Jacksonville Mayoral election 2015

[Jimmy]

It's a tough crowd.

[Cheshire Cat]

DEBATE  DEBATE DEBATE!   

Make sure and mark your calendars folks. This is a very important view for everyone when it comes to understanding the candidates running for mayor and what they bring to the table. 

WJCT, in partnership with First Coast News and The Florida Times-Union, is hosting the 2015 Jacksonville Mayoral Debate Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. on WJCT-TV 7, WJXX ABC 25, 89.9 FM and streaming online at WJCT.org, Jacksonville.com and firstcoastnews.com.
WJCT First Coast Connect host Melissa Ross will moderate the debate, and the panel of journalists includes First Coast News anchor Shannon Ogden and Florida Times-Union reporters Rhema Thompson and David Bauerlein.

[Cheshire Cat]

News4Jax  DEBATE DEBATE DEBATE!!!!


News4Jax will be having a debate between the candidates for Mayor on Wednesday March 18th with JU at 8:00PM.  The debates will be broadcast live on Channel 4 and will also be streaming live. 

[edjax]

UNF conducting another poll. Just received my call. Mark down a vote for Bishop!

[Cheshire Cat]

UNF conducting another poll. Just received my call. Mark down a vote for Bishop!

Great, that is great. 

[sheclown]

Bishop made a stop in Springfield last night talking to the community about returning two-way streets "downtown is not a race track". 

He spoke about a broken code enforcement system (which got this group of preservationists ready to raise him on their shoulders and march him around Liberty Street).  He spoke about his experience as a small business man and the challenges of meeting payroll and offered this experience as an indicator of his fiscal reliability.

He compared his experiences as an architect --  designing a place for people to live -- as a foundation for his role as leader of Jacksonville. 

[sheclown]

The CPAC chairs had a great meeting today with Lenny Curry.

Some topics:  the river, the blight, the role of CPACs. 

Could not have been more surprised by him.  He is very warm and open. 


 

[vicupstate]

^^ Would love to hear more details sheclown, when you get the chance. Do be mindful that in small gatherings like this, it is easy for any candidate to say what the audience wants to hear, since it isn't subject to heavy media coverage, that might point out discrepancies with prior rhetoric.

[sheclown]

He's kinda got a JFK thing going on. 

He uses people's names a lot when he speaks.  He says "Gloria, I never knew that about the blight bill." 

He spoke about the river dredging (to "boos" all around I might add).  We heard the same old reasoning...jobs and keeping up with the Jones'. 

But then he smiles and says we can disagree in one area and work together on others.

We spent a good portion of the meeting talking about CPACs' role in his administration.  He agrees they are underutilized and asked when the CPACs golden years were.  How we get back there. 

We discussed our challenges, lack of budget and staff cuts, and our desire to have a seat at the planning commission table. 

We mainly talked about relationships, neighborhoods, how they differ, how they are the same.  He is concerned about neighborhoods, crime, and I believe he truly wants a ground-level view.

[Cheshire Cat]

He's kinda got a JFK thing going on. 

He uses people's names a lot when he speaks.  He says "Gloria, I never knew that about the blight bill." 

He spoke about the river dredging (to "boos" all around I might add).  We heard the same old reasoning...jobs and keeping up with the Jones'. 

But then he smiles and says we can disagree in one area and work together on others.

We spent a good portion of the meeting talking about CPACs' role in his administration.  He agrees they are underutilized and asked when the CPACs golden years were.  How we get back there. 

We discussed our challenges, lack of budget and staff cuts, and our desire to have a seat at the planning commission table. 

We mainly talked about relationships, neighborhoods, how they differ, how they are the same.  He is concerned about neighborhoods, crime, and I believe he truly wants a ground-level view.

Lenny is very personable but that is political charisma you experienced, nothing more.    Look to the campaign he is running to know the truth about what he will do and how he will do it to "win" what he wants.  In the big picture when the needs of the small preservation groups and those who make their living by restoring historic homes comes up against an issue that will impact the money people or NEFBA, the small guys will be trampled.  Don't be fooled, Lenny is another Alvin Brown who is all about power, connections and money. 

[sheclown]

Calm down cowgirl. Don't shoot

I am giving my impression of him.

He was not what I was expecting nor do I suffer any illusions of my small little spec of influence in the universe

I do believe Bishop is more experienced and familiar with the workings of city  hall.

Love you Diane.

[Cheshire Cat]

I was quick on the draw after all.  lol  Love you too. 

[fieldafm]

He's kinda got a JFK thing going on. 

He uses people's names a lot when he speaks.  He says "Gloria, I never knew that about the blight bill." 

He spoke about the river dredging (to "boos" all around I might add).  We heard the same old reasoning...jobs and keeping up with the Jones'. 

But then he smiles and says we can disagree in one area and work together on others.

We spent a good portion of the meeting talking about CPACs' role in his administration.  He agrees they are underutilized and asked when the CPACs golden years were.  How we get back there. 

We discussed our challenges, lack of budget and staff cuts, and our desire to have a seat at the planning commission table. 

We mainly talked about relationships, neighborhoods, how they differ, how they are the same.  He is concerned about neighborhoods, crime, and I believe he truly wants a ground-level view.

Lenny is a very likeable guy and very sincere. He's also a very effective person, he takes satisfaction in getting things done. He's not a soundbite.

The picture some people paint of him on this board doesn't match up to reality when you speak to Lenny one on one. He's very approachable, very sharp and very focused on getting things right. Neighborhoods haven't always gotten their due and he is intent on reversing that trend.

[strider]

I was a bit surprised at Sheclown's take on Curry and in a positive way.  Still, Curry, regardless of how he comes across personally, worries me if only for the reasons of who brought their money to bear for him,  the kinds of moves they've made to promote him,  including both the shenanigans by the Republican committee and the PAC's very negative ad campaign tactics, and the time it took for anyone to know his stance on things.  Still looks like he was waiting for someone else to tell him what to do. Since I am having trouble seeing his campaign as ethical, I am also having trouble seeing the man as having the best qualities I want in a Mayor.   I firmly know that Bill Bishop is the best one for the job but to be honest, I am more firmly believing Curry is the second choice - change,  smart and corrupt (if that is the case) is far better than not smart and corrupt (which I believe we have now), however you may wish to define corrupt.

That said, everyone should recognize that no matter what, a vote for Bishop will not be a wasted vote.  From what I can see, no one is going to win the primary outright with 51% or more, so there will be another election for mayor.  The worst case (to me) is Brown and Curry, but if everyone who thinks that Bishop is the first choice but they also think it is a wasted vote and will be voting for Brown or Curry actually voted for Bishop, it could just as easily be Bishop and Curry or Bishop and Brown.  To me, voting for Bishop on March 24th is a potential win no matter what.

Isn't it time we elected some strong, ethical and intelligent leaders to guide our city's future?

[fieldafm]

I find it troubling that you associate the word corrupt with Curry. Even after your wife met him. That just proves my point.

BTW, Bishop has had 8 years to accomplish things (including one as Council President). His accomplishments have been few and far between... unless you count finally killing the Mobility Plan despite telling the very advocates who were trying to save it that he was 'on your side'

What's really ironic, is that by killing the Mobility Plan by pushing this ridiculous credit system, he was trying to curry favor with two large developers whom he thought would financially support his candidacy. Yet you label Curry 'corrupt'.