Can We Answer the 40% Question First?

Dealing with the homeless issues in the county is an ongoing concern.

The city is dealing with issues arising from a growing population of the homeless or the "unhoused."  ("Unhoused people" is a term I am hearing a lot lately.  Maybe this is the new PC term we are all supposed to be using now?)

So the county has $4 Million in Federally-provided funds to help address the issue(s) surrounding homelessness.  And the county has discussed this on a number of occassions.

We'll be discussing it again this Thursday evening.  What do we do with the money, how do we distribute it to help with the issues and what does victory in dealing with this problem look like?

We settled last meeting on having staff bring a process for us to award nonprofits that work in this space individual allocations from this $4Million corpus of money.  Then progress can be tracked, multiple appropaches (and cash awards) can be made to vetted, fully licensed and documented legitimate 501(c)3's to assist families and individuals that are in need find what they need to once again become productive, normal members of civilized society.  So that part is good, and I look forward to supporting multiple approaches and organizations that have already rolled up their sleeves and proven they can assist with this issue in our community.  

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ESTIMATED UP TO 40% OF HOMELESS WHO DON'T WANT HELP?

My question to several who work in this space is simple, yet the concrete answers never come back.  But this question is just as important as the question about what we do for folks who are truly needy, down on their luck and want help to be once again productive and off the streets.

Whatever we do, I won't vote for anything that enables dysfunctional lifestyle choices (continued addiction, street crime, drug abuse, vandalism, trespassing, littering, etc.).  And therein lies the problem.

I'm told up to 40% of these "unhoused persons" are quite content where they are and doing what they do.

Unfathomable as it may seem, yes, it is true.  These folks, this up to 40%, do not want to give up the drugs and booze, they want to panhandle, they will continue to steal, litter, or do dysfunctional things like attack other unhoused persons or run around with their genetalia hanging out of their clothes, defecating in public, starting fires in their campgrounds (that subsequently get out of control) or dumping shopping cart loads of feces in bags in peoples' yards.

So yes, we can all agree to sing Kumbaya and help the majority that truly want help and want to break the cycle of their situation(s).

But as a commissioner serving compassionate citizens who care about communities and neighborhoods and safety----helping folks cannot also require that we tolerate dysfunctional destructive behavior that erodes the quality of life for citizens, children, neighborhoods, and communities that want to be clean, safe, and crime and dysfunction free.

So we need to know what we are going to do to help the 60% AND how to deal with the 40%

Can we answer the 40% question first, please?

"Napkin-Man" Shares His Words of Wisdom with D1........Again

Some constituents call.

Others, they send email.

Others still will send messages of concern via Facebook messanger.

And many will simply find me out in town, at Home Depot, Publix, Wal Mart, or even out at dinner, and just come over to me personally to let me know what they think about any number of things.

And then, there is "Napkin-Man.'

Napkin man has sent four letters to my office over the years; short notes, saucy language, scribbled on other cards or repurposed pieces  of scrap paper.  

Last week I received my fourth letter from Napkin Man.  So I thought I'd share his thoughts with you  😊 !     (I darkened out the curse words and offensive terms that Napkin Man likes to use)

I'll Be on "Real News with Rick Outzen" This Morning at 7:10 Discussing the Contractor Competency Board

I've been invited to appear on the area's #1, top rated, and most informative morning drive news radio program "Real News with Rick Outzen" this morning at 7:10.  The discussion will center on the efforts to reform our Contractor Competency Board an process for oversight and licensing of contractors by this board.

 I've been invited to appear a little later this morning on 1370 WCOA's "Real News with Rick Outzen" Radio program.

Rick has invited me on to discuss what the BCC's direction was after last Thursday's meeting with respect to the Contractor Competency Board.

At Thursday's meeting, the board gave staff direction and a number of initiatives were discussed for implementation going forward to hopefully prevent what we have seen recently with several contractors scamming citizens out of large sums of money and never doing the work that was proposed by such contractors.

It should be an interesting conversation--when Rick publishes the podcast, I will link it here.

What's the Most Pressing National Public Health Emergency Right Now--AND one that is Affecting Escambia County Disproportionately?

What is the most pressing national health "emergency?"  a non-fatal skin disease that has a vaccine and can be prevented---or dangerous fentanyl from China being added to illegal drugs throughout America (and right here in Escambia County) which will, along with other opioids, actually and ultimately kill more than 100,000 Americans this year?  How come we are being told the former is the crisis--while the latter is all but ignored?

No, I normally do not delve into national topics here on this blog unless there is some compelling local connection to Escambia County.  

And there is.

Some master-hypnotist media types and national-level bureaucrats/politicians (left-leaning, primarily) want you to forget all about the epidemic of opioid drug overdoses with fentanyl in America killing more than 100,000 yearly--- and instead---- want us all to focus on a primarily nonfatal disease that afflicts less than a 10th of the number of actual overdose deaths we will see in America this year.  They want you to believe MonkeyPox--a disease that is primarily spread among one sex and one very small segment of the population---and for which there is already treatments and a vaccine---is what EVERYONE must be terrified about right now.

But wait just a minute.  

We in Escambia County have pockets of areas and populations where there is a massive, unrestrained drug problem.  Massive.  We have a correspondingly massive increase in deaths and a huge number of citizens overdosing daily on opioids, primarily fentanyl.  And it is costing taxpayers millions of dollars dealing with it-- as our County EMS attends to nearly 6 overdoses daily in our county. (this figure does not include the overdoses that are dumped at emergency rooms nor does it count our sheriff's responses to overdoses)

By contrast--we have had ZERO Monkeypox cases as of the morning of this blogpost reported in our area as reported by the local media.  Nada.  Zilch.  Zero. (one suspected case occurred in Santa Rosa County two weeks back)  (UPDATE-8-23-22--I received a call from William Reynolds yesterday, publisher of NORTHESCAMBIA.COM, on an unrelated topic and he did let me know his outlet and channel 3 also both reported that our area has one (1) presumptive case of MonkeyPox.)  1 case of that, and 6 overdoses daily our EMS units are racing to.......

So why do some politicians and bureaucrats seek so desperately to get average citizens' eyes off the real ball with respect to the massive quanitites of Chinese fentanyl packs coming over the porous border with Mexico flooding America's states and cities?  Illegal crossings are hitting all-time highs and  many who cross are body-packing this dangerous China-manufactured drug like sherpas?  

Look at the "number of deaths" increases, directly in proportion to the surge in illegal border crossings over the last 3 years, and tell me THAT is not the pressing national health crisis upon which we should all be focusing?

Nope--it has to be MonkeyPox now.  Only MonkeyPox.  

Look, I feel for anyone who gets that awful disease.  It looks horrible from the pictures I have seen--horrible, awful, painful and unsightly.

But we know how to stop it, It is known which behaviors spread it and what the risk factors are, and there is treatment and a vaccine.

So instead of having David Muir lecture us and pontificate at us nightly --complete with a serious face--

Some Online Critics Liken the Work of Commissioners to Cattlemen

 

Some commentors on a previous blog post want to use a cattleman's term applied to a county commissioner's performance.  Okay, well we both oftentimes deal with "BS"--- but that's about the extent of the similarities.  

Even so-- If we must force such a comparison (Cattleman/County Commissioner) I'd simply suggest this.... the county commissioner who gets things done, gets projects funded, shows up prepared, brings intelligent ideas, works well with peers, and does not foster division and drama would not rate such a comparison.  

Nope.  

By contrast---the  commissioner who talks a lot but gets little done, is disliked universally, is mired in legal/ethics allegations/complaints/court fights, can hardly get a second on a motion,  rarely gains consensus to get a project over the line, blows off meetings, is hated by staff, projects frequently, reviles employees publicly, attacks others with ad hominems and lies, and cries lika a baby online daily would be the apropos recipient of the term "all hat, no cattle" in the county commission context.  (If that hat fits, wear it 😀)

With that in mind-- let's look at what actually happened last Thursday, shall we?

Lots of things were swirling around on Thursday (Contractor Competency Board Hearing, Hiring of Wes Moreno, Lingering Homelessness Issues/discussions, etc. etc. etc.) leading up to our meeting that morning, so naturally it is not surprising that the big (Huge, actually) infrastructure items that I added to the agenda with the help and support of numerous county departments passed with relatively little fanfare and did not garner much attention.

That's right.  These items I discussed here did pass and were approved by the full board unanimously later that morning as I had believed that they would in the early morning blog post.  They are big, they are ballsy, and yes, I will  talk about these items because these are profound and timely--big win infrastructure projects that benefit residents in the central, northern, and southern portions of Escambia County.  And besides that, I'll use another western term to explain why I'll talk about them now that they are funded.  "Folks will use it as a spitoon--if you don't blow your own horn!"

You can see the actual agenda items that ultimately passed, here and here.  Again--they passed via the consent agenda, passed without even a discussion by the board, and passed unanimously.  All hat no cattle commissioners don't have the juice to get things like this accomplished.  They can't even get a second and die on the bottom of 4-1 votes frequently.  No hat, no cattle.

Here's a recap of reality, though, and what was approved via the consent agenda on Thursday.

 --$2 Million for the immediate implementation of a PD&E for the 4-laning of Sorrento Road to shave 5-years off the completion of this important project(Win for Perdido)

 --$2 Million for hardening/widening of Frank Reeder Road in Beulah (Win for OLF-8 and Beulah)

 --$6.7 Million for Longleaf Road re-work to include: drainage improvements, center lane, turn lanes,  sidewalks north and south, new signals at Pine Forest/Longleaf plus a new bridge at Wymart Road (Win for Bellview)

--$500K for Midas/Muldoon/Hogan's Pit drainage system--a lingering project that has required dedicated funding.   This project being funded now is a win for Bellview and frees up $500K from LOST IV in the out years

 --$500K for new sidewalks in Beulah along Rebel and Beulah roads (Huge win for Beulah residents and students at BAS and BMS).

So while some that get nothing done outside of banging away at keyboards all day and night long like woodpeckers are still wondering what actually happened----reality passed them all by. Because all hat and no cattle refers to someone who wears a big Stetson but has a little, insignificant ranch and no large herd of livestock. 

I'm not in the "BS" business.  I finish things, get things agendaed, and win votes to get important projects passed unlike others who struggle constantly to even get a "second."

The strugglers really are, in all respects, NO hat NO cattle.  They can't even fake it with a top hat.

And everyone (outside of the cult of 12 on one chat site--some of whom occassionally comment on this blog, too) who exactly who they are.

I'll Be On WCOA's "Real News with Rick Outzen" This Morning at 7:10 Discussing the Contractor Competency Board

 

I've been invited to appear on the Pensacola area's best, most highly rated morning drive news program, "Real News with Rick Outzen" on the area's best news/talk station 1370 WCOA

I've been invited to appear and will be the 7:10 guest this morning on "Real News with Rick Outzen" on 1370 WCOA.  The topic will be the contractor competency board, a subject that is on our BCC agenda later this morning.

Should be an interesting conversation.  When I get the podcast of the conversation I will post it here. 

The Brass Balls Infrastructure Acceleration Plan, Part I

There is a plan coming on Thursday morning's BCC agenda which will greatly accelerate multiple desperately needed infrastructure projects that will help multiple districts, are ready for movement, require additional funding and are vital safety projects.

The project to improve and modernize Longleaf Drive will be awarded withing two weeks, and this roadway improvement will include a new bridge at Wymart road, pedestrian sidewalks on the north and south of the roadway, stormwater improvements, and a signal improvement at Pine Forest Road and Longleaf.  This important corridor is also the site of four public schools, so the addition of the sidewalks will be a tremendous safety improvement for students.

Now here's the really good news:

With the economy's recent retreat due to disastrous monetary and energy policy in Washington DC, combined with supply chain issues that have slowed many projects down, combined with a commonsense downsizing of this local Longleaf Drive project based upon 2007 traffic projections compared to 2020 actual traffic counts --the cost of this project came in significantly lower than what was originally programmed, leaving an excess of funds of around $5.6 Million.  (see breakdown, below)

So now comes the bold, brass balls approach to accelerating and supercharging some lingering, desperately needed infrastructure projects utilizing this excess LOST money.  Any time it is difficult and strenuous and requires a lot of thought, planning, and teamwork---it requires something else.  Alec Baldwin said it best in Glengarry Glen Ross--it takes brass balls....    this plan coming Thursday is aggressive, intelligent, and ballsy.

Here's the setup:

Because it has been the standing practice of the board on numerous occassions--when a bid comes in low on a district project--the commissioner of such a district has typically been shown deference in re-