Monday December 10th, 2007 - 2:02PM

Across the Southeast United States, business is booming.

In West Point, Georgia, Kia Motors is building its first U.S. manufacturing operation. The automotive assembly plant will create more than 2,800 jobs and result in a $1.2 billion economic investment in the state. There are another 2600 jobs expected to be created for companies that supply the plant. New home construction is at an all time high.

To our west, Mobile is booming, too. German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp AG is building a $3.7 billion steel plant. It is set to open in 2010, employing nearly 2,700 workers.

To our north in Montgomery, the new Hyundai plant created 3,300 jobs.

Over 40 other companies have either moved to the area or have announced plans to do so.

In Mississippi, the Toyota plant is also making a positive impact. In South and North Carolina, the economy is booming.

All ofthes efforts combined private and public funding to boost their economies and create jobs. It works if you work it.

Meanwhile, Pensacola sits idle. For nearly 3 years, we debated and studied the park.

What is the communty's best opportunity for revitalizing its downtown? The Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park.

What would our holiday season and economy be like if there were 1,500 local people working on the park project?

Using the conservative average take-home pay of $510 for each worker per week (Source: Extrapolated from Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development, at http://www.businesspensacola.com/demographics/pop_data.asp ) our citizens and local businesses are missing out on $765,323.08 each week - that's $39,796,800.00 annually! - circulated through the area.

What would this injection of cash mean for our area?

Higher quality of life, less foreclosures, more buying, more jobs, better real estate market, more tax dollars generated - all of which lessens the burden of current tax payers.

The Property Tax on the office building brings in at least $225,000 every year - PLUS the money from those employed to construct the park!

Had there not been a referendum that tried to rescind the city council\u2019s 9-1 vote for the park, our local economy would already be better. Fortunately, we can still join in the economic success that other Southern cities are enjoying.

However, further delays will hurt this community.

The Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park is our opportunity to show others Pensacola is on the move . . . and not a suburb of Mobile or Destin.

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*You're connected to more than 10,000 Friends of the Pensacola Bay Area's Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park!

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Email Board of Trustees members with your thoughts and ideas!

Here are the email addresses for the Board of Trustees members. Remember, the non-profit Community Maritime Park Associates, Inc. (non-profit CMPA) operates in full compliance with Florida's Government in the Sunshine Act. All email communications are open public records available to anyone who asks for them.

The syntax for the Board members is first name.last name@whibbspark.org

Collier Merrill: collier.merrill@whibbspark.org

Dick Baker: dick.baker@whibbspark.org

Dr. Jimmy Jones: jimmy.jones@whibbspark.org

Eddie Todd: eddie.todd@whibbspark.org

Rev. Hugh King: hugh.king@whibbspark.org

John Merting: john.merting@whibbspark.org

Juanita Scott: juanita.scott@whibbspark.org

Judge Lacey Collier: lacey.collier@whibbspark.org

Kathlyn White: kathlyn.white@whibbspark.org

Rodney Jackson: rodney.jackson@whibbspark.org

Susan Story: susan.story@whibbspark.org


Acting Executive Director on loan from the City of Pensacola

Ed Spears: espears@ci.pensacola.fl.us

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Email Relay Participants: Please forward this to your email lists, blogs, message boards, and other publications. Thanks to you, more than 500 people not on the regular Friends email list get the latest updates on the Community Maritime Park each week. You are making a difference!

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Questions? Ed Spears has the answers!

"When in doubt, call Ed to find out!"

Here is the contact information for Ed Spears, acting Executive Director of the non-profit CMPA:

Edward E. Spears, Neighborhood & Economic Development Administrator, City of Pensacola
180 Governmental Center, Pensacola, FL
P.O. Box 12910 / Pensacola, Florida 32521
(850) 436-5655 (office) / (850) 595-1143 (fax) / email: espears@ci.pensacola.fl.us

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Don't miss even one exciting second as the CMP goes from vision to reality!

Get your own FREE subscription to the Friends report: http://supporters.communitymaritimepark.com

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That's it for this week - until then, "Thanks!" from all your friends . . . who are Friends of the Pensacola Bay Area's Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park!

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