Archive for the ‘Mark O’Brien’ Category
Here are a few things we missed while offline:
Promise presentation video. Rick’s Blog has the video from Monday’s presentation of the Pensacola Promise proposal to the City Council.
“How to kill an idea.” Rick Outzen criticises Pensacola City Council members for “destroying innovative ideas.” According to Mr. Outzen, “Instead of figuring out how to make the Pensacola Promise proposal better and make it work, they shred it apart.”
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items we wanted to highlight today:
No charges over Consolidation Commission emails. NorthEscambia.com reports that the State Attorney’s office has completed a probe into emails between members of the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission, which Progressive Pensacola brought to light. The emails contained potential Sunshine violations, but the State Attorney’s office has opted not to prosecute. Big surprise there!
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items we wanted to highlight today:
Rick’s Blog five years old. Congratulations to Rick Outzen and his eponymous blog, which turned five years old last month. Rick’s Blog is the deservedly the area’s most widely-read online alternative media outlet. We may not always agree, but Mr. Outzen and company deserve credit for raising important issues and providing another valuable voice in a community which isn’t always adequately served by the institutional media.
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items we wanted to highlight today:
FOP president on police budget cuts. Sunday’s Pensacola News Journal featured a viewpoint from Robert Bell, president of the local lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, the union which represents most Pensacola Police officers. The piece argues that cuts to the police budget have affected and will continue to affect public safety, and explains the union’s recent demonstration at the opening of newly-constructed clay tennis courts at the Roger Scott…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items we wanted to highlight today:
Page lists potential mayoral candidates. Jamie Page of the Pensacola News Journal lists the names he’s heard mentioned as possible mayoral candidates. No surprises except for Kenneth E. Lamb, the owner of CyberSmart Computers and WEBY radio personality, who at least as of 2008 did not live within the City limits.
O’Brien analyses McLaughlin firing. The PNJ’s Mark O’Brien analyses yesterday’s decision…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items we wanted to highlight today:
Rep. Miller calls healthcare bill “terrible legislation.” Congressman Jeff Miller of Florida’s first Congressional district, which includes Pensacola, wrote in his periodic newsletter that he “voted against the terrible piece of legislation [HR 3962] and will continue to fight against a massive government takeover of our health care system.” No surprise here from Jeff Miller, who could care less that polls show a majority of Americans…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items we wanted to highlight today:
There’s a storm a-comin! Hurricane Ida is hanging out around the Yucatan Peninsula right now and is set to head north over the next few days. Current projections show Ida strengthening to a Level 2 storm before dropping back down to a Level 1 and making landfall in south Baldwin County sometime Tuesday.
More PNJ charter coverage…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
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…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I wanted to highlight today:
Airport coverage. The Sunday News Journal has two stories concerning the City-owned Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport. The first deals with the push to bring Southwest Airlines to Pensacola; the second is a profile of the airport and its expansion efforts under the leadership of interim director Melinda Crawford. Those who want to help out with the efforts to bring Southwest to Pensacola can check out the Chamber of Commerce’s web site or join the cause on Facebook…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I wanted to highlight today:
Page on Hancock Bank zoning. PNJ reporter Jamie Page covers the Hancock Bank zoning request on his blog. Hancock Bank is requesting a zoning change from ATZ-1 to ATZ-2 to allow for retail and service commercial uses on the remainder of its property at 4980 North 12th Avenue (12th and Summit Boulevard). The Planning Board (on which Progressive Pensacola publisher Derek Cosson serves) denied the request by a 4-2 vote earlier this month…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I wanted to highlight today:
On attracting Southwest Airlines. PNJ business reporter Carlton Proctor says “the game is on” regarding the Airport’s campaign to attract Southwest Airlines. As we’ve said, Southwest would be a colossal win for Pensacola and the Airport, and would likely secure the Airport’s place as the dominant regional airport for some time to come.
O’Brien covers Council’s caving on tree ordinance. PNJ columnist Mark O’Brien lets Council members…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I wanted to highlight today:
US Airways expanding service at Airport. US Airways has announced that beginning in 2010, it will add- nonstop service between PNS (Pensacola) and DCA (Washington—Reagan National).
De Luna monument dedicated. The Spanish conquistador monument was unveiled and dedicated at a ceremony held last night in Plaza de Luna. With the dedication of the monument, the Plaza de Luna project is essentially complete…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I wanted to highlight today:
County Attorney proposes technology rules. County Attorney Allison Rogers has proposed that the County Commission adopt a policy banning the use of cellphones, Blackberries, PDAs, or laptops by commissioners during meetings. The policy would also prohibit commissioners from blogging or using social networking sites like Facebook in relation to County business. Jamie Page of the News Journal is reporting that Commissioners Wilson Robertson, Marie Young, and Kevin White have already…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I wanted to highlight today:
More on the North Hill vs. AT&T showdown. Rick’s Blog reprints a letter from Scott Davis of the North Hill Preservation Association to Council and City staff. The letter is a well-reasoned, legally-grounded argument for oversight of AT&T utility installations in public rights-of-way.
More on the Plaza Ferdinand VII situation. Our friends at the ultra-conservative loopty blog The Lunch Counter encourage citizens to show up…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I wanted to highlight today:
Sam Hall responds to Mark O’Brien’s charter criticisms. Pensacola City Councilman Sam Hall has posted a line-by-line response to PNJ columnist Mark O’Brien’s recent criticisms of the City’s proposed charter revisions. Councilman Hall reiterates some of his own criticisms, saying that the charter has “serious flaws,” but counters some of Mr. O’Brien’s complaints.
Mark O’Brien doesn’t like residency requirements…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I wanted to highlight today:
Mark O’Brien says charter has “serious flaws.” In a post on his PNJ blog, Mark O’Brien says that in his opinion, the Charter Review Commission’s proposed charter has “serious flaws,” taking issue with the strong mayor structure, the elimination of at-large Council seats, and the potential for more expensive election campaigns.
Mr. O’Brien raises some valid concerns. Look for our comprehensive commentary later this week…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I wanted to highlight today:
Rick’s Blog:
“Gulf Breeze mayor dies”
Rick’s Blog:
“County may drop longevity pay”
Jamie Page’s Notebook:
“Final regulatory approval for Maritime Park”
Mark O’Brien’s O’pinions:
“Federal job-seekers”
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Pensacola News Journal columnist has been writing about the City’s pension issues this weekend, first with a post on his PNJ blog, and then with a column in today’s paper.
The blog post raises some of the same points we’ve raised here at Progressive Pensacola, such as the high health insurance costs:
“People may be aghast at the pensions received by some City of Pensacola workers, but it’s not Easy Street for many of them. City retirees pay a whopping $14,000 a year for a family health insurance plan, sure to gobble up most of the $18,000 pension…”
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Mark O’Brien: “The judge is out of order on CMPA”
The News Journal columnist calls out CMPA chair Lacey Collier in a big way…
Larry B. Johnson:
“Bayou Boulevard resurfacing moved up”
Looks like freshman Councilman Larry B. Johnson is making things happen. Irritated about the condition of Bayou Boulevard from 12th Avenue to Firestone Boulevard, Councilman Johnson repeatedly pressed the issue…
Rick’s Blog: “We are a broken city”
Rick Outzen reprints a letter sent from Pensacola architect Brian Spencer…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
The hot story of the day is the picketing of the Saenger Theatre renovation by local unionised painters upset that the painting work is being subcontracted to painters from Michigan when local out-of-work painters could do the work — and do it for less.
The bottom line, though, is that when the City spends the kind of money that we have on the Saenger project, that needs to go as far as possible to stimulate our local economy. That means that when we’re bidding out contracts, and one company is a little more than the other but pledges to use local labour and services, we need to choose them…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Slow news day. A few things I want to highlight:
Sarasota Herald-Tribune:
“Question: ‘Morning Joe’ or Sen. Joe?”
Rick’s Blog:
“Who will greet the King and Queen?”
Mark O’Brien:
“Blogs offer Pensacola new views”
Krispy Kreme in danger?
Celebrate Pensacola lectures
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A couple items in the PNJ today that I wanted to highlight:
Mark O’Brien:
“Sure bet: No one will like park’s full contract”
Mr. O’Brien recaps the negotiations…
Editorial:
“Opportunity knocks on consolidation”
Another uninformed pro-consolidation editorial from the PNJ. The author(s) simply aren’t familiar with the issues, the nit-and-grit involved…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
I haven’t gotten to this, but at the City Council meeting a week ago, there was a spirited (and amusing) debate about the placement of an ice production and vending machine in the East Pensacola Heights neighbourhood.
PNJ columnist Mark O’Brien and City Planning Board member Clay Roesch have done a good job of rounding it up, though.
Mr. Roesch outlines the situation:
“At last week’s Pensacola City Council meeting, Jack Nobles moved to put an action agenda item at the end of the meeting during open forum as requested by the final speaker…”
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few things I want to highlight today:
Mark O’Brien:
“Important post, few nominees”
Mr. O’Brien brings up the very important topic of filling outgoing Mayor John Fogg’s seat on the CMPA board, which I’ve totally dropped the ball on:
“A key appointment is coming open, yet only three people were nominated for the position before Thursday’s deadline. It’s a spot as one of four Pensacola City Council representatives on the Community Maritime Park Associates…
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items from area newsmedia I want to highlight today:
Rick Outzen: “Photos of Morgan’s swearing in ceremony”
Rick features some good shots from new Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan’s swearing-in ceremony yesterday morning.
Jamie Page: “Movement for Change will speak out on Port lease”
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few items I want to highlight today:
Pensacola News Journal:
“Public defender cleans house”
Public Defender James Owens, who took office this morning, has fired thirteen employees from the office’s Pensacola division.
“I was told when I became public defender, don’t make any waves, don’t let anyone go, keep the status quo and you won’t have an opponent in four years. My plan is with my platform. We’ve got to restructure our office,” said Owens.
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
A few miscellaneous things I want to highlight today: Mark O’Brien: “Bar patrol, no daring, a safe bet” The PNJ‘s Mark O’Brien offers up some O’pinions, at least one of which is right on the money: Decades ago, leaders nixed plans to extend North Ninth Avenue through vacant land to Interstate 10. Now, homes cover [...]
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Mark O’Brien has two noteworthy pieces in today’s PNJ. The first is a puff piece about all the good things that outgoing Citu Council members have done; in the second, he offers his thoughts on a variety of local government issues in his traditional “O’pinions” style. He makes a comment in the second piece that [...]
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Update: O’Brien has rewritten his piece with Councilman Hall’s side of the story; he’s now calling it “Tale of two smells.” PNJ columnist Mark O’Brien roasted Pensacola City Councilman Sam Hall in a piece today in response to Hall’s early exit from last Thursday night’s Council meeting. The story is peppered with quality quotes from Mike [...]
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Check out these two items from area bloggers: Rick Outzen: “Severe buy-out clause in port lease” Rick highlights important changes in the proposed amendment of Pate Cold Storage’s lease at the Port. The amendment would extend the lease through 2022 — which isn’t that big a deal, because other leases extend that far anyway — [...]
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Mark O’Brien has a post up lambasting Pensacola City Councilman Sam Hall, both for his call for resignations or firings Wednesday of those responsible for the Airport appraisal error and for Hall’s rebuke of Airport Director Miller last night at Council. The appraisal error, according to Mr. Miller, was due to the fact that the [...]
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Mark O’Brien has a good column in the PNJ today. He explains why attracting a cruise ship just isn’t going to happen, and expresses his uncertainty about the feasibility of unification, both of which Progressive Pensacola has already done.
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
If the whole big world of blogs is the blogosphere, what does that make the much, much smaller world of Pensacola blogs? The blogohood? Anyway, I wanted to highlight some notable items from our neighbours: Mark O’Brien: “That ship has sailed” Presumably talking about goofball City Council candidate Peter Saccomanno, Mark makes the same good [...]
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
When Wyon Dale Childers, one of Pensacola’s most successful political sons, was convicted in 2003 of bribery and unlawful compensation, the State of Florida stripped him of his state pension. Childers appealed the decision, arguing that he should still be paid the portion of his pension he accrued before his “service” on the Escambia County [...]
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
The PNJ‘s Mark O’Brien is on a roll lately with his weird attack blogs. Forget O’Brien’s party affiliation — he’s apparently just pro-incumbent, as in the past few weeks he’s written pieces maligning challengers to City incumbents Mike Wiggins, Jewel Cannada-Wynn, and Marty Donovan. And then, sometimes, the wit that makes O’Brien occasionally entertaining to [...]
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Last night, five of seven candidates for District 3 County Commissioner appeared on BLAB-TV for a debate. Present were Democrats Marie Young (the incumbent), Gerald McKenzie, Clinton Powell, and Russ Swinney, and Republican Jacob Pawelski. Democrat Judy Cook and NPA Dooley Johnson were absent. I missed it, unfortunately, but the PNJ’s Mark O’Brien has a [...]
Continue Reading...
Next post
Previous post
Subscribe to our feed
Get updates via email
Follow us on Twitter