Live Blogging: City Council Mobility Fee Moratorium & Metropolitan Park

[strider]

^Yes, there was no organization.  Doug wasn't an officially anointed leader or on anyone's payroll to fight this issue full time. Doug was just one of many citizens in opposition.  The fact that some of us made Doug a defacto leader (without him even knowing) is a problem within itself.  We need thousands of more Dougs, IMO.

We can also see the positive results of what a better organized group can do as well.  Although, they still got screwed unintentionally (because no one really understood how the actual bike/ped numbers were budgeted within the mobility plan), they were thrown a bone by the council for showing up in large numbers and advocating for their particular issue.

Just to make it clear, Doug was, regardless of what anyone says, the de facto leader - City council knew it, the opposition knew it  and so did Doug.  Saying otherwise is doing a disservice to us all.  However, the real fault needs to be put on this site.  The leadership needed to better organize the potential political might being made available to them and they needed to use the information being fed to them regardless of personalities.  This fight could have been a bit different if they had.  Or not.  We can't make that determination now but it would have been a lot nicer to have found out for sure.   

The bike thing was nothing but a dog and pony show.  Even the wording says that all they got was what they had already, nothing more and, hey, maybe less.  So what bone did they get thrown again?  A bone with no substance is still, well, nothing.

So now, we need to find out if Metrojacksonville and it's leaders really wants to do the hard and risky work of meeting it's potential.  I know a couple of them are, is that enough and will the rest of us stand by them?  Because they can't do it without us and that means we need to be taking the same risks they are.

[dougskiles]

It seems that I am in the minority in this opinion, however, I am very optimistic about the future success of the Mobility Plan and it's supporting Fee.  By keeping even a small percentage alive, we have protected the system as a growth management tool.  Yes, I acknowledge that there is much work ahead to get the system operating at the level we hoped it would when it was first enacted.

It is also important to remember that we will need other funding sources for the infrastructure systems we hope to enjoy in our city.  The gas tax is going to be a hot issue for the next council year and we need to make sure we are engaged in that debate.  The Community Redevelopment Plan for downtown will also be a source of revenue.  And there are other options floating around that need to be explored.

I agree that it is time to take a more organized approach to the advocacy of these issues.  And I certainly look forward to be part of it.

[PeeJayEss]

Just to make it clear, Doug was, regardless of what anyone says, the de facto leader - City council knew it, the opposition knew it  and so did Doug.  Saying otherwise is doing a disservice to us all.  However, the real fault needs to be put on this site.  The leadership needed to better organize the potential political might being made available to them and they needed to use the information being fed to them regardless of personalities.  This fight could have been a bit different if they had.  Or not.  We can't make that determination now but it would have been a lot nicer to have found out for sure.   

The bike thing was nothing but a dog and pony show.  Even the wording says that all they got was what they had already, nothing more and, hey, maybe less.  So what bone did they get thrown again?  A bone with no substance is still, well, nothing.

So now, we need to find out if Metrojacksonville and it's leaders really wants to do the hard and risky work of meeting it's potential.  I know a couple of them are, is that enough and will the rest of us stand by them?  Because they can't do it without us and that means we need to be taking the same risks they are.

Why not just personally start this advocacy group that you are beseeching the leaders of metrojacksonville to start? This site is a news source and a public forum. While there may be a strong group of supporters of such a group on the forum, that doesn't mean it needs to be (or should be, frankly) run by the site. Now, the guys that run the site are major advocates and Jax movers and shakers, so they'd certainly be very good to have involved with the group, but I think having it as an arm of the site would be a bad idea. So there's nothing stopping you from starting it.

And this group already kind of exists: Transform Jax. Some of the guys that founded it were very important on this issue, but it seems the group could be better leveraged to tackle something like this, no? Or is this type of thing not within the mission you guys had planned? It seems with Field, Wiatt, Ennis as founders and Doug as "affiliated," it might have been more impactful with you guys all repping TransformJax instead of yourself alone. If nothing else, it is an organization for everyone else to rally around, and a place where supportive people can put their money. And it gets the TransformJax brand out. Based on the material on your website, at least, it seems that this is right up your alley.

[dougskiles]

Although I think that its harder for Transform Jax to take on fights like this as all of the principals have to do business in the very fields that generate this kind of issue.

This is a good point and a catch22 situation that clearly I am in too.  The people who often are the most knowledgeable about an issue also have much to lose personally by getting too involved.  But, these same people also garner the most attention from city leaders and the media when issues arise.

[Bridges]

Although I think that its harder for Transform Jax to take on fights like this as all of the principals have to do business in the very fields that generate this kind of issue.

However, I think its time that we organized a meeting and maybe even formed a committee, and I know that several of us, including Doug and obviously Strider would like to see something a little more organized.

So why not move forward on it?

I am fully on board with trying to organize something.  Its frustrating sitting back and watching as lobbyist emerge from the council chambers seconds before a meeting on their bill.  A meeting would be great to kind of generate ideas for what even the group would be.  Right now we just have a lot of passionate people looking to make a change. 

Our city and quality of life are too important to leave up to city council. 

[sheclown]

Yes

[tufsu1]

I get the impression that the council thinks that the pro urban crowd is a vocal, decently organized, MINORITY, that will make a lot of 'noise', but it's bark is worse than it's bite.

that's probably still a fair assumption in a city of 800,000 people spread over 800 square miles

why do you pretend to be an urbanist?

I don't pretend....but unlike you, I'm also a realist on how others in our region live

[tufsu1]

And this group already kind of exists: Transform Jax. Some of the guys that founded it were very important on this issue, but it seems the group could be better leveraged to tackle something like this, no? Or is this type of thing not within the mission you guys had planned? It seems with Field, Wiatt, Ennis as founders and Doug as "affiliated," it might have been more impactful with you guys all repping TransformJax instead of yourself alone. If nothing else, it is an organization for everyone else to rally around, and a place where supportive people can put their money. And it gets the TransformJax brand out. Based on the material on your website, at least, it seems that this is right up your alley.

TransForm Jax members were involved in the discussions....and many times we represented ourselves as the group.

That said Stephen also makes a valid point that our every day careers sometimes get in the way of our advocacy.  It is a challenge that we have been dealing with from the beginning and one we still wrestle with.  I think several of us want to take TransForm Jax to "the next level", but we haven't mapped out what that is or how to get there yet.

[Bridges]

I get the impression that the council thinks that the pro urban crowd is a vocal, decently organized, MINORITY, that will make a lot of 'noise', but it's bark is worse than it's bite.

that's probably still a fair assumption in a city of 800,000 people spread over 800 square miles

why do you pretend to be an urbanist?

I don't pretend....but unlike you, I'm also a realist on how others in our region live

In a city where roughly 30% of the registered voters turnout for elections, that minority of becomes more powerful.  The Urban core has shown its voting power before.  A small vocal minority can definitely have an impact with those numbers. 

[tufsu1]

well, feel free to ask Lori if she thinks I am an urbanist...and what my thoughts were on the mobility fee issue