Cannot Trust Brad Miller or PSTA - Vote NO!

PSTA CEO Brad Miller again shows bad judgment and now there is more proof Mlller and PSTA knew they were misusing DHS transit security funds.

Miller is supporting a boycott of businesses who oppose Greenlight Pinellas the Sunbeamtimes blog reported yesterday.

The Greenlight Pinellas team is using bully tactics to punish Greenlight opponents and suppress support.

The Transit Union workers posted a call on their facebook page calling for a boycott of Crabby Bills on Indian Rocks Beach and Tiffany’s in Palm Harbor based on their opposition to the highest sales tax in the state for the Greenlight Pinellas plan. In what many have viewed as an inappropriate action, PSTA CEO Brad Miller endorsed the boycott by “Liking” the post on Facebook.

The Transit Union page told their union member bus drivers to give the message to their “patrons”. Thus is appears the Union worker’s goal is to abuse their position as a government employee to tell bus riders what business are “union-approved”. 

Sunbeamtimes blog post included the Facebook page post Miller "liked". 

PSTA CEO Brad Miller endorses boycott
of business opposed to Greenlight

The Tampa Tribune picked up the story today.

Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority CEO Brad Miller is under fire again, this time for appearing to endorse a boycott of businesses opposed to Greenlight Pinellas. 

Miller liked a Facebook post made by the transit workers union that called for union members not to refer people to two local restaurants that supported Greenlight foe, No Tax for Tracks.

When asked by the Tribune about this, Miller reacted by stating this:

“I really don’t think that is a major issue; I can’t even remember doing it; it was 11 o’clock at night,” he said.

Miller can't remember what he does...What kind of excuse is that? I am expecting the dog ate my homework any day now. This deception appears to be a pattern of behavior by Miller and this incident proves again that Brad Miller will do ANYTHING to ram the Greenlight rail boondoggle onto the backs of taxpayers.

Just breaking tonight related to the misuse of the DHS transit security funds, is another report by Channel 10's investigative reporter Mike Deeson which continues the latest lies and deception by Brad Miller and PSTA (emphasis mine):

Shocking emails have been uncovered by 10 Investigates showing the PSTA plotted to misspend a federal grant to promote its upcoming transportation ballot issue Greenlight Pinellas, and now Congressman David Jolly is calling for Homeland Security to investigate.

Pages and pages of emails we obtained through a public records request show that instead of using hundreds of thousands of dollars of Homeland Security money to make the buses safer, PSTA had a plan to advance its transportation initiative that goes to the voters in November.

While Welch tried to pass off the misuse of federal money as an honest mistake, the emails show it was intentional.  

In one email Director of Marketing Janet Recca stated, "We were able to leverage our federal grant dollars and further Greenlight efforts." 

In another, Miller says of the ads they must have the Greenlight logo. "I insist on this and won't approve payment on anything else."  

And another Miller again says, "And I know you [referring to Chief Development Officer Cassandra Borchers] and Janet have heartburn about how this grant is being used[...] we can easily add some stuff about your beloved security."

These latest incidents are just another reminder of how PSTA and Miller operate:

• PSTA/Miller uses $400K of taxpayer dollars last year to hire a public relations firms to create the Greenlight Pinellas brand.  This brand was used to target specific groups, friendly to their rail cause, to lobby Pinellas County commissioners to place the rail referendum on the ballot.
• PSTA/Miller did a bus study last year and PSTA knows they can improve their bus service at a fraction of the high cost of light rail. Check out this interview with Barbara Haselden.  She explains the results of PSTA's own bus study which confirms the need for PSTA to do due diligence for improving their bus service, not asking for a huge tax increase for a costly light rail few will ride.
• PSTA /Miller uses another $400K of taxpayer dollars and other PSTA resources this year to advocate and market a tax increase that will benefit PSTA.  PSTA buys and hands out campaign yard signs throughout Pinellas county at PSTA and other taxpayer funded agencies. PSTA calls doling out campaign signs and other campaign/marketing trinkets "education". PSTA distributes their taxpayer funded literature at Pinellas libraries and colludes with other taxpayer funded entities like St. Petersburg who includes Greenlight Pinellas glossy brochures in their water bill.

• PSTA/Greenlight Pinellas uses elected officials, who have dollar signs dancing in their heads, and the elected officials bully pulpits, to advocate for the over $100 million a year tax increase. 
• PSTA and Brad Miller wraps their PSTA buses with Greenlight Pinellas ads for which they receive ZERO revenue while refusing to allow NoTaxForTracks to BUY some bus wraps and actually pay for them providing revenue to PSTA.

PSTA wraps their buses with their own at their
 expense their own Greenlight ads

• PSTA decides they don't like all the Public Records Request they started getting from concerned citizens since pushing the Greenlight boondoggle and decides to publicly name all who have submitted a PRR on their website.  Public outrage forced them to take that information down.
• PSTA's CEO Brad Miller colludes with the private pro rail PAC.  On taxpayers time and dime, Miller spoke at the pro rail PAC Yes for Greenlight kickoff event held in February.

PSTA's CEO Brad Miller speaks at pro rail
PAC's kickoff event in February

• PSTA's CEO Brad Miller was caught lying on a video from the PSTA June 25 meeting that DHS had approved the use of the DHS transit security funds (go to 11:15 in video).  DHS never approved the Greenlight Pinellas "feel good" ads as we previously reported here that included reports by Channel 10's Investigative Reporter Mike Deeson.  PSTA/Miller misused those funds and Miller was forced to hastily return the $345K to DHS, hoping the issue would simply go away. It didn't.
• Our previous post also provides a quick recap of PSTA activities since Brad Miller was hired by PSTA in July 2011. 

PSTA's CEO Brad Miller encouraging and endorsing a boycott of those businesses who oppose Greenlight and the "shocking" emails admitting Miller knew PSTA was misusing DHS transit security funds is proof that Miller and PSTA simply cannot be trusted. 

Miller and PSTA cannot be trusted with a 14% sales tax increase that hands him and his corrupt agency a $100 million a year tax increase.

Brad Miller continues to be found lying and Miller needs to be fired.

PSTA needs new management and it's board a complete housecleaning.  

The answer to PSTA and Brad Miller's poor judgment, unethical and possibly criminal behavior is simple.

Vote NO on Greenlight Pinellas boondoggle!