As I continue to go through dozens and dozens of emails that were dumped last night--I keep finding indications that the Escambia Board of County Commissioners has been purposely undermined.
A few weeks back--a flyer with misinformation/disinformation began making the rounds in "chain-style" emails. I figured it was a disgruntled resident perhaps. Maybe it was one of the folks that want us to build thousands of residential housing units on OLF-8 (A concept I have opposed from day 1).
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| NFCU Public Affairs Manager Bill Pearson sent this unflattering email --above--to our alleged consultant team's communications director--who then spread it to those in the community who are most vitriolically opposed to any commerce on OLF 8 |
As a citizen he is entitled to his opinion and to say whatever he wants about the project. He has the freedom of speech. This is America--not Myanmar or China.
But here is where the story goes sideways....
It looks as though Travis Peterson (one of our supposed team members at DPZ that is making $200 per hour working "for" the county) has fed his distilled talking points on our economic development strategies--commerce parks in particular--to NFCU executives and these "No Commerce Park on OLF-8" individuals--including George Stephenson.
And the spin on what was sent was unmistakably negative. For instance, a recent unsuccessful bid to offer 10 acres of our Technology park was spotlighted by Peterson. But wait--- Travis Peterson was alerted to the Tech Park issue via an apparently unsolicited email from NFCU Communications Director Bill Pearson! (above, right screen capture)
And as if all of this isn't bad enough---then I find this email document where Navy Federal Credit Union spokesman Bill Pearson is editing the bullet points of the "No Commerce Park on OLF-8" groups position paper.
I am also seeing LOTS of emails where a loose Navy Federal Credit Union led "confederation" is meeting on topics that appear to be highly negative on the county's commerce parks in general and a commerce park at all on OLF-8 in particular. Interestingly--I do not see any county staff--you know, the client--copied on any of these meeting announcements/calendar dates. Was the county represented there?
Here's a couple of questions: I thought we were doing a plan that was supposed to be fair, balanced, and unbiased, taking all citizens into account and all concepts into account. A compromise.
What I am reading in these emails looks nothing like a compromise. It looks like a conspiracy between and among some citizens actively opposed to the commerce project at OLF-8, Navy Federal Credit Union senior employees, AND the communications director for the County's Consultant--DPZ!
I am going to ask a lot of questions today and request every public record email in DPZ's possession at today's meeting. I need to know how/why this was allowed to happen, this apparent undermining of arguably the most important economic development project in our area in generations.
And if NFCU is simply "on the sidelines and impartial" as their president Keith Hoskins proclaims in this article linked above, working with the county on a good plan--Why the heck is NFCU, through spokesman Bill Pearson--working against the county's economic development strategy?
More importantly--Was Bill directed to do this, and if so, by whom?
9 comments:
Duh Studer wants OLF. County Admin working for Pcola interests. DU doing whatever. Look at the Beach Haven $$$$. Look close. But the problem is the D2 candidate looking at this thinks. "Bye Felicia" on her f/b page is good and impressive is either an idiot on national politics or is corrupted. Bring on the new guy in D2.
As far a next D2 contender, Pino publicly admitted she voted for Gary Johnson in 2016, then changed her party to RINO ..then now ..back to IND.. pfftttt
Failed Political Operative.
Bye Felicia
I've lived in Escambia county my entire life and it's obvious that this thing is going to be a disaster.
Jeff,
For transparency purposes, can you ask NFCU to put in writing what their preference is for this property? I think the community deserves to know. We already know your preference, thank you.
I'm for jobs and I love Navy Federal. But I do want my daughter to have a choice locally between multiple Fortune 100 companies, not just Navy Federal.
It's obvious they're worrying about something, and it's better to address their worry now than before it's too late.
Thank you from District 5.
ANON 11:49--I emailed NFCU CEO Mary McDuffie with my serious concerns over some of the issues I am seeing with this process---as well as significant ongoing concerns as it relates to the OLF-8 Project and Escambia County as well as other issues with NFCU which concern me as a strong supporter of that company and a 40-year member. And I have asked to speak with her and provided her my personal cell phone----which I answer. Especially if I see a 703 area code call now that I have pressed the "send" button on that email a few minutes ago. :) But in that email to her I did ask that question directly. Just come out and tell us is my request. No kabuki theater, no reindeer games, just transparency. I hope she responds. I hate it that NFCU is getting their reputation dragged through the mud here because of DPZ's local press spokesman's actions out of view of our county project manager. And yes-----I feel they acted contrary to their client's (us, not NFCU) interests with their actions illustrated in the email dump I got Wednesday night.
Anonymous 11:23/11:56,
Perhaps if you had taken the time to read the article I posted, you would realize the name of one of the 5 suspects arrested in Arizona for conspiracy, civil disorder, disorderly conduct, obstruction of an official proceeding, and entering a restricted building or grounds is Felicia Konold. So that wasn't a stupid joke, but a serious bye bye.
If you consider being alarmed by a mob riot including discrete elements of pre-planned insurrection that resulted in the death of one police officer, the heart attack of another, and the apparently linked suicides of two more to be "idiocy," then please do feel free to pursue a candidate who thinks that's no big deal. As far as I know, the only candidate on the ballot who thinks what happened that day is a big zero is Doug Underhill, so maybe he's really your boy after all. If it's cop killing you're looking to justify, you're right--that ain't my bag.
As for me being "corrupt," that's so laughable it's ludicrous. If I were, Doug's shady operatives from various realms would have busted it a long time ago. Instead, I get personally audited through periodic independence reviews at my husband's company. In addition, I fall under the purview of multiple state and federal agencies due to familial connections. I haven't taken a penny for anything since we moved to Pensacola and I got involved with unpaid advocacy. So have fun sending yourself down into conspiracy theory rabbit tunnels and wasting time on that one. Godspeed.
As far as party registration, before we moved here I was an independent, as are many other people in the states I lived in, since there are no closed primaries. So thank you for employing the term RINO, because if I need to adhere to a party platform in order to run for a local office, then you're right, I might not be your candidate.
Governing on a County level has nothing to do with party affiliation. What does Public Safety, roads and drainage, and transparency in government have to do with any of that? Answer: nothing.
As I have no design on higher office, and only a desire to help District 2, the County, and our community move forward to achieve our potential, I decided that being independent of any official party was the best way to do that. I can work with anybody who's honest.
Speaking of honesty: my bringing the fiasco on the inflated Beach Haven sewer single vendor procurement, and the way that Janice Gilley tried to finagle it for Doug Underhill past the rest of her board, is--as you seem pretty aware--one of a long list of things I have brought to light recently exposing Doug Underhill's corruption and, sadly now, our County Administrator's involvement. That's apart from everything I exposed about Doug's wrongdoings in District 2 prior to Gilley coming onboard.
So if you're voting or advocating for a local candidate based on where he or she stands amidst the absolute mess of federal politics right now, then perhaps you'll be seeking elsewhere for D2. But if you're voting or advocating for a local candidate who understands better than most exactly how the processes, administration, HR practices, procurement, planning, environmental practices, and infrastructure relationships need to change in order to function better, then you might want to rethink whether we're really at cross purposes.
Either way, isn't it wonderful that we still live in a country where we all have the right to choose based off personal priorities. My priority isn't party politics, but actually helping the constituents of D2 and the greater County. Everybody needs better Public Safety, better roads, and better drainage. And we all deserve better transparency than what has been happening with this never-ending saga of OLF8, with so many of the stakeholders running around playing at cloak and dagger for their own vested special interest. It's as simple as that.
--Melissa Pino
you are correct Melissa, I didn't read the article and reacted incorrectly and impulsively. I assumed it was another infuriating TDS syndrome post.
Nationally what has happened these past four years is just a sad and confusing time in our country. I'm not going to go into a long diatribe. I stand corrected for what it's worth. I am not convinced we had a free and fair election and have seen the spin and rhetoric on all sides. Even today in the senate, call witness..them back off. People have different ideologies and different approaches to issues and it doesn't take but a keystroke to go low. I do not like the conflict of politics but have found myself drawn in otherwise..
Facts: national 2020 election
1) Federal Voting laws stated that no voting law could be changed less than 30 days before and election. That was not upheld in every state where after Oct 3rd States passed laws ok'ing mail in ballots could be submitted after election day, and some states ok'ed mail in ballots in October less than 30 days before the election. 2) Federal and State laws state that vote watchers and the Media are to watch the vote counting. That was violated in 6 States. 3) Voting Tabulators were not to be connected to the internet. 16 States had voting machines connected to the internet. 4) Federal and State laws state that No voting machines, Tabulators or Mobile servers are to have their software updated 3 days before elections 28 States violated that law.
I can not stand what the house democrats have done.. and it does also reflect down the line in considering candidates.
One things does lead to another.
I think the Biden administration is leading our country down a path of no return and I think secure borders, America first policies, free speech and lack of spin in the media would be better.
I think people should pledge allegiance to the flag of the USA and follow the constitution, If one supported voting for Biden, I personally don't trust their judgement in any other aspect of life.
If we can't trust our elections we have lost our country and founding principles.
The constitution matters.
The Time article admitted to the intense co ordinated efforts..and I do not think it is in the best interest of the country.
As far as local politics, I essentially turned it off for about a year and turned it back on and it's SOSDD..
Carry on.. This is aggravating.
I think that new guy in D2 may be a welcome change, not the pizza guy but the other military guy..I'm sure he doesn't know as much as you. You are hands down the most informed but you are infuriating..in your intolerance and lack of depth in understanding complexities ..imo .. that is all..
Anonymous 2:40, thank you for your thoughtful and honest response. I sincerely appreciate it.
After voting to acquit Trump on the impeachment charges, McConnell just got up and said the following:
(1) that he did believe Trump was guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors;
(2) that if he himself hadn't been in charge of the Senate calendar, so that the Senate hearings could have taken place while Trump was still in office, he might have voted to convict him; and
(3) that he believes that Trump can still be brought up on criminal charges.
Please forgive the paraphrase; this took everybody by surprise--leave it to Mitch--so the press is apparently scrambling to get the full text up.
But if that's what "understanding complexities" looks like--again, this is where hyper partisan politics have gotten us. For whatever reason he orchestrated this needle-thread (which really makes him look awful), it probably included the goal of not letting the dems have a political win and his own self-interest in preserving minority leadership, despite some conscience in there somewhere that compelled him to get up and say how furious he was with Trump and that he unequivocally condemned his actions that day. Just not enough, apparently, to vote that way.
This is why I chose to bow out of platform politics attached to local politics, for better or worse.
What you see as intolerance and lack of depth feels, on my side, as a refusal to concede my principles while trying to get things done on a local political level. And what you feel is "infuriating" in the way I go about this is probably due at least in part to how very hardened you have to become in order to pursue a course of hammering on transparency, unethical actions, and downright corruption in Escambia County. I didn't start out so obdurate in my approach, but over the years it has evolved into a necessary steeling against some very powerful forces that would very much like me to just stop talking.
All I can say is, me stealing myself against blow-back of every kind does not mean that, intellectually and mentally, I fail to stop considering things from all angles. Which is why I have evolved in my thinking on several positions in local politics over time.
Remember when I was a cheerleader for Gilley coming on board, because I thought she would put an end to the nonsense?
It was not an easy thing to admit I had been wrong about that, and in fact, once I realized it, it was pretty scary. Don't let these women in positions of power fool you; they mean business. So while you gauge my temperament to be unyielding--in the moments, yes it sure is, because it has to be. That doesn't mean that I've lost flexibility of thinking and analyzing. It just means that this can be a damn hard town, and any person who doesn't have the ability to tough that out isn't going to last long in any public arena. And, I'll leave it on the thought that, if I were a man, people might see my "infuriating" inflexibility in the moment to be a benefit, rather than a detriment, to seeking office.
--Melissa Pino
Jeff has stayed away from national politics on this blog wisely and the local politics is not what is infuriating to me..
McConnell and many members of the house and senate are our problem. I like what Van der Veen had to say about it
https://twitter.com/i/status/1360716676778622978
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