Republican Florida Already Missed the Boat on Rail Money: A Boon for California?

[tufsu1]

The folks in Indiana are having the same fight that Tampa had 10 years ago (and almost again thsi year)

http://www.indystar.com/article/20101110/NEWS18/11100332/-1/7daysarchives/Reluctant-lawmakers-may-hold-back-regional-transit-plan

[Ocklawaha]

Same old shit - different day eh TU? Now it looks like the Republican's are taking a page from Boy Bush's playbook and will just void the will of the people, hell it's better then that, let's just not let them vote on it at all! So if big brother decides to think for us, I wonder when we can start wearing the red arm bands or red checkered aprons?

Maybe there is more to this RED STATES thing then we at first noticed comrade.

"Khmer Kenley" sort of has a ring to it...


OCKLAWAHA

[fsujax]

We need Republicans to run for office who support transit! it shouldnt have to be a partisan issue!

[FayeforCure]

Poppycock! We have been calling Rick Scott on rail since day one... Where were YOU Faye?

or "JOBS" we get, we must do this thing right or the blow to rail will be felt from Seattle to Sebring.

OCKLAWAHA

Face it Ock, the MO on this forum is denounce elected officials AFTER they have been elected.

A far more effective way to support your cause is to denounce their positions PUBLICLY, way BEFORE they are elected!

You all seem to think you can sweet talk them into changing their minds when their minds are already set in stone.

Far easier to START OFF with someone who already supports RAIL for FLORIDA!

CAST YOUR VOTES ACCORDINGLY!!

It is foolish to expect people to change their minds after they have been elected. How's that been working for you in Jax in the past few years?

[thelakelander]

You should get out more.  You will find out that we do a lot more than hide behind computer screens.

[FayeforCure]

You should get out more.  You will find out that we do a lot more than hide behind computer screens.

Again.......how's the changing of minds working for you AFTER anti-rail officials have been elected?

whether or not you do it behind computer screens, face to face, by e-mail or by tel, I don't care

How is the changing of minds working for you? Isn't it a lot easier to just elect PRO-RAIL folks?

[thelakelander]

You should get out more.  You will find out that we do a lot more than hide behind computer screens.

Again.......how's the changing of minds working for you AFTER anti-rail officials have been elected?

whether or not you do it behind computer screens, face to face, by e-mail or by tel, I don't care

How is the changing of minds working for you? Isn't it a lot easier to just elect PRO-RAIL folks?

Again you should get out more.  Come out and visit us on one of these Tuesday nights.  We can fill you in on what's been going on behind the scenes this past year.

[FayeforCure]

You should get out more.  You will find out that we do a lot more than hide behind computer screens.

Again.......how's the changing of minds working for you AFTER anti-rail officials have been elected?

whether or not you do it behind computer screens, face to face, by e-mail or by tel, I don't care

How is the changing of minds working for you? Isn't it a lot easier to just elect PRO-RAIL folks?

Again you should get out more.  Come out and visit us on one of these Tuesday nights.  We can fill you in on what's been going on behind the scenes this past year.

Ah, I guess it's not for public consumption because let me guess............Republicans have to secretly support Big Government spending projects like RAIL.

Anyway, this is by no means an affront to your advocacy for Rail. I'm simply suggesting a more effective alternative means.

After all, if your group or YOU yourself had publicly denounced Rick Scott's position on rail in an Op/Ed in the TU, there might have been more votes for Sink in Jax.

multiply that by 8 other cities where Pro-Rail citizen advocates did the same, and you could have helped a Pro-Rail governor be elected in FL.

I voted for Charlie Crist for US Senate because he was Pro-Rail, and of course Sink too for Governor.

[thelakelander]

Our fight is more of a local one.  However, you were free to write an article stating your position and asking us to put it on the front page.  Since day one we've encouraged guest articles, so any time you have something you feel is important to get out to our readers, please submit it to us.  As for Florida's HSR, Scott's got Dockery on his transition team.  I highly doubt she's going to let it die, even if it really needs to be significantly modified to ultimately be successful.

[FayeforCure]

Our fight is more of a local one.  However, you were free to write an article stating your position and asking us to put it on the front page.  Since day one we've encouraged guest articles, so any time you have something you feel is important to get out to our readers, please submit it to us.  As for Florida's HSR, Scott's got Dockery on his transition team.  I highly doubt she's going to let it die, even if it really needs to be significantly modified to ultimately be successful.

I would consider writing a guest article next time for metrojacksonville, but believe that an Op/Ed written by yourself in the TU would have been far more effective, while my voice on stem cell research is more effective than yours ( my 20 year old son is quadriplegic from a soccer collision that took place at age 7 in Osceola county) and I have indeed written Op/Eds on stem cell research over the past 10 years.

Just like Sinks tv ads of Republican officials who supported her was most effective, you could have lend a Pro-Rail candidate your help too, by denouncing an anti-rail stance by her opponent prior to the election.

[FayeforCure]

Faye you have your tactics, and we have ours.

At the end of the day, this isnt an organization dedicated to getting Democrats elected, nor are we party affiliates.  This is an issues site, and good ideas or policy have no political affiliation.

Stephen, I completely agree with your premise. That's why I would have considered Republican Paula Dockery for Governor or Senate. But generally speaking you'll find Rail supporters and liveable city supporters among the Democrats. So it is disingenuous to make out political parties don't matter.

Issue voters have long been part and parcel of getting things done.

[tufsu1]

We invited Alex to speak to North Florida, and she didnt deem this area of the state to be worthy of her resources.  As a result, she lost.

while I don't agree with Faye's presumptions, this one is also off base.  Alex Sink spent lots of time and money here in jacksonville.  As a result, she only lost Duval County 52 to 48 (similar to Obama). 

[tufsu1]

I would argue that Duval wasn't a main reason she lost...after all, Obama lost here but still won the state.

I think the glaring problems for Sink were that she didn't win Palm Beach or Dade by enough...and that she barely won Hillsborough (her home county).

[JeffreyS]

I think Miss Sink believed that Mr. Scott's 75 admissions that if he told the truth he could be convicted of crimes would negatively affect his campaign.  Boy we voters sure are smart.

[tufsu1]

I would argue that Duval wasn't a main reason she lost...after all, Obama lost here but still won the state.

I think the glaring problems for Sink were that she didn't win Palm Beach or Dade by enough...and that she barely won Hillsborough (her home county).

Having zero name recognition in a city as diverse as Jacksonville with as many swing voters as we have, was a collossal mistake.  Several of us from MJ spoke with their statewide organization.  They wrote the area off early as a republican hotbed. While you are active with the local dems, I think, the decision was a state level decision, and the local dems lack the leadership to act on their own.

So zero name recognition gets you 48% of the vote?  And don't tell me that all Dems pull that here because Meek didn't come close (and he spent quite a bit of time in jax)....btw, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns are Republican hotbeds...Sink could always get some voters, but she had no chance to win those counties.

FYI...I am not active with the local democratic party