The one local issue few elected officials truly want to tackle is the environment. It’s too expensive, too complicated and just too scary to face. Yet any one who has lived here…
Category: News
Life without a paper mill
Last month, there were rumblings that International Paper was ready to shutdown its Cantonment mill if its wastewater disposal plan wasn’t allowed to happen. The NY Times has a article on how…
PNJ Dogan asks Touart to resign
News Journal columnist Reggie Dogan wrote at open letter to County Administrator George Touart asking him to resign. Frankly, we have lost trust in you. You are no longer credible. We no…
Letter on Roads Inc
Chairman White, Commissioners Young, Valentino, Robinson and Whitehead: I have read the supposed “agreement” that Mr. Touart promised would provide a definitive timeline for the Hillock pit project. (roads-inc-ltr-8-28-07.pdf) Quotes from the…
Let’s Get Our Money’s Worth
The group – Civic Concern – is pushing for PIP renewal: When the Florida Legislature convenes the special session scheduled to begin September 18, it will cost taxpayers $40,000 a day. To…
Lead by example
When the head of county government has a employee leasing business and a real estate investment company, what is the example that he is setting for all his employees? It’s okay to…
Appearance beyond reproach
When we raise our kids, we teach them the difference between right and wrong. We tell them that just because you can do something – it doesn’t mean you should. There’s nothing…
Touart defends himself
In a exclusive phone interview, County Administrator George Touart defended himself against the latest disclosures made by the Pensacola News Journal. He sincerely believes that he has done nothing wrong. Yes, he…
We’re no lawyers
But it does appear County Administrator George Touart has an ethics issue: Here is the law: (7)CONFLICTING EMPLOYMENT OR CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP. (a)No public officer or employee of an agency shall have or…
Longer BOCC meetings
The Board of County Commissioners will have to add additional half hour to its meetings for County Administrator to go over all this relationships with various parties involved in the staff recommendations…
Back to the Future with George
A week after County Administrator George Touart was verbally reprimanded by the Escambia County commission for side business deals with parties involved in a $1.41 million land purchase by the county, the…
Touart hole gets deeper
The PNJ has uncovered more on County Administrator George Touart and his business dealings with people who do business with Escambia County. Touart’s employee leasing company, Global Employment Services Inc, has done…
Germ of an idea
After I realized that the Escambia Sheriff’s total budget was nearly $30 million more than the entire City of Pensacola budget, it became very apparent how unfair it is for Pensacola residents…
What is the ECSO budget
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office proposed budget for 2007-08 can not be found anywhere online. From the Escambia County website we can learn that from the general fund ECSO gets $79,700,000 plus…
MOBy makes a good point
Today PNJ columnist Mark O’Brien makes a good point about city councilmen and county commissioners needing to be bold. I would push the point even further. When will the county commission put…
INdaily has Volunteer Fire audit report
Duwayne Escobedo reports on the volunteer firefighters rebuttal to the Clerk’s audit of stipends. We actually have the pdf of the report. Read: Volunteer Fire Audit Note: Comment on the audit –…
County missed the ECAT bus
Our research is revealing more to the ECAT funding issue than what has been reported by the Escambia Board of County Commissioners. The City of Pensacola funds its part of ECAT with…
Budget choices
Commissioner Mike Whitehead did make a bold move when he questioned whether reserves should be used for libraries and ECAT. It would have been very easy to placate the crowd and go…
Need for charter
The funds for funding the libraries and ECAT are in the Escambia County Sheriff’s $75-$80 million budget, but because we don’t have a charter, the commissioners have not power to review or…
Battle of the bears
Yesterday’s meeting between the Pensacola City Council and the Escambia Board of County Commissioners was a battle of the bears – Commissioner Mike Whitehead and City Councilman Jack Nobles. Whitehead wanted the…