The NOAA-funded 56-day expedition that ended April 29 was exploring poorly known regions of the Gulf, mapping and imaging unknown or little-known features and habitats, developing and testing a method to measure the rate that gas rises from naturally-occurring seeps on the seafloor, and investigating potential shipwreck sites.

Read more.

The minority contractors at the Maritime Park told the Community Maritime Park Board of trustees yesterday that they have not been paid. One contractor claimed to be owed over $100,000.

The open forum portion of yesterday’s meeting of the CMPA board lasted for over an hour; the meeting itself only lasted for two hours. The majority of the dialogue between the public and the board centered on businesses involved with the Equal Business Opportunity who have not yet been paid for work completed on the park.

John Rigsby spoke to what he called a bad faith contract that resulted in his business being owed $104,000—a huge financial burden for his business, according to Rigsby. He was in charge of the financial functions surrounding staffing Affordable Concrete, which is owned by Rhonda Godwin.

George Hawthorne, who was paid by the CMPA to oversee the EBO program, explained that Rigsby and Godwin were dealing with a bad faith contractor, Morelli Construction. He said he saw the situation as a clear violation of the EBO process.

When the board asked why Godwin and Rigsby had not come forward earlier since Morelli is months behind on their payments to them, Godwin explained that the work her company did “was under good faith” in the contract and under the EBO processes put in place by the CMPA.

Sam Horton addressed the board to present “the other side of the story”. His claim is that Affordable Concrete underbid their job and went over budget paying for labor. Horton doesn’t see this as an issue for which the CMPA board was responsible.

Godwin defended her company’s work and the decisions she made to join the project as owner of Affordable Concrete. Horton’s suggestion that her company underbid the project and therefore forfeited profit met with incredulity from Godwin. She stated she would have not taken the job if she had not seen a profitable gain at completion.

“I’m a business. I’m in this for profit.”

Hawthorne and Rigsby stated that Morelli expected the work site to have 10 to 15 men on site for what was really only a five-man job and that the project went over the contracted duration of 12-14 weeks. The two men were there to make the board aware of the situation and request a consultation on how to remedy the situation.

“We realized the games that are played in contracting,” said Rigsby. The purpose of the EBO was to protect the interests of smaller, minority-owned businesses in a large project like the Maritime Park. Both Rigsby and Godwin claimed that they had experienced financial losses as a result of their bad faith contract with Morellei Construction.

Horton came to the defense of Morelli Construction, which was unrepresented at the meeting. Stating that he has worked with the company numerous times, Horton explained that the unit price that Affordable was contracted under was not affected by project duration.

“They are a quality company that’s getting ripped a new one,” said Horton of Morelli. Despite his contentions with the complaints expressed, he said he “will make sure” that Affordable gets a check next week—even if he has to write it himself.

The Board did not feel like this was an appropriate matter to get involved in, seeing as it was a dispute between private parties. They did pass a motion advising that all contesting parties have private mediation to deal with these issues. Hawthorne would be engaged independently on behalf of minority contractors.

Rigsby said he was willing to pay out of pocket for mediation to avoid filing multiple lawsuits. He explained to the board that he was not asking them for the money, but for he and Godwin to express their grievances in an official setting.

“The unofficial has not worked.”

Affordable Concrete is one of three companies dealing with close-out issues as the Maritime Park nears completion. Pat Brown and High Tech Plumbing were two other EBO contractors who have yet to be paid in full for work completed. Like Affordable, they asserted that they have lost money by being involved with the Maritime Park project. Godwin had higher hopes for the project that seemed so positive in the beginning.

“This is the first time in 15 years that something has cost me money,” she said. “Working with the City of Pensacola, I never thought that would happen. “

————
The rest of the meeting included updates from different committees and departments involved with the Park.

Ed Flemming updated the Board on a temporary restraining order ruling that “did not end the war, but struck a fatal blow.” The case could eventually result in the Board receiving about $1.6 million in damages. The board will meet “in the shade” next Thursday to discuss more details of the case privately.

A second scoreboard was proposed and passed by the Design-Build team. The additional scoreboard will be a nighttime board for seating on the sides of the stadium. It’s a $40,000 project that will become property of the CMPA. Revenue generated by the advertisement panels on the board will benefit the ballpark.

The Amphitheater is to be completed by May 29, in time for the June 9 grand opening. A second recognition plaque was suggested by a member of the public to honor members of the subcommittees who are not listed on the recognition plaque already planned for display. The Grand Opening committee reported that the event was coming together nicely and presented finalized posters for the event.

“Yesterday’s vote by the State Board of Education to recalibrate the school grading scale of the FCAT Writing test was done in response to a tougher grading system that appropriately expects our students to understand proper punctuation, spelling and grammar. The Board acted after it became clear that students were posting significantly lower scores under newer, tougher writing standards.

“We are asking more from our students and teachers than we ever have. I believe it is appropriate to expect that our students know how to spell and how to properly punctuate a sentence. Before this year, those basics were not given enough attention, nor did we give enough attention to communicating these basic expectations to our teachers. I support the Board’s decision to recalibrate the school grading scale while keeping the writing standards high.”

No kayaking experience is necessary and professional guides will provide instruction along the route. Kayaks and safety gear will be provided for participants in need. Paddleboards and canoes are also welcome to participate.

All paddlers will launch at Shoreline Park after breakfast is served and participants will paddle east approximately 2.8-miles to the Gulf Islands National Seashore returning to Shoreline Park South for lunch, rewards and prize drawings.

“100 percent of all proceeds raised from this event will go to directly support our local American Cancer Society, making sure all the money stays at home,” said Danny Goldman, chairman of Kayak for a Cure Pensacola.

Kayak for a Cur Pensacola will be hosting a sign-up event on June 2, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Intracoastal Outfitters, 701 E. Gregory St. The Registration fee is $30 per-person and all proceeds will directly support our local American Cancer Society.

“We’re so excited to add Pensacola to the Kayak for a Cure family,” said Ken Murdock, Kayak for a Cure board member.

Each summer, in cities around the United States and Canada, paddlers – both beginners and experienced – climb in to kayaks and cross waterways, bays, lakes and channels for two reasons: an excuse to have a great day in the outdoors with some amazing people, and to be part of the solution: fund the research that leads to cures for all types of cancers.

For more information on Kayak for a Cure Pensacola or to make a donation, visit http://kayakforacure.org or e-mail Goldman at danny@kayakforacure.org.

WHAT: Kayaking Charity event befitting the American Cancer Society

WHEN: Saturday, June 9 at 8:00 a.m.

WHERE: Shoreline Park South – Gulf Breeze,

HOW MUCH: $30 registration fee

Nodine faces a retrial on charges that he killed his longtime girlfriend, Angel Downs, in 2010. The first trial ended with a hung jury on murder and aggravated stalking charges. He has conducted several interviews over the past few months–the latest being on FM Talk 106.5 on May 11 (Read more).

The former Mobile County Commissioner was the darling of economic development along the Gulf Coast from 2007 until his arrest. He spoke to several groups in the Pensacola area, touting the successes of Mobile and the projected impact of Air Force air tanker contract coming to this region. Nodine spoke in support of Gene Valentino’s economic development authority in June 2009.

The attachments sent the IN were not included in the October letter from Hallie Dixon to Attorney General Luther Strange, according to the Nodine supporters. They assert the documents “clearly show that there was NEVER ANY (their emphasis) evidence of murder or stalking regarding the states case against former County Commissioner Stephen Nodine.”

The current District Attorney Hallie Dixon had originally decided to not retry Nodine, but last fall the Alabama Attorney General took over the prosecution of the case.

Nodine’s supporters state that Dixon was justified in not wanting to retry Nodine: “The balance of information and evidence indicated in the remaining portion of Exhibit “A” in these documents clearly show that District Attorney Hallie Dixon strongly believed not only did Judy Newcomb maliciously, negligently withhold exculpatory evidence from the defense but also from her own expert witness, Dr. James Downs. Therefore, indicating to the court her findings and intentions to “No-Bill” the previous indictment.”

Laura Coffey, Nodine’s sister, is quoted in that email saying, “Both families have been through so much pain and this matter needs to come to a conclusion. These are just some of the documents that clearly prove that all experts concluded that Angel Downs’s death was indeed a suicide Laura Coffey Our thoughts and prayers have been with Mrs. Hinckley, Angel’s sister Susan, and all members of their family and friends of Angel’s since day one, but this political prosecution against my brother needs to stop Monday”.

Here are the exhibits:

“We are delighted to welcome Beach Berry Frozen Yogurt as our very first year-round business at the Community Maritime Park,” said Collier Merrill, Chairman of the Maritime Park Trustees. “This marks the first non-baseball business that is moving to the stadium and the park, and that is a great first step for the continued progress of the park.”

The 27 acre Pensacola Bay waterfront park includes a multi-use stadium, promenades, and open green space to enjoy a leisurely day and evening. A waterfront amphitheater is under construction, and Beach Berry Frozen Yogurt will fill one of the two retail spaces in the stadium, leased by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Proprietors Mike and Cookie Ngo said they are thrilled to be a part of the community and excitement the park has created in the downtown area. The Ngo’s already have a thriving Beach Berry store just up the coast in Navarre, FL, and were looking for a suitable location to expand their business. The waterfront stadium fit the bill perfectly.

Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward, whose City Hall office overlooks the stadium, said he was excited about the business moving to the Park. “One of the most important things we can do as a community is to make our City attractive to businesses that want to relocate or expand here in Pensacola,” said Hayward. “People like the Ngo’s who are risk-takers, business owners, and who aren’t afraid of hard work are exactly the type of people we want coming here. We are seeing a lot of entrepreneurial investment in our community and it’s exciting to see our City start to take off.”

“We thought that the location was perfect for our store,” said Ms. Ngo, who is also a pharmacist at Publix in Navarre. “With all the great things happening in downtown Pensacola, and a fantastic location like the Park and great neighbors like the Blue Wahoos, it just made a lot of sense for us to be a part of this new and exciting growth. What better way to enjoy the waterfront than to pick up some frozen yogurt, walk around the park, have a picnic, or catch a ball game?” she said.

Equally important for the Ngo’s was the opportunity to partner with the Blue Wahoos, which was simple and straightforward.

“The entire leasing process with the Wahoo’s organization was quick and uncomplicated and everyone was enthusiastic and made us feel welcomed,” said Ngo. “It was great to be a part of so much positive progress.”

Andrew Rothfeder, who is a real estate consultant for Quint and Rishy Studer and the Blue Wahoos, said the Ngo’s business was a perfect fit for the stadium and the park. “Beach Berry is another exciting step in our collective effort to create a ‘sense of place’ at the Maritime Park 365 days a year, not just on game days,” said Rothfeder. “This is exactly the type of business that will bring people to the park, get families downtown more often, and also be a good community partner,” he said.

The Ngo’s said they looked forward to being a part of the Pensacola community, and that same community involvement has been a hallmark of their Navarre business.

“We’ve always worked hard to be a part of the community — we partner with churches, military, school and sports groups, and we really try to make it a family friendly environment,” said Mike Ngo. “In addition to our frozen yogurt and toppings, we also make it entertaining, with kid-friendly shows on our televisions, and maybe some fun video games to entertain the children and give parents just a little bit of a break so they can enjoy their yogurt too.”

While the frozen-yogurt trend has been on the upswing, the Ngo’s said their offerings were a little different from the typical yogurt shop. Beach Berry Yogurt varieties and flavors of their frozen yogurt are made fresh, right at the store, as opposed to being ordered pre-mixed or pre-frozen. In addition, the Ngo’s said their Pensacola location was expected to offer over 175 different toppings to choose from, with an almost unlimited number of combinations.

“We pride ourselves on our fresh yogurt and daily cut fresh fruits and toppings, and you can really taste the difference” said Mike.

Some popular, refreshing favorites include raspberry pomegranate, blueberry, mango, peach cream, cheese cake and coffee. Fresh fruit includes kiwi, strawberry, mango, pineapple, and blueberries.

And of course there are always the triple-decker options which allow you to be really creative including such delectable creations as Chocolate Yogurt topped with Raspberry sauce and Oreo™, and creamy Vanilla topped with Ghirardelli™ Hot Fudge and Marshmallows. Less decadent but equally yummy selections include Mango topped with Animal Crackers, and Fruit Medley topped with Granola.

While the Ngo’s won’t divulge all their secrets, they did let slip that one of their creative geniuses for their toppings is their youngest daughter, who comes up with new, and occasionally wacky, combinations for toppings while playing an ice-cream game on Mike’s smart phone.

“We’ll take any suggestion we can get,” said Cookie Ngo, “as long as it doesn’t include anchovies,” she laughed.

Beach Berry Yogurt will be located at Pensacola’s Waterfront Stadium, at the Community Maritime Park. The new location promises to be eye-catching and inviting, thanks to architectural design by local architect Brian Spencer. Hours of operation will be Monday – Thursday, 11:00am-9:00pm, Friday and Saturday from 11:00am-10:00pm, and Sunday from 11:00am-7:00pm with extended hours during sporting events and special activities throughout the season.

Beach Berry is expected to open sometime in June.

In the US, half of fossil-fuel energy consumption happens in commercial buildings and 30% or more of that energy is wasted. The Energy Star Program promotes the exploration of what is possible to conserve resources and funds.

The work done in Escambia County schools eliminated 12,000 metric tons of harmful emissions from the environment. That would be comparable to the benefits of planting 312 seedlings and letting them grow for ten years.

By leaving no stone unturned, the seven award-winning Escambia County schools reduced their energy usage by 23% and saved the district $2.5 million in energy costs.

The seven schools recognized as Energy Star award winners are: Beulah Elementary, Jim Allen Elementary, Blue Angel Elementary, Lincoln Park Elementary, Ferry Pass Elementary, A.K. Suter Elementary, and Escambia Westgate School.

There are three more Escambia County schools in the application process to become Energy Star schools.

By becoming Energy Star award winners, these schools are having a positive impact on the environment as well as the budget for the school district; their impact will benefit future students in multiple ways for years to come.

    This event is part of the recognition of National Peace Officers Memorial Day May 15^th.  It is a day set aside to remember and honor all Law Enforcement Officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward will be the guest speaker.

  A reception will follow in the Sheriff’s Office Training Room.

Last Friday, I got a call from Mayor Ashton Hayward who asked me to walk down the street from my office to join him in sampling the menu offerings of the new Four Seasons, which was launching a lunch counter service with daily specials.

“Outzen, you’ve got to try this,” said Hayward, in full salesman-mode. “These people are what we want to see help happen in our city. Small business people expanding and adding jobs.”

He was excited, stopping passersby and offering them samples of the pork tenderloin with a mango barbecue sauce. The owners, cooks and staff were just as excited to see Hayward and took several photos with him.

Four Seasons Market & Eatery is not an eat-in restaurant. You can either pick-up your food at their lunch counter or they will deliver to your office. The menu’s main stays are Southern comfort foods—like fried chicken, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, fried okra and mac n’ cheese. However, there are few surprises like Cornish Game Hens on Thursdays. I sampled the Andouille & Chicken gumbo and it was excellent.

So if you want to try something different and show support for a local business, visit Four Seasons Market & Eatery, 212 S. Palafox Place. Pick & Deliver: 434-6771

Tell them that you heard about them through the Independent News and the blog. I think they are worth adding to your weekly lunch routine.

Pensacola, Fla. May 15, 2012 – The trial for Melody Castro and David Burden, the two who were arrested at City Hall in December, will begin Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

The two were standing on a walkway that runs through the City Hall green space when Pensacola City Police arrested them for trespassing. The two pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor trespassing at the arraignment. A video recording of the incident is available online. Another video, taken by Burden but thought to be damaged when his phone was dropped during his arrest, was retrieved from his phone’s memory and will be submitted as evidence.

The plain clothed city police officer that arrested Castro and Burden would not identify himself as a police officer when he approached them. When attempting to leave the space, they were threatened with resisting arrest.

An accurate definition of what constitutes a sidewalk on or around the city hall property is yet to be clarified by the City or the Federal Court. A letter written to Mayor Ashton Hayward by the ACLU asking for clarification on this issue has not received a response.

“Any moves we make now would further divide this community,” Hawthorne said.

For months, Pensacola City Councilman John Jerralds has spearheaded an effort to organize another minority chamber, contending that the existing GCAACC is a non-functioning body. Hawthorne maintained that his organization was viable, and in April said its board would be going on a retreat in order to regroup.

Although Hawthorne’s board never went on that retreat, the GCAACC head said last week that the group had “dialouged” and would be making an announcement this week in regards to its future direction.

“We’re not going to release the plan,” Hawthonre said last night, explaining that his group now prefers to work with Jerralds. “We’re going to try to work out something with them.”

Councilman Jerralds has another meeting scheduled for Thursday at Pensacola City Hall to further discuss the direction of the alternative chamber. Hawthorne said the GCAACC would most likely bring up the possibility of working together during that meeting.

“We’ll have it together by Thursday,” Hawthorne said. “We want to work together, we want to bring this community together.”

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION ADOPTS
FCAT WRITING PERFORMANCE LEVEL STANDARD

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida State Board of Education today adopted a new performance level standard for FCAT Writing. The performance level standard used for the purpose of calculating school grades for the 2011-12 school year will be a 3.0 on a scale of 6.0.

Today’s action was a result of reviewing preliminary scores that indicated significantly lower student performance based on an increased focus on writing conventions, such as grammar, and the quality of details provided as support when writing an essay. In reviewing the preliminary results, Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson recognized the considerable variance and brought it to the attention of the board.

On May 10 when the final FCAT Writing results became available to the Department of Education, the State Board of Education decided to hold an emergency meeting to consider how to move forward with calculating school grades for this year. While at the state level the State Board of Education does not set FCAT Writing grade level or passing standards for students, writing scores are factored into school grades and families may make school choice decisions based on school grades during the summer months.

“The strength of Florida’s economy and our children’s futures depend on our ability to prepare all students for success after high school, in college, in the workplace, and in life,” said Commissioner Gerard Robinson. “Florida’s children do not know less than before. Rather, we’ve raised our standards and expectations. Today, we are asking more of our children and more of our teachers than we ever have. It’s clear in that we must do a better job of communicating student expectations to educators and parents so they can better prepare students to be successful.”

The sequence of events that led to today’s vote follows:

· In spring 2010 the Florida legislature required that the Florida school grade writing standard be a score a student can earn.
· In May 2011, on the recommendation of a previous Commissioner of Education the State Board of Education set the school grade standard for FCAT Writing at 4.0 up from 3.5 since there was only one scorer and it was not possible to earn a half point.
· The State Board asked that the legislative budget request include a return to two scorers for each essay, which was implemented in 2012.
· In July 2011, school districts were notified of a change in the scoring of FCAT Writing for school year 2012 regarding the correct use of standard English conventions and the quality of details provided as support. The Department also posted sample writing papers illustrating the change in expectations and in August 2011 posted scoring guides for school district use at http://www.fldoe.org/arm.

As the Department of Education continues to review 2012 assessment results, the State Board of Education will look at additional data and information related to the calculation of school grades.

I pointedly asked Robinson if the board had rolled out the new standards and rigors too quickly without giving teachers and districts sufficient time to adjust their lesson plans. He disagreed but did admit that FDOE could do a better job of professional development. Robinson said that the state did a poor job of communicating the new standards and requirements and should have had more follow up with the districts. He pledged to do things differently but wasn’t clear how that would be done.

Robinson defended his board’s vote, telling the reporters that it didn’t lower the standards, but merely lowered the bar for measuring its impact on how the writing scores are used to evaluate the schools.

Reporters pointed out that in the 2011 FCAT gave students 45 minutes to finish a writing draft. For 2012, the students had to produce in the same time a finished writing product that was graded on spelling, punctuation and grammar. Robinson said that the state is looking into granting more time for the writing exam next year.

Robinson said that school grades are scheduled to be released in mid-July, but his department is working hard to get them out in late June. He predicted that many people will be surprised at how the new standards in reading and math will impact school grades.

“People are going to say ‘Wow, why didn’t someone tell us about this?’” said Robinson.

I asked the commissioner what was the one lesson that he learned from this.

“Communication,” said Robinson. “Just because we are communication through the channels that we believe are most appropriate, doesn’t mean it is being funneled down to the people who need it most.”

Two extra rows of seats had to be added in the meeting room of the Tryon Branch Library for last night’s Town Hall Meeting with Mayor Ashton Hayward. The mayor stood at the front of the room, flanked on either side by seven city officials. These officials included Chief of Police Chip Simmons and Councilwoman Sherri Myers, among others.

Mayor Hayward began the meeting speaking to the goals of the city: job creation, business innovation, and identity amplification. He stressed the importance of keeping the momentum that Pensacola has gained since his term began. These town hall meetings are one way to do that, according to Hayward.

By taking City Hall to the citizens, Hayward intends to keep the taxpayers involved in the growth of their city. By welcoming new retailers, improving the airport and nurturing neighborhoods, the mayor plans to make Pensacola a business-friendly city. The kind of city that, he says, that can compete with the rest of the state and nation.

“If we were the first settlement, we need to be the first in everything.”

As rousing as the mayor’s opening was, his audience’s concerns were focused closer to home. They were concerned with road improvements, city services and code enforcement.

Residents expressed alarm in regards to the lack of sidewalks and dangerous speeding on Dunmire Street, Burgess Road, and Olive Road. School children on Olive Road walk to their bus stop in ditches, explained one concerned citizen. Mayor Hayward arranged to meet with him Tuesday morning to get a firsthand look at the situation so that he could begin the process of remedying the situation.

Along with the need for sidewalks, there was concern about drivers speeding in residential areas. Chief Simmons assured the citizens that since the police department had seen a drop in violent crime, they are now focusing more energy to the abundant speeding that happens on city streets. He urged citizens to get in contact with the police department via Facebook, where they now post traffic patrol updates and can report back to citizens on the number of tickets issues for their area.

With the abundance of natural gas in our area, one resident said he was still waiting for the price to drop. Don Suarez, director of energy service of Pensacola, explained that the pricing system the city uses for its natural gas is meant to equalize prices, avoiding extreme highs and lows.

When it comes to natural gas, Pensacola is ahead of the national curve with three natural gas stations. Fleet vehicles will be the first to utilize the alternative fuel and the city is attracting attention from national companies (think UPS) because of our natural resources.

“Natural gas is here to stay,” said Suarez.

Former Councilwoman Diane Mack addressed the panel as a citizen in regards to residential zoning concerns. There is a growing trend of unrelated adults living in a residence together, and current city codes prohibit long term leases with this situation. Mack expressed her concern for neighborhood stability with the growing trend of renting instead of owning a home.

Another resident suggested that there needs to be an alternative for low-income housing in the city. Her idea was to turn from code enforcement to code evolvement that changes with the population’s needs.

One audience member had a suggestion for the proposed hatchery in Pensacola and the BP project money: “Think cobia.”

The population was decimated by the spill–only 20 cobia have been caught this season so far. A cobia hatchery would “actually restore something” that the spill took from the coast.

“BP money is going to come down and it’s going to be a game-changer,” said Hayward.

The concerns expressed at the District 2 town hall meeting were relatively simple: Take care of the residents who are already in the city and in turn, foster the kind of growth that Mayor Hayward is championing for the city’s future.

The mayor sounded proactive and positive, accepting that the priorities for District 2 residents were improvements and solutions in District 2. He stated that taking care of the neighborhoods is an important part of the process of making Pensacola great, and he is eager to get that process going at full speed.

“This is a town that has been idle for too long.”

The 2011 test is more difficult and the board raised last summer the passing grade from 3.5 to 4–on a scale of 1-6.

Dropping the passing grade to 3.5 somewhat improves the percentage passing for the exam: 48 percent for 4th grade, 53 percent for 8th grade and 60 percent for 10th grade.

The board went even further and dropped the passing grade to Level 3 which gets the 2012 percentages more in line with last year:

Level 3 or higher
4th grade: 81 percent
8th grade: 77 percent
10th grade: 84 percent

“As someone with a student loan and with a state with so many people with student loans, I support a hundred percent making sure that the interest rates on student loans do not go up,” Rubio said.

PolitiFact says Rubio was wrong. Read more.

May 10, 2012

To: Honorable County Commissioners, Board of County Commissioners, Escambia County
From: Michael A. Lowery, President/Business Agent, ATU Local 1395
Re: War on Workers at ECAT / Union announces campaign against First Transit

Dear Honorable Commissioners:

As you know the new contractor First Transit is now managing ECAT since April 1st, 2012, taking over from Veolia Transportation. Since taking over First Transit has provided Group Health Insurance to include dental, vision, and life insurance which has now caused an increase to the workers at ECAT for office visits and out of pocket costs while visiting the doctor versus our previous coverage under Veolia. Since taking over First Transit has attacked the scheduling of hours for Trolley Operators who work on the extra board. Since taking over First Transit has now taken away coverage for Health, Dental, Vision, and Life insurances for Part-time Bus Operators.

First Transit has also maintained the same mid-management staff which under Veolia caused so many problems on a daily basis for the workers. With just over a month the same old tactics are again happening at ECAT with the problems of pay issues, intimidation of workers by supervisors, and even some mid-management describing workers with vulgar language during meetings and in the dispatch area to other employees. The manipulation of our labor agreement continues and morale is back to the level we suffered under Veolia. Current General Manager Mary Lou Franzoni ignores continued requests for discussions and meetings with the Union.

This is another foreign based Company that uses the same tactics to wage a war on the workers that provide the service to the citizens of Escambia County. During the transition while Veolia attempted and to some degree destroyed documents, information, and basically the ability for First Transit to run the service. It was the workforce that kept the service running smoothly without a hitch. The professional bus operators and mechanics ran the system and kept Escambia County moving.

During the transition it was the Union that stepped up and assisted First Transit with employee applications, background checks, drug testing, basic information to include seniority, vacation time, sick leave time, and we signed employees up for the Health Insurance and 401(k) plan. We gave as much information to the Company as we could and extended the olive branch.

While the Union focus is now to get a dedicated funding source for Mass Transit in Escambia County to assist the people with better and more service, the Company has done nothing to communicate to this issue with the Union. The Union’s focus is to help create jobs to local businesses and help the County with their general budget deficit. I state to you that the Company’s focus has been to wage a war on the workers and create an atmosphere of total control and lower the standards of the work force. We are tax payers and we contribute to this community as homeowners and our children and grandchildren go to our public schools. Most of our members of ATU Local 1395 are life time citizens of this community. We’ve invested into Pensacola and Escambia County but that same statement can’t be said about First Transit with their three employees who appear to be just renters and using this job as a stepping stone to another future job within First Transit.

First Transit based out of the United Kingdom is another private transit company that has only one objective and that is to gain a profit off the backs of the workers. With this letter I announce that while the ATU Local 1395 had begun a campaign to educate the community on Mass Transit and fight for a dedicated funding source to run ECAT – we’ve now been forced to shift gears and begin a campaign to educate the public on how another foreign based Company is sucking the life out of workers and the taxpayers of this community.

I hope that you’ll consider looking into this matter and assist the workers of ECAT. As you know many of our members have well over twenty and thirty years of experience providing Mass Transit to the citizens of this community. The workers don’t deserve this and we will not allow this to happen again.

Respectfully,

Michael A. Lowery
President/Business Agent
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1395
(850) 554-6034
Atu1395@aol.com

Cc: County Commissioners via email
County Administrator
Assistant County Administrator
Members of ATU Local 1395
ATU International
Media

That rate is set to double if Congress fails to act by July 1, 2012. The interest rates will double to 6.8 percent on the new loans. It will African-American households that will be impacted most by the rate increase, according to a report released last week by the Center for American Progress, Campus Progress, and the USAction Education Fund

The Great Recession of 2007-2009 saw education debt go up as more households used education loans to improve their job opportunities. The total share of households with education debt went from 16.2 percent in 2007 to 17.6 percent in 2009.

The median education debt amount increased by $2,573, from $12,427 in 2007 to $15,000 in 2009. The largest increase in the median education debt amount—$5,715—occurred among African American households.

The group with the largest percentage of households with education loans is African-Americans with 27.9 percent. White households have 15.9 percent with such loans.

According to the Center for American Progress:

If Congress allows the interest rate to double on Stafford loans, it will impact millions of families in every state, from high school graduates to student borrowers to sup- porting family members. Not only is this a significant burden, it can also block young Americans’ path to financial independence, forcing them to delay buying a home, starting a family, or pursuing further education. In turn, this has a detrimental effect on the economy: We need people who can make investments for the future instead of being held back by student loan debt.

On May 8, the U.S. Senate considered a motion to bring forward legislation designed to keep interest rates from doubling on July 1. It failed—on a party line vote of 52 to 45—to reach the 60 vote threshold needed to bring the bill to the floor. Sen. Marco Rubio voted against it, Sen Bill Nelson voted for it.