Hello, TaxWatch? Hi, it's me, Patrick...

I've been sort of half-heartedly following the budgeting process for Escambia County (see Rick Outzen's blog items about the budget here). What I'm really eager to see is this year's TaxWatch report on Escambia County, but for some reason it's been delayed.

Back on February 4th, Florida Tax Watch indicated in a press release (.pdf warning) that the report would be out at the end of March. I sent an e-mail recently, inquiring about the status of the report, and received a reply from Kaye Kendrick, Senior VP for Research, stating that they are "still continuing to work out a few details," and that, although there is no official release date, I should "check back with [TaxWatch] during the second week of June."

Hopefully it will come in time to be considered in the budgeting process.

Sometimes you gotta wonder...

I haven't commented about the whole "Rustygate" thing before, but I've been thinking about it quite a bit. Rick Outzen has talked about it a lot, and the PNJ even picked up the story (finally). I don't necessarily share Rick Outzen's apparent view that anything sinister or underhanded occurred, but I certainly DO agree that the City Council (particularly Mike DeSorbo) screwed this thing up, and how.

I mean really.

How can city council-persons in THIS CITY, who have seen things like all but one of the county commission dismissed, sunshine law violations galore, etc., etc., etc., not understand the suspicion with which EVERY action they take will be viewed? In the atmosphere that prevails in Pensacola these days, WHY THE HELL would anyone agree to bag the whole attorney-selection process that was advertised and underway, all of a sudden, with no real notice to anyone, and just say "Ah, what the hell, let's just hire that guy, and to hell with everyone else who applied, qualified or not." WTF are they thinking? How can DeSorbo NOT think that he's gonna get his ass chewed for doing that? Does he just not care? Or does he really not know? Either way, it speaks poorly of him. I learned a long time ago that I never wanted to be in the position of being belived either incompetent or evil, 'cause neither one is good. One good thing was that MY city council-person, Jewel Cannada-Wynn, had enough sense to vote against this boneheaded idea. Good on her.

While I don't always share Rick Outzen's fervor for "regime change," I'm starting to warm up to the idea. We definitely need some new blood, if only to help assuage the public perception that things are mired in the "Good Ol' Boy" network of old. We need to identify some promising independent new local folks to take city council, county commission, ECUA and School Board posts. Sometimes change is good. Seriously.

Stop. Really. Just stop. Don't make me pass a law...

I'm all for the democratic process. I fully believe in the value and necessity of intelligent debate when we're passing laws that affect all of us. But, c'mon, aren't there a few things that can just be DONE, without the hassle and delay of the legislative process? I am speaking, this time, of making it illegal to f*ck your dog, m'kay?

Does anybody think this would be a bad law to pass? Would anybody argue against it? Apparently, it is still legal in Florida (and about 19 other states). And, inexplicably, it is happening.

Since 2001, there have been at least a dozen documented cases in Florida.

[shudder]

Sen. Nan Rich (D-Sunrise) introduced a bill this spring making such shenanigans illegal. The bill died in the Judiciary Committee.

Whiskey.
Tango.
Foxtrot.

Can't we just agree on this one? Can't the Governor just issue an executive order making this illegal? I'll even write it for him: "Dear Florida. DON'T F*CK YOUR DOG. If you do, we'll put you in jail. That is all."

Gads.

Movie quote o' the day

I see in fight club the strongest and
smartest men who have ever lived --
an entire generation pumping gas and
waiting tables; or they're slaves
with white collars.

Advertisements have them chasing cars
and clothes, working jobs they hate
so they can buy shit they don't need.
We are the middle children of
history, with no purpose or place.
We have no great war, or great
depression. The great war is a
spiritual war. The great depression
is our lives. We were raised by
television to believe that we'd be
millionaires and movie gods and rock
stars -- but we won't. And we're
learning that fact. And we're very,
very pissed-off.

--Tyler Durden