UWF'S PARKS ASSESSMENT STUDY RECONSIDERED

INTRODUCTION

This article is the follow-up article to "Cannada-Wynn Abandons Children in Morris Court."  That article highlighted that City Council member Jewel CANNADA-WYNN had conspired off-the-record and off-the-books with the Area Housing Commission and the office of the City Administrator to close Morris Court Park and return it to the Area Housing Commission.

We know this because Cannada-Wynn submitted to the City Council a letter written by Dr. SINGH, head of the Area Housing Commission, dated September 16, 2016, in which Dr. Singh stated that he had called Mr. Keith WILKINS, the deputy city administrator, the previous day and had had at least one prior undated meeting with Cannada-Wynn on the subject of returning Morris Court Park to the Housing Commission.

And we know that Cannada-Wynn was hiding her agenda to close Morris Court Park from the residents because in November 2016 while she telling the City Council her intention to close and return the park, she was also telling the Westside Redevelopment Board that she was working with residents to "deal with" their "concerns" regarding the park.

In fact, when residents found out that Cannada-Wynn, their City Council representative, planned to close the park permanently, after it had been closed for months, Rick's Blog reported that the residents were "not happy" and County Commissioner Lumon MAY wanted to hold a town hall meeting to prevent its permanent closure.

We do not know how many meetings, phone calls, and emails were exchanged between Cannada-Wynn and the Housing Commission, nor do we know when the exchanges first took place, and nor do we know who conceived of the idea of closing Morris Court Park in the summer of 2016 with the objective of initiating the transfer of the park back to the Housing Commission.  However, CJ's Street Report has submitted a public records request to try and determine when the ball started rolling and by whom.

What we do know is that by March 2016 the City of Pensacola's Parks & Recreation Department (and presumably its Board) had contracted with the University of West Florida's Sport Management and Public Administration programs to produce an assessment of "how to improve space and resource utilization."  The public was invited to attend three public meetings in order to "brainstorm ideas and provide input for park improvements."  Under pressure from council member Sherri Myers a fourth meeting was added for her district's residents.  And, the UWF professors also sought to have an online sample of city residents to respond to a questionaire on park usage and their thoughts on the quality and problems of the park system.

And we know that when Mayor Ashton HAYWARD and Cannada-Wynn put the transfer of Morris Court Park to the Area Housing Commission on the city council's agenda item 17-00228  they specifically referenced the UWF study as justification, claiming that the study found that "the City’s parks system is overbuilt to an unsustainable level.  Based on that finding, the UWF report recommended that the City strategically reduce the number of parks and amenities it maintains and improve service by consolidating resources into regional parks."

The UWF assessment was released on December 1, 2016, more than two months before the mayor's office, Cannada-Wynn, and the Housing Commission had already determined in September 2016 that Morris Court Park should be permanently closed and the park re-deeded back to the Housing Commission.  In other words, the mayor and Cannada-Wynn used the fig leaf of the assessment to justify a pre-determined political decision made without public scrutiny and public comment.

The clear implication in the agenda item was that the actions of the mayor, Cannada-Wynn, and the Housing Commission were consistent with and supported by the UWF assessment.  In fact, nothing in the UWF assessment can be used to justify closing permanently Morris Court Park.

The UWF assessment (page 6) states clearly that "results and recommendations of the assessment should be used to inform decisions but are not intended to be the sole consideration in future planning."  Moreover, the UWF assessment noted that the "conclusions and recommendations contained in this report are based solely upon the data available."  In other words, other data and different kinds of information could challenge and modify assessment's conclusions, or be pertinent to different decisions being made by the City Council.

The purpose of this CJ's Street Report article is to critique the UWF assessment on the basis that it pretends that UWF and the City of Pensacola can produce and use technical information that is above and untainted by politics, race, and class.  In fact, race and class permeate the study--just not in ways the UWF professors fully appreciated.

KEY FINDINGS OF THE UWF STUDY

I have posted two copies of the UWF study.  The first copy is not highlighted.  The second copy is highlighted for use in this article.

The major finding of the UWF is that the city's park inventory is too large to be sustained.  But, then the professors go beyond that technical finding to argue that the city has no obligation to meet the needs of the residents.

According to the UWF assessment (page 8), "Our primary overarching conclusion is that the parks system is overbuilt to an unsustainable level, given its current resources.... The city should not be expected to maintain and operate the current number of parks at the level expected by the citizenry."

I think it is common place in America to assert that government at all levels exists with the consent of the governed--and not the other way around.  If the citizenry expect their city to maintain its level of parks and open spaces, is it not the responsibility of elected leaders to find a way to make that happen?

The UWF assessment (page 8) also noted that the City of Pensacola had two options for coping with its large inventory of parks.  According to the assessment's authors, "The recommended approach is to strategically reduce the quantity of parks services.  The second approach would be to increase recurring financial and human resources to the parks department."

The first approach, if taken seriously by Mayor Hayward, the Pensacola City Council, and the Parks & Recreation Board, would be to act in accordance with existing city ordinances regarding selling city property, holding widely publicized town hall meetings on specific closure recommendations, and undertaking a technical study or studies that examined the tradeoffs between different public policy options.

In short, a "strategic reduction" would involve real costs, potential benefits, and real losses and gains for residents of the city.  The assessment itself noted (page 7) that homes "fronting or abutting a passive park space experience a 20% increase in value," while homes within three blocks of a park gain 10% in value.  A 20% gain or loss in property value certainly requires that city residents be fully aware of and involved in the decision making.

The second approach noted by the UWF assessment would require the city council and the mayor to find spending within the budget or additional resources to sustain the park system.

The unstated political assumption of the UWF assessment is that being miserly on parks is a good thing.

The UWF assessment found that the City of Pensacola, using the National Recreation and Park Association's (NRPA) Recreation, Park, and Open Space Standards and Guidelines (page 19) for its benchmark comparison of Pensacola to other very roughly comparable cities is overbuilt.

For example, it found (page 10) that Pensacola has "more than double the standard number of basketball courts;" it has "over three times the standard number of diamond [baseball] fields;" and, it has "over three times the standard number of playgrounds."

Now, that is certainly one interpretation of the data--if you are a scrooge and miser.  On the other hand, if you were a city booster (and put your money where your mouth is), you might claim that Pensacola is super child-friendly and outdoor-enthusiast friendly with lots of safe, clean neighborhood, community, historic, regional, and athletic parks (see pages 15-16).  But, that interpretation would require a mayor who actually had pride in the city rather than just turning up at civic events with a smiley face.

The UWF assessment also noted (page 9), in bolstering its claim on over-development and unsustainability, that the city had too many benches (one for every 135 residents), too many trashcans at parks (one for every 123 residents), too many swings (one for every 35 children under the age of twelve), and too much playground equipment (one for every 45 children under the age of twelve).  In other words, there was potentially too much comfort, too much cleanliness, and too much happiness for the residents.

Given that neighborhood and community parks are too close to their homes for children to enjoy, with too many swings and playground equipment, and too many benches for the weary to relax on, UWF recommended "eliminating the use of resources to support the unsustainable expectations of many neighborhood parks" while creating regional parks.  Of course, it is not the expectations of the parks under threat, but the expectations of actual residents.  You know, those parks that you must drive to or try to catch a bus to instead of doing the planet-friendly walky-thingy.

And how did Pensacola get into this catastrophe of building up its amenities for residents to enjoy?  Politics.

Yes, the UWF professors complained (page 8) that the "results of the needs assessment are indicative of a long history of responding to political or social pressures rather than making strategic informed decisions."

How dare the elected officials of Pensacola over the decades respond to "political or social pressures" rather than obeying the findings of disinterested, technical experts with objective national standards.  What a travesty!  What were they thinking?

CLASS, RACE, AND POLITICS IN THE UWF STUDY

To be fair to the UWF professors they recognized that the online survey of respondents was biased (page 11).  They noted that "respondents were primarily Caucasian mothers with a median household income of $80,000."  Nevertheless, what these upper class white women wanted was included in the study's recommendations--such as a skating rink park and a minimum of six new soccer fields.

While the UWF professors noted that Pensacola's park system was unsustainable and neighborhood parks should be closed--with significant losses in property values to homeowners--they simultaneously recommended (page 10) that the "city should develop a minimum of six rectangular/soccer fields to meet the [NRPA] standard" [emphasis added].

Now, if there is one thing that needs to be noted about American soccer for youth--it is almost entirely white.  Or, put it this way.  The resources America expends on soccer for youth benefits almost exclusively white children from fairly wealthy or well-off families.

For example, the U.S. Youth Soccer National Tournament Database in their media kit does not even bother to report the breakdown of children by race or ethnicity--just gender.

In June 2016, Les Carpenter interviewed Doug Andreassen, chairman of U.S. Soccer's diversity task force, for the Guardian.  Andreassen told Carpenter, "'The system is not working for the underserved community,' he says.  'It’s working for the white kids.'"  Carpenter noted that "Money has only hardened the divide between rich and poor, leaving the game to thrive in wealthy communities, where the cost of organized soccer has become outrageous, pricing out those in lower income neighborhoods."  In addition to league fees, there is the cost of transportation to matches, lodging for matches, and health insurance costs.

One week later, Mike Woitalla, writing at the Soccer America website, noted that while American youth soccer had a diversity problem (discussing Carpenter's article) that there had been some improvements in providing resources to low-income children to combat the "pay-to-play" system.  But, even he agreed that "there is much work to be done to make youth soccer more inclusive."

Sandra Herrera, writing at the Backline Soccer website noted that the pay-to-play system of youth soccer disadvantaged poor and non-white players, and if the child was particularly skilled, even middle class families might not be able to afford $4,500 in travel costs for elite-level tournaments at a reasonably priced elite academy--though costs could soar to up to $12,000.

So, when the UWF professors, listening to white women who came from households with a median household income of $80,000, recommended (page 10) that the City of Pensacola "should develop a minimum of six rectangular/soccer to meet the [NRPA] standard," that standard is based upon a sport that is skewed towards affluent white parents and children.  That NRPA standard is not a technical standard removed from class, race, and political influences and considerations.  It is just the opposite.  Urban soccer fields represent the public policy preferences of affluent white parents that disadvantage non-white, immigrant, or poorer families.

Thus, it is rather ironic that the UWF professors were aghast that the neighborhood and community parks system that had been built over the decades had reflected "political or social pressures" of the residents rather than apolitical, technical experts using "objective" technical standards completely divorced from race and class considerations.

CLASS AND RACE IN PENSACOLA

But, to see the race and class bias in the UWF "Parks Needs Assessment," above and beyond its unrepresentative online sample of respondents, it is necessary to compare its findings with that of another UWF study, the July 2014 "Community Needs Assessment."

The UWF "Parks Needs Assessment" states there are 93 entities under consideration excluding the "Osceola Golf Course, community centers, or city pools" (page 8).  The UWF provides a list (pages 50-51) of facilities used by the online respondents.  Zip codes are not provided.  In reality, the Parks & Recreation website lists 87 parks with the filter on for just parks.  Helpfully, it also provides a zip code for each park.

On page 25 of the "Parks Needs Assessment" the Zip Codes used in the study were 32501, 32502, 32503, 32504, 32505, 32507, and 32514.  The latter two Zip Codes contain only 1 park (32514), thus reducing the total number of parks under consideration here to 86.  The latter two zip codes include some Pensacola households, but the households are really mostly located in the county, if you look on a Zip Code map.  Even Zip Code 32505 is dicey in terms of parks and households--with only two parks.  Excluding 32505 reduces the number of parks to 84.

The online survey of all seven zip codes yielded a sample size of N=551.  However, if one excludes the three latter zip codes, the sample size is N= 473.

The reason I exclude zip codes 32505, 32507 and 32514 is to make the two UWF studies comparable and use the core of the city.  Those three zip codes are largely located in Escambia County and thus skew the population and median income figures for the city.

A comparison of the distribution of online respondents ("Parks") and households ("Community") reveals that some zip codes are apparently some zip codes are over-sampled (32501 and 32504).  Thus, for example, Zip Code 32501 with 14% of the city's households was 26% of the online survey sample.

TABLE 1

Zip             Number      Percent    Number          Percent
Code         Online         Online     Households    Households

32501            121              26               2311 (a)            14
32502              20                4                 771                   5
32503            141              30               7312                 45
32504            191              40               5691                 35
Subtotals        473           100%          16085                 99%

Note: (a) Table 1E, Household and Family Sizes By Zip Code, "Community Needs Assessment," page 9.

According to the "Parks Needs Assessment," the median income of the online respondents was $80,000, meaning that half of the respondents reported a median household income below $80,000 and half of the respondents reported a median household income above $80,000 (pages 11 and 25).  But, 57.5% of the sample reported an income between $50,000 and $249,999 (page 25) with an additional 5.7% reporting an income in excess of $250,000.  And, the study reported that median household income in Pensacola in 2014 was $46,424 (page 20).  Thus, the online sample is heavily skewed towards wealthier families.

We can also see that the distribution of parks (from the Parks & Recreation website) also reflects a bias, if you will, towards Zip Codes that are majority white households and the relatively better off (Table 2).

TABLE 2

Zip             Number      Percent    Percent     Percent         Median
Code         Parks          Parks       White         Non-White    HH Income
32501            17               20              42 (a)           58               31,851 (b)
32502            15               18              57                 43               40,163
32503            31               37              66                 34               52,609
32504            21               25              79                 21               56,488
Subtotals       84             100              NA                NA              46,424 (c)

Notes:
(a) Table 1C, Race and Ethnicity by Zip Code, "Community Needs Assessment," page 7.
(b) Table 1F, Family Income by Zip Code, Median Family Household Income, Community Needs Assessment, page 11.
(c) Table 3, U.S. Census: Pensacola demographic composition, Household Income (2014), "Parks Needs Assessment," page 20.

Table 2 shows that the non-white majority Zip Code (32501) with 14% of the households (from Table 1) has 20% of the parks, while the majority white Zip Codes (32502, 32503, and 32504) with 60% of the households have 85% of the parks.

The majority non-white Zip Code has a median household income at least $15,000 below the median income for the city as a whole, while the majority white Zip Codes (32503 and 32504) have median household incomes at least $8,000 to $10,000 above the city's median income.  Only the majority white Zip Code of 32502 has a median household income ($40,163) below the city's median household income ($46,424).

Thus, one can legitimately ask, when the UWF professors recommended in their "Parks Needs Assessment" that the City of Pensacola undertake a strategic assessment making "strategic, fiscally responsible, data-driven decisions" (page 8), did they not realize the distribution of parks in the city already favored richer, whiter households and Zip Codes?

More importantly, if the City of Pensacola were to shutter neighborhood and community parks to save scarce resources, while simultaneously building "a minimum of six rectangular/soccer fields to meet the [NRPA] standard" (page 10), would not scarce park resources probably skew even more in favor of the wealthier, whiter households and Zip Codes?

Would not the same be true if the City of Pensacola closed neighborhood and community parks and consolidated those scarce park resources in regional parks?  Would not those regional parks be located in whiter and richer Zip Codes?

The fact that the first park on the chopping block, Morris Court Park, is located in Zip Code 32501, suggests that the mayor intends to close parks in poorer, majority non-white households.

The UWF "Parks Needs Assessment" pretends that race and class have no bearing on these "objective," "strategic, fiscally responsible, data-driven decisions," but, in fact, race and class are already embedded in their data, if they had chosen to look and carry the analysis a bit more forward; and, race and class must factor into those City Council decisions so that the distribution of park resources is more equitable.

CONCLUSION

For Cannada-Wynn, the mayor, and the Area Housing Commission to go behind the Morris Community Park's "stakeholders" and park users, especially the young children, and try to permanently shut this park down without a "strategic review" and public comment is unconscionable.

For Cannada-Wynn, the mayor, and the Area Housing Commission to pretend there is one scintilla of evidence in the UWF "Parks Needs Assessment" that justifies closing Morris Court Park is insulting and a gross misuse of the UWF assessment.

The UWF "Parks Needs Assesssment," biased as it is on race and class and political issues, nevertheless, in the hands of a less unscrupulous and cheapskate mayor actually points to a significant city achievement.

Yes, compared to very roughly comparable cities and national standards the City of Pensacola has more neighborhood and community parks, and more basketball courts, and more baseball diamonds, but doesn't that speak to a higher quality of life for Pensacola residents?  If the City Council were to cut the mayor's prolific legal spending--is that not above national standards(?)--the city might have enough money to pay for maintenance and upgrades for children and outdoor enthusiasts.

In my years of government service, I found that consultant's studies usually find what they are asked to find.  Apparently, the UWF professors were asked to establish a baseline assessment from which the mayor could start cutting parks for poorer, less-white households and Zip Codes.  But, the same study can justify spending more money on neighborhood and community parks in order to maintain and enhance an enviable quality of life for Pensacola residents.

More importantly, the UWF assessment's recommendation that the City of Pensacola should close neighborhood and community parks while simultaneously recommending that the city build and maintain a "minimum" of six soccer fields demonstrates that you can pretend to divorce race and class and politics from strategic decisions.  But, it is only a pretense.

Historically, the decisions to locate parks is the result of "political or social pressures."  However flawed and biased those decisions historically were against non-whites and the poor, that is called democracy.  And now we should make decisions about the quality of life and property values based on more democracy, not less; and, we should stop pretending that strategic, fiscal, and data-driven decisions have nothing to do with class, race, politics, and democracy.

CANNADA-WYNN ABANDONS CHILDREN IN MORRIS COURT

INTRODUCTION

Trouble is brewing regarding Morris Court Park.  City Council member Jewel CANNADA-WYNN wants to close permanently the Morris Court Park and return it to the Area Housing Commission.  However, Cannada-Wynn's actions, particularly the timing of her actions and what she has said about the park, raises serious doubts about the real motivations for the park's closure and return to the Housing Commission.  And, when considered in the larger national context, the stated reason for the park's return to the Area Housing Commission--providing low-income seniors and special needs persons with housin--might never be accomplished.  The park should be re-opened, new equipment provided, and the mayor, Cannada-Wynn, and the Housing Commission, revealing all of their backroom wheeling and dealing.

BACKGROUND

Morris Court Park is located at the intersection of N J Street and W Brainerd Street, according to a map provided by the City of Pensacola to the City Council for the April 13, 2017, for its consideration on agenda item 17-00228.

This agenda item was co-sponsored by the Pensacola Mayor Ashton HAYWARD and Council member Cannada-Wynn for the expressed purpose of returning the park to the Area Housing Authority on the grounds that the December 2016 University of West Florida's "Parks Needs Assessment" found that "the City’s parks system is overbuilt to an unsustainable level.  Based on that finding, the UWF report recommended that the City strategically reduce the number of parks and amenities it maintains and improve service by consolidating resources into regional parks," according to the City Council's agenda item proposal.

It is important to note that Council member Cannada-Wynn and the mayor were careful not to state that the UWF study recommended closing Morris Court Park.  CJ's Street Report submitted a public records request to the city for the UWF study.

According to the City Council's agenda item, the return of the park was requested via letter from the Area Housing Authority dated September 16, 2016, to Mr. Keith WILKINS, the Assistant City Administrator.  But that letter, included in the City Council agenda item 17-00228 and first reported in a Rick's Blog article dated November 14, 2016, also states that City Council member Cannada-Wynn had met with Dr. Abe SINGH, executive director of the Area Housing Commission, prior to September 15, 2016.  On September 15, 2016, Dr. Singh had called Mr. Wilkins.

The backroom machinations between Council member Cannada-Wynn, Dr. Singh, and Mr. Wilkins all pre-date the final results of the University of West Florida's "Parks Needs Assessment" by precisely 78 days (15 September to 01 December), not including when exactly Cannada-Wynn first contacted or was contacted by the Area Housing Commission.

Thus, the selection of the Morris Court Park for closure was pre-determined well in advance of the public release of the UWF "Parks Needs Assesssment" study which did not, apparently, specifically recommend that this specific park should be "strategically reduced."

This has all the makings of a backroom deal concocted off the record and out of public view by Mayor Ashton, Keith Wilkins (Assistant City Administrator), City Council member Cannada-Wynn, and Dr. Singh of the Area Housing Commission.

THE MYSTERY DEEPENS

Rick's Blog was the first to report, based on first-hand observations, that "Residents and homeowners in the area have told Inweekly that they aren’t happy about losing their playground.  Commissioner Lumon MAY grow [sic] up in the Morris Court area and worries about the impact of losing the playground. He said that he would like to have a town hall meeting to get  input for the families in the neighborhood."  Rick's Blog further reported that it observed that "playground had been chained and padlocked. A “Danger” signs hung on the gates. The playground equipment was old and needed repair.... A parent said the playground had been closed for months."

C.J. LEWIS, a city resident who recently ran unsuccessfully for a City Council seat and follows city politics closely (full disclosure: a friend of mine), noted in a comment on the Rick's Blog article that Cannada-Wynn's action was highly suspect.

According to Lewis: "Not discussed here or in the agenda item is why Morris Court Park is 'Permanently Closed' as it says on Google Map.  However, if you look on the city’s website they have pretty pictures of the children’s play equipment and the basketball courts with no indication the park is closed. Someone should explain why the park was closed in the first place and by who and when.  In 2014, the Proposed Project list for Extension of Local Option Sales Tax lists $90,000 for 'Replace equipment' at Morris Court Park.... During the Women for Responsible Legislation candidate forum held on September 22 in city hall Cannada-Wynn said that District 7 had gotten more than its fair share and did not need anything more.... There probably is a very interesting trail of public records to piece together on this issue.  I attended the full duration of all budget workshops in August and budget hearings in September.  I cannot recall Cannada-Wynn objecting to funding in the budget for Morris Court Park."

Taking C.J. Lewis's suggestions, perhaps the Area Housing Commission and Council member Cannada-Wynn will disclose to the city's residents and City Council the contents of all the meetings they had on or prior to September 15, 2016, as well as the Area Housing Commission disclosing its internal and external discussions of why exactly it needed the return of Morris Court Park.  Who is really going to profit from this return?

Rick's Blog reported in its November 14, 2016, article that Cannada-Wynn, one week after her successful re-election campaign, requested that the City Council consider returning Morris Court Park to the Area Housing Commission.  Rick's Blog linked to a City Council document for that day's (Monday) Agenda Review (14 NOV) for the City Council meeting on 17 NOV (Thursday).

But, what did Cannada-Wynn say between Monday and Thursday?

On 15 NOV, Cannada-Wynn, as a member of the Westside Redevelopment Board, according to the official minutes, told the WRB (pdf page 4): "Ms. Cannada-Wynn indicated there was a concern with activities at the Morris Court Park, and it has been difficult for the neighborhood.  She has been working with the neighborhood to institute a plan to deal with some of the concerns."

According to the official minutes, it sounds like Cannada-Wynn is "concerned" about the Morris Court Park and is "working with the neighborhood" to "deal with some of the concerns."

Has she been lying to the neighborhood?  Was she lying to the Westside Redevelopment Board?

How can Cannada-Wynn reconcile that she was meeting in quasi-secrecy with the Area Housing Commission discussing returning the Morris Court Park to the AHC, while telling the neighborhood and the Westside Redevelopment Board that she is working with the neighborhood to "deal with" their concerns, presumbably to keep the park open and functioning?

Something is definitely not right here.  Both Cannada-Wynn and the Area Housing Commission, as well as the Mayor's office, need to come clean, as difficult as that may be for some of them.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE

According to the City Council's agenda item 17-00228 and the included letter from Dr. Singh to Mr. Wilkins, the entire purpose of depriving the children of a local neighborhood park is to provide "low income apartment rental opportunities on the property for seniors and people with special needs."

But, that purpose is probably dead on arrival.

According to a Washington Post article, "Trump budget asks for $6 billion in HUD cuts, drops development grants," the Trump administration is going to gut the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  According to the Post, Trump will "eliminate funding for the Community Development Block Grant program, which supports a wide range of urban-renewal projects and received $3 billion in funding for 2017.... [R]ecommended for elimination are the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the Choice Neighborhoods program and the Self-help Homeownership Opportunity Program. Cutting those programs—which help redevelop low-income neighborhoods and encourage homeownership..."

In other words, unless the City of Pensacola and the miserly State of Florida are going to provide the funds to the Area Housing Commission, which would provide the "public" side of the money for the "public-private partnership" buzzword for privatization of public property, there probably isn't any money for the "low income apartment rental opportunities on the property for seniors and people with special needs."

CONCLUSION

So, will the City of Pensacola re-open Morris Court Park with new equipment it has already budgeted for?  Will Cannada-Wynn apologize for her backroom dealing to close the park and, generously speaking, misleading neighborhood residents about her true objectives and motivations?  Will the City Council request that the Area Housing Commission come clean on its hidden agenda?  In this city nothing is for certain.  I will not hold my breath waiting.

ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY: PAST AND FUTURE, ESCAMBIA COUNTY FL

INTRODUCTION

On March 23, 2017, Mary GUTIERREZ, head of the local branches of Earth Ethics and Earth Action, hosted a community meeting on Escambia County's environmental legacy, with a look backwards and to current problems.

Additional speakers were Dr. Jackie LANE, co-founder of the Friends of Perdido Bay and author of Perdido Bay Blues: The Struggle to Save Perdido Bay Black & White Edition; Dr. Gloria HORNING, Social Justice Advocate; Linda YOUNG, Florida Clean Water Network; and, Nonie CELESTE, Nonie's Ark Animal Encounters.  James Scaminaci III provided an overview, but a camera chip malfunction prevented filming.  Below is reproduced his opening remarks.

There are three articles authored by James Scaminaci III at the Bream Fisherman's Association website under Resources, Local Issues.  Readers can find the 1999 Grand Jury Report and the 2004 Grand Jury Report at the links.

OVERVIEW REMARKS

This brief overview covers four salient points: environmental racism and justice; the changing level of environmental concern; the role of citizens groups; and, what is to be done.

Studies of environmental racism demonstrate that communities of color are disproportionately affected by the location of hazardous waste sites or industrial plants, and consequently suffer much higher rates of chronic illnesses or fatal diseases.

But, those same studies also show that poor white communities, located in or near the same vicinity, are also affected similarly.

In America, communities of color and poor white communities are under assault from a free-market industrial system that treats humans as guinea pigs in weakly regulated environmental chemistry experiments.

There was a time when reporting on environmental issues was taken seriously.  No more.

In 1999 a special grand jury report concluded that the contamination of our groundwater was "the result primarily of discharges by industry (especially the pulp and paper mill and chemical factories), sewage treatment plants, and stormwater runoff."  The grand jury, consisting of local citizens hearing testimony from scientific experts and reading corporate and government reports, was highly critical of state regulators who substituted studies for action and local government officials who protected industry's profits rather than residents' health.

In late 2003, Pensacola News Journal articles on the coverup of radioactivity in ECUA wells by the ECUA, the Department of Health, and corporations led to the convening of a second grand jury.  Two top ECUA adminstrators resigned and barely escaped criminal indictment--saved from indictment only by the actions of Elvin McCorvey and the ECUA board that "legalized" their actions.

The second grand jury was scathing in its criticismss of the ECUA, federal and state regulators, and industry's efforts to evade controls and pass the costs of cleanup and the resultant damaging health effects on to the public.

In September 2009, the University of West Florida's Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation issued its final report, Environmental Pollution and Community Health in Nortwest Florida.  The project ran out of money before it could study the destructive effects of the paper mill on Perdido Bay.

In 2009, Carl Wernicke of the Pensacola News Journal published a series of articles on environmental pollution in the area with the titles: "Hold Your Breath," "How's the Water?," "A Main Offender" (Gulf Power and International Paper were covered), "Political Waters," and a "Call to Action."  No grand jury was convened.

In subsequent years the Pensacola News Journal has virtually stopped writing about the environment.  The Pensacola News Journal does not bother to call out GOP leaders who lie about climate change or who claim with a straight face that you can eliminate the federal Environmental Protetion Agency without negatively affecting our local environmental conditions, quality of life, and prospects for attracting tourists.

And so, the changing level of environmental concern has deterioriated from moderately strong to weak and virtually non-existent.  Since 1999 concern for the environment has changed for the worse.  Much worse.

Which leads to the final point, one of the major findings of the 1999 special grand jury's report--the role of citizens groups.

The 1999 report noted that local citizens groups were actually the first line or the last line of defense in defending the environment, their lives, and their homes.  The grand jury stated, "In response to the failure of government to perform its regulatory duties and uphold the public interest with respect to the environment, a number of citizen groups have formed" including Friends of Perdido Bay and, Citizens Against Toxic Exposure.

This is part of the environmental legacy in northwest Florida.  The question of what is to be done is a question of strategy, organization, networking, and mobilizing the local media and residents.

Today we salute these brave and tenacious environmental activists--all women, and other women heading other groups like Barbara Albrecht (Bream Fishermen Association and Panhandle Watershed Alliance)--who have stood up for the environment and the public interest.

PRESENTATIONS

The following videos are the presentations given by the panelists to an enthusiastic audience of concerned residents.

Mary GUTIERREZ, Earth Ethics & Earth Action

Linda YOUNG, Part 1, Florida Clean Water Network

Linda YOUNG, Part 2

Jack BONNEY, Community Advocate

Dr. Gloria HORNING, Social Justice Advocate

Dr. Jackie LANE, Friends of Perdido Bay

Nonie CELESTE, Nonie's Ark Animal Encounters

Mary GUTIERREZ, Earth Ethics & Earth Action

Mary GUTIERREZ, Auden Quote

Tony MCCRAE II, Gulf Coast Voice

Audience Member

FEMINISM, WOMANISM, IN BLACK AND WHITE

On March 16, 2017, the Race and Reconciliation civic group rooted at the University of West Florida's Department of Social Work held a panel discussion on "Feminism, Womanism, in Black and White."  Panelists included Haley MORRISSETTE, Samantha JACKSON, Sara GREEN, Nicole BOWMAN, and Mary COLLINS.  Professor Emirita Julie PATTEN was the moderator.

The panel discussion illuminated just some of the overt and underlying issues in identity politics.  The question and answer session was, on the whole, devoid of anyone actually asking a question, though there were interesting statements and moments.

As you well know, the organizers of the DC March were women of color and white women and represented very considerable individual and collective talents.  And, the DC March included an impressive array of speakers covering many issues of wide concern.  It brought together many social movements that have been fighting for equality and justice; drew in many women who had not previously participated in a movement or politics; and, now is an umbrella of a resistance to a dystopian, anti-democratic Republican agenda spearheaded by Donald Trump.

The panel did illuminate some very real political and philosophical issues that needed to be discussed and be further discussed.  Ninety minutes is way too short.  Certainly, Haley Morrissette's opening presentation on Feminism and Womanism was a powerful analysis, in addition to expanding the historical dimension and setting the stage for the evening.

One can only look forward to future Race and Reconciliation meetings which occur every third Thursday of the month at the Bowden Building at 120 Church Street in Pensacola.

On a related note, Dr. Lusharon WILEY announced that Inclusion Spotlight is hosting an interfaith gathering and discussion at the University of West Florida campus on 23 March on how to build an inclusive community in these troubled times.  Please see her announcement near the end in the last video.

Below, are the videos in the order they happened.

 

WHY I SUPPORT CHIEF DAVID ALEXANDER

Chief David Alexander is not running for office; he's not a politician.  But, he is a powerful bridge between the city government--and it's awesome policing powers--and the diverse communities and neighborhoods and businesses that make Pensacola a magnet for sporting teams, festivals, concerts, and corporations in northwest Florida.  There is a great deal of civic pride in Pensacola.  We see that in the vitality of our historical associations, homeowners associations, and other service-minded civic organizations, as well as the hundreds of volunteers from for-profit and non-profit corporations that mentor students, feed the homeless, or help the aged.

And, we see it in the number of residents and local groups who have rallied to ask Mayor Ashton Hayward to retain Chief Alexander as Chief of Police, and, the 6-0 vote in the City Council expressing their vote of confidence in the chief.  I join that effort.

The City of Pensacola is fortunate to have a Chief of Police who reflects and gives back that vitality and civic pride.  Chief Alexander was born and raised in Pensacola.  He knows this city.  He is a living piece of Pensacola's history who knows its troubled past, the progress it has made, and the progress it needs to make.  And, he also understands what Pensacola needs in terms of modernizing its police force.

Chief Alexander is a strong proponent of "intentional policing" or "community policing."  All residents should read Chief Alexander's "2020 Vision: Intentional Policing Strategies," a forward thinking plan to increase the legitimacy of the Pensacola Police Department through more and better training, restructuring and restaffing measures, and the use of body cameras.

But, the most significant aspect of the "2020 Vision" is to build community trust and confidence in the police through face-to-face engagement.  More trust and confidence leads to more legitimacy--and safer communities and a safer city.  Scholars of law enforcement know that the better the relationship between the police and the community, the greater the likelihood that witnesses to crimes will come forward; and, that day-to-day, face-to-face contacts between police and community members reduces frictions and can head off problems before they become criminal concerns.

Not only does Chief Alexander attend homeowners association meetings and other public meetings, but the strategy calls for his officers to meet and engage residents.  The chief proposed that shift hours be altered to allow police officers more time to engage the communities they serve.

Chief Alexander's "End of Fiscal Year 2016 Report," a copy obtained by CJ's Street Report, notes that the Pensacola Police Department, including its chief of police, have significantly increased community engagement over its reported 2014 and 2015 reports.  These include:

• Big Brother/Big Sister events and mentoring opportunities,

• UWF Men's Conference and African-American Student Association,

• Heroes in the Community partnership with Jack & Jill of America,

• Big Cookout at the Fricker Center,

• Cane and Able event with the Society for the Blind,

• 100 Black Men mentoring workshop,

• Escambia County Cares outreach services,

• All Lives Matter rally after annual Martin Luther King Jr breakfast,

• Escambia Westgate Mardi Gras parade,

• Officers wrote positive notes for Campfire Gulf Winds' Incredible Kids,

• WRNE Monday morning broadcast,

• Domestic violence conference in Pensacola for PPD officers and support agencies,

• Florida Faith-based Commission meeting to discuss problem-solving techniques,

• Lecture to Booker T. Washington HS football team on staying out of trouble,

• Real Women guest speaker on internet radio broadcast,

• UWF workshop with 125 participants on drunk driving,

• Five-day youth and police academy,

• Continued work with the ACLU, NAACP, Movement for Change, WEAR TV3, WKRG TV5, and VFN Radio to keep positive lines of communication open with community,

• Achieve Escambia partnership,

• National Coffee with a Cop Day,

• National Night Out,

• and on and on and on and on and on.