Everbank and Corporate Welfare

[Charles D White]

Our outgoing Mayor has proposed to the tune of over $6 million of our tax dollars that we the taxpayers buy Everbank's relocation of 800 employees to one of Downtown's vacant highrises. The funds of which $2.75 million goes directly into Everbank's hands to pay for quote "leasing costs" come from JEDC. When JEDC was founded, (1996 I believe) it was specifically stated that these funds would not be used to attract companies to relocate from one section of Jacksonville to another. I work specifically in this arena, I represent tenants looking for office space and I represent building owners and their space and I have never heard of a City doing something like this for an existing tenant . Everbank will come from the I-95/Butler Corridor to Downtown Jacksonville at the expense of their landlord in the suburbs. Would Everbank do this without the money, who knows? They certainly have enough money of their own to do this without this handout.

Another $3.25 million dollars is to build a parking garage so Everbank can park presumably for free. Is this Toney Sleiman's garage? It is not, it is another concession to Everbank. Who will this benefit? Of course Everbank, but who else? First Coast News interviewed a hot dog vendor who said (I paraphrase) "it will be good for my business but I don't think taxpayer dollars should be used." This is a private business deal between landlord and a potential new tenant, no interference is necessary from Government and the Government is damaging the existing landlord by putting this "backroom" deal together.

We invite you to join our discussion on this subject already in progress on "Just Speak Up" heard Mon.-Fri. on AM600 WBOB at 12 o'clock Noon. Any of our Councilmen who are listening are invited to participate in the discussion also, that number is 904-854-1320. Please get involved on this one, let's hold the outgoing Mayor responsible and pray our City Councilmen will make the right decision.

Fiunally JEDC takes up this subject for the first time on June 9th at Jacksonville's City Hall Suite 400 at 9 AM. I'll be there will you?

[Jim Ryan]

JL Gawlik,  On the subject of Forest Gump I will direct to your attention a note off blog that will segway to how prophetic your keen insight is.  Almost Kreskin like.  Amazing.   I thought of posting it here but since it was business related I felt that it would be inapproriate, in bad form and contray to the forum which has been established and is so important to the legitimacy and seriousness of the venue to discussion the FCTP has established.    Thanks for the compliment.  It's nice to have you as a teammate fighting the good fight. 

[JL Gawlik]

Jim, you have helped me rethink my letter writing. Simple, the truth and to the point words resonate more with people. Rod's comment using the word 'stupid' probably irritated the City Council because it was simple, the truth and to the point.

Just as Patricia's post below, it is simple, the truth and to the point. 

That is probably why the movie 'Forest Gump' was so popular, it was simple, the truth and to the point.

[CJ]

Rod you are so cool! nothing like a little scripture to lighten the load of man.

JTA will release statement on Prime Osborn land trade before City Council meeting begins

Submitted by Larry Hannan on June 28, 2011 - 10:23amOn the Road 

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is expected to respond before the 5 p.m. City Council meeting begins to the proposed compromise that would give JTA three parcels of land to build a new Greyhound station by the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

Spokeswoman Shannon Eller said JTA is giving all members of City Council a heads up on what JTA will say. The statement will then be released to the public.

Mayor John Peyton has proposed giving JTA 14 parcels of land around the Prime Osborn Convention Center. City Council members have expressed opposition to this, saying the idea has not been properly vetted.

However, Council members have said they are will to approve transferring three parcels of land to JTA today for a Greyhound station. With the other 11 parcels getting a further vetting when a new City Council takes office later this week.

 

[Rod Morrill]

Patricia,

 

What a great and so very appropiate quote for tonight.

 

I think I saw you were speaking to 2011-399/400.  Are you speaking to any other items?

 

Try to get a crowd from FCTP to meet you there.

 

To all of you reading this: Patricia, Debbie and "CJ" are warriors on your behalf but on nights like tonight there is a desperate need for you to stand with them and uphold them.

 

A Bibical reference: There was a famous point in time when Moses stood overlooking the battle where God had promised him the victory as long as he held his hands high.  Moses found himself becoming  weak but with one on his left and one on his right holding his hands high the victory was theirs.  

This may not be as famous a battle but your warriors need you to stand with them, support them and pray for them so they will be strong. 

[Jim Ryan]

JL- I enjoy your input very much.  It adds clarity and pointed recognition to the many issues we face in dealing with what appears at times an overwhelming sea of CRAP from a swarm of spineless and corrupt political hacks.  "The use of words and phrases such as unintelligent, meaningless, nonsensical, irrelevant, pointless, senseless, deficient, ludicrous etc.. " however I feel falls on deaf ears, particularly to the constituents who cannot define them, obviously could never spell them thanks to the last 20 years of public school education, and actually in many instances would probably believe you are paying them a compliment.  However STUPID, STUPID, STUPID is from my experience the only word that seems to get their attention. ( 2nd place is ignorant but its a distant 2nd).  As I blogged here earlier in the month the best commercial and campaign slogan going for forward is to just repeatedly call them STUPID< STUPID<STUPID.  No one likes to be defined as being STUPID and in many cases the association will slow down their blind allegiance.  This will change the discourse of future debate and allow it to focus on the failure of the policies

from which there is no hiding.   They want to run as far away from those policies after they insert a 1 sentence blurb.   However once those policies are exposed, publically debunked and eviserated the closing tag line again is repeated.   "Dear Democrat's :You can continue to vote for these failures but to do so only reinforces the consensus of your ignorance and STUPIDITY.  Because once you pull that lever...You've eliminated all Doubt....STUPID." 

 

 

[JL Gawlik]

Thank you Patricia, i just wrote a scathing letter to my Congressional representatives using just what you posted below, it fit beautifully into my letter about:

US dollar loosing its status as the global reserve currency over the next 25 years, according to a survey of central bank reserve managers. President Obama's legacy, he has destroyed our dollar, and economy while Congress sits and watches and does not do a damn thing to stop this madness.

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/userletter/?letter_id=70736...

Hope you don't mind... *G*

[Patricia M. McBride]

Government/ Private Partnership

"…what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? …a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government." - Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address - Wednesday, March 1, 1801

America was founded on the economic principles of the "free enterprise" system. An individual was free to operate his business under the law without government intervention and regulation. This economic system is being replaced by public (government) - private partnerships. This system is called fascism.

[JL Gawlik]

Great info Rod, i have learned so much for this group. One thing that i have learned when writing my Federal elected representatives, although i have stated before there are many stupid incompetent imbeciles in Congress who have never familiarized themselves with our Founding Fathers' Charters of Liberties and Freedoms and should not be in the peoples' seats for obvious reasons besides the fact that they have broken their oath of office to the people and are very disingenuous.

I use to want to call them all liars, because many in Congress do lie, but found that disingenuous sounds better. So i now use that when writing. Stupid, i have used because i read that many in Congress hate that label, although sometimes using another word, gets the point across even better. For stupid, great words to use are unintelligent, meaningless, nonsensical, irrelevant, pointless, senseless, deficient, ludicrous etc.. 

Another favorite word to use for many of the bills that they pass is unconscionable.

Our Founding Fathers' stated that once our elected representatives started writing and passing large bills not written in common, simple language that the average person could understand, we have truly lost our liberties, and freedoms. 

Makes sense to me...

[Rod Morrill]

JL,

 

Just a note.

 

There are two time frames in the agenda ("COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC") for general comments from the public but you can only speak at one of them.  You can choose the earlier one OR the one at the end of the meeting. Your choice.

 

You may speak at ANY of the "public hearings" ("PUBLIC HEARINGS PURSUANT TO . . . .") for each bill.  This is during what is the later part of the meeting following the first "public comments"

 

When you speak during a public hearing ALL of you comments have to be concerning that bill and should be related to facts about the subject or a specific item of objection to or support of the bill.

( although my comment has sometimes been "this bill is stupid . . . ."- not well received and not recommended ). There are some plans to have some sessions within the FCTP and at meetings of the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County on how to find details about the bills and how make the best use of opportunities to speak before City Council and other Public Meetings.

Patricia and Debbie can provide more for you.

 

I hope that helped.

 

Rod

[JL Gawlik]

Patricia, gnats or no-see-ems...