Comment

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 8, 2011 at 7:37am

Billie, I intend to be there and there are a couple other folks on here who indicated they would also be there.  I plan on sending the info out to my group and mailing list too and think some of the others may.  Can we list this as an event?

Comment by FCTP on June 8, 2011 at 6:42am

Who on this blog will be attending the meeting tomorrow - Thursday at 9:00 AM?  The press is asking if anyone will be there and I would love to have one or two of you speak with the press.  Thanks.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 8, 2011 at 5:56am

J.R., I heard after Peyton announced these new "give the taxpayer money away programs" that Brown was asked and said he would have to look at it, but he thought this fell under the private/public partnerships he mentioned in his campaign.  I wish these folks would quit trying to make these into business deals since they really are nothing more than money give aways for money the city should well be putting towards the deficit if we have it sitting around in an account as Peyton says.

 

I would also agree that I felt that decisions had been made about some what what was discussed and voted on yesterday.  Almost every vote was 7 to 0 in favor.  I was pleased to see Lee vote NO on the change in who chooses the director since that is not what the charter says.  The charter for this ethics commission says the director will be chosen by the commission (which is also how the director of the children's commission is chosen).

Comment by J.R. on June 7, 2011 at 10:24pm

Have a look at the city's website and you will see that Mayor Peyton is the one pushing and claiming credit for the Everbank/Parador,LLC/El-Ad deal, which also has a Weavers/Jaguars connection due to the huge Everbank signage at the stadium that could very well be the a part of the current dispute about signage costs. Brown isn't even in office yet, although he may very well be in favor of forcing taxpayer subsidizing of private businesses, including the Weavers' football franchise that taxpayers are being forced to subsidize... as if the Weavers need corporate welfare. Meanwhile, Brown has no official power as Mayor until July 1, 2011.

These new subsidies for Everbank, Parador,LLC, and El-Ad, all private businesses, and some of the flawed lease contracts with the Weavers/Jaguars franchise, the horrible budget, the elaborate courthouse and pricey artwork for it, and the JTA deal happened on Mayor Peyton's watch and City Council President Jack Webb's watch---while they have been in office. Thanks goodness, they are both leaving. We're in an recession, possibly headed for a double-dip recession, and those fools keep spending taxpayers' money like there's no tomorrow. If it's left up to them, Jacksonville may very well end up bankrupt. And that would be on Mayor Alvin Brown's watch. For that reason, he should be totally against all the corporate welfare and profligate spending.

Comment by J.R. on June 7, 2011 at 9:06pm

My understanding was that the artwork was already approved in the recently passed budget. Is that incorrect? Patricia, the Mayor can't order the Council to do anything. And, he can't order the artwork for the new courthouse to be taken out of the already passed and signed budget.

CJ, if the City Council (1) violates rules, time frames, and laws; (2) avoids disclosure and public input; (3) quickly passes a new anti-taxpayer bill with forced subsidies for three private businesses, Everbank, Parador, LLC, El-Ad, and the Weavers' privately-owned football franchise; (4) approves and signs new lease contracts that include new financial perks and payment of several hundred thousand dollars for disputed and unproven Weavers/Jaguars' bills; (5) and signs all contractual agreements related to the Everbank tri-partite--- couldn't taxpayers sue for a declaratory judgment ruling the new contracts and leases void?

Taxpayers have had no opportunity for input into that private process that has not been done according to statutory procedures and timelines. And the backroom deals appear to be tantamount to knowingly and purposefully operating in secret toward the end of defrauding the taxpayers by forcing them to pay for all, or a substantial part of, those deals.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 7, 2011 at 5:01pm

CJ, probably a wise move on the part of the person withdrawing it (and the council in general).  It would be a total outrage on top of everything else!

 

Comment by CJ on June 7, 2011 at 4:31pm

There is the power of veto in the municipal code that I would like to see Brown use for just such occasions like this.

By the way I heard from a good source that the Bill asking for $630,000 for Artwork will be withdrawn

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 7, 2011 at 4:16pm

I heard about the land to be given to the JTA, but I did not realize we had to buy it before we gave it them>   Are these people nuts?????   This has to be an undercurrent thing from Brown.  I am saying it must be or it would not be happening nor would the ethics bill have been neutured by even the most conservative on the council if Brown had not so ordered.  This is not lookin real good for the folks of Jax!

Comment by CJ on June 7, 2011 at 4:13pm

Yes which is my  point. 4 Bills for everbank 11-365, 366,368,369, giving the corp. welfare.

Another Bill 367 is an amendment that will pay over due Bills to the Jags we,re not responsible for and proof of another bad contract and minipulate lease for the Gatorbowl (Jags) signage.

Bill 367 is acquisition of mass quantities of land for a new bus terminal free to JTA at tax payers expense. 

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 7, 2011 at 3:08pm

CJ, we can't keep giving money we don't have away.  Where are the cuts.  I understand the council is going through the motions of a budget cutting group (just to make the tax payers feel they really care......which is a joke since all they talk about is spending money).

 

Do you have the bill numbers for the 4 new bills.  You know they are going to try to get them in on the 14th along with many other things unless they try it this Thursday?

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