Peter Schorsch
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is a serious football fan, particularly of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
An interesting thing about the Jags — last year, at least — is the team’s propensity for starting slow and, at the end of the game, attempting to make up ground.
Early on, the offense would look tentative, even halting. By the end, there would be a push. And the media would often ask both the coach and quarterback why that effort wasn’t made earlier in the game.
A similar question might be asked of Curry’s current political adversaries, who are making a late-game push against the Aug. 30 pension tax referendum.
Two former Republican City Council presidents are coming out against the Mayor’s signature initiative.
And here, timing is everything.
Those two: Stephen Joost, who crossed party lines to endorse Alvin Brown, and Bill Bishop, who finished third in the March election and also supported Brown after saying that:
a] he would run for mayor in 2019, no matter what, and
b] after Curry stated that Bishop lobbied him for a job.
Back then, there was talk that Bishop and Joost would have roles in a second Brown term.
None of that can be proven, just like what Curry said about Bishop telling him that if Brown had been re-elected, it would lead to a “lost decade” for Jacksonville.
They had stinging comments in a Florida Times-Union piece, calling it “taxation without representation.” It left the next generation worse off, they said, and the pension tax plan “never would have seen the light of day” under a Democratic Brown administration.
Indeed, Brown has been conspicuously silent on this matter.
There hasn’t been fresh polling on the pension tax referendum in a while, so the public doesn’t know how it’s going.
And it is far from certain that the words of two lapsed politicians will mean much either way.
What is clear, however, is that Joost and Bishop decided the right time to deliver a receipt was just before early voting.
The current Council voted unanimously to authorize the referendum (of course) and former Councilwoman Denise Lee, who took a leave from the Curry administration to help with the grassroots marketing of the pension tax, is currently running a phone bank that has two shifts making the pitch for the plan.
She tells FloridaPolitics.com that the main hurdle in voter contacts is making people understand that the tax extension is not an immediate thing. Once that hurdle is conquered, the response is more favorable.
Voters, as of now, aren’t so concerned with what the former Councilmembers profess to be.
Perhaps the phone bankers need to have a talk with Joost and Bishop. At this point, it’s all about getting to 50 percent plus one.
Joost and Bishop got in the way of the Curry machine. And if they make moves in 2019, that machine will steamroll them both.
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“Did Donald Trump kill the pension tax? For Lenny Curry, the Donald’s timing couldn’t have been worse” via AG Gancarski in Folio Weekly – Last week, though, when Trump filled the Veterans Memorial Arena, [local pols] packed the crowd, not as figures of honor, but as background elements, like the trees Bob Ross rendered on The Joy of Painting. They showed up, ostensibly to “support the nominee,” but ended up as props, like the posters in the crowd, like the marked-up Make America Grate Again hats, disposable and ephemeral to a man. And as they got used as props, played as afterthoughts, they found their central message — that Jacksonville is booming economically — undermined. Trump so casually talked about Jacksonville like it was a Rust Belt city, instead of a place where jobs are being created … which is the mythology. A question worth considering is: If Jacksonville’s economy is as jacked-up as Trump claimed, why re-elect any of these people ever? And there was this: “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.” Presumably, that’s news to Mayor Curry, who was on hand serving as “master of ceremonies” … since Curry carried Trump’s water last week, will Dems who were on the fence vote ‘no’ out of spite that Curry got too close to Trump? Will the negatives outweigh the positives in embracing Trump? It was a risky play for the mayor. And Aug. 30 we’ll find out if it mattered.
“Jacksonville city employees endorse pension tax referendum” via Jessica Palombo of WJCT –Members of AFSCME Florida, the largest of six unions representing city workers, stood beside Curry … in Hemming Park and urged residents to vote yes on County Referendum No. 1. Curry, a Republican, says the pension crisis is bringing together unlikely allies. “We are seeing people from all parts of our community, constituents from all parts of our community, interest groups that are often at odds with each other, coming together in recognition that our entire future rests on funding the unfunded pension liabilities,” he said.
“AFSCME backing illustrates unique marketing of Jax pension tax referendum” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Curry convened with local police and fire union heads and AFSCME members to receive the union’s backing for County Referendum 1, the Aug. 30 plebiscite that would extend the current half-cent sales tax from 2030 to 2060, with the revenue used to guarantee payoff of the $2.8 billion unfunded pension liability. The sight of a Republican mayor flanked by public sector union heads and members was interesting, especially in the light of resistance from two former GOP presidents of Jacksonville’s city council … AFSCME represents a lot of city employees, including the public safety unions, and the local head Ben Carter bemoaned the “strain on the city budget” created by the pension liability, which has increased by 350 percent since 2008. If resolved with a yes vote, said Carter, the impacts will be salutary: “millions of dollars to start and finish public works projects” and money to augment the city workforce. Speaking in communitarian tones closer in spirit to Howard Zinn than Howard Philips, were the heads of the local public safety unions.
“If a sales tax fails, other solutions will have to be found for Jacksonville’s pension problem” via David Bauerlein of the Florida Times-Union – If voters reject the tax, which would start in 2031 after the existing Better Jacksonville Plan sales tax expires, Jacksonville would wake up the next morning to the same reality it faces today – pension costs will consume about 20 percent of the city’s nearly $1.1 billion operating budget and will keep rising for another decade. Supporters of the half-cent sales tax say it will stabilize the finances so City Hall can turn its attention to making Jacksonville a better place to live so residents will choose the city over fast-growing bedroom communities in the surrounding counties. Opponents of the sales tax counter that relying on a tax that won’t start until 2031 is a shaky foundation and it avoids the hard choices about increasing current taxes to fix the problem … Curry argues pension costs already are taking a heavy toll on the city services that are “deep in the hole” because year after year of escalating pension costs have sucked up money from pressing needs: police officers on the beat, roads, sidewalks, parks maintenance, septic tank removal and a host of everyday services. “It’s not a pretty picture,” he said … “We’re facing a very tough reality. … It’s a crisis that we all face together.” While there’s debate about how to fix the problem, it’s undeniable that Jacksonville’s pension costs place a huge toll on the city’s budget, and that weight will grow over the next decade.
“Curry, Rick Scott sidestep questions about Donald Trump’s critique of ‘devastated’ Jax economy” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – At a job creation event at Jacksonville’s Deutsche Bank, where 300 new financial services jobs were promised, FloridaPolitics.com had questions for Scott and Curry about their endorsed presidential candidate’s description of Jacksonville being economically “devastated.” 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.” As Curry looked on, Scott said “we are doing well” economically, noting that Florida is ahead of the curve in metrics like GDP growth and labor force participation. However, “I need a partner in the White House,” Scott said, as Florida’s performance is the “opposite” of that in Washington D.C. … Scott didn’t answer the question regarding Trump’s claims of economic devastation, Scott — who runs a super PAC for Trump — invited any company with “concerns” to call him at 850-488-5063. Curry didn’t comment either way on the economic “devastation” his city is facing, which can only be remedied by Trump, if the GOP nominee’s remarks in Jacksonville last week were reliable.
“Deutsche Bank expansion creates 350 new jobs in Jacksonville” via the City of Jacksonville — Gov. Scott and Mayor Curry highlighted Deutsche Bank’s ongoing expansion during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its Jacksonville campus. Deutsche Bank is on track to create 350 new jobs and will invest more than $10 million in the Jacksonville community over the next two years. Deutsche Bank employs more than 1,800 Floridians. Jacksonville is home to Deutsche Bank’s second largest office in the United States and represents the majority of the company’s business and infrastructure functions. Curry said, “Since coming to Jacksonville in 2008, Deutsche Bank has become an important player in one of our economy’s fastest growing sectors — financial services. With the opening of this new facility, we are demonstrating Jacksonville’s growing commitment to recruiting and supporting global leaders in the financial services industry. I am delighted to have Deutsche Bank continue their commitment to and presence in our city, bringing 350 new jobs to our citizens.”
“Jacksonville Budget: Council to find $4.5 Million or take from Downtown fund” via Lindsey Kilbride of WJCT – Right off the bat, auditor Kirk Sherman delivered bad news. “Unfortunately we need to start off with a $2,595,751 net negative to the general fund,” he said. That’s because the state is significantly decreasing projected revenue from taxes on phone and cable services. But taking other factors into account, like expected increases in other tax revenue, leaves the general fund in the hole by 315,000. The mayor’s office said his revenue estimates are conservative, so that shouldn’t be too a big hit. As the budget continues to be hammered out, the Council will have to decide whether to waive a city ordinance and take $4.5 million from a downtown development fund for general use. The money’s been sitting there for about a year. [Mayor Lenny Curry’s chief administrative officer Sam] Mousa said the mayor’s office budgeted the $4.5 million into the general fund because that’s where they believed unused money from the downtown development fund would go.
“Jacksonville civil rights group wants review of audit that questioned City Hall payments to lobbying firm” via Christopher Hong of the Florida Times-Union – A local civil rights organization wants the city’s ethics office to review a recent audit that revealed City Hall improperly paid a prominent local lobbying firm [Infinity Global Solutions] more than $317,000 in money that was supposed to be spent on neighborhood improvement projects, which were never completed.
“Heat on Friends of Hemming Park cools off slightly; money for two months clears council committee” via David Chapman of the Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record – A special City Council committee reviewing the Downtown park and its future ultimately decided to pass along a recommendation that Friends receive two months of funding. The $58,000 total for August and September is down from the close to $75,000 sought, which is down from an initial sum of $150,000 that had been stowed away by council. Of the $150,000, though, council has decided to set aside close to $75,000 to repay Southwest Airlines to fulfill a Friends grant obligation. Friends used that money to pay operating expenses in the past year instead of on a Black Sheep kiosk project that has since stalled. Even with passage, there is still dissent among council members. The motion couldn’t even merit a second early, but did after more than an hour of discussion. The committee vote passed 4-2, with council members Anna Lopez Brosche, Danny Becton, Bill Gulliford and Sam Newby in support. John Crescimbeni and Scott Wilson voted against the short-term funding. Sam Mousa, [Lenny] Curry’s chief administrative officer, was in favor of the short-term funding to provide an “orderly transition,” if necessary. The proposal will still need to go to other council committees and the full group, which could vote on it Aug. 23 — right around the time Friends would run out of money.
“The Kemetic Empire alleges racial profiling at Trump rally, threatens legal action” via Florida Politics – The Kemetic Empire, an activist group dedicated to “human upliftment,” informed Jacksonville’s Mayor and Sheriff via letter it intends to sue for $5 million for racial profiling unless its conditions are met. As well, the city, the sheriff’s office, Trump and the in-house security will be named in the suit, should it come to pass. Seven of its members were at the Trump rally in Jacksonville, and they were approached, said Diallo-Sekou, by 10 Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office members and four members of arena security. “They definitely profiled us,” Diallo-Sekou said … “We have no history of interrupting events. We have a history of putting on forums.” The members of the group were not disrupting the event, raising questions of why it was removed.
“Donald Trump signs in Arlington vandalized with ‘KKK’” via Jacob Rodriguez of WTLV – A concerned citizen called First Coast News to report several pro-Trump signs in the Arlington area of Jacksonville vandalized Tuesday with ‘KKK,’ a reference to a white supremacist group. The signs were damaged on the 200 block of Cesery Boulevard. ‘KKK’ was spray painted in red over the signs. A police car reportedly arrived as the citizen was driving away. We have reached out to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for more information and are waiting to hear back.
Corrine Brown changing lawyers; preparations for fraud trial pushed back” via Steve Patterson of the Florida Times-Union — Tampa-based defense attorney Greg Kehoe told [Judge] Klindt he was still working out details about replacing her previous counsel, Bill Sheppard and his firm. Kehoe didn’t elaborate, saying ‘there are just certain things that have to be addressed internally.
“Poll: John Rutherford is cruising to victory in CD 4 race” via Florida Politics — University of North Florida poll says it’s still Rutherford’s race to lose. Rutherford has 31 percent, ahead of Hans Tanzler at 13 percent, Lake Ray at 10 percent, and Bill McClure at 5 percent. Other candidates — Steve Kaufman, Ed Malin and Deborah Pueschel — languish even farther back. The only hope for the field? A mass movement of undecided voters to a non-Rutherford candidate. “There is very little change from the poll last month and there is still a great deal of uncertainty in this primary,” said Dr. Michael Binder, Public Opinion Research Lab faculty director. “Nassau and St. Johns counties have almost 10 percentage points higher of ‘don’t know’ responses, which isn’t surprising since six of the seven candidates have roots in Duval County.” Rutherford is still up by double digits in all three counties, with a lead over Tanzler of 21 percent in Duval, an edge of 15 points in Nassau, and 14 points in St. Johns County. The former Jacksonville sheriff leads Tanzler by 19 with men, and 17 with women.
“After ‘soul searching,’ Jimmy Holderfield backs Melissa Nelson against Angela Corey” via Florida Politics – For Holderfield, part of the reason is personal: Nelson and he were part of the same Leadership Jacksonville class, where they spent a “lot of time together.” Beyond that, Holderfield appreciates Nelson as an “outstanding prosecutor,” a “wife and a mother,” and the daughter of a man who spent his entire career in law enforcement, culminating in the U.S. Marshal’s office. Holderfield goes way back with Corey also. “I knew her when she was a young prosecutor,” he said. However, he’s backing her challenger, even as the Fraternal Order of Police backs the incumbent. “They don’t know Melissa like I do,” Holderfield said, describing Nelson as “tough but fair,” “forward thinking,” and with the kind of “excellent ideas” needed in the state attorney’s office.
“Endorsements pile up in northeast Florida state House races” via Florida Politics – House District 13 Republican Mark Griffin and HD 11 Republican Sheri Treadwell scoring endorsements from two key players. Griffin, in a competitive GOP primary, scored the endorsement of Sheriff Mike Williams … Treadwell, meanwhile, scored the endorsement of Property AppraiserJerry Holland, for whom she worked recently and for whom she worked when he was supervisor of elections.
“Florida family action doubles down on Janet Adkins endorsement” via Florida Politics – Last week, Florida Family Action endorsed Adkins in the very contentious Nassau County School Superintendent race … FFA doubled down on that position, after “some Kathy Burns supporters were upset and expressed that they felt Burns was a conservative, that we ‘had not done our research’ and therefore the statements made were unfair.” Not a wise move, as that reaction got an extended remix of the original endorsement. Those objectionable FFA statements? An assertion that — despite Burns being a Republican — she was an “18-year entrenched politician” with “close ties to left-leaning teachers unions” and is devoted to “leftist social engineering.” The FFA backs up those statements: Burns has been elected three times without opposition; Burns has been backed by unions; and Burns supported the Obama administration’s “Climate Transformation Grant” … “While registered as a Republican,” FFA continues, “Kathy Burns has failed to fight for conservative principles over her 18 years in office. She has allowed the implementation of Common Core curriculum, and has failed to take a strong stand against the Obama transgender bathroom mandate.”
Tweet, tweet: @RepFullwood: Pretty excited to share my first #campaign commercial! Thanks #TeamReggie! Thank you for your vote! #ImWithReggie pic.twitter.com/9G8hkmsW1w
“Jerry Cameron wins Ron DeSantis endorsement” — Cameron announced the endorsement of DeSantis, who was first elected in 2012 to represent Florida’s 6th District. Cameron is seeking the District 3 seat on the St. Johns County Commission. “I am happy to endorse Jerry Cameron in his bid for election to the St. Johns County Commission,” said DeSantis. “I have worked with Jerry in his capacity as Assistant County Administrator in trying to resolve the issues surrounding the County’s veterans’ outpatient clinic. He works hard on behalf of veterans and the people of St. Johns County and will serve the county well as a commissioner.”
“What Aaron Bean is up to” — On Tuesday, Aug. 16, Bean will pass out free food to families in need. Event begins 10 a.m. at Journey Church Outreach Center, 95707 Amelia Concourse in Yulee. On Thursday, Aug. 18, staff members will hold “mobile” office hours from 1 p.m. — 3 p.m. at the Neptune Beach Water Utilities Building, 116 1st Street in Neptune Beach. On Saturday, Aug. 20, Bean will partner with Farm Share and the Spirit of Life Lutheran Church to distribute free food to anyone in need from 9 a.m. — noon, 2636 New Berlin Road in Jacksonville. On Tuesday, Aug. 23, Bean will address the Rotary Club of San Jose giving A review of the 2016 legislative session. Event begins 6 p.m. at 7529 San Jose Boulevard in Jacksonville. On Friday, Aug. 26, Bean Jacksonville will attend the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at the Winston Family YMCA beginning 10 a.m., 221 Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville. On Wednesday, Aug. 31, Bean will attend the Florida Forestry Association’s 2016 Annual Meeting and Welcome Reception beginning 5:30 p.m. at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, 39 Beach Lagoon Road in Fernandina Beach.
“Former Duval Schools officers speak out against department” via Clark Fouraker of WTLV – Two former officers … say they’re concerned about how the department handles certain students. “I don’t feel like what’s going on there is the best thing,” says former officer John Hardin. “I feel like some of the policies and things that have been enacted through the current administration are going to get children hurt, are going to get staff hurt and probably are going to eventually get an officer hurt.” He worked in law enforcement for 11 years before leaving the industry. During part of his tenure with Duval School Police, he worked at Lake Shore Middle School and says he was instructed not to arrest students when he thought a student should have been arrested. He says a school district policy prevented him from making an initial arrest when a student battered a teacher. Instead, he says rules required him to call a sergeant and for that sergeant to call a lieutenant. That chain of approvals is not required at other law enforcement agencies. “The elements of a crime are there; the evidence of a crime is there, but the higher authorities want to change what the crime actually is so that no enforcement action is taken,” Hardin said. “We didn’t arrest on every felony because I was told not to,” says former lieutenant Benny Reagor. Reagor worked for the department’s previous police chief and retired in 2015.
“JAXPORT berth goes electric as new cranes approach” — A multifaceted rehabilitation project of Berth 35 at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal is nearing completion with the installation of a high-voltage electrical system in anticipation of the arrival of three new 100-gauge electric container cranes this month. The berth’s improvements increase energy efficiencies, reduce emissions from diesel-powered cranes and enhance nighttime operations through new high-powered LED lighting. Berth 35’s new electrical system includes an on-site transformer substation and $1 million switchgear building to feed each crane’s power needs. The 100-gauge cranes will work on regenerative power, consuming power during the lifting of containers and creating energy as they lower. The new cranes at Berth 35 will be operational by the end of the year.
“See where local colleges rank on student debt” via Alexa Epitropoulos of the Jacksonville Business Journal – A new ranking released by LendEDU grants a glimpse into what student debt looks like across the state. The ranking, which is based on financial aid analysis from 1,300 universities and colleges across the U.S., includes data from both public and private universities, including local schools like University of North Florida, Edward Waters College, Flagler College and University of Florida. The individual college data was also consolidated to give an overview of the state. Florida wasn’t a worst offender for student loan debt, with about 54 percent of students graduating with debt, with an average of $24,181 per student. Florida came in at No. 43 on the study, below neighboring states Georgia at No. 31 and Alabama at No. 25.
“Endangered Bonobo born at the Zoo” via the Jacksonville Zoo & Garden — JZG is happy to announce the birth of a male bonobo August 6. The infant is the fifth for mother, Kuni, and the eighth bonobo born at JZG. Bonobo offspring are born after eight months of gestation and are cared for by their mothers for around five years. They have black coats and although they are physically similar to chimpanzees, bonobos have a more petite body structure and are born with a black face while chimpanzees are born with a pink face. Bonobos and chimpanzees are man’s closest living relatives. Bonobos, native to the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa, are highly intelligent and social animals. The young male will be on exhibit with mother, Kuni, and other members of the group at least part of each day, weather permitting. He has been given the name Budir (pronounced “boo-dear”) which has special meaning to his keepers.
“Don’t let preseason scores fool you, this could be good year for Jags” via Gary Shelton – This is where preseason scores can fool you. Glance at the schedule, and you will notice that the Jacksonville Jags lost a 17-13 game to the New York Jets Thursday night.
Go deeper, however, and you might notice why Jags’ coach Gus Bradley is smiling.
In his short stint in the game, quarterback Blake Bortles led Jacksonville to a 10-0 game. He hit six of his seven passes for 106 yards.
“Yeah, I thought it was good,” Bortles said. “We want to come out and be sharp with our operation in and out of the huddle, no mental errors, lining up correctly, shifts and motions, and all that. And, obviously take care of the ball. I thought for the most part it was good. We will correct some things when we get back.”
Bortles especially liked the balanced attack of the Jaguars.
“It was cool to get everyone out there,” Bortles said. “It was cool to see the run-game flowing like that and that is what we want to do. We want to try to run outside zone and get that rolling and do everything off of that. I think the guys up front did a great job and Chris (Ivory) and TJ (Yeldon) ran the crap out of the ball.”
Bortles, speaking earlier in the week, said the Jags are improving on third downs.
“You want to get in a groove and get moving. It would be nice to not really have to deal with a third down on the first drive and if you can go first, second down, down the field that would be sweet,” Bortles said. “I think more so it is not a good feeling going out there for the first possession, everybody is kind of amped up and ready to go and you go three and out. You go and you repeat that and you go three and out again and that is what we are trying to eliminate is how do we become consistent and moving chains and being more efficient on the third down and staying on the field.”
Bortles has had up-and-down moments since joining Jacksonville. His 18 interceptions led the league last year, and he’s hit only 58.7 percent of his passes. Still, with a good running game and receivers Allen Hurd and Allen Robinson, this is expected to be a good year for him.
“He (Robinson) is unbelievable,” Bortles said. “He has a mind and a motor that doesn’t stop and even though he put up good numbers last year, he is going to continue to work his tail off and wants to be better each and every year. He is a guy you love playing with and I definitely love to throw it to him because he is a playmaker.”
