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[[Image:FrontPorchLogo.jpg|right]]
[[Front Porch Pensacola]] (formally the '''Greater Pensacola Front Porch, Inc.''') is the local arm of a state agency, '''The Governor's Front Porch Florida Initiative''', that was created by Governor Jeb Bush in [[1999]] "as a means to rebuild distressed communities [and] revitalize underserved communities."<ref>[http://www.floridacommunitydevelopment.org/fpf/ Front Porch Florida homepage]</ref> It operates under the State of Florida's Office of Urban Opportunity with a mission to eliminate urban blight. The Pensacola branch was established in October, [[1999]] through the efforts of [[Johnny Crawford]].
At the local level, the organization is administered by a community liaison (a paid, part-time position) and a volunteer council. The current community liaison is [[Thelma Manley]], who replaced Crawford in [[2000]] when he was ousted for excluding community input and soliciting funds without direction from the state office<ref>[http://ricksblog.biz/?p=1455 Thelma Manley] - [[Rick's Blog]], March 20, 2007</ref>. Manley is expected to resign following allegations a state investigation of alleged financial impropriety (see below), but no replacement has been named.
Front Porch Pensacola operates out of the [[Long Hollow]] Community Center at 1040 North [[Guillemard Street]].
On [[March 20]], the News Journal reported that inspectors from the Florida Department of Community Affairs would be sent to investigate the allegations.<ref>[http://pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070320/NEWS01/703200321/1006 State to probe Front Porch] - [[Pensacola News Journal]], March 20, 2007</ref> Later that day, Manley held a press conference where she denied many of the allegations and offered explanations for others. Two council members at the press conference, Reverend [[Hugh King]] and [[Dolores Curry]], defended Manley and accused MacNeil and Nichols of racism. Another board member in attendance, [[Meredith Reeves]] (who is MacNeil's cousin), said of Manley, "She’s not good at doing the day-to-day office business... [but] has good intentions."<ref>[http://inweekly.net/article.asp?artID=4315 The Buzz: Front Porch Debate] - [[Independent News]], March 22, 2007</ref>
It was revealed that, in addition to the $24,999 salary Manley is paid by the state, supplemented by $13,000 from [[Escambia County]] and $6,000 from the [[City of Pensacola]], she had been collecting as much as 30% of all funds received from donations and grants. Manley claimed this commission had been granted by the council in [[2002]], but it was not mentioned in any council minutes. She also admitted taking 20% accepting a check for $4,323 of an estimated $80,000 collected from a [[Gulf Power#Foundation|Gulf Power Foundation]] fundraiser, but cited an [[August 8]], [[2003]] letter by Gulf Power president & CEO [[Susan Story]] as authorization.<ref>[http://ricksblog.biz/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/storey.pdf Original letter] (Source: [[Rick's Blog]])</ref> Both Story and company representative [[John Hutchinson]] refuted this claim on several points:
*Story is not on the Gulf Power Foundation board and therefore has no official power to designate the use or recipients of donations; her letter (addressed to the Foundation, not Manley) was only a recommendation.
*Although the Gulf Power Foundation made the $5,000 donation to Front Porch as suggested by Story, it did not require or request that 20% go to Manley. According to Hutchinson, "There was no designation of any money.… When we support an organization we do it and don’t put a lot of strings on it."<ref>[http://ricksblog.biz/?p=1464 Gulf Power explanation] - [[Rick's Blog]], March 21, 2007</ref>
Both MacNeil and Nichols tendered their resignations on [[March 21]]. In an email to the Office of Urban Opportunity, Nichols wrote that Front Porch is "out of control" and that "I believe the majority of our directors want to keep it that way."<ref>[http://pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070322/NEWS01/703220338/1006 Housing officers resign] - [[Pensacola News Journal]], March 22, 2007</ref>
On Friday the [[March 23|23rd]], the Florida Department of Community Affairs Inspector General's office requested "documentation for all years in which the Council received funds through the state's Front Porch program" to be made available by 1 p.m. Monday, [[March 26]].<ref>[http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070324/NEWS01/703240315/1006 Front Porch records sought] - [[Pensacola News Journal]], March 24, 2007</ref>
==References==
