A.G. Gancarski
A surprisingly common thread in coverage of Wednesday’s Donald Trump rally in Jacksonville media was the disconnect between his description of Jacksonville’s post-industrial economic devastation and the message put forth by local politicians and the business community.
Among Trump’s assertions: “This area has been devastated by the loss of industrial jobs …. As you stand here thinking you have a good job, many of the companies in this area are negotiating to move their jobs out of the United States …. We’re going to make things in this country again, folks. We’re going to make things in Jacksonville.”
FloridaPolitics.com reached out to the JAX Chamber, the mayor, and the president of the city council for their takes.
Among our questions: Would they describe Jacksonville as economically “devastated”? Which Jacksonville companies are negotiating their way out of the United States? And are things not actually being made in Jacksonville?
The first two offered responses that didn’t directly engage the harsh assessment of the GOP presidential nominee, instead taking the high road.
“Our economic development leaders have been strategically building a diverse economy and targeting industries in which we can build on our strengths — including advanced manufacturing. Several global companies have chosen to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in manufacturing facilities here — from Anheuser-Busch to GE Oil and Gas to Vistakon. We’ve leveraged our international relationships and have seen companies from overseas choosing to invest here in Jacksonville,” wrote Matt Galnor of the JAX Chamber. [Note: this quote also appeared in a Jacksonville Business Journal article on this subject].
On behalf of Mayor Lenny Curry, master of ceremonies for the opening programming of the event, his spokeswoman Marsha Oliver had this to say:
“Pension reform is certainly one of the priorities the mayor has identified to help improve Jacksonville’s economic landscape. He has made it clear how growing pension debt is crippling our city. While I am unable to speak about the types of industrial job losses referenced in our area, I can share that over the past year, we have seen economic development and job growth with the establishment and expansion of companies in the finance/insurance, information technology, manufacturing, and logistics industries. Our mayor is committed to efforts that build a climate that encourages existing businesses to expand and new businesses to locate in Jacksonville,” Oliver said.
On behalf of City Council President Lori Boyer, her assistant Nicole Spradley offered the following response:
“Council President Boyer does not have the job stats readily available in order to answer your questions. JAXUSA or FCMA (First Coast Manufacturers Association) would be a great resource and should be able to answer your questions.”
To sum up, Donald Trump came to town and shredded the Jacksonville establishment’s narrative of economic prosperity. And that establishment offered little in the way of directly challenging his claims.
