A journalism veteran turned communications and public relations pro is launching a new website tackling government overreach and bureaucracy within local governments.

Launched by former Tallahassee Democrat Publisher Skip Foster and his PR and marketing firm Hammerhead Communications, Red Tape Florida will cover government bureaucracy, including the good and bad. The site will include both news and opinion.

“From the minute I set foot in Tallahassee, I started hearing horror stories of local government overreach,” Foster said. “Since our firm has started taking on statewide clients, we realized it was an issue in cities and counties across the entire state. While much improvement has been made at the state level, at the local level, even in ‘red’ counties, local bureaucracy is hurting business and consumers with excessive red tape.”

The site launched with an inside story straight out of Tallahassee about revamping Thomasville Road through Midtown.

The story chronicles the Thomasville Road process, which Foster describes in his write-up as a controversy. And at least recently, that’s an accurate description. Public outcry led the Florida Department of Transportation to scrap plans to eliminate the dual use center lane along Thomasville Road, which critics complained would have left a single lane in each direction and nowhere for turning motorists to move out of the flow of traffic while waiting to safely make their turn.

While the project has come to a head in recent days, Foster chronicles the project from 15 years ago when a committee of locals wanted to establish plans to make Midtown more walkable, including through new and improved sidewalks, landscaping and new public space. But Foster writes that it ended up being a process dictated by just a few dozen people, rather than a robust cohort of local stakeholders.

“The problem with bureaucracy is that it’s almost always well-intentioned,” Foster said. “But as it grows, it tends to feed itself at the expense of the taxpayers who fund it. I think people will be shocked at how local government is running amok but also heartened by stories of efficiency and responsibility.”

The site will be sponsored by donors from the private sector and others interested in the cause, though Foster hasn’t named any person or entity specifically.

“Sponsorship of the site is anonymous because businesses fear retribution from local bureaucrats,” Foster said. “We simply aren’t going to allow that kind of bullying to go undocumented.”

The goal is to raise awareness of issues that breed red tape and bring about change that helps small businesses and consumers without sacrificing safety or environmental protections.

The site will include a “Retribution Watch,” which will document instances where coverage leads to “bureaucrats” doing even more to harm the business climate in a given area.

In addition to the Thomasville Road story, Red Tape Florida also launched with an introduction to the site from Foster and an advocacy piece explaining how regulation is driving affordability issues, particularly on housing.

The site will initially focus on Tallahassee, but plans are in the works to expand to Panama City and, eventually, the rest of the state’s major media markets.

Foster encourages anyone interested in bringing his work to their community to reach out. The Red Tape Florida site is also calling on stories of government bureaucracy to be shared at [email protected].

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