Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Tribune column on Jim Norman:

COLUMN

Henderson: Jim Norman’s rise from political undead scary

By Joe Henderson | Tribune Staff
Published: February 13, 2015

Jim Norman is thinking of running again for the Hills­borough County Commission. Of course he is. We don’t have ex-politicians in this town, we just have politicians taking time in between legislative gigs.

You remember Jim Norman. How can we forget? Although heaven knows, some have probably tried.

He served 18 years on the county commission before moving to the state Senate for 2010-12. He probably would have won another term if it hadn’t been for the house.

The house?

You know, that $435,000 residence in Arkansas financed with money from the late Ralph Hughes, Republican puppet-master. Norman admitted he failed to list that on his financial disclosure form when running for the Senate.

There were follow-up investigations, of course, including by the FBI, and Norman was cleared … well, never indicted. That’s a terrific campaign slogan when you think about it.

Anyway, in an interview with Mike Salinero in Thursday’s Tampa Tribune about his interest in running for the District 6 countywide seat in 2016, he pointed to a “Letter of Resolution” about the Arkansas property, signed by Ralph Hughes’ son. He said that proves everything is hunky and dory in the Ozarks as far as the Norman clan is concerned.

Of course, in keeping with this entire mysterious caper, neither Norman nor the Hughes family would disclose details of the settlement. That’s OK if you’re a private citizen doing a private transaction, which Norman currently is. If Gentleman Jim ventures back into public life, though, every dotted “i” and crossed “t” needs to be disclosed.

He may be legally off the hook, but the court of public opinion has different standards, and the judges there can be awfully nosy.

My initial reaction to Norman’s possible tiptoe back into politics went something like this: What the (oops, this a family newspaper)?

When you think about it, though, the notion of Norman returning to dine at the public trough isn’t so far-fetched. We do love to recycle politicians around here.

For instance, Charlie Miranda has won six elections to the Tampa City Council, dating to 1974. He explains it thusly: “I like serving.”

So does Mayor Bob Buckhorn — eight years on the city council, and soon to be formally re-elected to a second term as mayor. Then it’s on to Tallahassee in 2018, eh governor?

Oh, that’s right (wink, wink).

Commission Chairwoman Sandra Murman spent eight years in the Florida House before moving to county politics in 2010. New Commissioner Stacy White moved over from the school board.

Speaking of the school board, Carol Kurdell has served six terms, starting in 1992. Doretha Edgecomb and April Griffin are in their third terms.

Back at the county, Ken Hagan has been elected four times. Al Higginbotham just won a third term. Victor Crist bounced from the state House to the Senate and is now in his second term on the county commission.

We haven’t even brought Dick Greco into the conversation. There must be something out there he can run for.

And now Norman says he was “contacted in the last election cycle by at least five or six influential groups.” He wouldn’t name them, of course.

I’ll leave you with this thought: When a politician uses the words “election, contacted and influential” in the same sentence, be afraid.

Be very afraid.