Stop
wringing your hands, and complaining about the Affordable Care Act. If
anybody out there has ever tried to build an e-commerce website it takes
patience. more hours than you bargained for, and a strong will. Yes, I
know three years is a long time in the making,however it takes that much
time. Our President cannot know everything, and quite simply relied on a
company the Canadians fired. He listened
to the wrong people. He's human, and I kinda like that. Google and
Yahoo have stepped in, and should have been involved from the beginning.
Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. Apple think-tanks are in there
helping with patches and code. Security issues are the biggest concern.
The internet just isn't safe. Theory has to be proven, and a balance
between reality and theory must be struck. It's not just the Affordable
Care Act on the line, it's the future of the internet as a safe business
venue. You do not have to go online to sign up. I just saved $1,800.00
using my health care provider since childhood. They took me warts and
all. They also cancelled one person self-employed status, which was my
plan. I now have a year to see if the politics of the health plan works
itself out. Remember, Obama said you could keep your carrier. It's true.
And you can save money. The issue about the young and healthy will
resolve itself by April 2014. If you do not have a healthcare plan you
will be fined. No more going to the ER, when you can't afford it, for a
hangnail. The states that have opted out, like Florida, have done
nothing but hurt its own citizens, and created unnecessary sabotage on
the new healthcare system that is the law. Our skinhead Governor has
made a killing in the healthcare industry. Of course he doesn't want to
lose his easy money. The healthcare industry is like the oil business.
Why would an oilman want green renewable energy to succeed? Change is
the most difficult process to begin. Historically, there have always
been winners and losers in the game of change. The key to making money
is to anticipate the change and move with it not against it.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
It's Time To Move Forward With Our Local History
History is a teacher, not an instigator. It is a part of each and every one of us whether or not we like it. There's not a person on earth that's not been affected by history. It's the "jumping off" point for improvement. Some of it we would rather not remember. That doesn't make it go away. We are finding out just how twisted much of our history has evolved because of censorship of the real truth. The texts I had to use were subjective in many instances, rather than factual. Truth is often ugly, shameful, but always interesting, and very relevant. Over the centuries historic writers have put their own spin on history. One of the best examples of "history gone wild" is the Bible. There will always be people that cling to ideology rather than what actually took place. Historical reference, if it's the truth, is never shameful. It doesn't need to be candy-coated, or swept away like forgotten trash. It teaches us by reference not to repeat what we always seem to repeat. Slavery exists all over the world. A high school named after a slave owner is a reminder of what our society used to be like. Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, Lewis Clark, James Monroe etc.etc.etc. were all slave owners in our agrarian society. Are we supposed to rename all of our institutions with those names? Take slave owner pictures off all our money? Begin a 21st century ban of all books with degrading commentary? Get over it! Don't be a part of hiding what really happened in America because it's offensive. We seem to always be searching for a reason to hate each other. If it's not religious differences, then it's class distinctions, or caste systems. We are all Americans regardless of what came before. Our job now is to figure out what the future needs to look like in order for us to survive. I am far more concerned over global warming, stopping the use of fossil fuels, curing cancer, and improving our food chain than a high school named after a man that during his time was an esteemed role model. It's old news, and a reminder of how cruel people can be. The KKK is very much alive globally. That doesn't make me an endorsee of the KKK. It makes me conscious that evil resides all around me. In a hundred years we will be questioning why we named ten of our greatest financial institutions after thieves. Or why we didn't incarcerate a Congress that refused to legislate.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Doctors Are Harming Their Patients By Not Controlling Pain
Ever read the side effects on legal pharmaceuticals? Ever seen or heard about children dying of last stage cancers, and other horrifying diseases because as a Christian Scientist their parents don't believe in using doctors? Amazon witch doctors still use smoke to purify the disease demons and extract them from bodies. With that said, alcohol has been used to self-medicate for thousands of years. Alcohol abuse is a leading cause of death. Some of us are naturally prone to abuse whatever we can get. All of us that are legitimately in awful pain are subjected to expensive testing, and left to the mercy of doctors. Legalize everything. The argument about legislating morality(I've spoken to that point often)doesn't work. If I cannot get pain help I will have to choose death. There's just so much a person can live with when they're ill. Pot has been the only drug that doesn't have side effects and mildly reduces pain. You do not have to smoke it. It solves IBD, nausea, and is great for glaucoma. The same is true for pure opioids. It has a definite place in pain control. What has caused stomach cancers, and other gut problems are the available aspirins, and ibuprofen compounds. Ultram is probably the most useless analgesic around, with the most side effects. Nobody gets addicted from these because they do not work on pain. Is that really acceptable for people in horrible pain? Doctors take an oath to do no harm. They have greatly harmed many of us because they are afraid to write a legitimate prescription for pain relief.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
More on Strip Clubs and the Magical Bible-Belt
Liberty Seeker:Thanks for letting me know I was missed. I agree with regulation and profit from gaming too. Nobody forces anybody to gamble. Same with naked bars. You do not ever have to go. There is a group led by two councilmembers, and an ad hoc committee that want to cherry pick ticketed events opting to ban rock concerts. Their excuse is noise. After a week of the Fl/Ga game and now the fair, the noise level has been unending along the river. Nobody has complained, I don't believe that for a second, but I do believe complaints have been ignored. The "Chickenman"-Redman-District 4, and the attorney Lori Boyer, District 5 seem to always be on the religious right side of restricting the public as they see fit. "Chickenman" has pushed a trial permit through the City Council for 300 lucky hen owners to have hens on their property within the city limits. I am as allergic to chickens as people are allergic to peanuts. There is a reason folks are asked if they live on a farm, been to a farm or ranch etc. when being admitted to hospitals. The disease, vermin that are drawn to chickens, and sheer smell of poultry doesn't belong in urban areas where people are jammed close together. It's particularly hazardous for children, and seniors with compromised immune systems. "Chickenman" grew up on a farm, so he thinks everybody needs that exposure. The main objection I have is with our leadership bending to the magical logic of religious zealots. Sodomy is a biblical no-no, but you can bet there's not a person alive that hasn't tried it. Some of us scream "Wrong lane", while others love it. Unless you're a criminal, nobody's the wiser. The Supreme Court is deciding a case right now, among others, about where to draw the line between religion and government. Most Southern councils begin meetings with Christian prayer. This, I hope will be outlawed. This time of year is abhorrently commercial. You can bet the last thing on Jesus's mind was a present. I sure don't shop for anything until after the holidays, and I only buy what I need. I prefer good deeds over gifts all year. My wish for the future is that churches stay out of my pocket, and out of my way. The biggest sinners I know are religious. If you trace the screamers about the naked club outrage you'll find churches are the only ones against it. I guess they really aren't doing their job keeping their members on the straight and narrow. What person alive doesn't understand that saying "No" to just about anything means everybody wants to try it, or is already doing it?
- edit
- reply
Friday, November 15, 2013
Jacksonville Outrage Over Strip Clubs
Strip Clubs provide a necessary function in communities that do not allow open prostitution. Men have always, and will always flock to them since they think about sex every five seconds! Anything having to do with men & sex, like the notorious little blue pills, are addressed immediately. You can bet each and every man alive has gone to a strip club, had a one night stand, or cheated on their wife or girlfriends. Remember, it takes two to "tango", so females aren't without blame. That's why the divorce rate is so high, along with AIDS, STD's, and the chronic illnesses that go along with sexual promiscuity; the worst being babies born with acute health problems. As I've said 100's of times, you cannot legislate morality. The churches are the biggest failures. Nobody can live up to the expectations of the religious right. Churches do not address sex, death, education, or economics. Praying about something doesn't ever solve a problem. The truth is that sex is normal, and strip clubs provide an outlet for the over zealous male and female. What would you rather see happen? More rapes, or more strip clubs? Legalize prostitution, and tax it or continue to go on never-ending sexual witch hunts led by paranoid religious nuts. Nobody is dragged into these places screaming, kicking, and fighting. Strip clubs make a huge amount of money and provide employment to men and women who can't do anything else. Let's have the churches belly-up-to-the bar and employ these people that need to take their clothes off to make a living.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
Time To Use Action To Send A Message To Congress
Instead of words, use action. Keep your kids out of school, ditch work, and don't pay your property taxes. Pull your money out of the banks. We all could use a month or two of vacation just like our Capitol Hill legislators. Take it. There are plenty of us doing just that.
When all the banks were on the brink, and they decided to add insult to injury with ridiculous fees, I pulled my money out of the bank. Now you cannot do that with business accounts(unless you shut it down), but you sure can do it with personal accounts. I did close one business, and have been turning in sales tax of $0. It's up to the economic climate whether I re-open. If you desire to pay bills, then pay them with postal money orders. The post office needs and wants your business. For the ridiculous amount of interest you get, it is no longer necessary to use banks.
We are rapidly turning into a third world country. I used to think the Doomsday Preppers were out of their minds, but now think they've got a point.
Our government has shut down 17 times in the past. What that really means is only essential services are provided. Essential services are: police, fire, weather, post office, corrections, medical services at federal facilities, armed forces, and air traffic services. What will hurt is that a federal government shutdown causes a large number of civilian federal employees to be furloughed. Military personnel are not furloughed, but may not be paid as scheduled.
The exact details of which government functions would stop during a shutdown is determined by the Office of Management and Budget. However, some specific aspects have applied to all shutdowns in the past. Among these is the closure of national parks and passport offices. Members of Congress continue to be paid, because their pay cannot be altered except by direct law.
Shutdowns in the past have affected the Washington, D.C. municipal government, putting a stop to schools and to utilities such as garbage collection.
Nice huh?
When all the banks were on the brink, and they decided to add insult to injury with ridiculous fees, I pulled my money out of the bank. Now you cannot do that with business accounts(unless you shut it down), but you sure can do it with personal accounts. I did close one business, and have been turning in sales tax of $0. It's up to the economic climate whether I re-open. If you desire to pay bills, then pay them with postal money orders. The post office needs and wants your business. For the ridiculous amount of interest you get, it is no longer necessary to use banks.
We are rapidly turning into a third world country. I used to think the Doomsday Preppers were out of their minds, but now think they've got a point.
Our government has shut down 17 times in the past. What that really means is only essential services are provided. Essential services are: police, fire, weather, post office, corrections, medical services at federal facilities, armed forces, and air traffic services. What will hurt is that a federal government shutdown causes a large number of civilian federal employees to be furloughed. Military personnel are not furloughed, but may not be paid as scheduled.
The exact details of which government functions would stop during a shutdown is determined by the Office of Management and Budget. However, some specific aspects have applied to all shutdowns in the past. Among these is the closure of national parks and passport offices. Members of Congress continue to be paid, because their pay cannot be altered except by direct law.
Shutdowns in the past have affected the Washington, D.C. municipal government, putting a stop to schools and to utilities such as garbage collection.
Nice huh?
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Jacksonville Residents Are Mad As Hell
I agree with almost all of your comments. Our City Council members aren't economists. They are ignorant of the basics in management, how to invest, and unqualified, with the exception of one or two, in how to make our city thrive. Finally, I see many of you ranting about the lack of leadership in our elected officials. Now is the time to watch, or re-watch the 1976 movie Network, where the quote "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" originated.
It's uncanny that nothing has changed since that time, and the movie is the classic example of how it is our fault that we are in this horrible predicament. Here's what I'm doing. Until we get people running for office that are really qualified to hold that office, I don't intend to pay my property taxes. I own my home, and it takes seven years for a property to become delinquent. Many builders use this method until they sell property. They pass the unpaid taxes onto the buyer. As it stands now anybody can get signatures on a petition and run for office. We need that changed. We need to have background checks done on each candidate. I can tell you there's not ONE Council Member that hasn't been either arrested, broken the law, but didn't get caught...yet, been a slum lord, cheated in business, used non-profit status for personal, and illegal gains, abused family members, and the list goes on. Get them all gone!
Last point. Most of you are trapped in a credit card culture, and cannot do what I'm going to do. Get out from under that system. Wealthy people don't spend money in the same way the poor and middle classes do. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Larry Ellison, David and Charles Koch etc. are some of the people all of you need to read about. Throughout their lives they have had a plan. They have not merely existed from day to day. They all learned to think critically, and interestingly enough, none are religious. They are either agnostics or atheists. They do not base major decisions on chance, a sign from god, or what is popular. They were allowed in their formative years to explore, make mistakes, and their home environments were more laboratories for growth, then adherence to the beliefs of the time. Education was the key; not religion.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-09-25/story/council-approves-hike-property-tax-rates#comment-751580#ixzz2g1Eeb2t1
It's uncanny that nothing has changed since that time, and the movie is the classic example of how it is our fault that we are in this horrible predicament. Here's what I'm doing. Until we get people running for office that are really qualified to hold that office, I don't intend to pay my property taxes. I own my home, and it takes seven years for a property to become delinquent. Many builders use this method until they sell property. They pass the unpaid taxes onto the buyer. As it stands now anybody can get signatures on a petition and run for office. We need that changed. We need to have background checks done on each candidate. I can tell you there's not ONE Council Member that hasn't been either arrested, broken the law, but didn't get caught...yet, been a slum lord, cheated in business, used non-profit status for personal, and illegal gains, abused family members, and the list goes on. Get them all gone!
Last point. Most of you are trapped in a credit card culture, and cannot do what I'm going to do. Get out from under that system. Wealthy people don't spend money in the same way the poor and middle classes do. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Larry Ellison, David and Charles Koch etc. are some of the people all of you need to read about. Throughout their lives they have had a plan. They have not merely existed from day to day. They all learned to think critically, and interestingly enough, none are religious. They are either agnostics or atheists. They do not base major decisions on chance, a sign from god, or what is popular. They were allowed in their formative years to explore, make mistakes, and their home environments were more laboratories for growth, then adherence to the beliefs of the time. Education was the key; not religion.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-09-25/story/council-approves-hike-property-tax-rates#comment-751580#ixzz2g1Eeb2t1
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Jacksonville's City Council Hates The Homeless,Poor,Seniors,and Fire/Police
I hope you're reading through the floor amendments. Pure unnecessary
spending. The only issues we need to spend money on are helping the
homeless,fire, and police. The rest are pet projects, special interest
groups-those items not universally used by the public.Council members
hated the Mayor's budget because it was what we could afford.Florida has
been the hardest hit state during the economic downturn.People will not
be able to pay their property taxes if they are raised this year.That
will add to the building vacancy problem not help our Jacksonville
economy.Facts are facts.We don't take in enough money so we get our
taxes raised.That won't work.Especially since our state opted out of
Medicaid.That means our health care coverage for the poor and seniors
are out of reach.That should be of major concern.It will dramatically
increase the need for food,shelter,and emergency medical care that will
not be paid back.We do not need to create more city jobs.The city
workers we have now are not doing their jobs.Try to get in touch with a
city department,like code enforcement,and see what happens.Try to
contact your district council member on a topic he/she doesn't
personally support and see what happens.I'm sick of hearing that sucking
noise from our City Council, that means more money is being taken from
me. Take a close look at your utility bill and see how many times the
same tax is taken out for our do-nothing city.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Write Your Congressman- Especially Those Republican Representatives
Written to Ander Crenshaw today.
I am disgusted at the terrorist tactics the Republicans are using. You are killing, starving, and not listening to the people. The "Let them eat cake" attitude, the non-leadership of Boehner, and the looming economic crash can all be averted. Your suits cost more than I make in a year. You have taken our jobs overseas. You are regressive, not progressive. I am sick of the filibustering which, in most cases, is a tantrum thrown by an adult. I believe all Republicans have committed selfish acts and are guilty of treason. You all need to be in jail. Pass the budget; you spent the money. You tagged onto bills selfish pork. Obama is the first President in decades that actually went to Congress to make them decide what to do about Syria. Stop playing stupid with our Health Care reform. Obama was re-elected because we want to begin somewhere with a national Healthcare system. We the people have been trying to get this done since Truman was in office! I am tired of the bickering. Listen to the Senate, and work together!
I am disgusted at the terrorist tactics the Republicans are using. You are killing, starving, and not listening to the people. The "Let them eat cake" attitude, the non-leadership of Boehner, and the looming economic crash can all be averted. Your suits cost more than I make in a year. You have taken our jobs overseas. You are regressive, not progressive. I am sick of the filibustering which, in most cases, is a tantrum thrown by an adult. I believe all Republicans have committed selfish acts and are guilty of treason. You all need to be in jail. Pass the budget; you spent the money. You tagged onto bills selfish pork. Obama is the first President in decades that actually went to Congress to make them decide what to do about Syria. Stop playing stupid with our Health Care reform. Obama was re-elected because we want to begin somewhere with a national Healthcare system. We the people have been trying to get this done since Truman was in office! I am tired of the bickering. Listen to the Senate, and work together!
Vist my website at http://crenshaw.house.gov
Monday, September 16, 2013
Jaacksonville's Congestion
Mass transit will never make it in Jacksonville.We're lucky to have a bus system.It's terribly difficult to get around the city even with a personal vehicle.Parking is miserable,especially for handicapped drivers.The worst area to drive,park,or do business is the Town Center.It's hot,spread out over way too much area,and littered with turnabouts that always seem to be "coned-off" for valet parking.Pedestrians literally take their life in their hands trying to cross streets.You cannot just go to a particular store quickly.I've found the prices to be astronomical compared to online and self-contained Malls. Try finding a bathroom at the Town Center! I avoid it like the plague.It seems that entire area is not only ugly, but a hodgepodge of what should be downtown.Thus,its name Town Center.It takes about 10 minutes from UNF to reach the Town Center.Buses run every 60-66 minutes.http://www.unf.edu/Parking/JTA_Bus_Routes_that_Serve_UNF.aspx
Most of the people I see shopping there are students and young families.The restaurants are always packed.Few shopping bags are seen.Most of the clerks are students.
The same designer of the Town Center must have designed our gazillion dollar courthouse.Or maybe it was a relative of his/her.
Okay, to sum it up,stop electing your cousins to office and let's get some real help with our congestion problems.However,congestion problems are just the tip of the iceberg.It's our leadership that's the problem.
Most of the people I see shopping there are students and young families.The restaurants are always packed.Few shopping bags are seen.Most of the clerks are students.
The same designer of the Town Center must have designed our gazillion dollar courthouse.Or maybe it was a relative of his/her.
Okay, to sum it up,stop electing your cousins to office and let's get some real help with our congestion problems.However,congestion problems are just the tip of the iceberg.It's our leadership that's the problem.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Stop Electing Deadbeats
If I've said this once, I've written it more than a hundred times.We
are not checking our elected and appointed leaders out.If they belong to
a particular church,social group, or know insiders then they've got the
job.
Once upon a time I knew a teacher that was not only an alcoholic, but a hard core cocaine addict. She'd been arrested multiple times for abusing drugs and driving intoxicated,but had connections through a Presbyterian Church in town(you can guess which one). Her parents kept her out of jail for years because they contributed huge amounts of money to the church, and consequently to our elected officials. Guess what? Due to her irresponsible lifestyle she contracted AIDS.Do you know how many students were victims under her care?She taught the physically impaired, and emotionally impaired in Duval County.There has been no repercussions for this
heinous behavior.To this day, she has never stopped drinking,shooting coke,or delivering a dose of AIDS to anybody that will have sex with her.All the cards are stacked in her favor.The only thing I could do was take her off my friend list until she got help.She hasn't, so we're no longer friends.
This isn't the only horrible story out there.Politics draw people like the Anthony Weiners, and Todd Akins,( Missouri's Republican Senate candidate, that questioned whether women can become pregnant when they're raped) of the world. Jacksonville leadership is no different.
Jacksonville churches and non-profits have swindled millions from the tax payers. The hurdle I see is getting people to run for office that will stand up to liars,thieves,and the manipulation of crooked business practices. The Jaguars have to be one of the most pitiful enterprises in Jacksonville history. They can now be called a drain on Jacksonville's economy.
Once upon a time I knew a teacher that was not only an alcoholic, but a hard core cocaine addict. She'd been arrested multiple times for abusing drugs and driving intoxicated,but had connections through a Presbyterian Church in town(you can guess which one). Her parents kept her out of jail for years because they contributed huge amounts of money to the church, and consequently to our elected officials. Guess what? Due to her irresponsible lifestyle she contracted AIDS.Do you know how many students were victims under her care?She taught the physically impaired, and emotionally impaired in Duval County.There has been no repercussions for this
heinous behavior.To this day, she has never stopped drinking,shooting coke,or delivering a dose of AIDS to anybody that will have sex with her.All the cards are stacked in her favor.The only thing I could do was take her off my friend list until she got help.She hasn't, so we're no longer friends.
This isn't the only horrible story out there.Politics draw people like the Anthony Weiners, and Todd Akins,( Missouri's Republican Senate candidate, that questioned whether women can become pregnant when they're raped) of the world. Jacksonville leadership is no different.
Jacksonville churches and non-profits have swindled millions from the tax payers. The hurdle I see is getting people to run for office that will stand up to liars,thieves,and the manipulation of crooked business practices. The Jaguars have to be one of the most pitiful enterprises in Jacksonville history. They can now be called a drain on Jacksonville's economy.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Banning Rock Music and Raising Chickens
Liberty Seeker:Your hearts in the right
place, and I've written all of these members,plus the
Mayor,Commissioners,our skin-head Governor,AND have attended and helped
write group letters from the JCCI.I've written to all of our
Representatives,and Senators.I write to Obama and get answered.I'd like
to recall Lori Boyer,District 5 for spending her time trying to ban rock
music, instead of getting the people of the Larsen Community off
Emerson Rd. water!
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=327173
District 4 Council "Bumblefarmer" Redman, spends his time trying to pass the chicken law,albeit unenforceable,and unhealthy, and hobnobbing it with Boyer also trying to ban rock music.What these council-members don't know about their own constituents fills volumes. I have asked for transcripts of people in favor of these ideas, or numbers indicating for and against and have received nothing.Redman needs to be recalled too.
Years ago a very savvy business leader once told me,"If you cannot walk among those you lead by yourself, and climb the steps to any front door,ring the bell and have a productive conversation, then you are no leader."
My last point is that our Council-persons believe that their personal god has anointed them to lead. We are a community of BOTH believers and non-believers. We are a diverse community of sexual orientations. It is Medieval to think religion is the foundation of progress. We all deserve to be treated equally, and live to our fullest potentials.We all are responsible for what happens in our lives.The Sisters of Mercy lobbing a medallion atop the infamous Doll House did not cause its destruction.Progress did, and the owners were paid for the property.
http://residentnews.net/category/top-news-stories-resident-community-new...
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-09-10/story/jacksonville-city-council-adopts-higher-tax-rate-may-lower-it#comment-748013#ixzz2emt0h3mV
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=327173
District 4 Council "Bumblefarmer" Redman, spends his time trying to pass the chicken law,albeit unenforceable,and unhealthy, and hobnobbing it with Boyer also trying to ban rock music.What these council-members don't know about their own constituents fills volumes. I have asked for transcripts of people in favor of these ideas, or numbers indicating for and against and have received nothing.Redman needs to be recalled too.
Years ago a very savvy business leader once told me,"If you cannot walk among those you lead by yourself, and climb the steps to any front door,ring the bell and have a productive conversation, then you are no leader."
My last point is that our Council-persons believe that their personal god has anointed them to lead. We are a community of BOTH believers and non-believers. We are a diverse community of sexual orientations. It is Medieval to think religion is the foundation of progress. We all deserve to be treated equally, and live to our fullest potentials.We all are responsible for what happens in our lives.The Sisters of Mercy lobbing a medallion atop the infamous Doll House did not cause its destruction.Progress did, and the owners were paid for the property.
http://residentnews.net/category/top-news-stories-resident-community-new...
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Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-09-10/story/jacksonville-city-council-adopts-higher-tax-rate-may-lower-it#comment-748013#ixzz2emt0h3mV
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
And the Prices Keep Going Up
That's exactly why the Council has to raise taxes. There's not enough revenue coming in from property owners since the economic crisis began.Foreclosures were the result of people getting into home ownership when they couldn't pay their mortgages for a variety of reasons.Some were getting qualified by bank hired slave "signers" to sign loans, at minimum wage. The banks were "cooking the books" and selling these bundled mortgages to investors.Nobody went to jail.Nobody had to pay back the ill-gotten funds to mortgagors.Our bankers were the cause of this problem.Our bankers are still running the city with their agents of choice...attorneys.Nobody wants to get involved with these yellow-bellied bankers and their assassin lawyers.The Council is part of this scheme, and have handsomely lined their pockets from it.It's the well that keeps on giving.Each Council member plays good-cop-bad-cop.Most non-profits,and private public/government funding is as crooked as the St.Johns River.Most churches are a part of this non-profit bamboozle under the name of god,or charity.It's very profitable.Until the public grows a pair and stops paying,electing,and jumping on the credit band-wagon this will not stop.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Farmer Boy and the Princess of Noise
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Renee Soforenko
If we keep electing uneducated,backwoods,pompous morons to the City Council seats then we will continue to line their pockets with sweet deals,while our pocket-books run out of money, which translates to no jobs,and further loss of property.You must remember a majority of the Councils, not just this one,bring to the table only as much financial experience,and logic as they have from personal experiences. Most of them run for office because they can under our present structure. Our system requires filling out forms,a petition of signatures,and the payment of fees.That's pretty much it. http://election.dos.state.fl.us/publications/pdf/2011/2011CandidatePetit... After they get into office, they make decisions on what is good for themselves not the public.District 5,Lori Boyer is on a rampage to stop rock music. She bought an attorney, and claims the legislation will be complete by the end of the month.She cites "tests" done last Spring during a Rock Concert as the only criteria for the legislation.No matter how many e-mails and phone calls against the action.The Council "cherry picks" events they like.A group of four people began this witch hunt, and are personal friends of this Councilwoman. District 4,Ron Redman is a farmer,as stated in The Resident Newspaper, that is determined to allow backyard hens in every neighborhood. The legislation is unenforceable as to how many clucks to a yard. I'm highly allergic to poultry when it's alive. It carries Salmonella naturally and is a question asked when you go to an ER..."Have you been to a farm recently?" Jacksonville has become the home of the Christian Taliban.The movement against rock music is the same old slave-owner prejudice resurfacing as that "jungle music" Southern Baptists, and others have been so opposed to in past generations. Again,appearing in The Resident Newspaper,Father Fred describes how a group of nuns dressed in their full habits, went across a four lane highway to lob a medallion on the roof of the infamous Doll House. The article went on to describe how the efforts of these nuns led to the destruction of that terrible place. Never mind the Planning Board, and DOT had planned this for years and paid the owners for that property in order to tear the roads up again and redesign that part of the transportation system.My thoughts were,"Oh my, are we back to believing in warding off evil spirits by tossing salt over our shoulders, or burning heathens?" The only people that seem to love wars, and justify superstitious behaviors seem to be Muslims and Christians. They demand we all believe like they believe. You cannot run a town on belief systems. Those are private. http://residentnews.net/2013/09/03/doll-house-demolished-due-divine-inte... |
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Killing Over Music In The Bible Belt
Michael Dunn must be Don Redman's cousin.Redman doesn't like loud music
either.This is one instance when I can totally believe this hemorrhoid
of humanity must have been in some altered state to commit this heinous
crime.My heart goes out to the family of Jordan Davis.Those teenagers
weren't behaving any differently than we all behaved when out with our
friends at that age.There are plenty of narrow minded bigots out there
that still believe that "jungle music"is in itself a cause for severe
punishment,including as we have all witnessed,murder.
I bring Don Redman,District 4 Councilman, up because he wants to shut down Metropolitan Park to all rock music("jungle music"). Any other music is okay.The fair,sports, etc. is fine.Lori Boyer,District 5,San Marco, agrees with this, and is writing legislation now to be presented to the City Council.The group's name is LOUD.The contact number is:630-1394(Redman),and 226-0433(Eric Kaldor-Ad Hoc Committee Resident). So there is a reason that this delay is happening.There is a reason "loud music" from a vehicle is offensive to many, and as we can see an excuse for murder.I keep reminding you we're in the South.We're in the Bible Belt.
I bring Don Redman,District 4 Councilman, up because he wants to shut down Metropolitan Park to all rock music("jungle music"). Any other music is okay.The fair,sports, etc. is fine.Lori Boyer,District 5,San Marco, agrees with this, and is writing legislation now to be presented to the City Council.The group's name is LOUD.The contact number is:630-1394(Redman),and 226-0433(Eric Kaldor-Ad Hoc Committee Resident). So there is a reason that this delay is happening.There is a reason "loud music" from a vehicle is offensive to many, and as we can see an excuse for murder.I keep reminding you we're in the South.We're in the Bible Belt.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Kelly Mathis
I really think Mathis will beat these charges.There is much supposition
of fact, but no real cornerstone for the pending charges. He's a gifted
attorney and would not choose to take the stand and confront his
accusers if there wasn't more to this story. The Times Union practices
"yellow journalism",takes sides,and is a religious Southern newspaper.If
you go to other news sources and learned opinion writers, they are
siding with Mathis.I wish Mathis the best, and hope he can expose what
really took place.I believe very little the Times Union writes when it
comes to swaying public opinions.Newspapers are powerful tools, can be
formidable bullies,and sway juries.I think the Mathis trial needs a
change of venue.It would be a very different trial if it was moved to
let us say South Florida.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Jacksonville Suffers From the Same Woes Since the 1920's
We are experiencing the very same problems today in education as we did prior to consolidation. Most of you are just too young to understand how history continuously repeats itself, and throwing money at it, or taking money away never helps. The changes come with leadership, and public attitude.Here's a synopsis for you:
Outline of the History of Consolidated Government
in Jacksonville, Florida
James C. Rinaman, Jr., Esquire
July, 2003
I. CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENTS--FORM OR FUNCTION--HISTORY.
A. Consolidated governments have been created in relatively few American cities, including New Orleans 1805; Boston 1822; Philadelphia 1854; New York 1874; San Francisco 1880; Honolulu 1907; Baton Rouge 1949; Miami 1956; Nashville 1963; Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Jacksonville 1967; Indianapolis 1968; Carson City, Nevada and Juneau, Alaska 1970's, Columbus, Georgia, Lexington, Kentucky, and Oklahoma City 1972. In 1998, Toronto was consolidated into a 350 square mile municipality of 2.5 million people, and in 2003 Louisville, Kentucky was consolidated.
B. Among 135 attempts to create a consolidated government between 1921 and 1977, 22 passed and 113 failed, including Daytona Beach, Tampa, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Palm Beach in Florida, and Chattanooga, St. Louis, Memphis, Richmond, Raleigh/Durham, Knoxville, Albuquerque and Portland. (1949 Osceola County School consolidation)
C. Florida's traditional local government forms. Until 1968, Florida cities and counties had only those powers specifically authorized by the Florida Legislature.
1. County--roads/courts and law enforcement/collect taxes for the state/county school districts.
2. Cities--broad municipal services (fire, police, water and sewer, streets, health, sanitation, recreation, etc.).
3. Special authorities, tax districts, and independent agencies--drainage districts, ports, bridges, utilities, etc. (Disney World/Reedy Creek Drainage District)
4. 1931 constitutional amendment permits Dade, Monroe, Duval and Hillsborough to create varying forms of consolidated government with home rule (implemented in Metro Dade 1956, Jacksonville 1967).
5. 1968 Florida constitution provided for municipal home rule powers to chartered counties and consolidated governments; all powers except those prohibited by the Legislature. (Home Rule)
II. CREATION OF JACKSONVILLE'S CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT.
1931 Constitutional amendment allowing consolidated government and home rule throughout the limits of Duval County.
1932 South Jacksonville annexation increased Jacksonville to 31 square miles, population 135,000; Duval County 844 square miles, unincorporated population 135,000.
1935 Consolidation referendum failed--C. Daughtry Towers (author of constitutional amendment), campaign chairman.
1950 Jacksonville population 204,000; Duval County unincorporated population 150,000
By 1965: Jacksonville population 196,000 (41.2% Black)
Duval County unincorporated population 330,000 ( 9.2% Black)
1956
1932 South Jacksonville annexation increased Jacksonville to 31 square miles, population 135,000; Duval County 844 square miles, unincorporated population 135,000.
1935 Consolidation referendum failed--C. Daughtry Towers (author of constitutional amendment), campaign chairman.
1950 Jacksonville population 204,000; Duval County unincorporated population 150,000
By 1965: Jacksonville population 196,000 (41.2% Black)
Duval County unincorporated population 330,000 ( 9.2% Black)
1956 Jacksonville Expressway Authority created--Fuller Warren and Mathews bridge built, expressway system begun ten years ahead of interstate highways and fifteen years ahead of other cities in Florida.
1956/66 Mayor Haydon Burns: “Bonds, Blitzers, and Birthdays”--Prudential comes to Southbank, new courthouse, city hall, civic auditorium and coliseum built, decayed downtown docks replaced with parking lots.
1959 Duval schools warned by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
1962 Duval County Tax Payers Association forms to find funds for schools
1963 Taxpayers suit filed, Schuler v. Walters, "just" value equals “full” market value (Pat Conroy vs. Charlie Towers)
Port Authority created to replace city Department of Docks and Terminals. Given 1.5 mils property tax authority, approximately $500,000, in 1963; would be over $30 million today (Senator Jack Mathews).
1963/64 City annexation votes failed in county, 1963 proposed 67 square miles, 1964 proposed 72.7 square miles for Jacksonville).
1964 15 high schools discredited--School Boot Strap Committee (Chairman Nate Wilson/Cecil Hardesty new appointed school superintendent)
Florida Supreme Court affirms Judge William Durden's order requiring full value assessments--doubled tax roll--most home owners began to pay property taxes for the first time in 1965.
Claude Yates Manifesto--Chamber group recommended governmental reforms and consolidation to legislative delegation (John E. Mathews and Fred Schultz)
1965 June: Local Government Study Commission created by legislature--50 members (no public officials) plus large advisory council (effective October 1, 1965--Chmn. J.J. Daniel, Executive Director Lex Hester--to report May 1, 1967--but reported in January, 1967 including a proposed charter)
1966 January: Haydon Burns becomes Florida Governor, campaigned on "Jacksonville story."
May 1966: grand jury impaneled by Judge Marion Gooding to review local government abuses
November 1966: grand jury reports:
1965 June: Local Government Study Commission created by legislature--50 members (no public officials) plus large advisory council (effective October 1, 1965--Chmn. J.J. Daniel, Executive Director Lex Hester--to report May 1, 1967--but reported in January, 1967 including a proposed charter)
1966 January: Haydon Burns becomes Florida Governor, campaigned on "Jacksonville story."
May 1966: grand jury impaneled by Judge Marion Gooding to review local government abuses
November 1966: grand jury reports:
A. 11 Public Officials indicted/142 counts of bribery and larceny--4 of 9 city councilmen, 2 of 5 city commissioners, city auditor, executive secretary of city recreation department, 1 of 5 county commissioners, and county purchasing agent--city tax assessor took the Fifth Amendment, refused to testify, and resigned his office (U.S. microfilm).
B. Grand jury presentment on local government:
1. Revise government structure to deny unlimited power and authority to a few political leaders.
2. Prevent city officials and their close business and political associates from using city employees and city contracts for their private and political purposes.
3. Instill honesty and morality in the conduct of public affairs and restore confidence in our public officials.
4. State audit of city financial affairs.
5. Revamp personnel structure and eliminate political patronage jobs.
6. Strict enforcement of laws prohibiting participation by city employees in political activities. (Burns Blitzers)
7. Require removal of public officials or employees who take the Fifth Amendment on matters pertaining to public duties, and suspend them from office after indictment, pending trial.
8. Severely criticized the community's moral climate which tolerated these conditions, referring to businessmen and city employees who participated in the wrongful acts, or went along with them and did not step forward to disclose the practices and conditions discovered by the grand jury, until duress of a subpoena.
9. Complimented those few employees who did assist--and the prosecutors, television, and newspapers who provided information from their own investigations. (Norm Vincent, Richard
Martin)
1967 January Local Government Study Commission publishes "Blueprint for Improvement."
Study Commission's formal report to legislature with draft for charter of consolidated government. Study Commission dissolved, reorganizes as Better Government Committee to campaign for August 1967 referendum.
June 1967: Hans Tanzler elected Mayor on reform platform, Reform City Council candidates also win (Lou Ritter--frogs).
May-July: Legislature adopts charter, sets referendum for August 8, 1966 (Black/White hats) WJXT Channel 4 “Government by Gaslight”.
Air and water pollution orders from state and federal agencies, 190 utility systems, 76 outfalls, 550/130 miles WPA sewers/drainage. River pollution, air pollution, (nylon stockings, auto paint, pulmonary problems).
August 8 1967: Referendum--charter passes 55,000-30,000. Three Beaches communities, and Baldwin opt out, remain "urban service districts."
October 1 1967: Transition begins -- Old government retaliation -- budget/zoning/long-term contracts
to cronies. Law suit contesting consolidation.
1968 October 1: Consolidated government created, Tanzler re-elected Mayor, Jacksonville Electric Authority, Jacksonville Hospital Authority created. Jacksonville Port Authority tax revenues capped at $800,000, (1968 value of 1-1/2 mils.)
December: Fletcher, Raines, Wolfson, and Forest high schools re-accredited; all other senior and junior high schools remain disaccredited.
III. FACTORS FAVORING CONSOLIDATION IN JACKSONVILLE
A. Single economic area/concentric development--one large city and four very small cities (versus fifteen to thirty cities in Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, Pinellas, etc.).
B. Jacksonville 37 square miles, population declined from 204,000 to 196,000 1955-1965; unincorporated Duval, 807 square miles, population grew from 150,000 to 330,000 1955-1965.
C. Inadequate governmental regulation and services in county--subdivision regulations, fire, police, drainage, curb & gutters, sidewalks, street lights, water and sewer, (wells, septic tanks and outfalls) air and water pollution, etc.
D. Lagging economic growth and development, lack of land-use planning and regulation (weak growth management).
E. Weak tax base, disproportionate burden on downtown commercial property--awakening interest among residential tax payers after tax suit, tax rolls doubled, most private residences began to pay some taxes--greater interest in governmental operations and expenditures.
F. Disaccredited schools/public official indictments and grand jury presentments/poor self image and bad public image for Jacksonville.
G. Black population growth and political power in core city/awakening interest in future of downtown from white bedroom communities paying some property taxes for first time in 1965.
IV. STRUCTURE OF JACKSONVILLE CONSOLIDATION.
A. Philosophy: community corporation; taxpayers/voters are shareholders--mayor and department heads are executive officers; city council is board of directors; school board and independent agencies are corporate divisions; operates like a family-owned business with citizen participation, as volunteers on committees and boards.
B. Strong mayor/council--separation of powers--checks and balances similar to federal system, rather than old city commission/council; or popular city manager/council structures.
D. Executive Branch
1. Strong mayor (elected at large, limited to two 4-year terms)--appoints chief administrative offices, department heads and division chiefs who perform city manager functions, backed by career professional staff, strong educational and experience requirements. Lex Hester, first chief administrator-former executive director of Local Government Study Commission.
2. Central services--in-house professional staff, purchasing, public relations, motor pool, personnel, data processing, legal services (15 private law firms costing $500,000 to 20 in-house lawyers at $340,000 (1969-70) - advisory opinions, nerve center of government.
3. Independent agencies (subsidiary enterprises of conglomerate corporation)--unpaid volunteer board members appointed by mayor subject to council approval, (except elected School Board) separate business enterprises funded primarily from their own revenues and operated as fiscal entities.
a. Elected School Board (budget independent of city council up to 10 mils)
b. Expressway Authority 1956/ (took over mass transit as Transportation Authority 1971).
c. Port Authority established in 1963. In 1967 took over city airports, tax support limited to $800,000 (value of 1.5 mils in 1967) (Separate airport authority created in 2001).
d. Electric Authority 1967 (took over water and sewer 1997).
e. Hospital Authority 1967 (1988 evolved to management by a private corporation and later became a University of Florida Shands Teaching Hospital.)
f. Downtown Development Authority 1974.
g. Economic Development Council 1994.
E. Legislative (city council as board of directors)--set policy and approve budget; establish fiscal and long-range planning priorities.
1. 19 city council members, 5 at large, 14 districts (1968 - 40,000; 1997 - 55,000 to 60,000; 2001 - 60,000-75,000.)
2. Part-time public service citizen participation, financial sacrifice, non-career oriented, low pay ($2500)($40,000 in 2003) separation of powers, rules and regulations by ordinance, policies by ordinance or resolution, control budgets of city and independent agencies except school board.
F. Primary legislative compromises in charter.
1. Continued partisan elections (to unitary elections and two term limits in 1995 pursuant to JCCI report).
2. Elected civil service board--retained with full legislative, administrative and judicial powers. Impact of collective bargaining pursuant to a JCCI report was limited to appeals from personnel department actions only in 1981; and made an appointive board in 1993.
3. Elected constitutional officers retained. Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector, and Tax Assessor (now Property Appraiser).
4. Three beaches and Baldwin allowed to opt out and became urban service districts, with most municipal rights, powers, and duties.
5. Judiciary including Clerk of Court left alone until Article V of Florida Constitution was amended in 1970. (Three tier court system.)
V. BENEFITS OF CONSOLIDATION.
A. Unified government, pinpointing responsibility for planning, budgeting, regulatory control and performance of city functions and services in the Mayor.
B. Financial
1. Broad uniform tax base Jacksonville USD phased out, by putting approximately $1,000,000 for street cleaning into the General Services budget of approximately $400,000,000 (1986), $741,595,539 (1994), $984,000,000 (2002). 2000 Real estate tax per $1,000 value in Jacksonville was $10.57, Tampa $11.81, Orlando, $11.61, Gainesville $12.78, Miami $14.55.
2. Permits budgeting for long-range plans and priorities, allocation of funds by function, not arbitrarily by district, or a single budget year.
3. Single integrated personnel system and fewer pension programs. (City Employees Fund; Fire and Police Fund; state plan still available to former county employees.)
4. Central services--purchasing power, economies of scale, legal services, data processing, motor pool, etc.
5. Pooling of assets—greater investment income.
6. New population bracket qualified for city or county benefits from both state and federal programs within the top 40 cities 1981 population rank 22nd; 1986 19th. Duval population increased from 550,000 in 1968 to 815,755 in 2003. MSA ranked 61st in 1986, and 46th in 2003 at 1,170,856.
7. Improved bond rating due to larger population, stronger tax base, bigger numbers.
8. Jacksonville's total budget and the number of employees of the city, independent agencies, and the school board make Jacksonville’s government the largest business in northeast Florida, and second only to the federal and state government in size of budget and number of employees in Florida.
C. Services
1. Air and water pollution substantially cleaned up--new sewer treatment and distribution system. ($650,000.00 bond issue to buy up private utilities in the 1970s)
A. Unified government, pinpointing responsibility for planning, budgeting, regulatory control and performance of city functions and services in the Mayor.
B. Financial
1. Broad uniform tax base Jacksonville USD phased out, by putting approximately $1,000,000 for street cleaning into the General Services budget of approximately $400,000,000 (1986), $741,595,539 (1994), $984,000,000 (2002). 2000 Real estate tax per $1,000 value in Jacksonville was $10.57, Tampa $11.81, Orlando, $11.61, Gainesville $12.78, Miami $14.55.
2. Permits budgeting for long-range plans and priorities, allocation of funds by function, not arbitrarily by district, or a single budget year.
3. Single integrated personnel system and fewer pension programs. (City Employees Fund; Fire and Police Fund; state plan still available to former county employees.)
4. Central services--purchasing power, economies of scale, legal services, data processing, motor pool, etc.
5. Pooling of assets—greater investment income.
6. New population bracket qualified for city or county benefits from both state and federal programs within the top 40 cities 1981 population rank 22nd; 1986 19th. Duval population increased from 550,000 in 1968 to 815,755 in 2003. MSA ranked 61st in 1986, and 46th in 2003 at 1,170,856.
7. Improved bond rating due to larger population, stronger tax base, bigger numbers.
6. New population bracket qualified for city or county benefits from both state and federal programs within the top 40 cities 1981 population rank 22nd; 1986 19th. Duval population increased from 550,000 in 1968 to 815,755 in 2003. MSA ranked 61st in 1986, and 46th in 2003 at 1,170,856.
7. Improved bond rating due to larger population, stronger tax base, bigger numbers.
8. Jacksonville's total budget and the number of employees of the city, independent agencies, and the school board make Jacksonville’s government the largest business in northeast Florida, and second only to the federal and state government in size of budget and number of employees in Florida.
C. Services
1. Air and water pollution substantially cleaned up--new sewer treatment and distribution system. ($650,000.00 bond issue to buy up private utilities in the 1970s)
2. Integration of city and volunteer fire departments--significant decrease in fire insurance premiums in county.
3. Establishment of world's best Rescue Service (Capt. John Waters). Replacing private funeral
home ambulances.
4. Improved police coverage (1992 Jacksonville was 22nd of the top 63 cities in crime rate).
5. 17,000 new street lights in old county area.
6. All Garbage collection and land fills funded from general revenue.
7. Downtown development (business-government partnership, better focus on long-range plans and priorities).
8. Improved growth management, building codes, subdivision regulations, comprehensive plan, land use requirements, landscaping, sign regulation, sidewalks, drainage, street lights. (One stop permitting).
VI. 1968-1980 JACKSONVILLE’S “CAMELOT”, MAYOR HANS TANZLER
October 1: Annual Consolidation Day Luncheon--Mayor's report, awards to outstanding public officials--celebration replaced 16 years of annual Burns’ birthday galas.
1971 Remainder of Duval County schools re-accredited--Federal Court orders school busing.
1972 Expressway Authority expanded to include mass transit, renamed Jacksonville Transportation Authority, private bus company acquired.
1974 June: Jacksonville Community Planning Conference--Amelia Island, 100 citizens—
Fred Schultz, Chamber President.
A. Keynote speaker, James W. Rouse,--"Two-thirds of Jacksonville's future in the next 10 years will be a result of the ideas and actions taken at this conference. You are undertaking a big job. You can be the model for the entire nation."
B. Recommendations as prioritized.
1. Downtown development
2. Education excellence
3. Open housing and low-income housing
4. Land use planning
5. Transportation planning--mass transit
6. Utilities improvement
7. Greater job opportunities and training
. Increased public revenues
9. Joint civic effort involving all races and economic groups
10. Strengthen cultural enrichment
1974 Downtown Development Authority created.
1975 Jacksonville Community Council, Inc., created.
1976 Leadership Jacksonville, Inc. created.
1980-81 On recommendation by the JCCI the legislature converts the Civil Service Board to an Appeals Board, removing administrative and legislative functions--remained only elected civil service board in a metropolitan area having public employee collective bargaining until 1993 when it became appointive.
VII. AFTER CAMELOT
A. 1980-88 Mayor Jake Godbold and new city council -- drift back to pre-consolidation concepts and personalities --Jacksonian populism; spoils system; cult of personality.
1. Positive Developments
a. JEA converts to natural gas and coal/joint ventures with Florida Power and Light for St. Johns power park, electric rates brought under control after oil crisis.
b. Downtown development--Hemming Park, Southern Bell Tower and other office buildings, Metropolitan Park, Southbank and Northbank Riverwalk, Jacksonville Landing, Convention Center, People mover system begun (ASE), J. Turner Butler Boulevard.
c. Culture--Florida Theater restored, improved museums, symphony, jazz festival, Arts Assembly.
d. Business/Government Partnering for economic development, attracting new industry, new ideas, Mayor/Chamber annual city visits begun.
e. Expanded financial and insurance base, new industry.
1. Positive Developments
a. JEA converts to natural gas and coal/joint ventures with Florida Power and Light for St. Johns power park, electric rates brought under control after oil crisis.
b. Downtown development--Hemming Park, Southern Bell Tower and other office buildings, Metropolitan Park, Southbank and Northbank Riverwalk, Jacksonville Landing, Convention Center, People mover system begun (ASE), J. Turner Butler Boulevard.
c. Culture--Florida Theater restored, improved museums, symphony, jazz festival, Arts Assembly.
d. Business/Government Partnering for economic development, attracting new industry, new ideas, Mayor/Chamber annual city visits begun.
e. Expanded financial and insurance base, new industry.
f. Regional medical center, development of area hospitals, health delivery systems and specialty centers, Mayo Clinic, JEHEP.
g. Progress in higher education--UNF, JU, Edward Waters, FCCJ.
h. Sports commission--Gator Bowl renovation - efforts to attract NFL franchise. (Colt Fever).
2. Negative Developments
a. October 1 Consolidation Day Luncheon/awards discontinued.
b. Education and experience requirements for department heads and division chiefs reduced. (Cronyism revived). Lex Hester fired, goes to County Manager of Broward County, then Orlando. His replacement later indicted for bribery and larceny.
c. City council develops "district courtesy" on funding, zoning, bond issues.
d. Budgeting priorities and allocation of funds and bond issues shift toward council district shares rather than area wide functional priorities based on long term planning. Responsive rather than proactive on policy and budgeting--shift to government by crisis (jail, parking, etc.)
e. City council salaries increased from $2500 in 1968 to $20,000 in 1985; ($32,000 in 1997, plus an aide for each member in 2001, and $40,000 in 2003).
. Separation of powers blurred--city council members fill role of ombudsmen for constituents rather than setting legislative policy and budget; seek control of independent agency budgets; intrude on day-to-day administration of departments; Tourist Development Council; bed tax budget controlled by city council, not mayor
g. General Counsel's office dismantled. Separate lawyers for city council, JEA, JPA, JTA, JHA, collections, bonds, condemnations. Quality and morale of general counsel's office degraded. General Counsel later indicted for conflict of interest, unauthorized compensation, and tax fraud.
h. Re-emergence of cult of personality; blurring of separation of powers/checks and balances/ Jacksonian populism/spoils system; patronage for professional services, circumvention of bidding requirements; shift to city council membership as a political career/livelihood; insider patronage and cronyism--Indictments of public safety director, tax assessor, general counsel, several city council members and staff, Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Motor Pool Director, and political cronies of the Mayor. (more indicted than in 1966)
i. Growth overwhelms infrastructure.
j. Spot and strip zoning, visual pollution/signs.
k. JTA mass transit/parking plans dismantled, transit subsidies redirected to subsidize downtown parking garages for new buildings.
l. Water and sewer program stalls, septic tanks increase.
m. Developers accommodated on an ad hoc basis rather than subjected to an overall development plan for infrastructure, roads, parking, schools, tax support, et cetera.
n. City's bonding capacity absorbed in support of current development, unavailable for future infrastructure. Mayor’s cronies take City and JEA bonding legal work from General Counsel’s office at five times the cost.
B. 1987-1990 Mayor Tommy Hazouri and new city council
1. Rededication to professionalism and integrity in government--rehabilitation of the Office of General Counsel -- Judge James Harrison.
2. High priorities on elimination of odor, growth management, central services, removal of bridge tolls.
3. More business-like and responsive attitude in city council.
a. New faces and attitudes.
b. Public interest--sign ordinance referendum.
c. School bond issue passes on second try.
d. Zoning, land use (comprehensive plan, garbage fees, address solid waste, Southeast Landfill proposal creates controversy with St. Johns County).
e. JTA tolls removed. Revenues replaced with 1/2 cent sales tax. Dames Point Bridge built.
f. New jail built ending years of controversy.
g. Only a few indictments and embarrassments.
C. 1991-1995 Mayor Ed Austin
1. Restores professionalism in City division and department chiefs. Rehires Lex Hester from Orlando as Chief Administrative Officer.
2. Mayor's insight committee involving 1,000 citizens, first such effort since 1974 Amelia Island conference, results in new objectives and priorities for the community.
3. Renaissance Plan for refurbishing or replacing public facilities.
4. New emphasis on parks and recreation.
5. Renewed emphasis on downtown development--Hemming Park, City Hall, and Federal courthouse. Northbank and Southbank Riverwalks.
6. Solution to solid waste disposal dilemma with new Trail Ridge landfill west of town.
7. Acceleration of projects to rebuild Acosta and Fuller Warren bridges/completion of ASE/plans for development of exclusive bus lanes and light rail, MPOs 2010 plan emphasizes mass transit, rejects plans to build two more bridges and 10 to 12 lane expressways.
8. City finally complies with state comprehensive plan requirements.
9. Long term planning and allocation of funding sources to community priorities and objectives/better growth management.
2. Mayor's insight committee involving 1,000 citizens, first such effort since 1974 Amelia Island conference, results in new objectives and priorities for the community.
3. Renaissance Plan for refurbishing or replacing public facilities.
4. New emphasis on parks and recreation.
5. Renewed emphasis on downtown development--Hemming Park, City Hall, and Federal courthouse. Northbank and Southbank Riverwalks.
6. Solution to solid waste disposal dilemma with new Trail Ridge landfill west of town.
7. Acceleration of projects to rebuild Acosta and Fuller Warren bridges/completion of ASE/plans for development of exclusive bus lanes and light rail, MPOs 2010 plan emphasizes mass transit, rejects plans to build two more bridges and 10 to 12 lane expressways.
8. City finally complies with state comprehensive plan requirements.
9. Long term planning and allocation of funding sources to community priorities and objectives/better growth management.
10. Development of new port facilities and international trade and investment. Ed Austin Bulk Terminal at Blount Island.
11. Military base closure process 1995 Cecil Field closed; 1996 Cecil Field Development Commission; 1997 saved NADEP -- Mayport nuclear upgrade program -- Wonderwood Expressway.
12. Unitary elections (no party primary), two term limits for elected officials pursuant to JCCI study.
13. First workable minority set aside program.
14. City becomes more directly involved in economic development. Jacksonville Economic Development Council (by executive order) ties City, Jacksonville Chamber, JPA, JEA, JTA and the DDA together for overall planning and implementation of economic development.
15. NFL Jaguars come to Jacksonville.
16. Austin Renaissance Plan, New football stadium, performing arts center, city hall, homeless center, extend Riverwalks, LaVilla redevelopment.
17. Established Children’s Commission.
D. 1996-2003 Mayor John Delaney (defeated Godbold and Hazouri).
1. Re-establishes Jacksonville Economic Development Council by council ordinance -- one stop shopping umbrella for all economic agencies and the Chamber. Chamber does marketing, JEDC facilitates permitting, land use, infrastructure, incentives, etc.
2. Cecil Field development takes off. Boeing/Northrup Grumman. FCCJ Aviation Training Center, Brannenfield/Chaffee Road
3. Lower property tax rate each year 1991 – 1995 (Austin); 1996 – 2003 (Delaney); 2004- 2005 (Peyton).
17. Established Children’s Commission.
D. 1996-2003 Mayor John Delaney (defeated Godbold and Hazouri).
1. Re-establishes Jacksonville Economic Development Council by council ordinance -- one stop shopping umbrella for all economic agencies and the Chamber. Chamber does marketing, JEDC facilitates permitting, land use, infrastructure, incentives, etc.
2. Cecil Field development takes off. Boeing/Northrup Grumman. FCCJ Aviation Training Center, Brannenfield/Chaffee Road
3. Lower property tax rate each year 1991 – 1995 (Austin); 1996 – 2003 (Delaney); 2004- 2005 (Peyton).
4. Neighborhood Department -- six Citizen Planning Advisory Commissions (CPAC) Regional land use, infrastructure and amenities planning -- six code enforcement districts funded at $1 million/yr to upgrade or demolish condemned structures.
5. Citizen accessibility -- branch city hall at Regency and Gateway -- clerk of court and county judge at beaches -- extended hours, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and one-half hour free parking at regulatory departments.
6. Government efficiency, merged five divisions, reduced employees, control of union contracts (1% to 2% raises), professionalism in risk management ($13 million savings in 1996, plus $6 million rebate).
7. Better Jacksonville Plan $2.2 billion for roads, drainage, water and sewer, ecology preservation, new Courthouse, Libraries, Baseball Park, Amphitheater, Equestrian Center.
8. Transferred water and sewer department to JEA, savings produced $60 million bonding capacity for drainage, program to eliminate septic tanks and private wells as part of Better Jacksonville Plan.
9. Plans for expansion of Riverwalk, Metropolitan Park/Kids Campus, expanded convention center, proposed transportation hub at old Railroad Station.
10. Ecology Preservation Program, leveraging Federal, State and private funding Timucuan Preserve, Julington Creek Peninsula.
11. Park space and amenities doubled, $300 million plan for preservation of environmentally sensitive land. (78,000 acres acquired 2000-2003)
12. Children's Commissions funded at $1 million/yr since 1995.
13. Separate Sea Port and Airport authorities created.
14. Surge of new downtown residential, retail, and entertainment facilities.
15. Jacksonville Metropolitan Planning Organization becomes three county First Coast MPO; funds $50,000 each to St. Johns and Clay counties for planning staff from $550,000 budget.
16. Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce renamed Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce for economic development initiatives in seven counties.
E. 2003 John Peyton elected Mayor – renewed emphasis on education, job creation, economic and urban development.
VIII. SHORT-FALLS AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES OF PAST YEARS.
A. Weak commitment and continuity; long term plans often changed drastically with new mayors until Austin and Delaney.
B. Poor growth management and long term planning, comprehensive land-use plan late/spot and
16. Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce renamed Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce for economic development initiatives in seven counties.
E. 2003 John Peyton elected Mayor – renewed emphasis on education, job creation, economic and urban development.
VIII. SHORT-FALLS AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES OF PAST YEARS.
A. Weak commitment and continuity; long term plans often changed drastically with new mayors until Austin and Delaney.
B. Poor growth management and long term planning, comprehensive land-use plan late/spot and strip zoning/sign regulation/tree preservation. Much improvement since 1990 comprehensive plan. Uncertainty in 2005 as legislature considers sea changes. Need for regional planning for land use, transportation, environmental preservation.
C. Mass transit/parking/traffic congestion, especially as compared to our 1970s model, Portland, Oregon which limits downtown parking to 3000, has 45 miles of light rail, and an extensive bus system, 15% commuter ridership – 3% in Jacksonville.
D. Downtown development was oriented toward encouraging individual ad hoc development rather than compliance with an overall plan. Austin Renaissance Plan, Downtown Development Council, and Delaney Better Jacksonville Plan have improved this.
E. Fire and police pension funds back under union control since 1980s; low level of professionalism, weak fiscal management, special time connections and buy-ins , cronyism undermine fiscal integrity of the plans.
IX. WHAT NEXT FOR JACKSONVILLE?
A. Expand regional planning for land use, environmental, drainage, transportation, growth management and economic development planning for Northeast Florida. Strengthen seven county Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council District. Expand First Coast Metropolitan
Planning Organization to three counties; 16 counties in St. Johns River Water Management District
B. Greater citizen involvement and participation in government, planning, and development (e.g. JCCI, Leadership Jacksonville, Chamber, independent agencies).
1. Public education. K-12 (1/3 of students and schools failing in 2003)
2. Higher education.
3. Improve funding sources and priorities.
4. Downtown development.
5. Transportation/mass transit.
6. Drainage control.
7. Parks and recreation.
8. Port and airport development.
9. Cecil Field development.
10. International trade and new and expanded businesses and employment opportunities.
11. Relationship with the Beaches and Baldwin.
12. Maintain and improve effectiveness of city sign and tree ordinance.
13. Community consensus, commitment, and continuity on long range issues like growth management, mass transit, port funding and economic development.
14. Address issues, not personalities -- avoid cronyism, helping friends and killing enemies.
15. Integrity, professionalism and citizen participation in government.
SOME PERTINENT THOUGHTS ABOUT GOVERNMENT
"Here each individual is interested not only in his own affairs but in the affairs of state as well. Even those who are mostly occupied with their own businesses are extremely well informed on general politics. This is a peculiarity of ours: we do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he has no business here at all."--Pericles, on Athenian values, 431 B.C.
"There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new system, for the initiator has the hostility of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones."--Machiavelli--The Prince, 1513.
"As soon as several Americans have conceived a sentiment or an idea that they want to produce before the world, they seek each other out, and when found, they unite. Hence forth they are no longer isolated individuals, but a power conspicuous from the distance whose actions serve as an example; when it speaks, men listen.
Nothing in my view, more deserves attention than the intellectual and moral associations in America.
If men are to remain civilized or to become civilized, the art of association must develop and improve among them at the same speed as equality of conditions spreads."--Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1835.
"Government reflects the values of its citizens."--Thomas Carlyle.
"Evil grows when good men do nothing."--Edmond Burke.
". . . we must realize that the practices which have been criticized could not have come about without the active connivance of many businessmen and businesses, both large and small in our community. . . some politicians and some businessmen have joined together and taken advantage of the community."--Judge Marion P. Gooding commenting on the Duval County Grand Jury indictments and presentments of 1966.
"It was the spirit of our people that made this moment possible. If we but follow in this spirit of Just concern for each other's well-being, of responsible involvement in government, and recognition and respect for mutual problems, we shall not fail. We shall build as Jacksonville has never built before."--J.J. Daniel, October 1968 on the establishment of Jacksonville consolidated government
#451281
in America, 1835.
"Government reflects the values of its citizens."--Thomas Carlyle.
"Evil grows when good men do nothing."--Edmond Burke.
". . . we must realize that the practices which have been criticized could not have come about without the active connivance of many businessmen and businesses, both large and small in our community. . . some politicians and some businessmen have joined together and taken advantage of the community."--Judge Marion P. Gooding commenting on the Duval County Grand Jury indictments and presentments of 1966.
"It was the spirit of our people that made this moment possible. If we but follow in this spirit of Just concern for each other's well-being, of responsible involvement in government, and recognition and respect for mutual problems, we shall not fail. We shall build as Jacksonville has never built before."--J.J. Daniel, October 1968 on the establishment of Jacksonville consolidated government
Once again JAX2025 is trying to correct problems that cannot be corrected until the citizens get off their butts and demand it. The next meeting is at WJCT August 13th from 12-1:30PM. If you seriously want to make a difference then you must get involved.
Outline of the History of Consolidated Government
in Jacksonville, Florida
James C. Rinaman, Jr., Esquire
July, 2003
I. CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENTS--FORM OR FUNCTION--HISTORY.
A. Consolidated governments have been created in relatively few American cities, including New Orleans 1805; Boston 1822; Philadelphia 1854; New York 1874; San Francisco 1880; Honolulu 1907; Baton Rouge 1949; Miami 1956; Nashville 1963; Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Jacksonville 1967; Indianapolis 1968; Carson City, Nevada and Juneau, Alaska 1970's, Columbus, Georgia, Lexington, Kentucky, and Oklahoma City 1972. In 1998, Toronto was consolidated into a 350 square mile municipality of 2.5 million people, and in 2003 Louisville, Kentucky was consolidated.
B. Among 135 attempts to create a consolidated government between 1921 and 1977, 22 passed and 113 failed, including Daytona Beach, Tampa, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Palm Beach in Florida, and Chattanooga, St. Louis, Memphis, Richmond, Raleigh/Durham, Knoxville, Albuquerque and Portland. (1949 Osceola County School consolidation)
C. Florida's traditional local government forms. Until 1968, Florida cities and counties had only those powers specifically authorized by the Florida Legislature.
1. County--roads/courts and law enforcement/collect taxes for the state/county school districts.
2. Cities--broad municipal services (fire, police, water and sewer, streets, health, sanitation, recreation, etc.).
3. Special authorities, tax districts, and independent agencies--drainage districts, ports, bridges, utilities, etc. (Disney World/Reedy Creek Drainage District)
4. 1931 constitutional amendment permits Dade, Monroe, Duval and Hillsborough to create varying forms of consolidated government with home rule (implemented in Metro Dade 1956, Jacksonville 1967).
5. 1968 Florida constitution provided for municipal home rule powers to chartered counties and consolidated governments; all powers except those prohibited by the Legislature. (Home Rule)
II. CREATION OF JACKSONVILLE'S CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT.
1931 Constitutional amendment allowing consolidated government and home rule throughout the limits of Duval County.
1932 South Jacksonville annexation increased Jacksonville to 31 square miles, population 135,000; Duval County 844 square miles, unincorporated population 135,000.
1935 Consolidation referendum failed--C. Daughtry Towers (author of constitutional amendment), campaign chairman.
1950 Jacksonville population 204,000; Duval County unincorporated population 150,000
By 1965: Jacksonville population 196,000 (41.2% Black)
Duval County unincorporated population 330,000 ( 9.2% Black)
1956
1932 South Jacksonville annexation increased Jacksonville to 31 square miles, population 135,000; Duval County 844 square miles, unincorporated population 135,000.
1935 Consolidation referendum failed--C. Daughtry Towers (author of constitutional amendment), campaign chairman.
1950 Jacksonville population 204,000; Duval County unincorporated population 150,000
By 1965: Jacksonville population 196,000 (41.2% Black)
Duval County unincorporated population 330,000 ( 9.2% Black)
1956 Jacksonville Expressway Authority created--Fuller Warren and Mathews bridge built, expressway system begun ten years ahead of interstate highways and fifteen years ahead of other cities in Florida.
1956/66 Mayor Haydon Burns: “Bonds, Blitzers, and Birthdays”--Prudential comes to Southbank, new courthouse, city hall, civic auditorium and coliseum built, decayed downtown docks replaced with parking lots.
1959 Duval schools warned by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
1962 Duval County Tax Payers Association forms to find funds for schools
1963 Taxpayers suit filed, Schuler v. Walters, "just" value equals “full” market value (Pat Conroy vs. Charlie Towers)
Port Authority created to replace city Department of Docks and Terminals. Given 1.5 mils property tax authority, approximately $500,000, in 1963; would be over $30 million today (Senator Jack Mathews).
1963/64 City annexation votes failed in county, 1963 proposed 67 square miles, 1964 proposed 72.7 square miles for Jacksonville).
1964 15 high schools discredited--School Boot Strap Committee (Chairman Nate Wilson/Cecil Hardesty new appointed school superintendent)
Florida Supreme Court affirms Judge William Durden's order requiring full value assessments--doubled tax roll--most home owners began to pay property taxes for the first time in 1965.
Claude Yates Manifesto--Chamber group recommended governmental reforms and consolidation to legislative delegation (John E. Mathews and Fred Schultz)
1965 June: Local Government Study Commission created by legislature--50 members (no public officials) plus large advisory council (effective October 1, 1965--Chmn. J.J. Daniel, Executive Director Lex Hester--to report May 1, 1967--but reported in January, 1967 including a proposed charter)
1966 January: Haydon Burns becomes Florida Governor, campaigned on "Jacksonville story."
May 1966: grand jury impaneled by Judge Marion Gooding to review local government abuses
November 1966: grand jury reports:
1965 June: Local Government Study Commission created by legislature--50 members (no public officials) plus large advisory council (effective October 1, 1965--Chmn. J.J. Daniel, Executive Director Lex Hester--to report May 1, 1967--but reported in January, 1967 including a proposed charter)
1966 January: Haydon Burns becomes Florida Governor, campaigned on "Jacksonville story."
May 1966: grand jury impaneled by Judge Marion Gooding to review local government abuses
November 1966: grand jury reports:
A. 11 Public Officials indicted/142 counts of bribery and larceny--4 of 9 city councilmen, 2 of 5 city commissioners, city auditor, executive secretary of city recreation department, 1 of 5 county commissioners, and county purchasing agent--city tax assessor took the Fifth Amendment, refused to testify, and resigned his office (U.S. microfilm).
B. Grand jury presentment on local government:
1. Revise government structure to deny unlimited power and authority to a few political leaders.
2. Prevent city officials and their close business and political associates from using city employees and city contracts for their private and political purposes.
3. Instill honesty and morality in the conduct of public affairs and restore confidence in our public officials.
4. State audit of city financial affairs.
5. Revamp personnel structure and eliminate political patronage jobs.
6. Strict enforcement of laws prohibiting participation by city employees in political activities. (Burns Blitzers)
7. Require removal of public officials or employees who take the Fifth Amendment on matters pertaining to public duties, and suspend them from office after indictment, pending trial.
8. Severely criticized the community's moral climate which tolerated these conditions, referring to businessmen and city employees who participated in the wrongful acts, or went along with them and did not step forward to disclose the practices and conditions discovered by the grand jury, until duress of a subpoena.
9. Complimented those few employees who did assist--and the prosecutors, television, and newspapers who provided information from their own investigations. (Norm Vincent, Richard
Martin)
1967 January Local Government Study Commission publishes "Blueprint for Improvement."
Study Commission's formal report to legislature with draft for charter of consolidated government. Study Commission dissolved, reorganizes as Better Government Committee to campaign for August 1967 referendum.
June 1967: Hans Tanzler elected Mayor on reform platform, Reform City Council candidates also win (Lou Ritter--frogs).
May-July: Legislature adopts charter, sets referendum for August 8, 1966 (Black/White hats) WJXT Channel 4 “Government by Gaslight”.
Air and water pollution orders from state and federal agencies, 190 utility systems, 76 outfalls, 550/130 miles WPA sewers/drainage. River pollution, air pollution, (nylon stockings, auto paint, pulmonary problems).
August 8 1967: Referendum--charter passes 55,000-30,000. Three Beaches communities, and Baldwin opt out, remain "urban service districts."
October 1 1967: Transition begins -- Old government retaliation -- budget/zoning/long-term contracts
to cronies. Law suit contesting consolidation.
1968 October 1: Consolidated government created, Tanzler re-elected Mayor, Jacksonville Electric Authority, Jacksonville Hospital Authority created. Jacksonville Port Authority tax revenues capped at $800,000, (1968 value of 1-1/2 mils.)
December: Fletcher, Raines, Wolfson, and Forest high schools re-accredited; all other senior and junior high schools remain disaccredited.
III. FACTORS FAVORING CONSOLIDATION IN JACKSONVILLE
A. Single economic area/concentric development--one large city and four very small cities (versus fifteen to thirty cities in Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, Pinellas, etc.).
B. Jacksonville 37 square miles, population declined from 204,000 to 196,000 1955-1965; unincorporated Duval, 807 square miles, population grew from 150,000 to 330,000 1955-1965.
C. Inadequate governmental regulation and services in county--subdivision regulations, fire, police, drainage, curb & gutters, sidewalks, street lights, water and sewer, (wells, septic tanks and outfalls) air and water pollution, etc.
D. Lagging economic growth and development, lack of land-use planning and regulation (weak growth management).
E. Weak tax base, disproportionate burden on downtown commercial property--awakening interest among residential tax payers after tax suit, tax rolls doubled, most private residences began to pay some taxes--greater interest in governmental operations and expenditures.
F. Disaccredited schools/public official indictments and grand jury presentments/poor self image and bad public image for Jacksonville.
G. Black population growth and political power in core city/awakening interest in future of downtown from white bedroom communities paying some property taxes for first time in 1965.
IV. STRUCTURE OF JACKSONVILLE CONSOLIDATION.
A. Philosophy: community corporation; taxpayers/voters are shareholders--mayor and department heads are executive officers; city council is board of directors; school board and independent agencies are corporate divisions; operates like a family-owned business with citizen participation, as volunteers on committees and boards.
B. Strong mayor/council--separation of powers--checks and balances similar to federal system, rather than old city commission/council; or popular city manager/council structures.
D. Executive Branch
1. Strong mayor (elected at large, limited to two 4-year terms)--appoints chief administrative offices, department heads and division chiefs who perform city manager functions, backed by career professional staff, strong educational and experience requirements. Lex Hester, first chief administrator-former executive director of Local Government Study Commission.
2. Central services--in-house professional staff, purchasing, public relations, motor pool, personnel, data processing, legal services (15 private law firms costing $500,000 to 20 in-house lawyers at $340,000 (1969-70) - advisory opinions, nerve center of government.
3. Independent agencies (subsidiary enterprises of conglomerate corporation)--unpaid volunteer board members appointed by mayor subject to council approval, (except elected School Board) separate business enterprises funded primarily from their own revenues and operated as fiscal entities.
a. Elected School Board (budget independent of city council up to 10 mils)
b. Expressway Authority 1956/ (took over mass transit as Transportation Authority 1971).
c. Port Authority established in 1963. In 1967 took over city airports, tax support limited to $800,000 (value of 1.5 mils in 1967) (Separate airport authority created in 2001).
d. Electric Authority 1967 (took over water and sewer 1997).
e. Hospital Authority 1967 (1988 evolved to management by a private corporation and later became a University of Florida Shands Teaching Hospital.)
f. Downtown Development Authority 1974.
g. Economic Development Council 1994.
E. Legislative (city council as board of directors)--set policy and approve budget; establish fiscal and long-range planning priorities.
1. 19 city council members, 5 at large, 14 districts (1968 - 40,000; 1997 - 55,000 to 60,000; 2001 - 60,000-75,000.)
2. Part-time public service citizen participation, financial sacrifice, non-career oriented, low pay ($2500)($40,000 in 2003) separation of powers, rules and regulations by ordinance, policies by ordinance or resolution, control budgets of city and independent agencies except school board.
F. Primary legislative compromises in charter.
1. Continued partisan elections (to unitary elections and two term limits in 1995 pursuant to JCCI report).
2. Elected civil service board--retained with full legislative, administrative and judicial powers. Impact of collective bargaining pursuant to a JCCI report was limited to appeals from personnel department actions only in 1981; and made an appointive board in 1993.
3. Elected constitutional officers retained. Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector, and Tax Assessor (now Property Appraiser).
4. Three beaches and Baldwin allowed to opt out and became urban service districts, with most municipal rights, powers, and duties.
5. Judiciary including Clerk of Court left alone until Article V of Florida Constitution was amended in 1970. (Three tier court system.)
V. BENEFITS OF CONSOLIDATION.
A. Unified government, pinpointing responsibility for planning, budgeting, regulatory control and performance of city functions and services in the Mayor.
B. Financial
1. Broad uniform tax base Jacksonville USD phased out, by putting approximately $1,000,000 for street cleaning into the General Services budget of approximately $400,000,000 (1986), $741,595,539 (1994), $984,000,000 (2002). 2000 Real estate tax per $1,000 value in Jacksonville was $10.57, Tampa $11.81, Orlando, $11.61, Gainesville $12.78, Miami $14.55.
2. Permits budgeting for long-range plans and priorities, allocation of funds by function, not arbitrarily by district, or a single budget year.
3. Single integrated personnel system and fewer pension programs. (City Employees Fund; Fire and Police Fund; state plan still available to former county employees.)
4. Central services--purchasing power, economies of scale, legal services, data processing, motor pool, etc.
5. Pooling of assets—greater investment income.
6. New population bracket qualified for city or county benefits from both state and federal programs within the top 40 cities 1981 population rank 22nd; 1986 19th. Duval population increased from 550,000 in 1968 to 815,755 in 2003. MSA ranked 61st in 1986, and 46th in 2003 at 1,170,856.
7. Improved bond rating due to larger population, stronger tax base, bigger numbers.
8. Jacksonville's total budget and the number of employees of the city, independent agencies, and the school board make Jacksonville’s government the largest business in northeast Florida, and second only to the federal and state government in size of budget and number of employees in Florida.
C. Services
1. Air and water pollution substantially cleaned up--new sewer treatment and distribution system. ($650,000.00 bond issue to buy up private utilities in the 1970s)
A. Unified government, pinpointing responsibility for planning, budgeting, regulatory control and performance of city functions and services in the Mayor.
B. Financial
1. Broad uniform tax base Jacksonville USD phased out, by putting approximately $1,000,000 for street cleaning into the General Services budget of approximately $400,000,000 (1986), $741,595,539 (1994), $984,000,000 (2002). 2000 Real estate tax per $1,000 value in Jacksonville was $10.57, Tampa $11.81, Orlando, $11.61, Gainesville $12.78, Miami $14.55.
2. Permits budgeting for long-range plans and priorities, allocation of funds by function, not arbitrarily by district, or a single budget year.
3. Single integrated personnel system and fewer pension programs. (City Employees Fund; Fire and Police Fund; state plan still available to former county employees.)
4. Central services--purchasing power, economies of scale, legal services, data processing, motor pool, etc.
5. Pooling of assets—greater investment income.
6. New population bracket qualified for city or county benefits from both state and federal programs within the top 40 cities 1981 population rank 22nd; 1986 19th. Duval population increased from 550,000 in 1968 to 815,755 in 2003. MSA ranked 61st in 1986, and 46th in 2003 at 1,170,856.
7. Improved bond rating due to larger population, stronger tax base, bigger numbers.
6. New population bracket qualified for city or county benefits from both state and federal programs within the top 40 cities 1981 population rank 22nd; 1986 19th. Duval population increased from 550,000 in 1968 to 815,755 in 2003. MSA ranked 61st in 1986, and 46th in 2003 at 1,170,856.
7. Improved bond rating due to larger population, stronger tax base, bigger numbers.
8. Jacksonville's total budget and the number of employees of the city, independent agencies, and the school board make Jacksonville’s government the largest business in northeast Florida, and second only to the federal and state government in size of budget and number of employees in Florida.
C. Services
1. Air and water pollution substantially cleaned up--new sewer treatment and distribution system. ($650,000.00 bond issue to buy up private utilities in the 1970s)
2. Integration of city and volunteer fire departments--significant decrease in fire insurance premiums in county.
3. Establishment of world's best Rescue Service (Capt. John Waters). Replacing private funeral
home ambulances.
4. Improved police coverage (1992 Jacksonville was 22nd of the top 63 cities in crime rate).
5. 17,000 new street lights in old county area.
6. All Garbage collection and land fills funded from general revenue.
7. Downtown development (business-government partnership, better focus on long-range plans and priorities).
8. Improved growth management, building codes, subdivision regulations, comprehensive plan, land use requirements, landscaping, sign regulation, sidewalks, drainage, street lights. (One stop permitting).
VI. 1968-1980 JACKSONVILLE’S “CAMELOT”, MAYOR HANS TANZLER
October 1: Annual Consolidation Day Luncheon--Mayor's report, awards to outstanding public officials--celebration replaced 16 years of annual Burns’ birthday galas.
1971 Remainder of Duval County schools re-accredited--Federal Court orders school busing.
1972 Expressway Authority expanded to include mass transit, renamed Jacksonville Transportation Authority, private bus company acquired.
1974 June: Jacksonville Community Planning Conference--Amelia Island, 100 citizens—
Fred Schultz, Chamber President.
A. Keynote speaker, James W. Rouse,--"Two-thirds of Jacksonville's future in the next 10 years will be a result of the ideas and actions taken at this conference. You are undertaking a big job. You can be the model for the entire nation."
B. Recommendations as prioritized.
1. Downtown development
2. Education excellence
3. Open housing and low-income housing
4. Land use planning
5. Transportation planning--mass transit
6. Utilities improvement
7. Greater job opportunities and training
. Increased public revenues
9. Joint civic effort involving all races and economic groups
10. Strengthen cultural enrichment
1974 Downtown Development Authority created.
1975 Jacksonville Community Council, Inc., created.
1976 Leadership Jacksonville, Inc. created.
1980-81 On recommendation by the JCCI the legislature converts the Civil Service Board to an Appeals Board, removing administrative and legislative functions--remained only elected civil service board in a metropolitan area having public employee collective bargaining until 1993 when it became appointive.
VII. AFTER CAMELOT
A. 1980-88 Mayor Jake Godbold and new city council -- drift back to pre-consolidation concepts and personalities --Jacksonian populism; spoils system; cult of personality.
1. Positive Developments
a. JEA converts to natural gas and coal/joint ventures with Florida Power and Light for St. Johns power park, electric rates brought under control after oil crisis.
b. Downtown development--Hemming Park, Southern Bell Tower and other office buildings, Metropolitan Park, Southbank and Northbank Riverwalk, Jacksonville Landing, Convention Center, People mover system begun (ASE), J. Turner Butler Boulevard.
c. Culture--Florida Theater restored, improved museums, symphony, jazz festival, Arts Assembly.
d. Business/Government Partnering for economic development, attracting new industry, new ideas, Mayor/Chamber annual city visits begun.
e. Expanded financial and insurance base, new industry.
1. Positive Developments
a. JEA converts to natural gas and coal/joint ventures with Florida Power and Light for St. Johns power park, electric rates brought under control after oil crisis.
b. Downtown development--Hemming Park, Southern Bell Tower and other office buildings, Metropolitan Park, Southbank and Northbank Riverwalk, Jacksonville Landing, Convention Center, People mover system begun (ASE), J. Turner Butler Boulevard.
c. Culture--Florida Theater restored, improved museums, symphony, jazz festival, Arts Assembly.
d. Business/Government Partnering for economic development, attracting new industry, new ideas, Mayor/Chamber annual city visits begun.
e. Expanded financial and insurance base, new industry.
f. Regional medical center, development of area hospitals, health delivery systems and specialty centers, Mayo Clinic, JEHEP.
g. Progress in higher education--UNF, JU, Edward Waters, FCCJ.
h. Sports commission--Gator Bowl renovation - efforts to attract NFL franchise. (Colt Fever).
2. Negative Developments
a. October 1 Consolidation Day Luncheon/awards discontinued.
b. Education and experience requirements for department heads and division chiefs reduced. (Cronyism revived). Lex Hester fired, goes to County Manager of Broward County, then Orlando. His replacement later indicted for bribery and larceny.
c. City council develops "district courtesy" on funding, zoning, bond issues.
d. Budgeting priorities and allocation of funds and bond issues shift toward council district shares rather than area wide functional priorities based on long term planning. Responsive rather than proactive on policy and budgeting--shift to government by crisis (jail, parking, etc.)
e. City council salaries increased from $2500 in 1968 to $20,000 in 1985; ($32,000 in 1997, plus an aide for each member in 2001, and $40,000 in 2003).
. Separation of powers blurred--city council members fill role of ombudsmen for constituents rather than setting legislative policy and budget; seek control of independent agency budgets; intrude on day-to-day administration of departments; Tourist Development Council; bed tax budget controlled by city council, not mayor
g. General Counsel's office dismantled. Separate lawyers for city council, JEA, JPA, JTA, JHA, collections, bonds, condemnations. Quality and morale of general counsel's office degraded. General Counsel later indicted for conflict of interest, unauthorized compensation, and tax fraud.
h. Re-emergence of cult of personality; blurring of separation of powers/checks and balances/ Jacksonian populism/spoils system; patronage for professional services, circumvention of bidding requirements; shift to city council membership as a political career/livelihood; insider patronage and cronyism--Indictments of public safety director, tax assessor, general counsel, several city council members and staff, Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Motor Pool Director, and political cronies of the Mayor. (more indicted than in 1966)
i. Growth overwhelms infrastructure.
j. Spot and strip zoning, visual pollution/signs.
k. JTA mass transit/parking plans dismantled, transit subsidies redirected to subsidize downtown parking garages for new buildings.
l. Water and sewer program stalls, septic tanks increase.
m. Developers accommodated on an ad hoc basis rather than subjected to an overall development plan for infrastructure, roads, parking, schools, tax support, et cetera.
n. City's bonding capacity absorbed in support of current development, unavailable for future infrastructure. Mayor’s cronies take City and JEA bonding legal work from General Counsel’s office at five times the cost.
B. 1987-1990 Mayor Tommy Hazouri and new city council
1. Rededication to professionalism and integrity in government--rehabilitation of the Office of General Counsel -- Judge James Harrison.
2. High priorities on elimination of odor, growth management, central services, removal of bridge tolls.
3. More business-like and responsive attitude in city council.
a. New faces and attitudes.
b. Public interest--sign ordinance referendum.
c. School bond issue passes on second try.
d. Zoning, land use (comprehensive plan, garbage fees, address solid waste, Southeast Landfill proposal creates controversy with St. Johns County).
e. JTA tolls removed. Revenues replaced with 1/2 cent sales tax. Dames Point Bridge built.
f. New jail built ending years of controversy.
g. Only a few indictments and embarrassments.
C. 1991-1995 Mayor Ed Austin
1. Restores professionalism in City division and department chiefs. Rehires Lex Hester from Orlando as Chief Administrative Officer.
2. Mayor's insight committee involving 1,000 citizens, first such effort since 1974 Amelia Island conference, results in new objectives and priorities for the community.
3. Renaissance Plan for refurbishing or replacing public facilities.
4. New emphasis on parks and recreation.
5. Renewed emphasis on downtown development--Hemming Park, City Hall, and Federal courthouse. Northbank and Southbank Riverwalks.
6. Solution to solid waste disposal dilemma with new Trail Ridge landfill west of town.
7. Acceleration of projects to rebuild Acosta and Fuller Warren bridges/completion of ASE/plans for development of exclusive bus lanes and light rail, MPOs 2010 plan emphasizes mass transit, rejects plans to build two more bridges and 10 to 12 lane expressways.
8. City finally complies with state comprehensive plan requirements.
9. Long term planning and allocation of funding sources to community priorities and objectives/better growth management.
2. Mayor's insight committee involving 1,000 citizens, first such effort since 1974 Amelia Island conference, results in new objectives and priorities for the community.
3. Renaissance Plan for refurbishing or replacing public facilities.
4. New emphasis on parks and recreation.
5. Renewed emphasis on downtown development--Hemming Park, City Hall, and Federal courthouse. Northbank and Southbank Riverwalks.
6. Solution to solid waste disposal dilemma with new Trail Ridge landfill west of town.
7. Acceleration of projects to rebuild Acosta and Fuller Warren bridges/completion of ASE/plans for development of exclusive bus lanes and light rail, MPOs 2010 plan emphasizes mass transit, rejects plans to build two more bridges and 10 to 12 lane expressways.
8. City finally complies with state comprehensive plan requirements.
9. Long term planning and allocation of funding sources to community priorities and objectives/better growth management.
10. Development of new port facilities and international trade and investment. Ed Austin Bulk Terminal at Blount Island.
11. Military base closure process 1995 Cecil Field closed; 1996 Cecil Field Development Commission; 1997 saved NADEP -- Mayport nuclear upgrade program -- Wonderwood Expressway.
12. Unitary elections (no party primary), two term limits for elected officials pursuant to JCCI study.
13. First workable minority set aside program.
14. City becomes more directly involved in economic development. Jacksonville Economic Development Council (by executive order) ties City, Jacksonville Chamber, JPA, JEA, JTA and the DDA together for overall planning and implementation of economic development.
15. NFL Jaguars come to Jacksonville.
16. Austin Renaissance Plan, New football stadium, performing arts center, city hall, homeless center, extend Riverwalks, LaVilla redevelopment.
17. Established Children’s Commission.
D. 1996-2003 Mayor John Delaney (defeated Godbold and Hazouri).
1. Re-establishes Jacksonville Economic Development Council by council ordinance -- one stop shopping umbrella for all economic agencies and the Chamber. Chamber does marketing, JEDC facilitates permitting, land use, infrastructure, incentives, etc.
2. Cecil Field development takes off. Boeing/Northrup Grumman. FCCJ Aviation Training Center, Brannenfield/Chaffee Road
3. Lower property tax rate each year 1991 – 1995 (Austin); 1996 – 2003 (Delaney); 2004- 2005 (Peyton).
17. Established Children’s Commission.
D. 1996-2003 Mayor John Delaney (defeated Godbold and Hazouri).
1. Re-establishes Jacksonville Economic Development Council by council ordinance -- one stop shopping umbrella for all economic agencies and the Chamber. Chamber does marketing, JEDC facilitates permitting, land use, infrastructure, incentives, etc.
2. Cecil Field development takes off. Boeing/Northrup Grumman. FCCJ Aviation Training Center, Brannenfield/Chaffee Road
3. Lower property tax rate each year 1991 – 1995 (Austin); 1996 – 2003 (Delaney); 2004- 2005 (Peyton).
4. Neighborhood Department -- six Citizen Planning Advisory Commissions (CPAC) Regional land use, infrastructure and amenities planning -- six code enforcement districts funded at $1 million/yr to upgrade or demolish condemned structures.
5. Citizen accessibility -- branch city hall at Regency and Gateway -- clerk of court and county judge at beaches -- extended hours, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and one-half hour free parking at regulatory departments.
6. Government efficiency, merged five divisions, reduced employees, control of union contracts (1% to 2% raises), professionalism in risk management ($13 million savings in 1996, plus $6 million rebate).
7. Better Jacksonville Plan $2.2 billion for roads, drainage, water and sewer, ecology preservation, new Courthouse, Libraries, Baseball Park, Amphitheater, Equestrian Center.
8. Transferred water and sewer department to JEA, savings produced $60 million bonding capacity for drainage, program to eliminate septic tanks and private wells as part of Better Jacksonville Plan.
9. Plans for expansion of Riverwalk, Metropolitan Park/Kids Campus, expanded convention center, proposed transportation hub at old Railroad Station.
10. Ecology Preservation Program, leveraging Federal, State and private funding Timucuan Preserve, Julington Creek Peninsula.
11. Park space and amenities doubled, $300 million plan for preservation of environmentally sensitive land. (78,000 acres acquired 2000-2003)
12. Children's Commissions funded at $1 million/yr since 1995.
13. Separate Sea Port and Airport authorities created.
14. Surge of new downtown residential, retail, and entertainment facilities.
15. Jacksonville Metropolitan Planning Organization becomes three county First Coast MPO; funds $50,000 each to St. Johns and Clay counties for planning staff from $550,000 budget.
16. Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce renamed Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce for economic development initiatives in seven counties.
E. 2003 John Peyton elected Mayor – renewed emphasis on education, job creation, economic and urban development.
VIII. SHORT-FALLS AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES OF PAST YEARS.
A. Weak commitment and continuity; long term plans often changed drastically with new mayors until Austin and Delaney.
B. Poor growth management and long term planning, comprehensive land-use plan late/spot and
16. Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce renamed Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce for economic development initiatives in seven counties.
E. 2003 John Peyton elected Mayor – renewed emphasis on education, job creation, economic and urban development.
VIII. SHORT-FALLS AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES OF PAST YEARS.
A. Weak commitment and continuity; long term plans often changed drastically with new mayors until Austin and Delaney.
B. Poor growth management and long term planning, comprehensive land-use plan late/spot and strip zoning/sign regulation/tree preservation. Much improvement since 1990 comprehensive plan. Uncertainty in 2005 as legislature considers sea changes. Need for regional planning for land use, transportation, environmental preservation.
C. Mass transit/parking/traffic congestion, especially as compared to our 1970s model, Portland, Oregon which limits downtown parking to 3000, has 45 miles of light rail, and an extensive bus system, 15% commuter ridership – 3% in Jacksonville.
D. Downtown development was oriented toward encouraging individual ad hoc development rather than compliance with an overall plan. Austin Renaissance Plan, Downtown Development Council, and Delaney Better Jacksonville Plan have improved this.
E. Fire and police pension funds back under union control since 1980s; low level of professionalism, weak fiscal management, special time connections and buy-ins , cronyism undermine fiscal integrity of the plans.
IX. WHAT NEXT FOR JACKSONVILLE?
A. Expand regional planning for land use, environmental, drainage, transportation, growth management and economic development planning for Northeast Florida. Strengthen seven county Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council District. Expand First Coast Metropolitan
Planning Organization to three counties; 16 counties in St. Johns River Water Management District
B. Greater citizen involvement and participation in government, planning, and development (e.g. JCCI, Leadership Jacksonville, Chamber, independent agencies).
1. Public education. K-12 (1/3 of students and schools failing in 2003)
2. Higher education.
3. Improve funding sources and priorities.
4. Downtown development.
5. Transportation/mass transit.
6. Drainage control.
7. Parks and recreation.
8. Port and airport development.
9. Cecil Field development.
10. International trade and new and expanded businesses and employment opportunities.
11. Relationship with the Beaches and Baldwin.
12. Maintain and improve effectiveness of city sign and tree ordinance.
13. Community consensus, commitment, and continuity on long range issues like growth management, mass transit, port funding and economic development.
14. Address issues, not personalities -- avoid cronyism, helping friends and killing enemies.
15. Integrity, professionalism and citizen participation in government.
SOME PERTINENT THOUGHTS ABOUT GOVERNMENT
"Here each individual is interested not only in his own affairs but in the affairs of state as well. Even those who are mostly occupied with their own businesses are extremely well informed on general politics. This is a peculiarity of ours: we do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he has no business here at all."--Pericles, on Athenian values, 431 B.C.
"There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new system, for the initiator has the hostility of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones."--Machiavelli--The Prince, 1513.
"As soon as several Americans have conceived a sentiment or an idea that they want to produce before the world, they seek each other out, and when found, they unite. Hence forth they are no longer isolated individuals, but a power conspicuous from the distance whose actions serve as an example; when it speaks, men listen.
Nothing in my view, more deserves attention than the intellectual and moral associations in America.
If men are to remain civilized or to become civilized, the art of association must develop and improve among them at the same speed as equality of conditions spreads."--Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1835.
"Government reflects the values of its citizens."--Thomas Carlyle.
"Evil grows when good men do nothing."--Edmond Burke.
". . . we must realize that the practices which have been criticized could not have come about without the active connivance of many businessmen and businesses, both large and small in our community. . . some politicians and some businessmen have joined together and taken advantage of the community."--Judge Marion P. Gooding commenting on the Duval County Grand Jury indictments and presentments of 1966.
"It was the spirit of our people that made this moment possible. If we but follow in this spirit of Just concern for each other's well-being, of responsible involvement in government, and recognition and respect for mutual problems, we shall not fail. We shall build as Jacksonville has never built before."--J.J. Daniel, October 1968 on the establishment of Jacksonville consolidated government
#451281
in America, 1835.
"Government reflects the values of its citizens."--Thomas Carlyle.
"Evil grows when good men do nothing."--Edmond Burke.
". . . we must realize that the practices which have been criticized could not have come about without the active connivance of many businessmen and businesses, both large and small in our community. . . some politicians and some businessmen have joined together and taken advantage of the community."--Judge Marion P. Gooding commenting on the Duval County Grand Jury indictments and presentments of 1966.
"It was the spirit of our people that made this moment possible. If we but follow in this spirit of Just concern for each other's well-being, of responsible involvement in government, and recognition and respect for mutual problems, we shall not fail. We shall build as Jacksonville has never built before."--J.J. Daniel, October 1968 on the establishment of Jacksonville consolidated government
Once again JAX2025 is trying to correct problems that cannot be corrected until the citizens get off their butts and demand it. The next meeting is at WJCT August 13th from 12-1:30PM. If you seriously want to make a difference then you must get involved.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-08-06/story/pay-cuts-surprise-some-duval-county-public-school-administrators#ixzz2bIMNlWUX
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Can't Legislate Morality,Hiring From the Outside
Grumpieroldman:I
guess murder is also illegal,but we haven't stopped it either.I've said
many times you cannot legislate morality.Education,parenting,and
self-guidance by your own conscience are the only ways I know of that
people can change.If somebody wants to spend all their money on lottery
tickets,poker rooms,slot machines,prostitutes,drugs whatever, it's their
choice.
We take risks and make life and death choices each and every day.The only real crimes are murder,rape,larceny,and pedophilia.Gambling isn't banned in every state.People are hurt far more from alcoholism,also a drug addiction, than gaming.More people are jailed and convicted because of that than gaming.
Our favorite TV shows exploit bad morals.Take a look at the top TV shows in America.
http://www.tvguide.com/top-tv-shows
My point is that people find watching other humans doing bad things a national pastime.It doesn't mean we all want to do them.It's more like the "rubber necking"people do around accidents.Rubber-necking doesn't mean you wish you were in that accident,any more than watching gaming shows on television mean you want to gamble.It's curiosity without the need to act out.
I'm a proponent of letting people do what they want IF it doesn't kill,rape,steal from, or sexually abuse another person. The rest of these arguments are leftover religious relics.The Bible doesn't talk about gambling,but does reference greed and worshiping false idols.
http://www.biblestudy.org/question/does-bible-permit-gambling-lottery-ti...
I see no difference in filling the coffers in church, and playing the lottery, thus filling the coffers of a businessman,or for example the State.You cannot tell people what to do with their own money, and most of us do not take the chance of doing wrong with our money for a variety of reasons.
I play a variety of online games almost daily. Some include solitary games,and many are in direct competition with other people for prizes and money.LOTS of other people from all over the world.I've known about underground gambling,black market enterprises,and other illegal forms of entertainment for years.What do you call it when your Uncles get together around the kitchen table and play poker with money for hours and drink Old Grand Dad?Are we going to police that too?
The smart thing to do and profitable too is to allow all forms of gaming,then regulate & tax it.I'm tired of the Indian Reservations having all the fun, and taking all the proceeds.By the way, theFlorida Gaming Corporation owns jai-alai.
We take risks and make life and death choices each and every day.The only real crimes are murder,rape,larceny,and pedophilia.Gambling isn't banned in every state.People are hurt far more from alcoholism,also a drug addiction, than gaming.More people are jailed and convicted because of that than gaming.
Our favorite TV shows exploit bad morals.Take a look at the top TV shows in America.
http://www.tvguide.com/top-tv-shows
My point is that people find watching other humans doing bad things a national pastime.It doesn't mean we all want to do them.It's more like the "rubber necking"people do around accidents.Rubber-necking doesn't mean you wish you were in that accident,any more than watching gaming shows on television mean you want to gamble.It's curiosity without the need to act out.
I'm a proponent of letting people do what they want IF it doesn't kill,rape,steal from, or sexually abuse another person. The rest of these arguments are leftover religious relics.The Bible doesn't talk about gambling,but does reference greed and worshiping false idols.
http://www.biblestudy.org/question/does-bible-permit-gambling-lottery-ti...
I see no difference in filling the coffers in church, and playing the lottery, thus filling the coffers of a businessman,or for example the State.You cannot tell people what to do with their own money, and most of us do not take the chance of doing wrong with our money for a variety of reasons.
I play a variety of online games almost daily. Some include solitary games,and many are in direct competition with other people for prizes and money.LOTS of other people from all over the world.I've known about underground gambling,black market enterprises,and other illegal forms of entertainment for years.What do you call it when your Uncles get together around the kitchen table and play poker with money for hours and drink Old Grand Dad?Are we going to police that too?
The smart thing to do and profitable too is to allow all forms of gaming,then regulate & tax it.I'm tired of the Indian Reservations having all the fun, and taking all the proceeds.By the way, theFlorida Gaming Corporation owns jai-alai.
http://www.coj.net/departments/office-of-economic-development/business-d...
We do not have the infrastructure in place to attract shipping.I see a whole lot of cranes around the shipyards,but they sure aren't moving.
During these recent rains I had the displeasure of being in the Tallyrand/Gator Bowl Drive area.My SUV was floating in the rapid pooling of water caused by a normal summer rainstorm,and cars scrambled to get to high ground, and out of the area.I cannot understand why any company would want to move into an area that's blighted,under developed,and has no infrastructure.
Some Times Union Comments:Mayor Brown,The Pope,Atheists
Mayor Brown is an excellent leader,and
pays no attention to popularity.He does what the city needs and will not
bend to the whims of the City Council's personal agendas.The very
Council Members that were negative,are the very ones impeding
progress.Redman has to be the most near-sighted,bigoted,and potentially
dangerous member of the CC.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/-Don-Redman-Must-Go-Facebook-group-aims-to-...
A major problem with qualifying for the CC, is that you do not have to be educated. Redman,like the Council member before him for District 4,Suzanne Jenkins,doesn't have an education past High School. He relies on the support from the Baptist Church,just as Suzanne. Personally,I like Suzanne,but she is no leader.
Our CC works like our do nothing Congress. The Mayor is always blamed,but never helped by the CC.The objective of most Council members is the Mayor's job for themselves.
Some of the worst comments were so derogatory from the Council that it amounted to "slave language" being used to describe a budget:
Richard Clark: ..."I’d call it lazy if it weren’t so utterly incompetent."
City Council President Bill Gulliford echoed Clark.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-07-15/story/council-mayor-browns...
We have this budget problem because we spent money we don't have, and have made up the difference with pension fund money.Our pensions were stolen,just like Congress keeps raiding Social Security when they run out of money.
Basic economics says you must have positive cash flow to sustain a budget.When the pension programs were established we had the money.Now we don't.Where did it go?POOF!It grew legs and walked into pockets it wasn't intended for,leaving the intended broke in their old age.Those of us that are retired or semi-retired understand this concept.The last thing you want to do is run out of money before you die.Successful retirees never put their eggs in one basket.Retirees that are okay saved like crazy during their lifetimes.
There are still people that don't care about paying borrowed money back. Many cannot get a loan except from Finance companies.They don't care that they're paying extraordinary interest to already wealthy people.They don't really ever expect to pay the money back anyway.But guess what?Their heirs now get sacked with that debt.Nice way to leave your own when you die....
My last point,is that this is the South.Each Sunday about 11:00AM the biggest hour of segregation goes on in churches.The conversations in white churches and black churches are bigoted,selfish,and egotistical. Interfaith,once-in-a-blue-moon,breakfasts are a thing of the past.Last time Jacksonville had one "somebody"forgot to invite religious leaders other than Christians.That was a priceless amusing "sin". And let's not forget we have a growing,now huge atheist group.Atheism will be the next social hurdle to get over.Atheists have strong beliefs that just don't include imaginary friends.They are not psychopaths,but boy can I give you a list and a half of religious psychopaths,and sociopaths beginning with religious pedophiles.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/-Don-Redman-Must-Go-Facebook-group-aims-to-...
A major problem with qualifying for the CC, is that you do not have to be educated. Redman,like the Council member before him for District 4,Suzanne Jenkins,doesn't have an education past High School. He relies on the support from the Baptist Church,just as Suzanne. Personally,I like Suzanne,but she is no leader.
Our CC works like our do nothing Congress. The Mayor is always blamed,but never helped by the CC.The objective of most Council members is the Mayor's job for themselves.
Some of the worst comments were so derogatory from the Council that it amounted to "slave language" being used to describe a budget:
Richard Clark: ..."I’d call it lazy if it weren’t so utterly incompetent."
City Council President Bill Gulliford echoed Clark.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-07-15/story/council-mayor-browns...
We have this budget problem because we spent money we don't have, and have made up the difference with pension fund money.Our pensions were stolen,just like Congress keeps raiding Social Security when they run out of money.
Basic economics says you must have positive cash flow to sustain a budget.When the pension programs were established we had the money.Now we don't.Where did it go?POOF!It grew legs and walked into pockets it wasn't intended for,leaving the intended broke in their old age.Those of us that are retired or semi-retired understand this concept.The last thing you want to do is run out of money before you die.Successful retirees never put their eggs in one basket.Retirees that are okay saved like crazy during their lifetimes.
There are still people that don't care about paying borrowed money back. Many cannot get a loan except from Finance companies.They don't care that they're paying extraordinary interest to already wealthy people.They don't really ever expect to pay the money back anyway.But guess what?Their heirs now get sacked with that debt.Nice way to leave your own when you die....
My last point,is that this is the South.Each Sunday about 11:00AM the biggest hour of segregation goes on in churches.The conversations in white churches and black churches are bigoted,selfish,and egotistical. Interfaith,once-in-a-blue-moon,breakfasts are a thing of the past.Last time Jacksonville had one "somebody"forgot to invite religious leaders other than Christians.That was a priceless amusing "sin". And let's not forget we have a growing,now huge atheist group.Atheism will be the next social hurdle to get over.Atheists have strong beliefs that just don't include imaginary friends.They are not psychopaths,but boy can I give you a list and a half of religious psychopaths,and sociopaths beginning with religious pedophiles.
This new Pope is quite the politician.
Whenever he seems to get bogged down with the Bible, he rearranges, and
reinterprets it. Catholics are totally confused, and many have decided
to just "do their own thing".
The best story I've seen lately was on 60 Minutes last night about "Nuns on the Bus".
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/29/nuns-on-the-bus-kick-off-immigr...
Premium cable television has focused many a show on the segregation produced by religion,as have many authors.Stephen Hawking is the most famous.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/science/the-most-notable-stephen...
I encourage and invite you to come to some JAM(Jacksonville Atheists Meetup) meetings. When the first atheist monument was dedicated in Starke June 29th 2013, the ONLY people that had to be escorted off public property(The Bradford County Courthouse), was a small group of Christians. They were all white,carried rebel flags,and continued to try to disrupt the dedication from across the street by playing loud gospel music.Young white males circulated through the multicultural event trying to pass out pamphlets condemning all non-believers to an eternity with satan.First, you must believe in god to believe in satan.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/monument.to.atheism/33030.htm
Famous Atheists:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-90...
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_are_some_famous_atheists
The best story I've seen lately was on 60 Minutes last night about "Nuns on the Bus".
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/29/nuns-on-the-bus-kick-off-immigr...
Premium cable television has focused many a show on the segregation produced by religion,as have many authors.Stephen Hawking is the most famous.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/science/the-most-notable-stephen...
I encourage and invite you to come to some JAM(Jacksonville Atheists Meetup) meetings. When the first atheist monument was dedicated in Starke June 29th 2013, the ONLY people that had to be escorted off public property(The Bradford County Courthouse), was a small group of Christians. They were all white,carried rebel flags,and continued to try to disrupt the dedication from across the street by playing loud gospel music.Young white males circulated through the multicultural event trying to pass out pamphlets condemning all non-believers to an eternity with satan.First, you must believe in god to believe in satan.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/monument.to.atheism/33030.htm
Famous Atheists:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-90...
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_are_some_famous_atheists
ElMundo: Atheists never proselytize
because they are not a religion. The Christians at the Atheist monument
dedication were all white.White males circulated through the crowds
trying to give out pamphlets.If the violators of our rights had been
green horses,I would have identified them as such.
Jesuit priesthoods formed in 1520.That particular priesthood has remained stagnant,ancient,dogmatic,strict,and unproven in principles.Catechism, catechumen - Catechism comes from Latin catechismus, "instruction by word of mouth," and is literally a series of questions and answers; a catechumen is a young Christian preparing for confirmation. Catechisms differ among the Christian religions. Atheists have extensively studied and many have been a part of religion for many years.The answers to their specific questions have been answered by science, not men posing as gods in Medieval drag. Gay priests?Pedophiles?No women priests?Wars in the name of god?Tell me what is so good about religion?It's a social meeting place with a backdrop of one book written by people,that allowed the killing of a man.Not a group I would ever want to associate.
The biggest draw for religion is people in fear.They are scared of death.Believers want to live in a La-La Land(heaven). It just doesn't happen that way.There is no soul.There is just the moment, and what you do in deed that is good is remembered.Deadbeats and murderers go to the same place as civic leaders and priests.Nobody escapes death.You either rot in the ground and support a booming funeral business, or are cremated and disposed of in an urn,to the wind,sea, or vacuum cleaner bag.It doesn't matter because you are dead.And that's Christianity.
Other religions are far more appealing, if that's your thing.I love to read fiction,but I don't live fiction.
Jesuit priesthoods formed in 1520.That particular priesthood has remained stagnant,ancient,dogmatic,strict,and unproven in principles.Catechism, catechumen - Catechism comes from Latin catechismus, "instruction by word of mouth," and is literally a series of questions and answers; a catechumen is a young Christian preparing for confirmation. Catechisms differ among the Christian religions. Atheists have extensively studied and many have been a part of religion for many years.The answers to their specific questions have been answered by science, not men posing as gods in Medieval drag. Gay priests?Pedophiles?No women priests?Wars in the name of god?Tell me what is so good about religion?It's a social meeting place with a backdrop of one book written by people,that allowed the killing of a man.Not a group I would ever want to associate.
The biggest draw for religion is people in fear.They are scared of death.Believers want to live in a La-La Land(heaven). It just doesn't happen that way.There is no soul.There is just the moment, and what you do in deed that is good is remembered.Deadbeats and murderers go to the same place as civic leaders and priests.Nobody escapes death.You either rot in the ground and support a booming funeral business, or are cremated and disposed of in an urn,to the wind,sea, or vacuum cleaner bag.It doesn't matter because you are dead.And that's Christianity.
Other religions are far more appealing, if that's your thing.I love to read fiction,but I don't live fiction.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Times-Union Is Full Of It
I am
puzzled by the T.U. lawsuit.Just who(m) stands to make a gob of money
here? Lawsuits are always about money,not righteous ideals. The City
Council,I can tell you,breaks the Sunshine Laws on a daily basis.Each
Council member has a vested interest in the direction the city goes. The
Mayor really can't do squat without Council approval. Now the T.U. has
added the additional meddling of media approval it so seems.
The day Mayor "Blackenstein" took office was the day our Southern,white,Republican,religious communities began attacking him.He can't blow wind in one room without somebody declaring a foul smell in another building! Pretty much the same with Obama.
Most of us put our prejudice toys away decades ago. We grew to understand just as sticks and stones will break your bones, words will also hurt you. We learned there is no such thing as a secret. Power and money are the two greatest enemies of the people. If you have enough money you can change anybody's mind, and the law.
These issues are nothing new and have been around since we crawled out of the ooze. Science has replaced religion-both the old gods and the new. Electronics has lent itself to forced full disclosure whether or not you like it. Terrorism has launched a New Age of surveillance.We are not the most powerful country in the world.Yeah, we have an arsenal of old style weapons, but they are mostly ineffective against the wars raging around the world.We've wasted a boatload of money.We are not the smartest,wealthiest, or most innovative country or culture.No country has that distinction anymore.
Regulations strangle us in business, as a community, and as a progressive nation. Hold on now, I'm not saying lets be lawless. Let's be smarter and choose our priorities based on survival,not personal wealth,and power. I'd rather pay a firefighter a million bucks,than a Council member a dime! Our City Council and its Ad Hoc(vigilante) committees are just lawyers,business owners,and mommies gone wild. Nobody that has a brain, and is honest(god forbid) wants that job. As voters, unless you spend every waking hour going over the Council minutes, or the State Legislature bills,I for one seem to always find myself shouting,"When did that pass?"
It is our responsibility as voters to research the people we vote for. Did you know we had a school board candidate last time we voted that never got past high school?Thank goodness she was defeated.Pay attention out there. I just read a comment that somebody couldn't believe an Ad Hoc Committee member could outright lie in an article about banning all Rock concerts in Metropolitan Park. All other venues are fine. Now that's discrimination-has to do with Freedom of Speech. Has to do with the largest demographic of voters 18-35 yrs. old.That would be Age Discrimination. In my opinion a dumb move by any Council person.Unless...there are plans in the works to close the Park altogether for a more lucrative private deal.
I can't find parking at City Hall. I am handicapped. The handicapped spot in front of City Hall was taken by a police cruiser. It's difficult enough to get to these Council meetings held when everybody is working.Take a cab,bus, or find somebody to drop you off if you go to anything at City Hall or the new Courthouse. Talk about obstruction of justice...that is a dandy example.
I, for one plan to follow the money on the T.U. investigation.
The day Mayor "Blackenstein" took office was the day our Southern,white,Republican,religious communities began attacking him.He can't blow wind in one room without somebody declaring a foul smell in another building! Pretty much the same with Obama.
Most of us put our prejudice toys away decades ago. We grew to understand just as sticks and stones will break your bones, words will also hurt you. We learned there is no such thing as a secret. Power and money are the two greatest enemies of the people. If you have enough money you can change anybody's mind, and the law.
These issues are nothing new and have been around since we crawled out of the ooze. Science has replaced religion-both the old gods and the new. Electronics has lent itself to forced full disclosure whether or not you like it. Terrorism has launched a New Age of surveillance.We are not the most powerful country in the world.Yeah, we have an arsenal of old style weapons, but they are mostly ineffective against the wars raging around the world.We've wasted a boatload of money.We are not the smartest,wealthiest, or most innovative country or culture.No country has that distinction anymore.
Regulations strangle us in business, as a community, and as a progressive nation. Hold on now, I'm not saying lets be lawless. Let's be smarter and choose our priorities based on survival,not personal wealth,and power. I'd rather pay a firefighter a million bucks,than a Council member a dime! Our City Council and its Ad Hoc(vigilante) committees are just lawyers,business owners,and mommies gone wild. Nobody that has a brain, and is honest(god forbid) wants that job. As voters, unless you spend every waking hour going over the Council minutes, or the State Legislature bills,I for one seem to always find myself shouting,"When did that pass?"
It is our responsibility as voters to research the people we vote for. Did you know we had a school board candidate last time we voted that never got past high school?Thank goodness she was defeated.Pay attention out there. I just read a comment that somebody couldn't believe an Ad Hoc Committee member could outright lie in an article about banning all Rock concerts in Metropolitan Park. All other venues are fine. Now that's discrimination-has to do with Freedom of Speech. Has to do with the largest demographic of voters 18-35 yrs. old.That would be Age Discrimination. In my opinion a dumb move by any Council person.Unless...there are plans in the works to close the Park altogether for a more lucrative private deal.
I can't find parking at City Hall. I am handicapped. The handicapped spot in front of City Hall was taken by a police cruiser. It's difficult enough to get to these Council meetings held when everybody is working.Take a cab,bus, or find somebody to drop you off if you go to anything at City Hall or the new Courthouse. Talk about obstruction of justice...that is a dandy example.
I, for one plan to follow the money on the T.U. investigation.
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