Visions of the Year to Come
Rick Kriseman
Mayor
City of St. Petersburg
I expect the sun will continue to shine bright
on St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area in
2016. We’ll continue to grow our economy in
a smart, sustainable way. I expect our region’s
art, craft beer, and foodie scene will only get
stronger – and that I’ll partake in all of it!
My hope is that 2016 will be the year a ferry
service connects Tampa and St. Petersburg and
our surrounding communities. We must offer
more ways to move people around if we are to
truly compete with the world’s greatest cities
and regions.
Barry Alpert
Senior Vice President, Investments
Raymond James & Associates
The strength of the U.S. economy will have much
more influence on the outcome of the presidential
election than which candidate is the most charismatic.
There are substantial differences in economic
forecasts, from gloom to euphoria. Not being a trained
economist, I can only comment on what I see and hear
as I travel the country. Leading forecasters believe that
the unemployment rate might be the lowest it has been
since 2000, at less than 5%. In addition, the consumer
appears to be comfortable and secure with their
employment; and they have buying power, which
came from the shrinking of consumer debt, as well as
$2.00 gasoline.
As the Federal Reserve increases interest rates, I
think that the American consumer may begin to be
concerned about the missing of buying opportunities
– for example, home mortgage rates under 4%. I
don’t believe that increasing interest rates will stifle
homebuilding or the economy, because I don’t think
there will be rapid sustained increases in these rates.
As I have come to believe, we are in a secular bull
market. What that means is that we will have increases
and decreases in the stock market and perhaps some
volatility, but an upward trend should continue with
some moderation of the rate of increase. Along with
higher interest rates, seniors should be able to, once
again, begin to feel more comfortable with fixed
income alternatives; however, there are still benefits
in having a portfolio of quality companies with long
dividend paying histories. Quality advice, focused on
the management of risk utilizing quality investment
strategies, is a sound alternative when navigating the
future. Americans are searching for leadership both on
national and local levels.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 47