Why Mike Hogan is the right choice for downtown

[duvaldude08]

What I dont understand is, who said that Alvin Brown was waste tax payers money on DT? Being that he never stated EXACTLY what his plans are, how can we put words in his mouth? He did not say he was going to approve million projects such as the Shipyards, etc etc. Creating a vibrant DT is not all about the money. And yes you are correct, getting our financial house in order will help DT, but we also need a leader who has a VISION for DT.

I never seen a city who does not care about their DT. And we wonder why everyone calls us country. An empty @ss DT seems pretty darn country to me. Its time for a new direction. Jacksonville is not some small hick town, it is a city and should be ran as such.

And I approve this message 

[BigGuy219]

What I dont understand is, who said that Alvin Brown was waste tax payers money on DT? Being that he never stated EXACTLY what his plans are, how can we put words in his mouth? He did not say he was going to approve million projects such as the Shipyards, etc etc. Creating a vibrant DT is not all about the money. And yes you are correct, getting our financial house in order will help DT, but we also need a leader who has a VISION for DT.

I never seen a city who does not care about their DT. And we wonder why everyone calls us country. An empty @ss DT seems pretty darn country to me. Its time for a new direction. Jacksonville is not some small hick town, it is a city and should be ran as such.

And I approve this message 

Mike Hogan does have a vision for downtown. And the first part of the vision is getting people in the outlying areas to stop hating downtown. And the first part of this plan is to reassure them that there will be no more wasteful spending on downtown projects.

Like it or not, the Skyway is a huge wedge issue. People are angry out there, and Hogan is going to calm that anger. Then businesses will be able to step in and fix downtown, not politicians.

The election will of Mike Hogan will go along way towards strengthening Jacksonville as a whole, whereas an Alvin Brown election would have caused a great rift between the urban population and the suburban population.

[copperfiend]

What I dont understand is, who said that Alvin Brown was waste tax payers money on DT?

My TV said so...

[ChriswUfGator]

As a downtown resident one would think I'd automatically be tossed in the column of Alvin Brown. However, I am convinced that Hogan is the right choice for downtown going forward.

Downtown is not the most important part of Jacksonville. Not while we only have 'about' 2,000 residents. Let's be clear on that. We're just one piece of the mosaic that is Jacksonville, and we shouldn't expect more than the other neighborhoods. It is that kind of arrogant thinking that has caused the outlying neighborhoods to become resentful of downtown.

Let's be clear. Downtown has been successfully used as a wedge issue in this campaign by the Hogan campaign and to great effect. All he had to do was throw up a picture of the Skyway next to a photo of Alvin Brown and he terrified and angered a large percentage of Jacksonville's population.

They're mad at us here downtown, and if Alvin Brown were elected Mayor and taken more of their money and spent it downtown ... the rest of Jacksonville would be coming for us with burning torches and pitchforks. It would have been terrible, and would have resulted in four years of further dividing downtown from the rest of Jacksonville.

Mike Hogan isn't going to reach into the pockets of the hardworking people of Jacksonville to spend on wasteful projects downtown. That will help downtown because it will change public opinion. We have got to get the rest of Jacksonville to support downtown voluntarily, not by forcibly taking their money and wasting it on nonsense.

In a Hogan run city we'll be treated like the rest of the city, and we'll stop feeling entitled, and we'll stop feeling sorry for ourselves. I see this is a great day for Jacksonville and a great oppurtunity for downtown. It's going to take private money to get us out of this 'mess' downtown, not public money. In the pro-business climate of the Hogan administration it will be much easier to invest in and rebuild downtown.

We need to stop thinking we're so important. We need to stop thinking the rest of Jacksonville owes us. It's that kind of talk on our part that has isolated downtown, caused it to continue to decline, and most importantly handed Mike Hogan this election. Just as I told you it would last year.

So you live downtown and are voting for Hogan?

[Lunican]

What is factually true and accurate is irrelevant. What people believe is the only thing that matters. And I take a particular sense of joy each time I make someone believe something that isn't so. It keeps a roof over my head and food in my belly.

I'm not debating your facts, or your statistics, because I don't have to. I'm not brining my own facts and statistics, because I don't need any. I know how to read a situation and prey upon sterotypes, false beliefs, and exploit it as good as anyone.

[BigGuy219]

What is factually true and accurate is irrelevant. What people believe is the only thing that matters. And I take a particular sense of joy each time I make someone believe something that isn't so. It keeps a roof over my head and food in my belly.

I'm not debating your facts, or your statistics, because I don't have to. I'm not brining my own facts and statistics, because I don't need any. I know how to read a situation and prey upon sterotypes, false beliefs, and exploit it as good as anyone.

Tonight will be as big a victory for me, as it will for Mike Hogan.

[fsujax]

Well, I hope you are right Big Guy. I dont really think many people are angry or hate issues when it comes to Downtown. Those ads made it seem that way, and to throw Alvin's picture up there with the Skyway and the Courthouse behind him, I thought was a key low point in the campaign. I live in Springfield and consider Downtown my neighborhood. It is where I work, grocery shop and go to church. I felt like those ads were attacking me!

[wsansewjs]

What I dont understand is, who said that Alvin Brown was waste tax payers money on DT? Being that he never stated EXACTLY what his plans are, how can we put words in his mouth? He did not say he was going to approve million projects such as the Shipyards, etc etc. Creating a vibrant DT is not all about the money. And yes you are correct, getting our financial house in order will help DT, but we also need a leader who has a VISION for DT.

I never seen a city who does not care about their DT. And we wonder why everyone calls us country. An empty @ss DT seems pretty darn country to me. Its time for a new direction. Jacksonville is not some small hick town, it is a city and should be ran as such.

And I approve this message 

Mike Hogan does have a vision for downtown. And the first part of the vision is getting people in the outlying areas to stop hating downtown. And the first part of this plan is to reassure them that there will be no more wasteful spending on downtown projects.

Like it or not, the Skyway is a huge wedge issue. People are angry out there, and Hogan is going to calm that anger. Then businesses will be able to step in and fix downtown, not politicians.

The election will of Mike Hogan will go along way towards strengthening Jacksonville as a whole, whereas an Alvin Brown election would have caused a great rift between the urban population and the suburban population.

Why in the blazing heck I do NOT hear this clearly from Hogan himself? I don't see ANYWHERE on his website 3-4 weeks ago. Oh wait, he realized that he is making that mistake, so he shove that "save downtown" up to his website and run by undecided voters at the last minute to maintain that saving grace.

What a shameful way of stealing Brown's thunder.

-Josh

[ChriswUfGator]

Mike Hogan does have a vision for downtown.

Yes he certainly does...

[BigGuy219]

Well, I hope you are right Big Guy. I dont really think many people are angry when it comes to Downtown. Those ads made it seem that way, and to throw Alvin's picture up there with the Skyway and the Courthouse behind him, I thought was a key low point in the campaign. I live in Springfield and consider Downtown my neighborhood. It is where I work, grocery shop and go to church. I felt like those ads were attacking me!

Well, I actually live deep within the urban core. I predicted those ads on MetroJacksonville months ago, and I cheered them. I've spent time working at the beaches, Mandarian, and yes ... outside the county in Orange Park. And I've spoken with the hardworking suburbanites and all they've had to say about downtown was bad.

[Doctor_K]

And I've spoken with the hardworking suburbanites and all they've had to say about downtown was bad.

So basically, Those who you support are just as guilty of doing the thing which you detest, only in reverse.  Suburbanites have nothing good to say about downtown, but the pro-downtowners need to stop the hate? 

Shenanigans.

[wsansewjs]

FYI MODERATORS: Please do not delete these previous posts. They are hilarious! They make my happy dollies tingling!

-Josh

[Jimmy]

Mike Hogan does have a vision for downtown.

Yes he certainly does...

Chilling.  And prescient.  Unless people vote to stop it.

[copperfiend]

And I've spoken with the hardworking suburbanites and all they've had to say about downtown was bad.

I've spoken with lazy urbanites and all they've had to say about downtown was good.

[BigGuy219]

And I've spoken with the hardworking suburbanites and all they've had to say about downtown was bad.

So basically, Those who you support are just as guilty of doing the thing which you detest, only in reverse.  Suburbanites have nothing good to say about downtown, but the pro-downtowners need to stop the hate? 

Shenanigans.

They have every right to be angry and resentful of downtown because of our sky train to nowhere and other wasteful spending. They have bills to pay, and children to feed, and their taxes are too high. When they see us tearing up Laura street and spending millions so we can have cobblestones in an interection? They get furious, and righly so.

Miken Hogan's going to see that such wasteful spending comes to an end and that will cause the rest of Jacksonville to calm in their attitudes towards downtown. Then we can go back to being one city again, instead of divided communities, and that will make for a stronger, more successful Jacksonville going into the future.