Run city like business - Elect Peyton in 2003

[Lunican]

Here is an interesting article from 2003.

Peyton would run city like business

Peyton pledges to be 'job growth mayor'

By Binyamin Appelbaum
Times-Union staff writer

It's a Thursday night, three months before anyone gets to vote for Jacksonville's next mayor, at a hotel function room with glass chandeliers and an occupancy of well-dressed couples pretty much ready to go home. John Peyton just is starting to pick up steam.

"Government should be a facilitator of business, not a barrier," he earnestly tells the crowd. "It's better to have someone lead this government that has been a victim of bureaucracy rather than someone who has created bureaucracy."

As they nod and applaud, an older woman leans toward her husband.

"He seems like a very impressive young man," she says.

That's Peyton in a nutshell: The youthful scion of Gate Petroleum is running for mayor on the premise that government should be run like a business and that he should be the next chief executive, in equal parts because of his experience as a businessman and his lack of experience as a public servant.

If elected, the 38-year-old Republican promises principally that government will do what it can to encourage economic development, including to get out of the way.

This message has gained some unlikely converts, such as former mayor Jake Godbold, a Democrat and avowed populist.

"I believe that it's going to take a businessman type of mayor this time around," Godbold said. "I found that he really has the fire in the belly to be mayor of this city [and] he brings to that office a great business head."

It also has irked other candidates and their supporters, who say Peyton's relative lack of government experience is more distinctive than his business background.

"I'm not a CEO, but I do own my own business ... and I think some government experience is important," Matt Carlucci, the proprietor of Matt Carlucci Insurance and veteran councilman, said at a recent forum.

Peyton professes himself unfazed.

"If we all agree that meaningful job growth in this community should be priority number one, I am better equipped to do that than any other candidate because my background is business," he said.

Full Article:
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/020903/met_11702160.shtml

[thelakelander]

Well... Enron was a business wasn't it?  Give the guy a little credit, he never said he was going to run it like a "successful" business.  Zarye, Woolworth, McCrory's, Montgomery Wards, Quincy's Steakhouses, Mervyn's are all examples of businesses that have gone down the tubes.

[rjp2008]

Since Jax is neither a mega tourist destination nor big university town, it's main chance to grow lies in attracting good companies and businesses here to sustain jobs.

[thelakelander]

The best way to do that is to work to improve the city's quality of life issues.  This means things like better parks, mass transit options, urban connectivity, public infrastructure upkeep, education and crime should be priorities.  As long as we remain a sprawling megaplex, we're anyplace USA.

[brainstormer]

That's Peyton in a nutshell: The youthful scion of Gate Petroleum is running for mayor on the premise that government should be run like a business and that he should be the next chief executive, in equal parts because of his experience as a businessman and his lack of experience as a public servant.

All business is not the way to run a city.  There must be a balance of public servitude as well.  Peyton has done a fair job of bringing business to this city, but has done almost nothing to improve the quality of life, and certainly isn't listening to those he represents.  Does anyone know where the mayor lives?  He seems to be out of touch with reality.

[City Slicker]

The best way to do that is to work to improve the city's quality of life issues.  This means things like better parks, mass transit options, urban connectivity, public infrastructure upkeep, education and crime should be priorities.  As long as we remain a sprawling megaplex, we're anyplace USA.

That is well said, but several of the things that were mentioned are out of the control of the mayor.  And while I agree that those things will move the city forward, I do not think that we can pay for them now.  If we are to have those things, we need to pay for them and that means the dreaded "T" word.  Other cities that have a better quality of life have a taxing structure which allows for residents to pay for those things that make a city great.  It is time for us to do the same.

[thelakelander]

I disagree.  The mayor has more control towards pushing many of these things forward more than anyone else in the city.  Also, to achieve many of these things, its simply better utilizing the money that we do have, not raising taxes. 

A good example of this is the $700k Main Street pocket park.  There was no real need for a $700k park in that location.  In fact, the city would have been better off financially, selling it back to the private sector (putting it back on the tax rolls).  This tree mitigation fund money could have been used to improve an existing poorly maintained city park in the urban core.  Same amount of money budgeted, but the existing asset would have been improved and we would have made a little money by ridding ourselves of that peice of property.  This is something the mayor could have used his influence to stop.

[Lynda]

Seems like when challenging issues have arisen, Mayor Peyton has hired an expensive "advisor" to take care of it (think, for example, of Sam Mousa), instead of figuring out how to handle it himself with existing city staff. 

How much is the city paying for "advisors" to take care of ongoing business matters?

Wonder when Mayor Peyton will decide it's more profitable to just fire all the city employees and outsource the entire city government to India or China or Indonesia, with just a few preferred contractors on location?

[brainstormer]

I agree with Lake and Lynda.  I feel there is a great deal of "wasteful" spending in our city government.  Jacksonville hires many people to perform various roles in our city.  Are we not hiring qualified employees?  Why does the mayor have to hire so many outside advisers and companies to do the work his employees should be doing?  Does he not trust his own team?  And there is no need to spend $700 thousand on a park.  Sadly this park is not even usable.  It has no purpose and requires a great deal of maintenance.  If we cut unneeded spending, I bet there would be enough to fund some quality of life projects.

[BridgeTroll]

If it was actually run like a business it would cut the pensions of police and fire... ever hear of a 401k???

[Springfield Girl]

Maybe we are bringing in the wrong businesses. I'm in the Real Estate business and what I find strange is that so many of the new people coming in, love suburban Jacksonville. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to who are thrilled to be able to move out to the far reaches. They love their cookie cutter houses with the big expanses of grass that need to be irrigated. They move to the deep North side, St. John's County or the Beach but drive their kids all the way across town in their Gas guzzling cars to go to the best magnet school or the best soccer club. I recently met a family at a new homebuyers seminar who told me they just moved from NY and bought a home in Eagle Harbour. When I asked what brought them to Jacksonville I was told it was a job. I then asked who he went to work for and was floored when he said Maxwell House. Pleeease, can we get some more people who don't think like, the SJTC like, is the new Downtown.

[apvbguy]

Maybe we are bringing in the wrong businesses. I'm in the Real Estate business and what I find strange is that so many of the new people coming in, love suburban Jacksonville. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to who are thrilled to be able to move out to the far reaches. They love their cookie cutter houses with the big expanses of grass that need to be irrigated. They move to the deep North side, St. John's County or the Beach but drive their kids all the way across town in their Gas guzzling cars to go to the best magnet school or the best soccer club. I recently met a family at a new homebuyers seminar who told me they just moved from NY and bought a home in Eagle Harbour. When I asked what brought them to Jacksonville I was told it was a job. I then asked who he went to work for and was floored when he said Maxwell House. Pleeease, can we get some more people who don't think like, the SJTC like, is the new Downtown.

people like you who demand that everyone make the same choice you have are maddening. I think it's great that people like you who have chosen to be urban pioneers are working hard to improve the urban core, but to demonize those who don't agree with your idea of how people should live their lives just turns many off.
I lived half my life in the most urban of places, NYC, and I still have an apt there that I use a few weeks a year and I love it when I am there but I also love my cookie cutter mcmansion, I love not having to worry that my door is not locked all the time, I love that my wife can walk or bike around with no fears, I love that my child can go to a school where education still comes first and the school has no metal detectors, I love that I can shop close by without fears of being jumped in the parking lot or accosted by panhandlers. I love that the streets are clean and well maintained and I love being able to be go wherever, whenever via my gas guzzling car. One reason I picked the JAX area to relocate to is the fact that I can live my suburban lifestyle and have the urban pleasures very close by, for me that is a knockout combo that is hard to duplicate.
You and people like you can live your life how you please and I and people like me live life in a way that pleases us, now here's the deal, I won't chide you for living in a dense, dirty, dangerous place with little amenities and you won't demonize me for my lifestyle choices, do we have a deal?

[brainstormer]

[/quote]

people like you who demand that everyone make the same choice you have are maddening. I think it's great that people like you who have chosen to be urban pioneers are working hard to improve the urban core, but to demonize those who don't agree with your idea of how people should live their lives just turns many off.
I lived half my life in the most urban of places, NYC, and I still have an apt there that I use a few weeks a year and I love it when I am there but I also love my cookie cutter mcmansion, I love not having to worry that my door is not locked all the time, I love that my wife can walk or bike around with no fears, I love that my child can go to a school where education still comes first and the school has no metal detectors, I love that I can shop close by without fears of being jumped in the parking lot or accosted by panhandlers. I love that the streets are clean and well maintained and I love being able to be go wherever, whenever via my gas guzzling car. One reason I picked the JAX area to relocate to is the fact that I can live my suburban lifestyle and have the urban pleasures very close by, for me that is a knockout combo that is hard to duplicate.
You and people like you can live your life how you please and I and people like me live life in a way that pleases us, now here's the deal, I won't chide you for living in a dense, dirty, dangerous place with little amenities and you won't demonize me for my lifestyle choices, do we have a deal?
[/quote]

Unfortunately apvb, IMO you just insulted where I live.  I live downtown and I love it.  It was a choice I made.  Unlike you, I don't think it is dirty or dangerous.  Downtown is actually extremely safe.  When was the last murder or shooting on the North or Southbanks?  I can't think of one recently.  And we have a lot of amenities.  I can eat out, grab a beer, exercise, attend concerts and events all within walking distance or a few minute drive in the case of groceries.
I have a lot of friends who live in the suburbs and they enjoy where they live.  In fact I have a short commute to work as I work in the suburbs!  My pet peeve is when people like yourself who have chosen your lifestyle complain about traffic, complain about gas prices, complain about property taxes, etc.  I won't insult where you live, as long as you aren't one of those people because all of those things go hand in hand with your choice to live in the suburbs.  And perhaps you can visit the urban core for me.  You might find it isn't so dirty and dangerous and we have lots of amenities.

[jbm32206]

I agree with both, in part. One point, is that this is free choice and we should and do, live where we wan. If you enjoy the "cookie cutter" homes and lifestyle, that's all well and good. If you live in a more densely populated area, then that too is good.

I live in Springfield, which is well populated and close enough to downtown, and other great areas of town. I feel that overall, this is a very safe neighborhood and it's certainly not dangerous....although I'm well aware that crime happens everywhere...cookie cutter neighborhoods included. For the most part, I can leave my door unlocked, although I generally don't....again, it's all choice and none of us have the right to 'chide' the other for where we've opted to live and how we live.

[apvbguy]

I agree with both, in part. One point, is that this is free choice and we should and do, live where we wan. If you enjoy the "cookie cutter" homes and lifestyle, that's all well and good. If you live in a more densely populated area, then that too is good.

I live in Springfield, which is well populated and close enough to downtown, and other great areas of town. I feel that overall, this is a very safe neighborhood and it's certainly not dangerous....although I'm well aware that crime happens everywhere...cookie cutter neighborhoods included. For the most part, I can leave my door unlocked, although I generally don't....again, it's all choice and none of us have the right to 'chide' the other for where we've opted to live and how we live.

you're right it's all about personal choices and if I sounded like I put down anyone please accept my apologies, it is hard to impart inflection in print. My complaint is with the attitudes displayed by that gal who demands that a "better" kind of person should be recruited to live in JAX, to her better appears to be a person who shares her pioneering spirit and anyone who chooses life in the burbs to be held in contempt. That view is very prevalent amongst the urbanistas and I think attitudes like that need to be shelved. regardless of the future of the core, the majority of people have chosen a suburban lifestyle, and for the core to survive it needs to attract pioneers and be attractive as a destination for the suburbanites for without the support the suburbanites can offer, the urban core cannot survive without the suburbanites. the moral to the story is that the urban pioneers need to keep on trying to revive downtown and they need to embrace and gain the support for their efforts from the suburbanites, holding the suburbanites out for castigation isn't the way to go