Phil Ammann
The blood tide was unleashed on Jacksonville just after the election. It has been coursing through our streets since.
We’re in one of those cycles where it seems like every newscast leads off with a fresh body — a man shot at point-blank range in his house off St. Augustine Road; a group of kids running from bullets on Cleveland Road (though a few got hit, including a pregnant teen mother, a new mother and her infant).
It’s been a brutal month for Jacksonville, a convergence of unholy forces and malign intent.
13 shot in a week. Three dead from injuries.
And now it is left to politicians and preachers to make their statements.
Mayor Lenny Curry is “mad as hell.”
“I continue to be mad as hell this has to stop,” Curry said Tuesday. “When you have a child shot and killed and other children in and around the event, it is a jolt to the community. Understand, we are dealing with these issues every day. We are looking how resources are allocated. That’s what people of Jacksonville need to know.”
Sheriff Mike Williams laid it out a different way Tuesday: “Today is not the day to wave a flag and declare victory.”
And — as a corollary — victory isn’t coming anytime soon.
Policy makers are keenly aware that any turnaround will take time.
To that end, the major Jacksonville initiative of this century, in terms of turnaround, has been the Jacksonville Journey.
Former Mayor John Peyton brought in the program, but Alvin Brown moved many of its initiatives outside the Journey umbrella.
Curry has brought it back, but the “data-driven” initiative to reduce crime and improve conditions in Jacksonville’s most violence-ridden ZIP codes has faced challenges.
For one thing, members of the city council don’t seem to understand that it’s not a quick fix, but a prolonged, 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust effort to reset mindsets and turn around communities one at-risk kid at a time.
The latest wave of gunplay illustrates a need for sustained effort.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Jacksonville Journey Oversight Committee, chairman W.C. Gentry laid the mission bare.
“Democratically, we can’t have police on every corner,” Gentry said. “The only way we can change Jacksonville is change — and change from the bottom up, investing in these kids.”
“We need to be advocates in City Hall, because we need continuity … if we really want to change Jacksonville, it will take a decade,” Gentry added.
That change will happen against formidable headwinds of family structures undermined by mass incarceration, against currents of joblessness and geographical points of despair.
Jacksonville tends to suffer from lack of follow-through. We see the effects throughout the city — infrastructural woes, transportation tragedies, and a lack of belief among some city residents that government can’t offer even basic services.
However, the Journey is about more than service; it’s about the city’s own social fabric.
That fabric, currently frayed, can be patched in the short term; resewn in the long term.
And that is a must.
For Jacksonville to survive as a city, it’s must find a way to bridge the resource and outcome gap between its most well-off citizens and those born into a struggle that most reading these words will never comprehend.
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“Jacksonville Journey: A marathon, not a sprint” via Florida Politics – The Jacksonville Journey Oversight Committee convened for the first time since a wave of weekend violence left multiple people dead, including an 11-month-old infant. In that meeting, held in the wake of City Council committees scrutinizing how Journey resources are allocated, one thing that became clear was that the committee is looking to refine the metrics for allocating its budget. To that end, a subcommittee will be formed to see if the Journey formula — which extends to 10 of Jacksonville’s most troubled ZIP codes — can be extended in a more granular way to address problems in other parts of the city. However, one thing remains constant despite the pushback of certain council members on methodology: the work of the Jacksonville Journey is essential, fraught with challenges and requires time, resources and legislative commitment to accomplish.
“The events this past week drive home the importance of this work, the urgency of this work, and the need to have consistency,” said Chairman W.C. Gentry, who noted the “Journey was launched a dozen years ago in the face of ‘atrocities’ in the city.” There were, said Gentry, “improvements in violent crime.” … “Part of it was the work of the Jacksonville Journey,” Gentry said. “Part of it was communities taking their community back.” Of course, Gentry noted the Journey faded before the current administration, and a “lack of persistence by the city” occasioned a “spasm of terrible violence.” Gentry also discussed why the Journey focuses on ZIP codes for allocation. “The committee understood why the Journey’s assessment was somewhat different than Councilman Wilson’s,” Gentry said, noting that the “sophisticated data analysis” framed crime in ZIP codes in meaningful ways, including per capita … Gentry said, “I think we’re in a great position in terms of leadership.” If that is the case, the second version of the Jacksonville Journey may well have the time and resources it needs to succeed.
“40 Jacksonville employers agree to new ‘Ban the box’ initiative” via Tessa Duvall of the Florida Times-Union – Now, about 40 companies across Jacksonville are modifying their approaches to hiring in a way that won’t require someone seeking a job to immediately disclose past arrests. A new Jax Chamber initiative … Project Open Door, asks companies not to ask about an applicant’s arrest record until the interview phase, when he or she can explain the situation, as opposed to eliminating them from the start because they disclosed their history. Nationally, the concept is gaining momentum as the “Ban the Box” movement, a reference to the box those with records must check on applications. Dozens of local business leaders, representing health care, banking and other major industries in Jacksonville stood Tuesday on the Chamber steps, showing their support for the project, along with Sheriff Williams. Williams and former sheriff and current Edward Waters College President Nat Glover said the initiative would have a crime-reduction impact on the community. “Sometimes, it’s just a matter of giving someone an opportunity. That’s when that intervention needs to occur,” Williams said. “If you give people an opportunity, you give them hope, and if we can instill hope in some of the most challenged neighborhoods in our community, then we can overcome some of the challenges that have plagued us for far too long.” Academic studies show that employment is one of the strongest factors in preventing recidivism, according to the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the federal Justice Department, though it takes more than employment alone.
“Duval County TDC tweaks clear final City Council committee” via Florida Politics – The Finance Committee of the Jacksonville City Council became the third and final committee to approve revisions to the Tourist Development Council schematic. The bill was approved 5-1, with Aaron Bowman in dissent. Language was added prohibiting use of tourist development tax funds (two cents of the six-cent bed tax) to finance capital improvements through debt, to finance hotel construction, or to finance privately owned facilities. Of the two cents of the bed tax allocated to the Tourist Development Plan, anticipated revenue this fiscal year is $7.4 million, up $600,000 year-over-year.
The proposed funding formula sees shifting budgetary allocations as revenue increases. Out of the first 5 million, 71 percent goes to advertising, PR and marketing to “promote tourism,” with 24 percent going to fund events that promote and advertise tourism, targeting tourists from outside the area. The additional 5 percent goes to convention bureaus, tourist bureaus and visitor information centers. From the next million dollars, there is a shift in ratios: 40 percent goes to advertising and the like to promote tourism, 20 percent goes to fund events that bring in tourists from outside the area, and 40 percent goes to “fund any other authorized use under state law with city council approval.” Above $6 million, there is another shift in the formula: 50 percent of that money goes to promotional efforts, 25 percent goes to “any other authorized use under state law with city council approval,” and the last 25 percent goes to “acquire, construct, expand, repair, improve and operate publicly owned convention centers, auditoriums, aquariums or museums.” A sticking point in committees in previous days was a provision in the bill that the current and most recent council president be appointed to the TDC. The Rules Committee broadened that to include a council member with an interest in tourism.
“Americans for Prosperity issues call to action on Jacksonville pension debt” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – The major conflict in Jacksonville politics right now: negotiations between Jacksonville Mayor Curry and the heads of various public sector unions. Curry wants to move the unions beyond defined benefit “dinosaur” plans, offering raises for current workers, assurances that their plans won’t change, and bonuses for the current employees. The unions are reluctant to move toward the 401(k) model Curry advocates for future workers, saying there will be recruitment and retention issues. Curry hopes to have this negotiation wrapped up in time for the next budget year. And Americans for Prosperity is trying to help, via a website that seems to misunderstand the issue being a matter of collective bargaining with seven different bargaining units.
The website says it’s “time to fix Jacksonville” and its “broken pension system,” and includes a call to action: a form email that can be sent to elected politicians in the city. “Your city council works for you,” reads the AFP webpage, “not for Unions or special interests that are trying to keep Jacksonville broke.” AFP-Florida state director Chris Hudson says his group is putting a full-court press on Jacksonville residents. “Our grassroots teams have been going door to door and phone banking to educate Jacksonville’s residents about the looming financial crisis. Our goal is to have thousands of face-to-face conversations across the city to encourage citizens to take action and call on their city officials to address the $2.85 billion debt brought on by the broken pension system,” Hudson asserts.
“Kerri Stewart cleared of ethics charges” via Florida Politics – Last year, a report from the Jacksonville City Council auditor’s office implied Stewart, the chief of staff for Mayor Curry, had acted improperly years ago in a previous role with the city. Stewart was head of the Neighborhoods department under the John Peyton administration, when a city contract was facilitated for consulting services from a company (Infinity Global Solutions) that she went on to work for. Local media raised a ruckus about it at the time. One local outlet called it a “dubious” deal, predicated on a “no-bid contract” and the city had nothing to show for its million-dollar deal. Meanwhile, at least one Republican council member wondered privately if there was substance to the wrongdoing, even going so far as to muse about Stewart potentially needing to resign her position. However, after due process, the city’s ethics director concluded Stewart had done nothing wrong … Ethics Director Carla Miller summed up the current state of the case. “This recommendation was reviewed by the Ethics Commission last night; the case was dismissed,” Miller wrote, adding that parallel cases were dismissed against two other parties: Wight Gregor and Curry. Miller added other insights, noting “Stewart followed the procurement process that was in effect at the time.”
“How Jacksonville can benefit from Donald Trump” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – For one thing, Jacksonville is unique: a big city with a mayor who delivered what he called “strong support” of Trump. Whereas the mayor’s office (and the governor’s office) were out of step with the Barack Obama White House, the support Mayor Curry offered to Trump will be acknowledged by the president-elect, who values “loyalty” to such a degree that three of his adult children and his son-in-law are integral to the presidential transition. Jacksonville, meanwhile, has a laundry list of projects for which it could use federal help. The deepening of the harbor for JAXPORT, which could be a billion-dollar project in the end. Funds to fix or replace failing bridges. Money for whatever the Jacksonville Transportation Authority decides to do with the Skyway people mover. New or refurbished cars are essential to maintain the integrity of the current system; however, expansion of the system has been on the wish list of many for a while.
In a Trump White House, where infrastructural renewal, including for transportation projects such as mass transit and commuter rail expansion, is expected to be financed via deficit spending, such asks are more plausible than they might have been in a Democratic White House. Even Jacksonville’s septic tank phase-out project — ultimately at least a $300 million project — may find a more receptive federal audience than it would have if Clinton had won the election. History tells us that domestic spending bubbles don’t last very long. Even the New Deal sputtered out as the U.S. entered World War II. Would it be paradoxical for Jacksonville, a rare major city with a GOP city council and conservative mayor, to come out well from a flurry of federal spending? Perhaps. But in a year of paradoxes and affronts to the conventional wisdom, what’s one more?
Tweet, tweet:
“Congressman-elect Al Lawson lays out his agenda for our area” via Sarah Thompson of WOKV – One of his big priorities will be looking into student loans. “I want to make sure the federal government does not make a profit on the backs of students,” Lawson says. He adds, “It’s done wrong in America, with student loans. The way that we allow people to re-finance their homes, but we don’t allow them to re-finance student debt.” Lawson then talked about making sure Social Security is stable. “Because people have paid into this plan on the front-end of their career, and then on the back-end, when they have given so much, that it’s going to be there for them.” Lawson also says he plans to meet with Florida Governor Rick Scottwithin a week or so, as Scott is already working on the next state budget. “I want to make sure Duval is in that budget, with the funding that it needs to continue to be competitive with the other states.” The Congressman-elect then ended on an optimistic note, saying, “I want people to always remember that this seat belong to them, it really does not belong to me or any representative, we’re just there by the taxpayer to be their voice up in Washington.”
“Neal Dunn and Lawson meet as incoming Congressional freshmen” via Ledyard King of USA TODAY – Republican Dunn and Democrat Lawson greet each other outside the U.S. Capitol. Both Florida lawmakers are in town attending orientation for incoming congressional freshmen. They will be officially sworn in Jan. 3.
Facebook Status of the Day via Al Lawson:
“4th Circuit State Attorney-elect Melissa Nelson announces leadership team” via Florida Politics –Two Chief Assistant State Attorneys, Mac D. Heavener III and L.E. “Leh” Hutton, were announced … Both Heavener and Hutton worked at the SAO previously. Heavener currently is deputy chief of the U.S. Attorney Office in Jacksonville, while Hutton is a partner in the Willis, Ferebee & Hutton law firm. Chosen as chief investigator is Timothy Quick, who will manage the office’s investigative staff. Quick is special agent in charge of the Norfolk NCIS office … Nelson affirmed these hires reflect the spirit of her campaign, in which she routed current incumbent Angela Corey in a closed GOP primary in August. “Throughout their distinguished careers, Mac, Leh, and Tim have conducted themselves with unquestioned integrity. They bring a wealth of experience to our office and each shares my commitment to tough, but fair and ethical law enforcement … Our office will protect our community, safeguard the constitutional rights of all, and exercise sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars. I am proud to have Mac, Leh, and Tim joining me to lead this important office,” Nelson added.
Spotted: Michael P. Fleming, a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General and the senior vice president of university relations and development at Jacksonville University, at the 2nd annual ImpactJAX Military Business Panel. Fleming joined several other speakers in discussing the topic “Why veterans should call Jacksonville home.”
Complimentary WiFi now available on JTA buses — Need to catch up on some work during your next bus ride? Don’t worry, the Jacksonville Transit Authority has you covered. Complimentary Wi-Fi hotspots have been expanded to include all fixed-route buses in the JTA fleet. “Wi-Fi allows our customers to manage their cellular phone plans while on board and turn their commute into productive time,” said JTA CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. All JTA vehicles, excluding Connexion and the Skyway offer the hot spot. To log on, simply select JTA’s Wi-Fi network, JTAconnect, and follow the directions. The unsecured public network does not require a password.
JAXPORT’s growth creates big opportunity for small business — JAXPORT payments for work by certified Jacksonville Small and Emerging Businesses topped $12.4 million over the past three years, accounting for an average of 12 percent of the port’s overall contract payments per year. “As a result of our outreach activities, we have seen an increase in both the total number of small businesses and the number of first time bidders,” said Yetunde Oyewole, Coordinator of JAXPORT’s Small and Emerging Business Programs, in a statement. “For instance, we received seven conforming proposals for the janitorial services contract. This was the first time six of those companies had bid on any JAXPORT project.” The JAXPORT Board of Directors recently approved a multi-year contract with JSEB-certified JAX Supply & Service Solution, Inc., for janitorial services at all of JAXPORT’s facilities. The three-year contract, valued at $179,280 annually, carries two additional one-year renewal options.
“JEA Board reduces rates, approves CEO bonus” via Stephanie Brown of WOKV – It’s a move that’s designed to save JEA customers $100 million over the next eight years. JEA’s Board of Directors has approved a number of changes that, as a package, lower your bill and provide more stability in your bill, according to JEA’s CFO Melissa Dykes. The vote dropped the fuel charge rate by $4.25/MWh. As a result, customer bills across the board will drop, although exactly how much is variable based on the customer involved. JEA says residential customers will see anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars off their monthly bills- about 30 cents for the typical customer, whereas commercial customers can expect a 1%-5% drop. Utility rates will now be more in line with actual fuel expenses … A special economic incentive that allows special rates to be negotiated for businesses considering a move to Jacksonville was also approved, as was a plan for an expedited pay down of $190 million in debt- which is where JEA says they’re expecting to save about $100 million over eight years. JEA’s Board has also approved bonuses for employees and the CEO. CEO Paul McElroy was awarded more than $55,000 as a bonus. The Board noted McElroy and his leadership team have led them to a string of customer savings, and they need to be competitive in offering McElroy incentives to stay with JEA. The bonus was based on the timeframe leading up to, but not including, Hurricane Matthew. Across the workforce, they’ve approved $3.1 million in bonuses – or 2.2 percent of the FY2016 salaries.
“The ANOINTED One: Flagler College’s presidential search and its discontents” via Jake Gerkin of Folio Weekly –Two years after its 1968 founding as an all-girls’ college, the school reorganized as a coed liberal arts college. Since then, Flagler College has had two presidents: William L. Proctor, who served as president from 1971-2001, and William T. Abare Jr., who has served as president from Proctor’s retirement to present day. In April, Abare announced he would retire in June 2017. This summer, the school began a nationwide search for a replacement, hiring AGB Search, a Washington, D.C.-based firm that specializes in finding candidates to fill positions in higher education … Though the application process technically closed Oct. 11, for weeks, word around campus has been that the school had already selected a local insider to serve as its next president: St. Johns County Superintendent of Schools Joseph Joyner, who announced his retirement from that county position April 6, just 12 days before Abare’s retirement was announced … some Flagler insiders privately question whether Joyner will be able to meet the school’s fundraising goals … Flagler relies on a combination of fundraising, tuition and income from its endowment of $48 million and capital reserves of more than $30 million … Last year, fundraising accounted for more than $6 million of Flagler’s budget. This enables the school to keep tuition relatively low … Flagler’s 2,500 students pay $16,830 each for tuition, well below the national average … Other Flagler employees wonder whether naming another older white man (Joyner is in his 60s), whom one faculty member, speaking on condition of anonymity, referred to disparagingly as a “good ol’ boy,” will improve diversity at Flagler, one of the least diverse colleges in the nation. To some, the lack of diversity at the school is just a reflection of the conservatism of its administration.
“For the Jags, success depends on stats” via Gary Shelton — Sometimes, the way a quarterback is viewed depends on stats. And sometimes, it depends upon team success.
Take, for instance, the seasons of Detroit’s Matthew Stafford and Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles.
Stafford, who has led his team to a 5-4 record and a share of the lead in the NFC Central, has been praised throughout the season for his play. Bortles, whose team is 2-7 and last in the AFC South, has been heavily criticized.
Still, Bortles remains 12th in the NFL in passing. Stafford is 15th.
This week, an improved Jacksonville secondary prepared to play against Stafford and the Lions.
“He’s extremely talented,” Jags’ coach Gus Bradley said of Stafford. “Now he can make all the throws, he’s got great arm strength. I’ve been impressed with him over the course of the years that he’s been in the league. Just his ability to make some of the throws that he makes. He can make plays on the run, he’s making good decisions now, too. He’s got some talented receivers, too, and that’s no different for him. He’s just making very good decisions.”
Bradley’s pass defense has improved from 29th a year ago to fourth this season. Part of the reason is rookie Jalen Ramsey.
“I think very similar to what we did before,” Bradley said. “Maybe a few different things coverage-wise, but I think we talked about last year being tighter coverage and I think it’s gotten even tighter. I think guys understand the responsibilities. A few things were tweaked within their zone principles from last year, and I think that’s benefited as well.”
Bortles has had much of his success when he’s been flushed from the pocket.
“Funny enough, Blake has done a real good job,” offensive coordinator Nate Hackett said. “Last week he had a 65 percent completion percentage, which is huge. Last year he was about 58. So, we are really climbing that one up. He did great in the third down situations. I think that when he is out of the pocket he just stops thinking and starts gaming. Trying to find a play, he is all excited to run because he loves running the ball. He always wants to try to get as many yards as he can with his feet. Then if you find someone open he just delivers it. It is one of those things, nonthinking, just go and make a play.
“It is not ideal (Bortles running), but we want to get him on the run because anytime you can move the pocket it allows the defense not to know where he is going to be. Anytime that you have a threat that you are going to get out of the pocket it is always positive. I think that sometimes when it is a smooth, easy look he feels it and he delivers the ball and it is awesome. Then all of a sudden if it breaks down he is comfortable with that, which that is really hard to train with a quarterback.
“A lot of quarterbacks they only want that one, two, three throw the ball. They just want that real nice thing and then all of sudden when it breaks down guys panic or something bad happens. The good thing about Blake, which separates him, is his ability to extend plays. His ability to use his feet. His ability to find A-Rob for a touchdown over there.
“That throw — that throw, he had two guys right in him hit him. It was awesome.”
The Jags have lost their last two games by eight points total. Still, they are a 6.5-point underdog to the Lions.
“Former Jaguars Tony Boselli, Torry Holt among Pro Football Hall Of Fame semifinalists” via Mike Kaye of WTLV – Boselli played for the Jaguars from 1995-2001 and was the franchise’s first-ever draft pick. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro. He was also selected to the 1990s All-Decade team. Holt spent most of his career with the St. Louis Rams. He won a Super Bowl with St. Louis and was selected to seven Pro Bowls. He spent the 2009 season with the Jaguars. Holt caught 51 receptions for 722 receiving yards during his lone season in Jacksonville. The group of 26 semifinalists will be reduced to 15 in early January.
“Jaguars players considered protest, but pig socks scuttled plans” via Mike DiRocco of ESPN – A group of Jacksonville Jaguars players did consider participating in a protest during the national anthem in support of San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, at least until Kaepernick wore socks with pictures of pigs dressed as police officers. Cornerback Prince Amukamara, speaking at a town-hall panel discussion … featuring several players and civic leaders, said a group of 10-12 players talked to coach Gus Bradley about their decision to protest, but they couldn’t get organized and then Amukamara decided to drop out because of Kaepernick’s socks. “I do agree with what Colin was kneeling for and how it wasn’t against the military, but he was protesting against injustice that was being toward black Americans being shot,” Amukamara said. “Then when he did the sock thing with cops and pigs, I’m like, ‘No. Now I can’t even kneel with him because if I do, then I’m supporting that, too’, which I don’t support. I don’t think any cops are pigs … Me, KB [left tackle Kelvin Beachum], and a lot of guys on the team, either we were going to do it together or not at all. It wasn’t just going to be one or two people — it was going to be 10 or 12 people — and we just couldn’t get it worked out.”
Happening next month – Community First Credit Union sponsors $6 Saturday at the Jacksonville Zoo — Visitors to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens will get a treat on Dec. 3, when general admission at the zoo will be $6. The promotion is sponsored by Community First Credit Union.
