Page 2 - 6-21-16 Tuesday's Edition

Features
Key Vote Will Determine Fate Of TBX Plan
On Wednesday, June 22nd, the Hillsborough County Met- ropolitan Planning Organiza- tion (MPO) will vote whether or not to include Tampa Bay Express (TBX) a $6 billion plan, into its annual Trans- portation Improvement Plan.
If the 16-member board agrees to include it in its list of transportation priorities, the plan known as TBX will move forward. If they don’t the state funding tied to the project will likely be shifted to another project in the state.
The majority of the funds for the TBX project comes from Florida’s Strategic Inter- modal System Fund com-
prised of state and federal gas tax money.
Most residents in the im- pacted area are opposed to the project, and MPO Board Pres- ident, County Commis- sioner Les Miller, has joined them.
However, it’s been reported that some 60 high profile business heads have indicated they support the project.
The most controversial part of the TBX plan is 91 miles of express lanes usable by mo- torists only by paying a toll. The Florida Department Of Transportation (FDOT) has not released specific details on toll costs but they did say the
COUNTY COMMISSIONER LES MILLER
rates will be variable.
That means the thicker the
traffic, the higher the cost. Es- timates indicate he lanes could cost as little as 15 cents per mile or as much as $2 per mile.
During rush hour commutes getting across the Howard Franklin Bridge into down- town Tampa could cost as much as $30. The argument is that an average working or middle class person either can’t afford or won’t pay such a steep fee to shave some time off a commute, but a wealthy corporate head might not mind so much. That has given birth to a new term call “Lexus
Lanes.”
The controversy has earned
itself a Federal Highway Ad- ministration investigation into whether or not the plan violates civil rights for minori- ties. The plan would demolish an estimated 100 homes, most of them in poor minority neighborhoods.
That criticism has been re- jected by FDOT, saying any- one displaced form a home due to various types of land acquisitions has to, under law, be appropriately compensated for their homes and be given assistance finding a new place to live.
‘Mayor’ Of Progress Village Remains Tied To Hometown
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Several decades ago, a young native of Marianna de- cided to settle in Tampa. He and his family became pio- neers of the Progress Village subdivision.
His involvement and ac- tivism in Progress Village eventually earned 94-year-old Emanuel P. Johnson the unofficial joint titles of Histo- rian and “Mayor of Progress Village.” While Johnson is as much a part of the area as the area itself, he never forgot where he came from, his fam- ily history, or the family mem- bers who still live there. And he has not been forgotten ei- ther.
When the newly constructed Emanuel P. Johnson Progress Village Community Center and Gymnasium, 5855 S. 75th Street, was named in his honor, in March 2016, the newspaper in Marianna reprinted the article for its
EMANUEL P. JOHNSON
readers.
Johnson’s aunt, Mrs.
Sarah Purdee Spires, who celebrated her 106th birthday in April, keeps the family in constant contact. His cousin, Mrs. Curley Spires Potter presented a photograph of her grandfather, Armstrong Purdee to the Chipola His- torical Trust and recited a
family history of his life and work.
Johnson was raised by his grandparents.
Purdee was the first African American to practice law in Jackson County. He granddaughter has under- taken the project of making his history and accomplish- ment common knowledge. She had reached adulthood before she discovered, through research, his contri- butions to Jackson County, Johnson said.
She further learned through research that Purdee was born a slave in 1856. He was taught to read by one of the families he worked for as a child. Upon reaching adult- hood, Purdee became an at- torney, but was not allowed to practice law in Jackson County. He pleaded his cases in Jacksonville, Pensacola, and Atlanta, Georgia.
He became an activist for the African American commu- nity.
Organization To Host Meeting On TBX Issue
Members of the Partnership Against D.O.T. Discrimination (P.A.D.D.) will host a meeting on Wednesday, June 22nd, at 6 p.m. It will be held in the Hillsborough County Commission Chambers, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd.
The purpose of the meeting is to speak out against future plans of TBX.
For more information contact Mrs. Lena Young Green at lenayoung310@yahoo.com, or
kurtbyoung@yahoo.com.
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016