We are a new site, powered by Hammerhead Communications, which will shine a light on local government bureaucracy in a unique way.
You will find that most of our content falls into three buckets:
- Accountability: There are far too many stories of excessive government red tape that are never told – RedTapeFlorida.com will shine a light into the dark corners of bureaucratic inefficiency.
- Affirmation: Along with that vinegar will come honey – telling the stories of when government does things the right way to encourage best practices.
- Advocacy: We will offer our thoughts on the best way to address shortcomings and build on successes. In particular, you will read a lot about our belief that the increased costs of government red tape are connected directly to the issue of affordable housing.
We might even break a little news regarding how local government does business in other ways.
While our initial focus will be on Tallahassee, we are already expanding into other markets around the state. This effort will be focused on local government – the state of Florida has already taken steps to reduce red tape, but some of that has not trickled down to the local level.
As our site launches, you will see compelling stories about red tape and its impact on our economy, such as:
- The inside story of the Thomasville Road/Midtown Tallahassee controversy and the failure of the bureaucracy to adequately communicate the ramifications of the project.
- A column on how reducing regulation can impact the issue of affordable housing.
- A story of how the joint Tallahassee-Leon County urban design studio is proving to be an effective operation.
As you can see, those initial stories cover the three buckets of accountability, affirmation and advocacy.
Often, it’s the small business entrepreneurs and their blue-collar employees — such as plumbers, electricians, roofers and the like – who bear the brunt of the added time and cost these regulations impose. And, then of course, those costs are inevitably passed down to consumers such as homebuyers or the small businesses that occupy commercial property.
There is also an economic development price to be paid for localities who have a reputation as not being business friendly because of glacially slow permitting or other red tape.
Here is one thing RedTapeFlorida.com will not be: Involved in any way in political campaigns or electoral politics. We started this “off-election-cycle” to make this point clear – RedTapeFlorida.com is about policies and procedures, not precincts and polling.
One feature you will see on our site is “Retribution Watch.” For too long, private sector people have been afraid to tell some of the stories you will read for fear of retribution. We will not allow that to happen without shining a light on such unscrupulous behavior.
It’s also this fear of retribution that has caused us to keep our list of sponsors private, even as some businesses choose to tell their specific stories publicly.
As you encounter red tape, we hope you will share those with us, using this link. You might also have suggestions on public records requests in your community or other ideas for the site.
If you would like to be a sponsor, please reach out to us here. We have a variety of packages including an “affiliate” sponsorship for just $175 a month for those who may not be directly involved in these matters but simply want to support the mission.
You can follow us on all major social media platforms (@redtapeFl), and we hope you will share the site with your friends and colleagues.
Through accountability, affirmation and advocacy, we look forward to lessening the burden of government red tape in a way that benefits our entire economy.
Skip Foster
President
Hammerhead Communications