Pensacola stockbroker John Peacock has a problem, apparently. I'm his problem according to a screen shot I've seen now reflecting comments he has made about me on a facebook chat site.
That's cool, he can say what he wants because he has free speech. But I can and will speak my mind, too--especially now that I am attacked by him.
His (Peacock's) anger this go round apparently stems from my staunch disagreement with him about the structure of Escambia County's governance and in particular installation of a "strong" elected executive. While we did and do agree that individual commissioners should be elected county-wide--- because our decisions impact the entire county----he, Peacock believes we should have a charter county, and what he really wants is a strong, elected county executive. (I know this because he has requested multiple meetings with me and I have accommodated these in my office--where John has always been cordial and polite in his advocacy for this sort of structure when we are face to face in person) He thinks we should have a charter county with one strong figurehead he can attempt to lobby and boss around, not five individual commissioners (representing the entire county and not just downtown) to have to work through. He and a few others downtown can exert inordinate control over the county's agenda under that elected executive scenario--kind of like what happened when the schools locally used to elect a "boss hogg" superintendent which made that chief school administrator position hyper political and simultaneously all but neutered the duly elected district school board members--- making them powerless.
I say no way to that. Been there, done that, go the T-Shirt. No way, no how--and that really irritates John. I guess he's used to folks just genuflecting over the bad ideas he's peddling on behalf of truly wealthy and powerful community "leaders"that run him--- because John is a self-anointed bigshot stockbroker with self-proclaimed bigshot portfolio book of business. He thinks that affords him sway--but it doesn't obviously. So what if he's a rich downtown stockbroker, I don't care. I disagree with him, he knows it because I told him to his face in my office and also publicly when he brought this garbage to a BCC public forum. And so now he's calling me the "worst commissioner ever online" LOL.
Here's the thing though. It's not just me saying NO to this ridiculous brainchild of others he's pushing on their behalf. When he tried to pitch it to me in my office last year, he knew my thoughts then. It's not a secret, it's a NO, John. Then and now--because it is a garbage solution looking for a problem to get it's meathooks into. No. And it's a lot of people saying "NO, John." When the topic was covered in North Escambia last November--38 of 39 of the posts commenters flatly rejected it forcefully. As I told him correctly in my office--people don't want Pensacola style governance in the County. The idea is DOA when/if it comes to the county for my vote. So Peacock's lingering frustration(s) over being an inept lobbyiest for this garbage scheme manifests itself with these BS comments below, on a facebook chat site that has 11 malcontents and ZERO sway on anything.
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Instead of picking up the phone or calling me or requesting another meeting Peacock just goes on a chat site that has about 11 active members that really hate the fact that I keep winning elections and beating their candidates of choice. He goes on that site and says what he says which is untrue and I suspect he knows it's rubbish---- but he says it anyway.
I normally would not respond in such a public way to this sort of nonsense, but in this case I felt it important to respond immediately with a strong rebuttal---directly to John Peacock--not in weak fashion via a passive aggressive post on an obscure online chat site like John does. Here's the message John got back from me this morning. Directly. Let's see what he says about that! 😀
ECW is as bad as the commentors on NE blog. Who hosts such negativity? It doesn't take long to see through it for the ones who look beyond the headlines and the bevel of trolls.
ReplyDeleteWater off a ducks back.
I understand the desire to correct that but one can waste a lot of energy getting in the mud with the pigs.
Glad you are running again.
My favorite communications from John Peacock were when he was mansplaining me on the need for a roundabout on Pensacola Beach on Facebook--apparently completely unaware of *any* of the actual discussions that took place on it at the BCC. So I forwarded him all of the Volkert emails in which they had to concede that my traffic stats were correct: that yes, it would have failed on any given Saturday; that there was no other emergency option than to throw a traffic cop into the roundabout to direct traffic; and that--yes Virginia--roundabouts really do bring an increase in accidents, so would of course had the same effect at Via De Luna/Fort Pickens.
ReplyDeleteHe emailed me back stating that nonetheless the lack of leadership of the BCC on not implementing anything "effected the entire community."
That was in 2019. You gotta hand it to him, seriously--his lack of results never seems to deter his self-regard for the efficacy of his advocacy.
He finally blocked me on Facebook for posting against his charter committee, after throwing down at me his favorite Mark Twain quote, "Never argue with a fool...onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."
Unfortunately, the one Twain quote John seems acquainted with was never actually spoken by Twain. (Proverbs 26:4-5)
Oh, and I should mention that those of us who fought the roundabout at Pensacola Beach recognized that they were squishing one into a place that doesn't have room for it. I'm really hopeful that the contractor will get the signage right during construction out on the Key, and that once it's in that will be a spot where it will help traffic flow beautifully. We fought Doug on the lack of public input on the project, and his lying propaganda about all the outreach he did, but we didn't go against the roundabout itself. Fingers crossed that Doug's hobby of directing staff and circumventing DOT won't interfere with its ultimate success. Unlike Pensacola Beach, that intersection *does* have a history of nasty collisions, which is of course one of the things roundabouts are supposed to solve.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 11:11--I agree with your assessment of that site. But it is incredibly odd that a year later, a year after my meeting with him in my office about consolidation, charter, and elected executives----a year later this guy Peacock rolls out of bed with a bunch of garbage lies about me on facebook. No phone call to me, no request for a meeting, nothing. Just a series of ridiculous assertions about me that everyone (except for 11 on one facebook site) knows are BS lies. He complains about leadership? Is his example leadership? I think not. It is not leadership to not get your way and instead of directly confronting someone with ideas Peacock goes online like a keyboard warrior and attacks. Immature and beneath him to do it. Normally I ignore BS garbage like this---but it is so ridiculous I had to call him out. If he can't get his ideas over the line dealing with folks professionally and cordially--how in the world does he ever think he'll get anything done taking shots at people hiding behind a keyboard. I think he is delusional. Melissa--I agree he was totally wrong about Pensacola Beach traffic. The county has implemneted solutions that have TREMENOUSLY and positively impacted traffic for the better out at Pensacola Beach. I guess nobody told John that. Meanwhile--those of us who love the beach and are out here as often as possible know this. I meant what I said to him and I want to reiterate it: If he truly thinks I am "the worst thing that ever happened to Escambia County" then he should immediately implement the Jonathan Owens strategy, move from another district into District 1, then run against me. Like Jonathan found out--talking a bunch of BS on Facebook is a lot easier than running against me in D1. Maybe the two of them should team up, bring Karen Sindel off the bench, and try it again to see what happens. John doesn't have the stones to do it, he'll find a proxy to run and that's fine, I will dispatch him or her. That's what's going to happen. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat!? You’re a politician who is in unafraid. Peacock got served and should continue “churning” in his world or step up. I bet if he spent 1 million dollars on the race, he could win. Of course, he could lose , too. And that would be the ultimate humiliation. His fear of loss prevents him from challenging you directly. As they say, talk is cheap. Or, money talks and BS walks. Let’s face it, Peacock is old, his time of relevance, if he ever was, is setting. Time for him to tell stories of how he could have be a contender.
ReplyDelete