Peter Schorsch
Notable in analyzing the final pre-primary money reports in northeast Florida state House races: some candidates went all-in to win the primary; other candidates left resources in the bank, and one celebrated a max contribution from the police union by taking out $30,000 she had given the campaign.
In House District 11’s GOP primary race, Cord Byrd closed the campaign with around $15,000 on hand and some money from statewide PACs as late as the 25th. Some credible observers believe it will be a photo finish between him and Sheri Treadwell, who closed with $28,000 COH and a $16,599 final fundraising period that included PAC money … as well as a max contribution from the Koch Brothers and Disney Destinations. More locally, Akel, Logan, and Shafer — the architectural firm of former Councilman Bill Bishop — also is in behind Treadwell.
Treadwell brought in $191,381; spent $163,073; has $28,307 on hand. Byrd brought in $67,400; spent $52,423; has $14,976 on hand. Donnie Horner brought in $138,725; spent $124,841; has $13,883 on hand.
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In the Republican race in House District 12, Clay Yarborough spent $55,000 at the end, the vast majority on voter communication in the mailer heavy district. Terrance Freeman, meanwhile, had a -$104 last twelve days of his campaign, and less than $2,000 spent in total from July 23 on (despite ending the campaign with almost $28,000 on hand), as outside groups message against Yarborough on his behalf. Freeman has surged in one campaign’s internals, as third-party mailers have driven up Yarborough’s negatives.
Freeman brought in $78,357; spent $50,594; has $27,943 on hand. Yarborough brought in $123,470; spent $114,943; has $8,526 on hand.
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In House District 13’s Democratic primary, incumbent Reggie Fullwood failed to file as of Sunday morning, but he closed out with radio spots and $16,000 on hand as of Aug. 12. Tracie Davis spent under $4,200 in the last reporting period and closes the primary with over $20,000 on hand. Expected Republican nominee Mark Griffin retained almost $30,000 for the general.
Griffin brought in $32,671; spent $3,618; has $29,052 on hand; Davis brought in $30,093; spent $9,145; has $20,947 on hand.
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In HD 14’s Democratic donnybrook, Kim Daniels refunded herself $30,010 of the $65,000 she put into the campaign on August 16 … the exact same day the Fraternal Order of Police gave her $1,000. Leslie Jean-Bart has spent over $58,000 since Aug. 6. In that same period, Daniels spent $3,250. Former state legislator Terry Fields brought in $12,650 since Aug. 15, including max contributions from Citigroup, Bayard Racetrack, and local gambling magnate Howard Korman; in the same period, he spent $12,301 on mailers and billboards.
Fields brought in $67,175; spent $41,214; has $26,960 on hand. Jean-Bart brought in $127,486; spent $110,220; has $17,265 on hand; Daniels brought in $50,490; spent $44,070; has $6,420 on hand.
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In the two-man GOP primary in HD 16, Jason Fischer has spent over $110,000 since Aug. 6. He has a just over $1,000 in his campaign account. Since Aug. 6, Dick Kravitz has spent almost $75,000. But he closes the campaign out with over $23,000 on hand.
Kravitz brought in $150,200; spent $126,911; has $23,288 on hand. Fischer brought in $183,883; spent $182,765; has $1,120 on hand.
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In HD 19, Katherine Van Zant has led the money race against Leslie Dougher and Bobby Payne throughout the campaign, and she finishes ahead in that metric. Dougher’s best attack thus far has been on the Van Zants’ questionable homestead exemption, an earned media hit. Will that be enough to overcome Van Zant’s de facto incumbency as she runs to replace her husband in Tallahassee?
Van Zant’s big spend was actually from July 30 to Aug. 5 — over $46,000, as compared to a mere $15,293 in the last reporting period before the primary. She closes the primary campaign with $46,742 on hand.
Van Zant raised $172,340; spent $125,597; retains $46,742 on hand. Dougher raised $73,272; spent $67,063; retains $6,209. Payne brought in $120,790; spent $104,567; retains $16,222.
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“Marco Rubio rolls up sleeves, goes populist in Jacksonville” via Florida Politics –Rubio’s take: his likely general election challenger, Rep. Patrick Murphy, has never had to work for anything. “Patrick Murphy — you don’t know a lot about him, but you soon will,” Rubio vowed to a crowd that included a few members of the city council, the sheriff, the mayor, and CD 4 candidate Hans Tanzler. “Success for Patrick Murphy was decided on the day he was born,” Rubio said, noting that Murphy “went to the best boarding schools in America.” The hits on Murphy were oddly reminiscent of attacks on patrician Republicans by Democrats in years gone by. Florida, said Rubio, “can’t afford someone who doesn’t understand what it’s like to work hard.” Rubio, calling Murphy a “fake CPA” and “completely unaccomplished … one of the most ineffective members of Congress,” quipped that Murphy’s biggest decision “was to use the Black … or Green American Express card.” The senator believes that these attacks on Murphy will reach the great middle. “Plenty of people are not signed up for either party because they find the whole thing messed up,” Rubio added.
“Patrick Murphy holds veterans’ roundtable in Jacksonville” – Murphy held a veterans’ roundtable in Jacksonville Friday with Bunker Labs. Bunker Labs Jacksonville supports veteran entrepreneurs as they launch their own business ventures. “There are over 1.5 million veterans living in Florida, and I am incredibly grateful for their service every day,” said Murphy, who is currently running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Marco Rubio.
“Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend the freedom of this nation, and they deserve our full support. From standing up to protect their hard earned benefits, to helping find employment and to fixing unacceptable wait times and inefficiency at the VA, I will be a Senator who fights to make sure our veterans get the care they deserve. This is not a partisan issue, this is about our responsibility to do what’s right for the brave men and women who have sacrificed to serve our country.”
“Poll: John Rutherford leads CD 4 field with 33% support” via Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster of Florida Politics –A new poll by St. Pete Polls found Rutherford leads the pack with 33 percent support … Lake Ray was in second with 22 percent, followed by Hans Tanzler with 17 percent. The men are vying to replace Rep. Ander Crenshaw … Bill McClure received 10 percent support, Stephen Kaufman received 4 percent, Deborah Katz Pueschel received 3 percent, and Edward Malin received 3 percent. The survey found 8 percent of respondents were still undecided … Nearly 39 percent of those polled said they have already voted in the primary; 61 percent say they plan to vote in the primary.
“Corrine Brown: Serving in Congress is a ‘calling’” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Brown (who has had some problems with fundraising herself of late) posted an interview to her campaign Facebook page, in which she discussed why she was in Congress. “When you think about it, it’s like a calling. It’s like being a minister is a calling. Serving is a calling … your job is to help people, and to get things done.” As of yet, Brown’s primary opponents, Al Lawson and LaShonda Holloway, have yet to link their campaigns to callings from most high. However, there are still a few days left.
“Thursday court date looms for Brown’s Chief of Staff” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics –The co-defendant of Brown in the One Door for Education case, Chief of Staff Ronnie Simmons, may have to get a new lawyer after Thursday’s “conflict hearing” in his case. The hearing, slated for 1 p.m. in courtroom 5-D at the federal courthouse, addresses Simmons’ representation conflict. Simmons’ lawyer, Anthony Suarez, previously represented one of the prosecution’s witnesses. “Suarez would not be permitted to cross-examine the witness concerning certain topics that Mr. Suarez may know solely because of his attorney-client communications with the witness during the prior representation,” the prosecution claims. Simmons isn’t the only one with representation problems … Brown parted ways with her third set of legal representation since July’s indictment, though the congresswoman and her attorneys spent considerable time that afternoon depicting warm familiarity while parting ways and answered questions genially.
“In new TV ad, Hans Tanzler camp makes last-minutes accusations against Lake Ray, John Rutherford” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – A new ad from “Conservative Outsider,” a political committee which supports Tanzler in the GOP primary … contends the two opponents ahead of Tanzler in the latest public poll of the race are soft on immigration and “beloved by the establishment” … Ray took a lot of fire earlier this year for introducing a bill in the Florida Legislature requiring state background checks of Syrian refugees. The bill didn’t pass, but in the few months between introduction and spiking, Ray was subject to a variety of mainstream media pieces that questioned his motivations for introducing the bill. The ad also contends Rutherford made Jacksonville a “sanctuary city,” reiterating claims Tanzler has made throughout the campaign. There’s more incoming for Ray as well: the ad cites a vote Ray cast to “give illegal immigrant drivers licences” [sic]. Ray and Rutherford: “wrong on illegal immigration. Wrong for Northeast Florida,” claims the Northern Virginia PAC that, until this spring, was concentrated exclusively on races in Indiana. The X-Factor in this campaign has been Ray, who ran a stealth campaign with little in the way of media buys, which has been drowned out by the Rutherford and Tanzler operations.
“Bill McClure, Tanzler push dueling ‘family values’ ads as CD 4 race winds down” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics –McClure’s ad … is a celebratory piece, showing McClure (in his trademark star-spangled shorts) walking on the beach with his wife. “While others talk about family values, Bill, his wife Kim, and their children are living the values,” the voice-over says. The ad ends with a compelling shot of Mr. and Mrs. McClure dancing on the beach, then walking, hand-in-hand, together. Tanzler’s “family values” ad is new … Unfortunately, it isn’t completely honest. It starts off by correctly noting Tanzler’s endorsement by Sen. John McCain, though it does misrepresent Tanzler’s NRA rating, which is a mere “AQ” instead of the A rating trumpeted in the opening graphic. There isn’t dancing in the ad; there is, however, a heartfelt testimonial to his integrity. “He has more integrity than anyone I’ve ever known. That is the truth about my father, and I think that’s what’s kept his moral compass straight his entire life,” runs the quote.
“John McCain endorses Tanzler for Congress” – Tanzler announced the endorsement of U.S. Sen. McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee for President. During his 23-year career in the U.S. Navy, McCain spent five and a half years as a POW in Vietnam. “I know firsthand how much the Tanzler family cares for veterans above all else,” said McCain. “Mayor Tanzler took care of my family while I was a POW in Vietnam. He always gave special attention and care to my fellow veterans and their families. I know and trust that Hans Tanzler will do the same for all Florida families.” McCain has represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate for 30 years. Before that, he served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. He previously chaired the Senate Committees on Commerce and Indian Affairs.
“Challengers to Angela Corey promise different approach to public records, media” via Sebastian Kitchen of the Florida Times-Union – Challengers Melissa Nelson, a former assistant state attorney who is now in private practice, and Wes White, Corey’s former Nassau County director, criticized Corey for her record on dealing with the press, a lack of transparency, and for not pursuing public records and public meetings cases. Both vowed they’d be more transparent. “You all will write stories I don’t like, but that is part of it,” Nelson said. “The State Attorney’s Office is not a private office that has the luxury of not responding to the newspaper.” White said, “You all have got a job to do. The law provides that you are to be given access.” He said, “The failure to do that has been an unfortunate hallmark of the State Attorney’s Office.” Corey said one mistake she has made in her eight years is not defending herself and her office enough. If she comes out firing, she said, she is perceived as thin-skinned and unable to take criticism. But she said there have been situations in which her office should have refuted claims and set the record straight.
“Write-in state attorney candidate Kenny Leigh, who runs men’s-only law firm, files for bankruptcy” via Larry Hannan of the Florida Times-Union – In filings with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, Kenny Leigh & Associates asks for protection from creditors and says the office owes the Internal Revenue Service $177,000 in payroll taxes from the fourth quarter of 2015 … Leigh said his office had overextended itself with a recent expansion into South Florida and the bankruptcy was necessary to restructure the firm’s finances. “I’m sure all the women who heard about this said ‘he’s going bankrupt, hooray,’” Leigh said. “But we’re not going away.” He has expanded to Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville and Tallahassee and expects to have offices in Orlando and Atlanta within the next year, Leigh said. In [the] bankruptcy filing Leigh said he has liabilities of $500,000 to $1 million. Creditors include the Jacksonville Jaguars, American Express, Comcast, iHeart Media and the Internal Revenue Service. Billboards and advertisements for Leigh’s firm are ubiquitous in the Jacksonville area, including at Jaguars games and several billboards on Interstate 95.
“Seven-figure spend bolsters Melissa Nelson in 4th Circuit State Attorney race” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Nelson was the biggest spender between Aug. 13 and Aug. 25 — $99,356 went out the door in that period, balanced against $24,405 raised … all told … Nelson brought in $432,762 in hard money and spent $424,833. On the political committee side, Nelson’s “First Coast Values” committee raised $697,800 and spent $685,606 of that … that adds up to over $1.1 million spent on behalf of Nelson’s challenge to Corey. Corey was no slouch either. Corey raised $401,590 during the campaign and spent $398,523, leaving her just over $3,000 on hand if she wins the primary and faces the fearsome challenge of her former campaign manager’s hand-picked write-in candidate Kenny Leigh. Though hard money was comparable with Corey and the front running challenger, Corey’s political committee lagged behind, raising a mere $165,350 and spending just over $154,000. Wes White? No new fundraising — again — but he did put $19,000 more of his own money into this sinkhole of a campaign in the last reporting period before the primary.
“Speaker to be Richard Corcoran condemns anti-Terrance Freeman mailer” via Tia Mitchell of the Florida Times-Union – Whoever is behind a mailer that appears to darken the skin of state House candidate Terrance Freeman might want to steer clear of Corcoran … Corcoran released a strongly worded statement saying the ad is “disgusting” and that he is not happy with whoever created it. He stopped short of endorsing Freeman, but Corcoran made it clear that he took personal offense. I first wrote about the mailer in a column … I said households in District 12 had received the flyer attacking Freeman this week, and that some consider it an example of “dog-whistle politics” used to subtly appeal to voters with racial biases. Freeman is running in the GOP primary against former City Council President Clay Yarborough, former state Rep. Stan Jordan and former City Councilman Don Redman. The seat includes parts of Arlington and the Southside in Jacksonville. The mailer was paid for by the Conservative Leadership Fund, a political committee with a UPS store as its address and a phone number that goes to voicemail. The fund gets its money from other political committees that in turn received dollars from other entities, including the Republican Party of Florida. Corcoran, who will officially take over as speaker after the November election, found out I was making calls about that RPOF connection and wanted to make it clear the GOP had no role in that mailer and that he was pretty offended by it.
“Direct mail roundup: ‘Conservatives for Truth’ maligns ‘Taxzilla’ Clay Yarborough” via Florida Politics – We are in the fevered last days of a heated House District 12 Republican primary, and Yarborough — seen as the frontrunner in this race since Richard Clark got out — has been revamped, courtesy of a third-party mailer, as “Taxzilla” … “How can we trust Clay ‘Taxzilla’ Yarborough?” The mailer accuses the candidate of continuing to “crush us with higher taxes and bigger government,” citing a millage hike driven by budget pressures earlier this decade and unspecified “wasteful government spending,” as part of the former councilman’s “big government rampage.” The mail piece comes from “Conservatives for Truth,” an outfit based in Coral Gables, and chaired by Anthony Bustamante. July 23, $280,000 has found its way into the committee’s treasury. Where did it come from? Of the total, $130,000 comes from “Citizens Alliance for Florida.” And $100,000 comes from “Rebuild Florida,” a committee affiliated with Jose Felix Diaz. In this campaign, the “good friends in the business community” aren’t on Team Yarborough. He’s a social conservative to a fault. Rather, they are aligned with Terrance Freeman, the candidate endorsed by the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.
“House candidates Leslie Jean-Bart, Reggie Fullwood drop last-minute radio ads” via Florida Politics –Running in House District 14, Jean-Bart has an ad featuring the endorsement of incumbent Rep. Mia Jones. Jean-Bart vows to continue Jones’ legacy and fight for a $15 minimum wage, among other claims made in the 30-second spot. House District 13 incumbent Fullwood, facing a competitive primary, has two new radio spots. One spot — “The Power” — uses the rhythm track from the club hit of the summer of 1990, though it’s uncertain if the appropriation is from the version by Snap or by Chill Rob G. “Fighting to increase school funding, bringing millions of dollars’ home for neighborhood initiatives, and pushing for reform in our criminal justice system” are among the accomplishments Fullwood (who currently faces 14 federal counts in that same criminal justice system) touts. There is a second spot also, with the same text, but the voice-over is laid over a bed of more generic music, notable mostly for the aspirational chord progressions driven by synthesized strings and rhythm guitar.
“Some Duval, NE Florida education candidates embrace politicized labels” via Lindsey Kilbride of WJCT – Greg Tison [is] the general manager of the market and he’s also running for school board in Mandarin’s District 7. The board and the appointed superintendent are nonpartisan positions — candidates don’t have Rs or Ds next to their names — But Tison said that doesn’t keep voters from asking. “I can’t tell you the number of doors I’ve knocked on or people I’ve run into through this campaign in the last few months who have said, well what political party are you a member of?” he said. It’s not against the rules to answer that question, but it can’t be on candidates’ signs or ads. A couple of months ago, Tison’s campaign printed an ad that read “Vote in the Republican Primary,” but said that was an oversight. “That was actually a misprint that was too late to catch and get corrected,” he said. But the rest of the ad wasn’t a mistake, including the phrase “conservative leadership” … “Why not have it?” he said. “As far as being transparent, it’s who I am. Why would I tell anybody anything else different?” And he isn’t alone. Another District 7 candidate, Lori Hershey, has the phrase “Common Sense Conservative” across the top of her website. And outgoing District 7 board member Jason Fischer was elected with the endorsement of former Republican Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
“Lenny Curry’s pension-tax plan tops 50 percent support, according to UNF/Times-Union poll” via Nate Monroe of the Florida Times-Union – Overall, 51 percent of respondents say they strongly or somewhat support his plan, far outstripping opposition, which sits at 32 percent; 18 percent of voters are undecided. “Being over 50 percent at this point is good, especially because there is still a fair amount of indecision out there,” said Michael Binder, a UNF political science professor and director the school’s Public Opinion Research Lab, which completed the survey. Undecided voters appear to be breaking for the pension tax. When UNF last conducted a survey in June, 26 percent of voters were undecided. That number dropped to 18 percent in the latest survey, while support jumped up from 41 percent to 51 percent this time. That is “great news for Curry and supporters of this,” Binder said. The survey, conducted Aug. 21-24, has a 3.8 percent margin of error. The majority support for Curry’s plan is largely anchored by Republican voters: 57 percent back the measure. Democrats offer more tempered support, though it still enjoys a net positive backing: 45 percent support it versus 35 percent who don’t. Voters with another or no party affiliation back it by a smaller 6 percent margin … his plan is under water with black voters. Forty percent oppose his plan, while 36 percent support it. White voters show far less hesitation: 55 percent support the mayor’s plan. Curry’s plan is faring well with voters in the city’s Beaches communities, another constituency thought to be a harder sell for the plan … 57 percent of voters in the state House district that includes Atlantic, Neptune and Jacksonville beaches support Curry’s plan.
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“Curry has crisscrossed city to sell his pension reform plan; poll shows majority supports proposal” via David Chapman of the Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record – Curry has been to the JAX Chamber. He’s been to Gate Petroleum Co. He’s even visited the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. He’s been to San Marco, Mandarin and Northwest Jacksonville. He’s traveled just about all over Jacksonville the past four months to sell the merits of his pension reform proposal. The first-term mayor has been busy since Gov. Scott signed off on allowing Duval County voters to determine whether to extend a half-cent sales tax dedicated toward trying to solve the city’s $2.8 billion pension quagmire. That vote is Tuesday, but there’s been much effort in the sales job along the way. It may be paying off. Curry’s calendar since April shows he’s taken part in close to 80 forums, luncheons, civic club meetings, City Council town halls, meetings with city employees and media visits as part of his citywide pension sales job. “I never thought about what it would take,” Curry said Thursday. “I just knew I had to do it.”
“Molly Curry featured in closing argument ‘Yes for Jacksonville’ mailer” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – The best argument arguably has been saved for last … from the First Lady of Jacksonville, Molly Curry, who makes the closing pitch in a mailer targeted to female voters. Female voters, Republicans, Democrats, and NPAs alike will receive 50,000 of these mailers. “Molly Curry proudly says Yes for Jacksonville,” the flyer proclaims, “and you should too!” Mrs. Curry notes that her husband, Mayor Lenny Curry, ran to “make Jacksonville even better and ensure that it was a place where our children would want to stay when they are grown.” However, “crippling pension debt” is an impediment to that. And County Referendum 1 — which would authorize the tax extension and stabilize financing for the $2.8 billion debt — allows the “best for our children and the city.”
“Bill Bishop, Steven Joost Say Lenny Curry’s pension plan burdens future generations” via Kevin Meerschaert of WJCT – Saying … Curry’s pension plan “kicks the can” down the road, former City Council presidents Bishop and Joost are urging residents vote “no” in Tuesday’s election. Appearing on WJCT’s First Coast Connect, Joost and Bishop said Curry’s plan offers no immediate help and makes many assumptions regarding the city’s future economy that may not become reality. “All of the plans and all of the studies that have been done over the years — and there’s been many — have said the only real way to fix this problem is to put money into the system now,” Bishop said. “Even the mayor’s own people say this isn’t the best solution but they are saying it’s the only solution.” Bishop and Joost say it isn’t the only solution and other possibilities need to be considered. One would be to increase the property tax rate one dollar for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. Joost said that would place the burden of the $2.8 billion pension debt on those who should be paying for it instead of future generations. He said it would also save tax dollars in the long run. “This (Curry’s) plan adds $1.5 billion onto the tax bill. It doesn’t reduce it.”
Must-read – “How hate preacher Ken Adkins became Jacksonville’s problem” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Friday’s arrest of rabid anti-LGBT rights Brunswick pastor Adkins on charges of child molestation and aggravated child molestation of a young man represented the end of an era in Jacksonville politics … for white Republicans, who, going back a decade, saw Adkins as a portal to picking up black votes. The city’s current chief financial officer, Mike Weinstein, once unveiled Adkins as “part of the team” during his 2006 mayoral run And in the current election cycle, Gerald Wilkerson, who is a candidate for judge, paid Adkins $9,000 for a website and consulting services … which seemed to include, among other dubious services rendered, the use of Adkins and pastors friendly to him to heat up accusations of racially and sexually charged comments that Wilkerson’s opponent, Judge Mark Hulsey, allegedly made in recent years. In the last few months, Adkins gave evidence of careening out of control. Of course, he represented opposition to expanding those rights, saying (among other things) that in Massachusetts schools, “sixth-graders are being taught anal sex.” An ironic and horrifying statement, in light of the charges against Adkins, which include those of child molestation in Adkins’ own “church.” Adkins somehow skated through those horrifying comments. And local conservatives lauded him. Where are they now? Will any of them atone for not seeing how foul this man was, as many who weren’t benefiting from his virulence did at the time?
“Shad Khan, Peter Rummell help ‘Yes for Jax’ finish above $2.1M raised, spent” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Though the effort fell shy of the $3 to $4 million some had theorized would be necessary to market the referendum, which allows for the extension of a sales tax slated for a 2030 sunset date to address the city’s $2.8 billion unfunded pension liability, recent public polling shows the measure above 50 percent in the polls. When asked about internal polls Saturday, Curry said “we feel good about where we are,” adding that tailwinds were driven by an “unprecedented coalition” that spans party lines, racial identification, ZIP codes and other liminal markers. Among endorsers, the coalition is unprecedented. Among the donor class, the coalition is more familiar. Ponying up big last week: the Jacksonville Jaguars, with $100,000; Rummell, with $50,000; and the Dalton Agency, the office of which is the home-away-from-home for the political activities of Jacksonville’s downtown establishment, slid $25,000 into the $283,000 haul. The spend in the last two weeks is even more eye popping: $573,589, on consulting and media buys of various types. Despite these efforts, there has been some resistance, which Curry paints as “individuals that disagree with me” and “made [this] a political issue.”
“Ron Littlepage: Predicting sales tax future is a gamble” via the Florida Times-Union – When voters approved a half-cent sales tax in 2000 to finance the Better Jacksonville Plan, they were promised by then Mayor John Delaney that the tax would end no later than 2030. That’s what the law says. After that tax is done and over with — kaput — Curry’s sales tax would begin if voters approve. That’s a new and different tax. In the same television ad, Curry says his proposal is the only option. That, too, is incorrect. An increase in the property tax rate would produce money to begin paying down the debt now instead of relying on a sales tax that won’t even be collected until 2031. Curry doesn’t like that option, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an option. And who can guess what sales tax collections will be in 2031 and stretching to 2060, the final end date when Curry’s sales tax could be collected? When BJP passed, Delaney not only promised the sales tax would end no later than 2030, the bold prediction was made that it would end much sooner. Oops. Then came the Great Recession, and sales tax collections plummeted. Once again, a part of the current sales pitch is that the city’s pensions will be fully funded long before 2060 and that Curry’s tax will end early. Can another unforeseen circumstance happen much like it did with BJP sales tax collections? It’s a safe bet that something not thought of will occur if not by the time the sales tax is scheduled to begin in 2031, then sometime after that. Maybe it won’t be another recession, but consider this: Retail sales are undergoing a revolution. Big box stores are closing as sales move to online. Smaller businesses are moving to strictly online sales. Even if only small businesses with $1 million in online sales are exempt from sales taxes, which is one possibility, that would cut into how much the city would receive. But if Congress continues its distaste for any taxes, it could be much more. What then?
“Schooling the competition: The race to be Superintendent of Nassau County schools is the county’s most expensive and most watched” via Mary Maguire of Folio Weekly – Three women say they want the job to oversee the district’s approximately 11,000 students, 1,500 employees, and $170 million budget. As a practical matter, only two candidates are considered viable: Florida Rep. Janet Adkins and Nassau County school board member Kathy Knight Burns, who will compete in a closed Republican primary … No Democrats filed to run for superintendent, but there is a Libertarian candidate: Cheryl Reynolds James, a resident of Bryceville who works in property management. James has not done much campaigning or fundraising (there’s a paltry $890 in her war chest and it was collected in September last year) and most do not expect her to be a factor. James’ candidacy seems to have been about sealing the election to Republican voters. Nevertheless, if she doesn’t leave the race after the primary, James will face Adkins or Burns in the Nov. 8 general election. Democrats and Independents were free to jump into the voting pool. And they did. Nassau County Supervisor of Elections Vicki Cannon says that 3,140 voters switched party affiliation to Republican in order to vote in the Grand Old Party primary. Though neither has previously run a school system, both Adkins and Burn have experience and ties to the community that could serve the district well. Adkins is a four-term legislator with 10 years of Nassau school board experience; Burns is a longtime elementary school teacher, with 18 years on the Nassau school board. The superintendent’s race is the county’s most-watched campaign. It is also the most expensive. As of Aug. 22, Adkins had raised $172,546; Burns $85,381.89. It’s the first time fundraising for the local superintendent spot has topped $100,000.
“City issues $87-million permit for Amazon Jacksonville facility” via Roger Bull of the Florida Times-Union – Amazon has the building permit for its fulfillment center in North Jacksonville. The Conlan Co. will build the 2,131,242-square-foot facility at 12900 Pecan Park Road with a price tag of $87 million. It’s expected to hire 1,500 people, with 500 of them averaging $50,000 a year and the rest in the $12-$15-an-hour range. The center is not expected to open until late next year with hiring starting in the middle of 2017. JAX Chamber is developing a training program which is scheduled to start early next year. The company’s total investment for the Jacksonville project is touted to be up to $200 million in a combination of equipment, furniture, land and real estate improvements.
“Huge St. Johns County mixed-use development sign of explosive growth” via John Burr of WJCT – A giant shopping, office and residential development is coming to northern St. Johns County along I-95 … one of the fastest-growing areas in the state. Earlier this summer, land owner Gate Petroleum and Gatlin Development announced the massive project called Durbin Park, including 2.4 million square feet of retail, 2.8 million square feet of office space, apartments and more. Northeast Florida Regional Council CEO Brian Teeple says one critical element that makes Durbin Park possible is the construction of State Road 9B, an extension of I-295. Without a high-capacity road cutting through the site, a development on the scale of Durbin Park is just not possible. And he said 9B will open up development of other projects in northern St. Johns, which have been on the books for years but did not have good enough access without the road.
Save the date: “Intuition Ale Works to open Bay Street location” via Intuitionaleworks.com – From 1 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, intuition ale works will officially welcome the public into its brand-new taproom on Bay St. Once officially opened, hours of operation will be 1 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For any questions and comments, please check out the Facebook Event Page for the Opening Day.
Save the date: “Jacksonville Zoo’s Fiesta Del Jaguar” via the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens – Fiesta del Jaguar, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, will feature educational fun plus a taste of Latin American food, music and dance from Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Mexico and more. Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens is at 370 Zoo Pkwy. in Jacksonville.
“U.S. Soccer team to train at UNF” via Clayton Freeman of the Florida Times-Union – Ahead of two crucial World Cup qualifiers, the United States men’s national team is making Jacksonville its home base. The U.S. team is set to begin arriving in Jacksonville … preparing for its qualifiers at St. Vincent and the Grenadines Friday and against Trinidad & Tobago at EverBank Field on Sept. 6. The Americans will train at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium. They depart Wednesday for Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and return to Jacksonville Sept. 3. The Sept. 6 match will be the national team’s third in Jacksonville since 2012, but it’s the first World Cup qualifier in the city’s history.
“After shaky start, Jags finish well against Bengals” via Gary Shelton of Florida Politics – For the first time this preseason, the No. 1 unit of the Jacksonville Jaguars struggled Sunday night. Still, the Jags won, which is something. When a team can finish well after starting poorly, it’s a good thing. Right?
The Jaguars scored the game’s final 23 points to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21 for their first preseason win of the year. The No. 1s, on the other hand, had outscored both the Jets and the Bucs in their games. There has been progress.
“It wasn’t the way we wanted to start,” said quarterback Blake Bortles. “We really didn’t play good at any position. We really struggled, but that’s really the first adversity we have gone through this preseason. I think it’s good. Guys get a chance to watch that and learn from it. So now, we really have two weeks to get ready to play Green Bay in week one.”
The struggles, Bortles said, were because of the Jags, not the Bengals.
“It was all on us,” he said. “They didn’t do anything necessarily to stop us, but it was penalties, missed assignments, bad plays, bad throws, stupid stuff. So it was really everything that we did to ourselves.”
Third-year QB 1 Bortles completed 10-of-16 passes for 52 yards against the Bengals, increasing his 2016 preseason total to 24-of-34 passing (71.0%) for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
Jags coach Gus Bradley said there was a lesson in the shaky start.
“You know what, it’s great,” Bradley said. “I mean to be able to come in after a game like that and have a win, it’s awesome. We appreciate that part of it. Starting off with our first group, we talked about starting fast, and we didn’t start fast, coming out with a fumble like we had. We got punched in the mouth.”
Bradley said that was a letdown, but overall, he liked the preseason.
“It was (disappointing), but you know what?” he said. “Offensively we’ve had some good drives now in the preseason, so I think we’ll take a lot from this. We got punched in the mouth, and we came out like we’ll score, we’ll drive. We had in the first two preseason games, and it didn’t go quite as planned. And we talked about, ‘Hey this could be adversity now.’ Somewhere offense, we haven’t had as much as maybe we’ve needed so to have that in the third preseason game was good for our team to experience, especially against a good team like that. So we’ll learn from this. This experience we went through, we got great aspirations, and this will only help us.”
Jacksonville concludes its preseason schedule Thursday night in Atlanta.
