Last week, No Boss Mayor get attention for releasing its early campaign finance information, insisting that it believed that voters should know who is financing each campaign. We agree and have asked both sides to remain transparent. Believe in a Better Pensacola has done so. No Boss Mayor has been silent prompting us to make this official request of the political action committee:
Beth:
Since this report, No Boss Mayor has had several large campaign expenditures – a mailer to the voters and two automated phone calls, one from Jerry Maygarden and the second from P.C. Wu. These expenditures did not appear in the PAC’s Oct. 30, 2009 campaign finance report.
The Independent News agrees with the No Boss Mayor’s stance that: “It is often very instructional to see who is supporting or opposing an idea and how deep their pocketbook support runs.” We are therefore requesting the campaign contributions and expenditures of the No Boss Mayor Political Action Committee since the Oct. 30, 2009 campaign report. It is indeed instructional to see who is supporting or opposing an idea. Believe in a Better Pensacola has already released their information.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.
Rick Outzen, Publisher
Independent News
Original email from Beth Rawlins:
No Boss Mayor The No Boss Mayor Committee is releasing its financial information in advance of the ballots being mailed. (See Attached) The Committee has received contributions ranging from $25 to $3000 from 22 residents of Pensacola, raising just shy of $6,000. The No Boss Mayor Committee will formally file its report with the Supervisor of Elections Office on Tuesday Nov. 3rd and we call on the Believe in a Better Pensacola Committee to do the same. This week voters of Pensacola will be asked to determine the future direction of the city. Political financial reporting is generally required in advance of an election so that voters can use the information to help them make their decision. It is often very instructional to see who is supporting or opposing an idea and how deep their pocketbook support runs. This issue has two clear sides. We believe voters deserve the right to know who is behind each side before the ballots are in their hands. We have shown who is supporting our No Boss Mayor Campaign. Voters deserve to know who is financially supporting this proposed radical change to Pensacola’s form of government. ### Beth Rawlins
*Media Advisory*
*For Immediate Release *
*For Additional Information*
*Contact *TheChair@cox.net
Pd.Pol.Adv.Paid for by the No Boss Mayor Committee, PO Box 464, Pensacola, FL 32591.
(727) 797-9333
Popularity: 30% [?]
Fred:
Independence and a free press are what this country was founded on. The players have no impact on my position. My position was formed before there were any players. C.C. Elebash and I were on opposite sides on the CMP referendum. He and I agree on this one. I supported Jerry Maygarden’s Better Pensacola Forum surveys – that show is running on BLAB right now that shows us in agreement. He and I disagree on the charter issue. Our newspaper endorsed Paul Young’s campaign in 2006, and we are now on opposite sides. This paper endorsed Mike Wiggins for mayor. We also debated this issue on WUWF TV and the next day we had coffee together. There is nothing personal here. I and my paper have taken a position and we have done our best to explain it.
###
But rather than talk about the issue, you prefer to make it personal. I welcome any viewpoint from you “Fred” that will state what you believe in the current system works so well and why it shouldn’t change. I challenge you to do so without attacking anyone. I await your response.
In the interest of news and the debate about NBM vs. BP, when will the InFocus video of the Donovan/Wiggins debate be posted here?
Victor I think it’s become obvious this isn’t
independent news
If the players were different, this paper would be asking for the “review” of the current charter from the so called charter “review” commission
instead of cheering the creation of a new form of government they presented.
Victor:
Welcome to the world of ideas. Control is never the issue for me and for most publishers and opinion writers. When the deaths occurred in the county jail, I knew I had no control. I could only express my opinions and the facts and reasons to why I felt the situations were mishandled. The voters would have to decide if they supported those in charge. Eventually a new sheriff was elected and the Department of Justice came to investigate what happened. Control? That is never the issue. I’m more like a passenger trying to convince the other travelers that it may be time to get on another train.
Mr. Outzen:
You remind me of a Train Engineer, who has sole control of how fast or slow the train can go, but abosulty no say on where the train can go. Fore no matter how much he huffs or puffs he must stay on tracks someone else put down as he goes round and round.
Victor,
Our newspaper has taken stands since its inception in 1999. Good newspapesr do that and have done so since this nation was founded—-thanks to freedom of the press. Colonial newspapers took stands on independence. In the next century, they took stands on slavery, war and reconstruction. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was papers like the New York Times, Washington Post and the Delta Democrat Times that took stands against the Jim Crow Laws and discrimination. They didn’t write “objective” articles on “colored” bathrooms. No, they studied the issues and took stands. Newspaper publishers have gone “as far as I go” for over 200 hundred years.
####
My paper has studied the strong mayor issue for six years. I have personally interviewed some of the top mayors and former mayors across the South. Whether I live in Escambia County or not has no bearing on my research, reporting or my positions. The readers can decide if they agree or disagree. However, I do my best to present the facts and reasons for our positions so that the readers can make intelligent decisions.
####
Ms. Spencer didn’t need me to shore up a “weak” argument. I was there because I thought we were going to discuss the merits of two forms of governments. I think Mayor Wiggins tried to do that as did Ms. Spencer. John Fleming, the former City Attorney, did little more than attack Ms. Spencer and her motives. When any campaign for an issue or candidate focuses primarily on personal attacks and scaring the voters, I would be very wary of their positions….those who scream the loudest, usually are hiding something.
####
As far as my fellow investors/stockholders, they trust me to run a paper that is making a positive difference in the community. I have sole control over the editorial content.
Mr Outzen due to the fact that you do not live or vote in escambia county, I would respect you if you statements were fair and balanced. By our own statements and because you took part in a debate on the pro charter side you can by no objective measure be a news man. It seems to me that you believes that Crystal Spencer’s argument was so weak that you had to support her in the debate. I am sure you will spin my comment as an attack but what other news person would go as far as you have. I have to wonder as how bussiness that is supposed to represent all sided can be so one sided and still survive. What do your investors/stock holders think?
I agree too. Those making the decisions should live in the City of Pensacola, although you might want to make an exception on certain boards for business taxpayers. If you set up a task force on economic development, you might want a Gulf Power executive like Susan Story. I don’t like the City Manager not living in the city either.
Show me the candidate.
Another thing Maygarden mentioned in the debate with Elebash is that there is no provision for residency on city boards, so someone living in the Breeze may be making planning decisions for the area they don’t have to live in.
I agree with Maygarden… Those footing the bill should be making the decisions.
I would be surprised in the NO BOSS discloses their funding. They have hired a consultant, done expensive mailers and more. My quess is that if they did show the money trail, much of it will be coming from the City’s paid lobbyist and former department heads who are now living off of their very fat retirement. Finally, we would know the real reason the NO Boss group stoops to the lowest level of falsehoods and scare tactics . . .they do not want their gravy train to end.
I am voting my common sense and I am voting YES! I believe that Pensacola deserves better.
James:
I look forward to Ms. Rawlins reply. Nothing is clear until both sides tell us who is contributing. I am sure No Boss Mayor has nothing to hide and will be forthcoming with the information. As you say, they started the challenges so surely it shouldn’t be an issue.
That’s right! Vote for a change…no matter what! It’s always gotta be better… right? Please. Do not vote “Yes” if you do not read through the charter and get educated. I have, and I have decided that we are simply changing job titles around paying people differently. Just because the council has never removed a City Manager, doesn’t they may fail to in the future. So, instead, we wait possibly four years to possibly remove a “strong mayor” when one manager can be removed the next day if need be. How is that holding them more accountable? What rubbish.
To say “No” does not a naysayer make. Voting from your common sense makes you sensible.
I love how the anti-charter side has no constructive/truthful arguments against the new charter and try to defend an obviously broken system — one the Better Pensacola Forum survey (done ironically by Maygarden, btw) found more than 70% of residents feel government/leadership is headed in the WRONG direction. They prefer to attack personalities and hope people will vote against the new charter because they don’t like certain people supporting it. They are depending on fear mongering. What an admirable, smart and excellent political strategy. I will not be making my decision based on the campaign finances, I will be voting YES! based on common sense. Gee whiz!
You spoke to Mr. DeWeese & accepted his reason for not posting updates. At the same time, you post an article critical of Beth Rawlins for not updating the oppositions financing. Any chance she has similar legitimate reasons for not posting an update? I doubt the pro-side would have made their finances public if the con-side had not challenged them to do so. It’s clear where the money is.
[...] Open letter about No Boss Mayor finances. Rick Outzen, the publisher of the Independent News and Rick’s Blog, has sent an open letter to the No Boss Mayor group requesting their latest financial data: Since this report, No Boss Mayor has had several large campaign expenditures – a mailer to the voters and two automated phone calls, one from Jerry Maygarden and the second from P. C. Wu. These expenditures did not appear in the PAC’s Oct. 30, 2009 campaign finance report … We are therefore requesting the campaign contributions and expenditures of the No Boss Mayor Political Action Committee since the Oct. 30, 2009 campaign report. It is indeed instructional to see who is supporting or opposing an idea. [Pro-charter group] Believe in a Better Pensacola has already released their information. [...]
Political consultant in Clearwater. Paid 2000 by the Democratic Party, by Mike Trentalange when he ran for Pinellas Sheriff in 2004 and by Pinellas Cities for Home Rule PAC in 2006. I would assume Jerry Maygarden is familiar with her from his Tallahassee days.
Who is this Beth Rawlins with the 727 area code?
November 6 was Friday. Actually spoke with Mr. Deweese today. He has been out of town since Sunday and will back in town Wednesday evening. I expect another report Thursday or Friday.
So on Nov. 6th Rick posted about Jeff DeWeese, Better Pensacola treasurer, has pledged to release his daily deposits to their campaign account and any in-kind contributions.
So has there been any deposits or in-kind contributions since Nov. 5th?? Five days and nothing?
Poke-Poke