Comment

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 5, 2011 at 2:23pm

Well put Robert.  I think you have to be little thorns in their sides.  The group leader was Mr. Webb, but one of the people who went out to dinner (without a pass from the city council meeting he was supposed to be at) was none other than Clark, and yes, it is the same Clark that proposed all the amendments that would all but neuter the ethics commission.  Many of them showed very little understanding of what an ethics commission even is and others were just change to change something.......like shortening the term from 5 years to 3 years which is really dumb since they aren't going to pay for moving for the person and want the highest calliber person they can get (or maybe they don't?).  Moving is a huge expense, and the chances are better for someone to accept a lower paying position and move here if they know they are guaranteed 5 years at least (which may morph into 10 years if a second term is offered).  I also thought forcing them to move into Duval county was dumb.........I far prefer they live in an outlying county because then, they can't have done business with our fair city recently at least and hopefully never have which might make them more honest and keep them that way.  You see what I am saying.  People need to get up and say these things as we do have some new city council members who also may not be over joyed with Clark's recommendations.  I doubt that Mr. Clark will be listening, but others may.

 

And yup, I plan to go to the Rules Committee meeting in the AM!  The battle will not be won in a day Robert............but I think it can be won even if we have to start removing those council members that are catering to all the special interests and people like Everbank.

Comment by robert c tipton on June 5, 2011 at 1:44pm

Pat I am not angry at you or anyone else who attends the meetings even if I think 

the council does not care what you or anybody else thinks--At the 2010 Sept budget meetings 

hundreds of people showed up and raised unanimous hell about raising property taxes -they passed them anyway-multitudes raised hell about giving weaver-who lives in a multi million dollar mansion

our $4,000,000.00 from everbank to name our stadium not weavers stadium.They not only gave it to him they rubbed your nose in it by council members leaving after the vote with the Duvals bag man -went to Ruth Chris to celebrate.Then to add insult to injury when confronted by a reporter from the tiny union-immediately said -we weren't celebrating and by the way we each bought our own dinner and  we each  paid cash--REALLY??  The records of that transaction should have been demanded to be made public.So for the hundreds of us who voiced our opposition to the giveaway the results were the same as always. By the way the total we sold the name to our stadium for was $16,000,000.00 over a 6 year period weaver got it all less expenses for his lobbyists  The $4,00,000.00  was the crumbs we were to have been grateful for,Sorry I wasn't grateful.I was angry and am still angry.Whats the solution? I think we have to begin with recognition of the problem.Then you can begin the painful process of return to law. Be honest with our criticisms-do not worry about being P C.Trust NO ONE in government.Be a lawful vigilante  More to follow.

 

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 5, 2011 at 11:55am

Robert, another thing that is highly important is the criteria by which they choose the people who are to be on this commission and who chooses them.  Right now, they have very tight restrictions which have been loosened somewhat to allow for 3 citizens, but many people need to speak out on this as the commission will not be any good at all to the public if they are excluded from serving on the commission.  I understand why a politician might not want that at all, and you should as well.  Most of the citizens, hopefully at least, can't be bought or bribed to overlook anything.  Great care must be taken to the proper choice of members which is why I do not want power to replace or select a council member taken away.  You may also remember the discussion about the mayor getting to approve (or disapprove) the director, and I don't think the mayor can have anything to do with it since he is one of the people who has to be kept honest...........again understand I am not talking about Brown....I am saying any mayor.

 

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 5, 2011 at 9:25am

Robert, I realize the city council members present tried to paint the ethics commission as just any old commission and just like the human right commission, but it is not supposed to be.  That is what raised my blood pressure quite a bit, and if you think a group showing up for that meeting was a mistake, you are deadly wrong.   In most cases, no one shows up at all, and when a group starts to form, they do become concerned.  The ethics commission can't be changed as was suggested by primariliy Mr. Clark, because if it is, it will have only those with a vested interest in the current type of politics going on.  The city council did not want this commission, and Glorious Johnson went to Tallahassee and got the state to approve it.............that's how concerned our city officials are about having an effective ethics commission and also the reason they want to do anything they can to gain control over the commission and who is on it and how much power they have.  Saying what you have is great, but you said it in the wrong place.  You should have gotten up and told the council as one young lady got up and threatened a recall election on anyone who did not keep their word about their position when they were running for office (I have already volunteered to help with a recall on anyone she thinks hasn't).  Your anger is misplaced.  You should not be angry at us, you should be angry at your elected officials and let them know!  I certainly don't plan to mince words at the rules committee and understand this commission must go in because too many things are being done in the city that are unethical at best and may be criminal!

Comment by Randy Scudder on June 4, 2011 at 9:50am

Because most of our ethics laws in Jacksonville have no teeth or enforcement and trying to get the state to enforce ethics rules is like pulling teeth.

Comment by Jax Tico on June 4, 2011 at 9:34am

Thats great, but have you attended a town hall for our representatives in DC lately?  Shouldn't we be encouraging them to come here and explain what they are or are not doing?  I understand that it all starts here at the ground level,  but we got them elected in 2010 and we need to talk with them to hear what they have to say and provide them with some guidance.