What was Clay Yarborough Thinking? (I actually thought he had some great ideas)

[Patricia M. McBride]

I think it took real moxy to suggest some of these things our big spender city council seems to think are sacred. The Ritz got 2 suggestions for cuts, and one would wonder since they have plowed down all the row houses that actually accounted for the flavor of the district, how can meaningful renovation be actually be accomplished. I understand the builders association wants to make a bundle building brand new condos, but the row houses and the people in them are the folks who were out in the evenings (not a bunch of strangers living in sterile high rise apartments). And it wasn't a failure since 2 items were passed; he could have done worse. I am also not sure that it's Clay that is out of touch :).

Submitted by Matt Dixon on September 30, 2010 - 3:41pm Death, Taxes & Politics

Submitted by Ron Littlepage on September 30, 2010 - 1:41pm From the editorial page

City Councilman Clay Yarborough came to Tuesday night's council meeting armed with 14 proposals to cut the city budget.

The fact that he hadn't shared any of his ideas during the preceding month of Finance Committee budget hearings didn't sit well with some of his colleagues.

So just what were Yarborough's ideas, and how did they fare?

No. 1: Cut $43,000 that was to be spent on Jaguar tickets. Passed 10-8.

No. 2: Reduce rainy day accounts by $500,000. Passed 16-2.

No. 3: Eliminate the Starry Night Concerts. Save $85,000. Failed with only eight votes.

No. 4: Take $309,702 from the Jacksonville Children's Commission budget used for snacks in afternoon programs for children, the "milk and cookies" amendment. Failed with only two votes.

No. 5: Eliminate the $20,000 rent subsidy for the Symphony's use of the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. Failed with only two votes.

No. 6: Eliminate the Human Rights Commission. Save $766,589. Failed with only five votes.

No. 7: Cut the Jacksonville Journey budget by $2.42 million. Failed with only four votes.

No. 8: Shutter the Ritz Theatre. Save $1 million. Failed for a lack of a second.

No. 9: Cut $13,000 from the Ritz Theatre's budget for food and beverages. Failed with only three votes.

No. 10: Cut 10 percent of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission's budget. Save $280,000. Failed with only five votes.

No. 11: Reduce the money going to the Cultural Council by 10 percent. Save $300,000. Failed with only five votes.

No. 12: Cut Public Service Grants by 10 percent. Save $245,000. Failed with only six votes.

No. 13: Reduce the Children's Commission budget by $1.5 million. Failed with only four votes.

No. 14: Cut $29,000 out of Downtown Vision's budget. Died for a lack of a second.

Was Yarborough in sync with the rest of the City Council?

Clearly not.

link: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/matt-dixon/2010-09-30/w...