Comment

Comment by J.R. on June 9, 2011 at 5:16pm

CJ Benham, it was the same speaker who told us that Everbank had locations in New York City and St. Louis, MO who stated, and I quote, "Everbank might not stay in Jacksonville." I wrote that down as he said it and made a note to myself that this was "a mild form of coercion for approval." Others heard it as well. The fact that you either didn't hear it or didn't recall it... or don't want it said, doesn't mean that others didn't hear it, make note of it, and report it correctly.

If you're for having Jacksonville taxpayers forced to subsidize an international multi-billion dollar conglomerate, you're entitled to your opinion. But don't tell us we didn't hear what we heard or that we're posting false information. There's nothing wrong with my hearing or my comprehension. And, I made a point of taking notes to make sure I had the correct facts.

Comment by J.R. on June 9, 2011 at 4:47pm

It was the progressive era of President Woodrow Willson that gave us that central bank, better known as the Federal Reserve Bank, which came into being by way o the Federal Reserve Act of 1914, signed into law by Woodrow Wilson early in his presidency. The Federal Reserve has always been secretive and unaccountable, just as is the International Monetary Fund, both of which hold huge amounts of Americans' money, and both of which appear to be redistributing Americans' wealth to bankrupt foreign nations as bailouts, while taking our country further into debt.

The Federal Reserve Act needs to be repealed and this country needs to permanently shut off the IMF's tap into American wealth.

But, I disagree that the things referred to as the "small things," are not important and deserving of our attention and our serious efforts. How can we fix the larger problems in our country, if we can't fix those at the root of our local government problems?

In Jacksonville, and in all of Florida, we need to get international entities, whether they be international banks or international labor unions, out of our local and state government finances, for they both are set up and function in a manner that enables them to produce a drain on our local and state economies... and even on our national economy. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that recently intruded itself into our county elections is a prime example. The SEIU has its tentacles also into Florida taxpayers' money, by representing almost all security personnel in Florida through Allied Barton, which I believe is also international. Union dues collected from Florida workers by international unions are largely taken out of local communities' economies and Florida's economy.

While we can work toward ridding ourselves of the Federal Reserve, we can simultaneously work toward getting the parasitic international businesses and labor unions out of our taxpayers' and government finances at the same time. If Jacksonville wants to promote American owned companies, while making Jacksonville a taxpayer-friendly community that will welcome them and patronize them, they would have far more success at attracting new businesses and jobs.

However, with a continued elitist attitude that Jacksonville, a city of only ca. one million people, should be some kind of hub for international corporations and conglomerates and it's OK to force the county's taxpayers to be burdened with subsidizing them, and local government officials' pie in the sky schemes, the taxpayers will increasingly reject such arrogance and indifference to their needs and continue to distance themselves from downtown Jacksonville and all its elitist leaders and their elitist pet projects.

If they're wondering why people don't want to come downtown or shop downtown, they need only look in the mirror at themselves for the answer. They need to open their eyes and see that the taxpayers aren't some anonymous tax pump, they're real people, with real financial problems of their own and they have clearly seen that their city government puts their welfare and best interests at the bottom of their list of priorities. If they don't value the taxpayers, why in the world would the taxpayers value them and their ever-growing demands for more money with which they can continue to play their big-league 'let's grow a megalopolis' games.

Comment by Douglas Newberry on June 9, 2011 at 4:36pm

To put it simply... If you a right and the means to print $100 bills... why would you borrow them?

This is the ridiculous circumstance of the current system.

The congress, via the treasury, per the constitution, should be printing all the money needed to supply the spending needs of the government, and the purchasing power of the public BUT...we borrow all our money supply from PRIVATE banks at INTEREST!

We are being hopelessly ripped off by banking institutions and have been for 98 years!

The founding fathers saw this old scam in full swing before they got here and that is why only the congress was given the right to coin money and set the value thereof.

If we do not end the Federal Reserve, and do away with fractional reserve banking by private banks we will forever be debt slaves...

AND...

When the system inevitably collapses... we will get a NEW global banking regime, a new global currency and the NEW global government to go with it.

Our very sovereignty is at stake.

This day is rapidly approaching as the underlying economic activity of America is no longer able to service the debts we have run up under this impossible system.

Ask yourselves this... If the cost of every dollar ever made is a dollar and 5 cents in debt... HOW WILL YOU POSSIBLY PAY IT OFF?

"Let's get to work"

 

Comment by CJ on June 9, 2011 at 4:35pm

Being at the JEDC meeting myself today I disagree with the option(s) written that Everbank had surrounding the incentives. I never heard and dont believe it was ever said they would leave the area if they did not get the incentives.

What I heard ... The Bill and/or contract does not have them obligated at this time, their options are - They can stay where they are at in the buildings they are in spread out over the city, Move everything to downtown in the Brownfield area, or move everything to the southside. Many others were there and can at least confirm leaving the area was not one of the options if incentives were not received.

Comment by Douglas Newberry on June 9, 2011 at 3:41pm

JL, I agree that Credit Unions are great... but even they are using debt based money created out of nothing that has interest charges attached. This is what must stop.

Comment by JL Gawlik on June 9, 2011 at 3:29pm

Douglas part of that may be true, i belong to a credit union, where we own our own bank, we can go to the meetings and make decisions, we get the lowest interest rates compared to banks. My bank does not practice sub-line lending practices which are nothing more than a way to make profits, good for the bank, bad for the customer.  We pay no banking fees. That is the way banking should be. I agree with you on the Federal reserve. Both them and the government should not be involved in tinkering with our economy, it always is a disaster for people when they do. 

 

Roma, i heard that also. Gingrich's whole campaign people quit. Interesting to note Gingrich and his wife are on a Caribbean cruise! I think this newest wife is going to be death of his campaign.

I am so proud of what the members here did today. Y'aLL are ALL AWESOME!

Comment by Douglas Newberry on June 9, 2011 at 3:12pm

I ask myself on a daily basis why anyone cares about this little stuff and ignors the elephant in the room.

Our entire financial system is based on debt. People talk about paying off the debt... its a joke folks... it is IMPOSSIBLE! Not only that... it was designed that way on purpose. It is called debt slavery and it does not have to be this way.

Every political discussion is premised on the fact that money is somehow scarce... why is it scarce? Where does it come from, who makes it out of nothing and "pretends" to loan it to you... IT IS A SCAM!

Wake up already and stop "tinkering with the knobs" on the banking machine that OWNS you. Pull the plug on the Federal Reserve, the debt based money system and fractional reserve banking or nothing else you talk about can ever be fixed.

If the Tea Party would change the only real issue that matters everything else could be changed. Until then... May the chains of slavery hang lightly on you all.

Comment by J.R. on June 9, 2011 at 2:29pm

I wasn't still at the meetinge for the Parador, LLC presentation which was last on the agenda. Was anyone there for that who can summarize it? Parador. LLC is one of the three major players in the Everbank deal, the third being El-Ad---and I heard nothing from or about either of them while I was at the meeting. There's so much that is still being kept undisclosed to taxpayers in this deal that makes it all the more suspect.

Comment by Charles D White on June 9, 2011 at 2:21pm

I spent an entire segment today on Just Speak Up lamenting the fast track process and how they were technically correct but so very very wrong for doing it this way.There are 7 councilpersons who will vote on this at their last meeting June 28th. I want to see a vote on this delayed until the new council is sworn in on July 1st and I want a record of those votes. One of the broker's in the transaction told me they were not ready to go with this yet but the Mayor is pushing it. Today was exactly what I expected and thanks JR for your accurate summary. I was greatly surprised when the JEDC employee, Joe Whitaker was the one who dropped the bombshell that Everbank may leave town, it may be up to a lame duck council ala Nancy Pelosi last December.

Comment by J.R. on June 9, 2011 at 2:02pm

Chuck and Rod, thanks for your articulate presentations this morning at the JEDC meeting. Unfortunately, I came into the meeting late due to a temporary road construction block that I happened to be on the wrong side of, so did not get a chance to sign up to speak. However, when I left a little early, Ron Barton approached me in the hall to thank me for coming. So, I had an opportunity to tell him I am totally opposed to the forced taxpayer subsidizing of Everbank. Also, that I had researched the FL Constitution and FL Statutes and found no statutory authority for the JEDC, City Council, and the Mayor to approve a mandate that forces taxpayers to subsidize any private businesses that serves no governmental functions, operations, provision of services---in other words, serves no legitimate government interest. Also, that I believe forced subsidizing of a private business would be a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ie. forced conscription of personal effects, those effects being personal money after all federal taxes have been paid. He said he didn't know about any of that and referred me to John Germany, Office of General Counsel, for any information about their statutory authority.

As might have been expected, there were many Everbank employees/ cheerleaders there. I'm glad they provided information that I didn't have.

As expected, the Commission members remained in lock-step on all votes, including the unanimous vote in favor of taxpayers being forced to subsidize Everbank's move to downtown Jacksonville and add 200 employees over a period of five years, ending in 2016. They approved this, knowing that Everbank is a multi-billion dollar international corporation. It was, without doubt, pre-voted, as were the other measures voted upon, which was predictable considering the Commission members were appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, Mayor John Peyton, who is aggressively pushing this corporate welfare for Everbank.

Also, there's a more than good chance that Mayor-elect Alvin Brown has signaled his support for taxpayers being forced to subsidize this rushed-through deal for a multi-billion dollar, privately owned, international online banking conglomerate. One might wonder what financial repercussions such an internet-dependent business would suffer in the event of a hack attack, communication satellites shut down, or if Obama succeeds in his power grab for control over the internet and the ability to shut it down at will.

New information gained in today's meeting:

1. Everbank introduced an enticement into the equation by throwing out the caveat that "Everbank might not stay in Jacksonville." In other words, if you don't approve this, Everbank could just pick up all their Jacksonville funnybooks and marbles and move to another city. They already have operations in St. Louis, MO and New York City, NY. Also, the caveat that "Everbank has not made a decision yet about moving downtown." Sort of a carrot and stick thing. We don't need you, you need us.

2. Cost to the City of Jacksonville for the Brownfield and Enterprise zone designations = 20%, $2,100.00 per job, at a projected total cost of $420,000.00.

3. The 200 employees would be added during a time frame that would end in 2016. Which, of course would allow plenty of time to offset those jobs added in a number of ways, including attrition due to retirements, employees laid off or let go, and so on. Plus, one Everbank speaker mentioned the possibility of "job down-sizing," which presents a contradiction to their claim to be adding 200 jobs.

4. Everbank claims a $10M investment to qualify for enterprise zone money.

5. Everbank wants a waiver. They want to add Enterprise Zone and Brownfield, in order to get tax refunds.

6. Everbank would have a 5 year lease term, with "clawbacks" for any subsidy money, a grant to mitigate costs associated with move, and a funding source that would be the Downtown Economic Development Fund.

7. Everbank "to relocate suburban office space to downtown to qualify for a $2.75M grant to move into urban core."

City of Jacksonville's expressed objectives re moving Everbank downtown and their justifications for subsidizing Everbank to do so, included:

1. The main objective of the Downtown Development Authority is "bringing jobs downtown."

2. Another objective is "to stabilize downtown."

3. Another objective it "to stabilize value of companies downtown."

4. Justification: "Local government has subsidized businesses everywhere." (The everybody does it canard.

5. "Homestead exemptions are a public subsidy." Apparently they think homestead exemptions for aged or disabled taxpaying citizens who have deductions from property taxes granted by statute are receiving a gift of government money. There is no such thing as government money.

Those folks on the JEDC, Pres. Jack Webb of City Council, and Mayor John Peyton don't seem to understand that government produces, grows, and manufactures nothing. Government earns NO money. Government is, therefore, unable on it's own to finance anything. The power to tax property owners does not generate government "income." The money government conscripts from taxpayers, remains the people's money. Government is required to protect the people's money from misuse and miss-appropriation.

The City of Jacksonville/Duval County government has a Florida Statute-mandated fiduciary duty and trust to be responsible and ethical stewards of the people's money. If this forced public subsidy of the international, multi-billion dollar Everbank conglomerate is approved on June 28, 2011, that fiduciary duty and trust will have been violated, along with the rights of taxpayers in the county not to have their personal effects conscripted (seized) for a non-governmental interest.

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