Wednesday March 19th, 2008 - 8:23AM

There comes a time in every community's life when it must decide whether it will take control of its destiny. The Pensacola Bay Area is at that moment of truth.

The Pensacola Bay Area's Vince Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park (CMP) is what brings us to that moment. It is historic in its vision, unprecedented in its economic impact, and priceless in its preservation of the waterfront access for generations to come.

It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that cannot be allowed to slip through our fingers.

The most important reason why voters cast "Yes!" ballots to mandate building the CMP is the need for an economic stimulus of historic magnitude.

"We Want Our CMP!" is the mandate voters sent to their elected officials. Now they fully expect those officials to carry out the voters' mandate.

Nothing has changed since the vote; in fact, recent changes in the economic situation make its need absolute. The CMP is the best of all possible investments by the community to "jump-start" an otherwise listless economy.

Here are some statistics about our community published in Mark O'Brien's PNJ column, Sunday, March 16, 2008:

* Lowest of eight in per capita income at $28,371 (state average $34,001).

* Second-worst of eight in poor people, 14.2 percent (state average 11.9 percent).

* Worst of eight in poverty among people under 18, 19.6 percent (state average 17.3 percent).

* Unwed mothers, worst of eight, with 46.7 percent of births (state average 42.8 percent).

* Medicaid recipients, highest of eight with 19.5 percent (state average 16.3 percent).

We realize some would prefer to close their eyes to these economic realities. They prefer to either see the world through their rose-colored glasses, or ignore them completely. Overwhelmingly, they are the people who are for "nothing" in our community. No ideas, no action, no program, no plans.

Ask them, "What is your plan? How will it attract capital? How will it permanently create open access to the waterfront for all time? How will it create jobs? How will it expand educational opportunities? How much money will it pump into local governmental treasuries through sales tax collections, thus lessening the property tax burden on all of us? How will it become self-supporting to pay for its upkeep and maintenance?"

Their silence will be deafening. They have no viable "Plan B" to take its place.

It is critical to never forget that when the park’s opponents were finally pressured into revealing exactly what was the “Better Park” they said they could build, it was identical to the council’s plan, except for the multi-use stadium.

Identical to the council’s plan, except for the multi-use stadium . . . that reality is the telling point about their opposition. The hard, cold, unvarnished truth is that their opposition is based on a personal vendetta, and not on what is best for our community. That is why their “Better Park” is identical to the present plan, except for the item they turned into a campaign of personal demonization, a campaign that still dirties the air of community discourse.

Those of us who understand the situation in all of its many aspects recognize that the truth is that our present economic situation isn't going to go away by itself. We also recognize that if we fail to complete the CMP, it will stigmatize our community now, and for decades into the future.

The CMP is the best possible initiative to begin the long, hard, community effort to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. It will end the mindset that "it's always been this way and it will always be this way." That mindset is the mindset of life's losers.

We are not losers.

Life's winners believe they can break the bonds of the past if they will exert the effort, and make the sacrifices necessary to change their life.

The "Yes!" vote was your personal proclamation that you are willing to do that; it was your personal proclamation that you are a winner.

Here is what is at stake:

* 1,500 new jobs.

* $39-million in economic spending power from those jobs.

* Additional jobs and economic stimulus from indirect employment created within the housing, health services, and retail sectors by those 1,500 new jobs.

* A quantum leap in educational opportunities with the opening of the UWF Community Maritime Park Campus created by demand from the downtown, and near-downtown workforce and residents.

* Housing demands from post-graduate students attending downtown classes, and short-term rental demand from conference attendees.

* Tremendous sales tax collections from the tens of thousands of retail transactions that will occur every month on the CMP site. Think it through: day in, day out sales at retailers, restaurants, and taxable services, sales tax collections from individuals attending the multi-use stadium’s taxable events on admission tickets, then multiplied again and again by purchases at the event; the CMP is going to be font of critically needed sales tax collections beyond anything in existence today,

* Unprecedented start-up opportunities for small businesses setting up shop on and near the CMP site. All economists agree small business creation is the lifeblood of a community's economic growth.

* A world-class showcase where wave after wave of money people looking for fresh investment opportunities will come and see for themselves the drive and unflagging sprit of our community. The investors will vote "Yes!" with their checkbooks.

* The opportunity to create worldwide focus on our community using the conference center to host events, seminars, and other bookings that bring in national and international interests.

* The multi-use stadium that is honestly multi-use. Football, soccer, baseball, festivals, concerts . . . see for yourself the honesty of the "multi-use" descriptor by visiting this hyperlink:

http://www.communitymaritimepark.com/images/pnj_news_clippings/New_Park_2007-web.jpg

* Hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Fetterman Maritime Museum, each spending money that would never get spent without the CMP's existence.

* Students attending classes will spend while on campus, creating yet another sales tax revenue stream.

In the next few weeks, now that Friends is incorporated as an IRS 501(c) 3 tax-deductible non-profit corporation, you will see it move into Phase II of its mission to organize volunteer efforts in the park's best interests. The primary focus will be demonstrating visible public support for the park.

The Friends' Board of Trustees thanks you for your vigorous, unwavering, support. You will have opportunities to express your support in visible, substantive, actions. We know we can count on our Friends to take control of the community's future; we know we can count on our Friends because you are among life's winners.

"We Want Our CMP!" is not just a slogan - it is the theme for the most important economic opportunity ever seen in northwest Florida.

And you can be proud of yourself as you play your part in making it happen.