Council candidate forum set for Sept. 22

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1. Does anyone know why the Women for Responsible Legislation is considered to be a “non-profit community service organization” and one of only five allowed to use the conference rooms in city hall? The “Policies of the City Council” document adopted by resolution lists it by name on page 4.27. See: https://www.cityofpensacola.com/DocumentCenter/View/23287/City-Council-Policies- The closest thing I have ever found to the group having any sort of real corporate existence is a statewide group with the same name that changed its name to Florida Eagle Forum in 2000. Florida Eagle Forum is a branch of Eagle Forum: https://eagleforum.org/ During one Women for Responsible Legislation meeting years ago in city hall, I was stunned when an officer of the Women for Responsible Legislation referred to Barrack Obama using the N-word. The group seems to be very openly hyper-Republican. Earlier this year, I was watching a video of a candidate forum in city hall. In the back of the room, you could see a table set up and what appeared to be campaign signs for Governor Ron DeSantis. Is that legal? Did the table include campaign materials for any other Republican candidates? It’s no secret that I am offended at the city council’s unconstitutional gerrymandering of the city’s election districts in both 2011 and 2022. Councilwoman Myers a regular at Women for Responsible Legislation meetings was the ringleader telling me that she wanted to pick her own voters but all councilmembers in 2011 and 2021 were in on it. Earlier this year, I called Barbara Mayall an officer of the Women for Responsible Legislation and asked who ran the group. She named Carole Jenkins who lives in Cordova Park. I wrote Mrs. Jenkins a letter asking that the group ask about the gerrymandering during its city council district candidate forums. They did not. I also wrote the League of Women Voters for the Pensacola Bay Area asking it to raise the issue but, as far as I know, they did not. When I asked them to object in 2011, I was then a League member and raised the issue during a meeting held at Azalea Trace about “gerrymandering,” I was told that the group lacked the resources to get involved. I find it disturbing that such groups do not care about gerrymandering at the local level. During Council Communications on Thursday night, a council member should ask Mayor Robinson why the Women for Legislation group is allowed to hold meetings in city hall just like the Chamber of Commerce, Pensacola Navy League, etc. Allowing the group to hold its meeting in city hall does very clearly give the public impression that it enjoys some sort of official status with the city government as it does as one of only a few groups described by name in the Polices of the City Council document. There must be plenty of places to include a non-governmental venue where the group could hold its meetings other than in our city hall.

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