contacted me in one way or another asking if I am the author of these negative comments.
The answer is an obvious NO! In my experience of covering members of local political boards during the past 15 years I would have to number Al Higginbotham as one of the best.
Our boy "George" can spin the story any way he likes, but he's barking up the wrong tree.
George Newman

Just for the record (in answer to George Newman's comment), I don't have it in for Commissioner Higginbotham. However, I found him to be less than truthful on a whole host of issues which I cited examples of in an earlier comment. The items I cited are a matter of record. I realize that Higginbotham supporters may not want to acknowledge these inadequacies and may want to turn a blind eye to them but they are what they are, they exist, and should be considered when deciding whether a candidate is worthy of your vote. I try to look at the entire record before I vote for a candidate, regardless of party affiliation. But when a candidate consistently lies, that has a tendency to obliterate whatever good he or she may have done. That's just me. Others may choose to support regardless of the lies. To each his own.