The daily newspaper is on the attack. The target: the newly-hired Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce CEO. The issue: John Hizer will be living in Gulf Breeze, where his daughter will go to school and compete on the high school swim team.
Now residency isn’t been an issue for Pensacola City Manager Al Coby. It isn’t for any city or county employee. Elected officials, yes. Employees, no. News Journal employees aren’t required to live in Pensacola or Escambia County either.
So why make an issue of this? The word from inside the Romana bomb shelter is Escambia Co. Superintendent of Schools Malcolm Thomas (a PNJ favorite) raised a stink about Jim & Jane Hizer wanting their daughter to attend Gulf Breeze High School. Why he should care, I don’t know.
Some Escambia and City employees, even PNJ employees, have enrolled their kids in private or faith-based schools. Pensacola Christian School, Creative Learning Academy, EDS, Catholic High….are just a few options. Some of Thomas’ teachers have children enrolled outside the school district….some even in Gulf Breeze High School.
Let’s make the new chamber CEO feel un-welcomed before he even starts his first day of work. Let’s make his daughter’s choice of high school an issue. Really?
Damn, it must be a slow news day. How “bush league” can we get?
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BTW: I am a board member of the chamber, as is PNJ publisher Kevin Doyle. I had no role in the hiring of Hizer. My youngest daughter attends Gulf Breeze High, as did her older sisters. None swam on the swimming team.
The Chamber is the Pensacola BAY AREA Chamber of Commerce.