09-10 Budget by John Peyton

[CS Foltz]

stjr: got no problem "dismantling Coj" government! Most of it is over weight and top heavy with managers that are not competent to start with. When you fill a governing body up with "buddies" that is not conducive to efficient competent persons in the positions which dictate who does what and when. The GOB Network is hard at it lining their pockets with the tax dollars of the citizens who have busted their butts to pay for all of the taxes and Fee's Mayor Johnny has come up with! The Mayor can take his additional tax request and deposit it where the sun does not shine!

[stjr]

No doubt there are lots of people "feeding at the trough".  Developers, vendors, GOB's, political hacks building careers by buying off constituents, those cashing in "favors", special interests demanding their due, city employee unions, do-gooders trying to save the world, etc.  In the end, almost everyone of us could likely be classified as an "opportunist".

So who goes and who stays?  That is the real question.  If the politicians cut out everybody, they get voted out of office and their replacement will restock the feed trough so the same thing doesn't happen to them.  I think it's as much the voters fault as anyone because the voters are mostly superficial and only vote their own special interests, not the interests that are best overall for the community.  You need look no further than some posts on these MJ threads to see the evidence.

By all rights, no part of the COJ budget is untouchable.  But, when tradeoffs are in play, do we fund the symphony or put 5 more police on the street or feed the homeless or maintain a park or repair a road?  Given that only one could be funded, how to make everyone happy?  Those that are disappointed will blame the decision maker, not the environment that created the problem.  People don't put themselves in the place of the decison maker because they don't want to be stigmatized with the decision.  It's easier to let someone else decide and then criticize them.  I think some of this is in play at the moment with the COJ.  Let's see what happens with the City Council review.

[CS Foltz]

Steven.....I concur with your take on the situation! The people have no one to blame for the situation but themselves. If all who could vote would....well won't go there but the point is Politicians pander to the masses by their very nature. Once in office then they do what they think is right (most of them unless they are busy returning favors to the powers that be who put them there) Politics by its nature is a situation of compromise and I understand the give and take situation that is part and parcel of any political situation. However at some point the people need to oversee just what take place in government. Kinda like what this Forum is all about. If enough people take an interest in just what takes place then alot of what is taking place will slow up and maybe even stop but we have to take an interest. I look at what has taken place here in Jacksonville over the last 10 years and think about the amounts of taxpayer money that have feed a select few and it makes me stop! I look at the waste in government or the mismanagement just in the last few years and think .....just what in the heck is going on! It is past time for the people to take an interest in just what is taking place today and start planning for tomorrow! Our current Administration lack vision, a plan and the expertise to execute!