A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry responded on Tuesday to pointed criticism of the city from a Fox News host, saying that progress has been made.
“If you’re someone that hasn’t spent time in our city, you don’t understand where we were and how far we’ve come,” Curry said, regarding a brutal recent dis of the Bold New City of the South from Fox & Friends’ Brian Kilmeade.
Kilmeade, who has property in St. Johns County, made the comments last week at the beginning of the second hour of the morning program.
“The city of Jacksonville’s got such great potential. They’ve got these bridges. Beautiful scenery. They’ve got to rebuild that city,” Kilmeade said Thursday, offering critical narration to a shot of the Main Street Bridge.
“It’s just a mess. The city needs to be revitalized,” Kilmeade added.
Curry suggests that someone from Fox News come to the city to see it for themselves, saying he is “bullish and excited about how far we’ve come and about where we’ll end up in the years ahead.”
“I’d invite them to come see our projects that are billion-plus dollar projects that are under review,” Curry told media outlet Action News Jax. “I’d love to show somebody around whether it be one of the hosts, a producer or someone who is a part of any one of the shows. I think it’d be great. I think they would be impressed.”
Curry isn’t the only Jacksonville Republican to respond to Kilmeade’s kill shot this week. City Councilman Matt Carlucci sent the media personality a letter Tuesday.
“People are not moving here because of thoughtless criticism, like yours, even if it is broadcasted nationally on Fox & Friends. People from around the nation and the world are moving here for quality of life and the many incredible amenities found here in Jacksonville,” Carlucci said, after listing Jacksonville’s many virtues.
“I guess it doesn’t take much courage to sit behind a desk and heap criticism in front of a camera and to an audience that has little opportunity to respond. Maybe that’s why I don’t watch Fox & Friends,” he added, as a parting shot.
5 comments
Frankie M.
April 6, 2022 at 12:28 pm
Shots fired from Carlucci! At least somebody has some cojones.
Meanwhile lame Lenny woke up from his coma to give Jax a half hearted defense. Prolly better for Lenny to leave his mouth shut & remain a fool than open it and remove all doubt.
Pablo
April 6, 2022 at 12:36 pm
What Fox news criticize the Bold Racist City of the South? Where is their compass and where are they going with this? And Lenny, billion dollar investments are just wasted when all this cities communities and citizens are not lifted up and nor treated equally.
Charles
April 8, 2022 at 12:36 pm
Brian Killmeade is spot on. I grew up in Jacksonville and live in Clay County. While I feel loyalty to Jacksonville and will always call it home, there is a reason I no longer live there. Crime, traffic, and lack of infrastructure planning have moved me further south. The political demographics have been leaning more progressive and the decisions made by city leaders have been questionable to say the least.
Jacksonville was a great city with much optimism in the 90s, but almost 30 years later the city has no clear vision of where it’s going. The only thing the city does well is waste taxpayer money by trying to reinvent itself and rewrite history. Newcomers to the area called the city racist because of school names and parks being named after Confederate generals, persuading city officials to pay millions to change school names and remove statues in parks. These knee-jerk reactions have not improved the lives of citizens, increased graduation rates, or reduced crime. The city needs help.
Over It
April 8, 2022 at 11:11 pm
He’s not wrong. I lived here in 1998-2002. Moved back in 2016. Downtown, nightlife, crime, cleanliness…it’s all gotten worse. Aside from a few restaurants downtown is a joke. The city needs to look at places like Charlotte and Austin for how to build a good downtown that’s worth a damn. It’s a joke right now.
Curry is crap
April 9, 2022 at 4:06 am
Curry is a piece of crap!!!! he has no backbone at all, he lets Khan tell him what to do along with the chamber of commerce. His stance alone on the Monuments has sealed his fate as a politician and he knows it. Southerners and blacks will never ever vote for you, bye bye
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