Councilman Joost: Why I Oppose Extending the Gas Tax

[spuwho]

I would say less relevant is a little extreme.

He was only against extension in its current form. Not against taxes period.

Kudos for having the guts to vote no when everyone wanted status quo.

Me thinks Brown will let it pass by ignoring it. He knows a veto can get out voted at this point.

It's too bad the council was more worried about expedience than the future.

However since we treat the mobility plan with such disregard, there is nothing a future council couldn't do to unwind this and start over.

Actually it is less extreme than what some of Joost's colleagues where saying privately after the vote. 

Let's just say, if you spend two months on the stump, write editorials and do several television and radio appearances and persuade no one who has a vote to follow you, then yes your relevancy will be questioned.

In politics you need political capital. You can be absolutely right about what you want, but without any capital to offer, trade or solicit, the best of ideas can go for naught.

It is what makes politics the most maddening part of public service. The best ideas aren't always the ones that are done.

If Joost only made his case in the press and made no effort to solicit his peers to sell his approach, then he learned a hard lesson.

[Tacachale]

I would say less relevant is a little extreme.

He was only against extension in its current form. Not against taxes period.

Kudos for having the guts to vote no when everyone wanted status quo.

Me thinks Brown will let it pass by ignoring it. He knows a veto can get out voted at this point.

It's too bad the council was more worried about expedience than the future.

However since we treat the mobility plan with such disregard, there is nothing a future council couldn't do to unwind this and start over.

Actually it is less extreme than what some of Joost's colleagues where saying privately after the vote. 

Let's just say, if you spend two months on the stump, write editorials and do several television and radio appearances and persuade no one who has a vote to follow you, then yes your relevancy will be questioned.

Ok, so who are these colleagues and what were they saying?

[Badfinger]

I would say less relevant is a little extreme.

He was only against extension in its current form. Not against taxes period.

Kudos for having the guts to vote no when everyone wanted status quo.

Me thinks Brown will let it pass by ignoring it. He knows a veto can get out voted at this point.

It's too bad the council was more worried about expedience than the future.

However since we treat the mobility plan with such disregard, there is nothing a future council couldn't do to unwind this and start over.

Actually it is less extreme than what some of Joost's colleagues where saying privately after the vote. 

Let's just say, if you spend two months on the stump, write editorials and do several television and radio appearances and persuade no one who has a vote to follow you, then yes your relevancy will be questioned.

Ok, so who are these colleagues and what were they saying?

The word "privatly" should lead you to understand that names would not be shared.  However, terms like "Don Quiotesque", "natural ass whipping" and "ulterier motives" were heard after the meeting.

[thelakelander]

Mayor Alvin Brown declines to veto gas-tax extension, lets it becomes law without signature

Mayor Alvin Brown has said for some time he was against a bill to extend the 6-cent gas tax another 20 years.
But instead of vetoing the legislation, he's letting it become law without his signature.

City Council passed the measure May 27, its last full council meeting. Like all council-passed measures, it went to Brown for approval. Brown returned it Friday to the city's Legislative Services Department without his signature.

full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=543156

[Tacachale]

Leadership, Alvin Brown style.

[tufsu1]

still allows the Mayor to claim "he didn't raise taxes"....of course, imo, extending an existing tax is not raising taxes.

[urbanlibertarian]

still allows the Mayor to claim "he didn't raise taxes"....of course, imo, extending an existing tax is not raising taxes.

Well, it is a technicality, but if a tax has a built-in sunset then extending it is a tax increase.

[Tacachale]

It's not an "increase" if no one's paying more that what they currently are. That's the definition of "increase."

[urbanlibertarian]

Like I said, it's a technicality, BUT if the council had done nothing the local option gas tax would have gone to zero, so by their action it will increase back to $0.06.  Reasonable people can disagree.

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

What is up with our weak Mayor?  If he was really against it he would veto it and let the council override his veto.

How did Jacksonville become such a place where a very weak man is in charge?

Does he think that his "leadership" will have the crowds and big money donors give him a Congressional seat when it becomes available?   Does he think that within five years he can use his "leadership" to propel him into the Governor's Mansion?  Does he think that corporate American wants/needs an ex-Mayor who's wishy/washy working for them when he leaves City Hall?

He may just go down in history as the most uninspiring, weakest man to be Mayor of Jacksonville which is quite an accomplishment.