Why is Jacksonville the way it is?

[spuwho]

Jacksonville is unique in that it still has a large degree of smaller connections that larger metros lost years ago, yet it has become large enough to start acquiring a more diverse demographic.

This can lead to what can appear as a multiple personality syndrome collectively as each group speaks loudly, yet doesn't necessarily represent the whole.

But it can also cause stumbles in general direction as the council (representing those interests) can't find common ground as easily as they used to because the population's needs are becoming so diverse.

Adding to this is the fact that the place has a consolidated government. Most metro areas have a diverse set (sometimes too many) of govt. entities which sort of divides the decisions across them all. Not just one entity decides them all like Jacksonville has.

So what can make Jacksonville more responsive (consolidation) can also be a detriment to diverse public policy.

[Cheshire Cat]

Here's my take on why Jacksonville is the way it is:

Jacksonville is a burgeoning brewing destination because we're blessed with so many innovative and knowledgeable business owners in the field and a local culture that enthusiastically supports them, facilitating enviable growth in the industry and five new production breweries in as many years.

Jacksonville is a logistics hub because of its terrific location and a local leadership tradition that works with, rather than against, the business community and state and federal authorities to improve our airport, seaport, military bases, and highways.

Jacksonville is home to the state's most dynamic and up-and-coming public university because forward-thinking leadership has decided to focus on excelling in the things it does best rather than imitating the system's status quo.

Jacksonville is home to the state's newest, and easily coolest, arts district because local entrepreneurs identified the obvious demand for such a space and invested in making it an explosive success.

Jacksonville has the largest municipal park system in the country because past leadership saw the opportunity and took advantage of the city government's expansive purview to purchase green land that can never be developed.

Jacksonville has the best beaches of any city in the Southeast due one one hand to divine providence, and on the other to its citizens and leaders recognizing it as grand public space open and accessible to everyone, rather than a backdrop for postcards or the balconies of highrise condos.

What's amazing is that Jacksonville has done all these things in spite of a crippling inferiority complex and the presence of many citizens who do nothing but tear the city down, literally or figuratively. Fortunately, there are an increasing number of people who like what they see and want more of it, and are willing to do what it takes to get it.

Very well said indeed!

[Cheshire Cat]

Let's take the Sexual Orientation Bill that recently failed city council.

That's a good example. Why wasn't there outcry in our city? And why did city council NOT like the bill? Do you (not directly you cityimrov, anyone) think that city council are malicious? Or do you think they really feel they're doing what's best for the city?

I think there was a great deal of outcry over this issue.  Why the city council did not approve it goes directly to "personal" religious beliefs of some on council being imposed on an entire community and fear on the part of other council members that their conservative friends might not agree with them or more importantly they may lose votes.  In the case of the Black Dems and our Mayor who refused to take a position, it also comes down to religious beliefs.  It is no secret that many conservative/evangelical teachings say that homosexuality is a sin.  In the case of Jacksonville religious beliefs on certain issues like homosexuality cause folks that we would like to believe are progressive to hold stubbornly to old religious views in order to keep the support of their pastors and church communities in the finance of campaigns and the voting booth.  It really has nothing to do with being good or bad for Jacksonville and everything to do with personal views.

[Debbie Thompson]

Thank you for the reminder, Tacachale.  We do have a lot going for us, don't we?

[simonsays]

I have no doubt that there is a special kind of friction or drag that slows down our city's progress that does not exist elsewhere. My half-formed theory is that it's at least in part due to the fact that we, the folks who live here, let others "get away with stuff".

Abuses of political trust, business ethics, and basic community responsibility exist everywhere, but in Jacksonville, it seems to me that we are happy for them to be explained away with "it's just business' or "that's politics for you", or "it's nothing personal". Letting people get away with stuff creates a permissive environment for unhelpful attitudes and naked self-interest.

This is partly to do with the size of the media market and the economic realities of resourcing the fourth estate, which would traditionally be able to hold more abusers to account. It's also, perhaps, attitudinal - an old-fashioned acquiescence to the people who are perceived to be calling the shots.

Hat tip to MJ and its community, of course. The stand out exception.

[fsujax]

Good post Tacachale. I must admit sometimes I get negative about the city, but it is always nice to be reminded of the good things!

[jerry cornwell]

I have no doubt that there is a special kind of friction or drag that slows down our city's progress that does not exist elsewhere. My half-formed theory is that it's at least in part due to the fact that we, the folks who live here, let others "get away with stuff".

Abuses of political trust, business ethics, and basic community responsibility exist everywhere, but in Jacksonville, it seems to me that we are happy for them to be explained away with "it's just business' or "that's politics for you", or "it's nothing personal". Letting people get away with stuff creates a permissive environment for unhelpful attitudes and naked self-interest.

This is partly to do with the size of the media market and the economic realities of resourcing the fourth estate, which would traditionally be able to hold more abusers to account. It's also, perhaps, attitudinal - an old-fashioned acquiescence to the people who are perceived to be calling the shots.

Hat tip to MJ and its community, of course. The stand out exception.

The 2011 election of Alvin Brown leads evidence that, while all your points are accurate to Jacksonvilles past, we are on the way to change from that very past.
His election marks some considerable points on their own. While African Americans make up 24% of the citys population, a majority of white voters he needed to win, supported and elected him.
Also, he defeated the Tea Party candidate.
Despite setbacks in progressive terms like the failure of the Sexual Orientation Bill, the change his administration has brought or has occurred in his time as Mayor is great and may well be unprecedented.

[Coolyfett]

I was reading the comments from this article

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-02-21/story/monster-jam-means-monster-traffic-downtown-many-events-compete-roads?cid=hp-mostcommented

and I saw this comment


Have any of you guys have kids (boys 10 and under) and taken them to one of these? Its a heck of a good time, especially for them, who are still too young to have preconceived notions about these events. Just take your boy out to this and then watch him play with his toy trucks for days afterwards.

And relax, not everything here has to involve wine and looking at crappy art.

That was a response to comments....I love Jacksonville I need to buy me a Monster Truck or maybe and RC one.

[cityimrov]

Here's my take on why Jacksonville is the way it is:

Jacksonville is a burgeoning brewing destination because we're blessed with so many innovative and knowledgeable business owners in the field and a local culture that enthusiastically supports them, facilitating enviable growth in the industry and five new production breweries in as many years.

Jacksonville is a logistics hub because of its terrific location and a local leadership tradition that works with, rather than against, the business community and state and federal authorities to improve our airport, seaport, military bases, and highways.

Jacksonville is home to the state's most dynamic and up-and-coming public university because forward-thinking leadership has decided to focus on excelling in the things it does best rather than imitating the system's status quo.

Jacksonville is home to the state's newest, and easily coolest, arts district because local entrepreneurs identified the obvious demand for such a space and invested in making it an explosive success.

Jacksonville has the largest municipal park system in the country because past leadership saw the opportunity and took advantage of the city government's expansive purview to purchase green land that can never be developed.

Jacksonville has the best beaches of any city in the Southeast due one one hand to divine providence, and on the other to its citizens and leaders recognizing it as grand public space open and accessible to everyone, rather than a backdrop for postcards or the balconies of highrise condos.

What's amazing is that Jacksonville has done all these things in spite of a crippling inferiority complex and the presence of many citizens who do nothing but tear the city down, literally or figuratively. Fortunately, there are an increasing number of people who like what they see and want more of it, and are willing to do what it takes to get it.

Two problems.

First, it's not enough.  Even the worst town in the country has a long list of positives. 

Second, ever been to a typical city meeting?  The minute someone talks negative about the city is the minute everyone start talking about how great the city is.  This is basically codeword for "we don't need to change anything because here is how awesome we are".  The biggest example of this was the Mayoral Economic Summit where everyone talked about how great our downtown was.

[carpnter]

Two problems.

First, it's not enough.  Even the worst town in the country has a long list of positives. 

Second, ever been to a typical city meeting?  The minute someone talks negative about the city is the minute everyone start talking about how great the city is.  This is basically codeword for "we don't need to change anything because here is how awesome we are".  The biggest example of this was the Mayoral Economic Summit where everyone talked about how great our downtown was.

Talking negative about something is quite often going to get a response like that, instead of being negative people should instead suggest ways to improve or solve what they believe the problem is.  People respond much better when presented with ideas to improve something instead of just getting told it sucks. 

[Tacachale]

^+1. The issue is that due to crippling insecurity, even ostensibly neutral questions like "Why is Jacksonville the way it is?" beg an answer along the lines of "here's why everything sucks so much around here." Perpetual whinging doesn't do anything but feed further insecurity.

[jerry cornwell]

I was reading the comments from this article

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-02-21/story/monster-jam-means-monster-traffic-downtown-many-events-compete-roads?cid=hp-mostcommented

and I saw this comment


Have any of you guys have kids (boys 10 and under) and taken them to one of these? Its a heck of a good time, especially for them, who are still too young to have preconceived notions about these events. Just take your boy out to this and then watch him play with his toy trucks for days afterwards.

And relax, not everything here has to involve wine and looking at crappy art.

That was a response to comments....I love Jacksonville I need to buy me a Monster Truck or maybe and RC one.

I'm actually flattered that he made the concession to wine and "bad" art!
We're definitely on the right track!
(no pun intended)

[cityimrov]

Talking negative about something is quite often going to get a response like that, instead of being negative people should instead suggest ways to improve or solve what they believe the problem is.  People respond much better when presented with ideas to improve something instead of just getting told it sucks.

Don't you think that could be the reason why Jacksonville is doing so badly compared to it's former peers?   

Atlanta had a tremendous amount of criticisms.  They got fed up with it.  They did something about it instead of pretending it didn't exist.  They also had an Olympics.

[Cheshire Cat]

Talking negative about something is quite often going to get a response like that, instead of being negative people should instead suggest ways to improve or solve what they believe the problem is.  People respond much better when presented with ideas to improve something instead of just getting told it sucks.

Don't you think that could be the reason why Jacksonville is doing so badly compared to it's former peers?   

Atlanta had a tremendous amount of criticisms.  They got fed up with it.  They did something about it instead of pretending it didn't exist.  They also had an Olympics.

You are not the first one to express this sentiment.  When I hear it though I immediately wonder who chose the cities that are our "peers"?  The fact is that Jacksonville is a unique, consolidated community that has not yet found a way to embrace its diverse roots, capitalize on it's strengths and become something different and apart from any other community.   

As far as Atlanta is concerned, I believe to use them as an example you might first need to say what it was they saw about themselves that needed change and then how they changed the status quo.  Atlanta is nice, has a lot to offer, but is certainly not perfect and is not representative of our community, it's location nor does it compare in size or come near to having our diverse ecology not to mention our beaches.  Remember too that the sprawl of Atlanta has created some very serious transportation and ecological problems not the least of which is a seriously compromised water table.

[jerry cornwell]

Talking negative about something is quite often going to get a response like that, instead of being negative people should instead suggest ways to improve or solve what they believe the problem is.  People respond much better when presented with ideas to improve something instead of just getting told it sucks.

Don't you think that could be the reason why Jacksonville is doing so badly compared to it's former peers?   

Atlanta had a tremendous amount of criticisms.  They got fed up with it.  They did something about it instead of pretending it didn't exist.  They also had an Olympics.

You are not the first one to express this sentiment.  When I hear it though I immediately wonder who chose the cities that are our "peers"?  The fact is that Jacksonville is a unique, consolidated community that has not yet found a way to embrace its diverse roots, capitalize on it's strengths and become something different and apart from any other community.   

As far as Atlanta is concerned, I believe to use them as an example you might first need to say what it was they saw about themselves that needed change and then how they changed the status quo.  Atlanta is nice, has a lot to offer, but is certainly not perfect and is not representative of our community, it's location nor does it compare in size or come near to having our diverse ecology not to mention our beaches.  Remember too that the sprawl of Atlanta has created some very serious transportation and ecological problems not the least of which is a seriously compromised water table.

Very true