Throughout the Gulf Coast, a common refrain echoes about the area's political clout in Tallahassee: What clout? From the lack of road-building funds - probably the single largest issue - to lesser state-funded needs and desires, the Gulf Coast gets to feeling quite orphaned in Tallahassee.But the Tampa Bay area is trying to do something about it.Spearheaded by the Tampa Bay Partnership, it has created the Bay Area Legislative Delegation (or BALD) to act as a more cohesive unit to muscle its way to the table that has long been dominated by Southeast Florida.
