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| Area elected leaders and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tour the Port of Pensacola, 11-1-2022. (from left, Escambia County Commission Chairman Jeff Bergosh, Pensacola Mayor-elect D.C. Reeves, Governor Ron DeSantis, Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson, and Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender) |
Prior to the election hoopla of the political rally at Pensacola's Fish House Restaurant downtown yesterday, an even more important and profound visit occurred at the Port of Pensacola.
Don't get me wrong, I was at the rally and it was fantastic. You can all read about it here and here. DeSantis hit all the high notes of the campaign, contrasting Florida's better approach to a number of hot button-issues (NO sex-change surgeries for adolescents, NO school lock downs, NO community lockdowns, NO mandatory masking, NO mandatory vaccines for children, NO vaccine passports, better tax policy, more intelligent budgeting, better public safety, better infrastructure, etc.) than that of his opponent's platform, the President's agenda, or any of the big blue states' current policy. And he's right, by the way, Florida has it right. And DeSantis will win next week by a 9-point margin, that is my prediction.
But the big visit before the rally is/was more important than any political speech delivered after.
Locally elected leaders and area businessmen as well as the team from American Magic met at the port and saw the plans for a world class sailing facility for Pensacola where our bay and area could potentially be the premiere sailing and training facility in the nation. That is the big deal. There is a Triumph Gulf Coast ask in the works to help fund this endeavor--which would be a massive win for our area. The County and City are already benefitting from over $4 Million dollars in direct spending from the more than 100 personnel from American Magic who have been here for the last several years training for the upcoming America's Cup race in Spain in a few years. The team's presence here will have a financial impact of more than $8 Million dollars total in just the next 18 months. Your can read all about the team, their goals, and their vision for their future Pensacola area plans here.
The tourist development commission, a board upon which I sit, voted overwhelmingly to recommend to the county commission that we spend $500,000.00 to support American Magic's training here from bed tax revenues, and the BCC voted this forward--which represents a great return on investment.
Going forward, the next steps are to solidify our area as the official training grounds for the American Magic via the committment of space at the port and some funding to match private funding and Triumph money which will allow for the construction of this modern, state-of-the art training facility here in Escambia County.
If area leaders can make this happen--we will have a brand new industry here that will benefit youth, the sport of sailing, and the entire community for years to come.
So yes, it was great to see the Governor get geared up for the ride on American Magic yesterday on Pensacola Bay on a perfect weather morning. I'm sure it was a pleasant departure from his hectic campaign schedule and the blur of meetings, greetings, speeches and campaign stops. I know one thing: he won't see any more sophisticated sailboat racing equipment and sailing team members anywhere else he goes in the state. We have a lock on that here in Pensacola Bay! That--and the economic impact of a relationship between Pensacola/Sailing/American Magic/State Leadership---is why the meeting before the rally was so much more important. See the additional photos from yesterday, below.
5 comments:
I don’t have anything against American Magic except that you handed over $500,000 of Escambia County’s public funds after hearing only a simple ten minute sales presentation.
I don’t believe that American Magic made us any promises. I didn’t even see the owners of American Magic make a single request for that money.
Was there any documentation whatsoever? I hope so. $500,000 of our citizens public funds!
What concerns me even more is that you and the TDC are handing over 10 million of the citizens’ TDT dollars to the “unified budget” to be frittered away with nearly no analytics on the benefits of Visit Pensacola’s activities.
Every report from the nice folks running the Visitors Center on Pensacola Beach demonstrates that “advertising” results in just a tiny fraction of our tourists choosing Pensacola.
For ten million dollars per year, the great citizens of Escambia County justifiably have an expectation of quality analytics, at the very least.
For example; what is the optimal amount of advertising?
Should we even be attempting to lure tourists at this point? “Word of mouth” is generally our highest draw. Word of mouth is virtually free. And Pensacola Beach is being loved to death.
How many advertising dollars do we expend to draw each individual tourist? How much does the average tourist spend?
How much does the average Escambia County citizen benefit from our tourist industry? The citizens of Escambia County make enormous sacrifices each year for the sake of tourism (traffic, infrastructure expenses, etc.).
While you are lavishing money on Visit Pensacola, you are severely underfunding Pensacola Beach which is our main tourist attraction.
Of the $21.8 million TDT dollars that we acquired in 2022 - most of which was derived from Pensacola Beach - we are reinvesting a mere $800,000 back to our Beach.
And $500,000 of that paltry sum is in compensation for the $3.3 million dollar FEMA grant that you, Barry, and May misappropriated in the spring of 2021 from its official purpose which was Pensacola Beach sand replenishment.
That stunt that you three pulled puts our future FEMA grants in jeopardy.
Prices are rising on Pensacola Beach. We are discharging one million gallons of effluent each day directly into the Santa Rosa Sound. We haven’t diversified - we don’t have enough ancillary attractions to offer our tourists when we have a week of rain, or jellyfish.
You have given Innisfree a stranglehold on our hotel industry.
Thank God for the great leaseholders on Pensacola Beach. Those leaseholders that you regularly malign spend $550,000 each year to fund our public trolleys. The leaseholders provide $1 million each year to replenish our public beaches. The leaseholders pay for the Blue Angel Airshows, and for Bands on the Beach, public bathrooms, crosswalks, fireworks, etc., etc..
We should be an amazingly wealthy county, but all the citizens ever seem to gain is more traffic and flooding.
In my opinion, you are mismanaging both Pensacola Beach and Escambia County.
Tom--You have it totally wrong. I know you are really frustrated and upset but let me give you the edification you desperately need.
#1--the taxpayers subsidize Pensacola Beach public works to the tune of millions per year ever since the lease fees were cut in half a few years back for purely political purposes.
#2--we reinvest the TDT funds in advertising to keep visitors coming to Pensacola which is effective and is why we are routinely one of the top beach destinations in the country according to trip advisor. If we curtail that funding--the numbers drop. You want only the island residents to enjoy the beach--I get that. I want the island residents to have a great beach AND I want to continue to be a top tourist destination for the summer months. Tom, it is not a binary choice, we can have both,
#3--You are glib on the American Magic appropriation, you are ignorant. I have met with the team owners and been out to their site. They are investing $Millions here over the next few years and are spearheading an effort to bring a world-class sailing training facility to the Port via a funding package that will include Triumph gulf coast funding. It will be a tremendous get when it materializes, and those of us with vision see it. You, on the other hand, routinely, purposely wear blinders but still talk about things as if you understand them--which you obviously don't.
Keep trying to add comments of value, Tom. Keep trying, and I think you can do it. But if you blow out garbage here, I'll respond with facts. Get your facts right then come back and we will do it again.
Now, run along to the facebook hate site and lament on and on about how I am such a "meanie" LOL
Jeff,
I have never once claimed that you were a “meanie”. Get your facts straight, please.
I have, though, ACCURATELY claimed that you are an “intolerable fat head”.
All your financial numbers are completely wrong. The great citizens of Escambia County have wasted over $1,000,000 dollars on your compensation package. For one million dollars, the least you should do is to learn the Escambia County budget.
The great leaseholders of Pensacola Beach pay $9 million annually in ad valorem taxes, but the county only returns half that amount to Pensacola Beach.
And much of the funds that are returned to the Beach go towards the county park (lifeguards and such).
Meanwhile, YOU don’t pay full ad valorem taxes on your luxury Pensacola Beach condo.
You are squandering $21.8 million in tourist development taxes every year. The majority of that $21.8 million is generated on Pensacola Beach. But hardly a penny is being reinvested back into the Beach. You are running Pensacola Beach and Escambia County into the ground.
Escambia County should be raking in record profits, but all you ever deliver to our great citizens is flooding, traffic, and blight.
Meanwhile, in the past two years, you have sold a previously unleased 2,755 square foot Casino Beach property for $8,500 to facilitate a new 12 story private tower at 2 Via de Luna, approved 3 new enormous private towers to Innisfree Hotels, and two new enormous private towers to Portofino.
Further, you eliminated our long-standing impact fee, thus ensuring that the great citizens of Escambia County will be compelled to subsidize these enormous private developments that our citizens don’t want.
Take a bow, commissioner. You are an intolerable fat head.
Tom: Your inability to intelligently and articulately debate issues is displyed by your immediate fall back to ad hominem attacks when your inaccurate positions and views are decimated by truth. Remember--your opinions are not facts, no matter how many times you say so to yourself in a mirror. I placed three bulleted facts up in a previous post and your answer to that is to call me an intolerable fat head and to say my compensation package is a waste of money. LOL. Watching you attempt to be articulate and intelligent in your responses to facts that do not support your opinions is like watching a third grader say "I know you are but what am I" or something equally juvenille. I pay tax on my condo and on my house, thank you very much, and I pay more federal income tax yearly than you probably earn in a year. But what does that matter, that and the price of tea in China? You say we squander money-but you are glib. You have no idea about the numerous projects I have in motion right now in my district. Boat ramps, libraries, parks, not one but two new fire stations, and more traffic and stormwater projects than you can count on both your hands. Bless your heart, though, you just don't know what you don't know. You are clueless. You worry about new hotels coming online at the beach, approved by SRIA not the BCC, failing to comprehend the big picture about the revenue such development will bring back to the Island and the county. What does that matter to a guy like you, Tom Jardine, though?--I mean you've already "got-yours!" right? So of course you are selfish and want nobody else to have a good time visiting our beach and creating jobs for our citizens---you've got yours already! In the frigid North Atlantic during the Titanic disaster--you'd be the guy to jump the line and get a lifeboat seat, then, when others were freezing and begging to come on thelifeboat, you'd be the guy lifting the oar out of the water saying-"no room--we are full." That's who you really are, Tom. You don't care about any use of the TDT funds (which have very limited, narrow uses allowed under statutes, Tom) that benefits tourism because that's not something you "support." So are you ready for the good news Tom?? Here's the good news: You don't have to only be a voiceless, powerless, hyper-opinionated keyboard warrior wannabe. You can get involved! Come to a meeting or two, come to a planning board session or two, look up all the projects we are doing at myescambia.com. Get the facts, get involved, and you won't sound so ignorant when you make opinionated comments that don't align with reality. Or, instead of being a cynical, back-bench gadfly--you can move to my district to run against me or run from D4 where you live. Don't scream tips and advice from the stands, Tom. Get in the game! Otherwise, you really are wannabe. You think I'm horrible, a waste of tax money, a "fat-head"--so run against me and see how that works out for you Tom? Otherwise, at a minimum, please make sure you have your facts in order before you post garbage lies and ad hominems on this site. I will answer your garbage with facts always, even if you don't like it. Now, run along and cry to your buddies on the facebook chat site, crying, "Jeff Bergosh is a MEANIE!"
Jeff,
You missed your calling. Judging by the way you conjure up false facts, you might have been a marvelous magician.
“Marvelous” until your audience would ultimately discover that your “magic” solely consists of tricks and misdirection.
You have managed to make $21.8 million dollars in TDT profits disappear in 2022. What benefits were achieved with that money?
Your misdirection is magical: I asked you whether you pay FULL ad valorem taxes on your luxury condominium on Pensacola Beach. You replied that you; “pay ‘taxes’ on your house and on your (fat cat) Pensacola Beach condo, thank you very much.”
You evaded the question, Captain Magic:
Do you pay FULL ad valorem taxes to Escambia County on your lavish Pensacola Beach condo and the precious LAND underneath your pricey Pensacola Beach condominium, sir?
Further, you misdirected that you pay more federal income tax yearly than I (a humble Escambia County tax payer) earn annually. That’s likely true, Mr. Magic.
There is no doubt that the great Escambia County tax payers compensate you generously. I’m far from certain that the citizens are achieving an adequate return on our generous investment.
You claim that the multiple enormous private developments that you have recently gifted to big development interests on Pensacola Beach at the expense of the great Escambia taxpayers were approved by the “SRIA not the BCC”.
Another talented deception, sir. You, Barry, and May appoint the SRIA board members.
Moreover, at a recent commission meeting, you and Barry correctly asserted that you “CONTROL Pensacola Beach”. And on your recent blog you demonstrated that you have the power to VETO the SRIA at will. So, again, you are employing your well-practiced art of deception.
You claim that the enormous private developments that you have green-lighted over the last two years will return enormous revenues back to Escambia County.
Where’s the money, Magic?
All across Escambia County the citizens have repeatedly explained to you that we are opposed to those sweetheart private development deals that you continue to gift away. All the citizens ever receive is more flooding.
Escambia County should be flush with cash. NW Florida won a $1.5 billion dollar settlement due to the BP oil spill. The Federal Reserve has been practicing unprecedented loose monetary policy. Escambia County has been the recipient of millions in federal grants. We receive millions in economic benefits through our military. We have record tourism numbers. Our tourist development tax revenues in 2022 were $21.8 million. You have approved several huge private development projects on Pensacola Beach claiming that they will pay dividends.
Where is that money, commissioner?
The citizens have recently spent $5 million to harden the Bob Sikes Bridge. But you are allowing the private developers to roll thousands of 70,000 pound concrete trucks to tear up the citizens’ Bridge.
You accuse me of not getting involved. Today is Veterans Day, Commissioner Magic. I’m a Navy veteran.
I understand that your father and your older brother, Gary, are military veterans. What happened to you? Did your enormous ego disqualify you from military service?
As chairman, your Escambia County commission meetings are a waste of time. But I have sacrificed my vacation time every month for the past two years to speak out against your enormous corporate giveaways on Pensacola Beach at every Island Authority meeting.
Jeff, you are an intolerable fat head.
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