Jacksonville Mayoral election 2015

[Dog Walker]

Bill Bishop has been Chair of the Transportation Planning Organization where he has been Duval County's representative for a number of years.  He is currently Chair of the N.E. Florida Transportation Planning Commission.

He was instrumental in getting District 2 of FDOT to make major modifications to their disastrous plan for the re-re-model of the I-10/I-95/Fuller Warren Bridge project.  He went directly to the Secretary of FDOT and told him that he would see that the project was killed and the money sent elsewhere is the communities concerns were not addressed.  He then worked with Robin Lumb to gather those concerns and present them to FDOT.  It was a long laundry list and everyone of them has been incorporated in the project.

He has been a leader on the Council in the effort to solve the Pension mess.

He is one of at least four City Council members who are more qualified to be Mayor than Brown or Curry.

[vicupstate]

He was instrumental in getting District 2 of FDOT to make major modifications to their disastrous plan for the re-re-model of the I-10/I-95/Fuller Warren Bridge project.  He went directly to the Secretary of FDOT and told him that he would see that the project was killed and the money sent elsewhere is the communities concerns were not addressed.  He then worked with Robin Lumb to gather those concerns and present them to FDOT.  It was a long laundry list and everyone of them has been incorporated in the project.

That is quite a testimony for him. DOTs can be a real bully/pain in the ass to deal with, and you need someone that will play hardball when it is required. 

[jax-native68]

I am a native and lifelong resident of Jacksonville.  I was born almost 6 months prior to consolidation.  My ancestry in this city goes back almost a century.

Several weeks ago I sent each mayoral candidate and each at-large city council candidate these same questions. Only Theresa Graham, Group 2 at large candidate, has bothered to even acknowledge my email, and she has yet to reply with answers.

I would appreciate it if others would press this issue in any way they can.

1. Why is this city spending taxpayers' money on a football team when our public libraries cannot maintain normal business hours?

2. Why do we not have commuter rail service connecting the Beaches, Orange Park, the airport and Nocatee with downtown?

3. Why must I walk a mile just to get to the bus stop closest to my house?

4. Why are my neighbors being allowed to terrorize me with their pit bulls because animal control refuses to do anything about them?

5. Why does my neighborhood flood every time it rains for more than 3 days because the city won't properly maintain the ditches and storm drains my taxes pay for?

[I-10east]

My mayoral race rankings right now.

1. Brown
2. Bishop
3. Curry (I can't see myself supporting him)

Of course many people will object to my opinion, but Alvin had alot of jobs coming through in his tenure; Yeah he had his follies, what mayor doesn't? The upstart bandwagon candidate that many is rooting for Bill Bishop, I admitted don't know much about him; Maybe he can take the number 1 spot if I knew more about him, but I'm not ready to go there yet. Lenny Curry's mud slinging negative ads is all that I have to say about him.

[JeffreyS]

Here is what I give Brown during an improving economy he didn't get in the way. I prefer Bishop I would like to see someone who might be actively involved in improving the city.  Curry ummm no.

[edjax]

I am a native and lifelong resident of Jacksonville.  I was born almost 6 months prior to consolidation.  My ancestry in this city goes back almost a century.

Several weeks ago I sent each mayoral candidate and each at-large city council candidate these same questions. Only Theresa Graham, Group 2 at large candidate, has bothered to even acknowledge my email, and she has yet to reply with answers.

I would appreciate it if others would press this issue in any way they can.

1. Why is this city spending taxpayers' money on a football team when our public libraries cannot maintain normal business hours?

2. Why do we not have commuter rail service connecting the Beaches, Orange Park, the airport and Nocatee with downtown?

3. Why must I walk a mile just to get to the bus stop closest to my house?

4. Why are my neighbors being allowed to terrorize me with their pit bulls because animal control refuses to do anything about them?

5. Why does my neighborhood flood every time it rains for more than 3 days because the city won't properly maintain the ditches and storm drains my taxes pay for?

How about|

1.  What are your plans to bring true pension reform?

2.  Would you at least consider a raise to taxes to meet the needs of the city currently and to move it forward?

3.  How would you expect the city to flourish when I pay less in property taxes now than I did 10 years ago?

[Cheshire Cat]

A former Lenny Curry support explains why he "fears" Lenny Curry becoming the mayor of Jacksonville.  He calls it 10 reasons not to vote for Lenny Curry.

Let me say, I once supported Lenny Curry.  I liked his exuberance and what I thought was "your good guy next door" image.  I knew very little about Bill Bishop and was often frustrated with Alvin Brown.  I posted this:

Lenny Support I now fear the thought of Lenny Curry leading this City.  I have spent an inordinate amount of time talking to Bill Bishop and Alvin Brown, researching and consuming information and (more recently) being glared at and insulted by Team Curry.  People have asked me why I changed my mind, so I sat down and wrote this.  It is the little things.  And the big ones.  And Jacksonville needs a true leader right now.  Not a politician.

To read click link and scroll down to the second article for Feb 20th.  http://courtsandsportsradio.com/

[Cheshire Cat]

From Ron Littlepage of TU

Ron Littlepage: Brown and Curry - one is in Fantasyland, the other's in La La Land

By Ron Littlepage Fri, Feb 20, 2015 @ 1:49 pm

Alvin Brown and Lenny Curry just don't get it.

Curry comes right out of central casting for the Republican Party. Wind him up, and he'll promise not to increase taxes and then spend the rest of his time lambasting his perceived main opponent, Brown.

Of course, Brown beat Curry to the no-tax pledge when he ran for mayor four years ago.

And he's spent these last four years saying he's fulfilled that promise even though he submitted city budgets so out of whack that the City Council had to step in with a tax increase or watch the city's quality of life plummet even further.

It's time to move beyond this silliness and to recognize that to have a truly great city, a tax increase may — with an emphasis on may — be necessary at some point.

City Councilman Bill Bishop, the other major candidate in the mayoral race, isn't afraid to say that.

Who are you going to trust on this issue: Brown, who inhabits a fantasy world where money is free; Curry, who has never wrestled with a city budget; or Bishop, who has eight years of experience scraping for money to keep libraries open, the parks in halfway decent shape and public safety functioning?

Jacksonville is on the cusp of making great strides forward. That's why this mayoral race is critical.

For full article click link:
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/ron-littlepage/2015-02-20/story/ron-littlepage-brown-and-curry-one-fantasyland-others-la-la

[sheclown]

^ a great article.

[sheclown]

From Facebook

First Coast Connect
1 hr ·

Is homosexuality a choice? This morning on the show, Jacksonville mayoral candidate Omega Allen said she believes it is, and thus, will not support an expanded human rights ordinance.

[Jimmy]

I was pretty horrified to hear Ms. Allen say that this morning.  Though not terribly surprised.

If anyone is close to the Mayor, I'd love to hear his take on that.  Does he believe that homosexuality in a choice? 

It got some quick press on the FloridaPolitics blog: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/8389 toward the bottom. 

[Cheshire Cat]

Bill Bishop for Mayor as he answers a Mr. Smith on the radio this morning WOKV 104.5:

As a business owner, homeowner, and taxpayer, I do not want to pay any more taxes that I have to. We see all kinds of examples at all levels of wasteful spending in inefficient or ineffective use of tax dollars. That being said, I can tell you categorically, Jacksonville does not bring in enough revenue to fund our public pension system, pay debt service on accumulated borrowing, hire the necessary additional police officers and maintain our failing infrastructure. The JSO budget is almost $50 million higher today than 4 years ago and they have 147 fewer officers on the street, no CSO's and a greatly trimmed administrative staff. Virtually all of the budget increase went to pension payments. Now, you don't know me and you don't have to believe this if you choose not to but these are the facts. Your comment below is correct on one level, if the voters of Jacksonville do not want any sort of tax increase, then the choice is to decide what you want to do witho

[tufsu1]

Lenny Curry spoke at a men's club sponsored event at my synagogue yesterday.  He was, for the lack of a better term, AWFUL!  He pretty much said nothing.  This is not just my opinion, as pretty much everyone I spoke with had similar feelings. 

It also didn't help that he was followed by Jay Farhat (running for Sheriff) who offered ideas and specifics.  It also didn't help that Lenny left the event before it was over or that he didn't really mingle with the crowd.

[sheclown]

Bill Bishop was pretty wonderful when he met with the CPAC chairs last week.  He told us to be "squeaky wheels" and encouraged us to be bold.  He did speak about the pension reform with us as well.

I will be voting for him.  Plain and simple.  Underdog or not, nothing else makes sense.

[I-10east]

A UNF poll which interviewed likely voters in Duval County, revealed Alvin Brown is leading the mayor's race with 37 percent; Lenny Curry: 25 percent; Bill Bishop: 11 percent; Omega Allen: 2 percent; and 25 percent don't know or refused to answer.

http://news.wjct.org/post/unf-poll-voters-uncertain-undecided-jacksonville-election-looms