Jax's Inferiority Complex

[I-10east]

This town is populated with a bunch of lily livered self haters. In every faucet, there always is this BS 'big brother lil brother' syndrome going on...Everything elsewhere is so damn awesome (frequently said on MJ) and we are not, blah blah blah; We'll guess what, I've been to a lot of places within the US, and everything else isn't all rosy elsewhere. DON'T even come at me with that 'I'm saying that Jax is perfect' bullsh*t, because that's old and tired, I'm over that trolling...

No matter what the topic is (you name it) all adversity is only unique to Jax (as people here think). There was this attack with a man cowardly hitting woman at the SJTC, and the usual comments came out on FB..."Jax at it's finest" "Great upscale shopping at the SJTC" and the typical mindless bullsh*t that locals say here... People here have no guts; They love attacking themselves even if BS like this frequently happens all over the country...

https://www.facebook.com/wjxt4vicmicolucci/videos/1039903789376390/

[thelakelander]

No matter the side's perspective, Jax needs to do a better job of selling itself.....if the goal is to compete other regions for economic development opportunities, retain workforce talent, millennials, be successful at downtown development, etc. If Jax doesn't really care what its image is to the outside world, then don't. At the end of the day, it's really that simple.

[spuwho]

Perhaps we should look at what we dont rank on.

Those are the things we must like because we dont talk about it.

[RattlerGator]

No matter the side's perspective, Jax needs to do a better job of selling itself.....if the goal is to compete other regions for economic development opportunities, retain workforce talent, millennials, be successful at downtown development, etc. If Jax doesn't really care what its image is to the outside world, then don't. At the end of the day, it's really that simple.

No, it isn't. Honestly, Ennis, there's an absolutely weird vibe (unacknowledged, it seems to me) where many folks downstate and out-of-state (and far more than I care to admit locally) seemingly want us to apologize for being Southern. That's never going to happen, hopefully. Just as mediocrity is in the eye of the beholder, some of the worst elements of that "apologize for being southern" attitude appear on this board regularly, IMHO. It's downright bizarre to me. The ignorant (and there's really no other way to phrase it) navel-gazing, the criticisms that lack any context whatsoever, the "I know better than you hicks" hubris -- DAYYYYUUUUUMMMMMM !!!

I'm doubtful Jacksonville needs to do a better job of selling itself at all. That's a hard-wired presumption that rarely gets questioned here. I'm questioning it. We sit at a unique crossroad. People who will praise things Southern have a harder time doing so when encountering it in Jacksonville. People who are quite accepting of things Florida have a harder time accepting the same in Jacksonville. That is not so much about us, that's about them, and they're just going to have to catch up with this hybrid city (to me, it's *that* simple, really) -- Very Florida, Very Southern.

We're already the youngest urban city in this state -- we don't have a problem with millenials, we just don't quite have the attitudinal mix that some on this board would prefer. The praises of Tampa, Orlando and Miami are outlined on this board with little apparent comprehension that their primary "leg up" on us, when you really get down to brass tacks, is a tourists' winter-weather-preference that the city can do nothing about. There are many, many negatives in each of those locations that easily match the negatives of Jacksonville. Florida cities, not just Jacksonville, come under heavy criticism out-of-state and much of it is as ignorant as this often unproductive local criticism of Jax. Some of this urban core stuff, so clearly developed for a non-Florida or non-Southern climate & reality -- man, come on Ennis. Come on, man.

We have glaring issues in Jacksonville, no doubt about it. We absolutely have to figure out a way to move forward downtown but it sure seems like that is happening. At least it does to me. Faster, please -- I agree. Shad Kahn, Peter Rummel et al., Godspeed to them and a host of others. But from Brunswick and the Golden Isles down to Palm Coast, the region really seems to be coming of age to me.

Anyway, I'm listening to some Donny Hathaway and this post has taken way too much of my evening musical enjoyment. Y'all do a good job of recognizing what is special about this city and region, and what could be even more special. I don't mean to say that you don't. The attitudinal mix of constructive criticism just seems -- seems -- to be a bit off too often.

[Edward]

I have been intrigued with this idea of a local inferiority complex for sometime. I moved to Jax as a teenage Navy brat in 1975 and have lived here pretty much ever since. To me Jax includes the surrounding counties though they each have their own personality. Like many "self-haters", I too see many things that can be improved. But I don't think I "hate" Jax/NEFL when I notice too much trash/too many Confederate flags/too many tacky snipe signs/too many panhandlers at intersections/etc. I just want my hometown to be its best. If someone doesn't point out what needs to be improved and do something about it, nothing changes.

I have heard directly from quite a few people who moved to Jacksonville from other parts of the country about how much they love the region. They brag about friendliness, great weather, many entertainment options, beautiful natural resources, great public schools (regionally), and so forth. One in particular, a senior doctor at Mayo, said he and his wife chose NEFL over all the many places they lived around the world during his Navy career. Yes, we may look around and find our hometown lacking in certain areas, but I can confidently say I have no desire to live anywhere else. And it doesn't bother me some people can only complain about Jax. I wish them well in their search for a place they can be happy and call it home. For me - I'm already there. Peace.

[Adam White]

This town is populated with a bunch of lily livered self haters. In every faucet, there always is this BS 'big brother lil brother' syndrome going on...Everything elsewhere is so damn awesome (frequently said on MJ) and we are not, blah blah blah; We'll guess what, I've been to a lot of places within the US, and everything else isn't all rosy elsewhere. DON'T even come at me with that 'I'm saying that Jax is perfect' bullsh*t, because that's old and tired, I'm over that trolling...

No matter what the topic is (you name it) all adversity is only unique to Jax (as people here think). There was this attack with a man cowardly hitting woman at the SJTC, and the usual comments came out on FB..."Jax at it's finest" "Great upscale shopping at the SJTC" and the typical mindless bullsh*t that locals say here... People here have no guts; They love attacking themselves even if BS like this frequently happens all over the country...

https://www.facebook.com/wjxt4vicmicolucci/videos/1039903789376390/

I think Jacksonville's great. But I also appreciate that it has problems - it was better (in my opinion) when I moved there in 1979 than it was when I moved away in 2007. I think there are challenges to overcome. But I also think it has its own charms - plus, it will always be my home.

I just want Jacksonville to be successful.

[thelakelander]

No matter the side's perspective, Jax needs to do a better job of selling itself.....if the goal is to compete other regions for economic development opportunities, retain workforce talent, millennials, be successful at downtown development, etc. If Jax doesn't really care what its image is to the outside world, then don't. At the end of the day, it's really that simple.

No, it isn't. Honestly, Ennis, there's an absolutely weird vibe (unacknowledged, it seems to me) where many folks downstate and out-of-state (and far more than I care to admit locally) seemingly want us to apologize for being Southern. That's never going to happen, hopefully. Just as mediocrity is in the eye of the beholder, some of the worst elements of that "apologize for being southern" attitude appear on this board regularly, IMHO. It's downright bizarre to me. The ignorant (and there's really no other way to phrase it) navel-gazing, the criticisms that lack any context whatsoever, the "I know better than you hicks" hubris -- DAYYYYUUUUUMMMMMM !!!

I'm doubtful Jacksonville needs to do a better job of selling itself at all. That's a hard-wired presumption that rarely gets questioned here. I'm questioning it. We sit at a unique crossroad. People who will praise things Southern have a harder time doing so when encountering it in Jacksonville. People who are quite accepting of things Florida have a harder time accepting the same in Jacksonville. That is not so much about us, that's about them, and they're just going to have to catch up with this hybrid city (to me, it's *that* simple, really) -- Very Florida, Very Southern.

We're already the youngest urban city in this state -- we don't have a problem with millenials, we just don't quite have the attitudinal mix that some on this board would prefer. The praises of Tampa, Orlando and Miami are outlined on this board with little apparent comprehension that their primary "leg up" on us, when you really get down to brass tacks, is a tourists' winter-weather-preference that the city can do nothing about. There are many, many negatives in each of those locations that easily match the negatives of Jacksonville. Florida cities, not just Jacksonville, come under heavy criticism out-of-state and much of it is as ignorant as this often unproductive local criticism of Jax. Some of this urban core stuff, so clearly developed for a non-Florida or non-Southern climate & reality -- man, come on Ennis. Come on, man.

We have glaring issues in Jacksonville, no doubt about it. We absolutely have to figure out a way to move forward downtown but it sure seems like that is happening. At least it does to me. Faster, please -- I agree. Shad Kahn, Peter Rummel et al., Godspeed to them and a host of others. But from Brunswick and the Golden Isles down to Palm Coast, the region really seems to be coming of age to me.

Anyway, I'm listening to some Donny Hathaway and this post has taken way too much of my evening musical enjoyment. Y'all do a good job of recognizing what is special about this city and region, and what could be even more special. I don't mean to say that you don't. The attitudinal mix of constructive criticism just seems -- seems -- to be a bit off too often.

Wow. How did you equate all of this from my simple statement about better promoting itself for economic development opportunities? Whatever, you want your image to be, it should be promoted.

[vicupstate]

I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY with RattlerGator that the city is a hybrid of Florida and the Deep South, and that should be embraced. It is your niche, but you don't develop/exploit it at all.

That said, Stephen makes a very salient point about Southern vs. Neo-Confederate.   

I have heard directly from quite a few people who moved to Jacksonville from other parts of the country about how much they love the region. They brag about friendliness, great weather, many entertainment options, beautiful natural resources, great public schools (regionally), and so forth.

THIS is a BIG part of the inferiority complex problem.  Locals are very quick to see the negatives but seem oblivious to the positives. To them the positives are just a 'given' that can be found anywhere, but that is NOT true.

I think having a term limited Mayor is a big problem that keeps the city from reaching it's potential. That, plus the Mayors of recent years have been mediocre at best, has kept the city from progressing as it should have.   

[Tacachale]

I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY with RattlerGator that the city is a hybrid of Florida and the Deep South, and that should be embraced. It is your niche, but you don't develop/exploit it at all.

That said, Stephen makes a very salient point about Southern vs. Neo-Confederate.   

I have heard directly from quite a few people who moved to Jacksonville from other parts of the country about how much they love the region. They brag about friendliness, great weather, many entertainment options, beautiful natural resources, great public schools (regionally), and so forth.

THIS is a BIG part of the inferiority complex problem.  Locals are very quick to see the negatives but seem oblivious to the positives. To them the positives are just a 'given' that can be found anywhere, but that is NOT true.

I think having a term limited Mayor is a big problem that keeps the city from reaching it's potential. That, plus the Mayors of recent years have been mediocre at best, has kept the city from progressing as it should have.

Agree!

[Sentient]

If Jax has an inferiority complex, it's because it is inferior.  If anything I would say the opposite though - the city is rife with Boosterism and busily slapping paint on pigs and telling you to like it.

Over the last 15 years - Jax chased the lowest $ jobs (Back office) while other Southern states built manufacturing plants and tech centers...  Sat on or under invested in unreal downtown waterfront space (landing and shipyards) and actively frustrated organic development in its historic neighborhoods.  Hitched its wagon to the NFL and SuperBowl and then spectacularly undershot the mark...

So much of the hype of 2000 is unrealized.  And there is a reason for it.

[fsquid]

THIS is a BIG part of the inferiority complex problem.  Locals are very quick to see the negatives but seem oblivious to the positives. To them the positives are just a 'given' that can be found anywhere, but that is NOT true.

I've found this in most of the old southern cities.  Memphis, Montgomery, Birmingham, etc.

[Adam White]

If Jax has an inferiority complex, it's because it is inferior.  If anything I would say the opposite though - the city is rife with Boosterism and busily slapping paint on pigs and telling you to like it.

Over the last 15 years - Jax chased the lowest $ jobs (Back office) while other Southern states built manufacturing plants and tech centers...  Sat on or under invested in unreal downtown waterfront space (landing and shipyards) and actively frustrated organic development in its historic neighborhoods.  Hitched its wagon to the NFL and SuperBowl and then spectacularly undershot the mark...

So much of the hype of 2000 is unrealized.  And there is a reason for it.

That old man is totally looking up her skirt.

[Tacachale]

For most of my life I've noticed the inferiority complex and thought it was the single worst thing about living here. There's some blind boosterism, but please, it's not nearly as pervasive as the attitude that we as a community are just, well, "inferior" by whatever measure, and that it's been this way for decades, and that changing the course is just so hard that we may as well not even try. It really is a complex in that it's been internalized by so many people and is so totally out of proportion with the actual strengths and weaknesses of the city.

[Sentient]

[/quote]

That old man is totally looking up her skirt.
[/quote]

Exactly - captures Jax perfectly - he probably went on to vote down all kinds of things based on some superior morality...

[Sentient]

For most of my life I've noticed the inferiority complex and thought it was the single worst thing about living here. There's some blind boosterism, but please, it's not nearly as pervasive as the attitude that we as a community are just, well, "inferior" by whatever measure, and that it's been this way for decades, and that changing the course is just so hard that we may as well not even try. It really is a complex in that it's been internalized by so many people and is so totally out of proportion with the actual strengths and weaknesses of the city.

Well we are probably within five posts of "if you all don't like Jax you can just move!" level introspection.