This piece of trash op-ed that will appear in tomorrow's edition of the PNJ is probably one of their worst yet. Of all time. Tomorrow's garbage editorial is nothing but a haphazard, fact-barren ad hominem personal attack on four of the five elected Escambia County Commissioners. And disgustingly, the most important, factual information is ignored in favor of a salacious attack on four of us. The piece, most disturbingly, is built entirely on lies, rumors, insinuations and assumptions.
But it's foundations are lies.
PNJ Lie # 1.) Janice Gilley was fired over the discussions of the 401(a) plan. Not true, not even close. (Hint for PNJ propaganda squad: What did the ECAT union vote the week before the firing request? Think. You even covered it! Nope, no mention of that... What about the almost $200,000.00 settlement that happened the same week--the second one based on harrassment in public safety? nope, no mention of that even though your paper covered it. What about the fact that the only other area printed newspaper publisher has openly called for Janice's termination for months now?)
PNJ Lie #2.) An insinuation that the board and members of the board violated the Florida Sunshine law and "orchestrated" the firing for months. This is a straight-up, bald faced lie and a fabrication. If they think we did it, have the guts to take your proof to the SAO and push for us to be prosecuted! You are liars, PNJ editorial team, straight up. And this insinuation is a lie. Shame on you both, Andy Marlette and Lisa Nellesen Savage. You have no integrity.
PNJ Lie #3.) That I purposely gave a "milquetoast" explanation of my rationale for firing Janice. NOT TRUE! roll back the tape and re-watch. I said I didn't want to publicly discuss it. "I like to praise in public, punish in private!" That's what I said. And when you try to sell the fiction that the other board members "couldn't muster specific reasons or a public explanation for their vote." That, too, is a straight up lie and you know it. Each of us with the exception of Doug intimated that we did not and would not make a public spectacle of a tough circumstance and would not "air dirty laundry"---out of consideration for Janice. For you to accuse us of purposely being deceptive is a LIE. Watch the actual meetings and what we said--instead of peddling lies and mischaracterizations.
To the PNJ "Editorial Board" that wrote this garbage: The bottom line is this board has the authority to do what we did. She works for us under a contract, we hired her. Sometimes entities and leaders part ways--you know that. CEO's and companies, Baseball teams and star pitchers, AND yes--counties and their administrators. It's not personal for any of us so far as I can tell; certainly isn't for me. It's business. But it is disgustingly bizarre for you to use Janice Gilley as your straw man man here to attack us with lies and mischaracterizations. You don't care about the truth, and you sure as hell don't care about Janice Gilley--obviously. You are simply using her and this uncomfortable situation to aid in yet another attack on those of us who lead, regardless of what this is doing to her and her family. I harbor no ill-will toward Janice, I think she is and was a great person. Don't use her termination as fodder to attack, that's reprehensible. Here is a novel concept PNJ: Go back and do some basic reading on honor, truth, and journalistic integrity. You have HUGE deficits in each of these areas and we all see it.
