Comments on: Consolidation Opinion: ‘Model Government’ Jacksonville Raising Water & Sewer Rates 44%

By: bob hudson

bob hudson — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:49:46 +0000

You said that florida law make’s it almost impossible to annex? Once again ‘ not our problem, if the city want’s to grow then learn and work toward that problem. The city can do it but it will take a lot of work. Now we do not care how hard they must work because it is the city’s problem. So deal with it! AND YOU NEED TO LOOK ELSE WHERE FOR YOUR CASH FLOW!!!! LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION.

By: bob hudson

bob hudson — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:36:53 +0000

Now why would I a person in the country want my cc to address a mayor! MY CC speaks directly for me! And then he will work with others IN the county to resolve our issue’s. We are currently not saddled with the debt or burden of what the city does. Now our system is not perfect, but it is much better than being under the rule of a tourist drive city that needs to reign it’s own spending. Pensacola needs to make the city a place where people wish to belong. Improve your service’s to a point that people will say yes I would like to join. Just like Mobile does. I repeat, We in the county do not wish to join your city, Because our voice will be dilulted, we will inherit the city debt, and we do not wish to be under city rule. LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE! And until you do pensacola will not grow. But that is the city’s problem , not our’s or the county’s! LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!

By: bob hudson

bob hudson — Sun, 24 May 2009 16:07:55 +0000

WE know what consolidation means, it seems that you do not, well Century know’s what it is and that is why they pulled their support. So answer this one simple question! Why will not the city work toward Annexing like Mobile? It works and ever one knows it. We no more want to tell city folk how to live, than we want them telling us how to live. But you do not get that do you? Nope , all you people see are dollar sign’s and power. Well it is not in our best interest, and we will vote no.LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION.

By: bob hudson

bob hudson — Sun, 24 May 2009 15:51:57 +0000

And still you will not address the question of why pensacola will not annex like Mobile, Is it because it is to hard, is it because the city is not willing to do the right thing and involve those who wish to be in the city. Your so called facts only benifit what you say and your agenda to fool the average voter by saying that our current government will not suit your vision of county control. We know that EAFO does not have our best interest at heart, but we also notice the fact that you will not address our direct questions. So until you do , you all are just blown smoke. LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:39:44 +0000

Don’t be naive, I gave up on Bob a week ago. It doesn’t matter if you provide facts to address his argument. His repetitve argument about county residents paying for the maritime park, pensions and how he’ll be in worse position than he is now remind me of Green’s Law: Anything is possible if you don’t know what you are talking about. Just move along, there’s nothing else to see here.

By: bob hudson

bob hudson — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:14:33 +0000

Your “facts’ speak for their selves! And yet you still fail to anwser the burning question. Why will penscola not Annex like Mobile? VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!!!!

By: Don't be naive

Don't be naive — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:59:46 +0000

You win, I will stop trying to intelligently discuss the issues with you. I have given you plenty of facts (SEE ALL the POSTS above). I just hope the majority of citizens in this county are willing to listen to the facts and have a good hones debate.

By: bob hudson

bob hudson — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:15:01 +0000

Inweekly, pensacola news journal, and WEAR-TV, are very pro- consolidation, and they endore’s it quite often. So what is you point? They may as well be the cheer leading squad for EAFO and consolidation. I take what they say with a grain of salt. LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION.

By: bob hudson

bob hudson — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:09:58 +0000

Reply to naive, Once again you dance around all the problems that the city has. These problems are not our’s at this time. What does consolidation mean? It mean to make one , it means to combine government in to one. Now no matter what you say we will inherit the debt and problems of the city, Learn to annex like mobile , you know the city that is our kicking our rear-ends in job’ and growth, seems to be working fine for them is it not? Seems to me Pensacola is drowning in debt, and needs a new tax base. Now I do not want to be governed by the city or their management maker’s. They have done a fine job of driving the city in to the ground, and I do not feel like they are the least bit qualifed to run the county. I do not care what the city does, or how it is run. That is their little red wagon. If the city wants people to move there then improve it, and quit wasteing money that they do not have in building a maritime park in a flood zone in a hurricane prone city. And no I do not care how hard it is to annex like Mobile, they need to get off their rear-end’s and quit whineing and just make it happen. Work to make it better for those who care about it, and show some real leadership. Because a lot of us in the county do not want to be part of the city or care about what they do!! LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE, AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION

By: Don't be naive

Don't be naive — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:37:49 +0000

Another point regarding Mobile that you so often reference. The below was taken from Ricks Blog.. You would still have access to a CC and either you or the CC could speak directly to the CEO, unlike now!

However, the real turnaround of Mobile began in the 1980s when Mike Dow, a three-tour Vietnam veteran and co-founder of a successful tech company, QMS, led an effort with the Mobile Chamber of Commerce to develop an economic development strategy for the city. In 1989, Dow was elected Mayor of Mobile using that strategy, called the “String of Pearls,” as his platform. For the next 16 years, he worked on implementing that plan.

Interestingly, Dow was only the city’s second strong mayor since 1911. Four years earlier the city had switched from it city manager-weak mayor form of government.

I interviewed Dow for IN Your Head Radio last year. Dow said, “You have got to have leadership on a number of fronts. Mobile was blessed back in the mid-eighties to get a bunch of people to together and figure out what we wanted to be.”

“We went through a strategic plan process with the business community and the Chamber. I was the volunteer vice president for the Chamber at the time.”

Dow went on to say the planning process led to about 100 goals.

“Then ‘Boom,’ I am elected mayor and I have this phenomenal set of plans to work with. The city government, county government, state, feds and our community organizations came together and put together a real partnership.”

“The Chamber and city and county leaders would sit down regularly over 16 years and see where we were on that plan.”