NOT SATIRE: Crist Ally Says Poor People “Don’t Deserve” to Live in St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Less than a week after Charlie Crist’s election as mayor of St. Petersburg, a prominent Florida political publisher with close ties to his campaign has drawn attention for comments suggesting that lower-income residents have no place in the city.

Peter Schorsch, publisher of Florida Politics and husband of Crist campaign manager Michelle Todd Schorsch, made the remarks Sunday in a Facebook discussion beneath a Tampa Bay Business Journal article titled “Developers embrace Crist victory as chance to reset stalled projects.”

The article examined the development community’s reaction to Crist’s election, including interest in the incoming administration’s plans for Tropicana Field and other development priorities.

Responding to a comment by St. Petersburg resident Mandy Minor, who criticized developers, Schorsch wrote:

“Why don’t you f*cking move if you hate progress so much, because it’s coming. The whole South side will be redeveloped. Affordable housing = Manatee County. Poor people don’t deserve to live on a peninsula on a peninsula. Deal with it!”

The exchange was documented in screenshots captured by St. Pete Razing.

When contacted for comment, Minor questioned how a city populated exclusively by wealthy residents would function.

“Who’s going to do all the rich-os grunt work if only rich people live here?” Minor asked, describing Schorsch’s remarks as “myopic and short-sighted, not to mention just plain mean.”

Schorsch’s comments are particularly notable given his family’s involvement in Crist’s successful mayoral campaign. His wife, Michelle Todd Schorsch, served as Crist’s campaign manager and chaired St. Pete Shines, the political committee supporting Crist, while Schorsch himself has publicly discussed his support for Crist’s candidacy.

Although Schorsch’s remarks do not establish the position or policies of Mayor-elect Crist, his close ties to the campaign raise questions about the views on redevelopment and affordable housing held by those within Crist’s political circle.

We reached out to Schorsch for clarification, but have not received a response as of publication.

Editor’s note: This article is a factual news report, not satire. The quotations attributed to Peter Schorsch were documented in screenshots of a public Facebook discussion. Profanity has been partially censored.