....The nonprofit that runs the U.S.S. Orleck — which allowed activists to adorn the former Turkish and American Navy vessel with Ron DeSantis flags during the city-organized bicentennial celebration this past summer — is getting $50,000 to build out utilities at its future dock site in downtown, where it hopes to turn the boat into a museum.A lot of nonprofits offering truly critical services in the city would love tens of thousands to cover utility costs, but there is no such opportunity available for them regardless of the public benefit.It's also doubtful Howland, the sponsor for this particular grant, or his Republican colleagues on the City Council would offer such blanket and unquestioned support had the Orleck been draped with, say, Black Lives Matter or gay-pride flags during a high-profile city event.The decisions being made are not just arbitrary but nakedly political....https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/columns/nate-monroe/2022/09/16/nate-monroe-jacksonville-city-council-botches-nonprofit-grants-again/10385852002/
The Orleck folks have apparently unilaterally decided that they’re going to keep the ship where it’s at for the next few years rather than moving it to the Shipyards.
Nate Monroe spotlights the City Council doling out millions of dollars to favored nonprofits having political and/or conflicts of interests with respect to council members while avoiding/undermining the very process they approved to prevent such improprieties given they corruptly did the same thing just a year ago.
In terms of corruption Jacksonville is the 'Chicago' of the South.
How many years are we away from the shipyard's conversion to a park being completed?
