On August 19, 2016, I wrote a blog post, "Mirza Ahmad Danger to Community." That post spotlighted the documented fact that Escambia County's Code Enforcement had cited Mirza AHMAD for having an unlicensed junk yard at 2910 W Blount Street. Among the many violations recorded, one was about attracting mosquitoes and rats. The citation read: "Section 42-196(a) Nuisance Conditions" poses a threat to the health and
well being of residents of District 3--and his potential voters. This
county ordnance refers to the "creation or maintenance of any condition
conducive to the breeding of rats, vermin, flies, mosquitos, or other anthropods that are capable of transmitting diseases directly or indirectly to humans. Sec 42-197(a) For conditions conducive to the breeding of rats, vermin, flies, mosquitos, or other anthropods: "Complete removal of all contributing conditions" [emphasis added].
Well, the saga continues and Mirza AHMAD, who is running against incumbent county commissioner Lumon MAY, continues to thumb his nose at the county's Code Enforcement and Planning and Zoning departments.
He is now engaged in stalling tactics.
To remedy the unsightly, not permitted junk yard, the county wanted all vehicles removed within ten days. But, AHMAD could appeal and apply for a Development Plan Review. This process requires a person to submit plans to the county's Planning and Zoning. This department decides if the property's use complies with the county's land use zoning requirements.
Here is the timeline based on county records of AHMAD simply scheduling and missing meetings and trying to delay the process. In the meantime, his unpermitted junk yard continues to pose a danger to the community because it attracts mosquitoes and rats.
TIMELINE:
26 JUL: Notice of Violation issued for vehicles on property.
08 AUG: AHMAD submits plan drawings one day LATE. County rejects drawings.
22 AUG: Pre-application for site review had been submitted on 17 AUG. Meeting is schedule for two weeks.
31 AUG: AHMAD misses pre-planning meeting with Development Plan Review.
08 SEP: Development Plan Review meeting scheduled for 14 SEP.
14 SEP: AHMAD misses Development Plan Review meeting.
Mirza AHMAD has missed two scheduled Development Plan review meetings. The county is attempting to work with AHMAD and inform of the requirements needed to satisfy the county's Development Plan review. County staff has accommodated all of his requests. Still, he just blows them off.
Why is anyone taking AHMAD's political campaign for county commissioner seriously?
And yet some fairly prominent Black politicians are inexplicably tying their personal reputations to a businessman and political candidate who is unfit for office. Mirza AHMAD cannot be bothered with complying with county ordnances--especially where he is cited for posing a danger to the community.
Hyperbole? On 27 July 2016, on the very day that Code Enforcement cited Mirza AHMAD for violating a county ordnance about attracting mosquitoes and rats, the Pensacola News Journal reported that Escambia County had its second confirmed ZIKA case, citing the Florida Department of Health.
So, we have a businessman running for county commissioner who is operating an illegal junk yard that attracts mosquitoes that could carry the ZIKA virus and he is blithely endangering the community by missing Development Plan review meetings.
Why does not the Department of Health step in and tell him to remove his illegal junk vehicles immediately? Why does this danger to the allowed to community persist?
Showing posts with label Mirza Ahmad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mirza Ahmad. Show all posts
Monday, September 26, 2016
Monday, August 22, 2016
IS MIRZA AHMAD BEING GIVEN SPECIAL TREATMENT?
On August 19, 2016, CJ's Street Report published a report based on the County's Office of Environmental Enforcement's "Notice of Violation." The blog post included videos from August 8th and August 19th showing that Ahmad had not removed his junk cars from illegal junk yard lot in the allotted 10 days.
This morning (August 22nd), I received a phone call from Officer Steven Kenney. He told me that Ahmad could keep his junked cars on his property as long as he initiated a development plan review. Apparently, Ahmad has initiated this development plan review.
But, that is not what the "Notice of Violation" states. In the clearest language possible in all blocked letters, Officer Kenney wrote: "REMOVE ALL VEHICLES FROM THE PROPERTY UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN THROUGH DEVELOPMENT REVIEW FOR USE AS A RETAIL AUTO SALES/REPAIR. OUTDOOR STORAGE IS NOT PERMITTED IN THE ZONING FOR THIS PARCEL. CEASE AND DESIST OCCUPATION OF THE RV IN THE BACK CORNER OF THE LOT."
The question is this: why does the "Notice of Violation" state "remove all vehicles" BEFORE the development plan review is completed, but Officer Kenney told me that Ahmad can continue to operate his illegal junk yard as long as he starts the review process? Is this not favoritism? Is this not a deviation from the "Notice of Violation"? Not only is the outdoor storage of vehicles "not permitted," but among the five county ordinances Ahmad violated is one related to the health and safety of residents [ 42-196(a) and 42-197(a)], namely, the attraction of potentially Zika-virus carrying mosquitoes and rats. The first section deals with the "creation or maintenance of conditions conducive to the breeding of rats, vermin, flies, mosquitoes..." The second section requires "Complete removal of all contributing conditions." Why does Code Enforcement allow Ahmad to jeopardize the health and safety of residents near his illegal junk yard? Is it simply a matter that poor people matter less?
This morning (August 22nd), I received a phone call from Officer Steven Kenney. He told me that Ahmad could keep his junked cars on his property as long as he initiated a development plan review. Apparently, Ahmad has initiated this development plan review.
But, that is not what the "Notice of Violation" states. In the clearest language possible in all blocked letters, Officer Kenney wrote: "REMOVE ALL VEHICLES FROM THE PROPERTY UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN THROUGH DEVELOPMENT REVIEW FOR USE AS A RETAIL AUTO SALES/REPAIR. OUTDOOR STORAGE IS NOT PERMITTED IN THE ZONING FOR THIS PARCEL. CEASE AND DESIST OCCUPATION OF THE RV IN THE BACK CORNER OF THE LOT."
The question is this: why does the "Notice of Violation" state "remove all vehicles" BEFORE the development plan review is completed, but Officer Kenney told me that Ahmad can continue to operate his illegal junk yard as long as he starts the review process? Is this not favoritism? Is this not a deviation from the "Notice of Violation"? Not only is the outdoor storage of vehicles "not permitted," but among the five county ordinances Ahmad violated is one related to the health and safety of residents [ 42-196(a) and 42-197(a)], namely, the attraction of potentially Zika-virus carrying mosquitoes and rats. The first section deals with the "creation or maintenance of conditions conducive to the breeding of rats, vermin, flies, mosquitoes..." The second section requires "Complete removal of all contributing conditions." Why does Code Enforcement allow Ahmad to jeopardize the health and safety of residents near his illegal junk yard? Is it simply a matter that poor people matter less?
Friday, August 19, 2016
MIRZA AHMAD DANGER TO COMMUNITY
On July 26, 2016, the Escambia County Office of Environmental Enforcement sent a "Notice of Violation" for case number CE160702662. The five violations were for Mirza Ahmad's illegal junk yard located at 2910 W Blount Street, Pensacola. Ahmad was told, in bold red letters on the Notice, "Comply within 10 days of receipt of this notice." He was also provided a "Warning" which read: "Failure to correct this violation and notify this Officer of Compliance will result in fines or a hearing. If the Hearing is scheduled you may be assessed $1,100 or more for costs of said hearing, plus possible fines; the County may abate the violations and place a Lien on the property."
This video essay documents that on August 8th, 13 days after Ahmad was told to comply or face fines and hearing, the illegal junk yard still existed. On August 19th, 24 days after being notified by the Office of Environmental Enforcement, Ahmad still had not taken any steps to comply with the County. In my commentary, I said the video was taken on August 18th. That is a mistake. The video was taken on August 19th.
Of the five ordnance violations, "Section 42-196(a) Nuisance Conditions" poses a threat to the health and well being of residents of District 3--and his potential voters. This county ordnance refers to the "creation or maintenance of any condition conducive to the breeding of rats, vermin, flies, mosquitos, or other anthropods that are capable of transmitting diseases directly or indirectly to humans. Sec 42-197(a) For conditions conducive to the breeding of rats, vermin, flies, mosquitos, or other anthropods: Complete removal of all contributing conditions" [emphasis added].
Officer Kenney wrote in the section on "Officer Comments" in plain language what was expected of Mirza Ahmad: "Remove all vehicles from the property until such time as the property has been through development review for use as a retail auto sales/repair. Outdoor storage is not permitted in the zoning for this parcel. Cease and desist occupation of the RV in the back corner of the lot. Contact Planning and Zoning to initiate the process for development review." Note: the electronic copy of this "Notice of Violation" will be posted when it is received from Code Enforcement. SEE LINK ABOVE.
Not only should Ahmad be forced to attend a hearing and be fined, but his actions deem him unsuitable and unqualified to hold the office of county commissioner. If he had any integrity, he would withdraw from the race. Ahmad, your days in the clown car grow longer by the minute.
This video essay documents that on August 8th, 13 days after Ahmad was told to comply or face fines and hearing, the illegal junk yard still existed. On August 19th, 24 days after being notified by the Office of Environmental Enforcement, Ahmad still had not taken any steps to comply with the County. In my commentary, I said the video was taken on August 18th. That is a mistake. The video was taken on August 19th.
Of the five ordnance violations, "Section 42-196(a) Nuisance Conditions" poses a threat to the health and well being of residents of District 3--and his potential voters. This county ordnance refers to the "creation or maintenance of any condition conducive to the breeding of rats, vermin, flies, mosquitos, or other anthropods that are capable of transmitting diseases directly or indirectly to humans. Sec 42-197(a) For conditions conducive to the breeding of rats, vermin, flies, mosquitos, or other anthropods: Complete removal of all contributing conditions" [emphasis added].
Officer Kenney wrote in the section on "Officer Comments" in plain language what was expected of Mirza Ahmad: "Remove all vehicles from the property until such time as the property has been through development review for use as a retail auto sales/repair. Outdoor storage is not permitted in the zoning for this parcel. Cease and desist occupation of the RV in the back corner of the lot. Contact Planning and Zoning to initiate the process for development review." Note: the electronic copy of this "Notice of Violation" will be posted when it is received from Code Enforcement. SEE LINK ABOVE.
Not only should Ahmad be forced to attend a hearing and be fined, but his actions deem him unsuitable and unqualified to hold the office of county commissioner. If he had any integrity, he would withdraw from the race. Ahmad, your days in the clown car grow longer by the minute.
AUGUST 8, 2016
AUGUST 19, 2016, VIEW A
AUGUST 19, 2016, VIEW B
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
MIRZA AHMAD STILL IN THE CLOWN CAR
INTRODUCTION
On August 9, 2016, downtown hotspot in Seville Quarter, Phineas Phoggs, hosted a candidate forum jointly sponsored by Pensacola Young Professionals, the Seville Rotary Club, and the Pensacola Propeller Club. The Pensacola Chamber of Commerce also participated in questioning the candidates. This blog post covers the two candidates for the Board of County Commissioners District 3, challenger Mirza AHMAD and incumbent Lumon MAY. It is a good thing this was a forum and not a debate. Had it been a heavyweight fight, Ahmad's cutman would have run out of towels and bandages as the blood would have spilt from cuts above both shut eyes, a broken nose, a few missing teeth, and bleeding ears. Ahmad has proven that he does not know the issues. He just throws stuff out hoping that his audience thinks that empty concepts and vacuous ideas will gain him votes. His big ideas for schools is an after-school training program. Superintendent Thomas, who spoke in the last tranche of candidates, explained that in the past eight years the number of technical academies located inside the high schools has grown from nine to sixty. One academy, established with the support of the National Flight Academy, comes with Federal Aviation Administration certification allowing graduates to work on aircraft. Is that vocational enough, Ahmad? In other words, Ahmad's idea is ridiculous. He does not know how the federal system works on transportation issues. May, on the other hand, explained that any improvements to the railroad system or the overall transportation system in the county, would require collaboration with the City, the Florida Department of Transportation, our representatives in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., and other stakeholders. Ahmad appears to have watched too many empty speeches where he thinks that he alone among all the elected officials in the county can fix deep rooted problems.
May is very self-effacing. He does not like to brag. What he did not tell the Pensacola Young Professionals (he's a former member) and the Seville Rotary Club members is that since 2013 he has secured at least $21 Million in program funds for District 3. This included sidewalks constructed ($445,556); drainage projects ($6,674,370); roadway and bridge projects ($9,832,522); resurfaced roads ($2,200,000); street lights ($236,000); a sewer project for Brownsville ($337,000); and, $1,300,000 to purchase the Brownsville Community Center and use it as a job training, recreation, and cultural arts facility. This specific project, begun this summer will be completed in January 2017. Plus, an intern program for the district. And many other accomplishments to numerous to list.
So, the next time someone says, "Lumon's done nothing for the district," give him or her this brief list. I will be writing up the complete list at a later time. May brings home the beef.
This blog post presents the District 3 BOCC candidate forum as it occurred: Opening statement by Mirza Ahmad; opening statement by Lumon May; the transportation question from the moderator from the Pensacola Propeller Club; closing statement from Mirza Ahmad; and, closing statement from Lumon May.
THE CANDIDATE FORUM
On August 9, 2016, downtown hotspot in Seville Quarter, Phineas Phoggs, hosted a candidate forum jointly sponsored by Pensacola Young Professionals, the Seville Rotary Club, and the Pensacola Propeller Club. The Pensacola Chamber of Commerce also participated in questioning the candidates. This blog post covers the two candidates for the Board of County Commissioners District 3, challenger Mirza AHMAD and incumbent Lumon MAY. It is a good thing this was a forum and not a debate. Had it been a heavyweight fight, Ahmad's cutman would have run out of towels and bandages as the blood would have spilt from cuts above both shut eyes, a broken nose, a few missing teeth, and bleeding ears. Ahmad has proven that he does not know the issues. He just throws stuff out hoping that his audience thinks that empty concepts and vacuous ideas will gain him votes. His big ideas for schools is an after-school training program. Superintendent Thomas, who spoke in the last tranche of candidates, explained that in the past eight years the number of technical academies located inside the high schools has grown from nine to sixty. One academy, established with the support of the National Flight Academy, comes with Federal Aviation Administration certification allowing graduates to work on aircraft. Is that vocational enough, Ahmad? In other words, Ahmad's idea is ridiculous. He does not know how the federal system works on transportation issues. May, on the other hand, explained that any improvements to the railroad system or the overall transportation system in the county, would require collaboration with the City, the Florida Department of Transportation, our representatives in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., and other stakeholders. Ahmad appears to have watched too many empty speeches where he thinks that he alone among all the elected officials in the county can fix deep rooted problems.
May is very self-effacing. He does not like to brag. What he did not tell the Pensacola Young Professionals (he's a former member) and the Seville Rotary Club members is that since 2013 he has secured at least $21 Million in program funds for District 3. This included sidewalks constructed ($445,556); drainage projects ($6,674,370); roadway and bridge projects ($9,832,522); resurfaced roads ($2,200,000); street lights ($236,000); a sewer project for Brownsville ($337,000); and, $1,300,000 to purchase the Brownsville Community Center and use it as a job training, recreation, and cultural arts facility. This specific project, begun this summer will be completed in January 2017. Plus, an intern program for the district. And many other accomplishments to numerous to list.
So, the next time someone says, "Lumon's done nothing for the district," give him or her this brief list. I will be writing up the complete list at a later time. May brings home the beef.
This blog post presents the District 3 BOCC candidate forum as it occurred: Opening statement by Mirza Ahmad; opening statement by Lumon May; the transportation question from the moderator from the Pensacola Propeller Club; closing statement from Mirza Ahmad; and, closing statement from Lumon May.
THE CANDIDATE FORUM
Mirza AHMAD, opening statement
Lumon MAY, opening statement
CSX Freight and Transportation Question
Mirza AHMAD, closing statement
Lumon MAY, closing statement
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
MIRZA AHMAD ENTERS THE CLOWN CAR
Mirza AHMAD, owner of Sam's Cars located at 1407 North W Street in Pensacola, is running for county commissioner in District 3 against incumbent Lumon May.
On July 26, 2016, Mirza Ahmad gave a presentation to the Panhandle chapter of the Democratic African American Women's Caucus. I am a board member and a member of their endorsement committee. I had heard from multiple sources that told me what stories Ahmad was telling various audiences. Ahmad loves to play upon community desires--like more jobs--with fantasies and outright nonsense. While there are some very weak candidates running for local office in Escambia County, Mirza Ahmad deserves to enter the clown car.
While he is putting a great deal of effort into his political campaign--he practically wears down business owners with his incessant pleading to put his sign on their property just to get rid of him--he really does not know the issues; in fact, he really does not know which office he is running for. At times he is running for county commissioner; then, he is running for Superintendent of Schools; and, then he is running for president of the University of West Florida. With a very weak grasp of American politics, an even weaker grasp of English, he simply throws phrases out to his audience in the hope they impress. If he were trying to parody a county commissioner running for office, he would be a great comedian. Thus, he enters the clown car.
The following is a synopsis of various parts of his presentation, the Question-and-Answer period, and pointed questions I put to him. Immediately below, is the video in its entirety.
As best I can tell, he is running for county commissioner because the "roads are damaged," "schools are shutting down," the economy (?) is down, unemployment, and there have been no improvements in ten years.
Among his goals are to bring more industries here, open schools in District 3, and look out for our childrens' futures. Bringing more jobs to District 3 and improving the future for our children are admirable goals. But, it is the Superintendent of Schools Malcolm Thomas that closed several schools in District 3 while District 3's School Board member Linda Moultrie was sleepwalking throughout her term of office.
According to Ahmad, some of the major issues are abandoned houses in Brownsville and the Wedgewood dump (Rolling Hills). Ahmad told the audience that the county commissioners never tried to shut it down. He declared, "I want to shut down all of that." I shall return to the issue of Wedgewood below.
Among Ahmad's plans, if he is somehow miraculously elected to the Board of County Commissioners, is to bring in industries, establish technical schools so that children can learn technical skills after schools, and improve something that was garbled. He noted 13 schools had shutdown in Escambia County, he wanted more education, and he wanted the University of West Florida to have both a medical and a law school.
It is doubtful that 13 schools have been shutdown. The newspaper has noted that Escambia County School District has 13 schools in the bottom 300 schools in the state. But, even if 13 schools had been shutdown, that is the legal purview of the school district. If he had disagreed with any of the decisions to close the six known schools in District 3, no one remembers Ahmad attending a single school board meeting to register his objections.
Apparently, Ahmad has never stepped inside the school board's conference room that is decorated with the flags of dozens of technical schools (academies) located inside various high schools. Escambia High School where I mentor has five plus a new law enforcement school opening this school year. Thus, it makes no sense to open after-school technical schools when there technical schools already inside the high schools. What District 3 does need is after school programs for elementary and middle school children.
As for UWF opening a medical school and a law school, surely that is something for the university to decide. But, let's get real. According to U.S. News & World Report's ranking of universities, UWF is a Tier 2 school. According to the magazine, the "most popular majors at University of West Florida include: Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse; Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General; Health and Physical Education/Fitness, General; and Psychology, General." A Tier 2 university specializing in technical occupations is hardly a candidate to open a medical school and a law school. Ahmad is simply throwing out a big dream hoping his listeners will be impressed.
Ahmad was asked to explain his plan for bringing more industries to Escambia County. He really does not have a plan. What he has is an aw-shucks demeanor that industries tried to come here but the county commissioners "did not let them to come." Specifically, Ahmad was speaking about KIA and Hyundai motor car companies wanting to locate in Escambia County.
I cannot find any record that the these two car companies ever tried to come to Escambia County. In November 2011, the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville published an article on how despite Jacksonville having a shovel-ready "'mega-site'" the city and Florida have not been able to attract car manufacturing or airplane manufacturing. Jacksonville has the only "mega-site" in Florida, a designation meaning that it is ready to break ground on a plant and have it in production quickly. The newspaper noted that Florida attracts mid-range manufacturing companies. Two years later, Alabama.com reported that five counties in Alabama (Houston, Henry, Geneva, Coffee and Dale) and five counties in northwest Florida (Jackson, Bay, Washington, Holmes and Walton) were trying to attract an automobile manufacturing plant.
Thus, while attracting a major manufacturing company remains the goal of the Board of County Commissioners, there is no evidence that the county ever turned down the opportunity to locate KIA and Hyundai manufacturing plants here. And, if they had, it was a long time ago and not applicable to the incumbent Lumon May.
With regard to the Wedgewood dump, later (see video at 4:40) in the Q&A session, he claimed that the Wedgewood dump was a violation of federal law and that the "county was supposed to shutdown immediately" after being told of toxicity at the dump. Ahmad claimed that Wedgewood was still open.
If the Rolling Hills Construction and Demolition Recycling Center owned by South Palafox Properties is "open" as Ahmad assures every audience he has addressed in Escambia County, then how does one explain the "Final Order" issued by the Administrative Law Judge on May 15, 2015, that states on page 33: "The Respondent South Palafox Properties, Inc.’s, operating permit (Construction and Demolition Debris Disposal Facility Permit No. 003397-013-SO) is hereby REVOKED."
Does that in any way, shape, or form read like or sound like the Wedgewood dump is still open? It is closed, Ahmad, and the owner has to pay for the cleanup. Duuh. Now, as explained below, there are remediation efforts to cleanup the groundwater contamination. In that technical sense it is still "open," but it is not "open" in the sense that Ahmad meant--that it is still receiving toxic materials.
In fact, the Pensacola News Journal reported on June 8, 2016, that "Judge John Miller released a 24-page document on the ruling. The Circuit Court ordered that South Palafox perform remediation of the groundwater contamination at Rolling Hills landfill, complete full and proper construction of the remedial action system in accordance with the FDEP-approved action plan, and remediate all surface water quality exceedances to regain compliance with the surface-water criteria under the Florida Administrative Code. The company is ordered to comply within 60 days in each instance."
At the 9:09 point of the video, I asked Ahmad which federal law gave the county commissioners legal authority to close the Wedgewood dump "immediately," as he claimed they had a legal obligation to do. Ahmad cited U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Title 42. There is only one small problem with that explanation. While I stated in the video that it governs the Centers for Disease Control, it governs the establishment of the U.S. Public Health Service, under which the CDC operates. But, it provides no legal authority to county commissioners to immediately close a facility.
Title 40 of the CFR, "Protection of Environment," governs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Generally, the EPA establishes federal standards for things like water quality and delegates to the states monitoring and enforcement. Locally, only Citizens Against Toxic Exposure (CATE) have been able to demonstrate, mobilize, and litigate against a Superfund site in Pensacola and receive compensation--though the Environmental Protection Agency refused to allow its landmark decision affect other communities of color.
Thus, while Ahmad tries to impress his audiences using big words like Title 42, he literally has no idea what he is talking about.
We have about 100+ days to the general election in November. No doubt Mirza Ahmad will continue campaigning and spouting concepts and accusations off the top of his head with great conviction. Just remember, just because you believe a fact to be true, does not make the fact true. Ahmad does not know the basic facts regarding Rolling Hills. Ahmad has no idea what laws are applicable to the Rolling Hills dump. He is unqualified for elected office. Ahmad has no idea what the issues are in District 3.
In fact, he does not even know that the Rolling Hills dump had its permit revoked and had been slapped with a remediation order by the court. What Ahmad is trying to gin up with his false claims is community outrage. He is hoping that community outrage and his false claims will paint an ugly picture of incumbent Lumon May. The reality is Ahmad has neither the temperament nor familiarity with basic facts to qualify him for the county board.
The specific Rolling Hills (Wedgewood) results were the result of the agitation of the Wedgewood Homeowners Association, Dr. Gloria Horning of Justice Escambia, other activists like Barbara Albrecht of the Panhandle Watershed Alliance, Melanie Nichols of the North Hills Preservation Association, Mike Lowery of the Amalgamated Transit Union, and Supervisor Lumon May who worked with the activists, and the other county commissioners, as well as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection which brought the lawsuit against South Palafox Properties.
On July 26, 2016, Mirza Ahmad gave a presentation to the Panhandle chapter of the Democratic African American Women's Caucus. I am a board member and a member of their endorsement committee. I had heard from multiple sources that told me what stories Ahmad was telling various audiences. Ahmad loves to play upon community desires--like more jobs--with fantasies and outright nonsense. While there are some very weak candidates running for local office in Escambia County, Mirza Ahmad deserves to enter the clown car.
While he is putting a great deal of effort into his political campaign--he practically wears down business owners with his incessant pleading to put his sign on their property just to get rid of him--he really does not know the issues; in fact, he really does not know which office he is running for. At times he is running for county commissioner; then, he is running for Superintendent of Schools; and, then he is running for president of the University of West Florida. With a very weak grasp of American politics, an even weaker grasp of English, he simply throws phrases out to his audience in the hope they impress. If he were trying to parody a county commissioner running for office, he would be a great comedian. Thus, he enters the clown car.
The following is a synopsis of various parts of his presentation, the Question-and-Answer period, and pointed questions I put to him. Immediately below, is the video in its entirety.
As best I can tell, he is running for county commissioner because the "roads are damaged," "schools are shutting down," the economy (?) is down, unemployment, and there have been no improvements in ten years.
Among his goals are to bring more industries here, open schools in District 3, and look out for our childrens' futures. Bringing more jobs to District 3 and improving the future for our children are admirable goals. But, it is the Superintendent of Schools Malcolm Thomas that closed several schools in District 3 while District 3's School Board member Linda Moultrie was sleepwalking throughout her term of office.
According to Ahmad, some of the major issues are abandoned houses in Brownsville and the Wedgewood dump (Rolling Hills). Ahmad told the audience that the county commissioners never tried to shut it down. He declared, "I want to shut down all of that." I shall return to the issue of Wedgewood below.
Among Ahmad's plans, if he is somehow miraculously elected to the Board of County Commissioners, is to bring in industries, establish technical schools so that children can learn technical skills after schools, and improve something that was garbled. He noted 13 schools had shutdown in Escambia County, he wanted more education, and he wanted the University of West Florida to have both a medical and a law school.
It is doubtful that 13 schools have been shutdown. The newspaper has noted that Escambia County School District has 13 schools in the bottom 300 schools in the state. But, even if 13 schools had been shutdown, that is the legal purview of the school district. If he had disagreed with any of the decisions to close the six known schools in District 3, no one remembers Ahmad attending a single school board meeting to register his objections.
Apparently, Ahmad has never stepped inside the school board's conference room that is decorated with the flags of dozens of technical schools (academies) located inside various high schools. Escambia High School where I mentor has five plus a new law enforcement school opening this school year. Thus, it makes no sense to open after-school technical schools when there technical schools already inside the high schools. What District 3 does need is after school programs for elementary and middle school children.
As for UWF opening a medical school and a law school, surely that is something for the university to decide. But, let's get real. According to U.S. News & World Report's ranking of universities, UWF is a Tier 2 school. According to the magazine, the "most popular majors at University of West Florida include: Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse; Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General; Health and Physical Education/Fitness, General; and Psychology, General." A Tier 2 university specializing in technical occupations is hardly a candidate to open a medical school and a law school. Ahmad is simply throwing out a big dream hoping his listeners will be impressed.
Ahmad was asked to explain his plan for bringing more industries to Escambia County. He really does not have a plan. What he has is an aw-shucks demeanor that industries tried to come here but the county commissioners "did not let them to come." Specifically, Ahmad was speaking about KIA and Hyundai motor car companies wanting to locate in Escambia County.
I cannot find any record that the these two car companies ever tried to come to Escambia County. In November 2011, the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville published an article on how despite Jacksonville having a shovel-ready "'mega-site'" the city and Florida have not been able to attract car manufacturing or airplane manufacturing. Jacksonville has the only "mega-site" in Florida, a designation meaning that it is ready to break ground on a plant and have it in production quickly. The newspaper noted that Florida attracts mid-range manufacturing companies. Two years later, Alabama.com reported that five counties in Alabama (Houston, Henry, Geneva, Coffee and Dale) and five counties in northwest Florida (Jackson, Bay, Washington, Holmes and Walton) were trying to attract an automobile manufacturing plant.
Thus, while attracting a major manufacturing company remains the goal of the Board of County Commissioners, there is no evidence that the county ever turned down the opportunity to locate KIA and Hyundai manufacturing plants here. And, if they had, it was a long time ago and not applicable to the incumbent Lumon May.
With regard to the Wedgewood dump, later (see video at 4:40) in the Q&A session, he claimed that the Wedgewood dump was a violation of federal law and that the "county was supposed to shutdown immediately" after being told of toxicity at the dump. Ahmad claimed that Wedgewood was still open.
If the Rolling Hills Construction and Demolition Recycling Center owned by South Palafox Properties is "open" as Ahmad assures every audience he has addressed in Escambia County, then how does one explain the "Final Order" issued by the Administrative Law Judge on May 15, 2015, that states on page 33: "The Respondent South Palafox Properties, Inc.’s, operating permit (Construction and Demolition Debris Disposal Facility Permit No. 003397-013-SO) is hereby REVOKED."
Does that in any way, shape, or form read like or sound like the Wedgewood dump is still open? It is closed, Ahmad, and the owner has to pay for the cleanup. Duuh. Now, as explained below, there are remediation efforts to cleanup the groundwater contamination. In that technical sense it is still "open," but it is not "open" in the sense that Ahmad meant--that it is still receiving toxic materials.
In fact, the Pensacola News Journal reported on June 8, 2016, that "Judge John Miller released a 24-page document on the ruling. The Circuit Court ordered that South Palafox perform remediation of the groundwater contamination at Rolling Hills landfill, complete full and proper construction of the remedial action system in accordance with the FDEP-approved action plan, and remediate all surface water quality exceedances to regain compliance with the surface-water criteria under the Florida Administrative Code. The company is ordered to comply within 60 days in each instance."
At the 9:09 point of the video, I asked Ahmad which federal law gave the county commissioners legal authority to close the Wedgewood dump "immediately," as he claimed they had a legal obligation to do. Ahmad cited U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Title 42. There is only one small problem with that explanation. While I stated in the video that it governs the Centers for Disease Control, it governs the establishment of the U.S. Public Health Service, under which the CDC operates. But, it provides no legal authority to county commissioners to immediately close a facility.
Title 40 of the CFR, "Protection of Environment," governs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Generally, the EPA establishes federal standards for things like water quality and delegates to the states monitoring and enforcement. Locally, only Citizens Against Toxic Exposure (CATE) have been able to demonstrate, mobilize, and litigate against a Superfund site in Pensacola and receive compensation--though the Environmental Protection Agency refused to allow its landmark decision affect other communities of color.
Thus, while Ahmad tries to impress his audiences using big words like Title 42, he literally has no idea what he is talking about.
We have about 100+ days to the general election in November. No doubt Mirza Ahmad will continue campaigning and spouting concepts and accusations off the top of his head with great conviction. Just remember, just because you believe a fact to be true, does not make the fact true. Ahmad does not know the basic facts regarding Rolling Hills. Ahmad has no idea what laws are applicable to the Rolling Hills dump. He is unqualified for elected office. Ahmad has no idea what the issues are in District 3.
In fact, he does not even know that the Rolling Hills dump had its permit revoked and had been slapped with a remediation order by the court. What Ahmad is trying to gin up with his false claims is community outrage. He is hoping that community outrage and his false claims will paint an ugly picture of incumbent Lumon May. The reality is Ahmad has neither the temperament nor familiarity with basic facts to qualify him for the county board.
The specific Rolling Hills (Wedgewood) results were the result of the agitation of the Wedgewood Homeowners Association, Dr. Gloria Horning of Justice Escambia, other activists like Barbara Albrecht of the Panhandle Watershed Alliance, Melanie Nichols of the North Hills Preservation Association, Mike Lowery of the Amalgamated Transit Union, and Supervisor Lumon May who worked with the activists, and the other county commissioners, as well as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection which brought the lawsuit against South Palafox Properties.
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