Round-up, 11.06.09
Tags: CRA / Charter Review / Jamie Page / Jeff DeWeese / Kevin White / Marie Young / Mark O'Brien / PNJ / Pensacola City Council
A few items we wanted to highlight today:
Charter debate now online. The charter debate which aired earlier this week is now available online at the Within Reason website. Also, see the commentary on the debate from the News Journal‘s Mark O’Brien.
New Market Tax Credit recap. The News Journal‘s Jamie Page recaps last night’s special Council/CRA meeting. The Council, acting as the CRA, voted to commit $5.4 million in CRA funds to pursue New Market Tax Credits, which are expected to create a $2.5 million return on investment, which would go toward construction of the Maritime Museum portion of the Community Maritime Park project.
No Boss Mayor meeting. Pro-charter advocate Jeff DeWeese attended last night’s meeting of the anti-charter group “No Boss Mayor” and forwarded us the following report:
Last night I attended The No Boss Mayor meeting at Bayview Senior Center. Attendance was 8. Not 80. 8. There were not hundreds of people clamoring against the new Charter. There wasn’t a large outpouring of public support signing on to help their cause. There was Mr. Fairchild, Don Caton, John Fleming, Byron Keesler, Mr. Cobb and three other citizens.
We had a nice discussion regarding the debate and other issues.
I am constantly amazed what a tiny group committed to stopping change worked for by literally hundreds if not thousands of people can do. There were over 13 times more people that testified or spoke at the CRC meetings than are now actively trying to stop the New Charter. For 21 months the CRC met, heard from experts, debated structure, deliberated and prepared a Charter. The City Council tweeked the Charter and sent it back for revision. The CRC made changes. Council debated language for the ballot and discussed the Flyer that was developed for citizens in depth. Council spent $40,000 in printing and postage to inform the Citizens about the New Charter. Hours of review and $100,000 of professionals helping the CRC deliver as Ms. Crotty stated “one of the most thorough documents she had ever seen.”
But 8 disgruntled committed citizens, with 2 of the 8 living outside of the City limits are attempting to squash what would be one of the biggest game changers for our city in the last 100 years.
No Boss Mayor PAC is 8 citizens sitting in a circle in a City Recreation Center plotting half truths to scare the Citizens from demanding accountability and a better Pensacola.
County District 3 town hall. District 3 County Commissioner Marie Young will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, November 10, at 5:30 PM. The meeting will be held at Englewood Baptist Church, 1100 West Scott Street.
County District 5 town hall. District 5 County Commissioner Kevin White will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, November 17, at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be held at the Walnut Hill Community Center and Ruritan Club, 7850 State Road 97 North.
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And yet after all those many long hours the CRC was unable to find the time in their busy schedule to actually write out their required Final Report. Someone should go back and point out that little deficiency to Ms. Crotty who joined the process at the tail end and assured us all that either form of government could work just fine.
If it’s true that we have no leadership or vision on the council, as we’ve heard repeatedly from the so-called “experts” like Crystal Spencer’s husband, her law partner, their business partner, Jane Birdwell, etc. I hope those now on the council who embrace the “Believe in Pensacola” cause will make way for better people who do have vision and real leadership experience. We really don’t need more people like Sam Hall who says idiotic stuff like, “I’m going to start showing leadership by going along with the others.”
By the way, perhaps ProgressivePenasacola.com should point out the identities of the non-city residents engaged or featured on both sides of the debate. One non-city resident on the Believe in Pensacola literature even wrote a Viewpoint for the PNJ in which he said he wanted a Strong Mayor like they have in Greenville, not even knowing Greenville has our own form of government.