The blog has been around since 2005. Here is what I have written on this day during that period:
May 20, 2007: IN was in the second day of Hawkshaw, the concert that introduced Zac Brown to Pensacola. Story: Hawkshaw completes first day
May 20, 2008: The Pensacola City Council voted yesterday to have Mayor John Fogg negotiate with Rusty “Jackpot” Wells on his new contract with the city for the city attorney position. Story: Fogg will give Rusty everything
May 20, 2009: The audit of the Airport Hotel lease agreement with Sandspur Development has been released by staff. Story: Damning report on hotel lease
May 20, 2010: The IN publishes Fighting for Papa Bear. Story: Fighting for Papa Bear
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In 2005 and 2006, I was only posting two or three times a month. Here are posts from those years —My family and friends tell I was much meaner back then:
It’s about jobs, stupid!
May 18, 2005
We are losing high paying jobs at an alarming rate. Solutia and International Paper have had several large layoffs – and there will be more. BRAC will cost us nearly 1600 high-paying positions.
Whose job is it to find better jobs for this community? The Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce.
What kind of jobs are they finding for us? Call service centers.
How many UWF & PJC students can’t wait to graduate so that they work on phone and in windowless office? None.
Who is holding the Chamber accountable? Don’t know – other than our paper.
Maybe we should give someone else a turn at it. Escambia County’s average hourly pay is a dollar less than other workers across the state and $2.50 less an hour than the national average.
The Escambia County Commission needs to evaluate its financial relationship with the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce and openly discuss whether its time for a change on the economic development front.
I want my kids to live and work here after they graduate – but if all we have to offer them are jobs answering phones or waiting tables, then it won’t happen.
May 2006
Andrews Institute
May 12, 2006
Anonymous said…
“I can’t believe that you think the Andrews Istitute is a good idea, what a waste, especially a waste of the 2,5 million dollars the taxpayers will have to pay for it. What a pork barrel load of shit. You must have some stake in it. Your paper still sucks.â€It’s so nice to have an intelligent debate. The only comment missing is “and you’re fat.â€
The $2.5 million is a solid investment by the State of Florida. The Andrews Institute is the best thing to happen to Gulf Breeze since the building of the Pensacola Bay Bridge. It will make Gulf Breeze and South Santa Rosa County a mecca for healthcare and life sciences. There is no other industry coming into Santa Rosa County that will create more high paying jobs. Several companies are considering setting up branch offices and even distribution centers in the area to take advantage of the research that will be done at Andrews. Eglin AFB has asked them for help with their training programs. This is no pork barrel project by any means.
And I don’t have a stake in the the facility.