Guidelines
I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following :
Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican, for Escambia County Commissioner District 1
58th Coffee With the Commissioner Event this coming Wednesday
We will have our 58th
Coffee with the Commissioner event this coming Wednesday, February 10th,
2021 from 6:30-7:30 AM.
We will have County Administrator Janice Gilley,
Emergency Manager and Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore, and special guest
First Judicial Circuit Medical Examiner Dr. Deanna Oleske.
We will be
discussing the ongoing response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, our county COVID-19
numbers, and an in-depth conversation with Dr. Oleske about the impacts the
Pandemic has had on the Medical Examiner’s office and her staff and facilities
To join the meeting, go to the following Facebook page at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10th and watch the live stream: www.facebook.com/CommissionerBergosh/ Residents are encouraged to send virtual questions and comments they would like to discuss with District 1 Commissioner during the event through Facebook.For more information, contact District 1 Aide Debbie Kenney at 850-595-4910 or district1@myescambia.com. For District 1 updates, follow @MyDistrict1 on Twitter.
Political Advertisement Paid For and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican for Escambia Commission D1
23 comments:
Please address what happened with the fire chief hire. Was the candidate running for D2 correct when she claimed what the administration was doing was illegal? NE ran a story but didn't address why suddenly the county didn't hire the last four? Why not? Thanks. We don't all like f/b comments but watch and like to see the videos later.Thanks and in the spirit of Godzilla yes anonymous speech is free speech. You are the best. Keep up the good work.
What is that on the agenda about foreign opportunity zones?¿?????
Times flies you snooze ya lose. You did this this AM. Oh well too late for the questions on Facebook.
You can still address those questions though.. So you will be on ECTV all day .. In AM
CU
All
Comments are slow between blogs such as it is. Checked back on Northescambia with the fire chief story. My god Pino. You are a effing pain in the ass and a fine example of what we do NOT want to become. You are the toxic poison that infects everything you touch. Please just STFU and find another hobby. People in the south have a measure of tolerance. You have crossed it and don't know you did. Most everyone sees it but you but take the cordial stance of not confronting you directly. Please find another use of your talents. Hopefully that don't include other human beings. Seriously you try.. Are you austisic or what? Politics is not for you unless you let yourself be someone else's wind up toy. Take up swimming or something. You are flawed and it is evident. Stop embarrassing yourself.
http://www.northescambia.com/2021/02/escambia-county-starting-over-in-search-for-fire-chief-rejecting-four-finalists
I have no idea why the Fire Chief position is getting addressed here, but since the Northescambia site was mentioned, I'll take the opportunity to post here a comment that wasn't posted by William--it was way too long for his word limit, so completely understand. But I wanted to respond to Mr. Ramey in particular, so perhaps one of the Fire members who is relieved that I advocated for a re-start on this search can make sure he receives it. I would appreciate it. --Melissa Pino
----------------------
Mr. Ramey, it sincerely pains me that you have misunderstood my intentions. I hope that you will carefully consider the following remarks, and give me the benefit of the doubt that they are sincere, even if in the end you still don’t agree with my position.
In a word, my position is that this has NOTHING to do with Mr. Hatch, about whom I have never spoken a bad word. My advocacy in this matter began before I had ever even heard his name, when members of the Fire union started contacting me in dismay that Ms. Gilley had lowered the qualification and pay on the position, which was a horrible idea that she tried to have her Assistant Administrator, Debbie Bowers, sell to the firefighters for its cost-effectiveness. It got nowhere in that meeting. Whatever some people may think in the political community, I am not the pariah among members of our Public Safety that certain corners have made me out to be. There are so many good people in Fire and EMS that are just desperate for change, have nowhere to go, and end up contacting me in the hopes I will advocate, because I can try to provide a voice for them in an atmosphere where it is futile at best and dangerous at most to offer an opinion. You might be surprised how many members of Fire approached me on this, long before I had any idea whom Ms. Gilley might have been targeting for what is known among County staff as her “friends and family” hires. This isn’t a matter of a couple of malcontents who latched onto an activist to do their worst in the department. There was *widespread* outrage, quickly followed by fatalism, on how this hire was being conducted.
Let me state this clearly: Mr. Hatch may very well be the best option for Fire Chief of Escambia County. And if that’s the case, it is Ms. Gilley, and not me, who did him a disservice with her continued unprofessionalism in how she goes about filling her leadership positions. This is precisely why targeting acquaintances for positions of leadership is such a horrible idea.
[Part 1]
[Part 2--thanks Commissioner Bergosh as always for making this space available for unrestrained public comment.]
You may not be aware that this scenario has been ongoing for quite some time now with me speaking out on the current hiring and advancement practices to try to drag them into the light. The Fire Chief position just happens to be the position where people–far more people than me, apparently–had simply had enough of the back-door strategies being employed at the County on hiring and many other things. I never accused Mr. Hatch of finagling himself into the position or trying to take advantage of any prior relationship to Ms. Giley. The results of going about things in an unprofessional manner, against best HR practices and stubbornly proceeding on a “need to know” strategy, is that people associated, such as Mr. Hatch, fall under a microscope in ways that they most likely didn’t warrant. And I agree, that’s unfair.
But it would have been even more unfair–not to mention horrible for moral, and perhaps devastating for the chemistry of the department–if this search, the advertising, the interviews, etc. did not get aired.
I have spent the last four years advocating for more transparent processes and improved leadership and efficiencies at the County. I heard the same thing–and far worse–when started trying to expose the toxic workplace and gross fraternization in the EMS department, and the current Medical Director not only countenancing such an atmosphere, but continuing to inculcate it. I was accused of all varieties of lies and exaggerations, and, in the end, it was demonstrated in a court of law–it’s right there in the transcripts of the hearings–that I hadn’t lied about a thing. And look where our EMS is now, and what the wonderful employees there have to face every day they come to work. In fact, the situation is now revealing itself to be even more dire than I had represented publicly (and people haven’t learned the worst yet).
While I am truly sorry if Mr. Hatch was negatively impacted by this, it only adds to my frustration and anger at the way the County is being run. I can’t apologize if my advocacy had a part in putting the brakes on this process, and I can assure you that some of the very Fire members who will probably say to you “yeah, Mel Pino is crazy” are probably some of the very people who are grateful and relieved that I chose to make their voices heard. They have to operate that way–they are left no choice. Which is really the tragedy of this situation. If you’re looking for a place to lay the blame, you might want to start paying more close attention to how the current Administration is running the County. With your awareness of the history and how things should run, you would probably be astonished to learn what exactly has going on. This won’t be the last of the things that will fall apart in the near future, and when they do, it won’t be because I had the audacity to speak the truth to power that County staff can’t.
--Melissa Pino
please delete anon 9:33.... it's too much
Most likely the issue was that Ms Gilley, who has authority for hires was in a grey area. Most successful people know how to navigate those areas. The fire chief picked out was probably not a union stooge and I doubt the fire department asked Ms Pino to solve their problem. Speculation, not trying to add t the drama... the world is not in black and white -- and this is just a WAG also.
One of the problems with social media and electronic mail and the internet is it is changing the fabric of society and our government and ordered society.
We have a constitutional republic with checks and balances of power and truthfully the public mobs who seem to want a unruly Athenian democracy are causing undue conflict. Mrs Gilley was hired to a do a job, trust her let her do it. Walk a mile in her shoes.
If the BOCC wants to remove her, they will put it on the agenda and do so. I doubt that will happen, this has been an incredible difficult year with many challenges. Support the one's who have stepped up to serve.
That's my 2 cents with the fire chief search and hire. Perhaps the county shouldn't have let Grace be the fall guy but Mr. Brown was in charge then..
When leaders capitulate to the mob, chaos follows.
People in the Northend of the county as a whole don't want a MSBU to carry the south end. That's taxation (fee) with out representation. Many see what unions do, take the teachers union nationally as an example. They are not in it for the common good necessarily, in fact many aren't in it to serve actually. That's why we have our system of government that follows laws and order and respect the vote..
One reason we are in a bad time is half the country is not certain 2020 nationally was a fair and free election..but that's another issue entirely.
It seems Mr. Hatch had a heart and a love for the area and that's not something that can necessarily be quantified, but here we are back to the drawing board, and the whells of the bus go round and round..
"Too many chef's spoil the broth"
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"
"Sweep up around your own front porch"
Southern idioms are full up simple wisdom...
People recognize a shrew
Look at the Times link with in this blog. Anyone who thinks our national elections are organic is naive.
It's best not to waste time arguing with your neighbor.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2021/02/05/interesting-admissions-lawfare-outlined-as-part-of-secret-campaign-group-coordinating-to-influence-2020-election/#more-207677
People in the Northend of the county as a whole don't want a MSBU to carry the south end. That's taxation (fee) with out representation.
The fire taxes recieved from the north end don't even cover the operating cost, equipment, and payments for volunteers up there. The south end pays for you, please keep this in mind if an increase is ever brought up.
Anonymous 3:20 PM, I wouldn't trust Gilley to water my house plants while I was gone. Why on earth would anybody make the statement that any government official should just be trusted to carry on? That comment is absurd on the face of it.
Do you have no idea what has been surfacing at the meetings? Are you completely unaware that she has sent the County into dysfunction bordering on chaos in a year and a half? With her track record so far, just how much worse do you think things could get if she is allowed to work out the final year and a half of her contract?
People recognize a chauvinist. Or an anonymous female throwing male voices to get in pot shots.
For anyone still following this comment string, I hope you'll take the time to hear my remarks on how people continue to suffer in our Public Safety, and particularly EMS, under a toxic workplace environment that the current administration has aided and abetted. It was the last item from the past Thursday's meeting, 2:55:30 mark. If those comments are the definition of a "shrew," then I would be curious to know what empathy looks like in your world. What County staff is going through right now--across the board, in every department--is horrendous and is literally hurting people's health under the strain. I make no apologies for calling out the source of such widespread frustration and dejection.
https://youtu.be/vYmSAMcwXA8
--Melissa Pino
The best comment ever was on NE under the article about the local antifa guy arrested in DC. Thx
You think you are the star of the show. You can't help it. Don't you know they let you bray on TV to disperse the insanity.12:18
12 :18
don't you realize they let insanity bray on tv to hopefully disperse it
Seriously
Compare ECTV Public forum to the superbowl half time show.
I guess we are supposed to pretend that was a show stopper.
It looked like a bunch of dudes with their underwear on their head.
Commissioner Bergosh. Has administrator Gilley sent the county into dysfunction bordering on on chaos for the past year and a half and do you support Pino as the candidate for the D2 seat? Of course you can just publish comment and say nothing. Free Speech is great. You have the right to remain silent. BTW If you were Jeffrey on NE about the 25 year old antifa dude arrested from Pcola in the capitol riot and the 2020 election fraud. Well done.. You write well and the Moe reference was a ringer.
From a fan..
I don't think anyone should trust the histrionics of Pino.
Anonymous 1:29, I guess histrionics are in the eye of the beholder. To me, histrionics would be something like planting a bug in your antechamber, dragging FDLE in for some first-rate self-victimization ensuring the Fourth Floor and staff are more paranoid than they already were, and then showcasing my own story's inconsistencies across multiple hairbrained embellishments in the media.
That's just from where I sit, though. Call me crazy.
As for trustworthiness, I haven't single vendored/sole sourced multiple huge contracts both during a state of emergency and in normal times, rung up 20M dollars in change orders under dubious procurement and using a consulting agency who wrote their own worksheets for extra money, run fake investigations on employees for no other reason than to harass them until they are necessarily dropped, buried more HR complaints than I can even keep track of at this point, conducted exit interviews off paper, proceeded in bad faith during labor negotiations, messed with the agenda process so badly nobody can follow it, slid in items at the last minute that should have been add-ons, moved CARES money into the general fund to pay for salaries without notifying the Board, awarded UWF small business grants prior to Board approval with cherry picked results, blocked pertinent evidence in due process investigations, orchestrated leaks through CMR to the media, terminated positions that I then left in the budget so I could space hold and move around the money, refuse to come clean about very sketchy actions with TDT funding and the budgets of the Big 3, politicked against sitting commissioners during their elections, made numerous ill-advised nepotism hires while pretending to do adequate nation-wide searches, laughed during a video celebrating African American history month as if there was something funny about color-coded water fountains, or boldface lied repeatedly to the commissioners, the media, and the public about taking measures to prevent covid spread at the County, and then boldface lied about the number of staff who were infected with it as a result. Nor have I made life absolute hell for County staff, attempted to blow up our County bus system at the behest of Underhill, protected abusive department directors, and allowed bad management to take our EMS to the brink of collapse.
But hey, she was hired to do the job, so I guess we just gotta trust her to do it, right?
--Melissa Pino
speaking to an item not on the agenda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjYoNL4g5Vg
I would think publishing a procurent document during the black out period of procurement process would be problematic (illegal) and pretending that was the item on the agenda as a cover for doing it disingenious.. So candidate stated Lois Benson gave the document to her and the sole person is Roads Inc that bid on the 11 M contract. Maybe when said political contender passes out info you, you all need to be cautious j/s. Re Feb 4 BOCC meeting near the end.. I guess it was bid on and done correctly by staff. IDK. I thought the public was only supposed to speak to items on the agenda except during public forum. I know that may have put Chairman Bender on the spot. Don't always take political theater as intended especially after the track record set.
Anonymous 7:11, you obviously need to go back and watch the item more carefully. No, Lois Benson did not give the documents to me. I became aware that the County owned the procurement side of the Beach Haven project through a helpful email exchange with Lois and ECUA stafaf on the intertwined Beach Haven and Navy Point sewer projects.
Nor was I bringing something that I didn't think was on the agenda--I thought that *was* the agenda item, as the procurement docs stated it would be brought before the Board on the 4th. Swing and a miss, again.
Finally, after the meeting it came to light that the allocation had actually been dealt with at the previous meeting, and that the procurement had been buried in the backup. Which, in the chaos of this administration and the agenda tricks that have been happening, not a single person in the room--administration, staff, dais, or public--seemed aware of at the time. So nope, wasn't bringing something in the black-out period after all. In other words, Administration and staff were all just throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall to see if they could convince the commission that any of it stuck.
So hey, no wonder you're confused. Take another go at it, and you might catch the whole thing this time. Don't feel badly--the whole point of the way it was dealt with was to obscure what had really gone down with that procurement. It's an age-old game, and she has obviously been taught by some masters.
--Melissa Pino
This is funny. Check those Zoom filters. :)
https://weartv.com/news/offbeat/attorney-at-paw-filter-makes-lawyer-look-like-cat-during-zoom-call
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