Metro Jacksonville

What would you say the most important issue is for any candidate in the upcoming elections for Mayor and Council?

Before I vote.. what do you mean by "improving the neighborhoods"?  I am inclined to lean toward this one, because I think it addresses issues of local parks and schools, touches on crime and safety issues, and also could impact the issue of connectivity among neighborhoods.  Is this what you mean?

My opinion in this order:
Economic issues
Transit
Crime
Improving neighborhoods
Port
Sprawl

Although, crime and improving neighborhoods can sort of be tied together, especially in certain parts of the city like Springfield, Tallyrand, Northside, and Arlington.

My top one would be transit.  Its the only one on the list that will have a direct impact on stopping sprawl, changing the local economic crisis, laying the groundwork to reduce crime in certain areas, increasing the port's mobility, and improving neighborhoods.  In the grand scheme of things, the investment in it would also be one of the cheapest on this list to implement.

Improving the neighborhoods = enhancing a neighborhood's quality of life.  Everything mentioned by both of you could be considered elements that can improve the livability of a neighborhood.

I think the economic crisis, understanding it and using it as a piloting tool, is the most important.  If we head into a global depression, then all bets are off.  If we are bottoming out in our recession, then it is time to rebuild and other issues are important.  I feel somewhat shell shocked in terms of planning for the future, since the reality of today is different from what I saw five years ago.  What we planned five years ago was based on a different reality than what we see right now. 

That being said, personally and as a society, we ought to remain as economically flexible as possible.  That means not incurring any more debt, paying off debt if possible, cutting expenses and waiting to see... not burdening already panicky people with more debt and a promise of services that may be impossible to provide.

Stopping sprawl would connect with solving all the other problems listed, the port excepted, as it is the primary root to them IMHO!

Spawling overdevelopment led to the current economic crisis.  Sprawl creates crime and runs down established neighborhoods by enticing capable residents into summarily discarding their existing homes for the newest and greatest development without pushing residents to vest in the ones they leave behind  And, sprawl creates geographically extended populations stranded without adequate and costly infrastructure and overly long and unnecessary transits while playing into the insatiable propensity to justify and build more roads at the expense of mass transit (witness the Outer Beltway which is being pushed harder and will probably be built before any rails are).

Getting a handle on crime would go a long way toward reducing sprawl and improving neighborhoods near the core in my opinion.  Crime (or the perception thereof) is the reason many families won't live anywhere close to downtown.

Quote from: Traveller on July 13, 2009, 10:01:02 PM
Getting a handle on crime would go a long way toward reducing sprawl and improving neighborhoods near the core in my opinion.  Crime (or the perception thereof) is the reason many families won't live anywhere close to downtown.

My observation is crime appears often as a function of opportunity and a lack of vestment in a community.  It moves into neighborhoods destabilized by the rapid relocation of their residents to other areas and the resulting abandonment of such neighborhoods to those less interested, committed, or able to maintain them free of crime and other undesirable activities.

If residents had less options or temptations to move to sprawl, maybe inner neighborhoods would have better chances that their residents would "lovingly" stay to tender and grow them.  This would advance the quality and stability of the neighborhoods (thus, upholding community and values) rather than lead to a wholesale abandonment of them to scavengers and evil doers looking for places to pursue criminal activities under the noses of powerless or disengaged neighbors.

Original residents of Springfield had luxury homes.  They didn't begin leaving over crime.  They left for the temptation of "greener pastures" in the sprawling suburbs.  Criminals and low-lifes couldn't have taken over these neighborhoods if the residents didn't turn them over.  The proof is in the return, still in process, of residents restoring Springfield and putting up the good fight to remove the criminal elements.  Clearly, if crime ran off good residents, a neighborhood such as this would have no chance of being returned to civility and prosperity.

There are many places near water in Jax, not far from criminally infested areas, where neighborhoods have been preserved.  They serve as an example of where residents have stayed and persevered.  I suggest this is likely because sprawl can not tempt them easily, being unable to readily match such waterfront opportunities.  Further proof of my theory!  :)

Quote from: stjr on July 13, 2009, 10:59:41 PM


My observation is crime appears often as a function of opportunity and a lack of vestment in a community.  It moves into neighborhoods destabilized by the rapid relocation of their residents to other areas and the resulting abandonment of such neighborhoods to those less interested, committed, or able to maintain them free of crime and other undesirable activities.

If residents had less options or temptations to move to sprawl, maybe inner neighborhoods would have better chances that their residents would "lovingly" stay to tender and grow them.  This would advance the quality and stability of the neighborhoods (thus, upholding community and values) rather than lead to a wholesale abandonment of them to scavengers and evil doers looking for places to pursue criminal activities under the noses of powerless or disengaged neighbors.

Original residents of Springfield had luxury homes.  They didn't begin leaving over crime.  They left for the temptation of "greener pastures" in the sprawling suburbs.  Criminals and low-lifes couldn't have taken over these neighborhoods if the residents didn't turn them over.  The proof is in the return, still in process, of residents restoring Springfield and putting up the good fight to remove the criminal elements.  Clearly, if crime ran off good residents, a neighborhood such as this would have no chance of being returned to civility and prosperity.

There are many places near water in Jax, not far from criminally infested areas, where neighborhoods have been preserved.  They serve as an example of where residents have stayed and persevered.  I suggest this is likely because sprawl can not tempt them easily, being unable to readily match such waterfront opportunities.  Further proof of my theory!  :)

I agree with that...and I feel lazy so I'll just repeat what stjr said.  :D

I voted transit... modern 21st century cities have modern mass transit... :)

Now I know how bad the education system is here in Jacksonville....listen, you can't stop global economics, but you can fix your own backyard. Those who want a new transit system, face it, no money, and according to the JCCI, there is no need. Sure, go ahead spend your fed dollars and plan away, do it quietly.

What we need in Duval county is growth. We need the economic flywheel that will re-invigorate our local economy. China is on tap for an 8% growth rate this year, India is on tap for at least 6%, the ports of LA and Long Beach are bottled up with logistic nightmares and Miami's port cannot expand due to over development.

This leaves Jax with a HUGE opportunity to grow and dominate the port area. We grew Jacksonville with the port, and ship building. We can do it again, we need to get back to what worked for this town, as banks and mortgages will take years to recover, we need to get back to the engine that helped grow us, that is port activity. I love to cruise out of Jax, but I'd gladly send Carnival to Port Canaveral or Miami, and ask for more container business.

The Port can and should be the growth engine for Jacksonville for the next 5-10 years.

You know I push transit all the time on this board and to our representatives but education is number one by far. I do not believe like so many others that we should just push one big agenda. We should be pushing on many fronts. Education really is the only acceptable answer to this question sorry I know how that sounds but it is true and the poll should be our top ten issues.

I'm with StJr.  Sprawl is the root. 

1.  Its harder and more expensive to police (resulting in higher crime).
2.  More costly to the budget because of maintenance required for roads, utilities, and services
3.  More costly to the school system because of necessity of bussing, additional schools, and maintenance.
4.  Tax revenue can not benefit from added density.

Revise the zoning to allow dense infill and penalize the sprawl. 

The next step would be connecting the core neigborhoods with transit and a longer range plan to connect the burbs.

I voted to stop sprawl because I can't see good enough to drive and, the sprawlling areas are so blatantly anti pedestrian. Transit too, because JTA is also anti pedestrian.

I have the solution that will solve all of out money shortages. A cash crop we don't even care to tap into.

I'm talking about cracking down heavily on bad driving!

If we start citing careless driving,

parking on the sidewalks,

running red lights,

blocking wheelchair access at crosswalks,

!!!RUNNING OVER PEOPLE!!!

littering,

yelling hatefull slurs out the window of a fast moving car,

throwing shit out at people because they're simply walking, not driving,

knocking bicyclists over with door mirror,

If we can just charge these bumpkin idiots with any of these offences, (which are all illegal in all other Major cities) not only would we be able to make all improvements listed above, we would have such a huge surplus. We can do things that would rival northern cities!

SPRAWL, the root of all evil. Everything goes hand in hand with sprawl.

Sprawl of anykind is detrimental to anything worth while, but I am surprised that no one mentioned making use of the River, in any shape fashion or form. It is there and why are we not taking advantage of a natural resource? The only person who even suggested utilization, has been one Councilmember want to be! No one else, has broached the subject other then Mr Nooney.............what the heck! Granted there are really numerous issue's that must be addressed before Jacksonville goes down the tubes but really!

Access to area beaches and waters is extremely important. Those features are the best ones we have. We have been fighting to preserve access for all the community to enjoy but, a small handful of people want to reduce or remove access altogether. They are well funded and have picked their candidate. All the work to achieve a sort reasonable compromise the city just went through could be undone. All the candidates have plans to deal with all the major issues but this issue may affect more of us and how we are able to enjoy our city's most beautiful resource.   

Balancing the city budget without raising taxes.

I am going to say Transit as my top with a close second to downtown and infill.  I do feel the transit will help mend the second problem so I put it as a main concern. 
I feel that Jacksonville has never (in recent history) had a great downtown and once or if the downtown ever comes around/ a great downtown will become an issue of pride and protection of the people of Jacksonville.  I believe a strong downtown could completely change the way people think around here where the people will have something to protect and preserve leading to more support on intelligent transit issues.   

1) Transit
2 Downtown/ Infill
3) Neighborhoods/ Historic Preservation

I would also follow up with Education since I am an educator, but this is one of the most complicated issues on here I am not sure what the answer would be to correct the problem, but I do believe re affirming infill infrastructure would put more pressure on reforming educational institutions in town and not continue to build (better schools) out of town. 

I see education as the biggest issue because the beneficiaries of better educated students is less crime, a better economy, more job offerings due to the attraction our city would be to companies wanting to move here. The issue of race relations would improve. Education is at the root  of most issues.

I see education as the biggest issue because the beneficiaries of better educated students is less crime, a better economy, more job offerings due to the attraction our city would be to companies wanting to move here. The issue of race relations would improve. Education is at the root  of most issues.

Education is our biggest issue in jax...the leaders of this city have historically defunded our school system and now the cards are falling. Companies dont want to locate here because our children are not as smart as mostly everyone else. Conservative leadership is what has cause this. It's funny how they'll keep lowering taxes at the cost of the children who are the future of our city.....yet give massive tax incentives for corporations to locate here only for them to leave here when the city's workforce cant support the work....just sayin...it's a cycle. Our city in particular has made waise of many millions of frivalous actions and whims..the waste is everywhere and yet they still take money out of the schools every year...time to pay the piper....and how do we pay?...with 30 more years of delay for our city unless something is done and done now.

What are the Biggest Issues? Some need to be added to the list.

Code of Ethics.
The recent Charter Revision Commission which meets every 10 years had a recommendation that the Code of Ethics that was in our original charter in 1968 and removed in 1972 be restored.

Pension Reform- Didn't happen. 2005-1007
Our City is broke.

It may need to be done but we need to stop using the nom de plume "Pension Reform" and call it what it is breaking the promises we made to the people who run into fires, stand in front of bullets and remove the trash for us.

JeffreyS 4 days ago front page Florida Times Union story about a 22 year veteran of JSO accused of stealling $50,000 from a non profit. So what do you do. Resign and collect a pension for life.

So what should we do?

So is that representative of JSO or an extreme example.  I am OK with the city trying to negotiate in good faith.  I just think were pension reform and assume these villians have to be reformed.  Let's just not try to cloud what we are doing.  We need to be honest when we can not live up to the deals we have made.

Right now Jacksonville needs an economic driver to lift it out of recession.  I listed the port.  In good times I would say transit, improving the neighborhoods, or stopping sprawl, but Jacksonville is in BAD times.  It needs a Hartfield Airport or something to make it recognizable to the national/international community.

The very best driver of our economy should be medical, electronic, software, and other high technologies.  I just heard a report on the news this morning that this is far and away the only significant growth sector in our down economy.

Unfortunately, Jax is heavily handicapped by the huge State and local underinvestment in public education.  Scott wants to create jobs, but he will be lucky if anything pans out - at least with above average wages - given his further 10% plus reductions to our 50th lowest state per capita funding.

Play back the interview on WJCT's First Coast Connections with Duval School Board Chairman W. C. Gentry this past week.  He articulated very well the depressing plight facing our schools under Scott's budget. See free February 28th broadcast at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wjcts-first-coast-connect/id328347910?ign-mpt=uo=4 at:

apparently the biggest issue is "getting our fiscal house in order"  ;)

The biggest single problem facing our country is the coming currency crisis.  

We are in a slow moving train wreck, stuck between continued quantitative easing (money printing) that can keep our economy moving and further erode the value of $USD and creating yet higher inflation, or stopping the printing presses and thus withdrawing any liquidity in the market, leading to severe deflation and in the same time making our current national debt insurmountable.

The dollar is sinking (not always a bad thing), but as it does that so too are treasury notes.  This will lead to much higher real prices and even higher interest rates if left unchecked.

The mayoral candidates need to address transportation issues as to address the future higher fuel prices that Jacksonville citizens have little control over.  Our sprawled environment cannot handle a currency crisis.

Quote from: tufsu1 on March 04, 2011, 12:59:29 PM
apparently the biggest issue is "getting our fiscal house in order" 

This should have been thought about when George Bush gave the millionaire a break and then the continuing break.....the wealthy have strangled us....look at how many millionaires were created under the last republican run....

QuoteThis should have been thought about when George Bush gave the millionaire a break and then the continuing break.....the wealthy have strangled us....look at how many millionaires were created under the last republican run....

GG I thought we had a breakthrough yesterday with your passion about river access.

But, c'mon man... what does THAT statement have anything to do with Jacksonville moving forward as a city?

Quote from: fieldafm on March 04, 2011, 03:28:25 PM

QuoteThis should have been thought about when George Bush gave the millionaire a break and then the continuing break.....the wealthy have strangled us....look at how many millionaires were created under the last republican run....

GG I thought we had a breakthrough yesterday with your passion about river access.

But, c'mon man... what does THAT statement have anything to do with Jacksonville moving forward as a city?

Umm...we had our fiscal house in order before George Bush came into office and spent it all on tax breaks and bull shit...and now they want to blame everyone else but themselves...so i do find it apropriate seeing that this city screams we are broke all the time but we have money to build a huge new courthouse thats way over this citys head and the monies waisted into the hands of the connected and wealthy mimics exactly what happend under Bush's administation.

George Bush had just as much effect on Jacksonville's pension issues(which coupled with decreased property values bringing far less property tax revenue into the system has got the city in its currrent financial mess) as Mother Theresa, Wilt Chamberlin AND the sacred Obama.

BTW, I voted for the port.

Only b/c it is so critical that the port catches up to speed with the Panama Canal opening up in 2014.  It's literally a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Many say sprawl but this city is full of rich people who want to do nothing but build endless malls and more houses and more shopping this and that....the wealthy republicans of this area want nothing but sprawl..they say it with thier dollars and votes..

Quote from: fieldafm on March 04, 2011, 03:28:25 PM

QuoteThis should have been thought about when George Bush gave the millionaire a break and then the continuing break.....the wealthy have strangled us....look at how many millionaires were created under the last republican run....

GG I thought we had a breakthrough yesterday with your passion about river access.

But, c'mon man... what does THAT statement have anything to do with Jacksonville moving forward as a city?

GG...I was making fun of Rick Mullaney

Quote from: JeffreyS on February 28, 2011, 06:51:56 PM
So is that representative of JSO or an extreme example.  I am OK with the city trying to negotiate in good faith.  I just think were pension reform and assume these villians have to be reformed.  Let's just not try to cloud what we are doing.  We need to be honest when we can not live up to the deals we have made.

Pension Reform- It didn't happen. 2005-1007
Code of Ethics that was in our Charter in 1968 and removed in 1972 is in the process of being restored.
Representative or extreme example leave that one for the taxpayers of Duval County that will be paying this debt obligation for the rest of his life at taxpayer expense.

Will the Jacksonville city council sponsor a resolution honoring the 22 years of service and the fact that there is an option that you can make your own decision on this taxpayer debt obligation.

Does anyone think that there was never a dime of a federal, state, or local grant money involved in this non profit?

Our city is broke. And it has been the legislative actions over administrations with support from all parties that have these deals so special for all the honest as well as dishonest ones. 

Noone, you misunderstand the Police/Fire Pension.  The city has no obligation to retired members.

Sprawl- just think about it

If we did not have so much sprawl:

The town town center would be at the Ship Yards

Transit would not need to encompass all of NF

There would be resources and funds to improve neighborhoods, nit just keep the spread out neighborhood limping along. There would also be more diversity in our neighborhood schools which would create improvement and competition.

Crime happens everywhere,but density brings more eyes, and a less spreadout police force

All of the above =money saved.

Sprawl is the root of all evils. It is wasteful, expensive, hardly sustainable, the collapse of a lot of bedroom communities around the country  paint the picture. Sprawl should be stopped!

Quote from: NotNow on March 06, 2011, 05:16:21 AM
Noone, you misunderstand the Police/Fire Pension.  The city has no obligation to retired members.

Well help me understand. The recent front page story of the 22 year veteran accused of stealing $50,000 from the non profit.

I don't understand how do sprawl automatically equates to taking away business from DT (esp. places like SJTC). Stopping sprawl in Jax (or any other growing metropolis) is like putting your finger in a broken dam hoping to stop water flow. So basically the people who wanna stop sprawl wants to halt our metro area's population, so just keep it at 1.3 million(or whatever it is). One really (DT) doesn't have anything to do with the other (suburban sprawl). ATL has a pretty damn successful DT, and it also has tons & tons sprawl. I don't understand the "balance scale mentality" that people have concerning sprawl "Okay we are unfortunately at 98 percent sprawl, and we only have a mere 2 percent left for DT". Why can't both prosper? Whether you like it or not, as long as Jax is growing, more sprawl is incumbent. BTW, I picked economic crisis.  

Stopping sprawl goes without saying, but I did not see too many references regarding funding! I don't know about anyone else, but if we don't stop spending without some kind of oversight, anything else will be a moot point. We can not spend more than we take in, plain and simple! So having "Ethical behavior" with our elected officials, along with a long range point of view (Plan, Vision and the means to Fund it!) The days of just having the City write a check that the taxpayers make good should be over! Two years of property tax increases with property values descending is not the answer.........revenue neutral my left ham hock!

Sprawl means older vacant homes not collecting tax dollars, newer homes costing more in infastructure and upkeep while still maintaining the older neighborhoods, more roads, bigger carbon footprint, more schools, more everything. There is NO need for sprawl until there are no vacant pre-existing properties. No need to cut down more trees, drain more swamps, waste more. I was at STJTC today, and I was so frustrated because to walk less than a block we had to actually walk in the street, no connectivity, same issue the city itself has!

Quote from: CS Foltz on March 06, 2011, 02:25:33 PM
Stopping sprawl goes without saying

CS....many would argue that you live in sprawl

Sprawl is also considered to be basically ANYTHING that's built outside of the urban core. One dumb word that people use WAY too much is unsustainable when referring to anything about sprawl; So places like SJTC, and RCMP are unsustainable? Hahahahaha!!!!!That's a big joke!!!

Who said SJTC is unsustainable? It is pretty poorly designed both for drivers, buses (which I have never seen one!), and walkers. It could of very easily been built right downtown and enjoyed river front property (you could pull up in your boat and shop Tiffany's for goodness sake!) with the additional bonus of being connected with other venues such as the stadium. Instead it sits on old swamp land, is pretty much unwalkable, traffic is a joke, and getting there is a total pain in the rear end if you have a car, impossible if you depend on public transportation (although I do see they are making an effort to funnel the traffic a little better). The placement of SJTC is certainly not going to catch anyone's eye as they travel through Jacksonville (travel through being the key word here folks!). Sprawl for sprawls sake is bad, sprawl to put money in politicians pockets is worse.

Early voting begins today. :)

Quote from: Noone on March 06, 2011, 08:24:28 AM

Quote from: NotNow on March 06, 2011, 05:16:21 AM
Noone, you misunderstand the Police/Fire Pension.  The city has no obligation to retired members.

Well help me understand. The recent front page story of the 22 year veteran accused of stealing $50,000 from the non profit.

The Police/Fire Pension Fund is a private entitiy.  Officers contribute to their retirement throughout their careers.  The City also contributes (well, most of the time) throughout an Officer's career.  Once the Officer retires, he or she is paid by the private fund.  The city does not continue to contribute for that Officer, and does not provide any other benefits such as medical insurance or the like.  Therefore, the City has no furher obligation to Police Officers once they retire.