Speeding up permitting is a good way to facilitate growth
If Jacksonville’s new liberal mayor lives up to her campaign promise to facilitate growth, it may help offset some of the bad ideas she brings with her into office. Donna Deegan has said she plans to make the permitting process move more swiftly after she becomes mayor July 1. That’s good news. Growth is slowed […]
Improve downtown to attract more residents
Loser Daniel Davis had at least one good idea in his unsuccessful bid for the job of mayor. He proposed moving the jail from downtown. At the time the jail was brand new, I was given a tour of it by Jim McMillan. He was then chief of the jail and later sheriff. I was […]
We’re on our way to Utopia, U.S. A.
Donna Deegan is wasting no time as incoming mayor. She is going to jump right in and solve the city’s most intractable problems – diversity and inclusion. It is unfathomable how the city of Jacksonville managed to get through two centuries without addressing these persistent problems. With a lack of diversity, everyone is the same. […]
New Chief of Public Safety role in Mayor Deegan’s administration causes confusion
This week Mayor-elect Deegan announced her new executive team. It was a good mix politically with a half and half split of Democrats and Republicans. That was welcome news to those who were concerned about progressive changes in the Mayor’s office. Ms. Deegan promised to work with both parties and she is standing on those […]
Jaguar negotiations will start from zero
Jacksonville’s incoming finance director says nothing will be off the table in negotiations with the Jacksonville Jaguars over a new stadium – including the suggestion by Eye on Jacksonville that the city give the stadium to the team. Mike Weinstein is slated to be interim chief financial officer under the new mayor, Donna Deegan, until […]
Investigating your opponent happened right here in Jacksonville!
During the most brutal and hostile primary for Mayor in Jacksonville’s history, City Council President at the time, Terrance Freeman, assigned council members Rory Diamond, Nick Howland, Sam Newby and Michael Boylan to serve on a Special Investigatory Committee to probe Mayoral Candidate, LeAnna Cumber’s “possible” involvement in the 2019 JEA scandal. This tactic of […]
Fix the stadium, or give it up?
Instead of negotiating with the Jacksonville Jaguars over who will pay for a new stadium, which not just give the damn thing to the football team? Built 95 years ago with a seating capacity of 7,600, the old Fairfield Stadium was constructed primarily for the use of Jacksonville’s three new high schools – Lee, Jackson […]
Lenny’s legacy is lame
“Lame Duck Lenny” Curry, soon to be ex-mayor of Jacksonville, perpetrated one last act of defiance en route to his exit at the end of this month. Curry has had a bee in his bonnet for years about a statue that was in a downtown park for a century. In the dead of night, he […]
Getting out the vote backfired
Here’s a bit of irony. In the recent mayoral election, the Republican Party did heroic work in driving Republicans to the polls. The overall turnout was 33 percent. The Republican turnout was 43 percent. But way too many of the Republicans voted for the opposition. Republicans are outnumbered by Democrats, although they are gaining. When […]
Information filters hurt more than they help
Sometime around 1967, the Jacksonville Police Department assigned Sgt. J.T. Lowe to be its first public information officer. I was a police reporter and Lowe asked how he could help me get information. I told him I would call him if I needed help but I didn’t anticipate having any problem. For years before that […]