GOOD EVENING, I’D LIKE TO THANK EACH OF         

YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. __ I’M

DENISE TOLEDO AND MY DOG, MEGGIE, WHO

COULDN’T BE HERE TONIGHT ARE MEMBERS OF

THIS EFFORT, WE AFFECTIONATELY CALL__

“THE EXERCISE CLUB”. __

 

I’M A NATIVE OF TAMPA AND HAVE ALWAYS

LIVED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I’VE SEEN

MANY CHANGES HERE IN THE NAME OF

PROGRESS.                 

PROGRESS, HOWEVER, CAN BE A

DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD. _IT HAS CAUSED THIS

AREA TO BE NEGLECTED FOR MUCH TOO LONG

OF A TIME. __

THE CHARACTER OF THE HOMES AND THIS

NEIGHBORHOOD AS A WHOLE LED ME BACK

TO SEMINOLE HEIGHTS. 

I’M AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SEMINOLE

HEIGHTS LAND USE COMMITTEE. 

THIS COMMITTEE HAS WORKED 2YEARS TO

ESTABLISH A RESIDENTIAL OVERLAY

DISTICT. THIS OVERLAY WILL HELP TO

PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF THE

NEIGHBORHOOD WHILE BOLSTERING THE

HISTORIC DISTRICT.

 

THE GREATER SEMINOLE HEIGHTS AREA,

WHICH CONSISTS OF OLD SEMINOLE HEIGHTS

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOC., SOUTH SEMINOLE

HEIGHTS CIVIC ASSOC., AND SOUTHEAST

SEMINOLE CIVIC ASSOC. IS

THE LARGEST NEIGHBORHOOD IN TAMPA, AND

HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING A MAJOR

REVITALIZATION. WE CONTINUE TO ADD MORE

TAX DOLLARS TO OUR CITY AND COUNTY EACH

YEAR AS OUR PROPERTY VALUES RISE. OUR

NEIGHBORING ASSOCIATIONS; VM YBOR, YBOR

HEIGHTS, SULPHUR SPRINGS, AND NORTH

TAMPA, ARE FOLLOWING THIS RESURRGENCE

AS WELL.  WE CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH

THOUGH, TO RENOVATE HOMES AND REQUEST

IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR THOROUGHFARES. 

WE NEED HELP IN AREAS THAT OUR BEYOND

OUR LIMITS AS ORDINARY CITIZENS.

 

ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS I’VE MENTIONED 

BATTLE OTHER ELEMENTS,THAT MANY

CITIZENS HAVE NOT SEEN IN THEIR

LIFETIME.

THESE ELEMENTS ARE THE CRIMES

OF DRUGS AND PROSTITUTION. WHICH IF

LEFT UNCHECKED CAN CHOKE TO DEATH OUR

EVERY EFFORT.

 

MANY OF YOU MAY THINK OF PROSTITUTION

AS A VICTIMLESS CRIME. IT IS, AS YOU

KNOW ONLY A MISDEMEANOR. I’M HERE TO

TELL YOU THAT I’VE SEEN FOR MYSELF

THEIR CUSTOMERS, KNOW AS “JOHNS”. IT

COULD BE YOU, WHO ARE THE VICTIMS. THE

JOHNS COULD BE YOUR HUSBANDS, YOUR

FATHERS, BROTHERS, BOYFRIENDS AND EVEN

YOUR YOUNG SONS.

THEY COME FROM ALL AREAS AND ALL

WALKS OF LIFE. WASTING THE FAMILY

BUDGET, BRINGING DISEASE AND DECIET

INTO YOUR HOME.

THESE CUSTOMERS SUPPORT THE

RELATED CRIMES SUCH AS DRUG USE BY

PUMPING MONEY INTO ITS HEART AND

DRAINING THE SOULS OF SO MANY INVOLVED.

THIS IS A CRIME AND A COMMUNITY PROBLEM

THAT HAS TOO LONG BEEN ACCEPTED AND

OVERLOOKED.

 

 

I DON’T KNOW IF I SHOULD SAY I’M PROUD

TO HAVE BEEN ON EVERY WALK WE’VE HAD.

YOU MIGHT THINK, WELL SHE MUST NOT HAVE

A LIFE. I DO, AND JUST AS YOU, WANT MY

LIFE AND HOME TO BE A BETTER PLACE. A

PLACE WHERE I DON’T BECOME AN

UMWELCOME VICTIM ON MY OWN STREET.

 

ANYTIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT I CAN

LOOK OUT MY KITCHEN WINDOW AND BE

NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THE SEXUAL

TRANSACTIONS BEING PERFORMED BEHIND MY

HOME. I’VE WALKED MY DOG DURING THE

DAYTIME AND HAVE BEEN PROPOSITIONED.

CHILDREN WHO WAIT AT BUS STOPS COULD

GET IN THE WAY AS THIS AREA

IS USED FOR CRUISING. I HAVE TO

PICK UP TRASH LEFT IN MY BACK YARD,

SOME OF WHICH I BROUGHT WITH ME

TONIGHT. I HAVE GENERAL LITTER, SMALL

CRACK BAGS, OPEN CONDOM PACKAGES, AND

HAVE SPARED YOU THE USED ONES.

 

WE ARE AWARE THERE IS NO END TO THE

“OLDEST PROFESSION”. BUT IT COULD BE

CORRALLED TO EFFECT FEWER VICTIMS IN

ALL NEIGHBORHOODS. THE REAL PROBLEM IS

ON THE DEMAND SIDE, THE JOHNS.

IT’S TIME TO TAKE LEADERSHIP WITH

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND CREATIVE

REGULATIONS.

 

WE ARE WILLING TO DO OUR PART.

 

WILL YOU?