Moffitt deal exposed weak leadership

[SOUTH PINELLAS Edition]

St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg, Fla.

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Last week's debate by Hillsborough County commissioners on whether to go after the bioscience industry was less about fiscal policy than leadership - who has it and who doesn't. While commissioners were unanimous in supporting a venture that could revolutionize cancer therapy, the scene also showed the growing fracture between the old guard and newcomers who bring a new tenor and vision to the board.

Commissioners committed $28-million in cash and land toward a deal between drug giant Merck and Tampa's H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. The two would open a for-profit venture, owned by Moffitt, that would tailor drug therapy to individual patients. Commercializing the emerging field of personalized medicine has great potential. It could transform health care, further augment Moffitt's research and profile and make Tampa Bay more attractive as a hub for bioscience. Beyond any medical contributions, officials expect the deal will create hundreds of jobs in the coming years and spin off nearly $1-billion in related investment.

The benefits of the Moffitt-Merck venture should have been clear. A county awash in service-sector jobs has the chance to invest in something more dynamic than professional sports. Yet several commissioners could not raise their game. Chairman Jim Norman tried to ram through an 11th-hour demand that the city of Tampa pay more of the subsidy. Seeing that he lacked the votes, Norman used the moment to complain, needle and pout. While others lauded the science for its lifesaving potential, Norman talked about side deals and his intentions for passing on costs to somebody else. Commissioner Brian Blair trashed the arts and blamed the media. Commissioner Ken Hagan took a cheap shot at Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, criticizing her contribution even though it was nearly two-thirds more than a package he celebrated only weeks ago as "exciting" and "prominent."

Commissioner Mark Sharpe kept the debate focused and positive. He showed leadership by arguing the deal's merits and by calling for the board to unite in support once he had the majority vote. Commissioners Rose Ferlita and Kevin White showed some mettle. These two former Tampa City Council members seem unwilling to waste their time inventing division between the city and the county.

As chairman, Norman might be fine signing contracts and riding in parades. But the Moffitt debate was a troubling glimpse of his poor capacity to think in visionary terms. While the 7-0 vote had symbolic value, Norman went along because he had no face-saving alternative. What the bioscience industry saw was not unanimity but a board rattled by the demands of managing a diverse, growing community.