Pensacola’s Promise plan to be unveiled today
The long-awaited Pensacola’s Promise plan is set to be unveiled at City Council committee meetings this afternoon. The Promise plan, modelled after similar programs in Kalamazoo, Michigan and elsewhere, would provide a framework for providing all high school graduates residing within the City limits with a college education.
The concept, brought forward by Councilwoman Maren DeWeese, has been studied and developed over a three-month period by a committee of education professionals and community leaders. Today’s presentation feature’s the committee’s proposed structure for the program.
The committee meetings start at 1:30 PM in the Hagler/Mason Conference Room, second floor, City Hall.
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How is this being funded?
Again I have two words — Bright Futures!!!
As long as Moren and company are doing nothing to bring real jobs to our area and fighting as hard as they can to blow every penny we have on a baseball stadium we can educate every child giving them PHDs and it will not change the prospect for jobs because we want to kill the industrial potential of our area.
Starting with the port, everytime a big contract comes that way, the foo foos who don’t want to see a truck, don’t want to see dust, etc cry to the council. Then they deny the contract. We should be marketing the heck out of the fact we are the best deep water port on the gulf. It is less expensive to ship out of here than competitor areas.
It just seems that this council is so focused on resteraunts and bars. They measure economic success by selling booze on Palafox or peanuts at a baseball stadium. We are the only area where we have politicians showing up at a poker room bragging about job creation.
Moren, aside from the fact that you have voted to increase the amount we are spending on the park. That you have voted to put the tax payers and not just the CRA on the hook for the loan. That you have supported plenty of cuts realizing the budget is tight — what makes you think that we can afford this entitlement.
It stinks of big government.
By the way Moren … it is a nice gesture by the way and rooted in good intentions. But unfortunately the road to H3LL is paved by them.
How it is being funded will be revealed this afternoon. Needless to say NO General fund tax dollars are used to fund the program.
Mark, dude you crack me up. Everything is about the park.
a) Bright futures is only 65% and must have a 3.o GPA. The PP plan provides for George Stone tuition for welding, carpentry, etc. and AS degrees at PJC for cops and nurses.
You say industrial jobs…the only way we acquire those skills is a plan like this.
Jeff, let me tell you another story about a project that was not to use general fund dollars….
Ask your wife how that was changed from the CRA to the City Tax Payers.
Please do not lecture me how City Projects don’t end up costing us.
But I will wait and see.
I am all for education and not against this, but I have to agree with Mr. Clabough. To be effective, this really needs to be a part of a much larger economic development strategy. Otherwise we are simply going to educate them, only to see them head to Mobile or Walton Counties (at a minimum) to put their skills to use.
The fact that our entire ED strategy currently rests on the legs of a baseball field and a parking lot means that any advanced education strategy is simply a mechanism to support growth elsewhere.
This is like funding vouchers for people which can only be used elsewhere!
Educated is better then uneducated, but the optimum strategy is to provide education that supports local business, trade, industry – all of which we desperately need – vice ballfields!
Why is funding a secret until this afternoon? The committee memo states that the City’s contribution will be $250,000 this year & $400,000 in each year after. Where in the heck is that money supposed to come from?
Jeff,
IN retrospsct, I did mention the park. However, the lion share of my comment had nothing to do with it. However, it did have to do with the fact that it is easier to open a bar in Pensacola than to bring real prospering business and jobs. That you cannot deny. In fact, the Port of Pensacola for which you and I do agree could be viable if they quit strangling it to death.
With that being said, we cannot continue to drive Pensacola into a service economy made up of bartenders, cooks, ticket takers, peanut sales people and waiters if we want to thrive. We cannot continue to strap our economy with pie in the sky schemes such as the baseball stadium if we want to move forward.
The debt service on that stadium alone will be nearly $7,000.00 per day! THat is PER DAY Jeff. Think about it. Nearly 109 million dollars in 30 years. This is money sapped from the CRA which was to be used to improve the city and we blew our wad like a sailor on his first liberty since boot camp! That is insane. And for what, a stadium and 320 parking spaces.
I am the first to stand up and say, Education is important. However, we have mechanisms in place for education. You state, with bright futures you need a certain GPA. That is by design .. do you think failing students will make it through UWF and PJC. Even PJC has an admission standard.
So we send them to a trade school, that is fine too — how many people does Gulf Power need? We currently have trades people out of work all over Escambia County, how many electritions do we need? Body repairmen? Mechanics? Linemen? With that being said are we to train these kids in these fields for no prospect of a job. Someone has to pay them.
The sad fact is, as long as we think in terms of success by the number of bars on Palafox street no one will be able to afford to hire anyone. A service economy is not sustainable, plain and simple. Are you aware if you take away government and healthcare in Pensacola that the lion share of our citizens would be unemployed? That is insane. We are one BRAC from a disaster here and we are still focused on selling peanuts.
I know that you are smart enough and that your background allows you know these things. That in your gut you must know that a huge change must take place. We need to get into the game, bring in big industry and embrace its potential.
I’m with Mark. It’s been proven time and again that we can’t trust local government to do what they say.
Also another 3 words Prepaid college fund
Start when the child is born very affordable.
I beleive the Michigan plan was funded with private dollars. I suggest a visit with Mr. Malcom Thomas to donate proceeds from the empty buildings he has collected and continues to watch deteriorate.
The PNJ states $250,000 from the city the first year. Where’s that cash coming from?
The funding for Pensacola Promise is coming from two sources.
1.) 50% will be derived from the leases on all of the commercial development at the Community Maritime Park.
2.) 50% will be derived from the profits of the Pensacola Pelicans that Quint Studer is going to donate to the city.
3.) If the above two sources somehow don’t work out, then, and ONLY then, the General Funds will be tapped to make sure that the DeWeese children receive a free college education.
4.) If enough money cannot be squeezed out of the General Fund by reducing fire, police, park, and library services, then, and ONLY then, the city will increase taxes and/or fees to meet the needs of Pensacola Promise.
This at the same time the city wants to increase stormwater taxes and Ms. DeWeese wants to find money for staff pay raises.
What new franchise fee, utility tax or fire assessment will they stick city residents with next.
exactly XO. Instead of Studer donating any profits to charity, he can donate ALL the profits to the Pensacola Promise. Appropriate considering the promise to Pensacola about the park was broken.
Also agreement states must be a resident of Pensacola for 4 whole years, or more to receive. What a joke.
The entire CMP is nothing but a gaint Ponzi scheme, built on a foundation of mud, with this the latest PR scheme to get the support of the working class. Per XO above, Studer offers up the profits for education, if there are any, to make the park more politically palatable. We have been at this for 4 years and the only commercial development is Studer, so that amounts to nothing.
By every reasonable standard, there will no profits from the Pelicans, particularly in light of a $7K per day debt service, so the taxpayers will pick up the tab – what a guy! If Studer is such a great guy then why is the last resort funding source for the CMP always the taxpayers pockets? He has limited liability and we have total liability – forever!
This is deception 101 with every ounce of risk being borne by the taxpayers.
Hey Bill Sealy (xo) how ya doin buddy? Condo market improving?
Let me take these in order.
Mark – Offshore inland is having to bus welders and pipefitters over from mobile do to lack of experienced folks. promise addresses this. It gives kids a path to a trade not just a phd. I thought you may think it was a good idea. Promise delivers more skilled laborers than bachelors degrees. Money stays here. George Stone, UWF and PJC. Want to go to Uof F or Alabama…thats on mama and daddy not us. This is for commuters.
nancy, I understand. the DeWeese kids are on prepaid college 2 at PJC and 2 at Any state school. But many in the city limits cant even do that when they live below the poverty line. Did you know florida projects needed prison cells, 10 years out based on 2nd grade reading scores…swear to god! Many say we will pay and they will leave. If the alternative is stay and clog up the jails and courts, its cheaper to train them and let them go. What is being presented today is the worst case at $400,000 actual cost is much less.
Xo – well…hmmmm…you are a grumpy cactus arent ya!
Mike – staff raises is over… gotta let it go and move on. I think if the citizens knew how short staffed the fire department is there would be pitchforks at city hall. The financing sources for promise at best case cost the city NOTHING and worst case is funded through the already in place budget. Cranky mean folks who hate kids wont have to pay a dime
Mike if you dont live here 4 years you dont deserve the benefits of the plan as you havent been here long enough to earn them. Im sure Quint will contribute. He thinks its a great plan!
Sending them somewhere else so we don’t have to pay their prison bill. That is our strategy? You have got to be kidding!
“Cranky mean folks who hate kids wont have to pay a dime” Yes, that is all this is, it is purely cranky, mean folks who hate kids.
The fact that we are working our tails off to keep a roof over our heads at the moment, has absolutely nothing to do with it – absolutely nothing!
Also, if you have to have a 3.0 GPA then how are we going to lessen the prison population? So, you are implying that they cannot read but have a greater than 3.0 GPA?
Quick, somebody his shovel away!
You dont have to have a 3.0. Every kid can get a trade or learn something more. For every year of post secondary education a kid gets with lifetime annual earnings goes up 25%
Xochitl, you are joking right? I am wondering if you cannot be serious that the CMP is actually being looked at as a “FUNDING” source for anything.
The Council has no idea whether the park will be economically viable, therefore if it could contribute to any cause. The city has never gotten the required “Ecomomic Viability Study of the Park’s Projected Uses” which was supposed to be a “Condition Precedent” to executing teh Master Lease Agreement with the CMPA now in effect. This is directly from a request that CJ Lewis made to the council to produce this document. At this time, they have not and cannot because this document does not exist.
In fact, CJ further noted that Al Coby acknowledged the Council voted it’s own study requirement complete in May relying upon the wrong study offered as proof by Chariman Collier. With that being said, no one knows if the park will be viable much less pay for anything or itself for that matter. Taking this a step further, I would contend that the Council has been reckless with our tax dollars and handling of the people’s business so far.
Therefore, it is unfortunate that given their performance so far how on earth can we trust that this would be executed as designed. How do we know that 3 years into it, the program is facing a lack of funds and we are not hearing “Oh, we can’t just throw them out of school. We have a commitment”. Then we lay off 10% of our police force protecting us to fulfill this entitlement.
I would also contend that entitlements are exactly what is dragging down the US today. Entitelments and Debt is such a large percentage of our overall tax burdon that the average citizen would be amazed. In fact, given our deficit at this time our entire tax revenue to the US Government cannot pay for entitlements and interest.
Moren, we need to scale down government. PERIOD. The city needs to protect its citizens from criminals and fires, clean up (Garbage), etc and if possible attract jobs. Real jobs and not bartending. We need to make our port look attractive to industry and shipping businesses. Fix our streets and clear the path for private development to do what it does best.
I cannot apologize for my opinion on Government, however, when my wife and I pay more in property and federal taxes than I care to mention. It is insane … In fact, I could buy a new tournament bass boat every year with it. So, I have to ask, what is the Government doing for me beside blowing my money.
“Hey everybody, now that we have come up with an absolutely terrible idea for a local development project that has no sound basis in economics, let’s do everything in our power to keep it alive by promising of all sorts of good things for the people of Pensacola, based upon all the money it is going to generate.
Never mind that the CMP economics are totally unsound, and that all these good things will in all likelihood be paid for by the people we are promising them to!”
So, if you are retired and worked your whole life to put your kids thru college, you now get to use whatever you managed to save for yourself, to send other people’s kids to college!
You have got to be kidding!
Studer, the mayor and council need to give up on this bad idea of a park. This latest political spin is going to do nothing but dig you in deeper! The citizens are not dumb!
What does any of this park talk have to do with Pensacola Promise???
You are going to send every eligible child in the city to college on $400K? If not, then what is the cost?
Less than $400,000 (its last dollar) After pell after bright futures after all other scholarships, promise fills the last dollar whole. Its more of a financial aid filing assistance program than funding program.
Chet would you voluntarily give $0.50 per month for every kid to have a future?
yes or no?
Pls explain how you are going to pay for every eligible child in the city to obtain a college degree in mine and others $.50?
80,000 gas customers at $0.50 per month is $480,000 per year.
Jeff, see Xochitl comment on funding. This is where all the comments came from. Tell me yes or no — Moren is not pinning her hopes on the profitability of the CMP is she?
That would be the ULTIMATE counting your chickens before they hatch scheme.
No. Funding comes from ESP
ESP has $1,639,000 in marketing dollars to market gas to citizens that must use their services. Their marketing departments goals are to attract industry to pensacola, to increase homes in the area and market the City. promise does all of these and therefors is within the scope of that department. additionally, we are proposing a voluntary monthly charge of $0.50 to $1 to fund the program like the presidential campaign dollar on the 1040. If you dont want to pay it deduct the $0.50 to $1 if you do then pay it.
If you dont like those ideas, there are five more ideas behind it that dont ask the Citizens for one extra dime.
Energy Services of Pensacola? Where do the profits from ESP go now? What are they dedicated to at this point?
Are you telling me now that my Gas prices will go up when funding comes up short?
IT seems to me that if ESP posts a profit, those funds are then put somewhere? For example, let’s say they are profitable to the tune of 100,000. That 100,000 is then given to the City and used for X. When that money is taken away then X still needs to be funded right?
So, in order to prevent a funding loss to what is currently being funded by ESP you have to increase profitability whereby your prices will increase. Is she proposing cost cutting measures to increase profitability?
WOW, I am trying to wrap my head around this because I am pretty sure that those funds are already paying for something in this city.
Also, if you fund an entitlement from ESP it seams that would be a fixed portion of their budget. Therefore, in lean times that obligation would still be there and more revenue would be required to make up the difference. IN this case, an increase in the cost of Natural Gas. Heating bills would go up in Pensacola strapping an already tax strapped community.
Am I missing something here.
Jeff, again given your level of education and background I am positive that you know this better than most and possibly myself. There is no such thing as free money. Only people in government use this term. Money comes into the city in the form of taxes and cost of services and it goes out. When costs rise as does the need for more revenue. It is a zero sum game.
Read the other posts No higher costs. ESP has a $60 million budget $400,000 is less than 1% and is not to exceed $400,000
Not to Exceed 400,000 — so what do you tell the children when you have reached that amount. Sorry we ran out of money to fund our promise?
Jeff, good idea actually but bad idea for Government. Entitlements are what’s killing the US. We cannot fund them now, we will not be able to fund them in the future. This is a dangerous road to trek down.
at $400,000 we have enough for the first 15 years at least
Jeff one more thought.
If I am not mistaken, when she was running for office she said she would not support borrowing a dime more than 40,000,000 for the CMP. Yet she did.
Now, we have her pet project, noble as it is, and we are to believe that it would never exceed 400,000 dollars. Are we correct in that.
Because some of the credibility factor was eroded there on that vote.
The City borrowed $38.5 million if you recall. Thats it.
If it borrowed more please send me the link to the new debt issue please.
Jeff, you ARE married to a Council member so I am pretty sure you heard something about how much was borrowed.
This is from the PNJ on April 4th
“In December, the City of Pensacola issued $45.4 million in bonds, and after paying all associated costs, it netted $40 million to spend on the public portion of the project.
Out of the $40 million, the Community Maritime Park Associates board has nearly $36.8 million remaining.”
The amount reported is 45.4 million dollars. That is 5.4 million greater than what was promised to the tax payers.
Here is what’s more amazing, with only 36.8 million dollars left you could reason that we have blown 8.6 MILLION dollars and what do we have to show? Let’s calculate the yearly interest on just the poofed money, 8.6 Million dollars say 5% conservatively … HEY THAT IS 430,000 PER YEAR. Tell Moren to knock off the stadium and she could pay it and more in just the interest payments.
The park process is a wreck, we are pinning our hopes on a developer to bring the additional 30 million in commercial development and they themselves are bankrupted and saddled with lawsuits.
Now we are to trust in an entitlement program of all things. Hey I am for an educated populace, but I am not willing to commit tax dollars. How many of the 80,000,000 custmers do you estimate will want to pay? What if 10%, 15% 20% of them pay … where will get get the funding then?
Call me what you like, but you can check my box NO right now. I do not want to start a flood of these things coming to my mailbox. I certainly do not want to encourage the next liberal politician to obligate more of my money in any way or fashion.
IF it makes you feel better, I do think it is a nice gesture and maybe someone is willing to check yes.
$38.5 million ????
I am looking at the City of Pensacola Debt Service Schedule March 31, 2010.
The line: 2009 REDEVELOPMENT REVENUE BONDS (CMP) — ADDITION OR (RETIREMENT) OF PRINCIPAL — shows an amount of $45,640,000.00
FUTURE INTEREST is $63,600,033.96
And you do what for a a living???
Jeff, That is right, I have seen the same document and loan was $46,640,000.00 with interest of $63,600,033.96 for a grand total of $109,240,033.96.
This is the end result of the last “Promise” politicians made to us. 109 MILLION dollars for a baseball park and 310 parking spaces. How do you justify that kind of expenditure for a town of a little over 50,000 people. Do you realize that this is about $2000.00 for every man woman and child living in the city now!
The other “Promise” made to us whas that this was to be billed to the CRA and not the tax payers. But, as you know for what ever excuses they gave they broke that promise too. What makes me more aggrivated is that the CRA cannot afford the debt service and they claimed other reasons. Just be honest!
Do you honestly think that the return on this will come anywhere close to this amount?
Jeff, I think that education is a great idea. I just do not want to go down the entitlement road. I do not want to start handing out entitlements and then finding creative funding which ends up driving up the costs of the services provided to us. This is a very slippery slope and a turning point.
I see the deal here, it is like those Cell Phone Scams, you are just billed for it monthly if you like it or not. It is YOUR responsibility to pay less than what you are billed for.
So you are telling me that when my bill for 50 dollars comes in, I can deduct 50 cents to a dollar from it and pay say 49.50 and it is my responsibility to remember that? Has it dawned on you that this would be a burdon born just by “Gas” customers. So, Pensacolians are not paying for it. Gas Customers are!!
That reminds me of my aunt who when I looked onto her phone bill and she had been paying 5 dollars a month for a princess phone since the 70s. She had not had the phone for 20 years, yet it was on her phone bill every month.
Then I have to wonder, what’s next. What is the next good idea coming down the pike to smack a group of pensacolians with yet another tax or a fee on another bill. We already have franchise fees, etc on our power, water, telephone and gas bills. It’s insane now.
This is the very reason you see the “Tea Partiers” rallying everywhere to Derek’s surprise. Derek, you want to know what they are mad about? This is what they are mad about.
mark, you would have to agree to it up front
My apoligies to you and your wife for the good work you are trying to do here. XO confused the heck out of me and others with the comment above. There is so much heat attached to the CMP that anything associated is likely to get flamed. XO’s comments linked the two together and I was seeing red! Thanks for setting us straight!
Did anyone bother to talk to the City Manager, finance director & ESP director about funding this from ESP revenue?
Doesn’t the ESP advertising revenue goes to the local favorite EW Bullock ? Can’t touch that.
He needs those advertising dollars to advertise the only gas company in town .
The council awarded the contract again to him even though he didn’t rank 1st. Another botched rfp.
Now the gas tax is proposed to pay for free educations, but
what was the gas tax supposed to pay for? bet it wasn’t a college fund.
That was a joke about the ballpark,. There will be no profits and no profits for charity either.
But Studer has another 30 years after we take 30 years to pay off the ballpark to make the money. He can pass this deal down for generations…..to Studers.
Will someone explain to me how a CPA whose wife is on the City Council, and whose boss is the “financial advisor” to the CMPA, could confuse a $45.4 million loan with a (much smaller) $38.5 million loan?
Please, just say ONE thing that is straight!
CMPA was to receive ONLY $40 million. Even Marty the Donovan knew you had to borrow $42.5 to net the $40 MILLION. CMPA at that point had already spent $1.5 million and $40 million minus $1.5 million is $38.5 million. Ta da!
Barker decided to borrow the interest over the contrunction period NOT the CMPA and NOT Quint Studer ya cactus!
CMPA did not receive any mre than the $40 million committed from the beginning.
He borrowed interest because????
To stretch out the payments this city can’t afford.
Why no college education for the families that struggle and make sacrifices to send their children to private school because of the value they place on learning ??
Jeff DeWeese
Apr 19, 2010, 13:49
Reply
at $400,000 we have enough for the first 15 years at least”
Pass on the investment source or the koolaid.
You are now claiming that only 400,000.00 will fund citywide college educations for 15 years? Just like the park promises to the citizens, right?
Jeff are you serious? Does your wife know that you posted this? The council ALL KNEW THEY WERE BORROWING MORE THAN PROMISED. I am sure you were there if not I am sure you talked about it.
Jeff, I have a lot of respect for you but with that one some credibility was lost there dude!! That is just plain SPIN
Jeff DeWeese said:
CMPA was to receive ONLY $40 million. Even Marty the Donovan knew you had to borrow $42.5 to net the $40 MILLION. CMPA at that point had already spent $1.5 million and $40 million minus $1.5 million is $38.5 million. Ta da!
Barker decided to borrow the interest over the contrunction period NOT the CMPA and NOT Quint Studer ya cactus!
CMPA did not receive any mre than the $40 million committed from the beginning.
What the heck kind of distortion of the facts is this??? And this guy is a CPA???
THE FACTS ARE:
The line: 2009 REDEVELOPMENT REVENUE BONDS (CMP) — ADDITION OR (RETIREMENT) OF PRINCIPAL — shows an amount of $45,640,000.00
GRAND TOTAL OF $109,240,033.96.
At least your tap dance is consistent with the Studer Team’s manipulation (the emails) and our brilliant council that has now got all City of Pensacola Tax Payers on the hook for $109,240,033.96.
FUTURE INTEREST is $63,600,033.96
Earlier I sent this to the entire City Council and Mayor. It is imperative that we protect the taxpayers of Pensacola and reject any and all entitlements which would burden budgets for years to come. Please look at the letter that I have sent and contact your Council Person and express your objection.
Council Members and Mayor,
In opening, I would like to thank you in advance for your time in reading my email. No disrespect to Maren DeWeese, Jeff DeWeese and others who worked hard on this. It is a philosophical issue, however good the intention is. Please allow me to start by saying that I fully support Education. In my own home, it’s God, Family, and Education in that order. I think that it is fair to say that everyone supports education and an educated workforce. I will not begin to go into the assumptions of whether it will work based on who will get funds, GPAs or what schools they will go to etc. In addition, students have tons of scholarship and grant choices out there. If a kid wants to further their education, there is a program somewhere that will do it.
However, the much larger issue is that we are embarking down a very dangerous and expensive road here. A road that is fraught with peril and financial woes. Every day we see the impact of this issue and in fact there are cities as well as the US Government which are on the brink of bankruptcy for this issue. Simply open a browser and you can find stories about San Francisco and other cities suffering under the weight of their mandated programs. Tracing back you will find entitlements and programs which sap their coffers dry.
The issue I speak of is —– E N T I T L E M E N T
Municipal funded Entitlements have killed cities. For example, we have a municipal funded retirement now which is funded through the very profits Pensacola Promise intends to take. Once you start down the entitlement road, it takes on a life of its own. It starts, we will fund it this way, then it changes. Then it grows. Then the next politician wants to have a pet project. Council, it is plain and simple, with regard to government funding it is a zero sum game. You have choices. If you add an ENTITLEMENT costing $400,000.00 per year you have to fund it somewhere. We all agree on this, it is obvious.
Here is the deal — Since Government is a zero sum game you either do one of 2 things.
1) Raise Taxes or fees — Voluntary or Involuntary
2) Cut funding for A, B and C to fund D (Rob Peter to Pay Paul Principle) I see the ESP funding as a problem since those profits are going somewhere to. Remember, zero sum. From what I understand they also fund our undercapitalized pension fund for which you must deal with soon or later. In addition, the profits pay for rebates for which my family and others have taken advantage of and helps the customers of ESP switch from Electric to Natural gas making it more profitable. In fact, it was THIS VERY MARKETING that alerted me about these programs in the first place. Therefore, I feel that it is effective and needed.
The biggest problem with entitlements, they grow out of control. Changed over the years, funding sources changed. What happens if the City sells ESP? DO you kill the funding and leave the students hanging? Can’t do that to the little whipper snappers so we have to fund it somewhere else. By then Councilwoman Maren DeWeese possibly would be just a plaque on the wall but we have to fix it or worse our children.
Our City Charter should have had added to it a BAN on Entitlements. The city has a duty to protect us, clean up, provide streets and infrastructure, manage development and possibly bring in new jobs.
The citizens of Pensacola and the City Council MUST resist entitlements at all costs. They are a dangerous slippery slope of NO RETURN and will end in a budgetary nightmare.