Daily Outtakes: Business as usual for Trust

The Escambia Children’s Trust sent a message to taxpayers yesterday: “Move along. There’s nothing to worry about.”

My message: At some point, ECT will need to prove that the millions they have handed out have actually helped Escambia children.

The ECT Grant Committee ranked Urban Development Center as one of its top programs. UDC will reimbursed $189,256.70 for only dealing with about 30 kids. The company was reimbursed for buying over 30 computers and laptops, which they get to keep. No one on the grants committee or staff took any responsibility for funding this boondoggle. YouthFirst Century should never have been funded.

BTW: UDC owes the Town of Century $61K that the council loaned them as seed money that was to be paid back with ECT dollars.

——-

Speed Limit Change

The speed limit on Airport Road State Road (S.R.) 750 between Davis Highway (S.R. 291) and Ninth Avenue (S.R. 289) in Pensacola will be permanently reduced from 45 mph to 40 mph beginning Tuesday, Dec. 19. New signs depicting the speed limit decrease will be installed along the corridor.

——-

Moody Supports FSU

Attorney General Ashley Moody on Tuesday announced that her office’s Antitrust Division will send a Civil Investigative Demand to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee asking them to explain what was going through their heads when they decided on the final rankings.

“My Office is launching an investigation to examine if the Committee was involved in any anticompetitive conduct. As it stands, the Committee’s decision reeks of partiality, so we are demanding answers — not only for FSU but for all schools, teams and fans of college football. In Florida, merit matters. If it’s attention they were looking for, the Committee certainly has our attention now,” Moody said in a news release.

Undefeated teams have been cut out from competing for a natty a few times since the playoffs began in 2014. UCF fans felt the pain in 2017, even going so far as to design a National Championship license plate after they trumped SEC runner-up Auburn in the Peach Bowl on their way to a 13-0 record.