Jacksonville Boat Parade

Tacachale · October 21, 2011, 01:46:03 PM

Yeah, but why not cut it from, say, $100,000 to $75,000 or $50,000, rather than just giving it the ax entirely. The return on investement has to be considered with this kind of thing. It's bothersome because this is a big downtown event, and Brown was the downtown-oriented candidate.

duvaldude08 · October 21, 2011, 01:46:15 PM

what I would like someone to help me understand is, what would you like see be cut. As citizens we say "dont raise taxes". Well taxes were not rasied, so drastic cuts have to be made. Then we say " dont cut libraries, dont cut JSO, dont lay people off, dont cut the boat parade." Im started to wonder sometime how realistic were being. We want the city to have a balance budget and not raise taxez, but we dont want ANYTHING cut. Thats not viturally possiable. Reality it, this country as whole is barely hanging on. We are still board line great depression #2. We are in terriable time wheather anybody wants to admit it or not. im not saying I support cutting a huge downtown event such as the boat parade, but if this country as a whole doesnt shape up there wont be a boat parade, fireworks, etc. I just feel like the times we live in we shouldnt have a cow about a boat parade. Im just happy to have a job and a roof over my head in this impossiable economy.

tufsu1 · October 21, 2011, 02:42:13 PM

Quote from: duvaldude08 on October 21, 2011, 01:46:15 PM
what I would like someone to help me understand is, what would you like see be cut. As citizens we say "dont raise taxes". Well taxes were not rasied, so drastic cuts have to be made. Then we say " dont cut libraries, dont cut JSO, dont lay people off, dont cut the boat parade." Im started to wonder sometime how realistic were being. We want the city to have a balance budget and not raise taxez, but we dont want ANYTHING cut.

this is a problem at all levels of government...which is why the whole "no new taxes ever" thing is so stupid!

duvaldude08 · October 21, 2011, 02:47:17 PM

Quote from: tufsu1 on October 21, 2011, 02:42:13 PM
Quote from: duvaldude08 on October 21, 2011, 01:46:15 PM
what I would like someone to help me understand is, what would you like see be cut. As citizens we say "dont raise taxes". Well taxes were not rasied, so drastic cuts have to be made. Then we say " dont cut libraries, dont cut JSO, dont lay people off, dont cut the boat parade." Im started to wonder sometime how realistic were being. We want the city to have a balance budget and not raise taxez, but we dont want ANYTHING cut.

this is a problem at all levels of government...which is why the whole "no new taxes ever" thing is so stupid!

+100 if we dont feel it one way, were going to feel it another.

KenFSU · October 21, 2011, 03:02:19 PM

Why not just eliminate the (completely unnecessary, bordering on cheesy) fireworks display at the end of the boat parade? Do we really need fireworks a month before the bigger New Year's Eve show? According to the article, the fireworks accounted for approximatey half the cost of the boat parade. So that whittles it down to just over $50,000. Find some sponsors, cut a few thousand dollars from some lesser festivals, and maintain what has turned into one of the great yearly traditions in Jacksonville. I just don't get this one.

duvaldude08 · October 21, 2011, 03:08:49 PM

Quote from: KenFSU on October 21, 2011, 03:02:19 PM
Why not just eliminate the (completely unnecessary, bordering on cheesy) fireworks display at the end of the boat parade? Do we really need fireworks a month before the bigger New Year's Eve show? According to the article, the fireworks accounted for approximatey half the cost of the boat parade. So that whittles it down to just over $50,000. Find some sponsors, cut a few thousand dollars from some lesser festivals, and maintain what has turned into one of the great yearly traditions in Jacksonville. I just don't get this one.

That I agree with. Just scale it back some. We shouldnt have canceled it.

knhknh · October 21, 2011, 05:24:42 PM

any chance the landing and/or the riverfront hotels may step up and take over the event?

duvaldude08 · October 21, 2011, 05:31:50 PM

Quote from: knhknh on October 21, 2011, 05:24:42 PM
any chance the landing and/or the riverfront hotels may step up and take over the event?

Thats what need to happen. In the times were in, partnerships and donations are the way to get things.

KenFSU · October 28, 2011, 08:59:45 AM

There may be hope yet for the parade:

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-10-28/story/jacksonville-pulled-plug-boats-light-parade-it-may-be-rekindling

Keith-N-Jax · October 28, 2011, 01:09:21 PM

Well lets hope so. I know money is tight, but anything that gets people to DT Jax should not be cancelled.

Riverrat · October 28, 2011, 02:00:37 PM

Quote from: knhknh on October 21, 2011, 05:24:42 PM
any chance the landing and/or the riverfront hotels may step up and take over the event?

The Landing and Riverfront hotels depend on this event every year, yes, but the hotels and Landing are all suffering overall and wouldn't be able to fork out that kind of money. It needs to come from one of our major corporations/Fortune 500 companies...Fidelity/CSX/Winn-Dixie or banking, etc.

urbaknight · October 31, 2011, 03:08:01 PM

What about the money the city made from Fl/Ga game?

Can't they use that extra money to save the boat parade?

Other than fireworks, security and clean up, what are the costs?

Don't people put their own boats in the parade?

I'm sure the city doesn't pay them to participate.

Tacachale · October 31, 2011, 03:10:47 PM

^The city pays for the fireworks which were the bulk of the cost. Hopefully this can go forward without the city paying for that.

tufsu1 · October 31, 2011, 03:13:32 PM

I heard today that the boat parade will be saved by a non-profit group....but they need to raise $75,000 in the next month

The City will host/update the event's website and the group will get prizes donated.

fsujax · October 31, 2011, 03:18:57 PM

I doubt without the fireworks, the crowds will be as big as past parades. I am sorry, but the fireworks are the huge draw for this event. Who pays for the fireworks when they light the Christmas Tree at the Landing, the day before the boat parade?