Tag Archives: Pensacola

Economy, Florida, Pensacola

Opportunity Knocking

The tornado frenzy that swept the South and Southeast makes the word destructive seem mild. Whole towns leveled, an uncounted number of people lost everything, including their lives.

It is hard to compare hurricane Ivan or Katrina to the tornadoes of the last couple days. Those hurricanes leveled or damaged homes, towns, and neighborhoods too. And the people responded. Contractors and companies from all over the United States came here and had years of work for thousands of people. The rebuilding effort created more jobs and economic activity than any other single event in the 31 years I’ve been here.

There’s no enjoyment in saying this, but this weather disaster has just opened up a lot of work for a lot of people willing to move. Trying to coördinate the rebuilding effort on the national level requires some leadership and ingenuity in putting a  lot of people back to work. A digital infrastructure like Twitter and Facebook already exists. On second thought, the Red Cross is already setup to assist. Contact them and go there. Or, go there then contact them. A  dot GOV website would be most helpful. And as always, don’t wait for the government to invite you. Pack your car or truck and head to where ever you want to work and live for the next few years. You know, it’s that whole ‘early bird’ thing.

And before you even think it, the answer is NO. That’s not government intrusion. That’s government doing one of the few things it is actually responsible for doing.

Economy, Pensacola

Some Sign Holders Get The Boot

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There was an article in the local paper (Pensacola News Journal, April 11) about the ‘sign holders.’ You’ve probably seen them in your city too. It was more a human interest story than anything political or requiring police action. It was exactly like the writer, syndicated columnist Mark O’Brien said, an example of making lemonade out of lemons in these tough economic times.

But later in the week, the light-hearted piece took a dark turn for the one-man entrepreneurs. On his blog, O’Brien wrote . . .

As a result of the article, City Hall got complaints and the men were told to get off the sidewalks.

According to Police Chief Chip Simmons, ‘complaints’ were received at the Police Department that a city ordinance was in violation and the men were told to leave. The violation was for ‘doing business on city property.’

Which begs the question, when does freedom of speech end and business begin? These guys were not doing business. They were holding signs. Prostitutes do business on the sidewalks.

O’Brien notes the inconsistency in enforcement. Long live the ‘going out of business’ sign holders, and the furniture company and ‘buy your gold’ sign holders, and the ‘homeless, please help’ sign holders. And the ‘buy my pizza,’ ‘file your tax return,’ and ‘save the ta-ta’s car wash’ cartoon characters and sign holders.

So the City of Pensacola decides to dump on those that can least afford it. Just where is the ACLU when you need them?

Energy, Florida, Pensacola

G.E. to Build Largest U.S. Solar Panel Factory, In NW Florida?

Dateline San Francisco –  In a move that could shake up the American solar industry, General Electric plans to announce on Thursday that it will build the nation’s largest photovoltaic panel factory, with the goal of becoming a major player in the market.

The plant, whose location has not been determined, will employ 400 workers and create 600 related jobs, according to G.E. The factory would annually produce solar panels that would generate 400 megawatts of energy, the company said, and would begin manufacturing thin-film photovoltaic panels made of a material called cadmium telluride in 2013

With one big G.E. investment in wind energy already in Pensacola, seems like a solar panel factory here too would be a good move. G.E. said it was not applying for a loan guarantee but was exploring applying for state and federal manufacturing tax credits.

Here’s a new project for City, County, and state officials. Go after that business and the jobs that go with it.

Link: G.E. to Build Largest U.S. Solar Panel Factory

Pensacola, Politics

Town Hall Metting Tomorrow With Mayor Hayward

“It’s Your City, Come Join the Discussion!” That’s the message from Mayor Ashton Hayward who will be hosting a town hall-style meeting Monday, April 11, 2011 from 6pm-7:30pm at the Gull Point Recreation Center on the corner of Spanish Trail and Creighton roads.

Mayor Hayward and the unelected and infamous “Pensacola City Staff will be on hand to take your questions, address your concerns, and listen to your comments and feedback.”

Pensacola

Health Department Closes Bayou Texar, Again

The Health Department has again closed Bayou Texar because of unsafe levels of fecal bacteria. Only now, they’re not even using the F word. Apparently it has become trivial enough to just call it ‘bacteria.’

The alert was issued after weekly sampling revealed the level of bacteria has exceeded the level established by state guidelines.

Additionally, a health alert remains in effect for Bayou Chico at Lakewood Park.

The Heath Department advises against any water-related activities in these locations.

I’d say that having shitty water ranks right up there with tar balls wouldn’t you? Especially since the Health Department closes Bayou Texar several times a year. For decades now. Yet, for whatever reason, the political class in Pensacola doesn’t seem to mind. And the environmental groups like the Emerald Coastkeepers and the Riverkeepers don’t care either.

Let’s be sure to put that in the ads to lure vacationers down here. “Visit Pensacola, You’ll like our shit!”

The department will continue to monitor the water quality in these areas weekly. For more information, call the Escambia County Health Department at 595-6786.

OK, so we know the Health Department is doing its job by telling us when we should not go in the water. But what are the politicians for?

Link: Health alert for Bayou Texar

Economy, Florida, Pensacola, Politics

Early Retiree Reinsurance Program

This is what Speaker Pelosi meant by having to pass the (health care) bill to find out what’s in it. Who knew that the ‘Affordable Health Care Act’ was going to have taxpayers paying the health insurance claims for labor union, corporations, and government union employees who choose to retire early? Before they are eligible for Medicare.

The program totals $5 billion and is supposed to last until January 1, 2014 when ‘State health insurance Exchanges’ are ‘up and running.’ But there’s a problem already. Over $2 billion has already been spent, and at this rate the program will be out of money sometime in 2012. Two years earlier than ‘planned.’

Are you feeling secure now that you know your health care will be managed by the government? Do you still believe that Obamacare will bring costs down, and make the quality of care go up? We already know that we can’t keep our plan if we want to, and that we won’t be able to keep our doctor if we want to.

At this point in time, payments to individual states are dwarfed by the payout to the auto workers union, which received more than the states of New York, California, and Texas combined.  Other unions also received government funds, including the United Food and Commercial Workers, the United Mine Workers, and the Teamsters.

Here’s a short list of government entities in our area that Obamacare is funding right now.
  • Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
  • Pensacola Junior College
  • The School District of Escambia County
  • County of Escambia
  • County of Santa Rosa Board of Public Instruction
  • Northwest Florida State College
  • Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners

Nationwide list HERE.  State of Florida list HERE. And you can do a search by Zip Code HERE.

Links: Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) |  New $2 billion bailout in Obamacare

Florida, Organized Labor, Pensacola, Politics

‘We Are One Rally’ A Bust

Pensacola had their version of the ‘We Are One’ public union campaign We Are One Rally in Pensacolatoday. Lee Prior, the organizer of the event,  said that the pro-union movement was ‘electrifying people across America’ like it did 43 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched to organize black sanitation workers in Memphis, and was later assassinated.

The crowd assembled was hardly a crowd at all. There were 30 people at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza, including the speakers and sound crew. Like all such rallies there was an activist sign-up list. They garnered 15 names for that.

The keynote speaker did not attend. The organizer read a statement from him instead, saying that he had to be in Tallahassee taking care of business there. Then Jerry McIntosh, the head of the local Movement For Change group spoke.

He tried real hard to lend some relevance to the labor movement and tie it in Jerry McIntosh of Movement For Changewith Dr. King. It was labor unions that started a 40 hour work week, it was labor unions that got us sick pay, vacation pay, health insurance, retirement and pension plans, etc.. It was almost as though he was transported back to the 60’s. All of which was met with a ‘oh hum’ from the supporters. Fact is, all of what he said labor unions started are commonplace in non-union work sites today. They do deserve the credit for improving the workplace for ‘the workers.’ And because of their earlier success, all employers have learned to take care of their employees to where now, they have caused their own demise. Evidence of that is the shrinking number of union jobs in the private sector.

They were orderly and polite. But the reason they were there in the first place, the reason they were protesting, was kind of fuzzy. The CWA printed up some red signs saying ‘Stand Up for Workers’ Rights! Granted that public sector labor unions are in much disfavor with the American taxpayer now that money is tight and budget deficits are high. They have to realize, painful as it might be, that the public funds that pay them do not come from trees. And, like their private counterpart, they have to, or are being forced to, face the reality that like a private company, the government has financial limits too.

A smart parasite knows not to kill the host. Private sector unions know that they won’t have a job or a future if their company has to close its doors. Labor unions are not dumb. But they know that the government isn’t going to shut its doors. They also know that they own the Democrat Party, who will stop at nothing to repay them for their campaign contributions and street mobs. As if granting exemptions from Obamacare to labor unions isn’t enough, the latest quid pro quo revealed today is $2 Billion to unions, state public employee systems, and big corporations to subsidize health coverage costs for early retirees. Including ‘Pensacola Junior College’ and Escambia County.  The biggest single recipient of an early-retiree bailout is the United Auto Workers, which has so far received $206,798,086. They seem to be OK with that.

Their problem is that the taxpayers have reached the point, as have state budgets around the country, that things have to change if anyone is to have a future. Otherwise, they will remain One . . . boil on the butt of American taxpayers.

Links: Uncovered: New $2 billion bailout in Obamacare |  List of health care bailout recipients

Pensacola, Uncategorized

Reptile Show In Pensacola?

Who knew there was a reptile show at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds over the weekend? Well I didn’t. I went there to pick up a deal on a laptop, which I think I did. Turns out that ReptileCon was also there in a different building.

Curiosity getting the best of me I checked out what the heck that could be. If snakes, spiders, turtles, alligators, and lizards turn you off, you don’t want to be there. And of course, there were vendors selling food for same. From live worms and crickets to frozen mice, chicks, and rats.

If you ever wanted to buy some of these for pets, then this is the place that has a selection you probably won’t find anywhere else. All kinds of snakes, spiders, and turtles for sale, with or without tanks to house them.

Some people attending brought their pets with them to show them off.

 

All the vendors had their ‘merchandise’ out there for you to see, and hold.

There was a ‘demonstration’ area or more correctly an education area where people brought out some samples and discussed them. That was interesting and a favorite of the kids, of all ages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there’s this 100 pound snapping turtle that could take a limb, or your whole head, in a flash.

 

 

 

 

Maybe it has something to do with the pets, but some of the people there were also free-spirited. Like this woman who showed off her tats for a picture.

Pensacola

Tab Benoit In Pensacola, April 6

Heard on my satellite radio feed last night that Tab Benoit is coming to Pensacola. Playing at the Vinyl Music Hall, Wednesday, April  6, 2011.

Appearing with the  Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, it’ll be New Orleans blues by, as their website says, ‘legendary musicians who are at their musical prime.’

From his website . . .

Tab Benoit has assembled a stellar ensemble of fellow New Orleans musicians (including N.O. Legends which include Meters and Neville Brothers Cyril Neville, fellow roots-man Anders Osborne, fiddler Waylon Thibodeaux, influential New Orleans drummer Johnny Vidacovich, harmonica/ accordion player Jumpin Johnny Sansone, and New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. to forge a musical plea about the fragile eco-system that is the increasingly depleted wetlands surrounding their hometown.

Cheap tickets ($20-25) for what ought to be a super show.

Pensacola

Tragic Loss At Tate High School

A 15-year-old student, Gabe Carter, passed away suddenly in class on Thursday. The official cause of death is not yet known.

What is known is how much this young man was loved by his classmates and family.

The NorthEscambia.com website has a post about the tragic event, to which there are 128 comments (as of right now) left by his classmates and relatives.

Please pray for his family and classmates.

Link: Tate High Student Passes Away