Pensacola and Escambia County are in the same economic boat as the rest of the country. The cost of running the government, the overhead, is not sustainable and needs fixing. Then there is the cost of operating facilities that the government need not be involved in, and you see a not so rosy economic picture for the County and the taxpayers who still have jobs.

Something needs to be done locally to turn this around. Waiting on rhetoric from Washington to fix our problem is irresponsible and suicide. What needs to be done is a combination of tightening the government’s belt and selling off ‘assets’ that it does not need.

One County commissioner, Gene Valentino, has suggested selling off  the Pensacola Civic Center.

The bed tax provides money to promote tourism, but only after it pays more than $1 million a year to help subsidize the Pensacola Civic Center.  County commissioners, unhappy that the subsidy may soar to $1.6 million this year, would like to change that.

Gene Valentino suggested selling it, but that idea has gone nowhere in better economic times, and it’s unlikely to draw many bids now.

But let’s not stop there. Put the Port of Pensacola on the market too!

What else are we paying for that could be better done in the private sector that would reduce our tax burden and improve our economic outlook? Leave nothing off the table. Include other real estate, policies, benefits, and procedures that will trim the cost of government, ie, the taxpayers’ overhead.

1. Pensacola Civic Center

2. Port of Pensacola

Add your suggestions in the comments below.

Link: Tourism By The Numbers by Mark O’Brien  |  Cash Cow Milked Enough by Reginald T. Dogan