Comments on: Charter vote: Precinct-level analysis http://progressivepensacola.com/2009/11/25/5188/ The voice of progress in the City of Pensacola Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:06:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Mike http://progressivepensacola.com/2009/11/25/5188/comment-page-1/#comment-5066 Mike Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:13:18 +0000 http://progressivepensacola.com/?p=5188#comment-5066 Congratulations and looking forward to a better Pensacola. It appears our biggest problem in our community is apathy. Roughly 13,000.00 citizens out of 53,000.00 made the decision to change our form of government. Most folks simply didn't care enough to complete a ballot and drop in the mail postage paid. Content or indifferent? Regardless, there are clearly many people who do care and will continue to work hard for what they believe is best for Pensacola, hopefully together. Congratulations and looking forward to a better Pensacola.

It appears our biggest problem in our community is apathy.

Roughly 13,000.00 citizens out of 53,000.00 made the decision to change our form of government.

Most folks simply didn’t care enough to complete a ballot and drop in the mail postage paid. Content or indifferent?

Regardless, there are clearly many people who do care and will continue to work hard for what they believe is best for Pensacola,

hopefully together.

]]> By: C.J. Lewis http://progressivepensacola.com/2009/11/25/5188/comment-page-1/#comment-5065 C.J. Lewis Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:57:41 +0000 http://progressivepensacola.com/?p=5188#comment-5065 In response to Sam Horton's "equity" concerns, the consolidation commission's proposed new city charter will incorporate language to be proposed by Gerald McKenzie within the scope of duties for a new Independent Budget Analyst. This office will be like a mini-Congressional Budget Office, providing the council with an independent assessment of the mayor's proposals by someone reporting directly to them. The idea for the office was a good recommendation by Janet Lander, made stronger by McKenzie's proposal. African-American concerns would likely be minimized by elimination of "at-large" council members. I think that was much more of a concern among African-Americans in this recent vote than any concerns about a Strong Mayor. When the consolidation commission had a straw vote on it a few meetings ago only two wanted at-large members. Adding them would likely bump the size of the council from 11 to 13. Oddly, Lumon's brother LuTimothy May was one of the two. He argued that county-wide at-large council members would need to court the African-American vote. In truth, it'll be 20 percent and at-large members could and might probably ignore it. We'll all know the recommendation after the consolidation commission's next meeting on December 8 at 5:30 pm in the J.E. Hall Center. However, if African-Americans don't vote in numbers their political influence will remain muted. In the end, the only "votes" that really count are the ones actually cast. As Charlie Fairchild found to his dismay, people can honk their horns at sign waivers all day long as they drive past but if they don't care enough to take five minutes to vote (63%) their voices aren't really heard in city hall. In response to Sam Horton’s “equity” concerns, the consolidation commission’s proposed new city charter will incorporate language to be proposed by Gerald McKenzie within the scope of duties for a new Independent Budget Analyst. This office will be like a mini-Congressional Budget Office, providing the council with an independent assessment of the mayor’s proposals by someone reporting directly to them. The idea for the office was a good recommendation by Janet Lander, made stronger by McKenzie’s proposal. African-American concerns would likely be minimized by elimination of “at-large” council members. I think that was much more of a concern among African-Americans in this recent vote than any concerns about a Strong Mayor. When the consolidation commission had a straw vote on it a few meetings ago only two wanted at-large members. Adding them would likely bump the size of the council from 11 to 13. Oddly, Lumon’s brother LuTimothy May was one of the two. He argued that county-wide at-large council members would need to court the African-American vote. In truth, it’ll be 20 percent and at-large members could and might probably ignore it. We’ll all know the recommendation after the consolidation commission’s next meeting on December 8 at 5:30 pm in the J.E. Hall Center. However, if African-Americans don’t vote in numbers their political influence will remain muted. In the end, the only “votes” that really count are the ones actually cast. As Charlie Fairchild found to his dismay, people can honk their horns at sign waivers all day long as they drive past but if they don’t care enough to take five minutes to vote (63%) their voices aren’t really heard in city hall.

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