In a big blow to the No Boss Mayor effort, the Pensacola City Council’s most independent member, Diane Mack, has announced that she is supporting the new charter proposal. She says that while both sides of the charter issue had “engaged in a fairly equal share of exaggeration in their arguments, ” she accuses the anti-charter side, No Boss Mayor, of outright dishonesty.
They are purposely misrepresenting the ability of the elected Mayor, who would be an executive in the new government and have no vote, to communicate one-one-one with Council members. They call it “skirting the Sunshine Law” and “outside the Sunshine Law.”
That is NOT skirting the Sunshine Law; that is NOT outside the Sunshine Law. That IS the Sunshine Law.
I am disappointed in the prominent members of the community who have allowed their names to be tied to this outright falsehood.
Read more.
Popularity: 28% [?]
Mike:
James Marling.
“No one can do a better job of looting the City coffers than City Manager Ed Hinkle and his advisors did in 1997 with the general pension. ”
did?
Who was the finance director in 1997?
The City manager position around here equates to a non-elected back-door license to steal from the public with zero accountability until it is too late and the crook ex-city manager is already gone living the high life.
I say AUDIT then FIRE or INDICT ALL CITY MANAGERS IN THE PANHANDLE! Then give the power to an elected official who has TERM LIMITS!
Anonymous – 11:39
No one can do a better job of looting the City coffers than City Manager Ed Hinkle and his advisors did in 1997 with the general pension. The current system has robbed you already.
Yet another blow to the No Boss! See Mark O’Brien’s PNJ column today – Don’t Let Fear Stymie New Move. He really sums it up. “. . . we will be trying something different and new, not just dithering with a system, where the buck never stops anywhere.”
What the article does not tell you and what the pro-charter group is doing their best to hide is the fact that your right to petition your government if you are unhappy with a decision will be dramatically reduced. Any items concerning finances or taxes (money) will not be subject to voter petition at all as they currently are. Why would a group supposedly trying to empower citizens prohibit citizens from petitioning regarding items concerning the citizens own money? Because a small group of well connected, extreme downtown and Gulf Breeze wealthy special interests want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get their BOSS Mayor elected so that they can loot the citizens for their own economic benefit. Vote no! VOTE HELL NO!
The results will be in soon, no matter what our city is in trouble and needs to change, we have a good city council, lets get a good mayor and move forward, by the way nay sayers the record will show that the good old boys still run city council
How about we all stand up and be big boys and girls and use our real names. Mr. Old Timer, I welcome opportunity to meet with you to discuss and answer all your questions. Stop hiding behind an anonymous name and let’s chat. I have nothing to hide. My motives are plain and simple. I have stated them on numerous occassions. Refer to those video tapes!!
Old Timer:
Why is it someone else’s responsibility to make you a well-informed voter? Did you read Jamie Page’s Sunday article on the charter?
Jill C. says:
“if indeed you reviewed the tapes, etc. then you would clearly understand that Strong Mayor provides for accountability..”
How about we start back in February 7, 2008 — There was a predisposition to Strong Mayor — but that is besides the point. Tell me more about accountability? How will the accountability of one benefit?
“..you have completely ignored the testimony of the many, many speakers and academics.”
Nope, just want to see it captured, wrapped up and summarized in comprehensive objective report.
Simple as that, I just want to be a fully informed voter. Have you ever tried to download one of the videos on the CRC site???
“I suspect you are one of the grumpy old men in the NO Boss group ..”
Nice try! Nope, just a simple minded worken man. There is no NO Boss Mayor sign in my yard.
old timer, if indeed you reviewed the tapes, etc. then you would clearly understand that Strong Mayor provides for accountability, it provides for an elected leader of our city. If you had attended the meetings and/or actually viewed the videos you would understand this. From your post, I suspect you have not done either as you have completely ignored the testimony of the many, many speakers and academics. I suspect you are one of the grumpy old men in the NO Boss group that wants to keep the secret of the who really runs the City and who really beneifts.
It seems to me that most of the council members have taken a stand on the charter. Deweese, Hall, Johnson, Wiggins, Wu, Canada-Wynn, Mack & I think Jeralds as well. That’s 8 out of 10 so this is hardly a courageous move.
Courageous stand by Councilwoman Mack. Glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks the No Boss guys are playing games with the truth.
You have to wonder why they’re so desperate to defend the current status quo. You also have to wonder who is helping them pay for all their mailers and phone calls since they won’t open up their books to the public.
Mr. Peacock you stand behind Strong Mayor yet you are not a City of Pensacola Resident/Voter. As a matter of fact, many pushing and donating to the Strong Mayor cause are also not City of Pensacola Residents/Voters.
Why I wonder?
You state “..vote YES to move Pensacola forward and believe in Pensacola”. Or Jill C. States “A vote YES is for positive change!”
So tell me, why is Strong Mayor the ONLY and BEST form of Governance for the City of Pensacola? Where is the report that objectively assesses all forms of governance and identifies the deficiencies and contrasts our current form?
Where is a the report that quantitatively and qualitatively resolves to Strong Mayor as the ONLY and BEST form of governance for the City of Pensacola?
The answer is simple — there is no report!!! Upon review CRC’s minutes and hours of video it’s clear to this City of Pensacola resident/voter that from the get-go there was a push for STRONG MAYOR and only STRONG MAYOR.
For those of us who seek to be informed as to what we are voting on, we want to know the WHY then the WHAT.
The City’s web city hosts:
”City of Pensacola Final Report/Revised Charter Released: 10/13/2009”
The title is as disingenuous as can be — there is not one paragraph/line that constitutes a report. A report that I, a City of Pensacola Voter, can read to help me understand WHY I should vote yes.
“Thanks to Diane Mack. This a classy move and so not Pensacola politics.”
I beg to differ —- The CRC, Believe in Pensacola, NBM, the council – politics as usual!!!
For those that throw around statements such as “..the many outright lies the NBM group is using to scare people”, “..the only thing the NBM side has is fear and fiction”, “..vote YES to move Pensacola forward and believe in Pensacola!!”, “No Boss hides their finances and hides behind lies”, “A vote YES is for positive change!”, “I am disappointed in the prominent members of the community who have allowed their names to be tied to this outright falsehood.”
Pathetic, simply pathetic.!!!
Instead fostering this childish bantering, how about producing an OBJECTIVE report that will dispel all these alleged lies and half-truths!!!
Maybe STRONG MAYOR is indeed the best thing for Pensacola. But, first what are the identified problems that it will resolve?
How will strong Mayor improve my quality of life? A City of Pensacola resident/voter that does not work or live downtown.
How can one vote YES if you don’t know the WHY???
No Boss hides their finances and hides behind lies. Pathetic! The Pensacola voter is smarter than this group of grumpy old city pensioners and lobbyist. A vote YES is for positive change!
Thanks to Diane Mack. This a classy move and so not Pensacola politics. Most council members have sat on the sidelines and not taken a stand. I appreciate Diane’s recognition of one of the many outright lies the NBM group is using to scare people. I had a gentlemen tell me the other day that he was supporting the charter if for no other reason that the only thing the NBM side has is fear and fiction!! Thanks to all that will vote YES to move Pensacola forward and believe in Pensacola!!
PLease.. Was this a shock? She may be the most “independent”, but she’s also the least liked by voters. Will this truly be a blow to No Boss or to the pro-side?
sorry first posting on the wrong page.
I would say that some of the unknown backers work on the 6th & 7th floor at city hall. I still say the no-boss people may be worried about skeletons hidden at city hall.