Redman and Daniels, Who else needs to go?

[Tacachale]

^For one, I assume you're talking about the Jacksonville City Council (JCC) rather than the Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. (JCCI).

For two, the business folks who piled on Brown by and large only did so after the primary, when Rick and Audrey managed to eliminate each other from the running. They went for Brown following Peter Rummel's example, out of dissatisfaction with Hogan. Before that, they largely supported Audrey and Rick; the Chamber endorsement went to Audrey. Like many others, they took a chance with Brown because they did not want Hogan to be mayor.

Also, Jacksonville's not nearly as "red" as some people think. While Republicans on most levels have won more often than not over than not over the last 20 years, the races are usually close. As we saw in the last mayoral election.

[urbanlibertarian]

History teaches us that the most effective way to get rid of political opponents is reeducation camps. 

[avs]

what about members who do not seem to do anything? Gaffney??

AMEN!!!!!!

[cityimrov]

Ok, let's try this.  Imagine if you had a billion dollars to give to ANY councilmen to do whatever they wanted to do with it.  Any one of them.  Who do you want to have the money?  Who would you not want to have the money? 

As a last point, if you absolutely refuse to give it to any of them, who in this city would you want the billion dollars to go to?

[Noone]

^Back to the people. Was that billion our money to begin with? I need a new roof. A driveway. Every homeowner is economic development.

[ronchamblin]

Ok, let's try this.  Imagine if you had a billion dollars to give to ANY councilmen to do whatever they wanted to do with it.  Any one of them.  Who do you want to have the money?  Who would you not want to have the money? 

As a last point, if you absolutely refuse to give it to any of them, who in this city would you want the billion dollars to go to?

^Back to the people. Was that billion our money to begin with? I need a new roof. A driveway. Every homeowner is economic development.

Being mentally deficient, many questions and issues seem tricky to me, and quite awkward in solution unless I am able to begin with the fundamentals as I am able to perceive them.  If one begins with the peripheral issues, or perhaps with the consequences of an issue, then one flitters away words, wasting time with the absurd. 

I would suggest that the best individuals in our city council to handle the distribution of the billion would be anyone who could focus on the most fundamental aspects of human existence, and how those aspects could be addressed to level the playing field for the most individuals in our local society.

What is fundamental to humans?  Hunger is very important, and is something forgotten about by those always having plenty of food for mouth stuffing.  Food is scarce with many people here in the local area.  A city council person seeking effectiveness in their decisions about the use of the billion might ponder how to decrease this hunger problem.  He or she might wonder if it is related to education and jobs, some kind of birth control, and ultimately some kind of change in the welfare system so that the system doesn’t promote having more children to get more money and food stamps.  There is a circle of ineptitude, and unfairness to the tax payer and to the recipients of the welfare funds.  How about education, and some kind of birth control encouragement …. city council persons, realizing of course that the issue is also with the federals.   

Shelter is another fundamental demand upon the human, given that they have almost no fur as shield from rain and cold.  Some enjoy mansions of many rooms, while some live in shacks of a size of one room of the mansion.  Some live in the alleys, amongst the trees, or on the street.

Sex is quite fundamental, but this seems to be available to anyone having physical dexterity and another human or object to engage.  So sex, while fundamental,  seems to be a pressure not related to the billion dollar question.  One doesn’t need education, or food, or shelter, to have sex.  It’s free.

Let’s see…. what else is fundamental.  Oh, how about a reasonable distribution of opportunities in education and jobs?  This is of course, related to the hunger and shelter issues above.  Surely, if any individual is in possession of a reasonable level of intelligence, who hasn’t yet burnt his or her brain out with drugs or such stupefying opium as gross excess in religious devotion and absurdities, then the individual can, if they have the determination, gain an education allowing them to be productive in some field of work.

To promote order and stability, and increase the quality of life, the human must be productive in some way, and must contribute to the local society within which they live.  Therefore the city council member given the billion to scatter might seek a relationship between this demand of being productive and things such as education, and programs to end the circle of high school dropouts, crime, drugs, and prison.  If there is a problem, there is a solution.  The billion, in the hands of a sensible city council individual can bring a solution.
 
The city council individual able to focus on the fundamental dynamics of the little folk, the average worker; in other words, the majority of the humans in the area who are struggling to engage our wonderful American system of inequality, will arrive eventually at success.  Within the fundamentals of a human, is the wish for pride, for fairness, the wish to be productive, to be given a fair shake in the scheme of things. 

On the other hand, the city council individual able only to focus on the good ol boy associations, the big projects favoring the big interests and personal friends, will only perpetuate the mediocrity and failures we see in our local area.  These large good ol boy projects usually end in failure because they are out of tune with the real dynamics of our local needs. 

The city council member able to only focus on the above “favorites in the area” will make decisions which will perpetuate the huge population of the uneducated, the welfare culture, and the joblessness, which in the end prevents individuals from achieving that most fundamental and desirable condition in any society, that of being able to work, to be productive, and therefore to feel pride in a society having a reasonable quality of life, and not held hostage in a society drugged by religious devotion, encouraged by those duped by it, and benefiting by it.

The city council member best able to distribute the billion will be the person able to focus less on their own and their friend's comfort and security, but better able to focus on the quality of life of the majority, and the problems and suffering they endure.

[kells904]

Putting the mayor's blunders in 1 editorial as Littlepage has so eloquently done furthers my POV that the mayor, the emperor himself, has no f'ing clue what he's doing.  His mistakes are just too blatant, but at least he hasn't caused the city actual harm yet (unlike the JCCI, which literally gives the entire city negative press).

Brown worried me from the very beginning.  Far too many slogans and chants and whatnot, like a mayor caricature throwing verbal poo against the wall.  I blame the best candidate of the bunch for not rising above Mullaney's jackassery, thus eliminating herself.  And then Brown was the slightly better alternative to Hogan, like some of you have said.c

But Audrey, if you're paying attention to this slow-burning fire, you should definitely run again next time around.  I'm not Down with Brown...


As far as your original post, Stephen...dude, I want them all out.  Especially anybody that's been there longer than the last election.  Ask them to boil water, they'd figure out a way to f--k it up and explain why they needed a new stove.  I'll admit to not having a lot of the "facts" about their records, but the proof is in the City's lack of significant growth in the last...I dunno...half century?  What has ANY of them done to be deserving of political longevity?  Denise Lee has been around since breakdancing was cool.  Why??

The power of civil service is both a duty and a privilege, and these people are abusing the hell out of it. 

[Timkin]

^   I don't know about wanting all of them out, however, I would like to see a council in place that runs in the best interest of the City and it's people. That puts ALL OF THAT  FIRST!!  ... that sets their political affiliations, religious convictions, networks, buddies , etc  outside the seat they hold in Council .  It should be a must, not an option.  There SHOULD be a set term for Council and no exceptions.  Until / Unless these become mandatory for the position, we will continue with more of the same.  Some of these members , I swear could screw up an Iron Anvil and say it was a manufacturing defect.

Brown was the better of the remaining choices.  If he does not improve, there is no way in hell I would vote for him for a second term.

^ Concur with Audrey Moran running again .. PLEASE!!

[ronchamblin]

To suggest that there is an excessive measure of stupidity or mental illness somewhere within the ranks of our city government is rather bold.  Is it possible for this to be true?  Stupidity?  Mental Illness?  Of course it is not only possible, it is highly probable, given the evidence from recent history. 

Regarding the original question about who in the city government should be replaced via the voting booth because of exhibiting excessive stupidity or perhaps because of being in possession of a measure of mental illness, I must admit that I have little specifics at present as to who might be a candidate for removal.  My ignorance prevents conviction.

Until time removes my ignorance, I can only suggest that, given the history of the past several decades, given the fact of too many unwanted events and failures in those years, the lack of progress, the lack of solutions to our real problems, and the stagnation in our efforts to become what we could become as a city, surely there are at least several in our local city government who habitually act to perpetuate this stagnation, and are therefore up for removal.  Who are they? 

It has been suggested that Redman is one candidate, Daniels another, but there are others.  Usually one’s level of acceptability for office is measured by weighing one’s positives and one’s negatives over time regarding performance.  A few negatives are acceptable, as everyone has them.  Those having specifics about an office holder’s record can paint a picture of overall value to our city, the emerging picture showing the office holder as being a net asset or a net liability to our city.  A city cannot afford for long an individual who is a net liability, but must have individuals who, by their consistent positive contributions, are net assets. 

If it becomes clear, by the efforts of enough objective individuals, that a particular individual is a net liability while serving in our city government, then the objective would be to convey this clarity to enough of the voting public so that the individual who consistently performs so can be voted out.

But what if not enough of the voting public can be persuaded of an individual’s net liability?  Does this mean that the deficient candidate might be elected in spite of his or her fundamental liabilities?  If this does indeed happen, then what does this say about those who vote the individual back into office?  What if religious affiliations and pressure via the church congregations, allows the election of an individual ultimately not acceptable for office?  Or is somebody buying the election simply by having enough money to post the most placards?

This latter scenario seems to have existed in the last mayoral election.  First Baptist Church persuasive power (although subtle) + Lots of money for posters and ads = election.  To hell with ability.  It almost happened.  And it has happened in the past. 

What does the continued election of an incompetent candidate say about the average voter in our area?  What does it say about the process?

Stephen offers some good points; perhaps brutal, but honest.  Perhaps in the coming elections, we, the voting public, and those directly involved in maneuvering capable individuals in positions to be elected into office, can do so with sufficient energy so that the average quality of office holders in our city can be enhanced, increased by the addition of several new individuals who excel not only in abilities in thought and action, but also in devotion to the goals of our city.
 

[Tacachale]

LOL, anyone who has been there "longer than the last election" would be term limited out of the next election anyway. And among those who have served multiple terms are some good ones; Warren Jones leaps to mind.

And it's very, very doubtful that Audrey will run again.