I thank my regular blog readers for indulging me in my week-long experiment with the anti-CMP cult. Since 2005, we have had a small group of naysayers out to stop the Community Maritime Park. Even though they lost the city-wide referendum in September 2006, they still want to stop to the CMP and have polluted the local blogs and pnj.com forums with half-truths, slanderous attacks, conspiracy theories, revisions of history and misstatements.
I wanted to see what would happen if their misstatements were challenged with facts. How would they react? Would they be open to changing their opinions if we clearly showed how the facts disproved their points? What would happen if we asked them to provide facts to prove their allegations against Quint Studer and Judge Lacey Collier?
The comments posted show that they can’t help but resort to name-calling. They don’t want the park and don’t care about facts, especially if they interfere with their opinions.
I had two very simple, straight-forward challenges.
1) To prove the Quint Studer is getting any city money or that he is being reimbursed for any of his expenses by the City. The naysayers failed to do so. They tried to say it was in the agreement between the City and the CMPA, but it’s not.
2)The multi-use stadium seems to really bug the CMP opposition. They want to call it a ballpark. I challenged them to pick five ballparks built in the past five to ten years for non-major league teams. I would also pick five and we could study how these parks have impacted their communities. I never got a list. A lot of posturing, but no list. Clearly the opposition is afraid of what a study might reveal. I can’t pick all the parks or they would accuse me of stacking the research. I actually first made this challenge to C.C. Elebash, Charles Fairchild and Marty Donovan three years ago.
The CMP naysayers lost the referendum. They failed to get their voice on the Pensacola City Council, Marty Donovan, re-elected. They aren’t the majority, but they hope to win by out shouting park supporters and attacking those who take stands for it.
Fortunately, the current Pensacola City Council is progressive. They want to see this community move ahead. They understand a vibrant downtown is critical. And they will provide the leadership necessary to get this done.
The Vince Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park will be built.