Comments on: Pensacola's Grass Politics http://rosscalloway.com/2009/07/26/pensacolas-grass-politics/ Belly up to the counter. Politics are on the menu and Ross is on the grill. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:44:39 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ross http://rosscalloway.com/2009/07/26/pensacolas-grass-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-452 ross Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:53:27 +0000 http://rosscalloway.com/?p=3899#comment-452 She is probably right, from a horticultural perspective. But what is stopping the city from doing whatever maintenance may be needed to keep it presentable? It's like having a new white sofa in the living room that you're not allowed to sit in for fear of getting it dirty. It's beginning to sound a bit ridiculous. Not you, them. It's not unlike the stupid beach mouse that UWF repopulated on Perdido Key after hurricane Ivan wiped them out, contradicting the natural selection of nature that the environmentalist wackos seem to worship. So now the environmentalist wackos are making human development there impossible or prohibitively expensive with 'fees' for humans to use their own properties however they see fit, for the benefit of a mouse. So now, because grass might be trampled on and killed, the public park is supposed to be off limits? I suggest they contact a landscaper to see what they can do to maintain the park instead of closing it to public gatherings because they don't want to maintain it. Wiggins Landscaping does a nice job on my lawn. I'm sure they could do the same for the city. How about this angle? If the city fathers see an area worn out because of public use, it would serve as a reminder to them that Americans/Pensacolans have a voice, and use it. They should be glad that the park is used so much that they need to increase their maintenance budget to keep it in a state that they want it to be in. Else live with what they got. IMHO, restricting access is not the answer. She is probably right, from a horticultural perspective. But what is stopping the city from doing whatever maintenance may be needed to keep it presentable? It’s like having a new white sofa in the living room that you’re not allowed to sit in for fear of getting it dirty.

It’s beginning to sound a bit ridiculous. Not you, them. It’s not unlike the stupid beach mouse that UWF repopulated on Perdido Key after hurricane Ivan wiped them out, contradicting the natural selection of nature that the environmentalist wackos seem to worship. So now the environmentalist wackos are making human development there impossible or prohibitively expensive with ‘fees’ for humans to use their own properties however they see fit, for the benefit of a mouse.

So now, because grass might be trampled on and killed, the public park is supposed to be off limits?

I suggest they contact a landscaper to see what they can do to maintain the park instead of closing it to public gatherings because they don’t want to maintain it. Wiggins Landscaping does a nice job on my lawn. I’m sure they could do the same for the city.

How about this angle? If the city fathers see an area worn out because of public use, it would serve as a reminder to them that Americans/Pensacolans have a voice, and use it.

They should be glad that the park is used so much that they need to increase their maintenance budget to keep it in a state that they want it to be in. Else live with what they got. IMHO, restricting access is not the answer.

]]> By: Derek Cosson http://rosscalloway.com/2009/07/26/pensacolas-grass-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-451 Derek Cosson Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:57:08 +0000 http://rosscalloway.com/?p=3899#comment-451 Ross: Just as a point of order, Susan Woolf is the Assistant City Attorney, not the Assistant City Manager. My error. Staff's position is that those are the months in which the grass can best recover. Apparently it is legally doable. I'm not sure how I feel about it, personally. It's a balancing act between public use for all and maintaining our most historically significant showcase park. Ross: Just as a point of order, Susan Woolf is the Assistant City Attorney, not the Assistant City Manager. My error.

Staff’s position is that those are the months in which the grass can best recover. Apparently it is legally doable. I’m not sure how I feel about it, personally. It’s a balancing act between public use for all and maintaining our most historically significant showcase park.

]]> By: Hillary http://rosscalloway.com/2009/07/26/pensacolas-grass-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-450 Hillary Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:30:32 +0000 http://rosscalloway.com/?p=3899#comment-450 Now ya know how to work with the city. Hire a lawyer. Now ya know how to work with the city.

Hire a lawyer.

]]> By: ross http://rosscalloway.com/2009/07/26/pensacolas-grass-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-449 ross Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:09:00 +0000 http://rosscalloway.com/?p=3899#comment-449 Derek, My problem with this proposal is exactly this: "permits would only be issued in the months of June, July, and August, with a maximum of two events in each of those months." Ms. Woolf's decision to legislate public access as off limits 8 months/year is the problem and using grass as justification to do that is absurd. It's not about Tea Parties. Its about the 1st amendment right to assemble 12 months/yr. Derek,
My problem with this proposal is exactly this: “permits would only be issued in the months of June, July, and August, with a maximum of two events in each of those months.”

Ms. Woolf’s decision to legislate public access as off limits 8 months/year is the problem and using grass as justification to do that is absurd.

It’s not about Tea Parties. Its about the 1st amendment right to assemble 12 months/yr.

]]> By: Round-up, 07.27.09 http://rosscalloway.com/2009/07/26/pensacolas-grass-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-448 Round-up, 07.27.09 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:45:51 +0000 http://rosscalloway.com/?p=3899#comment-448 [...] More on the Plaza Ferdinand VII situation. Our friends at the ultra-conservative loopty blog The Lunch Counter encourage citizens to show up at the City Council’s August 13 meeting to voice opposition to the City’s proposed ordinance restricting use of Plaza Ferdinand VII. [...] [...] More on the Plaza Ferdinand VII situation. Our friends at the ultra-conservative loopty blog The Lunch Counter encourage citizens to show up at the City Council’s August 13 meeting to voice opposition to the City’s proposed ordinance restricting use of Plaza Ferdinand VII. [...]

]]> By: Derek Cosson http://rosscalloway.com/2009/07/26/pensacolas-grass-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-447 Derek Cosson Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:37:51 +0000 http://rosscalloway.com/?p=3899#comment-447 Ross: Just to clarify, the Assistant City Manager, Susan Woolf, who drafted the ordinance, has said that the City would not try to prohibit Constiutionally-protected gatherings, such as the "Tea Party" rally there earlier this year. That said, there are certainly many who would argue that, as publicly-owned space, it should be open for ANY use. Ross: Just to clarify, the Assistant City Manager, Susan Woolf, who drafted the ordinance, has said that the City would not try to prohibit Constiutionally-protected gatherings, such as the “Tea Party” rally there earlier this year.

That said, there are certainly many who would argue that, as publicly-owned space, it should be open for ANY use.

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