The $100 Million Jacksonville Jaguars Scoreboards

[TheCat]

Do you mean paying for sports and musical education from bed taxes?

[TheCat]

I'm still not sure how I feel about the scoreboards. I'm trying to be open minded on it and look at it from the perspective of those individuals who love the idea. My knee jerk reaction; however, is probably very apparent.

My greater issue with the scoreboards (and the stadium) is the seeming blind acceptance of the money spent on the facilities. Someone on this forum posed a valid question when he asked "is there a price point when even the most avid football/Jaguars fan will say 'that's too much' ?"

Man, if I didn't understand that football is a religion before the scoreboard conversation...I certainly do now.

In response to your question. I don't think the comparison really holds.

I can respond to your statement,  "I mean the idea of people paying very large amounts of money for things that they won't be using."

There is an idea that when governments pay for something it should be a public good and very accessible. For instance, Duval County is required to educate every child...not just those who pay tuition.

We probably should take issue if art/music education was funded to subsidize a public facility, that was leased (at a very low rate) to a private enterprise, which required expensive tuition, for a relatively few children.

I would also take issue if we spent hundreds of millions on public safety but the only way to have access to a private police force was to subscribe to their service.

[strider]

Has it been mentioned that the city is also responsible for the 1.2 million in yearly maintenance of the scoreboards? I was told last night that the council just realized than tidbit.

I think the issue here is that we as a city seem to do things because the returns tomorrow seem to be more than worth it. But we do those things without all the information and often bad information and so the decisions are not always based in reality. Those things are also often done by or administered by the same caliber of folks who gave us the determination from the Feds recently that we just do not have the capacity to do things right. The result then is those returns seldom come our way.

[edjax]

I think if the City Council would not realize they would be responsible for the maintenance of a city owned asset and are now acting as if they did not know is more of an indictment of the city council members than anything.  Although I could see why they would think that as we know the city pretty much does not maintain anything belonging to the city. 

[TheCat]

Has it been mentioned that the city is also responsible for the 1.2 million in yearly maintenance of the scoreboards? I was told last night that the council just realized than tidbit.

I think the issue here is that we as a city seem to do things because the returns tomorrow seem to be more than worth it. But we do those things without all the information and often bad information and so the decisions are not always based in reality. Those things are also often done by or administered by the same caliber of folks who gave us the determination from the Feds recently that we just do not have the capacity to do things right. The result then is those returns seldom come our way.

Wow, 1.2 million to maintain. We'll be looking at the electric bill at the end of the season too. It looks like it might add an extra $50k per month to the bottom line.

edjax, I think Jacksonville has a pretty good record of not appropriating funds for maintenance. 

[edjax]

Yea. Kinda my point. They never do it so now acting like they were caught my surprise is pretty weak. 

[bill]

and the 1.5 mm they have to pay to put up temporary seating for FL/GA

[Redbaron616]

Sports teams have passed on the lie that they are such an asset to a city that the city should pay for anything and everything. Sports teams do nothing for a city. Exactly what are the Detroit teams doing for Detroit? It is just taking from the little guy wanting a hotel room and soaking him to fund the billionaires. No surprise there. You wanted a team, Jacksonville, now you get to pay the piper.

[tufsu1]

the boards were on last night and tonight...but why care...after all COJ pays the utility bill for the stadium

[jaxjaguar]

When you guys are finished with nitpicking every little detail of this let me know. It's tiring to constantly hear people complaining even when the city does something in good faith. I mean Jesus, why don't we just tear down Regan Field, the arena, and the Main library while we're at it. It's not like more than 1% of Jacksonvilles population uses them anyways so why bother funding them? While we're at it we should shut off friendship fountain after 6pm because it's not like anyone's downtown to see it..

It's called building a freaking city. You have to start somewhere. Everything isn't going to be perfect for everyone. If you know of a city where it is perfect, freaking leave already! The negativity on these boards is getting out of hand. It's one thing to criticize our failures, but to not see anything positive about this is just naive. Be happy that a large amount of people are getting joy out of this and that it's luring big business from other countries, states and cities.

We're slowly putting things together to make this a great city again, but it's been neglected for so long it's going to take time and a lot of money to turn things around. Let's be positive about something for once.   

[TheCat]

When you guys are finished with nitpicking every little detail of this let me know. It's tiring to constantly hear people complaining even when the city does something in good faith. I mean Jesus, why don't we just tear down Regan Field, the arena, and the Main library while we're at it. It's not like more than 1% of Jacksonvilles population uses them anyways so why bother funding them? While we're at it we should shut off friendship fountain after 6pm because it's not like anyone's downtown to see it..

It's called building a freaking city. You have to start somewhere. Everything isn't going to be perfect for everyone. If you know of a city where it is perfect, freaking leave already! The negativity on these boards is getting out of hand. It's one thing to criticize our failures, but to not see anything positive about this is just naive. Be happy that a large amount of people are getting joy out of this and that it's luring big business from other countries, states and cities.

We're slowly putting things together to make this a great city again, but it's been neglected for so long it's going to take time and a lot of money to turn things around. Let's be positive about something for once.

What nitpicking?

So, there are 6 home games with an average attendance of 60k people. 6 x 60 = 360,000 visitors.

Jacksonville Libraries had more than 3.9 million visitors last year.

[copperfiend]

There are more than 6 home games.

[TheCat]

You're right. 8 games. So, 60,000 x 8 = 480,000 visitors.

[ProjectMaximus]

I am personally for the scoreboards. I would have voted yes had there been a referendum.

But that said, I think that, especially on these boards, some of us pro-scoreboard folk sound a bit callous and very cavalier. This was a huge expenditure and it's fair to consider the thoughts and opinions of others who have every right to care about how our collective resources are deployed. Anyway, to you anti-scoreboarders, I sympathize and welcome the feedback. I wish the people on my side of the fence were more receptive to listening.

And just fyi, my main reason for being pro-scoreboard is that I believe the benefits in the long run are worth the risk. Maybe they help lure an NCAAF Championship and Super Bowl, or maybe they don't. But to me it is worth trying for, and at the least there will be smaller and less visible impact. I also put a lot of faith in the benefits of having the Jaguars, and I believe the scoreboards help solidify the franchise in the city for many years to come.

[ProjectMaximus]

When you guys are finished with nitpicking every little detail of this let me know. It's tiring to constantly hear people complaining even when the city does something in good faith. I mean Jesus, why don't we just tear down Regan Field, the arena, and the Main library while we're at it. It's not like more than 1% of Jacksonvilles population uses them anyways so why bother funding them? While we're at it we should shut off friendship fountain after 6pm because it's not like anyone's downtown to see it..

It's called building a freaking city. You have to start somewhere. Everything isn't going to be perfect for everyone. If you know of a city where it is perfect, freaking leave already! The negativity on these boards is getting out of hand. It's one thing to criticize our failures, but to not see anything positive about this is just naive. Be happy that a large amount of people are getting joy out of this and that it's luring big business from other countries, states and cities.

We're slowly putting things together to make this a great city again, but it's been neglected for so long it's going to take time and a lot of money to turn things around. Let's be positive about something for once.

This is totally uncalled for. They could also tell you to leave and take the Jaguars with you. It's strange that you want someone to leave just because they don't agree with spending $43 million dollars on a non-necessity. If all those people left as you suggest, we probably wouldn't even be able to afford the scoreboards. We can barely afford them as it is.

And of course nobody is suggesting tearing down Everbank Field, so why should you suggest it for the arena, library, etc? Not comparable.