Comment

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 19, 2011 at 3:03pm

Roma, I love the school info, but maybe a separate blog would be a great idea?  I dashed in thinking there would be more info about Ever Bank and this horrid mess the council is working on and found the school info which certainly is of concern right now, but off subject.  I think you info would be great on another blog though and wondered what input you might have about the Ever Bank deal as many inputting an opinion would be great!  Chuck has been covering this issue on his radio program and others have spent many hours researching and looking up info, and I know you always have good info about such issues.

Comment by JL Gawlik on June 19, 2011 at 12:10pm

I still think the school board is filled up with layers of unnecessary departments and people. They need to streamline it like the private schools have done. After working with teachers for decades, a good teacher knows what is best, they have to deal with too, much paper work, to much bureaucracy and politics within the system. They should be allowed to teach period. If the Federal government was pulled out of our public school system, and the politics taken out, you would see a huge improvement. Ditto on all CJ & Pat. Funny to remember back when Peyton first became Mayor and he thought it was his right to attend all Jaguar games and musical concerts etc., along with selected members of his staff and administration at taxpayer expense. And he and many city officials got in trouble in violation of the Florida Sunshine laws but they were excused. They should of been held accountable for their actions then. Peyton from his own wealth could afford to pay his own way and with the high salaries of city officials and his staff they could of afford it also. Amazing that they thought the citizens of Jacksonville should pay for their entertainment like we have to for our own. There is a arrogant attitude that elected representatives serving in the people's seat from local, state, federal government, that they are have special privileges at tax payer expense. We work hard and try to save and they play at our expense. Can you imagine what our city would be like IF every penny was carefully spent and accounted for? Can you imagine what our state or country would be like if the same was applied?

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 19, 2011 at 12:02pm

CJ, thanks so much for the new council members contact information.  Sure wish we knew where these folks stood on this whole mess, but I suspect we will soon enough! 

Comment by CJ on June 19, 2011 at 11:54am

I sure would like to see the school board sell their high and mighty river front property and be forced to move into the vacant buildings downtown!

Knock them of their pedestals!

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 19, 2011 at 11:48am

JL, and studies are about all we have to show for that money and certainly less taxes as the city has grabbed up and bought out most of the prime real estate downtown removing them from the tax roles as the city doesn't pay taxes.  The tax situation is something these wack job politicians just don't seem to get.  About the only thing they have now is lots of over priced parking and a few free market people offering parking, if not reasonable, for at a little less than the city.  Now, even that is not protected as the JEDC goes after them for beautification which will likely mean the sale of the lots and probably the city can buy those up to or the prices to park will go up markedly!  This whole thing is insane, and the folks running it are so surrounded by yes people, they are clueless just how insane it is.  The paper this morning pointed out what a friend Peyton was to the NFL and the Jaguars.........too bad he doesn't realize he runs the city at the pleasure of the people who pay the taxes and live here and not the NFL and Jaguars who could go tomorrow for what they have cost us!

Comment by CJ on June 19, 2011 at 9:22am

Councilmen elect email addresses

2011-2015 Council Members-Elect District 5: Lori N. Boyer - LBoyer@coj.net District 6: Matt Schellenberg - MattS@coj.net   District 13: Bill Gulliford - Gulliford@coj.net District 14: Jim Love - JimLove@coj.net   At-Large, Group 1: Kimberly Daniels - KimDaniels@coj.net  At-Large, Group 4: Greg Anderson - GAnderson@coj.net   At-Large, Group 5: Robin Lumb - RLumb@coj.net

 

 

Comment by CJ on June 19, 2011 at 9:14am

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING - 

in todays paper (Sunday) Metro section for
Bills 11-342, 344, 346, 158.
(Nice to see they got the message from the masses)

There is NO information about it on COJ.net site.

In a message this morning to Ms. Laquadara, Ms. Miller, and Mr, Webb I
noted how hard it is to access public notice information and asked for
it to be accessible in one click. (One could only hope)


To:       cindyl@coj.net; Carla Miller (carlam@coj.net); Jack webb
(webb@coj.net); abel.harding@jacksonville.com;


Im sorry to bother you on Sunday

Todays paper contains a notice of public hearing that is no where to
be found on the COJ web site. Even using search engine.

Public Notices, as hard as they are to find having to go through each
individual name, on City Council menu under Mr.Webb has no mention of
the public hearing.

I would like very much if Public Notices could be easily accessible in
one click from home page.

Will someone please have the public notice published in Sunday's paper
added to the COJ web site as soon as possible

Thank you for your time
Respectfully

Comment by JL Gawlik on June 18, 2011 at 2:03pm

CJ, i remember years ago, decades ago when redevelopment was first discussed. A convention center, there was back and forth that we did not have enough hotel  room for a big one, the historian preservation was pushing saving the old train station that serves now as our convention center. There were studies done, i would love to see the total tab on all the studies done since the early 70's, it would be easily in the billions of dollars worth of study committees, etc., back then a lot of property was tied up on the river. There still is but not like before, the school board still is on the river, the river was supposed to be the downtown focus, like Savannah, GA, San Antonio TX, etc.. Many many studies were done, many many businesses have located downtown, building high rises over the years only to move on. It has not been a concentrated effort in my opinion. Half hearted with anchors moving away because everything is just so slow to react and the studies. It has been like the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing and literally billions of dollars over the years has been wasted. There is a LOT of money in our area just look all around the county from the beaches and beyond. Where has Peter Rummell and these big business investors been on this? Why hasn't Gate Petroleum invested in Downtown, etc., Just my thoughts.

Comment by CJ on June 18, 2011 at 1:43pm

looking thru my files I came across a Northbank  Development summary from this past Feb so completely arrogant about how "we" should understand how all the spending going on is for our own goods. Jerks! Shoveling it all to us and we're supposed take it :for our own good"

 

Section 6.  Summary and Conclusions

This section summarizes the most important and compelling recommendationsdeveloped in the preceding sections of this report.  Many others, not listed below areessential to achieving the Task Force’s objectives, and their absence from this listshould not be seen as trivializing them.  In either case, most of them are general anddirectional in nature and will require further study and refinement.1. Downtown development must occupy a renewed, and indeed foremost place inpublic policy thought and action.  It must be given highest priority as an urgentmatter of civic importance, upon which the entire city of Jacksonville dependsfor its long-term vitality and prosperity.2. All Jacksonville citizens must be made aware and appreciative of theimportance of downtown to their personal prosperity and enjoyments.  Thoseliving in the suburbs must understand the economic and intangible roles whichdowntown plays in their lives, welfare, and prosperity.3. A strong, independent, well-funded but transparent and accountableimplementation agency must be created for exclusive focus upon downtowndevelopment.  Downtown activities, which are now scattered among variousagencies and departments, should be centralized under the control of thisentity.4. Policy-makers must recognize the potential that exists for a grand, first tier future downtown that extends to and includes the sports complex and containsa thriving diversity of land uses, occupancy, activities, and amenities.5. The crucial importance of downtown residential living must be recognized,reinforced, and implemented.  No city our size has so few downtown residents.6. A convention center should be created which is adjacent to a hotel, is locatedin downtown, has nearby retail and entertainment establishments, and contains35

 

an adequate and appropriate combination of meeting, conference, ballroomand exhibition space.7. The splendid riverfront site which our courthouse occupies at the eastern edgeof downtown should be developed as a public/private partnership, tocomplement a convention center, to extend downtown activity eastward, and tobe the springboard, the catalyst in development of the property extending to thesports complex.8. Laura Street should become a prime north/south activity street of downtown.Retail, housing, dining, and a hotel should be developed.  It should be anactive, pedestrian-oriented, multi-faceted activity corridor that is the magnet for diverse downtown activity.  Over time, other streets could evolve similarly.9. The district generally east of Laura Street and north of Bay Street should be thefocus of development for residential, dining and entertainment, retail, andartists’ galleries and studios.10. In the east/west direction, the broad swath of downtown extending from theTimes-Union Performing Arts Center to and beyond the redevelopedcourthouse site should similarly be an active and cohesive band of importantdowntown venues and activities.11. The issues of police presence, code enforcement, safety and security,cleanliness, and homeless persons must be more forcefully addressed.12. Our elected leadership, and the citizenry in general, must be prepared to makesignificant financial investments in downtown.  While economic circumstancesdo not permit doing so at this writing, additional sources of revenue must beseen as essential to the revitalization of downtown, which will return suchinvestment many times over in economic, social and civic improvements

 

 

Comment by Jim Ryan on June 18, 2011 at 10:37am

I am working with the FCTP to deploy an effective communication platform and service which will provide the opportunity to coordinate and organize that which you suggest.  Furthermore the service will serve as a program which the FCTP can then roll out to other Tea Party groups nationally which will allow them to offer the same similar type services to their network of members.  I am working with some of the leadership and expect that you and other FCTP members will be made aware of the who, what, where, why and other particulars in the very near future.  I believe once you have a chance to experience the scope and capabilities of the services offered you will recognize the "game changing" opportunity it will present.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• …
• 41
• Next ›
• Page