Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan RayFebruary 22, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency and authorized the release of state money in the wake of severe tornado damage in the Escambia County city of Century last week. Wind gusts of over 150 miles per hour tore through the Panhandle town, causing severe damage to numerous houses and buildings. Scott, in issuing Executive Order […]

Shannon NickinsonDecember 28, 2015

In Escambia County, minimum wage jobs aren’t just for kids. And that’s part of the reason this metro area lags behind others in the state in terms of prosperity. That’s according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, shared by the UWF Office of Economic Development and Engagement. About one of every five jobs (23.6 […]

Shannon NickinsonNovember 19, 2015

Way back in 1992, the political wisdom of the day came down to one thing: It’s the economy. In 2015 in Pensacola, it still is. The Pensacola Young Professionals rolled out the 2015 Quality of Life survey on Oct. 21. The survey, conducted June 11-16 by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research asked 800 people who match […]

Shannon NickinsonNovember 17, 2015

Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants the state university system to aim high. To achieve that he announced the “Ready, Set, Work” College Challenge this past week at the Association of Florida Colleges Trustee Commission meeting in Lake Buena Vista. The governor wants all 28 state colleges to participate by graduating 100 percent of their full-time […]

Shannon NickinsonOctober 13, 2015

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have found that poor children benefited from the academic boost that the state voluntary prekindergarten program gave them. But the benefit didn’t last when they moved through elementary school. The researchers who conducted the five-year $6 million study had conclusions about why poor kids who got a boost from VPK didn’t […]

Bill PrescottSeptember 24, 2015

Public education consumes almost 30 percent of Florida’s budget. So what are taxpayers getting for that investment, which this is year about $22.9 billion, compared to other states? Florida TaxWatch, a government watchdog think tank that evaluates government spending, has created its own guide to help answer that question: How Florida Compares – Education. The […]

Shannon NickinsonSeptember 20, 2015

The Florida Children and Youth Cabinet recently voted to write state leaders urging them to prioritize early education and child services for “the first 1,000 days” – from pregnancy to age 3. Based on data from the Pensacola Metro Dashboard, only 66.2 percent of Escambia County’s 5-year-olds are ready for kindergarten; in Santa Rosa County […]

Shannon NickinsonSeptember 1, 2015

The Studer Community Institute’s Metro Dashboard aims to be a roadmap to help build citizen-powered change, to make Pensacola a more vibrant community for all of her citizens. That’s not a mix Pensacola always has gotten right. If we expect to build a community that brims with entrepreneurial spirit, values education, and increases middle-class jobs, […]

Shannon NickinsonJuly 28, 2015

Can we put our money where our mouth is? That’s the question the Studer Community Institute’s metro dashboard is meant to ask — and hopefully answer. The dashboard aims to be a road map to help build citizen-powered change, to make Pensacola a stronger, more vibrant community. A guide to know if our community is […]

Shannon NickinsonJuly 21, 2015

It’s time to look at the BP glass as half full. The federal judge who was to mete out financial punishment to the British oil giant for its part in the Deepwater Horizon disaster in April 2010 has made his ruling. Now it’s up to us to make what we will of it. Generally, the […]

Tag: Escambia County

Rick Scott declares state of emergency, pledges funds after Escambia tornado damage

Shannon Nickinson: Minimum wage now amounts to a minimum life

Shannon Nickinson: Investment can ease West Florida's economic worries

Shannon Nickinson: School, community collaboration key to educated workforce

Shannon Nickinson: Kids need more than pre-K to overcome poverty's obstacles

Shannon Nickinson: Make sure schools measure up as a top Florida feature

Shannon Nickinson: Our children need more than a letter

Shannon Nickinson: Achieving community success takes more than lip service

Shannon Nickinson: Make smarter community investments for a better future

Shannon Nickinson: Find that silver lining in BP settlement