Challengers in the 2015 Council Races

[Jtetlak]

In addition to the Cafe Freda event I am having June 9, which I have posted about before, I also encourage you to check out my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Tetlak2015/events) for information on a few family fun events I am having, including a Jacksonville Sharks game and a cosmic bowling event, both of which include discount prices. I look forward to seeing you at these and other upcoming events, and I encourage you to email me if you have any questions or comments.

[James Eddy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4CSiFJrg8E&feature=youtu.be

Check out my new youtube  spot.

[Stephen]

Looking forward to the event at Cafe Freda,,what time is it ?

No Lumb      No Love     No LumbLove      Jacksonville needs to Aim High

[Jtetlak]

Cafe Freda starts at 6PM. Thanks for the interest!

Great spot James!

[Badfinger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4CSiFJrg8E&feature=youtu.be

Check out my new youtube  spot.

Solid ad.  What is your solution for the concerns expressed in it?

[James Eddy]

Just as I expressed it is time for the citizens to speak out about what they have seen.  JSO are there to clean up after the crime. Yes it helps when there are more boots on the ground but with the budget we have to work with now their is not the money. I do want to see our Mayor be a leader and say this city is not a killing city and we are not going to let criminals just shot down our brothers, sister, mother and fathers in the streets. We have to take our city back. If you know any thing call crime stoppers. We need a safer city and we can make it happen. I will admit I do not have all the answers but will work the ones that do to make it happen. Its time to make some noise.

[mtraininjax]

James - So we get on the right side of the murder issue, where exactly are MOST of the murders occurring in 2014? Are they the same general areas as 2013, 2012, 2011...........

My limited desk jockey knowledge leads me to believe that most of these killings are drug related in the same locations over and over and over again. So I ask you, why should I really want to make a change if I live in Mandarin or Durban Crossing or Cecil Field, if I have my own issues in my neighborhood, but they do not involve gang on gang violence with a gun over drugs?

From my personal friends with the JSO, we only hear 10% of what is really happening in our city, most of the horrific stuff never gets sent to the media, but buried in the stats.

The idea of pulling resources out of Zones to go and have JSO uniforms go door to door in the NW district is a joke. The crime stoppers system is a joke, none of the people want to come forward out of sheer terror of saying anything about the people who have the real power in the areas. The local leaders and pastors are no better than the mayor who gets on TV and says "we need to do better", this all starts in the home. The walking the streets with the Sherriff programs should be a daily, weekly. This issue cannot be fixed at city hall with more resources, the citizens in the neighborhoods with the issues are the ones who must resolve these issues, with help from JSO, pastors, local leaders. We should not be sending the JSO in, alone, to try and resolve neighborhood issues.  Its not what the JSO does best.

[Noone]

What do the Challengers think of
2014-305
2014-306?

[IrvAdams]

James - So we get on the right side of the murder issue, where exactly are MOST of the murders occurring in 2014? Are they the same general areas as 2013, 2012, 2011...........

My limited desk jockey knowledge leads me to believe that most of these killings are drug related in the same locations over and over and over again. So I ask you, why should I really want to make a change if I live in Mandarin or Durban Crossing or Cecil Field, if I have my own issues in my neighborhood, but they do not involve gang on gang violence with a gun over drugs?

From my personal friends with the JSO, we only hear 10% of what is really happening in our city, most of the horrific stuff never gets sent to the media, but buried in the stats.

The idea of pulling resources out of Zones to go and have JSO uniforms go door to door in the NW district is a joke. The crime stoppers system is a joke, none of the people want to come forward out of sheer terror of saying anything about the people who have the real power in the areas. The local leaders and pastors are no better than the mayor who gets on TV and says "we need to do better", this all starts in the home. The walking the streets with the Sherriff programs should be a daily, weekly. This issue cannot be fixed at city hall with more resources, the citizens in the neighborhoods with the issues are the ones who must resolve these issues, with help from JSO, pastors, local leaders. We should not be sending the JSO in, alone, to try and resolve neighborhood issues.  Its not what the JSO does best.

You're pretty close to the mark here. Sending JSO to clean up the streets after things have occurred or are occurring is too late. Social and infrastructure changes need to be made at the front. We need to be proactive and these areas of town need to get our love and our money from the get-go.

However, I believe this is a Jacksonville problem, we should put our money where our reputation is. If our city is getting a bad rap, that effects all of its citizens and our awareness needs toe be raised unilaterally.

[James Eddy]

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Jacksonville-Florida.html#ixzz33Rwhe8TU

Homicides in Jacksonville we are currently at 42 as on the May 1, 2013-115 , 2012-108, 2011-86, 2010- 99. The numbers are going up not down. Yes some of theses are drug related, yes some theses are do to economic problems but it is a problem in our city all over not just one area. Yes the West side has been more active in the last few months but the problem is every where. Some thing has to give and no one is leading in city hall. 

To answer the question on the two bills will have to get back to you. I could not get them open on my system but if you want to email them to me I can get back to you. Eddy4dist7@gmail.com I will post my answers on here also.

[Jtetlak]

Hey Noone! If I'm correct, 2014-305 looks to "change the time limit for docking at Pearl Street for designated passenger loading and unloading zones from ten to thirty minutes." My first thought is that I don't see a problem with this proposal, do you foresee an issue with this?

2014-306 seems like an effort to streamline procurement and to combine two types of non-competitive awards. I'm very much in favor of making our city government more simple and efficient. Why did you ask about this bill?

[Noone]

Jtetlack, thanks for the response back. I foresee a huge issue with 2014-305 going forward. Councilman Love did an excellent job in addressing an issue of a constituent that is in his district and the business was in another district. So he held a noticed meeting 4/2/14 and the result was this legislation that extends the time limit for docking at Pearl St for designated passenger loading and unloading zones from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. Cool. Very positive.

The concern going forward is the vibrancy that this community is wanting to embrace with an engaging, exciting, active Downtown waterfront. So at this same meeting it was announced that the yet to be built brand new floating dock on the Southbank Riverwalk will now have one vendor with a 10 year no compete clause. Do you support that? there was some shock as that was announced. So Don Redman the Chair of Waterways the city councilman who's district includes the Southbank Riverwalk and we are lucky that 2014-190 the funding for a completed Southbank Riverwalk is now included so we weren't shorted that 900'. So anyway. We will have a new DIA zone and this new Authority will have TOTAL control over the River in a new 4.8 mile zone.

But just using this one example. And please find out the answer. If we launch my kayak and you are paying me from the official Mayor Brown Kayak launch at RCB and I took you to the new floating dock on the Southbank and dropped you off so that you can visit the new craft beer establishments in San Marco would I be in violation of the docking rules and then my kayak could be seized and impounded like a car? Yes or No?

If Yes. Then should amendments be included in this legislation that would take care of of the existing and new areas in this CRA/DIA zone? Councilman Love at this meeting asked some great questions and this meeting accomplished what he was looking to do for his constituent and the specific issue that got addressed. but at the same time other issues and concerns were raised and he had suggestions that can make the river more vibrant and active if some additional changes are made.

As to 2014-306 it is over 200 pages where 305 is just 3 pages. I'm trying to get through 305 right now.

[Stephen]

I would like to know what will be done to make Avondale/Riverside more accessible from downtown by public transportation.

No Lumb No Love    No LumbLove                       Jacksonville needs to Aim High

[Jtetlak]

I'm very excited that an agreement was reached to finish the Southbank Riverwalk, but I do not support the idea of a no compete clause. As discussed in another thread about the water taxi, competing businesses are good for markets, and the city should refrain from awarding contracts for individual companies.

Ideally I would like to see more access to the river for our citizens. I've spoken with the Riverkeeper about how we need more public boat ramps and floating docks for citizens like yourself to launch kayaks, how I'd like to see a park with a beach downtown so people can enjoy the river rather than just drive over it on a bridge, and I've even been in contact with a company called +Pools in New York about the idea of creating a floating pool in the river, which you can learn more about at http://www.pluspool.org.

For companies that are interested in operating on the water, however, I think the city should issue permits for qualified companies rather than awarding contracts to operate without competition. Limiting competition eliminates the incentive for businesses to adapt to the market, and in my opinion its not the city's responsibility to regulate the number of ferry operators any more than it's their responsibility to regulate the number food trucks on the street.

[Jtetlak]

@stephen, public transportation is very complicated because of Jacksonville's unique layout. There are ideas for extending the skyway to Riverside, and from what I understand there are changes coming to the JTA bus routes to try and create faster service, but I think there needs to be a comprehensive plan before anything will work. I met with Mr. Ford at JTA a few months ago and they are creating a BRT system, or Bus Rapid Transit, that will hopefully service longer routes faster. The success of the Trolley in Riverside may make it a viable option as well. Do you have a specific idea you think would work best or a particular issue you are having with the current system?