Nelson Cuba lives in some kind of a vacuum.  In an opinion piece the Times Union gave star billing a couple of months ago, Mr. Cuba said things in Jacksonville could not be that bad, because when he went out to lunch he still saw cars in shopping mall parking lots and restaurants.  Although, Mr. Cuba obviously wasn't thinking at all when he made the statement, what his statement said to me was until such time as people can't shop or go out to lunch and all the malls and restaurants are boarded up, we will continue to hold up the city for more pay and benefits...........nothing less than total distruction of Jacksonville will stop us.  He has once again, in this article, indicated  the city has lots of money which should be going to to the police union when, in reality, the money he is talking about is money used to keep city properties in good repair (this is the money he intimated the city had which meant they would not take a pay cut as long as they still had money to maintain the city in the opinion letter he wrote).  These folks better wake up and smell the coffee or reality.

Some FOP members wanted publisher to re-enter mayor's race.

Some Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police members were upset enough by their endorsed mayoral candidate calling their rejection of a city contract "disappointing" that they talked about trying to bring back a candidate who had already left the race.

Publisher Jim Bailey said Friday he spoke with two or three union officials as well as number of union representatives before declining to jump back in.

"It wasn't enough for me to make a decision," he said about the conversations.

Bailey said he considered re-entering the race, which he exited in mid-December. With the filing deadline Friday, however, the conversations on Wednesday and Thursday didn't allow enough time to fully develop the necessary support.

"I'm talking about a grassroots effort," he said. "You don't do that in 24 hours."

The conversations came in the wake of mayoral candidate Mike Hogan, who was endorsed by the police union, chastising the union after it rejected a contract proposal that includes pay cuts. Noting that the vast majority of city employees have either agreed to pay cuts or had cuts imposed on them, Hogan said law enforcement officers cannot be exempt.

Local union President Nelson Cuba said Hogan would have reacted differently if he had information the union says it has showing that the city has plenty of money.

Hogan said Friday, however, that he stands by his statement.

"I knew all the things that he had listed before I made my statement," Hogan said. "I went in with my eyes wide open. I knew I'd get this reaction."

Although Cuba said the union is disappointed by Hogan's disappointment, he said his members stand by their endorsed candidate.

Cuba said he had not talked to Bailey and he was unaware of conversations other union leaders might have had.

"We always thought Jim was a strong candidate," said Cuba.

He said Bailey was a "close second" when the endorsement decision was being made.

"I think he would be a good candidate if he had chosen to stay in the race."

timothy.gibbons@jacksonville.com (904) 359-4103

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-01-15/story/bailey-says-fop...