Internet Site Gives Lakeland Plenty

Click title for story link. By ROSEMARY GOUDREAU Published: Friday, April 10, 2009 at 1:32 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, April 10, 2009 at 1:32 a.m. Readers of The Ledger's two articles about my contract with the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority might think that downtown landowners got next to nothing for their money ["City Board Shells Out $40K for Very Little," March 14, page B1, and "City Bypassed Bidding Rule for Internet Site," March 29, front page]. Please allow me to set the record straight about the work I've done on behalf of downtown Lakeland, which faces life-altering changes should the state close the pending deal with CSX railroad.AC = --> First, some background. Until November, I was the editorial page editor of The Tampa Tribune, where I wrote and edited a series of editorials about the terrible terms of the CSX deal, the most expensive rail sale in U.S. history.