FOP political committee: Mike Hogan for mayor

[thelakelander]

By Matt Galnor
If Jacksonville police union members vote the way their political team wants them to, they'll be endorsing Mike Hogan for mayor next spring.

But the last time the mayor's seat was vacant in 2003, the political committee recommended Sheriff Nat Glover. The members chose to endorse John Peyton, who was eventually elected and is now finishing his second and final term.

"Now they wish they had listened to us," Fraternal Order of Police President Nelson Cuba joked.

Union members will vote this week and, come Friday, an endorsement is expected to be official.

The 11-member FOP political committee interviewed more than 50 candidates for mayor, sheriff, City Council and other seats open next spring.

The only major mayoral candidate not to interview was former General Counsel Rick Mullaney.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-12-06/story/fop-political-committee-mike-hogan-mayor

[Springfielder]

   not happy with that choice

[tufsu1]

that is interesting...Hogan is the one talking mosty about cutting government...I wonder if he fooled the FOP into thinking that all his proposed general service cuts would allow for fewer cuts in police pensions/salaries/staffing.

[dougskiles]

I'm reading the TU article this morning about Hogan's endorsement by FOP and then I read the first comment by someone who goes by 'Mandarin':

****

"It's amazing that anyone would believe that Mullaney wouldn't take the FOP endorsement, if he thought he had a snowball's chance in heck of getting it. This was forecasted months ago when Mullaney's buddy Peyton told a group not to vote for anyone who received the police officers' endorsement. They knew he could never get it.

Hogan received a huge majority of the FOP votes cast. Alvin Brown came in second. Moran and Bailey were very distant third and fourth place finishers.

Hogan continues to win every vote taken, from the Chamber's Hob Nob to the Young Republicans to the FOP. It is very clear that he is the people's choice in this very important election. His message of standing up for the taxpayers is obviously very powerful in the current political climate."

****

Then it occurs to me that this mayoral election may not involve as much of a line drawn between left and right, but a line drawn between urban and suburban...

[CS Foltz]

Well, I will not vote for Mr Hogan! He is to connected with the religious aspects of Jacksonville. This does bother me to a certain extent but that is not my issue with him! He has not said much of anything about anything and the next Mayor needs to take control from day one period! They must have a plan and they must truly have the best interest's of all of Jacksonville at heart from that very first day! I don't have enough information about him to change my mind and he has not been very outright................so he is not even on my short list! Until he see's fit to say something that makes it into print or even on this Forum..........no way at all!

[hillary supporter]

The worst choice for a 21st century minded metropolitan Jacksonville.

[CS Foltz]

The worst choice for a 21st century minded metropolitan Jacksonville.

I tend to agree hillary supporter! He says nothing and the blessing of the FOP means nothing what so ever to me! He will have to deal with them at some point in the future and it won't be pretty...........unless he just continues the current program which is bleeding the taxpayers dry! Something has to change and soon!

[NotNow]

The worst choice for a 21st century minded metropolitan Jacksonville.

Do you have a reason?  Or does reason enter the picture here? 

CS, religion?  Really?  Who do you guys support and why?

[thelakelander]

What's Hogan's stance on downtown development, economic development, education, mass transit and sustainability?  Those are personally my biggest issues but to this date I haven't heard how he plans to address any of them.  

[vicupstate]

Has MJ invited Hogan to address this site as Bailey and Moran and Mullaney have?  If so, what was his response?

[stjr]

Has MJ invited Hogan to address this site as Bailey and Moran and Mullaney have?  If so, what was his response?

We have.  His campaign manager, John Daigle was about as helpful as Foot lotion for a barnfire.  In fact, he was a bit of an ass.

We left the door open to him.

Maybe Hogan is following Rick Scott's campaign strategy of avoiding the issues.  Only one problem, he doesn't seem to have Scott's personal millions to brainwash the electorate with non-issue image ads....  then, again, FOP may know where to find such money.

I have noticed FOP's own billboards popping up in town equating "wasted" City dollars to decreased public safety as if eliminating such waste (hasn't the City Council already tried this) would preclude the need for tax increases and/or reduction in other City services to balance the City budget while funding the public safety pensions without modifications.  It's a further stretch when you consider that public safety makes up some 50% of the City budget as I recall.  I appreciate our JSO but the union leaders are giving the rank and file a negative aura while insulting the public.

[NotNow]

I suppose it is a matter of what you want to cut.  JSO is already down to ninety some odd other Florida law enforcement agencies paying better.  The pension is substandard to the state pension that our mayor and city council enjoy, as well as most other Sheriff's Office's in Florida.  We could cut the numbers of Officer's, but we are already at about half of the nationally recommended number and WAY down the list of Officer's per capita amongst Florida cities.  As qualified applicants go to higher paying departments, we can reduce the educational and other requirements for employment.  Of course, there would be a resulting loss in standards as well. 

What do you want to cut at the JSO?

[JC]

I suppose it is a matter of what you want to cut.  JSO is already down to ninety some odd other Florida law enforcement agencies paying better.  The pension is substandard to the state pension that our mayor and city council enjoy, as well as most other Sheriff's Office's in Florida.  We could cut the numbers of Officer's, but we are already at about half of the nationally recommended number and WAY down the list of Officer's per capita amongst Florida cities.  As qualified applicants go to higher paying departments, we can reduce the educational and other requirements for employment.  Of course, there would be a resulting loss in standards as well. 

What do you want to cut at the JSO?

You could of course privatize the police force....  I just cant imagine how any good god fearing conservative can feel comfortable taking a pension from tax payers.

[tayana42]

Hogan has done nothing notable or particularly worthwhile that I can recall; he seems to have a base of First Baptist/religious right and the tight-fisted "just cut spending" crowd.
Mullaney, Moran, and Bailey all have leadership abilities and leadership is what we are going to need.  I want to learn more about them.

[NotNow]

I suppose it is a matter of what you want to cut.  JSO is already down to ninety some odd other Florida law enforcement agencies paying better.  The pension is substandard to the state pension that our mayor and city council enjoy, as well as most other Sheriff's Office's in Florida.  We could cut the numbers of Officer's, but we are already at about half of the nationally recommended number and WAY down the list of Officer's per capita amongst Florida cities.  As qualified applicants go to higher paying departments, we can reduce the educational and other requirements for employment.  Of course, there would be a resulting loss in standards as well. 

What do you want to cut at the JSO?

You could of course privatize the police force....  I just cant imagine how any good god fearing conservative can feel comfortable taking a pension from tax payers.

JSO Officer's (unlike the Mayor and city council) pay into their own retirement pension.  Their employer also contributes per a labor contract.  No on is "taking" anything from the taxpayers in that scenario.  The taxpayers (including JSO Officers) get "taken" by a lot of government programs, but JSO Officers and their pensions do not fit the bill of that description.  To try to politicize JSO pensions in this way either shows ignorance or misleading intent.