Convention center funds may be diverted to football stadium, sports complex

[vicupstate]

^^ Excellent post sjtr.

Maybe that could be a story for MetroJax?

[ac]

Then we may as well do a cost/benefit analysis on every event that takes place in a city-owned building, from the Suns to Arena/Florida Theater/TU Center concerts and performances,  Monster Jam and Supercross, the Symphony, and even high school graduations.  If we don't profit from any of those other things, let's get rid of them, too.

This city can't afford to waste another dollar on things so frivolous as recreation and quality of life.

Let's all just stay at home and watch TV. 

[JeffreyS]

Ok do not have a heart attack but Government is not a for profit business.

[ac]

Which was my point

[JeffreyS]

Yeah just getting your back.

[vicupstate]

No one ever said government was a for profit business.  But having a football team is NOT a necessity, and it is ridiculous NOT to understand in dollars and cents exactly how much it does cost, across the board, in terms of taxpayer investment. 

Resources are not unlimited and priorities have to be made. The 'investment' in the stadium and the Jags may be well worth it, but how can that be determined without at least knowing the true cost?   Obviously, some benefits cannot be quantified, but that is not  a reason to quantify nothing either.   

The same is true for all those other events as well.  There costs should be accounted for as well. 

[stjr]

The Jags are not in the same league as other events.  No one has a made-to-order, customized stadium and no one has the concessions from the City the Jags do.  Also, no one gets the JSO and maintenance support to order that the Jags get.  As Vicupstate says, how can an evaluation be done when the costs are not known.  Everything for a price, folks, but what is that price?

I find it interesting that taxpayers are happy to pay taxes to support the Jags but balk at other vital services and cultural investments.  I wish people cared as much about education, etc. as sports.

Jags fans should also follow the Weavers example.  They obviously are the ultimate Jag fans but they invest and support heavily our "quality of life" opportunities and went on record as supporting Mayor Peyton's tax increase.  Even they recognize Jax needs more than the Jags to be a great City.  Kudos to the Weavers.  I wish their fans would follow more in their footsteps.

[ac]

Where did you get the idea I wasn't in favor of funding and supporting education or the arts?  Apparently my sarcasm was lost on you.

I guess you missed the part where I said I was willing to pay my fair share for us to have everything a city this size should have.  We can fund culture and education in this city, and support quality of life without losing assets we already have.  Again, if our NFL peers in Nashville, KC, Charlotte, etc. can do it, why can't we?  Having this team is a building block, not the reason we can't advance as a city.  That rests solely on our fellow citizens.  Those attitudes you assign to Jaguar fans were here long before the Jaguars.

I'd be more willing to believe that the folks who sit at home and blame the Jaguars for all our woes are the self-same who opposed raising our taxes to even a subsistence level.

[stjr]

Ac, my post wasn't directed at specifically to you, but there are many in our fair City that see no issue saving the Jags at any costs while deriding the payment of taxes for almost any other cause.

I find it humorous (alright, at times, sickening) that the most ardent anti-tax payers manage to favor their own sacred cows at the taxpayers expense: roads over mass transit, stadiums and arenas over libraries, infrastructure for urban sprawl over parks, economic development subsidies over programs for the needy, professional sports incentives over grants to cultural institutions, property tax cuts for wealthy land owners over public safety and education, etc.

Being a civil society requires a certain level of individual submission to and sacrifice for the greater good.  The only issue is to what degree.  All of us should understand that what is most important to us is not necessarily important to others, but nonetheless, that both our own priorities and those of others may be equally important to all.

[tufsu1]

No one ever said government was a for profit business.  But having a football team is NOT a necessity, and it is ridiculous NOT to understand in dollars and cents exactly how much it does cost, across the board, in terms of taxpayer investment. 

Fine...then do a full, comprehensive cost-benefit analysis....I think you might be surprised at the "positive" outcome....the tough part will be putting a value on all the intangible benefits.

[mtraininjax]

Good story out today in the Nashville paper about their convention center challenges. Nashville wants to build a 600 million dollar CC, but some feel if they do, the city will not have the resources to build anything else for a while....

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091026/NEWS0202/910250376/Will+new+convention+center+max+out+Nashville+s+credit?+Critics+fear+it+will

[vicupstate]

^^ Nashville plans a $600mm (1.2mm sq. ft) convention center and a $300mm hotel.  Almost a billion dollars for a convention center complex.  Huge by any standard.   

Just as Charlotte has left Jacksonville in the dust, it appears Nashville is on the verge of doing so as well.   

[mtraininjax]

We need some of the leaders from Charlotte down here in Jax. Forget the Chamber trip to KC, send them to Charlotte, where they are taking Fortune 1000 companies and landing them there, also they have so many positives identified by all of the posters here.

Charlotte is a very progressive thinking town and we would do well to emulate as much from them, that we can afford, as possible.

[tufsu1]

Leaders from Charlotte were here earlier this year for JaxPride's annual luncheon...Mayor Peyton was also in attendance so hopefully he learned something.

[JaxBorn1962]

^^ Nashville plans a $600mm (1.2mm sq. ft) convention center and a $300mm hotel.  Almost a billion dollars for a convention center complex.  Huge by any standard.   

Just as Charlotte has left Jacksonville in the dust, it appears Nashville is on the verge of doing so as well.   

Smart what we need to do is Move the School Board from the St Johns River to an empty building Downtown there is several to pick from. Then implode the School Board building and with the JEA land next door put a New Hotel and a convention center. Because we all know that the old train station convention center here in Jacksonville is a (DOG)!