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Jeff Bergosh

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[[Image:JeffBergosh.jpg|right|140px|Jeff Bergosh]]
'''Jeff Bergosh''' is the [[Escambia County School Board]] representative for [[Escambia County District 1|District 1]]. He was elected in [[2006]], filling the seat vacated by his brother [[Gary Bergosh]], who was elected to a judgeship. He came under fire in 2007 for posting comments at on the [[pnj.com]] messageboards under the pseudonym '''Godzilla''' that were critical of opponents and complimentary to himself.
Bergosh and his wife Sally have three children: Tori, Nicholas and Brandon.
On [[October 4]], [[2007]], the ''[[Pensacola News Journal]]'' published an article by reporter [[Sara Rabb]] that revealed Bergosh had been posting comments on [[pnj.com]] under the pseudonym "[[Wikipedia:Godzilla|Godzilla]]." Confronted by Rabb, Bergosh initially admitted to the persona, but later told the paper he was "unequivocally denying" the charge.<ref name="whois">"Who is schools' 'Godzilla?'" ''Pensacola News Journal'', October 4, 2007.</ref> He finally confirmed the online identity during an [[October 8]] "[[IN Your Head Radio]]" interview on [[AM 1620]].<ref>[http://ricksblog.biz/?p=2490 Bergosh=Godzilla]</ref>
Bergosh was criticized for a number of the comments he made as Godzilla. Among his posts were claims that schools in the predominantly black [[Escambia County District 3|District 3]] were a "drag" on the rest of the system, and he suggested the district that governments should "do away with compulsory education beyond grade 8. … Build more prisons and get ready for the influx, but let's keep school a positive environment for students who WANT to come to school!!"<ref name="whois"/> He was critical of teachers' unions for "roadblocking districts every step of the way" and even praised himself in the third person during a debate over merit pay for teachers: "I know we can count on Board member Bergosh to be there and vote to keep the bonus money here in Pensacola. I know he is not going to genuflect, bow down and kiss the union ring, and give the union what they want."<ref name="whois"/> When the School Board voted 4-1 against the existing merit pay plan, Godzilla said he could hear their "spines breaking in unison."<ref name="outing">[http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/outing_godzilla.php Outing Godzilla: An Internet crack in the Chinese wall.] ''Columbia Journalism Review'', October 16, 2007.</ref>
[[Image:BergoshPNJCartoon.jpg|thumb|right|[[Andy Marlette]]'s cartoon & winning caption]]