Murders, shootings, assaults, rapes…they too quickly become just numbers, one-day headlines lost in the flood of news of Justin Beiber’s tattoos, Lady Gaga’s outfits and Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy Firing a county administrator,…
The Kumbayah Provision
The Escambia County Commission tonight again tweaked the structure of its RESTORE Act advisory committee. This time, they addressed ambiguities pertaining to the city of Pensacola’s seat at the table after Commissioner…
R.I.P. Distinctive Kitchens
A downtown retail mainstay since 2004, Distinctive Kitchens has closed. The doors have been locked for weeks. A “Closed for Inventory” sign has been on the front door throughout the holiday shopping…
4-H Confusion?
Two Escambia County commissioners are appearing hesitant to pull the trigger on moving forward with the planned 4-H center on Stefani Road. “There’s such a misunderstanding out there,†Commissioner Wilson Robertson said…
Now the bad news about fiscal check. Your paycheck will be hit
The Payroll Tax Cut, which reduced your share of payroll taxes by 2 percent and increased your net pay, expired on Dec. 31, 2012 and was not renewed by Congress. I’m told…
Magaha not the only one under fire for pay raises
Once the two legislative leaders were sworn in, Florida Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford immediately hired new chiefs of staff and paid them more than taxpayers pay state…
Who was the most influential person on social media in 2012?
According to SocialToaster Super Fans, it was President Barack Obama. Social marketing platform SocialToaster recently conducted a survey of 3,000 Super Fans and asked them to rank the most influential people online….
More good news on fiscal cliff deal: Floridians can still deduct sales taxes
The Florida state sales tax deduction has been extended for two year, as part of the fiscal cliff deal between Congress and the White House. Had it not been extended, then we…
Commission Jumps Into 2013
The first Escambia County Commission meeting of 2013 is scheduled for tomorrow, with commissioners taking up a range of issues, including the search for a county administrator and restructuring of the RESTORE…
How to be a better elected official in 2013
Forbes has published a slideshow on how employees can be better. I’ve adapted the 14 points for elected officials. 1. Anticipate your district’s needs. What are the issues in your district? Not…
Happy New Year (video)
A different, fun Happy New Year. Gunshop | Hoppy New Year from Gunshop on Vimeo. – Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Good news on fiscal cliff deal: GE keeps wind tax credit
A one-year extension of the tax credit for the wind industry was included in the fiscal cliff deal that Congress passed yesterday. The tax credit, which was critical to GE Energy staying…
Nine hate crimes committed in Escambia, Santa Rosa counties
Attorney General Pam Bondi released on Monday the 2011 Hate Crimes in Florida Report, which includes detailed information on the types of hate crimes being committed throughout the state. During the 2011…
Falling off fiscal cliff could hit your next paycheck
CNN has figured out that if no deal happens today the falling off the fiscal cliff will have a full impact for a few weeks. The biggest immediate impact will be on…
Top Five Economic Trends to reshape Moblie, Escambia County and Pensacola
The Mobile Press Register has published the top five economic trends that it believes will reshape Mobile in 2013. Of course, the Airbus assembly plant tops the list. The $600-million plant to…
WTF: City of Pensacola has higher murder rate than NYC
Last Friday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised his Police Department for newly released 2012 homicide statistics, which showed 414 murders in the city—the city’s lowest homicide rate in 40 years…
Dave Barry reviews 2012, as only he can do
From Miami Herald: It was a cruel, cruel year — a year that kept raising our hopes, only to squash them flatter than a dead possum on the interstate. Example: This year…
What Donna Fassett learned in a life of 33 years service to the community (Her own words)
ARC Gateway sent out an official press release regarding the death of its executive director, Donna Fassett. Two years ago, Donna wrote this piece on the life lessons that she has learned…
Food for guns trade worked in LA. How much chicken can you buy for a rocket launcher?
The Los Angeles Police Department offered for one day only a buyback program. Turn in a gun, get a grocery store gift card. According to Atlantic, the final numbers were 2,037 firearms,…
Pensacola pioneer Donna Fassett passed away last night
The executive director of ARC Gateway passed away last night after a battle with cancer. We named Donna a Game Changer this past year. Pensacola is a better place thanks to her…