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bubbaprog.xyz
How to get $2 billion in taxpayer dollars the easy way: pay off the elected officials who vote on it
Tampa Bay Times FLORIDA'S BEST NEWSPAPER tampabay.com ★★★★ Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | $2.50 Rays group spends big on midterms Campaign contributions came from members of the Tampa Bay Rays' ownership and companies they own. BY NINA MOSKE AND NICOLAS VILLAMIL Times Staff Writers Donors with ties to the Tampa Bay Rays have given more than $5 million to candidates and political committees across the state this election cycle. The contributions range from $1,000 to $250,000 and come from individuals or the busi nesses they own who are part of the Rays' sprawling ownership group. They include more than $1.9 million given to U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds' bid for governor, and tens of thousands of dollars to city and county leaders who cast votes on the team's $2.3 billion sta- dium deal earlier this year. Some of that money came weeks before the Rays in August cleared a massive hurdle for their Tampa stadium project, winning approval from both the Tampa City Coun- cil and Hillsborough County Com- mission. With those votes came public money: Hillsborough approved contributing at least $796 million toward the stadium, and Tampa pledged $80 million. Led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, state leaders backed the project and offered financial support. Still, the Rays will almost cer- tainly seek further goodwill from local and state leaders as they work to build and maintain the ballpark and cannot be certain what backing they will receive after this year's midterm elections. From county commissioners up to the governor's office, a crop of new elected officials will take office in the coming months. The Tampa Bay Times parsed through hundreds of donations made by the team's owners and their companies since the start of 2025. The group is led by Jack- sonville-based billionaire Pat- rick Zalupski, Ohio businessman Bill Cosgrove and Rays CEO Ken Babby, the public face of the sta- dium negotiations. They are sup- ported by more than two dozen limited partners, including a bevy of business owners with long his- tories supporting local candidates. See RAYS, 7A RAYS continued from 1A Money ahead of stadium votes Several Hillsborough commissioners who are up for election got money from Rays-affiliated don- ors in weeks leading up to an ini- tial stadium vote in May. The contributions came from three local real estate and construction compa- nies owned by Rays limited partners: Homes by West- Bay LLC, Ripa & Associates and Eisenhower Manage- ment Inc., owned by Willy Nunn, Chris LaFace and Jeff Hills, respectively. All three companies have contrib- uted to local campaigns in years past. Commissioner Gwen Myers received a combined $25,000 from those compa- nies on May 13, one week before she cast an affirma- tive vote on the nonbinding stadium agreement. Commissioner Harry Cohen, who also supported the stadium, got a com- bined $13,000 through his political committee in late March. Cohen's commit- ttee received $10,000 in late September from Dan Doyle, a member of the Rays' exec- utive advisory board and CEO of the office equipment supplier DEX Imaging. "If somebody that's tied to the Rays gave to my cam- paign, I don't know who they are," Myers said in a phone call. "They never told me, 'I'm with the Rays and I'm supporting your campaign.'" Myers said she is a sports fan who voted to approve the stadium because it was in Hillsbor- ough County's best interest. In a statement to the Times, Cohen said he has long backed bringing the Rays to Tampa. "I am grateful for support from anyone who believes I am doing a good job, includ- ing people on both sides of the stadium issue," he said. "Every contribution to my campaign is publicly reported and fully trans- parent. My position on the $Tampa Bay Times | Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | 7A The Tampa Bay Rays' ownership group is led by Jacksonville-based billionaire Patrick Zalupski, center, Ohio-based businessman Bill Cosgrove, left, and Rays CEO Ken Babby. Along with more than two dozen limited partners, the group has spent more than $4.7 million this election cycle. (DIRK SHADD | Times) Hillsborough commissioners Gwen Myers and Harry Cohen voted in favor of the Rays stadium deal in August. (DIRK SHADD | Times) Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds has received more than $1.85 million from Rays-affiliated donors since the start of 2025. (CHRIS URSO | Times) Florida stadium is based on what I believe is best for Tampa and Hillsborough County." Republican commis- sioner Joshua Wostal, a staunch stadium opponent, got at least $44,000 from companies associated with Nunn, LaFace and Hills. Most of those contributions to his political commit- tee and campaign account came in late 2025 and early 2026. Wostal told the Times he still has the support of those donors, despite his vocal criticism of the sta- dium deal. "Those folks have lived in the community and done business here for over two decades and have dealt with the frustrations of commis- sioners lacking the will- power to tackle growth management," Wostal said. "They know how fiscally conservative I am, and that I don't subsidize rich people." Stacy Hahn, a Hillsbor- ough school board mem- ber running for County Commission, topped the three sitting commission- ers in money collected from Rays-affiliated donors. She did not return two phone calls or a text message seek- ing comment. Hahn, a Republican, won her primary election against District 5 commissioner Donna Car- ron-Cepeda, a consistent no vote on a stadium sub- ject. She faces Democrat Neil Manimala - who pre- viously told the Times that he believes "public dollars should not subsidize billion- aires" but that he supports keeping the Rays in Tampa - in November. In addition to a combined $40,000 to Hahn's political committee from the three local real estate and con- struction firms, she received $5,000 directly from Babby In June. Babby, who recently registered to vote in Tampa after moving from Jackson- ville, declined to comment for this story. Hahn also got $7,500 for Tampa Bay's Future, a political committee that has collected hundreds of thou- sands of dollars from Rays-affiliated donors since It opened in June. Money from the Rays became a flashpoint in Hahn's primary election, when ads labeling the can- didate "sellout Stacy Hahn" circulated social media. Hahn, who had no say in the sta- dium agreement, told the Times in August, "I was offended by the thought that the donation would buy my vote." Rays-backed committee Roughly half of the more two dozen contributions to Citizens for Tampa Bay's Future came from Rays minority owners or the companies they own, total- ing more than $300,000. They include Babby, for- mer pro-basketball player Shane Battier and a com- pany affiliated with billion- aire dentist Rick Workman, among other limited part- ers. The committee, reg- istered to Fort Lauder- dale lawyer Jason B. Blank, gave money to two political committees affiliated with local politicians in addi- tion to Hahn. Blank did not respond to a message or phone call seeking com- ment. Tampa City Council mem- ber Luis Viera's political committee got $15,000 in July, weeks before he voted to approve a final Rays sta- dium agreement. His com- mittee got another $20,000 from the group in late Sep- tember, according to its lat- est financial reports. A committee associated with council chairperson Alan Clendenin, who helped lead the city's push for the basketball team, also got $10,000 in July. "Since the beginning, I have been transparent about my support for cre- ating a pathway to getting the Rays to Tampa because it is in the best interest of our community," Viera, who is running for state House, said in a written statement. "That also meant working with community partners on a deal that prioritized public safety, skilled trade apprenticeships, and other critical issues that serve to better our city." Clendenin, in a phone call, said he had never heard of Citizens for Tampa Bay's Future and that he does not track the money flow- ing into the committee affil- iated with his own cam- paigns. Tampa's next munic- ipal election is in 2027 and Clendenin has not yet filed for reelection. Still, he said, "It's impos- sible to buy somebody's vote at the level that we're talking about." "If somebody's giving mil- lions of dollars to somebody if it's a flat in Paris and a Monet hanging over the fireplace, then maybe, yeah," he said. "But across all lev- els of politics, he said, indi- viduals and companies give money to the candidates they feel align with their interests. "It's not about swaying votes," he said. "It's about supporting candidates that already support their objec- tives." If elected, Donalds would follow a baseball-loving gov- ernor who embraced the ballpark, offering state sup- port for the redevelopment of Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus. Sev- eral Rays owners previously backed DeSantis, who will run for governor, then went on, he said. "Because then what, you're going to be doing stadium deals all over the state? I don't think that's appropriate." Tampa Council chairperson Alan Clendenin pushed for the Rays to move to Tampa. (JEFFREY WOO | Times) since July 2025. Buckhorn is a Democrat running in a nonpartisan race. In February, Buck- hofn got one of the larg- est Rays-affiliated contri- butions to any candidate or committee this election cycle: $200,000 from Ayon Capital LLC, an investment firm founded by minority owner Siód Pagidipati. He has received a dozen other donations from Rays own- ers and their businesses, including $50,000 each from Doyle and Dream Finders Homes, the home- building company owned by Zalupski. In a statement to the Times in September, Buck- horn said, "I'm proud to have earned support from hundreds of residents across Tampa, including Rays ownership." Buckhorn appears to be the only Tampa mayoral candidate to receive money from Rays-affiliated sources. Opponent Bill Carlson, a Tampa City Council mem- ber who twice voted in favor of the stadium after express- ing initial opposition, said August that he refused an offered donation from the team. Lynn Hurtak, another council member and may- oral candidate, said neither the Rays nor any associated company have given money to her campaign. Hurtak Donalds, the GOP nom- ine for governor, was the biggest beneficiary. He received more than $1.9 million from Rays-af- iliated sources, accounting for more than a third of the group's spending this elec- tion cycle. Eisenhower Man- agement Inc. gave a com- bined $500,000 to Donalds' political committee across three donations; Ripa & Associates gave more than $300,000; Dream Finders Homes gave $200,000. Donalds' stance on the proposed stadium is unclear. A spokesperson did not respond to two mes- sages seeking comment. At a July news con- ference, Florida Politics reporters, Donalds said deci- sions about the ballpark were best left to county leaders. "I don't think that's something that you want the Governor weighing in on," he said. "Because then what, you're going to be doing stadium deals all over the state? I don't think that's appropriate." If elected, Donalds would follow a baseball-loving gov- ernor who embraced the ballpark, offering state sup- port for the redevelopment of Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus. Sev- eral Rays owners previously backed DeSantis, who will run for governor, then went on, he said. "Because then what, you're going to be doing stadium deals all over the state? I don't think that's appropriate." Rays money in mayors races Former two-term Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn got the most support of any local candidate from Rays owners. Buckhorn, who is seeking a return to the office in 2027, has received $411,000 from donors with ties to the Rays Millions to state GOP candidates While the Rays' partners sands of dollars to local can- didates, their spending on Republican candidates and committees in state races since the start of 2025. Republican candidates and committees in state races Across the state. A slate of candidates near and far benefited, from for- mer state Rep. Josie Tom- kow and state Sen. Danny Burgess to Attorney General James Uthmeier and Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia. Contact Nina Morabito at contact Nina Morabito at nmorabito@tampabay.com. contact Nicolas Villamiel at nvillamiel@tampabay.com.
October 11, 2026 at 2:05 PM
meridiannews.bsky.social
167 Pedras Erguidas no Deserto do Marrocos — e uma delas é um 'Grande Prego' que nunca foi explicado

No meio do deserto arenoso do Maghribi, esconde-se um círculo de pedras antigas maior do que o Stonehenge — mas quase nunca é mencionado. Ele rodeia um monte tumular do tamanho de
167 Pedras Erguidas no Deserto do Marrocos — e uma delas é um 'Grande Prego' que nunca foi explicado
No meio do deserto arenoso do Maghribi, esconde-se um círculo de pedras antigas maior do que o Stonehenge — mas quase nunca é mencionado. Ele rodeia um monte tumular do tamanho de um jato, e uma das suas pedras tem mais de cinco metros de altura: os locais chamam-na de 'El Uted' — o 'Grande Prego'.
khatulistiwa.org
October 5, 2026 at 5:53 PM
exchangenews.bsky.social
Cyprus Stock Exchange Monthly Bulletin August 2026
The total value of transactions during the month in re view reached € 6,35 million, with an average of € 0,30 million per trading session. The Financials sector contrib uted 76,08% to the total value traded which was the high est among all other sectors. Investors primarily focused their interest on the shares of “Bank Of Cyprus Holdings Plc” and also on shares of “Atlantic Insurance Company Public Ltd” with 60,33% and 8,75% of the total value re spectively. Click here for full details.
dlvr.it
September 14, 2026 at 10:47 AM
libkarin.bsky.social
trump will want them Ex---uted.
September 6, 2026 at 5:05 PM
meridiannews.bsky.social
167 Pedras Erguidas no Deserto do Marrocos — e uma delas, o "Prego Gigante", nunca explicada

No meio do deserto do norte do Marrocos, está escondido um círculo de pedras antigo, maior que Stonehenge — mas quase nunca mencionado. Ele circunda um monte funerário do tamanho d
167 Pedras Erguidas no Deserto do Marrocos — e uma delas, o "Prego Gigante", nunca explicada
No meio do deserto do norte do Marrocos, está escondido um círculo de pedras antigo, maior que Stonehenge — mas quase nunca mencionado. Ele circunda um monte funerário do tamanho de um caça-turbojato, e uma das pedras tem mais de cinco metros de altura: os habitantes locais chamam‑a de "El Uted" — o
khatulistiwa.org
September 5, 2026 at 9:06 PM
kataroot.bsky.social
Pues mucho bioanálisis pero el gas radón que emite la "sólida base de granito adamellítico de dos micas" no lo han detectado. A no ser que el laberinto sanador eliminé el radón, vaya uted a saber.
August 28, 2026 at 11:48 AM
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#StandingStoneSunday

Msoura is an archaeological site of a stone circle in northern #Morocco. It is located near Chouahed village, 15 kilometers southeast of Asilah, and consists of 167 monoliths surrounding a tumulus 58 m long, 54 m wide, with a height of 6 m.
#Archaeology 🇲🇦
One of the monoliths, known as El Uted (the peg) measures more than 5 m, with the average height of the monoliths being 1.5 m. Legend claims it is the tomb of the giant Antaeus. Dated to the 4th or 3rd century BC, the site probably hints to the beginnings of the Kingdom of Mauretania.
August 23, 2026 at 12:56 PM
exchangenews.bsky.social
Cyprus Stock Exchange Monthly Bulletin, July 2026
The total value of transactions during the month in re view reached € 8,56 million, with an average of € 0,37 million per trading session. The Financials sector contrib uted 82,35% to the total value traded which was the high est among all other sectors. Investors primarily focused their interest on the shares of “Bank of Cyprus Holdings Plc” and also on shares of “Demetra Holdings Plc” with 71,24% and 6,88% of the total value respectively. Click here for full details.
dlvr.it
August 17, 2026 at 10:42 AM
schotthappens.com
This afternoon, #utleg leaders are setting aside $400 million for tax cuts next year.

They're also boosting Utah's per-pupil funding by $135 million, which is the legally-required minimum increase to pay for inflation and enrollment increases #utpol #uted
December 8, 2025 at 4:10 PM
hyres376.bsky.social
Not surprised to see that this was Davis School District #uted #utpol
courtneyltanner.bsky.social Courtney Tanner @courtneyltanner.bsky.social · Jun 18
A Utah book-ban advocate was given access to a school library system with private student data. The district says there was ‘no breach.’

Story from me and the fabulous @carmenreports.bsky.social:

www.sltrib.com/news/educati...
June 18, 2026 at 3:10 PM
hyres376.bsky.social
I'm sure this will likely occur in Utah if the #utleg continues to expand the Utah Fits All voucher program #uted
June 11, 2026 at 3:36 PM
hyres376.bsky.social
“There was never clarity on how those dollars were spent or allocated...There has been more of a conscious effort over the last 12 to 24 months not to be transparent on the financials.” www.cityweekly.net/news/parents... #utpol #uted #vouchers #utah #privateschools
Parents question the abrupt dissolution of a Catholic School’s advisor...
Critical Mass
www.cityweekly.net
April 23, 2026 at 3:12 PM
hyres376.bsky.social
This is what will happen in Utah if the #utleg continues to expand funding for vouchers at the expense of public schools and other public services #utpol #uted
propublica.org ProPublica @propublica.org · Dec 16
Arizona, the model for voucher programs across the country, spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it faced hundreds of millions in budget cuts to critical state programs and projects last year.

(Published July 2024)
School Vouchers Were Supposed to Save Taxpayer Money. Instead They Blew a Massive Hole in Arizona’s Budget.
Arizona, the model for voucher programs across the country, has spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it’s now facing hundreds of millions in budget cuts to critical state program...
www.propublica.org
December 16, 2025 at 3:13 AM
hyres376.bsky.social
You don't claim credit for giving teachers a raise, when you tied that to stealing public money meant for public schools and giving it away to fund vouchers #utpol #uted #education #utah #utpol
benwinslow.bsky.social Ben Winslow @benwinslow.bsky.social · Dec 10
House Majority Whip Pierucci says there's an element of "humility," but she notes they are repealing the liability insurance component that was in the bill. She's going over the list of things the legislature has done for teachers, firefighters, etc.
December 10, 2025 at 2:03 AM
hyres376.bsky.social
The Trump administration has withheld over 40 million dollars from Utah's schools, students, and teachers. I know Senators Curtis, Lee, and our state congresspeople are busy taking away healthcare and giving tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, but they should look into this. #utleg #uted
jessicacalarco.com Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · Jul 2
The Trump administration is currently holding hostage nearly $7B in federal funding for K-12 schools--funding that was supposed to be distributed yesterday.

They've stolen $80M from Wisconsin students and teachers alone. How much have they stolen from your state?

www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
See How Much School Funding Trump Is Holding Back From Your State
The administration is holding back nearly $7 billion for English learners, after-school programs, professional development, and more.
www.edweek.org
July 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
hyres376.bsky.social
Another good response to the Dear Colleague letter from the DOE #highered #education #uted #utpol www.insidehighered.com/opinion/blog...
A Dear Colleague letter in defense of DEI, by Shaun Harper
Shaun Harper identifies 11 specific actions higher ed institutions can take to uphold their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
www.insidehighered.com
February 22, 2025 at 2:45 AM
hyres376.bsky.social
Exactly. All the cuts to K-12 education, higher education, and other social services across the state are just to line the pockets of the wealthy in Utah. It is sacrificing the well-being of most Utahns, so the well-off can hoard a little more wealth each year #utleg #uted
jennawilliams.bsky.social Jenna Williams @jennawilliams.bsky.social · Feb 19
Stop. cutting. taxes. for. the. wealthy.
schotthappens.com Bryan Schott @schotthappens.com · Feb 19
📊 Utah's latest revenue numbers are in:

• Income tax revenue ⬇️ $127M below estimates

• Could impact school funding

• Tax cuts still on the table

• Additional school funding requests face uncertainty

#utpol

www.utahpoliticalwatch.news/revenue-proj...
February 19, 2025 at 11:22 PM
hyres376.bsky.social
I'm fully supportive of a @utaheducationassoc.bsky.social strike in response to Governor Cox signing HB 267. Even though it would make my day to day life more challenging, our teachers and other public employees deserve better #utpol #uted #prolabor #proteachers #publicschools
February 15, 2025 at 4:55 PM
hyres376.bsky.social
The majority of the UT legislators in the House don't want to listen to their constituents, and by passing this bill, they are seeking to undermine collective action by public employees in the state. This bill is anti-labor and anti-education. #uted #utleg
January 28, 2025 at 1:24 AM
patrickiber.bsky.social
So I found these passages of people speculating about other possible ends to the dictatorship to be a fascinating little view on that moment in time
Of the Chileans who believe that it is vitally necessary to eliminate Pi- nochet, the majority would prefer to see the United States do it, rather than the Communists. They believe that the Chilean armed forces would accept the operation if it were to be carried out by Washington, but that terrible, indis- criminate repression would be un- leashed if the Communists were to assassinate Pinochet, and this would consolidate the military regime. The truth is, however, that at the moment the United States has other plans for Chile. They are not violent, as they were with Nixon and his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. They are also far removed from the magic solution that Chilean politicians dream about- an Operation Chile to remove Pi- nochet which would be over in twen- ty-four hours. It is widely believed that the Reagan Administration wants the Chilean armed forces themselves to bring the Pinochet dictatorship to a close--peacefully and, if possible, within the legal framework of the regime. Pinochet would be allowed to spend the rest of his days in a country of his choice; the political parties would be expected to allow the military to return to their barracks in peace; and the Chilean Communist Party would be isolated. Although the proposal is simple, carrying it out would be extremely complex. Pinochet has his own friends in Washington, headed by Senator Jesse Helms and Jeane Kirkpatrick, the former ambassador to the United Nations, and he is maneuvering all the time. Pinochet is extremely good at political maneuvering. The Chilean political parties, for their part, have no common objective, even after fourteen years of dictatorship. Although their leaders have been together in jails, in exile, in the underground resistance, not one has ever managed to learn that he must sacrifice what may seem to be a benefit for his own party in pursuit of a common objective. What Washington has achieved in a short time, merely by changing its ambassador and its attitude, is, for the first time in Latin America, the peo- ple's acceptance-with enthusiasm, or, at least, with resignation of United States intervention. Pinochet's author- itarian personality and the savagery of the military repression have contrib- uted enormously to this acceptance of American intervention. The accep- tance was demonstrated in notable fashion toward the end of 1986 in a conference at the headquarters of Chile's professional association of journalists, in Santiago. A panel of political leaders from the right, the left, and the center discussed seri- ously, rationally, and with equanimity -the possible participation of Wash- ington in the overthrow of Pinochet and the American role in a period of transition to democracy. The topic was "Prospects for American Policy Toward Chile," and, naturally, the major complaints came from the left, but they did not constitute the tradi- tional, virulent attack on imperialist policies. Instead, the left, viewing the situation almost with sadness, la- mented that the United States inter- vened only in cases of crisis and, un- fortunately, the American experts did not yet detect a crisis in Chile. Wash- ington has achieved its consensus that no crisis exists because over the past two years it has publicized its almost constant criticism of human-rights vi- olations in Chile and has intervened to call for the lifting of restrictions on press freedom.
October 2, 2025 at 10:45 PM
benwinslow.bsky.social
ICYMI, the Utah legislature’s mandated overhaul of higher education is getting under way. College and university presidents presented their plans for what’s getting cut and what’s getting expanded: www.fox13now.com/news/politic... #utpol #Utah #uted
June 8, 2025 at 6:35 PM
benwinslow.bsky.social
ICYMI, the Utah legislature’s mandated overhaul of higher education is getting under way. College and university presidents presented their plans for what’s getting cut and what’s getting expanded: www.fox13now.com/news/politic... #utpol #Utah #uted
June 7, 2025 at 1:04 PM
benwinslow.bsky.social
One after another, I watched as college and university presidents outlined job cuts, course cuts, staffing shifts and plans for new programs to align with the Utah legislature's mandate: www.fox13now.com/news/politic... #utpol #Utah #uted
Utah's higher education overhaul is getting under way
One by one, the heads of Utah's colleges and universities sat before the Board of Higher Education on Friday and outlined the changes they're making on campuses.
www.fox13now.com
June 7, 2025 at 1:09 AM
benwinslow.bsky.social
The Utah legislature’s mandated overhaul of higher education is getting under way. College and university presidents presented their plans for what’s getting cut and what’s getting expanded: www.fox13now.com/news/politic... #utpol #Utah #uted
June 7, 2025 at 1:06 AM
benwinslow.bsky.social
NEW: The Salt Lake City School District is asking people not to throw confetti at graduation ceremonies, noting they got hit with a $28,000 fine for it last year. #utpol #Utah #uted
As we celebrate our 2025 graduates, please remember that confetti of any kind is not allowed at any district graduation events. Last year, confetti cleanup led to fines of over $28,000—funds we’d much rather invest in our schools and students. Please help us by leaving the confetti at home. Please help us out by leaving the confetti at home. Let’s toss congratulations and grad caps, not confetti. Thank you!
May 15, 2025 at 2:49 PM