Comment

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 19, 2011 at 9:31am

Exactly, W. Lee

Comment by w. lee dungan jr. on June 19, 2011 at 7:58am

transparency obummer style

Comment by Debbie G on June 19, 2011 at 6:39am

@Jessie Pittman,  the $50 dollar addition to the fines to aid the Jacksonville Area Legal Aid may not sound like a big deal.  However, look at it this way, if city council passes this additional fee to help organization "A" what limits them from doing the same for organization "B, C, D, etc.?"  This is a slippery slope of control, and when ever government takes a dollar out of the private economy, in any means, it is one less dollar in the private economy.  Ultimately, the private citizen, taxpayer, ends up picking up the tab.

Comment by Debbie G on June 19, 2011 at 6:34am

I will be there, again, with the other watchmen on the wall.  Citizens attending these meetings needs to be the rule rather than the exception.  As one of the watchmen, Connie, always tells them "you have become too comfortable in your cushy chairs, perhaps you need wooden chairs to sit in when you rule."  I couldn't agree more, they have become too comfortable in their positions because we have let them.  Let's pack the council chamber with "concerned citizens."

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 18, 2011 at 4:21pm

Jessie and J. L., thank you so very much and please keep going to the city council meetings.  Some people are regulars at the city council meetings (I agree with you there), but we need to have lots of people holding these folks accountable.  They say they really want citizens to come and speak their piece and weigh in on what they are doing, but I suspect once a pretty good sized group of VERY informed citizens does that, they might not like it so much (at least several of the current group won't......but some of them are gone in less than 2 weeks).  Right now, we have got some good guys on the council but they are in the minority, and we need to support the good guys, so they do see some faces at these meetings that they know support them taking a stand.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on June 18, 2011 at 4:14pm

Roberto, it is a three year old dispute with the Jaguars that Peyton has now decided he will just charge off and make the taxpayers pay instead to make the books all even. He can't get it from the people he has a signed contract with........imagine that. When was the last time someone let you out of money you owed on a signed contract and made someone else pay for it instead, so they could make nice with the dead beats???

Comment by Jessie B Pittman on June 18, 2011 at 1:30pm

I ALSO ATTENDED the C.C. mtg. Tues. night. I do not understand why adding $50.00 COURT COST to criminal  cases shold be a big problem. Don`t want to pay the fine ,Don`t commit the crime.    Why does the existing c.c. have to decide on the MAJOR issues so quickly, let the incoming c.c. have time to study and come to the best solution and vote on it.Seemed a little ,well maybe more than, wishy-washy to me.

Comment by JL Gawlik on June 18, 2011 at 12:55pm

 Roberto read you following sentence after your question, you answered it.

Comment by Roberto Hurstez on June 18, 2011 at 12:25pm

What in the heck is a thee old?: "Also there is a $500,000.00 three old dispute between the Jaguars and the City of Jacksonville on who is responsible for paying. "

Comment by J. Lo on June 18, 2011 at 11:32am

Well stated as usual Billie.

I attended the city council meeting last Tuesday for the first time as a newbie. Don't read this if you think you'll get any more info about the proceedings. My comments are just observations of a guy thats never been to a city council meeting.

I had seen meetings on TV before, but by actually being there, I was able to see these politicians up close.  At times I thought I might have made a wrong turn on one of the downtown streets I am not familiar with, (who goes downtown unless it"s necessary) and erroneously ended up at a large comedy or drama club with good security.

Confusion was rampant at times, as they tried to vote on the amendment to the amendment to the change proposed by  ............... what bill was that?   What are we voting on? .......... Excuse me Mr. President, you said I could speak but you must have forgot (twice) .......What are we voting on?  Ah... lets refer this back to committee.....  I didn't know we were gonna vote on this tonight....

Any more outbursts and I will clear the room, etc., etc. Oh, THAT was a good one.

To say the least, I was not impressed with the proceedings but I was with the extra large comfy chairs, computer screens, private side exit doors,  and the elevated platforms for the council.  It seemed as though the Kings court was now in session and the little people may speak down below when given permission. These council folks had a lot of stamina, and obvious some had done their homework, and were respectful to one another with their words, but their expressions of disgust and impatience at times could only be appreciated if one were actually in attendance. You can't get this from TV, and, as they say, "you can't make this up" 

Mr. Jack Webb seemed more like an auctioneer rather than a city council president, and tried to move the agenda along but made it abundantly and thuggishly  clear he was in charge and would take no prisoners.

Citizens were given the opportunity to speak for three minutes about whatever bill was being considered and were treated with respect, but I got the impression after observing the council that most had already made up their minds, and some of the speakers (especially the ones that spoke more than twice and seemed to be regulars) were an aggravation or a joke to some on the council.

 

On the bills.....

I don't understand how a 700 MILLION pension bill for consideration that night could be placed on an "emergency" status by a lame duck mayor. An emergency?  What the heck?     Payback?

I also don't understand how a large well funded bank like Everbank gets to have you and I pay for their move downtown, which will NEVER be a viable location in a free market unless 10,000 residents actually live there, without subsidies, and it makes ECONOMIC sense.  Payback?

I don't understand why I have to pay for a basic parking lot improvement to a large insurance company on the South side.     Payback?

 

Well, I  an just one of the little people, and things are made confusing so we can remain mushrooms, what the hell do I know.

Perhaps, If I got to sit in one of those extra big, comfy impressive chairs, sitting high above the peasants I'd be a lot smarter.................... 

 

I'll be back.

 

 

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