Rick Mullaney: A History of the Consolidation Movement

[stjr]

By the way, the uncovering of corruption in Jax was mostly led by Channel 4 headed by Bill Grove.  They did real investigative reporting that changed our community forever, not the fake and inconsequential stuff done today.

Last night, Ch. 4 said their "investigative" reporters received "explosive" documents regarding that lady at the beach who falsely said she was kidnapped.  In reality, the documents were merely filings with the court that were public record.  The only thing "explosive" about them was the titillating and voyeuristic insights into a couple's heretofore private life.  Nothing in this story is exclusive, original or substantively impacts the greater community but this is what now passes for "investigative" reporting.  Bill Grove is probably spinning in his grave.

Like most everything else in our world, the standards have certainly fallen.  And TV news wonders why it's in decline.

[mtraininjax]

Last night, Ch. 4 said their "investigative" reporters received "explosive" documents regarding that lady at the beach who falsely said she was kidnapped.

I believe you are discussing the Quinn Gray case? It is sensationalism, plain and simple. They did say the online docs, all 131 pages, are graphic in detail, and advised people, young people not to look at it. But to give Channel 4 credit, they have follwed the Somer Thompson case from beginning to end, and it DOMINATES their newscasts.

With the ET, Extra, Oprah, and Jerry Springer shows, you wonder why some kids brains are mush?

[north miami]

Reply to stephendare;

I know of Rick only casually- no great insight but enough at one dinner table event where I had to make concious effort to bite my tongue.(My father in law,Judge William Durden, the City's first General Counsel under the new Consolodated government has observed I tend to be too harsh on many officials.It is a learned  outlook stemming from native North Miami early childhood experience and later even awarded with City of Jacksonville Mimi & Lee Adams award for prophetic "bravery" at being at odds with officials.)
Indeed,thank you, I was mistaken in the General Counsel mayor spring board thought-the spring board is located in the State attorney's office.

The surrounding county dynamic is representative is a demographic repeated throughout the country.

[Dog Walker]

These posts do bring back memories!  

Bill Groves was the most effective reporter that was ever in this city.  Because Channel 4 was owned by the Washington Post, it was independent from local pressure.  The City of Jacksonville politicians did get all of the auto dealers to pull their ads, but Groves never stopped.  His investigative work laid the groundwork for consolidation.  The newspapers were very careful about what they reported, but did support consolidation when it came along later.

The so-called "investigative" journalism done here now is a complete joke.  We are all treated like mushrooms.

The City of Jacksonville government was unbelievably corrupt. I personally saw briefcases of cash being carried up to Haydon Burns' office by the City Attorney.  Ish Brant was not only corrupt, but he was stupid, racist and poorly educated; totally unqualified to be Superintendent of Schools.  

Wife and I were both part of the strike here in 1968 and because we were very active, we were blacklisted from getting a teaching job in the whole state for some years.  I never taught again and when we moved back to Jax many years later, my wife, who had held top teaching and administrative positions in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, refused to have anything to do with the school system here and stopped teaching as well.

The strike was about pay, working conditions and overall state funding and it got really ugly.  There was a lot of unreported retaliation against the participants and a lot of enmity towards those who stayed on the job for years afterward.  My starting salary as a teacher in 1967 was $4800 per year.  For comparison, my 1967 VW Beetle cost $2400.  Teachers were not allowed to ride motorcycles to school so I had to buy a car.

Our consolidated government isn't perfect, but it is sure a lot better than what we had!  Appointed School Superintendent is better than elected too.

[Ocklawaha]

Ish Brant, damn man, I hadn't thought about him since? Hell, I can't even remember, but did he ever effect our lives. I presume you got in on some of the fun at the tail end of the efforts to fix the mess. So Stephendare, do you have any yarns about school here?

I'd love to hear how this impacted some of our brother and sister Jaxsons, Black, White, or anything other, what was it like in YOUR neighborhood?

It was very hard to understand having lived in Ortega, and Ortega Farms area through elementary, my sisters went to Ortega, and from some reason they started/kept me at JNC Stockton. We always seemed to be getting the newest books, work books, tools, toys, whatever. Only our playground showed any real lack of investment. Seems rather unbalanced doesn't it? I do recall that AC didn't come until long after I left, around 1965.

Schools were disacredited 1964 because the community didn't prioritize education.  People in the 1950's started waring the community of this possibility but business and other community leaders didn't care to listen.  Disacreditation is what it took to finally galvanize the community.  Try getting into a better college from a disacredited school system.  It took years for all the schools, one by one, to be reacredited.

Did you survive it too stjr? Sounds like it.

How to fix schools?  Make every politician put their kids in public school or they lose their vote on education funding.

I think your idea for the current administration would be a good one but, with all the new violence in the schools, keeping kids of high ranking local government officials, out of danger/trouble might be a tall order.  As for any surviving members of that 1960's board, I think we should search the jungles of the Philippine Islands, to see if we could find a couple of Kempeitai hold outs from Imperial Japan. We'll send the big shots to them and then I and some of the other locals might feel vindicated.

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

Thanks steven.........I plan on asking the exact same question tommorow to Mr Mullaney!

[vicupstate]

In August, 1967, the voters of Jacksonville and Duval County decided, with 65 percent of the votes cast, to consolidate the county and the city. Baldwin to the west and Atlantic, Neptune, and Jacksonville Beaches refused, however.

I don't believe this is true. All of them voted to form the consolidated government, but they ALSO voted (it was a separate question) to maintain their respective cities as independent cities within the consolidated goverment.  In affect, residents of the beaches and Baldwin are residents of BOTH their own city AND the consolidated city of Jacksonville.  As such, they vote for the Mayor and City Council of Jacksonville and pay Jacksonville for county services that they receive (such as jail operations for instance).  They also pay taxes to their independent city for services provided by THAT city (which varies among the four).

I will double-check tonight, but I believe the above states it correctly.     

[stjr]

These posts do bring back memories!  

Dog and Ock, thanks for adding your first hand experiences.  I was in grade school during the strike.  I recall all the "best" teachers participated in it.  Many parents didn't get it and it divided them greatly.

My parents were big fighters for better education and also thought very little of Ish Brant.  I remember his visits to my elementary school.  They always made a big deal that the "superintendent" was coming.

Our elementary school got A/C, but only after the parents paid for it through fund raisers!  Imagine that happening today.  That's how bad it was.

My cousin graduated high school in 1964 and had to jump through a lot of extra hoops to be admitted to an Ivy League school from Jax.  Many weren't as fortunate.

...Appointed School Superintendent is better than elected too.

Wonder how this concept would apply to sheriff as recently suggested by a consultant.  If it worked for schools...then...

The newspapers were very careful about what they reported, but did support consolidation when it came along later.

How many MJ readers know that, at the time, the Times Union was owned by Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (now CSX)?  That also had a lot to do with how they covered the community.  The paper was far more "establishment" than its now.  When RR's competed for passenger service, RR schedules were carried prominently in the T-U along with plane crashes.  RR wrecks were back page if they were covered at all.  Famously, once a wreck was so bad they couldn't ignore putting a photo in the paper, but they painted out ACL's name to remove any connection to them.  The stuff of legends.

[north miami]

I must be a New Englander at heart- an area the size and population of Duval should have more independent, towns,mayors,councils.
I think the curiosity for most is the concept of the land size of this Consolodated arrangement.The size aspect is so proudly noted....and rare.
Interesting that Baldwin and the Beaches-as almost intuitive ??-wished to retain a level of  singular independence.
Much of the remaining land area was (and to a degree,still) undeveloped at the time of Consolodation and remained so for a long period as the surrounding counties stole the limelight.As a newcommer to the region in the mid 70's I recall well the subtle and not so subtle anti Duval theme.We got sucked in to Wells Road/Orange Park and later-Black Creek/Middleburg.Now happily back in Duval!

[Metro Jacksonville]

Understanding Consolidation with Rick Mullaney



Rick Mullaney, as the General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville, has an engineer's view of how our Consolidated government works.

Join us as he explains the machine that is our unique form of government, its history, things we learned along the way, and how structural changes and political fads have altered the original intentions.

The following is an adaptation of a speech by Mr. Mullaney to the Charter Revision Commission in three parts.

The History of Consolidation. The applications and benefits of Consolidation, and the Possible futures of Consolidated Government.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-oct-understanding-consolidation-with-rick-mullaney

[fsu813]

very interesting read

[BridgeTroll]

Very interesting... Clearly Rick is a enthusiastic supporter of our consolidated government.  I wonder what detractors would say and how he would respond to those criticisms.

[tufsu1]

One question/issue that has been raised on this site several times....

Rick noted that there are eight independent City authorities, but did not mention JTA.  Is this because JTA is a state-created authority?  If so, what powers would the Charter Commission (or the City in general) have to change the mission/organization of JTA?

[vicupstate]

Questions for Mr. Mullaney:

1) If consolidation had not occurred, in what ways do you think Jacksonville would be different today?


2) In terms of economic development and recruitment, to what degree does the Chamber of Commerce, JEDC et al. emphasize consolidation to prospects, and how do those prospects  typically respond to that information?
   

[Steve]

Let me throw one in.  Looking back over 40 years since consolidation, how do you think that it has impacted the urban core of the city, as opposed to if we did not consolidate?