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| Commissioner Underhill's first town hall last night went off about as well as an exploding dragster on the starting line.... |
Not unlike the infamous explosion at the starting line suffered by Doug Herbert 22 years ago at Pomona--Commissioner Doug Underhill's first "Town Hall" on redistricting last night in Myrtle Grove blew up at the starting line.
Nobody showed up, just a smattering of staff, several citizens that challenged Doug's assertions about redistricting (rightfully so) The PKA guy, Doug's compliant secretary and intern, Doug's sister-in-law, a couple of Escambia Hate Watch regulars, Flood Defender man, an angry Beulah resident, and maybe four or five others tops? Maybe a half-dozen truly concerned citizens--not insiders??
The stream was shaky and unsteady, and the whole affair lasted about an hour and a half. Painfully off-topic rants and inaccurate statements about the process of redistricting-and an insinuation that the latest approved map rendition from the school board and the BCC was the "Bergosh" plan were part of Doug's soliloquy. Saying the BCC's approved map is "Bergosh" plan is straight up lie. It was actually a compromise that built on D2 School Board member Paul Fetsko's very rational map--and it was voted upon unanimously by the school board members subsequently and it received a 4-1 vote from the BCC as well. Only Doug voted against it.
So yes, 9 of 10 elected officeholders voted for the map that Doug inaccurately portrays as the "Bergosh Plan." (He wants people to believe he is right, and the 9 of us are wrong, I suppose.....) Good luck with that.
Notably--during this event:
--he glosses over the fact he missed the first, all important and once per decade redistricting meeting yet he does not say why he didn't at least call in on "zoom" for the meeting or at least submit a map for our consideration before he left town. Nope, no explanation on that.
--he bemoans the fact that "we didn't do town halls first"----- when he could have held town halls anytime after he got back from the jet ski races in Arizona and before the second joint meeting --But he didn't. Why not?
--He makes a point to attempt to make the process a racially divisive wedge issue--knowing full well the direction from FAC and our attorney has been that we must work within the spirit of the McMillan decision and not water down the minority majority district--lest we face civil rights lawsuits/challenges to the map.
--He laments the fact that the time is running out for this process---yet he doesn't mention the fact that he wanted to rush this and finish it this year (even though we do not and did not have to). He also conveniently does not disclose the fact that I was the commissioner, me, who warned against rushing; I wanted to wait until 2023 to do it right.
--He disregards the wishes of currently serving ECUA board members Vicki Campbell and Lois Benson who preferred NOT to be redistricted out of their seats and requested this reasonable, well established practice and accomodation from the group putting these maps together. Doug wanted to knock two of them out of their districts...
--He neglects to mention that his first map was bad, but his most recent one is actually worse...
Maybe 5 or 6 citzens spoke total during the meeting--other than that it was a nonstop barrage of
gibberish and nonsense from Doug.--One guy wants us to "vote" for the map--the citizens. He wants it to be put to a vote. Interesting, but not how the process works.
--Another commenter wanted to know why any citizen in the county couldn't run for any district? Law doesn't allow this.
Another commenter wanted to know if the county had ever discussed going back to "at large" districts---to which Doug waffled a bit on before finally he said "NO--it hasn't been discussed!"
Problem is--that's a lie. I have brought the concept twice--and Doug knows it. He actually spoke against it saying he wouldn't support it (2:20 of this video). But last night he apparently forgot about that meeting from March of this year? Yeah, I don't think so.
So he ended the meeting with a whimper and not much came from it so far as I could tell. I noticed at one point he had five (5) people watching the livestream. Then I realized two of them were me--my iPhone and my desktop. So three people were watching this.....total??
I think his next one, on Innerarity Point, will blow up in a much more significant way.
This one's being held where--- according to a source with impeccable credentials---- Doug straight up told this individual "your road project (for flooding at the entry to Innerarity Island) is the last project I'll ever fund as your commissioner" and where he installed the largest MSBU in the history of Escambia County on dozens of homeowners and lots of residents are furious still over this.
Yeah, he will probably have a lot more participation in this Thursday townhall--but for different reasons than hearing Doug pontificate about why his map, by a 9-1 margin, fails due to his own lack of participation in the process.
13 comments:
You are right it was a disaster. This town hall was definitely not looking for citizen input. It was Doug trying to sell his map. He was a failure in getting any of his peers to support him or even discuss his rendition. So now he hopes to sell some mob to do his bidding for him. Why, because he’s a failure at the job he was elected to do. Represent those who elected him. Proper representation is not consistently being on the losing end of a 4-1 vote.
He should have been at the 1st redistricting meeting if he had any concern that this was an important meeting. If a jet-ski race was so important he should have notified the voters that they would be second priority during his campaign.
I questioned him about why he waited to hold a town hall until after he submitted two maps that took an immediate nose dive. His two maps wobble my precinct from one district to another like a pawn in his deranged game.
He didn’t have any concern to learn which district I’d wanted to be in. Instead he replied that I would know how local politics work and he wouldn’t have thought these changes would get traction.
I’m not the Commissioner representing District 2. I’m not expected to know how local politics work. He has been in office for 7 years and should have a better batting average by now. He’s a loser and this statement says it all. I lose because the other districts have better representation.
He let it known that his intern was the one who formulated the maps. So our commission district is represented by a trinity of a blow hard, a secretary and an intern.
I can not believe this fool had the nerve to suggest recall Florida to be used in removing other commissioners. He’s a failure who needs to resign immediately. Let the Governor appoint someone who can adequately do the job for the next year.
He has had a good run at telling those of us who have called this area home our entire life “what’s important to us”. So watch out Davisville and the Walnut Hill community, he’s already determining your needs by those of his spouse. He’ll soon be your Mr. Haney striving to be Mayor.
Mike
The county needs to shut down the loud noise pollution churning in the bay. His jet ski enterprise. You should go back to Jan 2017 and check the county jet ski purchase for D2 fire. Check the change orders you allowed on the oyster shell on NP. Who did the check go to?
Excuses or results.
Why is he even doing this.
OK so I took some time and watched this You tube
1 odd his intern talked about the importance of the minority majority when he discussed it with Stafford. Doug talked junk about how that wasn't important.. or even bad
2 yeah nobody much there
3 yeah I remember you throwing out the at large idea, with no traction, even Rick's blog eluded to that being a KKK move, so apparently people still want the fifedoms
4 yeah PKA guy must still want the No Trespassing signs up, I guess
5 yeah, DU certainly killed the four lane
Blah Blah Blah
and yes the FAC guidelines say to NOT unseat incumbents, however they yes, are temporary, so he's temporary, finally
He said he wasn't running.
So yes, we the people want the accesses open and the no trespassing signs down on our west side beach, and the noisy jet skis not running in the bay.
yes, I bet the people at the next town hall are pretty hot about that MSBU at Innerarity Point.
Maybe someone will go and explain how the four of you had to put a project forward he was trying to kill for their septic to sewer and how that may have saved them an MSBU at Beach Haven.
Good to know not as many people are falling for his b/s.
So he is saying in public and posting on his page that the BCC you are trading black votes like chattel slaves while the marks throw roses and kisses at his feet. (dummies that believe his rhetoric on facebook and like his comments)
I'm sick and tired of this POS.
I am sure you all are also. Can't he just leave before the year is up.
From McMillan v Escambia County
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/559/720/1969807/
"The plan the court ordered into effect on December 3, 1979, and that was approved on appeal, contained one of five districts with a majority in black population and registered voters. As blacks constituted approximately 20% of the county's population and 17% of its registered voters, the plan was arranged so as to provide them with an opportunity to elect membership to the commission in proportion to their population percentage."
so Fetsko at tonight's DU TH.11/18 says even though you are advertising maps -- that can changed Prior to the scheduled vote. Doesn't sound correct to me.
Doug is saying you don't have to change districts. You could have just not done this? I don't think so. Attorney strongly advised you DO get it done THIS year. He is trying to get the mob to email you & for them to write the PNJ.
Who was the rude person trying to shut Mel down? 6:14 PM.
Now talking about the chattel thing.. Here we go..
Talking about the McMillan ruling expired in 1988, then why didn't the BCC go for at large voting when you brought it up?
You kept your coffee with commission going through covid.
Do you think he was actually at a jetski meet? I doubt it. You also had a shade meeting about him that day.
Ole Timer remembers District one being the westside, says it was fine. Doug's logical fallacy.. word salad. Troublemaker.
Sp Pep talk ends with assembling the Tiger Team
So yes everybody write Marlette and ask him to draw a cartoon for Doug so Jeff won't be his commissioner for the next two years. At Doug's request, email everybody on the Commission cc the PNJ./s
Oh and this isn't politics -- wink wink.
Put it off until 2023
Hardly.
Get it done as advertised, straw vote taken.
Hey Mel, he asked you to try to keep it to yourself "Honey".. lol
Bergosh I thought you wanted folks to play nice. Your comments here are not nice. Do as I say--not as I do
Looks like they had a letter already used up for cartoon. Don't forget he is the one who pulled the boat up in the bay and drank the water. He pollutants the bay worse than IP. He is desperate. quit worrying about comments Demlow https://conjuringjusticeblog.com/2018/02/20/can-someone-tell-the-commissioner-how-not-to-be-a-dick/
If I had really typed what I thought about the citizen with resting bitch face, well that might have not gone over as well.
I meant *qued up and that he pollutes the bay with the jet skies.
I agree with you that IP has their discharge under control and the TARP was a good investment a while back. So Marlette is reaching as usual.
Wonder who penned this for Douggie poo.. Maybe he'll go drink a glass of bay water again to prove it's fine.
He is having trouble keeping his stories straight.
Anon 6:14, that was Nancy Demlow. If you think she's something on ECW (she lit after the race baiting after the meeting right quick), you oughtta meet her in person. People were texting me in the room saying "Who on earth is this woman in the back row?" I didn't even have to look to respond "probably Nancy Demlow."
And yep Anon 7:09, that's how Doug rolls. He had just slipped up and admitted that the County actually did have to redistrict due to deviation, after stating the flat-out lie that it wasn't necessary a half dozen times. When I said something to Kevin about it, he dropped that gem. Not long after he was throwing his father under the bus for growing up in a racist household.
Every time he talks, another Douggite leaves the fold. And if you listened closely while he was lying about development on the Key, you could hear the sound of beach mice keeling over.
Watched the 3rd one.
I am now convinced he'll do and say anything and he is very convincing, except I already got his number. I know he's a con. He has even convinced himself once again. Maybe he'll enjoy Thanksgiving and think he accomplished something.
First he talks about the growth in Perdido trying to set up common ground with Beulah and how the infrastructure didn't follow..when he is the one who killed the biggest infrastructure project there.
Then what, he says he thinks you all, BCC, wants to do the right thing, assume noble intent while all last summer he fed info to Marlette and and facebook buddies and types himself that you are all corrupt, thieves, should be arrested etc. Attorney fired etc.
He went on about downtown interests, isn't he the one that tried to get the roundabout for D4 in 2017 for about 30Million LOST? Didn't the beach haven original project have nice things for downtown when he originally came up with it?
That's just two or three things that stood out.
He may have put that out of his talking point memory stash. We didn't.
Of course from the logical fallacy to do list, False equivalency of you can either do it wrong in 2021 or do it right in 2023. The FAC guidelines did say to respect incumbents and the attorney said to still work with in the spirit of McMillan.
I think the two bodies did that.
I hope Bender doesn't waffle, May doesn't have to go somewhere and listen from the bathroom.
So yes, you may have a few people not in favor of this that email you.
Why do you want Perdido in D1?
If it's to take down the no trespassing signs, get the additional beachfront property, keep the cap and deal with the county 2 lane, keep the idea of a commerce park on OLF 8 and no additional residential -- It's certainly no bigger and diverse than district 5 and doable.
I'm for the current map advertised. Stay the course, don't kick the can, don't confuse school board and Stafford by delaying for no good reason. Do what the attorney suggested and go with what was decided by the two joint meetings.
Whining and these propaganda town halls after the fact sets a bad precedence and disrespect of the process.
I guess candidates that filed way ahead of time and raised funds knowing that a redistricting could happen may be "pissed off" as Stoberger said. He sounds temperamental. Kinda like Dosev. Don't really need anymore hotheads on the board.
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