Learning from Kansas City by Rick Mullaney
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Rick Mullaney shares his thoughts about the Kansas City Chamber Trip and where Jacksonville should head from there.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jan-learning-from-kansas-city-by-rick-mullaney
Sounds good for the most part, not near heavy enough on the "cut the waste" but overall I would have to agree with what Mr Mullaney had to say. Too bad some of these idea's have not been implemented by our current Administration!
#3 Civic Leadership is the key to it all.
Well stated Mr. Mullaney, however not one word mentioned is any different than the ideas and discussions that have been taking place on these boards for years.
Maybe Mr. Mullaney's political position can provide some more pull for the cause.
What the feasibility of building a new convention center on the shipyards site and removing the fairgrounds if we ultimately end up losing the jaguars? wouldnt putting a convention center in that area be a stronger impetus to keep the water park at the current location with an enhanced metro park?
im glad to see some progress is being made but things just dont seem to mesh into a grand plan. just seems like we are moving everything for no good reason and will create some more urban blight for future generations.
When I first came to America in 1961 I spent time in Kansas City, I just loved the place and I got to meet Harry Truman to boot, he signed my flight book. I wish we could follow them.
SPR would be a major medical community if / when a VA hosipital is opened near the current clinic.
Already has Shands and UF Proton Institute. Also has the only medical-magnet school in the city (middle & soon to be highschool) in Darnel-Cookman.
Getting a 3rd major medical destination would be do big things for the area.
The Medical aspect of the area should be widened..........after Mayo Clinic is here and that is a nonprofit and teaching institution! Springfield or any other area would be just fine with me since the Veterans have been slighted by COJ's removal of the Veterans Day Parade.............what a way to save money! If you can call that saving! Cutting the AIMOS out would really be a savings, there is no need to not go Civil Service for those Positions!
Quote from: stephendare on January 19, 2010, 12:34:24 PM
wow. how old was Truman in 1916?
Now we know that Stephen is dyslexic
Quote from: chris farley on January 19, 2010, 12:33:09 PM
When I first came to America in 1961 I spent time in Kansas City, I just loved the place and I got to meet Harry Truman to boot, he signed my flight book. I wish we could follow them.
Stephen, he was 32 years old in 1916. ;D
Stephen - Why would the VA open a new state of the art facility in Springfield? There is no room to expand and grow without ticking off all the SPAR fans. Far better to put a new facility near the new VA cemetary on the northside, allow for room to grow. Every hospital in Jax has a growth problem and no land to do so in their current location. Take for example Baptist downtown or even St. Vincents, University, Memorial, all in the same boat, communities grew up around them. Not enough room in any urban area for a state of the art facility that the vets deserve!
Rick - Do you write websites on the side, that was a lot of scrolling to do. Good points all, but the one about healthcare that sticks out is endowments. We do not have enough money, old money, in NE Florida for serious endowments like KC received. So we will continue to rely on the private sector to invest in Jax.
Downtown should follow the Art Shad dance of Spend, Spend, Spend. I like the 1 cent sales tax on Fire, 1 cent on Police and 1 cent to help the areas of town pay for their own projects. If you spend in an area of town, the sales taxes collected SHOULD go to help with public improvements.
Stephen - I know it, it stinks. We need Ander to pull down some Benjamin's now for the VA center to get built here. We have the plots, we need the facilities. With all that land up there for the cemetary on such hallowed ground, it makes sense to put the 2 together.
Gentlemen...........it makes sense so forget it! If nothing else ,this Administration has gone out of their way to do the stupidest and dumbest things possible! Beside Crenshaw is too busy trying to get re-elected than pay attention to his constituants!
Quote from: stephendare on January 19, 2010, 06:04:22 PM
Mtrain. Yeah. No doubt. It would take some vision and some work. But Jacksonville apparently has the highest per capita veterans community of any city our size in the country, and the corresponding least amount of services for any similar size city in the US.
and we have a VA Hospital (that is expanding btw) down the road in Gainesville
Quote from: stephendare on January 19, 2010, 10:03:06 PM
and?
they operate VA hospitals by region....our region is served by the Gainesville hospital...there are also ones in Orlando and the Tampa Bay area.
of course it would be nice for the Shands Jax. campus to grow...but one doesn't need the VA for that....it can be done w/ one primary facility...just take a look at the Johns Hopkins Hospital campus in Baltimore.
Quote from: stephendare on January 19, 2010, 10:40:22 PM
The Jacksonville location has been online for a major expansion for at least a decade.
as has the Gainesville location...the design was done in 2005 and construction didn't start until 2009.
A brand new VA facility is planned at Jefferson and 6th Sts. Has been for a few years. SPAR shows it as pending on most of its maps that include that side of the street (which is outside the Historic District). HDR and PPS have considered it in their master planning for the park system (though as they get to the design phase for the parks project, I'm hoping for better connectivity/flow to/from it into the park system than they allude to in their concepts).
The real questions are, when will the feds fully fund its construction, when will construction begin, and how will long will that take?
Why add a VA Facility in town, and constrain itself? That must be Federal thinking. How many Navy personnel are employed in Gainesville? We have more than 50,000 here in NE Florida, yet the closest real facility is 2 hours from Mayport? That is Federal thinking.
QuoteWell stated Mr. Mullaney, however not one word mentioned is any different than the ideas and discussions that have been taking place on these boards for years.
Maybe Mr. Mullaney's political position can provide some more pull for the cause.
hear, hear! Sounds like garbage to me.
With all due respect, Stephen, ive been active in metro jax for approaching five years, beginning with establishing my residence in downtown jax . I tried to purchase several properties for the sole purpose of residing in downtown Jacksonville. The current administration has been nothing but a disaster for metropolitan Jacksonville. Electing any of the current (republican) candidates insures a continuation of the disintegration of our downtown. These candidates have no concern for downtown development except to applease you personally, Stephen, as you are a guiding light (not meant in a derogatory way) for their political aims at mayoral leadership of Jacksonville.
I find nothing wrong with your coverage of all the candidates in the light that you choose. But this is 2010, and this is NOT the T-U.
i have a direct outlet for my opinions provided here in Metro Jacksonville and, as long as I'm not profane, i choose to use Metro Jacksonville to my max to achieve ALL our desires for a metropolitan Jacksonville. When one like Jason states what i feel is a 100% on the nose point, i wont hesitate to echo such, even to extremes. if you disagree and feel the other candidates have downtown metropolitan development that rival Glorious' then bring it on! If not, just ignore my posts!
The fact that "Rick is a fellow poster here, as our several of the candidates doesn't allot them exemption from criticism. You yourself have numerously called out fellow posters for facts that you found wrong.
Yes, it will be a "trend" for me to state my opinions that all of these republican candidates are uttering garbage and only the said Democratic candidate Glorious Johnson provides a distinct , solid, and pr oven approach for development of a 21st century metropolitan Jacksonville.
Additionally, i wont "cut back on my partisanship" for a metropolitan Jacksonville!
Quote from: hillary supporter on June 02, 2010, 02:00:32 PM
Electing any of the current (republican) candidates insures a continuation of the disintegration of our downtown. These candidates have no concern for downtown development
As a lifelong progressive Democrat I must ask....do you feel that way just because they are Republicans?
I can't speak for all the candidates, but both Audrey Moran and Jim Bailey have served on various downtown boards/committees for many years....and both have a strong desire to see dowtown be succssful.
Tufsu1, ALL the candidates have a strong desire to see downtown be successful. Its a cheerleader issue. Mayor Peyton was as vigorous as any of the current candidates. But it goes out the window real fast! And theres a reason. MOST VOTERS OF JACKSONVILLE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT DOWNTOWN!
Ive actually heard such repeated on numerous radio shows throughout the city! The Jacksonville republican party supports this as this is the central issue that separates them from todays local democratic party. Ask yourself, "will the mayoral candidate lend to the party (and majority of voters) or to downtown development? They will defer to suburban development as mayor Peyton has. It seems obvious to me.
Of course, now you may question the fruitlessness of dt urban development, as many citizens are against it. but, on the bright side, most jax voters are registered democrats (like yourself) and may be convinced that next year will be one to go back and vote for the democratic candidate. Glorious has a conservative appeal with both her past and views. She will need tremendous support, but with such she does stand a good chance. And , in getting back to your question, she has always been an advocate of 1) downtown development 2) mass transit and 3) a true metropolitan Jacksonville.
When i hear these other candidates repeat such, its just the latest catch phase for such ,particularly when questioned by MJs Steven Dare), and when you hear their other rhetoric (the business of jax... is BUSINESS!) it becomes clear their true aims will be to avoid and resist downtown growth. Just like their republican predecessor!
Thanks Stephen for your humble response.
Next years mayoral election stands to be the most important decision to be made for the future of Metropolitan Jacksonville. The mayor will dictate ,just as John Peyton as, the direction for an urban, metropolitan Jacksonville.
This is the first chance for Metro Jacksonville to actually use our influence to make that right decision. I'm not taking it casually!
Kansas City School District loses state accreditation
Quote
JEFFERSON CITY | Time finally ran out for the Kansas City School District.
The state’s decision Tuesday to strip the district’s accreditation spiked a community already absorbed in saving its schools with a mixture of new fears and heightened resolve.
“Our district now faces a critical test of one of the most important lessons in life â€" a test of our resilience and persistence,†interim Superintendent Steve Green said. “We can, and we will, bounce back from this setback.â€
The change doesn’t take effect until Jan. 1 â€" a purposeful delay to give Kansas City and its neighboring districts time to sort through a host of complications, including the possibility of families seeking to transfer out of the district.
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/20/3156768/kc-loses-school-accreditation.html