Discussion about the Candidates, and some political rhetoric

[Debra Reid Vining]

Audrey Moran is the tax lady who is both a fiscal and social liberal.  She has talked about raising property taxes, sales tax, gas tax, downtown tax, creating bureaucracies, czars, summits, study groups and the list goes on and on.  It appears to me that she is the most pro tax of all 6 candidates.  Tom Wills asked during the Mayoral debate, "Will you raise taxes and if so, which ones?".  Audrey dodged, danced and deflected and refused to give a straight answer and when Rick Mullaney quoted the numerous occasions she had said she was willing to raise taxes, she attacks him for being "negative".  Typical liberal strategy...deflect, confuse, refuse to answer and when someone states your position, call them negative.  The voters deserve to know the truth.  We are supporting Rick Mullaney for Mayor.  Rick will not raise taxes, will grow jobs and is beholden to no unions.

[buckethead]

Have a good ol fashioned looksee at what Mullaney has managed to pull off.

You'll be hard pressed to convince me he is the right guy for the city.

Ah well... I'm in St john's County.

You'll be the one to live with the results of the election.

[Jimmy]

We are supporting Rick Mullaney for Mayor.  Rick will not raise taxes, will grow jobs and is beholden to no unions.

Thats some interesting spin, Debra.  But you'll find that most people around these parts (this forum) are supporting Audrey.  We see through Rick's negative attacks on her character and her record.  And I see through yours.

Rick is running for Mayor with Peyton family money and on the Peyton platform.  Mayor Peyton has raised taxes and imposed a number of new fees on us.  He and Mullaney have overseen these troubles with the unions.  If you want an idea of who might raise your taxes, look at who raised them in the past.

And that's before the issue of $30k of our tax money that leaves the general fund each and every year and lands squarely in Rick's bank account.  As a taxpayer, ouch. 

Oh, and welcome to the forum.  Nice of you to join us this morning.

[Debra Reid Vining]

Audrey Moran is both a fiscal and social liberal.  She is the most pro tax of all 6 candidates.  She is indeed "The Tax Lady". Rick Mullaney will grow jobs, not raise taxes and is beholden to no unions.  Rick Mullaney for Mayor!!!

[thelakelander]

So what will she do that scares you mtrain?  I'm still of the belief that downtown can be easily revitalized by easing up on existing governmental regulations.  For some crazy reason, here in Jacksonville, we tend to equate revitalization with spending millions on one trick gimmicks.  By the same token, what are Hogan's ideas that impress you?

[Miss Fixit]

We are supporting Rick Mullaney for Mayor.  Rick will not raise taxes, will grow jobs and is beholden to no unions.

Thats some interesting spin, Debra.  But you'll find that most people around these parts (this forum) are supporting Audrey.  We see through Rick's negative attacks on her character and her record.  And I see through yours.

Rick is running for Mayor with Peyton family money and on the Peyton platform.  Mayor Peyton has raised taxes and imposed a number of new fees on us.  He and Mullaney have overseen these troubles with the unions.  If you want an idea of who might raise your taxes, look at who raised them in the past.

And that's before the issue of $30k of our tax money that leaves the general fund each and every year and lands squarely in Rick's bank account.  As a taxpayer, ouch.  

Oh, and welcome to the forum.  Nice of you to join us this morning.

Rick Mullaney's gross mismanagement of the office of the general counsel is part of the reason Jacksonville is facing budget problems.  Any candidate who promises not to raise taxes is, in my opinion, just plain dumb. A candidate who works the system to maximize his own pension benefit and then claims he's going to address those of other city employees is not to be trusted.  Vote for Rick Mullaney?  I don't think so.

Audrey Moran is an honorable person who will do the right thing for this city.  She is honest and reasonable enough to say that she will not rule out a tax increase if it is necessary - and yes, if we want to fix education and downtown we may need to raise some money.  Any candidate who flatly refuses to consider that possibility is either foolish or a liar.  Vote for Audrey.  She is the only mayoral candidate who will move this city forward.

[vicupstate]

Audrey Moran is both a fiscal and social liberal.  She is the most pro tax of all 6 candidates.  She is indeed "The Tax Lady". Rick Mullaney will grow jobs, not raise taxes and is beholden to no unions.  Rick Mullaney for Mayor!!!

John Peyton ran on a promise to never raise taxes because he was going to run the city 'like a business'.

How well did that work out?

He raised property taxes at LEAST three times, increased virtually EVERY fee that the city levies AND added three NEW broad-based fees to residents. And Rick Mullaney was serving in his administartion the whole time.

   
 

[stjr]

Rick will not raise taxes, will grow jobs and is beholden to no unions.

Debra, are you a one issue voter?  I don't care who you vote for, but I hope you don't simply vote for populist slogans.  What you should be looking for is someone who can create the most long term "value" for our community.  That would entail making and managing investments that yield the most benefits.  Are you telling me that if you pay an increased tax, say for parks, public safety, transportation, or education, and it creates something of value for you and your family that exceeds what you could create on your own for that same money, you wouldn't support paying that "tax increase"?

And, did it occur to you that investments made by taxes create much of the "value" in your home and quality of life?  Do you really believe you obtain no value from governmental services?  How low a tax burden would it take to satisfy you that taxes are "low enough" given that you live in one of the lowest taxed cities and states in the country and that federal taxes are near modern historical lows?

Have you also considered that many of the recent "tax increases" you worry over are really just a reshuffling of the tax burden due to ill conceived tax cuts made or mandated by simple minded and/or pass-the-buck politicos and/or due to the fact that falling property values and sales taxes drops governmental income far faster than it can cut demand and costs for even the minimal services most of us expect?

I agree we can all debate which investments are best to make and how to best execute such investments.  But, to just blanket say or self impose a straight-jacketed position that we will absolutely not fund new investments regardless of circumstances or opportunities demonstrates to me a simple mindedness that shows a lack of creative, imaginative, and visionary thinking and the absence of leadership.  Taken to an extreme, if our ancestors thought like this, we would still be living in caves.

By the way, if we don't start investing in education more, you can't forget all those jobs (at least the "good" ones)  being promised by any candidate or elected official.  

[Debra Reid Vining]

Wow, interesting to see all these Democrats for "the Tax Lady".  Well, I'm a true conservative who could not care less that Audrey is liberal except when she presents herself as a Republican.  Let's get honest.  She is a RINO who will raise taxes and create more bureaucracies.  Some of you seem to think Rick has already been Mayor....He hasn't been but he will be and he will get our financial house in order and grow jobs like this city has never seen.  Rick Mullaney for Mayor!

[thelakelander]

Although I'm a true "fiscal" conservative and I haven't come across any candidate who has said they will flat out raise taxes, I'm not opposed to the concept in general.  I believe, you get what you pay for and every issue should be evaluated in detail to determine the ROI before making a decision either way.  With that said, I'm all about getting the city's financial house in order.  However, reality is that you can't grow jobs or encourage the private sector to invest in you if you refuse to invest and properly maintain yourself.

[Wacca Pilatka]

I'm still of the belief that downtown can be easily revitalized by easing up on existing governmental regulations.  For some crazy reason, here in Jacksonville, we tend to equate revitalization with spending millions on one trick gimmicks. 

And the irony is that purportedly conservative administrations are doing nothing about those oppressive regulations - and if anything, seem to this outsider to encourage them.

[stjr]

Wow, interesting to see all these Democrats for "the Tax Lady".  Well, I'm a true conservative who could not care less that Audrey is liberal except when she presents herself as a Republican.

LOL.  There was a time when the Republican party was a "big tent" and included a full spectrum of opinions including some "liberals".  Now, the Republican party is nearly devoid of moderates or even those just to the right of center.  It looks to be heading toward a party of far right to extreme right.

I believe it is high time for a new, centrist oriented, party in this country. That's were the largest block of voters are.  The lack of a centrist party is possibly why so many voters feel disenfranchised today.

[Lunican]

So how much money will I save if Mullaney is elected? Do we have any numbers or are we just surmising?

[thelakelander]

Although I'm a true "fiscal" conservative and I haven't come across any candidate who has said they will flat out raise taxes, I'm not opposed to the concept in general.  I believe, you get what you pay for and every issue should be evaluated in detail to determine the ROI before making a decision either way.  With that said, I'm all about getting the city's financial house in order.  However, reality is that you can't grow jobs or encourage the private sector to invest in you if you refuse to invest and properly maintain yourself.

I would like to agree totally with this.  Somewhere along the way, the word fiscally conservative keeps getting mistaken for mean spirited or self destructively cheap.

For example, the most fiscally conservative people I have ever met realize that high quality and responsible maintenance is always less expensive in the long run. A 120 dollar Polo or Brooks Brothers only seems pricey until you realize that double stitching and high thread count shirts last for 10 years or more.  A cheaply made shirt costs 25 bucks but you have to replace it every year.  In the long run it is twice as expensive, and still looks cheap.

And Conservative people also know that money isnt a monster best served by starvation.  No profit is ever made by refusing to invest.  Without spending the money to do it right, Henry Ford would never have rolled the first assemble line.

Keeping in mind the constant relationship between quality and long term expenses is the heart and soul of fiscal conservatism as it is an ethos that recognizes the duty of stewardship.

I dislike these halfwits who claim to be 'fiscally conservative' but pay no mind to any other cost other than up front purchase costs and are only concerned with who can do what the cheapest, regardless of quality or effectiveness.

None of our interests are served by this mentality, and they always end up being more expensive in the long run.

+1000

[Timkin]

Audrey Moran is both a fiscal and social liberal.  She is the most pro tax of all 6 candidates.  She is indeed "The Tax Lady". Rick Mullaney will grow jobs, not raise taxes and is beholden to no unions.  Rick Mullaney for Mayor!!!

  * Buzzer .............. Sorry , wrong answer !