As the election season approaches, the Pensacola City Council has begun to demonstrate the singular ability to destroy innovative ideas. Instead of figuring out how to make the Pensacola Promise proposal better and make it work, they shred it apart. Discussion is from the perspective of how not to do it.
Diane Mack
John Jerralds
Jewel Cannada-Wynn
Megan Pratt
Ronald Townsend
Popularity: 4% [?]
If anyone is still reading this, I apologize to Evan. It was a little more difficult than I recalled to find a budgeted Gas Marketing item of $1,639,300 for FY2010 (Council member DeWeese wants $400,000). Source: p. 171 of
http://www.cityofpensacola.com/upload/PDFs/FY2010_Annual_Budget.pdf
I don’t mind being called out of facts, but conjecture? Evan, City of Pensacola budget, Enterprise Funds section (look for the surplus). I suspect you can read because you aren’t spending your time commenting on pnj.com. BTW, the online budget can be slow to manipulate unless you download to your computer so I recommend the latter.
I feel like I want to throw my hands up in frustration here. You think a few less billboards will do it Richard? IN that case, perhaps Gulf Power can stop putting up billboards and drop my rates? I don’t see it happening. I don’t really think you’re quite grasping the kind of money we need as opposed to the kind of money we have for this project.
..and no referencing Caesar with regard to a strong mayor doesn’t do it either.
We very much rely upon the money from ESP to fund little projects all over the place. Think of their revenues as a sort of Pensacola projects slush fund. Cutting that money by one third will have a dramatic impact when a small citizens group asks for help trying to bring up their neighborhood (being out of the struggling CRA district, that is). If we need something to fall back on financially during bad times (oh, like right now), ESP is a sure thing.
This isn’t about negativity or being a (as anyone with rose colored glasses likes to proclaim) nay-sayer. This is about practicality and fiscal responsibility.
Citizens of Rome: We need a Strong Caesar to bring about the Promise. Current assemble members lack the time or the intellect to be able to bring about change of any kind or new programs, other than maybe approve to change light bulbs in the park. We have no Caesar NOW. What we got is a number of bench warmers who show up once a week to exercise their vocal cords spouting verbal nonsense. Ms. DeWeese might as well save her breath until a strong Mayor is elected. This issue should be one of the major campaign issuers during the forth coming Mayoral Campaign.
If Evan and other citizens can tolerate less billboards touting natural gas AND if I’m right in that no one is deciding between electricity or gas in this recession, citizens can have Pensacola Promise with no loss in important expenditures.
I’m all for that Richard. Where will the money come from? Show me the money without diminishing another important expenditure and you’ll have my vote fully!
I disagree with Evan. Since new construction and remodeling is rare right now, the city does not need to market gas stoves and hot water heaters.
Once residents get a taste of something special for living in the city proper, they’ll want more. And we’ll finally exorcise the spirit of councils past from the council chamber.
Are they wrong? Do we have more money than we know what to do with? Before anyone suggests “We could find it,” think about it in a practical sense. This is a horrible time, fiscally, for such an ambitious program.
Where’s the leadership from our current Mayor?