Monday, June 19, 2023

Why Not Just Support a New Facility in Santa Rosa County?

"If you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need!"


I've now had a number of folks ask me about why it is I don't "support" building a brand new medical examiner's office in Santa Rosa County.

And I have answered them with logic, not emotion (contrasted with one local morning radio DJ/entertainment host who apparently can't do this as he attempts, fecklessly and unsuccessfully, to weaponize this issue against the BCC with emotion-laden faux arguments in support of Escambia County Taxpayers spending upwards of $15 Million outside of Escambia County on a new facility when we can spend a fraction of that amount and meet the facility requirement here in the existing location).  

So this is my response, to a constituent on this issue, below:

"XXX,

 Thanks for the email and for the compliments on efforts to increase public access at beaches in Perdido Key.  With respect to the DOMES issue--it is fairly cut and dried-for my vote.  We can spend $3 Million at the current facility to expand the coolers, improve the spaces, add additional space and viewing areas as well as autopsy stations.  I know this because I went there and toured the site and the county is already proactively fixing some of the issues at this current location.  The alternative is to spend ten times as much, easily $30 Million in today's construction cost altered universe---which is untenable for my vote.  It is all about meeting the requirement.  What is the requirement?  Also--the vast majority of death in this district requiring an autopsy (not all deaths require one, only about 20%, XXX) occur here in Escambia County.  So for many good reasons including the two I have listed above, the function needs to remain here in Escambia county.  I am not opposed to re-opening the annex in Okaloosa County as that might be prudent to do perhaps one day per week there.

 But no, I am not going to ask Escambia taxpayers to spend $15 Million (our proportionate share of the costs for a new facility) building a "NEW" facility in Santa Rosa County when we can spend a fraction of that amount and meet the ME's requirement.

 It's like the Rolling Stones:  You can't always get what you want, but you'll get what you need."

 


at

1 comment:

  1. Mel PinoJune 19, 2023 at 9:29 PM

    Too bad our local delegation is aligned with Downtown, ECUA, and every other special interest across the Board to screw the BCC and along with them the Escambia taxpayers.

    What can be done about that? Absolutely nothing, as they are all aware that voters here are brain dead Kool Aid drinkers who just need to be pointed in a direction by their handlers...and off they go.

    So sad that Commissioner Kohler seems to think he's leading the charge, and doesn't realize that he's being played and positioned as the poster boy of this all day long. The perils of getting elected a commissioner when you have zero idea about how this area and the County runs.

    ReplyDelete

Abusive, profane, and/or off-topic posts will not be allowed. Unprovoked ad-hominem attacks will not be tolerated. All posts are subject to moderation, posts that violate these policies, spam, posts containing off-color language, and any other inappropriate comments or content, as determined by the blog administrator, will remain in moderation and may not be added on the site. This site is not my campaign site, but in an abundance of caution I will offer the below disclaimer.