People in downtown Tampa don't like the GOP Convention

Uh Oh. The good people of downtown Tampa are not that happy about the GOP Convention in their backyard. Appears that they have a sort of "Green Zone" in downtown where nobody else besides official folks are allowed.

"Don't ever bring this here again,'' said Jeff Morzella, co-owner of Fresh, a breakfast and lunch cafe on Franklin Street. "We're ready to go, but there's no one here. It's brutal.''


Tampa Bay Times 

Jon Stewart Busts on Tampa During the GOP Convention

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Even Gay Prostitutes in Tampa are gearing up for the Convention

Is Tampa going to be shit show during the Republican Convention? You bet it is

We hope for comedic purposes that the "Tampafication of America" phenomenon that Salon.com has identified holds true for the GOP Convention next week. I don't agree with everything in this piece, having grown up in Tampa, but I think the overall feel is spot on. To be sure, there's a lot more open space and less traffic (both foot and vehicular) than where I live now (Brooklyn) but that's not really saying much. Overall, the city is pretty much the same as it was in the late 90s when I grew up - ie. not a lot of infrastructure and a fairly boring and service-free downtown.

We'll see how that lack of infrastructure plays out when thousands of people start cramming downtown looking for a place to get a meal and hang out. (There's not a lot, folks.) I already know two businesses who have shipped their employees elsewhere in the state for the week on fears that downtown will be completely shut down. Even my old high school has been taken over by the Secret Service - forcing some students to attend class remotely through the web.

It'll be interesting to watch all the behind-the-scenes coverage of the convention to see if anything goes awry. But, like everything else in Florida, I suspect this event will be a shit show in some form. Police are already deploying "Behavior Recognition Software" to spot criminals before they act. That's sure to cause massive round ups of naked dudes with golf clubs who have know idea that a major political convention is taking place in their city.