Former mayor scorches Jacksonville City Council for sales tax stance

[thelakelander]

Former Jacksonville Mayor Jake Godbold voiced his disgust with City Council members in a scathing letter shared with the Times-Union.

Godbold, who was mayor from 1979 to 1987, criticized council members for how they’ve handled the potential school sales tax referendum.

“I am appalled, disgusted and ashamed of the members of the City Council who I supported in the spring elections for behaving like weak-kneed cowards instead of dedicated public officials unafraid to do the right thing,” Godbold wrote.

Full article: https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190726/former-mayor-scorches-jacksonville-city-council-for-sales-tax-stance

[vicupstate]

“I am appalled, disgusted and ashamed of the members of the City Council who I supported in the spring elections for behaving like weak-kneed cowards instead of dedicated public officials unafraid to do the right thing,” Godbold wrote.

Well said Jake, but what about the instigator, your successor?

[Bill Hoff]

Wow. He lights them on fire. Spoken like a man never again running for office or needing favors.

[Tacachale]

Curry was able to get so many of his faction elected into City Council that he's guaranteed nearly all the votes he needs to thwart this, and potentially get the JEA sale through as well. The School Board's position is popular but the rollout has been so poor that it would be a tough sell even without this level of opposition from the Curry wing.

[vicupstate]

Curry was able to get so many of his faction elected into City Council that he's guaranteed nearly all the votes he needs to thwart this, and potentially get the JEA sale through as well. The School Board's position is popular but the rollout has been so poor that it would be a tough sell even without this level of opposition from the Curry wing.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[Bill Hoff]

Curry was able to get so many of his faction elected into City Council that he's guaranteed nearly all the votes he needs to thwart this, and potentially get the JEA sale through as well. The School Board's position is popular but the rollout has been so poor that it would be a tough sell even without this level of opposition from the Curry wing.

This seems like an extremely obvious campaign: when school begins soon, snap photos of all the maintenance problems and send them to the Mayor & City Council asking when they're going to fix the problems, copying the local media. Make a hashtag in social media to collect the photos, get the teachers, highschool aged kids involved, parents of elementary kids, etc.

Seems like such a gigantic vulnerability for COJ: they don't want to be blamed for DCPS's problems, but they're owning them by denying DCPS a chance to correct them.

[thelakelander]

If DCPS is reading this, please do this and pass me the popcorn.

[Tacachale]

Curry was able to get so many of his faction elected into City Council that he's guaranteed nearly all the votes he needs to thwart this, and potentially get the JEA sale through as well. The School Board's position is popular but the rollout has been so poor that it would be a tough sell even without this level of opposition from the Curry wing.

This seems like an extremely obvious campaign: when school begins soon, snap photos of all the maintenance problems and send them to the Mayor & City Council asking when they're going to fix the problems, copying the local media. Make a hashtag in social media to collect the photos, get the teachers, highschool aged kids involved, parents of elementary kids, etc.

Seems like such a gigantic vulnerability for COJ: they don't want to be blamed for DCPS's problems, but they're owning them by denying DCPS a chance to correct them.

If DCPS is reading this, please do this and pass me the popcorn.

LOL, great idea!

[thelakelander]

Is $150 million payment to charters needed to pass Duval Schools’ tax referendum?

Duval County School Board member Warren Jones said he was driving west on Beaver Street last month when he received a phone call from Sam Mousa, Mayor Lenny Curry’s soon-to-retire chief administrator. What followed was a conversation he’d later say “blew him away.”

Jones and his school board colleagues were struggling to convince the City Council and Curry to allow a half-cent sales tax referendum on the November ballot that would bankroll sorely needed improvements to the district’s aging schools. Jones said Mousa had a few suggestions: Hire Mousa and an unidentified business partner to lead the effort. Push back the referendum to 2020. Promise charter schools an upfront $150 million payment if the sales tax were to pass.

Full article: https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190730/is-150-million-payment-to-charters-needed-to-pass-duval-schools-tax-referendum

[Papa33]

This pisses me off, but it should not be surprising.   I tend to believe Warren Jones' version.  All these longtime politicians and so called "lifelong civil servants" are trying to pad their bank accounts on the backs of children.

[Ken_FSU]

Joint op-ed by Delaney, Peyton, Alvin Brown, and Tommy Hazouri in the Times Union today.

https://www.jacksonville.com/story/opinion/columns/2020/11/01/column-former-mayors-hazouri-delaney-peyton-and-brown-support-sales-tax-schools/3662364001/